Prompt: A Pokémon adapts to a new environment and witnesses the transformation into a regional form
In today's rendition Amber and Horizon are exploring 'The deep north' which is a cold tiring environment.
They are staying at a small town, where any and all help is needed. A strange curse hangs over the town and it seems to really have a strange effect of Horizon…
The duo of Quadrupeds walked on a snowy road. Snow was slowly sprinkling from the sky which was a dim grey.
"A_A_Aaaachooo!!!" Horizon sneezed again wiping the snot away with a paw. Amber glanced at him concerned.
"Are you alright?" Amber asked concerned for her partner slowing her pace alongside him, "I mean we aren't even there yet."
"Yeah I *Sniff* know the mission hasn't technically started yet," Horizon grumbled wiping his nose again, "I hate the cold." He glared darkly at the white world around them
"You hate a lot if things," Amber replied with an eye roll, "We don't have to do much, just make sure our guild has a place to set up," She shrugged at him hoping to at least cheer him up, "consider this a cold vacation!"
"This will never be a vacation." Horizon groaned shaking his head looking down the same upset look in his eyes.
"Hey we're here!!" Chirped Amber trying to change the subject by pointing In front of the duo at a *flurry* of small buildings ahead of them.
"I see that." The Vulpix grumbled quickening his stride to keep up with his teammate.
"Be excited!!" Amber called bounding in circles around the Vulpix as they entered the town.
Horizon just shuddered as they approached the the town. He was cold and really didn't want to be here at all. He couldn't see many Pokemon around to say the very least which was a plus to him.
"Hey!" A voice called as the duo entered. "You two are the guild members right?" A Delibird sauntered over to the two, "Apprentices? Or whatever they are?"
"Yup that's us!" Amber replied hopping over to the Delibird, Horizon stalking over from behind, "I'm Amber and this is my partner Horizon."
The Delibird bowed her head respectfully, "We have a small building set aside for you, do not fret it is insulated and has a fireplace if needed." The Delibird continued casting a strange look in Horizon's direction.
That caught Amber off guard for a moment, since he hadn't even given any attitude yet, but quickly shoved it aside when she added, "Apologies, we don't see many fire types around here."
Horizon, must've seen her glare as well, and not have liked it. He responded to her glare with narrowed eyes directed at the Penguin, "Flightless bird," He sneered looking away.
"I am Avala, it's a pleasure to have you in our town." The bird held out her wing ignoring Horizon's snide comment. Amber accepted with her paw, Horizon stomped past them.
"Where's the place?" He growled looking around, "I'm freezing my tails off."
"Over this way." Avala chirped a strange emotion oozing from her voice, rushing over, past Horizon. Amber glared at him as she walked past him.
"Be polite partner," Amber sighed rushing up to Him past Avala, "it'll be warm in the house."
"Hmph." Horizon snorted falling behind the Rockruff kicking snow out of the way in particular at Avala as they walked.
Avala led the two to a small cabin. It wasn't massive, no where near the size of the guild or even a one story house on the outskirts of Arcadian... But it was a start for the guild nonetheless, in the far north.
"It looks..." Amber started optimistically looking up at it.
"Like it can't hold heat." Horizon finished casting a dark look at the building walking up to Amber
"I was gonna say like it has potential..." Amber sighed shaking her head at her partner who kept walking.
"Oh it will keep heat, we insulated it, especially for you guild members," Avala replied using her left wing to gesture to the building, "it's small but it's one of the largest buildings here."
Horizon snorted not paying any attention to Avala stomping inside, Avala opened her mouth to explain more but was met by a glare. The Penguin shut up. Horizon stomped inside ignoring Ambers protests. The he proceeded slam the door in their faces.
"Is he… gonna be like this the entire time?" Avala asked turning to Amber.
"He did not want to come..." Amber sighed with a sad look on her face to Avala, "He's gonna be pretty unruly until we leave."
Avala sighed before smiling at Amber a creepy smile with her beak, "Oh he'll come around," Avala chirped ominously, "All the unruly, unfriendly tend to."
Amber glanced at the bird confused before heading to the door, "We'll start working tomorrow, right now i just want to rest," Amber explained tiredly.
Avala smiled again, "Start working when your ready," She said bowing her head again, "I'll see you then."
Amber didn't stay to watch the bird leave, snow was beginning to fall, harder than before and she didn't want to be caught outside.
*Around a week later.*
Horizon shuddered alongside Amber. The blizzard and constant snow had not lightened up at all. It had only gotten worse throughout the week. Even under three layers of thick cloth the snow was somehow reaching his body, his soul, his fire dragging it farther and deeper into the snow and cold until he didn't know what heat was anymore.
