//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: A New World, a New Lifestyle // by Omega_code //------------------------------// Apparently the guard station did indeed keep a small stock of meat for situations when they housed a gryphon in one of their jail cells. The meat had already been cooked and preserved, it just had to be reheated. So Xerox and Scarlet waited with Lance in the cell he’d been stuck in, though the cell door was left wide open. “Well... this has been some day, hasn’t it?” the Serperior stated, glancing down her snake like body, still adjust the new look and feel to it. “You’re telling me,” Lance commented in his low and rough tone, cranking his stiff neck left and right. “What heck happened to us, or more specifically, you?” “For once I’m clueless....” Scarlet muttered with a frown before slowly shaking her head. “All I remember was hearing a voice before passing out and then I woke up like this.” A small vine slithered out from the base of the her leaf collar and gesture down at herself. “Same thing for me too,” Xerox added. “Though that just got me thinking of how many more Pokemon... or even humans got sent here too.” “I’m more interested on who that voice belongs to,” Scarlet stated out though she nodded her head afterwards. “But yeah, that is something to think about too... and if I was turned into Serperior... I wonder if all the humans here are some form of Pokemon.” “Maybe... though the question is who could’ve done something like that,” Xerox said, a frown crossing his face. “Heck if I know,” Scarlet said with a shrug before sighing. “I mean, I’m good in knowing the abilities of different Pokemon, but for someone to do something like this-” she gestured a vine at her Serperior body once more. “-I can’t even narrow it down to a list of subjects.” “Not to mention being able to teleport us to somewhere else,” Lance added. “Yeah...” Xerox agreed, his voice trailing away as his mind wandered off in thought. My apartment... my books... all of my things are just... gone now. “I hope we’ll be able to head back home....” he muttered under his breath. Scarlet glanced up at the Zoroark, seeing the rueful expression on his face. “Hopefully,” she assured him, though couldn’t help a distressed sigh leaving her lips. “I mean, hopefully we’ll get some more light shed on what happen to us, and go from there. Now though we got to adapt to the current situation we’ve been thrust in and just stay on the good side of the locals.” Xerox closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and nodded his head. “Yeah, that’s all about what we can do huh?” “Mhm,” Scarlet replied with a nod of confirmation. “Solving that murder case helped, and hopefully later today we can talk more about how Lance and I can help with other Pokemon problems.” “Which ought to be a lot,” Lance commented causally. “Yeah... a lot,” Scarlet said with a frowned as she pondered the thought. Though it didn’t last long as there was a soft knock on the side of the jail’s metal bars. “Um... excuse me, I brought you some food,” Ruby, the red unicorn sitting behind the desk who Xerox faintly recalled meeting when they’d first arrived, said as she wheeled a food cart loaded with three dishes of arranged meat, along with some vegetables to them. Scarlet smiled kindly at the mare and bowed her head. “Thank you kindly,” she told her, which only caused a slightly confused frown to cross Ruby’s face. The mare glanced over at Xerox. “She says thank you... as do I, thank you kindly,” Xerox quickly said, mimicking the polite bow with his head. A soft lighthearted chuckle rang out from the mare. “You’re very welcome,” Ruby replied with a small smile. “If y’all need anything else just let me know. You might be staying in a prison cell at the moment, but you’re more of our guests than inmates, heh.” “Will do,” Xerox replied with nod of his head. Ruby nodded right back before heading out of the jail room, leaving the cart of food behind. Scarlet slithered up near the door. “Well, while we’ll wait for Lone Star, let’s eat!” The setting sun’s light shone through the window as Lone Star sat behind his desk with Scarlet and Xerox standing in front of him. “So, Miss. Sanitary has been taken care of,” the earth pony started off. “Apparently she suffered a mental breakdown when Cello’s carefree and sloppy nature finally reached the last straw with her. I won’t go into the full details, but it seems Sanitary and Cello were having an argument and... Sanitary was holding a knife and took a swing. From there the dam broke.” A frown crossed his face. “She’s going to be transferred to a mental institution in Las Pegasus, but I would like to thank you for the help you gave.” “It was no problem, Sheriff,” Xerox replied, rubbing a paw behind his head. “I was just doing what a good detective should do...” “Of course it is,” the pony said with a small agreeing nod. “Now, since I did ‘commision’ you to help in the case, I have to pay you a commission fee though I really can’t since you lack a license or the certifications to be an actual detective,” Lone Star informed them, causing Xerox to frown a bit in disappointment. Not because he wasn’t going to get paid, but more to the thought of having to go through another certification process. The Zoroark sighed a little as his shoulders slack slightly, but the sheriff continued on. “However, I am not known of rewarding help. After talking to Grace about it for a short while, she has agreed to house you three if you want to, and money you would’ve earned will actually help pay your rent for about a week.” Xerox’s ears perked up as his head tilted up at the pony while Scarlet smiled gratefully. “Tell