Sirens nearly deafened the professor, two teens and their Pokémon as Augustine drove the car closer to the edge of the road, being passed by a whole squadron of emergency vehicles. No one bothered to voice their curiosity (no one would have an answer anyway) as the car accelerated once the vehicles passed by.
Uneventful as the trip otherwise was, the surrounding landscape was nothing short of a treat to the eye: Clouds darkened the majority of the overhead sky, sun shining intensely just above the horizon, undisturbed. Its celestial glare shone across the rain-pelted hills, reflecting small, flickering lights into the eyes of the quintet as though the night sky had fallen onto the rolling mounds of turf. What could still be seen of the early twilight sky were an orange glow, emanating over the horizon, stretched out for miles and miles. The orange glow sharply turned into a thin layer of pastel green, blending into light blue, growing darker and darker till it reached the clouds, disappearing from view.
The hill borne sod plateaued further down the road, angling the group to face the sun directly. Five pairs of eyes fixated on the droplets falling from the sky, shimmering as they fell in the opposite direction of the vehicle's heading; some merged, some separated from the others as light pitter-patter resonated from above.
They eventually reached a town (passing a seemingly broken police car on the outskirts). They parked at a motel, dashing through the main entrance.
Augustine returned from the reception after a few minutes. "Good news!" He announced. "I didn't need to pay for the rooms. As new trainers, you guys will be supplied with any necessities within the first week of your journey for no payment whatsoever." Andrew adopted a sly grin upon the professor's words. "Bad news: I think I screwed my chances with the receptionist."
Silence grew between the quintet as everyone but Augustine shifted around a bit awkwardly; except for Andrew. "If I desired to quench my craving for your 'profound' insight, then I would have voiced my query." The young man spoke in the most nonchalant tone he could muster.
The professor scratched his nape. "I mean; yeah. But actual bad news though: They only have rooms made for two people, and I could only receive the 'discount' if I shared a room with either of you. And I don't know about you guys, but thirty bucks for one room seems a bit excessive for one night. So I suggest Teela and I share; in case Andrew needs extra room for his…ample sized Pokémon."
"You just want me in the other room incase room service shows up and it happens to be a fine lady in black high heels, thigh-highs and skirt with a white button up asking: Maidenless? Wanna change that?"
The professor threw a key at the young man. "Room sixty nine. Have a good night." He glared at Andrew before turning and walking down a hall to the right of the receptionist.
"Night, Andrew. Night Fennekin. May a Cresselia visit your dreams." Said Teela, following Augustine towards their suite.
A kerchunk resonated from the door in front of Andrew. The door creaked as it opened on its own, key smoothly withdrawn from the keyhole without him twitching even a single muscle. A light essence emitted through the ajar door: A foul fragrant all too redolent to the young man; though a tad saltier than the bitterness he was used to smelling.
He pushed the door open with two fingers, odor amplifying the further it drew. The room was more pleasant than he'd expected: The room was shaped like a l, the door to the right supposedly leading to a bathroom. A cupboard made of oak stood perched against the left wall, tucked in the corner closest to the door; out its side protruded an empty countertop, made of oak planks. The bed was draped in blank white sheats, stained slightly yellow, its long side facing the right, furthermost wall. A nightstand, made of oak as well, seemed unusually remote, standing beneath the window. A turd of sorts was stained onto the outside of the glass pane. Inside, atop the windowsill, made of (you guessed it) oak, were flowers, springing upwards out of their pots.
The young man couldn't decide whether the excessive use of oak was out of a stroke of economical genius, or laziness. He stepped foot into the room regardless, floorboards, made of (oh, for the love of Arceus) oak, giving beneath his weight.
He pushed the door closed as Aluette entered behind him, scrunching at the smell. The door bounced off the rim of the doorframe, drawing ajar once more. Andrew inspected the latching mechanism: The actual latch was entirely absent. Upon closer inspection, the door didn't appear to have been constructed to even accommodate one.
