Summary: Human turned Pokémon have suddenly started disappearing without explanation. Their teammates and loved ones are left to scramble about in worry and wonder as to where their missing friends may be. However, the arrival of Celine, a newly human turned Pokémon, suggests that the Pokémon world is in danger once again. As she sets out on her journey, she is blissfully unaware of the darkness that follows her and her team…

-x-x-x-x-

Chapter 1: Celine The Fennekin

A young riolu was outside of his house when the earthquake suddenly hit. Caught off guard by the sudden violent tremors, the riolu fell on his butt and remained there until the earth settled down. "That's the third one this month…" he murmured to himself. He looked back to his house to see if there was any visible damage. When he found none, he nodded approvingly and got to his feet.

But then there was a sudden flash of light that startled him. He spun around just in time to see a ray of light appear in what he believed was the center of the forest. "Aiden!"

He looked up the dirt path to see a female meowstic running towards him with a worried look. Her name was Lizette; the two of them were childhood friends. He nodded in greeting. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm fine. Just a little shocked. That has to be the third earthquake this month."

She nodded in agreement. "The towns a little spooked about it themselves. One of the elders was running through the center claiming it was the end of the world."

"It might be." Aiden chuckled lightly. "Unless a solution presents itself."

"That's what everyone's hoping for." She looked around cautiously and leaned in, whispering, "I've even heard rumors that there are some pokémon claiming that the case of these natural disasters is based on an 'improper' balance."

Aiden rolled his eyes and dusted himself off. "And, pray tell, what is this 'improper' balance?"

"The legends – you know, about the pokémon who claimed they were human before they appeared in our world. Some pokémon are convinced that their being here is setting off our balance." Her ears drooped when Aiden turned his back to her. "Aiden, you don't really think that I'm one of those convinced Pokémon, do you? Or… are you convinced?"

"I don't think either," he said looking back at her. "I just don't think that's the case at all. We had a problem similar to this a long time ago. And, if the legend is right, a human was sent here to save and restore the balance. So I don't think it's because there are pokémon among us that were once human."

"I agree!" she smiled. "It's just a shame nobody else believes it."

Aiden waved his hand dismissively. "Who cares what they think? For every pokémon who is stupid enough to believe that is a pokémon that actually has a brain and realizes that's not the case at all."

"Where are you going?" she asked, watching him as he walked towards the forest. "For a walk! I'll be back later!"

He sighed as he walked through the forest. That was the third earthquake this month, and it was very concerning. When he added that to the recent disappearances and the rumor about pokémon going to sleep and not waking up, he could vaguely understand why everyone was jumping to the wrong conclusion. But, however, he couldn't really believe them. From what he heard, every pokémon that disappeared without warning was a pokémon who claimed to have been a human before. Better yet, they were leaders of top-notch exploration or rescue teams who'd been known to stop a major crisis from ending the world.

He felt bad for the Pokémon in those teams. Their leader and friend went missing for no explanation, and everyone was giving them a hard time by blaming their leaders for all the recent troubles.

Eventually he came across a clearing. Over the years it'd become a safe heaven for him. It was a place where he could sit down and enjoy the peace and quiet. It also served as a place where he could practice his fighting skills without interruption. Some called him a loner because he spent so much time there, but he didn't care. He preferred the silence over the annoying squabbling that went on in Town Square.

The trees, colored in odd shades of blue and green, were swaying harmoniously with the wind. He'd been walking along the dirt path that could lead further into the forest, or if he went back the way he came, back to his small home and towards the small town known as Cyalis. Along the right most part of the path was a small clearing cleared of any trees. Instead, there was a pond; it was clear, sparkling just like a crystal untouched by Mother Nature's occasional furious hand.

He was about to sit down under his favorite tree when a particular sight caught his eye. Not too far from the pond lay an unconscious fennekin. Alarmed, Aiden ran over. Just as he reached the fennekin's side, he could see that she was beginning to stir.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"I think I'm fine," she responded. "Wait," she looked at him in absolute awe, "you're talking! Since when were riolu's able to talk like us?"

Aiden gave her a bewildered look. She stared at him with confusion. "…What?"

"Uh, last time I checked we've always been able to talk like this. Who in the world are you referring to when you say 'us?'" he asked.

"Humans," she responded.

"Are you…feeling okay?" he asked with a skeptical look. She raised her eyebrow at him. "Yes. I do. Why?"

