When Flygon's heavy eyes cracked open once again, she refused to be confused. Though the bright lights and different colors made her stomach flip-flop once again, this time she was ready for it. After taking several heaving breaths, she felt the dizziness diminish slightly. Not enough to feel normal, but enough to at least regain her composure. She had to understand everything that was happening around her, obtain all the facts. That was the duty of a true scientist. The throbbing aches in her muscles and bones prevented from swiveling her head around, but she could view the place she was in with her eyes alone. Her bare, distastefully large eyes.
The place she was lying in was a dark wooden bed. Her deformed body was lying under a fuchsia blanket. It looked scratchy, but it only felt odd against her new fur. Due to her injured state, Flygon decided it would be best if she didn't remove the blanket. From looking down at herself, she did see white bandages peeking out, tied around her barrel chest, though. That must be where my ribs are. Despite the shock of finding myself in a different body, I want to learn as much about this species as possible. And the place I'm in. She slowly raised her head, a tiny bit. Just that gave her a sharp pain. It seemed the pain-nullifying medication they gave her was wearing off...
The floor was tan and tiled. The walls and the curtain hanging next to her bed were blue. The ceiling was painted a bright, nauseating green. Flygon took her attention away from the colors and focused on the monitor hanging from the ceiling. It showed a picture of a skeleton on a black background. The ribcage of the skeleton had three fractured bones. That must be an x-ray of my body, Flygon realized. It looked like the skeleton of a quadruped, a horse-like creature. It would appear I'm the same species as the doctor, Renbodash, and Scootaloo. I have to find out what species this is. I also have to find how I got this way, where I am, and how I got here. What worried Flygon the most was that this hospital strikingly resembled a human hospital, if not a bit less hi-tech. Obviously, the creatures she saw weren't even close to human-like in appearance, but natural Pokémon behavior wouldn't result in this kind of building. Pokémon were equally as intelligent as humans, but they weren't nearly as civilized. The difference between Pokémon and humans was that humans were a much more social species. They formed communities and lived in towns and cities. And humans could pool their intelligence together to further their technological advancement. That's why they were able to invent things like Pokéballs and Potions. So, I can hypothesize that these equine creatures must have a similar social structure to humans. Though I doubt they have invented things as progressive as humans have. These theories were reassuring, but they weren't helping Flygon discover how she got here and why she switched bodies. She'd need primary sources for that. And one of those was her own memory.
I need to remember what happened before I woke up in this hospital. Searching her brain, she still hazily remembered the bright flash of light, and falling towards the ground, too stunned to move her wings. The question is, did the lightning strike happen before the transformation, or after? She strained, trying to recall every little detail. Flygon suddenly remembered looking at her paralyzed wings shortly before she hit the ground. They were...feathered. She glanced at the equine body under the blanket. Sure enough, two green, feathered appendages stuck out from her bandages. They were definitely too small to fly with, though. No wonder she couldn't save herself from plummeting.
So when she was hit by lightning, she had already changed bodies. That still didn't answer her questions, though. She needed to think farther back. What was her last memory in her normal, Pokémon form?
That's right. She was being chased by a group of humans trying to capture her. Exhausted, she had hidden in a tree. But they had found her. And then...and then...
She reached into her satchel and pulled out the Dimension Skipper.
She used it to create a portal, and jumped through it.
That bright flash wasn't lightning, it was the portal! Then she fell to the ground and broke her ribs. After falling unconscious, Renbodash came and brought her to this place... "Ponyville." In the country of "Equestria."
She was in a completely different universe! A completely different dimension! No wonder the creatures and their social structure weren't like her world. This new world...It probably didn't have Pokémon, or moves, or regions, or humans. It was hard to comprehend. Everything she knew was turned upside down, and she hadn't even left the hospital bed yet. She felt like a Volbeat trapped in a jar. She needed to go out and see what this new world was like! Flygon was petrified in anxiety, but at the same time, euphoric that the DS was functional for living things.
But, wait...just where was the Dimension Skipper?
