//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Waking up 
// Story: New World, New Bonds 
// by Rhino 
//------------------------------//

Equestria is a land that is no stranger to odd things. However, even a land of magical ponies and mythical creatures has limits and boundaries to what is considered normal. In a single moment, millions of beings quite outside that line were delivered unto an unsuspecting world. Beings in all color, shapes, and sizes. These creatures think and live as almost forces of nature at times.

And yet they can snooze a morning away like anything else.

Such is the sight if one were to peek in the marshy forests within the mountains near Fillydelphia. Sprawled out on the grass is a small blue canine-esque creature. Its eyes underneath its black mask-like markings remain closed as it remains in blissful unconsciousness. However, as dew gathers on the tip of a leaf above the unknowing creature's face, the cosmos decides it's time to wake up and greet the day.

The bead of moisture finally relents to the pull of gravity. It falls onto the snoozing creature's forehead, causing it to flinch and rub a paw over the wet patch of fur. An eye peeks open, staring blearily at the open sky above.

The dog-like creature immediately bolts upright, glancing around in alarm. The sight of trees greet him; a far cry from the cavern he was expecting. What worries him the most, however, is the lack of a familiar face.

“...m-mom?”

No voice answers the Riolu. The only sounds he hears are those of nature; wind blowing, leaves rustling, birds chirping, and some kind of strange bubbling sound.

He tilts his head to one side, ears twitching curiously. "Is... that the brook?" The young Pokémon slowly stands up on wobbly legs, crouching down as he makes his way over towards the noise.

He can envision it in his mind. The babbling brook his parents took him to every week, where they caught fish. Maybe his mom was there, right now. The very thought spurred his stumbling steps to go faster, nearly tripping over an exposed root in his haste.

As he rounds a tree he spots something blue and bubbling, but it is not a brook. Instead, it appears to be a small sleeping frog-like creature. The bubbling sound appears to be coming from it as a foam of white continuously pops and reforms around its neck and under its back. A few feet away lies what appears to be a large sword, flat on the ground, with a blue tassel coming from the pommel. While the sword makes no noise, the slight twitching of the tassel despite the lack of wind indicates it may just be another sleeping creature.

The Riolu slows to a stop before the two forms, his mind trying to come to terms with his situation. Struggling to find something good on which to focus, he drops to his knees, looking from one to the other, then to the tree behind him, hoping that one of them can explain just what is going on. "Please... anyone..."

A small groan comes from the frog, his head shifting a bit. The two large eyes on the top of his head open, gazing upwards at the treetops blankly. It stays like this for a minute before it speaks in a male voice. "What the... I wasn't camping..."

Ears twitching, the canid Pokemon's gaze locks onto the amphibian. He opens his mouth to speak, but stops short when something registers in his mind. "Cam... ping? What is that?"

"Camping, sleeping outside instead of in a house. Come on, kid, everyone knows what..." As the Froakie turns his head towards the speaker, his voice trails off. If at all possible, his large eyes get even larger as they flick between the Riolu in front of him and the white and blue arm attached to his own body.

The canine follows the other Pokémon's gaze, staring at the limb in an attempt to figure out what is drawing the water-type's attention. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, he looks back up at the prone frog, visibly confused.

The white fingers slowly curl as the light blue creature stares. "How..." The hand he isn't staring at comes up as he closes his eyes and paws at the air in front of his face. His eyes shoot open as he sits up, hands feeling all over his head as his mouth falls open. "No... no no no... there's no way..."

Unsure what to do with the panicking being before him, the Riolu tentatively reaches a paw out. "Is... is everything alright, Mister?"

Eyes snapping to him, the frog tries to focus. "A Riolu... wait, how are you talking? Why are you taller than me?" As his speaking gets faster, the bubbly foam froths higher. "Why am I a Froakie?!"

The doglike Pokémon takes half a step back, now quite unnerved. "I... I don't..." Swallowing audibly, he steps forward once more, lowering himself onto his knees. "P-Please calm down, Mister..."

Blinking at the words, the frog takes a few shuddering breaths. "Right, right... calm... panicking doesn't help..." He flops onto his back, grimacing as he feels the cushion of foam he still produces. "I really want to scream right now. No, one thing at a time..." His head turns to the Riolu next to him. "Okay... size difference is big, but normal, I think... why can you talk, though?"

