[Pokémon] Angel's Lament (PG for mild humor, violence...and some inflation)

Mmm, fair warning... This is going to be a weird story... Not that Pokémon itself isn't weird to begin with, much less considering how it's PokéPark fic. I originally wrote and posted this on Furaffinity as somewhat of a follow-up to a story I requested from SqueakyTails on FA. The general premise of that story involved my OC Chip Erminfyr (cast as his species default Weasinge) visiting a new "Area" created by SqueakyTails after trying to get away from his hometown after my Vulpix OC Pyra Jya-Luquay cast a series of curses on him he became traumatized by (the least of which involved turning him into a stuffed animal and a pool-toy Pokémon). During his time away, he overcame his fear and grew to love the new "area" so much that he just stayed at PokéPark. This story follows Pyra (cast as her Vulpix default) and my other OC/FakemonSeraph Furlong (cast as her species default Skunanne) as they try to find Chip and convince him to return home.

Angel's Lament
(PG for Mild Humor/Violence)​

Written by Apollo the Incinermyn
(Balloon Area created by SqueakyTails and used with permission)​

Dripping water echoed throughout the cavern as two Pokémon trekked through the seemingly endless tunnel. A stagnant air permeated the damp enviroment as they silently walked winding catacombs of sandstone, long ago forged by erosion and adventurers before them.

"It's worthless..." the biped rasped as she set down her tan backpack on the wet ground. Her feet were already sore from their travels, with the moistness of the rocks making her pads raw.

Her partner, a youthful vulpine of shorter stature, came up to her from ahead smiling. The fox wore a bright fuschia cloak with flowery embroidering and a matching cowl that she had drawn over her head. Six russet-red tails unfurled elegantly from her rear as she skipped upon her dainty brownish-red paws.

"Aw, come on!" the girl said gleefully, staring up at her meter-tall comrade with adoring burgundy eyes.

The skunk girl returned the glance from her own pair of gleaming sapphires. In the darkness of the cavern, her furry visage appeared pitch-black, except for the pure white streak down the middle of her flowing locks. Save also for her slight maw and the ears pointing upwards from her skull, her face elsewise looked distinctly human.

"We've been traveling for weeks, Vulpix," Skunanne huffed. "We've been from town to town with still no sign of him. We're almost out of berries, both as food and money."

Vulpix shook her head and responded, "We're almost to the next town. I'm sure of it. Cheer up, and let's get going!" Afterwards, she skipped happily onward ahead of her friend.

'That girl...is not right in the head...' Skunanne sighed. Grabbing her stachel, she slung the heavy bag over her shoulder blades and trudged on after the fox through the rest of the tunnel. The sheathed knife hooked onto her pack tapped lightly at her right side with each step, reminding her it was there in case of emergencies.

As the twosome exited the passageway, they came upon an expansive beachfront graced with white sands, sheer cliffs, and a gorgeous seascape that glistened in the evening moonbeams. Vulpix gasped in awe, never having seen the ocean this close in person. Skunanne inhaled a deep breath, taking in a full nose of the robust sea breeze. Setting her pack down again, the moonlight illuminated the twin rows of slanted lines cascading down her back along with the thick white stripe flowing up the middle of her luxuriously-smooth tail until it fanned out across the appendage's tip.

"Isn't this lovely, Skunanne?" Vulpix asked the humanoid skunk.

"Aye, that it is..." Skunanne whispered in response. She'd been on the ocean before, preceding her recent friendship with the vixen.

"I've never seen anything this beautiful in all my life. Father never took me anywhere like this in all our travels." Knowing Vulpix's father to be an elderly Ninetales and one whom lived a particularly ascetic lifestyle, it didn't surprise Skunanne to hear that.

Catching a glipse of buildings beyond the cliff's ridge, Skunanne pointed to them and said, "We should head into town to see if there's an inn. I hope they don't charge much, otherwise we'll be sleeping outside again." She emphasized the last part with grimace. Her kind wasn't accustom to camping, even though she grew up in a tribal hollow.

"No worries! We'll find some place nice," Vulpix giggled as she hopped merrily along the shoreline, towards the cliffside road at the far end of the beach.

Skunanne grabbed her backpack and then followed with a sigh, wondering if her friend grasped how impoverished they were. Previous stops had nearly depleted their berry supply after paying for lodging at one place, meals at another, and then snacking on their 'currency' during the trip here. Foraging for berries didn't generally entail hard work, but Skunanne's skills weren't specifically developed for it. In fact, she was what most creatures feared these days...a hunter... Lately, she'd recessed her native habits for a more relaxed lifestyle in which things were provided for her. This trip had taken the two of them well away from that, however. If things didn't change soon, she'd probably find herself falling back on her survival instincts.

About halfway across the beach, the two stopped dead in their tracks as a massive herd of miscellaneous Pokémon suddenly trudged up the beach from some docks nearby. They'd never seen such a diverse group in one place, but a quick look around revealed them to all be departing from the back of a Wailord. The oceanic behemoth keep his head down as everyone disembarked to shore.

Once the last passengers came ashore, he raised his brow skyward and bellowed, "That was the last ferry for tonight. First pickup for Balloon Area employees shall be at daybreak, and first pickup for patrons will be shortly thereafter. Enjoy your evening, everyone!" On that note, the enormous cetacean swam back out to sea.

"Balloon Area?" Skunanne muttered under her breath.

"You don't know where we are, do you?" Vulpix whispered with a grin.

"Not exactly. You're carrying the map, after all," the skunk girl replied, motioning at the small satchel Vulpix carried at her side. It happened to also be the only thing she'd opted to carry, having even snuck her spell book into Skunanne's knapsack shortly after their journey began. She didn't mind carrying the bulk of their load, though the girl was admittedly worn out at this point in the day.

"This place is called Poké Park! I've been dying to come here for years! They have all sorts of fun games and attractions. Also, everybody is supposed to be super friendly!"

"Fun, you say?" Skunanne remarked as she noticed the crowd thin, "Maybe for you..." After that, she trekked onward after the group, pursuing some creatures wearing unusual blue vests. Vulpix caught up to her almost immediately.

Traveling along the cliff's semicircular road, the two followed the herd into the town square where it quickly dispersed. Pokémon headed out to different parts of town, some down side streets while others went down the main thoroughfares. Skunanne and Vulpix studied the townscape before deciding where to go next.

In the middle of the village, there was an elegant water fountain made from sandstone. The cobblestone streets were polished beautifully as to shine in the moonlight with their street lamps made ornately from cast iron. Every building was constructed orderly, but each had a quaint two-story design befitting a seaside town.

Vulpix spotted a sign near a rooftop that read 'Cove Town Inn' and darted off towards it without alerting Skunanne. Miffed the skunk ran after her, silently praying that the owner show some pity on them.

Inside the establishment, the two were met with a homey atmosphere complete with pinewood floors and Victorian furnishings. At the desk in the far right corner sat a simian Pokémon with light-blue fur and unusually long hair that curled somewhat at its ends. The primate looked up at them surprised but then gave them each a big grin, squinting joyfully the entire time.

"Oh, guests? Welcome!" he said with a slight laugh, "I'm Simipour, the night clerk. How may I help you this evening?" Both Pokémon approached him, Skunanne somewhat anxiously.

"Yes, sir. Um, we'd like a room for the night. Preferably one with two beds," Vulpix told him, perching her forepaws on the counter to look at him clearly.

"Ah, most definitely," Simipour replied, checking a ledger set before him. "We have three rooms available tonight that would be perfect for you."

"What are your rates?" Skunanne asked, leering at him.

"Oh, yes. Please forgive me. We charge thirty berries per night, but that includes lodging and food. Room service is available at all hours. Also, checkout time is normally noon, but we won't charge you for leaving later in the day, so long as you do leave that day."

"Wow, that's great!" Vulpix said, wagging her tails happily.

"Thirty...?" Skunanne rasped under her breath as she reached for the berry pouch at her left side. Opening it, she instantly saw thirty berries were all they had left.

"Oh, is something wrong?" Simipour asked embarrassedly.

"Well..." she replied with clear disgust in her voice.

"I won't turn you away if you can't pay upfront!" he explained. "It's very cruel to turn away guests just because they're short on funds. However, I will have to ask you to do at least a couple chores in the morning to compensate us for letting you stay."

Skunanne snarled at him and snapped, "You know what? I'll just pay the thirty berries and be done with it." Next she dumped the contents of her pouch onto the desk.

"Are you certain?"

"Positive!"

"Alright, then. I'll just need you both to sign in here," he told them, putting an ink pad before them. "Just ink your paws and press them in this page in my ledger here." The Pokémon did so, and he then guided them to a room upstairs.

Upon entering their lodging for the night, Skunanne and Vulpix were greeted with kind ammenities. The room was adorned with elegant hardwood floors, beautiful floral wallpaper, and a small chandelier hanging dead-center overhead. Their beds were built with oak bed-frames inlaid with intricate flower designs, and the mattresses had elegant rosebud bedding covering them. An oak nightstand sat in the corner off to the bedsides, a wooden desk was set against the wall on the left-hand side of the room, and the room's dresser rested across from it on the opposite wall.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Vulpix yipped.

"I'm glad you like it. If you need anything, feel free to ring the bell on the desk there. I'll be up right away," Simipour explained. "Please enjoy your stay." On that note, the monkey closed the door and left them be.

Vulpix pranced around the room gleefully before finally hopping onto the bed off to the right. Skunanne set her sack down on the chair in front of the desk and then motioned towards the one opposite of her friend's.

"Isn't this lovely, Skunanne?" the fox asked as she spread her body out atop the down comforter provided for her.

"I suppose..." Skunanne huffed as she took a seat on the edge of her mattress. Feeling the silkened texture of the blanket with her paw, she admitted to herself that it was more luxurious than their previous accomedations. Other places just put them in a cramped room with a pile of sheets in the corner. They'd even broken out their sleeping bags to avoid having to lie on the bare floors a few times.

"You do realize that was the last of our money, right?" the skunk derogatorily blurted out.

