//------------------------------//
// Necessities and Outings 
// Story: Apples, Oranges, and PokeHearts 
// by Tohshi 
//------------------------------//

I woke on a pillow, that felt almost too good to be true. I ached everywhere and it took me a moment to remember why. Then again, it could have been the whole being blown up thing. I opened my eyes to find the pink nose and white snout in my vision, and I knew this wasn’t a fever dream anymore. I could hear faint and cute snores near me and I looked around to see a pile of other Pokemon. All of us were here, except for Emily who must have had a different bed. Mary and Kristen were cuddled up next to each other, with each having their head on the others rump. Ty had dropped their transformation, and was being used as a second pillow by Zack. Zack’s second mouth was being hugged by Robert. I was the only one really left out of the pile but looking back at my tail I could understand why. No one wanted to make it worse.

There were sounds coming from the kitchen and I felt no reason to stay where I was. It didn’t seem like I was likely to get back to sleep, and despite the big meal last night, I was already hungry again. Wobbling under the table and through the open door, I saw Gentle working on something. She hadn’t seemed to notice me yet. On her shoulder sat a hawk, who had definitely spotted me, and was watching me rather closely. He had a bandaged wing and I guessed that he must have been being patched up by Gentle. He had nearly black feathers, but looked far to big for the falcons I knew of like that.

<Intruder,> said the hawk.

Gentle looked over towards the door and smiled at me. She said, “Don’t worry Mr Hawk. She is my guest. Here to get help too. Good morning little one. Do you have a name?”

<Alice,> I said. I wasn’t certain how much she understood really of our talking and if it was just her own ability to read body language.

“Alice is a pretty name,” said Gentle.  Apparently it was a thorough understanding. “I bet you are hungry. Well, I will have breakfast ready in just a few. Getting Mr Hawks food real quick first, and then I have to wash up. I doubt you would like to have mouse blood all in your food.”

<Nope. I don’t think that sounds good,> I said. <Um, thanks for patching us up and feeding us. I don’t know what we are going to do.>

“I bet you want to get back to the ocean,” said Gentle. “I’ll see if one of our pegasus can carry you there.”

<Oh no,> I said. <I haven’t ever been to the ocean. Well not like to swim in it. I don’t want to leave my friends and I am pretty certain I am the only one who might do well at the ocean.>

“Did you come from a zoo then?” asked Gentle.

<No. We just woke up in the forest,> I said. I figured that it was best to not lie at this point. I didn’t see any reason to tell her about our previous world. <I don’t know how we got there. I don’t know where home is for us.>

<Sky,> said Mr. Hawk. <Sky is always home.>

“I know you mean well Mr. Hawk, but none of them can fly,” said Gentle. “Um, well we can see about getting you homes around here. I know that some of the towns folk would love a pet. That is, if you don’t mind being a pet.”

<I honestly don’t know,> I said. <It sort of sounds nice. Not having to worry about food or where you are going to sleep at night.>

“Yep,” said Gentle. “And you don’t have to worry about anyone understanding you or if you are doing enough for the town or if if you will will be alone for-forever.”

I wobbled as quickly as I could over to Gentle. I hugged her front legs and nuzzled my head against her upper leg. She scritched my head back with her invisible magic fingers. I knew the feeling all too well. Now there seemed like there was no way I would ever find a family of my own. As far as I knew, I was the only Pokemon seal in all of this world.

“Here is your fo-food Mr Hawk,” said Gentle. The hawk hopped off of her back and onto the counter and began ripping off pieces of the mice on the table. “Now-now Alice. Sorry. Uh, food. Wake up friends…food now.”

<If you need a minute we can wait,> I said.

“No…no,” said Gentle. “Just a bit brain fu-fuzzy.”

<We can be here for you as much as you are for us,> I said.

“Thank you,” said Gentle. “Now go wake friends.”

I nodded and waddled over to the other room. I hadn’t really mastered walking like this. Even with what seemed to be built in muscle memory, I wasn’t very fast or graceful. It sort of dug at me and my heart. I had spent so much time trying to be pretty and here it was thrown out the window. I knew it was vain of me but I wanted to be pretty just once. To be able to look in a mirror, and not feel a sense of disgust at the face staring back at me.

