Chapter 12
Dark Void
Day 2
X glared at the Pokemon before him, trying to back away slowly. It was not working, as the Pokemon were slowly approaching him, closing the gap as soon as X tried to open it. "Do not fear. I am not here to hurt you." The shiny calling herself Iron Shell assured X, her voice calm and controlled. X furrowed his brow at those words. "Yea, forgive me for not believing you when you seem to be working for the Pokemon that almost killed me yesterday."
"You really are a Trainers weakling." The shiny remarked. The Durant started to laugh, finding that funny. "In the wild you either win, or you lose. The price for losing is one that cannot be paid with coin alone."
"What do you want?"
Iron Shell grinned. It was a cold grin. "Like I said, I want to talk about tomorrow's great battle, and how much of a folly it is."
"Oh great, finally someone is talking some sense around here." X felt a large weight lift off his shoulders, the impending battle he silently dreaded no longer a thing.
"Indeed, for you and the creatures you ally yourself with are helpless against us."
Suddenly that weight returned with a vengeance. "Wait, I'm a little lost here..."
"You see, the Durant that struck yesterday came with news of you and the creatures you fought with." Iron shell began to pace back and froth, though the small space of the ally gave her little room for her to go far with each back and forth. "It was only when Pokemon intervened that any progress for you side was made. The Heliolisk was especially noticeable. We have given her a name to fear and respect her with. The Storming Thunder Breaker."
"Yea, I was wondering where she got that..."
"Do not interrupt." Iron Shell's voice, the power within her words strong and mighty, jolted X just a little, the Chesnaught stepping back. "As I was saying, the Pokemon who fought those Durant were strong, but one did not use the strength he was blessed with. You. It almost makes me...sad to be the same species as you. Almost."
"You know...gloating isn’t becoming of a lady," X shot back in annoyance. "In case you didn't get it the first time, not everyone is big on the whole thing about fighting just because you can. Just so happens, I'm one of them."
"You made that abundantly clear." This soured X's mood just a bit.
"Can't we just talk this out? I mean, come on, didn't what can only be described as our God just say ‘Do not fight with the locals’?"
Iron Shell gave X a grin, one that seemed to instill fear rather than reasurance. "That is a good observation, but my Father decreed that since we struck our little deal to march into battle before Lord Arceus’ decree, we feel that unfinished business must be...addressed."
"....you sure we can't talk about this?" X asked nicely. "Human to Pokèmon or something like that?"
"Human? You are human?"
X suddenly felt a chill go up his spine (How can it get so cold so often in the jungle? X mused to himself.) "Yea, I'm human. Uh used to be human. I think. It's a little complicated and there are still a ton of things going on at the mom..."
"So that explains why your Pokemon are so weak."
"...ment what did you just say?"
A stomp of the foot jolted a few of the Durant. X glowered a the shiny with hate in his eyes. Iron Shell paid this no mind, as she continued.
"You see human, I was never given the easy way through my entire life. My misery started the day I was hatched. The only moment I remember during my hatching was the look of awe and dread inscribed in their eyes when they saw the baby that was me.
"I was Shiny. Different. Rare. Valuable.
"I never understood my parents actions, why we kept moving, hiding and waiting for a great terror to happen. When they found us, I understood."
"They?" X asked. He didn't need to, for he already had an idea about who they were talking about.
"Humans." Iron Shell spat out as if it was Toxic. "Shiny Hunters. Humans who hunt Shiny Pokemon like me for our rarity. Because we are the same yet different from other Pokemon. My parents turned to me, putting themselves between the Hunter and me. As they faced down the Hunters teams, they turned to me and told me words I will never ever forget.
" 'Run, and never look back'."
A single tear fell from a Durant's eye, the tale causing him to tear up as Iron Shell continued. "I know not what happened to the Pokemon who gave me life. Where they captured, beaten, killed? I do not wish to know. What I do know is this: I did as they commanded, and ran. I ran and ran and ran and never looked behind me."
"...What happened after that?"
"Days passed, possibly weeks. I lost count, for I focus on one goal: Running. I arrived in a forest, though it was more of a mountain. I looked around seeking food and water. I found Durant, the Steel Bugs gnashing their jaws at me, telling me to leave for it was their home. I was about to, when he appeared. The Hunter.
"He found me, his prey. All of us were frightened, and did not react when he threw a Pokèball at me. To my surprise, something got in the way. A Durant, larger than the others leaped in the way, getting hit by the ball, and was consumed by it.
