Dark Nostalgia: Feral Twilight (PG-13)

[Incinermyn]

And so the recluse returns yet again...
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Dark Nostalgia
Feral Twilight​

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Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, tobacco/alcohol usage, and rude humor
Genres: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Bases: Original Region, Pokémon Colosseum/XD
Disclaimer: I own no part of the Pokémon franchise, its properties, any other trademarked criteria, so on and so forth. This piece is a work of fiction written by a fan author (myself), and in no way are things from the Pokémon series that I use in this story my own. However, I must also note that, as per the Original Region genre, it focuses mostly on people, creatures, and locations that I have created. And, with this, I present the first installment of Dark Nostalgia, Feral Twilight.

Chapter List
i. Renaissance
I. Lust
II. Quarry
III. No Country for Old Men
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i. Renaissance

Canersian Prophecy 15: Convictions
Sovereign youth, Memories recede.
The Traitors watch every deed.
Shattered bonds They too shall mend.
Another's time Lust brings to end.______________________________________________________________________________

Maritide Island-North, Ronac Region
Monday, May 19, 1986-11:32 p.m.

The International Institute of Pokémon Science was all but abandoned tonight, as Felicia stood alone in the forked hall outside the building's main laboratory. Most of the lights had been shut off after the custodians finished their rounds an hour beforehand, save for a couple down the branch leading to the school's entrance, and the dead silence only intensified the foreboding sense already within her. Nonetheless, the girl was glad to finally be done for the evening.

At age twenty-six, the grad student was a tall woman with a fairly slender figure. She was garbed in a dark blue shirt and matching jeans that accentuated to her voluptuous physique almost perfectly. Her long brunette hair looked almost black when compared to her unusually light complexion, though it shone somewhat in the corridor's low lighting. Likewise, the girl's cerulean eyes had an alluring gleam not unlike sapphires.

Several moments passed before she heard the door creak open behind her. With a slight grin on her face, she turned to the sight of a gentleman creeping out of the room slowly.

He was a stout fellow, about a foot or so shorter than her, who was clearly in his late fifties. His attire consisted of a distinctive tweed sweater-vest with the image of an oversized golf ball on a small tee cross-woven into its chest, under which he wore a plaid shirt, a pair of silky black pants, and blue suede shoes. As he faced to her with somewhat of a startle, Felicia saw that he had a unique genteelness in his russet eyes, even with the gruff façade his receding hairline, graying sideburns and goatee otherwise portrayed.

After a few seconds, the professor finally commented, "Still here? I'd thought you went home already. What's the matter?"

"Nothing, Dr. Nobles."

"Afraid of the dark, eh? Or are you still worried about your project?" he chuckled.

"The latter," she said with a slight whimper.

"So long as she remains in my Stasis Ball, Doxinox will be fine. Have some faith in your teacher!"

She snorted. Having dedicated the past three years of her life to this, it was natural for her to worry about the welfare of her experiment. And with her dissertation due on Friday, nothing could possibly calm her ever-growing anxieties.

"Don't fret, my dear. When the committee sees all of the data you've compiled and the final results, they'll be flabbergasted," he continued, patting her shoulder, "You'll see."

"I guess," she muttered.

"Now, if that's all, let's go."

He then started past her, heading down the long hallway to the lobby. After a moment, she followed him, still perturbed by his blatant attitude.

For many years, the 'Good Doctor' had ran the illustrious academy strictly for students seeking the best education possible in the diverse fields of Pokémon Science. He'd seen all kinds of wonderful people go on to become very successful researchers and studied with the best as an undergraduate. But while friends had come and gone, he had remained to receive a doctorate in Pokémon Physiology and ultimately became the most revered scientist at IIPS. And now, one of his own students was on the verge of doing almost the same.

Since the day she'd started, Felicia had been on top of things. She had a flawless GPA the first four years of her studies and, before that, was the valedictorian of her graduating class. What really impressed him the most, though, was her astounding insight into the evolutionary processes that resulted in the modern Pokémon species. Even Darwin's theory paled in comparison to the revolutionary ideas the girl had set forth in her thesis, and the results of her hypotheses were more than evident in her latest creation.

As they reached the end of the hallway, Felicia stopped dead in her tracks. He turned to her with an awkward stare.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Do you feel something?" she replied.

A sudden chill in the air hit her as they reached the lobby. It was hard to tell, but something about it just didn't feel right.

"What do you mean? I don't feel anything."

"Seriously? You don't feel that cold?"

She rubbed one forearm and then the other. Her skin felt as cold as steel and it just wouldn't warm up.

Why? a meager voice then whispered.

Turning back, she commented, "Tell me you heard that."

"What in the hell are you talking about? Hear what?"

How could she do this? it continued, a little louder. The voice sounded male, but it was still too weak to really tell.

"There it goes again."

"It's probably just an escaped Gastly from the Spectral Studies wing," he said, grabbing her shoulder, "You leave and I'll take care of it."

There was a high-pitched shriek just then, echoing with a bizarre gurgling as it carried throughout the first floor. They stared straight down the hallway back at the door from which they'd come.

"Impossible…" both uttered.

"Yi zay-los quo tefyi sul!" a woman's voice spoke so sharply it was as if the words were right in their minds.

An animal started to growl for a few seconds afterward. It was a garbled sound, yet clearly canine.

"What the hell's going on?" Felicia asked bluntly.

"I have…" Nobles started. Then a powerful wind blew the two onto the checkerboard-like floor, its ominous howl not unlike that of wolves.

As the gust past, Felicia could feel something happen to her. For one reason or another, her confusion was suddenly replaced with a harsh realization.

The building's windows all shattered as she immediately hopped back to her feet. And in frenetic rage, the girl raced down the hall. At this point, Felicia didn't care who or what was in the lab; she just wanted to get her creation out of there now!

Every step seemed like an eternity as she dashed. The echoes of her project's horrific cries and its attacker's harsh barks ran rampant through her mind as their battle ensued. Gurgling followed by rapid explosions and clacking filled the hall. It was impossible to tell what was going on, let alone who was winning.

When she finally got to the intersection, she stopped. The metallic door and part of the walls to its sides had been cut through in perfect circle with what she gauged as at least a nine-foot diameter. Through it, however, she could only make out a single white dot blinking in the otherwise pitch-black room.

For the moment, an unnatural calm befell her. Was the fight already over? If so, what happened to her project? This just didn't make any sense.

Why? the whisper again asked.

An overwhelming flash engulfed the entire area and intensified gravity forced Felicia to her knees, almost crushing her underneath her now immense weight. Just as quickly, harsh noises started to screech like sirens before a storm. At one point, she even felt like her ears, eyes, and nose were all about to bleed there was so much strain being put upon her.

It was impossible to tell how long the onslaught lasted. A minute, an eon… The attack was so drawn out she could've sworn she was in Hell.

Finally, the sensation let up after a sudden crash. Getting back up, Felicia immediately went into the lab to assess the damage and, hopefully, get an idea of what was happening.

From what she could see, everything was a mess. Desks and tables had been pushed off to the far sides of the large room, flipped on their sides or upside down, and some utterly destroyed. Test tubes, centrifuges, beakers, and any of the other small equipment that had been left out for the morning classes were all broken and scattered on the floor. But, worst of all was the faintly glowing lime and black ooze slopped in random places. All this destruction in just a few brief moments!

In disbelief, Felicia staggered towards the gaping hole on the opposite side of the room. As she did, the girl stepped on an odd hemispherical object covered in the sludge. Kicking it aside and then another one right by it, she realized right away what they were.

"God, no! What the f…" she slurred until something brushed her shoulder. Twisting her head around slowly, the grad student became speechless at the sight of the entity looking her straight in the eyes.

