• Our software update is now concluded. You will need to reset your password to log in. In order to do this, you will have to click "Log in" in the top right corner and then "Forgot your password?".
  • Forum moderator applications are now open! Click here for details.
  • Welcome to PokéCommunity! Register now and join one of the best fan communities on the 'net to talk Pokémon and more! We are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.

[Pokémon] Anima Ex Machina [R]

Status
Not open for further replies.

Incinermyn

The Abomination Lives!!!
646
Posts
16
Years
Whew... Scary s***, Xanthine! Even if it is like a parody of a B-list sci-fi movie. Sorry I hadn't replied to this since December, but things have been so screwy at work with the economy the way it is I haven't been able to get online and do much critiquing (at least not more than basic commenting).

Saw that you did re-edit some parts of the earlier chapters, and it looks good.
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Whew... Scary s***, Xanthine! Even if it is like a parody of a B-list sci-fi movie.

Yeah, evidently, I'm terrible at actually parodying things, but I'm decent at darkfic. XD It's something I've recently acknowledged as I read over pretty much every chapter after the first one.

It's completely cool that you got caught up in real life, though. After all, real life > fanfiction. Still, I hope things'll be all right with you. Hopefully, we'll crawl out of the recession we're in, so it might be a bit easier for all of us. x_x

Anyway, thanks again for the review and compliments. =D Admittedly, I haven't finished editing all of the chapters yet, but I'm working on it.
 

BeachBoy

S P A R K of madness
8,401
Posts
16
Years
EDIT: read up till the end of the latest chapter and fixed some typos in this original post (it was late at night, also in dim light, what did you expect? DX)

I've just read up to the end of chapter one, and holy... Words can't describe how... it just grabs my attention and harnesses it.

I feel tired - thanks to the fact it's 11:40PM - but this is so captivating with such an excellence touch of description and imagery that I don't want to fall asleep. Hell, I want to finish up to the most recent chapter tonight! But unfortunately with mock trial research and jury selection at school tomorrow, I won't be able to sink my teeth into this rich piece of literature anymore tonight.

I find it funny how when it comes to horror or anything remotely scary in real life, it's a given that it'll scare me to death. Yet when I'm reading about how pocket monsters (or in Bill's case... about to be, I assume, thanks to that lovely red parasite spiked into his chest) are devoured and picked clean absolutely... fascinates me. (For instance, I couldn't take my eyes off of Maggots of Society, either) And so far I can't say I've disliked one use of a certain word or feel that something came off as confusing.

I wish I could capture some form of advice to give you, Jax, but I couldn't in my wildest dreams. Bravo thus far, I'm going to try and hook up the printer tomorrow so I can read this at school as well.

Thank you, for... this, really.

---

Now that I've read up to the end thus far, wow. I... didn't expect him to turn out... that way. XD A completely different storyline and plot from what I expected. I honestly thought Bill would just die for the sake of your own laughter, but I forgot one key piece, you prefer to torture him. ): And damn, what a cliff hanger, can't wait till the next chapter.

I like how, as the story develops, you also develop more description of his image. In the beginning stages I thought "What, does he look like a metal Charizard? o_0" but with time your bits and pieces glued together more description of his overall look. But even with that, I still feel that there's something you haven't pointed out yet, like an incomplete painting. Perhaps deliperate? Or maybe I just need to go re-read to fully understand his... current form's image.

Nothing to complain about, though.

Love it, Jax. <3
 
Last edited:

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
So, basically, "I can get the edits done by tomorrow" translates into "I can get the edits done in two days, and why did FFNet strip all my line breaks? ;_;" Sorry, guys. In any case, now the editing is done, and we're all caught up and actually matching the FFNet version.

That said...

But unfortunately with mock trial research and jury selection at school tomorrow, I won't be able to sink my teeth into this rich piece of literature anymore tonight.

On the positive side, you got to play Phoenix Wright. Extra points if you wore a blue suit and slicked back your hair for this. XD

Seriously, thanks for the compliments. =D I'm really glad you like it. It's pretty much my baby at the moment. (With MKD being like the jealous older child.)

I wish I could capture some form of advice to give you, Jax, but I couldn't in my wildest dreams. Bravo thus far, I'm going to try and hook up the printer tomorrow so I can read this at school as well.

And thank you for giving me the amusing image of you trying to explain to a teacher what you're doing instead of paying attention in class. XD ("Of course it's educational, ma'am! It's biology!")

I honestly thought Bill would just die for the sake of your own laughter, but I forgot one key piece, you prefer to torture him. ):

Yeah, that and using aliens to kill off the British scientist first has already been done. ;_;

But even with that, I still feel that there's something you haven't pointed out yet, like an incomplete painting. Perhaps deliperate?

Hmm. Well, it's actually not deliberate except in the fact that I didn't describe what Bill looked like from the shoulders up in chapter two because he couldn't see that part of himself. Beyond that, yeah, that's probably vagueness on my end. XD; The problem is that it's really difficult to figure out how to describe exactly what he looks like because most of his body is supposed to be so alien you're not supposed to compare it to anything you've seen in real life or in the Pokémon world. That and I was a bit wary about flooding the story with descriptions of both him and the other ixodida. (Bill's description alone is about a page, if I recall correctly. ._.) As I go, I might try to figure out better ways of putting it so I can spread out the description of an average ixodida over chapters instead of trying to go back and add more to the one in chapter two, but until then, I think the best way of putting it is imagining a xenomorph with a human head and diclonius (as in, the Elfen Lied sort) horns.

Thanks again for the review. I'm really flattered. ^_^
 
Last edited:

Incinermyn

The Abomination Lives!!!
646
Posts
16
Years
It's completely cool that you got caught up in real life, though. After all, real life > fanfiction. Still, I hope things'll be all right with you. Hopefully, we'll crawl out of the recession we're in, so it might be a bit easier for all of us. x_x

Yeah, but AIG's blunder hasn't helped tempers any. I kind of feel sorry for President Obama because his ideas were pretty sound but stuff's so chaotic, whenever something goes wrong, the blame is on him. Didn't like his attitude on Jay Leno's show last night though... He's gotten a little cocky since getting elected and could use a little bit of a reality check just to snap him out of it.

