Switcharoo

Dawn and Paul, kit and apprentice of Shadowclan

Dawn's POV~

"Six different must come." A womanly voice called out into the darkness.

"And join with two others of this world." Another replied.

"Only the ones with knowledge and understanding and skill must come." A croaky voice stated.

"They shall train with the clans and learn to defend, understand and love." A large booming voice declared.

"And they will save their comrades from a fate that has come more than once." She stated again. "Dawn." She called me. The once pitch black space turned into a grass clearing. My blue hair Twirled behind me rapidly. "Today, we will watch you and your friends. We will guide your paw steps, Farewell." The calming breeze that was there vanished and was replaced with the darkness again. Soon, I was falling into a dark pit.

"AHHH!" I scream. I wake up in a pile of feathers and pine needles. "What a dream." Did I fall asleep in the forests? I'm not that clumsy. I try to get up, but fail miserably. Flipping head over heels, I see black fur covering my body from head to toe--Tail, except for a white muzzle and paws.

"Brightkit, is something wrong?" A warming voice filled with concern turned its attention to me.

"wha?" A large light brown she-cat sat before me.

"What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream? Did you see something that scared you?" She asked tenderly.

"Umm…" I stayed silent. She acts as if she's my mother.

"Come here." She wrapped her long tail around me and brought me close to her. Her warm fur was comforting. Yet, still odd to know that I was a cat. "Enjoy this time while it last." She said to me. "Soon, you will grow and become a wonderful warrior."

"Umm, yes." I replied.

"Come now. Let's walk outside a little." She said as she shoed me out of the bush. "Goodbye, Snowbird." She called to a pure white she-cat.

"Goodbye, goldheart."

"Look, there are some of the apprentices. Why don't you go and learn a little from them. You are going to be an apprentice soon."

"Ok." I walk over to the other young cats that are next to another bush. "Hi." I say returning to my bubbly self. They all looked at me oddly then returned to grooming each other and talking, except for a black cat with a white belly and neck. I, with a confused look, stood there silent. His glare was locked on me with coal eyes. I couldn't move, until someone called me.

"There you are, Brightkit." I swirled around to the direction the voice was coming from. A large white cat with black paws walked over to me. "I've come to inform you that you'll become an apprentice at moonhigh. I know it's an odd time, but I have a lot of important matters to attend to today." I looked at him dumbfounded then followed through with it.

"Ok!" I said enthusiastically, a little too enthusiastic maybe. He flicked my ear with his tail.

"Can't wait." he walked away.

"you, Brightkit." A oddly familiar voice called me. "come with me." He had already stood up and walked to me before I could even turn around. The black cat's menacing gaze was on me. I shivered inwardly the followed him to an entrance.

"Where're you going Shadowpaw?" A guard standing by asked.

"Just a walk with…" He stared at me. "Brightkit." he said looking back.

"Fine with me." He stepped aside. "Could you also bring back some prey? The pile is growing low." Shadowpaw nodded then used his tail to signal me to follow. We walked long and far to the point where I was ready to collapse.

"how far do we need to go?" I asked exhausted. Soon a new scent filled my nose. It was odd and different to the pine needle scent. He whipped around and glared at me. I sat up instantly. Did I say something wrong or does he just hates me? My eyes were wide in fright. He went up to me and cowered under his gaze.

"I'm going to tell you a secret and you better not tell anyone else. Got it?" his eyes calming down. I instinctively backed away.

"I'm a twoleg." He said then turned around and muttered something.

"A…,what?"

"you don't know?" He looked at me questioningly.

"Umm, no." I squeaked and cowered again. He sighed then looked at me again. "Why did you bring me here?" I had to bring up all the courage to say that without stuttering.

"Do you know what a Pokémon is?" What the heck? How does he know- Today, we will watch you and your Friends. He can't be Kenny, he's too menacing. He's not Barry, he is not cocky at all, just scary. He's definitely not Ash. Period! Then who?-

"Who are you?" I walk toward him.

"My real name is…" He looked at me with stoicism then glared again. "How can I trust you?" I jumped back suddenly. I closed my eyes thinking. He can't even trust me with his name. I don't know anyone like that. I reopen my sapphire eyes.

"I'm Dawn." might as well get it over with. He stayed put with his glare still on me. "Now, who are you and how do you know what a Pokémon is?"

"My name is Paul." Paul? Ash's rival when we traveled together? Why him? He's not even our friend! "Are you going to sit there dazed or are you going to tell me what is happening?" He snapped me back to reality.

"I don't even know." I replied. "All I got before waking up as a cat was a dream."

"tch, I knew you wouldn't be any help." He walked past me in the direction we came from.

"Hey!" I grabbed his tail with me teeth. Bleh! it was the only thing I could catch in sight. He grunted then turned.

"We are suppose to stick together." I spat out the end of his tail. "We don't know this world and you don't know what my dream was." I heard him sigh in defeat of not getting away from me.

"Well, what was it?" I stayed silent because I didn't now what he meant ^^; "The dream, what happened?"

"umm, there were voices."

