Raven: Hello, everybody. My apologies for the absence. I hit a large wall of writers' block, then school started. I feel I should admit I am not very good at juggling responsibilities and managing stress, so I've been all over the place. Regardless, I have brought you the next chapter. I will not quit this story. That I can promise.
Brightclaw237, I'm glad you enjoyed. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.
Shieldliger001, yes, I can understand why that felt tacked-on. Looking back on it, it probably was not the best choice.
Anna-Matronic, I appreciate the praise.
TheGoldenPidgey, I hope you enjoy this next chapter as much.
ChloboShoka, Thank you for the review as well. I will keep up the work, even if I must take breaks like this.
Anyway, that's all the reviews. Enjoy!
Michael turned the corner of the odd tunnels with Noctus and Danny following closely behind him Danny was moving at a slow trot. The caves had a blue tinge to their fluorescent walks, making his cobalt blue fur even more vibrant, hiding some of the brown hairs more effectively. His odd new tail dragged behind him, pinned down by the weight of his treasured red jacket, tied around his neck like a cape.
None of the trio had spoken much. Danny was currently warring with depression and his usual optimism. Absol- no, wait. Rachael said his name was Noctus now, based off what she had called him on the fly while with the bird pokémon. He seemed to like being called that, so it stuck. Noctus had mostly kept his cool, aside from a single flame of anger he kept contained yet never put out.
Michael didn't know how he felt. As they walked, drawing few stares from the many electric type pokémon, despite what had happened, Michael reflected on what had happened in such a short hour.
Once again the group had been separated. Hannah had been doing better since fainting while flying on Ditto. Apparently, her semi-complete transformation had adjusted her body to lower altitudes; suddenly being so high up strained her. It wasn't until they left cave number fifty that everything went wrong.
They had been sneaking through the electric zone. Eelektrik had known the best ways to make it out of the cave, yet they still got caught. At whose fault, Michael was not sure. They had been sneaking along the blue stalagmites, making satisfactory progress. Eelektrik and Danny disguised as an Electabuzz were able to reduce the chances of Hannah being noticed since she was the most conspicuous. The general darkness of the cave did well to hide Danny's tail as well.
A Pikachu had noticed them. Actually, she had noticed Eelektrik.
"Eelektrik? Is that you?" She definitely sounded feminine, and her excited voice squeaked slightly. Eelektrik looked surprised to be recognized.
"P-Pikachu. It's been a long time."
"How have you been? I was worried sick about you! I don't remember this Electabuzz! Where did you find him?" The Pikachu was bouncing up and down as he spoke.
"Uh… This Electabuzz goes by Danny. The trainer that captured me treated him poorly, so we both escaped." Danny waved nervously to the Pikachu, who continued his excited bouncing without missing a beat.
"You were caught by a trainer? Wow! I can't believe you escaped! This is great!" The Pikachu suddenly froze as a much larger Raichu, looking worn down by age, towered over her.
"Eelektrik." He simply stated, while, at the same time it had sounded like a question and accusation.
"Ch-Chief."
"I hope you brought it" Eelektrik flinched and looked surprised.
"B-brought what?"
"Proof you're not some human-lover."
There was a pause. A long pause.
"Yes. I did. I brought a… prisoner."
Michael, Ditto, Hannah, and Rachael, and Noctus, who had been hiding behind the large rocks, froze. Yellow surprise had flooded Michael's vision along with the shock that accompanied it, making him dizzy.
The stalagmite splintered and shattered, sparks flying everywhere, making Michael's fur stand on end. Both the Pikachu and the Raichu froze, mouths agape.
Hannah's emotions. It was a whirlpool of betrayal and anger, with surprisingly little fear.
"Lolektrik…" Hannah's voice was broken.
"Petty human!" He spat, suddenly lighting himself with sparks, a yellow bolt flying her way.
Hannah screamed. It was a scream of sheer agony. When the shock was done, Hannah was curled into a ball, sparks curling over her as the paralysis held her immobile. Ditto, who was still exhausted, mustered the strength to transform into a Hoopa once more, yet his ring was barely big enough to fit Hannah through. He quickly picked her up with surprising strength and practically hurled her through the portal, purple sparks shooting over him and Hannah in the process. He groaned.
"G-get to the summit… I have Hannah…" With that, he struggled through the portal, but just before it closed, Rachael reacted. She shot through the portal, purple sparks flying through the room, being conducted by the walls. Then Rachael was gone, and the ring vanished.
"Alright! Time to go!" Danny suddenly shouted. Eelektrik seemed to feign betrayal at Danny's words.
