A\N: This chapter was co-written by ShinGetterwolf (discord) and DjRodriguez who helped me when I had a bit of a mind block (hate when that happens) but here it is a chapter that I have been urging me to post and I hope you guys love it.
As he flew high up into the sky Yamcha took a long look at his new surroundings, it seemed to be a massive forest comprised of thick and lush greenery as the shadows were visible against the sunlight, mid-sized grasslands where anyone could just lay down and look at the sky, there were also clearings close to what appeared to be a coast and a combination of cliffs along larger trees in a large vertical space.
"What a beautiful view, much better than the plain white void that's for sure"
The former bandit said before jumping off a tall tree and going back towards the only building in the whole area that had dual big hourglasses of emerald sand adorning the sides of the building, a clock on the dome roof of the main part of the building to help tell the time in the real world. If it wasn't obvious by now, Yamcha was inside his personal time chamber seeing how it was on the inside while Melvin approached him.
"Pretty neat huh?" He asked.
"Yeah, it's like a very VERY large island with water surrounding it, and you told me this is not infinite?" Yamcha asked.
"Not really, making it infinite is dangerous because you might end up lost, and besides, making it infinite has no point as long as the training itself is useful with enough space" Melvin explained.
"What about the other days of the week? Are you gonna tell me what they do to the place?"
"Now why would I do that? It would ruin the surprise, especially your reactions they are just hilarious"
Yamcha was asking those questions because even though Melvin told him that the time chamber was just like the one Dende had such as gravity and the temperature changing, the one change of one day being one week, he forgot to mention that each day of the week the room would go through some changes such as now, currently, it was Monday Which On this day the room possesses a gravity of 20G and the temperature fluctuates rapidly between -40 °C to 50 °C at random. The other days were a mystery though for now.
"Right…hilarious," He said with a deadpan look.
"Gotta be ready for the unexpected that hits out of nowhere boy, so how about we get to training?"
"Fine then" He relented "What are we going to do?"
"Punching" Melvin simply said.
"Punching?" Yamcha asked, quizzically.
"Correction. I'm gonna teach you how to throw the perfect punch" He smiled smugly.
"Nani!? What do you mean by that? I know how to punch, don't take me for a rookie that barely started martial arts" He said feeling insulted.
"Pfft! Maybe at the start but sometimes we forget about the foundation of our skills. Most of the amazing feats you do are thanks to your ki, which even though it's your own life force, I don't think you know your own muscles to use them at perfect sync" Melvin told him.
"Oh really? Then by all means why don't you explain to me mister wise guy?" Yamcha huffed.
"Well you see, in a simpler way to say there are muscles all over your body, and when you need to move one, in particular, the brain sends a nerve signal to the muscles located in said area. Causing them to tighten or contract, and when that happens the fibers are shortened which increases tension in the muscle. When they lengthen it also decreases tension when the contraction is done" He tries to explain the details about how muscles work.
"Where are you trying to come up with this?" Yamcha rubbed his head.
"Remember that Hard Muscle art technique you learned? What comes to your mind when you're about to punch someone? Is it to clench your fist hard and hit something? But when you do it, do you use all your weight? Do you hit it from the best angle?"
"Uhm…"
"Even a single punch can do way more damage than a hundred blows. So how about this?"
Melvin uses his staff to summon a large punching bag that dwarfed the two of them in size and length and it was red colored.
"I want you to deliver a blow to this target through the shortest possible path, shave off all unnecessary movements, wring out any excess, elevate your technique through endless repetition and unceasing practice until you can tense and tighten your muscles like its second nature to you"
Yamcha just looks at Melvin with a thoughtful look "I mean you're not wrong. Ok if you say so then I do it, but how many times?"
"Do one hundred punches with each arm, keep at it until I come back, which won't take too long, probably"
"Aye aye sensei, do take your time," He said before getting into a stance.
Puar, the shapeshifting cat, and Tabiki, Yamcha's faithful Growlithe, had once again been left on their own. Melvin had taken Yamcha to train, leaving the two of them at Yamcha's large, but, currently very empty house minus the two of them.
"Gee Tabiki, you'd think they'd take us with them for once, I know inside is dangerous but we could at least watch from a safe distance," He said, grumbling.
The Growlithe let out a small whine, tilting his head as Puar shifted about in his seat a bit. Something had been on his mind for a while now. He wanted to help his long-time friend, truly help him. He was no fighter, not like some of Yamcha's friends of course, but, he wanted to at least be able to do something if some strong opponents showed up at least, just waiting around left him feeling useless, just like when he saw his best friend die by the Saibamen. But all of this thinking had certainly given him an idea. He knew just what to do. He'd train and get strong, just like Yamcha!
'But would it work?'
How would he train though? Where to even begin? Should he train the same way Yamcha did before? But that would take forever to even get on the same level as the weakest ki user he knew, was he even cut out for it?
