A/N: Hope of Morning by Icon for Hire
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
Images, flashes, sounds, and scents he never before known came and went before he could fully grasp them, but they were there, and they changed his point of view many times. Fighting techniques, etiquette of a noble, and variables he never even thought were possible revealed themselves in an blur.
Then suddenly it all stopped and he opened his eyes but when he did one question remained, who was he?
Was he Dragon, or perhaps he was Lativius. But neither of those names worked for him. Did that mean he was no longer what he was? Deciding to back up, the confused being thought over who and what he was.
He WAS human and he WAS a Latios, but now he was a mix of the two. A half-ling then. Then that meant he wasn't either Dragon or Lativius. Then WHAT is he? If nothing else he needed to know that. Looking around, the being found himself at the bottom of the cliff that held the cave, next to the lake with the sun just barely above the horizon, and Old Man no where to be seen.
Rising off the ground, the being floated over the lake to look at his reflection. Neither of his previous forms met his eyes. Instead, a Latios with black feathers in place of blue, four wings, one red eye, one blue, a red six sided outline of an arrow in place of the triangle, a diamond in place of a dew drop, and three fingers with and thumb, a claw to that of an Lati took the place of the last knuckle giving him claws but hands as well, on each arm, which he soon found were flexible like a wrist, just not as much, meeting his sight.
But something was missing. Looking around for it, the being summoned the Sword of Lati to him before strapping across his chest, the handle on his right. Looking back at his reflection the being thought once more before coming to a conclusion.
He was a type of Lati, that was clear, meaning he was a dragon, but his human side affected his form. He was also a warrior, a sword was normally the sign of a warrior, and his past experiences of both lives pointed to that conclusion as well.
So, now that he knew what he was, his only choice was to go by that title, which just happened to be his old name. He was a dragon who was a warrior, Dragon Warrior, and that's who he'd stay as.
'NO!' Thought Dragon furiously, halting all other thoughts. He was Dragon Warrior and not because that was what he was now but because that is who he was born as. The memories that now bounced around in his head weren't his, not all of them. Grasping them, Dragon put them in one place to keep from getting mixed up but he knew that they would be there if he needed them.
"Looks like someone's awake and walking." Turning around, Dragon found Old Man standing at the edge of the lake looking at him.
"Or would floating be a better word?" He said with a light chuckle.
"You do know who I am right?" Said Dragon before freezing. "Wait, how am I speaking?" Dragon asked himself.
"Well, you see, you move your mouth and tounge and sounds come out in the form of words." Said Old Man in a slow voice like he was talking to a child, but his grin betrayed his amusement. Dragon glared at him before floating back over land.
"No, I mean why am I able to speak like this? Normal Pokémon cannot talk like humans without long periods of training and practice. If anything I should be cooing or something." Old Man raised a brow.
"You, cooing? Well that'll be amusing to see." Dragon sighed while pinching the bride of his nose, what was left of it anyway.
"Alight, tell you what, I'll give you a brief overlook of Pokémon, alright? Now shut up and pay attention." Not even bothering to give him a chance to respond, Dragon continued.
"Pokémon have their own separate language, culture, etc., ect.. Certain Pokémon can learn telepathy to speak with their minds which is what Lativius was doing last night. My point is, when Lativius gave me his powers, abilities, and knowledge; he never had the ability to speak like a human." Old Man thought over his words for a moment before speaking.
"Is that why you look the way you do?" Dragon looked over himself before shrugging.
"I guess. Lativius did say that there was a chance that I could have physical changes and that he had no idea what would happen since I am, or was, human. Maybe that's why. I'm more that likely half human and half Latios. Maybe some of my human traits carried over to this form like talking." Looking down at his 'hands' he continued, "I'm also going out on a limb here and say that flexible claws is another trait along with my feathers and eye, though I don't know about the extra set of wings." Old Man thought for a moment before nodding. Walking back to a bag he dropped earlier, Old Man continued.
