It Goes On
It was a while later when Koe opted to leave the centre. Walking a little way down the road, or rather the pavement, which smelled rather ominously of linseed. It was quiet out, the scent of flowers and smog and city was on the air, and everything was fine. However, Koe needed to stop and eat soon, so he flicked out his map, and looked for a decent place he could stay. He had food for a good two or so weeks, so that was fine.
That same pair of eyes that had followed Koe went, in his absence, into the centre, still a way back up the road. The eyes belonged to a fairly young Eevee, who had trailed the rai-person for this far, and not known why. One thing she did know - the Eevee was female - was that he'd been here, and was sat right.. over..
The girl eyed the Eevee as it hopped up onto the seat which Koe had vacated not five minutes prior to that time. Parts of its fur was dark and light.. the creature was up for the day and for the night, and was perhaps close to evolving, though it was all to be by chance which of its natural successors it was to assume the form of.
The Eevee eyed back. Her eyes were around as cool and black as a crystalline piece of coal. And for a brief moment, she wondered what it would be like to see through eyes like that. Then she blinked. And she found out.
"Don't see many of those about nowadays.. Count yourself lucky." the mother said to her child.
"Oh.. I think she was looking for /me/, actually." said the girl, turning back to look at her mother. With eyes as cool and black as the pokemon next to her. To every detail. The mother had to look away.
"Don't you ever listen to what I say..?" was all she could mutter. While thinking of that damned rai.
"I can't hear what you're saying." said the girl, who glanced back at the Eevee.. She had ears that could hear.. Perhaps if mother had a problem with her listening..
She felt the ears grow. It was a weird sensation, but being of so young an age, it was not surprising. She giggled instead. This spontaneous change had got the attention of almost everyone in the place.
"Oh god.." was all the mother could say. "It has something to do with him that was in before! We could -all- end up like this if we're not careful?"
The Chansey in the back piped up. "And what exactly is so bad about that?" She was a fair gal, of about seventeen; pokemon-like kindliness mixed with teenage hormones was not a match made in heaven, that was for sure.
"Oh, be quiet, you stupid freak." said the guy sitting a few seats away. It might be a surprise to know that the two were dating not six months prior to this day. Then again, perhaps it won't be..
"I think I know why I broke up with you now. Narrow minded crap-for-brains." she mumbled to herself.
"Careful with the language.. We do have young children in here you know..." said the mother, from before.
"Nope. All I see sitting next to you are two eevees." That was wrong, the girl had not become any further changed then eyes and ears.. But it did signify something.
"I say we get rid of that rai-person. He's the only stranger in town right now, and we haven't had a case of this sort of thing in almost half a year..."
"Oh, leave it.. They're all fated anyway." said the guy that used to date the Chansey.
"Well, fine with you then." said the woman, who got up and stormed out. Leaving behind the young girl, who by that time had the beginnings of a tail, and had started chattering to the eevee next to her. In a language it could actually understand.
Koe knew nothing of these little occurrences. Indeed, by then, he was halfway between where he'd been standing, and a picnic area, perhaps a good mile or so away from where he was. Surprisingly, his disposition had given him little in the way of rodentine tricks, such as speed, or dexterity, or whatever else.. He was as fast as he'd always been, and about as nimble as a guy with a tail can be. Which might not have said much.
The path to the picnic area took him through a bit of dense forest.. it surprised Koe that a path from a city would lead to somewhere like here. It wasn't on the map, that much he knew...
...and then suddenly the forest cleared. But Koe wasn't at Selenia any more. The grassland was clear, and from where he was, he could see a small village, not too far away. But it was mostly in ruin. Earth was dug up, buildings were on fire.. As Koe watched, perhaps the only remaining awning, over a small shop, was completely swallowed by flames. Koe was on hand.. and being the wanderer he was, he started to approach the cluster of buildings. He didn't have his bag with him, that much he noticed. Each walk was different somehow, too.. He knew the basic things, how he walked, what it felt like.. But this was just Wrong, capital letter included, a sort of obvious mistake. And then he looked down. At a lower half that was more raichu then it ought to be. Fine orange-brown fur was the length and breadth of both legs.. One thing that told him he wasn't supposed to be here was that his tail, a good foot or two shorter then when he last had known it, was hanging down, barely kept off the floor. It felt right.. but it didn't feel Right. This was someone else. So, what was he doing here?