"You worry too much," Vulpix said, wagging all six of her tails at once. "I'm sure we can forage berries come morning. There are always bushes and trees around."

Sighing again, Skunanne replied, "I'm going out. I won't be long." She slid of her bed, heading back to the door.

"Oh, okay," Vulpix said, watching her friend grab her knife and the berry pouch before leaving. After closing the door firmly, Skunanne immediately went downstairs to the lobby, rushing out the front without so much as a word to the clerk whom glanced at her confusedly as she left.


In the moonlit park adjacent Cove Town's square, Skunanne stood quietly in the middle of the field, tapping her sheathed knife on against her side. Eyeing the nearby trees and bushes for a sign of anything, she eventually spotted the distinct outlines of some Oran berries concealed deep within lush greenry several yards away. She yanked her crescent-shaped blade from its leathery cover with her right hand, the pitch-black metal flashing briefly as moonbeams reflected of it. With a quick backhand slash, she unleashed a radiant purple shockwave from its razor-shape edge, a trick she'd learned from her father involving the move Psycho Cut. The attack cleanly cut away the excess shrubbery to reveal a few unripe berries in the bush ahead of her.

"No..." the girl rasped. Unripe berries were essentially worthless as money. She'd found that out early on in her travels.

'What am I going to do...?' she thought fearfully. This was the last place in town left to look. All of the other trees and shrubs in the village had been picked clean by the locals. It'd be days before more ripe berries were ready to be taken, and they didn't have that long to wait.

Whimpering to herself, Skunanne carefully worked her beloved Luna Fang back into its sheath. She turned to head back for the inn, but immediately stopped in her tracks as her ears twitched wildly. Other Pokémon were nearby; she could hear them talking to each other at a distance. Squinting her eyes, the skunk came to a stark realization. One of the voices was unmistakably that of the Pokémon she and Vulpix had come here to find, their former teammate Weasinge.

Dashing towards a nearby building with crates beside it, Skunanne leaped powerfully into the air to land on top of them. Gymnastically inclined, she again vaulted from the boxes, landing catlike on the rooftop. Running gracefully across the sidewalls of the connected roofs, the girl listened carefully in order to hone in on her friend's location. Upon reaching an alleyway, she stopped to wait without so much as exhaling a breath.

"Ha ha ha! Today was totally awesome again!" the chipper voice of a young weasel giggled from below.

"You say that every night we work together," another voice replied, its tone clearly that of another young male.

Skunanne glanced downward to see two distinct shadows. One was that of a slender quadruped standing about a foot-and-a-half tall. The other appeared to be bipedal with an equally slim body, but stood upright about two-feet tall. Withdrawing from view, the skunk continued to watch them in silence.

"I know I say that, but I can never get over the reactions of first-timers coming to the island to find out why it's so popular."

"Yeah, it's a far cry from when you first showed up. I don't think I've seen any other Pokémon hide as far behind that vending machine as you did, and we've had some real scaredy Pokes lately."

"Well, you know... There is at least one Pokémon I know who's more terrified of things than me, but she's far from a 'scaredy Poke' as you put it."

"Oh, really?" the other boy laughed. Skunanne backed away further, spiting what she'd just heard.

"Well, she has a real mean streak. She doesn't like letting others know her true feelings, especially when she's absolutely terrified"

"Yikes... That's pretty sad."

"Well, I doubt she'd ever come here," she heard the first Pokémon mutter. "Poké Park isn't exactly her cup of tea."

After an awkward moment of silence, the other creature said, "It's pretty late. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early, alright?"

"See you tomorrow, Buizel! Good night!"

"Good night!"

Hearing the two part ways, Skunanne perched herself on the roof-side a couple moments. Afterwards she jumped off the building, landing in a three point stance and then chased frantically after the one called Buizel. Within seconds, the skunk caught up to him but ducked into the shadows of nearby with her eyes closed once she realized the young Pokémon heard her approach.

"Hello, is someone there?" the boy asked cautiously as he looked back.

"Tell me something..." Skunanne whispered, opening her eyes just a squint. "Who was that kid you were with?"

"Who...who are you?" Buizel replied, fearing the sapphire glow of her stare.

She wasted no time drawing her knife in response. Upon seeing it, the boy ran off screaming at the top of his lungs. Skunanne stepped back into the moonlight tempted to pursue him, but stopped herself immediately. However, not wanting to create a scene, she decidedly put her weapon away and headed back in the direction of the inn. A one-time scare wouldn't likely backlash on her, even if she ran into the guy again. There's no way he saw what she really looked like, and the glow of her eyes usually wasn't recognizable in daylight. At this point, she was simply tired...


"Morning, Skunanne!" Vulpix yipped. Skunanne awoke face-down in her bed with a slight jolt as she turned turned to see the vixen grinning widely at her, pink cowl drawn over the vixen's head. After nuzzling each other's noses, the skunk flopped over onto her back and huffed in annoyance.

"Do you have to do that every morning?" she then asked.

"You bet! You're my best friend, after all. Nothing wrong with a little affection."

"There's affection and there's obsession... Learn the difference!" With that, Skunanne threw off her covers so she could sit upright on her bed.

Rubbing her eyes, the skunk girl looked around, pondering what to do next. Her little investigation last night turned up no leads, while her so-called foraging obtained them no berries. At this point, they may as well just start heading back home.

"Why the long face?" her friend asked her, giving her the same annoying grin she'd become too accustomed to.

"We're out of money. I tried finding some berries last night, but to no avail. Furthermore, I thought I heard Weasinge while I was out and..."

"Weasinge? You found him?" Vulpix screamed joyously. "That means I get to make him into a plushie again! I know how much he loves it." The fox suddenly stared off into space dreamily.

"Uh... No offense, Vulpix, but how do you know he likes it?" Skunanne inquired, rolling her eyes.

No doubt she had a strong affinity for dark magic and curses, but the times Vulpix dealt out her transformation hexes were often regretable. Skunanne admittedly enjoyed being turned into a toy and felt comforted being cuddled by Vulpix, but she noticed Weasinge seemed almost terrified of the notion after spending nearly a week as a plushie and an extra three days as an inflatable toy. With his fragile ego, he unlikely wanted to go through such an experience ever again.

"Aw, come on! You know he loves it." Again Skunanne rolled her eyes. Sometimes, talking to this particular Vulpix seemed like yakking at a wall.

"Well, I'm hungry. Let's go have breakfast." Vulpix nodded in agreement. They then headed out of their room, down to the lobby.

Spotting someone new at the desk, Vulpix smiled and said, "Hello. Where's Simipour?"

The day manager apparently was a simian much like the night clerk, but had verdant green fur instead of Simipour's sleek blue pelt. His eyes were steely yet cool as he shot a glance to the twosome. Atop his head was a unique mullet of grassy hair that stood almost upright like a celery stalk.

Giving her a thumbs-up, the primate replied, "Simipour went home for the day, little lady. I'm Simisage, the day supervisor. Don't you worry none, though. I'm an all-around good guy!" As he cracked a grin, Skunanne sneered.

"Which way to the dining room?"

"Yeah... Down the hall there on your right. Can't miss it." The skunk turned her back to him and walked away. Vulpix waited a moment before moving away from him in order to keep up with her friend.

"Skunanne..." she whispered, stopping the girl in the middle of the hall. "Why do you always have to be so mean?"

Skunanne glanced back at her spitefullly, cognitively preparing her explanation. Decidedly, rather than dignify it with a response, she huffed while shaking her head. They continued on without a word.

Upon reaching the dinner hall, the two saw that it was an expansive area encompassing the size of about three of the upstairs bedrooms. There were several tables at which they could be seated, each made of solid oak with hardwood stools they could perch on. At the far side of the room, they saw two separate doors to the kitchen with an open window between them where servers could grab food as the chef finished orders. On top of that, the bistro had lovely floral decor all around the walls and ceiling, even some flowers were placed on each table as a centerpeice.

"Hello, ladies!" a young blue primate called from the far side of the room, his appearance similar to the night clerk's save for the fact that he was shorter and had an apparent plume atop his head. "Please be seated! I'll be with you in just a moment." The monkey gestured for them to come towards the end of the first table and sit down, while then heading to a tray near the window to retrieve some menus.

Skunanne trudged on still irritated. Vulpix cheerfully followed her around the opposite side of the table. Once they'd reached the end, both sat down across from each other.

"Skunanne... What's wrong?" Vulpix again asked, now concerned for her friend's well being.

"I don't want to talk about it..." Skunanne replied, placing her forepaws on the table and then looking off to the side.

"Here you go!" the Panpour said cheerily as he set two menus before the girls. "Our special this morning is Pecha Berry cobbler with a mild Tamato Berry syrup. We also serve chamomile tea and crumpets if you're interested."

"Oh, I'll have those to start, please!" Vulpix said.

"This meal's still included with what we paid last night, right? We can't afford extra charges. I'm holding Simipour to his word," Skunanne interjected harshly, scaring Panpour somewhat.

"Of course, ma'am! My father wouldn't lie to you."

"Good... I'll try the cobbler then."

"Yes, ma'am. Anything else, or do you want more time to decide?" The two girls opened their menus briefly, skimming them. Seeing nothing of interest, they closed the pamplets and passed them back to Panpour.

"Alright then. I'll be a few moments." The chimp then walked away, setting the menus down where he got them from and then going into the back room.

Skunanne glanced away from Vulpix again for a long moment. The fox continued to look at her with endearing eyes, hoping to coax the truth out of her friend. Greivously the skunk girl finally frowned before finallly setting her head between her crossed forearms and starting to cry.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry!" Vulpix said as she rushed around the table and cuddled up to Skunanne.

"It's not your fault. I just miss Weasinge..." Skunanne sobbed. "When I was out last night, I thought I heard his voice. But when I chased after it, I couldn't find him."

"Aw, sweetie... We'll find him eventually."

"How...? We have no more money... I went out last night trying to forage for berries, but turned up nothing." Vulpix reached over with part of her cloak to dry Skunanne's tears when the door nearby opened up.