"Bark!" Takibi tries to get his attention.
"Uh? What is it?" Puar asks, getting out of his stupor.
The orange and black pokemon points his paw at the door, wanting to get out and go outside.
"Woof!"
"You want to go out and train?"
It took Puar a moment but he got another idea. Tabiki was a pokemon, which, much like Saiyans, if they trained and fought they'd get stronger. And surely, if the shapeshifting cat trained with him, he'd get stronger too! It wasn't the ideal situation but if he factored in his own natural shapeshifting abilities, there was a good chance they could get even stronger.
"Tabiki, your genius is showing, let's go out and train!" Puar said excitedly. He floated over to the door and with a shove, they both eagerly moved outside.
It was a nice, cool day. Perfect training weather given how clear the sky was. The pair moved into Yamcha's big side yard, still near the house but far enough away to where each one could let loose, or well, as much as they could of course.
Puar floated around the hair before landing on the ground with a pondering look.
"Now I am not used to this sort of thing so I'm unsure how to begin'' 'Since he looks like a dog with a certain tiger aesthetic to him, should I try changing into something similar?'
"Bork!" Takibi looked impatient.
"Wasting time? Well ok then, if you're so eager let's see..."
Puar starts to concentrate and began to change, his body getting bigger and his fur changing color, when he was done what was left after the change was something large that had a certain powerful build to it, well-boned and muscled with a big and furry mane that gave it the appearance of a lion, its thick double coat was brown in color, this was one of the strongest and ancient breeds of dog. They had a bite pressure of 550 pounds, unafraid of protecting their family and property to the point they would even be able to stand against one of nature's greatest hunters like a wolf.
'Huh, so this is what being like Tabiki is like or at least more quadrupedal' Puar thought to himself. His new form was larger, stronger and it certainly felt more athletic than he was normally.
The small puppy pokemon eyed the creature in front of him with curiosity and surprise, as he had never seen this before, it started wagging its tail before letting out a happy bark to which Puar replied with a deeper WOOF. Puar was still able to keep its common tongue even as an animal since he was a beastfolk that learned the human language but decided to talk in dog tongue
{I'm glad you seem to enjoy this one, and I know you're excited but we can play later, now it's time to get serious, remember why we are doing this"
Of course, still being young the Growlithe's first instinct was wanting to play with another dog, even if they were different species of course. A determined look appeared on Tabiki's snout as he got serious, and a similar look on Puar's new dog's snout as he got serious too. Though he had to admit commuting with a dog was a bit tricky.
{"Let's try basic attacks, how about a tackle for now?"} Puar said, hoping the right combination of barks and woofs was enough to get the point across.
The shapeshifting feline howled back, and the two were in a stand-off of sorts as their bodies were in poses that showed they were ready to fight. Before the now shapeshifting dog could react, Tabiki had launched himself rather quickly at Puar! He was using a basic tackle by the looks of it. Said dog's eyes widened a little at seeing the little Puppy Pokemon charging at him with such speed, but he was ready for it. He utilized the dog's high level of intelligence, dodging at the last moment to see Takibi rush past it. But it was so close that he could almost feel the fur brushing past his own as the Pokemon zoomed by him.
{'That's some great speed he got, but it won't matter if it can't hit me'} Puar thought.
Takibi skidded to a stop, turning his body and not liking that he had missed his Tackle. He tried once more, charging with even more speed! But again, it was the same result as Puar dodged yet again just in the nick of time.
The best friend of Yamcha called out, {"That just won't do, even if I'm not a fighter I can see your flaws, you need to react more quickly in time! Instead of skidding to a stop to try again, try to keep the momentum up!"}
The Puppy Pokemon skidded to a stop once more, turning to face his friend and barking that he would try that. But the sparring session was still on! This time, Tabiki tried a new tactic. He leaped into the air, opened his mouth... and released a fireball right at Puar! It was the Ember attack, a Fire-type move that would pellet the opponent with small embers. But in this particular case, Tabiki launched a baseball-sized fireball at his foe.
Puar's eyes bugged out comically before he rushed away and managed to dodge the flaming fireball which impacted the ground with a mild explosion. He looked to see a small blackened crater that, if one would see it from the sky, looked like a scorched black flower. He panted hard from evading the attack, then his eyes narrowed before turning her gaze to Takibi.
He shouted out in aggravation, {"HEY! It's against the rule to use fire attacks!"}
This only made Takibi smirk in arrogance and state in his Pokemon tongue that all was far in a spar, after all, he was a fire-type pokemon and there was no such rule ever told before this.
The shapeshifting cat's eyes got narrower, then he barked and charged at Takibi! Said Pokemon was surprised to see his sparring partner run that fast, but unlike him, his own reflexes were not quite up to par. He tried to dodge, but Puar soon slammed himself into him in a full-on body tackle! The impact sent Takibi flying far, landing and rolling on the ground a bit from the attack.
