Beneath loose pages
Early morning
Condominium
Kitchen
A toasted berry sandwich landed on Zorua. Growling at the smear of jam slathering his fur, the fox glared at the perpetrator and licked himself furiously. Muzzle littered with breadcrumbs and the remains of a berry smoothie, which no doubt belonged to the reading dragonoid, Black grinned cheekily and readied another projectile in his mouth. Hissing, N dived for cover and the bowl of yoghurt skidded across the table and tipped all over Red who reflexively shot a seed bomb whilst Tepig snorted in laughter. Growing increasingly tired of the childish fight, Oak finally lowered the skin bound tome; what little patience he possessed, rapidly evaporated at the status of the table. Most of the food and dishes congregated at Black's area and Green's tankard lay empty, the last dregs pooling on the surface of the table. Most importantly, food spilled everywhere. Claws scratching the surface of the ancient book, Charmeleon calmly cleared a section of the table and placed it down. He groped under the table, found two quibbling first stage pokemon and hauled them out.
"Breakfast is supposed to be an orderly manner," he seethed through gritted teeth. Zorua squirmed in his knife-edged grasp whilst Tepig hung, a mischievous smile on his snout. "Every morning I sit here and endure this nonsense because someone," his gaze stabbed Red, "decided it would be worth our while to adopt two morons whilst we can barely handle ourselves." Charmeleon eyeballed Black, a string of drool escaped the latter's mouth and before it reached Oak's buffed claws, the dragonoid dropped him on the floor and focused his rage at N. "Both of you stink and there are unidentifiable substances on your coat." Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Green deposited N on an adjacent chair and the fox sniffed himself, recoiling at the stench. "Red, give those two a bat-"
A four leaf cookie struck Green in the middle of his forehead and Red rained a jug of milk on the incensed dragon. The smell of burning milk filled the kitchen and N, wondering if he was mad, picked a tray of seeds and threw it, the seeds flew through the air and dusted his former commander. Enduring the onslaught, Green picked a hunk of bread, toasted the loaf to a lump of coal and catapulted it into Ivysaur's gaping maw. The plant type choked and thrashed, vines knocking on the table's underside and sending glasses and bowls skittering. Delighted at the turn of events, Black sprang in the middle of the table and kicked food articles in every direction. A dish of cream pummeled N and he stared in outrage as the collar of fur around his neck dampened. A familiar, liquefying sensation churned in his stomach and before he could control himself, N physically broke into a ball of shadows. All hooting and clattering stopped and the remaining trio focused on the dark type. The shroud of darkness fell away, revealing a pikachu with sparking cheeks; the irate rodent squealed and loosed a blinding peal of lightning. The fire types wisely scampered to one corner and Red suffered the full wrath of the indignant N. The stinging sensation rocketed around his body and his mind registered an undercurrent of familiarity. The lightning died and Zorua lay on the kitchen floor, panting heavily.
Briefly forgetting the gargantuan mess inside the kitchen, the other beasts gingerly approached the gasping fox and Black prodded him with a gentle hoof. "You can do tricks," he blithely said. "I wonder if I can transform and shoot thunder from my cheeks." Plopping on his behind, he shut his eyes and concentrated.
Grabbing a dish of water, Red trickled it into the gasping Zorua's agape mouth. Smoke poured from Tepig's nostrils and Ivysaur wondered if he made a mistake when taking them in. They needed to visit Wigglytuff, the seed monster dourly contemplated. "Black, transformation is a skill only limited to zorua." Red sighed when the piglet's eyes flew open in mock horror. "You can shoot fireballs out of your mouth and no...Don't practice in the kitchen!" he frantically shouted. A pathetic moan from N snared his dwindling attention, head swiveling back and forth, Red exasperatedly pleaded, "Green, some help would be nice." Oak joined Black on the ground, habitually scored his nails and competed with Tepig with coughing up brilliant embers. Teeth grinding over each other, Ivysaur tersely attended to Zorua and commanded Green to fetch help.