Approaching the buildings.. some bits of brick were charred to high heaven, and were just crumbling.. A movement of air caught his attention, and almost leaping back, he felt his ears kick against the side of his head. But the sight he saw was more then enough to distract him. It resembled the dragons of folklore.. but it clearly wasn't one of those, because it was more to a human shape then otherwise. Two thick, green fronted wings, moved once, and carried it a great distance. Trunk-like arms and legs wavered a fraction.. and a heavily built tail dotted with a lick of fire gave Koe as much recognition as he needed. A Charizard. But indeed, it was the size of a human in bodily respects.. He felt sure that something was very wrong.
~( Uh.. Hayley? You okay? Where'd you get to? )~ Koe heard voices speaking.. They weren't calling him, so instead he just continued watching the Charizard-something above.. When a stout hand came down on his shoulder, and he spun around. The sudden movement caused things to blur. It was this that gave him the realization that this wasn't him. So could it very well be that..
~( Wow.. You seem very uptight right now.. Something wrong? )~ The voice belonged to a figure ahead of him. It was a shade of lilac with a rather obvious horn, that looked pretty sharp. The end of it was flecked with something red.. Koe didn't question that. The ears were quite large, but grew out from the place where you'd expect to find human ears on the head... Seemed like a Nidorino to him.
~( Be quiet, Kai. )~ said another voice. Koe.. or Hayley?.. turned to the new voice. The new figure, she was a curious shade of purple, with two tails that were crossing and uncrossing regularly. The centre of the forehead sported a jewel, and once again, the ears had their base almost directly aside of the eyes. They were long, and alike to an Eevee. So this must have been an Efui. Or an Espeon, same thing really.
~( Why should I? )~ The Nido was indignant.
~( Because something has hold of her mind, you oaf. You could go out and say something we'll all regret, depending on who it's working for. )~
~( I... )~ The feminine voice was definitely what Koe was trying to say. She hesitated on that word.
~( Let me try. )~ The catlike eevee walked up to the raichu. A quick movement, and she had hold of her pawhand. A short silence.. and Koe felt something else going on. ~( Raichu. What business do you have inside of this female's mind? )~
~( You can even tell -what- it is that's doing this? )~ the Nido said, slightly hysterical. ~( How do I know it's not you doing this?! )~
Two firm pawhands clamped on the Nido's shoulders. The Charizard was a lot bigger close up then he was in the air. ~( I was listening to you witter on. Calm, I trust she knows what she is talking about. )~
Silence returned. Koe realized they were expecting an answer from him.
~( I.. don't know.. how I got here. I don't.. even know.. where -here- actually is.. )~ said Koe. He didn't like his speech sounding flowery.. but it felt right to a degree. But it was Wrong, to the larger degree, and he respected this. So he was telling the truth.
~( It's lying. )~ said the Nido. ~( I didn't even know non psychics could take someone like that. Not without help, anyway.. Who's helping you? )~
~( I said hush! I'd know if he was lying. )~ said the Efui, curtly.
~( You know this thing's gender as well..? )~ asked the gruff-voiced figure of the Charizard, who still had the Nido clamped by the shoulders.
~( Yes. It's a Raichu, male, and.. )~ Pause. ~( ...I know him. We've seen this one before. )~
Koe's thoughts jumped a little there. And he spoke again; ~( There should be.. a Jolteon.. with you. )~
The Charizard and the Nido murmured between each other. Koe couldn't make it out.
~( You'd know that because he left a needle with you, wouldn't you? )~ she asked,
~( I was hanging.. from a tree.. )~
The Efui snapped her fingers. ~( That's right, that's right.. So, I ask again. Raichu, what business do you have inside this female's mind? )~
~( I don't.. have any. I didn't.. try to put myself here. I was walking. Then I was here. That's all.. I know. )~
Koe felt the sensation of tripping, even though he wasn't going anywhere. He closed his eyes.. and fell to the floor...
...and landed on his bag, breaking the fall a little. Staring up at a sky where it was around dusk. Thinking aloud, Koe could only ask the night one thing.
"What the hell was that?"
~( He went. Hayley's back now. )~ said the Efui, releasing her hold, as the female raichu pulled the same hand up to her head.
~( ..what was that? )~ she asked, wearily..
