Characters: King (Cheren), Queen (Bianca), Witch (Blue), Duckling (Ducklett!Diamond), Duckling (Ducklett!Platinum), Drake (Ducklett!Pearl), General (Sapphire)
"Bianca, I'm going to another kingdom for a while!" the king Cheren called. "They have an issue that requires me to be there!
"Alright dear!" Bianca called back. She sighed, wishing that she can spend more time with him in her early married life, but understood. The visit must be very important, and she already have work to do in her research about Pokemon.
After Cheren left, she decided to leave to the flourishing garden, where she can admire all the healthy plants and Pokemon she can take notes about.
While jotting down the actions of a mother Swanna to her Ducklett children, a woman wearing a black cloak was wandering, seemingly lost.
"Excuse me miss?" Bianca asked, noticing the poor woman. "Do you need help?"
The woman didn't respond, as she looked at the queen in the eye, and stretched out her hand, chanting "Anata wa ima Ducklett ni kawarimasu*!"
Bianca saw as the woman grew taller, and her own arms and legs growing smaller. She tried to cry for help, but all came out was a "Quack!" When the feeling was over, the woman walked away, mumbling some words, then turned into her original self. When she was sure she was alone, Bianca looked at the pool, and almost quacked in astonishment.
"I'm a Ducklett!?" she exclaimed, looking at her white feathery and beaked face. She tried to remember a reverse spell, but it was no use.
Signing to resignation, she built a nest out of sticks and reeds then searched for any flowers or berries to eat.
It was like this several days after that, with the occasional Talonflame or Mightyena trying to get her as their meal, until one morning, when Bianca woke up, she saw three eggs under her feet.
"Well, looks like I have three more beaks to feed," she said to herself, then covered the eggs with a bunch of leafs to make it seem like a small bush. She quickly gathered many berries as she can, then buried them for later eating, as she won't have time that with guarding the eggs.
Many days had past since the surprise, with Bianca fighting off predators and eating as little as she can to preserve the food every day. One day, after fighting off a Talonflame, she heard a crack from the eggs.
"It's happening?" she asked to herself.
After more cracking, a white Ducklett's head popped out of an egg, then tried to waddle out of their former shell. Bianca digged up where the berries are, then gave some to the little one, who nibbled it curiously, then devoured them after getting the taste.
Soon after, his siblings, who she named Pearl and Platinum, appeared from the eggs, eating along with their brother, now known as Diamond. When they finished eating, they both rested near their mother, as she fell asleep, with the last thought "Duckletts, I swear to the gods above and beyond that I will protect you…"
"I'm going to get you Platina!" the Ducklett named Pearl shouted.
"Not if I'm going to help it Pearl!" the Ducklett Platinum laughed, flying away quickly.
"Not fair!"
Meanwhile, their younger (who's really older but let's not dwell on details) Dia flapped after them, not bothering to play a game of tag, until he froze at the sight in front of them. "Uhhhh...guys? I don't think we should be here."
"What why?" Platinum asked, before her brother Pearl swiftly realized his brother's words and answered.
"The castle is right behind us," he said. "Mom is terrified of it because a witch lives there. Let's go while we can."
"Hey look! There's berries!" Immediately, both Duckletts turned around.
"Food? Well, Mother is always worried about the food supply…." Platina mumbled.
Pearl was silent for a few moments, before finally saying, "Alright. We'll take some and go." While the Duckletts were gathering food, the witch walked out quietly from the back door, and crept up to them with her staff in hand.
"Rei ga watashi no mae ni three duckletts no karada kara hikisaka rete imasu*!" she chanted, summoning a red ball of energy and shoot it at them.
Before any of the Duckletts can realize their fate, they convulsed and dropped dead onto the ground.
"Diamond! Pearl! Platinum!" Bianca called, as she flew around the garden. After flying around for awhile, she sighed in dread, and flew near the castle, where a horrible sight laid.
The three young Pokemon were lying wide-eyed and dead, no sign of a cause, but she knew what it was.
She wailed over her only source of happiness in the cursed months, which caught the attention of her husband and their father, who had returned long ago from the foreign kingdom, and the witch, her imposter. The witch knew what was up, and tried to prevent the king from going to the Pokemon without using magic and knocking herself out.
"It's just a bunch of Pokemon," the witch insisted, gripping his arm. "Nothing to get worked up over dear."
"It sounds distressed," Cheren said, and shook her off. Walking up to the mourning Ducklett, he was surprised at the sight of the corpses in front of her.
"How does three Duckletts end up like that?" he wondered. "No one would spend their energy on killing them for no reason."
Bianca flew into his arms, and instantly, she turned back into human form in his arms. He almost fell over from the weight, but managed to stay balanced.
"Bianca!?" Cheren gasped, then looked at the imposter, then at his crying wife.
"Dear-" the witch said, but Cheren immediately cast a spell that knocked her out.
"Bianca, explain everything," he said softly.
Bianca dried up her tears. "Cheren, while you were away, that woman-" she hiccuped as she pointed at the unconscious witch. "Turned me into a Ducklett. I ended up having our three children while in that form, but she killed them."
Cheren was stunned for a moment, but managed to compose himself. "I'll arrest the woman, right now."
He put Bianca onto the ground then sent a telepathic message to Sapphire, his general. "Sapphire, go to the right side of the castle this instant. We have a murderer and con artist in our midst. Prepare your magical defenses. She may cast a dangerous spell on you. And behead her and burn the corpse once you get her in the dungeons."
"On it boss," the Gallade spirit responded, and in several moments, appeared in the garden with some chains. Binding her with the magical chains, she then disappear with the witch.
Cheren then turned to his wife. "Don't worry Bianca. I know how to resurrect our children."
"Really? How?" she gasped.
"You'll see," he said. "And you must never let anyone else know this."
He gathered the deceased Ducketts into his arms, and lead her to a corner of the garden, covered by towering trees and overgrown vines and bushes. Pushing the vegetation away, it revealed a grove deprived of light from the thick branches above, with the only light source coming from a glittering pond. On the right of the pool, a tall slender gray tree with branches stretching out like horns and a stylized X in the middle stand, some of the roots dipped into the water.
"Xerneas," she breathed.
"Yes," he said. "The pond is filled with their energy, enough to call back souls to their physical bodies and their true form. People will kill just to have this power."
He laid the Duckletts near the pond water, and dipped their heads slightly into the water. The bodies glowed with pink light, before releasing a blinding white one that filled the thicket. Once it past, there laid three children, seemingly drowsy after a long nap.
"Where are we?" a girl with dark gray hair asked, trying to shake off her drowsiness.
"Platinum!" Bianca cried, as tears of joy fell from her eyes. She embraced her now human daughter.
"Mother?" she and her brothers, surprised at the sight to shake off most of their sleepiness, asked.
"Yes," Bianca smiled.
"And your father too," Cheren said, and gathered the three together with him and Bianca into a hug. "The witch is gone. You are safe now."
*(1)-Anata wa ima Ducklett ni kawarimasu! = You will now turn into a Ducklett!
*(2)-Rei ga watashi no mae ni 3 duckletts no karada kara hikisaka rete imasu = Have the spirits torn from the bodies of the three Duckletts in front of me!