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, the outside gate whined open. Instantly, the evolved beasts scrutinized the door. Three knocks echoed on the wood, loud and clear and a vine yanked the door open. Expecting to see Wigglytuff, Red backpedalled, a fuzzy feeling fluttering in his stomach when Melody, trinkets glinting on bow shaped appendages, floated into their humble home. Sailing to a stop inside the kitchen, she glanced at the chaos and at Black prancing around N, coaxing the latter back to life with nonstop rambling. Locating a relatively clean stool, Gothitelle scanned the book lying on the table and folded her hands in her lap.
"I'm here bearing bad news," she voiced mournfully. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Black ceased prattling and lay next to N. "Wigglytuff passed away last night." Gothitelle informed, Red's back popped into a multitude of spider lilies and despite the crackling heath, a chill blanketed the room. "The guild will continue to function as normal," Melody cracked a wavering smile, "and you are all welcome there. As for teaching, depending on our time and availability, Rooque and I will take turns in imparting lessons for body control and other basics." She paused to stare at the first stage pokemon, alarmed at the tears falling from Zorua's grey irises. "Because he ruled the guild for so long, we are reluctant to select a new leader. For the time being, there will be no guild masters." The astral pokemon stopped speaking, her voice petering like the dying bars of a piano. Dipping her head, she levitated out of the silent kitchen. Face buried in Black's leathery skin, N wept uncontrollably, he seldom understood what Gothitelle spouted, however, her voice usually enveloped him in nostalgic, pleasant memories. This time, it plunged him into a grief filled abyss and he saw no hope. No way out.
Wigglytuff, dead.
Red frowned and the spider lilies bloomed and rained on the floor.
The guild master seemed so invincible. Ivysaur pondered.
Like Layla.
Like his father.
Red blinked at the intrusive thought, where did it come from? An uncharacteristic sadness filled him, in spite of his deep mistrust; Wiggly remained faithful to his promise and helped them in many trials. The guild master never divulged personal details but Red sensed he harbored deep conflict. The kitchen rotated around Ivysaur, turning into a mess of colors and smudges. A longing desire to stay in this cracked condominium surged within him but it was impossible. The entire group of four could not live in a three roomed apartment. A thousand thoughts flashed in his head and a sharp pain throbbed in his skull.
"Are you okay?" Green asked. "That news dealt a low blow," he confessed and glanced out a window. "I guess we will have to train those two by ourselves." Red nodded weakly. "So since we are now a big family," Charmeleon trailed off and a distant, blurry memory niggled at him, "we have to get bigger and better lodgings, if Black evolves, I have full confidence he might roll over and accidentally crush Zorua under his bulk." The grass type nodded vacuously. "Are you sure you are feeling alright?" Green pressed. "You look green...uh…paler than normal I mean, you better get some rest."
Shaking his head, Red began, "I've been thinking."
"I can see that," Oak quipped, "and it's giving you a headache. We've just received a nasty shock, go rest and you can wake up and meditate for however long you like. I won't stop you." Dropping to all fours, he scampered away to clear the kitchen of its mess. Meanwhile, Red crawled upstairs. Unnoticed by him, a large patch of his skin slouched off to reveal a deeper tinted hide.
Several weeks later, early afternoon
Treasure town
Guild
The little community in Gehenna thrived without the guild master, but the moment Wigglytuff died, the edges of town grew ragged, the desert of fire shimmered closer and icy winds gusted through the hamlet, rattling doors and window panes. Color leaked out of the vibrant locale and some of the bigger, opportunistic monsters started a revolt, clamoring to be free from the trials and oppressive regimes. For the first few weeks, Tamen worked tirelessly, cracking on the lawbreakers ruthlessly and overnight, openly defiant monsters spontaneously burst into sable flames. Treasure Town's previously tranquil atmosphere, shattered and the residents milled about with no purpose in their eyes. Inside the guild, Manectric, Steelix and Gothitelle did their best to keep order, but the reigns rapidly slipped from their control and violent bouts often erupted inside the vestibule, eating hall and, to Gothitelle's mounting horror, the library.
