Yay! A new chapter in just one week. With any luck I can get back into my old schedule. Pokemon speech is changing again, to (()), because of my options, that's the only one where the punctuation is still readable.
Charles RocketBoy – Hello again! Answers, well, this story is very slow-paced and I can't seem to speed it up. There are answers, though (I'm not just making it up as I go along, I swear!). I'm intending to have Elliot meet up with someone in Lavender who'll know stuff and give more explanation, but that's two or so chapters off now. This chapter gives a sort-of answer to two things. (But beware taking it at face value…)
Pika-Zukin – Your favorite's Din? That's great! I've gotten several comments about people liking mightyena in general, but most people seem to either like Caw or Prowler (probably because they get more time). As to Discord and Prowler, well, you might be surprised…
Keleri – We actually will end up meeting Inferno, so you should find out what it is in a couple of chapters (Everything takes long, I'm afraid…).
God
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Prowler had segregated herself off in a corner of the park. She was talking with a younger charizard, looking, for once, as if she was with a friend.
The others took this chance to talk with Din. Prowler normally kept close watch on Din, discouraging the other pokemon even with snaps and growls sometimes. But now she was distracted.
Probably, judging by her familiar attitude, thought Caw, the charizard was someone she'd met a while back. Pokemon kept for long periods of time would often wind up making friends with other pokemon they wouldn't see again for months or years.
((So, when did you evolve?)) Sono asked Din. Evolved pokemon were rare enough to be semi-legendary. Her parents had told her of fearow; she had never seen her own evolved form herself.
((At the night battle,)) Din said uncertainly. Evolution had abruptly given her the intellect needed for speech, but she lacked the necessary practice to communicate properly. ((The one with the two humans.))
The other pokemon had been used then, so they remembered it, and the two things she spoke of distinguished it from other fights. There had not been other battles at night or with two trainers. Neither Sono nor Discord knew it had not been a normal fight.
Caw did, but took such things in stride. ((It shouldn't have evolved,)) he said, not talking to Din. ((Pokemon shouldn't evolve before they can talk. Not without training, and that one wasn't used.)) He began to preen his feathers. ((It's strange. Our trainer should get rid of-))
Prowler's ears had picked up the last of this and she'd pounced. Caw managed to get off the ground in time. ((Stupid Bird,)) she called from below, sounding oddly angry.
((You know there's something wrong.))
She did. That was why she took it so poorly. If she hadn't had her own lingering doubts, she wouldn't have minded talk of it, not by this point, with enough time passed since Din's evolution. But she did think something was wrong, and so felt compelled to prevent anyone from speaking of it, calling it into being permanently.
Her wrong, though, was the opposite of Caw's. ((Stupid Bird,)) she growled, walking toward Din and rubbing against her reassuringly. Prowler had begun to feel anxious even before Din's evolution. The puppy had walked, pounced, even begun to speak, yet hadn't evolved. Caw knew pokemon didn't evolve before they spoke, and with equal surety Prowler knew they did. The delayed evolution was still worrying her.
She had other reasons to be worried. Din was still slow and weak. She had brought the mightyena out to hunt, but Din could barely kill a rattata. Din was stronger than she had been as a poochyena, but weak still, strangely weak. Prowler tried to push the doubts out of her mind, afraid of creating them or giving them substance.
She stalked back to the charizard, this time keeping a closer watch. Din wound up playing with a group of growlithe – they were common pets, and so, common pokemon of trainers. Howler was elsewhere, having been encouraged to play with others by Prowler's snarling and feinted bites.
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The charizard's trainer recalled her and left. Prowler returned to the group grudgingly. They were all staying nearby for whatever reason, perhaps just mild nervousness at leaving their somewhat-family.
((See anyone else you know?)) Caw asked.
((Why would I know anyone, Bird?))
((You knew the charizard. Besides, you're obviously an older pokemon. I'd imagine you must recognize a few here.))
((Old,)) Prowler repeated. ((Stupid bird. I'm not old. This is my second year. And I've never met any of them.))
((Meowth aren't fast evolvers. Even trained, I doubt you could evolve in a year. You've older than that. Why do you keep telling stories when it's so obvious they aren't true?))
((Stupid Bird,)) Prowler said. ((You don't have a story. How would you know what's true?)) She growled at Howler, who had gotten too close, and walked away again, to bask on an especially sunny patch of grass.
Minutes passed. Abruptly, Caw spoke again. ((Your scar…)) he said, ((when did you get it?))
((Days…)) Prowler paused and thought. ((There were two nights without the moon before he caught me.))
((And that was when you'd left?))
((Yes,)) Prowler said flatly, fur beginning to puff. Her claws flexed.
((So that's it, then,)) Caw said, sounding almost sympathetic. ((No wonder what you say makes no sense.)) Prowler growled at the insult, but he continued blithely, ((Head injuries can cause delusions sometimes. It's like a dream, a bunch of scattered ideas that your waking mind tried to tie together. Being with a group of pokemon, those became siblings. Lying by the fire with a trainer became a persian who could make flames from its claws. You've-))
Prowler roared and jumped him. Caw, wrapped up in his own ideas, wasn't prepared but had distance on his side. One paw clipped the edge of his wing but he managed to get aloft.
((I'm right. Think about it,)) Caw said, landing on a branch.
He didn't expect what came next. Prowler lunged, clawing her way up the tree in seconds and was on the branch. Caw nearly fell trying to get away in time. She snarled from the branch and then jumped again into the air heedlessly, struck him with her claws–
Only to turn bright red and vanish into an Ultraball.
Elliot's face was the same color. "They, um, fight sometimes," he mumbled to the other trainers who were staring, shocked at how poorly behaved his pokemon were, before quickly making his escape.
