Dagda had a restless night. He couldn't sleep well, unable to understand what Mr. Felix meant by 'Halfling'. It was a term he'd never heard before, and he was struggling to understand what it meant. Was he supposed to take it literally? Did the 'half' part mean that Kenny was only half human? That was preposterous. There is nothing on this planet that humans can interbreed with besides people. It's a common fact that he'd been told his entire life by his mother, his family and was reinforced even here in Galar. It wasn't a lie… was it?
The next morning, Dagda felt off. Sure, he still woke up full of energy, glad that he had a brand new bag, a marshmallow shaped thing with elaborate designs made out of expensive material, and a whole new wardrobe of outdoor friendly clothing that still worked with his taste, but the events of yesterday had him far too shaken up.
Dagda hated to admit it, but his mind was so scrambled that there was no way he'd be able to focus in a gym battle, especially against a trainer as notorious as Kabu. He'd break his promise to himself, and he'd also likely lose and embarrass himself.
He had to walk around. His Pokemon were all fine in their Pokeballs, but they could tell even from their spherical domain that something was wrong with Dagda. He never started the day without a greeting, or at the least a smile. This must be something big to him, they thought.
He aimlessly wandered the town, trying to understand what all of this meant. Was he supposed to really believe that people could be only half human? That there were inhuman creatures, even Pokemon, that humans could procreate with. He shook his head. Again, he couldn't make sense of it. It was wrong, it was abnormal.
He looked about, struggling to find a shop, a cafe, something normal that he could use to distract himself. He had no honest reason to believe any of this. It was all an act, right? An elaborate hoax from Mr. Felix and Yukiko, right? This was a test to see if Kenny could play along for a long period of time. It had to be.
He stumbled upon a small building that was being rented out. He noticed people going in and out, Pokemon moving to and fro with the people. It was almost like an orphanage, or an adoption day at a shelter. He walked forward, yearning for this to be a calm, enjoyable, normal experience.
This was exactly what he needed. Adopting a new Pokemon and spending time with his team will made him forget all about this hoax. He entered the small building, looking about at kennels and small rooms, varying Pokemon of size and shape scattered about the large room.
Dagda noted something however. The number of Pokemon was decent, but the variety was lacking, something he'd come to notice passing through route after route. Perhaps it was the nighttime scenery, or just Dagda's fixation on his friend, but he couldn't even recall what Pokemon were on the outskirts of Motostoke. It's almost like he didn't care.
He browsed about, looking for a Pokemon that really grabbed his attention. None of them seemed to be much more than random strays that'd be adopted within mere days of Dagda looking at them. There wasn't a Pokemon that called out to him, that wavelength that he had with his other Pokemon.
He glanced behind the counter, where a middle aged couple was doing paperwork with many of the other people who'd shown up. He noticed something off to the back, in a darker room that was being ignored. It was an odd cage, and Dagda couldn't tell what was in it. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make it out.
He soon found himself peering into a pair of pure red eyes, the pupil, iris and scelera all being similar shades of red. It was rather weird, and Dagda could see it's shadows in the darkness. He walked up to the counter, the middle aged woman smiling at a different customer before turning to the odd, scarred child before her.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, and Dagda nodded, not really paying attention. He turned to her, blinking before shaking his head and chuckling. It was a nervous gesture, Dagda scratching the back of his head as he did. "Sorry. Is there anything you can tell me about that one?" he asked, and she glanced to the back, to the cage in the backroom.
She made a lopsided face, starting to hum. "Y'know, I don't know. We've had him since we took the business over from my in-laws." she said, humming to herself.
Why was he locked up? Did he commit a crime, disobey a command, or something? It's eyes certainly held power, but after staring into it for so long, Dagda realized it wasn't the power that he cared about. "Can I see him?" he asked, and the woman sighed.
She stepped to the side, Dagda hopping over the counter as he walked over to the cage, seeing the Pokemon start to take shape. It was a lean muscled Pokemon, bipedal in nature, and it's fur was slightly matted. Dagda could see that it was crimson and white in color, save for the tip of an odd mohawk that was brown and jagged, like a stone.
"You've been in there a while, huh?" Dagda asked, and the Pokemon only stared at him. It was as if the creature was searching his soul for something. "Are you alright?" he asked, and the Pokemon, obviously some form of wolf, nodded it's head. He wasn't the oldest one in the pack, but there was something he could tell.
This child approached him. Be it his attitude, his appearance, his deeds or what have you, he could tell from behind his iron prison that this child was not afraid of him. Many recoiled at the sight of his eyes, or of his smile. But not this one. He was warm and welcoming. It was almost like the feeling of being young and running with the pack were coming back to him.
He had to do something to get out of his prison. He'd been in here for too long, labeled differently and excluded from everything. He reached his broad paw out of the cage.
Dagda looked to it, studying it briefly before smiling. He bumped fists with the creature, who simply bowed his head as Dagda smiled. "I'll be right back." he said, heading towards the reception desk, the woman glancing back to him.
