"Fang!" a voice called out from outside of the Arcanine, the voice was clearly female. "What have I told you about eating whatever you want!? Especially if it's live prey."
"Come on, Flare," Fang says. "This is my first time getting to do this. Can't I just have one meal? Please?"
"Not if that meal's me!" Archie screamed out, kicking out to try and get the new figure to make Fang release him. Myao doesn't try to fight, curling up with Archie, hoping his pleas work. Flora kicks out, trying to attract attention. Abby just waits it out to see what happens.
Flare paused, thinking the voice familiar. "Hold on," she said. "Spit that first one out. Now. You can have it if I'm wrong, but I think there's a big problem with your breakfast."
Fang paused, at first refusing to give her meal up before spitting up Archie. Flare paused, looking him over. "My... friends are still in there," Archie says.
Flare smirks at him amusedly. "Well, if I'm wrong about who you are... then you'll be rejoining them soon," she said.
She continued to look him over before noticing something emblazoned on his forehead, pulsing with ethereal energy. The mark that Flare immediately knew belonged to Arceus. She looks to Fang. "Spit... them... out now," she says as if not doing so would cause them both to get blown up.
Fang pouted as she walked over to Archie. "Whhhhhhy!" she exclaimed before she paused, spotting Archie's mark. She yelped loudly. "WHY DO I ONLY THINK WITH MY STOMACH!?" she exclaimed as she spat the others out... Myao ends up being spat out hard enough to knock Archie clean over. "I'm sorry, my lord and his assistants!"
"Assistant!?" Myao exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. "You almost digest me and you call me his assis..." Archie held a paw out to keep Myao from attacking.
"Calm yourself," Archie said as Myao pauses and crosses her arms, grumbling, wiping acid off her tail. "She is my girlfriend."
Abby smirked. "Well... at least we're not dead," she snarked before looking to Sylvie who was still asleep. Abby smiled at her before shaking her awake.
Sylvie let out a cute "Mya?" before gasping. "We're out!" she exclaimed.
Abby smiled. "Thanks to our friend, Archie," she said.
Archie smiled, just glad that they managed to survive. Flora crossed his arms before pausing at Flare. He smirked. "Well, hello there," he said. "I may be covered in stomach acid and saliva, but I promise you... I know a thing or two about the ladies."
Flare smirked. "If that's your best way of showing it... I'll shove you down my best friend's throat."
Flora yelped and stood up straight at attention. "Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am. I entirely respect you, ma'am."
Flare smirked with satisfaction that even one threat was enough to get him to act back in line. "Good kitty," she said, patting his head, to Flora's annoyance.
"Again, everyone, sorry," Fang says. "I was just so hungry, I had to eat something and you all looked delicious."
Archie shivers. "It's... fine," he said. "Really, let's not mention it again." Everyone gave a silent agreement. They would never mention this situation again, even if it did allow them a chance for friendship.
Flare smirked at Fang. "You do remember what we were actually doing, right?" she asked.
Fang nodded dutifully, standing up straight. "We were on a mission for him," she said, motioning to Archie who looked perplexed.
Flare nodded. "How I woke up like this and you woke up with you and your Arcanine being merged together I don't entirely understand, but it seems this might be permanent... so I might as well get used to this," she said.
Archie felt his head spinning. "So... what exactly is going on here?" he asked.
Flare paused. "You... don't know?" she asked.
"Know what?" Archie asked. "Who are you two, anyway?"
Flare slowly nodded. "I see..." she said. "I'm also your girlfriend."
Archie yelped. "Did you know?" he asked Myao.
"Yeah, and me and her are seriously rivals," Myao said, glaring at Flare.
Flare smirks. "You know you're small enough that I can eat you," she said.
Myao paused. "Heh. You and I both know why you wouldn't do that," she said.
Flare ran a finger up Myao's chest. "Try me," she teased before shaking her head.
Abby smirked at Sylvie. "Two Spearow she ends up eating her by the end of the month," she said with a snicker.
"You're on," Sylvie said with a giggle. "Loser has to hunt, pluck the feathers, and personally feed it to the winner."
"I'm in for that," Flora said, sitting down with them.
Abby rolled her eyes. "We weren't involving you... but that does make this more fun."
Flora paused, hard. "Wh... Why does everyone treat me like I'm the mud smear on the cart wheel?" he asked.
"How'd you get eaten again?" Abby asked.
