Blackness... My shoulder and leg still hurt, but the pain was slowly disappearing. However, in that state, I failed to detect the rouge data that had approached me. Only when it gave a distorted Charizard's cry did I realize it was there.
Standing slowly, I prepared myself for a fight. I'd never had to fight before, but just like humans, I knew how to fight if I absolutely had to. Of course, as wounded as I was, and considering my missing arm had only halfway reformed, my chances of winning were a completely different story...
The data lunged at me, and I responded with a swift kick to its face, stunning it. I took the opportunity to land a Stone Edge on it, but near the end of the attack, it leapt up, grabbed my by the shoulders, and flew a few feet up as a crack began to form in the floor. With horror, I realized what it was about to do: Fissure.
Struggling wildly now, I tried almost everything I could in that position: Disable, Rock Slide, even Crunch, but nothing phased it; it seemed as though my attacks weren't even doing anything.
Just before the beast threw me into the chasm, I used Endure; I wouldn't let myself be deleted!
As I fell, I hit several sharp rocks jutting from the sides. By the time I reached the bottom, I was covered in cuts and bruises. Standing up, aching from head to toe, I knew I had one hell of a climb ahead of me, so I Rested until I felt strong enough to make it out of there.
When I finally reached the top, I was absolutely exhausted; in my condition, I wouldn't survive another attack. The creature was still there, but thankfully didn't seem to notice me... until I let out quiet a moan of pain.
Somehow, it heard me, and turned to deliver the final blow. Having no other choice, I dodged its claws and lunged at its neck. The second I came into contact with it, I began to absorb its data.
As I did so, agonizing pain coursed through me, and it only got worse when I'd completely absorbed it. I collapsed on my hands and knees; the pain was so intense, I couldn't even see straight, and it seemed like the entire world had gone completely silent.
I could feel my nails lengthening into claws, my teeth becoming fangs. However, the worst of it was when I felt the bone and flesh in the back of my shoulders extending into wings, reshaping themselves painfully. Finally, unable to tolerate the pain any longer, I blacked out.
"Is everyone here?" Ho-Oh clucked. A chorus of yells rang back in confirmation.
"Good. As some of you are aware, we have lost all contact with Arden. This worries us, as this has never happened before, even when he was resting," Rayquaza roared to the worried crowd composed of both Pokémon and people.
Almost everyone knew about Arden, and when the world lost contact with him, even Mewtwo became worried to some degree. However, nobody was as concerned as one certain group of trainers: Red, Blue, Gold, Kris, and even Silver.
Arden had been especially close friends with these five, and he was always with one or more of them when not asleep or checking the world's programming.
"However," Lugia spoke up, "we have noticed a strange being wandering the region. It appears to be a human teenager with fangs and claws, a tail with a flaming tip, and Charizard wings. Should you see it, be cautious, as we do not yet know if it is hostile."
"In the mean time, we would like to ask all of you to search for Arden, and be on the lookout for the creature." Ho-Oh squawked, dismissing the crowd.
When I finally came to, I realized four things: I was now lying on my stomach in Ilex Forest, my throat was extremely sore, I only had scars from the gashes and my formerly missing arm, and a Noctowl was staring at me from its perch on a nearby bush.
"So you're finally awake. Good. With as still as you were, I nearly mistook you for dead." He told me, his voice sounding wise, but not quite old. How stereotypical.
I then realized something warm was touching my leg. Turning my head to see what it was, I nearly had a heart attack; it was a tail, not unlike a Charizard's. How did I not notice it earlier?
In jumping half a mile when I rediscovered my tail, I'd wound up on my back... Or I would've normally. Instead, I landed on two sturdy but flexible things attatched to my back. No doubt those were my new wings.
Suddenly, the realization hit me like a bag of bricks.
"Now that I think about it... Aren't you afraid of me?" I asked the Noctowl. Surely I was an odd sight, possibly even frightening.
"I was more concerned about exactly what you were, and whether or not you were still alive. The only reason I found you is because it's rather odd to hear a Charizard's cry in Ilex forest."
Wait, what? A Charizard's cry? As I tried to wrap my mind around the concept, Noctowl's head turned.
"Someone is coming. From the sounds of it, two humans."