AN: My first fanfiction on here. I debated for a while if I was even going to write this one but I started to think of a plot so I thought "Why not?" Then I was debating if I should even post this and I almost didn't, so I kept telling myself to stop procrastinating and just post it. This is set in the manga universe and it's slightly AU, as in this story the Heartgold arc did not happen. The rest of the manga's story pretty much remains the same.
Rated T for dark themes.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.
Chapter 1: Vendetta and Vengeance
As I stared off into the distant land from across the perch of which I stood on a breeze rushed by with the scent of the clean air of the wild. I inhaled deeply, as I did so my eyes closed. And when I exhaled my eyes slowly began to open. Ah, the fresh air of the wilderness was ever so calming. And the land that I was witnessing, such beauty. Many green trees covered the land as well as a variety of open fields. Snow covered the area to the north, making the trees appear as though their natural colour was white. But I find the one thing of this particular land that stood out the most was the large mountain at the center of this land where the grand Spear Pillar stood atop its peak. Yes, the very place where I had created the great Lords of Time, Space and Anti-matter a long, long time ago.
Ah, this place has so many wonders and beauty, oh how it upsets me that it is tainted. In fact, not just this land but many of the other lands are tainted by the very same foulness that threatens to engulf the world bit by bit with greed, corruption and ultimate control. This hideous disease is but what appears to be a harmless, fragile being. Despite its appearance they proved to be quite devastating to the land. They destroy the world's beauty with metal beasts and cover the land with stone and iron. And they enslave the world's miraculous inhabitants to do their biddings. These disgusting creatures I refer to are human beings.
Oh, how I loathe the human race.
I recall in the distant past where humans wore metal protection and they hunted me down in utter fear. It wasn't just I, but a few of the other large Legendaries were hunted down, namely Lugia, Zekrom and Reshiram. Because of mere fairy tales the humans began to take the stories quite literal and we were falsely accused as maiden kidnappers who would terrorize the lands and eat young human girls destined to be rulers. Ugh, just the thought of eating a human in my diet makes me feel sick. As that era came to a conclusion the Black and White Dragon's became revered by the humans.
Shame it wasn't until after they nearly died that they became worshipped, however, I do not feel much sympathy for them either. While they were hunted down I noticed that they followed their own humans around like little Growlithe pups. It sickened me to see such great and powerful beings work alongside their humans without a second thought. If one were to delve deeper into how those two almost died, it was the humans fault as they quarrelled.
After that era ended a new era began, of metal and fire. The humans somehow created a means to combine the forces of metal and fire which resulted in the humans becoming fierce hunters. The contraption appeared to be nothing more than a stick which the humans would aim at their target. Fire would erupt from the tip of the stick and an invisible force, which if seen appeared to be but a tiny metal orb, would spout out of the flames and hit their target. It amazed me that such a small metal could actually kill if it hit vital areas, if not then the loss of blood would surely kill you moments later. If you were lucky to survive, then the metal would sink deep into your wound and become one with the you. This era I was deemed a prize for these fierce hunters and yet no one was able to win me.
That is, until the modern era came.
For some reason, I despise this era more than any others. How strange it is for me to hate the era where no human wants me dead. Instead, the modern era of humans' wishes to enslave me, torture me and worst of all, abuse my amazing powers. These humans demand for me to create more of the Creation Trio: Palkia, Dialga and Giratina.
Fools! Do they not know what has to be done when more than one of the trio is present? Of course not! They're too blinded by their greed, consumed by their selfish ambitions. Too blinded and consumed that they are completely ignorant to the fact: If a second of the Creation Trio is made, I must destroy the previous one. If not, the world would become unstable and thus, break apart. However, that one bit does not concern me.
Is it wrong that I would feel more pain from destroying my original creations, more so than the possibility of destroying the world?
I may be slightly angered with Palkia and Dialga at the present, but that does not mean I would destroy them. Those fools, traitors... A few months back they completely went against everything I taught them about the humans, that humans are greedy little things who should not be trusted. And yet, they still sided with human children, even allowing the brats to ride them. For this treachery, I've been thinking of possible punishments for their foolish act against me. Destroying them is not an option I would resort to, I actually can't destroy my little creations. I still care deeply for them, even if they made my teachings go in vain. In due time, I'll come up with a suitable punishment for them.