"Could you possibly explain what the hell this is then?" With that, Old Man pulled what Dragon identified as an Pachirisu out and held it up with, if he was guessing right, a shotgun wound that took its life.
Dragon just stared for a moment before scoffing in curiosity.
"Well that's unexpected."
It was quite an experience flying, the freedom he felt from it was amazing, but sadly Dragon had more pressing matters. Like for instance keeping Old Man from falling off his back.
"Can you stop moving so much, you're making this a lot harder than it should be."
"Oh shut up ya big bird." Dragon just groaned again.
"I told you, I'm a dragon, not a bird."
"Than explain the feathers. Ha, bet you can't." Said Old Man in a smug tone.
"They're there so I can turn invisible." Responded Dragon while rolling his eyes.
"Bullshit." Dragon grinned.
One moment Old Man was riding on his grandson's back above the trees, next he was miraculously floating through the air with nothing holding him up. And he reacted as any sane man would.
"HOLYSHIT! FUCKFUCKFUCK!" Screamed Old Man as he flailed his arms about. Dragon couldn't help it anymore and burst out laughing, dropping his invisibility as he did. Old Man, now able to see his grandson once more, started yelling again, though this time he directed it at Dragon.
"What the fuck was that about!" Though he stopped laughing, a grin was glued to his face as he looked back at his companion.
"Like I said, invisible." Dragon honesty didn't know how he turned invisible, but he didn't question it. Looking forward again, Dragon spotted what they were looking for. "Look, there." Dragon pointed to what appeared to be a herd of deer. After watching them for a moment, Old Man asked the question that rattled around his head.
"What the hell are those?"
"Stantler. The deer Pokémon. There are more deer-like Pokémon, even an legendary I think, but even so, they confirmed it."
"You mean your outlandish theory of the world's animals turning into Pokémon?" Dragon sighed.
"Yes, that. Besides, I have Lativius' memories, remember, when I told you earlier that I had his memories right before we left. He heard Arceus clearly. He asked Giratina to transport the legendaries,"
"I thought he said Guardians." Said Old Man, cutting Dragon off.
"Does it really fucking matter? Guardians are legendaries, end of story. Anyways, transport the legendaries and some kind of power. Well, the legendaries was shown when Lativius fell so I'm guessing that the power was energy meant to transform our world's animals, and the evidence before us proves that." Dragon finished by gesturing towards the Stantler. Old Man sighed before speaking.
"Guess that means that I better start learning all of their names then." Dragon scoffed, catching Old Man's attention. "What?" Dragon looked back at him.
"If I were you, I wouldn't be worrying about learning their names. Pokémon, with the exception of the most either feral, dominantive, or one's who can't vocally speak, literally say their own names. The ones who don't are often the most recognizable once you learn their names. What you should worry about is the fact that a Pokémon, even the smallest ones, are extremely dangerous. Pokémon have powers beyond your imagination. I recommend using the internet and research Pokémon abilities."
"Uh, care to give an example?" Dragon looked back at the herd of deer and tilted his head, giving the question a thought before coming up with the best way to explain it.
"Of the Pokémon world, now our world, there are eighteen types of Pokémon. The types being various and all have their own advantages and disadvantages. The Pokémon's type, or in some cases; types, depend on the way the Pokémon are formed, the way they look, the place they live, and the way they adapted to their home. The last was more of the point of Pokémon being able to use attacks or abilities that are not of their typing." Dragon glanced back. "You keeping up?" Old Man's brows were brought together but he nodded none the less. Dragon nodded in return and turned back around.
"To help know what kind of Pokémon you are facing down is by taking in the surroundings. This forest for example," Dragon paused for a moment, "Maybe I should tell the types first." Dragon mumbled to himself before speaking louder once more. "The types are bug, dark, dragon, electric, fairy, fighting, fire, flying, ghost, grass, gound, ice, normal, psychic, poison, rock, steel, and water.
