Chapter 1
A new, golden opportunity!
The little Pokémon followed the three girls up into the next compartment. It was certainly much more fancy compared to the one both of them spend their ride in, but it didn't really matter to him. His trainers lap and the Pokéball were still the most comfortable places. As soon as the girls pushed open the door and were trough he used the momentum for himself, slipping trough the gateway at the last possible second.
Still unnoticed by the girls he watched them sit down in one of the group seats, having a discussion about the tournament all the while. The little fox hid behind one of the seats that was further away. He waited patiently until the familiar name was called again just to make sure this prank would surely work.
A slight giggle escaped his mouth once again, now he finally put his scheme into action. He jumped up into the air while disappearing into a ball of purple energy. After the blink of an eye a tall man in his late 20s stood in the room.. He looked rather fancy in his suit and with the styled hair.
The only thing off about the image was the small tail escaping his lower back. The tip of it was covered in red fur while the rest maintained the dark gray color pattern. The Pokémon sighed while thinking I somehow need to learn to transform my tail too. This is so annoying. Then he grinned mischievously, walking slowly over to the group.
As the transformed Pokémon passed the group they seemed rather surprised. Silence reigned for a second before they started to call out to him rather loud and clumsy: "You are Mr. Logan, aren't you?! We saw you on TV earlier!". The transformed trickster turned around, hiding his tail perfectly. He smiled and nodded in return as he faced the group. They ran over to him and squealed in excitement. They were talking all at the same time, asking him questions.
"Is it true your Magmortar defeated 3 Pokémon in a row?!" "Does your Milotic really have blue fur and golden scales on it's tail?!" "Is your Arcanine really as tall as your shoulder height?!". They were asking so many questions at once but the man always answered with a simple nod. The girls didn't seem to notice though.
A few seconds later the man grabbed one of the girls by the hips, pulling her closer while giving her his best smile. The camouflaged fox didn't have to do much more for his plan to unfold. One of the girls exclaimed: "Hey, I shouted out to him!" while looking at her friend who just got lover-hugged. "But he hugged me instead!" she replied, starring at her friend with a fierce rage.
Back in 2nd Class a boy slowly opened his eyes. He reached for his can of Soda in a tiresome manner but was disappointed soon after when he felt that it was empty. With a tired grunt he reached up to his dark shoulder bag, only to notice something strange. It was open. He looked up, then back down again. A single Pokéball was resting on the empty seat next to him. He extended his hand, covered in dark blue gloves without cloth above his thumb and index finger. His grip on the ball was firm. Right after grabbing it he held it in front of him. It was only a few inches away from his face. He turned it up and down as if he was trying to make out who this Pokèball belonged to. Suddenly it clicked open, revealing nothing but an empty space.
Tired from his earlier nap it took him a second to comprehend what had happened. His eyes suddenly snapped open, his lips forming a silent: "Damn!" as he jumped up. The Pokéball was thrown into his bag right before he threw the bag over his shoulder and closed it. He whispered: "If Zorua is pulling pranks again, he'll hear a speech he won't forget so soon.", his voice filled with an annoyed undertone.
The young man stormed trough the corridor, arriving in front of the 1st Class door. Opening it hastily he made his way into the new compartment and scanned the room with his eyes.
A few feet away, approx. in the middle of the wagon some girls were fighting. Apparently they were having an argument over a man. But not any man...he knew that man very well. Well enough to know he couldn't be here! It was impossible. "There you are you little troublemaker!" he exclaimed through the compartment as he walked straight to the group with an annoyed face.
Zorua watched the boy approach. His face suddenly turned pale, his eyes widening in horror. A single sweat-drop was forming on his forehead before it ran down his left cheek. The girls turned around to face the boy, greeting him with a glance of annoyance and rage. "What do you want?! Can't you see we are busy over here!" they shouted as they continued discussing the fate of the man in question.
The boy replied quickly: "So, you're fighting over Mr. Logan?". The girls nodded in perfect union followed by a new witty and cheeky remark: "Ah, I see. Well, since when does Mr. Logan have a tail sticking out his back?". The girls each raised an eyebrow as they glanced over to the man in question. They looked at Mr. Logan in confusion as they started to visibly scan his body. One of the girls suddenly exclaimed in a rather surprised and shocked manner: "There really is a tail! Why does he have a tail?!".