Overall, the more-than-twelve-foot-long Pokémon looked basically arrow-like with its straight elongated neck, relatively short body, large delicately-curved wings that formed a virtual heart at its buttocks, and the stumpy flat ovals it had for feet. It was like she was looking at some kind of alien, it was so bizarre.

How could she do this? the whisper again asked. Slowly the floating being curled its neck back and moved the rest of its form upright, staring Felicia down harshly with a pair of glistening auburn irises.

"What?" she murmured.

What does she hope to gain?

"I…I don't understand!"

ANSWER ME! NOW! he finally bellowed.

She covered her ears immediately at the horrendousness of the noise. It was so intense that Felicia swore he was screaming right in her head. All reality seemed to vibrate, too; her body, the floor, even the air felt like their atoms were just going to burst into quarks and scatter to the cosmos. Then finally, the girl collapsed from exhaustion.

<End Prologue>

 

[QWERTY-My-Keyboard]

Great fic

It sounds nice, I'm anxious to know about this Doxinox thing? It hints on genetic experiments i think? Well, I'm anxious to find out about this fic, it looks like it has reaaaalll promise.

This Doxinox... it reminds me of something to do with Harry Potter... or Deoxys...

 

[Incinermyn]

Really, it's my own thing, but with mutants they tend to run a little together. Cool to hear you liked it, QWERTY! I usually don't get too many replies, not on the larger boards at least. Hopefully I'll have Chapter One up sometime next week.

 

[Incinermyn]

I. Fleeting Memories

Pawford City, Ronac Region
Saturday, June 7, 2008-7:29 a.m.

"Humans are such fragile creatures, wouldn't you agree?" a woman whispered into my right ear, her voice like a gentle contralto.

"Who are you?" I asked, not recognizing her tone. I tried opening my eyes, but they felt like they were glued shut.

For a moment or so, she just lingered over my shoulders, breathing down my neck. Her exhales felt unusually cool; they even sent deep chills down my spine because of their temperature. What was going on?

"So easily shattered like glass," she finally continued.

She put her index finger across my throat, holding it gently against my Adam's Apple. The appendage felt weird, though. It was far longer than a normal person's and almost like a blade.

"What are you talking about?" I murmured, afraid of what she was planning.

The woman slid its rounded tip across my gullet quickly and continued, "You remember, do you not? The audience chanting your precious nickname? Feral… Feral. Feral!"

"Feral! Feral! Feral!" a crowd started to chant.

"And the sweat dripping down your brow?" she said, moving to my left ear. It got warmer all of a sudden, and sweat began dripping down my forehead and temples.

"What the hell…?"

"And the light… That intensifying light! That was why you'd closed your eyes to begin with, was it not?" My eyes twitched; I put my arm up to block the sunrays, but it didn't help.

"Stop it, *****!"

"And Apollo… His cry was enough to startle even you, correct?"

"Ermean!" a sharp voice yelped, as I forced my eyes open.

Everything was white for a few seconds. Then I saw that I was in a massive arena marked by a white rectangular border. Scanning the area, it looked like there was a partition plastered with advertisements and several levels of seating around the circumference of the colossal dome, and the stands were all packed!

"Feral! Feral! Feral!" the people to my sides and rear howled.

"Insin…" the voice again snarled, more aggressively this time.

Several yards from me, an eight-foot-tall weasel Pokémon floated just over the floor, positioned virtually upright. The creature was covered by a unique coat that slowly transitioned from dark red around his neck to pink around his abdomen and lastly to white at his hips. He also had a golden frill split into large triangles that formed a sun-like pattern behind his head. A series of whipping yellow-orange fire arcs raged down his neck in an upside-down 'V,' and twin flares with faint blue tips wavered from each shoulder. Down his back, a long burnt area extended from between his shoulders to his stout bulbous tail, atop which an inferno of yellow, red, and white blazed. Likewise, he had burn marks parallel to the streak on his abs and one across the top of each hind leg.

Across the way, Apollo's opponent was a dark green quadruped whose thick body that crudely resembled a stegosaurus's. The seven-foot-six Pokémon's head was mostly rounded and had a slight maw. Two thick horns jutted from the beast's forehead for over a foot, and a pair of long, pointed teal ears were behind them. Under his ears, the beast had three thorn-laden vines that grew downward; his lowest ones dangled like earrings, while the middle vines wrapped around his thick forelegs down to his ankles. His uppermost branches split into three more that rested in niches between the seven rows of thick spikes covering the creature's backside from the shoulders to tail. The monster's hindquarters were very strong; the lowest offshoots crept partway around them, and the other four constricted around his long conical tail. They ended near its tip, where five thorns curled it downward.

Noting the demon's frequent blinks, I barked, "Pyro Salvo!"

My Incinermyn immediately shifted his upper body back a little. Then, several large fireballs shot from his brow in rapid succession. Every one hit their mark, blowing up right the Nettlepine's face, forelegs, and shoulder areas, making the monster cry out in severe pain.

"Thorn Forest!" a girl cried, her voice sweet and surprisingly calm.

Standing a ways behind the beast was a young woman the age of seventeen. She was slim and about five-foot-two. Her outfit consisted of a tie-dye green shirt with a picture of a Leafeon lying on a patch of grass, blue jeans, and sleek black boots; the Pokémon in the print stared straight at the viewer, wearing an olive collar around her neck with a small crystal hanging from it. The girl's brunette locks were combed back tightly and two long braids dangled down the sides of her head until disappearing behind her shoulders. And, she wore gold chains on her wrists, both with three Poké Balls serving as charms. Of all people…

"Neh!" the monster barked fiercely, baring his jagged fangs.

The vines around his tail started to loosen. Meanwhile, the ones on his legs began moving, slithering snakelike into the earth. Then slowly, the creature began to sink into ground. As he did, the creature slamming his tail against the floor as its vines shot into the dirt.

Countless spikes soon encircled the beast for meters around as abut his head and spines vanished from sight. Suddenly, they all grew into thirty-foot-tall spires angled around their creator in perfect unison, sprouting additional branches and quills in the process.

"Nettlepine!" the monster screamed as they jabbed him.

"Don't let him complete it!" I barked.

Apollo pointed his head towards the ceiling, revealing his maw with a charcoal nose, closed eyes, and the gorgeous ruby embedded into his brow. Swirling hellfire began collecting over the jewel, drawn from everywhere it blazed on his body. Within seconds, he'd created a fireball over thirty feet wide. The flames stopped feeding into it and the ermine head-butted the sphere over the battlefield, where it became almost as bright as the sun.

"Sol Wake!" I ordered, squinting.

My Incinermyn lifted his short forelegs as high as possible, keeping his paws basically even. Then, he swatted downward with his left paw and swept his right one across in a smooth curve. Following the motions, twin flares spawned from the fireball and descended upon both the hidden porcupine and the ermine, engulfing them in a terrifying inferno of yellow-orange and light blue.

Apollo screamed after a few seconds. I noticed that his feet were entangled by barbed vines trying to snake themselves around his waist.

"Damn it!"

The plants constricted tightly around him and then forcefully pulled him partway into the ground. Both solar flares immediately fizzled out and his miniature sun died, bursting into a fiery rain onto the field. As soon as it ended, thorny pinnacles surrounded and then impaled Apollo with their numerous branches like they did his enemy.

My heart stopped as he gave out one last squeal. Then, there was silence.

"No…"

"And Apollo goes down! Amazing, folks! In a match that will surely go down in legend for decades to come, Jay has just lost to his little sister. Congratulations to our new Circuit Champion, Megan Christie!" an announcer's voice echoed over the loudspeaker.

I dropped to my knees. My chest was heavy… Tears ran down my cheeks… I just felt like I wanted to die…

"Apollo…I'm sorry…" I whimpered.