"I was trying to hypnotize the Arcanine and she ate me and my spat my watch out," Flora said, crossing his arms, sad that he might not be able to find his watch again.
Abby smirked. "That's the reason everyone treats you like that," she said. "And that your ego's like you're a master when you haven't gotten a trick once... I do like you, but... that ego needs to be evened out."
Flora paused, crossing his arms again. "Fair," he said. "I just want to be the best. Like no one ever was."
Sylvie smiled as she wrapped a ribbon around him. "You will be, soon enough," she said. "As long as you keep practicing."
Myao crossed her arms again. "You're lucky you're actually kinda hot," she said to Flare.
"What was that?" Flare teased. "Do for you everything that I'd do for Archie?"
Myao's jaw dropped... before she blushed. "N... N... Nooo..." she said.
"Got it, I'll do it," Flare said as she flashed a toothy grin.
Myao blushed and looked away. "I don't even like you like that," she mumbled.
"Oh, you will," Flare said sassily with a smirk. "I'll make you like me."
"Well, I like her already," Abby said with a smirk.
"She is pretty nice," Sylvie said. "And pretty cute, too."
"And she rejected you," Abby said to Flora. "So that's a plus in my book." She snickers.
Fang cleared her throat. "So... are we going to get done heading to town?" she asked.
"Right, right,' Flare said. She smiled at Archie. "You're coming with us." She looked about.
"You're all coming with us."
Archie paused. Abby smiled, Sylvie already nodding. Flora smiles. "Anywhere," he said. "Just lead the way."
"Okay," Archie said. "I'll go, but where are we going?"
"To town," Flare said. "To Forestedge Town. I've heard we can find a team to join there, or at least create our own."
"I'd rather make it our own," Fang said. She smiles sheepishly. "Mostly because I don't want to alienate everyone that might end up being friends."
"Don't eat anyone, I'm sure you won't have any trouble not alienating yourself," Flare teased, getting a bit of a laugh from those who already were eaten by her.
Fang laughed sarcastically. Myao smiled. "I like these guys already," she said. "I see why you like them. Even if I wish they weren't trying to steal you from me."
Archie paused and shrugged. "Monoamory is rare," he said.
Myao paused. "Yeaaaah, but... I wanna be special," Myao said.
"You're a Mew, special enough," Flare said to try and comfort her. It does manage to work as she lets out a flustered giggle. She looked at the ragtag group. "So... who are all of you, besides Archie?"
Archie smiled. "Myao's my Mew girlfriend," he said. "The Umbreon is Abby, the Sylveon is Sylvie, and the Floragato who clearly has a crush on you is Flora."
Flare smiled. "Well, good to meet all of you," she said.
"Nice to meet you, too, gorgeous," Flora said... as Flare smirks and snags Flora with her magic before Flora gets shrunk to the size of a pea. She grins at him as he yelps. "Okay, okay! No flirting!" Flare smirks and returns him to normal... as he gives Flora another pat on the head, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Myao giggled as the new team started to march forward. "Adventure, here we come!"
Flare smirked. "Well, I suppose we know who team cheerleader is," she said as she motioned for the group to head on forward to Forestedge town.
Abby hummed, thinking. "I never considered being part of a team," she said. "I'm not sure I'm ready for it... unless my friends were a part of it, too."
Sylvie smiled. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I'll join the team," she said. "I may be the town apothecary, but my daughter's really started to get the handle of the business... and I've always dreamed of adventure." Abby smiled, comforted by her new girlfriend's words. She perked up even more as Sylvie whispered to her about all the adventures they'd have behind closed doors.
Flora smirked. "A team..." he said. "Couldn't hurt. Might learn a few things, too. Have some real friends that actually care about me..." He looked away and sighed. "Always wondered how that would feel... honestly, even now, the thought of it feels pretty good."
Flare smiled at him. "You know... act more like that... I might just take you up on that offer for a date... maybe. We'll see," she said.
As they proceed forward, Myao and Fang decide to play a game with each other. Myao taunted Fang by making a silly face at her. Fang returned the favor as she tried to catch her only for Myao to bounce on her nose and slide down her back into Archie's mane. Myao gives Fang a razzberry before giggling. Fang smirks as she bounces, trampling Archie who lets out a pained squeal. Myao yelps and motions for the game to end as Fang respectfully agrees to end the game... just as she turns and hunkers down in that way that shows she's found some good prey.
"Oh, no. What did she spot this time?" Flare snarked as she smirked. She followed Fang's line of sight to notice three Pokemon on the trail ahead.