"Fear grabbed me. The fate that Durant had subjected himself to was soon to be my own.
"Then, in an explosion of light and metal, my saviour screamed a metal cry of defiance as he broke out of the ball like it was the leaves of the forest that surrounded us. Imagine what was racing in my young scared mind when my hero was like me. Shiny. Different that the others. This did not deter the hunter, who released his Pokemon to fight my hero.
And one by one the hunter's Pokemon fell in battle. The Hunter fled, returning his Pokemon to their cages, and only then did my Shining hero turn to face me. I remember his words fondly. 'You are weak.' He told me. 'Why did you not fight back?'"
"I answered, meekly and with fear 'Because I am a child and do not know how to fight. My parents told me to run away from that person while they fought him.'" My hero replied in turn: "'A brave act, for they have performed a great sacrifice. You shall join us, and be part of the Colony. And we shall teach you how to be strong.'
"Ever since that day, I lived among the Durant, adopting the Shiny, whom was the leader of the colony, as my one true father. They taught me, and I learned how to shed my weakness. And then I evolved and evolved yet again to the form you see before you."
"That explains why Naruto said there are more than just Durant in that colony." X mused. It went ignored as Iron Shell made a command towards X.
"Hit me."
This got X's attention. "Excuse me?"
"Hit me."
Her expression was as cold as ice and as blank as steel, confusing X. "You want me to hit you?"
"Are you trying to anger me? Yes, I want you to hit me." Iron Shell taunted. "So hit me."
"uh...why?"
"Well how else am I to gauge the strength of your Pokemon? If you wish to gauge a student, rather than test the student you test the master. So, hit. Me."
The apprehension in X's voice was clear. "Okay...if that's what you want..." The two titans approached each other, the gap closing as the Durant gazed as the Iron Shell glared at X, who reluctantly raised his fist, before swinging it at her, but due to his apprehension, as one might expect, it was half-hearted at best.
She caught it with her own, the grip tightening. A split second later, Iron Shell drove that same fist into X's face, releasing her grip as X tumbled into the ground. He groaned as Iron Shell looked down on him. The Durant and the Chesnaught that lead X to the alley snickered, enjoying the show they were watching. "Get up and try again. "
X groaned, slowly getting up. "Cheap shot..."
"Try to hit me again." commanded the Shiny. X eyed her in annoyance. He just couldn’t understand her. But despite that, he threw another punch anyway. Again, Iron Shell caught it, and with a shout she punched her foe in the gut.
X wheezed, falling to his knees, his eyes wide. The Durant and the lone little Chesnaught started to laugh harder. "You're holding back."
"What?"
"You're holding back." Iron Shell stepped back, giving X room to get up. "I do not know why, because maybe..just maybe..it is because..."
“Maybe because its what?” he growled in annoyance, before taking another swing, this time not really thinking about it.
To his surprise, she blocked the blow with her arm. The blow did little, not even a stunned expression. "...you do not know what true power really is?
"Hammer Arm."
Like a rocket soaring into the sky Iron Shell slammed her arm into X, the former human falling to the ground in pain.
"I think I made my point clear. You cannot stand against me. And if a Pokemon with strength like the kind you are holding back fails to use it, a Pokemon like me will be able to trample over you like the dirt we walk upon." The titanic form of Iron Shell towered over X, who simply looked up at her as she spoke. "And if you cannot stand against me, how can the ones you trained?"
X had to silently admit she made a good point.
"So, here is what I want you do to. You are to sabotage these creatures. Ruin them, demoralize them, ask them politely to surrender, do what is needed to end this battle before it begins. And if you manage to do so, I will convince Father to allow these creatures to live among us."
"As slaves?"
"As inferiors."
“I don’t see how that’s any better,” X deadpanned despite the situation.
"There's a difference." Iron Shell replied. "And if I have to explain it to you, the meaning will be lost. I think I have made my point clear. You cannot stand against me, and if you think for a moment that your Pokemon can, you may wish to reassess that. I have spent my entire life fighting while you have spent all of yours trying to run from a fight. If you cannot stand against me, how can the ones you trained?"
"But these..these are innocent creatures...you want me to stab them in the back?" X tried to sound tough as he asked Iron shell, but the quiver in his voice did little to convince her. "It is up to you. But know this: If you do not, then our colony will come, and we will fight our hardest to win. When we win..."
"If you win. Don’t go counting your Torchics before they hatch."
