Hey everybody, long time no chapter? Sorry this took so long, I was taking a break and Tiger... well we distracted him to much for him to get it done. He did do it, but Google Drive lost the work he did and he now has real life problems and is quite sick, I took over and did the chapter, it feels so good to be back! But Tiger get better soon.
Not as long as the others seeing as Google Drive lost a lot of the work. But This is what I'm doing now. I will try for one chapter per week. But I can't promise how long they will be. could be 4k or it could be 13k, we will find out, I hope that is okay with everyone seeing as I can't just jam a chapter with stuff to make it longer... well I can but I really don't want to do it.
You can tell where Tiger ends and I take over. And you can see that Google lost a lot of work, but because of that, not much editing has be done on this one, sorry.
Thank you for waiting for so long and I hope you enjoy chapter 19!
For the first time since I started changing into an Umbreon, I found myself lying on the forest floor instead of the pitch black floor that Aeon would generate every time we met. The touch of the grass on my back felt very comforting and cool, as if I was lying on a furry cushion bag, with small droplets of dew leaving a bit of a wet feeling. The nature's mattress was making me relax with ease and achieve a sense of drowsiness, even though I was sure that I fell asleep minutes ago.
The trees and the bushes surrounding me was also a sight for me to watch. The countless branches with twigs and leaves covered the whole skyline, only allowing the light enter through small gaps and holes. The clearing where I was lying was dimly lit up with these lights, enough to light the place and not hurt my eyes at all. Staring at the aged barks, I noticed a peculiar pattern in every tree. The nature's work on each tree was so marvelous and gorgeous, it made myself think that as if this was actually my home, and the grass covered ground was my bed.
It was some time while I was enjoying the beauty of the nature, when I suddenly regained my senses and sat up. And I started wondering. Was this some kind of joke that Aeon was playing on me? Where was he right now? Questions popped inside my head as I scratched it and pondered the situation I was in. It felt so... weird now that I woke up in a forest that I've never seen before. The blackness that greeted me every night... it felt so longing for some reason.
All of my thoughts were then suddenly interrupted by a sound, coming from the left side of the clearing. I jerked my head towards that direction, noticing a suspicious movement on the small shrubs, as if some creature was trying to get past this growth. Finally... I thought. It seemed a bit too weird for Aeon to generate a forest like this, and I was determined to find out what overcame my other self to make a place like this. However, the figure that popped out of the bush wasn't the pokemon that I was expecting.
Out from the bushes came out a familiar Poochyena, its fur on its whole body smeared in blood, its eyes red, as if they were begging me to feed the beast with more blood. And hanging on its jaws, lifeless and looking down, was Luna, an Eevee I knew too well.
"Oh no... Luna!" I screamed. The Poochyena seemed to be amused by my sudden outcry, as it threw the limp body of the Eevee onto the floor, and stared at me with a grin that revealed sharp fangs, covered in what appeared to be Eevee blood. Upon close inspection, I noticed that I saw this Poochyena some time ago, besides the campfire. I gasped. "Clare... Why would you do this?" Clare only growled at me, as if she couldn't reply to me with words. My eyes widened when the Poochyena started advancing towards me, licking her mouth as if she wanted to have a second meal. I started backing away in fear, trying to throw anything that I could find on the ground: rocks, twigs, grass... My mind was too freaked out to realize that I could have tried using some of my pokemon moves on her to get her off me. But I didn't and kept staring in fear as Clare trotted towards me, with the grin of a carnivore still stuck on her muzzle.
Soon, while I was backing away, I felt something hard bump with my head, probably a boulder or a tree. The sudden impact just made me freak out even more, as I didn't expect anything like this to happen right now. I shut my eyes sharply and scratched the back of my head, trying to ease that pain. However, while I was regaining my senses back, I haven't noticed the creeping shadow of a Poochyena, slowly closing up on me. And when I fully recovered and opened my eyes, I saw a familiar canine face, staring at me in the face, smiling evilly. And before I could do anything, Clare dug into my throat with her jaws, and in a mere second, I felt an immense amount of pain and then... nothing. And everything turned into blackness...