Mary had already woken, but she was sitting with Kristen waiting for her to wake. It felt rather off, waking all my sleeping friends. If I could forget for a moment that all these Pokemon were supposed to be humans, they all were rather cute snuggled up in a group.

<Gentle says it is time to get up,> I said firmly but not too loudly.

<I don’t wanna,> mumbled Zack. He grabbed Ty and tucked them closer to his belly.

<Breakfast is being made and Gentle wants us all up for it,> I said. <As far as I care, you can go back to sleep afterward.>

<Fine, fine,> said Kristen. <I was only enjoying the warmth.>

<I’m happy this little ice type isn’t cold to the touch,> said Mary. <Food sounds wonderful though. Come on Robert we all know you are hungry.>

<Yeah,> sighed Robert. He let go of Zack’s second mouth and rolled over onto his paws. Coming up to me, he rubbed against me. <How are your uh flippers doing?>

<Sore but not painful,> I said.

“Breakfast. Thank you Alice, for trying to get them up,” said Gentle. “Come on you two sleepy heads, you don’t want to miss out on some delicious food, do you?”

<I am sort of stuck,> said Ty. They shifted form and a second Zack took shape. This forced Zack up as he was pushed off the pillow. <Okay, this is officially the best.>

<Fine food,> said Zack. He pushed himself to his feet and walked over to where Gentle was puting down the food bowls.

I had been first in line for food and no one pushed me aside. I may have been stepped on by a certain obviously tired fox, but she didn’t weigh enough for it to hurt. It was the same mix from last night, but I didn’t mind. It tasted fine enough. Why not eat it? I mixed the kibble with berries as best I could. Still it was rather disheartening to have to duck my head into the bowl for each bite. It didn’t stop me from doing it and looking at everyone here they were thinking the same thing. Even Zack and Ty, who had hands to use, seemed to be as somber as the rest of us.

“Do you not like the food?” asked Gentle.

<No the food is wonderful,> said Mary. <We just all have had a hard time as of recent. Sort of puts the food in an odd perspective.>

“I’m sorry. It must have been so hard being so far from home,” said Gentle. “Don’t worry if we can we will get you back there.”

<There isn’t a home to go back to,> said Ty. <We don’t have anywhere to go. We are all lucky to be alive. Especially Emily. Fuck. We would have died out in that forest if it weren’t for Delver.>

“Oh dears, I’m so sorry,” said Gentle. “Look we will go around town and make sure you all have a place to stay. You are all welcome here for the time being but I just need to be able to do my work and you all seem well behaved but my other animals aren’t as friendly.”

<No, we understand,> said Robert. <We don’t want to be a burden.>

<I’m sure there is a way we can be out of the way,> said Mary. <Right, my peeps?>

<Of course,> said Zack. <Though if that place can have more of this food that would be great. I can’t seem to get enough of it.>

<Probably because you need to eat more of the kibble,> said Ty. <Mawile are mostly carnivorous.>

“Oh deary if you need to eat meat we can provide for you. I just ask that you let me prepare it for you,” said Gentle. “It is nice to not worry them so much.”

<Oh I think I will pass for now,> said Zack. <Uh, if it was cooked then maybe.>

“You sure came from a fancy zoo, or, well, where ever you came from,” said Gentle. “Still if that is what you need it isn’t too hard. Peaches raises rabbits for their fur and she gives me the meat. Here, after I feed the last of you, I can cook you some if you are still hungry.”

<Thanks,> said Zack.

<How is she?> I asked. <How is Emily?>

“Last I checked she was out cold,” said Gentle. “Probably going to need lots of rest for the next few days, if not longer. But I will go check on her. You all stay down here please.”

I nodded as Gentle disappeared into the kitchen only to reappear with a baby bottle. She ran up the stairs, taking little heed to not make much noise. I was certain that Emily would be awake at this point. Still I turned back to the bowl picking out a few more berries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Now I want you all to keep up and not to wander off,” said Gentle. “Don’t make me get a leash. The town should be fairly quiet at this point but it would be good to not have to deal with the lunch rush.”

<How many live here?> asked Mary.

“Twenty two of us but there is at least one more on their way,” said Gentle. “I know not so big but really it gets a bit noisy, even here. We should go to Dirty’s first. Just uh cause if we miss anyone, he can tell them.”