A strong gust of wind rushed by and the trees behind me responded with fierce quivering. I glanced up to the skies and just as I thought, grey clouds were starting to cover the blue. I believe it's going to rain tonight. Odd... The sun was shining all day long with a slight chill of the autumn weather, the rain clouds had appeared completely out of nowhere. How unpredictable...
I sighed as I took one final glance of the beautiful landscape. I should take my leave soon as I fear I may be discovered. After all, I am still on the run.
Suddenly, my mind was clouded with images of horrible memories, all of that Mew awful place. Very recently I was held prisoner at a place called a "lab", as the humans put it. Oh, the amount of shame I felt after I somehow allowed a human to trick me and imprison me there.
However, in my own defense this human was very cunning and amazingly, dare I say, intelligent. Somehow, he was able to create sounds of my beloved creations in agony. I... I felt the urgent need to save them after I heard those awful cries. It wasn't until the very last second that I realised I had been greatly deceived and I had no time to fend for myself after my body was bound by a powerful net. I had been forced into an unconscious state as the most excruciating pain nearly tore my mind apart.
When I regained consciousness I was in a large, dimly lit room where the only light I saw was from the binds holding my body in place. Furiously, I thrashed about as I tried to break these undignified things off my body. I was most certainly not going to be held prisoner by these humans. I had not expected the binds to suddenly electrocute my body with strong electrical shocks, the pain was very devastating. But I would not give in so easily, I was not some weak little thing, I was the almighty Arceus! I tried to unleash my powerful magic to destroy these infuriating binds but to no avail, for I found my magic had somehow been completely drained. I was forced to use physical means to break free, but I was electrocuted the more I struggled. As much as I tried to fight the pain the bonds eventually got the better of me and I collapsed.
The next time I awoke I was met by the disgusting human who had captured me. His features, I would never forget. I would guess he was about thirty cycles old, I believe humans call those "years" for some unknown reason. He had dark brown hair that touched his shoulders. For a human his age he was very tall, I'd guess a little over six feet. He wore white "clothes", I believe they are called. A large torso clothing which reached his wrists and knees, a matching coloured white leg clothes. I found the most unforgettable feature were his dark brown eyes, completely filled with evil desires and greed.
He was absolutely revolting.
"Have you learned to accept your fate, my dear Arceus?" His voice, ugh, how annoyingly disrespectful with its mocking hum-like sound. "That you're mine now?" How dare he say that to me? I'm no one's property, especially not to some human.
"Now then," he said. "While you're calm I have a request for you. And Arceus," he paused to give me a very nasty smirk. "Do be cooperative." Fool! I don't take orders from anyone or anything! Not even to a human who bounded my body with annoying electrical binds. And then he dared to ask me, "Make me a Palkia, a Dialga and a Giratina! But not just one, my dear Arceus, oh no! You can make dozens, hundreds, can you not!? Make me an army of the Trio, Arceus, an army!"
I remembered giving him the nastiest glare I could conjure up, a glare filled with utter hate. My reply to his absolutely selfish and ignorant request was fierce thrashing to break my bonds again. Though my body hurt immensely, my desire to show that human how I don't take kindly to such a request burned more than the electrical shocks damaging my body.
And then I remembered a very intense pain, it was much like the pain I felt when I had been captured, the feeling like my mind would break apart. The pain was so severe that I had screeched in agony.
My body collapsed on the ground once the pain eased. Before I fell into unconsciousness once again that revolting human stood right in front of my face. It angered me that he was within my reach and yet my aching body would not respond to my urge to make him pay. Beside him stood a very... peculiar Alakazam, with a look so evil and heartless I questioned if she had more evil than her master. "I'm very disappointed, Arceus," said the human before I succumbed to darkness.
