//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Old Scars, New Chances // by Arcticbrony //------------------------------// “So when he mentioned the Pokémon that underwent changes, he meant…” “I believe he was referring to us that used to be human, yes.” Ethan was still answering Mary Care’s questions. They had been talking for hours, but had still only covered a fraction on the subject of Pokémon. Still, Ethan liked to believe that he had explained the basics of what she needed to know. “… Why would he do that though?” That was indeed the question both Ethan and Officer Jenny had been asking themselves. “I wish I knew.” Ethan let out a tired sigh, it was getting late. “Can’t you ask him though? I mean… he did say where he was, so it’s a possibility right?” Ethan winced slightly. She had a point. That was an option but… “I don’t really want to go visit a god. Tiny bit above my pay grade.” “But… is he really a god? I-I did not mean any disrespect, I mean he must be powerful if he brought you all here but I…” Mary began to stammer as she was frantically trying to explain herself and apologize at the same time. “It’s alright, it’s a good question. To be honest I’m not sure what to think, I used to believe that he was nothing more than a legend. The legendary god Pokémon who created the world… no, I’m good right here.” Ethan laughed it off with a smile. What he had told her was only part of the truth. Arceus had said that the humans that were brought here was the ones that were the ones that were good, kind… worthy. He did not believe himself to be worthy, and he was pretty sure that Officer Jenny would agree with him. “Anypony would be overwhelmed by something like that.” She agreed. “Do you mind if I ask some questions about you? You have told me a lot about Pokémon but I only know your name.” “One last question before I hit the hay then.” “Oh my, I hadn’t noticed the time, I’m so sorry.” “No, I don’t mind, it was rather pleasant to talk with you.” He gave her a small smile. “So, your last question for the night?” Mary brought her hoof up to her chin and considered what she would ask. “Well, I wanted to know a little about you. You know that I’m a veterinarian, but what did you use to do before you came here?” “You mean like a job?” She nodded. “Well... I took care of Pokémon that needed it. I am a certified Pokémon Caretaker and Pokémon Psychologist. I specialized in rehabilitation.” It was not entirely true. He had gone to the school to get his diploma in Pokémon Psychology, but he had never gotten the opportunity to finish. Fleeing from the law makes going to school a little difficult. “Oh, did you have your own clinic where you took care of them then?” “I did. It was a nice little place, away from nearby cities. I liked the quiet.” He really missed his little base now that he thought about it. He and Vernus had built it together. “Feels a little weird not to have a home anymore…” He had only meant to think that part, so he was a little surprised when he heard Mary gasp. “Oh no I’m so sorry, I-I did not mean to it like that I…” He patted her on the shoulder with his paw, before she would go off and apologize even more. “No, I shouldn’t have said it like that. This is a new world, filled with new chances. I suppose one should look at it like that instead.” He shook his head lightly. “But I think I will call it for today. See you tomorrow, Mary, and thanks again for letting us stay the night, I owe you.” Ethan got up and began walking over to the guestroom. “It’s the least I could do. See you in the morning. I think I will have the spell ready by then.” He did not answer; instead he flashed a smile back at her before he went in and closed the door behind him. Officer Jenny had already fallen asleep. She was curled up under the blanket on the bed that had been unoccupied. Ethan had to admit, she looked a little cute there all peaceful like that. She would have kicked his butt had he told her that though, no doubt about it. She had to be tough, controlling. Came with the job she had, he supposed. But she had the bed on the left and Chii was sleeping on the right one, he didn’t mind having to share. He couldn’t actually remember a night, which did not end with at one Pokémon having snuck up into his bed. One time he had trouble getting out, because of how crowded it was. So being careful not to wake Chii, he slid under the blanket and got comfortable. Being woken up by something hitting you in the face is a rather unpleasant way to start your day. That was what Ethan thought as something kept slapping him in the face, as he refused to open his eyes and deal with whatever it was. `I’m sure it will stop soon. ` He thought to himself as he tried to go back to sleep. Slap `Probably just Chii who’s moving a little in her sleep.` Slap `Then again, it could be Officer Jenny who decided she wanted to take out her aggression me in a rather feeble way.