Natalie sat next to Eon as they stared into the star-filled night.
"Where do you want to start?" Eon asked.
"I want to start when you first met Elderpunny." Natalie replied.
Eon collected his memory before continuing. "The first time i met Elderpunny was during our experiments." Eon began.
"Experiment?" Natalie asked.
"Yes, a few days before experimentation began, i was an average Lucario. I just roamed the forest and collected my food, built a place to sleep, all those things." Eon responded. "But i got caught in a trap. Half of the forest i was in fell into the trap as well. many of us were dragged to a hidden facility, others were 'taken care of' because they were either diseased or handicapped. Elderpunny ended up in the same cell i was in, he was an average sized lopunny like all the others. His real name was Maddox."
"Wait, if you're saying that Elderpunny came out of the experiments taller, why didn't you?" Natalie asked.
"Because only a couple experiments were tested on all pokemon, other experiments were strictly pokemon based." Eon explained. "He was different then, he was cheery, a good friend, trustworthy. But that changed when he received the Y.E.N."
"Yen?" Natalie questioned.
"Youthful experimental needle." Eon explained. "I was the first to receive it. Many others had received it before me, but most either received major side effects or were just killed, some were torturous. I was lucky to receive one of the successful batches. Maddox followed shortly after me, we both came out alright. A few days later, Maddox was taken for a height enhancer experiment. The test worked, but not as they intended. Maddox not only grew taller, but he grew stronger and quicker as well, with his new abilities he broke free from his restraints and killed everyone in the room. He shortly made a break for my cell, but not before causing havoc. Guards kept running towards him, but none of them returned alive. I didn't see what he did, but the blood spill outside my cell told me enough as it was. Maddox broke us out after he killed everyone in the facility. We were the only ones left after the experiments, in a way it probably was best Maddox did what he did. There was talk that they were going to go out the next day and catch more pokemon from the wild, so i guess he did the wild a favor."
"So... How do you know if the Y.E.N actually worked?" Natalie asked.
"The experiments took place 187 years ago." Eon replied.
"You're over 187 years old!?" Natalie asked, shocked at the discovery.
"Yes, if were talking age, i'm 192 years old." Eon explained.
"B-but you look like you're still in your youth, if you were really that old, shouldn't you look like Elderpunny in some way or form?" Natalie asked.
"That was another ability that came with the Y.E.N, we could control how young or old we looked. Most likely Maddox looks old to keep the disguise that he still ages." Eon theorized.
Natalie stared at Eon for a moment before sitting back down next to him. She leaned against the wall and stared back up onto the night. "So what you're saying is Elderpunny can't die?" Natalie asked.
"Not of old age, no." Eon confirmed.
Natalie sighed. "Well there goes the hope he would die at some point on this trip."
Eon smirked. "Not all hope is lost."
"What do you mean?" Natalie asked.
"That Lopunny with the white eyes, she transformed into something when i was fighting her. If trained well, she has the highest chance for finishing off Elderpunny." Eon explained.
Natalie hesitated for a second. "I'm not sure she would do it in our favor." She uncomfortably stated.
"Probably not. We both tried to attack her." Eon agreed.
"It's not just that." Natalie added, catching Eon's curiosity. "Back in the clan where I used to live, the group that i was in, we didn't really like Angelica. We tried to make her life miserable, well, more miserable than it already was anyway."
"Why?" Eon asked.
"I'm not sure, really. Rochelle didn't like her for some reason, so we came up with plans to fuck up her life, on top of that we spread some nasty rumors about her that hurt her already pretty bad reputation among the other lopunnys." Natalie explained.
"Hm, sounds like someone might of been jealous." Eon commented.
Natalie laughed. "I don't know why, Angelica was just a slut."
"Really? And what is she now?" Eon asked.
Natalie's smile disappeared and she felt depression wipe over her like a tidal wave. "She's probably sleeping comfortably with that human while i'm sitting her on a cold deck like the ear-less freak that i am." She replied, burrowing her eyes in her knees.
"It's not all bad." Eon spoke up, still staring up into the night. "At least you have some one who understands your pain. After all, misery loves company.
"Yeah, i guess that's true." Natalie sighed. "By the way, you haven't finished your story."
"What do you mean, i told you how we met and how Maddox came to be who he is, what more is there too talk about?" Eon asked.
"What about that massacre you were going on about earlier though?" Natalie asked. "Isn't that sort of an important piece?"
Eon stood up and sighed. "For now, i think it's best we pick that up another time."
"Why?" Natalie asked. "Is it too painful too talk about or something?"
"Something along those lines." Eon replied. "C'mon, it's best we head back down, it's best we
get back before Maddox even has the chance to wake up."
"You know, he is asleep, why don't we kill him now? I know it's a risk, but we could finally be free." Natalie suggested.
"Don't underestimate him." Eon informed. "We took a huge risk just moving 5 ft away from our holding place, we don't want an early grave."
"Well, it was worth a shot." Natalie thought.
