"Pokemon" Speaking

("Pokemon Emphasis")

"Human" Speaking

Hello again~! I thank you all for actually visiting and reading my chapter! I was so excited at seeing the amount of people who actually read, favorite, reviewed, and followed my story! Oh yeah, and in case you guys want to see the newly altered Toshiro/Glaceon, if you haven't already done so, look at the picture that I uploaded for this story on the top left corner next to my name~! Here are the review answers:

Ice Night: -sweat drops- Heh, gee, I don't exactly know how to respond to that. XD A simple answer threw me off, I think my brain's gone wacky. But never mind that, thank you for the review~!

SoulreaperRukia1: ^o^ Thank you! I also always imagined him as a Glaceon… but for the Articuno part...you'll see what I have in store. -Grins mischievously- But thank you for the awesome review!

Guest: Heh, I've always wanted to read something like this too! But, I guess I got a little impatient and wanted to get my ideas out of my crammed up brain. Also, I already picked Ichigo's Pokemon character. Though I know that I'll add the Umbreon for something –grins- but thanks for the suggestion and thanks for the awesome review, mysterious person~! XD

Energy-the-hedgehog: Yay! Thanks for your comment! I have to say, though, I think that this story is better than my others X)!

Disclaimer: Bleach and Pokemon are not owned by ShiraChan-Desu? Why do I even bother creating a name that I have to keep typing a second time to get it correct? O.O

Chapter 2

He didn't understand anything - not a single bit.

Actually, he understood that those humans were fascinated with him, but what he didn't understand was why they chose to throw red and white balls at him, probably in hopes of it hitting him.

He didn't even understand how those mechanisms worked - he saw one of the humans take out one of those red and white balls, threw it up in the air to which it opened, and a white beam appeared. Once it formed completely about a few seconds later, the features arranged themselves and there in all its glory was another one of those strange creatures.

But it was only the beginning. He could've sworn that every time he encountered one of those creatures, it talked. And worst of all, they were able to use foreign, but powerful attacks that he never knew such a creature would possess. At least some were pretty weak. Many of the attacks caught him by surprise, though, hence his fatigued and wounded body.

For a few days, he wandered the unknown region, until he felt like his newly altered body couldn't take the strain anymore. His injuries were healing, but the effort was taking its toll on his available energy. Every now and then, he came across a body of water to drink from, as well as a bush full of edible berries to help sate his hunger. But there was never enough to be satisfying.

But soon, he found out, his salvation had found him. He didn't know what came over him, but once he caught the sweet aroma of a newly made meal using his newly sharp sense of smell, he immediately started towards it.

He came closer and closer to his destination, but to his horror, he realized that the source of the aroma was actually quite farther out than he expected. He weighed his options: he could walk away and continue to be on his own, or he could confront them, steal a bit of food, and then leave. It was quite the bargain. If he were to ignore them, he may lose a great opportunity in gaining a good meal, as well as other items that may help his situation. But if he were to go to them, they may try to capture him and prevent the freedom he needs.

However...there was also the chance that they might even be relatively helpful in helping him get the answers he needed. Almost every single creature he had met in the past was hostile - whether it was because of the humans ordering it to attack him or because of his strange features - even by their standards. He didn't really think that his form fit in with the landscape of a forest. But the human - or humans, he could sense, along with their large amount of creatures ranging from weak to relatively powerful in reiatsu, may actually -

He was broken out of his musings when, out of nowhere, a brown bird with red wings and narrowed eyes flew straight toward him out a nearby tree, squawking loudly. He quickly ducked, causing the bird to miss by a few inches. But it didn't stop trying to attack. Instead, it suspended itself in the air about a couple meters up before flapping its wings almost frantically and produced a harsh wind that threatened to take him off his feet.

He winced as the wind pushed and pressed against his injuries and he ran forward, unknowingly towards the direction of the very humans he had been contemplating going towards. Another bird came out of the tree as he passed by and it flew towards him sharply, wings tucked in and beak pointed out. Once again he dodged, but the other bird came out of nowhere and headbutted him as he did so.

With a cry, he was thrown towards a tree and collided harshly against the bark. The attack, as well as the impact, added more pain to the injuries he had already sustained. The birds went for another dive. He lifted his head, watching as they came, and by pure instinct, gathered his power in his open mouth and let loose a barrage of icicles.