"Why are we even out here!" He called to Amber who seemed to be trekking just fine through the snow, her rocky sharp claws able to get more traction than Horizon's.
"It's a guild requirement!!" She called back looking back at him and still moving forward.
Horizon could barely see her face under the red coats she was wearing. As He lost focus The Vulpix slipped again barely saving himself from falling and pushed on behind Amber.
"We have to map this place out!" Amber continued, her voice hard to hear through the wind.
"Don't the townsfolk have a map already!!" He yelled back frustrated. A large gust of wind blew howled around them, blowing snow everywhere. Horizon huddled down, paws over his face down to protect his eyes. Amber shied away from the snow still standing strong.
"It hasn't been updated in years!!" Amber called back once the violent gust calmed down, "Like two hundred years to be exact!!"
"Then why didn't we bring it!!" Horizon inquired his tails swishing from side to side trying to feel the area around him.
"Because it's out of date!!" Amber replied, beginning forward again earning a groan from her teammate, "We can't rely on an old map!!"
"What's gonna change!!" Horizon hissed angrily heat started to radiate slightly off of him. His shout stopped Amber from her trek. "Really? What's gonna change! Is there gonna be 'oooh more snow here!!' or 'oooh less snow there!!' What is it already!!" Horizon cried stomping his forepaws, "I'm sick of this place!! I'm cold, I'm tired, nothing we do is helping the town!! Just the guild!!" He looked down and away, "We came to help the town, that's why I decided to come, to help others, not the guild."
"Horizon stop!!!" Amber yelled at him whirling around to face her partner, " Exactly! You signed up for this!!" Amber pointed out angrily, "So quit complaining! By helping the guild we help the town!" She shouted back staring him down.
"Not this in particular," Horizon grumbled looking away from her batting a pile of snow aside with a paw, "My fire feels low Amber i think we should head back at the least."
Amber narrowed her eyes at Horizon, "Quit it with the excuses." She snorted Turning back around away from him, "You are a fire type, you shouldn't get cold easily."
Horizon opened his mouth to say something yet nothing came out just a cough.
"No we are pushing on," She ordered him, "I am the leader! We're supposed to be explorers, a bit of snow won't slow us down!!" Amber continued to walk down the path they were on.
"A bit?" Horizon thought bitterly before arguing back at his friend.
"You're not a very good leader," Horizon snorted shaking his head at her, "but whatever right? Who cares if you're not the leader, who cares if your teammate is in pain, they aren't the leader so they don't matter."
Amber ignored him still moving on. Her thoughts clouded with ideas of glory and adventure yet somewhat sad over Her teammates additude.
Horizon sighed and followed after her. He may not have liked the snow but he wasn't gonna ditch his Amber the only one who liked or trusted him. So they trekked on. Amber trying to find a spot to mark on the map and Horizon kept shivering, teyong to find amy semblance of shelter.
Yet the more they went the less he shivered. The less his teeth chattered, the less he... Felt cold.
Horizon shivered not from being cold but from his nerves. Why was he not freezing his tails off anymore?
"We made it!!" Amber called excitingly as Horizon walked up to her side, "Ice cliff mountain!!" She glanced to her right at Horizon to see his reaction.
"Finally," Horizon sighed relieved not meeting Ambers gaze instead looking back the way they came, "We can rest then leave."
"And map," Amber informed him turning around disappointed, "It's my job after all."
Horizon rolled his eyes, "Hurry up then 'oh great leader' i want to go home," The Vulpix fell back behind the Rockruff with a haughty snort.
Amber frowned at her teammate... Through the blue coats he was wearing she notices something... Off. Amber was cold, she wasn't lying her tail felt like it was gonna fall off. Yet Horizon looked fine. The snow had calmed down enough so she could see her teammate relatively well. He wasn't shivering, he looked fine, better even. Amber shook it off and shoved it aside, thinking he was just using his fire.
There are gonna be a lot of these early on...
Horizon paced around the small ice room or cave they had found. The snow had picked up again and this time it had gotten worse... Much worse, despite the nearly blinding wind and snow earlier, it had been snowing relatively lightly, blowing around floods of loose snow scattered about.
They were essentially stranded in the middle of nowhere on a mountain which didn't help calm his nerves one bit. The temperature was at an all time low for the day, yet...why wasn't he Cold?
Horizon's pacing and thoughts consisted of panic, angst, among others, mostly about the storm, anger at his Leader for her treatment of their situation and most of all, The way he was feeling. He wasn't cold he wasn't shivering he felt... Comfortable, which shouldn't be the case for a fire type.
And it was unnerving.
"What is happening!" Horizon thought confused, "Why am I not cold!" The fox stomped to a patch of ice on the wall and stared at himself. His eyes were light blue... As per usual. But his tuff of fur... On his head was a bright white, subtly fading to the gold the rest of him was. He swiped at it assuming it was snow yet the white fur didn't budge.