He grabbed hold of the door handle, pulling it down; as he'd suspected, the opposing door handle didn't even budge. The bolt was fortunately still there though. But that insinuated the need to lock the door if he wanted it to remain closed.
The young man marveled at the design. It was either the greatest example of architectural astuteness in financial gain of near heinous greed he'd ever had the honor of berating, or the greatest example of sheer stupidity of an award winning, near hideous extreme, the likes of which he'd never seen before. Both ends of the spectrum garnered his veneration though. Such design was truly meritorious to an utmost commendable degree.
Andrew pushed the door shut. The same kerchunk as before resonated within the room as he turned the key, removing it from the keyhole once more.
Freeing his feet from the confines of his shoes, he moved past each piece of furniture, approaching the window. Pushing the nightstand out of the way, he pulled the latches, pushing the window till it leaned out at a forty five degree angle. The cool draught flowed across his oiled skin as the foul fragrance was ventilated out into the heavy downpour.
The young man threw a pokéball into the air. Opening via the hinge at the back, a blue, glimmering substance was released, materializing into the Peat Pokémon on the floor. The floorboards gave further to the Pokémon's heft, causing Andrew to slowly glide in the direction of Ursaluna.
"Hi!" Said the young man, pushed against the Pokémon's shoulder. Ursaluna exhaled through his nose, expressing some level of amusement as the young man scratched his back. "I've been wanting to ask you some questions." The bear-like Pokémon snapped to attention. "Firstly, I was wondering if you would like a name? If you're gonna travel with us, then I'd prefer if we were properly acquainted. Unless you already have a name, or don't want one."
Ordinarily the Peat Pokémon would value a name as trivial. It was merely a way for others to refer to him directly. But out in the wild where he was the only one of his kind, Ursaluna worked flawlessly. But this felt personal. The fact that the person in front of him cared enough to even consider the idea, even with the scarceness of his kind, was a gesture the Pokémon deeply appreciated.
Ursaluna pushed lightly against Andrew's leg. "Want me to decide?" The Pokémon did not hesitate to nod his answer.
The young man thought long and hard on the matter, thinking of names like: Ellis; sounded too flamboyant. Orion; he wouldn't personally wanna be named after a constellation. But then he looked at the Pokémon, eyes guided to the yellow moon on his forehead.
"Aibek?" Said the young man. "What do you think of Aibek?" Ursaluna considered it for a few moments. It sounded catchy. "It means like: Lord of the moon? Moon overlord? Something of the sort." After some further consideration, the Peat Pokémon gave a low roar at his trainer. "You like it?" The Pokémon nodded. "Alright then, Aibek. I've got another question though." The young man grabbed the brochure that Emilia handed to him. "You're gonna remain my Pokémon for quite some time. But they have to determine whether I'm worthy as your trainer or not, within this next month. And so they've asked me to take part in the upcoming pokéathlon, presumably have you take part as well. But I wanted to ask 'you': Do you want to take part in it, Aibek?"
The young man's care for Aibek's own desires touched him at the core of his heart. Andrew's benign care for others was exactly why the Peat Pokémon wanted to travel with him. Abstaining the young man's offer would almost feel iniquitous to the Pokémon. He nodded, only after a second.
Moments passed quickly as the sun went below the horizon. "It's gonna be time for bed soon." Said Andrew, grabbing a towel, some fresh clothes, soap, deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush. "I'm gonna cleanse myself. Then we'll call it a night." He entered the bathroom and locked the door (which, in this case, functioned properly).
Not even a minute passed before Aluette felt boredom lure her to the trainer's small, rope-tied bag. She opened it after a bit of fiddling, and searched amongst Andrew's collection of intrinsic items.
"I don't recall him ever telling us to rummage through his stuff if we so pleased." Said Aibek. To a regular human, his words would merely be perceived as that of a Pokémon's cry. But to Aluette, the way he spoke was just a dialect to her own natural tongue.
"He won't mind. He's reassured me of it before."