` Slap `No, she would just straight up deck me in the jaw.` Slap `…Ignore it and it will go away…` Slap `Who wakes a man by slapping him in the face, I mean really? ` Deciding that he had finally had enough, Ethan opened his eyes to see who was robbing him of his beauty sleep. A man can only tolerate being slapped for so long after all. There on his chest was Chii. She was staring intently at him, and she had her tail slightly raised above his head. He had a sinking suspicion of what she had been doing with it. “Can I help-” She brought her tail down and slapped him in the face yet again. “-You.” It was going to be one of those mornings. Oh how he loved those mornings. “What is it, Chii? I was trying to sleep…” “Ethan?” She cocked her head a little to the side as she asked. “…Yes?” “It really was you! I knew it wasn’t a dream.” She jumped at him, and nuzzled against his cheek. He couldn’t really blame her for being unsure of what happened yesterday. “It’s really me. It’s so good to see you again.” He picked her up and gave her a hug, nuzzling her back. “Don’t worry; I’m not leaving you again. Sorry you had to go through that.” She sniffed a little, but smiled and nodded. “It’s okay. I knew you would come. You said you would never abandon me, and I believe you.” She really was a heartwarming little fluffy ball of joy. “You look really pretty.” She giggled as she hopped back onto his chest. “I do, don’t I? You really think being a Lopunny fits me? I was hoping for something a little manlier.” She shook her head. “Nuuh, it fits you. You are perfect as a pretty Lopunny.” Give it to the children to give it to you straight. He had only been kidding with her though, of all the possible things he could have been, he was happy as a Lopunny. “That and now I got these fluffy ears too, they’re the best.” Ethan laughed as he threw both of them over Chii, covering her in fluff. The two of them began making quite the ruckus as they played. And it was not long before Officer Jenny could ignore them no longer. “Who is that?” Chii asked, as she pointed to where Jenny was sleeping. “Why don’t you wake her up and ask her yourself?” Ethan suggested. “…I’m already awake. It’s impossible for anyone to sleep with you two making so much noise.” She groaned as she rolled over, looking directly at them. “Hello, my name is Chii. Who are you?” Chii asked as she sat back down on Ethans chest. “I’m Officer Jenny, another former human.” “You’re a police officer? Oh, does that mean that you helped Ethan find me? Thank you so much!” Officer Jenny was about to mention that she did not help him, and they stumbled upon her by accident. But seeing how happy and thankful she seemed, she hesitated. “…You’re welcome.” “Chii,” Ethan got her attention, his voice a little more serious than normal. “A very nice… pony let us stay the night with us. Her name is Mary, but she is not your Mary. You understand?” It took a few moments but Chii nodded. “Yes… but Lord Arceus transformed the good humans into Pokémon and brought them here too. So she could…” Ethan stopped her before she could get any further. “You know that she is not here… I’m sorry, Chii.” Ethan doubted that Arceus would have resurrected the dead. And even if he had, Mary was not a good person. Chii still loved her even though she did not deserve it, and he did not have it in himself to break that view Chii had of her former trainer. She needed to realize it herself. “I… I just hoped that… with what Lord Arceus said I…” Tears were beginning to appear in the corner of her eyes. She wanted to cry, but she steeled herself and fought through it. “A-are Sax, Vernus, and Zoey here too?” “…No, you are the only one we have found so far.” Ethan really hoped that they would find them soon though. He knew that they would be fine on their own, but he still missed his friends. “But now that we got you here to teach me and Jenny how to be proper Pokémon, I’m sure we will find them in no time.” Ethan grinned and ruffled the fur on her head playfully, making her giggle. “Are you ready to go meet the nice Pony that let us sleep here?” Chii took her commander position on top of Ethan’s head as he got up. “Yep!” “Well, let’s go and introduce you to her then. Just remember, you can understand her, but she can’t understand you. She needs to cast a spell on you first.” He was not sure if she knew this already, maybe she had already tried talking to some of the ponies. With that in mind, they walked out of the guest room. It was still early in the morning, but Ethan had heard someone… pony moving around outside the room they had slept in and guessed that Mary had already stood up before them. And by the sight and smell that met them as they came to the kitchen, he had been right. “Good morning, Mary.” Ethan noticed her to their presence, since she seemed really