"Oh..." Panpour said, carrying two platters with their food. "Is something the matter?"

"It's nothing!" Skunanne sniped, pushing her friend aside and resuming her stern demeanor. Vulpix walked around to her stool to sit back down on the velvety cushion.

"Uh, okay... Your meals are ready." The monkey approached them slowly, taking care not to drop the plates. He set Skunanne's cobbler down first, and then proceeded to put Vulpix's tea and biscuits in front of her.

"Is there anything else I can get you? Anything at all? Don't be hesitate to ask," he continued as he cracked a nervous smile. The skunk girl looked at him coldly out of the corner of her eye before she started to eat. Her glance unnerved him in a way he couldn't even describe.

"We're fine. Thank you for asking, though," Vulpix told him in a reassuring tone. Panpour just bowed respectfully and quickly returned to the kitchen for a moment.

The fox sighed in disappointment. She turned back to her meal to begin eating her crumpets. Skunanne similarly continued wolfing down her cobbler, clearly enjoying it as she'd nearly cleaned her plate already. Upon finishing her biscuits in turn, Vulpix grasped her cup between her paws so she could lift it to her mouth to sip it slowly, the rich aroma tickling her nose. Once they'd both finished, they stared at each other giggly.

Urged on by a random thought, Skunanne suddenly blurted out, "You said that this place was called Poké Park, right?"

Nodding, Vulpix replied, "Yep! This place is supposed to be great! There are all kinds of areas we can go visit, each with drastically differing environments. This is the Cove Area. Beyond the gates on the outskirts of town, there are paths leading to the Forest, Rock, and Tech Areas. Furthermore, there are supposed to be hidden portals to a place called Wish Park, where all kinds of fun attractions exist." Panpour appeared off to their side as she finished, bowing respectfully again.

"May I take your plates?" he asked apprehensively.

"Sure thing, kid!" Skunanne replied chipperly, handing him her dish.

"Oh, you're happy? I guess you enjoyed that meal then!" he laughed kindly. She smiled honestly as he took the platter away.

"It was good. My compliments to the chef."

As he reached for Vulpix's dish, the vixen tapped his wrist with her paw and said, "Excuse me, but do you happen to know if a Pokémon called Weasinge has been through here recently?"

"Weasinge? Um, actually, I have heard of a Pokémon by that name. If I remember right, he works at the Balloon Area a few days a week."

"The Balloon Area?" she inquired. "We heard about it last night, but what is it?"

"Silly me. You probably haven't been to Poké Park before. It's a new Area that was just finished construction about a month ago on an island just off the coast. Actually it's gotten quite popular lately with new visitors almost daily. It's only a ten minute ride via Wailord's ferry service, which only costs twenty berries to get there." Hearing that, Skunanne slapped her forehead.

"Oh, is something wrong?" he then asked, confused by her spontaneous mood changes.

"Don't mind her," Vulpix explained. "She's just upset because she spent the last of our berries to stay here last night."

"Is that all? Why didn't you just say so?" Panpour replied happily. "I can spot you each twenty berries if you help me by taking out this morning's trash."

'Chores again?' Skunanne thought to herself.

"We'll gladly do that!" her partner offered. The skunk snarled at the comment.

"Thanks. It'll help me a lot. The bags get kind of heavy, and the trash collector Garbodor doesn't like to be kept waiting." Skunanne flopped her head on the table, not really wanting to paws or fur soiled like that. Both Pokémon gave her an awkward stare.

"I take it you don't like to work much?" Panpour inquired.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" she replied with strong tinge of sarcasm. Lifting her head, she hopped out of her seat.

"Well, let's get this over with."

The two girls followed Panpour into the kitchen. Setting the plates down at a nearby sink, he lead them towards the back of the room, past several ovens and stove tops, to the rear entrance wherein three large trashbags sat unattended. Just at a glance, they could tell that they were overfilled, all of them even towering over Skunanne's height.

"How do you expect us to carry these?" she immediately sniped.

"Well, I have a cart outside, but lifting them and holding the door at the same time is such a hassle."

"Get the cart ready and then hold the door. Make sure you're behind it. I'm going to fling these things the moment I have a clear shot, so stand well out of the way," she ordered him and turned to her partner. "That goes for you too, Vulpix." Each of them nodded, moving out to do as she said.

Panpour held the door wide open, while Vulpix went around the corner to retrieve a large cart with a bin atop it. Seeing them ready, Skunanne took a heavy stance in front of the garbage bags, focusing on them as she willed them to move with her psychokinesis. Pulling them up in her mind, she caused the sacks to levitate and slowly move out from where they were being kept.

Standing aside as they moved before her, the skunk suddenly yelled, "Clear?"

"Yep!" the others replied. Immediately she flung the trash into the cart's bin with heavy force, causing it to move somewhat backwards out of Vulpix's grip.

"Wow, I never would've guessed you were a Psychic type," Panpour complimented her as he peeked in from behind the open door.

"Well, I don't like letting onto it either. Bug types would murder me in battle if they found out."

"But you guys are amazingly helpful in a pinch. I'm sure Mew would love to meet you."

"Mew?" she muttered. "The Legendary Pokémon?"

"Oh, yes! He loves meeting new Psychic Pokémon when they come to town. If you get a chance to see him at the Balloon Area, you should definitely say hi."

"I see... Eh, well, I should mention that I have had some very bad experiences dealing with so-called 'Legendary' Pokémon in the past... Many of them tend not to like me..." she mumbled, thinking about a few rough encounters she'd had with them the past few months.

"Oh, no worries. Mew is completely friendly. In fact, he's the one who founded the Balloon Area."

Skunanne was about to reply to him again when Vulpix suddenly squealed, "Hey, do you mind? This thing is really heavy and doesn't want to move." Both glanced at her to see the poor vixen struggling to push the cart with her forepaws.

"I should probably help her," she said as she exited the door.

"Oh, of course," he apologized. "Go down the alley and take left on the side street. Garbodor should be waiting at the corner. He's a big guy, so you can't miss him."

"Got it!" both girls replied as Skunanne helped Vulpix push the cart.

"Come back straight away. I'll have your berries ready for you when you return." On that note, Panpour closed the door as he headed back inside.


The twosome wasted no time completing their task and returning to the inn. Garbodor initially scared them when they finally caught up to him, but immediately proved to be extremely friendly. He took their garbage from them, put it in his own collection cart, and even helped them bring their own back to the inn with little effort on his part.

With their fare money in paw, the girls returned to their room to gather their belongings. Stashing their berries in her pouch, Skunanne attached the sack to her backpack along with her knife's sheath, and then slung the satchel over her shoulders ready to go. Vulpix offered to take her grimoire out in order to lighten her friend's load but the skunk immediately refused, thinking she probably just wanted it out so she prepared to cast some spells on Weasinge the moment they found him. Luckily the fox only had one dedicated to memory; however, it just so happened to be her favorite plushie hex.

Departing the inn with smiles, the twosome headed directly for the beach as Panpour instructed them. By the time they arrived, the girls saw that the entire shoreline leading up to the Cove Area's main pier was packed with an immense group of Pokémon waiting in line. Many were bumping against each other, trying their hardest not to budge in front of the next person.

"Are all of these guys going to the Balloon Area?" Skunanne asked bluntly as they took up the rear. A few Pokémon ahead heard her, turning briefly to see who spoke. Unable to see her behind the crowd, they disregarded the criticism and went back to their own business.

"Panpour did say it was popular," Vulpix commented as she looked around, "I don't think I've ever seen this many Pokémon in all my life."

"What about last night?"

"Well, yeah, but I meant all waiting together." The girl laughed for a moment, and then stared off towards the horizon waiting to see if she could spot the ferryman Wailord.

"Hey, you mind saving my spot? I'm going to go scavenge some berries," Skunanne quietly told her friend.

"Yeah, sure. I'll keep an eye out for Wailord."

"Okay..." the skunk said, rolling her eyes. With that, she strategically worked her way into the crowd.

Noticing how many Pokémon were gathered here and furthermore how many had low-hanging berry pouches strung to their belts and their bags, there was only one thought on Skunanne's mind...easy pickpocketing... As much as she hated resorting to her old thieving tricks, this trip to the island would likely cost them more than the meager twenty-berry fee they'd been provided with. If they wanted to blend in, they'd need more cash. But, she knew not to be stupid. A few berries from each Pokémon would more than suffice for their needs.

Reaching into an Ampharos's pouch, she worked her relatively tiny paws inside to loosen the tie and quickly pulled out three berries completely unnoticed. Upon tightening the string gently, she moved onto a Lairon who was talking to Ampharos, doing the same to his pouch while he was distracted. She kept at the ploy for a good few minutes, taking a few berries from thirty random strangers. Feeling unfinished, she went on to snatch berries from a few more before finally returning the back of the line where Vulpix waited.

"Isn't this exciting, Skunanne? A new adventure in a completely new place we've never been to! I can hardly wait!" Vulpix shouted gleefully, only to no response.

Turning around, she walked slightly way from the group and called out, "Skunanne, where did you go?" Several Pokémon turned to her inquisitively, wondering what kind of Pokémon she was looking for. Shamelessly, they ignored her due to being too preoccupied with their own excitement.

"Skunanne!" the fox yelled again at the top of her lungs, only to be greeted by an annoyed stare from her friend.

"Geez, are you trying to give me away?" Skunanne reprimanded her with a harsh whisper.

"Huh? Where did you go?"

"I told you already. I went off to scavenge some berries."

"Scavenge? Don't you mean forage?" the girl asked densely.

"Scavenge, forage... Whatever you want to call it. The point is we have money now," Skunanne said, patting her now full berry pouch.

"Oh, that's good! I'm so happy you found some. Now you can't whine about money matters anymore." Vulpix giggled for a few good moments after that comment.

"Hey..." Skunanne rasped. "Knock it off. Somebody's going to give us the evil eye if you keep that up."

The fox stopped and replied, "Sorry. I'm just so happy, happy, happy! Happy, happy, happy!" She started to jump back and forth as she continued the mindless chant.