While I was held prisoner there I had wondered how such evil could be contained in a small form, I was referring to that human. I took note of how all of his underlings absolutely feared him which made me question why even his own kind was so terrified of him, their own leader. They worked tirelessly and carried out any orders he asked of them. But one day, my question was answered, of how they were so scared of him, when a young underling accidentally dropped fluid filled glass orbs, the contents spread quickly across the ground. The boy apologized profoundly for his clumsiness. And then the revolting human did something that even shocked me, almost making me feel slight sorrow for the boy... almost. The leader summoned a Machamp, one with the exact same cold look as the Alakazam, and ordered him to break the boy's neck.
Machamp didn't even hesitate.
That Machamp and Alakazam, they were like hollowed shells that wordlessly carried out horrible orders that their master would ask of them, no hesitations whatsoever. I even tried to speak to both of them, demanding them to open their eyes and stop taking orders from their human. I found that it was as though they could not hear me, or anything else for that matter. For I noticed they would only respond if their master spoke to them. I wondered for days as to how those Pokémon became so empty, no, that was not the word. I would describe them as pure evil, that's what they were. It both saddened and angered me greatly to see those Pokémon become that state.
I feared that if I had stayed at the lab any longer, I would have become the same.
The rest of my days at that horrible place was an infinite loop of the same day I had met the revolting human: I would awake, sometime later the leader would approach me, he would ask me to make an army of the Creation Trio, I would refuse and finally, he would make his Alakazam use her intensified psychic abilities on me. Only a few of those days I was given just enough food and water to survive but it wasn't enough to stop the stomach pains I had to endure. I noticed I was losing weight exceptionally fast, it was rather unhealthy. But the human did not care, as long as I was kept alive he didn't acknowledge that I was increasingly becoming very unhealthy.
I had no idea as to what drove me to continue on like this, refusing to be cooperative. Originally, it was because I had absolutely no desire to listen to the revolting human, for it was clear he had no idea only one of the Trio can live. But the amount of torture I went through should have made me eventually give in and prove to him just how foolish his request was. But alas, I kept on fighting.
And one day, with a sheer burst of luck, it paid off.
When I awoke one day I had expected for the day to go like the previous days spent at the lab. Impatient to get the interrogation with the revolting human over with I paced in my spot, careful to not cause a tug in the binds so they wouldn't electrocute me. Suddenly, the lights began to grow dimer and it eventually turned completely dark. Even the lights on the binds turned off. At long last, to my amazement, I could feel the ever so incredible magic begin to return inside of me. Without a moment to lose I drew in my magic to my core and released it to finally break the annoying binds that had been a nuisance for my whole imprisonment. I charged towards the wall, again, building up the magical energy to my core and released it to completely obliterate the wall, creating an opening to the greatly missed outdoors. I was free... I had thought to myself as I fled. Ha, ha, I'm free. It feels so good to be free.
I, the great Arceus, had almost cried while I left the lab behind me. I missed the fresh air, and the wind hitting my face when I ran, I felt thoroughly grateful to be out again. I was happy. Very, very happy to finally escape.
However, the happiness was short lived as a daunting thought came to mind: The human would be searching for me.
That thought was the reason why I had been on the run for nearly a week, which had brought me here to the perch where I had been watching the land for almost an hour for I had missed the scenery while I was captured.
Now that my flashback had ended I decided it was time for me to continue running as I had absolutely no desire to return to that horrible place. As soon as I turned my back on the scenery I wished that I had left sooner than I did. I'll admit that during the whole week trying to avoid the revolting human I developed a slight paranoia with thoughts of him appearing suddenly out of nowhere. That is exactly what just happened at the moment. For once I made a complete turn I was staring down at the human I've come to truly hate.
For Mew's sake, how on earth did he find me so fast!?
He gave me one of his disgusting smirks as he said, "My, you put up quite the chase, my dear Arceus." From his pocket, he pulled out a thin box; I recently found out at the lab that these are called "remotes". "How disobedient of you." He touched the smooth surface with just a finger and immediately I felt the familiar feeling of electricity course through my body. After a few seconds of electrocution, the shocks stopped and I began gasping for air.
