The 300 Year Old Pokémon
Prologue
That scent? What is that smell? Why is it so familiar? He stirred but didn't wake up until he heard the voice. His ears twitched and he stirred again before waking up. He blinked his ruby colored eyes and shook his head before yawning. The voice spoke again, calling out to an Ivysaur and stood up to look but fell back down. He whined and tried again only to stumble out of the cave he had been sleeping it. He landed right in front of the source of the voice, startling her and her Pokemon.
The girl watched as he stood up and wobbled, fell back down and huffed. She took a few steps to him and knelt down and spoke. Haruko? He thought as he looked up at her and for a moment, just a moment the girl in front of him looked like Haruko. When his vision cleared he realized it was his Haruko and he let his head slump back down to the ground.
"are you alright?" the girl reached out and touched his shoulder. "What Pokémon are you?"
The device in the girls hand spoke: "Arcanine the legendary Pokémon, and the evolved form of Growlithe. this Pokémon has long been admired for its beauty. It run as agilely as if on wings. Its magnificent bark conveys a sense of majesty. anyone who hears it cant help but grovel before it. The fire that blazes within its body is said to be the source of its power."
"Wow and Arcanine, but your fur looks so dusty. Are you hurt?" The girl asked and Arcanine looked away. The Pokémon at her side repeated the question but the Arcanine still didn't respond.
The girl pursed her lips and then rummaged through her bag at her side, "here eat this Oran berry it will help with your strength."
'I do not need help from a human.'
The girl gasped and dropped the berry. "you can speak? How?"
'I do not have to answer you.' the Arcanine tried standing once again. The girl cocked her head and waited for an answer. The Arcanine looked at her with a bitter look in his eyes, but found himself answering her anyway. 'I have gained the ability to speak using my psychic abilities.'
"so then your really old?"
The Arcanine grumbled as he tried standing once again. 'understatement'
"so then your body is just old and tired?"
'I am in my prime young girl! I have been asleep for 200 or so years!' The Arcanine barked
unfazed by the tone of the Pokemon's voice, the girl got just as huffy, "My name is Shauna not 'young girl' or 'human'. Shauna." Shauna sighed and calmed down quick, "If that's the case then your muscles aren't use to working and need time to be get back to being used."
The Arcanine sighed, giving up on arguing with the human girl. He opted to slowly walk away and managed to get off the road. He sighed again and got up to walk around before leaving.
Shauna watched him and looked at her Ivysaur before having it return to its Pokéball and following the fiery dog. She knew he need care from a Pokémon Center and could tell he was sad.
As they went down the path he growled lat her for following her, but since the town was in that direction she told him he wasn't following him. He grumbled and picked up his pace but his muscles screamed and he had no choice but to stop. He sat down and rolled his eyes as Shauna stopped next to him. 'You're not going to stop are you?'
"nope, you need help and I can do that. Besides you must have had a trainer otherwise you would have attacked me long ago."
'Trainer?'
"yeah a Pokémon Trainer, like me." he cocked his head, "not a very good explanation is it. A Pokémon Trainer is a person who catches and raises Pokémon whether its to battle or perform with them. Like me and my Ivysaur."
'so you are Ivysaur's master?'
"kind of but I don't force her to do anything she doesn't want to. We're best friends and love to perform in Pokémon show cases."
'hmm still do not require your help.' Arcanine stood back up but hung its head, it was already too tired.
"your body says otherwise. So eat this berry and I'll take you to a Pokémon Center."
The Arcanine ignored her and began walking again, but this time its body was surrounded by fire and its form suddenly changed.
Shauna fell back as the Arcanine's body began to change, she couldn't see it entirely but she knew he was transforming. She first thought it was mega evolving but shook her head. It a whoosh of hot air and sparks the flames dispersed to reveal a tall young man in the spot where Arcanine had once been standing. His long light blonde/beige hair went down to his waist where it met a flowing bushy tail that match his hair. His outfit was an old orange and black kimono that looked too big for the man's body. Atop his head were two diamond shaped ears of an Arcanine.
He stretched and ran his had through his shaggy hair and turned around as his tail twitched. "See I do not need your help."
"what just happened?"
"I told you I am old and have psychic abilities and though unlike others that have I am not limited to illusions of my master or other human's I have met."
Shauna stood there gawking and only realized she was staring at him when he walked closer and leaned down. "s-sorry"
"you are an odd human."