Wiping my eyes and looking up, I saw something completely unexpected. For a moment, a curious face was looking back at me, its shape not unlike stout cone. It was outlined by a curved red triangle that was widest across the creature's brow and thinnest near its rounded mouth. Inside the figure was a lustrous dark area that glistened in places and, halfway up its visage, the creature's eyes looked like narrow ovals with burning russet irises.

"Yi quay-os sul," the entity whispered in an almost monotone voice.

"What?"

"Yi quay-os sul!" it then wailed, so loudly the entire area quaked.

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"As always, betrayed…" I muttered, and then awoke with a slight jerk.

My heart raced wildly, as I lie in my bed motionless and, for the most part, silent. I could feel sweat dripping down my temples onto my already-soaked pillowcase. It felt like my nightclothes and sheets were drenched too from my perspiration.

The nightmare again…

Bad memories never went away, I knew that well, but this dream was just ridiculous. The events were so vivid that I swore I was actually reliving it. What I couldn't make sense of, though, was that woman who kept bringing it back. Just who was she? Furthermore, what was the creature at the end and what did it mean by 'Yi quay-os sul?'

Its tongue was clearly Quofyi. But nowadays, only a handful of people even studied the dead language of the Dallinos tribe, and no one knew it fluently because of its great complexity.

I breathed a sigh. Then a pack of wolves began to howl on the nightstand off to my right.

"Loo," a chipper voice yawned as a Pokémon lying across the foot of my bed stretched his body.

"Time to get up, Spunky."

"Poodle!" Spunky yipped as he flopped onto the floor. I giggled at him a little as I looked off to my side.

The table next to me was essentially just a rectangular oak board with rounded sides supported by four black metal legs twisted into spirals. Resting upon it was a circular clock fixed inside a sculpture of four Mightyena sitting on rocky outcroppings with their heads to the sky. Atop the art piece, there was a silver plate with a pair of knobs and a switch affixed to it.

Each of the wolves howled again. I switched the alarm off and they barked twice.

I grabbed the tan glasses case also on the stand, and pulled my arm back under my comforter. Then I threw off the blanket depicting a Lapras pod crossing the sea under the full moon's light. Cool air suddenly blew on the exposed areas of my skin and sent a deep chill through my entire body.

Spunky turned the lights on as I pivoted my legs to the left. Half hunched, I sat on the edge of my bed feeling under the case's flap for its Velcro. I ripped it open with my thumb, and then immediately took out and put the glasses on.

Looking up, I saw a dresser-desk against my room's south wall. Its left side had three large drawers with two brass knobs each, while the right half had a smaller one. But, the exterior's ebony finish was pretty faded.

My 20" LCD sat on the dresser, and Gateway notebook lay closed on the desk. In the television's blackened screen, I saw the reflection of a 6' 6" nineteen-year-old with somewhat of a gut and slightly flabby arms. He had stern hazel eyes, but his brown hair hadn't been cut in so long that it was straggly like his beard, moustache, and sideburns. God, I let myself go…

Spunky barked at me and put his cocoa-brown paw my right leg. I turned to him and looked straight into the steely black pits of his amber eyes.

Lupudle were all stout-bodied wolves, and Spunky was no exception. At four-feet-tall, his frame had well-toned muscles throughout it, particularly across his hindquarters and back legs. Likewise his long tail with an acute bend upward was pretty powerful. His ears were curved back into sharp points with slight indents under them and, from his brow to about his shoulder area, he had unkempt dark chocolate locks. And above his forepaws, he had silvery anklets that twinkled with a slight violet hue.

"What? You want out?" I asked him, petting his scruff.

He set his paw back down and spread his grayish claws into the golden frieze covering my floor. Then, the dog huffed, showing the dagger-like fangs in his maw.

"Hey, Dad! Meg! Anyone here?" I yelled. Mom was gone this week at the Grand Festival in Deltsed, so hopefully someone else was still here since they were everyone usually gone when I got up.

"Yeah! What the hell you want?" Meg called from upstairs.

"Let Spunky out!"

"Spunky! Here, boy!" she continued, and then whistled.

Spunky turned his head to the open door several feet from my desk. Afterwards, the wolf dashed out of my room and up to the living room.

"Lupudle!" he howled.

"Ermean!" Apollo shrieked.

That weasel snuck out of his ball again to meditate in the morning air. He enjoyed it, though, so far be it for me to keep my first 'official' Pokémon in a cramped Poké Ball like some Pokémon. But then, it's probably best that certain Pokémon remain in their balls whenever possible.

I stood and stretched, reaching my arms up until I pressed my hands flat against the ceiling. After a moment, I dropped them to my sides and thought about the e-mail I got from Dr. Barnes the other day.

Dr. Barnes was the top biologist at IIPS on Maritide Island and served as its dean of admissions. If not for the fact that she was one of my mother's oldest friends, I probably wouldn't have even bothered applying to the school. When I got her message, I thought it was just a generic 'congrats on being accepted.' To my surprise, it was actually to ask me to meet her at the campus's main building today. Hopefully it was about what I thought it was.

I headed to the door and closed it. Then, I looked my bedroom over.

Two posters of chicks in skimpy bikinis were tacked on the east wall past my TV, and a hotrod calendar over my desk. June's car was a red Ford Mustang.

In the north wall was a fire-escape window. And, to right of it hung a photo taken in front of the archway entrance to the Darwin Coliseum after I won my first championship. In the picture, I had my team out with Sheila my Lapras in the center, Spunky and myself in a tuxedo standing in front of her, Apollo and Mitch my Luxray to Sheila's left, and Sophie my Altaria as well as a black-furred humanoid off to the sea dragon's right.

Under the picture, there was a long rectangular case with the badges I'd earned taking on the Gym Circuit. From left to the right, the emblems looked like a silo, a broadsword, a snowflake, a biohazard symbol, a crossed pair of fangs, a mudflow, a triangle bisected from each corner, and a tree engulfed in flame.

I had a small bookshelf fixed to the wall on the window's left; though, it had more DVDs and videos on it than anything else. Amongst the few books in the top of its three shelves were The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, The Loch by Steve Alten, and a couple volumes from a series called "The Wolves of Ronac" by Edwin Nobles.

Turning to the closet, I went and opened its folding doors partway. Hanging inside was a rainbow assortment of shirts with wildlife prints. I searched through them trying to find my favorite, a light blue one with a picture of two Lapras swimming right before sunrise. After a couple seconds, I found it and took it out.

Several boxes and two piles of pants were at my feet. Grabbing a pair, I went back over by my dresser. I opened the bottom drawer, took out a pair of socks, closed it, and set my clothes on my bed. Quickly I took off my nightwear and put on the shirt, then the pants, and lastly socks.

Sticking my hands into my pockets, I still felt a little naked. I pulled out the stool under my desk. On its seat laid a black RAZR, my twin-flap wallet, my holsters, and a leather belt. After putting the belt on, I stuck the cell in my left pocket, the wallet in my back-right one, and then grabbed both of the black nylon cases that had two Poké Balls in them apiece.

After clipping them to each side of my belt, I left the room and shut the door behind me.

There were two levels to our home. The ground floor consisted of a large kitchen and dining room area, a living room, a short hall with a nearby office, a master bedroom, and a master bath; and the downstairs of a rec room, two bedrooms, a laundry room, a bathroom, a closet under the stairs, and a large storage area near the bottom of the steps. Meg's room and mine were next to each other on my right, while the laundry room and the bathroom were on my left.

Entering the rec room, it looked more like a small tavern with the bar my dad had in the northeast corner. On the adjoining walls behind it, two neon signs hung, a Budweiser one on the east wall and a Miller Genuine Draft one on the north wall. There was a pool table in the middle of the room and a 27" TV mounted in the room's northwest corner.

