//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: A New World, a New Lifestyle // by Omega_code //------------------------------// Scarlet was wandering around the city, getting lot of scared looks from the ponies while doing so, when she too received the speech Arceus sent out. The Serperior frowned slightly. “Well, that confirmed a few of our suspicions, doesn't it Lance?” she inquired of the Bisharp that was closely following her. “Indeed,” Lance replied with a shallow nod of his head. “Though it is a bit of a surprise to hear Arceus is the cause of all of this. I thought he was imprisoned.” “I guess he must have found a way out,” Scarlet muttered, her frown deepen slightly as recalled something from the Alpha Pokemon’s speech. Those who have proven themselves worthy... so that’s why I’m here and a Pokemon? I hate to think what happen to those who didn’t pass the test... “Something on your mind?” Lance inquired, seeing the all too familiar pondering expression on her face. “Yeah... I think we’re stuck here, and I’m going to be a Pokemon for the rest of my life,” she replied, not sounding disappointed, just more stating of a fact. “Unless somehow, someone can change Arceus’s mind, which I doubt. So, we just need to do what he said, start try to get used to our new lifestyle.” “Like that’s going to be much of problem,” the Bisharp said with a small scoff. “Don’t be too sure Lance, things are bound to get chaotic. That speech Arceus gave was more of kick to a Beedrill’s nest than anything else,” Scarlet said with a frown. “With means any moment, Lone Star or one of his deputies will probably come get us to ask us some questions.” “Oh joy,” the Bisharp said in a dull sarcastic tone. “Oh cheer up,” Scarlet said with a small chuckle. “At least he probably not going to arrest this time,” she teased, causing the Bisharp to give her a flat glare. Scarlet just continued to jestly smile at him before shaking her head. “Beside, it would be the best... we need to work with him to stay on his good side, and of the town’s. Last thing I want is to cause a riot.” “That’s if the Pokemon or Ponies don’t agitate each other by themselves,” Lance pointed out. “Then we do our duty as Pokemon Rangers, it’s our job to keep the peace as much as we can,” the Serperior retorted. The Bisharp gave her another small flat look. “Scarlet, we’re good, but even with the two of us there’s only so much we can do.” “Six actually, Xerox technically counts as one too, and don’t forget the Sheriff and of his deputies too,” Scarlet reminded him.   “....my point still stands,” Lance stated, keeping up with his flat look at her. Scarlet let out a small sigh and shake her head. “Okay, it does in some aspects, but remember never to look at a gift Ponyta in the mouth. We need to use what we’ve got and make the most of it. So far, as all we know we are the only two Rangers here, but with what Arceus said about being worthy, I doubt that is truly the case.” “You think Abby is here?” Lanced inquired. A small concerned frown crossed over the Serperior’s face. “If she is, she can handle herself; she’s a smart girl... rash sometimes, but smart. Our goal now should be in helping Sheriff with any more Pokemon problems, and even searching for any human who were turned Pokemon around the city edge. I doubt many of them were calm and collected about this.” “How about you?” Lance asked. Scarlet remained silent for a short moment. “...I’m over it for the most part, what keeps me from freaking out is how overjoyed my mother would be if she saw me.” Lance gave her a small raise of an eye ridge. “Hey, it’s working.” “Evergreen!? Evergreen where are you?!” a frantic mare’s voice called from off to the left. Both Scarlet and Lance’s head turn to the direction of the voice as it continued on, getting more frantic by the second. “Evergreen, Evergreen, EVERGREEN! Oh Celestia, has anyone seen my colt?! He was just here! EVERGREEN!!” The Serperior frowned and glanced at Lance. “Stay here,” she said before slithering her way to the direction of the now screaming mare. She found herself near the edge of what look like a mix of a park and of a playground, a dozen or so filly and colts were playing and around five mares were sitting on benches, save for one azul colored unicorn one. Said mare took one look at Scarlet and started shouting something new. “The giant snake ate my son! There’s no other place he could be!” The other mares took one look at the Serperior and screamed in fright, rushing over to the now frightened children and taking them away as fast as they could. Scarlet just stared at her, her face the perfect mix of jaded cynicism and general tiredness to convey one simple emotion. Are you kidding me? Scarlet opened her mouth to say something, but she quickly remember she wouldn’t be understand since she was Pokemon. You think Arceus would have thought of that... she muttered in her mind. She just shook her head at the mare, hoping to say she didn’t do anything