She lead the way with me on her back. I wasn’t to be out wandering the dirt roads yet and so Gentle had put me in one of her carriers that she wore on her back. I barely fit right as it was more designed for creatures with back legs but still I was stable enough on her back. Behind us trailed the rest of the group. Zack was near the front looking each and every which way. Mary and Kristen followed after him, though gave him a wide berth, as every time Zack turned to look another direction, his second mouth swung quickly as well. Robert and Ty were right behind Mary. Ty was trying to get the transformation down better. Their face was always a bit off in their transformation and they was practicing on Robert.

Seeing the town all lit up for the first time, I noticed how similar all the buildings were. They had wooden shingles for roofs and seemed to be made almost entirely out of wood. The outsides of some of them had been painted, but most were just the natural color of the wood. All of them were weather worn though and I wondered how long they had been here. Most were two stories tall, with one large building that we were heading to, at the center of town, and the tower that stood next to it. The large building was three stories and seemed sort of excessively large. The tower though must have been five stories as it was much taller than even the large building.

“Dirty and Glitter are probably working on lunch by now,” said Gentle. “We all come and eat lunch here. I don’t really like it that much but I don’t want to miss out. Dirty is nice though and Glitter is an angel.”

I looked back to see if the others were following and they had thankfully not been left behind. It felt bad that Emily wasn’t with us but she needed her rest. Everyone seemed to be a bit on edge though. I couldn’t blame them I felt it too. Our big audition of sorts.

“Here we are,” said Gentle. “Now wipe your paws on the mat before you come in, we don’t want to make more work for Glitter.”

Thankfully everyone, except for Zack, did as they were asked, and when he was hit, he did so as well. The entrance was a double door, not that was necessary for the lot of us. All of us were rather small and the door was obviously built to accommodate creatures even larger than a pony.

The inside of the building was a wide open area with a number of picnic tables, though the seat was longer than would have been for a human. On the near side was a bar and a set of stairs disappeared behind a wall next to the end of the bar. There were what looked like lamps hanging from the ceiling. A blonde maned unicorn sat behind the counter working on something that was hidden from view. He had a sharp face and dark brown fur but he smiled at Gentle as we came in.

“Morning Gentle,” said the stallion. “What are all those critters you have there?”

“Uh, they uh showed up last night,” said Gentle. “They uh don’t have a place to live and I was hoping that maybe the town folk might want to get a pet. They seem domesticated and they somehow got lost, ah, from a zoo. Or well someplace fancy for critters. It is rather confusing to me.”

“I know of at least one pony who would love a pet,” said the stallion. “Glitter has been thinking about a pet for a while now. One that might help her when she gets her seizures.”

“Oh yeah. That uh would be good for her,” said Gentle. “I’m sure one of these little ones might be of help. Uh, they are a bit different…that sounds mean. I didn’t mean anything by it uh like that. Sorry.”

<It is fine,> I said. <None of us are mad. Right my peeps?>

<Yeah, I mean, I am very special,> said Zack. <Oh and we are strange creatures that are definitely from a zoo. Definitely.>

“Thank you,” said Gentle. “Were, um, was I? Sorry. Oh yeah. Uh this one on my back is very gentle but she has some mobility issues. The blue cat or foxes might be better. Um, of course, if they uh want to.”

<I would be glad to help out,> said Mary. <Especially if it means a home to have. But we would all still be able to see each other, yes? I don’t want to loose my freedom. Or my friends.>

“Oh, I am certain that Glitter wouldn’t mind you spending time with your pack mates,” said Gentle. “Uh Dirty, the whitish blue fox said she would be willing to help out. She just wants to be able to see her packmates.”

“Well if Glitter gets along with her, I don’t see why not. Bet that fox can run pretty fast and get help if I am not around. What about the rest of them. I know that Brilliant wanted a pet but that would be up to his mom. I wouldn’t be surprised if Penny and Fond wanted one as well. Fond is a for sure thing. There is no way Gilded would ever tell her no.”

“Yeah, uh, has Gleaming gotten in yet?” asked Gentle.

“Yeah. She is upstairs,” said Dirty. “Glitter is up there with her. If you end up there, tell Glitter it is almost time to start lunch preparation.”

