I'm going to make this simple.
Porygon-Z's are overpowered.
No, I am not being biased, this is a simple statement of fact.
The Porygon line is special, because they have the capability to adjust their move set at will. Normally, a Pokemon would learn a new move and forget one of the four moves they already know, and be unable to relearn it without assistance. With a certain few Pokemon, that is not the case. The possibilities are endless, but only within limit, ironically enough.
Porygon and Porygon2 can learn the moves: Recycle, Defense Curl, and Sharpen. Porygon-Z cannot learn any of those moves, and the only way it could was if it kept them after evolution. Now, considering I had kept Technus as my research assistant and friend during the time in the Project, I had to make sure it knew a few moves that would make our work easier.
Recycle is a move that does exactly what is says on the Technical Machine, it recycles objects and other TMs for further use. When I had been experimenting on Pokemon moves, and on which ones would be able to affect our transportation system, reusing items that we didn't have a large supply of was pertinent.
Yet when the Porygon2 became a Porygon-Z, AKA me, Recycle was carried to my move set. There is one problem with that, though. I forgot Recycle. Which means I can no longer use Recycle, nor can I relearn it. Recycle is not one of Porygon-Z's possible moves, which means it's blocked off entirely. That's what you get when you try and upgrade something haphazardly.
Anyway, my point here is that I could easily take out these changelings that are currently carrying me in their magic fields or some such throughout the castle. Except I'm not going to, because that would be counterproductive to learning about them and why they would want me, safety logic be damned.
I said it before, I'll say it again: I'm a scientist first.
"Hey! Hey, hey!" I said, trying to sound as annoying as possible.
The changeling 'mare' I had met earlier was to my left, while the rest were everywhere else surrounding me. I was being held in a yellow bubble-like shield, and it was showing no signs of breaking, no matter how many Psybeams I fired at it. They were momentarily shocked by my display of power, but the novelty wore off once they realized my abilities were akin to a moth in a jar against them.
The changeling mare, who I was trying to acquire a name out of, sighed. It seemed she was the only female, but I wasn't going to make assumptions just yet. Her left eye had started twitching after the tenth time I had asked her something. She hadn't responded yet, but her white glowing pupils in the sea of yellow were beginning to look weary.
Her smile was also beginning to fade, and I was beginning to think I was going a little far in my prodding. Nevertheless, I also noticed the other changelings were getting tired of my shenanigans as well. Only a little more, though, and...
"Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?"
I had, actually, told them repeatedly the definition of insanity for the past several minutes. In fact, I think I may have been actually performing it, if not for the sake of me getting somewhere.
Finally, the mare snapped.
"You're the definition of insanity."
Her voice had a slight buzz to it, but her tone was trying to gouge out my eyes from afar. While I jumped for joy and scored a victory internally, I kept my childish demeanor.
"I know, right?! How about I try something else?"
The changelings escorting me gave a simultaneous exhale of relief, while I just reveled in their exhaustion. Answers, here I come!
"So, are we there yet?"
I saw the larger of the changelings nearly collapse right then and there. He shot me a look that was intent upon maiming me in ways I doubt even my anatomy would have let me survive. The rest just groaned and/or facehooved. The mare next to me growled.
"Almost."
I could have sworn I heard her say 'yet not close enough' under her breath. While I just tittered, I failed to see the shield encapsulating me constrict. When I noticed my yellow prison had become smaller, I lowered my head slightly as to not bump my head on it. The changeling mare sauntered up to the shield, like a Liepard about to pounce on it's prey.
"Listen closely..."
She punched the shield, and lighting bolted throughout the inside of it, damaging me horribly. I sputtered and flopped about inside in agony, until she tapped the bubble again to turn it off.
"If you are not silent, you will be tortured until you are. Clear?"
She gave me that overly happy grin again, having gained peace of mind at my suffering. My head and body had fallen to the bottom of the shield in a pile, so I weakly pick up my head and nodded it. She smiled even more.
"Good."
Nothing more was said, so I just waited. In the mean time, I made use of the lack of attention to ready myself. I used Recover to heal my injuries, then swapped out Psybeam for Signal Beam, hoping that would actually do damage. I also checked to see if Magnet Rise, Recover, and Agility were still in my known moves. They were, so I picked out Recover and replaced it with Conversion 2.