I suddenly woke up. I was breathing heavily from the nightmare I just experienced, drops of sweat visible on my forehead. I found myself glad that it was all over, and I was back in the campsite, the fire, surprisingly, still burning. The sun wasn't at its peak yet, so the blinding rays of light didn't hurt my Umbreon eyes. I sat up, rubbing my eyes to snap myself out of the sleepy trance, and yawned hard.
Although I was now awake, my mind kept going back to the dream I had. The fear I was feeling and the pain the Poochyena inflicted on me... I couldn't believe it was actually Clare that was inducing that in me. She was holding a dead Eevee in her mouth, and I knew enough to recognise it as a deformed figure of Luna. Just thinking about it made me gag. If anything was to befall on Luna... I wasn't sure if I'd be able to continue after that. That dream just felt too real, and I wanted to make sure that everything was okay. It might have seemed stupid, but I wanted to be sure.
"You're awake." I suddenly heard a voice from my left side. I turned towards the direction where it was coming from. What I saw had instantly shocked me to the bones. In front of me was a Poochyena, licking her lips, the fur on her body covered with some kind of red substance, which looked like blood to me. My eyes widened as I realized the nightmare I had came true. Clare just ate Luna!
"Stay away from me, you monster!" I cried. Then I cowered from the Poochyena, closing my eyes shut and covering myself with my hands. I was trembling from horror, I could hear my teeth clattering from being scared. But the painful blow or the menacing growl that I anticipated, didn't come. I slowly opened one of my eyes to look over Clare.
"Is something wrong, Sora?" I heard Clare ask me. She sounded very worried, and I could see from the corner of my open eye that she had tilted her head to the side, in confusion. Was she acting innocent puppy eyes on him?
"But you're covered in blood!" I cried, pointing towards the red coat of fur on Clare.
"What are you talking about? This is not- Oh. Well..." Clare suddenly looked away, as if she was embarrassed about something or she just didn't want to have any eye contact with me. I knew that she was hiding something! But something was a bit off... I could see that she was actually... blushing.
"Uh... I think it's the berries that I found awhile ago. Sorry, I was just very hungry, so I was only thinking about munching on those berries..." Clare said quietly. Now everything made sense to me. But if this was true, then where was Luna?
I looked over to my side to the spot where I saw Luna fall asleep yesterday. And, fortunately for me, she was still there. Unharmed and sleeping soundly in between my leg and arm. And it seemed like she was about to wake up too. I sighed from relief. And I thought that dream was real! I scratched the back of my head with my paw, laughing a bit nervously as I realized I made a huge mistake, judging Clare's messy appearance right away. I should have just first checked for Luna first. But instead, I blamed Clare on something that never happened...
"Sorry, Clare. I thought for a moment that you had eaten Luna or something..." I apologized. I was just too scared from the nightmare that I had during my sleep to think straight. I shouldn't have accused Clare like that right away. "And I'm very sorry for calling you a monster", I added. I facepalmed myself hard in the inside for insulting her like that.
"Oh, I see", Clare said quietly. "I didn't even notice you calling me a monster. I guess I got used to that already..." She suddenly looked down, distraught and sad. Even a flying by Pidgey or a crawling by Caterpie could easily notice a sad Poochyena in the middle of the clearing, not wagging her tail and looking solemnly down at the grass. I felt very sorry now for touching Clare's very sensitive side. It was unintentional, but I sure did.
"Clare, I'm sorry I said that... I didn't mean too..." I told her. I looked down, wanting her to forgive me. I could see from the corner of my eyes that she seemed... Pretty confused. However soon, she suddenly looked up, a smile seen on her canine face. I was surprised inside.
"It's okay, Sora." She said quietly. "Why don't we go check out the berry bush that I found out?" She suddenly exclaimed. I noticed right away that Luna reacted to Clare's words as she suddenly started moving after that.
"Berry? I'm so hungry..." I heard Luna say sadly. And for some reason, I found that to be cute. So cute, that I wanted to go there and hug her. I went down to her level, careful as to not hurt my arm, and brought her close to me.
"You're hungry?", I asked with a slight chuckle in my voice, "Then let's eat", I look back to the Poochyena known as Clare, she was secretly licking away the berry juices on her muzzle to hide her selfless act of feeding herself. But why would I be angry with her, she did save my life, "So Clare, lead the way".