"When we win...the loss of these creatures homes will be your fault, and no other. They will hate and despise you because you said that you would aid them. Aid them you did; Aid them to fail. Think on that."
Iron Shell turned her back to X, motioning to the Durant and Chesnaught around her. "We're going. We are done here." With a nod the Pokemon clamored into the alley towards a hole X was unable to see was there thanks to the imposing bulk of Iron Shell.
"Wait!"
Iron Shell stopped moving towards the hole as X's words resounded. "You can't just come to a different world and try to take these people's, changelings, whatever the plural is, you can't do this! It's just not right!"
"Do you think what we are doing is right?" she asked him.
"Anyone with HALF a heart could tell you its not!"
"Then why will you not defend these creatures with our might instead of what I presume is your preferred tactic of using words? Do you truly believe that you are strong enough to stand against my family with mere words? That your Pokemon can stand against us with certainty that you can win?"
X took a moment to reply. He wanted to say yes, but as he remembered how...minimal at best his efforts to train his team had been over the years, he faltered. "Yes....No....I....I don't....I don't know..." He hated to admit it, but it looked like his constantly trying to avoid fights was about to bite him in the butt.
"And until you do know, nothing you do will ever yield success." Iron Shell leaped into the hole, ending the conversation.
X fell to the ground, overwhelmed.
What did I get myself into? He wondered. He had to admit, at this point, it was getting painfully clear that talking was out of the question, and really...compared to someone who was fighting for something she believed in...what chance would a guy who kept running from fights stand? Sure there was one option but...he couldn’t believe he was even considering it.
"X?" X took a look behind him, spotting Azisa walk towards him, a worried look in her eye. "There you are. Are you okay friend?"
"Yea, just taking a closer look. Thought I saw something on the ground." X lied. He got up, brushed himself off, and turned to face Azisa. "Is something the matter?"
"I just wondered where you went? I lost track of you after the big town meeting." Azisa explained. "
"No you cannot make a nest on someones head." Naruto moaned. The Fletchling, a small red bird with a fire motif, looked at Naruto with naivety as Naruto felt the growing need to slam his head into the table he sat at. The table in question was next to other similar tables, each sitting a high ranking official of the Changeling Empire, trying to perform the monumental task of keeping things calm as citizen after citizen came to the overworked staff with question after question.
Naruto was the unlucky one. Until the the Translation Pylons were finished, he was the only one who could speak both the language of Equis and the language of Pokemon. It meant the line in front of his desk was easily four times as long as the others.
"Why not!?" the Fletchling was clearly annoyed, confused why his Zoroark was saying sitting on heads was bad. "Heads are comfortable."
"I assume they are, but it's not just the comfort factor you must take into account."
"Like what?" Naruto said nothing as he pointed at the very clearly annoyed Changeling the Fletchling was currently standing on. "....A minor inconvenience."
The Changeling let loose a exasperated sigh. "Is it going to get off my head any time soon?"
"Uh.....sure....one second sir..." Naruto then leaned in, whispering to the Changeling. "Find a berry, throw it, hope it goes for the berry and if it does, run for it. That's the best I can tell you."
The changeling nodded, leaving to do just that, Naruto's cry of "Next!" Reverberating behind him. As the changeling left Silver Heart approached the Zoroark, who was conversing with a Pokemon that looked like a raccoon with brown and whit spiky fur, the coloring resembling zig-zags. "So, how's it going?"
"Slower than a Snorlax climbing uphill...no you cannot play in the tree houses. They are houses that are lived in, so that is a no, unless of course you have permission. Which I am guessing you do not." Naruto returned his attention to Silver as the Zigzagoon left, replaced by someone else. "Honestly I wish those pylons could be made faster."
"We're running our resources thin already." Silver took a quick look around. Line after line of changeling and Pokemon stood as orderly as they could, sounds of conversation around. Darting in and out of the lines were the local police and guards, trying to keep order to a city quickly loosing any semblance of the word.
"Honestly right now I think the rampant lack of people keeping cool heads is more dangerous than our imminent struggle with the Durant." Naruto noted.
"Lets try and keep the city in our procession first, then we focus on keeping order." Silver put a hoof on Naruto's shoulder, an act to reassure the Zoroark. "Something’s bothering you isn't it?"
"Well, the more I stay here, the more I am uncertain what I must do." Naruto replied. "I must tell you...I have never been formally introduced into a peacekeeping organization. The only peace I kept was the peace at our home and business. But there were times when I had to stick my nose in someone else’s business to do what is right."
"Not something I would do honestly."