caught up in what she was doing. “Good morning, everyone.” She smiled back. “And hello to you too, Chii. It’s nice to see that you’re awake and well.” Chii was a little hesitant to jump down to greet Mary. She was never too good at meeting new humans, but Mary was not a human, and she was not a Pokémon either from what Ethan had told her. She was not entirely sure what to think. “Don’t be like that; you were so excited to meet her just a few moments ago.” “H-hello! It’s nice to meet you too.” She exclaimed from on top of her perch. “See, was that so hard?” Ethan lifted her down from his head. “I don’t want to be pushy, but did you manage to learn the spell?” He asked her. Mary was being such a good host, but it would it would be easier if Officer Jenny and Chii could talk to the locals as well. “I think so; I mean, I can’t be entirely sure without trying it out. The spell was rather old, and it’s not really my area of expertise and I’m rambling again, I’m sorry.” She put down the fruit and vegetables she was chopping as she apologized. “We can try right now if you want.” “You ready, Chii?” Ethan asked her, getting a confirmative nod in response. “So am I, I’m tired of having you as a translator.” Officer Jenny stepped forward. “Here goes nothing then.” Mary said as her horn lit up, and a familiar beam shot out, hitting Officer Jenny and a similar one hitting Chii as she repeated the process. “T-there… wow that really takes a lot out of you.” She shook her head as she gathered herself. “Did it work?” “That felt funny… It was all tingly and warm.” Chii was the first one to speak up, and from the look on Mary’s face, it did work. “Then I think it’s time I introduced myself properly. I’m Officer Jenny, thank you for your hospitality.” She gave a short bow with her head. “It’s nice to finally be able to understand you both.” Mary beamed. “But Officer, you mean as in police officer?” She asked. “That’s right. I was an officer of the law before we got sent here. I had finally found a criminal that I had been chasing for a long time.” She glanced over to Ethan who met her look with a raised eyebrow. “The criminal scum got away though. When I woke up here he was gone.” “Oh… I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m sure he is not here. If what the voice said is true, then only the good and those that deserved it got sent here, right?” Ethan could see it on her. She wanted to tell on him so bad, to expose him for what she thought he was. “…Right.” “I have prepared some breakfast. I don’t have much; I did not expect guests, after all, but you are welcome to join me.” Ethan still had the food from the restaurant, but that could be saved for a later time. “I think all of us could use with some food. You hungry, Chii?” She did not answer at first, so he lifted her up and whispered to her. “If you eat up, I'll brush your coat for you after you are done.” It was a cheap trick to get her to eat, but it usually worked. “Really?” She beamed up to him, receiving a nod in return. “You have already helped us enough, but I would not say no to some food.” Officer Jenny said. “It’s no trouble really.” Mary used her magic to put the fruit and vegetables onto four plates, one for each of them. “I hope you like it. I don’t know what you usually eat, but we have apples, oranges, some carrots and some grapes. Enjoy.” She handed pulled up some extra chairs to the table so everyone had a spot, though Chii favored her spot with Ethan rather than getting her own. “Well it certainly looks amazing, though I don’t recognize all of it. What do you say, Chii? Does it beat Oran Berries?” He held up a small piece of an orange, which Chii happily accepted. “It’s… different, but it’s good.” She beamed, happily taking another piece. She must have been really hungry, Ethan thought. Seeing as both Chii and Officer Jenny were digging in; Ethan took a piece of fruit and decided to try it for himself. Chii had been right, it tasted a little different than what he was used to but it was still good. “So… What do you plan on doing now?” Mary asked them. “Well… both of us want to find our Pokémon, our friends.” Ethan gestured to Officer Jenny. “But we have no clue on where they might be. So we were planning to stay around the village for the time being, maybe someone… pony. I really need to get used to that.” He muttered the last part to himself. “As I said, maybe somepony sees or overhears something that can help us locate them.” Officer Jenny decided to join in. “It’s as he said, just going on a blind search won’t do us any good. And while we are here, we can try to help with any Pokémon related problems that might occur. It’s the least we could do to repay you for your hospitality.” “Oh, you don’t need to do anything to repay me. But… if something comes up, I’ll take you up on that offer, thank you.” She looked over to Ethan. “And you