"Because it sounds like you're convinced you're a human."

Suddenly, she burst out into a fit of laughter. Aiden took a few steps back. Okay, he thought to himself, I think someone let her out of the loony bin a little too early.

After about five minutes of laughter, she finally began to settle down. She wiped a tear away. "Well, the reason why I'm convinced I'm a human is because I am a human. It would be kind of sad if I didn't know what I was, wouldn't it?"

He didn't know how to respond to that. "Are you an actor?"

She shot him a look. "Excuse me? I am no actor."

"Well then," he said, taking a few more steps back, "no offense, but you look more like a fennekin than a human to me."

He could tell he must've hit a nerve because she suddenly froze. She was still smiling, which was creeping him out even more. "What? No, I'm no fennekin. I'm a regular, plain, boring human. See?" she raised her paw for emphasis. That's when she took notice it wasn't a hand, but a paw. She stared at it blankly as if she were registering it for the first time, which, in reality, she was. Suddenly she jumped to her feet and zipped past him towards the pond. Unfortunately, it appeared she wasn't used to walking on all four legs and tripped, rolling all the way into the lake.

Aiden ran over to the edge of the pond. Thankfully, she had landed in the shallow part of the pond. He was about to ask if she was all right when she started screaming. He winced and covered his ears. She jumped out of the water and scrambled away from it like it were the plague. She stuttered in her attempt to speak, "W-what happened?! Why am I pokémon?! I don't understand any of this!"

She then collapsed on the ground and started bawling her eyes out. "I swear I'm not crazy! I'm a human! I was a human!"

He stood there dumbfounded. Carefully he walked over to her and sat next to her crying form. He winced, feeling a part of his heart breaking when she looked up at him tearfully. "I'm not crazy…I promise! I…I was a human!"

"I don't think your crazy…well, okay, maybe a little," he admitted sheepishly. "I just never thought it was really possible – a human turned pokémon, I mean."

"What…? What do you mean?" she asked, hiccupping slightly.

"There's a legend," he began, "of humans turning into pokémon and descending into our world. It's said it means that our world is in grave danger and it's up to that pokémon to save the world. But I honestly believed it was just a pokéstory to tell kids before their bedtime. I still don't know if it's true or not, but now I'm having second thoughts…"

Her crying stopped, much to Aiden's relief. But now she had her head tilted with a look of confusion written all over her face. "There are others like me?" he nodded. "So… does that mean I've come to save your world or something?"

He shrugged, unsure of that himself. "I'm not sure to be honest, but when I think about it… there have been strange things going on."

"What kind of strange things?"

"Some pokémon have been disappearing lately. From what I've heard, they're all pokémon who've claimed to be human once before. Oddly enough, they're leaders of famous exploration or rescue teams. There's also been the unusual amount of natural disasters in the area. A lot of pokémon have either gotten hurt or really upset because of it – even to the point where they've started attacking others. And finally, there's been some cases where pokémon have gone to sleep, but haven't awakened. A friend told me that these pokémon look like they're in a deep sleep, but they're physically struggling, moaning, and groaning as if they were in a nightmare." He looked at her when he was finished. "I'm not sure if your being here has anything to do with that."

"There's a lot of pokémon suffering, isn't there?" she murmured, lowering her head. He nodded. "I want to form a rescue team." She stated, causing Aiden to look at her in surprise.

"You want to make a rescue team?" he asked. "Why?"

She fidgeted. "Well, can you ignore people when they cry for help?"

"No, but you just came to our world!" he countered. "You have little to no idea how to walk around or even use your powers. And, not to mention, you don't know anyone here. Why do you feel obligated to help us?"

"Can you really ignore the cries of those who need you?" she repeated and glared at him. "Can you walk around knowing there are people who need you? People who need saving, a hand to hold, a comforting shoulder? Can you really ignore all of that? I know that I'm new here; and you're right, I don't know how to walk or use whatever power I have. But I don't need to know anyone here in order to have the desire to help them."

She smiled and raised her paw towards him. "Even before I was turned into a pokémon, I've always wanted to help others. Furthermore, if what you told me is true and every human who came here was transformed into a pokémon in order to save your world, then that case could very well apply to me. Now, will you form a rescue team with me?"

"I don't even know you." He said, eying her paw, "So why should I help you? Why don't you ask someone else to form a rescue team with you?"

"Because you seem very smart to me, and you're the only one I know right now. It's not like I can walk to town for help. I don't know these areas like you do. And getting to know each other is really easy. My name is Celine, what's yours?"