"Where did your human go, Human-Lover?" He spat, no longer hesitant in his actions.
"Peace out!" Suddenly, Danny's blue eyes shifted to a blood red. Eelektrik, Raichu, and Pikachu's eyes suddenly lost focus on the group.
"Where are they?" The Raichu shouted in rage. The team took this chance to flee. Danny stumbled, so Absol ran, picked him up quickly and ran. Michael trailed behind quickly. He must have been using his illusions to make them invisible, but it seemed to be straining him.
They ran. They ran until there were no other Pokémon to be seen.
It was not long until Danny was able to move on his own. Despite his comedic panting, however, he kept up a steady trot. Michael only wished he could speak, to fill the silence. Yet, for some reason, despite his transformation being done, he could not. He could say "Riolu," yet he did not know how to put meaning behind the word. It was frustrating and… terrifying. Michael did not expect Noctus to be the one to break the silence.
"Danny. You are exhausted. Why are you still trotting?"
"Because I like it!" There was slight fear. Michael rolled his eyes and nudged Noctus. He narrowed his eyes.
"You are certain?"
"Yup!"
"I find that hard to believe. Walk."
"Nope!"
Noctus lurched in front of Danny, cutting him off. Danny let out a small yip and tried to stop himself. He quickly tripped, landing on his face with his tail sticking upwards. He tried to force himself up, yet stumbled again. His ears lopped in defeat.
"A little help?" he sighed, suddenly barraging Michael with a melancholic azure of sadness. With great grace, Noctus used his mouth to grab Danny and set him onto his back. A yellow surprise and pink embarrassment swirling together in a strange chaotic harmony.
Danny tried to change the subject. "How come you're so willing to help us? You don't owe us anything, Noctus." Slight surprise emanated from Noctus.
"I owe you my life." He simply answered, remembering the Pangoro that attacked.
"You've already more than made up for that. What do you guys think was able to do that anyway?"
"Whatever it may be, it seems to be attacking the minds of pokémon, causing their psyche to-
"Totally go down the pipes!" Danny interrupted suddenly.
Absol faltered. "Er- yes, though what I was going to say would have likely been more eloquently put than that…"
"Whatever. Eloquence Smeloquence."
"There has to be more of a reason for you helping us, though. Seriously. Why are you helping four random humans you stumbled across?" Danny's tail slowly moved from side to side in his curiosity.
"I am concerned about my mate." Danny nearly fell off Noctus' back in shock.
"You have a mate?! Is that who you went to when you kept vanishing in the village?!" Absol, hiding a somewhat offed feeling behind his emotional wall. Michael smothered something that would probably resemble a laugh.
"She is a Mightyena. She is kind and outgoing, always being happy with kind words for someone. She is excellent at assessing a situation, knowing when to be energetic and peppy, or calm and collected."
"She sounds nice." Danny was still at a loss.
"She is to have kits soon." Danny actually did fall off Noctus this time, hitting the ground with a light thud.
Noctus picked him up once more and set Danny on his back. "Wow. That's cool."
"Yet if something were to happen to her, both she and the kits will be in danger. I must not allow that. I cannot idle by and wait for someone to solve this issue when I can offer my assistance, no matter how small it is."
"Well, we're glad to have you."
"Thank you, Danny."
Michael walked behind them awkwardly. He desperately wished he could offer his opinions.
"Anyyyyyyyway…" Danny masterfully segwayed. "it's getting chillier. How much further until the Ice Zone?"
"Perhaps an hour, if we continue to make good time."
And they did. Any pokémon they did pass game them no more than a passing glance or a simple "hello." As they continued to move, the cave got chillier and chillier. Frost crept up the walls of the room and puffs of steam made up their breath. Thankfully, their fur kept them relatively warm in the frigid cave.
The Ice Zone is white. That's the first thing Michael thought upon exiting the cave. Snow fell gently to the ground from a gray cloud that seemed self-contained to the icy area. Pale brown rocks were carved into the bases of beautiful ice sculptures. Michael's eyes were immediately drawn to one of a Froslass, with a beautiful purple gem encasing dragonfire lighting it up from the inside. The gem must have kept the heat from the ice, as the ice was still perfectly formed.
Another statue, with a Weavile, had a hearth matching a very dark navy blue. The statues continued in this fashion, forming an elegant walkway. The group, awed into silence, continued down the path.
The walkway took up a ten-minute walk, eerily silent. Then Michael saw a human. A sculpture of a human towered over the group intricately carved down to the smallest detail. He was wearing medieval clothes that you'd see at a Halloween party. He was holding a sword over his head that had a long rod of blue dragonfire encased in sapphire lighting it up.