"But it is what X would do." Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly as he smiled. "He would often rush in the middle of things if he felt someone was wronged. He says he doesn't like to fight, but if someone is getting hurt, he'll do something. I learned that lesson from him. He worries about us, but his own safety? I think he has a hard time understanding that concept. That is one of the reasons I call him my best friend, and my brother."
"Pretty deep." Silver jested.
"I am glad you appreciate that." Naruto jested back. They were about to go another round of jesting when the next Pokemon in line stepped forward. Well, slid forward was a better descriptor as a duo of purple piles of foul smelling sludge with arms accompanied by a third pile slightly taller and twice as wide with two arms, one larger than the other. "Hey, Zoroark!"
"My name is Naruto."
"Sure, whatever, you know where any sludge is? Me and my amigos are starving here! We haven't had a good meal since we got to this crazy place!"
It was then that Silver got a good whiff. "Oh by the Hive, these three smell like cr..."
"Do....not....finish that sentence." warned Naruto with one hand motioning for Silver to stop and the other gripping his face.
X walked though the houses, streets, and stalls of the city, oblivious to the tree houses he so loved about him. Normally, he would have loved to see an entire city filled with tree houses, but right now his mind was filed with doubt and concern.
Though as he trekked through town he saw families, both changeling and Pokemon, try their best to prepare for the possibility of evacuation. The royal guard that were in town was trying to keep order, a task they were destined to fail. Chaos bounded, control seemingly beyond their reach.
X paid this no mind as he approached his destination.
Naruto was clearly having a hard time, his head buried under his arms as he just tried to hide in vain. "No you cannot do what I am trying to forget you just said. Now please go! I have other Pokemon to help!"
The Pokemon in question was a Surskit, a small blue ball creature with four spindly spider legs. She huffed as she walked away. "Next!"
The next in line was about to walk up and ask what he wanted to ask as X approached Naruto from behind. "Hey Naruto."
"X! I am so glad to see you! I really need your help..." Naruto moaned. "I seem to be one of the only Pokèmon here who is using his brain! I am one stupid request away from ripping out every single strand of hair from my head!"
"Well considering how much hair you have, that's going to be entertaining to watch." X jested. He fidgeted ever so slightly, the act not escaping Naruto's sight. "Hey Naruto, can I talk to you...in private?"
"Something is the matter, isn't it?" Naruto asked his friend. X stammered for a quick second when replying. "Uh no, it's you just look a little overworked."
"Well, the entire city is in a panicked state, so I cannot blame them." Naruto turned to face Silver and Rizen, whom were busy calming down another irate changeling. "Silver, I need to take a quick break. Something came up."
"Make it quick!"
"Understood!" Naruto then got up from his seat, walking away from the line of now angry Pokemon who had to wait even more to get some answers.
"Where's Inti and Apocalypse?" X questioned his best friend. Naruto shrugged as he sat on a barrel far away from the chaos. "Last time I checked they were in the crowd during your public service announcement."
"Well after Azisa noticed you disappeared and went to find you those two decided to go off and train. Inti isn't going to be left out of any brawl this big and Apocalypse followed because he though it would be fun." Naruto answered. "I've been busy answering questions as to why the Pokemon race became dimensional travelers."
"I take they they aren't buying 'Because Arceus said so?" X jested. "Because I know for a fact that is what happened. I just have a hard time believing it."
"I got teleported twice in the span of twenty four hours, both times without the use of Miracle Eye. I'm a little more open to the idea of Arceus doing it being legit." Naruto took a moment to laugh. "Honestly, being teleported is a strange feeling."
"Yea...."
"X, there is something on your mind I want to know what that something is."
"it's just..." X was hesitant in speaking, stopping just short of what he wanted to say.
"X...."
X sighed. "I just thought maybe, just maybe....we should...uh...let them handle it."
"What?"
"I mean, nothing drastic like skip town, just not...get involved with the fighty parts."
"X, I can't believe what I'm hearing..." Naruto's expression told X that those words were quite sharp. "Are you suggesting that we just...let the Changelings try and hold their own against these Durant?"
"You know I don't like to fight." X pointed out. "They have soldiers right? It's kind of their job to do that."
"I know that, but are you saying we should just watch because you honestly don't want us to fight, or if it is because you're afraid of something?" Naruto questioned.
"I'm not afraid."
"You're denying it. That must mean it is true."
"This isn't our fight."