"I can answer that. This..." the boy stated, quickly grabbing the tail. "...is a Pokémon. A Pokémon which can't stand the sensation of his tail getting touched. So...3...2...1...". All the while the man was making a strange face. It seemed he didn't like the sensation after all. As soon as the boy had counted down an intense purple light struck the room once again. Just a moment later the man was gone. His place took a small fox which was held up in mid air by the hand that was wrapped around its tail.
The girls started to switch glances between the fox and the boy. It seemed like a strange incident. The young trainer started a monologue with his Pokémon. "Hey partner. Decided to go for a stroll?" the boy asked. Zorua answered with a grin. But it wasn't an amused grin or an apologizing gesture. It was a grin telling the whole world: Damn...I'm screwed! "What did I tell you about those little pranks? They didn't make my life easier in Kalos and they certainly won't do so in Johto either!". Zorua giggled, explaining for himself in his own mind: Hey, I'm the tricky fox Pokémon! My whole kind would be ashamed for me if I stopped poking my nose into other peoples business! . Zorua giggled once again, but this time much louder. Besides, this is fun!
"Yes, just continue to giggle at me!", the boy said. He said it in a jokingly manner, but he didn't seem seriously angry. Zorua was his long time partner, his first Pokémon and a good friend. And to tell the truth sometimes his pranks were rather funny. "Sorry for this..." the boy apologized as he faced the three girls while putting Zorua down on the backrest of a seat. "... inconvenience. He's a tricky little one.".
Silence reigned in the room for a few seconds, followed by a horde of three girls storming towards Zorua. They started to pet the little fox and said: "Oh, he's so cute! I can't be mad at him.", apparently completely forgetting the prank he pulled. Zorua smiled in a content manner while looking at his trainer. He couldn't talk but his eyes said everything. I'm cute, just deal with that! The trainer folded his arms in annoyance. "Pff. Won't save you every time." the boy said.
One of the girls turned to the pouting trainer. She opened her mouth and asked: "By the way, what's your name?". "Dylan. Nice to meet you." he answered, extending his hand for a handshake. The girl grabbed his hand and shook it in a friendly manner, smiling at him. "My name is Alice. Nice to meet you. So, you're new to being a trainer? A little bit old for that, aren't we?". She grinned at him, earning a slight blush from Dylan. "I'm just 15. Nah, I already participated in the Kalos Tournament. The two of us just decided to begin again in Johto after we didn't win in Kalos."
"Wait...yes, I remember. You lost in the quarter-final round. Against...what Pokémon was it?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Dylan seemed a bit confused himself as he started to ponder. "Ugh, what was it again? I think it was a Blastoise. Was it?". Asking the last thing he turned to his partner on the backrest. Zorua was apparently still enjoying getting petted by the other two girls. "Why am I asking Zorua anyway? He's busy.".
Zorua heard his remark, stretching himself once again while being touched by the girls. I have no idea what it was. I only know your orders were kind of odd back then. He had this monologue in his mind once again, grinning all the while. Neither Dylan nor Zorua noticed the young boy who entered the compartment through one of the doors on the other side of the room. He seemed to be shocked as he saw Dylan exchanging handshakes with Alice.
"Anyway, why don't we si-" Dylan started only to be interrupted by a shout from across the compartment.
"Vanilluxe, use Ice Beam!". A Pokéball snapped open with a loud click, revealing an energy beam which materialized into a floating pile of ice. The two headed Pokémon turned around and formed a light blue ball of energy in front of his two faces before shooting a beam of energy towards Zorua and Dylan.
Dylan was able to dodge the beam by an inch, but it hit Zorua right into his torso. The impacts energy send Zorua flying trough the air across the room. Zoruas expression wasn't one of pain. The little fox just seemed rather surprised that he was now a flying Pokémon. Something had just hit him and send him flying. Shaking his head to get rid of the confusion he landed on his small legs atop another backrest.