"I'm odd? Your the one who just changed from a Pokémon to a human. He calls me odd." Shauna rolled her eyes and looked at her watch. "yikes I have to go! I promised Tierno and Trevor I'd meet them at the Pokémon Center! See ya!" with that Shauna ran down the path heading to the town so she could be there in time to meet the others leaving Arcanine confused yet curious. It wouldn't be that long from their first meeting that they would run into one another again.
Two months had past since Shauna had last seen the mysterious Arcanine and she had begun to think of him, once in a great while at first but now it seemed he was always there. It was after a trainer had challenged her for a battle that she found herself lost and in trouble. She had found herself being chased by a pack of angry Houndour that was lead by a Houndoom. She fought as much as she could but the fire and dark type Pokémon were too strong for Shauna and her Ivysaur.
Shauna had Ivysaur return to its Pokéball and she ran as fast as she could until she came to a cliff. She was now trapped between a cliff and a pack of wild angry Pokémon. She let out a whimper and hit her knees as she braced herself, but he attack never came. She heard whimpering followed by yelps but didn't chance a glance until she heard a familiar voice.
"Do not know how you managed that one but they are gone now." Shauna looked up to see the Arcanine from a week ago in his human form smirking with a Ninetales behind him.
"i-its you!"
"yeah its me." he held out his hand to help her up. She took it and stood up and notice his attire was different but still had the same orange as his old outfit. "you're a handful you know that."
"huh? What are you talking about?"
"lets see this is the third time you've gotten yourself lost and in danger. This month."
"it was you!? you're the reason I was able to find my way!" Shauna pointed at him, "but why? I don't even know your name, if you even have a name."
"I have a name, thank you very much. Its Kenshin Akunain." He turned slightly and folded his arms only to narrow his eyes and look at her, "and as for my reasoning, I wanted to. You remind me of someone I use to know."
"oh? And who do I remind you of?"
Kenshin blushed and looked away, "a girl who you resemble. Anyway you need to get to a Pokémon Center. Your Ivysaur needs it. Lets go."
Shauna stood there and watched him walk away and stop to pet his Ninetales. He's different, Shauna thought and waled to him. "Isn't it a bit odd that you have Pokémon since you yourself are one?"
"depends on how you look at it. Besides no one else knows I'm a Pokémon."
"i guess so." She replied and Kenshin told his Ninetales to return and put it back inside his coat. "It seems you've gotten use to it here. Must have been hard."
"Somethings were easier to get use to than others" He shrugged.
They walked through the forest in silence, Shauna trying to think of what to say to him and Kenshin trying not to think about Haruko. IT was difficult for him not to what with Shauna bearing a resemblance to his former lover. Shauna was about to speak but a clearing came into view and she forgot all about what she wanted to ask him. She ran out into the open and breathed in deeply and spun around. She exclaimed at how great it was to get out of the forest and thanked him.
Kenshin smiled and bowed his head, it caught the girl off guard and she couldn't help but notice the nobility she saw along with the a hint of affection. It confused her and she looked away but the thoughts of who the girl was and her connection with Kenshin ran through her head. He walked past her and leaned down slightly as he did, "your face is red." He spoke softly with a grin on his face.
Shauna's face brightened, "well yeah anyone girl's face would if a handsome guy looks at them like you just did."
Kenshin stopped and rose an eyebrow, "Handsome huh?"
"I wasn't talking about you! I was just saying that any guy looks at a girl like that she's going to blush." She said stuttering the entire time. "lets go if we're going."
Shauna huffed and stomped past him received a chuckle from the Pokémon human guy. He smirked and shook his head as he followed her down to the road. When he caught up with her she had stopped at was looking at a map and sighed.
"Still a days walk from here better get going I guess."
Kenshin had sat down on a boulder, "I wouldn't if I were you. Its going to get dark soon."
"what?" Shauna stopped at looked around, "oh I guess I hadn't noticed the sunset."
Kenshin watched her as her shoulders slumped and she walked off the road to set up her tent and sleeping bag. He stayed quiet and Shauna didn't notice when he stood up and left, until he was in front of her with a handful of Oran, Sitrus and Rindo berries. "here give these to your Ivysaur, it will heal it enough to make to the Pokémon Center." She looked at him then to the berries and back at him as he set them down. His ears and nose twitched, She's crying, He thought and turned around. "what's wrong?"