In front of it sat a large, silver Ninetales.
"Welcome, fair humans, and brave Absol." She greeted in a kind yet stern tone, not moving an inch. Her fur was a lustrous silver and white, while the blue dragonfire case an azure glow upon it. It was silky smooth and perfectly well-kept. Her tails alternated in their shape, though.
Four of her tails were the smooth pattern of a standard Ninetales, while three of them were more rugged, yet still retaining their straightforward and pleasant appearance. The tuft of fur between her ears was also less smooth and combed, much like her three odd tails.
"Your majesty…" Noctus returned, stretching his forepaws in front of him in a bowing gesture. Danny tried to imitate it, yet somehow managed to stumble and lose his balance. Michael awkwardly tried to bow as well, though his tail stuck outward awkwardly. The Ninetales chuckled.
"Please. Snowfire will do. You have my respect for managing to reach this place." Noctus started talking.
"Your Majesty… We have traveled from far away to request your assistance in dealing with a certain crisis." Noctus informed.
"Oh dear… right to the point, are we? Please, tell me from the beginning. I apologize for making your arrival such a hassle. Lowering the barrier to allow you to fly in… none of the citizens would appreciate that, after several years of peace."
"Why couldn't you stop all the pokémon from attacking us?" Danny interjected, still as a statue. Michael elbowed him, causing him to lose his balance one again. He let out an "oomph."
Snowfire sighed again. "My apologies. I attempted to do such once I heard word of humans making their way here. I knew something must have been different if you could surpass the lake barrier. Unfortunately, I have inadequate power over the several Zones here. I provide protection, ground rules, but the rest is governed by each zone itself."
"Oh… okay… so… you want to hear our story?" Danny changed the topic oh-so-skillfully.
"'Tis an excellent idea. Come, let me take you to my seer and we may exchange tales."
Her "seer" was actually a Xatu, who remained perched at the very top of the mountain, with the clouds looking like a hole was punched in them, letting through a dim ray of sunlight fall upon him. It was currently sunset, the lake at the bottom a mix of orange and red. There was not a single sign of urbanization anywhere in sight. The mountains extended into the south and east, with a coast to the west and the endless forest to the north. The air was more fresh than anywhere Michael had been before. It was as though humans had never existed. Behind him sat an ethereal blue wisp of fire, cackling softly.
"Greetings, fair travelers." The Xatu greeted without even turning to them. "Queen Snowfire has guided you here so that we may hear your story." He said it like a statement instead of a question.
"Er… yeah." Danny answered anyway, clumsily sitting down. Noctus sat down without a word, and Michael slowly got down to his knees, unable to say a word.
"Please," Snowfire started with a warm smile on her face, emanating a welcoming green. "tell me of how you reached this place, and what has led you here."
So Danny did. Danny outlined how everything started, their meeting with Noctus, traveling to the village, the mountain, and their trips through the zones. He left out the parts about Eelektrik, though. Michael didn't blame him.
When he was finished, Snowfire smiled bitterly. "I see… thank you for sharing your story with me. If you wish, you may ask anything about me or my mountain." Michael thought for a minute. He gestured to Snowfire with his paw in an attempt at communication. Snowfire seemed momentarily confused.
"I believe your friend said you are unable to speak, yes? You wish to know why I look like I do?" Michael nodded slowly.
"I see. Well, in that case, think back to the statue of the human I'm sure you saw. That was my partner. His name was Athalos. He lived nine hundred years ago, as a noble knight. He found me as a newborn kit." Michael saw Danny stumble with surprise, probably thinking something to do with her being so old. Not that Michael would point that out if he were even able to.
"My father was an ordinary Ninetales, while my mother was one of the snow Ninetales from a far off region, adapted to the colder weather as a fairy and ice type. It just so happened I was also born as a shiny pokémon. It is because of that that I have lived far longer than most of my kind."
"I see," Noctus began. "My apologies for your loss of your human, Queen Snowfire."
Snowfire smiled warmly once more. "You need not feel sympathy for me. We have more pressing issues to worry about than a centuries old loss. Xatu?"
The Xatu did not turn, yet his voice was crisp and clear. "I can see it. I know the calamity that awaits, should the world continue on its current path. Human-turned-Riolu, please, perk your ears this way." Michael stiffened slightly.
"I have for you, a prophecy." Michael heard Danny snort at the cliché-ness of what Xatu just said.
Xatu did not move as he gave his poetic prophecy to Michael.
"Oh three humans, with food not meant.
A trifle to eat, your normality spent.