still owe me some questions.” “Heh, I guess you’re right. You want me to answer them now?” She shook her head. “No, I have to head over to my clinic soon and…” she was interrupted by a knock that came from her door. “… Who could that be this early in the morning?” she mused out loud as she got up and went to answer. “Zephyr? Its unlike you to be up so early in the morning, anything you need?” Mary asked. Ethan remembered the name from the day before. He was one of the ponies that had shown them around the village. “Mary, I need to… oh you have guests? Just the two I was looking for too, I wanted to speak to all of you. Mary, there are something happening outside the village by the foot of the waterfall. Some ponies got a little nervous and wanted you to take a look, they think it might be related to the… Pokémon and their appearance.” “I’m a veterinarian, Zephyr. I deal with animals and all sort of creatures but I… I don’t know a lot about this. I only know what Ethan and Jenny have told me.” Mary sighed out. “I know, but still… It would make ease their fears if you and your friends would take a look at it. I take it that the spell worked?” “Yes… it did work. Now, what has happened at the waterfall?” she inquired. “…It’s a mighty weird thing. The water has been almost entirely covered in what looks like lilypads, but… they are alive. The ponies that reported it said that they were attacked by these… Pokémon, whatever they are. Please…” Ethan walked over to the two. “I’m up for a trip if you are.” He told Mary. “But… you said you would brush me,” Chii complained with a small pout from where she sat, between Ethan’s fluffy ears. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ll do it as soon as we are done, is that okay?” “…Yes.” Officer Jenny also walked over to the group as Chii accepted her fate. “Fine, we will go…” Mary sighed out. She did not mind and this would give her an opportunity to learn more about Pokémon, but it would also mean that she would be behind on her own work at the clinic. “You owe me one for this, Zephyr.” “I owe you more than one, if I remember correctly.” He laughed off. “I’ll make sure nopony goes over that way until we got it sorted out then. Good luck to you all.” He said as he spread his wings and took off. “We can manage on our own you know.” Officer Jenny said as she walked out the door. “I… no, it’s alright. Besides, you are not familiar around here, so you need somepony to show you the way. “She smiled in her usual, heartwarming way. “Come on then, it’s not far.” She said as she took lead, trotting ahead. The town was quiet, only a few ponies were out that early in the morning, getting ready for the day that was ahead of them. “So… what do you think it is?” Ethan asked Jenny. They were following just after Mary as they continued towards the waterfall. “We can’t be too sure without seeing it; he was rather vague about it. But lilypads that are alive… it sounds like Lotads, or possible some Lombres.” She was right; if the description Zephyr gave them was right, then it was not much else it could be. “I know but… Lotads or Lombres attacking? Maybe they were just playing some pranks on the ponies, spraying them with water, and they thought that they were being attacked?” Lombres could be mischievous and liked to play pranks on people after all. “Maybe… we will see when we get there.” Mary led them out of the village on a road that would take them down to the bottom of the waterfall. The closer they got, the smaller and smaller the road got, and the waterfall got louder. It sounded like it roared at them, threatening anyone that came too close to stay away. “So, do many ponies usually head down here?” Ethan decided to break the silence between them. Chii had been unusually silent, but from what Ethan saw, she was simply fascinated by the enormous waterfall. “Oh yeah, it’s quite a popular spot, especially for the tourists since it gives such a nice view of the falls. You can see for yourself, we are just about here.” The trees around them started to thin out as they were close to their destination. Ethan could spot the area where the waterfall hit a little distance away from where they were. It was making a beautiful sight, as the vapor from the water hitting the ground was visible in the air around where it hit. “Oh my…” Mary stopped up as she spotted the water and understood what Zephyr had been talking about. It was absolutely covered in lily pads, if each of those were alive… “Wow… that is a lot of Lotads.” Ethan let out a whistle as he saw the sight too. He could spot a few pads that were larger than the rest so there were probably a few Lombres in there as well. “They usually don’t gather in numbers this great… and they usually prefer calmer waters too, not something so close to a waterfall or with a strong stream.” Looking away from the waterfall he could see