My eyes then met his and I gave him a strong look of hate while I glared down at him. How did he harness the power of the bonds and send them to me? I saw nothing come from the remote, absolutely no indication of electrical currents coming from it. So how did he shock me so much? My question was then answered when he said, "Surprised, dear Arceus? Why, surely you must be aware of the device I planted in you while you slept? A device meant for, oh... hmm, a disobedient creature like yourself." The nerve! Poisoning my body with one of his disgusting human devices. "Quite a remarkable piece, if I must say, dear Arceus. It can track you, electrocute you and inflict any status ailments on you. Aren't human beings phenomenal to create such a device? I am quite proud of myself, actually!"
I roared at him furiously, but he lifted a finger and hummed, "Ah ah, my dear Arceus. Just take a moment to analyse your current situation. I have cornered you to the edge of a cliff. You posses a device inside of you that can inflict physical damage and health problems. And," he paused to pull out a Pokéball, how I hate those things, and summoned his Alakazam. Her eyes just as cold as I remember them. "I possess an Alakazam with extraordinarily amplified psychic abilities. Face it, dear Arceus, you're at a disadvantage!"
Am I really? Without the bonds I could easily take care of you. I would just need to be quick and unpredictable so as to not provoke the Alakazam to use her devastating psychic abilities on me. "Now then, how about my request?" Quickly, before he or she can do anything, dispose of him right now! "I want Palkia! I want Dialga! I want Giratina! I want more than one! Hundreds, thousands! I want an entire army! Give them to me, Arceus!" ...
No... I don't simply want to kill the human, that's not satisfying to me anymore. He tortured me for countless days and interrogated me with selfish desires. Killing won't amount to anything anymore because it would be over in a flash. No, that's not what I want! By Mew, I want this human to suffer!
Like any other human, he demands for me to create the Legendary Creation Trio. Fine... let him have his way...
I closed my eyes slowly and my breathing pattern began to slow down while I pictured an image in my head, a form. Which would suffice? Ah, that will do just fine. With my eyes still closed and my breathing pattern just the same, a very slow inhale and exhale, I focused all of my magical energy to my core. Using petty attacks does not require such concentration, but what I was about to do needed every bit of magic I had.
I could hear the loud voice of the revolting human, still focusing on my storing magic I could hear him scream, "That's right, Arceus, I'm your master! Do as I say and give me what I desire!" Oh, you'll definitely get what you desire, just not how you expect it, however. I'll give you part of what you ask of me as well as my own little sadistic twist. Soon you'll beg me for mercy. Ha! As if I'd show mercy to you! Some might call my plan exceptionally foolish, but I knew better. Oh, yes! The human heart can succumb to sadness and misery very easily for stupid reasons, and even an evil human such as he would not appreciate what I was about to do!
At my center, the core of where my magic worked, I could feel the large quantity of magic build up. The storing of magic had begun to slow down. In just a couple of moments I will have my revenge.
"Oh, dear," said the revolting human. "It appears those brats have caught up with me." I did not know what the fool was blabbering on about and quite frankly, I had not enough care to break my concentration to see what he was making a fuss about. For if I stopped here, the magic would fail and flow out of my core and back to the rest of my body, thus, making my attempt for revenge futile. "When you're done, dear Arceus, take care of the boy, will you?" Oh, I'll be free from you when I'm finished so I'll have to decline that request. "Alakazam, teleport!" What!? No!
Once the magic had finished storing to my core and I opened my eyes I found my one chance for revenge was shattered. The revolting human was nowhere in sight.
No... "No!" I roared. For the love of sacred Ho-Oh! I was near ready to give him exactly what he deserved for putting me through all the Mew awful torturing. And now, my magic was going to go to complete waste. Curses!
An irritated voice pulled me out of my internal ranting, but I was still so furious I didn't even care for what it was saying. I glanced up towards the source of the annoying little voice, giving him and his Luxray a glare in the process. He was a young human about twelve cycles old, maybe even thirteen cycles. He had short blond hair, except for the long tufts on each side. On his torso he wore a long sleeve piece of clothing striped with orange and white. I did not understand why he wore such a useless piece of green clothing around his neck; then again humans have a tendency to obtain items that are completely useless. He wore long black clothes with a bluish tint in them for his legs and brown "shoes" I believe. Strapped over his right shoulder was a brown strap which held his, "bag" that hung to his left side.
