//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Old Scars, New Chances // by Arcticbrony //------------------------------// It took a little while, but Ethan and Chii managed to wake Zoey from her daze. She still seemed a little nervous to Ethan though. “I knew that Lord Arceus was telling the truth… but it’s another thing to see it with my own eyes.” Zoey commented as she looked at Ethan. “Ethan is a pretty Lopunny!” Chii had the biggest grin on her face as she stood between Ethan and Zoey. “I don’t know about that. But yeah, it was a… interesting experience, waking up like this.” Ethan said. “I’m still getting used to the body though… Don’t know how to do any moves,” he had not really had the time to try though. “Oh, I can help you with that.” Zoey smiled, but then her mind caught up with that she had just said. “W-with learning m-moves I mean, since we are both normal types. Not getting used to your body, I….” She stopped herself before she could embarrass herself any further. She was used to having to watch what she said around Ethan. He had always been good at understanding their body language when he was human, but Vernus was the only one he understood fully. “That would be great. I know Lopunny can learn at least some of the same moves that Zangoose can. Thanks Zoey!” Ethan thanked her. “Y-you’re welcome.” She would do anything to help him, as he had always done for her, she owed him her life after all. “Have you seen some of the others?” Chii asked Zoey. “Yes actually… when I woke up Sax was there.” “Really? That’s great but… where is he now?” Ethan asked her. Sax had always been the oddball in the group. “He said he wanted to speak to Lord Arceus and went his own way. I’m sorry; I tried to convince him to stay but…” Ethan held out a paw to stop her. “No, it’s alright. If he set his mind to something then it’s impossible to stop him anyway.” Ethan let out a sigh. “But I heard that you helped some Lotads escape from the Whiscash down at the pond.” He was proud of her, he always tried to do what he could to help others and it seemed that the she followed the same mentality. “We met them, they are all safe.” “That’s a relief.” Ethan noticed now how roughed up she actually looked. Her white fur had several dirt spots on it, and her sweater even had a few tears. “It looks like it was a tough fight… you did not use it did you?” His voice turned serious as he asked her. “N-no of course not. I know not to do that anymore.” She looked down. “It… was a tough fight, yes, but I managed.” She reassured him. “I’m a little banged up. I had just stopped here to rest before you found me.” Ethan knew Zoey was tough, but he still could not help but worry. “I’m… sorry, I should not have mentioned it, I know you know better.” Ethan apologized to her. “I’m just happy that you are safe. Do you forgive me?” Zoey smiled and took the chance to steal another hug from her cute trainer. “Of course, I forgive you.” She had gotten over her initial shock, but she still could not help but blush slightly. Not wanting to be left out, Chii jumped in between them and joined the hug too, purring happily. “Are you able to walk?” Ethan asked her as he leaned back from the hug. “There is a village located some ways up the river from here.” “I… should be fine, as long as we take it easy” She reassured them. “Then that is what we will do.” Ethan said as he helped Zoey stand up. “Just lean on me if you need to.” “Thanks… It’s really nice to be able to talk to you properly.” She smiled, as they slowly began walking. “Did you meet anyone else?” She asked curiously. “We met an Officer Jenny. She was really nice, and she is a Vulpix!” Chii cheered before Ethan had a chance to say anything. He could feel Zoey tense up when Chii mentioned Officer Jenny. “If she tries anything I will…” Ethan quickly held a paw in front of her mouth to silence her. He looked her in the eyes, nodding down at Chii and shook his head. Chii did not know that Ethan was considered a criminal, and Ethan wanted to keep it that way if it was possible. It was something that had been impossible to hide from the Pokémon that had stayed with him longer, like Zoey and Vernus. But they had grown to dislike most Law officials for what they would do to their trainer. That was something Ethan did not want for Chii if he could prevent it. “Yes, she even helped me find little Chii here.” Ethan smiled, continuing where Chii had left off. “Both me and her woke up close to the village I mentioned. And we had some small mishaps with the locals at first. Say… have you seen or met any of the locals yet?” Ethan asked Zoey. “No… I heard what Lord Arceus said. What are they like?” “Well you see…” Ethan began explaining their experience with the ponies up until that