that the river picked up intensity. It seemed like all of the Lotads had gathered up in between the waterfall and the strong current, so not to get crushed or pulled downstream. “What kind of Pokémon is Lotad then?” Mary asked, she had been listening intently to every word Ethan had said. “It’s a grass and water type, and it’s usually a rather docile Pokémon.” He had told her about the different types the day before. “Still, if we need to know why they are gathered here and why they apparently attacked one of the villagers.” Officer jenny said as she got tired of waiting. She walked out and towards the water’s edge. “Hey!” she called out, hoping to get some of their attention. What she got instead was that all the nearby Lotads began retreating, swimming further out into the water out of her reach. “That’s what I was talking about… they don’t like fighting, and you can sound a little threatening.” Ethan said as he walked up to Officer Jenny. “But it looks like you accomplished something anyway, look!” He pointed out to one of the larger pads. It had separated from the rest of the group and was making its way towards them. When it got closer, a rather large Lombre emerged from the water. It observed the group for a moment before walking up to them. “What do you want?” Wow, straight to the point Ethan thought. Maybe it was the leader of the group. “We just wanted to talk. There are some ponies,” Ethan gestured to Mary who was keeping a little distance from the rest. “Who are a little nervous about all of you gathering here. They also said that you attacked some of them…” The Lombre scratched its head. “Ponies…” he repeated the word to itself, looking at Mary before shaking his head slowly. “We did not attack. Some of the smaller ones might have… played some pranks on them but they mean no harm. We don’t want to stay here… but it’s the only body of water we found that has not been occupied.” “Wait… occupied?” The Lombre nodded. “There was a rather nice pond… but there came several Whiscash that wanted the pond for themselves. They would eat the smaller ones so we had to move… we had to flee.” That made sense. Whiscash could be extremely territorial and would eat anything that was small enough for it to swallow. If there were more than one of the pond as well then they would likely fight among each other too. “I see… what if we could find another body of water for you to reside in?” Ethan asked them. “It would benefit everyone, since you don’t want to stay here and the ponies don’t either.” “Yes! We would be happy to. These waters are too alive for us to stay in.” “Mary!” Ethan turned around and ushered her closer. It must have been weird for her to only have heard half of a conversation. “Are there any ponds or calm waters in the close area?” He asked her. She thought about his question for a moment before answering. “There is a lake at the other side of the village. And there is a small pond further down the river too.” She told them. “We came from downstream. Would you show us the way to the other?” The Lombre asked Mary, making Ethan translate. “He is asking if we could show them to the lake. They would be willing to move there, and this whole thing would be solved.” Ethan smiled. “That…would solve the problem, yeah. I would be happy to show you to the lake then.” Mary replied. “It’s a rather long walk though.” The Lombre nodded in understanding. “Let me talk to the rest to get them ready and we shall be off then.” He said before diving back into the water. “I must say, I did not expect that to be solved that easily.” Officer Jenny commented. “Yeah… we should make sure that the ponies are careful should they go near the pond with the Whiscash though. Or make sure that they avoid it altogether. Mary, are there any ponies we could talk to about that?” Ethan asked her, some of the smaller Lotads were beginning to come out of the water. “The… mayor, I guess. I think that would be your best option.” Mary told them, she was kneeling down next to one of the Lotads, she was utterly fascinated by how they looked. “We will do that when we are done escorting this group then.” Jenny said. The Lombre leader had made it out of the water with the rest of the group gathered up. “You said that you were already in the pond when the Whiscash came right?” Jenny asked him. “…Yes.” He answered simply. “Then how were you all able to escape?” Ethan had to agree, she had a point. Lotads are slow on land. Even though Whiscash prefer to be in water, it is capable of traveling over land at least for short distances. “… We had help.” He looked concerned for a moment. “She said that she would come after us, but she never did… I hope nothing happened to her. We would not all have gotten away safely had it not been for that Zangoose.” This caught Ethan’s attention. “A Zangoose? Did you notice anything special about her?” Ethan asked