The Poochyena took a quick glance this way and say both Luna and I staring at her. Clare quickly ran to the exit of the cave, licking what she could off her muzzle as she went, "It's this way. Come on!", she loudly exclaimed before rushing out of the cave. This left me and Luna sort of stunned by the way she acted just by being looked at. But we quickly shook this off as we got up and walked out of the cave, all the while my arm was still shooting in slight pain.
As stepped out of the cave I could smell the clean, fresh morning air. That you can only get deep in a forest. The light from the rising sun still hurting my Umbreon as I looked around the surrounding area. I found nothing but healthy looking trees and bushes. The moisture from the cold night was still lingering around on the grass and plants as a thin layer of mist covers the area. I could also spot Clare hanging around the long grass, brushing her muzzle against the wet blades trying to clean herself up, "Clare?", I quietly call out to her to get her attention.
"One second", is all I got from her as she wiped at her muzzle with one of her paws a few times before turning around smiling, "Okay, I'm good. Let's go!". Clare looked around the area a few times before carefully making her way back into the forest and away from the cave. Luna and I followed closely.
For someone that used to be human she sure doesn't act like it. To anyone else she would be any normal Poochyena you could find anywhere else. But to me, she is someone with a nad past and answers. But I can't get over the way she acts, she seems so happy to be as she is now. walking through the forest like she owns it and eating anything she can find, just like any other pokemon. With that I hope she isn't like every other pokemon, that kills others to survive. She knows better than to take others life for your own survival, She was human and she can think that way.
We followed Clare for a few minutes before we stumbled across a pond. All the plant life around here looks much healthier than what I saw at the cave, and that's saying something. The pond looked quite clean which was surprising seeing as it was in a unknown forest. Clare sat down and stared off into the distance in which I followed her gaze. Sitting near the pond was a few bushes all full of berries for someone to eat. I was about to rush over and pick them but I realized that I couldn't pick them. My only hand and arm is broken and the other one is sort of useless to pick things with. Clare finally looked up to me with a smile on her canine face.
"Well go on, go get them", She said, which only lead me to my question.
"How? My paw is useless to pick or carry anything and Luna... well Luna is too small to reach them", I explained, when I brought up Luna's size I got an evil glance from her. She never liked being so small. She was reminded of it all the time when she was around others, when it came to other pokemon she was sort of fine since the rest of them weren't much bigger than her. But when it came to humans she was scared by the fact we could just step on her and break a bone, "No offence Luna", I quickly added as she just pouted and looked back at Clare.
"Fine. I will show you how it's done", Clare told me with a sad sounding sigh in her sentence. She didn't seem happy with my question. Almost like she asked herself the same question some point in the past, which is more than likely. She turned around and faced the berries and started to charge at the bush.
"Clare!", I called out but she wasn't listening as she tackled right into the trunk of the tall tree like bush before falling on the her backside, shaking her head. Luna and I ran over to her to see if she was alright, but was greeted with a smiling Poochyena.
"Now just kick it and you will get lovely berries!", she happily exclaimed, wagging her tail back and forth waiting for a second helping of breakfast. I did as she asked and took a few steps closer to the berry bush and gave it a swift kick. In no time the ground around the bush was covered in berries. Clare and Luna wasted no time in finding a spot and made themselves comfy as the chowed down. But for me I had more problems to worry about.
How was I going to eat? like them, belly to the ground and eat with my mouth? No. I couldn't do that. I was still human, not a pokemon. Clare saw me just sitting there, staring at the berries. She was a quick one as she shot up and quickly made her way behind me. Luna stopped eating to observe what was happening, I too was interested with what Clare was doing, "Um, Clare? What are you-", my sentence was cut short when a strong blow hit my back, causing me to go face first into the pile of berries. I only managed to put my paw arm in front of me to stop my decent so I would squish all the berries and so I wouldn't hurt my broken arm.
"There we are. Much better, now eat", Clare said as she wandered past my bent down body and laid back down in her spot.
"What was that for!", I barked at her. The impact hurt slightly and she had no right to just randomly attack me. My sudden aggression to her made her small pointed ears to go back, she wasn't expecting this kind of attitude.
"I-I was just trying to help...", I heard her say, trembling slightly from my anger, "You... you didn't seem to know what to do. So I helped", she explained further. She could've at least warned me she was going to do that or tell me what to do. Instead of just straight out ramming into my back. But again I jumped the gun on Clare true action. She was only trying to help me but I yelled at her without even asking why she did that. Well I did but I was too aggressive. She doesn't need this, not after everything she has been though.