Flygon frantically scanned the room and searched under the covers and on the nightstand next to her bed, ignoring the pain that resulted. She couldn't find her magnum opus anywhere! Where was it?! She clearly remembered picking it up in her talons before plunging into the portal. Oh, no...could it have vaporized while traveling between dimensions? Or could it have been damaged beyond recognition in the fall?
Was she trapped here?!
The rising wave of panic mixed with her nausea was not a good combination.
Flygon screamed.
And then she blacked out...again.
When Flygon's eyes opened once again, another pair of large, magenta eyes were staring into hers, too close for comfort. "Aaagh!" she shouted in surprise.
The eyes pulled back, and Flygon saw that they belonged to none other then Renbodash. She was back. And this time, another brightly colored equine was standing next to Renbodash. This one had purple fur, and a dark mane streaked with pink. A hard protrusion reached out of the purple one's forehead. A horn. Flygon couldn't help but notice that she and Renbodash had those tiny, feathered wings, while this new one had that horn. Different variants of the same species, perhaps?
"Oh, you're awake!" Renbodash's already huge eyes widened. "Sorry 'bout that, Flygon." I wonder when she's going to say sorry and actually mean it.
The purple equine stared at Flygon. She--Flygon guessed it was a she--seemed both interested and confused. Flygon wondered why.
"Are you feeling better?" Renbodash cocked her head. "Earlier today, when we took the blindfold off, you didn't look so good. I mean, you blacked out. Guess you weren't able to handle it yet."
"It's not that I was not able to handle 'it,'" Flygon said, irritated. "This is different." She hated it when others questioned her strength. So she blacked out when she had a concussion and found herself in another world, in another body! Who wouldn't in that situation?
"How is it different?" the purple one spoke up. Her voice was smooth and intellectual-sounding.
"N-no reason..." Flygon stammered. She couldn't just tell them she was from another dimension. They'd put her into a different hospital...a mental one. "A concussion normally wouldn't even faze me." That last part was true. Flygon had a sneaking suspicion that this new body was weaker than her Pokémon form. She supposed she was lucky she transformed into one of the normal species in this world, though. If she had stayed in her normal body, the equines would've thought she was an alien monster.
The purple one's mouth quirked up. "So you're tough, hm? I think you and Rainbow Dash here could get along well. I'm Twilight Sparkle, disciple of Princess Celestia. I'm studying the magic of friendship here in Ponyville." Flygon literally had no idea what any part of that meant.
"My name is Flygon. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Renbodash grinned, showing the same flat teeth Flygon could feel in her mouth with her tongue. "So, Flygon, do you like racing?" She quickly switched into a defensive pose. "Not like you'd ever beat me, though!"
"Racing?" Flygon hardly ever raced anyone, except for when she was teaching hatchlings how to fly. The only reason she had to travel fast is if she was being chased. Therefore, she had never raced for as long as she could remember. But I think that being on good terms with these creatures would be optimal in my situation. I'll just have to lie a bit. "Yes, I enjoy racing. It's one of my personal hobbies."
"Cool," Renbodash smirked. "Maybe we can race when you get better!"
"No," Flygon said, a little more harshly than she intended. Renbodash raised an eyebrow. "I mean, uh, as soon as I am released from this hospital, I would like to go back to my home. My home outside of Equestria." Though I have yet to figure out how I'll be able to accomplish that.
"Outside of Equestria? Oh, where do you live?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
Flygon felt a pit of empty anxiety in her stomach. This Twilight Sparkle character looked knowledgable. She'd probably know that the Kalos Region didn't exist in Equestria. Flygon would lie, but she didn't know the names of any places in Equestria. Besides, she had already told Renbodash, Scootaloo, and the doctor where she was from. That was a dumb move...If only I'd known I was in a different dimension at that point. Cursed amnesia! "I'm from a place called the Kalos Region," Flygon hesitantly said.
"Kalos? I don't think I've ever heard of a place like that," Twilight Sparkle said, just as expected.
"It's uh, a remote island. I doubt you'd've heard of it. It isn't on most maps."
"Oh," Twilight Sparkle frowned. After a couple seconds, she brightened up. "Maybe you can tell me about it? I love to learn about new places."
"Another time, maybe," Flygon said quickly.