After the boys irritated cries he sighed and eyed me curiously with orange eyes, while I continued to glare at him in return. I had every reason to be angry at the boy. The reason why the revolting human fled was because this little brat stuck his nose in something that was, quite frankly, none of his business!
Two more little humans had caught up to the blond boy, a boy and a girl. But I paid absolutely no attention to them, all my attention was towards the blond while he turned towards the other humans. That little brat! Revenge would have been mine had he not shown up! His fault! It's all his fault! He'll pay, by Mew, he's going to pay a hefty price for his interference!
I had readied myself for a powerful attack, one that would wipe that boy clean off the earth. However, I paused. Odd... I felt no desire to kill the little boy. Like the revolting human I felt as though I wouldn't feel any satisfaction if I just simply killed him. I wanted the boy... to suffer! After all, he interfered in something that had absolutely nothing to do with him whatsoever! And those curious eyes when he glanced over at me, surely, like any other human he just wanted to capture me for his prized team. And that's when a nerve struck that made me want the boy to suffer even more. Because a thought crossed my mind that the reason I did not have my revenge was because the boy so selfishly interfered to send the other human away.
So he could capture me for himself.
It seemed as though my stored magic will not be wasted at all because I had plans for this boy. He'll realise just what he was getting himself into, but it will be too late.
"Rayhiko!" the boy snapped. "Incoming Judgement!" Wrong, boy! That was my initial plan but my decision changed. I jumped from my spot, knocked the startled Luxray out of my way and pinned the boy to the ground with my right front foot.
"Pearl!" cried one of the other humans. I responded to their call with a warning glare that gave the meaning of "Move and I'll crush him!" Honestly, it took a lot of restraint to not put any more force into the boy's chest. Even just a little more would suffocate him, and more then that then his puny form would be crushed by my massive weight.
While the boy, Pearl I believe the other boy called him, was in a slight state of shock, most likely because he had expected me to use Judgement rather than pinning him to the ground, the Luxray regained his footing and roared at me furiously. Unlike the two humans, Luxray did not heed my warning glare as he charged at me. I had to resort to persuasion. "Don't be so rash! Your human's life is on the line!" Of course I was lying; I had absolutely no intentions to kill the boy. I already decided he was going to suffer for what he has done. But my white lie was enough for Luxray to stop charging towards me and slowly back away with wide eyes. "That's right, young Luxray, stand down and his life will be spared!"
Luxray's eyes by this point were so priceless. They went so wide that they could fall out of their sockets. "Please, don't kill my master," he pleaded. Master? I growled disapprovingly. How pathetic.
Under my foot I felt a struggle. I glanced down at the little human under my foot who had recovered from his shocked state. His filthy little hands wrapped around my foot as he desperately tried to pry my foot off his chest.
"How pathetic," I repeated, in a voice for only Luxray and Pearl to hear. "It's pathetic that your Luxray is oh, so very loyal to you, Pearl, was it. Humph! Why, he could have just let me kill you, let me crush your weak little body and release him from your grasp!" To set an example, I put a little more force on the boy's chest, not enough to kill him but just enough to make it hard for him to breath. He shut his eyes tightly as he tried so hard to breathe, his tiny lungs desperately calling for oxygen. "It's so simple, isn't it, to end your worthless life, boy!" He gasped for large breaths once I restrained the force I put on his chest, but still enough to keep him pinned down. "I don't plan on killing you, boy. No... You ruined my chance to satisfy my need for revenge on the most disgusting being to ever exist!"
As if he had enough he called out, "Rayhiko-"
"SILENCE!" I barked. The sudden outburst made the boy cringe, his little ears must've hurt from the loud roar. "For your interference and selfish ambitions, Pearl, I'm going to punish you severally!"
I quickly glanced up at the female when she went to grab a Pokéball, the movement caught my eye. I sneered at her; does she not understand the situation young Pearl was in? "Insolent brat, anymore bold attempts to save the boy and his life will be over faster than you all anticipate! Frankly, I don't plan on killing him so I would appreciate it if you back down!" The girl hesitated, and then lowered her Pokéball. The look on both of their faces, ha ha, seems as though they really took my words to heart with fear clouding their eyes as they worried for their friend. I'll release him in just a moment, don't you two worry!