him we thank him for kind offer and humbly accept it, Xerox.” “We accept,” Xerox replied to Lone Star. “Thank you.” Lone Star waved a hoof through the air. “Don’t mention it, literally. Now, to the true reason why want to speak to you. I remember in our last conversation of you saying something about being able to help deal with Pokemon problems,” he said, turning his head towards Scarlet. The Serperior simply nodded her head in reply. “Well, I’m going to polity ask for your help then. More reports of strange creatures, monsters, and ‘ghost’ have been flooding in throughout the day. If you three would be so kind as to help me and my deputies out, we would be very grateful.” “Of course we will Sheriff,” Scarlet replied with around nod of her head. “It’s what Rangers do best anyways, heh.” “I take that as a yes?” the pony stated, an eye glancing over at Xerox. The Zoroark nodded his head. “Yes... we will help in anyway we can,” he replied, though a bit histent. Xerox might be a Pokemon but he had a feeling there might be some battles ahead... and to be frankly honest with himself he knew he wasn’t the best of fighters. He focused more on moves to avoid attacks and to be able to get away quickly. Even Night Daze, a Zoroark’s signature move was more for flash and show than an actual attack. “Though, I will mostly like just help with the translating.” “Fine by me, since we’re going to need you for a while,” Lone Star replied. “Meadow remember there could be a translation spell that could help with language barrier between us, but she has to find how to cast it first. So till then, you are our only way of understand Pokemon.” Xerox nodded his head. “Right... I can handle translating what you need to know.” “Good, now let’s be off.” The Sheriff pushed the chair he was sitting on back and slided off onto his hooves. He picked his cowboy hat off the desk and place it on his head. “We have some reports of a water serpent in our lake causing a bit of trouble with the ponies.” Xerox blinked a bit in surprise at the sudden call to action, but Scarlet simply nodded her head. “Water serpent huh... hmm, could be a Gyarados, Milotic, or a Dragonair.” “Gyarados most likely if it’s causing trouble,” Lance added. “Could be...” Scarlet said with a pondering frown. “Either way, we should be able to handle it.” The earth pony glanced between the Bisharp and the Serperior for a moment before at Xerox. “Umm... they’re just discussing strategy,” the Pokemon explained to the Sheriff. “I see... well, come on along then. I want to reach the lake before Celestia fully sets the sun down,” he said as he headed out of his office. All three of the Pokemon gave him a queer look for a moment before they followed. “Well... I think we can rule out a Gyarados,” Scarlet said as they reached the lake. It wasn’t very big, probably around fifty yards all around in rough estimate. “If there was one, he or she wouldn’t be very happy to be in such a small lake, and would already be rampaging.” “Indeed,” Lance agreed as his eyes surveyed the waters. “So that just means it could be either a Milotic or a Dragonair.” “Yeah... so, feel like diving today?” Scarlet inquired as she glanced at the Bisharp. Lance gave her a flat look. The Serperior shrugged her leaf collar. “Hey, I thought I would ask at least. You would get a good view of everything down there anyways.” “Hmph,” Lance grunted as he went back to searching for signs of disturbance in the water. They didn’t have to wait long. With a mighty explosion of water, a long, serpentine form emerged from the lake’s surface. She, at least Xerox assumed it was a she, had cream colored scales that covered every inch of her flowing body except for the red eyes and ‘ears’ along with the blue and red end of her finned tail. The Milotic looked at them with worried but rather angry eyes. “Finally! Something that isn’t a deformed Ponyta or Rapidash!” she exclaimed, shaking her head angrily. Scarlet raised an eye ridge at the Milotic. “Hello Miss, my name is Scarlet. I heard you were causing a bit of a... disturbance among the locals living here. I’m here to see what the problem is besides the fact we’re not really on Earth at the moment.” “I’m looking for my mate!” the Milotic answered, her tone becoming much more worried. “As for a disturbance, these foolish little Ponyta tried throwing a net on me! They’re lucky I didn’t freeze them where they stood for it!” “I’m sorry to hear that ma’am,” Scarlet replied calmly. “I’m sure they didn’t fully mean it and were just frightened by your sudden appearance in the lake. Not only that but they can’t understand us and... might have confused your words for something else.” The Milotic simply snorted and let out an irked breath. “I just need to find Tavi,” she said, shaking her head. “Idiot Gyarados will get himself killed without me... or destroy a town looking for me... neither of which are good things.” Scarlet frowned slightly as Lone Star whispered over to Xerox. “What’s going on?” “She’s... looking for her mate,” Xerox replied a frowned of his own forming on his face. “A Gyarados apparently.” “A what?” the pony asked with a large raise of his right eyebrow. “...a very large water type Pokemon, that looks like a blue serpent the size of a two eighteen wheelers with an always gaping mouth and fangs,” the Zoroark explained slowly. “They mostly live in the ocean or very large lakes, and have the tendency to have short fuses and get into rampages if angered.” The Sheriff blinked as he looked back over at the Milotic. “I see...” he muttered softly to himself as he tried to visualize the creature Xerox described to him. Though it was hard since he didn’t know what an