The puppy pokemon was a bit dazed. He had honestly not expected Puar to fight back, or well, at least fight back this hard. He shook it off though, as he would after a bath, a determined look in his eyes.
{"Not so smug now are we?!"} Puar said with a bit of a playful smirk on his canine snout. Tabiki barked at another challenge, and the now shapeshifting dog readied himself.
Tabiki opened his jaws and launched another small ball of fire at Puar, who quickly dodged it, just as he had done previously, though he had to admit that this one was a lot closer than the last, he even felt the heat as it whizzed passed him and hit the ground with a puff of black smoke.
{"You missed again! How many times am I going to tell you that's no-"}
The impact he felt against his chest was, shocking, to say the least, as he looked down, having diverted his gaze previously for but a moment to see Tabiki colliding against his chest. The force of the impact hurt! Not the end of the world's pain but it definitely left an impression as Tabiki backed off readying himself again. It was a bit hard to breathe, Puar admitted. It wasn't a very strong attack, Yamcha had taught him that but either Tabiki was getting stronger or his tackle packed a much bigger punch than expected.
{"Okay, that was actually pretty clever, but I'm not falling for that again. Here I come!"}
Puar howled, taking off at full sprint towards the puppy Pokemon as he was fast in this form, but Tabiki was too, who at the last moment dodged out of the way, his reflexes improving. Not moving an inch, the Growlithe pivoted on his heels, rotating out of the way as Puar passed by, quickly shooting a fireball in retaliation that singed some of the fur on Puar's back!
{"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!"} Puar cried, immediately stopping his charge, dropping and rolling on the ground to extinguish the flames "Okay, that's it now you're in for it!" Puar growled. He needed a way to get Tabiki back. And he thought of exactly how he'd do it.
He used his shapeshifting abilities to change once again. This time, the transforming cat made himself even bigger, reaching a shoulder height of 38 inches and a body length of 69 inches, its teeth now larger and more robust than that of a gray wolf. Now, this was something stronger, it was instead…a Direwolf. He had read about it in one of Yamcha's old books, it was an ancient species of giant wolf that even competed with saber-tooth cats and now loomed over the even smaller-looking Growlithe.
{"Playtime's over now, you think you're hot stuff now?"} Puar said with a rather devilish-looking grin, flashing his razor-sharp teeth.
Now Tabiki was a Growlithe, who even on their off days wasn't afraid of anything, but he was certainly thinking that maybe, he should have followed the rules a bit closer. Puar took a few steps closer and let out a very very loud and scary bark, the scariest he could muster even! But Tabiki stood his ground even in the face of this giant, ancient predator. Summoning up all of his courage, he howled in kind! And it was even louder than Puars! So much so that even the dire wolf was now feeling a bit shaken up!
{"What, what is this? Why does it feel like he got stronger?"} Puar said to himself, unsure of what to do next.
Takibi had just learned his new move *Howl* which was a skill that increased his attack power as he felt re-energized and ready to keep going.
"What's the problem? The little wolf getting cold feet?"
A familiar voice said as Melvin appeared in front of them, looking amused and curious for the time being.
"Huh?" Puar stops for a moment, turning back to normal as if he was caught in the act of something he should not be doing.
"I am out for a single moment and now we got all this racked?" He smells the air "You guys burnt the ground?"
"Bark bark!"
"You guys were training?" Melvin asked, acting naturally as if he understood pokemon language.
"Yeah, uhm…we were, it's just that Yamcha is not always ready to give Takibi some training or exercise you know?"
"Woof!"
"He was the one to suggest it first?" Melvin said, looking at Takibi and then at the cat.
For some reason, Puar felt nervous now that what he was doing was seeing, but this was not a big deal right? So what if he saw him training with Takibi, maybe he thought if he told him the real reason as to why they were training he would laugh at him.
"Actually Melvin, since your here there is something I would like to ask you"
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"I know this is out of nowhere but…would you consider letting me do your challenges? You know, like the ones you made Yamcha do and get some sort of ability or item when getting through with it"
Melvin's eyes widened slightly at what he heard while Takibi looked confused.
"Woof?"
"Oh yeah, you didn't see those, did you? It's basically challenging that he makes you go through and get something cool out of it but it can be hard sometimes"
"Hmm…And exactly why would you want that huh? First of all, even if I like you guys, I don't really make things easy if you know what I'm saying, maybe at first but…"
"It's because I feel useless!" Puar said with his voice louder now "I don't want to just stand around doing nothing, not anymore. I want to help my friend even if it's just by a little bit, but I'm weak. You helped Yamcha regain confidence and grow stronger, and I want that too even if it's hard"
"Bark bark!"