But, dang, this recession is truly a nightmare. My hometown's food bank has seen more then three times the people it used to see this time last year (and its not that big). I mean, it was a little embarassing when my family (who's never really had it easy, being in the lower class and all) had to start going to it after I took off from college. Now, it's really dire seeing people who I knew were pretty well off coming as well. Even our church has gotten more attendees praying for relief. I've never seen it services so packed. Signs of the times, that's for sure.

Some good news, though, a few people I know have started building again, so that means work for my carpet business *grins maniacally*.
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Yeah, but AIG's blunder hasn't helped tempers any.

Seriously. But at least it's making good fodder for the comedians.

I kind of feel sorry for President Obama because his ideas were pretty sound but stuff's so chaotic, whenever something goes wrong, the blame is on him.

*nods* Yeah, that's one of the things about being the president, though. You get elected, and automatically, everyone tries to find something to blame on you. It's really part of the job description, regardless of how good you are.

Still, I really would like some of those ideas Obama had to come into fruition instead of watching politicians and CEOs going "lolwut." I'd really like to have a job after I graduate.

Didn't like his attitude on Jay Leno's show last night though... He's gotten a little cocky since getting elected and could use a little bit of a reality check just to snap him out of it.

Really? I've heard about the Special Olympics thing, but I haven't seen what else he's done on the show. Which kinda makes me regret the fact that I've stopped watching NBC in the past year because it apparently makes me miss the things that make the internet go crazy. (Remember Rick Astley during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Flipping missed it. Go me.)

Signs of the times, that's for sure.

Ouch. I'm really sorry to hear about all that. At most, we can only really hope things'll get better, but on the positive side, at least we don't have a 25% unemployment rate, right?

Some good news, though, a few people I know have started building again, so that means work for my carpet business *grins maniacally*.

Sweet! Good luck with that. =D

I've only read the prologue so far, but I will admit that it alone is excellent. Was that red thing perhaps Deoxys?

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

Unfortunately, the red thing is not Deoxys. I say "unfortunately" because you find out what it actually is and what it likes to do in the next chapter.
 
716
Posts
16
Years
Well, I've now ready Chapter 1 as promised, and I still don't get it. What is that red thing? Whatever it is, it's making for a very interesting storyline. There were one or two errors, but they were alreay pointed out by other members. The chapters are well written and I really like the fic. If you have a PM List, Xanthine, can you please place me on it?
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Well, I've now ready Chapter 1 as promised, and I still don't get it. What is that red thing?

As in, it's not clear to you what the prologue has to do with the first chapter, or you just want to know the nature of it?

To explain, the prologue takes place some time before the first chapter. In the first paragraph of chapter one, it states that Hoenn succumbed to a mysterious epidemic, the waves of red. (It should be noted that there's a mention of pokémon carcasses at the end of the prologue. You find out in chapter two that the parasite lays eggs in dead pokémon, so all this time, they've been reproducing. Hence why it's an epidemic.) In response, the government took over scientific institutions in other regions in order to study what's going on, and to do that, they've captured samples from Hoenn to send to the places they've designated. Right now, they've found that the waves are made of eight-legged parasitic pokémon they've temporarily designated as XP-494. (You find out in chapter three that they know it's a pokémon because of its ability to attack with Leech Life, and in chapter four, you find out that the people in Hoenn refer to them as ixodida.)

In other words, the waves of red are a parasite/hunter the government has decided needed to be studied in order to figure out how to handle them. The specimen that's isolated, studied, and nearly captured by Team Rocket in chapter one is just one individual of these waves.

Generally speaking, XP-494 is an alien pokémon that survives by eating the internal organs and blood of pokémon and laying eggs in their carcasses. They also possess the ability to mutate human beings for reasons and through procedures that aren't yet fully understood.

Whatever it is, it's making for a very interesting storyline.

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

There were one or two errors, but they were alreay pointed out by other members.

Erm, if you don't mind me asking, anything specifically? o_o I've corrected all but one mistake that was brought up to me in the prologue prior to your review (and the one thing I didn't correct was more of a stylistic issue), and nothing was brought up as an error for chapter one.

If you have a PM List, Xanthine, can you please place me on it?

I don't usually do PM lists, but sure, I'll let you know. You'll probably want to catch up with the other chapters first, though. I'm already in the process of writing chapter eight, and there's a ton that happens between the first chapter and then that you'll probably need to know.

Thanks again for the review.
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Gasp! A new chapter so soon? I may actually start updating on the schedule I said I would.


Eight
(A happy blossom hears you sobbing.)​

The screams continued as the group walked quickly along the bottom of a canyon. Veronica held Rose's hand firmly as her eyes moved from the sky to her alien companion every so often. He said nothing since they'd left the campsite. His own eyes were steady on the path, and his face was tensed in an expression of serious concentration.

"Are they getting closer?" Veronica asked.

Bill shook his head. "They think I'm hunting you, so they're lingering behind."

Veronica blinked. "You can understand them?"

He lifted his chin slightly and narrowed his eyes at the sky. "No, the parasite can, but it translates for me."

In response, she gave him a strange look. "The parasite? You mean it's got a mind of its own?"

With a nod, Bill replied, "It's strange, but think of it like… there's a voice in my head that tells me things about myself. That's what guided me to fight against those other ixodida, and it's what's telling me what they're—"

Abruptly, he stopped when he noticed Veronica was no longer beside him. He turned and found her staring at him with a blank expression. Realizing the problem, he shifted on his feet and rubbed the back of his head.

"That sounded a lot saner in my mind," he mumbled.