point. He told her about how their first contact with them had been, and how it had all worked out after Arceus had spoken. How he had found Chii and about how generous Mary Care had been with them. They had enough time to catch up on their way back to the village. “They are staring…” Zoey partially hid behind Ethan when they made it to the village. “They are still really new to Pokémon; we just need to give them time.” Ethan reassured her. “Besides, they are really kind.” The ones he had met so far had been at least. “That does not mean I have to like it…” she mumbled as she continued to walk behind him. Zoey had always been nervous when it came to other humans. And it seemed like that carried over to Ponies. They were still an unknown to her; Ethan figured she just needed a little time. “Where are we headed?” Chii asked. She was sitting on her usual spot between Ethan’s ears, and was enjoying the feeling of her newly brushed fur. Ethan had given both Chii and Zoey a once over before they arrived. “We are heading to the Mayor’s office. I have a few things I need to talk to him about,” Ethan told her. He needed to inform him about the Whiscash and he had another matter he hoped to solve as well. “They seem really similar to humans… but not at the same time.” Zoey commented as she was watching the ponies intently. They had not seen either Officer Jenny or Mary since they had arrived back. Because Ethan did not know how far it was to the lake they were escorting the Lotads to, he had no idea about when they would be back. “Speaking of Ponies, let me introduce you two to one of them,” Ethan said as he spotted Mignon. “He showed us around the town when we first got here, and even gave us a free meal at his restaurant. Hey, Mignon!” Ethan waved at him to catch his attention. “Well lookie there. Good morning Ethan.” Mignon waved back as he trotted over to the group. “And friends too. Name’s Mignon, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He said with a short bow. “It’s good to see you again. This here is Zoey,” Ethan introduced her. He had already explained to Zoey about the translation spell, so she kept quiet for now. “And this is Chii. You want to say hello?” He lifted her down from his head. “H-hello, it’s nice to meet you.” She smiled at him. Chii was a little nervous but Mignon seemed friendly enough. “And you too, cutie.” Mignon replied with a grin. “I would love to stay and talk, but I have to get things ready at the restaurant. Feel free to stop by when you got time, friends. Have a great day.” He waved back at them as he trotted away. “He seems friendly.” Chii cheered happily. Ethan smiled at how quickly she seemed to have warmed up to him. “He certainly seems cheerful. Are all of them like that?” Zoey asked. “No, he seems rather straightforward. You should give them a chance; they are really nice once you get to know them.” “I.. I’ll try.” A small growl emitted from Zoey’s stomach, making her blush slightly. “Hungry?” Ethan asked her, while Chii giggles at Zoey’s embarrassment. “…A little. I have not had anything to eat today yet.” “We can fix that. I got some food back at Mary’s house; we can pick that up for you before heading to the mayor.” He was sure that Mary would not mind if he let himself in. That also meant that the food he got from Mignon would not go to waste. “Really? That would be great, thank you!” Zoey smiled. She had not had time to gather anything before Ethan and Chii found her, so she looked forward to getting some nourishment. “It’s no trouble. Now, I’ll go get it, the two of you just wait here and I’ll be right back.” Chii hopped down to Zoey, as Ethan made his way around to the back of Mary’s house. He had seen her lock the front door, but the back had been unlocked the last time when he came to rescue Officer Jenny. But he was in and out quickly with the food he had left in hand. “Here, hope you like it. It was Mignon that made it.” Ethan said, handing over the takeaway box to Zoey. It was cold, and some of the pasta on top had begun to stale a little, but it would be better than nothing. And by how quickly Zoey wolfed it down, it must have still been pretty good. The rest of the walk to the Mayor’s office was rather uneventful. Ethan really hoped that the mayor would grant him what he had planned to ask for; it would mean that they would no longer need to rely on Mary’s hospitality. “I don’t know how long this will take… Zoey, do you mind watching Chii for a bit?” Ethan asked her. “No, not at all,” she answered. “Thanks. There is a park just back there; you can go play there if you want. I’ll find you when I’m done.” He trusted Zoey to keep them out of trouble. She was always the responsible one. “Okay, see you soon!” Zoey said as Ethan opened the