Callima
~Evolution
"I'm so sick of these caves!" Radic said in anger. Although he had learned from his previous experience to stock more supplies, he was still lost. Although he had all his Pokémon at this point, he was getting frustrated. He hated getting lost and he was sure that Red was far ahead of him. "I wish we could just get out of here!"
"Parrras..." Callima sat, as always, on his shoulder. The others remained behind him, arguing with gusto. Accident didn't understand much of the conversations that went on, so remained silent. Radic was relieved to find that Accident's disability was never mentioned. He had worried that one of them would let it slip. But Accident still remained oblivious.
He knew that most Trainers left their Pokémon in their Pokéballs, but Radic didn't care. He enjoyed having his Pokémon out for company. Radic had always been slightly paranoid and the company of others helped keep that feeling away, particularly when he was trapped in pitch-dark caves. As he always seemed to be.
He kicked a wall angrily, frustrated at his inability to see clearly. He wanted to be outside, where he could see everything. He hated to have his sight limited.
He would have ridden Taka, but Taka refused to let anyone on her, insisting that she tired easily.
Callima rubbed his cheek with her claw softly, trying to calm her trainer down.
"Parrrrras parrrras."
"Thanks, Callima." Radic did feel better knowing someone felt as frustrated at he did. He had attached himself emotionally to Callima quite early and was fond of her. She always seemed to be calmer and more understanding then his other Pokémon.
All his Pokémon were, as usual, weak. He had been wandering helplessly for hours on hours with no sign of the exit nearby. Everyone was feeling fatigued and in the case of the crankier Pokémon of his, exceptionally anti-social.
When Radic saw the Paras walk in front of him, he automatically ordered Taka to go and attack it. However, this Paras did not attack Taka. It waved to Callima.
Callima looked surprised and asked for Radic to lower her. He did so, watching as his Paras touched claws with the other. They spoke for a few moments, causing the Pokémon behind him to be silent for once.
Callima turned back to him. She spoke for a long time, explaining something to Radic. Radic nodded.
"Okay...if you think you're ready."
Callima smiled.
~~~
As Radic walked in front of the group, Callima and her friend hung near the back with her friends.
"I didn't think I'd see you again." She smiled. "So what is this ceremony like, anyway?"
"Oh, it's great." The other Paras waved a claw. Callima was glad to talk to another Pokémon who didn't have that horrible habit of hissing their 's's. "All of us get together and then the main Parasect comes and sprays a powder on us. Evolves us right off."
Kitsune was walking alongside them. "Don't Bulbasaurs follow that pattern?"
Callima wondered whether or not that was an insult and found that Kitsune's tone made it hard to tell. "A lot of Grass Pokémon follow that path. It's like a ritual among us."
"But your half grass, half bug." Kitsune's voice was again indecipherable.
"I still count."
"Who are all these Pokémon?" Her friend asked. Callima blushed slightly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I never introduced them to you. This is Kitsune, the Vulpix who just spoke to you."
Kitsune sniffed in reply, but didn't say anything. Callima pointed to Ruby, who was walking with her back straight and her nose in the air.
"That's Ruby, the Meowth. She has an ego problem. So does Nova, the Raichu." She pointed to where Nova was bouncing along happily. He flashed his sunglasses at the Paras and smiled brightly.
"The Wartortle is Accident. Don't ask."
"I won't." The Paras could tell by her tone not to ask.
"And that hysterical arguing bird up there is Taka. One head's Ta, the other's Ka."
"Do they both think they're female?"
Callima had never thought of that. "I think they do."
The Paras near her laughed slightly. "Imagine if their next head thought it was male! That would be so confusing!"
Callima laughed at the thought as well. "Oh, right. That's Radic, in front of us. He's my trainer."
The Paras made a strange noise, but didn't say anything. It raised a claw. "My name is Deidre. I'm one of Callima's old friends."
She knew that no one was really listening to her, but she felt awkward not giving her name in return for theirs.
"So who is the great Parasect?"
"If I remember correctly...it's some really old one...some say it has a really bad temper."
"Are you ready to evolve?" She asked Deidre. She shrugged.
"I guess. I know I have to, so I might as well do it now."
"My feelings exactly." Callima smiled. "As long as it helps Radic, I don't care."
"Thing is..." Her friend whispered to her. "I don't know if your trainer and his friends can watch."
"Really?" Callima was taken aback. Deidre nodded.
"You can try, but I'm not sure."
Callima nodded and stared forward, not sure of what to expect.
Soon they ended up in a large cavern. In the center sat a massive parasect, it's mushroom almost yellow with age, the spots on it pure white. It's legs were almost a pinkish color. It didn't move, only watching the group as it entered. Surrounding the Parasect were a multitude of Paras, all chattering to one another. Radic sat near the entrance, keeping his Pokémon near him. Callima and her friend moved forward, walking down near the front row.
The Parasect raised it's ancient claws.
"Evolution!" It's voice was raspy. "What all Pokémon must come too eventually, especially us, the Paras and Parasect."
Callima noticed the others cheering along with it, but felt a slight unease.
"Today you shall evolve. I will not lie to you, it will be painful. It won't last long."
Callima looked back at Accident who was bravely giving her a paws-up. Nova was pumping his fists enthusiastically. She turned back to the Parasect.
