-1Chapter 2: The Ceremony
Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon, only borrowing transformation universe. MEE-YAA!
A/N: Sorry for the long chapter, but I'm a stickler for detail. Any way enjoy.
Demetrie and Ryoko both walked through the forest until they came to an open part of the forest where the village lay nestled in. Torches lit the opening of this simple village. The huts were made of wood and stone with straw roofs. Young children and Pokemon were everywhere, all of them running toward an area by the lake that was lit by a huge bonfire. A stone pillar with ancient markings was in the center with smaller statues of pokemon surrounding the pillar. In front of the pillar itself was a statue of Yasuo himself, his stone eyes coldly glaring at the stars. The young ones all made an audience as Ryoko led Demetrie to the center of the square.
"You almost forgot this." Ryoko tied a yellow scarf to Demetrie's arm, signifying him as one of the chosen. Demetrie shrugged and walked to take his place among the four other chosen, barely hearing Ryoko wishing him luck.
Demetrie in formation with four other young ones who have come of age .He recognized them all. At the far end was Azriel, a handsome boy with long blue hair and a stern face, as if duty came first before anything. Next to him was little Chiko, a boy with Brown hair and green eyes. Ever since he was young, he always dreamed of the day he would finally come of age, but for right now, he kept a neutral face to reflect on the enormity of the situation. Hiroko, Ryoko's older sister, stood proud with a serious look on her face. She had dark blue eyes and long black hair. Right after her was Yuri, a boy with short brown hair and brown eyes, and he looked extremely nervous but felt a tinge of excitement. He looked at Demetrie.
"Can you believe it? One of us is going to walk out of here the new El-" Hiroko had a look of frustration on her face and shoved her elbow into Yuri's stomach.
"Hush! Elder Karu approaches." All of them turned and bowed as an old man walked through the crowd of younglings to the chosen ones circle.
Elder Karu was hunched over his walking stick. The only hair on his body was his overly long white beard that hung from his chin with a knot tied at the end of it. His brown eyes sagged in their sockets, the once determined glow now a glassy dull iris. His navy-blue tunic sagged with each ragged breath he took, trembled with each laborious step he made. It's even a miracle this man still breathes. His time for rest was nigh.
He made it to the center of the square, and walked before the chosen ones.
"Young ones." He spoke, his voice strong despite his health.
"You stand upon the brink of the abyss. My time for reunion with our ancestors is at hand, but the task at hand is not finished. Our ancestors continued to be captured by the men of "civilization", who have nothing less than the planet under their feet as their goal. It is up to one of you five to lead our people as Elder and maintain the balance."
All of them nodded while the other younglings cheered.
Elder Karu turned to the crowd.
"Let the ceremony commence!"
He pulled out an old apricot ball and cranked it open, releasing a stream of light that took the form of a Pokemon. It was a Gardevior. The physic/plant type raised its slender arms and made a melodious cry that resounded through the forest. Soon a Pidgeot, a Persian, an Arcanine, and an Ivysaur appeared to join the ranks of the Gardevior.
"Bring forth the dyes of judgment!"
A young boy came up carrying two jars of paint, one red the other blue. The boy presented the paint to the Gardevior, bowed, and returned to the crowd.
"Chosen ones, step forward, and receive your destiny."
Chiko in a line, with Azriel up front, followed the chosen ones. Hiroko was behind him and behind her was Yuri. Demetrie was last.
"Step forward, and bear your soul to Yasuo and our ancestors."
Azriel stepped up first before the Gardevior bowed, and stood ready. The Gardevior closed its eyes and began to hum. It used its physic abilities to peer into his mind, judged him and stuck its slender arm in one of the urns of paint. It brought its hand down and made a paint mark on his forehead. It was blue. He was rejected. The Gardevior opened its eyes and made a quick cry. The Pidgeot then flew at him fast and pecked his right arm. He cringed a bit, but sighed in acceptance of his fate. Chiko was next. The Gardevior repeated the process and peered into his mind. It reached its arm into the paint jar and again marked him as blue. It cried again and the Arcanine ran up and bit him. Hiroko turn was next.
Ryoko watched intently and said a silent prayer for her sister. Hiroko solemnly approached the Gardevior and it begun to peer into her mind. It reached its hand into the pain urn and marked her forehead. It was blue. The Gardevior cried out, blocking out Ryoko's, and the Persian began to approach her. Hiroko simply held out her hand to the Persian, which walked up and bit into her arm.
Yuri was now nervous. He had heard that some ceremonies have had outcomes in which no new elder was chosen, and that the tribe was forced to die out in a mass ceremony of transformation. He hoped that didn't happen tonight. He was next.