"Yeah, sure! That's totally reassuring 'me' in spite of me hardly knowing a thing about you."
"Oh, quit grumbling. This'll only take me a second."
The Fox Pokémon searched quite tediously within the bag as seconds turned into nearly half a minute.
The Peat Pokémon sighed, floor creaking as he rose onto his four feet. "Is there anything specific you're looking for?" He said, approaching the Fox Pokémon.
"Yes! Now pardon."
"You're moving at the pace of a Sliggoo. I'll have grown old and tired by the time you're done."
"Curiosity killed the Litten." She yelped, withdrawing from the bag as she brought out a toy gun with a red flag protruding from the barrel, reading: 'BANG'. "Why does he even have this thing?" She pushed it aside as she scurried inside the bag once more.
"What are you even looking for anyway?"
"Agriculture!"
Aibek shook his head, blinking in confusion. "Inside a bag? Are you looking for seeds or is it one of those things that's bigger on the inside?"
"Found it!" She drew a stack of red and white cards out of the bag.
"This's just a standard stack of fifty two."
"What? No! It's agriculture."
"You say it as though it's a physical manifestation of agriculture."
"It's not actually agriculture, you doofus. Look, I'll show you." She flipped the deck, picking out four cards that each had one of the unique suits. "This is Spades." She pointed a paw at an ace with a black, upside-down heart with a stem protruding from the bottom. "It represents the farmers, and their hard work. This is Clubs." Her paw faced a knight with a black, three-leafed clover. "It's a sign for a good harvest. This is Hearts." Her claw nearly scratched the surface of a queen with a red heart. "It expresses the passion behind their work. And this is Diamonds." Her paw hovered over a king with a red rhombus. "It signifies their newly procured wealth."
Aibek scrutinized the feebler Pokémon. The previously confident Fox Pokémon yielded almost immediately, moving to the side timidly. "You made it all up, didn't you?"
"Perhapskies." She said, smiling sheepishly. "It at least makes sense to some extent, doesn't it?"
The Peat Pokémon's face contorted into a slight grin. "Couldn't tell you what they actually mean anyway. But you do seem especially fond of them. Why is that? They're just flimsy pieces of paper."
Aluette couldn't help but smile at the question. "It was about a month ago. Both Andrew and I laid beneath the nocturnal sky, sprinkled with stars. I suddenly hear him fiddle around with them, doing all sorts of tricks: Separating the pile in two and shuffling them back into one, occasionally throwing one card into the air and catching it with the two halves. The dexterity behind his motions was astounding. I only have a vague memory of what he'd said. But he started telling me about the cards, continuing to play around with them, and even twirling them in between his fingers. Somehow defying physics on multiple occasions. But then he spoke about a game he used to play as a cub: Alouette, it's called. I don't remember a thing about it, but that's the night he started calling me Aluette. He probably silenced the o as a form of playful mockery of sorts. But it kinda stuck, and it's been my name ever since."
Aibek marveled at the bond they seemed to share. "How long ago was this?"
"I don't know. A few weeks. Almost a month maybe."
"What's the history between you two?"
The Fox Pokémon didn't hesitate to tell the Ursaluna about the incident with the Scythers and how the young man nursed her back to health. "I've tried to pay him back ever since. But it always feels like I'm more of a burden. I always end up in trouble, and he never hesitates to help me. Each time he tells me that he appreciates the effort, but I don't need to repay him back." Her gaze fell to her paws, "Maybe I should stop trying. Maybe he thinks I'm just taking advantage of his kindness."
Boards creaked as Aibek sat down. "I've seen so many people wandering within my territory. And yet, I've seen even more Pokémon. But sometimes both, together." Aluette's downcast ears snapped to attention upon the burlier Pokémon's words. "I'd always chase them away: It was my territory in the end. But sometimes I'd observe them, study their connections, their bonds. And then I'd chase them away." The Fox Pokémon made an effort to restrain her giggling. "And yet the bond you and Andrew share eclipses nearly all of them. The affection; the want to keep giving, even when you've got nothing left to offer. I've only f-seen it once before."