I started up the stairs. A grayish Berber with a varying-hued, intersecting diamond pattern covered them, the same carpet as we had in the living room and master bed.

When I got upstairs, I stopped on the hardwood and stared a long moment at the small island several feet from our marble-topped cabinets. There was an empty Glad container that had greasy streaks on its interior on top of it with a serving spoon off to its side.

"Yeah… Thanks for saving me some hot dish, Meg…" I commented.

"Wasn't me! Apollo ate it!" she snickered. I pivoted towards living room, my gaze passing the dining room table, chandelier, and plant portraits on the far walls.

In the living room, a 52" Plasma was fixed over the fireplace, and a glass coffee table flanked by two large recliners with black leather upholstery were set several feet from it. Behind the table, there was a matching couch capable of sitting three people.

Meg lay face-up on it, and of all things, she was wearing the same shirt she did during our match along with a matching pair of night pants. Her three long braids hung over the armrest closest to me.

Lying on her chest, I saw a familiar onion-colored cat. The creature had large green leaves for ears that curved upwards from the sides of her head and a smaller blade of grass sticking up from her forehead. Several smaller leaves grew out of her neck, chest, and legs. Though, it was really the distinctive olive collar around her neck caught my eye.

"You sure it wasn't Kelly?" I replied.

"Leaf?" Kelly replied, lifting her crumpled tail and opening her brown eyes.

Meg giggled, slowly coursing her pet's back. The Leafeon pushed herself up with her delicate brown forepaws. Once up, Kelly looked at me, tilting her head to the left.

The girl lifted the cat off of her breast and sat up. After petting her a few more times, Meg set Kelly on the floor. Her Pokémon then made her way over to me. At my feet, she sat down and looked up at me adoringly.

Glaring back, I focused on the crystal attached to her collar. Grandma Darlene gave the heirloom to Meg on her eleventh birthday, the same day she got Kelly. Ever since, the cat's been wearing it.

"Well?" Meg said.

I grabbed Kelly by her chest with both hands and lifted her to eye level. For a long moment, I stared loathingly at the feline. Her jewel shimmered a bit with an odd light.

"Leaf?" the creature asked and blinked twice. I inhaled and then set her back down calmly.

"Good girl," I said, rubbing the area between her ears.

"So, what do you think Barnes wants?" Meg said as she stood up and stretched.

"Not sure."

She shrugged, and then I went to the sliding door. Through the glass, I saw Apollo floating several feet away over the patio. His tail flame was a slow kindle-burn and the flame streams on his shoulders wavered slowly backwards, while the ones on his neck were out, leaving a long V-shaped burn mark in his fur.

Sliding the door open, I snuck out and went by him. When I stopped, the weasel turned to me, his jewel glittering in the minute sunlight filtering through the trees. Glancing at him, he quickly looked forward again.

After a few seconds, I started, "So…" He suddenly cringed.

"You ready?"

"Ermean. Incinermyn…" he whimpered, shaking his head nervously.

He was terrified of Dr. Barnes. Not that it was much of a surprise; her attitude always left much to be desired.

I freed his Poké Ball from the second niche in my right holster and took it in hand. Then, I recalled Apollo, causing him to vanish in a translucent ice-blue blaze. After a moment, I tried to locate Spunky.

The backyard was a wide area well over two acres in size, with a wire-mesh fence that separated it from the wooded area around the property. With only a few spread-out oaks, it was an ideal place for practice battles when I was younger, but now it didn't nearly compensate for the space I needed.

"Spunky! Hurry up!" I called, looking at the far end of the lawn.

"Lupudle!" Spunky yipped from behind a pair bushes in the northeast corner. He then gave out an awkward whine, and by the sound of it, he was in a lot of pain.

After several moments, the wolf finally jumped over the shrubs and started racing to me. His dash was kind of erratic at first but quickly turned into a headlong rush. I took his ball out of my left holster and recalled him when he was about to pounce on me. Once he was inside, I put the ball back into its top holder and headed back inside.

Meg met me at the door and immediately asked, "So, what're you gonna do about breakfast?"

"Same as I do any other day."

"Don't go and PO Daphne again."

I rolled my eyes. God forbid I upset the head of the Pawford Pokémon Center. Meg just put her arms on her hips and shook her head critically.

"Leafeon?" Kelly asked. I looked down at her; her head again tilted inquiringly to the left.

"Well, I guess," I said looking back up at Meg. She sighed.

Blatantly, I passed her and headed to the door. When I reached the entry, I stopped. There was a green door with a semicircular window in its upper third before me. Its glass was separated into four sections and stained a translucent teal, and on the door's right, there was a narrow window bearing a large etching of a wild rose.

I turned to the adjacent closet. Grabbing the knob, I opened the folding door and saw several jackets and pairs of shoes and boots inside. One particular pair stood out, two jet-black shoes with Velcro straps.

"Yeah… This morning I didn't have to trip over your 'boats'," Meg commented as I crouched over, pulled them from the closet, and immediately closed it.

I sneered at the thought of her comment. She always teased me about the size my shoes. Ripping the straps apart, I slipped the 'boats' on and redid them.

"See ya, Jay," Meg uttered as I headed out.

"Later!" I replied, shutting the door behind me.

<End Chapter One>
______________________________________________________________________________

I usually don't do this, but I guess…

Ronac Fakedex

Dex #3: Incinermyn ( https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff58/HuntsmanSkunk/Incinermyn2.jpg )
Classification: Solar Wind Pokémon
Types: Fire and Psychic
Height: 8' 2"
Weight: 173 lbs
Sex Ratio and Dimorphisms: 87.5% Male/12.5% Female; Females have larger rubies than males, but males have longer frill radii.
Ability: Blaze
Nature: With its pyrokinesis as strong as it is, Incinermyn have developed the abilities to control solar fires. They tend to live alone on pristine mountaintops and typically dislike people and other Pokémon. If they get disturbed from their meditation, they permanently blind the offender with a glance from their UV-shooting irises.
Family: Incinermyn is the adult form of the starter Pokémon Weasinge, which evolves into Charmink at Level 19 and then into Incinermyn at Level 38.
Line-specific Moves: Pyro Salvo (shoots fireballs in rapid succession, between 2 and 6 times, at the foe), Burn Off (sacrifices 1/10 of full health to burn away any status affliction, save for poisoning), Fiery Gale (creates a whirlwind of flame that engulfs both foes at random strength), Wildfire (uses quick-spreading flames to burn all surrounding foes), Coronal Eye (blinds all other Pokémon with UV rays, cutting accuracy in half for the next five to eight turns), and Sol Wake (summons terrible solar flares to swathe the battlefield and severely burn all Pokémon on it, user included)
Lifespan: 34 years

Dex #6: Nettlepine ( https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff58/HuntsmanSkunk/Nettlepine.jpg )
Classification: Devil Pokémon
Types: Grass and Dark
Height: 7' 6"
Weight: 476 lbs
Sex Ratio and Dimorphisms: 87.5% Male/12.5% Female; Males have larger thorns on their backs and long horns growing out their foreheads, while females have short thorns and stubs in their brows.
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: Renowned for their hostility, Nettlepine live in the depths of timberland and create fortress-like accommodations with the vines growing out of their bodies. With this type of control, it is impossible to actually hit the Pokémon itself without getting stuck up in its nefarious traps and brambles.
Family: Nettlepine is the adult form of the starter Pokémon Porpike, which evolves into Bramback at Level 14 and then into Nettlepine at Level 38
Line-specific Moves: Impale (jumps onto the foe, particularly at its rear, and jabs the victim with its quills that break off to cause more damage over the course of the next few turns), Briar Sheathe (wraps the foe up in a cocoon with barbed vines, preventing escape, grounding it, and causing 1/5 total damage each turn. User can only use ranged attacks during this), Breach (the user charges headlong into the foe and shatters through any defense it put up, i.e. Reflect, Light Screen, Safeguard, Lucky Chant, Protect, Detect, Shadow Force, and Phantom Run), Iron Maiden (crushes the foe with a huge spiked club that might inflict an instant KO), and Thorn Forest (devastates the battlefield with a heavy onslaught of overgrown, thorn-laden spires that shoot from the ground up and impale all Pokémon at once, including the user)
Lifespan: 28 years