When my eyes met Pearl's once again I made sure to give him a look that he would remember for the rest of his days. A look filled with hate and a thirst for revenge, maybe even a slight look of madness. Pearl had provoked me into this state, the need to make him suffer so greatly drove me a little mad, is that so wrong? I think not! He was in the wrong to interfere, he deserves to suffer! By all means, I'm not wrong to go mad with the biggest urge to make him suffer for his actions, not at all! Pearl deserves this! Ha, ha! He deserves what is coming to him!
As I glared into his eyes the mighty roar of I, Lord Arceus bore into the boys mind, "You humans demand a Legendary Pokémon? So be it, you shall definitely get your Legendary."
All of that magic that I stored within me flowed from my center, down my leg and out of my foot. The magic had been released into whatever was touching my foot, which would be Pearl's chest. When the first bit of magic invaded his body he groaned in displeasure. The foreign magic was making him very uncomfortable, it seems. Half way through the process his arms went limp on his sides, perhaps weakness was a possible side effect of the magic taking over his body. I would have thought I might've accidentally killed him with such powerful magic being released inside him by that blank look on his face if it hadn't been for the fact that his heart was pounding from underneath my foot. His small body was stronger than I thought if he was still conscious up to this point.
Good, I wanted him to feel what's coming to him, feel the unbearable pain and torture. If he's uncomfortable now, then he should wait for what is to come, I'm sure he'll feel much worse by then. Much... much worse... And I'll be so delighted to hear his agonizing screams! I'm sure his friends might appreciate his screaming too, ha ha, not!
When the last bit of my magic flowed through my foot and into Pearl's body I released him from my grasp. He lay there for a few moments, just breathing in and out. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around himself and curled up on his side. This figure made him look very small and vulnerable, like a Cyndaquil hatchling. His groans transcended into feeble whimpering while he took a fairly pale complexion, giving him a very ill appearance. This sickly reaction meant that the magic had successfully made its way into his body without any possibility of escaping. While it's lingering inside of him, in just a few minutes it will take complete control over his body.
Try as he might to reverse it, from the moment the magic was sealed within him the damage had already been done even if it's not quite visible yet.
There was no need for me to stay around so I immediately fled into the trees, but I did not wander far. No... I did not want to leave quite yet. I wanted to see the boy suffer with my very eyes. I crouched low under the tree lines and lay where I would have a clear view of my masterpiece.
~Pearl's POV
After Arceus had fled I heard footsteps coming closer to me. I didn't even try to see who or what was coming, I was too weak to move. When Missy came into my field of vision she kneeled down in front of me. Hesitantly, she rested her hand on my shoulder and made a circular motion. Another small whimper escaped my throat while she tried to sooth me.
I felt absolutely horrible. There was a huge build up in my chest which evoked a very nauseous feeling. I guess another reason why I refused to move was because I felt like I would be sick if I moved. Moving would be difficult anyways if I can barely move my arms and legs as they had gone a little numb. My head was pounding and my ears kept ringing, which probably made the nauseous feeling worse than it should be. Lastly, I noticed a small ache that was in rhythm with my heartbeats. It would hurt when my heart pulsed, and go away when my heart rested.
Missy glanced up towards Dia. "I think it would be best if Pearl saw a doctor as soon as possible. Can you please help me get him on his feet, Diamond?" I hate to admit it, but I think she's right. I just wonder if doctor's can even help health inflicted problems from a Pokémon like Arceus. And Missy, stop giving me that look! I'm fine, so stop worrying. Don't deny it, it's written all over your face! I really wanted to say that out loud but I feared I might hurl if I tried to open my mouth to speak. That would not be pretty...
I'll admit that I honestly did not like being back on my feet when Dia and Missy helped me up because standing did not help the nauseous feeling whatsoever, it actually made it far worse. With some trouble, I covered my mouth with a hand, trying so hard not to vomit. Saliva was building up in my mouth but I kept trying to swallow it down to stop the urge to empty my stomach.