He looked at her, then her paw, then back at her. Sighing, he took a hold of her paw and shook it. "Hello, Celine. My name is Aiden, and I'll help you with forming a rescue team."

-x-x-x-x-

A few weeks later…

Celine was sleeping soundly when Aiden came running through the door. He ran over to her and gently shook her. "Celine! Celine, wake up! There's something going on at Town Square!"

She opened one eye. "And why must we hurry?"

"Because there's someone claiming that their teammate was a human! Before I left to get you, I heard she's looking for some aid in the search for the disappeared pokémon." Her ears perked up at his words. She lifted her head a moment later. "Then what are we waiting for?"

It took them about three minutes to reach Town Square. The Town Square was rather big. There were various shops with a variety of things to sell. During one of their earlier trips, Aiden made sure to show Celine the most essential shops that they would need for their adventures. He also showed her what he called the 'gossiping center,' which was right next to the well in the center of town. He told her that it wasn't just a place for gossip, but for announcing things as well.

"You're getting better," he commented. She looked confused for a moment before it dawned on her. He was talking about her walking. Over the past few weeks, he'd been helping her adjust to her new body and skills.

She smiled at him and raised her head proudly. "That's because I've had an excellent teacher." He rolled his eyes, chuckling at her little display.

"Aiden!" Aiden smiled at the sight of one of his old friends. Lizette came running up to him with a big smile on her face. "You're just in time. Thing's have gotten a little… heated since you left. If you're going to go up front to see what the commotion is all about, I'd be careful. Team Poisonix is starting another feud. This time it's with an absol named Silver and a ninetales named Vivian."

"They're at it again?" he groaned. "Team Poisonix is nothing but trouble," he said to answer the questioning look he was getting from Celine. "They don't help anyone unless they get a big reward. And most of the time they put pokémon in danger than take them out of it. Nobody really likes them – especially their Seviper. He's a major showoff."

Suddenly there was a shout, "They are not a danger to our society!"

Aiden and Celine exchanged looks. "Excuse us," he nodded towards Lizette as the two pushed their way through the crowd. When they got to the front the first thing they saw was the ninetales. She was sitting properly with her tails curved to the side so that nobody stepped on them by accident. Sitting beside her was an absol. He looked calm and collected, but his friend was glaring at the trio of pokémon before them. Around each of their necks were what Aiden and Celine suspected were their exploration or rescue team badge: a star with black wings.

"Humans turned into pokémon are indeed dangerous," their seviper chuckled as he slithered forward, "or are you ignoring all the trouble we've been dealing with as of late?"

"They appear to save us from those problems and to bring peace to us," the ninetales countered, "you're just looking down on them because you're one of those groups who despises their very existence. You have no proof that any of them are behind our troubles. Most of them are really nice; most of them have put their lives on the line to make sure that our world lives another day. Or have you not heard of the dangers in which they have saved us?"

This time a gothitelle waltzed forward with a smirk. "And you're just defending them because your human partner brainwashed you."

"Yeah, she really brainwashed me into helping her save Treasure Town and everyone we know from Diagla's wrath. Oh, and she made sure that I put myself in harms way."

Her ears drooped. "I care not for what you believe, but I do know one thing. My partner is not evil – she embraced everyone she met. She helped to show people suspected of criminal acts were only trying to help and put the real bad guys behind bars. Wouldn't you agree, Silver?"

Before he had the chance to respond, the banette chuckled darkly. "Are you referring to that grovyle thief? In what terms was he good? He nearly destroyed our world!"

"Those who do not know their facts should keep their tongues still." Silver said with narrowed eyes.

"We don't need to know them or their 'facts' to know that they're evil. If I recall… wasn't there a pokémon who attempted to stop the natural disasters before? It's clear they've failed since we're still suffering from them. Oh, let not forget the innocent pokémon who have fallen into a deep slumber and have yet to wake. Tell me, Vivian, where is your human partner to save the day?"

Vivian was silent. Her face didn't falter when the pokémon around them began whispering in agreement with Team Poisonix. Silver, on the other hand, was looking around in disbelief. He snarled at Gothitelle. "See? Your so-called 'friend' isn't here to help us at all. If your word was true then they'd be here to help the poor innocents suffering from natural disasters and their loved ones eternal slumber."