Naruto threw a arm in the air in exasperation. "X, I can't believe what you are saying. You care about other people and Pokemon more than your own neck. I've seen you rush into danger just to get a single person out of harms way several times! You took a Fiery Dance to the gut to get Valerie out of the way of that Volcarona! You got stabbed by Azisa's Horn Leech just so you could get close enough to talk her down! You save helped save my life! I refuse to believe that the very same X I would go to the ends of the Earth for is the one I am talking to right now!"
"It's not that simple Naruto!"
"Do tell."
"Naruto, our lives were perfect just the way they were, and now we're suddenly not only in a different universe or something, but I'm no longer Human! I'm a Pokemon now, and ever since I turned into one, I’ve been thrust into stuff I'm not really okay with! I've never been in a fight, and I mean actually fighting not just giving orders! And now I gotta handle Iro....."
"X's abruptly stopped, this causing Naruto to become even more worried. "Iro who?"
"Nothing."
"Iro who?" Naruto asked again. X refused to answer, silence serving as his reply. "Fine. Keep it to yourself. I'm only your best friend. I have to go back to work."
"Naruto wait, it's not like that!"
"Then what is it like!?" Naruto spun on his heels to face his brother, a tear beginning to well in his eyes. "Ever since we got here, you have been distant, cowardly...you're not you! I get that you don't want to talk about it but you're distancing me for you, and its beginning to frustrate me! X it's almost like you don't want to do anything to help!"
"I do, but not if it results in a fight! We gotta try diplomacy again, try to get the Durant to talk it out..."
A shout echoed in the air. "We already tried that! The Durant won't listen to words, only action! And I plan on lending a hand during the big battle tomorrow!"
"Is it because you're forced to work for The Emperor because you broke his garden?"
"It's because I want to help!" Naruto shouted. "You're my trainer! You trained me, taught me all I needed to know, and the most important lesson for you I learned is to never turn your back on anyone in need! Something you obviously either forgot, or lied to me about!"
"TAKE THAT BACK!
"I understand that you are scared and confused. I am too," Naruto ignored his friend as he continued to yell at this friend. "But that is no excuse to simply pick and choose when to be heroic based on convenience!"
"Convenience? Naruto, these...changelings are not going to stand a chance against the Durant, against Pokemon in general! The Durant are going to run them into the ground! I mean, it took you to soften up that Blastoise before the Emperor finished that fight, and last night when those Durant poured from the ground, they were intent on hurting anyone in the way, and badly! This isn't a trainer battle where we can brush off the results!
"Which is exactly why I am helping them! I know a Fire Attack, and I'm pretty sure someone here does as well! And even if I am the only one with a Fire attack, we must to be the heroes they need."
"Naruto, you have no idea how strong those Durant or Iron Shell are!" With great haste X stopped speaking, the words dying like flowers in winter.
"It never stopped me, or any ShadowFox ever before so why does it matter now! We must be the heroes they need us to be!"
X groaned loudly as he gripped his head, his eyes closed shut. "I don't want to be the hero! I want to be normal, not some inter-dimensional hero! I just wanted to build buildings!"
"So that is what you want? Us to run for the hills?" Naruto shouted in turn. "You want me to run away from thousands of innocent civilians just so you don't have to get involved in a fight? Is that it!?"
"Yes! No!? I don't know!" X slammed his arms into his head, screaming from the recoil. "No matter who fights someone is going to get hurt, I know that! I don't want the Changelings to fight because they are going to get slaughtered! And if you and the others fight then you're going to get hurt just as badly! I gotta choose between watching the changelings suffer, or have you guys join them!"
"So you're worried about our safety, I understand that, but why now?" Naruto demanded. "Why now when we are needed to fight? You were never this adamant in not having us fight!"
"Because now that I know what really goes on in a Pokemon battle, I do not want the Pokemon I care about to be hurt like that in a simple sport." X grit his teeth, eyes burning in rage.
"You know that is not true, not now!"
"Naruto, talking is the only way that no one gets hurt!"
Naruto just looked at his best friend, and felt...hurt. A numbing hurt that ached everywhere yet nowhere both at the same time. "You don't really know why you fight, do you? Why any of us fight? Do you?"
X said nothing.
""I'm going back to work. And I don't want to see you until tomorrow afternoon. Because until then....you are not my trainer, and more importantly, you are not my brother, Jacob."
Those words dug into X like salt in the wound. He walked away, unable to decide what to do.
But as he walked, another person whose presence was undetected left her hiding spot.
X…..what is going on inside your head?