"Oh, geez..." Skunanne said, slapping her palm to her brow. "KNOCK IT OFF, WILL YOU?" Her voice carried over the crowd, which seemingly caused it to split in two after a couple seconds.

"And why should she?" an authoritative man's voice inquired as a large shadow loomed over the skunk.

She froze in place, recognizing the tonality as something akin to one of her mentors back home. Turning back, she immediately locked eyes with an enormous quadrupedal otter with a narwhal-like horn on his helmet and azure fur. The beast gazed down upon her with leering red irises, scaring her further with his full thick beard and mustache combo.

"Well?" he demanded again, "Answer me, brat!"

"I...uh, she..."

"She what? Is so excited to get to the Balloon Area that she's annoying you? Just because you have a sour attitude is no reason to ruin everyone else's fun. If you continue to be a nuissance on the island, I will come out there, hunt you down, and apprehend you myself!" he retorted, "Do I make myself clear?" He reached for the sheathed scalchop on his right leg threateningly.

"Yes, Metalupus! It's absolutely clear, sir! I'm sorry!" Skunanne suddenly screamed, half-traumatized as she remembered the armored wolf back home who consistently reprimanded her in similar fashion.

Samurott leered at her upon hearing the name, but disregarded it and said, "Very good. I expect you to enjoy yourself on the island. No trouble making!"

"Yes, sir! I'm sorry..." she sobbed as if pleading for her life. Afterwards, the giant otter left and the other patrons returned to their places in line.

Vulpix had stopped her prance as soon as the creature appeared. Once he'd vanished into the crowd, the vixen cuddled up to her friend, offering a paw on her shoulder in pity. She knew well how many times Skunanne had been scolded for insubordination by the captain of their town's rescue brigade, which both were still officially part of. Of course, nobody else could've possibly known about their stern leader's form of discipline.

"Get off me..." Skunanne slurred, drying her tears. The fox backed away slowly, watching the skunk stand upright again.

"Skunanne, you need to calm down."

"Fine. We need to stay focused, though"

"Okay."

On the horizon, the twosome spotted the distinct silhouette of a massive Pokémon swimming towards shore. The group ahead of them steadily grew excited as the ferryman Wailord approached the pier near the middle of the beach. Skunanne and Vulpix watched anxiously as the cetacean rolled his forty-foot long body against the waves, eventually slowing to a full stop before the dock.

With a powerful wail, he announced, "All passengers boarding, please wait as these passengers depart."

Dipping his head forward, Wailord used his torso to create an apparent ramp down from an elaborate passenger section constructed on a large portion of his back. Only ten Pokémon departed from his backside, and then in unison the group ahead of the girls began to trudge onto the aquatic behemoth. In three single file lines, the sixty or so creatures in front walked up Wailord's head and up to the metallic platform upon him.

"Skunanne, quick! I need my fare," Vulpix whimpered as the two rushed to keep up with the mob.

"Yeah, here!" the skunk cried as she passed Vulpix twenty berries before forcably having to separate into an adjacent row.

"I'll meet you inside." Skunanne nodded in response.

Upon reaching the toll gates, the skunk sighed. She got so caught up in the rush that she didn't even realize she'd gotten stuck behind the Ampharos she pickpocketed earlier. Surely the twit wouldn't notice the few berries she'd swiped from him; only a fool would bring just enough money to pay the fare and nothing more. Even so, she watched nervously as the tall yellow creature reached into his wallet and shuffled around in it with his flat paw. He hesitated briefly, fiddling around with his pouch to make sure he had enough. When he pulled out a handful of berries, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Depositing them into the large bin on his right, the mechanical door opened widely to let him through. As he waddled in slowly, Skunanne had a split second thought. Withholding her berries, she waited until right after the Pokémon ahead of her got through before darting in herself right off to his side. When the door closed, she slipped around him and head over towards the adjacent gate where Vulpix just entered.

"Oh, hey! You got in fast."

"Yeah, the line moved quickly over there," Skunanne chuckled.

Vulpix looked around the girl inquisitively and asked, "But wasn't that Ampharos ahead of you?"

"Oh, he let me cut. He was super nice about it too."

"Ah, okay. Just wondering. Let's take our seats."

The two then headed towards the back of the ferry together. As they moved through the aisle, Skunanne felt the prying eyes of curious Pokémon glancing at her. Irritated, she glared back with her intense sapphire eyes in response, causing them to avert their gaze in turn. Once the two reached an open bleacher near the rear, the girls proceeded to sit down towards the middle of the bench, while other Pokémon filed in alongside them. In the row ahead of them, the same Ampharos that Skunanne followed in plopped his butt down between a Skuntank and a Spinda. Everybody around them started murmuring quizzically, occasionally peeking at the mysterious girls they'd never seen before and then looking away.

"You'd think they'd never seen tourists before..." Skunanne whispered to Vulpix under her breath. The vixen just giggled in response, as Wailord suddenly started swimming away from the docks out to sea.

Eventually, the Ampharos in front of them turned his long neck around to face them. The tall yellow Pokémon with a black-striped neck and matching ears made direct eye contact with Skunanne, his beady black eyes piercing into her very soul. Without a word, he immediately glanced back to his friend Skuntank nearby, whom also gave her a weird look and then began to chatter incoherently with him.

Skunanne stood up on her seat, leaning forward to perch her arms on the back of Ampharos's seat, and said, "You know it's impolite to stare at people, right?" The sheepish creature jumped out of his chair in fright.

"Hey, what did you that for?" the hog-nosed Skuntank beside him asked her. Skunanne glared at the purplish quadruped and sneered, to which he quivered in response.

"Like you're one to talk?"

"Whoa, easy!" Ampharos squealed in a high-pitched voice, "I didn't mean to make you mad. I just never saw one of you before and was wondering if you were related to my friend here." He gestured to Skuntank in a friendly manner.

"No. But I take it in serious offense when anyone compares me to low-life trash like that!"

"Hey, that's just rude!" Skuntank retorted.

"Want to make something of it?" she sneered, patting the sheathed knife attached to her bag.

Vulpix tugged on her bag and then said, "Skunanne, calm down! You know what Samurott just told you."

"Shut up, Vulpix! I'm not done with them."

"Geez, listen to your friend!" Ampharos begged, "We're all here to go have fun, right?" Skunanne glared at him maliciously before sighing and sitting back down.

"Much better," his friend said, cracking a kindly grin at her. She immediately turned her face, disgusted by the sight of him.

"If I may..." Ampharos asked, "What are two cute girls like you up to? Judging by that bulky bag, you look like explorers more than park-goers."

"Oh!" Vulpix beamed while shouting excitedly, "We're on an adventure together!" Skunanne just sneered, hiding her face in embarassment.

"You don't say? That's mighty brave of you. World's a dangerous place outside of PokéPark. I'm surprised to see such a young little Vulpix traveling with the likes of...her..." the tall Pokémon grinned as he sat back down, "You're what? Five, maybe six?"

"Nope," the fox giggled, wagging all six of her tails.

The skunk girl pawed her forehead embarrassedly and remarked, "You're never going to guess it. Don't even bother."

"Surely you can't be more than twelve?"

"Not even close!" Vulpix laughed.

"Fifteen, eighteen, twenty-one? Come on, tell me I'm close."

"She's thirty-seven! She acts younger than she is to mess with people's mind," Skunanne blurted out fiercely. "She's also one of the most dangerous Pokémon you'll ever meet, so I'd suggest you keep your distance."

"What...?" Ampharos asked a little spooked.

"Hey, now that's just mean! Why can't you be nice like your friend?" Skuntank interjected, popping up over his seat.

Skunanne shot the other skunk another glare, which he simply returned with one of his own. After a moment, she suddenly cracked an embarrassed smile and looked down at the metal floor beneath her. Nobody had ever dared to stare her down like that, much less anyone of a similar species.

"Stop it, Skuntank! Now you're scaring her," Ampharos begged.

"You say that after what she said to you?"

"That's not like you. Be nice, even if she's being a brat." Skuntank turned back around and plopped back into his chair.

Ampharos returned his gaze to the two girls and asked, "Why did you say that Vulpix here is dangerous? S-she looked like a cute little normal fire-fox to me..."

"Oh, I'm harmless! Normally..." Vulpix explained, shooting him a malevolent glower from under her cowl.

The electric sheep suddenly got unnerved until Skunanne explained, "This Vulpix...is uniquely gifted... She has a few quirks that only a handful of others have."

"I'm a hexer! I cast spells and curses no other Pokémon could possibly imagine. They're wonderful!"

"You mean...you're a witch?" Vulpix suddenly broke out into a horrible bawl after that.

"Eh, don't feel bad... She just doesn't like being called a 'witch,' that's all. She doesn't normally cast spells in public anyways, so you have nothing to worry about on that end."

"Oh, I didn't mean that in any offense. I'm okay if she's a witch."

"But I'm not a witch!" Vulpix cried, but suddenly broke into a smile. "I forgive you, though. I'll just make..." Skunanne covered the fox's mouth with both her forepaws.

"Um... What was she going to say?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Vulpix's eyes widened as she then nodded in agreement with her friend. The skunk removed her mitts from the girl's muzzle.

"Okay, then..." Ampharos muttered confusedly, looking away and then back again. "So, is this your first time going to the Balloon Area?"

"You know it!" both girls replied happily.

"Oh, you'll love it! It's just like a carnival, but with a huge surprise waiting for you. You'll know it when you see it."

"Hmm..." Skunanne hummed to herself. "I don't do too well with surprises." She then closed her eyes and reminisced about the last surprise she'd gotten. In the back of her mind, she saw the amber glow of a gruesome four-eyed mask staring back at her in darkness. Wincing the girl reopened her eyes, trying too much not to relive the horrors she'd barely survived just over a month ago.

As she rasped a name inaudibly, the tall Pokémon in front of her asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... I'm not a huge fan of surprises..."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can tell you what awaits you if you want, but I don't want to disappoint you."

"No, don't. It's fine."