Veronica quirked an eyebrow. "Did you run it by the voices in your head first? Sometimes, second opinions help."

As an embarrassed flush colored Bill's face as he turned away. He opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, a cry rose not far away. All three travelers immediately froze. As it faded, Rose pulled herself closer to Veronica.

"Another ixodida?" Veronica asked.

Bill shook his head. "No. Something else."

Without putting too much thought into what he was doing, he started towards the scream, leaving Veronica and Rose behind. Veronica jolted, watching him run.

"So you're going towards it?!" she snapped. "You don't know what's over there! Get back here!"

He disappeared around the corner without a response.

Veronica gritted her teeth. "Bill!"

When he didn't return, she turned to Rose. The girl stared at her with wide eyes as her small hands grasped her shirt. At that, Veronica sighed.

"Sorry, kid," she said. "We'd better go after him before he does something stupid."

With that, she squeezed Rose's hand and started forward.

---​

It took Bill a few minutes of winding through canyon paths before he finally found the source of the sound. When he did, he stopped short, and his eyes widened in shock.

The path split into a fork. One end wound out of sight around the rock walls. The other, which Bill faced, was considerably shorter and tapered into a dead end less than twenty feet from him. On a rock beside the end stood a male numel; his stubby feet scrambled to keep his balance on the rock as his small mouth bleated scared cries. Between the numel and Bill, a sea of red pulsed. The closest parasites attempted to climb the rock, only to fall off either by themselves or after being struck by small balls of fire shot from the terrified camel's mouth. They squealed, fell into the sea, and tried to remount the rock as if nothing had happened.

In his head, Bill heard the parasite's voice.

Well, this is certainly a predicament.

Bill furrowed his eyebrows. We should help it.

Mm. We should?


As if ignoring the voice, Bill glanced at the sea again. Maybe I can chase them away.

He took a step forward but stopped when he heard footsteps and a gasp behind him. Wincing, he turned and glanced at Veronica and Rose, both of whom stared at the sea with wide eyes.

Ah, the parasite said, now things are a bit more interesting.

Ignoring it, Bill held up a hand with his palm turned towards the girls. "Stay there. Don't move."

"What are you doing?" Veronica hissed. "We've gotta get out of here!"

Seemingly unaware of what she had said, Bill turned towards the rock walls, looking for a way to climb up. The walls, unfortunately, were smooth. A narrow ledge, not even large enough for more than one person to stand on, laced along the right edge a few feet from the canyon floor. Narrowing his eyes, Bill pulled himself onto the ledge and carefully edged his way towards the numel.

"Bill!" Veronica hissed. "What are you doing?!"

"I can't leave this numel here," he replied.

Veronica frowned. "Why don't you just walk through? They won't bite you, right?"

"They'll run, and the only way out is towards you."

Without another word, Veronica watched as her companion reached towards the camel. The numel swiveled his head towards him and, at the sight of claws edging closer, opened his mouth to release a loud bleat. Fire flashed from its throat and blasted past his jaws in three balls of flame. Bill flinched, shielding himself with an arm to let the flames flash across his metal skin instead of his face. Underneath his armor, nerves flared, and blinding pain washed from the tips of his fingers to his shoulder. He felt as if the appendage was on fire, even after the flames died. For that reason, he lost his balance and fell into the sea of red with a cry.

At once, Veronica pulled Rose close as her eyes widened. "Bill!"

He felt the parasites scratch at his armor and skin. Red flashes flared around him as he lifted his head.

"Run!" he shouted.

The sea parted in a circle, washing around the rock and outward towards the opening. Veronica only hesitated slightly before rushing back up the path, pulling Rose with her.

As soon as they moved, so did Bill's good arm. He realized with alarm that he couldn't feel it, much less control what it did. It rose, palm facing one of the rock walls by the opening. A white light gathered in front of his hand until a beam blasted from the gem in its center. The light struck the edge of the opening, blasting rocks from near the top of the canyon wall before doing the same to the other edge. In seconds, a rock slide blocked the opening, and the parasites beneath the fallen boulders squealed in death. The others pooled before the wall and flashed red light.

Shaking, Bill pulled his arm back. Feeling gradually returned to it as he turned over his hand. In the palm, the jewel faded from a bright white to a blood red.

"What?" he murmured.

One of our powers, the parasite replied. I will explain later. Save the creature. You came for it, did you not?

Bill turned to see the sea of red gathering at the rock once more. The numel cried loudly as it scrambled to the peak of his perch. Drawing in a breath, Bill crept forward, cautiously as he steadied his eyes on the creature.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said. "Please let me help."

The numel looked up and, without hesitation, shot fire from his mouth at his rescuer. With a gasp, Bill dodged the fire but not the heat. His side seared, causing him to flinch and fail to dodge another volley. Fire hit his chest, sending him to his knees. A hand rose to touch the spot gingerly. It felt soft beneath his claws – melted. With a gasp, Bill winced.

What should I do? he thought.

He watched helplessly as the sea lapped the rock and attempted another climb. The numel bleated, its legs frantically flailing for a higher perch. Resolving himself, Bill pushed forward slowly and carefully. With a sharp cry, the numel fired more balls of flame at him. Flinching, he shielded his chest and face but felt fire lick his arms. The pain steadily increased, and he felt as if at any moment, he would drop in torture.

By some miracle, he pushed himself to the rock. His arms reached to take the numel, to which it responded by firing another Ember into his stomach. Bill winced and bit back a scream. His vision blurred, but he forced himself to stare at the yellow blob in front of him. With another deep breath, he grabbed the creature by its sides and hefted it over a shoulder. The camel kicked, screamed, and blew fire at Bill as he turned and walked to the rock slide. Beneath his feet, the parasite flashed and pooled around his ankles like dogs waiting for their master to drop a plate of food. Several times, Bill nearly did just that before, finally, he reached the rock wall, climbed over it, and collapsed on the other side.