to her son. “Give me my son you monster!” the mare shouted, her horn then lit up and Scarlet got hit across the face with a purse. Scarlet blinked blankly for a moment... sad to say this wasn’t the first time she got hit like this, but she just rolled with the blow and kept her body upright. Really wish Xerox was here to translate... note to self, work on trying to speak normal again, she thought to herself before she let a vine slipped out and move it down to the soft dirt on the ground to write. “MONSTER!” the mare shouted again, hitting Scarlet in the face once more. Though as the purse was about to land it hit, another vine whacked it away with a strong crack in the wind. Scarlet glanced up at the mare with a small sour frown and pointed at what she wrote on the ground before moving back. The mare looked down to see the words ‘I didn’t eat your son’ written on the playground dirt. She narrowed her eyes at the serpent. “You’re lying! There’s no one else around who could have done it!” the mare screeched and threw herself at Scarlet. The Serperior simply caught the mare in mid air with her vines, firmly wrapping around her upper and lower chest. Scarlet’s mouth opened and the word ‘really?’ rolled off her tongue, of course, all the mare heard was ‘Serperior?’. “MONSTER! LET ME DOWN!” the mare shouted angrily, whapping Scarlet with the purse again. Scarlet barely winced from the heavy whack, but her face still stung a bit. What in world do you cary lady? “What in Equestria is going on!?” a new, yet familiar voice called out as Deputy Meadow came running up to the two. “Scarlet, put the mare down, now! And Miss, stopped assaulting the snake with your purse,” she ordered. Scarlet did as she was told, though she was going to do that sooner or later, and the mare started screaming again. “THIS MONSTER ATE MY SON! THIS MONSTER ATE MY SON!” she roared, hitting Scarlet again with her purse. “Ma’am, stop,” Meadow said again, her horn lighting up and yanking the purse away from the other unicorn’s control. “But she ate my baby! I swear it! If we don’t get him out of there quick he’ll get digesteeeed!” the mare shrieked, tears running down her face. The light brown mare glanced up at the Serperior. “Did you eat her son?” she simply asked, which Scarlet responded with a shake of her head. “LIAR!” the other mare screamed out. Meadow glanced at the other mare, understanding her reason for worry, but didn’t like the way she was handling it. She closed her eyes and focused on casting the translation spell she studied over the night, hoping it would actually work on Scarlet. The Serperior’s body glowed for a brief moment before it fade away. “Now, answer it again, but say it. We should be able to understand you now.” Scarlet gave the deputy a small raise of her eyebrow but said, “I didn’t eat anyone. I was walking with Lance when we heard the mare scream about her son. I told Lance to stay while I can to see if I could help... old habit of being a Ranger and all.” Meadow slightly smiled, proud to have cast the translation spell correctly before turning over to azul mare. “There, your son hasn’t been eaten.” “THEN WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SONnnnnn?” the mare wept. “I don’t know ma’am,” Meadow answered. “But I assured you that I and the rest of the Sheriff's deputies will search for him. Can you tell me what happen the last time you saw him?” “I-he-he was right at the ed-edge of the play-playground when-when I noticed that he was mi-missing and that-that serpent came over!” the mare gasped out, glaring at Scarlet from behind tear stained eyes. “Sh-she had to have taken him! Even if she didn’t eat him I-I bet she hit his head and then took-took him home for her babies to eat!” The deputy glanced up at Scarlet, who was letting out a small sigh. “I didn’t do that either,” the Serperior said. “I just heard you scream for help and came rushing to try and help.” “Did you see anyone while you were making your way here?” Meadow asked. Scarlet closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “No, I didn’t pass anyone or see someone fleeing the scene.” Meadow frowned and nodded her head before walking up to the weeping mare some comfort. “I’ll take her back to the station and get Maxim to start searching around the playground. You and Lance should probably come too so no one else can accuse you.” “Noted, but I would like to help too; tracking is one of my specialties,” Scarlet informed her. “It is?” Meadow asked with an inquiring eyebrow.   “Yeah... we also might want to bring Xerox too, his nose might come in handy,” Scarlet commented with a small thoughtful frown before noticing the look Meadow was giving her. “Hey, he might not have a good nose like an Arcanine, but he can still pick up different scents with it. It might help in finding her son quicker.” Meadow slowly nodded her head, understaining Scarlet’s reasoning at least. “Think you can go get him quick?” Scarlet smirked lightly. “Of course.”