Overtime, Umbreon and the remaining Emblem members squashed the rebellious. Rooque, finally free from his fans, assumed the responsibility of teaching body control to new comers. Taking a well needed break from prowling the dungeons and catching up on work in the process, Red repeatedly shoved the urgent task of requiring new lodgings in favor of dropping Black and N to the guild. According to the steel snake, Tepig performed excellently, his superb body control attributed to memory loss. He held his own and when pitted against odds, Tepig sat on the floor, concentrated till his face blanked before mowing his opponents with speed not possible for his type. Contrary to him, N functioned poorly. While basic movement such as walking, eating and running did not pose any problems, N failed at rudimentary attacking and blocking procedures. His shadows spiraled out of control and if angered enough, he morphed into a barbarous monster, sending the other pokemon stampeding for safety. After his illusions collapsed, Zora lay prone on the floor and gasped for air, slipping into unconscious if exerted enough. N absolutely refused to hurt other pokemon and cited it went against his morals.
Tamen snorted at him, the cuffs encircling the feline's paws, shone unnaturally in the cyan light diffused by his body rings. Noting the defiant glare in N's eyes, Umbreon stalked out, tail sticking up like a beacon. Following the harrowing practice, Steelix dismissed the batch and they gratefully retreated, bird types soared out to the sky and the rest filed through the exit. The floating necklace of gemstones around his neck, rotated and he grinned amusedly at Black dragging Zorua by the tail. N snarled pathetically but followed his friend to the eating hall, where they would wait for Green and Red to pick them up.
Alone, Rooque smiled sadly. This was the kind of community Wiggly wanted, but he abruptly passed away and the shock rend to Melody severed her from the psychic net covering Gehenna. She collapsed on the floor weeping uncontrollably and startled by her behavior, Steelix offered hollow words of comfort and resignedly watched the guild master growing whitewashed against the grey sheets draped on the four poster bed. When he became near transparent, Wiggly puffed into a blinding pall of fuchsia smoke and the color burnt a strong image in the steel serpent's mind. Wigglytuff left more secrets in his wake and every day, Rooque tried to tackle these mysteries, alas, he was too afraid and occupied his mind with helping the residents. The noise in the eating hall drew him like a magnet and he entered, amidst a chorus of greetings and friendly smiles. Occupying a table in the corner and bawling, Black sat on a three legged stool. A vermillion dragon smashed a fist in the piglet's mouth but instead of smothering the noise, Green managed to amplify them when Tepig wailed louder still.
Pointedly ignoring the quibbling duo, Red noticed Steelix lingering near the entrance and called him. Grabbing a large loaf of bread and mashing it with cream, seeds and berry preserve, Oak stuffed the ball on a plate and settled it in front of Black. Infernal scream smothered, the piglet dove into the food in obvious delight and by the time Rooque navigated through the labyrinthine layout of tables and chairs, N fell fast asleep and slowly slipped to the floor. Growling, Green reached gently secured the fox with his burning tail.
"Can you help us find a new apartment?" Red questioned and drowned a bowl of seeds. "The four of us wanna live together and three rooms are not enough." Steelix mulled over the question. "Two of us work and we get a moderate pay so a nice big house would be good." Green nodded and resumed pinning the hyperactive Black with a glare.
"So you are leaving Layla's apartment?" Steelix queried and regretted his words. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ask that," he apologized and Red's scowl lightened. "If you are seeking new lodgings, there are beautiful apartments in the northern residential area," Rooque informed, "and I'll be more than happy to help you search for them." Dipping his head gratefully, Ivysaur scoffed the early lunch, thereafter, the entire group snaked out of the guild, tumbling onto a patch of late afternoon sunshine.
After searching for an entire week, Steelix wanted to give up and let the quartet sleep on the roadside. No matter what kind of lodgings he showed them, one of the pokemon spouted a negative comment and like a contagious disease, the others nodded and added their own derogatory expressions. Exhausting his patience, Rooque slithered under the laser-esque glare of the sun, ignoring the verbal battle behind him. Rounding a corner, he stopped before a five story building; the outside walls consisted of light granite and the domicile sparkled blindingly in the sun's rays. Squinting at a figure waving from the second floor balcony, Rooque asked the dratini if there were any vacant lots available and the dragon led them inside. Sighing resignedly, he awkwardly steered his bulk in the narrow passage and waited for the inevitable, deriding commentary. Red and his friends appraised the building, sniffing the air, scoring marks on the floor and N dove into a large vase. Mildly amused, Dratini toured the house and showed them vacant rooms. The chambers remained unadorned and blank. Not a sprig of grass, tongue of flame or mass of stones could be seen, solemnly, the company trooped back to the moderate living space and Rooque held his breath.