"What..." Horizon breathed tapping his fluff again, "The..."
He glanced at his paws instinctively, they were shifting to white too. As were his tails. He did a little hop before rushing away.
"Amber!! We need to go!!" The panicked fox yelled running in a quick circle, "Amber!! Aammmbbbeeerrr!!"
"What Horizon?" Amber sighed peeking out from the hallway ahead of him, a bored unamused look on her face.
Horizon rushed to the dog Pokemon slipping a few times on the ice as he rushed to her, panic in his voice, "Amber we need to go! Now!!"
Amber raised a brow at her teammate, "And why?" She asked him doing a circular paw movement, "You've been a jerk since we left".
He displayed his white and orange paw in her face, "This place its doing something to me," Horizon told her glancing around suspiciously, "I'm turning white! I'm not cold at all! We need to leave!"
Amber stared at his paw confused her mouth half open. How is he turning white and why? Why is he not cold? Was the white fur a connection to him not being cold?
"Alright 'H' let's go," Amber breathed shaking her head, "I've mapped enough for now."
The two of them rushed back to town as fast as they could. The snow hurt Amber's paws as they ran through the blizzard, her back was getting heavier and heavier. Horizon noticed her struggling with a look of sympathy. He quickly stopped her a wiped the snow off her back.
"I'm f-fine 'H'," Amber said her teeth chattering her tail tucked between her legs.
Horizon shook his head with a sigh and whimsical look on his face. Then proceeded to take a layer off himself and gave it to her.
"B_but..." Amber chattered trying to protest his decision she raised a paw trying to stop him, she didn't want whatever was happening to him to happen faster.
"Hush ya need it more than me," Horizon sighed putting a paw to her mouth to hush her, his paw was now fully enveloped in white fur which made Amber panic more.
"But..." Amber started to her own dismay looking away ashamed she wasn't strong enough. Horizon simply smiled at her
"I'll be fine." He told her placing a paw on her shoulder, "Come on let's go."
The duo made it back to town without another issue and were greeted by Avala waving and squaking flapping her wings up and down and rambling about nonsense they couldn't hear. Amber was focused on Horizon and his condition.
"You two made it!" Avala chirped, "Are you ok Amber?" She casted a dark look at Horizon who responded with narrowed eyes filled with suspicion.
"F-f-fine," Amber chattered through her teeth, "w-we're gonna h-head in for t-tonight."
Avala nodded and moved aside letting the two move past to their place. Her eyes never left Horizon. They entered the wooden shack and sighed. Amber out of relief. Horizon for the heat.
The duo took off their gear and placed it near the lit fireplace. Horizons body was now majority white, his tails we're almost completely white his face had white bits forming on his cheeks and his back was covered as well. He sighed shaking his head at himself when he saw.
"Horizon!" Amber yelped rushing to the Vulpix's side. Amber started to inspect the white fur forming on his back, she could feel a chill radiating off the white patches of fur.
"Ah... Is it hot in here or just me?" He asked her drunkily staring around the room, "Maybe i have frostbite..."
"I_" Amber started staring at her partner. He was hot the fire type was hot! This Wasn't normal!!
"It's ok," Horizon sighed out if breath laying his head down, "I'll be fine... Just need to get used to the cold I guess..."
Then it hit her. "He'll come around eventually... They all do," Avala's quote from their first day echoed through her head. Then the pieces began to form: The constant glares at Horizon, her constantly watching them, sending them on dangerous missions during a Blizzard! Did she have something to do with it!?
"Excuse me Horizon," Amber said quietly to the fox slowly backing to the door, "I need to go I'll be right back,"
The fox nodded, "Kay see ya," he yawned closing his eyes to sleep.
Amber walked to the door slowly. Took a deep breath. Then proceeded to open it. Avala was there in an instant.
"Hey anything i can do for you?" She asked.
Amber smirked, "Yes actually come in," a plan was forming in her head.
Avala waltzed in, looking back at Amber, "So what do I need to... do..." Her eyes finally fell on the now white Horizon and froze where she stood.
"Didn't think I'd catch on?" Amber asked her shutting the door behind her with a swift kick.
Avala turned around and stared at the Rockruff. The stare then turned into a scowl.
"Fix him. NOW," Amber hissed letting the inner dark out at the Delibird. The Delibird stared at Amber with a confused look.
"What do you expect me to do?" Avala asked innocently inching towards the door.
"You are involved in this," Amber hissed angrily baring her teeth stepping in her way, "I remember what you said the first day, the dirty looks at my teammate!"