them. “Do you think its Zoey?” Chii asked. It was exactly what he hoped for. “She never said her name… but she wore a purple sweater.” Ethan grinned. “It’s her, it’s Zoey!” Chii cheered. “We must go get her!” “We will.” Ethan reassured her, before he turned to Officer Jenny. “Can you help Mary escort these Lotads to the lake?” he asked her. Jenny did not want to let Ethan out of her sight, but she could not just let Mary do this on her own either. “I was already going to do that.” she told him. “Mary!” he called out to her. “I’ll see you guys back at the village then, I got something to take care of.” He knew that Jenny would make sure they got there safe. She did not like him but she was a cop, after all. He heard Mary say goodbye to him as he began running down the side of the river. He should have explained to her why he left in such a hurry, but Officer Jenny could do that for him. He felt bad for leaving them, especially with the task they had ahead of them. But he had to find Zoey if he could. He knew Officer Jenny would feel the same if she had a chance to find her Growlithe after all. “I hope she is alright!” Chii said. She had hopped down and was running besides him. “Of course Zoey is alright! She knows how to take care of herself.” Ethan reassured her. And it was true. The two of them had to slow down from a run to a fast walk after a little while, as the terrain at the side of the rivers started to get rougher. “You want me to carry you again?” he asked her. The grass was getting a little higher and Chii was having a little trouble with it with her short legs. “Yes please!” she hopped into his arms and climbed up to her perch on his head. She really seemed to like that spot. “So what do you think of Officer Jenny?” he decided to ask her. “She is nice. She helped you find me, and she is helping all those Lotads… but she can be a little scary at times. I don’t think she means to though. She looks… sad.” That made Ethan pause slightly. He agreed with most of what Chii had said, but sad? “Sad? How so?” he asked her. “I think she misses her Pokémon. She tries to hide it, but it shows.” She had a point. Anyone would miss their Pokémon if they got separated like they did. “We need to help her find her Growlithe!” “Of course we will.” He reached up and scratched her head, making Chii purr slightly. Eventually the two of them could spot the pond in the distance. Chii stood up on his head and was looking around. “I can hear something.” She said, as she kept looking around them. “Someone is here…” “Do you know what it is?” Ethan asked her. “…No, I’m sorry. It’s in this direction though,” she said, pulling on one of Ethan’s ears to get him to change direction. “Hey, be careful with my ears.” Ethan joked as he went in the direction Chii pointed them in. It was only a few minutes of walking before the two of them came to a small clearing, with someone familiar sitting in the middle leaned up to a tree. Zoey was really easy to recognize, not that many Zangoose or other Pokémon wears a purple sweater. “It’s Zoey, why don’t you run up and surprise her.” Ethan asked Chii, he picked her up and set her down on the ground. As soon as her little legs touched the ground she took off towards her friend. “Zoey!” she yelled out happily as she ran up to her and into her arms. “It’s so great to see you again” She seemed a little surprised at first, but that surprise quickly melted away to make room for joy as she hugged Chii back. “Chii, you are a welcome sight. I missed you so much,” Zoey said as she nuzzled her friend. “And it’s not only me. Ethan is here too!” Chii exclaimed. “Really!? That’s great, where is… he.” Zoey paused as she laid eyes upon Ethan. The fur around her cheeks gained a reddish hue. She was entranced by the Lopunny that stood before her. “Hello Zoey!” Ethan said as he walked towards the two, snapping Zoey out of her trance. She recognized that voice. “…Ethan?” She questioned, tilting her head to the side. “Yup it’s me! Guess I look a little different huh? It’s so great to find you again.” He smiled as he walked over to them with open arms. “Are you alright?” He asked as he noticed that she was looking a little redder than normal. “I… I… Y-yes I’m f-fine,” Zoey managed to stutter out. She quickly brought her paws up and hid her face. “I think she just needs a hug!” Chii cheered as she hopped around the two. Zoey dropped her paws and glared at Chii. She might be cute and naive, but she knew exactly what she was doing. Zoey could see it in her eyes. “You always know best.” Ethan smiled as he kneeled down and embraced Zoey. “It is really good to see you again. I’m so happy that you are safe.” He let out a content sigh as he leaned back, only to see that Zoey had frozen completely in place, the fur around her cheeks having gone from a light pink to an intense red color matching her ear. “…. Zoey?”