"Whaddya think? Scary thing, isn't he?" he asked, and Dagda shook his head. "I'd like to adopt him, actually." he said, and the woman looked to him. "You know what you're saying here? That thing has been in a cage for years. He could kill you, Kid." she said, and Dagda shook his head. "I'll be fine. Please, give me the paperwork."
He sat in his prison, watching the people move about, wondering where the scar-faced boy he spoke to went. He said that he'd be back, and yet, it felt like an eternity passed. He had to get out of here. It was forever since he'd ran, jumped, hunted. He could feel his muscles, weak and cramped from his cage. He wanted to battle at someone's side again, like when he was younger. It'd been so many days since he felt that bond that can only be felt between a human and the Pokemon that champions them. He sighed, his eyes starting to close.
"Sorry I took so long." he said, looking up at the sound of the boy's voice. He noticed the woman in charge next to him, keys in her hand and a worried look on her face. He looked to the boy, wondering what he held in his hand, an odd stack of papers opened up to their last page. "Before you can get out of here, I just need to find a name for you. Do you have one already?" he asked, and the wolf narrowed his eyes.
What was his name? He could remember his days as a pup, and his first days as a wolf, and he remembered being called something. He couldn't remember what his name was. It'd been so long since he'd been called by it, he could only remember answering to it. He started to growl, his body shaking.
The woman with the keys took a step back, glancing to the boy. "Forget the name kid, just give me the paperwork and take the keys. This thing gives me the creeps." she said, exchanging with him as he held up the key to the wolf's cage.
"You don't have to be upset if you can't remember or don't have one. Since we're friends, I'll give you a new name. How does Ozzy sound?" he asked, and the wolf only stared at him. He put the key into the lock, the crimson wolf hearing the click of his lock for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.
He took his first steps outside of his cage, realizing that he was finally free. He held back, resisting the urge to howl at the top of his lungs in excitement. He looked to the boy, who held an oddly expensive looking red Pokeball in his hand. "The only thing left is for me to catch you. Just hold still for a minute." he said, tapping him on his mane with the ball.
Looking to his hand, Dagda smiled when the ball clicked rather quickly. He opened it, Ozzy forming and staring at him. "Come on. We're gonna spend the day hanging out." he said, leading the crimson wolf from the building, his cage left behind.
He looked up, seeing a bright, warm sun and smelling the air, his nose assaulted with many scents as they walked about. He watched the boy open up three other Pokeballs, seeing a group of odd looking Pokemon take shape.
Dagda smiled at his Pokemon, who seemed rather relaxed. "Everyone, this is our new friend, Ozzy." he said, and they all looked to the large wolf. "Forsooth! A hearty greeting to you, mine brother!" a feline with a fuzzy beard said, his white eyes matching his gem like smile.
"Welcome aboard Bro. Glad to have someone tall join the Troupe finally." another said, a black and white weasel that reminded Ozzy of a Linoone. The third, a Munchlax, was staring at him intently, as if in thought. "You're a lot older than me, aren't you?" he asked, and Ozzy nodded.
"I feel very old. How old, I can not be sure. I have been in that cage for as long as I can remember." he said, and Otis nodded. "Welcome aboard. We're glad to have you." he said, and Dagda smiled, looking on. He was glad that his Pokemon were all getting along. This was what he was looking for. Something normal to take up his time.
He couldn't get past the things Mr. Felix said, but he'd try to pretend it didn't happen. He wanted to move on from Motostoke, but he knew he couldn't battle the gym leader in his headspace. Unless… he looked to Ozzy, who seemed rather experienced.
"Ozzy, can I ask you a huge favor?" he asked, and the wolf looked to him, the two nearly identical in height. "If… If I were to battle with you, and let you take control, do you think you could win by yourself?" he asked, and the wolf narrowed his eyes. Something was distracting him.
This was something he'd seen. People and Pokemon aren't suited for combat when something weighs on their mind. Normally, the wolf would have disagreed, preferring to be in sync, much like he was… back then. His memories were foggy, clouded by his imprisonment in that foul cage, but he could tell that his friend was in no real condition to battle.
However, he could not refuse. He owed this child a great debt. His muscles could stretch freely. He could see the sun, smell the air. He had a pack again, and he would not be ungrateful. No matter what, he would aid this boy. His enemies will fall, and he would see to it.
The wolf nodded, his crimson eyes belying his desire to aid Dagda. He smiled, thanking his new friend as he pulled out his phone. Using his phone, he took a picture of Ozzy, using his Pokedex to scan him. However, something was rather odd.
Ozzy wasn't in the Pokedex. No matter what the reason was, the crimson wolf wasn't in the Pokedex at all, even if he expanded his search through the internet, from similar images on social media to various research sites. Ozzy was an anomaly.