Avala frowned at her knowing she wasn't getting out of this with a type disadvantage, instead taking a bargaining approach, "Just let him become an Ice type," The bird offered gesturing her wing out at the Vulpix, "I don't want to start nothing," Avala continued stepping closer to Amber, "Either way he'll be more useful."
"How do you think i got here?" Amber demanded beginning to pace Infront of the door, "He gave me heat! So i could live! Who lit the fire so i could stay warm! He did! Without him i could die then all of this is for not."
"As an Ice type he can make sure nothing bad happens to you," Avala quickly replied her eyes darting around Amber as if trying to cut her from existence, "You deal with all the work here, and he goes out in the snow."
Amber growled in response, "Horizon isn't gonna get off his ass, because I'm not going to tell him to do anything." Amber snapped back stepping forward, causing the bird to step back.
Avala blinked several times, fumbling for and answer before finally sighing, "Do you know why this place is so famous, yet so small?" She asked Amber.
"No," Amber snorted her pacing slowed, "What does this have to do with my partner?"
"Treasure," Avala explained solemnly, digging into her bag, moat Delibird carried, "Magic treasure that allows certain Pokemon to change their type."
Amber blinked at her, "You seriously think I'd believe that!!" Amber hissed pounding the floor with a paw, "So help me I'll Stone edge you right now!"
"No! No I'm serious!!" Avala cried out fearfully jumping away from the angry red faced Rockruff, "I'm cornered! I have no reason to lie!"
Amber released a frustrated sigh sitting down defensively in front of the entrance. "So let's say this hypothetically, you've been using it on Horizon..." Amber started, "Why and for what purpose?"
"To keep it working," Avala replied placing her bag on the ground, unable to find it standing, and sticking a wing in it, Amber glared ready for anything, "It needs to be close to someone that can use it for it to stay working," Avala explained quietly, "And your friend is compatible with it."
"So you used it on Horizon behind our back... I" Amber stammered her anger oozing out of her voice, "Don't know what to say! I'm trying to stay professional here! We tru-" Amber cleared her throat, "I trusted you."
Avala sighed pulling out a blue-ish star tied to some sort of Snowflake like chain. Avala refused to meet Amber's gaze
"Here we have the 'Forme Shifter' it's called in modern terms," Avala explained dangling it in front of Amber,"It's ancient name is the fabled 'Cyn Medalion' but we call it the Forme shifter for secretive reasons."
"It's beautiful..." Amber breathed her anger melting her eyes in a trance dancing as the star dangled.
Avala sighed and shook her head as Amber stared at it, "That's why we keep it hidden," Avala explained holding the rope from her wing twirling it like a snowflake falling, "Most will just sell it."
Amber looked down, "I need it to save my friend," Amber sighed she held her paw out reluctantly, "So please give it to me."
Avala simply nodded, "I've been watching the two of you, you two really seem to care for each other, at first i didn't so I thought he was just like many, so I used it on your friend... but no matter what he stayed by your side and didn't leave it," Avala explained slowly, "I didn't mean any harm i just wished to preserve my heirlooms power."
Amber nodded at Avala walking to the Delibird, "Horizon was a... he was lost, in almost every way... He joined me when no one else would, I'd do anything to save him..." Amber said glancing oast Avala at her half asleep partner, "But that doesn't make what you did right."
Avala smiled sadly her grey eyes matching the clouds outside, "I do know that... i just wished to know of the two of you really cared for one another." The Delibird pointed the star at Horizon and the white faded as a dim blue light shot out and hit him in the back.
"Ahhhh," Horizon groaned after a moment opening his blue eyes, "Auug what happened?"
Avala simply handed the star to Amber, "I trust you two will use this and take care of it." She said smiling slight sadness in her eyes as she looked at Horizon for the first time without any resent. All while Horizon looked around confused all.
"Goodbye... I don't expect forgiveness," Then the Delibird began to the door. Amber shuffled aside still having mixed emotions about Avala's plan. Horizon groaned putting a paw on his head.
"I will repay the two of you... At some point." Avala said before the snow behind the door enveloped her and she was gone.
"Wh-what just happened?" Horizon groaned shaking his head, "What were you and Avala droning on about? And what's that necklace?"
Amber smiled at her teammate rushing to him, "Horizon are you okay? No white patches? No strange feelings?"
"Other than confusion no," Horizon replied looking away haughtily, "Now answer my questions."
Ambers eyes lit up, "I'll explain later," Amber chirped happily hugging the Vulpix, "we do have something to test when we get home."
Horizon raised a brow at Amber before flashing back to the attract mishap, "Not this again..." He groaned burying his head in Ambers rocky collar.
Amber smiled poking him with her nose, "Let's just say you'll be cold as ice!"
Horizon glanced up at her confused, "i don't want to be cold ever again."
This was one of my favs, revamped it slightly, fixing Grammer etc.