Vulpix looked between the two of them concerned before finally stating, "She had a bad encounter with a certain Pokémon lately... Someone so wicked that nobody dared cross his path. Please understand that very few are bold enough to stand up to him."

"I see... Well, I'll just leave you two be, though we should be arriving shortly."

A quick glance out on horizon revealed the clandestine silhouette of a large island with massive parade balloons soaring in the skies overhead. In the center was a castle over which a giant pink cat Pokémon with an enormous grin and big friendly eyes floated, smiling down upon visitors to the park. Fortress-like walls obscured most of the area, but several colorful canopies and big-top like establishments peaked over the fortification to hint at a carnival-like atmosphere inside. At the entrance near the docks, Skunanne and Vulpix made out a concrete archway with the name 'Balloon Area' enscrawled upon it in rainbow-colored letters.

Both girls stood up on their seats and exclaimed, "It's amazing!"

"Sure is! Just wait until you get there," Ampharos replied.

As the ferry got closer to the docks, Skunanne felt something amiss. Powerful psychokinetic energy permeated the atmosphere of this place in wavelengths she'd never felt before. She was used to picking up on the thought patterns and psychic energies of other Pokémon, but it'd been a while since she'd last experienced anything this intense and never on such an awkward tangent. It immediately reminded her of the bombardments she'd faced when she encountered that horrible monster over a month ago, only they weren't hostile this time. Still the strain it put on her started giving her mild headaches.

"You okay, Skunanne?" Vulpix asked her when she noticed the skunk cringing somewhat.

"Yeah, it's nothing. Just a minor headache."

"If you say so..."

"Listen, Vulpix... I'm sorry for being so uppity lately," Skunanne continued. "I think I am going to take the time out to relax today, even if we don't find Weasinge." She then cracked a cute smile. Her friend grinned happily in return, wagging her tails again.

No sooner did they settle down, the Wailord ferryman announced, "Welcome to the Balloon Area, all newcomers! We will be arriving momentarily. Please stay seated until I come to a full stop."

Keeping to his word, the aquatic giant slowed to an almost immediate stop before the docks ahead of him. The girls rocked forward in their seats a little as he halted his motions. Once the ferry upon Wailord's back settled again, the gates towards the front opened widely and the other passengers began to exit single-file in three separate lines. Skunanne and Vulpix followed each other out this time, directly behind the Ampharos who'd so kindly chatted with them despite Skunanne's attitude. The threesome headed off towards Wailord's bowed head, where they stepped off onto the docks and the girls parted ways with their new acquaintance. After the Pokémon was out of sight, both of them headed into the front gates of the amusement park itself.

Upon crossing the threshold into the Balloon Area, they were immediately greeted with an amazing spectacle. All around them were massive balloons shaped like various Pokémon and bright stands selling them off. The rainbow assortment of colors brought even a smile to the hard-nosed Skunanne because of the indescribable beauty.

"This is amazing!" Vulpix cried out as she headed off into the plaza to take a look around.

"You said it! No wonder Weasinge stayed to work here."

Noting that the vixen was too preoccupied to listen, Skunanne glanced around the immediate area trying to see if she could spot Weasinge at any of the kiosks out front. Amidst the crowds, she made out a snack bar that looked unattended at the moment as well as a particularly popular stand selling balloons to an ever-growing line of patrons. At first, she hesitated at heading over to the shop, fearing her inquiries may get sidetracked by the clerk's sales pitch. But decidedly she went over there anyways, knowing well it may be her best chance to get straight answers or clues to where her friend might be.

Skunanne got in the back of the line behind a leery-eyed Braixen, whom glanced at her momentarily but otherwise paid her no mind. The bipedal vixen carried a delicate pink-knit purse over her left shoulder, which she forcibly tried to hide in front of her away from the skunk. It wasn't as if Skunanne needed to pickpocket anyone else at this point. Braixen just seemed like she suspected as much from the young thief.

Several other Pokémon piled in line after Skunanne, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable. With her headache persisting, she really didn't want to be agitated too much. Any little bump would be enough to anger her, though she knew better than to show hostility here.

As the line slowly thinned, Skunanne noticed something bizarre. Some of the Pokémon didn't leave the line with balloons in tote. Instead they simply vanished around the backside of the kiosk as if by magic. Normally she wouldn't have cared less, but the sheer absurdity of it made her wonder what was going on back there.

With a cheerful yip as she approached the stand's desk, Braixen screamed, "Hi! I'd like to volunteer again today." Skunanne cringed painfully at her high-pitched yelp.

"Oh, hey, Braixen! Welcome back. You know where to go. We'll get you set up right away," the attendant told her. Skunanne immediately recognized the voice as that of the boy she'd confronted last night.

As Braixen walked around the left side of the tent, Skunanne focused in on the attendant's familiar silhouette. He was a two-and-a-half foot tall weasel Pokémon with tan body fur and a cream-colored underbelly. There was an yellowish innertube around his neck, while his hair was styled in an apparent mohawk. She saw that he wore a distinct bluish vest similar to the ones she'd seen Pokémon wearing yesterday as they came off Wailord's final ferry ride.

"Oh, a new guest?" the Buizel called out cheerfully as he closed his eyes. She approached the desk and he smiled.

"Hello! Welcome to the Balloon Area! How may I," he gasped as he looked deeply into the beautiful sapphire eyes leering back at him, "HELP...you...?" His voice became unnaturally sharp during the last bit, causing Skunanne's headache to suddenly worsen.

"Um... Hi... Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help me actually."

'Those eyes... They're the same ones that mugger had last night... Could it really be her?' Buizel thought to himself, utterly terrified and physically unable to speak.

"Hello?" she inquired.

"Y-yes, I can help you if you need assistance. That's what...I'm here for..." he gulped.

"Good. Well, you see... I'm looking for a Pokémon."

"You're looking for a Pokémon?" he suddenly said, snapping back into his cheery demeanor. "Why didn't you say so? We have plenty of those right here!" The weasel gestured skyward to the left side of his stand.

Skunanne looked up at the area to see nothing of the sort. There were only balloons shaped like various Pokémon floating in the airspace above, tethered to the canopy by strings. Zoroark, Kangaskhan, Heliolisk, a newly added Braixen balloon, amongst others all gazed down upon the park patrons with big goofy smiles up their faces.

"Sorry, kid... You misunderstand what I mean. I'm looking for a REAL Pokémon. I have no interest in your balloons right now, though I may be tempted to buy one later."

"Buy them? Oh, this is your first time here, right? I shouldn't have expected you to know this right off the bat. All the balloons you see here ARE real Pokémon."

Her expression instantly turned grim as she leaned over the counter and said, "What...?" The headache she'd been suffering grew even worse as she fretted.

"Oh, no need to be scared, though. Everything here's strictly...voluntary..." he replied until he realized just how horrified she truly was.

"You really don't understand how bad this situation is," she explained, checking over each shoulder to make sure that Vulpix wasn't nearby. "If Vulpix finds out about this, she'll have a field day and not the good kind either!"

"Vul...Vulpix, you say?" Buizel gasped as he saw a cute pink hood peek up next to Skunanne.

"Skunanne! Skunanne! You're not going to believe what I just found out!" Vulpix shouted cheerfully, scaring away some of the other Pokémon waiting in line.

"Oh, no..." both Skunanne and Buizel sighed.

With a mischeivous grin, the vixen continued, "All the balloons here are really Pokémon! Everything's set up to let us inflate! I don't even have to break out my spell book. Isn't that cool?"

"Oh, yeah... I can barely contain my excitement..." Skunanne said blandly.

"I assume this is the Vulpix you were talking about?" Buizel inquired. The skunk nodded dopily.

"Hi!" Vulpix screamed into the attendant's face as she leaned over the counter. "I'd like to buy a balloon please!" Skunanne shook her head wildly, pleading him not to give her one.

"Oh, um... We don't sell Pokéloons, sweetie. We rent them. You see, all the Pokémon here are volunteers who offered to become balloons to be played with as toys. We only rent them out for the day or until you want a new one," the lad explained.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I'd like to rent a Pokéloon then," she said, pointing to the recently inflated Braixen floating overhead. "I want Braixen! We'll get along great together, I'm sure."

"Aw, that's wonderful, cutie!" the eight-foot-diameter Braixen squealed excitedly.

"If you know what's good for your volunteer, don't give Vulpix that balloon!" Skunanne interjected.

"Why not?" Buizel and Braixen both huffed.

"Trust me. The horrors you're about to experience are NOT worth it!"

"Hey! Now that's just mean!" Braixen retorted, anxiously reaching for the stick in her puffed up tail before remembering she couldn't use it while inflated anyways.

"Yeah... I mean the whole point of coming here is to have fun with Pokéloons," Buizel added. Skunanne leered at both of them.

"Aw, come on!" Vulpix whined. "I thought you said you were going to take this time to relax."

"That was before I found out about this!" Skunanne sniped.

"Geez, give her a break..." Buizel said as he went around to untie Braixen. Bringing her forth, he took out an odd metal ring painted red and white.

"Here, sweetie!" he continued, about to hand her the Pokéloon but then stopping. "Uh, almost forgot... The normal fee is ten berries, but for you I'll knock it down to two."

Vulpix hopped around cheerfully and replied, "Sure, no problem! Pay him, Skunanne!" She then motioned to the skunk's berry pouch.

"Oh? You're paying for her?" the attendant asked nervously as she grabbed her wallet. "Well, then that will be twenty berries."

"You just said two!"

"That's inflation, you know!" he chuckled. "That, and you just terrorized me." Skunanne sneered at him, but took out the berries he demanded and threw them onto the counter. Buizel handed Vulpix the ring, which she then slipped onto her right foreleg. Afterwards she took off bounding into the park, cackling malevolently as Braixen wobbled about wildly.

"Hey, take it easy!" Braixen shouted, feeling a little nauseous.

Buizel gawked at how wild that little Vulpix suddenly became until Skunanne said, "I tried to warn you. She's goes nuts whenever she gets her paws on a new toy. That's why I didn't want you to give her one."