I let out a quick and apologetic sigh as I stared Clare in the eyes, "I'm sorry Clare, I didn't mean to snap at you like that". I used my paw to push myself back into a sitting position and away from the pile of berries.
Clare looked away towards the pond, I could notice a few tears forming on her fur, "It's... fine Sora. I'm used to being yelled at... I won't do it again", Clare sadly said, tears running down her fur now and hitting the grass under her. I did it now, I upset her, after everything that has happened to her she didn't need me to be mad at her. Clare was counting on me to help her back to her family, not to be yelled at by me for something nice she was trying to do.
I used my Paw and shifted myself next to her and placed my paw on her crying head and patted her slowly. It was a weird feeling. I knew she was human before and turned into this, would she like to be handled like this? Patted like any other pokemon? I guess she has been living like this for so long that she wouldn't care.
My thoughts of doubts about this were put to rest as she was slowly letting out soft purrs of enjoyment, I see she was no different to Luna. This raised another question, does she really enjoy this? I have seen her do stuff not like a human would. I mean she has done stuff like build and start a fire for the night which only a human would think of, at least I think only a human would. But she has done many things that a pokemon would do. I wonder how much of her human self actually remains? But I will save this question when she is feeling better.
Luna came and sat on Clare's left side. She looked up to me while I still patted her, showing a sly smile, "T-thanks...", she said before growing sad again and looking back at the pond, "No one has patted me like that since...", More tears rolled down her furry face as she remembered back, "Since Sky disappeared", Clare added. This Sky, he or she must of meant a great deal to her and she must of knew them after she changed judging by what she said. Before I can ask anything else she looks back up to me, stopping her crying, "I... I need to tell you my story... what I can at least".
"You mean now? Are you sure?", I asked her. I didn't want her to get all upset again. But I wasn't going to stop her from telling me what she was looking forward to telling me ever since she heard about me. Anyway, I want to know what Team Horizon were up to before me.
The poochyena nodded in response to my question as she looked back over the pond once more time before sighing, "It's a long story... and... a painful one for me", She explained. I guess she is just warning us if she stops in the middle of it, we understood. But she didn't need to remind us, "Okay, let's begin".
I was just out in the field one day, tending the row and row of berry bushes, I told you my family grow them right? Anyway it was just a lovely day, the sun was shining bright over the field. I could hear distant wild pokemon play in the field. They usually do that and eat some of the berries, we loved to have them around and let them eat, there was enough to go around. A day just like any other day turned out to be the worst thing that could ever happen to me.
I was just picking berries for the next shipment when two men jumped at me from nowhere and knocked me out. That was the last time I would ever see my home...
I woke up in a silent, poorly lite cell. I remember feeling cold and scared. I wanted my parents and the warm field I called home. I wanted to feel safe and in the warm hug of my mum and dad, but the voice that sounded though some speakers made sure I would never feel safe.
"Greetings. You may be wondering where you are. But you may never know where this place is. All you need to know is that you are part of an experiment to help free this world. You will help us develop this virus further but taking it. Welcome to the family Poochyena. Or should I say Kia".
This is all that was said to me. I called out to say my name was Clare and I demanded what was going on. But I got nothing but silence for about a day. After that the door to my cell opened and I think four people walked in. All of them wearing red and silver uniforms. Two of them grabbed me while I tried to struggle out of their hold. But it was for nothing as they pinned me to the wall, helpless to do anything.
One of them pulled out a large syringe filled with this... black looking goo. One of the men holding me moved my arm out and made sure I couldn't move it by holding tightly as the syringe got closer and closer. "Please! Let me go! Don't hurt me! I just want to see my family!", Is what I kept screaming out at them, but they didn't listen and just stuck the needle in my arm and and injected that goo into me. It felt very cold in my arm and when the men let me go I could feel it spread around in my body making me feel quite chilly. I rubbed the bleeding hole on my arm and looked up to them shouting, "What was that!? What are you doing to me!?". The one in the back just smiled and left as the others soon joined him as they shut the door and left me in my cell.