Bill lay on the ground just beyond the block. He inhaled ragged breaths as the creature he'd saved stumbled away from his shoulder. The numel shook on his stubby legs and glanced back. A flame flickered in his mouth, prepared to finish his enemy off. Before he could attack, however, a green hand reached down and slammed its head into the dirt.

Another pair gently lifted Bill from the ground and turned him over. Above him, a human face floated, but it was framed by vine hair and a green neck. A pink flower decorated one of her green shoulders. Its petals quivered to release a sweet fragrance. Fingers gently ran along the half-melted spots of Bill's armor, and with her touch, Bill took a shuddering breath at the sharp pains that radiated under her claws.

"Burn," she murmured.

He couldn't respond. Instead, he watched as the flower opened and emitted a warm breeze from its golden heart. Bill couldn't help but take it in, inhaling the sweet and spicy aroma. At once, he felt calm as a warmth spread through his entire body. He could feel the pain ebb away and his armor work on reinforcing itself.

"Thank you," he whispered.

The female carefully placed him on the ground as her blossom closed. Her hand ran along his tail. The sensation sent cold pangs up Bill's spine, but he didn't stop her.

Suddenly, she looked up as her companions, two other green ixodida, leaned over the numel.

"Stop!" she snapped.

The pair looked up as their vine hair flicked and curled around their heads like Medusa's snakes.

"His!" she hissed. "Hurt for it!"

One of the others snarled, "Injured. Ours now."

The female reached for his tail and pulled it up for them to view. He winced but watched as she presented the arrow tip.

"Monarch!" she snapped. "His!"

The other two ixodida glanced at one another. Then, both leaned back. The quiet one opened a blossom on her stomach and spewed a blue powder from its core. The numel, realizing what it was, flailed under the hands of the other. His head gained a shimmering coat of blue, and because of that, when he was unable to hold his breath for much longer, he was forced to breathe the powder in. For a few moments, he continued to struggle until finally, he slowed. His eyes closed, and his body went limp. Then, the female holding the numel down, the one Bill presumed was the leader, stood.

"Take to clan," the leader said. "Him too."

The quiet one scooped the sleeping numel in her arms. In the meantime, the leader moved to Bill's feet. As the first picked him up by the shoulders, the other took his legs.

Then, much to Bill's surprise, all three sprouted pink insect wings from their backs and took flight.

---​

Veronica had many definitions of the word "screwed." Light bulbs were one. Her ex-boyfriend, as much as she didn't like to think about it, for another. Coming in late to work got her screwed, and so did getting disarmed by a gang of thieves when her backup was across the city.

Facing three ixodida with one growlithe, however, was something she decided deserved a whole new level of screwed.

It hadn't been long at all since Veronica led Rose away from the dead end. She paused only briefly to consider running back to help her companion, but as soon as she turned to head back, hands seized her, tore her away from the girl, and lifted her into the air. Before she knew it, she was dropped on top of the cliffs, high above the floors of the chasms. Rose was dropped next to her, and the pink-winged ixodida landed, staring at the two of them with dark eyes.

All Veronica could tell was that they were waiting, judging by how still they were for those long moments. She couldn't determine much more. All they did was stare at her intently without making another sound or move. Veronica only put up with it until she realized none of them were about to attack her. Then, she dropped her pack on the ground, pulled a ball from a pocket, and released her only pokémon partner. Rose drew close to Veronica as the officer's growlithe appeared in a flash of light. In response, the flowers dotting the ixodida's green bodies opened and spewed blue powder.

"Sleep Powder," Jenny gasped. "Rose, cover your mouth! Growlithe, Flamethrower!"

Both girls immediately covered their faces with their hands and backed closer to the cliff behind them. In the meantime, the puppy opened his own mouth and exhaled a jet of fire that cut through the cloud of powder. Flames engulfed the ixodida in front of him, and instantly, her leafy body caught fire. At once, she screamed and writhed, dancing in the flames until she finally collapsed in a burning heap.

Meanwhile, her sisters' vine hair lashed out to ensnare the distracted dog. He yelped as the tendrils lifted him into the air and slammed him into the ground. Another cloud of blue plumed from their flowers, and Growlithe, unable to escape, could only inhale the cloud. Soon, a wave of weariness washed over him, and despite the jarring impact of his body hitting the earth, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Upon seeing her limp pokémon be thrown to the ground one last time, Veronica's eyes widened.

"No! Growlithe!" she shouted. "Rose, you've got pokémon, right?"

She turned to find the girl wide-eyed and whimpering. With a frown, Veronica drew her gun from the holster hidden beneath her shirt and fired several rounds. Each bullet hit the grassy bodies, but the sisters only flinched as they started forward. Meanwhile, every hole in their flesh closed as quickly as they were made. Soon, Veronica's gun clicked uselessly in her hands, and her eyes widened as she backed towards the canyon.

Suddenly, a shriek pierced the air from above. Both the ixodida and the humans looked skyward to see three green figures descend and land between Veronica, Rose, and their attackers. One of the newcomers dropped a numel unceremoniously on the ground, but the other two carried a silver body between them. Veronica didn't need to see a face to feel her heart sink with hopelessness.

"Bill," she whispered.

"Monarch," one of the newcomers said. "Hurt. Burned."

One of Veronica's captors pointed to the fallen sister. "Burned."

The grass ixodida huddled together, gently placing their metal brother beside their sister. Veronica started towards them.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" she shouted.

Before she could take a step further, a volley of fireballs blasted between her and the fire sisters to engulf her growlithe. The sisters shrieked and whirled around to face the source of the flames while Veronica gasped and stumbled backwards. Her growlithe, meanwhile, took in the heat of the fire and howled. Fully awakened, he rose to his paws and glanced at the standing numel. Upon seeing his new partner rise, the camel snorted and aimed another volley of fire towards the closest sister.