door and entered the building. There was a reception where a female pony was sitting. She was looking upon Ethan with curious eyes as he closed the distance between them. “Excuse me, is the mayor taking visitors?” he asked her. “I have some important business I would like to discuss with him.” The secretary seemed out of it for a few moments, but quickly shook it off and regained her professionalism. “Um, yes he finished with a meeting a little while ago. If you would wait here, I’ll go and notify him of your request.” She stood up and walked through the door behind her. It did not take long for her to return. “The mayor is ready to see you now.” she said with a smile as she got back to her desk. “Thank you.” He said to her, before he stepped past her and through the same door she had used. On the other side was a large room. Multiple bookshelves filled the walls, and at the end of the room was a large desk. Sitting at the deck was the same pony Ethan had seen holding the speech when he and Officer Jenny first arrived, the mayor. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” Ethan told him. If the political ponies here did anything the same way as they did back on Earth, it was important that he made a good first impression. “Oh it’s no trouble at all. I have been hoping to speak to you as a matter of fact, news travels fast around here and I heard that Cursed Vision had cast a translation spell on one of you. Please sit.” The mayor gestured to a chair in front of his desk. Nodding Ethan took him up on his offer and sat down. “Yeah, his spell worked perfectly.” Ethan paused for a moment. “Forgive me for getting straight to the point, but there are two things I wanted to talk to you about.” The mayor nodded in understanding. “A pony… no, a Pokémon of action? I can respect that. What did you wish to discuss?” “As you may have heard I and some of my friends were so lucky to be able to stay with one of your ponies. The town veterinarian Mary Care, she was so kind to offer us a place to sleep for the night.” Ethan said, choosing how to best present his case. “Indeed, she is a kind soul.” “…That she is. But I can’t take advantage of her kindness for too long. I wanted to ask you for a building, or a warehouse that we could fashion into something that Pokémon that need it can call home, or as a temporary place to stay.” “Hmm… I can certainly see your reasoning for not wanting to take advantage of her, but I can’t simply give a building away, you must understand that.” The mayor told him. Ethan had not expected it to go so smoothly, but he was not done yet. “No, I can see how that could be troublesome for you… Are you aware that the situation by the waterfall has been taken care of?” Ethan asked, slowly leading the mayor in the direction he wanted. He did not like to do things this way, as it required manipulating people or ponies in this case. “No, I had not gotten word of that yet. That is certainly good news, the falls are one of the main attractions of this village of ours.” “Yes, me and my friends were able to convince the Pokémon there to leave with the help of Mary Care.” While they did not need any convincing it was them that had contributed to getting them to move, so it was not a total lie. Rather a fine interpretation of the truth. “There had also arisen another problem in a pond further down the stream from the waterfalls. Some very territorial Pokémon has taken residence in it, so it could be dangerous if ponies ventured too close.” Ethan could see the distress on the mayor’s face now. “That… is troubling news indeed.” Ethan took the initiative and spoke up again. “That it is. There are also other Pokémon related problems that could arise in the future… Don’t you think it would be for the best if I and my friends stayed in this town of yours?” He had to resist smirking as the mayor must have begun putting the pieces together by now. “My friend is even a Pokémon police officer. And I am also used to dealing with situations like these. We would of course be willing to help you with any such problems that may arise… it’s just a shame that we don’t have a place to stay…” The ponies knew next to nothing about Pokémon after all, so Ethan could not see the mayor denying his request. “I… I need some time to think about this.” The mayor said, his voice starting to sound slightly panicked. “Of course,” Ethan nodded. “I’ll stop by again later today. I’m sure you will be able to find a suitable building by then.” Make it seem like they have a choice when they don’t, and they will play their part. “Have a good day then, mayor. Thanks for your assistance.” Ethan smiled as he stood up and left the mayor’s office with a bad taste in his mouth. There was a chance that he could have gotten