Time for the verdict.
Noting eager expressions on his friends faces, Red concluded, "We want to rent this place." Steelix jerked in surprise. "Its bland, the walls are blank and the apartment feels dead." Ivysaur continued and Dratini's smile froze on her face. "But it will give us the chance to build everything over, we can tailor our rooms exactly how we want it." A breeze gusted through a circular window and the vegetation on Red's back swayed in the wind. "We'll come by in the evening and start shifting things from our old home. Now that the owner is gone...I wonder what will happen to it."
Evening
Gehenna
Park
Cradled in thick vines, Ivysaur lined a dozen pot plants and a leavanny whisked them away to some distant part of the foggy green house. When the twelve berry bushes finally vanished, Red relaxed and turned to another six little clay pots awaiting his attention. Humming, his bud sucked sunlight and he peppered the soil with miniscule energy balls. The saplings wiggled delightfully, rearing to their full height. A rustle behind him announced Cyng. Blank eyes surveyed the circle of workers, coming to a firm stop on Red. Used to the lack of expression, Ivysaur flashed a sunny grin and resumed mumbling with his plants. Serperior slithered closer to the inanely cheerful worker and wondered when last he saw Red this peppy. "You can go home early today," Cyng droned. He grabbed an Oran berry bush and presented the pot plant to a gawking Red. "I sense contentment from you and it feels like you are starting a new chapter in life." The regal pokemon blinked ponderously and held out the plant. "Take this, consider it as a present for your exemplary work." Cyng did not smile when Red thanked him profusely and bolted out of the emporium; instead, the serpent sidled to the entrance and watched Ivysaur disappear over a field of green grass.
Lamenting the destruction of his room, Green watched the flames lick hungrily at his old bedding. Tepig sat next to him, occasionally snorting in flames whilst N pored over a book. The heat in the room became unbearable and when evening wore on and the flames died, Charmeleon wearily cleaned the ashes. He stood in the middle of the room, drinking in the sight of fire baked bricks patterning an intricate mosaic on the floor. Slash marks scoured the stone tables and benches; and the wood bin needed a load of new logs. Grabbing an off white cloth sack, a present from Wiggly, Oak piled in his books, a stone slate and a few twigs for picking his teeth. Gripping Black by the tail and ushering N out, the trio climbed down to the kitchen and met up with a breathless Red.
The journey to their new home did not take long and if the group expected a warm welcome, they did not get one. Dratini waited for them inside a tiny, stone tiled foyer and a burly machamp stood guard, saluting them with all four arms. Black stared at the humanoid monster and Oak dragged the piglet inside. Huffing up to the fourth floor, the band of motely beasts suffered the shrill screaming of a whismur, frantically dodged when a spinda tumbled down the stairwell and sidestepped when a quilava apologized before darting towards the fallen pokemon. Holding Cyng's present faithfully, Red barged inside the apartment and straightaway claimed a room. Surprisingly, everyone agreed to his choice and ran off, laying claim to the remaining lots. The floor, made of hard basalt, was cool and rough underfoot and after depositing his plant into a corner of his bedroom, Ivysaur examined it. He sorely missed the greenery of his previous living quarters and decided to grow a carpet of grass, bit by bit, he envisioned the perfect room and his smile grew wider.
He stopped smiling when he remembered this world was a temporary phase and the sooner he completed the trials, the better for him.
"Your attempts at transformation are pathetic," Mienshao harshly critiqued and N wagged his tail. He despised the dojo but each morning, he and Black slaved under Mei whilst their older flat mates worked. As the days passed, Zorua gave up the prospect of ever jogging Tepig's memory and on pestering Red and Green, they conveniently denied their recollections of a past life. However, N knew they lied. Cowering under the dojo master's disapproving stare, he moodily collapsed into a heap of scarlet tipped fur. Others enthused about his ability but they did not understand that the transformation was merely an illusion. Unlike ditto, he could not copy the genetic makeup of a certain pokemon, but N could fool the opposing party into thinking so. This maneuver left him highly stressed, dizzy and disorientated, alas, no one cared when he complained about violent exhaustion and spinning vision. "N, stand alongside your partner and duel him," Mei commanded and he languidly assumed position. "You are just like Red," she commented and flipped the long sleeves of fur hiding her forepaws, "except he actually recovered from his disastrous body control through sheer will and effort, you on the other hand have vast potential, but waste it. This is Gehenna boy; your ideals are meaningless. If you refuse to harm pokemon, then you are no more than a sitting farfetch'd waiting for its leak to be stolen."
