Some people have asked about the plot. Fair enough. But that's not something that can really be answered by an author's note. Only through the chapters that I write.
So to my readers: Have some pizza. It's a shorter chapter than usual, but it's a quick update so oh well.
Two people passed one another in the corridor of the ship. One walked over to one of the bedrooms where he would replace the sheets, whilst the other continued to walk casually, looking around themselves and when he noticed that he was alone in the corridor began to glow with a dim crimson light.
Zoroark rushed out of the place where her illusion had just dissipated and leapt out from the open window. Her claws shone a bright red and she latched on to the hull of the ship.
Thunk! Her claw was launched into the hull of the ship.
Thunk, went the other and she began to make her way upwards like a rock climber, leaving a trail of sharp gouges in the hull as she moved higher and higher.
She paused momentarily, looked down to the town that was now waking up and covered herself in a light illusion that did little more than camouflage her against the white hull.
There was no point in using invisibility. No point in wasting her energy this early on in her mission as there was no telling what obstacles lay at the higher sections of the ship.
Thunk! she moved higher and higher, working herself into a rhythm.
Then stopped.
She heard someone talking and stopped all motion. Knowing that even amongst the rumble of the ocean waves the noise that her claws made gouging the hull of the ship would have given her away.
Soon more voices came forward alongside the sounds of Pokémon.
She briefly heard them talking something about a prisoner, but that was soon lost within the midst of her thoughts as she went over her plan once more.
Her objective, to stop the ship from leaving because she'd rather not leave her home.
Because home was where the heart was and her heart was-
The sounds moved on and she returned to climbing, working at a steady rhythm as she ascended higher and higher until she had finally managed to find herself at the edge of the deck.
The sounds of people and Pokémon moving around returned and Zoroark briefly peeked over to see a cacophony of activity before hiding back down. Berating herself for not concealing her head from glancing eyes.
Regardless she went through the brief image of some sort of metal box as well as the movement of several Pokémon and humans putting things into place.
Unfortunately it didn't appear as if they were going to stop anytime soon and to make matters worse she couldn't make anything above the incessant babble of the group.
She paused. Breathed in… and out.
Patience was a skill that she had long learned to hone and rather than let her eagerness grab a hold of her once more she waited until the clamour above began to slowly die down.
Footsteps began shuffle away and eventually they had all faded into the distance, the last words she heard from the departing humans were about how "the cables should have sufficient charge for the box."
She concealed herself and looked above deck once more. Scanning around and dropping her invisibility illusion once she realised that she was alone.
She moved above deck and rushed towards a wall where she'd be able to spot any arrivals before they spotted her; then when she felt secure she looked over to the monstrosity that now dominated the front deck of the ship.
It was a black box; a particularly large one at that. She was sure that it couldn't have been brought through any of the doors as it stood at twice her height. Around it stood the unmoving statues of four stone Machoke. Their bursting biceps folded in front of their chests like bouncers denying entry into a club.
Zoroark remembered that one time she spent in the human city with deep regret and then looked at the statues with disgust.
Muscle bound idiots.
The box was a mystery though; she noticed a series of bundled wires extending from it. Suggesting that the monstrosity did something with electricity.
The memories of the club still fresh in her mind, Zoroark concluded that it was probably just another example of human decadence, the wasteful fools.
She recomposed herself and looked up to where she suspected the control room was. Her time in captivity, trying to escape with her kit had taught her that humans liked to put their important places at the top.
She closed her eyes, focused and the familiar red glow of her illusions and allowed them to once again envelop her. The crimson light disappearing as quickly as it came and leaving the image of a male sailor in its wake.
A simple disguise.
It worked flawlessly.
She moved her way through the hallways, passing by any working humans with a brief smile before making her way upwards to what she guessed was the control room.
Zoroark peered through the window on the door and walked in when she found that the room was empty.
She dropped her illusion and looked around the room for any trace of potential trouble.
Felt relief when there wasn't any.
She couldn't waste any time and so Zoroark quickly darted over to the controls in the front, looking briefly at the sight of the sea and town in the window before her.
Yes, this was probably the control room.