Dex #168: Lupudle ( https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff58/HuntsmanSkunk/Lupudle2.jpg )
Classification: Loyalist Pokémon
Types: Normal and Fighting
Height: 3' 11"
Weight: 109 lbs
Sex Ratio and Dimorphisms: 75% Male/25% Female; Females have slightly longer manes and shorter claws than males do.
Ability: Camaraderie-The more Lupudle likes its trainer, the more likely its moves are to go critical.
Nature: Trained by their father Metalupus his code of chivalry, Lupudle are usually very strict in terms of fighting ability and nobility. When raised from birth by humans, they become hearty, healthy, and happy companions who live exceptionally long lives compared to other canine species and will never disobey any order their trainers. For this reason, they are the preferred police dogs of Ronac.
Family: Lupudle is one of two adolescent forms of Optipug, this being its friendship-based branch. Optipug evolves into Lupudle at Level 15 when it's somewhat friendly towards its trainer, and then into Metalupus at Level 50 when it's wearing the Amity Helmet and fully trusting of its trainer.
Line-specific Moves: Reaper Fang (draws out the target's soul to cause an instant KO, accuracy increases the later it's used), Wolf Roar (scares the foe back into its Poké Ball, only to cause damage to the next foe immediately and the hit target upon return), Drop Kick (trips up the foe and then unleashes a series of kicks in rapid succession), Eden's Peace (focuses mind through ancestral hymns to double damage with the next single target attack), Thrust Kick (hops onto tail to taunt foe and then kicks heavily to cause paralysis), Lupine Terror (retaliates for fallen allies by summoning spirit wolves to viciously attack a single enemy), and Blood Talon (Metalupus hacks at the foe with lethal blades that are more likely to strike a weak spot the friendlier it is)
Lifespan: 96 years

 

[Incinermyn]

*sighs* Yep... Same bullsh*t as always. And people actually wonder why I'm such an *sshole. I remember that this used to be a good place to get reviews, but those days are long dead apparently. Sometimes I actually wonder why I even linger... I haven't had even one review in so damn long...

II. Quarry

I drove downtown in my F-350 slowly, my window half-cracked. Holy Diver by Dio was playing on the radio as I watched thick tree cover give way to progressively more of the cityscape. Hard to believe it's already been nine years since I started the Gym Circuit, and my hometown's barely aged a day.

Situated far to west of Sinnoh, Ronac was an immense region that consisted of a huge continental expanse, the Kainos Ocean to its east, and the Sea of Golbania to its south. The oceanic parts were more heavily populated due to their access to imports from other regions; though, it was Darkain Island and Darwin City at the region's eastern fringes that thrived the most from the trading. On the other hand, most of the mainland communities were on its southeastern third except for a few in the northern mountains and some in western badlands. Pawford was amongst the ones in the southeast, and the easternmost on the continent because it's located just north of where the seaboard headed to the southwest.

Home to about 9,000 people, the city was like most of Ronac's seaside towns. Businesses were mostly near the harbor, while residential areas spread out and away from it. The only thing really setting it apart from the others, in terms of layout, was how the north half vanished into dense timberland.

About a block from Main Street, I flipped my left-turn signal on and began to slow. After a pink Cadillac passed, I pulled into the adjacent parking lot. There weren't many cars in it this morning, so I was able to get a spot close to the building, just a few to the right of the handicapped ones.

One of the town's two real landmarks, the Pawford Pokémon Center was a fairly large facility in the heart of downtown. It was a four-story, almost square building that took up most of a city block. Dark red bricks adorned most of its exterior, and an A-frame structure marked its midsection. The inner triangle itself was comprised mostly of tinted glass save for its crystal-clear bottom and a red stain-glass 'P' near its apex.

I got out and headed for down the path to the building. Under its pavilion, I saw a lone 5' 7" Latino guy with his back against the pane, smoking a cigarette. He wore a sleeveless dark-green shirt, so his strong arms and broad shoulders were visible. The workpants he was also wearing were tattered near the knees. His dark brown shoes looked quite worn to the point where their steel toes were visible.

The tawny-eyed man took the butt out and raised his hand slightly, then commented, "Well, I'll be damned. How the hell ya been, Feral?"

"Yo, Rick! What up?" I replied, stopping a couple feet from him.

Enrique Sanchez III and I went a ways back, to preschool even. We used to be the misfits of our class until I became the Circuit Champ, then we drifted apart for a time. Since my loss, though, he was one of the few guys who'd actually give me the time of day anymore.

"Nothin' much. No work today, so I've been hangin' here," he said, scratching his thick black locks.

I nodded, noting the stubble on his face. Since he worked out of my dad's carpet store, I knew that things were slow and, if anything else was a sign of that, it was when Rick let his beard grow out.

"The slow down's been hell for us on both ends. Keep that in mind," I then commented, "So, anything else going on?"

"Yeah… Some queer's been lingering here this morning. One of them 'oh-my-God-here-he-comes' gays, too. Has some weird Pokémon that I sure as hell ain't fought before now."

"Okay… So, did you kick his ass?"

"Hell no! He took Girafarig and Machamp in two hits apiece. I'm waiting for Daphne to finish treating 'em. After that, I'm gone."

"That strong, huh?"

"Yeah. So, what you up to? Grabbin' a bite, then headin' out to the woods?"

"Nah, I'm going to IIPS."

He took a deep inhale to finish his butt. Then, Rick exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and plucked it into the ashtray on his right.

"You know, you made a mistake, Feral…a really big mistake. People like Dr. Barnes, everyone at IIPS, even your old sponsors… They all have their noses stuck so far up their asses they love the smell of their own ****. You get where I'm goin'?"

"Yeah, I guess. But what can I do? She's one of my mom's best friends. I can't just be nasty to her," I griped.

"Whatever…" he shrugged, shaking his head in distaste.

Rick motioned for the door and opened it. He went inside and I followed.

The hospital's lobby was mostly like a wide corridor extending from one entrance to the other. Its walls were tan, while the floor was covered with a dark brown office rug. There were occasional benches and chairs against the walls, in which no one currently sat. At the lobby's heart was a large circular desk; it would've been a complete ring if not for a small section missing from each side that faced the corridors.

I saw the heads of three young women behind the counter as we approached. Each sat before one of its six computers; the redheads at the back PCs, while the blonde typed away at the front-center one.

The closer girl was a slim 23-year-old, just slightly taller than Meg. She had fair skin, and her hair done into a bun that rested on the back of her scalp. From what I saw, her attire was a dark blue skirt with a repeating floral pattern of violets and lilacs. I also noticed that she wore a gold crucifix necklace and silver bangles that sparkled with each movement.

She looked up at me with cursing russet eyes and said, "Good morning, Mr. Christie. How may I help you?"

"Um, yeah. Good morning to you as well, Ms. Hawthorn. I'd like my Pokémon examined, if it wouldn't be too much trouble," I replied haughtily, taking off my holsters and setting them on the counter.