Shauna wiped her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears from falling, "I'm such a horrible trainer! I knew we'd be no match for the Houndour pack but I went against them anyway. Now my Ivysaur is hurt bad and I can't just take the berries! Its all my fault I shouldn't take them."
Kenshin knelt in front of her and took her shoulders, "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known the pack was there watching. They thought you had hurt their pack mate, that's why they attacked you."
"How do you know that?"
"I'm a Pokémon remember, I can communicate with them."
"oh yeah." Shauna sniffled, "but I still don't deserve the berries, I shouldn't have tried to fight them."
"everyone makes mistakes, Shauna. Even Pokémon make mistakes and we learn from them." Kenshin smiled at her and picked up a berry. "Take the berries."
Shauna looked at the berry in his hand and continued to sniffle. She rubbed her eyes, "thank you."
Kenshin wiped a stray tear from her face and stood up. He didn't reply to her, he just bowed his head and walked back to the rock he had been sitting on.
Shauna watched him before gathering the berries up and chopping them. "Come on out Ivysaur." With an electric noise and a pop, Ivysaur was released from its Pokéball. It laid there and said its name in greeting but was too tired to get up. "I'm so sorry Ivysaur." Shauna hugged her Pokémon and gave it a bowl filled with bite sized pieces of berries. She took what was left and shyly handed them to Kenshin. It confused him a bit but he took them anyway and thanked her.
An hour later she got ready for bed and asked Kenshin if he were going to bed too. He told her he wasn't and that he would be fine. Shauna just nodded and said good night before disappearing into her tent. He's not going to watch over me all night is he? She thought and blushed at the thought and shook her head.
When morning came Shauna woke to a livelier Ivysaur and hugged the seed Pokémon. She got up and stretched before walking out of the tent. To her surprise she found Kenshin asleep curled up on the grass and she found herself smiling at the fact that he was still there. She changed into her usual clothes and got ready for the day.
When the Arcanine woke up he stretched as he laid there in his spot in the grass and yawned, his fangs showing as he groaned. He sat up and looked around before laying back down. "Good morning Kenshin." Shauna said and he looked over his shoulder and waved. "sleep well?"
Kenshin didn't meet her eyes and shrugged, but didn't answer. Shauna watched him as he silently got up, wobbled a bit before walking to her and hugging her. It was odd to her because they had just met but the way he was holding her told her it was something more. She relaxed and put her arms around his waist. The hug didn't last very long in fact he let her go as soon as her arms went around him and he walked away. Shauna reluctantly let him go and packed up her stuff. "I'm leaving Kenshin! I'll meet you at the Pokémon Center?!" He just looked at her and turned away without a word to her. "I'll take that as a yes, I guess. Man, he's confusing." With a sigh she told him bye and left.
Chapter 1
Shauna had just reached Fleurrh City and stretched, "finally here." Kenshin yawned looked around, his tail swishing excitedly. "You really need to not do that."
"do what?"
Shauna laughed as Kenshin moved his tail again. "that, the tail moving. People are gonna figure it out."
Kenshin pondered this for awhile and his tail continued to move, "they don't have to know its real."
Kenshin grinned and Shauna gave in with a sigh, "I suppose you're right. Come on lets take our Pokémon to the Pokemon Center." Kenshin agreed and followed the girl.
They sat down after handing their Pokéballs to Nurse Joy. Almost immediately Kenshin grabbed the girl he had been traveling with for almost a month and just sat there with her in his lap. Shauna sighed and mumbled 'are you serious' and Kenshin just beamed as he hummed.
It had been a month since the two met up again and the change in the old Arcanine was huge. He went from being distant and quiet, but now he was all sorts of affectionate and never leaves her side. She found it annoying at first but as the days went on she got use to it.
It was while they were waiting that Ash and his friends came in, noticed Shauna still wrapped up in Kenshin's arms. "Shauna!" Serena called out and Shauna let out an eek as her face turned red. She took Kenshin's arms and covered her face to try and hide. It was no use, they already spotted her. Shauna's behavior didnt go unnoticed but as the others got to them Shauna got up, but allowed Kenshin to keep his arm around her.
"Hi guys. How's it going?"
"Awesome, I got my third princess key!" Serena said excitedly and showed off her three keys.
"So did I!" Shauna said just as excitedly and pulled out her own ring of princess keys.
"What are those?" Kenshin asked
Shauna looked up at him as the others looked at him too. "I told you about the Pokemon Showcase, these are the keys you can win."