"She'd better not to get wild. We have rules, you know."

"Oh, she won't get wild, but she does like to play rough..." The skunk cut herself off as her headache suddenly came back strongly.

Seeing her cringe, the employee asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said painfully, "I'm fine. It's just...a headache!"

"A headache?" he slurred before exclaiming, "Oh, my gosh! You're not part Psychic-type, are you?"

"N...no..." she rasped nervously.

"You are, aren't you? Psychic-types can't tolerate the psychic wavelength in this park very long when they first enter here. But we have a quick fix for that." All of a sudden he pulled out a greenish canister with a hose that had a mouthpiece attached to it. Upon the cylindrical device, Skunanne saw a label that read 'helium' in bold capitalized letters.

"You're not strapping that thing on me!" she shouted as she turned to run away.

"Wait! You don't understand! This will..." he cut himself off short as she suddenly vanished into the crowd, nowhere to be seen.

Skunanne darted wildly between other patrons, trying to escape that crazy Buizel and his idea of medicine. As she made her way across the plaza, she came to rest at a small picnic table in front of the snack bar she'd seen on her way in. Setting her backpack down beside her, the girl sat at one of the circular benches around the table and rested her head upon the surface, whimpering at the pain.

The telekinetic assualt on her mind was spreading throughout her nervous system now. She could feel physical strain on her muscles, much like what she'd experienced in her previous encounter with that monster over a month ago. Closing her eyes, his visage became clear again in the back of her mind. That lupine face snarled at her with his gnarled fangs and gazed down upon her with his four soul-piercing amber eyes. Painful tears rolled down her furry cheeks at the horrific memory of his mind-probing assualt as well as the psychokinetic whip he used to lash at her.

An abrupt clang nearby snapped her back to reality. Looking around terrified, she noticed the sound came from a large metallic can being set down by a lovely Miltank baker dressed in the park's signature blue vest, with an apron over it. The matron paid her no mind at first as she went behind the counter of her stand and started fiddling with a large churning apparatus in the rear. After checking a few gauges, the woman finally turned to her with a large smile.

"Hello there, dear!" she beckoned in a lovely croon. "Would you like to try some Moo 'Loon Milk? Freshly churned." Skunanne reluctantly approached the lady, leaving her satchel unattended for a moment.

"I suppose..." she groaned, afraid to try anything this island offer now that she found out its secret.

"Aw, what's wrong, sweetie? Not feeling well?"

"No, it's not that so much as... I found out something I really feel uncomfortable with." Skunanne stopped before the counter with a somber expression.

"Oh, no... Don't tell me you're another one of those kids who doesn't like inflation?"

Skunanne nodded but proceeded to explain, "It's not so much that as the prospect of having come here to find somebody who went missing a few weeks ago, only to get sidetracked for the umpteenth time in a row."

"Oh, that's terrible. I hope you find them soon."

"Same here," Skunanne huffed. "So, tell me... Will this milk do anything weird to me?"

"Not at all, sweetie. Not unless you decide to actually inflate, anyways. Would you like to try a glass?"

"Sure, why not? After the ordeal I just had, I could really use a drink," the skunk replied, turning back to her satchel, "Let me get some money first before you pour anything."

"Sure thing, honey!" Miltank said happily.

Skunanne returned to her backpack, picking it up to set it on the table. Rustling through her money pouch, she withdrew a handful of berries and slowly returned her attention to the counter. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something odd by one of the vending machines near the castle-like structure at the far end of the plaza. The ermine-like sihouette was unmistakable.

"Hey, listen! I have to go do something really quick, but I will be right back," the skunk abruptly explained as she stuffed the berries back into her pouch and slung her travel bag over both her shoulders.

"Oh, really?" Miltank responded confusedly. "Well, I'll be here for a while, so just come back when you're done."

"Thanks! I'll see you shortly." On that note, Skunanne took off towards the building across the way.

Her eyes locked on the Pokémon ferociously, there was no doubt in her mind who the creature could be. He had a two-and-a-half foot long body with a gorgeous pelt that transitioned from dark red around his face to pink near his belly and finally white at his hindquarters. A burnt reddish streak flowed down his entire backside from behind the ruby embedded in his brow to his tail's tip. His lovely burgundy eyes with silvery-white irises glistened kindly in the light of day. Sneaking up behind the lad as he eyed the soda selection, she noticed he wore a bluish vest with a matching cap atop his head, which confirmed the rumor of his employment to her.

Unsheathing her blade, the girl quickly whipped the curled unsharpened side around the front of his neck and leaned over to his ear to whisper, "It's been a while, hasn't it, Weasinge?" Weasinge squealed in fear as he turned to lock eyes with his supposed mugger, only to be greeted with a friendly smile from his laughing friend.

"Skunanne?" he screamed delightedly as she put her knife away. "Is that really you?" Afterwards he tackled her to the ground, wrapping his forelegs around her neck huggingly.

"Skunanne, it is you! Oh, my gosh! You scared me half to death!" he cried joyfully. "I had no idea you were here. You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

"Heh, come on! Settle down," she replied, giving him a hug in return.

The ermine slowly got off of her and continued, "I'm so glad you came, but what are you doing here?"

"Well, I'd think that'd be obvious," she said as she stood back up. "We came to look for you after you suddenly vanished in the middle of the night."

"Look for me? Didn't anybody find my note? I left it fastened to the door of my hut that I was going away for a while and that I'd be back in a month or two."

"No, we didn't... Everyone thought you just vanished," she continued, until abruptly realizing that Vulpix acted suspicious the day they found out he went missing. The skunk vaguely remembered the vixen burned something as they went up to the door of his house to check on him.

"Wait, did you say 'we?'"

"Yes. I did."

"Then you mean Vulpix came with you?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes, she did."

"Then where is she?"

"I don't know... She got a Braixen Pokéloon and went off somewhere."

"Oh, thank goodness! I was afraid she was going to sudden pop out and surprise me like she always did back home."

"We came all the way here, and that's what you're worried about?" she sighed. "You're hopeless, you know that?"

"Sorry... I'm still a little jumpy after all the things she did to me."

"Well, that's saying something, considering that you're working in a place that I thought you'd consider a total nightmare."

"What? This place? Naw, I'd never be afraid of the Balloon Area," he said happily. "Well, I'll admit that I was scared of it at first, but now that I'm used to it, I'm not terrified of inflation anymore."

"Yet Vulpix still scares you? You know I've got her spell book with, right? All she needs to do is open it and cast one of her curses on your, then poof! You're a plushie again, or something worse. I know she's been practicing some really intense spells since we left home."

"Has she been? Good for her. Um, I'm not really that concerned about her transforming me anymore, but now that you're here, what do you think about the park? Pretty neat, isn't it?"

"Neat isn't exactly the word I'd use," she said, cringing at another strong headache again. "And, I need a drink."

He saw the pained expression on her face as she walked around him, up to the vending machine. Looking over the varieties of soda, she was miffed by the limited selection and inherent joke being played on her. Party Balloon Punch, Pool Toy Tang, and Blimp Berry were the only things available. There wasn't even berry-cream soda here to quench her thirst.

"Guess I don't have much of a choice..." she mumbled to herself. Taking out a berry, she deposited it in the open slot for them and pressed the button highest up. A light-blue can labeled 'Blimp Berry' dropped out into the opening at the bottom, which Skunanne immediately swiped from the dispenser.

As she held it upright, Weasinge immediately screamed, "Skunanne, not that one!" He then knocked it out of her hands with his right forepaw.

"Hey, jerk! What was that for?" she reprimanded him.

"You don't understand... That soda's too intense for an obvious first-timer, and all it will do is just make you explode into a hundred pieces! I'd know. I went through that my third day on the job."

"What...are you talking about...?" she gasped.

"Almost everything here makes you inflate, remember?"

"I got that already. What did you mean by 'explode?'"

"Well, perhaps explode isn't the right term, but Blimp Berry soda is enough to make all but the heartiest of Pokéloons pop."

"Pop? Doesn't mean...death?" she asked horrified, fathoming the grizzly fate she'd just avoided.

"Oh, no! Don't think that for a moment! Everything here is perfectly safe! Mew wouldn't have opened the park up if inflation were dangerous."

"That name again..." she muttered, looking down at the ground anxiously. He knew her feelings about Legendary Pokémon and, furthermore, her deadly encounter with the most vicious ones of them all.

"Oh, Mew is so nice, Skunanne," he explained, "He absolutely loves meeting new Pokémon, especially Psychic-types like you. Speaking of which, he's around the back of the castle. Quickest way to find him is balloon up and float around that way."

"Again with that ballooning racket?" she slurred under her breath. "First that Buizel, now you? You've changed, and I don't think I want to be around you anymore. Goodbye, Weasinge..." Skunanne started to trudge past him, but then hunched over painfully at another headache. This time it was so intense, she could've called it a migraine.

"Skunanne, are you alright?" he shouted, ducking under her as she collapsed somewhat onto the sidewalk.

"Leave me alone!" she demanded as she forced herself back onto her feet. "I want nothing to do with you and nothing to do with the insanity here. I have to get off this island before I pass out from a seizure or something!"

"Skunanne, stop!" Vulpix suddenly cried as she rushed over, toting Braixen just overhead somewhat more gently now.

"Yeah, what's wrong with you?" her Pokéloon inquired.

"This jerk wants to inflate me, just like that crazy Buizel back at the stand and probably that lying Miltank at the snack bar who told me her milk wouldn't do anything weird to me!"

"If you don't want to inflate, that's fine, but there's no reason to take your anger out on everyone else! Please, calm down!" both Vulpix and Braixen exclaimed. Weasinge backed away slowly, realizing just how dire the situation had become.

"Skunanne, listen. I beg you to at least hear me out," he calmly explained. "This entire island enveloped in a unique wavelength of psychic energy that only certain legendaries can produce. I'm sure you've felt it by now, maybe even had flashbacks to your fight against Canersia because he used similar frequencies to penetrate Dark-types' immunity to Psychic-type attacks and then hurt his opponents. But this isn't like that. Everything here is meant to be safe and fun. Once you've been turned into a Pokéloon, those headaches will stop. I promise that, but you need to calm down and do this for me... Please..." His eyes welled up with tears as he finished.