Josephine suddenly grabbed my wrist and hissed, "Are you really this retarded, Jay? Or do you just fashion yourself some kind of sick joker?" She undid the first ball of my right carrier and clutched it in my palm.

"Dude, you weren't serious? You remember what Daphne told you the last time she tried to treat Orion!" Rick then whispered.

I snorted at the comment at first. After a few seconds, I cringed at the memory, rubbing my top few vertebrae. The welt was gone, but the pain was as sharp ever. But, who would've thought Orion was going to evolve during treatment, let alone a week before my match with Meg?

"Well?" Josephine said, taking a small tray out from under the table, "Rick, do you mind waiting here for a moment? I'll check on…" She stuttered as she set Apollo's ball into one of the indents, glancing down the east hall.

"Surprisingly, Jacqueline, there are no known Pokémon that themselves can permanently transform into another species. However, that isn't to say aren't those that can't cause such dire metamorphoses to others," we heard a woman speak from down it.

Rick and I turned to see a slightly pudgy, five-foot-tall woman walking towards the lobby with a teenage girl in a lavender skirt. The doctor wore a lab coat over her light blue shirt and a pair of black pants. Her shoes were just as white as her cover, and there wasn't a wrinkle to be found on her clothing. If she weren't clearly in her 50's, I could've sworn that Josephine was her sister.

"Oh, crap…" I whispered, stuffing Orion's ball in my pocket.

"I didn't know that. But what Pokémon could possibly do that, and wouldn't Ditto be able to transform back on its own?" the brunette asked as they entered the lobby.

"Dolstess and no, it wouldn't. There's no known way to revert a victim back when it happens. So, if you want Ditto to stay a Ditto, avoid the south seas of Ronac," the lady giggled.

"Oh... Um, okay. Well, thank you for treating Ditto, ma'am."

"Bless your heart, dear. Just take it easy from here on out, okay?" The girl nodded and then headed out the south entrance. Afterwards, Daphne headed behind the counter, next to Josephine.

Setting her digital tablet down, she rolled her eyes and said, "Well, well, well. If it isn't my absolute favorite trainer in this Podunk little hick town? It's times like this I wish I'd never moved my family here from Hearthome."

"Um, goo…" I replied until she interrupted.

"No. I've told you over a hundred times. I am not taking any of your bullcrap, Jay Bartholomew Christie. If you're not going to show me the respect of withholding that nightmare of a Pokémon that you call Orion, I'm just going to deny you our services. It is as simple as that."

"Um. Mother," Josephine whispered, tapping on the tray.

Eyeing it, the doctor continued, "Very well. But if you raise Cain in the cafeteria again, I'll throw you out personally."

Daphne reached into one of her lab coat's pockets and took out two Poké Balls. Then, she set them in front of the tray and smiled at Rick.

"Ricky, dear. Your Pokémon are going to be fine, but be careful fighting unfamiliar Pokémon. With bites like the ones Girafarig had, I'm surprised the attack didn't just snap her neck," she said to him. He slowly reached for his Pokémon with both hands and picked the balls up.

"Thanks, Doc Hawthorn! Later, Jay," he said and then turned to leave.

"Yeah. Later!" I told him, grabbing my holsters. As I did, Daphne grabbed both my wrists and leaned over the countertop.

"I mean this with the uttermost prejudice. If I ever catch you with that monster out anywhere on this property, I will kick your sorry ass all the way from here to Mount Coronet in Sinnoh. ¿Comprende?" I nodded; then she took my balls and left.

I took my holders and re-clipped them onto my pockets. Afterwards, I took Orion's ball back out and looked at it as I went into the west wing.

It was hard to believe he went from a nice little critter to a spoiled brat in the first few years I had him. But it wasn't until his final evolution that the true nightmare began. And in the months since, Daphne completely transformed into a ferocious beast too. Sometimes I really wondered which one was worse?

As I entered the corridor, something caught the corner of my eye. I turned my head to see three men sitting together on one of the benches.

The tallest was a slim man who sat in the middle with his legs crossed, reading a copy of the "Maritide Messenger." What really made him stick out, though, was the large afro atop his head; and as if it wasn't flamboyant enough, the ball was dyed half red and half white. He had on a pair of silken violet-colored pants and a belt with a large golden star-buckle. Also, he wore a pair of black platform shoes with yellow soles.

To his right was a blond guy whose hair flared up into a plume of orange-red tips that looked just as flashy as his. He wore a dark sleeveless shirt and thick brown trousers with a couple cases on his belt. Hunched with his arms between his legs, the thug gave me a smug look, his blue goggles with oval lenses hiding what were probably queer eyes. Returning the expression, I noted he wore fingerless gloves on each hand, one looking a little like a gauntlet.

On Afro's left, his other partner was also blond from the look of the guy's sideburns, and wore a goofy black cap with twin white-rimmed humps atop it. This guy wore a red vest with a white stripe around its midsection over a dark long-sleeved shirt. Like his friend, he had on brown pants with several holders clipped to his belt and a pair of red goggles with hexagonal lenses. However, he was too busy looking at Afro's newspaper to notice me…or so it appeared.

"Hey, boss," I heard Plume-top say as I returned my gaze forward.

"Hmm…" a cheery voice said, followed by some whispers, "Really? Now this I must see."

Passing a couple doors, I stopped before of the two for the cafeteria. I pushed the right one open and went inside.

The clinic's commons was a fairly large room with numerous tables taking up its middle two thirds and outer sixths. There were several food tables set up against the far wall, but surprisingly few trainers in here at all this morning. It was rare to ever see the place so empty.

I immediately headed for the buffet and grabbed a plate.

Pancakes, bacon, sausage, ham, eggs… Skimming and scanning the food in the heating pans, I finally came across the one that I'd been craving all morning. I took the tongs and stacked several large golden biscuits onto my plate. Then, I put the tongs back and took the scoop of the adjacent sausage gravy and slathered my plate with the sauce.

Quickly, I took my food to a nearby table and set it alongside a prearranged set of silverware. I took my cell out and sat. Putting the phone next to my plate with Poké Ball, I unfolded the napkin, took fork and knife in hand, and started wolfing down the food.

When I was halfway done, I checked my phone's clock. A little before eight o'clock… The ferry to Maritide I wanted to catch left around twenty after. Since it was a straight shot down Main Street to the docks, I wasn't worried about getting there in time, though Barnes's over-punctuality kept me a little on-edge.

I finished the remaining food and then went for seconds. This time I took a smaller serving, three sausages and a waffle with strawberries and whipped topping slopped atop it.

Upon sitting to my table, one of the doors opened wide. Daphne entered the room and zigzagged between the tables towards me.

"So, what's the word?" I asked her when she got to my table.

She looked up from her tablet and uttered, "You… You are either the luckiest SOB in the world, or the unluckiest…"

"And that means…" My gut tightened with anxiety.

"While Apollo and Sheila are fine, Spunky pulled the muscles in one of his hind legs. Now, the thing I can't believe is that you didn't bring him in days ago to get it checked out and so I could give him pain reliever," she said critically as she dropped my balls in front of me.

I rolled my eyes and she continued, "Oh, for the love of Christ… Don't you care about your Pokémon anymore? I remember the day you came in here to get your first Pokémon from Kyle. You were a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed little kid clinging hard to his mommy and nervous as all hell about getting a Fire Pokémon from the local Gym Leader. To see you go from that to this is simply pathetic."

"Hey, b…"

She cut me off, "If Spunky's in that condition, I can hardly imagine how much pain Orion must be in."

I reached for Orion's ball and taunted, "Well, if you really want to find out."

As I enlarged it, she immediately grabbed my wrist. A long moment passed, and I finally released my grip on the orb and she did hers on me.

"Just finish eating and get out of my sight," she finished and then headed out.