"If it's food, I could care less what it is," Flora said, smirking... feeling peckish after having not eaten anything in hours.
"Even if 'food' happens to be how our big body guard of a friend just happened to see us as?" Abby teased.
Flora paused and shrugged. "We are Pokemon," he said. "We're only out here and alive because of Archie... or we'd be the reason whatever she just found would have been able to live."
One of the three Pokemon was a Shaymin, already in Sky forme, wearing a Gracidea flower around her neck. She zipped and zoomed about but always seemed to be focused on the ground at her two friends, an Eevee and a Pikachu. The Eevee seems more stoic, yet more cautious, than his Pikachu companion who seemed to have a perpetual smile on her face. Fang smirked. "Perfect for us," Fang said as she readied to pounce. "I'll take the Shaymin." Abby lowered down to back Fang up.
Archie lowered down, ready to spring out at the Pikachu, with Sylvie assisting him while Flare and Flora prepare to hunt down the Eevee. "Now," Flare said as she sprang forward, racing ahead. The three young Pokemon were able to hear their predators coming as they each tried to run or fly away from their pursuer. Archie caught the Pikachu first and was about to bite down. Fang leaped for the Shaymin as she flew high into the air, just barely avoiding Fang's jaws. Abby climbed onto Fang's back and leaped for the Shaymin, only for her to miss entirely.
As Flare rushed at the Eevee, she found herself staring the Eevee down. Flora paused as he skidded, already feeling unsure due to the confidence of this Eevee. Flare, undeterred, leaped to catch the Eevee to devour him before he started to glow blue, sparks flying off of his body. Flare paused as she landed on the ground hard. She looked up to see what had happened. What was an Eevee suddenly transformed into a Vaporeon. He narrowed his eyes at his attackers and unleashed a Bubble that bounced the three back. "H... How?" Flare asks, deeply surprised. She blinked, simultaneously frightened, amazed, and impressed.
The Vaporeon smirked. "I'm not so weak, and I won't let you eat my friends!" he said. He unleashed an Aurora Beam that blasted Archie off his feet. Archie blinked, completely stunned. Archie's hard hit causes him to smack into Sylvie, sending them both off their feet.
"I think now's a good time to talk the Eevee down!" Fang exclaimed, dodging a Bubble Beam. Abby flipped over the Bubble Beam before getting caught in the stream and blasted against a tree.
Flare nodded and rushed forward. "Woah, woah!" she exclaimed before being struck with a Bubble to the face. "Okay, not cool! I'm saying we're stopping!" She shakes herself dry. The Vaporeon paused and relaxed... before he transformed back into an Eevee. Abby looked amazed at the little Eevee. She looked at Sylvie who looked equally perplexed. Flora looked dazzled, wondering how he could use it for his own show. "How... do you do that?" Flare asked, trying to get closer.
"I was attacked," the Eevee explained. "Attacked by a powerful light. I thought it had broken my spine, but I mostly felt fine. I thought nothing happened to me, but then my friends got in trouble again and... I transformed. I transformed into a Flareon. Then, another time, it was an Umbreon. Another time, it was a Leafeon. And every time I transformed back."
Flare nodded her head slowly. "I see," she said. "So, your genetic code must have been damaged somehow, and it caused you to be able to transform into whatever you want."
Sylvie hummed. "That... would seem accurate given the evidence... the question is what kind of creature caused it?" she asked.
"A Ghost-type, likely," Abby said. "One that managed to rattle his genetic code."
"Not likely," Flora said. "I know Ghost types. None of them can do that."
The Eevee shrugged. "I mean, I guess," he said. "If that's what caused it, I suppose that's what caused it." He looked to Archie. "Are you going to let her down or eat her?"
Archie paused as he looked confused. He shrugged before swallowing the Pikachu... before she suddenly materialized next to Archie. "Wh.. What.. How...?" he asked.
"Born this way," the Pikachu said. "I don't know what exactly it is, but I'm both cursed and blessed. I can die just about any way I want, or really don't want, and I'll just... come back to life." Archie nodded, though he was still confused.
"Perhaps..." Flare attempted to guess. "You were... stabbed by a Reviver Stone. Or, cursed by one of the gods."
"Or perhaps a little of both," Sylvie said. "Perhaps the Reviver Stone was cursed. Or, perhaps it was meant as a blessing by a powerful trickster."