Once again, she shrieked, but this time, she shielded her face with her arms. A second ixodida lashed at Numel with her vine hair, but Veronica's growlithe leapt forward, snatching the vines in his jaws. Pausing only to inhale, Numel blasted another firestorm from his throat to engulf the face of the ixodida. At that moment, Growlithe released, took a breath, and breathed his own fire into the sister's chest. For several moments, she was engulfed in flame until finally, her writhing stopped, and she fell to the ground.

With collective shrieks, three of the remaining sisters opened all of the pink flowers on their bodies and spun. A storm of pink petals flew in a rose-colored tornado towards both fire-types. The two creatures cried out as the petals whipped them, leaving cuts and welts across their skin.

"No!" Veronica screamed. "Growlithe! Flamethrower!"

The dog's ears twitched from within the twister. He reared back, inhaling through his nose. Numel eyed him and followed his example, bracing himself against the tornado and breathing in. Simultaneously, the dog and the camel exhaled fire to light the tornado ablaze. The sisters screamed as their attacks rose in a twisting pillar of flame to engulf them and burn off their flowers. As their blossoms blew away in showers of red embers, each sister fell into the inferno, their bodies burning until they turned black.

Then, the fire slowly died down. The ashes rained softly on the burned bodies of the sisters. In the center of the circle, Numel and Growlithe stood, still bleeding but otherwise calm. Veronica took a few steps forward but stopped when a groan rose behind the two pokémon. Slowly, Bill stirred, shakily forcing himself to his knees as a hand held his head. A smile crept across Veronica's face.

"Are all of you all right?" she asked.

Growlithe and Numel ignored her as they turned and growled at the awakened ixodida. Bill drew in a breath and struggled to stand.

"Whoa! Hey!" Veronica stepped forward to place herself between them. "It's okay. He's with us."

After a moment's hesitation, Growlithe relaxed. He barked towards Numel until, finally, the camel glanced at him and backed away. Veronica exhaled and continued forward to kneel and examine her injured dog. With a sigh, she drew his poké ball from her belt and recalled him.

"You missed all the excitement," she finally said to her companion. "Are you okay?"

Bill offered a weak smile. "I think so."

Before he could say anything else, a scream rose from behind Veronica. Both adults looked Rose's way to find her held by the last ixodida. The female's clubbed tail wagged as her mouth opened to expose glistening fangs. With a hiss, she leaned towards the shaking girl's neck.

A rush of fireballs slammed into the ixodida's side. She screeched as Numel closed his mouth. The ixodida's eyes widened as she lost her footing and pitched over the edge of the cliff. Although her grip on Rose loosened, she still pulled the girl with her before letting go of her arm completely.

Without much thought, Bill ran forward. He felt a rush of adrenaline course through his body as he quickly reached out to grab Rose's wrist. Unfortunately, he had no time to stabilize himself on the cliff, and before he realized it, he fell over its edge as well.

One arm wrapped tightly around Rose while the other flailed for holds in the cliff's side that weren't there. Rose screamed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. In the confusion of panic, only one word could flash through Bill's mind in response.

Help!

The parasite responded at once without speaking.

Veronica raced to the cliff and looked down at the distance between her and the canyon floor. A cold feeling seized her heart.

"Rose! Bill!" she cried. "No…"

The girl's screams stopped. For a moment, Veronica believed the worst as he heart skipped a beat.

Then, she heard a hum.

Slowly, the siblings rose from the canyon. Stunned expressions were etched on both their faces as Bill hovered to solid ground and let his sister down. When Rose was safe, Bill lowered softly to his feet. Behind him, something flashed until finally, they stopped. Four wings – long, silver blades – extended from his back. Glancing at them in shock, he breathed and fell to his knees.

Veronica turned and blinked. "I didn't know you could do that."

Bill smiled softly. "Neither did I until a moment ago."

Then, without warning, he pitched forward and planted his face in the ground. Veronica gasped and darted forward as the injured numel crept closer to Rose. Unaware of the camel's actions, the officer knelt beside the ixodida and turned him over, only to find his armor half-melted.

"No wonder you're so weak right now," she murmured as she ran her fingers over the deformed metal. "Great. We've got to get out of here before those things lay eggs."

She stood and tried pulling at Bill's arms. Veronica couldn't lift more than half of him off the ground before feeling her muscles protest. Exhaling, Veronica dropped him.

"Naturally, you're too heavy to carry," she muttered. "What now?"

Pausing briefly, she looked him over again and furrowed her eyebrows. Then, she glanced over her shoulder at Rose, who was feeding the numel one of the berries from Veronica's pack.

"Rose," Veronica said.

The girl looked up.

"You're a coordinator," Veronica continued. "Do you have a spare poké ball? I want to try something."
 
Last edited:

Incinermyn

The Abomination Lives!!!
646
Posts
16
Years
Yeah, wish I could stick to a schedule like you when it comes to updating. Used to be once a month at the least, now I'm lucky if I can meet that.

Still, best chapter yet by far, Xanthine! Actually, your story kind of inspired an alien fakemon of my own. And, NO! It's nothing like your parasites, but this story did get me thinking about my own stuff.
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Yeah, wish I could stick to a schedule like you when it comes to updating. Used to be once a month at the least, now I'm lucky if I can meet that.

Exactly. Oh, real life. Why must you flood people with things to do away from our srs beans fanfics?

Still, best chapter yet by far, Xanthine!

Thanks. =D I was a bit uncertain about this one because it wasn't as detailed as my usual work (because, uh, I totally didn't write it completely in class), but I'm glad it actually worked.

Actually, your story kind of inspired an alien fakemon of my own. And, NO! It's nothing like your parasites, but this story did get me thinking about my own stuff.