Several moments after she was gone, Spunky came out of his ball. When he appeared off to my left, the wolf sat on the floor and stared at me with his mouth wide open.

"Loop!" he barked.

"Sorry, buddy," I replied, petting his locks. No doubt he was hungry, but it would have to wait until we got to the ferry.

"Poodle…" he grumbled, pulling back a little and then sniffing my hand. Then, he licked it a few times.

I went back to my meal and started eating the waffle. Spunky set his maw on the table, just a short distance from my plate. He inched closer and closer to it, licking his chops. Suddenly, my sausages were gone!

"Spunky!" I yelled, watching him eat the three links in one bite. When he finished, the wolf belched loud enough for it to echo through the commons.

I shrugged and went back to eating my waffle. After I was done, I stood and put my Poké Balls back into their holders, and my phone into my pocket. The two of us then left the cafeteria.

On our way back to the reception desk, I noticed that the three men from before were gone. Good riddance, I'd say.

"Bye, Jay!" Josephine said. I raised my hand and nodded as we passed her station.

Rounding the corner, I saw the threesome though the windows, standing about halfway down the sidewalk. Before exiting, I stopped at the door and stared at Afro for a long moment.

He and his 'butt buddies' were facing away from the building, but I could see he was wearing a formfitting shirt that matched his pants. Furthermore, he had a gaudy yellow scarf around his neck. Damn, did Rick call this one!

I took Orion's ball back out and clutched it tightly as Spunky and I exited.

"Poodle?" he asked me, quivering. I pressed the button holding the orb closed the second we were outside.

In the released flash, the silhouette of a six-foot tall man appeared a couple feet off to my left, or so he looked due to his midnight pelt; his short maw and long bushy tail easily broke that illusion, however. This beast had beautiful emerald eyes, behind which thin white lines crept up his brow until vanishing under his thick dreadlocks. A pair of semi-ellipse ears stuck up on the sides of his head and twitched slightly as he blinked. Orion's twin stripes returned as cascades of small slanted lines down his backside, until reaching the base of his tail. There, they merged into a solid streak that flowed up the middle of the appendage and fanned out widely across its curled end.

Striking the ground gently with the end of his bow-staff, the Skunter yawned, his breath smelling like rotten meat. I could see some of his teeth, all of them like a person's except for his sharper incisors.

"Poodle! Loop!" Spunky whined, trying to hide behind me.

Orion growled, focusing the black center of his eye on Spunky and me. Then, he shut it lazily.

"This should scare the hell out of 'em…" I said. Orion snorted, slinging the bow-staff he carried over his right shoulder like a club. Next, the two of us headed for the trio, with Spunky lagging behind.

"What luck, Miror! First we pull that easy heist, and now there's this opportunity!" the guy with the cap said to Afro on his right.

"Yeah, Trudly!" his buddy on the other side added.

"Aye! So, we're gonna be hoggin' the freaking sidewalk all day, are we, mateys?" I commented in the worst pirate accent I could do.

"What?" Trudly replied as he turned around.

"Argh! So it's butt pirates ye be, right?" I cackled.

"Butt pirates! Who are you calling 'butt pirates,' numb-nuts?" the other guy said, turning around.

"Yeah. Nice comeback."

"Oh, it's on!" the guy replied reaching into his pocket. Spunky roared harshly at him, and the gangster-wannabe froze.

"Now, now, now! Boys, boys, boys! There's no need for all these hostilities! After all, we're all friends here, right?" Miror said as he pivoted with his right arm firmly pressed on his side. Doing so, I was now able to see his star-shaped sunglasses, dangling earrings, and that a portion of his shirt was open.

He looked at me for a moment, then Spunky, and finally Orion. With a grin, he nodded, causing his afro to bob up and down wildly.

"O-ho-ho-ho! What have we here?" he giggled, afro bobbing wildly as he nodded, "All that fuss over a silly little Skuntank?"

"Skuntank!" Orion barked, and then swung his stick at Miror. The man jumped back quickly, but fell to the ground as the weapon just missed his head.

"Hey, ****-for-brains! I may be a Pokémon but that doesn't make me retarded!" the beast continued, holding the staff overhead like he was ready for a deathblow.

Stunned his flunkies just gawked. Miror, however, remained relatively calm, cracking a self-righteous grin as the predator loomed over him.

"That thing…" Trudly said.

"Can talk!" his pal finished.

Unknown to most, Orion's species was one of the very few that could actually learn human languages without it being a form of mimicry. As to how the skunks were able to, that was really up for debate. Some thought it an adopted trait from the Dallinos who once raised them, while others speculated it was a bizarre evolutionary fluke. By breeding or by chance, it didn't matter to me, though it shocked everyone who didn't know about it.

"Oh, posh! I bet you really think you're something with this doll, Feral," Miror commented.

Orion dropped his weapon and crouched over the man. Then, he grabbed onto the disco dork's throat with both hands and lifted him into the air, claws almost puncturing his skin and eyes full of hate. A great feeling of bloodlust filled my body.

"I bet you think you're pretty smart, don't you? Trying my patience like this?" Orion and I asked as the man choked trying to cackle.

"Lupudle!" Spunky yelped.

"Shut up, Spunky!" the two of us then barked. After a second, Orion let Miror go.

"Are you insane?" Trudly quivered, "This thing's a monster!" The skunk punched the thug in his side.

"That's for being a dumbass! You were the ones who insulted me!" Orion said, ending his Soul Share with me.

"Ha! You're the idiot, skunk-man! We can get you put down for assaulting a stander-by!"

"Only if the damage is mortal. A sucker punch doesn't mean crap to the authorities here. Been that way since '91!" I snickered.

"Then I'll…"

"Enough, boys!" Miror said, reaching in his left pocket.

"So, what do ya say?" he continued, taking out two Poké Balls.

"I don't do two-on-two."

"Fine by me," he smirked, putting one away.

"Just get your asses over there!" I retorted, pointing to the grass area right of the sidewalk.

Miror and his flunkies immediately headed over to the end closest to the parking lot. Orion picked up his staff and twirled it around once before slamming its tip on the ground. Spunky growled at him, irritated.

"This'll be quick," he commented as we headed for the opposite side of the field.

Spinning around once and then pointing his right arm skyward, Miror concluded, "Music, boys!"

"Right!" Plume-top replied, taking a small radio out of one of his belt's canisters. He turned it on and it started playing the song Thriller by Michael Jackson.

"Destail! Be a dear, won't you?" the boss said, releasing his creature.

In a darkened halo, the silhouette of a 7' 6" bird appeared. The jade avian had a massive wingspan reaching over ten feet from each side his fairly slim body, as well as a slender neck. His crown was adorned with golden down that descended like tresses, and a contour feather that sprouted up from between his alluring teal eyes. On his chest, Destail had a triangle bisected counterclockwise into sea green, nocturne, magenta, purple, sky blue, and lilac. Likewise, the bird's draping wing feathers had odd but intriguing colors; their green tops gave way to large black markings that thinned as they reached from near his chest to the wingtips, and purple areas underneath the 'grin' gave way to nine distinct feather tips with teal teardrops at their middles.

"Des. Des," the peacock spoke in a low baritone, "Destail?"

The centers of his eyes shifted between Spunky, Orion, and I. Orion stepped forward and snorted.

"Something wrong…" he then whispered.

"Destail! Show him that fabulous Liar's Prance of yours!" Miror sang.

"Des!" the bird cried, covering his chest symbol with his left wing and raising his head.

Then, he put his right leg forward and slowly started sashaying from side to side, alternating between his wings as he approached. Orion crouched slightly in turn, watching the fowl's movements closely.