"Most Pokémon who have one type normally have a second type in correspondence with the first but the first type can normally be identified by identifying their habitats, but that to lays the problem. While the habitat can tell you the type of Pokémon are in the area, doesn't mean that it'll tell you the exact type of the Pokémon that you're facing down. Some places its easier, others, like this forest, its harder. Here there are a variety of Pokémon that could be here but is still dwindled down to a few. That being mainly normal, grass, flying, electric, poison, water, and bug. Sometimes you'll find an odd one like fighting or dragon, but just not as much.
"Now, individually, you can tell the typing by the way it looks." Dragon gestured to the Stantler. "Take them for example, what do you think their typing would be?" Old Man just blinked in surprise at the suddeness of the question and couldn't come up with an answer.
"Here, let me give an actual example before the test. I, myself, am an dual type but only one is truly apparent. Earlier, you called me a bird but you were only basing you guess off of only my feathers and what knowledge you had of Pokémon. In truth, you need to expand your survey. Sure I have feathers, but underneath is scales, I have a pair of overly large wings, sharp claws, large eyes, and fangs. That can all conclude to one type. And since I'm organic that rules out steel, rock, ice, and ground. What am I?"
"Alright, going off of what you told me before, you know like when you start blabbing off random things, you're a dragon?"
"Bingo. Want to guess what else I am? Here's the hint, I don't flap my wings so how am I flying and it can be marked right up there with magic."
"What's that thing that lets people make things float or move and all that."
"Psychic."
"Yeah that's it, wait, thats one of the type's names." Dragon nodded and mouthed 'yeah' without even turning around.
"Now to continue with the lesson, what type is a Stantler? Remember, analyze the surroundings and the way they are designed. Truthfully this will take experience, the best being one-on-one battling." Old Man sighed and rubbed his eyes before looking so-called Stantler.
Their body structure seemed the same as an normal deer and acted like they were normal. No wings so no flight, they didn't seem to be able to produce electricity, and didn't have gills so they couldn't be water. That only left two more and Old Man hoped he got it right so that these 'lessons' could end.
He sighed once more.
"Are they normal?" Dragon waited a moment before answering.
"Yup."
After that both just stayed there, floating in the middle of the sky. Dragon actually had to delve into Lativius' knowledge just to explain that.
Dragon stretched out his arms and yawned.
"Let's go to you're place and then you can take me home."
"What are you talking about? I thought you wanted to stay for a week."
"With what's happening I'd much rather check on them before, uh," Dragon paused. He thought back to something that came up, something he still wasn't sure of himself.
"Before what? Know what, don't tell me, I don't want to know. Besides, how the he'll are you going to explain what happened when you look the way you do?" Dragon just grinned before turning towards Old Man's house.
"You let me worry about that."
"Alright, I've had It! What the fuck are you doing?!"
Old Man was leaning against his truck with his gun next to him while he waited for Dragon to get done with whatever he was doing. And now he was getting impatient.
"Oh quit your wining, I'm done." And the next thing Old Man knew is Dragon strolling around the truck, with arms, legs, and everything human. Old Man just looked on with astonishment plastered across his face. Dragon couldn't help but chuckle.
"What, something wrong with my face?"
"H-how?"
"What? Oh, this?" Dragon gestured to his body, his human body outfitted with everything he had on before. "This is simply one of the abilities of an Latios, but this form feels more real than what the experiences that Lativius had. I think that my human half makes it so my human form is real." Dragon looked up from his gear he was messing with to look at his grandfather. Old Man waved his hands side to side above his head.
"I don't want to know, you're freaking me out enough as it is. Just get in the dam truck." With that Old Man grabbed Dragon's shotgun off the hood and threw it to Dragon who caught it with no problem, before grabbing his own gun and got into his truck. Dragon just kept chuckling as he got in as well.