~( Relax, dear. You've been pretty much asleep for a while. Give it some time. )~ said the purple cat, walking in a predetermined direction. ~( I'm going to find Mog. Tell him what's occurred here. That Jolt is never around when you want him.. )~ Then she stopped, and turned. ~( And Blaze, you can let go now. )~
The Charizard complied, before taking off again.. just to continue what he was doing beforehand; flaming the hell out of some trees.
Meanwhile, Hayley and Kai had sat down, on the floor.. Hayley was still rubbing her head..
~( I feel like something just ran over my head.. )~ said the raifemme, with honesty.
~( Well, love.. Fetch is not the most gentle feline you're ever going to come across. At least she got you back, anyway. )~
~( Back? From where? )~ asked Hayley, a little quizzical.
~( If you're back, you're back. Does it matter how? )~ said Kai. The two then embraced, Hayley looping her tail about the two as best she could. As per always.
Fetch mused to herself, as she followed the faint thought patterns indicative of the changed Jolteon named Mog. She knew he wasn't lying before.. that one who went into Hayley.. But he was quite sure that not even she could do that for so long over such a distance. He didn't even know any names, or places, or anything.. So how could his consciousness just materialize into there like that?
{ Something else is at work here. } thought the psychic. { It might be following him. I want to find whatever that thing is. It could prove useful if it was controllable.. }
She grinned to herself. Kaos, their team of five, was as strong as it needed to be. Five fully Changed morphs with a common goal.. strike terror across Kanto. Maybe this thing could let her take it one step further.
She wanted to find the first Changed, though, as well. Persian female. So they had two targets. She might as well stop with the mindless city-destroying and get to important things like this.
{ I think we've made our point about terror here.. So, yeah, why not. I'll spend tonight trying to lock onto him, first. Shouldn't be too hard. }
Then, she mumbled. Mog had moved location again.
{ Screw walking.. } she said. Before just disappearing.
After all, there was nothing else she'd rather do. Was there?
--
Is Fetch's theory about an unseen force actually true? Does Koe have this ability innately? Is there any point to the psychic finding her two targets? Are these questions getting to be really annoying?
Find out these answers (maybe.. some of then just need a good guess :P) next time. Hopefully.
It was a while later when Koe opted to leave the centre. Walking a little way down the road, or rather the pavement, which smelled rather ominously of linseed. It was quiet out, the scent of flowers and smog and city was on the air, and everything was fine. However, Koe needed to stop and eat soon, so he flicked out his map, and looked for a decent place he could stay. He had food for a good two or so weeks, so that was fine.
That same pair of eyes that had followed Koe went, in his absence, into the centre, still a way back up the road. The eyes belonged to a fairly young Eevee, who had trailed the rai-person for this far, and not known why. One thing she did know - the Eevee was female - was that he'd been here, and was sat right.. over..
The girl eyed the Eevee as it hopped up onto the seat which Koe had vacated not five minutes prior to that time. Parts of its fur was dark and light.. the creature was up for the day and for the night, and was perhaps close to evolving, though it was all to be by chance which of its natural successors it was to assume the form of.
The Eevee eyed back. Her eyes were around as cool and black as a crystalline piece of coal. And for a brief moment, she wondered what it would be like to see through eyes like that. Then she blinked. And she found out.
"Don't see many of those about nowadays.. Count yourself lucky." the mother said to her child.
"Oh.. I think she was looking for /me/, actually." said the girl, turning back to look at her mother. With eyes as cool and black as the pokemon next to her. To every detail. The mother had to look away.
"Don't you ever listen to what I say..?" was all she could mutter. While thinking of that damned rai.
"I can't hear what you're saying." said the girl, who glanced back at the Eevee.. She had ears that could hear.. Perhaps if mother had a problem with her listening..
She felt the ears grow. It was a weird sensation, but being of so young an age, it was not surprising. She giggled instead. This spontaneous change had got the attention of almost everyone in the place.
"Oh god.." was all the mother could say. "It has something to do with him that was in before! We could -all- end up like this if we're not careful?"
The Chansey in the back piped up. "And what exactly is so bad about that?" She was a fair gal, of about seventeen; pokemon-like kindliness mixed with teenage hormones was not a match made in heaven, that was for sure.
"Oh, be quiet, you stupid freak." said the guy sitting a few seats away. It might be a surprise to know that the two were dating not six months prior to this day. Then again, perhaps it won't be..