The Gardevior put its hand into the urn. Yuri closed his eyes, not wanting to see what color it was. He felt the cold paint slap onto his forehead. He dared to glance at the Gardevior's hand. It was stained with blue. He heard the cry and saw that Ivysaur was heading towards him. He made a small yelp and made a run for it. The Ivysaur extended its vines and ensnared him making him trip. It then walked up and bit his leg.
"Surly a coward such as this has no right to lead." Said Elder Karu with a tone of disgust.
Demetrie walked up the Gardevior and bowed. He then kneeled before it. The Gardevior closed its eyes and peered into his mind. It reached into a paint jar and slapped his forehead. Ryoko looked away, not wanting to see if it was red or blue.
Demetrie still kneeled, his eyes still closed. He was anticipating the cry of the Gardevior, but it didn't come.
"We have a new Elder!" He heard Karu speak. He stood up and felt the paint on his head still wet. He brought his fingers to his forehead, and brought them down again to see them. The fingers had red paint on them. He was chosen. He had a smile of triumph, put his fist in the air, and gave a loud victory cry that the other younglings joined in. Elder Karu then walked up to Demetrie and gave him his walking stick, a gnarled tree limb. He then collapsed, but Demetrie walked and picked him up.
"Now young one…no…Elder, take…. Take me to my destiny…" His trembling hand gestured to the Gardevior, who was waiting for something. Demetrie understood and took Karu to the Gardevior. He reached out a trembling hand and the Gardevior bit it.
"It is done."
At that moment the moon shun it's highest and Midnight struck. The rejected ones began to convulse and some of them even screamed out loud as Yasou's gift, the virus, began its work. Ryoko buried her hands in her face, while the other younglings all cheered.
Azriel was on the ground in pain, his features tight with pain. His Hair began to grow longer and longer as it changed color from blue to red with an inner yellow streak, much like a Pidgeot's. His mouth and nose painfully pushed out and curved downward, becoming the beak. His body then began to sprout the feathers of a Pidgeot. His legs shrunk back into his body as he grew shorter, his toes blending together and three claws pushing out to form the feet, his big toe moving all the way to the back and becoming a claw. From his rear end pushed out three red feathers. His arms then began to bend and his fingers became feathers, turning his arms into wings. The new Pidgeot brushed off his tunic, gave out a triumphant cry as it flew off into the night sky.
At the same time, Chiko was on the ground in pain. Orange fur with black stripes appeared on his body with creamy yellow fluffs extending from his arms and legs. His nose and mouth merged and pushed out into a snout as his teeth sharpened. His small frame began to grow to the size of an Arcanine as a creamy bush tail sprouted through his tunic. His legs broke and reformed to the legs of an Arcanine, his hands fusing and becoming paws. His brown hair turned creamy and spiked up to the style that Arcanine had.
He barked and bounded off into the forest.
Hiroko grimaced in pain as her ears moved to the top of her head and became large and round. Creamy fur began to spread across her body in a wave as her spine extended and became a creamy tail. Her legs begun to shrink and she was unable to stand anymore. She landed on her hands as the fingers began merging into paws. Her black hair fell to the ground as a red gem formed in the center of her forehead. She cried a bit when six whiskers popped out of her face. Her nose became black and pushed out a bit, completing the transformation.
Yuri knew he was next and was frightened. A great pain was coming from his back as a huge pink bulb emerged from his back with a few fern leaves. His skin turned blue as his hair fell out.. His limbs began to shrink as his finger grew back into his hand and three claws poked out, the process repeating in his feet. His nose merged with his upper lip as two teeth poked out.
Elder Karu felt only moderate pain. The pain he was feeling now could not compare to the lifetime of suffering he endured. His skin turned a white color, green appearing on his head. His beard fell off as his nose shrunk back into his face. His arms grew slender and green as his bony fingers shrank into his arm, leaving a streamer-like appendage. His body began to grow thin as his skin from his side grew out a bit and formed the dress of a Gardevior. A red triangle jutted from his chest as his green head began to grow out more, forming itself into the hair of a Gardevior. His old eyes became young again as they grew big and turned a crimson color.
All the transformations were complete and the pokemon escaped into the wild, Karu joining up with the Gardevior to live a life together. All the young ones cheered for both Karu's passing and Demetrie's selection. Demetrie watched this all happen and saw Ryoko crying for her lost sister. Demetrie only noticed this and knew that someday she will join their ancestors. But for now, he was chosen as the new Elder and now has to lead all his people. The task at hand is not finished yet… Karu's last words still ringed in his head. He took the staff in his arm and stuck it in the air like a spear and gave a huge cry, signifying his defiance of civilized man.
I'll finish the task and save this world from its oppressors. With Yasuo at my side, I wont fail!
A/N Whew! Long chapter. I hope I did a real good job and that the long length didn't put you off. Please review! MEE-YAA!