Neither said a word as they made their way to Dragon's home, but Dragon did catch Old Man glancing at him and shaking his head every once in a while, which made Dragon snort in amusement.
Finally the farm gate came, and with it came the farm. They expected different things but not this.
The vehicles blocked the gate leading to the animals, who were now Pokémon per Dragon's prediction, and it looked like a few people are sticking out of the second floor windows with guns.
"Any idea what that's about?" Asked Old Man. Dragon looked to the Pokémon, to the vehicles, the house, then back to the Pokémon.
"I think I have an idea." Dragon kept staring at the Pokémon and, though the distance would make it hard for a normal person, he could identify all of the Pokémon. There were Milktank in place of the cows, a Tauros for the bull, Mareep, Flaaffy, and Ampharos for the sheep, Torchic and its evolutions for the chickens, the Tepig evolutions for the pigs, and the Ponyta and Blitzle evolutions took place of the horse Pokémon. Dragon could only guess at what was going to happen if life on the farm continued like before.
Pulling up to the house, Old Man and Dragon got out just as Dragon's mother came rushing out followed by the others, most of which were holding guns.
"Oh thank god!" His mother exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Dragon just stood there for a moment as his mother held him. When she released him she started checking over his body for injuries, but soon found none before backing away.
"Thank God your safe." She said with tears of joy falling from her eyes. Dragon looked around to the rest of his family, all had concerned looks, though Darin and Rayzel looked more excited than concerned.
"What happened here? With all those guns out it looks like you're preparing for a fight or something."
"Or something, we woke up and found those things where the animals were, like they ate them and took their place." Answered Bearit and pointed with his gun to the enclosures.
"You mean the Pokémon?" Dragon grinned. "I don't think they ate the animals, I think they ARE the animals." His family, apart from Old Man and his cousins, all opened their mouth slightly and took the look to a fish. His cousins on the other hand brightened up.
"Hah, told you they were Pokémon! Come on, let's go check them out!" Exclaimed Darin and he and Rayzel made to run for the Pokémon. Darin's voice shook the others out of their shock and Bearit and Havadar grabbed their sons as they went by.
"How do you know that?" Asked Grandpa. Dragon shrugged.
"Last night there was some big flash of light and the next morning, well, all of the animals were gone and in place were the Pokémon so I just put two and two together. Wait, have any of you bothered to check the news?" Dragon asked with a deadpanned look. His family looked sheepish.
"Uh, no. Should we?" Asked Sara. Dragon just facepalmed and nodded.
"And while you guys do that, I'm going to go and feed the Pokémon." Dragon's cousins jumped up at that. "But, you two will stick strictly to your jobs and then we're coming straight back, no playing around. If I'm right then the Pokémon would have the abilities like in the games and anime meaning that they are possibly dangerous. Alright, get in the truck." With that Dragon walked off to where his truck was parked blocking the road before anyone could stop him with Darin and Rayzel on his heels.
Old Man sighed and looked over who was left.
"Well, let's go inside and see if there's anything on the news." Said Old Man and ushered everyone inside.
He had a feeling, and normally when he had a feeling whatever it was happened. This was a repeating thought that Dragon had throughout his life. So, why was he surprised when Bully started making sounds but they sounded like words, in an comprehensible sentence, and in a way like they both were old friends. Simple, sometimes shit happens and you can't help but freeze and take a moment to figure if the world is against you and what you did to piss it off.
"Uh, you okay?" Said Bully.
Like right now for example. Sure he knew that with his change would come with the possibility of him understanding Pokémon, but actually experiencing it first hand was something else entirely. While he stood there staring at Bully, Dragon briefly had a recurrence from Lativius' memories of him having 'shit happens' days, particularly after her started working for Giratina.
'Which reminds me that I should probably find her. She might be able to help me out. If anything she can answer some questions.' Thought Dragon and immediately put it on his to do list right after a more important job, which would probably be done later tonight.