Natalie and Eon walked back under the deck and traced their steps back too the room they were being held in. Sneaking back to their spot, they were relieved too see that no one had woken up during their absence. Natalie rushed Eon over to his spot and retied the vine around his paws just the way it was in exact detail. Natalie sat back in her spot and assumed the position she was in when they left.
"Eon." She whispered.
"Yes?" Eon asked.
"I just wanted too say... I had fun tonight... Thanks." She informed.
Eon smirked. "Same here, i would say let's do it again, but i'm not really comfortable making promises i might not keep."
Natalie smiled. "We'll make it out of this somehow i'm sure. Good night."
"Good night." Eon replied.
The two closed their eyes and let themselves drift off into the night, as Elderpunny observed them with one eye slightly open.
The next morning...
Ty rounded up his pokemon at the front of the ship, the sun was high in the sky and not a single cloud plagued the sky. Ty informed the others that he had an important announcement, but only Angelica and Feathertail knew what the announcement was about.
"Last night, me and Angelica had run into some trouble. Angelica nearly got kidnapped and me and Skybreeze had to go retrieve her." Ty informed.
"Wait, a kidnapping occurred last night, and none of us were informed until just now?" Unagi spoke up. "That's a pretty big deal Ty, i think we should have been informed while it was happening."
"Well, the getaway was made by blimp, and unless you can grow wings, it's not like you could have really done anything Unagi." Ty replied. "Anyway, while on the ship, Angelica was able to break away with the help of another pokemon, and if it wasn't for her. Angelica might have been stuck there for who knows how long. I would like you all too meet Petunia." Ty gestured over to a lilligant that stepped up and stood next to Ty. She felt nervous having all eyes suddenly fall on her. "She will be the newest part of our group." Ty explained.
"Hold on a second Ty." Redmoon stepped in. "We already have six members on this team, we can't possibly have another."
"Yes, we can't have another pokemon on our fighting team." Ty replied, Redmoon seemed confused. "Petunia won't be fighting, she'll be cheering. I figured that some morale would help boost the team in battle, so why not have a pokemon that can cheer you on while you fight."
"I personally think that's a stupid idea." Unagi spoke up, receiving a jab from Angelica.
"I know it seems a bit... Unorthodox. But i have high faith that Petunia can do the team some good." Ty responded.
Unagi still didn't seem convinced. "And what exactly gave you the idea that we needed a cheerleader? Don't you think that it would have been better to talk with one of us about this?"
"He did, he talked to me." Feathertail informed. "And i think she has potential, and if you disagree, you better be prepared to step up to me."
"Hey, that rhymed." Skybreeze commented.
"Uh, can i say something?" Petunia asked, sheepishly raising her hand. "I know i don't look like much, but if you can accept me, i promise I'll be as helpful as i can be."
Unagi just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Look Ty, when you stop just making random decisions, and decide that maybe once on a while it's a good idea to consult the group, come talk too me. For now, i think i'm just gonna stay away from this group." Unagi then walked off and left the rest of the group. Feathertail eyed the electric eel as he walked off.
"Jerk." Feathertail muttered.
"Well, that's all i really had for us anyway." Ty spoke up. "Feel free to talk to Petunia, get her used to the group, we still have about one more day on this boat, so let's make the most of it."
Ty let the pokemon be by themselves so that they could get acquainted with Petunia, but really the others left at pretty much the same time Ty did. The only really left with Petunia was Feathertail.
"I thought you speech was great." Feathertail spoke up.
"Thanks, but i don't think it really helped anything." Petunia commented. "I don't think they really like me."
"Well, maybe if you talked to each of them, maybe they could be more comfortable with you." Feathertail suggested.
"That's not really the only problem i have." Petunia replied, flopping down on a vacant beach chair. "I don't even know if i can even be a good cheerer."
"Well, you just got too practice. Why don't you show me what you've got?" Feathertail asked.
Petunia stood up. "Alright, what do you want me to cheer about?" She asked.
"Well, let's start with my name. Let's see what you can do with that." Feathertail suggested.
"Ok... " Petunia agreed. "Feathertail, feathertail, she isn't one too... Bail?"
"Not bad for a start." Feathertail praised. "What if we tried something else though. Let's try this: she won't fail, she's hard as a nail, compared too her your a snail, what's her name? Feathertail!"
"That was amazing!" Petunia cheered. "Too bad i couldn't think of that."
"Hey it's alright." Feathertail comforted, throwing an arm over the green plant. "It just takes some practice too make a good cheer."
"Well, if it wouldn't be too much, could i ask your help with the others?" Petunia.
Feathertail smiled. "Of course i could, it would also be a good way for me to help you understand the rest of the team as well. What do you say we start with Torappu?" Feathertail asked.
"Which one is that?" Petunia asked.
"That's the Mawile." Feathertail informed.
"Oh, ok. I suppose it wouldn't be a bad place to start." Petunia replied.
"Alright, let's start from the top 3...2...1..."
To be continued.