On the polished wooden floor, a farfetch'd expertly twirled its leek, feathers ruffling indignantly at the statement.
Swerving to the side when Tepig, veiled in flames, attempted to ram him, N forced Black to retreat with a couple of light jabs. Gathering his wits, Zorua attempted an illusion. It worked partially, Black slowed his rampaging to stare in horror whilst an excruciating pain punched N in the stomach. Stumbling, he caught a blur of fur before Mienshao juggled him in front of the other trainees and slammed him on the floor. Mind muddled, his transformation receded and he glowered dumbfoundedly at the martial arts pokemon. "Do you think your enemy is going to sit and allow you to transform?" Mei gripped him and questioned. "No, your transformation must come as naturally as breathing, in a blink of an eye, you must trick and fool others into seeing what you want them to see," she stressed. "If this is not the case, then you pose a burden." Crisply, Mei tossed him to the varnished tiles, turned around and smoothly delved into another training session. Commands and shouts rent the air. Tail hanging low, N followed Black out of the dojo and the smell of freshly cut grass hit his nose, driving away the heady aroma of sandalwood incense.
The duo trudged through the village center and Black complained about hunger, fatigued, N agreed with him and dodged the larger pokemon traversing the streets. He tried not to think about how each of these monsters was once a despicable human being. Lost in rumination, he meandered behind Tepig and before long, arrived at their building. Rushing up the stairs, the duo floundered into the breezy living room. In approximately a month, the apartment's blank rooms and empty lots buzzed with life. Zorua loved to marvel at the range of potted succulents growing along the windowsill of Red's room. Often times, when the plant type stayed out late, N liked to climb in Red's bed and sleep, the aromatic air of the room helped him relax and feel at ease.
Today, the first stage duo opened the door to see the fire and grass pair sitting contemplatively on the floor. Crinkly charts, thick books, sticks of charcoal and a detailed map of Gehenna, swamped them. Stomach doing a backflip, N cautiously approached them and his mind pulled back towards the harrowing time they spent in the dungeon of Greed. According to everyone, Gehenna, abode of the sinners, possessed seven, compulsory trials; each one representing a sin or carnal desire. Overcoming these trials will allow them to pass to the world of the living. Shuddering at the thought of crawling through another hell hole, N swallowed rapidly and focused on the former commander's thoughtful expression. Meanwhile, Black bounced, the prospect of another adventure, excited him.
"So how did the training go?" Red lightheartedly questioned and Green glanced up, waiting for a response; N dejectedly shook his head whilst Tepig launched into a regale of his heroics. "I know it's difficult, but you need to work harder N," Ivysaur encouraged whilst Charmeleon inked facts from a tome with tea stained pages. "You have to reflect mentally and apply yourself physically. And if you fail in basic combat, Gehenna will crush you. Believe me, I'm talking from experience." The seed pokemon absentmindedly toyed with the map. "We will visit the dungeon of Gluttony next and I hope both of you are prepared. The last time, we somehow protected you but each trial is worse than the last and we make no promises. Even the best die in this world." Red solemnly lectured, mind flashing to the sickening episodes inside Wrath. "With that in mind, Green and I are heading to the Wishing cave to speed up our evolution." Both Black and N shared a worried glance at the revelation. "We won't be taking you but Green reasoned that you have to survive on your own for a few days in order to grow stronger. Don't worry, we'll come back soon enough, hopefully stronger than ever." Ivysaur reassured and packed the materials strewn on the floor.
For the first time since he stepped in Gehenna, Black's visage resembled something akin to fright. "When are you leaving?" he demanded, tail brushing the floor. "What if you get lost on the way? And what if you don't make it back?" he questioned.
