Jumpluff, Klinklang, and Gulpin

It was still following her.

Cursing the lack of wind, she pumped her arms much like a human swimmer did, trying to move as fast as she could with the most efficient movement. But if the wind didn't start up, she couldn't go fast enough to keep away from it. It had her scent. It was chasing after her intent on eating her. Although she hadn't seen it for long, she knew that was why it was after her. She could tell by the way it drooled and pursued her relentlessly.

She was tiring, though. She'd already spent a long day in floating towards her next destination. While she wasn't sure where that was, she would know when she saw it. That's how it always was. Her travels often led to encounters with danger, but usually the air was moving enough to help her along. Not today.

If only she could find a body of water, or a tall obstacle. That would give her an advantage over this land-crawling foe. However, the land was flat with no surface water, and the only tall obstacles were some human buildings that were still some ways off. She was heading for those; if she got to the roof, she'd be safe.

It was still following her.

A large colony of gear Pokemon lived around the factory complex. They were a close-knit community. Since their kind didn't have a long history, some other Pokemon snubbed them as still being newcomers to the scene even if they had been around the factory at least a hundred years (as far as they knew). They stuck together as an extended family then, supporting and defending each other.

And when one that had left the community came back, it was an occasion worth celebrating. It had been three years ago since he had left the factory, as a Klink captured by a human. Now he was a Klinklang with a definite self-perception as a male. "My Trainer kept treating me that way, so it just became natural. He even named me Steve, which is supposed to be a definite man's name."

"If it is who you see yourself as, then that is who you are," another Klinklang said. For many years, she had been the only one around the factory, an old one who said that she was one of the second generation of Klinks, very long ago (in their minds). "Although it is a pity that you feel male because another continually said you were, instead of choosing for yourself after much deliberation. How was it, being out with a human-led team?"

"It was different," he said, shifting how his gears were aligned. Some of the younger Klinks had come up close to him, marveling at the lower and back gears on him now. They were a lot cleaner than the elder's, with barely any scratches. "I was to act with a group that was made up of many different Pokemon. There were always six of us at a time, but which six it was changed continually. Sometimes I was given a break at a place called a Daycare, to meet many Pokemon from many lands. And when I was with my Trainer, he had us battling other teams of Pokemon or doing various things, like moving weights and racing. Sometimes he did things that I couldn't understand, but it was all for science, that's what he said."

Quite a lot of them were impressed by that. "Science is good," the elder said. "Science runs the factory and may be what brought us into being."

"Did you learn to fight really well?" one of the younger Klinks asked.

"Yes, I did learn that," Steve said. "He even taught me some moves that I think the elder doesn't know."

"Are you sure about that?" the elder said, momentarily spinning faster in an amused manner. "I have had many more years to learn."

"Yes. I could show you..." he glanced around and noticed another Pokemon flying overhead. She had a small blue body, but proportionally huge cream-colored cotton puffs on her arms and above her head. That would work. "I can show you right now."

Steve reset his gears quickly, then spun them in such a way that his innermost gear, the one attached to a bright red orb, rotated at its highest speed. The younger Klinks backed away, sensing the great energy charge building up in and around his body. After a couple seconds of charge time, he modified the electromagnetic charge into a gravitational charge and spread that around him. The pull of the earth became immensely powerful, making it a struggle for even him to keep levitating. The younger Klinks and the Jumpluff overhead all dropped down to the ground from the Gravity attack.

"It doesn't do any harm," he admitted. "But it keeps anything from flying or levitating for a little while."

"That is impressive," the elder said. "Something of significant tactical importance."

But while she was talking, the Jumpluff burst into tears. "Ho quasi sfuggito! Ora sta andando a mangiare me!"

"What's the stinky Pokemon saying?" a Klink asked. "Why's it talking weird?"

"It's probably from a distant land." Steve said.

"Si sta arrivando," the Jumpluff said, trying to hop along the ground. But the Gravity effect, or just being on the ground, made that difficult for her.

"And it's not stinky," another Klink said. "But something sure reeks, blech."

At this point, Steve noticed a single yellow leaf moving through the tall grass. It emerged, revealing a smooth green pokemon. It didn't even have legs, just little nubs for arms. Despite this, it moved at a steady pace towards the downed Jumpluff. It was also the source of the stench. "I'm not sure what that Pokemon is," he said.

"It's so weird and stinky," a Klink said, sitting near the odd green Pokemon.

"Get away!" the elder said. "That one, the Gulpin, is dangerous."

"How?" the Klink said.

The Gulpin paused, as the Klink was in the way of its path to the Jumpluff. Before any of them could react, it opened its large lips wide... and wider, far more than it was tall, and swallowed the Klink whole. The other Klinks squealed and rolled away, while the Gulpin only paused a moment before continuing on after the Jumpluff. The cotton Pokemon started wailing in fear.

Sending off a spark of rage, the elder Klinklang came in front of the Jumpluff. "Foolish though the child may have been, you will suffer for eating one of our own, Gulpin."

Although he'd been away for so long, Steve went up with her to defending their community. It was partly his fault for using Gravity; the Gulpin might have continued on past them if he hadn't. "You will not get away with that." he and the elder then fired powerful electric moves at the Gulpin. It stood not chance and immediately fainted. And, that was all? "It seems weak for a menace," he said.

"It will get bigger, enough to eat us," the elder said. "And it will get more powerful too. It has been a long time since I've seen one of them, so we can't let it settle nearby. Steve, would you take it far away, before it awakens?"

It reeked, like old garbage left out on a hot day. But Steve was back with his kind now, and he was powerful enough to take on responsibility for the safety of them all. Which meant that he had to get that Gulpin away before it decided that this would be a good place to hunt. "Yes, I'll do that."

He went over to the unconscious Gulpin and, carefully using his electromagnetic pulses, picked it up and headed away from the factory. Once he got away from the Gravity field, he could pick up the pace. But just how far away should he take it?

Later in the day, a breeze started up and the Jumpluff was able to catch it to get back into the air on the move. Those strange metal Pokemon, they were powerful. If she could make friends with them, she and any spore children she had would be safe, protected by their neighbors. But, she knew that it had to be one of them that put that great invisible weight on her, pulling her down to the ground. It was probably one of those giant ones. She didn't want to hang around and have them think that it a was an amusing prank to pull.

Back in the safety of the sky, she continued her travels, searching for a new place to settle.

…

Jumpluff Heart Gold entry: Once it catches the wind, it deftly controls its cotton-puff spores – it can even float around the world.

Klinklang White entry: The gear with the red core is rotated at high speed for a rapid energy charge.

Gulpin LG/FR entry: There is nothing its stomach can't digest. While it is digesting, vile, overpowering gases are expelled.

For the curious, the Jumpluff is speaking Italian. I used Google Translate, though, so it may not be exact.

Gulpin and Swalot are pretty scary, when you think about it.