The Fennekin decided to ignore his slight stammer. Mildly flustered, she voiced her query, "And you think he reciprocates that bond?"
"I'd bet half my territory on it. Affection is to receive and return. One that gives has to receive, and vice versa. Those that only take will never understand that. But you don't take, you understand. You receive his affection, and you return it."
"But that's what I don't do. Everytime he gives, I'll try to return; but I never can. I fall to the ground, he picks me back up. I scrape my leg, he patches it up. I shout for help, he comes running. Then I try making it up to him. But I fall to the ground again. Then I scrape my leg again. And I shout for help 'again'. I end up as his damsel in distress each and every time. I can't return it no matter how hard I try." She turned around, doing her best to wipe the tears she'd been shedding.
"No one's perfect, Aluette. I know that's not the answer you're looking for. But it's the thought behind your actions that matter. You're defined by the intent behind them, but you choose to blame yourself for the results of those actions." The Fox Pokémon sniffled, turning to face the Peat Pokémon. "Don't! You're a wonderful person regardless. And I can promise you that Andrew sees you as the same amazing person that I do." She smiled. "You said you and Andrew met in the wild, right?" She nodded slowly. "How come? Wouldn't someone in the lab at least make an effort to keep track of you."
Aluette sniffled one final time before speaking, voice slightly rugged and lowered by a pitch. "The professor was, or rather is, a very busy man, and he doesn't really have any assistants to help him. He has Aipom, and occasionally one or two Pokémon from the terrarium, lending a hand. But all the Pokémon were fairly young, and spent the majority of their time playing in the terrarium while the professor worked. As a starter I'd have an easier time connecting with humans, but the environment didn't reflect that. I was also especially shy back then, and everyone was too busy having fun to really notice me. That continued for about three or four years after I'd hatched. My only source of affection came from the professor, after my routinely checkups; which were scarce due to how healthy I was. I eventually started sneaking out into the forest. The first time was an accident: I'd found an opening and assumed that I was still inside the terrarium. But then I returned, multiple times. The beauty of nature, the lush greenery, the Pokémon…I could never even begin to describe it. I fell in love. I can't recall how many years had gone by as my infatuation drew me deeper, and deeper each time I went. I eventually encountered a Vivillon. Its patterns were gorgeous. It greeted me, and we started playing. It felt like the best day of my life; I'd finally made a friend. I was finally having fun. Day turned to night as we wished the other a goodnight's sleep. But suddenly I realized we'd strayed very far from the lab. I'd always spotted it past the treeline as I made my return from my other preambulates. But as I ran and ran and ran throughout the night and most of the following day, I couldn't find it. Over the next couple of months I'd been fending, nearly starving upon a few occasions. And that leads into what happened with the Scythers, and how Andrew saved me." Every contour to the Fox Pokémon's features contorted into expressing cavernous melancholy.
Aibek couldn't help but gaze at Aluette. He'd had his own struggles in the past. But none were as perilous, or forlorn as hers. To live an entire life of neglection since birth seemed so utterly despairing. At the very least she found someone to rectify her life. But to have the courage to face such endless trauma, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I'd never muster the courage to face such experiences."
"I always questioned whether it was worth continuing or not. If I was doing myself a disservice or if I could still scavenge some amount of happiness within my life." She smiled sincerely as her tail slowly swooshed back and forth. "But then Andrew, and now you, showed, and started picking the shards of my broken heart. No matter how deeply the sharp splinters cut into your hands, you two continue to pluck the remains." The Fox Pokémon snuggled herself into Aibek's fluffy neck. "Thank you so much for picking me back up when I'm at my lowest."
The Peat Pokémon smiled as well, returning her snuggles.
Aluette stepped back after a short while, a reassuring smile on her face. "It feels good to have someone who listens. Not that Andrew doesn't hear me out: He deduces most of what I convey with incredible accuracy. But not having to relay your thoughts through a language barrier is a relief. But if you'd like for someone to be in your corner, then I'd be happy to be there."