He stares back blankly, gesturing to him. "Why can you? It's normal for us to talk like this."

"For Pokémon, yes, but I'm not a Pokémon!" The frog gestures to himself before looking down and frowning. "Or... I wasn't..."

The bipedal canine tilts his head to one side, clearly confused. "I don't get it... you're clearly a Froakie... how could you have been anything else?"

"Because I was born a human. This," he waves a hand over his body as he sinks a bit into his foam cushion, "is new... no matter how comfortable this foam is."

"A... human?" The Riolu sits down in front of him, ears perked attentively. "Can... can you tell me what they're like? What you were like?"

Giving the young one an appraising look, the foaming Pokémon sits up once more, finding a natural-feeling crouching position. "I take it you must be a wild born Pokémon then. Well... umm... I don't actually know how I would go about describing an entire species... I guess just saying that we had a knack for technology and were as varied as pokemon, even if we are looked similar." He adopts the 'thinker' pose, his foam backpack extending down to become a seat cushion. "Not much really to tell about me... My name was, is, Ryan. I was a Pokémon trainer, though some would dispute that given I only had one partner." Sighing quietly, the frog muses. "I wonder where he is... hope he's okay."

A groan comes from the nearby, and formerly silent, sword. "Shut uuuuuuuuuup..." The blade flops over onto its other side as though turning in its sleep, an eye-shaped gem on the hilt currently looking as though the eye is somewhat closed, appearing to be squinting straight up at the sky. "...huh."

Ryan looks back at the Riolu that despite being twice his size, now hides behind him. Ignoring the talking sword for the moment, he asks, "You alright, kid?"

"I-I'm fine. I just... thought I saw something back here." He gives him a sheepish smile, ears pinned back against his head. "I, uh... I was mistaken..."

"I see..." The Froakie gives him a knowing smile. "Did I answer your questions, then?"

"A little..." He holds up a paw, looking at the bubbles now covering it. He shakes it as he continues, "So... you had a Pokemon for a... partner? Is... is that the same as a mate?"

Flinching slightly and shaking his head fervently, the frog answers. "No! That is not at all what I meant! First off, Geyser is a guy and I don't swing that way. Secondly, that kind of relationship between a Pokemon and trainer is very very illegal. They've got international warrants for the arrests of humans like that!" In his emotional state, the bubble production increases again, spilling over his front now.

The Riolu stares blankly at him. "...but... you're a Pokémon... would that illegal and arrest stuff really matter, now?" His attention returns to the stubborn suds on his fur, backing away a bit to keep any more from getting on him.

"See, the part of that that actually concerns me is the first part. Excuse me a moment." One of his eyes twitches, his head looking to the sky as he yells. "Why am I a Pokémon?!"

"Guys?" the sword speaks up again. "Still trying to sleep."

The larger blue Pokémon peeks out from behind a tree, looking at the animate weapon. "...do... do ghost types even need to sleep?"

"...what?" The Honedge, as it could now be identified as, wiggles around a bit before starting to tilt up onto the tip of its blade, similar to a human or bipedal Pokémon sitting up. "Am I dead?"

"You're not a Ghastly, if that's what you mean..." He slowly emerges, eyes cautiously watching the ribbon coming off its pommel. "I, uh... assume you were once human, too?"

"I'm not anymore?" Once fully upright, looking as though it was balancing on its tip, the sword turns to the other two Pokémon, and the eye on its hilt blinks. "...well, that explains why I feel... metal-y."

"Yes... that's to be expected of a sword-shaped Pokemon, I guess?" He gives a sheepish smile, shrugging a bit. "Sorry, Mister..." He glances at the Froakie, whose body is nearly covered in bubbles by this point. "You're... taking it better than he is, at least..."

"Well, yelling and screaming isn't gonna solve anything. And besides, why would I complain?" A cheerful tone enters the Honedge's voice. "I'm a freaking Pokémon now!"

Emerging from his bubbles, the frog shakes himself before looking to the other two. "I suppose I should be grateful I'm a Pokémon that still has all my limbs..." He looks at his three-fingered hands. "Even if there are differences..."