“Okay,” said Gentle. “Now little ones, keep up and if you need us to be slow for the steps just say so.”

<Stairs. How hard could that be?> said Zack.

<Considering the size of a pony compared to any of us, maybe a bit harder than you would think,> said Kristen. <Besides you have the shortest legs of us all. Well not including Emily or Alice.>

We headed to the stairs and Gentle insisted that those who could went up first. Mary, Robert, Ty and Kristen all had no problems going up with the four legs they all had but Zack found it a bit harder, as he had to pull himself up each stair. He was a bit worn out by all of that and had to rest when we reached the top. There was a long hallway and a set of windows that lined the outside of the hallway. On theother side of the hall was a door every so often and it suddenly clicked, that this was a inn of some sort.

Gentle lead the way down to an open door and she poked her head in just enough that I could barely see. I could hear plenty well, as two ponies were talking. Gentle knocked on the door and the talking stopped.

“Who’s there? Oh Gentle, come in come in,” said a feminie pony voice. “Glitter and I were just having one of her famous heart to hearts. What brings you in?”

Gentle walked into the room. Two ponies sat there. One a unicorn and the other a pegasus. The unicorn had near black fur and a silvery mane that reminded me of starlight. The Pegasus could not be more different as she had slightly pink fur that was almost white and a pastel rainbow of a mane.

“Uh, Delver found, uh, bunch of animals out in the western woods, I think, and uh they aren’t wild but from a zoo apparently and they need homes and I was hoping that the town folk would uh take one or more of them,” said Gentle.

“O-oh. Di-dirty said that that that we co-could get a a pet,” said the pink one, speaking with a very noticeable stutter. “Are any any of them a-avilalble?”

“I have one here for you if you want,” said Gentle. She turned to the rest of our group. “Uh I forgot to ask. What’s your name?”

<Mary. Is she just nervous or does she just stutter?> asked Mary. <Not that it matters really.>

“That is just her normal,” said Gentle. “This white one is Mary. I haven’t known her long but she is very nice from what I have seen.”

“He-hello,” said pink one. “I am am Glitter Cutie. I hope that we can be fr-friends.”

Mary walked up to her and plopped down in front of the pegasus mare. Glitter got of her chair and held her hoof out obviously so that Mary could sniff it if she wanted. Mary didn’t seem to realize what Glitter was trying to do but she just leaned her head against Glitter’s hoof.

“Interesting little creature. Can I see the rest?” asked the dark unicorn mare.

“Oh, of course,” said Gentle. “I was um thinking that Brilliant might want a pet. Or well if uh that is alright.”

“Knowing him, he would want one as long as he didn’t have to take care of it,” said the dark unicorn mare. “But I was thinking that I might want one. If that was alright.”

“Of course, Gleaming,” said Gentle. “You are uh like the fourth most responsible pony here.”

“You keep a list?” asked Gleaming.

Gentle looked away seemingly embarrassed. She turned to the rest of our group and ushered them further into the room clearly trying to distract everyone from her embarrassment.

<So how do we feel about us all getting split up like this?> asked Zack.

<I don’t think we have much choice,> said Robert. <Besides until we can figure out if this is fixable, I for one would like to have a place to stay.>

<Besides not having to worry about bills or money might be nice,> said Ty.

“Hmm. You said these are from a zoo,” said Gleaming. “I know this one here is a summoned Kolink. I think at least. Hasty would know better. Can you ask if they want to go home? It would be best that we don’t keep them from their home if they want to return.”

“Um well?” asked Gentle.

I thought on it. We were definitely dead back on earth and the idea of being pokemon on earth scared me more than being here. At least here I there was someone of the dominate species that could understand us but also that I knew enough about pokemon that humans might want us to fight each other and that sounded rather awful.

<I for one would like to go home, but I don’t think that what you think is our home is what we think is our home,> said Zack.

<Yeah. I mean they used the japanese name for a shinx there and I mean we have no idea if them trying to send us home would work,> said Ty. <I think it might be worth a chance. But like honestly do we know it will work. Worse yet what if it does work but it sends us to some other place and not our home. Like it sends us to where ever they uh summon Pokemon from. I can’t help but think that here is better than that. Well okay I mean here has wolves that I really don’t want to mess with but still.>

<Kinda rambly there, dear,> said Mary. <Still I think you are right. I for one, don’t want to risk being sent to some other world when there are nice people, or well, ponies, here. Sure, if we could go home that would be great but I am pretty certain we didn’t survive that explosion.>

“I don’t really know what they are uh talking about,” said Gentle. “Like um it is all a bit weird. I definitely don’t think they uh came from a zoo. One of them said they died.”