During the waltz, Destail raised and spread out his three large tail feathers to form an imposing purple fan with semi-circular tips behind him. He immediately hid the center one to conceal the triangular symbol on it, leaving only part of the silver area in its center visible. Meanwhile, the two slanted white ovals with hazel irises near the tops of the other two focused their view on Orion, and then the bird revealed his breast symbol tauntingly.

Orion leapt into the air, twisting his body around so that he faced the building at the top of his arc. Then, he dropped onto Destail's shoulders feet first, pinning the bird belly-down.

The huntsman took his staff overhead again and thrust it at the peacock's head. A decisive blow, for certain, until the target vanished and the Pokémon struck dirt instead.

"What the hell!" Orion barked, facing Miror.

He then charged the man holding his staff in both hands. Brutally thrusting it into his gut, Orion knocked the queen several feet backward, leaving him stunned as he fell onto the sidewalk.

"Poodle…" Spunky whined.

I took out Orion's ball and went over by him. Trudly and Plume-top just gawked at Orion as the beast stood over his quarry, the tip of his staff pressed against the man's Adams Apple.

"What… What is this thing…?" Trudly stuttered.

"The Forest's Shadow…" I answered.

"Get…him…off! Get him off!" Miror finally whined, his life threatened.

"About damn time you show some fear!" he yipped, lifting his weapon above his head again.

"Enough!" I grabbed his shoulder.

Instantly he threw me off. I fell onto the ground and watched him just glare at me. Snorting, Orion turned back around and growled at Miror.

"Death comes to those who taunt Him. Remember that…" he muttered before moving off to the man's side and looking away.

Miror stood up again slowly. I sat up too.

"That thing should be euthanized! It's a total monster" he yelled.

"Bullshit! You were the ones who kept insulting him."

"W-well… F-Folly! T-Trudly! L-let's go!" he stuttered and then walked away. His flunkies followed without a word.

"Good riddance!" I told him as I got back on my feet.

Spunky sidled up next to me and looked at Orion. The skunk huffed and grumbled to himself for a long moment. Then, he slung his staff over his shoulder again and turned to us.

"So, what's the plan of action?" he asked, eyes glistening with an unusual sereneness.

"You're going back in your ball until we get to the ferry," I commented, taking the device out.

"Whatever…" he replied, turning his gaze to the heavens. I recalled him and put his ball away.

"Poodle?" Spunky whimpered.

Crouching down by him, I pet his scruff and said, "I know that was harsh, but we'll be laughing our asses off later."

"Loop!" he yipped joyfully.

I didn't know what those guys were up to, but I guess it really didn't matter. One way or another, I got my thrills for the morning. Now, to get to Maritide!

<End Chapter Two>

Ronac Fakedex

Dex #20: Skunter: https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff58/HuntsmanSkunk/Skunter.jpg
Classification: Huntsman Pokémon
Types: Dark and Psychic
Height: 6'
Weight: 94 lbs
Sex Ratio: 100% Male
Ability: Belligerence-Skunter will never obey any of its trainer's commands, even with badges, but the base power of his physical attacks and their accuracy more than double.
Nature: One of the world's most hostile land-based predators, Skunter is feared as the "Shadow of the Forest." His species itself lives by its own tribal laws and rarely associates with outsiders, save for the ancient Dallinos who once raised them and treated them as equals. Because of this, they were the first species to develop speaking abilities analogous to that of Man (though this isn't evident in the games). As far as the pseudo-humanoids go, Skunter is by far the most cunning and physically adept (meaning his Attack stat is sky-high even without his overwhelming ability).
Family: Skunter is the adult form of the male Skunette, both sexes of which evolve into Skunanne at 25 (though that in itself is a task with the baby's Innocence ability permanently wipes clean the stat, level, and evolutionary gains of all Pokémon that come across it, save for when it holds an item that isn't a berry. Known moves remain but everything else gets set back to level one for all Pokémon, except for members of this family as well as my Dragonite-rank wolves, Doxi and Nostalgia series legendaries). Male Skunanne who haven't had any alteration to their contest attributes or base stats will evolve into Skunter at Level 60. However, Females with high Beauty and with both Special stats increased by Calcium and Zinc no less than three times will evolve into Skuntress.
Line-specific Moves: Mind Stab (Skunter's signature move, this involves the Pokémon vaulting skyward in the first part of the turn and then diving brutally onto its opponent with weapon aimed at its head at the end of it to cause an instant KO), Siren's Wrath (Skuntress's signature move, this involves the Pokémon conjuring up all its malice and singing a wicked chant that summoning the Dallinos spirit of death, a lupine creature known as Ah-kyi Os, to the battlefield to spirit away the opponent's consciousness, thus causing an instant KO), Sleep Spray (a thick musk is sprayed in the target's face, gluing shut its eyes and seeping it is nose. The chemical numbs the victim's senses and dulls its reflexes to the point where it becomes fully sedated. This lasts between 5 and 8 turns, works regardless of ability or type, and cannot be counteracted by items or Early Bird), Pepper Spray (a horrible eye-irritant is sprayed in the target's face. This cuts the victim's accuracy in half for between 5 and 8 turns), Vile Musk (the most powerful Poison-type attack, it involves the user blasting its target with a super-heated chemical spray, causing a sure-fire burn. However, the user can't attack the next turn out of fatigue), Run-Through (the user runs headlong into the foe, skewering it with a javelin, spear, or some such weapon, and doesn't stop until it hits a wall. It's very powerful and sure to paralyze, but very unlikely to hit), Siren Song (the user sings a beautiful nocturne that Infatuates all opposite gendered regardless of ability), Heartbreaker (the Pokémon thinks terrible thoughts that it then transfers to the opponent to depress it and then translates that into real damage. If the target is infatuated, this has twice its normal power and snaps it out of that condition. If it's asleep and infatuated, the opponent gets locked into a nightmare), Lunar Miracle (the user summons the power of pure moonlight to fully revive itself two turns after it gets knocked out, restoring health and PP. However, this can only be used with health is literally in the red)
Lifespan: 62 years

Dex #36: Destail: https://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff58/HuntsmanSkunk/Destail2.jpg
Classification: Enchanter Pokémon
Types: Dark and Flying
Height: 7' 6"
Weight: 139 lbs
Sex Ratio: 100% Male
Ability: Hostile-Destail's Attack and Special Attack stats increase a level every turn whenever it faces a same-gendered or neutered opponent, but those stats decrease two levels each turn when facing an opposite-gendered one.
Nature: Infamous as a seducer, Destail spends his lifetime building a harem of many birds from almost every species imaginable. As much effort as he puts into it, the size can become unbearable for even him to sustain and so it dissipates over time. Those caught in his twisted web are completely powerless due to his angelic voice and suave movements.
Family: Destail is a bit awkward. It evolves from the male Temptail (the female never evolves), but only when it's holding onto the Desire Fan, the trainer possesses the Modesty Crystal, and the Pokémon levels up at dusk.
Line-specific Moves: Down Muffler (molts and then stuffs enemy's mouth with fluffy down to silence it for the next turn), Daydreamer (learned only by female Temptail, this move causes her to daydream about her lover the first turn, and then strike in horrid frenzy the next. It never misses, might cause flinching, and does double damage to a same gendered foe), Bacchus' Trot (Destail dances around the field with ever-increasing momentum to sharply increase his speed and evasiveness), Lair's Prance (a bizarre dance, in which Destail taunts his foe into getting close and then takes to the air to jab it with his beak. This move never misses), Mirage Dance (Destail performs his signature move by doing an erotic dance that Infatuates female Pokémon and deals damage/confuses male/neutered Pokémon), Final Waltz (Destail performs a ritualistic dance with its opponent, which ends with a curse that finishes off both Pokémon at once)
Lifespan: 18 years