Charmeleon, arms loaded with rolled scrolls, dumped them on the kitchen table, "If Red can go in there, discover the dungeon of Envy and survive eating hallucinogenic mushrooms, then I'm sure I'll do a better job than him." The fire dragon declared. "Stop whining, our absence is going to teach you two about responsibility and if I return and see food thrown all over my bedroom floor, Black, I will kick you out." Tail blazing, Green disappeared into the corridor and presumably, his room. Black merely wilted to the floor, teeth pulping a Rawst berry.
Late afternoon
Outskirts of Gehenna
Forest
Wishing cave lay in an area north east of the beach. Armed with nothing but a light provision of apples and berry concoctions, two pokemon prowled the leaf littered forest floor. Ivysaur blindingly ambled whilst Oak held a map and squinted, barking at his friend before setting off into the dense undergrowth. Rays of sunshine pierced the canopy but did little to evaporate the humid moisture clinging to Green's skin. A sense of disarming calmness perfused the area and he relaxed, grateful for not feeling high strung and wanting to yell obscenities at anything breathing the wrong way. His transition from a charmander to a charmeleon had been jarring and till today, it mortified him to lose control of his emotions so rapidly. Fire constantly broiled in his stomach and it became second nature to spit a flame thrower and burn anything standing in his way.
The trees thinned but the mist swirled like milk. Breaking tree cover, the duo heard the sound of running water. A series of lights blinked periodically in the white bloom and sweeping the area critically, Green followed the pulsing runway. The foggy shroud eventually dissipated, revealing a place seemingly not fit for Gehenna. Orbs of light hung in midair and fascinated, Red poked one. The bauble shot off, bumped against tree branches and sailed back to its rightful position. A humongous Kauri rose from the ground and spiraled to the sky and a stream flowed from beneath a wooden door fixated in the tree's white trunk. A starmie guarded the entrance and the amaranthine jewel set in the middle of the sea-star, glowed with an immortal energy. Starmie flashed and its limbs, covered in sets of ancient tribal runes, pulsed with light. Standing awkwardly in front of the guardian, Red and Green exchanged helpless looks, the books they read, did not mention a protector of Wishing cave.
"What should we do?" Red whispered nervously and the two turned their backs on the mysterious pokemon in favor of an impromptu meeting. "Should we defeat him in order to get access to the cave?"
Thinking rationally for once, Green shook his head. "Before we resort to tooth and claws, let's try talking to him." Charmeleon brushed his leathery skin free from invisible dust and strode to Starmie. Clearing his throat, the dragon stated, "We are residents of Gehenna." Oak flushed at his stupidity. "…We traversed the forest and sought out Wishing cave, according to the books, this is where pokemon should go in order to evolve." Starmie did not reply it floated downwards and the fire lizard took it as an invitation to continue. "I'm not sure what to do, but if you could let us pass, we will be happy to resolve this without a fight."
"Speak for yourself!" Red hollered in the background, "I'm always raring to go."
The water type did not speak, instead, the crystal centerpiece blinked and Green frowned, the flashes were too rhythmic to be random and he tried to decipher the meaning between the pulses of golden light. Lazily, Starmie hovered away from the door and delighted with the new development, Red brushed past his best friend and the creaking door swallowed him whole. Not one to let a mystery go unsolved, Oak stared fixatedly at the mysterious pokemon. Could Starmie not speak? He wondered and tilted his head in all directions, searching for a common sign they both could understand. Alas, the starfish pulsed erratically and scratching the single horn protruding from his head, Green slipped off his satchel and bounded to the forest. On the floor, he searched for a twig and scampered back. Armed with a tool, he began the arduous task of coding the beeps.
Loosing track of time, Green repeatedly scored new combinations on the damp ground. The sound of rushing water kept him company and Starmie blinked away, occasionally rotating and making odd, squelching noises. Oak's code made no sense and he wondered if he was wrong, or if the ancient starmie spouted utter nonsense. He decided it was a combination of the two. So far, he accurately deduced that Starmie lived since primordial stages and long lost the power of speech. Wiping sweat from his brow, Charmeleon painstakingly corrected his narrative till he grew cross-eyed. Sitting near his muddy block of barely legible text, he gazed at Starmie, who hovered aimlessly; the runes on its limbs lit erratically and faded in a hypnotizing display.