The birds squawked loudly and dodged to avoid, allowing Toshiro the time to get up. Again and again, he attacked, the effort starting to cause his eyes to blur from the energy it required. As he attacked, he stumbled farther away, but the birds didn't seem to want to leave the tree's side. Perhaps they had only attacked because they had thought that he had paused to prepare to attack them.

Nevertheless, he was glad he was able to get away. He didn't want to hurt these blatantly alive creatures. He killed the dead. He doesn't kill the living. No matter how much they attack him, it didn't escape his notice that it was either out of orders or it was of self-defense.

He didn't know how long he had ran until he started walking. Much less how long it took for him to notice the black dots that were slowly entering his vision, the trembling of his muscles from exertion, and the growing hunger eating away at his stomach. By the time he noticed, he was doomed. The pain hit him at full force once he became aware of his body once again and as he stumbled out of the growth, his legs buckled down and he succumbed into the darkness, a distant gasp echoing in his mind before all went silent.

~ o ~

Next thing he knew, he woke up, feeling the best he has had for the past few days. He didn't give any indication that he woke up, though. He let his senses take over to search his new whereabouts. Toshiro felt a cotton-like blanket of some kind ruffling and enfolding his diminutive body along with an average reiatsu signature warming his body closely next to him - too close for comfort. He also sensed about ten different reiatsu, alive and active, especially since their loudness was making his ears pound. Four of the reiatsu, however, he could sense were human whose reiatsu were rather high. The others, he noted, were quite similar to those he saw when he was being 'hunted' or attacked.

All this was connected to one fact: he had found the source of the aroma...and the human causes of that source.

And then suddenly, he jolted up, eyes flashing open when a wet substance licked his cheek. Toshiro sharply glanced down, and stared in shock as an innocent, little foxlike creature smiled up at him, wagging its tail side-to-side slowly. It opened its mouth-

"Hi!" It said with a cheeky smile.

He stared. He wasn't exactly sure that he would get used to animals talking, but he sure would make an effort to get rid of it. "Hi," Toshiro finally answered when he remembered the mini-fox who was expecting an answer.

Back at the opposite side of the clearing, all four human travelers watched the small interaction between May's Eevee and the mysterious Glaceon that they couldn't exactly follow.

"It seems it's not that used to being with other Pokemon either," Max observed, stating what was running through everyone's minds.

They had watched the Glaceon until Eevee licked the Glaceon to wake it up (the Pokemon had continuously muttered what they presumed was its own name, as it was the case for almost every single Pokemon on the planet). It seemed it worked, but when the Glaceon awoke fully and stared at Eevee, even from a distance they could see the alert and wariness when it gazed upon Eevee flash through its bright, teal eyes. They heard Eevee say something to the other Pokemon, and it just stared at Eevee for a very long moment. It seemed to break out of whatever trance it was in and finally responded to the questioning Eevee.

As for Toshiro, he noticed that he was easily able to understand the other beings, but he figured it wasn't the same for the humans. Speaking of the humans, he surveyed the area, seeing the other creatures actively chasing each other (or lounging for some), until he pinpointed his targets at the other side of the clearing. Three humans sat on a small picnic table surrounded by fresh-cooked breakfast. Another was crouching on the ground, pouring a type of food into bowls that looks like it's made for cats and dogs. One thing they shared in common - they were all staring at him.

The group continued to watch the strange Pokemon. That is, until it stopped paying attention to Eevee and looked around, its line of sight stopping at the spot where they sat/crouched. They began to feel uneasy under the scrutinizing gaze of the Pokemon, but Ash and Brock held their ground. Max and May had looked away, especially once the gaze turned into a cold glare.

"Hey, are you hungry?" Brock asked the transformed captain, breaking the tense silence. Said Pokemon broke off from its silent staring contest with a determined Ash and looked at the friendly Pokemon Breeder. Glaceon cocked its head slightly as it stared at the bowl of Pokemon food Brock set down on the ground. Tentatively, it took one step at a time, all the while glancing from Brock to the bowl of food, then back again. After several long minutes, it finally reached its target and focused its full attention onto the bowl of food. Glaceon leaned in, sniffed the Pokemon nutrition, and tentatively took a bite out of a piece.