Vivian stood, immediately alarming the three pokémon in front of her. "I have reason to believe my friend was kidnapped. Anyone who has claimed to be human before has disappeared for no reason. And it's not because they dislike us because if they did they wouldn't have helped us at all. The partner – no, the best friend I have come to love, would not turn tail and run the moment things got dirty. Oh, before I forget, you have no idea whether or not another human was called down to help save our world."

She turned her attention to the surrounding crowds. "Any of you could ask anyone who has had a human partner. They would tell you the same thing I have – that they are not evil. Anna…Annabelle risked her life for all of us. She chose to stop Diagla – even if it meant she could disappear forever. She doesn't think of herself as a human. She thinks herself as one of us. Will any of you help me in my quest of finding my fellow teammate and friend?"

Nobody took a step forward. Instead they looked at each other and whispered. The look of hope was slowly disappearing from Vivian's face. She looked at Silver who frowned in return. "Very –"

"I…I believe you! And I want to help!" Everyone looked over to Celine who immediately winced under everyone's gaze. A second later Aiden took a step forward. "I also believe her."

"You two are just delusional children who should stay at home." Banette chuckled. Vivian ignored Banette and approached the two pokémon. She was smiling as she spoke, "I'm grateful that someone here believes me. And I'm glad to know someone will help."

Celine returned a smile. "You don't need to know someone personally to have the desire to help them."

Gothitelle and her gang sneered. Silver shot them a glare. "I wouldn't pay any mind to them," Aiden said, pointing a thumb in Team Poisonix's direction, "they're more trouble than they're worth. They've spread lies around before – I wouldn't be surprised if this whole 'humans are evil' gag is also a lie."

"Why I ought to…" Seviper began, but was cut off by Gothitelle moving her hand in front of him. "If that is what you want to believe, child. I'd watch your back if I were you." With that, the trio left the area.

Celine's ears drooped. "I have a bad feeling about that gang… would they seriously hurt us?" she asked Aiden who shrugged in response.

"We wouldn't let them." Vivian smiled. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I caught your names."

"I'm Celine and this is my friend Aiden!" Celine chirped happily. "We're also a new team – Team Cosmic! What's your name?"

"My name is Vivian and this is my friend, Silver. We're both members of Team PokéStars. As you may have heard we're looking for our leader and dear friend, Annabelle." Vivian responded.

"Whoa, wait," Aiden said as he raised his hands, "Team PokéStars? The Team PokéStars who stood up against Diagla?"

Vivian laughed lightly. "Yes, we're that very team. Though it was really just Annabelle and I. Well, mostly Annabelle. I was just there for support."

"How long are you planning to stay?" Aiden asked. Vivian frowned; she hadn't thought of that. She looked over to Silver, but only received a shrug. With a sigh, Vivian looked back at the two. "Honestly, I'm not sure. We set out the day after we discovered that Annabelle went missing. We really didn't think much about anything else. We'll probably be staying at a nearby resting place, if they have one."

"How about you stay with us?" Celine asked. Aiden shook his head. "Before you ask others if they want to stay with us, please ask me first. But either way, you can stay at my place if you need too. And don't give me grief about how you'll be imposing on us because honestly you won't."

He noticed the look that Celine was giving him. "We also have something we want to talk to you about."

Vivian looked between the two, a look of suspicion appearing on her face. She nodded slowly. "…Alright, I shall hear you out at your place. Silver, do you mind staying here and seeing if anyone will be interested in helping us?"

"If they didn't approach us now, why would they approach us later?" he grumbled. She stared at him calmly. "Remember what Anna used to say?"

"That people are too nervous to come forward in front of a crowd, yeah, I remember," he sighed. "I'm not going to give up. Even if the townsfolk don't help us I'm still going to look for Annabelle and everyone else that went missing." Vivian said. She looked back at the two young pokémon and nodded.

Just as they passed the crowd, Lizette came running up beside Aiden. "Team Cosmic, eh? Never pegged you for being a rescue boy."

"Liz, shut up." Aiden grumbled. Lizette laughed and punched him on the shoulder gently. "Oh, I'm just teasing!"

"Can you do me a favor?" he asked, looking over in her direction. She nodded. "Could you stay with their friend, Silver, in case he needs anything or if he wants to find my place?"

Lizette frowned for a moment, but quickly replaced it with a smile. "Certainly! I'll see you later!" She turned and ran off, but not before giving Celine one last look.