"Eh? You want in it too?" Melvin started rubbing his head while thinking about it "Ok first of all, we can…try one challenge to see if you mean it, our wolf boi is busy right now so maybe it would be a good idea to tell him what you're up to. As for you Takibi, I don't doubt that you have strength since you're one of my favorite types of fire pokemon but let's leave that on the fence for now ok? But if I get anything cooked up for you we can play on that after talking to Yamcha"
"Grrrr," Growlithe protested.
"Yes you are still a kid" Melvin then conjures a bone and throws it at the distance "Go have some fun.
Growlithe gasped before running towards said bone, barking all the while in happiness as his instincts told him to chew on that all day.
Melvin looks at Puar "Ok furball, you have one chance to impress me or show me what you're made of, if I don't like what I see then you're out, no questions asked or begging later you hear me?" He said seriously.
"You got it! There ain't no way I'm backing down, he didn't so I shall follow suit"
"Very well then, I was missing this already," Melvin said before grabbing his trusty staff and tapping on the ground.
So it began, he knew what was happening, after all, Puar saw his friend go through the same many times now as a spectator. Melvin had just teleported them both into a pocket dimension of his choosing where he could create…as far as he knew, anything to serve as a challenge. At the moment he was in what appeared to be a room with two windows near the top of the ceiling, two torches whose fire burns normally, and only one door in front of him, it made him think that the look was kind of old as if it were a medieval castle. At the top was a balcony on which Melvin showed up looking down at the confused cat.
"W-Where are we?" Puar asked, already getting a bit nervous.
"That's not important right now, a few moments ago you told me that you want to be useful to your best friend, to be more than just a pillar for moral support right? That's why you asked me to help you the same way I did for Yamcha ''Melvin said, oddly serious.
"Yes!" Puar said determined "I'm no warrior but I'm just too tired of just watching from afar, I want to be there for him when he really needs it"
"That's what you're saying right now…hmm don't take it personally Poor but I don't think you can handle what I can dish out. I respect your loyalty to your friend and how you want to help him, and even though I have a lot of fun with you all, I don't make light-hearted challenges, they are dangerous"
"I saw them so I know what you mean" Puar kept going.
Melvin just sighs "I won't let you die, but I won't hold your hand either, you want me to give you power Puar? Then show me! Show me how far your determination really is made off"
With that Melvin hits the ground with his staff, making the flames from the torches turn purple to change the mood, to a serious mood.
Puar jumped a bit as the room was now cast in a ghastly purple glow "H-hey! What's that for?! Did you really have to go changing rooms like that?" the shape-shifting cat says, nerves on edge already.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid already? I haven't even started the challenge yet. But hey, I get it, if you want to give up already and go home you can tell Yamcha about how scared you were of some torches, heh heh" Melvin says, flashing a quick grin.
"N-No! Im fine"
"Alright, so normally, if you were a little more inclined of the wolf fang fist variety, I'd dump you into the room without saying anything and let ya figure it out, but, since I'm feeling nice, I'll explain how the rules go. It's easy"
"Easy my foot.." Puar grumbled, though his ears perked, making sure to catch Melvin's every word.
"Paying attention? Great. So your whole, uh.. thing" Melvin says, making an almost circling-like gesture with his finger "Is shapeshifting, right? You know, presto chango change shapo? Well, we're going to test just how good you are today with a little game I like to call, don't get caught!"
"Do I even want to know about what I could be getting caught by?" Puar says sheepishly, though certainly trying to put on a brave face.
"Tell me Puar, do you know of the game Green light, red light?" Melvin asks while smirking.
"Isn't that a kid's game where you move when it's green but stop when it's red? Sure I do know of it" Puar said, not understanding why he asked that.
"Well just so you know, I got someone else to play this game with you. But let's just say that he takes things a bit seriously"
"Uhm...how serious?" He wasn't so sure of that.
"Very serious, and he also enjoys playing in the dark, always keeping a watchful eye hehe"
"E-Eh? What does that even mean?" Puar couldn't help but feel a bit nervous again 'What would Yamcha do, what would Yamcha do?' His mind raced, until, in a moment of clarity, he got it!
"I don't have all day, tell me your answer, '' Melvin said.
"Alright! Let's do this" He said, posing as coolly as he could. "I'll take on your challenge! I'll show you how brave I am!"
Melvin laughed for a moment before his face got serious again. "Great! Best of luck to ya, remember, keep on your toes, or whatever you decide to make 'em! My friend has an eye for details"
Once again there was a loud TAP as Melvin's staff hit the ground, and a rather dark-looking doorway, lined with torches appeared. "Alright Mister, totally not a scaredy cat, step right up and face your destiny if you dare!"
Gulping audibly, Puar nodded and entered the hallway, not sure who or what Melvin had in store for him but he was going to find out! Once he bravely stepped through the door, into uncharted territory, the door behind him closed down with a loud BAM making him jump in slight fear, before turning around and seeing that the hallway had expanded, not in length but in width, now becoming a very large area but at the other side, at a considerately long distance was a shining white doorway like a beacon in that darkness where the only source of light besides that was the ominous torches.