"...oh yeah... good point." The ghostly sword turns left and right a bit. "...I can't even look down at myself? What Pokémon am I, anyway?"

"I... don't actually know." The Riolu examines him carefully. "I just... know you look like a sword... that's all..." He looks to the frog, hoping he has the answer.

"You're a Honedge, which makes me wonder where your voice is coming from," Ryan says bluntly, looking over his new body.

The Honedge looks back at him. "...I'm a ghost sword and that's the one thing you don't understand?"

"I have to agree," Riolu speaks up, "that's kind of a silly thing to question."

"I'll tackle the logistical questions of your existence once I deal with my own. Could have at least made me a Greninja..."  He grumbles.

"...well... you'll eventually turn into one, right?" The Riolu pats the frog on his head, avoiding the bubbles.

The sword chuckles a bit, which comes off as more than a little creepy considering the source. "So, going off what I heard while I was still half-asleep: you're a human named Ryan turned into a Froakie, and the Riolu is just an ordinary one." He glances at the Fighting-type. "No offense."

He tilts his head to one side, confused. "Why would I be offended? It's a simple fact, isn't it?"

"...I like this kid." The Honedge floats off the ground about a foot, hovering over to them. "Anyway, I'm Casey. I'd shake your hands, but... yeah."

"Doesn't your ribbon count as one? It does sort of resemble it." The frog motions to the blue ribbon attached to the Pokemon's hilt.

The ribbon in question flicks. "...don't touch that. I don't know why, but it feels sensitive."

"Okay!" The Riolu looks around, curious. "So... do either of you have any idea where we are?"

Casey blinks. "My astute observations indicate this to be a forest in the middle of nowhere."

Ryan offers observations that are only slightly more helpful. "Doesn't look like any part of a region I've ever seen."

"So... we're lost?" The canine whines softly, ears flattening against his head.

"Seems that way..." The Froakie does a hop over to the Riolu. "It'll be alright, kid. Don't worry."

"Well, if the actual Pokemon here doesn't know where we are, we're screwed." Casey sighs. "What do we do now?"

As if to answer him, a rustling sound comes from a nearby bush before a gruff voice calls out, "Hello? Anypony out here?"

Ryan looks to the noise. "Pony? What?"

Out from the bushes comes what many would recognize simply as a brown earth pony, with a burgundy mane and tail; to these three, though, it's a creature unlike almost anything they've seen before. The pony looks between the three of them, surprised. "...what in tarnation?"

Riolu looks up at the new arrival from where he sits, eyes wide in shock. "Is... that a Ponyta?" His eyes suddenly brighten up as a thought occurs. "Maybe he knows where we are!"

The pony raises an eyebrow. "Uh... what'd you say?"

"He asked if you knew where we were," Ryan replies.

Now the pony looks at the frog, confused. "I... don't think I understand. All you're saying is 'fro-kee'."

The little bipedal canine blinks at this, realization hitting him. "...wait, so... he isn't a Pokémon?"

"Looks like it... but then what is he?" The frog listens to his bubbles as he thinks. "Just a stranger and stranger day..."

Casey sighs. "So much for getting help from the locals."

The pony jumps, looking around. "Who said that?!"

"Me, stupid. The giant floating sword." He pauses. "...wait, so you can understand me, but not them?"

The stallion tilts his head at the Honedge. "I... uh, I guess so?"

"Looks like the weapon gets to be the translator," Ryan observes. "Could you please ask him where we are?"

Casey nods, at least as much as he can. "So, brown Blitzle guy, mind telling us where we are?"

"What's a... never mind." The pony shakes his head. "You're just outside Hollow Shades. Are you... lost, or something?"

"Does waking up in an unfamiliar body in an unfamiliar area surrounded by unfamiliar people count as 'lost'?" the floating blade asks. "If so, then yes."

Slowly bring a hand to his face, the Froakie sighs before peeking over at the Riolu. "You get the feeling his mouth, or... you know what I mean, is going to get us in trouble one day, kid?"

The dog-like creature looks down at him, slightly curious. "Why do you say that, Mister Ryan?"

"Call it a hunch... you." He blinks as something occurs to him. "Do you have a name, by the way? I forgot to ask."

"No, I don't." He rubs his head. "Mom always calls me her little fighter, Dad just called me Riolu..."