Ooh. If it's not already in your fic (which I've yet to find time to read, unfortunately -- sorry), I can't wait to see what you've come up with. Yay for aliens!
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Nine
(All I see is an unfamiliar ceiling.)​

The jungle air felt heavy around him. Tall, red plants brushed against his shoulders, their stiff blades parting to make way for his body. He walked across the field with purpose, his feet pressing into the moist earth of the road as his eyes fixed on the glow of a city. For the umpteenth time, he adjusted the strap of a satchel on his shoulder. He knew he had only a few more hours before he found shelter at last.

A whistle sounded above him. Instinctively, he looked up at the red sky. Normally, it would have nothing but the brilliant sun and the emerald moon in it, but now, there were black stars – hundreds of them scattered across the red expanse above him.

Green light shone from each black star until the planet was engulfed in its glow.

A second later, the ground exploded.

---​

Bill jolted and opened his eyes, but he knew he wasn't awake. He turned his head, watching green curls spill across his eyes as he stared towards the open window. For a moment, he watched as white curtains softly rustled in the warm breeze. His body felt heavy as he struggled to move, so all he succeeded in doing was lift his hands.

The movement caught the attention of the room's other occupant, who was soon staring down at Bill with an expressionless face. It took a moment for Bill to finally turn to glance at the parasite.

That dream, he thought. I was…

It nodded in response. "You were remembering something."

What?

The parasite closed its eyes. "Something ancient."

Its fingers reached down to caress Bill's stomach. Instantly, a sharp, stabbing pain radiated from the spot. He couldn't scream, but his mouth fell open in a silent gasp as he felt his skin prickle and warm.

"Burns," the parasite said with a sigh. "I ask you to carry us, and you carry us directly into danger. Perhaps I should reconsider having you as my host."

Tears formed in Bill's eyes as the parasite touched the other places where fire had hit him. Each one began to feel warm, as if hundreds of hot needles were piercing his flesh.

What are you doing? he asked.

The parasite narrowed its eyes. "You might as well know. When my kind fuses with yours, we grant you numerous powers to keep you alive. On our own, our parasite forms can lay fertile eggs, but those only hatch into other parasites. In order to rebuild our species, we need you to breed and produce eggs that will hatch into our true forms."

Your true forms…

"Did you think we all are tiny insects?" the parasite asked with a smile. "Those are simply our cores – storage centers for our memories, our thoughts, and our genetic codes. They are our second brains, only body parts in the same way your arm is not your complete you."

Bill glanced at his arm. He forced himself to lift it just enough to bring it into view. To his surprise, he watched as a burn – one the parasite had already touched – slowly shrank into healthy skin and tissue.

What…?

The parasite sat on the edge of the bed and propped its chin with a palm. "Rapid regeneration and healing. It is one of the many gifts we give our hosts."

Bill rested his arm across his chest as he stared at the ceiling in thought. Flight… healing…

"Overwhelming, isn't it?" the parasite replied. "All of these blessings and more that you have yet to find. Anything to keep you alive. My race is extinct otherwise."

Extinct?

It nodded. "That memory you experienced. That was the last moment of our planet before it was destroyed."

For a long moment, Bill turned the words over in his mind again and tried to recall the memory. Already, it was fading from him like an old dream. The parasite stood and began walking towards the window, and the further it got, the more Bill felt as if he was falling asleep again.

Wait, he thought.

It looked over its shoulder. "Hmm?"

What do I call you?

The creature smiled. "Your kind gave me a name. Do you recall what those soldiers called the two of us before we were sent here?"

Bill furrowed his eyebrows as he struggled to remember. Adam?

"My kind does not normally name its people," it said, "but that name… I think I will take."

Bill closed his eyes and felt his mind drift away. Adam… humans have stories about him. He's the first man.

Adam grinned. "So he is."

---​

For a second time, Bill awoke. Once again, he found himself on a bed, staring at a ceiling. He shifted, feeling the soft mattress. His eyes closed, and he inhaled. It was the first time in a long time he felt genuinely comfortable.

Then, something jumped on the bed. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring at the face of a squirtle. At once, he drew in a startled breath as he tried to sit up, but before he could fully get up, he felt something stiff jam itself into his back. Pain radiated from his shoulder blades as he reached back and pulled the smooth object to the side. With one eye open, he glanced at it to find two silver blades.

My wings, he thought. Adam…

Inside him, Adam stirred. Just think about retracting them, and they will obey.

Lying back, he closed his eyes briefly and concentrated on the image of his wings disappearing. A pressure radiated from his back as he felt the blades draw themselves into two points near his shoulders. With what felt like a pinch, his wings disappeared, and all he felt beneath him was the mattress.

A sigh escaped his throat as he carefully sat up and glanced at the squirtle again. It tilted its head as it held up a small, silver thermos. Blinking, Bill accepted the thermos and stared at it for a moment.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Then, he twisted off the cap. Immediately, the scent of blood flooded his nose, and he flinched in disgust. At the same time, his stomach growled, and his body felt weak. Slowly, he turned back to it.

"All right," he hissed at himself.

He took a sip, feeling the blood slide down his throat and warm him from the inside. Within him, he could swear he saw Adam relax like a cat, curling around his mind with an internal purr. A wave of relief washed over Bill. He felt as if for the first time, the thing that shared his body with him would leave him alone, even for a moment.

Taking another sip, he glanced to the rest of the room. The bed was covered with a pastel-colored quilt, and that was only the beginning of how quaint the rest of the room was. A warm breeze filtered through the windows across the way, and the white curtains swayed with each zephyr. Shelves were built into the pale blue walls, and atop them were leather-bound books.

Then, he finally noticed he wasn't alone in the room. Beside him, in a wooden chair, sat Rose. He jumped, startled to see her without Veronica. She stared back at him with wide eyes and a small smile on her face. Squirtle jumped into her lap, and she wrapped her arms around it like a doll.

Bill blinked and took another sip. "Rosie, you surprised me. Are you all right?"

She nodded. That same smile remained on her face.

At that point, he began to feel slightly uncomfortable. "Where are we? Where's Veronica?"