She backed away, looking at all the panels and assorted buttons, wondering which one to wreck, and how to wreck it so that no one would suspect that it was her.
She looked over to her side and noticed something peculiar.
A wheel suspended in mid-air.
She walked over to it, spinning it experimentally before wondering what significance the device had. Did the humans worry about driving the ship upside down?
Or perhaps it was a religious artefact.
BANG!
Zoroark leapt behind the wheel, preparing to conceal herself with invisibility before she stared in shock at the creature that had walked through the door.
It was a Machoke.
No, it was the Machoke, the one who was standing beside the black box, still covered in the grey… whatever it was that made him look like stone.
Creeak
He forced down a lever next to the door he had just closed. A lock, probably a lock. Zoroark hated locks. Ever since that Prick put her in that dark prison-
Crack! The Machoke did things with his knuckles that made Zoroark's stomach twist in a series of knots.
Her mind ran through the battle scenario. She was at the disadvantage here, a clear disadvantage that would hurt really badly if she didn't-
He began to walk forward and she instinctively moved back, glancing around the room and cursing her foolishness for being spotted in the first place.
She bumped against one of the consoles and noticed the aggressor coming dangerously close.
The small space between them shrinking smaller and smaller. Suffocating her.
She saw the arrogance in his eyes. The sight of someone who knew that they had already won.
NO!
Her battle instinct rose like a raging beast. Covering herself in the invisibility illusion so that she could dodge.
But with lightning fast reflexes the Machoke brought his fist to strike the moment she vanished.
Boom! The shockwave threw her away like a rag doll.
It didn't manage a hit but… that was powerful.
She noticed that illusion had been destroyed as she fell to the ground.
She stumbled forward, asking herself what was that? As she bought some distance between herself and him.
She saw a faint glow envelop his fist as he attacked her once more, forcing another desperate dodge.
His fists are fast.
She looked around and noticed that she was boxed inside the room, negating what little advantage her quicker legs would give her.
Boom!
Dodge!
The pattern repeated as she wondered how long this could carry on… An idea! If she could avoid him for long enough.
BOOM
Zoroark found herself thrown into the wall by a powerful strike. Then looked up to see the Machoke enjoying his handy work as she stumbled to get back onto her feet.
He smirked at her, "See these babies" pointing to his muscles "You're their baby now."
No
She growled.
The images of her prison, of her torture, the anger at losing her daughter to that mad man, of being used.
NO!
She leapt with bright red claws, slashing left and right like a wild animal, forcing her foe back more and more with her relentless fury.
Boom!
He countered sending her into the wall once again.
She stood up.
No pain, no panic.
Just defiance.
He didn't look much more worse for wear against her strike, but she wouldn't let him win.
He wouldn't take her again.
She roared a bestial cry and leapt above her foe. Her paws glowing in eldritch energy that exploded the moment she landed on him, throwing the two of them in different directions from the sheer force of the strike.
She groaned, getting up once more. Her energy vastly spent from her subpar performance.
She was losing touch.
Then the battle mist vanished and she noticed the sheer amount of damage that had been done to the control room. Most of the electronics were fried, and several consoles punched through by the brute who now tried to get up once more. Not looking particularly brused, but very disorientated.
A sharp screech ripped through her ears and she turned her head to the window instantly. Looking at the fearsome sight of a rea and blue dragon fly across her field of vision towards where the black box was.
A Salamance, that was what it was called.
She looked down and saw that the box was now unguarded, and that it had lost its dark lustre. It fell apart with one slash from the Dragon and she looked on in horror at the sight of what was left inside.
Him. The devil that stole her child and force her to-
He looked up at her and smiled before climbing up onto the dragon's back and flying off into the distance.
Zoroark could do nothing more than look on and wonder. That cage was just like the cage she had been put inside, but then if that was so why did it fall apart with only one strike?
She heard the crackle of electricity from all of the broken monitors around her.
And what about all of the Machoke that were guarding him?
Bang! She turned around to see three Machoke pour out of the door that they had just rammed open.
Damn.
She resigned herself to the only course of action she could now take.