"hmm I wanna do do that! Can I do that?" He asked more excitedly than expected
Shauna laughed "no your a boy, boy's can't be Kalos Queen."
Kenshin pouted and though for a moment and look at Serena and the others and back to Shauna. He was careful with how he worded what he wanted to say, "well I can lend you my Arcanine." he said using his psychic ability to really tell her that he could change. Shauna laughed, "well I could do that but then I'd have to figure out how to incorporate it into my routine." Kenshin hung his head and said ok before putting his arm back around her.
"So Shauna who is this?" Clement asked gesturing to Kenshin behind Shauna who was now trying to ignore Pikachu and Dedenne as they climbed up onto his shoulders.
Shauna blushed slightly and looked back at him. "this is Kenshin Akunain. Kenshin these are some of my friends." Kenshin just nodded and glared a bit at the same time. "will you stop they're my friends." Kenshin just nodded and stayed quiet as they introduced themselves.
"So how did you meet him Shauna?" Serena asked with a smile that caused Shauna to blush.
So Shauna told them about how she and Kenshin met, leaving out some details. Ash then got a bit excited and asked Kenshin if he would have a battle with him using only five Pokémon. Kenshin unsure nodded anyway and they all went outside to watch.
With Clement as the referee the battle started, Ash chose Talonflame as his first Pokémon and Kenshin chose his Flareon.
"oh wow a shiny Flareon?" Serena said in awe.
"yeah he has three shinies."
"Fire vs Fire huh." Ash said, "awesome lets go!"
As the battle begun Ash attacked first having Talonflame use Brave Bird. Flareon dodged with ease and was ordered to use Flamethrower.
The attack hit Talonflame head on, but thanks to his ability it had no effect and it flew straight into the Flame Pokemon. Flareon shook it of and bared its fangs.
"Flare use Fire fang!" Kenshin called out and the Pokémon jumped into the air and bit down on the fire birds wing with a mouth full of fire.
Talonflame called out as the flareon bit down, but was quick to shake its opponent off. "My turn. Talonflame use brave bird!"
"I don't think so. Flare dodge and use Hidden power!" Flareon did as it was told and hit its target.
"Talonflame!" Ash called out to his Pokémon as it fell from the sky. "Can you go on?"
"flame!" Talonflame nodded and took back to the skies.
It wasnt long before Talmonflame was beaten and Ash called his second Pokémon that defeated Flareon. Kenshin glared a but before calling out his second Pokémon.
As the two battled Serena decided to ask more about Kenshin. Shauna blushed and fiddled with her hair. "Well he's definitely different and despite his angry glares he was giving you guys, he's very sweet and a bit clingy."
"He seems to like you." Serena said with a smile, "wish ash would look at me like that."
"Well he's definitely not shy about showing his affection. Don't worry he will unless you don't tell him."
"Easier said than done." Serena blushes and looked away. The battle called their attention away from their conversation as both Ashs Hawlucha faint. "Their evenly matched."
"Yeah for now." Shauna said with a smile. "Go Kenshin!"
Kenshin looked of and grinned, " good job Growlithe."
"That was a heated battle but I'm not finished yet. Noivern I choose you!"
"I have a feeling this battle is gonna last quite a while." Clement said sitting next to the girls.
Bonnie nodded and the two battling continued.
It wasn't long until both were at their last Pokemon. Kenshin had used all but two and Ash had Greninja last. Ash had the type advantage but He knew Kenshin wouldn't go down easily even if all his pokemon he used were fire.
Kenshin kissed the great ball he held in his hand and calmly released the Pokemon inside. As the light faded it revealed a yellow Arcanine.
"Another alternate colored Pokemon." Clement said with excitement in his voice.
"Wow he has both growlithe and Arcanine." Serena said in awe of the pseudo-legendary Pokemon.
"He hasn't used his braixen yet. He's a shiny Pokemon too." Shauna said
"He has a Braixen too."
"Aku you should let Zen out of his poke ball." Shauna called out to the boy who smiled and did so.
It appeared next to Shauna and shook its head and greeted the girl. It smiled as Serena compliment how pretty it was. She then let her own Braixen out and introduced the two.
As the day came to a close the battle ended, with a draw. An excited as talked excitedly about the batte, but Kenshin just shrugged. Shauna laughed and stated that he really wasn't big on battles, but only did them to level up his Pokémon.