Rose pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to her squirtle for a moment. Then, she turned her head to glance towards the door.

"Out there?" Bill replied.

She nodded and turned back to him. The shy smile returned once more. By then, Bill had to glance at her oddly.

"You're smiling," he finally said. "Is it because you're used to me now?"

For a moment, Rose looked down at her squirtle. She pursed her lips one more time before looking back to her brother as he took another sip. A broad smile crossed her face as she opened her mouth and spoke.

"Your wings make you look like a fairy."

Bill nearly choked on his drink in response.

---​

The cottage sat beyond the canyons, nestled against a rock wall on a slope of grass. Forest stretched to the northwest, and to the south, there was desert. In the middle, just where the foothills stretched between the desert and the forest, Veronica found the cottage empty. The old woman who once lived there was completely gone, save for a hand in the front yard that the officer quickly buried before Rose could see it.

For the past several days, she had been hunting in the forests. With her growlithe by her side, she tracked down and slaughtered any wild pokémon she came across. Part of her felt guilt over what she was doing, if only because it was a crime to kill pokémon. Still, she knew if she didn't, her companion would die, and she and the girl would be as good as dead or infected.

At that point, she approached the cottage with a machop under one arm. The machop was already dead, its throat ripped open thanks to Veronica's growlithe. It was just a matter of taking it back to the cottage to drain its blood and figure out what to do with the rest at that point.

When Veronica reached the door, a cool breeze blew across the back of her neck, carrying with it the sound of a rustle. She stopped, glancing over her shoulder towards its source as her growlithe crouched low to the ground and began to growl. Narrowing her eyes, Veronica stared towards the trees near the cottage, but nothing out of the ordinary appeared. Shrugging, she opened the door and slipped inside, followed close by her dog.

With a sigh, she walked briskly from the empty foyer to the kitchen on the right. Carefully, she placed the carcass of the machop on the blue-tiled countertop, right next to the old stains from the day before then. Ignoring the splotches, she began to open the cabinets in search of bowls or cups – anything to catch the blood.

Behind her, Growlithe barked. She turned and found the dog with his fore paws on Rose's legs as she stood in the doorway. The girl smiled and bent down to pet the police dog on the head. With her own smile, Veronica turned from the cabinet with a bowl in hand.

"You look cheerful today," she commented. "What is it?"

Rose straightened and smiled at Veronica. "Nii-san is awake."

"You're talking now? That's good," the officer said with a blink. "Nii-san? You mean Bill?"

She nodded.

Veronica turned away and opened a drawer in search of a knife. "Good. Maybe we'll be able to get to Fallarbor once he's back on his feet." She paused, drawing a long knife from the depths of the drawer. "Go into the other room and keep him company, Rose. Tell him another cup's coming his way soon."

"That won't be necessary."

At the sound of the new voice, Veronica looked up to find Bill standing behind Rose. Slipping the knife back into the drawer, Veronica glanced at Rose.

"Why don't you go into the other room anyway?" she asked. "Go play with Numel and Squirtle for awhile. Bill's got to take care of this."

The girl nodded and moved past her brother and out the door. Bill watched her leave for a moment before stepping into the room.

"She's talking now," Bill murmured.

Veronica nodded. "Yeah. She calls you 'Nii-san.'" She motioned to the carcass. "Lunch?"

He smiled. "Yes. It means 'older brother.' Our mother taught it to her." Then, he hesitated as the question sunk into his head. "Lunch?"

"Mmhmm." Veronica motioned again to the carcass. "You really should feed. We're not that far away from Fallarbor, but it's not an easy journey, either."

She backed away from the counter to let him see the carcass. At once, his eyes widened when he realized what she was asking him to do. Then, he turned away.

"No, thank you," he said quietly. "I'm not hungry."

A frown crossed her face as she walked forward and blocked his way to the door. Her hands gripped both sides of the doorframe as he stopped short, drew in a breath, and turned. His movements, unfortunately, were a little too quick, and in the next instant, his back hit the refrigerator behind him with a bang as his vision swam. Closing his eyes, he reached up to hold his head. Veronica took notice at once and narrowed her eyes.

"You haven't even recovered all the way," she said. "You need this. You know you do."

He shook his head. "No, I'm all right. I just need a moment."

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Sure you do. And I can breathe underwater. Listen, you'd better go over there and drink, or I'm going to pin you down and force that body on you."

Bill drew his hand away from his head and glared at Veronica. "Would you not put it that way? Rosie can hear you."

"Get your mind out of the gutter. She's eleven."

For a long moment, the two stared at each other with hard glares in a silent battle of wills. After a few moments, it was Veronica who won as Bill sighed and turned away. He walked quietly to the counter and stared at the body for a moment before glancing back at Veronica. She raised her eyebrows and nodded towards him.

"I'd rather you didn't watch," Bill said. "Could you…"

"No, I can't," Veronica replied. "If you're going to be a baby about this—"

Bill straightened. "I beg your pardon?"

Veronica smirked. "You heard me."

In response, he raised an eyebrow. "You're being rather forward today."

"Well, you deserve it," Veronica replied with a shrug. "Look, we need you fully recovered if we're going to start for Fallarbor anytime soon. We're not that far from it. We just need to head west from here, past the ash fields. But even if it's not far, it's not going to be easy. From here, the entire place is covered in ash from Mt. Chimney, and there's no alternate route. We could be ambushed at any time by anything, so we need all of our pokémon in fighting condition."

Bill frowned slightly at the thought of being called a pokémon. As a human, he would have taken it as a compliment, but now that he was stuck as he was, the term seemed less appealing. Still, he couldn't argue against it. Instead, what made his hands curl on the counter were the last three words Veronica had said.

"Fighting… you want me to fight?" he whispered.

"Um… yeah?" Veronica raised an eyebrow. "You are an ixodida. You've got powers, don't you? You're just as good a defense as the other pokémon are. Probably even better than my gun at this point."