Toshiro felt them staring at him, but he paid them no mind. After having a taste test and realizing that it was actually pretty decent, he ate the rest much faster albeit one at a time and cautious not to make a mess. Once he was finished, he closed his eyes and savored the taste while a small smile floated into the surface. He opened his eyes in shock as a hand made its way to the top of his diminutive head. He was about to pull away until that hand reached a certain spot and started scratching it. Unwillingly, he leaned into the touch, his now feline side giving in to the sensations.

A smile broke across their faces when they saw how the Pokemon was reacting to Brock's care - most especially May. The longer May saw the gorgeous Pokemon, the more she wanted to keep it; which was what blindly led her to confronting the happy Pokemon and stroking its back. It was a bad mistake.

Toshiro instantly froze as he felt another hand stroking his back. He didn't know exactly how it happened, but the next thing he knew, the intruding hand instantly retreated. He turned his head so that he could see the person, and saw that it was the only girl in the group. She was waving her hand around yelling that her hand was hurting.

He turned his attention back to the tallest of the group, who was crouched in front of him, his hands settled on his knees when he laughed shortly and spoke. "Looks like it's still not up to trusting you yet, May."

He turned back to the girl, now identified as May. "Yeah, well, I thought that it was already starting to trust humans because it allowed you to pet it," she said with a frown, cradling her hand. "What was that anyway? It's fur was soft but then it became sharp like needles!"

Brock smiled, looking down at the confused Pokemon. "It's probably a defense mechanism," he theorized, recalling how it had tensed immediately at May's contact.

"That's so cool," Ash commented, grinning. "I can't wait to see what other awesome things it's capable of!"

Brock saw the Pokemon stiffen. "I suggest you let him take his time to trust you before you decide to actually befriend him," he said, trying to ease the Pokemon. But he was wrong about the cause of the Glaceon's reaction. Quite frankly, it was nowhere near what he had thought.

Something was tickling the edges of the shinigami's awareness. It was irritating, but it felt too important for Toshiro to just wave off. And the moment he latched onto it, the moment he realized it was a good thing it had caught his attention. His head lifted and he sprang up and bounded off with a purposeful intent, ignoring the fact that a couple of the humans had fallen over in surprise from his sudden action.

It took a while before the group recovered, looking at each other with concern.

"Max, you stay here with some of the Pokemon to watch over our stuff," Ash said, getting up from falling over. "May, Brock, and I will follow Glaceon."

Toshiro knew this reiatsu. At first, he had thought that he had imagined feeling the reiatsu for a brief moment while he was in that unknown place he had woken up in after the hollow attack, but it was obvious that wasn't the case. And from the way his reiatsu was fluctuating, it seems like he was fighting something...or someone. He ran, dodging branches and jumping over bushes, all the while spreading his senses, knowing that he was being chased.

Why did they have to be so stubborn? He didn't need to be caught in their affairs just because he was transformed into something new. He ran for a few more minutes before he was close enough to hear the fight. Up ahead, he could see sand swirling around, along with a few bursts of fire through the trees. He ran until he practically became a blur, his four feet softly padding across the ground (he had gotten used to running on four feet over time. He was surprised, in the least, that he was able to run faster using his improved form, though not as fast as shunpo).

He jumped and broke through the trees. Midair, he was able to see a creature that seemed like a cross between a lion and a huge dog, poised and ready to lunge when need be. He was facing an opponent that looked like a giant insect-like creature that resembled a green dragonfly. Not too far from it was a boy with emerald hair, about the same age as the female in the group that was chasing him, who was guiding the bug-like creature in attacking the opponent.

All three looked up when the intruder broke through the trees and skidded on the ground - right in the middle of their battle. "What is that?" Drew questioned, emerald eyes blinking in confusion at the new-looking Pokemon.

The captain ignored the pair on the other side of the field in favor of setting his attention solely on the one before him. "Kurosaki!" Toshiro called to the confused Arcanine.

The Arcanine stared at him for a few moments before cocking its head slightly. "Toshiro?" The Arcanine, now identified as Kurosaki, realized.

Toshiro growled. "It's Hitsugaya-Taicho to you, Kurosaki," Toshiro grinded out.

The Arcanine blinked. "Wait a minute," he said, almost disbelievingly. "You're here too? How the hell did you get here? And how did you find me?"

Toshiro sighed aggravatingly. "Stop asking so many questions at once," he snapped. "But to answer - how else would I be talking to you right now; the same way as you; and it wasn't really that hard. No matter where you are, you always sit out like a beacon."

"Hey! I take offense to that!"