The marketplace fountain was in shambles, but all things considered it was still a good place to sit and think.
Sit and think was what Nell was doing.
“NELL!”
Nall and Nalel rushed to their sister whom replied with a almost whispered “Hi Nall. Hi. Nalel.” The broodsisters skid to a halt, eyeing thier currently depressed sister.
“....what happened?” Nalel asked.
At that, Nall grimaced just a bit. “I’m getting the distinct feeling that X...is not whom he seems to be.”
“You mean he’s really a robot?” Nall asked.
To the shock of Nall and Nalel, Nell screamed. A trio of birds “Damnit Nall! This is not the time to make jokes!”
“But...I like jokes….everychangeling likes jokes…”
“Nall, we are being attacked by ants who want our city! Now is not the time!” Nell screamed. “And to top it off X, the very same X who carried half the guard on his back, is honestly thinking about giving up!”
“We’re talking about the big green one that broke Dad’s table right?” Nalel put a hoof on her chin. “That doesn’t seem like him.”
“I know that. What I want to know is why he’s acting like this!” Nell mused.
“So….explanation?” Nalel tilted her head, expressing her confusion. Nell sighed, recounting the tale.
Several minutes passed, Nell explaining what she had overheard between the two ‘friends’ chat.
“Huh….I did not know they were related.” Nalel mused.
“I don’t know why X is acting this way. I don’t know him that well, but the X I know is not the X I saw.”
There was a thick presence in the air, one the trio of sisters would rather not want to talk about. “So what are you two doing?”
Nall explained. “Looking for Apocalypse.”
“See, while we were to the park with X, Inti Frilly Face and Apocalypse went off to see the other troops and train with them. To you know, prepare for battle.” Nalel continued for her sister.
Azisa was walking.
Just walking.
As a Phantump, she had no legs and did not walk. And all things considered floating was in her opinion natural while she was a Phantump. When she evolved, she traded her floating for legs - six of them - and while it did take some time to get used to walking everywhere instead of floating everywhere, she came to enjoy walking just for the heck of it.
Walking was also good for when she needed to think. A lot was on her mind, so she needed to do a lot of walking.
As she did, she noticed a lot of Changelings march past her. Among their number was Inti, marching along side the pack, and Apocalypse, whom was riding one of the Changelings. "Hi Azisa!" Apocalypse shouted. He waved his tiny arms in an adorable fashion as they marched past the Trevenant. "We're gonna play with the natives! For Sci-fi!"
"Science Apocalypse. It's 'For science'." Azisa corrected the child.
"I can't say it that way...I'm not a scientist."
"Have fun Apocalypse." Azisa waved at the Tyrunt as he yet again waved back.
"Serioulsy, can someone get this guy off me?"
“Nalel, how did you know about the stuff you weren’t there for?”
“The tree told us.”
Nell just shook her head. “Look, I know what you are trying to do and it’s not going to help…”
“We weren't done talking….” Nall interrupted.
”I wonder how Apocalypse and Inti Frilly Face are doing?” mused the changeling known as Nall. Nalel shook her head. “Probably having fun playing with the other changelings. You think they’re going to fight alongside our guys?”
“I sure hope so!” Nall fluttered into the air, shooting into the air. “It will be just like a Hoofball game! With violence!”
As the duo approached where they last knew Azisa was, they were treated to a sight that was not training. Several of the changeling who were willing to fight were arguing with Azisa, the tree flailing her arms trying to explain things. Inti on the other hoof sat off to the side, grumbling and giving death glares to any and all things
“Okay, this does not look like fun…” Nall mumbled. As the two approached their Pokemon friends, the context of the conversation was made clear.
“Look you tree, everything got worse ever since you things got here!” One of the changelings pointed a dismissive hoof at Azisa. She was clearly offended.
“Excuse me, but how is any of this our fault?” Azisa pointed a dismissive hand at her verbal assaulter, changelings trying to separate the two. A good thing, as Azisa had said dismissive hand raised and ready to strike.
“Why don’t you go into the jungle and tell your metal friends!”
“In case you did not know, we are on the same side, and that side does not have any Durant on them!” Azisa countered. “We are helping you. Do not taunt the help!”
“Yea, what she said!” Inti taunted from her secluded area. “All of you suck harder than than four sumo wrestlers with one straw!”
Azisa turned her head a full 180 degrees, creeping a few changelings out. “That does double for you, since you caused it!” she shouted.
“Pics or it didn’t happen!”