Aibek considered it for a moment. He should. No, he shouldn't. He knew the Fox Pokémon deserved to know, but part of him told him that those memories were best left forgotten. But she deserved to know. The sorrow would overwhelm him if he did tell her though. But that's exactly what she offered; to be a buffer against the pain.
The Peat Pokémon drew breaths, and released them in repeated sighs. "You don't have to tell me right away." Said Aluette. "My offer remains for as long as you need it." Her expression still bore that of reassurance, patiently awaiting his answer.
He drew one last steady breath, sighing it out slowly. "When I was a young cub-" He cut himself off as the bathroom door was flung open.
Andrew walked out of the bathroom, wearing a muted, dark green shirt and a pair of black workout shorts. He checked the latch on the bathroom door, pulling down the door handle. "Oh, of course! When there actually is a latch it's almost completely unresponsive. What an immaculate design. Can't see how anyone would complain."
Aibek grinned at the display as Aluette giggled lightly with visible restraint. The Peat Pokémon gave Andrew a low roar, eyes shimmering mischievously.
It didn't take the young man long to get the hint as he approached the rain-pelted window. "Shut it." He reached for the handle of the window, still staring at his Pokémon. "Not like you could articulate your limbs with my level of dexterity." He pulled as he seized the shank. The window didn't budge though. The young man withdrew his hand back into the room, firmly grasping the helve between his 'dexterous' fingers.
Aluette no longer restrained her display of amusement as she broke into a fit of chortles. Aibek similarly displayed his amusement, though far more contained; short roars rumbling in his throat, jerking slightly along with the sounds.
The young man rubbed his hand across his face. "Yeah. Fucking hilarious." He reserved his own mirth to the best of his abilities, hand lingering at his cheeks as he pressed against the twitching corners of his lips.
Once their contagious laughter subsided, he heaved himself out of the window. After thoroughly inspecting the frame, he aligned the helve with the latching mechanism. "I see no way of fixing it in place!" His voice was deafened out in the rain, but still discernible to the two Pokémon. "I'm gonna have to push the window closed from the outside while you guys twist the handle!" Aibek grinned at his trainer. "This means nothing! I've still got the superior metacarpus!" The Peat Pokémon laughed once more before carefully perching himself atop the windowsill.
The trainer began pushing the window closed, stopping once it stood ajar by about twenty degrees. Andrew withdrew his hand from the helve as Aibek braced it against the frame with a paw. The young man began pushing against the window once more. It didn't budge a centimeter though. "Aibek, you're pushing too hard against the window!" He looked at his Pokémon, who grinned at the young man. "You fucking turd!" The trainer couldn't help but grin in annoyance, resiliently pushing against the frame with vigor.
The Pokémon eventually ceased his strength, causing the window to nearly fly shut under the relentless force of the trainer. The young man barely remained standing atop the slippery grass as Aibek twisted the helve, closing the window shut.
Andrew burned daggers at his Pokémon before he headed toward the main entrance of the motel.
Rounding the corner of the building, he spotted a man, sitting at a bench with an umbrella above his head. He had a cup filled with some form of beverage. He wore a brown coat with a black shirt beneath. His shaved, black hair and darker skin were the only features that Andrew could make out at a distance. But he could tell that the man was staring.
Andrew observed the man as he walked along the side of the building. The man's attentive glare didn't falter, even as the trainer stared back. He could make out the man's brown, almost orange eyes as he drew closer and closer.
The trainer had had enough of the man's ogling and decided to approach him directly as the man took a sip of his drink. "It's kinda rude to stare at someone when they're out in the rain at nighttime."
The man separated his lips from the rim of the cup as he lowered it. "Out in the rain in the middle of the night, wearing a pair of gym shorts and a washed out tee. Yeah, sorry; that's not even slightly inconspicuous. My bad." He reached within his breast pocket, drawing some form of leather pouch as he clicked the back of an ink pen, fiddling with it till he was satisfied with its position. He opened the leather pouch, revealing it to be a badge. "Howard Thompson of the International Police. Have a seat please."