<Well we can’t be certain,> I said. <But probably.>

“How could they have died if they are here breathing and talking, strangely, but still?” asked Gleaming.

“I I don’t know but they are are in pa-pain,” said Glitter.

Kristen looked like she was about to cry, though I wasn’t certain we could cry. Apparently we or at least the foxes could. I flopped off of Gentles back, slipping from the pack that held me, and hugged her. We all came together into a group hug, except for Zack who sat there awkwardly at the edge of our group hug, until Ty pulled him in. Things weren’t really all that simple after all.

“Well, why don’t you all wait here or, well, at least somewhere in here, while I go get Hasty. He should at least be able to tell if these are summons,” said Gleaming. “Gentle would you mind keeping the foals out of trouble for a bit until I get back.”

“Of course,” said Gentle. “Um, Glitter, should we stay up here or downstairs?”

“I don’t ca-care,” said Glitter. “Dir-Dirty will send up the foals. I I need to go w-work though.”

Gentle nodded and stepped out of the way for the other two to pass through the door. She laid down next to us and just watched. I scrambled across the floor, and out of our cuddle puddle, to lean against her.

<I wouldn’t mind staying here with you,> I said. <Or well someone in this little village. You all are so nice. Things haven’t always been so good for me.>

“I’m sorry about that,” said Gentle.

<So this is going to sound fucking weird but some of us should probably have a talk about, um, gender things,> said Ty. <Cause I have turned into everyone, well most of you, and some of you might need to talk about that. In fact let me check.>

Ty turned into another seal creature and sat there wiggling for a moment before they turned back into a blob and then into a red fox. They pulled Kristen into a strange sort of hug that was almost more a tackle than anything else.

<Yeah. I am pretty certain I am biologically female,> I said. <And, yeah, that is part of the reason I want to stay.>

“Weren’t you always that way?” asked Gentle.

<Nope. Don’t ask me how because that is rather long explanation. One I am willing to go into, just, later,> I said. <So why more than one of us. Did that happen to you as well, Ty?>

<Yeah. Ditto’s are sexless in their base form,> said Ty. <Better yet I can choose whether or not I want to be female for a day or male. Like I know you understand, Alice, but for the rest of you this is so much better. I finally feel right, well sort of, in my body.>

<So you know then?> said Kristen. <You know what is wrong with me?>

<Yeah,> said Ty. <Sorry to force this but I know from experience this isn’t something that works well bottled up.>

<Wait, what?> said Zack.

The moment that Kristen had spoken I knew what was up, but it didn’t surprise me that Zack, of all of us, had no clue as to what we are talking about. I didn’t really feel like getting into it with him and decided it was best to just ignore him for now. It just would be better for everyone involved that way.

<Look I just have a dick now,> said Kristen. <And like that should be a problem. It should but you know what scares me more? That it isn’t. Why isn’t this a problem? I am so confused.>

<How long have you felt out of place as a girl? Did you grow up having more friends who were boys rather than girls?> I asked.

<They weren’t my friends,> said Kristen. She started to rock back and forth. <They, they, they…>

Her eyes closed and she scrunched up and shook more. Who ever were her former friends they had done something awful to her. I could guess as to what but I wasn’t going to say it, if just to not bring up more trauma. I felt sick and sort of frozen.

<You don’t have to talk about it, dear,> said Mary. <I’m sorry. Nothing like that will ever happen again. I promise.>

Kristen only just nodded. It was probably best to postpone this conversation till later. Why Ty had thought now was the right time was a bit off to me but they didn’t always have the best sense of timing. I couldn’t really say I did either. Instead I laid my head against Gentle and tried to not let my imagination get too intense and hopefully not dredge up memories I would have rathered not reliving again. Gentle seemed rather horrified herself or maybe she was getting flashbacks too. I couldn’t rightly tell and I rubbed my head against her, as I needed my arms to stay sitting there, hoping that it would comfort her.