"Great, now what did they say?" He said with fake caring.

"Hmph. They said, 'six different must come and join with two of this world. Only the ones with knowledge and understanding and skill must come. They shall train with the clans and learn to defend, understand and love…" I paused for a moment to remember what else they said. "umm, and they will save their new comrades from a fate that has come more than once. Then she told me she would guide us. But I still don't get it."

"They said six different, right? Who are the six others?" He said more interested now.

"They also said two from this world, who are the two? They could help us." Suddenly a rustle came from a bush behind us.

"Who's there?" Paul got in a defensive stance.

"Brightkit, you said something about a dream. What was it?" A small tabby tom walked up to us. Paul relaxed. "I could translate it for you if you're having trouble."

"Umm, it's kind of personal." I said backing a little behind Paul.

"It's alright, it is my job to translate dreams from Starclan. I am a medicine cat."

"Alright." Paul said. "It said that six different must come and join with two of this world. Only those with knowledge, understanding and skill must come." He stopped half way. "that's all." he lied.

"maybe you two are the two of this world." He looked up I the sky. "I'll talk wit star clan personally to understand more. But It seems you two are linked to this new prophecy." He looked at us. "Maybe you two should go back. And Shadowpaw, could you catch some prey, the fresh-kill pile is awfully low." Paul grunted in return then walked away leaving me behind.

"Hey, wait for me!"

"what makes you think I want you around?"

"I can help you. I bet you don't even know what he means." I chided him.

"You couldn't catch a wurmple if you tried. And I know what he's talking about. Look." He pointed with his tail to a small frog. Eww!

"Can't we get anything more, umm Decent?"

"You can't find Caviar in the wild." he scoffed. "I looked at the pile they were talking about. It had frogs, lizards and some snakes."

"mmm Appitizing." I said without even fake enthusiasm. It's Reptiles for my stomach's sake! Paul came back with the little frog from earlier. He laid it in front of me.

"Here take it back to the camp. If you want to be useful." He went off to search for more. Ugh, how can anyone eat this? I prodded it with my paw then lifted it up in my mouth. It tastes… not that bad. I trotted forward then realized that I don't know which way was camp… Does this have to happened EVERY time?!" The bush in front of me started shaking. "Can't you last one minute without yelling?" He said walking to me with another frog.

"I don't know where the camp is." I said sheepishly.

"Just let me hunt so we won't grab suspicion." He asked irritatingly.

"Fine." I started following him until a warm scent filled my nose. I looked around until I found a little mouse nibbling on a pine cone. I instinctively got down low and crept up on it. I sped forward and bit it. "I caught it!" The little, warm body filled my mouth with content. I grabbed it by the tail and the frog by the leg.

"Hmph, not bad…" Paul scared me from behind. "But still not good. Let's go." He said with no emotions showing.

"ugh." Not one compliment. We caught a large amount of prey and started heading back. He caught two frogs one lizard and even a shrew. I caught… a mouse. As we entered the camp we left the prey on what's left of the pile.

"Hey, where're you going?" I asked as he left to the apprentice bush.

"To sleep. A cat has less metabolism than a human does." No rude remarks, just plain fact. Huh, he didn't even say it in a cocky way… He must really be tired.

"Ok." I said. Then walked over to the pile again. Mmm, which one was the frog from before? I grabbed it then started taking bites into it. "Wow, once you get through the rubbery skin it's good." I said with a grin on my face.

"You aren't suppose to eat the skin." Paul's rough voice came behind me.

"Pphtt phtthpa." I spat tried to spit it out. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Eating." He said setting down a mouse.

"by me?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

"In a matter of fact, it is." I discarded what's left of the frog. "I still don't forgive you for the way you treat your Pokémon and the way you acted in the tag team battles."

"The tag team battles were five years ago. How can you still remember that?" he asked. I fumed. We haven't seen each other in five years… I just settled down as he continued eating the mouse… There was only one mouse and that was the one I caught, how come he chose that out of-

"Hey Brightkit." A gray tom walked over to me. He saw a space between me and Paul and decided to sit next to us. So, are you excited to become an apprentice?" He asked.

"Go away, mousepaw." Paul said gruffly. N/A I don't know what that word means ^^

"What got in your fur Shadowpaw?"

"Mousepaw, could you help with this tick problem with the elders?" Mousepaw's ears drooped at the thought.

"Yes Toadfoot." He got up lazily then trotted to another bush. I didn't notice it, but Paul had left also.

"Wha-" I looked around to see him heading towards his den. Might as well go also. I got up and trotted back to my den.

"There you are." a pure white she-cat purred in amusement. "Goldheart has been worried sick. She saw you go off wit Shadowpaw there, but you didn't come back after a while." Did she go after us? "Don't worry, she's over there sleeping. She also told me to tell you to be ready for moonhigh."

"Right, like I would forget my second most important event in my… eh life."

"You would. Now get some rest." snowbird laid her head on her paws. I walked over to my cat mother and laid down next to her. Maybe she's my real mother and she came with me. I fell into a now dreamless sleep.