"Bruce, are you crazy?!" Alice shouted at the boy who gave the order only to be interrupted by Dylan. "Zorua, Shadow Ball!".
As if I didn't know! Zorua complained to himself before forming a ball of dark purple energy, hurling it towards the ice-type Pokémon.
The attack hit Vanilluxe right into his left face, sending the Pokémon flying trough the air after creating a small explosion upon collision.
"Bruce, stop this nonsense!" Alice shouted once again to the boy, seemingly in vain again.
"You flirt with my girlfriend?!" the angry boy shouted at Dylan who had tensed his body into a battle stance. "I did no such thing! Are you crazy?!" Dylan answered, seemingly still caught off-guard by the boys sudden assault. Dylans legs were some distance apart and his fists were clenched. His knuckles were visible underneath the cloth of his gloves. Every muscle inside his body was tense. It was seemingly a natural reflex for the young trainer to assume his battle stance. But in his mind he knew very well that he didn't want to fight here.
The angry teenager started his attacks once again, ordering his Vanilluxe to use Icicle Spear. This time however his Pokémon was interrupted by an onslaught of fire from behind. The small orange colored balls hit the floating Pokémon right into its back. A single Charmeleon was standing next to Alice letting out a growl of excitement. Vanilluxe was out cold on one of the seats.
A very angry person entered the crowd. He was wearing a dark uniform and it didn't took long to figure out that he was part of the train company this train belonged to.
A few minutes later both boys were sitting on their seats with the girls next to them. Zorua was on his trainers lap, Vanilluxe was back inside his Pokéball.
"Are you two guys idiots? This is a train, not a Gym! I should get you arrested!" the train security angrily explained, pointing fingers at the two boys. At least they seemed a bit guilty now.
After giving the boys one last fearsome glance the train security went its way.
Seconds later Bruce spoke up. "Sorry for attacking you. Alice explained it to me. You...weren't doing anything.". Dylan couldn't help but laugh at this explanation. "Of course I didn't. How did you get that idea?". The boy who was aggressive and hostile just a few minutes ago now seemed calm, ashamed even. "You know, I've got kind of a short fuse. I just thought..." he explained while fiddling with his shirt. Alice seemed rather pissed by her boyfriend and interrupted his speech halfway through. "Yes, you thought wrong.". She pouted her cheeks in playful disagreement.
Dylan was grinning all the while. He seemed rather amused by the whole situation. Zorua was equally amused by all of this. Both their expressions were one of true enjoyment. After they looked at each other and displayed their counterpart a wide grin Dylan spoke up: "Alright, Bruce. Peace?". The young trainer extended his hand. Bruce was taken by surprise for a moment. Just seconds later he began to smile too. Apparently he wasn't opposed to the idea of peace. "Alright!" he finally replied as he took Dylans hand.
"So, your Zorua isn't native to Johto or Kanto ... what are you doing here?" Alice asked just a moment after her boyfriend and the new acquaintance made peace.
"After my defeat in the Kalos Tournament I decided to give all my Pokémon except Zorua to my parents back at home and go to Johto. New tournament to win and new Pokémon to catch." the young trainer explained as Bruce and Alice were listening. "And that little guy is your Partner?" Bruce asked while pointing towards the little fox. Dylan smiled as he started to answer: "Yes, this is Zorua. Tricky little fox.". Bruce seemed aware of Zoruas nature as his only response to Dylans remark was a slight grin on his face.
"Ah, it's starting!" shouted the girl next to Dylan before taking out a small laptop. She placed it on the small table close to the window and opened it with a quick gesture of her hand. The screen came to life almost instantly, displaying a Pidgeot holding an old-fashioned letter. "What's starting?" Dylan asked, seemingly caught off-guard by the device. "The reports of the Goldenrod City Pokémon Contest. The contest is going to start tomorrow noon. They're starting to interview coordinators now." the laptops owner explained while all were watching as the screen filled with color.
"Good day to all our dear Followers. I'm reporting directly from Goldenrod City's famous contest hall. Tomorrow noon many Coordinators will gather here for this city's famous Contest.". The middle aged woman didn't stop smiling for even a second as she made her way through the people standing in the entrance hall of a very large building.