The Pikachu sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was a curse," she said. She smiled. "Oh well, if it's gonna be a curse, at least it's one I can live with. Literally. I'm happy just being alive, even if I have to be... not alive a couple of times a day."
"You're not alone in your curse," Abby said as she approached the Pikachu... giving her a hug and a nuzzle. "It's not easy, but we can make it through if we stick together."
The Pikachu smiled. "Yeah," she said. "I... think I'd like that."
Flare does show him a smile of sympathy before turning to the Shaymin. "I was cursed, too," the Shaymin said. "Funnily enough, I was too. I yanked on the tail of a Ninetales as what I thought was a hilarious prank... Heh. It was funny alright. For him. He cursed me so that I would die if I was to ever be Land Forme again.. But... that's why I wear this Gracidea. It keeps me Sky Forme even during the night."
Flare smiles. "Interesting..." she says. "So, you trolled someone and got bit for it." She shrugged and smiled. "Well, it seems fate decided we should all be in one place, so... how about we all stick together?"
The Eevee smiles. "As long as you don't try and eat any of us again," he said. He looks tough and ready to fight again.
Abby laughed. "No promises," she teased. The Eevee narrowed his eyes at Abby. "Just joking!" she said. "I don't eat friends. If I can help it."
Sylvie smiled. "I'm proof enough of that," she said.
"Don't worry, we won't eat you," Flare promised. "You're a rowdy one. My name's Flare, this is Fang, Archie, Myao, Abby, Sylvie, and Flora." She smiles. Each member of the team waves in turn.
"Neo," the Eevee said. "And these are my friends, Grace, and Sparky."
Sparky waved and smiled. "Neo's my boyfriend," she said.
Grace smirked. "And I'm not... really with anyone," she said. "Though I'd like to be eventually. I just need someone strong and muscular."
Archie nodded as Flare smiles. "Well... it's great to meet you," she said. She picked up Neo. "Now... what are three kids like you doing out here? Where are your parents?"
Neo drooped and sighed. "They're not around anymore," he said. "They died a long time ago." Grace and Sparky nodded. "We're all orphans, trying to go on adventures."
Sylvie's heart dropped. "You poor dears," she said as she wrapped them all in her ribbons in a big hug. Abby nuzzles Sparky in sympathy.
"It's okay," Neo said. "It happened for all of us long ago... We've grown past it."
Flare smiled. "Well... why not go on adventures with us?" she asked. "I don't really have that much of a family myself, we can all be adventurers together."
"Yeah, I'd like that!" Neo said. He looked to his friends who looked equally excited.
Grace snickered. "Hey, big girl... look behind you," she said. Fang paused, tilting her head and looked to her right... as a Gracidea is right there, releasing its pollen, causing Fang to sneeze so hard, she ends up sitting on Archie. Grace laughs loudly and proudly. Abby held back her laughter before it bursting out like a volcano blowing its top.
Archie manages to crawl out from under Fang. "Okay, you all got your laugh," he said. He smirked as he looked at Grace. "You're a little troublemaker, aren't you?"
Grace grinned as she landed in front of Archie. "How about ya spend more time with me and find out if that's all I'm made of," she says in a prancy singsong as she prances away from him, keeping her tail lifted to show her hindquarters as a taunt before she takes off again with a laughing backflip. Neo smirked and chuckled at his friend's antics. Even more so when Grace's backflip caused her to end up in Abby's jaws. Abby grinned as she swallowed, even opening wide to show Grace was eaten. Neo smirked confidently, causing Abby to feel less cocky... before she felt a fluttering in her chest... followed by nausea. Abby tried to keep herself from throwing up before a burp come out... Grace flying out with it, letting out a taunting laugh. "Not so easy to keep down, am I?" she teased... prancing on Abby's nose with each word.
Abby rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to hurt you!" she said. "I was messing around with you!"
Grace grinned. "Hehe. Playing my kind of game," she said. "Seems you can't play on my level, though!" She giggles and backflips high into the air.
"Grace has been eaten more than a few times already," Neo explained, that same confident smirk on his face. "Couldn't keep her down then, can't keep her down now."
"So... which way is the town again?" Archie asked, smiling at the antics but focused on his next steps.
"This way," Grace said, motioning them to follow. The group raced after her along the road before Grace stopped and pointed down a hill. "There it is. Forestedge Town. Home to a lot of the greatest Pokemon I've ever known. Mostly because my friends are from there."
Archie stood amazed. It was not a small town at all, it was nearly as big as a bustling city.