"But anyway," Toshiro continued, ignoring the protest, "What are you doing, fighting the human and his Pokemon?"

Kurosaki huffed. "I didn't start it, if that's what you mean. I was just trying to figure out where the hell I was when they-" he nodded at the pair on the other side of the clearing, "attacked me."

Toshiro eyed the bug/dragon and its human leader before looking back at him. "If my past encounters are correct, they wanted to capture you."

"Capture?" Kurosaki repeated, bewildered. "Why would they want to capture me? What's the point of capturing us in the first place?"

"I'm trying to figure that out."

It was then that Toshiro noticed just how injured and exhausted Kurosaki was. His front legs were starting to tremble faintly and his breathing seemed to be a bit ragged. How did he not notice until now? "How long have you been out here?" Toshiro questioned.

"Er, a couple of days, give or take. Possibly three."

The boy on the other side of the field muttered something to himself, catching their attention. He looked up at the Pokemon and lifted his hand to them so that it pointed in their direction, palm side-down. "Flygon, use-"

"Drew, stop!"

All four looked towards the direction of the new intruders. The girl was the one who called out; her friends and Pokemon standing next to her- though some seemed beat. "Don't hurt them!" she said.

"What?" Drew said, once again caught off guard. He looked from May and her group to the two rare Pokemon and back again. "Don't tell me that you actually own those Pokemon?" His face spoke of utter disbelief.

"Uh, well, they're not really ours." Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "We were just helping Glaceon out because it was hurt when we saw it."

"...Glaceon?" Drew said, looking at said Pokemon. "That's what it's called?"

"Yeah, it was hurt badly so Brock helped patch him up," May said, concern clear in her eyes. "He really shouldn't be moving around so much right now. And I bet it would make it even worse if it were to fight right now, too."

Drew stared at her for a long minute before sighing. "Fine. But I wasn't exactly planning on capturing Glaceon at first. I was trying to capture Arcanine."

"I don't think that's a good idea, either."

Everyone turned to look at Brock in surprise, but he seemed to be only staring at the Pokemon. He, however, continued to elaborate. "Arcanine and Glaceon seem to know each other really well. Even with us, I don't think that Glaceon interacted this much." He finally turned to look at all of them. "And I don't think that Glaceon would really appreciate it if someone wanted to attack and capture his friend."

"...So I guess that means that Arcanine is ruled out as well?" Drew stated more than asked blandly.

"Basically."

They all smiled when Drew groaned and slapped a palm to his face. "I'm starting to wonder if you guys will always be near whenever I try to capture an Arcanine."

"Probably," they chorused, making Drew half-heartedly glare at them.

Just then, a loud barking sound shot through the air, causing them to look over, startled, at the Pokemon they were just talking about. Toshiro, by now, was twitching horribly in annoyance, his teal eyes itself glowing brightly as a dark aura emitted from his diminutive body.

Kurosaki, the cause, was laughing (or howling/barking in the humans' view) uncontrollably with his back in the ground, rolling around in the dirt. Namely, he was making fun of Toshiro's appearance. "Y-you," he tried speaking between his hysterics. "You look like a girl!"

That did it.

Next thing Kurosaki knew, he was on his back with a Glaceon on his chest, and he was staring into teal-glowing eyes with a murderous intent shining in his eyes. "I dare you to say that one more time," he spoke, deathly calm despite the obvious meaning of the words.

Kurosaki gulped. He literally began sweating under the gaze, if that was possible.

Their audience sweat-dropped at their actions. They continued to watch even as the Glaceon continued to glare at the Arcanine until the Arcanine suddenly disappeared - leaving a cloud of dirt in the shape of his new form and a confused Glaceon. They soon saw the Arcanine bounding across the field, Drew and Flygon having to move out of the way, until its comrade finally located him. Not a moment later, the running Pokemon had an enraged Glaceon on its tail.

As the group, once again, groaned and chased after the run-away Pokemon, Drew and his Flygon watched them leave. The emerald-haired coordinator sighed, a trace of an amused smile at their antics curling the corners of his lips.

To be continued…

I decided to cut it off here so that you guys won't have to wait. Suggestions are entirely welcome, and I'll try my best to put your suggestions in the story in at least some way! And also, do you think that they were a bit OOC in this one? Like I keep on saying, I'll try my best to make the chapters much longer and better in the next chapters! So don't go away, we'll be right back!

But anyways, please review~!

-ShiraChan-Desu