"I think I know why I broke up with you now. Narrow minded crap-for-brains." she mumbled to herself.
"Careful with the language.. We do have young children in here you know..." said the mother, from before.
"Nope. All I see sitting next to you are two eevees." That was wrong, the girl had not become any further changed then eyes and ears.. But it did signify something.
"I say we get rid of that rai-person. He's the only stranger in town right now, and we haven't had a case of this sort of thing in almost half a year..."
"Oh, leave it.. They're all fated anyway." said the guy that used to date the Chansey.
"Well, fine with you then." said the woman, who got up and stormed out. Leaving behind the young girl, who by that time had the beginnings of a tail, and had started chattering to the eevee next to her. In a language it could actually understand.
Koe knew nothing of these little occurrences. Indeed, by then, he was halfway between where he'd been standing, and a picnic area, perhaps a good mile or so away from where he was. Surprisingly, his disposition had given him little in the way of rodentine tricks, such as speed, or dexterity, or whatever else.. He was as fast as he'd always been, and about as nimble as a guy with a tail can be. Which might not have said much.
The path to the picnic area took him through a bit of dense forest.. it surprised Koe that a path from a city would lead to somewhere like here. It wasn't on the map, that much he knew...
...and then suddenly the forest cleared. But Koe wasn't at Selenia any more. The grassland was clear, and from where he was, he could see a small village, not too far away. But it was mostly in ruin. Earth was dug up, buildings were on fire.. As Koe watched, perhaps the only remaining awning, over a small shop, was completely swallowed by flames. Koe was on hand.. and being the wanderer he was, he started to approach the cluster of buildings. He didn't have his bag with him, that much he noticed. Each walk was different somehow, too.. He knew the basic things, how he walked, what it felt like.. But this was just Wrong, capital letter included, a sort of obvious mistake. And then he looked down. At a lower half that was more raichu then it ought to be. Fine orange-brown fur was the length and breadth of both legs.. One thing that told him he wasn't supposed to be here was that his tail, a good foot or two shorter then when he last had known it, was hanging down, barely kept off the floor. It felt right.. but it didn't feel Right. This was someone else. So, what was he doing here?
Approaching the buildings.. some bits of brick were charred to high heaven, and were just crumbling.. A movement of air caught his attention, and almost leaping back, he felt his ears kick against the side of his head. But the sight he saw was more then enough to distract him. It resembled the dragons of folklore.. but it clearly wasn't one of those, because it was more to a human shape then otherwise. Two thick, green fronted wings, moved once, and carried it a great distance. Trunk-like arms and legs wavered a fraction.. and a heavily built tail dotted with a lick of fire gave Koe as much recognition as he needed. A Charizard. But indeed, it was the size of a human in bodily respects.. He felt sure that something was very wrong.
~( Uh.. Hayley? You okay? Where'd you get to? )~ Koe heard voices speaking.. They weren't calling him, so instead he just continued watching the Charizard-something above.. When a stout hand came down on his shoulder, and he spun around. The sudden movement caused things to blur. It was this that gave him the realization that this wasn't him. So could it very well be that..
~( Wow.. You seem very uptight right now.. Something wrong? )~ The voice belonged to a figure ahead of him. It was a shade of lilac with a rather obvious horn, that looked pretty sharp. The end of it was flecked with something red.. Koe didn't question that. The ears were quite large, but grew out from the place where you'd expect to find human ears on the head... Seemed like a Nidorino to him.
~( Be quiet, Kai. )~ said another voice. Koe.. or Hayley?.. turned to the new voice. The new figure, she was a curious shade of purple, with two tails that were crossing and uncrossing regularly. The centre of the forehead sported a jewel, and once again, the ears had their base almost directly aside of the eyes. They were long, and alike to an Eevee. So this must have been an Efui. Or an Espeon, same thing really.
~( Why should I? )~ The Nido was indignant.
~( Because something has hold of her mind, you oaf. You could go out and say something we'll all regret, depending on who it's working for. )~
~( I... )~ The feminine voice was definitely what Koe was trying to say. She hesitated on that word.