Nalel said what was on her and her sisters minds at that moment. “Okay I’m lost.”
Azisa then turned her apparently disconnected head to the duo of Nall and Nalel. “Oh friends! How good to see you! Unlike some people….”
“Same here invader!”
“Ignore him.” Azisa sighed.
“So what happened here?” Nalel asked. “And….where’s Apocalypse?”
“You mean that rock lizard?” A changeling mare garbed in light silver colored armor, almost like robes, approached the young ones. “Friend of yours kidos?”
“Yep! He’s our friend and we’re checking up on him.”
“After the yellow one and her friends saved the guards hide, her friends are mine as well.” the mare replied. “Name’s Verot. Spellcaster in the guard. As for what happened, fast is can apt way to put it. Everything was happening smoothly by my counts. But a few of the miscreants and rowdy soldiers started to pick on the Pokemon. Especially that rock lizard.”
“I apologize again…” Azisa sighed. “Apocalypse is young, very young, and he takes criticism and teasing poorly.”
“Not my fault!”
“Inti, you have no right to say it is not your fault! You are a part of this mess!” Azisa shouted. “To make the story short, mad villagers plus guards telling him that he’s only going to get in the way combined with Inti agreeing with them and making it worse caused Apocalypse to make a mess and run away!”
“It’s not like we need him!” Inti shouted. “If I show up, they’re going to be too afraid of me to actually do anything.”
“Apocalypse is the strongest of us when it comes to raw physical power. We need him.” Azisa replied. “Without him we lose much of our offensive presence.”
“I am the offensive presence!”
“You got that right!’
“Shut up changeling person!”
“Uh..why not go look for them?” Nall asked with impatience. “If you need him that badly then you should find him.”
“Then who’s going to keep this lot in line?” Verot replied. Behind her lay soldiers, upset Pokemon, and upset changelings. “Somechangeling needs to make sure there is order.”
“Then we’ll go!” Nalel smiled as she offered to help. “He likes us! It will be easy to find him!”
“Needless to say...we haven’t found him yet.” Nalel sighed. “We looked everywhere. How hard is it to find a lizard made of rock?”
“Apparently really hard…” Nell sighed in turn.
“Okay Nell you’re worrying us.” Nall sighed as well, mirroring her sisters.
“I’m not sure what I can do…” Nell narrowed her eyes at her sister, clearly frustrated. “I have no idea about anything related to these Pokemon, and I want to help but I don’t know what to do.”
The sisters looked at each other before glaring at Nell. “Well what are you doing right now?”
“Uh….moping? I guess.” Nell sighed yet again.
“And what are we doing?”
“Looking for Apocalypse.”
At that Nall beamed. “Which is something. And something is better than nothing because nothing is nothing and something is something. Sure, we’re not sure how much something our something really is but we would rather have something than nothing like the nothing you have right now.”
Nell blinked a few times. “So….I should be doing something to help out the effort? Even if it’s really small it can lead to bigger things yet to come?”
“See, told you she understands us.” Nalel grinned. “I mean, sure what we’re doing isn’t as spectacular as say fighting, something we’d never ever do, but something is something! And something is what we plan on doing.!
Nall then rushed off shouting “We gotta go. Time is a-waistin!” with Nalel quickly The sisters trotted off, confident in there impending success. Nell began to slowly wonder the true meaning of her sisters words as she turned around and headed for home.
Hopefully one that remain her home come tomorrow.
The sun was setting in the horizon, the sunlight of Celestia's sun giving it's last gift of light for the day as it prepared it's daily rest as Luna's moon begun to awaken from it's slumber. And in the treetops of the city Citel X sat. He sat on a platform made of logs reinforced by very long nails and lingering magic, his legs dangling over the platform.
The platform was in the trees and X had to admit, the sunsets in Kalos could not compare to his one, thanks to the spectacular view.
Well, except the one he as seen off the coast of Ambrette Town. That one rivaled this one.
"Man, what am I going to do? X thought to himself. "I screwed everything up... Naruto probably hates me, and because of what? Because I care for the team? But...that's not the real reason is it?"
"Hello X." X turned to face whom Rizen, the white maned Changeling whom served the Emperor. "I see things are....not going well for you."
"I'd rather just think on it, if you don't mind." X replied. "Did Naruto send me?"
Rizen shook his head. "Well, no. When Silver and I tried to get him to talk about it...he just stared at as before going back to work. We're worried."
"We had a fight. That's all." X replied.