The trio finally reached Aiden's place. He gave Vivian a short tour. It was a small place, but big enough to house four or five people. The house wasn't dressed up in anything fancy; it just held the bare essentials. Vivian looked a little surprised, but Celine wasn't. Instead, she looked rather bored.

"He doesn't want to 'spoil' himself," she quoted, winking at Vivian who chuckled in response. Aiden glared at her, a small blush creeping onto his face. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to live a simple life!"

"I never said there was~" Celine sang as she brushed past him. His blush grew deeper in shade. Vivian couldn't help herself and chuckled. She thought the whole scene was adorable.

They entered the living room. Everyone, except for Aiden, had taken their seats. Aiden excused himself explaining that he would get everyone some drinks and would be back momentarily. While he was gone, Celine started what she expected to be a long, but informative, conversation. "We, or rather I, wanted to talk to you because I believe it's something you'd understand better than anyone else here. You see…I am… or was… a human up until a few weeks ago. I don't know why I'm here, or even how I got here. I just remember going to bed one night and waking up the next as a pokémon. I asked Aiden about it and he told me that there were legends of humans who turned into pokémon and came to this world in order to save it. What do you think?"

Vivian looked surprised at first, but soon nodded in understanding. "I can't answer all your questions unfortunately, but I'll answer what I can to the best of my ability. When Annabelle first came here, she didn't know much other than her name and that she was human. She wasn't even really told about what she was trying to do until we were dragged into the future with her past partner, Grovyle. When we got back… she was aware of her purpose: to collect the time gears, find the Hidden Land, and stop the planets paralyze. That was her case. I'm aware that there was another case where a human turned pokémon came to the world to stop the natural disasters, but I didn't look into it too much."

Celine frowned; she had hoped to get a little more information than that. Vivian, sensing this, continued on. "But from what I've heard, each human that came into our world came here to save it in some form or another. So it's very much possible that your duty here is to help the pokémon world."

"You really think so?" Celine asked hopefully. Vivian nodded. "I think it's possible. Just give it time – I'm sure you'll be able to tell whether or not that's why you're here. But," she paused, "I would not go around announcing that you were originally human. Anyone who came forward with that claim has vanished without a trace. And I have reason to believe someone is kidnapping them. For what, I'm not certain, but I just find it odd only those who made a claim have vanished."

"I agree." Aiden said, entering the room with three glasses of water and some apples. "That's why I rather we have this talk here. But you are aware you might draw unwanted attention for saying that you're going to be looking into the disappearances, right?"

Vivian nodded sadly. "Yes, I'm well aware of that. It's part of the reason why I brought Silver with me. He's the type who likes to know his environment and use to against those who try to harm us. Plus, it's nice to have someone who can sense disasters before they strike. Him and our fourth member, Radia, are excellent with sensing an ambush before it even strikes. Radia stayed behind though to keep order amongst our members and to keep an eye out for any news regarding Annabelle in our hometown. But you two are aware that by doing what you did earlier that you've possibly brought unwanted attention on yourselves, right?"

Aiden and Celine exchanged worried looks. "I'm sorry, it's my fault." Celine blurted out. Aiden, in turn, shook his head and set down the plate he'd been holding. "It's fine, Celine."

"If it makes either of you feel better, Silver and I can protect you." Vivian smiled. "You've been so kind to offer us a place to stay for the time being; it would be wrong to not help you in return."

"We wouldn't want to halt you in your search for your friend." Aiden said. Vivian shook her head. "You wouldn't be halting us at all. In fact, if anyone were to attack you then they'd give us a possible idea as to who is behind the disappearances."

"That sounds like a good idea!" Celine said, smiling brightly at Aiden. "Now we don't have to worry about that awful Team Poisonix."

Aiden offered a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. Vivian noticed this, but said nothing. "How about we go and practice a little today, Celine? Or do you feel up to doing our first mission?"

Celine jumped to her feet excitedly. "I think it's time Team Cosmic tried their first mission!"

"Good," Aiden chuckled as he took a sip of his water. "I got us the easiest mission possible earlier today."

-x-x-x-x-

Sorry for the late update. I've been doing a few things – college, super bowl prep, and recovering from my sickness. I've also been working on the new cover for this story. Also, thanks to the reviews! Especially yours, Faria! I've tried doing what you spoke about in your review and hopefully I didn't fail too badly. xD I hope to get the next few chapters up soon, but that might take some time considering I haven't been feeling well as of late. But thank you for your patience!