"Hm, tomorrow in Goldenrod City? How about we go and see this?" Dylan asked his partner. The little fox was standing on the table and was watching the show. Fine by me! the fox thought while giggling to himself. "I take that as a yes." the boy said before leaning back into his seat. He folded his arms and watched the show.
"Let's ask some of the attending coordinators for their opinion!" the reporter decided, moving over to a young girl in the crowd that was forming a line in front of the registration desk. The reporter picked a young girl from the line and pulled her a few inches to the camera. The bluenette seemed rather surprised. "Pidgeot News, good day to you. What do you think about tomorrows contest? Are you thrilled?". She extended the microphone to the girl, almost pushing it into her face.
"Well, to be honest this isn't my first contest. I guess I'll...you know...go with the flow and do my best.". The girl with the blue hair raised one of her hands in defense while holding the small blue bird with the other. "Piplup!" the little bird exclaimed.
Bruce gestured Dylan to come closer. The trainer did as he was told and moved closer to the other guys face. "She's cute, isn't she?!" Bruce asked with a grin. "You're caught between a rock and a hard place and you're still scratching at the ice you're standing on. Should I respect you, or call you an idiot?" Dylan explained. The young trainer went back to resting his back on his seats backrest as he relaxed once again. "Yes, you're right though." he said a few seconds later before grinning slightly. He knew what was going to happen and he was looking forward to it. "You're right with what?!" Alice asked, looking to Dylan before starring at her boyfriend. "Nothing!" Bruce replied while raising his hands in a suspicious defensive gesture.
Zorua couldn't control himself. He started to laugh wholeheartedly, rolling over while moving his tiny legs uncontrollably. This is so good! I...can't...stop laughing! Good work Dylan! the little fox said in his mind, looking at his trainer with a gaze of admiration and appreciation. In the meantime the blue-haired girl vanished from the video.
The compartments speakers came to life with a beeping sound, followed by a young mans voice. "Dear Passengers, we're approaching Goldenrod City. We'll arrive in two minutes. Please leave the train and don't forget your luggage or your Pokéballs. On behalf of our company I hope you have a peaceful and relaxing time in Goldenrod City!".
The young group of trainers stood up and took their bags from the storage space above their seats. They quickly threw them around their shoulders as they got ready to exit the train. Zorua went ahead and jumped onto his trainers shoulders, just to be quickly interrupted by Alice. The young girl explained with a smile: "Sorry little fox, but the train station is off limits. Only Machamp allowed there to help with the luggage.".
Zorua was obviously annoyed, but he seemed rather amused at the same time. A slight smile appeared on his face as the small fox heard her comment. After a few seconds he started to giggle, he was obviously in on a joke Alice didn't understand.
Dylan shot a glance to the Pokémon on his shoulder while he started to smile too. "Zorua, why don't you transform into something human?". The gray fox looked at his trainer in approval, he seemed to like the idea. The tricky fox checked the room, he wanted to make sure nobody saw his little act of deception. After he made sure the group wasn't watched by anyone, he finally jumped off from his trainers left shoulder. He started to spin in mid-air, creating a purple ball of energy in the process. Alice, Bruce and the others covered their eyes for a second but Dylan was apparently used to this little display of power.
After the intense light vanished the group was again able to look at the little fox. Much to their surprise there was no fox inside the room. But there were two identical people. Two boys...two Dylans!
"What...what's that supposed to mean?!" Bruce asked the two boys, he was obviously a little bit shocked. Both Dylan and the transformed Zorua smiled at the other trainers clueless attitude. "Alice told you, didn't she? Zorua can transform into people as well.". While Dylan was explaining his partners ability Bruce tried to comprehend what was happening. His girlfriend was just as amused as Dylan and Zorua, she playfully hit her boyfriend on the shoulder. "Tricky little fox, isn't that right? Come on Bruce, let's go.". Bruce looked at his girlfriend in surprise. "Uh...okay...but...wait, what?".