"X...I used to be a psychiatrist before I joined the royal guard." the changeling took a seat next to X, his front leg dangling over the platform. "You seem tense, and you are radiating emotions of doubt, uncertainty, depression, and the most alarming..."
"What's that?"
"...shame."
"I'm beginning to think this whole emotion thing is a violation of privacy." deadpanned X.
"Well yes and no. We can sense emotions, but it's not perfect. It can be fooled. One time I though I detected the emotion of joy when it was really disgust." Rizen replied with ah chuckle. "I was pretty embarrassed. And of course our trick doesn't work as well on changelings as it does other species. We have natural ways to fool it."
"Sounds useful."
"It is, but while we can detect what emotion somechangeling, or somepony, or something in general is feeling, we don't know why. We have to find that out the old fashioned way." Rizen explained. "Would you like to talk about it?"
X thought about it for a second. "....He called me Jacob."
"Pardon?"
"My real name. It's Jacob Arrow." X replied. "You didn't think my name was X was it?"
"I was beginning to think so." Rizen replied. "But why hide your birth name? Do you not like it?"
"I do like it, but that name....comes with strings." X explained. "...my parents have a legacy, a legacy spanning several generations. And I took the name of X to escape from it, because I wanted to build a legacy that was my own, not one borrowed from those who came before me. I wanted to add on to it, not continue down the same path."
"What legacy would that be?"
"The legacy of a Pokemon trainer." X answered. "I'm not a huge fan of fighting. How could I? My best friends, no family gets hurt just for titles. But I'm a human. I don't get in fights, I just command others to fight for me. But now? Now...I'm a Pokemon. I can fight now, do things humans just can do, but It comes with the expectation to fight. Do I choose to be human or Pokemon?"
X heaved a mighty sigh as he tried to stop the tears in his yes from forming. "So, when Naruto and I talked...he called me Jacob. It hurt. I know why he called me that, wanting me to make the right decision, and asked me why I fight. But....no decision I can make is the correct one."
Rizen moved his hoof and put it atop X's hand, the hoof resting on it as Rizen looked up at the unsure human/Pokemon "You can mend this situation with Naruto. I am sure of it."
"How?" a laugh came from X's mouth, seemingly not believing what Rizen said. "I'm a coward. I'm too afraid to send my team into a fight that I'm not sure they can win. I've done it before so why not now? Why can't I be that brave now?"
"Maybe it's your identity crisis?"
“I dunno…”
Rizen responded by simply looking down at the streets below, eyeing the wide variety of Pokemon.
"...you Pokemon are rather strange."
"I could say the same about you changelings." X replied. "I mean, Dittos can transform like you do, but the only thing Dittos can do when they’re...well Dittos is transform. You guys can do Moves before you transform.”
Rizen silently nodded, agreeing to can extent, as he didn't really know what a Ditto was. He looked below before, spying something. "Hey, isn't that the creature your friend's broodsisters are adopting? The one with bananas for a beard?" Off in the distance was the large creature that was christened Banana Beard. It was just walking through a (thankfully large) street, panicked changelings moving out of it's way, afraid of being trampled by it.
"Yea, that's him." X confirmed. To X's surprise, the Tropius started to run. "Odd....i didn't strike him as a runner."
Then Banana Beard leapt into the air.
He did not come down.
"Oh a running start? That explains it." X mused. Rizen however, dropped his jaw, and was thankful the limitations of his bone structure was preventing the jaw from going any further. "That thing can fly!?"
"Uh, of course it can." X looked at Rizen like he was from another planet (which to be honest was true) "Tropius are Grass and Flying types. Pretty much everything that is a Flying type has the capability to Fly. Well, except Hawlucha."
Rizen did not see it that way. "But it's wings, if you can even call them that, are leaves! Literally leaves! How can something that big, with leaves that thin use them to fly!?"
"Because it's a Flying type. That's what Flying types do."
The creature whom was currently defying the rules of gravity shot past the Chesnaught and Changeling, Rizen honestly thinking he was in the middle of a bad dream. "I am beginning to doubt many things. The Laws of gravity being the most important one."
"Understatement of the century..." X snarked. He just watched the flying Banana Beard shoot past them, towards the jungle. Both human-turned-pokemon and changeling eyed the flyer, both having questions to ask the other.
"He's heading towards the jungle. I wonder why he wants to go there?" Rizen asked, his voice a little shaky as he was still getting used to the idea of a creature like a Tropius can just up and fly.
"That is a good question. I got a better one." X replied. "Why is Nell riding him?"