A single human, closer than home
A single human, left all alone.
A mistake made, a man not in the know.
Seeds of destruction he may sow."
It didn't really sound like a "prophecy." That's the first thing to cross Michael's mind. Given Danny's shaking shoulders and green amusement, he probably thought the same thing.
"Something we ate? Why only three of us? Four of us turned into pokémon… kinda." Danny stated, confused.
"That is all I can tell you. I used my psychic abilities to imprint the po-prophecy into the Human-Turned-Riolu's mind. He may remember it whenever he wishes." This was odd, because Michael didn't feel anything unusual, yet he could recall what Xatu said correctly.
"But… Michael can't talk." Danny was confused, yet there was a certain amusement behind his words.
Xatu was flustered for a moment. "Uh… Well, he shall have to take part in your human habits of writing it down, perhaps." Michael nodded and motioned for Danny to be quiet. He rolled his eyes and gave a lopsided smile.
"So… this is all due to a single man? He's causing this odd virus?" Noctus asked quietly.
Snowfire nodded gravely. "It would appear so. Xatu?"
"I see it… All psychic types can see it. It is a parasite attacking the minds of pokémon, yet it is unfinished. Every minute spent waiting is another minute where this virus becomes closer to completion." The monotone voice somehow managed also to be dark and foreboding.
"Then… this same thing is what turned us into pokémon… but why?"
"It attacks the brain. From what I gather, the virus is relatively quarantined for now, but that is what happened as a result of you coming into contact with it. It passes through physical contact, but it will soon become airborne."
"Great. This is all well and good, but how do we stop it?" Danny snapped, shuffling his feet sporadically on the rock in an attempt to hide the purple fear pulsing off of him and hammering itself straight into Michael's brain.
"This is where I come in," Snowfire interjected, smiling again. "You three are familiar with the Ninetales curse?" All three of them nodded warily.
"It's where if someone touches one of your tails, you curse them for a thousand years, right?" Danny assured, still incredibly nervous.
"Precisely. Human-Turned-Riolu. Please, lay your paw upon my tails, brush your paw across them all." Michael flinched and desperately looked to Danny, begging him to ask her what he couldn't. Why?
"Um… I think Michael wants to know why you say that, and whether or not it'll torture him in one way or another." Michael nodded his head quickly, nervously taking a step back.
"Fear not. I can bend the curse to my will, depending on the tail you touch. When you brush your paw across all of them, I can do virtually anything, including helping you. Michael hesitated again.
"What do you plan on doing?" Noctus asked in an attempt to alleviate Michael's fear. "And why Michael?"
Snowfire hesitated. "Xatu had a reason for giving this information to Michael. That means it is him who needs this ability. I will make you a curse. A curse for you to give to someone else. I know it sounds awful, yet it is the only way. You will gain the ability to fire one shot of a curse that will manifest as an aura sphere. You must make sure you know clearly who is behind this all, and that you will not miss. Do you understand?" Michael gaped. He needed to… curse someone?
"I know this must seem like a tall order, but I know you are the one capable of doing so. The curse will not last one-thousand years. Rather, the curse will conform itself to the punishment you believe fit. Are you willing to bear this burden?"
Any time anyone else has been put on the spot has nothing on this sudden question. Michael didn't really think about it. He just nodded numbly, stepped forward, and brushing his paw across all nine of the tails that Snowfire had lied out for him. They were soft and smooth and felt like silk.
It felt… odd. All at once, he felt a strange energy rush into him. It was like a lump in the middle of his chest. He could feel it physically there. It wasn't painful, just unusual. Then again, his entire being felt odd, so he would adapt.
Several hours later, long after Xatu had teleported the threesome to their other friends, he stood there, analyzing the futures carefully. Snowfire walked up to him slowly.
"Are you sure it was the right thing to do, giving him an odd riddle? Could you not have just told him the truth?" She sat down, watching the beautiful, cloudless night sky.
"I don't know," Xatu admitted. "I can only hope I chose the right path for time to take. He never alerted his father of his transformation. Had he done so… perhaps we could have avoided this all. Had I told him, he might break. Yet the course I chose… I see so many futures for him. Very few of them end positively. At this point, we can only hope."
Snowfire nodded. "You know that Zorua human thought your 'prophecy' was utter hilarity, right?" She smirked.
"Definitely could have worded it better. I made it up as I went."
"The rhyming was impressive if that's the case."
"Go get some sleep, your majesty. I shall keep watch over the futures."
Snowfire nodded and left to her cavern.
"Human-Turned-Riolu… I hope I have not just condemned you to misery…"