"That must be the exit, but why do I feel like this is too easy? There is no one here, as far as I can see"
"Eyes can be deceiving Puar"
"Melvin?" He looked around.
"I'm still here, watching over your progress. The rules are simple, first of all, you're not allowed to float since it's not part of your shapeshifting but your natural skill, also that would make things too easy, second of all. You need to get to the other side of this room by playing red light-green light. Keep in mind that when the moment you need to stop comes with red light and then you need to move again when it's a green light, you are not allowed to be in the same physical form you are right now, meaning for each time the lights change from red to green and then you're allowed to move again you need to change into a different being"
"Dang it!" Puar didn't like that, he really thought floating with his self-levitation would be quite an advantage. "Well if I can't fly I'm going to have to do things the old-fashioned way it looks like," He said with another gulp.
Paws firmly planted onto the ground, he started by taking a few steps inside.
"Oh, nothing happened, I swore something might happen the second I took a step in here," the shapeshifting cat said to himself, quietly, of course.
"Patience my friend, the game is just getting interesting" Melvin said, readying himself for action.
"I know this won't be easy, so how about a hint?" Puar asked.
"More? Well...just pay attention to anything that is moving in the dark..., so just be careful when you start seeing the glowing orbs in the dark, you never know what may be slithering around ehehe, keep in mind this is a game so you better have a pro gamer move"
"Slithering? Is it a snake then?"
"Uhm...no, I just like to get you spooked. The colors are just to demonstrate when you can move or not"
Puar rolled his eyes, already imagining Melvin smiling face at his situation, barely there and he already felt annoyed, how Yamcha dealt with him for so long was a mystery.
"Have to be brave, have to be brave like Yamcha!" Puar said to himself nervously. He certainly didn't like the idea of whatever slithering thing Melvin had teased him about that might be lurking further on but he disliked the idea of letting his friends down, even more, so he pressed on.
His eyes scanned the darkness for anything that could be lurking, but he found nothing for now. Exhaling, he took a few steps forward, though once again, nothing happened, as he had expected it to.
"Hey, this isn't so bad, maybe Melvin was full of hot air after all!" the shapeshifting cat thought to himself.
What the poor blue cat didn't know is that at times like these you should never say such a thing because bad luck always strikes those who are arrogant, it provokes fate to make something happen. In all that darkness, it was only for a moment that he felt something pass right on top of his head. And since he wasn't expecting something like that in such a precarious situation that his eyes weren't working at the moment it hit him.
"HUAAHHH! W-What was that?"
Puar started to lose his cool and decided that he would have to gamble on using his feline abilities. That place though was super dark with one source of light, but that didn't stop him from still having the ability to see that something was there.
'I-I felt something, am I really not alone? No! Don't be afraid'
Puar was not going to give up after coming this far in convincing Melvin into giving him a chance so he would use his cat skills. Felines were capable of hearing many higher-pitched sounds of up to 1.6 octaves above the human range, they have large corneas and pupils, which are about 50% larger than humans, allowing them more light into their eyes which is great to see in the dark. Not to mention his Whiskers which were specifically tuned sensory equipment that served like specialized hairs to aid vision and help a cat navigate his environment, providing additional sensory input, much like antennae on insects.
"Let's do this!"
Puar said before he got on all fours and started running like the animal he was, he had to admit that he felt a bit out of shape since he was clearly dependent on his floating ability and shapeshifting into better forms that had a much easier time. Melvin didn't say how far away the door for this to end was, but he didn't mind he just kept running and running, even when he started breathing heavily, forgetting how long it had been he was doing this he didn't stop.
"G-Gotta…Drop down the snacks" He said, getting tired, not really reaching the speed a cat like him should.
*Beep* *Beep*
"What?"
Puar suddenly stopped his run after he saw a few red glowing orbs amid darkness, which meant that he had to stay still or else. In just a few seconds all the darkness that seemed to be endless was no more and light came to replace it and reveal the face of the one that had been watching him all this time, at first he was curious but now? He quickly regretted that. There was a creature of fairly large size and was circular in shape. It hovered about a foot off the ground and was perhaps the size of an over-inflated fitness ball. The creature itself sported a massive, predatory-looking eye on its front, and its body was composed of almost ribbon-like tendrils that wrapped around and around its front, each one uncurling, revealing a smaller eye. In essence, it could see in 360 degrees without moving thanks to the tendrils.
'What.. what is that?!' Puar nearly screamed but he bit his tongue. He had seen a lot in his travels with Yamcha but nothing, not anything remotely as weird as this freaky thing.