Because Arceus knows it'll make me hurt less.
How about I explain. Conversion 2 is a move that changes the user's type so that they are resistant to the type of move that was used previously on them. For instance, say I have Conversion 2 activated. A Pokemon hits me with a Fire type move, thus Conversion 2 turns me into a Water type.
Simple as that.
What is not so simple is whether the magic being used to electrocute me would be recognized by Conversion 2 as an Electric Type move or not. I'm sort of thinking it would, but it would be a serious gamble. For now, I'm not going to push my luck.
My back was aching a little bit from being thoroughly zapped, so I just sat there and suffered. Recover can't heal certain kinds of injuries, and sometimes it's because if you don't know what you're healing, it won't get healed by Recover. Heal Pulse works better than Recover on that sort of thing, because it didn't give a damn if it knew what it was healing or not, which is why it's so widely used in Pokemon Centers.
My cage was rattled to bring my attention back to reality. We had arrived at the back of the castle, right at the edge of the forest. Two of the changelings stepped forward from our group, and lit their horns up. We were standing in front of a rock wall just underneath a large balcony, with a hedge maze behind us that had rotted from years of neglect. Several statues had also crumbled to dust, yet there was one pedestal at the center which looked as if a statue had been moved off of it.
The wall in front of us lit up with the same yellow glow, before bursting into flame. A large hole was revealed in the rock, with a staircase leading down it.
I had heard of Zoroarks using their powers of illusion to hide their liars, and this was quite similar. The changelings all carried me inside, closing off the entrance behind us. I was unceremoniously dropped to the floor when the shield disappeared. I had turned off Magnet Rise a while back so I wouldn't waste energy while I was being levitated anyway.
Now, though, I was experiencing a familiar feeling of deja vu and dirt. I quickly righted myself, and was met with several lighting-charged spears pointed at me. The mare pointed down the eerie tunnel, with several pockets of hardened yellow substance emitting a slight glow. At least they had mood lighting.
"Follow us. Try anything, and you will be tortured."
It wasn't just a command, or even an order, but a harsh statement of fact. A fact delivered through an icy smile and terrifying fangs.
Joyous day.
I hovered along, being careful not to accidentally move in a direction opposite where they were taking me.. I was tempted to just impale myself on one of their spears with Conversion 2 online, but decided against it.
As we walked through the underground area, I noticed it was of similar make to certain Vespiquen hives I had seen during those times in Eterna Forest. My memories were still recovering, and thus simplified of details, but there nonetheless.
My escorts and I reached the end of the tunnel, were a large sheet of goop slowly streamed like a waterfall into the ground below, with either areas of where the goo began and ended being a large slit in the rock. The yellow wall of gunk made a splattering noise as it dripped, causing me to be both disgusted and vaguely fascinated by the result.
Why they had a gooey waterfall for a doorway was anyone's guess, though.
The changeling mare approached an opening nearby that I hadn't noticed. There was a window installed over it, with no entrance to whatever was beyond it in sight. Another changeling drone approached the window from within, with the same dopey smile plastered across his face.
Wait a minute, I think that's a guard booth, like those you have to deal with at amusement parks or hospitals.
The drone in the booth nodded at whatever the mare had said, and his horn lit up. I was dizzied by the sound of a giant rock gutter flying out of the wall, and slamming into the wall opposite to it. The boom echoed, and if I had ears, I could have sworn they'd be bleeding. I resisted the urge to say anything, because I was trying to prevent myself from getting speared again.
I'm going to hold my Conversion 2 card for as long as possible.
The goo was now steadily draining into a hole on the other end of the stone gutter, preventing it from just overflowing. I was motioned at to go forwards, so I did. As the changeling mare joined up with our little group again, my attention was drawn to what lay ahead.
It was beautiful, in an architectural sense.
Otherwise, it was very strange.
The entire cavern was bathed in yellow light, with changelings of all different body and mane styles buzzing every which way. The entire hive had a sense of laxness to it, as if it were more a bar than an actual hive. I could have sworn I heard laughter, maybe even a few moaning sounds somewhere in the area.