They all decided to go inside and eat before going to bed. Clement fixed dinner and Shauna offered for them to stay in the room she and Kenshin were staying in, since there was enough beds in the room for all of them. Kenshin pouted, but said nothing as the group agreed.
Clement brought out the food and the group ate as Ash asked Kenshin where he got his shiny Pokémon from. Kenshin said he caught his Houndoom as a Houndour, but his Arcanine and Braixen he bred. Hid growlithe was actually his Arcanine's pup that he bred with his Ninetales. He infact as two Vulpix and two more growlithe and a Delfox that is the parent to his Braixen.
The others wer impressed, except Shauna who already knew about all his Pokémon. Bonnie yawned as she said how neat it was to have more than one of the same Pokémon.
"alright I think its time for bed." Clement said scooping Bonie up and taking her to their room.
"Yeah I think so too, i'm so tired." Ash said and stretched and he followed them.
Shauna stood up and coxed Kenshin up, "Come on stop being stubborn."
Kenshin just smirked and sat there. Serena stopped at watched them as Shauna squealed, a result of Kenshin grabbing her.
Ash turned back to see if Serena was coming and walked up to her, "You coming?"
"hmm? Yeah." Serena smiled at the boy she had a crush on.
"Is Shauna coming?"
"if Kenshin will get up." Serena said and grabbed Ash, "Come one lets leave them." Ash blushed and allowed the girl to drag him off.
That night after everyone went to sleep, Kenshin who never went to sleep go up from his bed and silently crawled into Shauna's. He grinned as she groaned in protest. She looked over her shoulder at him and told him to go back to his own bed.
Kenshin whined and complained that he was too lonely. Shauna rolled her eyes and said she was right across from him. The Arcanine ignored her and took her in an embrace, which she quickly wiggled out of. He was just as quick to grab her with a playfull growl. Giggling she shushed him and peeked at the others who were all sound asleep.
"you're going to wake them up." Shauna said trying to make her tone more stern.
"So." Kenshin said plopping down on the bed, half on top of her.
"gah will you get off me? You're heavy." Shauna said trying her hardest to slip out from under him.
He just grinned, "wait are you calling me fat? You know I could changed back into my true form."
"no don't" Shauna said with a huff. It was too late the psuedo-legendary had already begun to change. He sat there on the bed fully changed and curled up with a sad cute puppy eyes. "Seriously? Your gonna wake them up, now get off."
Kenshin did so with his ears down and sat at the edge of the bed with his head down. He peeked at her, lifting an ear, only to look away and whine. Shauna just rolled onto her side so her back was to him. She heard him sigh and go silent and just as she was looking over her shoulder he jumped back onto her bed. She yelped as he changed into his human form and they both froze and covered her mouth.
Shauna and Kenshin looked up at each of her friends, looked at one another and laughed. When they stopped laughing shauna gave him a stern look and told him to get off. He wasn't buying it and she knew it. Shauna sighed and asked him why he has to be such a pain. He just grinned, his tail wagging as he hugged her. "Cause I loves you." he said nuzzling her, she knew that he knew she had given up.
"then lay down on your side and not on me." Shauna pushed him off and down onto the bed. She blushed deeply after see their position and turned around, her arms folded. She looked back at him and blushed even more. "D-dont look at me like that. Your so childish."
"is that a problem?" Kenshin asked calmly. He sat up, set his hand on her arm and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Hmm, not really, I mean it can be a bit embarrassing in public." Shauna said quietly and leaned back against him. "Not that I don't like it. Which I do, it's just not all the time. Though I guess I shouldn't complain you really don't do that very often. Only when there's someone else hogging my attention, like today..." Shauna trailed off and look back at him.
The way he looked, with the dim light of the moon and street lights, made him look so lonely. Really is that lonely, Shauna thought and moved just enough to look at him better. It's only been a month and in all that time she never really thought about his past, because he never spoke of it. All she knew was that he was 300+ years old and something terrible must have happened to him for him to be the way he was. Sure he was an Arcanine; they and their pre-evolution Growlithe were known or their loyalty and protectiveness, but Kenshin seemed to be overly protective and not trust others.
A tear fell from her eyes was caught by the boy she was thinking of, she hadn't realized she was crying. He whispered a question and she smiled weakly at him and shook her head. He cocked his as she wiped her eyes. "It's nothing." He cocked his head to the other side, his ears perked up, which made her laugh a little. She pushed him back and snuggled into him, telling him not to worry and to sleep.
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