"Hey, Twilight?" Renbodash interjected. "Why did you want to speak with Flygon again? You said it was pretty important, and--no offense, Flygon--pegasi getting struck by lightning is a pretty common thing. We do fly, after all." Was Renbodash meaning to say that these puny wings could actually get her into the air? There was no way! Unless this species' chemical composition allowed these "pegasi" ignore the rules of gravity like many floating Psychic Pokémon. It was a possibility, and Flygon wanted to ask all about it. But she couldn't without sounding suspicious. After all, she was one of these pegasi.
"Oh, yes, that's right," Twilight Sparkle's hint of a smile faded back into a frown of confusion. "I'm terribly sorry to trouble the injured, but I'd like to ask you some questions, Ms. Flygon." She's acting more formal now. She means business.
"That's fine. I've been on the receiving end of questions all day, Ms. Twilight Sparkle."
"Whoa, what's with you two acting so stiff all of a sudden?" Renbodash questioned. She was ignored.
"I was curious, and I asked Rainbow Dash to show me the site where you got struck by lightning," Twilight Sparkle began. She chuckled a bit, but it sounded fake. "After all, it's not everyday when a pegasus gets struck by lightning in the middle of nowhere."
"Is that so?" Flygon said, only meaning a little of the sarcasm laced in her voice. Lightning might function differently in this world. Who knows? "Well, I haven't been in Equestria for very long. I wouldn't know."
"Mm," Twilight Sparkle made a noise somewhere between a murmur of agreement and a grunt in annoyance. "Anyway, while I was on the site of the lightning strike, I could trace a considerable amount of foreign energy. It wasn't even magic. It was something along the lines of which I've never sensed before."
"What!?" Renbodash spun on her hooves and turned to Twilight Sparkle, a shocked expression on her face. "F-foreign energy? Why didn't you tell me, Twi? I didn't feel anything like that when I was there!"
Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Rainbow. You know I don't like to hide things from my friends. But I didn't want to make a big deal of it before asking the victim herself. I thought she might have an explanation for this."
Flygon felt herself grow a bit irritated. "I'd prefer it if you wouldn't talk about me like I'm not here," she said.
Twilight Sparkle's purple-gray eyes narrowed. "Then DO you have an explanation for this foreign energy? I've gone through all the possibilities in my mind. Like I said, I've never traced energy like this with my magic before. It's not from any creature that I know--and trust me, I know about a lot of different creatures. It isn't from the Everfree Forest either. I checked with Princess Celestia. There haven't been any breaches of dark magic from the Everfree since the Nightmare Moon incident. What I sensed in that clearing was a magic unprecedented in Equestria. Naturally, I'd find that pretty suspicious." Another monologue Flygon had no understanding of whatsoever. The gist was relatively comprehensible. Twilight Sparkle must've had the ability to trace certain types of electricities and auras, which she called "magic." The electricity from the Dimension Skipper, used to create a rip in time and space itself, was an alien magic to Twilight Sparkle. Flygon realized she wasn't in a very good position. Twilight Sparkle thought the source of the energy had come from Flygon, and deemed her as suspicious. Flygon would have to talk smoothly and learn fast if she was to get back to her world unscathed.
Step #1: Recover fast and get out of this hospital. Pokémon healed very fast compared to humans, but there was no telling the recovery rate of these equines. Dr. Horse said it would take a couple days to get out of this hospital. She would be fully healed in a week or two. Fair enough. For humans, broken ribs could take up to two months to heal.
Step #2: Find the DS. This was obviously the most important. If she didn't find it, she could be stuck here forever! Perhaps she could rebuild it, but it could take years to get all the parts. Flygon knew it was possible that the DS had already been obliterated during her dimensional travels, but she forced that thought to the back of her mind.
Those were the only two goals she could think of. They were merely concepts, basic thoughts that only served to create a guideline to her escape. What Flygon desired to do was question Twilight Sparkle about the whereabouts of the DS. If she had searched Flygon's crash site, she would've seen the DS if it was still existing. Sadly, asking her where a dimensional portal device was would just make Flygon seem even more suspicious. She'd have to hold off her questions for now.