"Never..." the skunk rasped harshly, drawing her weapon again and slowly backing away. She hunched over in a tripod-like stance, keeping her Luna Fang skyward in her right palm. The edge of the dark blade began to shine purple as she distanced herself from the others.

"Skunanne, please! Stop this!" Vulpix cried. "You said you wanted to come here to relax."

"That was before I got this splitting headache!" the skunk retorted. "Now back off! I don't want to hurt anybody, but I will if they get in my way!"

"Weasinge! We have a problem!" a squeamish voice called from behind her. The others looked behind Skunanne to see Buizel emerge from the crowded plaza. At that moment, the skunk used their distraction to flee down a wayward path behind them, vanishing into a group of miscellaneous park-goers unabated.

"Buizel? What's wrong?" Weasinge said as his co-worker approached the spot where Skunanne previously stood.

As the weasel stopped to catch his breath, he explained, "I...I think there's a thief on the island! Several patrons to our stand noticed that they were short on money when they came to rent Pokéloons from me, and they said they were sure they brought enough when they left port."

"That can't be... Are you sure they didn't miscount?"

"Positive. I recognized these guests from before, and they've always made sure to keep an ample supply of berries on them just to be sure they had enough," Buizel continued. "What's worse is that one of the supervisers took a tally from Wailord's last ferry ride and somebody didn't pay!"

"This is bad. The toll gates aren't supposed to open unless everyone pays the twenty berry fee. It's not foolproof, but I don't see why anyone wouldn't... Oh, no..." Weasinge gasped as he made a stark realization.

"Vulpix!" he then inquired. "Has Skunanne been acting suspicious today? Has anything out of the ordinary happened, like she inexplicably disappeared for a few minutes or anything?"

"Yes, actually! She vanished earlier when we were waiting at the docks, but she said she just went off to scavenge some berries was all. Then on the ride over, she said that the person in line ahead of her let her cut so she'd get on the ferry quicker."

"Scavenge? She said scavenge, not forage?" he replied panickingly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Scavenge is her cover term for pickpocketing. She's used that term before to justify minor theft."

"You think that Skunanne girl is the thief?" Buizel asked. "We have to alert security!"

"No, wait!" Weasinge interjected. "You don't understand her motives. She used to be a thief a while ago before I met her, but she changed her ways when she joined the rescue corps back in my hometown. However, she never stole anything without a reason and, furthermore, she never takes anything that's easily missed. It's usually just food and petty change, if anything. Do we know how short people were on funds?"

"Just a few berries."

"See, that's all she probably took. Just enough for her means, but not enough to be missed."

"It's good that you're great at deductive reasoning, Weasinge, really. But, you still haven't explained why she'd do such a thing."

"Uh... It may have to do with how we spent the last of our money at the inn back in Cove Town last night," Vulpix explained. "She was really aggravated over not having enough berries to continue travelling yesterday. Actually, we just barely lucked out and had someone give us money to get here by doing some chores for them."

"Well, that would explain why Skunanne tried to mug me after we parted ways last night," Buizel added.

"Hey!" Braixen called from above. "No offense, Weasinge, but Skunanne still sounds like a real jerk."

Weasinge shook his head disappointedly and replied, "That Pokémon's been through worse hardship than you could ever imagine. She actually risked her life over a month ago to stop one of the most barbaric Pokémon in all existence...Canersia..."

Buizel gasped upon hearing the name, "I...I heard of that Pokémon once... Almost everyone who's opposed him dies... How did she survive?"

"Survive? She's one of the two Pokémon who killed him. But, that's not important now. She's in pain, on the run, and we have to find her before she hurts somebody unintentionally."

"Which direction did she run off to?"

Braixen and Vulpix looked at each other, to which they both pinted down the rightward path from the castle and immediately replied, "That way!" The four Pokémon then headed down the sidewalk together, Vulpix picking up the stray can of Blimp Berry soda on the way.


In her rush to escape the horrid island, Skunanne made her way through the seemingly endless crowds. Pokémon were so enthralled by their own Pokéloons that nobody even noticed she had a knife clutched in her right paw. Taking care not to drop it, she kept the blade at her side as she ran wildly down the side streets of the Balloon Area. Eventually, she found an alleyway that looked virtually abandoned and ducked into it without a second thought.

As she sat down to catch her breath, the skunk succombed to an even more brutal headache than the ones she'd suffered through prior. This one was so intense that she couldn't help but collapse onto the pavement from exhaustion. All the nerves in her body burned from the pain and stress on her muscles. Eventually, she just passed out entirely on the concrete.

In the back of her mind, the visage of that lupine Pokémon appeared again, his gruesome face backing away from her to reveal his husky humanlike form enshrouded in a grayish sheepskin cloak. His hood was fully drawn over his head, to conceal the accursed pawmark tattoo on the back of his face. Holding forth one of his palms, she saw the shape of a furry hand with grizzly claws and an eyeball brand with an amber iris at its center. The glaring wolf looked down upon her with the utmost spite, ready to end her life like he had so many others...emotionlessly and without remorse... As she stared into the glowing eyes of his mask, all she could do was pray that he end her suffering as quickly as possible. Just then, she felt a mild shock surge through her body, bringing her back to consiousness.

"Skunanne, are you alright?" the familiar voice of a fellow park patron asked as her limp body slid upright. She glanced upward to meet eyes with the friendly visage of the Ampharos she'd met on the ferry.

He slung his left arm under her back to support her as she whimpered, "No... I'm not..." Tears of pain started to stream from the skunk's eyes as she hunched over again after he sat her up. She could barely move at this point. The psychic shock had essentially paralyzed her due to prolonged exposure.

"You're hurt... How did this happen?" Ampharos asked, lifting her up gently while mildly shocking her with his electricity to keep her awake.

"The psychokinetic energy here is conflicting with my own powers. I thought I could resist it, but it's so strong now that it's overwhelming my body. I've reached my limit... I have to get out off this island now..."

"I've seen this before. You haven't become a Pokéloon, have you?"

"N... No..."

"That's all there is to it."

"Please, help me..." she whispered before passing out again.

The tall Pokémon took her in both arms and lifted her so that she could rest on her arms around his shoulders. Afterwards, he carried her all the way back to the plaza. On the way, he kept her somewhat conscious by applying a mild electric shock whenever she started to nod off. He knew that if she were unconscious for too long, she might never wake up again.

Passersby gasped in horror at the sight of Skunanne limply clinging to her savior. People wanted to ask what happened or why she looked so ill, but none could bring themselves to interrupt Ampharos's trek. Many knew him as a trained medic and often relied on him for his first-aid knowledge, though the applications here seemed unnecessarily except in cases like this. Before they reached the entry area, the skunk's friends spotted Ampharos carrying her and approached ready to inquire him.

"Please don't talk to me!" he immediately demanded, still walking. "She needs emergency care and I can't afford to waste time."

"We know," Weasinge said as he circled off to the Pokémon's side. "We've been telling her that this whole time."

"I... I'm sorry..." Skunanne cried faintly, barely staying awake. "It hurts..." She clung tighter to Ampharos with what little hold she could get. Her new friend continued to waddle towards the plaza, specifically towards Miltank's snack bar.

As soon as they arrived, Ampharos sat Skunanne down at a table upon which she lied her head down on listlessly. The skunk again passed out due to the strain upon her body. Her friend went over to the counter and explained the situation to Miltank, whom quickly put forth two bottles of milk. Ampharos grabbed them and set them before Skunanne.

He shocked her back awake and then explained, "Drink this first. It'll increase your durability after the transformation. Then drink this to undergo the change. I'll take your bag for you so you don't inadvertantly pop yourself with that knife of yours." He then proceeded to remove her backpack and set it next to her. She noticed that her Luna Fang was already back in its sheath.

Eyeing the curious liquids before her, she wiffed the unnatural scents of vanilla and latex flavoring mixed into the concoctions. Not exactly in a position to refuse, she immediately ingested the milkshake on the left as per his instructions. The chemical was thick and quite filling as it quickly slid down her esophagus and into her stomach completely unabated. As it settled in her belly, she felt an odd sensation that she couldn't begin to describe.

After a moment, she reluctantly guzzled the second fluid, noticing a nearly instant change within her body. Her innards felt almost nonexistent, as though her organs had been replaced with nothing but air. Seconds later, she heard an unnatural squeaking sound coming from her feet. Looking down, she noticed her fur and skin had become completely translucent on her feet, legs, and hips. The change continued to creep up her body to her tail, belly, and eventually torso. Once her shoulders and arms transformed, she gasped her last bit of breath as she felt her neck, head, and lastly face consumed by a thin layer of painted latex. Despite the momentary scare, she realized that she could still actually breathe, though her body now flexed oddly with each inhale and exhale. All-in-all, she was truly relieved by how much better she felt now that her headaches and overall pain were gone.

Hanging her head in embarrassment, she listened as Ampharos said, "You should be well adjusted to the psychic wavelength here now. Those headaches should never return, even if you leave the island and come back."

"Th... Thank you, Ampharos..." she started to cry, "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you...to everyone..." Reaching for the berry pouch attached to her backpack, she took out a few berries and handed them to him.

"Oh, no, please don't pay me. I'm trained to act in these situations, even if the patient is disagreeable."

"I stole these from you earlier. I want to give them back..."

"Huh?" he questioned, "I thought I was missing a few berries. I'll take them back, but please don't think I'm mad. Disappointed in you, yes, but not angry."

"Thank you. Again, I'm sorry." Ampharos then left as Skunanne's friends came up to her.

"So, you really were the thief?" Buizel inquired as he followed behind Weasinge while Vulpix and her Braixen Pokéloon lagged behind them.

She turned to him with a saddened stare. Then pushed her berry pouch away without a word. Buizel came up to her and took the satchel away. Weasinge looked up at her disappointedly.