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Prowler's walk was slightly hesitant. Occasionally she would prod the ground with a forepaw, as if she expected it to change into air at her touch, before putting her weight into the next step. It was more noticeable than usual because she was walking slowly, keeping pace with Elliot.
Sono, from her perch on Elliot's shoulder, watched this with an expression of superiority. ((What do you think you're doing?)) she asked at last. ((The ground's fine.))
((Holes,)) said Prowler. ((The grass is too thick. I can't see where the ground's uneven.))
((Too thick?)) Sono repeated.
((Yes.))
The bird cocked her head to one side. ((That's what grass is supposed to be like,)) she said.
Prowler made a derisive growl.
"Sono's right," Elliot said. "Grass is supposed to look like that. I know because Mom would make me water the lawn if it didn't."
((What gives it water here?)) Prowler said.
"Huh?"
((If the grass looks like it does when it has water, where does the water come from? And why is it so short if it has so much water?))
Elliot had never thought of that.
Sono laughed. ((Don't you know anything? The forest god does that.))
"The forest god?"
((The forest god watches over the forest and makes sure everything grows properly.)) Sono said. ((I think it does other things too but I don't know.))
Like most children, Elliot had heard the stories of legendary pokemon. "You mean Celebi?"
((Celebi? What's that?))
((The guardian of time,)) Prowler said. ((Didn't your parents teach you anything?))
((They didn't tell me that story. I only heard the story of the Sky Three before I was caught.))
((But your forest god isn't a story?))
Sono didn't notice the tone. ((Of course. There's one in every forest. I saw ours once.))
Prowler made the same scornful sound she'd made earlier.
((Maybe that's why where you lived was so barren,)) continued Sono. ((Your god must have died. I wonder why no one brought a new one.))
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Elliot took a break from walking, resting in a clearing. He'd recalled Sono and Prowler earlier. He wanted to catch more pokemon, and having a persian stalking next to him wasn't helping. Now that he'd stopped, he let out Din and Howler so they could have some fresh air.
Now Din was racing around, barking happily, as was Howler, although not together.
It was an almost idyllic scene. Elliot felt calm, relaxed. He hadn't realized it, but he'd felt anxious earlier and had been for a while. He sighed, staring up at the blue sky.
Din yelped. Elliot jumped to his feet just in time to see the mightyena enveloped in vines and pulled down into the underbrush, vanishing. He recalled Howler and raced over to the spot.
A tangle of bellsprout were there, staring solemnly up at him. The surrealness of the scene got to him and he giggled almost hysterically for a moment. They were bellsprout. Sort of funny looking weird pokemon. They weren't supposed to attack his pokemon and make it vanish into thin air, or look so serious and alien. They waved in the breeze, almost hypnotically, so uniform they seemed like they were all just one single creature. Elliot didn't speak for a moment, just staring. Then shock gave way to anger. They had attacked Din, done something.
"Where's Din?" Elliot shouted. "Where's my pokemon?" The bellsprout swayed and wobbled, seemingly immune to his anger.
((It was strange,)) they said, speaking at once, giving their voices an eerie echo as the words repeated. ((It was strange it was strange.)) The words became softer, like a fading breeze rustling through leaves, until there was silence.
"Where is she? What did you do with her?"
((We were told,)) the bellsprout said. ((We were told we were told we were told.))
"Told what?"
((Told to bring it told to bring it told to bring it.))
"Where!" Elliot said, growing frantic.
((To the god.))
((To the god to the god to the god.))
"And where's that?"
((Hidden. Hidden hidden hidden hidden.))
He had to find Din. "I brought Din," Elliot said recklessly. "I brought what was strange. Aren't I strange then? Won't the god want me too?"
The bellsprout murmured inaudibly. Elliot thought he'd failed, but suddenly vines wrapped around him. He shouted in surprise as they began to carry – or perhaps toss – him deeper into the forest. He was moving fast, with leaves and twigs obscuring his vision.
And then suddenly everything stopped. Gingerly, he picked himself up. The grass was thick and spongy, cushioning his fall painlessly. There was light, but no sky – he was inside a cave, illuminated from some unseen source.
Plants were everywhere. Flowers of varying sizes and colors covered the ground, filling the air with a cloyingly sweet scent. There were huge, glossy green leaves over every inch of the walls.
In the center was a huge blossom, far bigger than Elliot. The petals reached almost back to the ground.
The flower petals moved. Underneath them, a gnarled lump with two eyes became visible.
A venusaur.
Elliot walked closer. He saw that the venusaur's vines were extended, slipping between the flowers on the ground and out of sight. It stared at him.
"Where's Din?" Elliot asked.
Slowly, the huge mouth opened. In a voice like an echo from the center of a treetrunk, it spoke.
((Does it belong to you?)) it asked slowly.
"Yes."
Leaves retreated from a corner. Underneath Elliot could see Din, unconscious and tangled in vines.
"Why did you do this?"
((My apologies. I did not know it was owned. I have been shown more than two hundred pokemon, and this one was not one of them. I have been told to take those who are new. Tell me, is this one new?))
"No, she's Hoenn. From Hoenn."
((Ah…Hoenn. I have never seen those from Hoenn.))
"Who told you to catch new pokemon? Why?))
((I do not know why.))
"Who, then?"
((The ones who put me here. Like you.))
Elliot didn't say anything.
((You must leave now,)) the behemoth said. ((I am not supposed to let you in. Now that we have resolved the problem, it is best that you leave.))
Elliot nodded silently, still somewhat stunned by what he had learned. Vines began to shift, opening a hole. He walked toward it, then turned. "You're the forest god?" he asked.
((Of course.))