Dia lend me a shoulder to help me walk which proved to be quite a challenge as my legs were still a little numb. Missy went to Rayhiko, both of them stopped to glance back at us as we made no progress in moving because of my weak body. Missy suggested, "Perhaps we should let Pearl ride Luxray." Rayhiko nodded in agreement.
Stop worrying! It's making me feel worse! Actually, I'm starting to literally feel worse.
Dia glanced over at me. "Pearl," he said. "Come on, you're almost a stiff.~"
"UGH!" I managed to cry out. Though the numbness in my limbs and the nauseous feeling disappeared, the horrible build up in my chest turned into pain. The aching in rhythm with my heartbeats tripled. I had somehow managed to clutch my chest with both hands, my fingers digging into my shirt.
Dia responded to my sudden reaction by saying, "It was a joke. PEARL, YOUR FACE!" At the same time Dia said that I felt a small prick on my cheek. I brought one hand to my face to feel what Dia was making a fuss about.
I was not expecting to feel what I just felt.
The skin on my cheek hardened under my fingertips. In a quick process the hardened area began to clump up into a very rough texture, making big lumps on my face. With this phenomenon happening I paid no more attention to my aching chest as I brought my other hand to the other cheek. Just like the one side, this side hardened and clumped into rough bumps. At first, it felt like gravel on my face. But the more my skin made a rock-like formation with an oval-like pattern, the more I realised what my skin was starting to feel like: Scales.
Frantically, I felt the rest of my face but found the scales only formed on my cheeks and down my neck. But when my hand touched the skin around my eyes the area started to harden much like my cheeks but took a far smoother texture. The affected area then began to swell.
I gasped when something sharp scratched my face. When I pulled my hands away I realised I had scratched myself with my abnormally sharp nails which grew at a fast pace. Soft scales had formed on the palms of my hands. Above my hand turned very hard with the same smooth texture as around my eyes, and swelling up just the same.
I accidentally let out a terrified yelp when I drew my hands closer to me. It was very unlike me to be so scared but I was terrified of this strange reaction. I had every right to be scared! My face feels like an Arbok's hide. My hands are turning into reptilian paws. And my hair is starting to fall out. Literally! I saw small clumps of blond hair fall in front of my eyes that clearly came from my own head.
What's happening to me?!
"Pearl?"
"Pearl!"
"Master!?" Wait, who said-
"AUGH!" I wailed as I brought my paw turned hands to the sides of my head. I screamed in an octave I never knew I could hit. My head was pounding so hard, like someone kept bashing me with a hammer. I seriously thought my head might explode if it continued to throb like this.
I don't even know how to describe what was happening to me next. The best way I could describe it is like some unseen force grabbed my top and bottom jaw and pulled really hard. I thought that if it continued, the force would pull my jaws out. "STOP IT!" I screamed. But the force continued to forcefully pull my jaw in a way that should not be happening. But it did. And it didn't go without pain.
My shoulders, forearms, legs and feet swelled up fast and like everything else it was a painful process. My eyes widened in fear when I heard a ripping noise. I thought maybe my body could not handle it anymore and I was tearing apart. That is, until I realised the swelling ripped through my clothes.
My appearance must be hideous, like a disgusting cross between a reptilian Pokémon and a human.
The feeling in my jaw stopped but it was obviously not done with me yet for it moved into my neck and my tailbone. Again, it pulled the two affected areas in a way that should not happen to a human body. My neck began to move abnormally and I realised it was growing longer. And my tailbone broke through the skin but continued to grow longer and longer. It then began to swell up and take a new shape; a big scaly tail.
That was probably one of the weirdest feeling I got from this experience, and I personally didn't like it at all.
As the force worked on my neck and tailbone I tried to scream but nothing would come out. Only a very inhuman noise would echo in the air when I opened my mouth, and when I put two and two together I realised it was me who was making those horrible sounds.
My clothes shredded into pieces by now as my body began to grow exceedingly fast.
I must've looked horrendously terrifying at this point and those horrible noises my throat kept on making as I screamed in agony must've really suit my appearance. By now, I would look like some kind of monster. Dia... Missy... I'm really scary to them in this state, aren't I. Of course I would be! I'm turning into a monster!