A familiar laughing voice filled his head once more. "Hahahaha what do you think of my friend here? He seems to be Sieyezing you up at the moment, pretty spooky right?" Melvin gloated, using his powers as he observed Puar's first encounter with the creature as it floated above him, its large singular eye, and the smaller sub eyes getting a good look at him.
The shapeshifting cat dared not move. Dared not even breathe.
"Not moving huh? Well guess we won't be seeing the heat ray from him then" Melvin said with a sigh.
'A WHAT?!' Puar mentally screamed at the thought.
The multiple eye creature didn't bother itself from the outside noise or maybe it was unable to hear it since it seemed to have all eyes and no ears or maybe it had its own mechanism to hear noises. Its tentacles started glowing again but this time it was a green glow that lasted three seconds before it went off and all the light went to darkness once more.
This...right there...was Green light, Red light game with a multiple-eye monster freak that he had to pay attention to when it would show up, using its sonar to see the pattern and then stay still when turning on the light, he was so scared he didn't even pay attention to his surroundings when the light was on.
Darkness once again bathed the chamber, obscuring the creature from view once more, though Puar had a feeling it was looking at him or the spot where he was just a moment before.
Remembering the rules, the cat started thinking about what else he had to say 'What other creatures could see well in the dark?" he thought to himself. It took a moment of thought but then he got it!
With another "Poof!" The cat changed form again, this time into a raccoon. They have very good hearing and excellent night vision, but their extremely sensitive sense of touch is what sets them apart from other carnivores.
"Let's go!"
After that Puar had transformed into a myriad of different animals that could see in the dark one way or the other, some better than others, such as: Pit Viper, a black-footed Ferret, Owl, and even a Tarsier, using their advantages as animals. All the while having to pay attention to the creature that constantly watched, having to stop and move all the time, sometimes it was just a few seconds before the lights were on and other times it took longer, as to give a sensation of urging for it to come sooner as to not just stare at the red light beeping.
It was annoying how it would show up from left, to right, in all directions, forcing the cat to always be on his toes. It was after feeling frustrated at seeing the multi-eyed creature a few times, taunting him that something clicked in his brain, all this time when the lights turn on he never looks around the area, he always looks forward at the thing because he is afraid that if he moves even his eyes, then something bad would happen.
But then he had an idea and thought to himself. What kind of animal has one of the best ways to see in the dark in the mammal world?
'I know!'
Puar then closes his eyes, focusing and then quickly changing into a Northern Cave bat. For you see, by emitting high-frequency sound pulses through its mouth or nose and listening to the echo, the bat can determine the size, shape, and texture of objects in its environment. Puar then using his newfound echolocation skill managed to see in great detail what was in front of him and…
'What the?!'
Thanks to the Northern bat echolocation the shapeshifter realized one big truth about where he was…and that is that there was nothing! There were no different paths, no rocky terrain, no labyrinth, it was just one large room with nothing around besides the door he had to go towards and the watcher seeing him, in total there was nothing but time to get on his way.
'Are you kidding me?! All this time, all I had to do was go in a straight line?'
It has been just a few seconds ever since the last appearance of the watcher so Puar decided that the kid gloves were off and he was going to play seriously. Turning back into a cat, he gets into position, before then turning into a Cheetah and taking off! Which was a lot of speed since Cheetahs can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 70 miles per hour, being able to maintain it for a total of 30 seconds.
The main goal now was to focus on covering as much ground as possible with speed and relentlessness, when the first glowing red orb appeared, rather than slowing down and stopping in his tracks, Puar changed again, this time into a free-tailed bat, which due to studies it was revealed they could fly at an astonishing speed of 100 miles per hour.
'A-Almost…Almost THERE!'
With one final struggle, trying with all his might, Puar finally manages to reach the end of the challenge, flying straight through the exit. He closed his eyes for a moment thanks to the blinding light that became stronger when getting too close to it.
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"Oof!"
Puar fell onto the grassy floor, finally having a breath of fresh air from the outside once more, away from that dark pocket dimension and the creature that plagued him with its constant watch, slowly getting up to his feet he looked around to see he was back home.
"I…Did I make it?"
"Congratulations!"
A shower of colorful confetti is tossed into the air with a bang before falling down onto the cat's head.
"Huh?" Still, in a daze, Puar looks to see Melvin show up.
"Gotta handle to ya furball, didn't really think you were going to make it, I may not have given you a specific time limit but anyone would have taken longer to travel through that darkness without losing control of their nerves at the possible things slithering around"
"Travel?!" Puar got up and started floating next to him "There was nothing there! It was just a wide area! I could have just gone straight in a line and been done with it" He said, protesting.
"I never said you couldn't do that, you're the one who decided to be careful of the possibility of hitting anything strange. But you quickly wise up in what transformation to use to see that you could right? Turns out you're not such a scaredy cat after all"
Puar was still feeling annoyed that he was tossed into a dark place with something that scared the lights out of him, but this is what he had to go through if he was ever going to be useful to his friend, and he managed in the end right? It was never meant to be easy.