"Uh, yeah, yeah, it's just that I forgot that I could now understand you."
"Wait, you can?!"
"Yeah, let's just say that you and every other animal around the world were not the only ones that had something strang done to them last night." And with that Dragon used Psychic and picked up a couple bales of hay and put it where it needed to be without even having to jump the fence.
Bully just stood and watched the event unfold.
"Funny, I've never seen that before but I somehow know what it was."
"Yeah, I sort of expected that. Guess what changed you gave you instinctive knowledge of everything Pokémon, or at least some of it. See ya."
"Bye." Replied Bully.
After his 'interesting' talk with Bully, Dragon proceeded to put the rest of the hay for the cows in it's place in an similar way but made sure to drive the truck around so it didn't seem strange for random floating bales of bay to be floating around with a black aura surrounding it. Dragon didn't even have to leave the truck due to his Psychic abilities. In which case he found it strange that his psychic bag off an black aura instead of pink or blue.
'Well, this will make the chores easier, as long as I don't get caught.' Thought Dragon with grin, though that soon faded when he got to the sheep's enclosure. He could already hear them. Dragon groaned as he felt the coming headache. Maybe being able to understand Pokémon is a curse and not a blessing. Glancing out the windshield at the Electric type Pokémon as he past them, he couldn't help but voice his single fear.
"Dragon type or not, if any of those guys out there figured out any Electric type attack then this is going to hurt, bad." Sighing Dragon got out. He could hear electricity being charged. This was not going to end well.
"You know that we're never going to let this down right?" Followed immediately by a chuckle.
"Shut up." The chuckling only intensified.
"Oh come on, you know that they are just showing their love."
"Alright, that's it," Dragon just turned and looked directly at the two adolescents, who were looking just up above his head. "If you two don't stop I'm going to get the rubber bullets and play target practice with you both." Dragon opened the door to the house. "Now, inside." Both moved quickly without another word inside, knowing full well that Dragon would keep to his promise.
No words were spoken as the trio walked through the hall to the living room where the rest of the family was, that is until they came to the door, the TV could be heard before they got there and from the sound of it the news was talking about the Pokémon that 'appeared' over night. Their arrival at the doorway caused all eyes within to look towards them. For a moment no one moved or said a word.
Then came the laughing.
Darin and Rayzel couldn't keep in any more and started laughing themselves once more, believing that they were now safe.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. What's the news say so far."
"Tell you what, let's go to you're room so you can get rid of those stinking clothes and I'll fill you in." Said Old Man after he stopped laughing but a grin was still glued to his face. Dragon just shook his head, scoffed, and threw his hands up.
"Whatever, let's go." Which only brought more laughing as Old Man followed Dragon to his room. Once there Old Man took a look around.
"Honestly not what I expected." Suddenly a flash of light appeared before disappearing just as fast behind him prompting him to turn. What was before him could only be described with two words; featherly ball. Old Man couldn't help it and literally fell on his was laughing. Dragon, in what he now considered his true form, had every single feather sticking straight out, making him look like a giant, round-ish ball floating in the air with horns sticking out on either side.
"Shut up already! Now start telling what was on the news while I try to get these back in order." Old Man, after finishing his latest laughing fit, did as asked, even if it sounded like an order. Dragon started matting his feathers down, starting with his head.
"Well, as you guessed, the whole world now has Pokémon and scientists from around the globe are already studying them. There are reports that there are no signs of any animal along with the fact that there were, and I'm quoting this part, "strange anomalies throughout the world of object falling from the sky"." Dragon stopped flattening his feathers and glanced at Old Man, raising a brow. Old Man just shrugged. "Hey, I don't know, it's just how they explained it." Dragon went back to his preening.
"Anyway, they confirmed that they only found one of the things that fell. Even got a picture of it. It was blurry but it looked a little larger than a cat, feline, and it was pink with a long tail." Dragon paused just long enough to give an response.