"I can't believe you'd go to such an extent to not become a Pokéloon and then become one because you had no choice left."

"I don't want to talk about it... I just want to move on and be done with this place." She stood up hastily and grabbed her bag carefully by one strap. Despite her new form, she still retained her natural strength and perhaps had a little more thanks to what Ampharos made her drink.

"Oh, no!" Buizel said, jumped in front of her as she started to leave. "You've committed a serious crime, and you're not about to just walk out of here unpunished."

The skunk reached for her knife, but on better conscious stopped herself and explained, "You think petty theft is a 'serious crime?' I've had my life threatened by Pokémon ready to kill me for their own selfish gain, I've seen my old friends die right in front of my face, and I've even challenged the might of gods only to be chastised for it. Don't even dare tell me that petty theft is a serious crime when I've witnessed true horrors the likes of which no one should ever experience."

"Skunanne, stop!" Vulpix and Weasinge begged.

"Return the money to its rightful owners, if you can find them. Or just keep it for yourself, if you can't. My fare for the ferry ride is also in there. I only spent one berry out of everything, so there's no reason to carry on about this any further," she concluded. "I just want to be left alone..."

Skunanne began to walk away, but Buizel blocked her again. Annoyed by his imputence, she jumped over him the same way she would've anybody, only to notice she floated substantially higher than normal. Upon her descent, she relaxed her body realizing she would just drift gently back to earth, rather than have to tense her muscles and brace for impact. Enjoying a light squeaky landing, she decided to skip away to an isolated part of the Balloon Area instead of dashing off wildly like she normally did.

"Hey, come back!" Buizel called as she again vanished into the crowd.

"Don't worry," Weasinge said. "She'll come around pretty quickly now that she's experienced that jump. Her kind are naturally atheletic, but I think she'll come to really enjoy being a balloon fairly quick now."

Buizel sighed, "If you say so..." Afterwards he and Weasinge headed back towards their stand across the way, hopefully going to be able to return the money to whomever had it stolen. Vulpix followed them intently with a smile, still toting Braixen.


Perching herself upon a flat rooftop on the central castle, Skunanne laid back lazily and watched as other Pokéloons floated by both in front and above her. The sheer thrill of being a balloon now allowed her to quickly forget the pain she'd otherwise been suffering today. In fact, she'd go so far as to say she was soothed being nothing more than an air-fillled latex sack. So long as she kept her mobility, she'd love to remain this way permanently.

A stray thought, however, did cross her mind. Vulpix's spell book was in her bag. Though she could read the archaic language that it was scribed in, the skunk herself didn't actually have the magical prowess for spell-casting herself. Perhaps she could coerce her friend into casting a balloon or pooltoy curse on her to make the transformation permanent, save only for when the vixen used a reversion spell on her. But then, she reminded herself that those particular curses were for inanimate transformations only. She couldn't recall the girl finding one for living object metamorphoses.

It seemed like quite the predicament. In order to stay a balloon, she'd probably have to stay here full time. She wasn't exactly the type to just settle down and get a job somewhere. At heart, the girl was an adventurer, someone whom thrived on exploration, hunting, and the like. As great as this place seemed, she just couldn't abandon the life she had back home either.

Sitting upright again, she looked around the immediate vacinity to make sure nobody was watching her directly. Afterwards, Skunanne turned her head to spot a curious knob on her tail's tip. Though she didn't want to completely deflate, she had to admit she wondered what it'd be like to let some of the air out. Now seemed like as good of time as any, given how she had a nozzle of sorts and nobody was around to stop her.

Pinching her valve with her paws, she released a small spurt of air quickly. After hearing a slight whistle, she stopped and giggled. She did it again to hear herself whistle out her tail, but stopped her again when she suddenly noticed she shrunk slightly. It was a neglegable size difference, but still very noticable. Decidely, she left her nozzle alone, figuring continued deflation would result in inevitable immobility. For that same reason, she didn't want to get inflated either. Then again, given how so many other Pokémon seemed to be enjoying themselves, what really was the harm in being inflated?

Skunanne sighed longingly, "What have I done...?"

Grabbing her satchel, she slung it gently over her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, the skunk took a long dash towards the side of the building and then lunged high into the air with her arms full spread like an Emolga. Despite the weight of her pack, her propotional size allowed her to glide on the wind with little problem. As she fell back to earth, right in the middle of the plaza, she backflipped so that she'd land flat on her feet.

Hidden amidst the crowd, she walked quietly over towards the stand where Buizel and Weasinge were paupering Pokéloons. Skunanne inserted herself into the line behind a particularly large Goodra, with a young Eevee filing in behind her. The kid looked her over weirdly for a moment, but then sat down and waited with her for the line to move forward. Unlike earlier, the line took its time progressing towards the stand. Eyeing Skunanne's tail, Eevee pawed at it playfully, taking care to only stroke it gently with her pad so she wouldn't pop the balloony skunk. Skunanne glanced at the girl with a friendly grin, knowing that she wasn't going to be rough with her by any means.

Once the Goodra ahead of her got his Pokéloon, Skunanne finally stepped forth to the shock of both Weasinge and Buizel. Vulpix and her Braixen Pokéloon waited off to the side, greeting her with happy grins.

"So, I take it you're enjoying your time as a Pokéloon now?" Braixen asked as she bobbed up and down playfully at the tug of Vulpix's string.

"Well... I did come to apologize for earlier, if that's even possible..."

"If you've come to apologize, then you're going to be put to work," Buizel remarked as he cleaned the mouthpiece of his helium tank.

"Eh..." Skunanne hesitated. Eevee suddenly poked around her and looked between the different Pokémon curiously.

"Um, Miss...?" she then asked in a sweet and gentle voice. Skunanne looked back at her, again smiling.

"Yes, sweetie?" the skunk asked, trying to be polite.

"Are you going to volunteer to be a Pokéloon?"

"Well... I wasn't planning on it, but..."

"She'll gladly do it!" Weasinge offered, coming out front with the helium tank on his back.

"Huh? Wait a minute! I don't think I'm..."

"What's there to think about? Volunteering is fun!" Braixen cut her off.

"But..." Weasinge took the mouthpiece off the tank and stuck the hose's nozzle directly into the valve on Skunanne's tail.

"Here we go!" the ermine said laughingly.

"Hey, wait!" she squealed, feeling a slow pressure filling her body as he turned the tank on.

"Oh, don't forget her backpack!" Buizel pointed out.

"Got it!" Weasinge replied as he carefully pulled the satchel off the inflating Skunanne's arms. He passed it to Buizel, whom then put it inside the kiosk with all the others they were keeping for volunteers.

Skunanne winced momentarily as her main body and tail began to stretch out tautly, followed shortly by her arms and legs. Her hair and stripes became more transparent as she filled with air, but not so much to where they were indistinct. Once her body reached an expanse of about six feet wide, Weasinge turned off the gas so he could tie a string to her value before she floated away. Afterwards, he admired his work.

"Good job. She looks genuinely uncomfortable up there."

"Fair payback for the trouble, but I think she'll get used to it after a bit."

Despite being enlarged against her will, Skunanne admittedly liked the feeling of being blown up like this. Granted, she couldn't move very much, but if Eevee was taking her, she really didn't care. As Buizel tied a cuff-like ring to the bottom of her string, she felt herself slowly float upwards next to Braixen.

"Now was that so bad?" the fox asked, rolling back and forth a couple times.

"Let me put it this way..." Skunanne remarked. "This is one of the best experiences of my entire life!" She then tried to get close enough to somewhat hug Braixen with her squeaky arms, to which the vixen blushed.

With a gentle tug on Skunanne's tail, Eevee looked up at her and said, "Are you ready?"

"Sure thing!" the skunk said with a grin. "Just be careful not to pop me."

"Oh, I won't! Trust me. I take care of my toys."

Skunanne found herself blushing. The term itself hadn't really crossed her mind much unless Vulpix was casting spells on her. So, this would take some getting used to. With several cute hops and slight tugs, the two went off into the park merrily.

"I guess we should go play together too, huh, Braixen?" Vulpix asked as she looked up at her new friend.

"If you want to, sure."

"I found this drink I want to try too." The six-tailed fox opened the can of Blimp Berry she found earlier and was tempted to guzzle it, when Weasinge freaked out and stopped her.

"No, don't drink that!" he begged, taking it out of her paws.

"Oh, did you want some?" she asked, forcibly pushing the can in his face with her paw and making him guzzle it all.

"Oh, boy, here we go again!" Buizel said as he took cover behind his stand.

"Run, Vulpix!" Braixen shouted from overhead as Weasinge's body suddenly inflated drastically, first by inches and feet but then by yards and meters. Vulpix backed away somewhat, however stayed put long enough to watch Weasinge burst into shreds of red, pink, and white confetti save only for his vest and cap which remained completely intact.

"YAY! I made Weasinge into confetti and I didn't even have to break out my spell book," she cheered sadistically.

"Oh, my gosh... You aren't going to do that to me, are you?" Braixen asked terrified by her whitiscism.

"Naw! But I know this fun plushie hex if you're interested."

"What?"

"You heard me! I make all my friends into plushies!"

"But, I don't want to be a plushie!"

"That's what Weasinge said, but I know he loved it. You'll love it too!" Braixen gasped as Vulpix began to cackle maniacally.

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad. At least a hex wears off...after about ten hours," Vulpix continued. After which, she left with a terrified Braixen tote.

Buizel went around the front of his stand with a broom and a dust pan to begin sweeping up his assistance's remains. It'd be about ten minutes before he'd reform after an explosion like that, so he needed to make sure all his shreds were gathered together ahead of time and set about in place of where they'd be on his regular body. Collecting Weasinge's cap and vest too, he took the little critter around back, laying him out like a puzzle and piecing him together. Once he was done, he returned to his post, waiting for the deed to be done.

Today truly had an interesting day at the Balloon Area. Little did he know that tomorrow would bring about a nightmare the likes of which he could never imagine. A new monster was on her way, and her appearance alone would scare most Pokémon half to death.

<End Angel's Lament>