"I won't. I don't want to be further involved in any of your 'investigations', and whatnot."
"You're the main subject behind my investigation."
"Then let us speak another time, Howard."
"A reschedule would interfere with my investigation."
"How so?"
"Sorry, but the details can't be revealed to the general public."
"I can't interfere upon something if I don't know what it is."
"This is the standard procedure, Andrew. Please, just cooperate."
"My actions are not uncooperative. They're unyielding."
"They're still remarked as an interference."
"If that's the case then I've 'been' interfering this whole time. So why am I not in cuffs at this very moment?"
"This investigation regards your safety."
"So it interferes with my personal life."
"Andr-"
"Not only that, but you also know my credentials; that would probably include my résumé as well I bet. And you're recording our dialogue too." The ink pen in Howard's pocket flickered with a blue light as soon as either of them spoke. The device was more of a laser pointer though; aimed in such a way as to only allow Howard to see it. But a quick glance upwards would show that the light shone onto his umbrella. It appeared as just a small dot, not large enough to notice if you stared straight ahead, but glaringly obvious even if you gave it a quick glance.
He sighed. Three years and he was still making rookie mistakes. "It's our standard procedure. Just make this easy on both of us, please."
"I'll depart. Meetup with me at a later date. It was nice meeting you Howard." Andrew went past Howard as he walked towards the front of the motel.
A loud click resonated behind the young man.
"I was wondering when the gun would come into play." He turned around, hands away from his body and above his waist where Howard could clearly see them. In the man's hand was a revolver, aimed at the trainer. "You fiddled around with it for quite a while inside your coat."
The man grew more annoyed by the second. "I'll respect your privacy if I can afford to do so." He clicked the back of the ink pen once more, and it stopped flickering entirely. "But this investigation will not be delayed any further than it has to be." He pointed a hand at the seat in front of himself. "Have a seat, please."
The young man obliged, sitting across from Howard.
The man placed the revolver back within his coat, and drew a notepad, a ball pen placed within the spring. "Place any pokéballs on the bench please."
"They're in my motel room."
The man briefly analyzed Andrew. He sighed. "First and last name?"
"Andrew Steelcliff."
"Occupation?"
"Trainer, since today."
"How many Pokémon are you in possession of?"
"Two."
"Which one was your first Pokémon?"
"Both."
"Which one did you receive first?"
"Both of them were registered in my pokédex at the same time."
"Did you catch one before the other?"
"Yes."
"What species are they part of and do they have any alternative names?"
"He's not officially part of any modern pokédex. But I've named him Aibek."
"If he's your Pokémon then he must have been registered under a name."
"Professor Rowan did register Aibek. But he never told me under what name. And I left my pokédex in my motel room, so I can't check."
Howard took steady breaths to calm himself. He placed the pen and notepad back in his coat. "We'll handle it later. Let's focus on why I'm here instead."
The tranquil forest crooned with whirring creaks and sussuring foliage, establishing a chorus, leaving the tender, velvety undergrowth somewhat vacant. Low drones, buzzes and chirps began a choir within the lush brush as the daily creatures prepared for slumber; the nocturnal ones rejuvenating from their dozed state. Each anthem canted against the others, but a harmonious carol formed regardless.
"Did you really think this through?" The chants were brought to an abrupt halt as a lanky man, clad in a police uniform spoke.
"Of course I did Ethan." A far chubbier man glanced back at the lanky man, clad in similar attire, following a Hounburst through the vegetation. "We're just gonna find the Pokémon, bring it back to the car and wait for the welfare team to show up."
"And have you thought of how we're gonna bring it back once we've found it?" A low hum resonated in the chubbier man's throat before he chuckled at Ethan's question. "Rick?" He spurred.
"I'm…open to suggestions."
"You're telling me you don't actually have a plan?"