She felt the familiar sensation of her invisibility illusion take a hold of her. She looked to the wooden deck in front of her and jumped down, expertly rolling on the floor where the remains of the prison now lay.
She looked back to see the Machoke scanning the control room and prepared her next plan of action.
To get out of this ship and then make sure that her family was safe.
Then take him down and make him rue the day he dared to mess with her.
Silence pervaded the forest as the two Pokémon faced off against one another. On one end a battle ready Pikachu and on the other a Zoroark whose imaginary friend seemed intent on trying to help.
"Whatever you do, don't make any sudden movements." The voice whispered to Ash. "Just make sure that-"
"STAND STILL" Pikachu roared. Sparks of electricity flying off of his cheeks.
"We're so screwed"
"Now Mr Purple, I've been following my best friends scent for ages now, and I just happen to find that his scent leads to you. So you're going to tell me what you saw or I'm gonna blast you to next week. Got that?"
Ash opened his mouth before realising that he couldn't talk. Images of the sheer power that Pikachu was capable of producing freezing him in terror. What could he do?
"Talk" came the advice from the voice, "you can't guess at what's gonna happen until you try"
Ash focused himself for a moment before going through the motions of speech, letting out a loose "Zoroark" as the Pikachu lost its aggressive posture and took on a confused expression.
"What did you say?"
Ash felt a spark of hope ignite within him "Zorrroark"
"What did you say about my mom!"
"Damnit"
The sparks returned as the enraged Pokémon roared in wrath, "Meet your End!" and let loose a beam of furious white light that ripped through Ash, seeping into his muscles and pulling his body in all directions as if he was a puppet to be tortured.
He landed, not realising that he was sent flying in the first place, his mind an echo chamber of noise, devoid of all thoughts as he lay prone on the ground. Still twitching from the aftereffects of the electrical shock.
"Ha, I got you good!" A pause.
"Ash?" came the concerned voice "Ash? You okay?"
Pikachu?
"Uh oh" Everything faded for a moment before his ears were assaulted by the violent sound of nails scraping against a chalkboard.
"Here, eat this" he felt something, like someone was moving him.
"Now swallow" but the world continued to spin round.
"Heh, I guess I laid it on a little thick there." Ash slowly began to feel a return of his sensations.
"I mean you got to admit, your reaction was pretty funny. I just figured that you'd have a little more resistance then when you were human, didn't figure that you'd get weaker."
Another voice joined that of Pikachu's "You threw a bolt of lightning into his face."
"Zip it Zorua. Besides, he's gotten worse from me and laughed it off like a fart joke. Zoroark probably just can't take a little spark."
"Oi!"
"Hey Ash" Pikachu continued turning his attention to his trainer and Ash found himself looking into the eyes of his friend, "Sorry about all that" Eyes that were so like his own, "forgive me?"
He felt his head nod without a moment's hesitation, the motion still a little jerky and disconnected.
"Thanks buddy" and Pikachu hugging his face. Another odd sensation to add to the growing list.
"Come on, eat some more Oran berries. They've got lots of inner goodness that should help you shake off that little spark I threw you."
"Spark? Looked more like a laser beam to me." Zorua interrupted.
"Shuush!" Pikachu hissed.
But seriously, I didn't understand a word of what you were trying to say, you unable to talk or something?"
Ash nodded his head.
"Is it because you're like, physically unable?" Ash shook his head to say no, "ohh, so it's because you're stupid."
No one said anything for a moment.
"It was a joke sheesh."
Zorua interrupted, "your jokes suck" and Ash had to agree.
"I'll have you know that my humour is of the highest-"
Ash groaned as he tried to lift himself off of the ground, the sensation of his body having almost completely returned to him.
He stopped, arms felt stiff. Then carried on until his legs held his weight once more. The vertigo throwing him slightly off balance.
"Whoah" Pikachu gaped, looking at just how large his trainer had grown.
Ash stretched his new muscles, feeling the strength return to them. Much more powerful than his old human limbs.
He looked at the two Pokémon before him and saw the awe in their eyes. Pikachu quickly describing why, "Oh yeah, we're soooo gonna teach you an electric attack as soon as possible."