~( Let me try. )~ The catlike eevee walked up to the raichu. A quick movement, and she had hold of her pawhand. A short silence.. and Koe felt something else going on. ~( Raichu. What business do you have inside of this female's mind? )~
~( You can even tell -what- it is that's doing this? )~ the Nido said, slightly hysterical. ~( How do I know it's not you doing this?! )~
Two firm pawhands clamped on the Nido's shoulders. The Charizard was a lot bigger close up then he was in the air. ~( I was listening to you witter on. Calm, I trust she knows what she is talking about. )~
Silence returned. Koe realized they were expecting an answer from him.
~( I.. don't know.. how I got here. I don't.. even know.. where -here- actually is.. )~ said Koe. He didn't like his speech sounding flowery.. but it felt right to a degree. But it was Wrong, to the larger degree, and he respected this. So he was telling the truth.
~( It's lying. )~ said the Nido. ~( I didn't even know non psychics could take someone like that. Not without help, anyway.. Who's helping you? )~
~( I said hush! I'd know if he was lying. )~ said the Efui, curtly.
~( You know this thing's gender as well..? )~ asked the gruff-voiced figure of the Charizard, who still had the Nido clamped by the shoulders.
~( Yes. It's a Raichu, male, and.. )~ Pause. ~( ...I know him. We've seen this one before. )~
Koe's thoughts jumped a little there. And he spoke again; ~( There should be.. a Jolteon.. with you. )~
The Charizard and the Nido murmured between each other. Koe couldn't make it out.
~( You'd know that because he left a needle with you, wouldn't you? )~ she asked,
~( I was hanging.. from a tree.. )~
The Efui snapped her fingers. ~( That's right, that's right.. So, I ask again. Raichu, what business do you have inside this female's mind? )~
~( I don't.. have any. I didn't.. try to put myself here. I was walking. Then I was here. That's all.. I know. )~
Koe felt the sensation of tripping, even though he wasn't going anywhere. He closed his eyes.. and fell to the floor...
...and landed on his bag, breaking the fall a little. Staring up at a sky where it was around dusk. Thinking aloud, Koe could only ask the night one thing.
"What the hell was that?"
~( He went. Hayley's back now. )~ said the Efui, releasing her hold, as the female raichu pulled the same hand up to her head.
~( ..what was that? )~ she asked, wearily..
~( Relax, dear. You've been pretty much asleep for a while. Give it some time. )~ said the purple cat, walking in a predetermined direction. ~( I'm going to find Mog. Tell him what's occurred here. That Jolt is never around when you want him.. )~ Then she stopped, and turned. ~( And Blaze, you can let go now. )~
The Charizard complied, before taking off again.. just to continue what he was doing beforehand; flaming the hell out of some trees.
Meanwhile, Hayley and Kai had sat down, on the floor.. Hayley was still rubbing her head..
~( I feel like something just ran over my head.. )~ said the raifemme, with honesty.
~( Well, love.. Fetch is not the most gentle feline you're ever going to come across. At least she got you back, anyway. )~
~( Back? From where? )~ asked Hayley, a little quizzical.
~( If you're back, you're back. Does it matter how? )~ said Kai. The two then embraced, Hayley looping her tail about the two as best she could. As per always.
Fetch mused to herself, as she followed the faint thought patterns indicative of the changed Jolteon named Mog. She knew he wasn't lying before.. that one who went into Hayley.. But he was quite sure that not even she could do that for so long over such a distance. He didn't even know any names, or places, or anything.. So how could his consciousness just materialize into there like that?
{ Something else is at work here. } thought the psychic. { It might be following him. I want to find whatever that thing is. It could prove useful if it was controllable.. }
She grinned to herself. Kaos, their team of five, was as strong as it needed to be. Five fully Changed morphs with a common goal.. strike terror across Kanto. Maybe this thing could let her take it one step further.
She wanted to find the first Changed, though, as well. Persian female. So they had two targets. She might as well stop with the mindless city-destroying and get to important things like this.
{ I think we've made our point about terror here.. So, yeah, why not. I'll spend tonight trying to lock onto him, first. Shouldn't be too hard. }
Then, she mumbled. Mog had moved location again.
{ Screw walking.. } she said. Before just disappearing.
After all, there was nothing else she'd rather do. Was there?
--
Is Fetch's theory about an unseen force actually true? Does Koe have this ability innately? Is there any point to the psychic finding her two targets? Are these questions getting to be really annoying?
Find out these answers (maybe.. some of then just need a good guess :P) next time. Hopefully.
