Updated: 4/5/2022

This chapter is just the dream, all the explanation will come next chapter. There are also some parallels to Avatar: the Last Airbender; nice going, ravengal!

Also note this story will be changed to an M rating next chapter. Buneary is thrilled.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Piplup POV:

A field of dark yellow, dying grass filled my vision. In the middle was a small pond full of green, scummy water. There was an electrified barbed wire fence surrounding the field. Yep, this place was Premium Piplup Purveyors.

However, there were several major differences compared to the place I knew. For one, there were several thousand Piplup packed tightly in the field, unlike the eighty-six Piplup I was with. There was maybe a foot or two of room between each, and the area clearly had not been cleaned for many months. Also, the entrance had three additional multi-level buildings with a blue PPP logo displayed on a rooftop sign.

Simply put, this was a huge corporate operation that cared only about making money, but MUCH bigger than the one I hatched in.

A loud shriek echoed through the air, and I turned to see Articuna hovering above a separate small clearing. She looked enraged and was glaring furiously at four Empoleon, who snarled at her. Articuna snarled right back at them, not backing down in the slightest.

"Where is my friend?" she demanded. "Where is Prinplup?"

"You'll have to be more specific" one of them stated, no intimidation in its voice. "We take care of dozens of Prinplup every day. That's what we are told to do, after all; screw them endlessly to produce Piplup." Articuna growled dangerously, clearly furious.

"You're despicable, using female Pokémon as nothing more than sex toys!" she seethed. "I heard about what this place does, catching wild Prinplup females and using them as breeders. But I never imagined you males were so complicit!" A different Empoleon stepped forward, looking smug.

"Say whatever you want to, it won't change anything" he said with a sadistic grin. "This is the perfect life for us, after all. We are well fed, comfortably housed, and proactively kept healthy. All we must do is screw the female Prinplup the humans bring us. We get to feel the euphoria of sex, see them struggle against us, hear them beg for us to stop." The Empoleon paused and stepped forward, ignoring the outraged look Articuno was giving it. "If you think we'd let you change our life, you're a fool." With that, it unleashed a Hydro Pump at Articuna.

The red irises of her eyes lit up, and the Hydro Pump disappeared into thin air. The Empoleon was then surrounded by a light blue aura and lifted straight up in the air.

'That's Psychic!' I thought in awe. But wait a minute; Articuno was a flying and ice type, right? So how could Articuna use Psychic?

The Empoleon struggled in her psychic grip, trying to break free. Articuna's scowl deepened, and a sickening crack sounded as the Empoleon's flipper snapped in half. It howled in pain, and I felt sympathy for it; I knew how painful broken bones were. Articuna flicked her head to the side and the Empoleon was sent shooting off into the sky. She then fired a blueish-white beam at its fading form as well, like she was using it as target practice. An explosion appeared as it hit, and the boom of rushing wind followed shortly afterwards.

Articuna whipped around towards the remaining three Empoleon, who all visibly flinched under her glare. "Now, are you going to tell me where she is, or do I need to do that to another one of you?" she growled.

"No, we'll cooperate" one of the Empoleon whimpered; a far cry from the arrogance they displayed earlier. "I'm guessing you're looking for the Prinplup who talked about her 'legendary friend', and how she was going to free her."

"Where is she?" Articuna growled, her expression unwavering. All three Empoleon cowered, huddling together with a fearful expression.

"She's…dead."

Articuna froze, falling out of the sky and crashing onto the ground below. She stood up, her wings drooping at her sides and shock written all over her face.

"D-dead?" Articuna asked feebly.

"Yes, she passed away recently" the Empoleon confirmed, now sounding sympathetic. "She successfully laid three consecutive eggs, but her body couldn't take the stress, and she died shortly afterwards."

Articuna dipped her head and began sobbing softly, tears falling from her eyes. "I failed you, my friend. I'm so sorry, please forgive me."

Suddenly, a rocket shot at Articuna from a distance, hitting her wing and exploding on impact. She screeched at the surprise attack and collapsed, a purple smoke enveloping her. I turned to see what had attacked her and saw a man dressed in a black suit and black dress shoes. He was wearing dark glasses and had a white badge with the letters PPP in blue on it. He had a rocket launcher on his shoulder, gray smoke flowing from the exit. He was grinning sickeningly, and I felt my stomach turn at the sight.

"I knew this thing would work; no Pokémon can withstand our nerve gas!" he cheered. The smoke cleared and revealed Articuna's collapsed, unmoving form. The man dropped the weapon and grinned sickeningly. "Now to-"

The howl of wind cut him off as it began swirling around Articuna, lifting her limp form into the air. Suddenly she raised her head, and I gasped in shock at her very different appearance.