eighteen wheeler was... still, he didn’t remember any reports citing such a Pokemon near New Hope. “I don’t think she will be able to find her mate around the town,” he point out to Scarlet. “What is the little thing saying?” the Milotic asked. “Stop whispering and speak to me!” “He said he doesn’t think you’ll be able to find your mate here around the town,” Scarlet restated while Xerox was translating what the Milotic said to the pony. The Sheriff picked up his voice. “I don’t remember any reports from the town’s folks saying they saw a creature that matches a description of a Gyarados. Not only that but we don’t have any large bodies of water near here. The nearest one is around fifty miles from here, which is the ocean west from Las Pegasus.” “What?!” the Milotic shouted. “Tavi is fifty miles away? Maybe more?!” “Possibly,” Scarlet said calmly, trying not to wince at the loud volume of the Milotic’s voice. “I’m sure the Sheriff will be happy to help find a way to get you there if you corporate,” she said, gesturing down to the pony beside her. After a quick translation from Xerox, Lone Star nodded his head. “Yes, I can set up an arrangement for you to get on the next train to the city, and call ahead to the guard stationed there so they can help guided you to the ocean.” “You can do that? That would be amazing! Maybe you deformed Ponyta shouldn’t be frozen solid!” the Milotic exclaimed with a grin. Xerox blinked for a moment. “She thanks you for the offer and gladly accepts,” he told the sheriff, deciding to not fully translate the sentence. Lone Star nodded his head. “It’s no problem Miss. I’ll have Xerox-” he lifted a hoof and pointed it at the Zoroark “-and one of my Deputies come fetch you once everything is set.” Xerox’s ears perked up from being called out, but the Milotic simply continued to grin and nodded her head in thanks. “Wonderful, that would be much appreciated, though I must be kept wet! My scales become horrible if I dry out too much,” the serpent insisted. “That and I smell awful...” “I’ll keep that noted,” Lone Star replied after Xerox informed him. “I make sure you have a separate cart and buckets of water set aside to dump over you if that will work.” “A tub would work as well,” she pointed out before glancing at Scarlet. “These deformed Ponyta aren’t very intelligent are they?” “I really can’t say,” the Serperior replied. “Still thank you for your cooperation... also, how many water type Pokemon are living in the lake? Just to settle a curiosity of mine.” “Twenty or so I think... I’ve mostly been avoiding them, or they’ve been avoiding me, I’m not really sure,” the Milotic answered. “Oh, and tell them that my name is Kaolin, it is much prefered to being called ‘that random Milotic’.” Xerox nodded his head as he told the Sheriff about using a tub of water and the Milotic’s name. However Scarlet asked one more question. “Also, have any of the water Pokemon said anything... strange or even acted abnormal?” “Well, there was one Goldeen who was rambling about being a human or some such, but a Pidgeot grabbed him and I assume he’s been eaten,” Kaolin answered with a frown. “Why?” Scarlet shrugged her leaf collar once more, doing her best not to break her cool outward demeanor. “Like I said, settling my own curiosity. I mean some other Pokemon I ran into claimed the same about being a human, so I just wanted to know.” “Very well,” Kaolin stated with a shake of her head. “Call for me when it is time for me to depart.” With that said, she dove back beneath the surface, her tail sending up a wave of water that hit Xerox in the face. The Zoroark simply blinked as he tried his best to be yelp from shock of the cold water splashing and dripping down his fur. He raised a paw to rubbed the water out of his eyes. “Well... that went... smoothly,” he said as he shook his wet paw off to the side. “Yes, yes it did,” she said, sounding worried. “Though I’m sure you’re disappointed for no battle coming out of this, huh Lance?” she added, trying to lighten the mood ever so slightly as she glanced up at the Bisharp, who simply crossed his arms and remained silent. Unfortunately, her false cheer didn’t last and in the back of her mind what the Milotic had said about the Goldeen brought up a rather bad set of memories. She shook her head and took a deep breath. “Anyways, I think we should head back to town, Sheriff,” she stated her voice shaking a bit as she glanced over at the Sheriff. Xerox noticed the small uneasiness in Scarlet’s voice, but he nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, we’re ready to head back Sheriff,” he informed the earth pony. Lone Star nodded his head. “Very well, I’ll take you to Grace’s house so ya’ll can get settle in. Tomorrow Deputy Meadow should come and should have that translation spell down to cast on y’all. From there all of you should be able to help in settling down more Pokemon problems in the town.” “Right, just... lead the way,” Scarlet said, gesturing a vine out, her voice still a bit on the edge but her posture still remained calm. The Sheriff got the jist of what she was saying and turned around to head back towards the path leading into town. Lance was the first to follow and Xerox started to, but he paused when he notice Scarlet was sitting in place. “Everything okay Scarlet?” he asked of her. The Serperior remained quiet for a moment before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “No... not really, but we’ll worry about it later. Right now, I just want to get some sleep,” she replied as she began to slithered forward, moving past the Zoroark. Xerox frowned a bit in confusion before he picked up his pace and followed shortly behind.