"Does that mean I passed your test and you're gonna help me?" He asked.
"Well…I still want to test you more but for now? You have earned my favor, and I shall reward you accordingly" Melvin said with his serious voice for the occasion "You wish to help your friend when things get tough but you don't have the raw power for it right?"
"No…I mean I can shapeshift but that's not enough for it, not like the old days" Puar lamented.
"Are you kidding me? Dude that's a pretty badass ability you got there, just waiting to be developed even further" Melvin said with excitement.
"You…You think so?" He asked as if years of seeing the wonders of Ki control had diminished his expectations of what he already had.
"Geez cat, are you really that blind? I mean you weren't born with that power right? You learned from somewhere just like that pig right? He's not as perfect as yours but you know what you have don't you?"
Puar seemed to scratch his head for a while "I do?"
Melvin just sighs "Magic Puar! Im talking about magic"
"Oh! Uhm..y-yeah I suppose that is like magic right? I mean I haven't really seen anything of the sort besides the school where I learned shapeshifting but that's pretty much it, besides the dragon balls or the power pole. I saw magical items but never something like a wizard" Puar said even though he knew who the god of the earth was.
"In other words, you never saw any magic being used outside of shapeshifting or a dragon coming out of magical orbs?" Melvin then rubs his chin "Well I suppose it is to be expected, magic doesn't seem to be something that many seem to practice around here anymore besides a selected few, and those who do keep it to themselves most of the time"
"I guess there is Baba, she seems to be good at magic"
"Meh, leave her be, you don't need to worry about all that. What I'm trying to say is, if you want to be useful the way you wish to, then you won't be needing to go down the same path as your best friend, mostly because it's a difficult path not suited for your type" Melvin thought already imagining Puar wearing a turtle school gi and throwing a Kamehameha "Instead your going to learn magic! Do you know what magic is Puar?"
"Well, I only know tha-"
"Magic is a supernatural force capable of changing certain aspects of the world at fundamental levels, like a primordial source of magical power that can be shaped into many possible forms with enough training and knowledge by weaving it within your own body and in some cases even in the atmosphere. Since mana is everywhere, it's just not visible to everyone"
"Oh yeah, I remember an explanation like that from my teachers back in school," Puar said, feeling nostalgic.
"That's precisely why you're good to walk this path, Puar. What you call Shapeshifting is also known as Transfiguration, I don't know if you have a talent for that or if the teachers back at your school were just that good. But that branch of magic is meant to be SUPER hard, since it usually focuses on the alteration of the form or appearance of an object, via the alteration of the object's molecular structure you know? It is regarded as something very systematic, that requires exact magical discipline, working best for the scientifically-inclined mind. But not only can you change yourself to look like other animals and gain their characteristics, but you can also turn into objects and be able to move while at it"
Puar paid attention to everything Melvin said, and he starts remembering how he was unable to copy Goku's strength when he turned into the kid since he didn't know exactly what made him so strong but was able to turn into a giant pair of scissors that managed to cut through his tail "O-Oh…I thought it was normal, now that you mention it besides me and Oolong I haven't really seen many of my former colleagues"
"They probably got their diplomas by a slight margin of almost getting dropped out or they didn't mind keeping on practicing, your pig friend can keep his changes for five minutes before having to rest right? You on the other hand while not indefinitely, you can keep them up for a long period of time, right? Sure there were some tidbits to be improved here and there but you kept improving"
"Oooh. I see what's happening, so you're going to teach me magic?"
"I can give you a tip once in a while, but if you're really ready for this you better start reading like a bookworm"
Melvin then summons a big and classic wizards hat before turning it upside down and shoving his hand inside, grabbing from its contents a rather large book, made of fine leather and brand new paper, there was a title on the front that read Hogwarts - Spellbook (14 Spells) then Melvin let it go dropping onto Puar paws which the Cat nearly fell on the ground trying to lift it.
"I-Its a bit heavy"
"Of course it is, that's how books about magic are. Practitioners must be confident in their ability and in their motivation in casting a spell; believing that one is unable to do it, or that it's not right to do it, will preclude you from using that spell. Food for thought"
"Whoa…" Puar stared at the book in awe, as if he had never seen a book about magic before, or at least one so different. "What is Hogwarts though? I'll ask him about it later. I suppose we are done then? I would like to look at this book."
"Not quite, there is something else I would like to add, and I think it may help you."
Once again, with his trusty staff in hand, and conveniently with no one around to see it, Melvin quickly shot something at Puar, who barely even saw it coming before he started complaining about it.
"Huh?"