Articuna's eyes were glowing, but unlike what I had seen before, her eyes were glowing bright white, as well as her three-pronged crest. Pure power radiated from her. She snarled at the man, causing him to back up in fear with wide eyes.

"Wh-what is happening?!" he questioned, trembling fearfully. "How is it up, and why is it glowing like that?"

Articuna reared her head back and gave an ear-shattering, feral roar. I watched in awe as bright yellow electricity began encircling her body, crackling violently. Then her head snapped down and she unleashed a torrent of scorching fire at the man. He was enveloped by the attack, emitting a brief scream. After the attack, I saw only a small pile of ashes where he stood.

I watched in disbelief as she began launching a barrage of Flamethrower and Incinerate attacks at the large buildings, setting all but one on fire. Dark clouds quickly filled the sky, and huge hailstones began pelting the area, further adding to the destruction. The sound of buildings collapsing rang out. Articuna, her eyes and crest still brightly glowing, raised her wings up high. Immediately, hundreds of Thunder attacks rained down on the smoking rubble, deafening bangs sounding from the impact. Bursts of fire shot from her mouth, wings and feet, while Thunderbolts flew off the electricity orbiting her.

Her head turned to the remaining people fleeing the scene. She picked up a single man in her psychic grip and brought him in front of her. The man was middle-aged with a black moustache matching his balding head. He was wearing a black suit with a blue PPP logo sewn on the right shoulder, just like the man with the rocket-launcher from before had.

Articuna reared her head back and, with another thunderous roar, launched a white fireball at the man, blue and red flames trailing behind. It exploded upon impact with the man, flames with every color of the rainbow shooting out in random directions. When the smoke cleared, I saw there was nothing left, not even ashes.

The sight began to fade as Articuna shot more Flamethrowers and Thunder attacks at the area. Soon, I found myself surrounded by whiteness, the dream now over. However, I was still dreaming, so I knew there must be more.

Sure enough, a new vision formed in front of me. Articuna was walking through the sole undamaged building, which I immediately recognized was the hatchery. Her eyes and crest were no longer glowing, and she seemed calmer. Hundreds of eggs in incubators lined the shelves.

She stopped and gazed intently at a single egg without an incubator resting on a table. Curious, I looked more closely at the exposed egg. I felt a strange draw to it, like it was something I knew or should know. Maybe it was a part of me? I wasn't sure.

I noticed a piece of paper next to it with something written on it. I realized Articuna must be reading this, and I started to read it as well. There was a single word on the top, and it shook me to the core.

'Triplet'

I couldn't believe it; that egg was me! That was why I felt such a connection to it. I was looking at myself!

However, I wondered why my egg was without an incubator. Curious, I started to read the rest of the note. Hopefully it would provide some answers.

'Infertile egg, third consecutive. Mother dead. Sold to lab 2. Do not destroy.'

Wait a minute; I wasn't alive? Was my brother right? Did that mean I was never supposed to hatch?

But I did hatch. So how did that happen?

As if she was answering my question, Articuna stretched her wing out and placed it over my now-exposed egg. Her eyes and crest began to glow a bright white again. I saw the same white light glow down from her wing and encase my egg, which glowed as well.

This lasted a good half minute before the glowing around my egg stopped. Articuno's eyes and crest stopped glowing as well. She stepped back, watching my egg closely.

A cracking sound echoed through the air, as a crack appeared in my egg. I watched in shock as the crack expanded before the egg shattered completely, revealing a newly hatched Piplup.

I couldn't believe it; I was looking at myself! But why was I not remembering any of this?

I wobbled and fell into a sitting position and yawned, clearly exhausted. Considering I hadn't been alive mere moments before, that was understandable.

Articuna smiled, her eyes overflowing with love. She leaned down and began to gently preen the top of my head. It was that same spot on my head that was always very sensitive.

The dream faded, and I felt myself beginning to slowly wake.

I felt something scratching that sensitive spot on my head. Normally, I hated anything that touched it. This time, however, it felt pleasant, and I relished in the feeling.

After what felt like hours, the scratching stopped. Curious, I looked up to see what was doing it.

I met a pair of shimmering ruby red eyes gazing lovingly down at me. I was surrounded by vibrant blue feathers and realized I was against her side and under her wing. That wonderful feeling, it was Articuna preening the same spot on my head as she did when I hatched.

I gazed up at her, realizing why she cared for me. I understood why I felt such a strong connection to her. I realized exactly who she was.

"Mom."

/

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