Within the hollow, orbs of light shifted, gathering near the Kauri's branches and sweeping around the trunk. Leaves showered from the sky and fell into the clear stream, creating clashing ripples. Jolting, Charmeleon recalled his true purpose for coming here and articulating a hurried apology to the still flashing Starmie, he hurtled through the open door, avoiding the brook; and stepped on a bed of spongy grass. A green grotto unfolded and Green saw Red crouched near the lip of a moderately sized pond. A shaft of light hit the surface of the water, breaking in rainbow patches. Stealthily, Oak sat near a bed of fragrant smelling blossoms and instantly, his turbulent thoughts calmed, replaced by an anxious peace. After spending so much time worrying and living instinctively, the silence and serenity of the cave alarmed him.
"What took you so long?" A disembodied voice pulled him back from the tantalizing realm of sleep and Green shook himself, Red did not turn around but the leaves on his back shifted. "I waited for you to come in and I fell fast asleep, next thing I know, you're tiptoeing inside here." Oak did not feel the need to reply and Ivysaur did not press him any further. Picking a flower, Green watched it wilt in his claws. The grass around him steamed and dried. Since N and Black became new additions to the household, the tricky fox often liked to point out differences between their current selves and human lives; try as he might, Green failed to recall anything of his humanity and it irritated him. How did he look? He often pondered and tried to picture what a human might look like. What did he do? Did he have parents? Family? Friends?
All these questions plagued him and only N possessed answers. Oak wanted to pry them out, alas, Red hardly cared of his former life and Oak did not want to be labeled as someone clinging to the past.
The glow on the pond's surface intensified and perturbed, Charmeleon rose to take a look. A sheet of pure white light covered Red and he shot to a gargantuan size. Intimidated by the rapidly growing bulk and the accompanying, unearthly screams of pain, Green slunk backwards, tail beating like a drumstick on the earth. He faintly registered a burning smell but the sounds and lights overrode his senses. Finally, the light broke apart to expose Red covered in acid and slime. The seed pokemon reeked of expired plant matter and Oak's tail whirled faster still.
"You...Evolved," he dumbly exclaimed and a tingle of excitement danced up and down his spine; Red merely grunted in agreement and flexed his limbs. "I suppose evolution to the third stage must be painful, you screamed murder." Venusaur nodded, spitting up a mixture of mauve acid and blood. "Speaking of which, smell anything weird?" Oak stopped in his frenzied scrutiny and queried, Red feebly pointed a vine at his tail, whipping around, Green recoiled from a blazing patch of flowers and shrieked, "Holy Groudon, a bonfire!" The fire hungrily licked for the cave's wooden walls and frantically Charmeleon searched for an implement to carry water. "Red, don't just stand there, do- hey, watch where you swing your vine... Arceus' sake, don't tell me your body control is…." Snorting angrily, Green stomped to the door, his tail brushed against the grass, leaving puffs of fire behind him. The door yawned open and Starmie whizzed through, flashing victoriously. Spinning around it squelched at Oak who urgently gesticulated to the mini fires dotting the dungeon. Holding his wayward tail securely between his claws, Green turned when an explosion of water pumped out of Starmie and doused the cave. The star vibrated under the intense hydro-pressure and Charmeleon's legs refused to hold him upright. Steam billowed in the hollow and soon, the emerald carpet of grass held blackened smudges. Flashing some more, Starmie exited the hollow and still holding his tail, Green sunk to the ground.
Skin burning, Red studied his best friend and the latter simply rocked, eyeing the burnt smears of grass. "Don't want to evolve?" Venusaur slurred and tilted his head, his tongue weighed like lead in his mouth.
Green shook his head. "No..." he forlornly stated and gripped his appendage. "I'm not ready," he pointed to the ebony stains, "if I can't control my tail flame when it's this small, I'll be a walking disaster when I evolve." Sighing heavily, he lumbered to the exit. "I'll...Evolve when I'm ready," he declared determinedly and marched out of the cave.
A/N: And Red evolves into a Venusaur whilst Green sets everything on fire. At Jack54311: I actually really liked writing Black, he's senseless and its kinda comforting. Anyway, read and review people, today its grey and raining in this part of the world.