"But what does this mean?" Renbodash pressed. Her expression a mixture of surprise, dejection, and aggression.
"It means we can't trust Flygon, unfortunately," Twilight Sparkle replied, her eyes flinty. "She's most likely the source. In fact, I can sense the presence of some of the energy right now. It's possible that she possesses a different kind of magic than ponies. It could be a dark magic. She might not even be a pony. She might be a monster from beyond Equestria that's capable of taking on a pony form...like a changeling."
"A changeling?!" Renbodash cried. "She's a changeling?! Then lemme at her! There's no way I'm letting those awful things try to take over Equestria again!" Renbodash almost charged at Flygon, but a fuchsia glow surrounded her tail, holding her in place. The source of the colored light seemed to be from Twilight Sparkle's horn, casting a shadow over her face. Levitation! This Twilight Sparkle must be a Psychic Type...no, I can't think like that. I'm not in a land of battles and types anymore.
"Calm down, Rainbow," Twilight's horn dimmed, and Renbodash fell to the ground, sharply landing on her hooves. "We're not sure yet." Her gaze shifted to Flygon, who was watching the scene unfold with a look of wary attentiveness. "What do you have to say to these allegations, Ms. Flygon?"
I have to be smart about what I say here. From the looks of it, "changelings" are another species besides ponies that are approached with revulsion. "I don't have that much to say," Flygon's words were slow and precise. "I could argue that I'm not a changeling, but it would be in vain. You wouldn't believe me. Since I'm bedridden right now, it would be for the best if you found a way to prove I'm not a changeling."
"Hm," Twilight Sparkle seemed to be perplexed by this response. Her eyebrows knotted.
"Can't you just cast that spell you used to reveal the changelings when we battled them?" Renbodash suggested, getting in Twilight Sparkle's face.
"I could," Twilight started, "but that's a pretty violent spell, meant to cause harm to the pony--or changeling--it's cast upon. If I cast it on Flygon, I'd run the risk of injuring her even more. I wouldn't want to cause harm to a pony, if she is one."
"Huh," Renbodash slumped. "Good point. So what do we do?" What do we do indeed. I hope they don't decide to get rid of me now...
"I have an idea," Twilight Sparkle said. "Flygon, after you're dismissed from the hospital, I'd like to take you back to my home. Since you don't live in Equestria, I could give you a spare room to stay in until I confirm you're not a danger to us. I'd be running many different magical and technological tests to make sure you aren't a changeling. You'd have to do whatever I told you to. To be bluntly honest, you'd be my lab rat for a couple days. What do you think?"
"Well, I don't exactly have a choice, do I," Flygon snorted. Tests in a lab were the last thing she wanted, and the prospect of being Twilight Sparkle's lab rat was horrifying. However, if it was to gain the ponies' trust, that would make it all the more easier to search for the DS without them getting suspicious. It was worth some discomfort to get home as soon as possible.
"No, you don't," Twilight Sparkle's voice was stern.
"Can I come too?" Renbodash demanded. "You know, just in case she does turn out to be a changeling, and tries to hurt you or Spike. I won't let anything bad happen to my friends!"
Twilight smiled, and her eyes crinkled under the lavender fur. She was rather cute when she wasn't so rigid. "Of course. Loyal as always, Rainbow Dash. Let's go; I need to prepare some things down in the lab."
"Got it," Renbodash looked at Flygon. "...See you tomorrow." Despite her casual tone of voice, there was distrust in her eyes.
"Yes, see you tomorrow, Ms. Twilight Sparkle and Ms. Renbodash." It's clear nothing I say at this point will make them any less suspicious of me. Might as well turn the stiffness up a notch.
"Renbodash?" the cyan pegasus repeated. "Uh, my name is 'Rainbow Dash.'"
"Yes," Flygon nodded, not understanding her in the slightest. "Renbodash."
"No, no, it's 'Rainbow Dash.' Two words. Like, rainbows and dashing."
"Oh." Flygon blushed a bit. Rainbow Dash, eh? These ponies sure have weird names...In fact, everything about this place is weird. No matter how curious I am about this alternate dimension, I mostly just wish I was home.