I gagged slightly at such an image of changelings having-
OK, ENOUGH OF THAT.
There were a few couches made of stone scattered about, with yellow cushions on them, most likely made of that same goo from before. A couple of changelings were relaxing in the couches, either talking or just resting in general. I saw three drones airlifting a stone cart of cocoons through the room, with a pony in each one.
I was crestfallen to see them trapped in such a state, my heart panging with sympathy, before wondering if I was doomed to the same fate. As I watched the cart disappear into an adjacent room, the six changelings who had been guiding me disbanded, going in their own separate directions. Leaving me with the changeling mare.
Again, joyous day.
She sidled up to me, flashing a predatory grin.
"Well now, it's just you and me."
Her eyes gleamed with contempt. She slowly circled me, and I watched her as my head turned in kind, the fact it was floating separately allowing my head to turn in unnatural directions. My black and yellow eyes met her yellow ones in a staring contest of each contestant hoping one would drop dead before the other to just get it over with.
"You know, our Queen thinks you are our salvation."
Now I was just confused. Perhaps this is why they needed me, then?
Seeing my lack of understanding, she stopped right next to me, and glared.
"I know she's planning on making you her new heir, because she needs you. She'll replace me, and I'll just be stuck in my position forever."
She slammed a hole-filled hoof into me.
"I was meant to be her heir, not some ridiculous red and blue bird!"
She stomped her hoof to the ground, scowling. I backed up slightly at the display of aggression, but tried to not show any emotion about it. I responded with my thoughts on the matter.
"I don't want this. I would rather not have to run a society I hardly know about, or deal with creatures I can't sympathize with."
I pointed a blue flipper at the room where the cart went, anger showing on my face.
"You had ponies in cocoons, held against their will. What could possibly justify that?"
I crossed my arms, while she frowned. Her wings flared out.
"Those were ponies we saved from the Everfree Forest! If they weren't in those cocoons, they wouldn't recover from their injuries!"
I squinted at her, and thought that over. If that was true, then they may very well have done good, and I shouldn't mess with such. If they were lying, I'm getting played, and I'm also probably going to be stuck in a problem the size of Mount Coronet.
"Alright. I never really got your name by the way, miss...?"
I let my sentence trail off so that she could finish it, motioning my flipper towards her in a circle.
"Myriad."
Huh, a heir to a throne of countless changelings. Fitting.
I clapped my arms together, and gave her a grin through my eyes. Don't ask how, it just happened.
"Brilliant! I'm Lenkar Glitch, pleasure to meet you, even if such is a lie."
She just chuckled humorlessly at my lack of tact.
"Charming. So, are you ready to meet our Queen?"
I paused at that question, my eyes losing their previous emotion. I folded my arms again, putting a flipper to my beak.
Am I?
Well, the obvious answer would be either no, or hell no. Then again, maybe their Queen isn't that bad, because even though I had a tough time getting here that doesn't mean they're all in the wrong. Myriad in front of me just hates my guts, not that I have any, about me replacing her for being next in line to royalty. Also, the changelings with the heir had injured me a few times, but I was being a little difficult.
Heck, those guards were probably just doing their jobs.
I rubbed my 'temples', and cringed internally at the decision I was having to make. I was a scientist, dammit, not a diplomat!
"I don't really have a choice, so why the heck not?"
I found myself being forcibly dragged through the air, again. I looked over at Myriad, and saw she was carrying me.
"Do you mind?"
She rolled her eye, or at least I think she did.
"No, I do not. Now shut up until we get there."
I made a whirring noise that was trying it's hardest sound like a huff.
"Well excuse me, princess!"
[|||]
As the many corridors and rooms whizzed by, I took the time to think about the connection between the weird pixel block creature, and what Zygarde had told me about MISSINGNO. It was obvious the pixel creature had given me The Virus, which I was still trying to find a way to remove, and the Recycle Bin was just there because of a Porygon-Z's usual shtick of programming.
To be honest, I just threw them in quarantine and hoped they wouldn't produce offspring, which is highly ironic to my memory of the many Pokemon Daycares around the world.