"What! No, of course I do. But, y'know; this is a cooperative effort. You should of course be able to decide as well. We live in a land of democracy after all."
The lanky man sighed, muttering nearly below a whisper, "Sometimes you're the dullest tool in the most decrepit shed I've ever seen. Look!" Richard's attention renewed. "Let's catch it, so we don't meet any resistance on the way back. Then once it's healed we'll release it back into the wild."
"Great plan! Exactly the same as the one that I had. Let's get going!"
Ethan heaved a sigh as he trekked closely behind.
He was fortunate no other being had spotted Yamper's deteriorating body stroll into the wilderness. Her decrepit form was tinted green beneath the receding, desaturated fur. Every fiber in the Pokémon's skin was stretched, revealing the shape of her skeletal structure. Large patches of tissue sundered, exposing large portions of her digestion system, intestines slowly spilling onto the ground beneath.
"Your form is growing rather worrisome, my friend." He said, divine presence still manipulating her mutilated carcass. "Supplementation?" He sought further within her broken mind, searching through a picturesque labyrinth of information. "Ah! Malnourishment. Cells require a surplus of elements for a proper mitosis? Intriguing. We'll make haste for biological matter then."
Tendons threatened to rend from bone with every step of her diseased body as it gradually tore itself apart.
He eventually came across an orb of red and white, with a black stripe going through the center. "A pokéball? You spoke of it earlier, I believe. Though I don't recall the mention of it being attainable from the wild. Being a human manufactured device, you'd expect it to be derived from their buildings of whimsical creation. Do they grow on trees, perhaps?" He explored the maze of vividness once more. "They grow on fungi, it seems. Organic?" He lustfully prodded the neurological highways, sending tingles through his intangible form. "Indeed! No further words, my friend. Our hunt starts now."
Hunched over, the Mushroom Pokémon's cap braced against the ground as it delved into the lands of Cresselia. Its sweet dreams were brought to an abrupt halt though as multiple sharp protrusions of some kind, pierced through its cuticle, perforating its crustose. The Pokémon didn't skip a beat, releasing a cloud of spores from its gills, eventually feeling its assaulter withdraw slowly.
It did not catch sight of the perpetrator before they pounced, stretching their maw around the Mushroom Pokémon's white stem. The lethal strength behind their bite force sent audible crunches through the air as the Pokémon shrieked in sheer torment. Its distress only amplified as it stifled from the immense pressure. "Shush!" The voice was loud, powerful, demanding. "Intriguing!" And yet, it did not express any discernible characteristics. "A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one." No tone, no pitch, no emotion. "I've uncovered a new perspective. Allow me to-" The Pokémon's eyes widened as it fell limp within Yamper's grasp. "Such feeble creatures I possess. No matter. We require you merely for nutrients either way."
The mauled Mushroom Pokémon was slowly consumed over the span of multiple minutes, Yamper's body healing rapidly in the meantime: White tissue grew from the maimed wounds, covering her organs as her green skin started to slacken. Eventually, small caps of red and white started protruding across her entire body, slowly growing into small mushrooms. Stems grew from her broken legs, slowly raising her higher above the ground till she grew a volva on each of her feet. It didn't take long for one last cap of red and white to grow atop Yamper's head, growing larger and larger till the fully developed gills could be seen from beneath. A pair of black orbs started growing beneath Yamper's eyes. The black orbs started blinking in an uncoordinated fashion before settling.
"You'll serve a grand purpose along our journey, my friend." The unpleasant heap strode, a twisted amalgam of muscle and tissue heaving the bodily mass forward.
Auther's Note:
Hi! Yet another late upload I'm afraid. I've been busy quite early in the mornings these past few day. But my family has also gone out on some late night drinking parties; which leaves me with having to watch over our dog. A bit of sleep deprivation isn't going to hinder me though. But beware; I haven't grammar checked this chapter as thoroughly as the others. Otherwise, if you have any critique, then by all means, inform me.
I'll see you all in a later chapter. Bye!