"It's Mew." Old Man blinked.
"What?"
"It's Mew. One of the Guardians." And he went right back to his preening.
"Whatever. The news said that scientists were going to do test to see if what it is and what it could do, along with others that didn't fall from the sky. But, me being me, I believe that the American government, being greedy, not all of them mind you, might just happen to use this Mew as you call it for some kind of military experiment. In fact, I already made a call to a friend who owes me and found where it is at. Two states from here in an underground base with an Army base on top to dissuade the common folk." By this point Dragon had finished preening and was now floating with his arms crossed.
"And let me guess, I'm not the common folk." It wasn't a question.
"Yup. Something told me you would want to get it out of there." Dragon nodded.
"Yeah. I planned on leaving to find the Guardians and Mew would play a big part in that."
"You know, normally this is where I ask how but seeing as the explanation would probably put me to sleep, I'll trust that you know what you're doing. Instead I'll ask this, how would the rest of your family take you suddenly running off?" Dragon looked troubled but decided to stick to his choice.
"What you said last night, "With power comes responsibility". Now I have the power, meaning I must have the responsibility, but what if my actions to that responsibility come back and hit them, my family. It's too late for me to give this power back so I gotta stick to it. If I go out there and start doing things that get me noticed then I have a chance of being identified or traced back here and putting everyone I love in danger. So I was planning to take a precaution to protect them from me." Old Man was silent and gestured for Dragon to continue. Dragon sighed.
"I was planning to wipe their memories and replace the ones with me with other events to cover it up." Neither didn't say a word and Dragon found it hard to look at his grandfather.
"You do realize your folly right?"
"Huh?!" Dragon wasn't expecting that. Old Man sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Even though you erase their memories of you, you're still in the system, still able to be tracked here though facial recognition, probably print and blood too." Dragon blinked.
"I thought you would oppose my choice." Old Man shook his head.
"No it's my fault. I told you that last night and you took it to heart like I wanted you to. Now I realize my own folly but I also know that you'll stick to your choice. So, instead, I'll help. I have another friend who also owe me, big time too, which is good in this case. I'll get you wiped from the system completely so you don't exist and you tie up the lose ends. I'm going to make a call, you just do whatever and be ready to leave, for good." Old Man walked past Dragon but stopped at the stairs.
"Since I know it's too late to go back, I'll say this. Your on the right track. You don't know what could happen, what will happen, or if it will all work out. Sometimes having no ties to anyone can make your job easier, just don't ever forget the reason for why you did it." Old Man turned his head to look at Dragon. "I can't say that I know what your going up against, but somehow I know this, your going to be outnumbered, outgunned, and with no road but the one before you. So here's my advice, when you are outnumbered, outgunned, and with only one road, turn to the side and make your own dam path. Fate may have given you this but that doesn't mean you have to stick to the obvious." With that Old Man left Dragon alone in his room, but just before he left he said one more thing. "And keep the pistols, if your father knew what kind of shit you were walkin' into he'd give 'em to ya." With that, With that, Dragon was alone.
And he felt the words and their meanings, and they eased his weighted heart. He would always protect his family, and right now this was the best way. Transforming, Dragon put up all but his sword, pistols, knife and the clothes he wore. Using his knife Dragon made it so just his pack and sheath were attached together. Dumping the contents, Dragon filled his pack with the five boxes of 45 shells after loading six more clips and slid them in to their places on his belt, giving four extra clips for each gun. Hefting his sheath-pack back onto his back, Dragon took one last look around his room before using his psychic powers to teleport his personal possessions to some random place far away. Just before he left Dragon caught sight of his dad's dog tags. Grabbing them, he decided it would be best to do something with them.
Turning off the light, Dragon made his exit and closed the hatch for the last time, ever. And walked down familiar steps for the last time, ever. Old Man was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the wall with his head hanging. He looked up as Dragon stepped down the last step.
"It's done."
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Please review.