While that line of amusement had me laughing internally, I pondered thoroughly what I had seen and remembered. A Pokemon who brogh corruption wherever it went. An infectious insanity plaguing the mind of whoever it visited. The answer was clear.
I had seen MISSINGNO. and made it out with my sanity.
The question now, was what do I do? This revelation was not to be taken lightly by any means, but if a Zygarde statue was in this castle, then maybe other Pokemon had been here as well. In turn, Zygarde may have told the story of MISSINGNO. again, which means someone may know how to contact Zygarde under such a scenario.
Perhaps these changelings could help...
My musings were put aside as Myriad and I arrived at two large, foreboding doors. The bright yellow would have looked wonderful in anywhere but here, because here it just looked unnaturally cheerful, just like the changeling's smiles. The doors featured two pictures on either of them, a picture of a sun on the left, and picture of a ladybug on the right.
Guarding the doors were two changelings, each wielding a spear. I cringed at the sight of the spears, but calmed myself when I remembered Conversion 2. Myriad motioned towards the door, and gave me a smile.
"Go in. If you're disrespectful to our Queen, you will regret it."
Myriad walked off, a rigidness in her step. Turning to the door, I hesitated, before strengthening my resolve. Apprehension gripped me as I cautiously opened the ornate doors.
The throne room of this hive was well designed, by all accounts. There were eight stained glass windows, four on either side, with murals on them. Each window let to nowhere but solid rock, but it was the pictures that counted. They all told a story, and I was fascinated. I would really like to know about each of the windows, if I lived that long, that is.
The windows were illuminated around the edges by the same goo I had seen all across the hive, lighting up the windows in a way that simulated sunlight. The ground also had the goo spread across it like lacquer, giving it a sheen that wouldn't normally occur on a rock floor.
There were four tapestries hanging from the ceiling, which had a design similar to the throne doors I had just opened. A sun on one, with a ladybug on the other. I looked closer, and noticed a throne was at the very back of the room, the bright yellowish-orange chair reminding me of a Bronzong's markings. The chair itself gave off a dim glow, making sure anyone who enters the owner's chambers knew exactly was at the top of the chain here.
Sitting atop the throne was the Queen herself.
I realized I had just been floating there with my head and body partially peeking into the room, so I entered fully. I let go of the door in the process, causing the doors to slide shut with a 'boom'. The sound was almost like a reminder that I had sealed my fate as soon as I had come in.
I folded my arms behind me at an attempt to regain my bearings, and hovered over to the Queen. I stopped a few feet in front of her, and bowed, sweeping my left arm in front of me as a display of respect.
"Your highness."
Myriad told me not to be disrespectful, and I had no idea what the even meant, so I did what came to mind. I was used to meeting creatures of power by now, considering my luck so far. Hopefully this wouldn't end horribly. I kept my pose, and I could hear the clacking of hooves across the floor.
I nervously looked up at the Queen.
She looked wild.
Her eyes had multiple shades of yellow, and her slitted pupils made her look more insane that mine did. Her mane was frazzled, like she had just but shocked by one of those spears outside, or perhaps rubbed a balloon all over it. She was tall and slender, her lithe form causing her movements to show off a little grace.
She had a plate on her back that was a gradient of yellow shades, and it was almost mesmerizing to look at. Her underbelly had a similar pattern, while the rest of her was covered in a light grey shell.
The Queen's tail was in the same shape as her mane, and it was at a very long length, as if it hadn't been cut in years. The crown resting on her head was comically tiny compared to the size of her unkempt mane, as it looked like it could be swallowed up in the mass of hair at any moment. Her horn was also crooked and warped, yet still had some shape to it, that shape being a lighting bolt.
What truly unnerved me, was her smile. I swear, it was even bigger than the other changeling's smiles had been. I think her mouth was also larger, with even more teeth as an added plus. She stalked towards me, as if coming in for the kill. I tried to stay still, but started shaking as soon as she stopped before me.
She laughed.
It was kind of hilarious, because the royal changeling in front of me had started up a giggle fit befitting a drunkard than an actual queen. Once her chuckling had died down, she put a hoof on my shoulder.
