AN: I decided to merge my originally planned chapters three and four for this one. Hope you enjoy!

"Speech"

"Pokespeech" (around people, otherwise it will be the same as normal.)

"Aura speak"

'Telepathy'

[Teridax's conversations] (in-mind)


Chapter 3: The Gift


I slowly regained consciousness, attempting to regain my bearings. My body felt strange, almost as if it wasn't my own. I tried to stand up, but fell over backwards, landing with a painful crushing sensation. I yelped.

Wait, yelped? I looked myself over. I was quadrupedal, with silver and black fur and a black tail. My paws appeared to have black markings. I was a Mightyena. I stood up again, this time on all fours. Oddly enough, I already knew how to walk like this. I spent a few minutes practicing, getting used to this new form.

"Oh, my head." I heard a thump and an "Ow." I glanced over and saw a Zorua with golden fur where the red normally was and golden eyes in a sitting position…on his tail. "Wait, it shouldn't hurt there…"

I headed over. "Hey buddy, you okay?" I asked. He looked over, and when he saw what I was, he freaked.

"AHH! TALKING POKEMON!" He tried to run away and promptly fell on his face. I muttered a few choice words under my breath and smirked. I decided to play a joke on him. "Why are you trying to run like that, buddy? And what's with the 'talking Pokémon' thing? You're acting really odd, even for a Zorua. What's wrong?" Gold froze on the word "Zorua". He turned to me and glared.

"I am not a Zorua, I'm a human, and my name is-" I cut him off.

"Gold, right?" He flinched.

"How did you know that? I never said that, and you're not psychic or you'd know all about me already." I grinned.

"Man, I just got you good, buddy. Come on; don't tell me you don't recognize your best friend?"

"Silver? No, no, no, this can't be happening. This is all just a dream-" I slapped him. Hard. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Now do you believe me? That this isn't a dream?" Gold muttered something under his breath. "Quit whining, we need to get to the Professor's lab. That way, she might be able to figure out what happened." Then, I heard a voice call out from nearby.

"Actually, I could answer those questions." I spun to face the source of the voice. Imagine my surprise when I saw the Hero of the Wave, Sir Aaron himself, standing there casually as though two humans hadn't just turned into Pokemon and we were old friends. "Sorry, Arceus himself wanted to come, but was unable to due to some... unforeseen consequences. I'm just the guy sent in his place." I decided to bait him. If he was the real Sir Aaron, he would know how he had died.

"Okay, 'Sir Aaron', but I'm not really ready to trust you yet. So, I'm going to ask you one thing that only the real Sir Aaron would know. Under what circumstances did you perish?" He grinned.

"Why, of Auric exhaustion saving the Tree of Beginning. Right?" I sighed. He was correct, in more ways than one. "Now, to answer the questions you may have, no, Arceus cannot restore your former shapes, but you will be able to get them back later. I won't say when or how, though, because I don't want to spoil it for the readers." I frowned.

"Readers?" I questioned. He looked shifty.

"Nothing." I frowned.

"I don't believe you. Was there anything else you wanted to tell us?"

"Actually, yes. You are very, very important. You are destined to become heroes, some of the greatest heroes in the Multiverse. Yes, there is a multiverse. Also..." He smiled mischievously. "Spirits of the Heroes, awaken, for you are needed to teach the next generation!" I then heard a voice in my mind.

[Did you have to wake me up? I was having a great nap, too...]

"Who said that?" Silver and I chorused.

[Hello Silver, you can call me... actually, I don't remember my name. Also, there's no need to speak aloud. Just think about what you want to say and I'll hear you.]

Fine. I'll call you...Hmm...How about Teridax?

[I like that name.]

"Heroes, I shall send you to where you need to go to return to normal. Good luck." He waved his hand, and the world melted into darkness around me.