A cold, uncomfortable feeling settled in Bill as he looked away. "Veronica… I can't actually fight."

After a beat of hesitation, she furrowed her eyebrows. "What? What do you mean? I saw you in Mau—"

"That wasn't me." Bill sighed. "Do you recall how I said I can hear the parasite inside me? Occasionally, it takes control. That… that was one of those times."

Veronica stiffened. "You mean, when you went completely insane and tried to maul that other ixodida…"

He nodded. "That wasn't actually me."

"****."

Bill looked up, giving Veronica a forced smile. "I know."

Veronica's arms loosened. "So… you're basically useless unless that thing is in control of you?"

At that, Bill raised an eyebrow. "I find it ironic that I tell you I have a homicidal second personality in a body well-equipped for lethal damage, and the thing you're more concerned about is the fact that I can't fight unless it's dominant." Then, after a beat of pause, he added, "No, I don't know how to access any of its attacks."

She shrugged. "Well, you – or, well, that thing – never hurt Rose or me."

"It never had a chance," Bill said with a shake of his head. "What makes you think that if left unchecked, it couldn't attack you as well?"

"Growlithe and Numel." Veronica shrugged again.

Bill tilted his head. "How do you know they'll be able to protect you from me?"

"You're a steel-type."

With that, Veronica pulled away from the door and walked forward. Before Bill could realize what she was trying to do, she grabbed him by the arms and forced him to turn. When his back pressed against the counter, one of her hands drifted towards his stomach.

"We found you with burns on your—"

She paused and rested a hand where the armor had been melted over Bill's stomach. What she found instead was smooth plating, fully repaired as if nothing had happened. He looked down.

"Huh," she said. "It's gone."

Bill nodded. "It's… ah… it's apparently one of the powers the parasite has."

Veronica looked up, into Bill's face. He stared back as he felt the skin of his face grow hot in a blush. She raised her eyebrows and smiled as her hand trailed up his body to his shoulder. Biting her lip, she leaned in, pressing herself against him.

"You're… you're awfully close," Bill whispered.

"Mmm." Veronica grinned. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Bill swallowed hard and closed his mouth. He found he couldn't push himself to speak. Instead, he shook his head.

Veronica nodded. "Good."

And then, she grabbed one of his arms, pulled back, and swung Bill around until he slammed into the wall on the opposite side of the kitchen. He winced and slid to the floor, and once he hit the tiles, he opened an eye painfully and glanced towards Veronica. Calmly, she stood with her hands on her hips.

"See, that's why I'm confident we'll have no problem keeping you in check," she said. "Parasite or not, I can take you."

Then, she picked up the machop carcass, walked over, and dropped it onto his lap.

"Drink up, or the next place you're going is in the ceiling," she said.

He could only stare blankly at her for a long moment. Then, without taking his eyes off her or changing his shocked expression, he lifted the carcass and bit into its neck.

---​

In the middle of the forest, all was quiet. The only sign of life, other than an occasional flash of red across the forest floor, was a shadowed figure sitting in the black branches of a tree. A faint glow from the screen of a laptop illuminated her pale face, and her purple eyes fixed on one of its windows as an image within it waited for her words.

"Adam hasn't moved for a week," she said. "He's still in that house on Route 111."

On the other end of the connection, Nettle frowned. "Yes, the tracking device could have told me that. Are you ready?"

"Almost," the grunt replied. "I just need to test it."

"Test it on Adam," Nettle hissed.

Although the subordinate wanted to cringe, she managed to keep her composure and nod instead. "Yes, ma'am." Then, after a short pause, she added, "Ma'am, if I may ask, why am I reporting to you instead of an officer or the boss?"

Nettle closed her eyes on the screen. "Adam was assigned to me by our leader as my personal project, and I would find it more productive if you didn't question my authority."

The grunt nodded again. "Yes, ma'am."

"Be ready and attack tomorrow evening," Nettle added. "Report to me only after you've gotten the results."

Before the grunt could respond, the window went blank as Nettle cut off the call. The Rocket frowned and turned her head to glance at the hulking shadow beside the tree.

"Well," she muttered, "tomorrow's our big day."
 
Last edited:

Ninja Caterpie

AAAAAAAAAAAAA
5,979
Posts
16
Years
Whoa! Nice! It's really nice to see another chapter...it's really interesting. =P

Hey, I just realised you got a name change. :O
 
Last edited:

Incinermyn

The Abomination Lives!!!
646
Posts
16
Years
Whoa, this chapter kind of scared me for some reason...and more so than how the rest of the fic had been. Awesome! Keep it up, Valentine!
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
WhoA! Nice! It's really nice to see another chapter...it's really interesting. =P

Thanks kindly. I'm glad you liked it.

Hey, I just realised you got a name change. :O

Yeah, it's something I sort of did quietly. I just got tired of going around with a name that's a chemical that breaks down into uric acid. XD (It's also the name of the family that includes caffeine, but... yeah. uric acid. Which converts to urine. Which then made my title heavily juvenile but a nice, subtle little joke.)

Whoa, this chapter kind of scared me for some reason...and more so than how the rest of the fic had been.

XD Then I've done my job. *salutes* Seriously, it's awesome to hear it's getting that kind of response. Thanks so much for the review.
 

Feign

Clain
4,293
Posts
15
Years
  • Seen Jan 25, 2023
Was going to reply earlier, but the server here keeps acting weird.

Anyway, even from the first line did it catch my eye, I really like the way you not only introduced it but wrote it out thus far.

Great job! :) I like the darker themes myself >:)
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Anyway, even from the first line did it catch my eye, I really like the way you not only introduced it but wrote it out thus far.

Great job! :) I like the darker themes myself >:)

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. And yeah, dark fic's awesome. (At least, if it's done well. Oh, Pokémon MASTER. You are so unintentionally hilarious.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top