This continued for days. They enter my cell and pin me down. Every time I tried to struggle out of there hold but every time failing to do so, as the inject the same spot on my arm time and time again. It wasn't till after I think a week of injection that things started to happen. My arm... it grew small black and gray fur. It wasn't a lot and it was just around the area they injected the needle but it was enough to freak me out.
For a long time I sat in my cell thinking about what they were doing to me. Why I was growing this fur on my arm. I could've died of fright during all of this, and it might of been better if I did. But unfortunately here I sit. I couldn't keep track of time in that cell but I think it was about a month in when they decide to do something new. By then I already had more fur on my arm and I think my bone changed slightly as well, but I wasn't sure.
Three guard came and opened my cage, telling me to follow them. From what they were doing to me and they could probably kill me in one hit I didn't disobey them. I stepped out of my cage for the first time and saw the outside hall. It was just as dark and gloomy as my cell. But it didn't have the feel of you're going to die. I followed them for a short while looking around as I did. Passing many doors and other people. By the way they looked they seemed to me scientists. The few I did pass didn't look at me in the eyes instead they just looked at my right arm. This is where I had the fur growing. They were so interested in it. I tried to hide it but I'm guessing they know about it.
We arrived at some large heavy doors. They looked like they were there to keep anything from breaking through. Which judging by what they were doing to me is very likely. They opened the doors slightly and pushed me into the big open room before saying, "Enjoy your playmates", before closing the door.
I allowed my eyes to get adjusted to the sudden bright light of the room as I started to look around. It was a quite a open room, filled with some trees and bushes. with a pond in the middle of it. The roof was quite high up to allow large things to enter. But what could fit in here is beyond me at that time.
As I walked in I noticed movement around the trees and bushes. A lot of movement. I called out to who was there and I few shadows stepped out of the undergrowth. All people and all looking scared and terrified to be there. It wasn't long before I saw what has happened to them. They all were changing like me. Some of them had fur, others scales and a few more feathers. I covered my fur with my other hand to try and hid it from others but I soon let go thinking that there was no point in doing so.
We didn't talk we just stood and sat around looking at each other as the guards brought more and more people in, all with different looking changes. I guessed everyone in the room was aged between ten to twenty five. and I think I saw about twenty of us. I found it sad that these people would take people so young away from their families to do these tests on. I also guessed that we were here to get some exercise and talk to the others. But no one did that. I think an hour passed before guards came back to take everyone back to their cells. I was soon to follow.
This became a weekly thing. They would take us out and into that huge room. Every time the people looked different, more fur, more scales or feathers. And other bodily changes. We also started to talk to each other I think after the third trip. people talked and mingled while some just hanged back and did their own thing. But my eye was caught on one person inputicler.
I walked over to the lone man and sat next to him. He had white growing on his shoulder and over his neck. I asked him what his name was and it was Sky, a fourteen year old boy only a year older than me. He... he soon became my best friend in that place as we talked more and more and hanged out with each other each time we were in that room.
Months passed and I changed more. My right arm was almost gone, as well as my hand. All turned into a poochyena apenge. And they started on my legs. And this time when I went into that huge room to meet Sky. I found him hiding behind some trees. And what I saw a big black furry mane around his neck and fur going down his chest and up his face, when I tried to talk to him I was only greeted with, "Eevee vee", He... he couldn't speak human anymore. I knew what he was now but this saddened me greatly, I couldn't talk to my friend anymore. But this saddened him even more and I just sat next to him hugging him saying, "It will be alright... I'm here".
I think a year passes since they took me, and I have just giving up trying to resist the guards when they inject me and take me places. There wasn't any point in it since I changed so much already. By now my legs had backwards knees and paws for feet... my two arms were gone and my hands replaced with paws as well. I found it hard to walk for a while but I got used to it. But even now I couldn't understand Sky. I just didn't have the understanding needed for that. But we grew closer besides that fact. But this time on a different day that set something else up for us.
The guards took me to the big room but no one else was around but instead on the other side the doors opened and walked in one of the people I have met a few times. He looked just as confused as I was before we a voice sounded over the speakers, "Good morning", the voice sounded. It was the same voice I heard the first day I was here. I guessed it could be one of the higher ups or the boss, "You are here today to test your skills in battle. You will fight each other until we say otherwise, and failure to fight will revile... shocking punishment", that's all the man said before the guards strapped this small metal bands on us before walking out the door and closing it.