As the young trainers were discussing Zoruas sudden display of mischievous ability the little fox was looking at his transformed body curiosly. As he turned his body slightly he noticed the thing that bothered him whenever he transformed: His tail. He sighed in annoyance as he tried to cover it up. Alice seemed to notice his rather unsuccessful attempts, she couldn't help but grin at the disguised fox. "Zorua, wait a second." she said, gesturing him to wait. She took one of her friends bags and placed it around the tricksters shoulders. It was a brown leather shoulder bag, uni-sex in design. After Zorua moved it a few inches it covered up his tail perfectly by squeezing it between his back and the bag. Perfect! the trickster thought as he grinned towards Alice. The young girl answered his grin with one of her own. "You're welcome, trickster!".
The sound of a young mans voice echoed through the compartment once again, signalizing every passenger to get out of the train. The group of young trainers eagerly walked to the trains doors which slid open just as the trainers stood in front of it.
"Welcome to Goldenrod city!" said a young woman on the giant screen inside the train station. The station was huge, it was filled out by warm sunlight which fell into the room trough the ceiling, which was made completely out of glass. People were walking all over the place as they eagerly tended to their business. Some Machamp were helping with the cargo at the trains other end.
"This is Johto! Zorua, we're finally here!" Dylan said to his partner. The aspiring Masters mind was filled only with excitement. The transformed trickster, who was also marveling the sight of the station looked at his trainer. He grinned, it seemed he was also caught by the moment and was excited.
"Alright, let's head outside!" Dylan shouted as he started to run through the station. He was holding his shoulder bag so it wouldn't move around and hit other people. Zorua didn't answer with words, he rather started to run in his own, very strange way. "Guys, slow down!" Bruce shouted as he tried to follow his new friends. Alice and her friends took their small bags and tried to catch the three troublemakers.
After they checked in with the authorities they were finally allowed to exit the station. It was quite a hassle to convince the authorities Dylan and Zorua were twins. Dylan was the first one to step outside. His expectations were high, he was not disappointed.
A new scenery rose up in front of him. Skyscrapers with advertisement were filling the cities. It was almost as if Dylan was watching a huge forest made out of pure metal and glass. People were walking and running all over the place. The plaza they were standing on was huge, it was paved with light red stone. A big fountain was shooting incredibly beautiful drops of water into the fading evening light.
"Goldenrod City! It's...incredible!" Dylan marveled. He moved his hand up to his eyes, trying to block out the sunlight and see some Pokémon. Although he tried hard, it seemed his attempts were in vain.
"But, where are...the Pokémon?" he asked Alice. The girl couldn't help but to laugh long and loud. "Dylan, this is a big city. You'll find them at night or in the dark alleys. You're almost like a little boy at Christmas! Young boys can't wait for their presents!". The whole group, even the trickster couldn't help but laugh when Alice dropped her comment. Dylans face went bright red, in truth he knew very well how he must have looked when he dropped his last question.
"Dylan, where will you stay for the night?" Bruce asked as he approached the other boy. "I'm staying at the Pokémon Center. I've reserved a room for myself before I boarded the train." the other boy explained as he started to walk down a crowded street. A red roof with a Pokéball was visible in the distance, apparently it was the Pokémon Center Dylan was staying at for the night. "Where will you be staying?" Dylan asked the group. One of Alice close friends answered Dylan, it was the first thing he heard from her in a while: "We're staying at a hotel on the promenade. It's about 20 minutes away from the Center. I guess we can walk you there.".
Finally able to drop his disguise Zorua handed the bag that was covering up his tail back to Alice. Just seconds later he vanished into the purple beam of energy from before moments before he emerged as the small and cute fox again. Ah, finally! he exclaimed happily in his own mind. His partner stared at Zorua for the whole transformation.
As the process finally came to an end he asked: "Hm Partner, tired of being human?". Zorua looked at his trainer before a cheeky remark came into the young tricksters mind: Hey, I've got to show the whole of Johto how awesome of a Pokémon I am! His trainer seemed to understand just fine and shot a cheeky comment right back to his Pokémon: "Let's show them how awesome of a team we are...Partner!". Zorua jumped onto his trainers shoulder and displayed his happiest and honest smile. Sure thing, Partner!