"Omewa!"
A Paras walked forward, it's mushrooms shaking with nervousness. The Parasect touched it with one withered claw, a slight sparkle of powder barely seen flowing from it's back.
The Paras gasped slightly, the Mushroom's on it's back growing at an exponential rate. In order to support the weight, the Paras' legs snapped and reformed with incredible swiftness. The claws increased in weight along with the Mushroom, the eyes growing smaller, the teeth becoming less prominent. The new Parasect lay on the floor of the cavern, panting hard. With another touch from the old Parasect, it moved back to it's original position, displacing several Paras in the process.
"Deidre!"
"Wish me luck." Callima's friend winked at her, then moved forward. Callima was feeling deep misgiving now, but knew it was far too late to back away.
She watched her go through the same process, which looked to her all the more agonizing.
"You!" The Parasect pointed at Callima. She moved forward.
"Where did you come from?"
Callima wasn't sure how to respond. It hadn't asked any other Paras any questions. She remained silent, trying to think of an answer. The Parasect tapped her.
"A trained Pokémon! No wonder I don't know your name!"
Callima nodded slowly. The Parasect backed away.
"You can't evolve! This is for pure Pokémon, not tainted ones!"
Callima was dumb with shock. She stared the Parasect in disbelief, who was beginning to snap it's claws. She backed away slightly.
"Wait a minute...why isn't Callima evolving?" Radic stared at the scene, trying to understand what was happening. "Why is the Parasect mad at her?"
"Meowth meow meow..." Ruby was staring at the scene intensely.
"That doesn't make her any worse then any other Paras!" Radic was offended now. He stood, knocking Ruby off his lap unintentionally. "Leave my Callima alone!"
Every Paras and Parasect in the room turned to look at him. Radic backed away slightly. The Parasect raised a claw slowly and pointed towards him. Instantly every Pokémon in the room began to move towards him.
Callima was the first. She stood in front of him, snapping her tiny claws. "Parrrrras parrrrrras parrrrrras!"
The others stopped, staring at her. The Old Parasect lumbered forth, it's fragile legs seeming inadequate to hold it's body. With one smooth motion, it struck Callima with it's claw, knocking her out of the way.
"Callima!" Radic reached down for his Pokémon, but found something blocking him. The Parasect that had evolved before Callima. With the energy of youth, it attacked the older Parasect, bringing the others around it, snapping and shouting angrily. Radic fell back, tripping as he usually did on a rock. Callima crawled onto his chest, staring at the carnage with tears in her eyes. Deidre screamed as only a Parasect in pain could.
As the Paras and Parasect backed away, she stared at the shattered and ripped remains of Deidre. Before her eyes, a sparkling powder flew from her friends ripped mushroom, touching her own.
Stiff with shock, Callima fell off Radic's chest onto the cavern floor as her body began to change.
She had known Deidre ever since they were little in Mount Moon....Callima felt the growing weight of the Mushrooms gathering on her back...how in the world had she gotten to this tunnel? Gotten associated with this Parasect? Why did she do such a thing? Callima stifled a gasp of pain as her leg snapped straight, grew almost a foot, then snapped back in half. This was repeated for her other legs. Why did Deidre...why did she do something like that...
She felt her claws disappear into her body. They ripped out of her again with a spray of blood, increasing greatly in size. She felt a vine attach to the back of her claws, allowing them to be extended. Deidre was dead...tears fell from her reforming eyes, rolled past her new smooth mouth. She struggled to her new legs, snapping her claws. Deidre was dead...because of her. Deidre had given her life...for her. Deidre had evolved her. Deidre was dead.
Giving an angry, tormented cry, Callima back exploded into a flurry of dust, causing each Paras and Parasect in the room it touched to fall to the ground.
Before Radic could ask what happened, Callima shoved him roughly out of the room. She felt Ruby leap on top of her Mushroom canopy in her hurry, but she didn't care. They had to get away from the powder.
Taka slid her heads underneath her, lifting her onto her back. Ruby dug her claws in the mushroom to hang on. Callima could feel the tiny pinpricks of her claws, but was more concerned for the pain in the center of her back...the constant, aching pain where her shoulders would have been...if she had shoulders.
She glanced behind her and saw Radic holding Accident on Taka's back. On his head was Kitsune, clinging for dear life. When she looked ahead of her, she saw Nova perched on the Bird's head, directing her through the darkness with his electricity.
"Callima, what was that attack? What happened? Why are we running so fast?"
Callima let herself weep unashamedly. She had used a technique only given to Parasects. Never to be used. Not on another Pokémon. Not on another living thing. The only name her species had given it was "Deep Sleep Powder", but she knew what it did. It killed what she was fighting instantly.
She had killed them. Killed them ALL.
She had killed hundreds of her own species...many of them completly innocent. All of them wishing, like her, to evolve. She had killed, in cold blood. Everyone she knew was dead...her best friend was dead. She was totally alone...and she was in a strange new body she hardly understood.
She felt Radic touch her new Mushroom gently, having guessed what happened.
"Don't feel bad, Callima. You had no choice. We're alive, aren't we?"
This did not console her. She let tears fall from her new strange eyes, unable to believe what she had done. Taka continued running through the cavern, knowing that for once, the welfare of others outweighed her own lies about her ability to bear the weight of others.