"Oh cool!" they all heard, turning to see an odd looking boy with a mouth full of sharp teeth and an orange hoodie walking up. Ozzy could smell Snubbull on him, and he realized that the boy posed no threat to him, regardless of his skill. Even cramped and tight as his body was, he could stop him should he prove to be a threat.
"You got a Lycanroc! And the Midnight form at that!" Kenny said, holding his fist out to Ozzy, who bumped it only after Dagda nodded to him, giving him the okay. "Lycanroc?" Dagda asked, choosing to focus on his Pokemon and not the blue skinned boy's unusual appearance.
"Yeah, they're this really cool Rock type Pokemon from Alola. I've never seen one in Galar so I thought they weren't native here." he said, laughing as he crouched down and bumped fists with all of Dagda's Pokemon.
"What are you doing here?" Dagda asked, sounding rather on edge. He didn't want to think about the things that Mr. Felix told him, and yet, Kenny, the one who personified these thoughts was right in front of him. He tilted his head. "We're bros, right?" he asked, and Dagda hesitated.
Were they? Could he really be friends with someone who might not be human or Pokemon? He resisted shaking his head in confusion. He heard a sigh, looking to Kenny to see him scratching his head. "You're so weird. I dunno what Bossman said to you but you look like you're all shaken up." he said, and Dagda sighed. Noticing that there was a nearby bench, he sat down, his Pokemon all choosing to relax with him, sensing his unrest.
"Kenny… what is a Halfling?" he asked, and Kenny made the oddest face. It was filled with immense confusion, as if the question was really odd, or really stupid. "You don't know what a Halfling is?" he asked, and Dagda shook his head. Should he? Again, that odd view on the world that left Dagda in the dark.
Kenny sighed, taking a cross legged position at Dagda's feet, ignoring the space on the bench next to him. "Halflings are people. We're not normal, yeah, but we don't get to choose whether or not we're half Pokemon." he said, and Dagda felt a chill run down his spine.
Half Pokemon? Was such a thing even possible? He shook his head. Of course not, Pokemon and humans weren't even similar on a genetic level, it wouldn't make sense in any way. Would it? "How… how is that possible?" he asked, and Kenny made a face.
"Who cares? You tellin' me you spent all day with us and didn't notice that none of us were human?" he asked, and Dagda felt another shocked chill run down his spine. He spent the entire day with these inhuman creatures and didn't notice? How was that so?
"You mean… you aren't the only one?" he asked, and Kenny made another confused face. "You really are weird. None of us are human, it's part of our worldwide appeal. You tellin' me that here in Galar they let you guys go around in the dark? Weird." he grumbled, more to himself.
He sighed, scratching his head. "I'm a Snubbull. My bro, Kazu is half Pikachu. Yukiko is part Gardevoir and Tyke is part Houndour. Don't tell me you thought that Bossman and The Big Guy were in costume all the time?" he asked, and Dagda hesitated yet again.
He knew Felix was odd, but Pops? He wasn't still half dreaming or hallucinating when he noticed red horns in his bushy mane of hair? He began to shake his head. "There's no way." he said, more to himself. Kenny grumbled, looking to Dagda's Pokemon.
"Is he always this crazy?" he asked, receiving chatter from Otis. Kenny threw his hands up, as if in self defense. "Not my fault this place sucks." he said, and Dagda looked to him, surprised. "You can talk to Pokemon?" he asked, and Kenny blinked. "We all can. My mom IS a Granbull you know." he said, stating it in a comical fashion.
"How many are there?" he asked, and Kenny shrugged. "There's a lotta Pokemon and people. I've met a lot, but I'm sure there's more I haven't. Where I come from, Halflings are pretty common actually. There are Halfling politicians, musicians, teachers, doctors. Even Halfling Gym Leaders." he said, and Dagda was completely taken aback.
Why was Galar so different? If Kenny was telling the truth, then this entire, hugely important fact, that there are people who are half Pokemon, is completely ignored or silenced in Galar. Was that really the right thing to do? He shook his head.
Kenny stood up, able to sense Dagda's unrest. "Amma let you think about it. Just know that I think it's weird that there are no Halflings in Galar. I sees em everywhere, but here? Nobody. I've traveled over half the region on my way here and there isn't a single one of us besides the Troupe. It sucks." he said, shaking his head.
"I know you're prolly strugglin' with it, but just know that we understand it's weird too. We know that our births are wrong, and abnormal, but Bossman always taught me that that don't matter. It don't matter if I was human, or was the result of interbreeding. As long as I'm good people, the rest is irrelevant." he said, walking away silently.
Dagda stared after him, pondering everything he said. He realized that he had a point about many things, and he'd like to ask Kenny more. He wanted to learn, needed to learn more. He couldn't believe he'd been alive this long and never knew, and that everyone had told him it couldn't happen.
With his Pokemon looking on at him, he exhaled, coming to a decision, hearing whispers of Evil and Fairy in his head. The voices in his head counseled him, and he understood what they said. He looked to Ozzy. "We're gonna make our next performance quick."