Alice was the first to spot the Pokémon Center as the group was slowly making its way through the crowded streets. As the group approached its entrance Bruce raised his voice once again. "So, when is the rematch?" he asked, his gaze was fixed on Dylan. Both Zorua and Dylan looked at Bruce in confusion.
"The rematch?" Dylan asked just to make sure. The other young boy answered his question without even hesitating for a second: "Vanilluxe against Zorua! We've got to finish this!".
Finally Dylan understood, his face getting a somewhat competitive expression. "Alright! Tomorrow at noon. In front of the Contest hall?". Dylan spoke in a diplomatic manner, but he was sure Bruce would agree.
Bruce pondered for a second before he gave a cheerful nod. "Okay! But don't forget it!" the young trainer warned his new rival and Zorua alike. Both shot their most competitive grin at Bruce, moments before saying: "And you don't dare to turn tail!".
Dylan turned to Alice and her two female friends. "Alright, this is the Pokémon Center. I guess we'll see each other tomorrow?". The females nodded in agreement just moments before Dylan turned towards his new friend: "Bruce, see you tomorrow. Get some rest, will you? I want you at full strength!". The boys exchanged a handshake before Dylan went into the Pokémon Center with Zorua stationed on his shoulder.
He approached the counter and gave the red-haired nurse his trainer pass and reservation details. The nurse quickly checked her computer, apparently Dylan had reserved a room with one bed and that was exactly what Dylan got. After confirming his reservation he walked up the stairs to the second floor, his Pokémon finally started to cut him some slack and walk on his own. Zorua wasn't big but having him on your shoulder at all times surely was a tiresome thing.
"We're here." Dylan said as he approached one of the many doors inside the long hallway.
It took Dylan only seconds to open the door to his room with the key nurse Joy gave him. The lock opened with a loud click. Just a second later Dylan pushed open the door and stepped inside, Zorua following him closely.
The room was dark, not much light entered trough the closed curtains. A single bed was standing inside the room next to a small desk with a lamp and a small bottle of water on the desk. Dylan didn't bother to switch on the light before he threw his shoulder bag onto the floor right next to the bed. He kicked away his boots just a few moments before he opened his red-white vest and threw it right on top of his shoulder bag. His trousers slid down in mere seconds and were tossed onto the vest just as carelessly. The only thing he neatly placed on the desk was Zoruas polished Pokéball but Dylan knew very well that Zorua wouldn't use the ball.
Dylan threw himself on the bed, which started to crack slightly just as his weight hit the mattress. A sigh escaped his lips as he relaxed. Only now Zorua began to make himself comfortable on the bed . The little fox moved in circles around himself before he curled himself up next to Dylans torso. The Pokémon yawned as a sleepy expression took over on his face. Meanwhile the last rays of light had vanished from behind the curtains, leaving the room in near perfect darkness.
"I think tomorrow will be a great day for a new beginning. Don't you think so too?". His gaze went down to his partner, but Zorua was already asleep. His little body was curled up to a small ball of fur as his torso slightly moved whenever he inhaled. The young boy couldn't help but smile happily.
Dylan moved one of his arms around his small companion just seconds before he dozed of himself. The tricky fox seemed comfortable enough, cuddling himself up to Dylans arm in blissful slumber.
End of Chapter I
Did you like the first Chapter of my FanFiction? It certainly did not turn out as good as I wanted it to be. You know, you can never shut up your inner critic. There's always this whispering voice in your head: "It's full of mistakes!" and "The sentences are not interesting enough!". I decided to tie him up in a dark corner and post it anyway. Let's hope he doesn't cut the ropes on his wrists and deletes it!
I'm planning on Chapter II already! For some more of Zoruas mischievous attempts, Dylans first Johto fight and a complete adventure in Goldenrod City: Stay up to date!
Review/Comment and Fav if you liked it. I'm looking forward to your comments! You're my readers and it's an authors most valued compliment if his stories are read and are liked by people! So, let me know what you think!
Until next time! Zorua, back into your Pokéball!