The sensation was peculiar, not painful, but an odd energy enveloped Puar's body as sudden transformations began to unfold. He could feel his limbs elongating, while an encompassing shroud covered him. After a while, the radiant glow dissipated, revealing a brand new, utterly distinct Puar. The shapeshifter now appeared as though he had just undergone a growth spurt, standing at a total height of 4'5 feet. His body bore a distinctly human-like shape, though his cat-like traits such as fur, whiskers, paws, and more remained intact. It was as though he had transitioned into a new phase of life.
"What... What just happened?" Puar exclaimed in astonishment, his eyes fixed on his transformed self. "What have you done?"
"Well, doesn't that look much better?" Melvin grinned. "Now you actually resemble an adult. It felt a bit odd having you around looking so tiny and adorable like a little kitten, especially considering how many years have passed," Melvin explained.
"You've altered my body?" Puar inquired, still trying to make sense of the change.
"And I've even provided you with some mage-like attire, so you can play the part," Melvin added. "They might not possess any magical properties, but here's the catch: when you revert to your original form, the clothes disappear. However, when you shift into this form, they reappear. I call it... the Beast Boy trope effect," Melvin whispered the last part conspiratorially. "But if you ever grow tired of these garments, you can take them off and replace them with something else, and the effect will apply to the new attire as well."
Indeed, clothes had come along with Puar's new form. He now sported a long fuchsia shirt with slightly flared sleeves, accented with lavender cuffs and a ruffled hem. Atop his head sat a violet wizard's hat adorned with two distinct marble-like decorations, one green and the other light blue. Below, his trousers matched the hat's color, featuring silver stars, a black belt with a square silver buckle, black shoes, and a burgundy neckerchief. Notably, there were customized openings for Puar's ears and tail on both the hat and trousers, ensuring his comfort without obstructing his unique features. (A\N: Reference Wizard Robe from the Epic Battle Fantasy 5 fandom wiki.)
"Wow," Puar marveled, just realizing his new attire. "I still don't get it, though. What's the purpose of all this? I can shapeshift as it is."
"Yes, but you see," Melvin began, "With this form I've granted you, you can shift into it anytime without needing to concentrate or expending stamina to maintain it. A more humanoid form will serve you much better during these trials. Think of it as a separate form for enhanced agility and versatility."
Wanting to test it out Puar did try to go back into his previous form which was his original, and indeed, the clothes were no longer with him just like Melvin explained.
"Whoa…weird," He said.
"It also works when you turn into other things with your shapeshifting, its just more convinient you know? The least thing we need is to worry about all your clothes being thrashed everytime you change. But this is just the start my friend, the bar level for weirdness is ever-changing. Now if you excuse me I gotta go back and see Yamcha progress on what I left him doing" Melvin said before turning around and getting ready to teleport again.
"Wait!" Puar called.
"Hmm?" Melvin raised a brow, looking at him.
"I just wanted to thank you, for helping and giving me a chance, not just me but him as well y-you know?" Puar said, feeling oddly embarrassed for some reason.
The guy just smiled before chuckling "Don't mention it, it's why I'm here. Just remember to train hard from here on out"
Puar nods "Yes!"
A\N: Hey guys, did you enjoy the first challenge for Puar? I hope you did but here goes a few words that I want to share before finishing the chapter for good.
1- The poll to decide whether Puar and Takibi (Yamchas Growlithe) should have more anthro (humanoid) like forms has ended and the results have ended in…
Option one- Yes! Both of them will have humanoid forms in which they can change back to their original state at will, exactly THREE people voted
Option two- Yes but only Puar and it's permanent, had just one vote.
This shows that not many of you had that big of an interest in the poll but it's nice to hear that the idea is not lost. After SO LONG searching I have found the best there is a fanart piece of Anthro Puar that looks nice, cute, interesting, and not weird at all (unless you're easily triggered) the link is down below for anyone to look. I had trouble putting the complete link here but you guys just need to put it together and then you get it.
rougafuufuukens. tumblr post/173728609593/anthro-puar-was-my-best-creation
There are two pics here in the link. The first one is what I imagine Puar being while the second one is a bit more…*ahem* too cute (I think that's the way to say it) let's say just focus mostly on the first one? Also, remember to support the original artist.
2- Thanks to another poll Puar will walk the path of magic, which is also the perfect way, in my opinion, to help him grow, since I'm not sure his shapeshifting was ever acknowledged as being magical or that uses a different type of energy but he did learn on some school so that carries some weight right? In most schools of magic in fiction or anime when dealing with magic, shapeshifting is a big deal to learn so I like to believe Puar can do many things.
3- You guys can send challenges to Puar and Takibi of any nature as long as it tests them like a challenge should and be rewarded accordingly, if one is not provided then one shall be made by me, but I hope you guys demonstrate interest, that would be way more fun.
4- The book of spells has in total fourteen (14) spells that I have choosen and find really useful in Hogwarts be it a charm or jinx, in the end, they are all spells, may as well take a peek at the page to remember that if you guys want, not all of them are useful in my opinion due to situations but a lot of them may show up.