We just stood there, staring at each other. Both of us didn't want to fight, we didn't want to hurt each other, but they fixed that up by shocking him then me. The pain was... was... I don't want to talk about that day anymore... it still haunts me still...
Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. This nightmare never ended. They kept made us fight and meet each other in that room, until... the second year hit. They got everyone into the big room, it was even bigger this time seeing as I have fully changed, just like the others. I stood next to Sky, he was a white furred Eevee with a black mane and tail tip. I have never seen a Eevee like that before. But I didn't care, as long as I was with him I was happy.
As we all stood around the speakers went off again with that same voice, "You all did well in helping us with our tests, but it's time we let you go and let you be free in your pokemon world. I don't have to remind you that no one will be able to understand you and try to cause trouble for us we will find you and kill you. We got work to do now and I wish you all a happy sleep". We all looked at each other, trying to figure out what he meant. It wasn't long before gas entered the room and we all panicked. Pokemon running around trying to get out. Each one soon falling down, falling to sleep. I just hugged up with Sky during this time trying to hide from the panic everyone was causing, it wasn't long before we fell down and fell into a deep slumber... never to see that horrible place again.
I don't know how long I was out. It felt like days but I woke up in a clearing some where in a forest. And I was alone. I was finally out of that place after two years, but now I didn't know what to do. I was a pokemon in this world now and I have no idea how to survive or to live. I was sure I was going to die there.
But... out of nowhere Sky appeared, dragging a leaf with berries on it. He... he stayed and got us something to eat. He told me that they just dumped everyone here and they all left. He was waiting for me to wake up. He was my friend... my crush... my love? I didn't know... I still don't really know what we are. But I just wanted to be with him. We lived together for a number of months. That was until we ran into trouble... and... Sky told me to run... not to look back. I did what he asked and ran, I ran for so long that I was scared to be on my own. I turned back to find him and help. But when I did I couldn't find him anywhere. He was gone from my life... since then... I have been living on my own, trying to find him. And you...
Clare's story went on for most of the day. And when she finally finished she was balling her eyes out, and all I could do was pat her. The things she went though... it sounded like so much pain. I couldn't imagine what Team Horizon did to her and the others, "C-clare... I'm sorry...".
"Don't be!", she quickly snapped back, turning her head to look me in the eye, "They will pay! I know they will!". I can understand why Clare is so angry with them. They took her life away, only at age thirteen. And they are taking mine away... at age fifteen.
I could see this story has hit everyone pretty hard. Luna was silent and looking into the pond and Clare was trying to slow her tears, while I was trying to wrap my head around what Team Horizon was planning. They must have been doing this for a reason. Why change people if there is no purpose? But this question won't be answered now, maybe not ever. I just hope they don't touch another person again.
I carefully got up and looked to the forest, "We should head back to the cave and sleep there. We can head out tomorrow", I told them as I looked back down to them. All I got was tear filled eyes from both of them. I just smiled and walked back to the cave, "Come on. It's not far".
He walked for a short time before reaching the cave again. The place that has been my home for the last few days. I felt a feeling of relief wash over me when we got here, and I don't know why. But I shook off that feeling and walked inside. The saddened canin follow behind me. I found my spot from last night and carefully got down, getting comfy for the night ahead and the conversation I will have with Aeon during it. Luna got next to me as I wrapped my furry arm over her to keep her warm during the night. Clare got next to the burnt out fire again and made herself comfy, "Clare... you don't have to sleep there. Come over here", I told her. SHe just turned her back to me and tried to got to sleep. She wasn't in the mood to talk right now and I can't blame her. I followed her lead as I got myself comfy once again and closed my eyes. Waiting for the long night of conversation with Aeon to happen.
Well well well. Wasn't that interesting?
Sora is getting paranoid by Clare, being scared that she is trying to hurt him and eating Luna. That could just be his fear talking.
Clare opened up with her past. It sounded like a painful one. Imagine being taken by Team Horizon for two years and changed into a pokemon? I'm surprised she is sane... or is she?
The white Eevee... sounds familiar, that's right I'm going to do the comic based on Sky! So more Clare stuff on that and we find out where he went.
Next chapter is a special one. It's the 20th chapter and I want it to be good. So a different POV this time... can't wait to write it!