"Hmm... well, I guess it's not really a problem unless we come across another one." He turns his head towards the other two. "Hey, any luck over there with the local?"

Casey looks back at him, an annoyed expression in his eye. "Yeah. While you were shooting the breeze, I convinced him to show us back to this Hollow Shades place, so we at least have a village to hang around in rather than a murky forest." He flicks his ribbon towards the stallion, who was already heading back into the trees. "Move it, or I'm leaving you."

Frowning at the attitude, Ryan starts moving as well. Turning to the canine, he tilts his head and asks, "Will you be coming with us, kid?"

Riolu blinks, snapping out of his thoughts. With a quick nod, he rushes after them, soon catching up to the side of the pony and looking up at him as they walk.

The pony looks down at him. "Need something, little guy?"

He shakes his head, but continues to watch him, his little ears twitching slightly. "Was Mister Casey right? Are you a stripeless Blitzle?"

The pony blinks and looks to Casey. "What'd he say?"

"He was asking if you were a Blitzle. I'm assuming not, though." He looks at the stallion's confused expression. "Yeah, that's a no."

"Oh." The Riolu frowns at this news. "Then... what is he?" He looks to the frog behind him. "Is he a human?"

"Not even close." Ryan hops behind them, having failed to simply walk. "Humans are bipedal mostly-hairless ape-like creatures who wear clothes. This... is not that."

The gears in the Riolu's head visibly turn as he tries to process what the other Pokemon said. "You mean like a... Slaking?"

"Yeah. But smaller, less lazy, and less ugly." Casey chuckles.

"So... more akin to Hitmonchans, then?" He scratches his head, looking up at the sword in confusion. "Or maybe Sawks?"

"You've got the general idea," the Froakie says as they walk along. Each of his hops has a bit of hesitance to it, and half the time he looks down at his feet. Finally, he pays the price for this as he hops face first into a tree with a small thump. "Ow!" He rubs his face as he sits down. "Darn springy body..."

The pony looks at the frog with amusement. "Gotta keep an eye on the path ahead of you, buddy."

"And with eyes that big, that shouldn't be a problem," Casey points out. If he had a mouth, it would be smirking.

"If I didn't need you to speak to him, I would so be throwing foam at you." Ryan huffs as he stands again. "How far are we from this village of his anyway? I'm starting to get desperate enough to seek out a Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny." After another bit of hesitation, he begins hopping again, trying not to think about it.

The Honedge looks to their pony guide. "The frog wants to know when we're gonna get there."

"We're almost there," the stallion assures them. "We should see the gate in a couple minutes."

Nodding, which is difficult to discern while hopping, the water-type continues. "Good. Maybe this can stop being weird long enough for me to think and figure this out."





Before long the group arrive at the village. While in Equestria, the small town of buildings isn't that unusual in less populated areas, the sight is quite a bit different from what the former humans are used to. The cleared out section of the slightly murky forest the town resides in doesn't have a single sign of the familiar sights of Pokémon Centers, Mart, Gym, or even an Officer Jenny station. Further compounding the strangeness is that the only beings visible at the moment are more of these ponies in all colors, some even with wings or horn.

"This here is Hollow Shades," their guide says as they walk in. "Not sure where you three came from, but... make yourselves at home, as long as you don't cause trouble, I guess."

As they walk through town, the bright colors and unusual shapes of the Pokémon inevitably draw the eyes of the ponies in town. All ranges of emotions flicker across equine faces, everything from curiosity, nervousness, and of course, indifference from those who just go on with their day.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" A black and yellow blur swoops down, snatching up the blue frog and flying off, leaving everyone else there baffled.

"...did the frog just get kidnapped?" Casey asks, actually a little stunned.

"I, um... think so?" Riolu looks up where they left, frowning softly. "Should... should we go after them?"

Casey turns to their guide, who is only slightly less surprised than them. "Who was that, and where did they take him?"

The pony shrugs. "I forget her name, but I've seen her around town. If you want to go looking for her, feel free, but don't hurt her."

"I understand." Keeping his gaze fixed on where the others went, he makes a dash forward, hoping to help his new friend.

Casey lags behind a bit, but follows nonetheless, sighing. "As if this day wasn't weird enough already."