his request approved by other less manipulating means. But he did not want to take any chances. A building where they and any passing Pokémon or former human could stay… it would really help them out in the long run. He only hoped he had not made an enemy with the mayor. “Have a good day,” he thanked the receptionist on his way out. Stepping out of the building, Ethan smiled at how lively the town was. It was a pleasant sight, and reminded him of his hometown, Dewford. It had always been a closely knit community a place where everyone knew everyone. He really missed that place. He greeted most ponies as he walked through on his way to the park. A lot of them were still a little wary of him, but at least they greeted him back. He was slightly surprised at how empty the park was when he walked into it. “Still early in the day, not even noon, I think. Guess most ponies are still at school or work.” He smiled as he sat down by the foot of a tree and leaned against it. He could not spot Chii or Zoey anywhere either, but it was a large park. It was nice for Ethan to just sit down and relax for once. He had not really had the time to do so since they had arrived in this world. The first day was mostly filled with confusion, and the second there had been Officer Jenny… he still had to take care of that problem. Being turned into a Pokémon did not help anything either. He did not have any particular wish to be turned into one in the first place; it certainly had its perks, but he missed his old body… his own body. “I could really use some help by now…” he muttered to himself. It was only a matter of time before another Officer Jenny or Pokémon Ranger that knew who he was would come. A day, two days, a week? Hell, it could even be in a few hours. He had no way of knowing, and he hated that feeling. He felt completely helpless. Perhaps it would be for the best after all. Zoey would be able to take care of Chii by herself just fine. It would help if Vernus was here too, but the two of them would manage. He was sure they would. Small teardrops began rolling down his cheeks, dripping down onto the ground below him. He really did not want to leave them: it would crush Chii, but he really did not know if he had a choice in the matter. Running was not an option, not anymore. He had run from his problems enough already, perhaps he should go to jail. Perhaps he should finally pay for what he had done. Ethan was brought out of his own thoughts when he felt something brush against his leg. He raised his head to see that Zoey and Chii were sitting in front of him; they had nudged his leg to get his attention. “W-what’s wrong?” Chii’s voice was cracking slightly. She looked on the verge of tears herself. “W-why are you crying?” Ethan wanted to hit himself. Above all else, he had not wanted Chii or Zoey to worry; he was supposed to take care of them. “Come here, you too, Zoey.” He brought them in, and hugged them both tightly. “Thanks, you two.” He smiled once he leaned back against the tree. “Really though, what is bothering you?” Zoey asked him. It worried her to see Ethan like that. “…Chii, can you wait over there for a moment?” Ethan asked her. “Everything is alright, I promise. I just need to talk to Zoey for a bit.” “B-but can’t you say it while I’m here?” she sniffed, as she looked up at him. “Sorry… grown up stuff. We will be right there with you.” He scratched her head in the way she enjoyed. “Sorry for worrying you, Chii. It will just take a moment.” Chii really did not want to leave him like that, but she nodded sadly. “…What is it?” Zoey did not want to admit it, but it scared her to see Ethan in the state he was in. “You will take care of Chii if anything happens, right?” he asked her. “Why are you saying that, why would I…” Realization came over Zoey. “Is this about that Officer Jenny? I swear if she tries to do anything to you I will…” “You will do no such thing!” Ethan interrupted her. “You will not do anything to harm her.” “But… I… I can’t just sit by and let you arrest you. Can’t you explain to her why you had to do what you did?” Zoey asked. “… I killed him. That’s not something I can just explain away, and even if I tried, why do you think she would believe me?” Zoeys anger grew as she listened to him. “You had no choice and you know it. If you had not stopped him, he would have killed me… you saved my life. He deserved to die, don’t do this to yourself. Don’t you DARE leave me or Chii alone.” “I just… I did not mean too… I didn’t…” Zoey hugged Ethan tight as he softly began to cry again. “I never meant to kill him…” It had been so much easier to deal with when he ran from his problems. Being forced to acknowledge and deal with them… “I know Ethan… I know.” Zoey spoke softly as she held him.