My head reared up to the skies suddenly and I let out one final monstrous screech as something tore out of my shoulders blades and broke through my skin. Not just one, but three things tore out of each shoulder blade, resulting in six. I could feel all six of them as they flexed when they burst out of my body. As soon as they stopped growing they rested against my back as they eased. I did not like them being there, just like the tail. They were strange, a human doesn't have wing-like things sticking out of their back!
Why should that even matter at this point?! It's obvious I'm not even human anymore!
My body fell forward as it had completely gave out on me. The rapid changes stopped entirely but my body still ached. Scratch that! My body hurt immensely! It was a lingering pain of probably the worst physical trauma anyone could ever go through, I know it was one of the worst experiences I've ever had. I was unsure why, out of all the torture I just went through, this was the pain which caused my eyes to water.
Maybe it was because I was more scared now then I was before.
Not only was I completely aware of my transformation I noticed very abnormal things were happening. My senses amplified greatly. I could hear the river all three of us passed before, but that was almost a kilometer away. I could smell many different things such as Lax's berry stash and Chimhiko's burning fur, what unnerved me was Lax and Chimhiko were currently resting in their Pokéball's. I didn't want to admit it, but I was really, really scared. I'm unsure of what has become of me, what sort of terrifying monster I've become. But I was sure of how scared I was right now, I'm bawling in fear at the moment.
As I lay in a pathetic heap of scales on the ground I covered my eyes with my paws to hide the tears. Don't let them see me in this state. They've seen enough already! They saw their best friend turn into some kind of monster right in front of them, for Mew's sake! They don't need to see me cry, it's not like me to just break down; I'm usually stronger than this, for crying out loud! But anyone would be just as scared as I am and break into tears if they were turned into a scaly monster. No matter how hard I tried to hide the tears my horrible voice whimpered as I cried.
I could hear small footsteps approach me, they were shaking. Not just their feet, but the other two as well. They're scared of me, my own friends and Pokémon are scared of me. Wouldn't I be just as scared if I saw Missy or Dia turn into a monster in front of me?... So, I don't blame them for fearing me.
"Pearl?" I heard Missy ask in a whisper. I felt tiny little hands touch my paw, I hadn't expected it so I gasped. With both small hands they tried to pull my paw away from my left eye, both Missy and Dia. Though my vision was blurry, I could see they appeared so much smaller than me.
I pulled my paw out of their grasp and tried desperately to wipe the tears away with the top of my paw. But big protective plates wrapped around the outside of my eye and the only opening was at the inner corner of my eye but that was blocked by a giant elongated bottom tooth. Unable to reach my eye and without any fingers to wipe away the tears I gave up and lay my paw on the ground.
To give up so easily was, again, something I would not do, damn it! And it was something so stupid, giving up trying to wipe my tears away! But my eye was a few inches out of my reach with these annoying plates in the way and my abnormally large bottom teeth, when did that ever happen in the process?! I sighed with a depressed hum in my cry, feeling as though I was growing distant to whom I really am in a mental transformation.
Am I losing who I really am internally as well?
"Oh, Pearl," Missy mumbled. Through the blurry vision I saw Missy moving something green towards my eye. Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut and felt a soft fabric absorbing the tears.
Stop over thinking things, Pearl! You're just having a really hard time right now so you're not thinking with much sense right now! The inner voice of myself nagged me further to stop thinking of the worst, that I was not only transforming externally, but internally as well.
Missy pulled the fabric away from my eye and when I opened it I saw she held on to my scarf, probably the only thing that survived my brutal transformation. The look in her eyes annoyed me, she knows she doesn't have to worry about me at all! So, stop giving me that look, Missy! Dia, you too! Both of you, stop it!
My mind eased a little. Looks like I'm still me, just with a different body.
My eyes started to grow very heavy and exhaustion seemed to take hold. I felt the urgent need to close my eyes and rest. As I closed my eyes, before I was taken by sleep, I heard a question asked towards me that would haunt my dreams until I wake.
"Are you... Pearl?"