"Zoroark can't learn electric attacks, duh" Zorua interrupted.
"You're joking, right?" Pikachu deadpanned, "Just look at his hair. I've seen Ash do some freaky stuff with hair and electricity." Ash had to agree that his best friend may have had a point.
"You're insane" But then again so did Zorua.
Pikachu grinned at his trainer, "Yup, that's why we're the best team around" and Ash grinned right back, understanding the lack of malice in Pikachu's earlier actions. He wasn't being aggressive, he was just happy that he could be closer to his friend… and he was a little crazy, but it is a little early in the morning.
"Hey Ash?" Pikachu asked, shifting nervously all of a sudden, "You really can understand me can't you?"
"Duh" Zorua sniped. But the two friends just maintained a cool gaze at one another as Ash slowly nodded. Pikachu's ears perked up in glee.
"Really?" Ash nodded again. "Yes! I knew it, I was just testing you, but… this… this is A- mazing!" Pikachu began to jump around, sparks of excitement dancing from his cheeks, "Even last time when the witch transformed you, you couldn't hear me and" Pikachu leaped up and wrapped Ash's much larger waist in a tight hug that the boy quickly returned.
"This is the best thing ever!" Pikachu mumbled whilst still holding Ash tightly. The boy felt his heart swell.
One could never have enough hugs. And for a moment they were more than happy to be lost in the sensation.
Then something that Pikachu said brought up a question in Ash's mind. He loosened his grip and his Pokémon quickly noticed.
"What's wrong?" Pikachu asked.
Ash motioned to his body, "You want an opinion on how you look?" Ash shook his head to say no.
"You want to know about transforming?" Ash nodded.
"Well I don't reeeally know what happened here, but I do remember the last time when you met a witch and… well it's all a little foggy, and I don't remember much." A pause, "But I don't think that that's the problem here… hopefully."
Ash nodded, satisfied with the answer.
He looked up to see smoke in the distance, felt a brief pang of worry then shook it off, probably wasn't anything serious. Then thought about the next order of business.
He looked at Pikachu and pointed to his own throat. "You want to learn to talk?" the Pokémon's eyes glistened. "So I'm gonna be teaching you." Maybe this wasn't such a good idea? "I'm- teaching- you." The Pokémon's eyes glistened, "this is gonna be soooo much fun!" Definitely not a good idea.
But then again, at least that voice in his head wasn't annoying him anymore. He wondered if this meant that he was cured of insanity.
"You wish"
Or not.
The invisible Zoroark rushed through the city, having caught the trail of her kit and the Pikachu leading away from the town and into the forest.
It was a small consolation as her energy was being constantly sapped away with every second that she tried to stay invisible underneath this blasted sunlight.
Then she heard a group of familiar voices and forced herself from her path and into a shaded alcove.
She waited and the voices became louder. The shade helped to return some of her strength. Then they came into view; she finally got a glance at the speakers.
It was her kit's friends… what were their names?
Bah, who cared? They were just humans anyway.
But then she heard them talking about something. She was sure she had heard the word "Ash" somewhere in there and all of a sudden plans began to spring up in her mind.
They may not be kin she told herself, but they did play their part in keeping her little kit safe from harm's way.
She looked at them with a sharp eye as they began to move away from her line of sight.
They were looking for Ash, and in his current state, whatever that was. He was most likely vulnerable to whatever they had in store for him.
She realised grimly that the future looked dark for her family if they were left unhindered.
She had to intervene on his behalf, and hopefully find a way to enlist their aid once more.
She focused on her last memories of the trainer before she accepted him as kin, listened to her memories for the sound of his voice.
She focused the strength within her and let the illusion unravel itself until the dark creature was no more and only a young trainer stood in her place.
Hey Zoroark, why didn't you just ask the humans if you could stay instead of wrecking the ship?
Glares
Oh, well that's a good answer. I'm just saying that you could've avoided a whole load of rubbish if you-
Glares
I think that you did the right thing, no objections from me. Nope.
Soooo my faithful readers. Tell me what you think. Like it? Love it? ADORE IT!?
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could you umm... press the review button... please?
pretty please?