"C'mon now, no need for your grovelling."
I straightened myself immediately in fright. Her voice sounded like mine, but instead of static, it was more like the buzzing of an insect's wings times ten. Her voice also had a mature feminine tone, and it certainly outweighed my male yet high pitched voice. Actually, she reminded me a little bit of...
Oh.
"Uh, are you by any chance a musician?"
I immediately slapped my flippers over my beak. I hadn't meant to say that out loud, but the damage had been done. She gave me an expression I couldn't read, before bursting into laughter again. I waited for her to calm down, and she answered.
"My, you really are quite smart. Here I was thinking I had found some half wit creature like the ones I'd read about. Sure I'm a musician, how could you tell?"
I fumbled a bit at how accurate my guess was, and responded, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.
"Well, you reminded me of guitarists from where I originate, and the lighting motif is a common theme for them."
I motioned towards the throne.
"It sort of gave it away."
I twiddled my flippers a bit, the folded them behind me.
"So, what's your name?"
She had a faraway look in her eyes, something I knew all too well, which then solidified. She struck a pose of... some sort, and flashed me a grin.
"Queen Sepia."
My face scrunched up a little.
"Wait a minute, doesn't that have something to do with ocean creatures?"
Queen Sepia tittered into her hoof, and stalked around me in a circle. Boy, aren't I just the center of everything?
"Yes, but it's the color sepia that I was named for. Now, how about your name?"
She halted in her looping, rubbing up against me in a complete violation of personal space. Sepia leaned her head into mine, her mane enveloping the rest of my vision. I shuddered.
"Lenkar Glitch."
The Queen squinted at me for a moment, and leaned in even closer. My head opted to slide back a bit in the air, except my body stayed in place.
"Full name."
If I had a throat, I would have either gulped or thrown up. Or both.
"Vintage Lenkar EnGlitch, ma'am."
It was her turn to have a scrunched up expression, before chuckling and draping a leg over me.
"Hah! Ma'am? Now you're trying to make me feel old. Really cool name you have there, it'd be interesting to see how far it can go."
Her eyes glistened, while I suddenly felt like I was trapped under a Pyroar as a small Deerling, ready to be it's next meal. She held me a little tighter.
"You see Lenkar, you're going to be my new heir. For some time, us changelings have had to make do with living in the shadows, but my hive and I have a tendency to attract attention."
I took in her view for a moment, and deadpanned.
"I can't imagine why..."
Sepia was taken aback by my sarcasm, but then just laughed it up. I... hold on.
Search inquiry: Synonyms of the word laugh.
SYNTAX ERROR: <Synonyms of the word>
Well crap.
Search engines are all junk anyways. No wonder my vocabulary is suffering.
The changeling Queen strode back over to her throne, and plopped into it lackadaisically. She motioned for me for to come nearer, so I did.
"So, my question is, what can you do?"
I tilted my head at the question, then it hit me that she was asking about my abilities.
"I can fly, move faster than most creatures could ever possibly go, among other things..."
Sepia seemed to brighten at this, and pointed her horn towards me.
"Well, how's about we put these other things to the test."
Her horn began to light up, as electricity arched across it. I saw what she was doing and immediately activated my trump card, Conversion 2. The yellow beam of energy fired out of her horn, and hit me dead on. I was flung back with such force I thought my head had lost electromagnetic connection with my body for a moment.
I skidded across the floor, spasming all over the ground. I finally went limp when my head dropped like a sack of rocks, and Conversion 2 got to work. A cloud of pixels fogged over me, and my type changed. My reds turned to tans, and my blue turned to browns, while my eyes stayed the same. I was now a Ground Type, making me immune to the Electric Type.
I would only stay a Ground Type while Conversion 2 was on, or until I was knocked out entirely. The Queen raised an eyebrow at my color change, but fired another bolt anyway. It impacted me, but I didn't budge. The electricity was harmlessly absorbed into me, and rerouted to the ground.
She whistled.
"Dang, you're made of some tough material there."
I groaned, then shouted.
"I AM IN PAIN!"
Sepia giggled, and gazed at the ceiling.
"Mm, of course you are."