A New World, a New Lifestyle

by Omega_code

Chapter 11

Xerox and Scarlet walked and slithered down the street of New Hope. The Zoroark, still wearing his human appearance, was taking small glances from side to side of the ponies looking at them. It was a bit... unsettling to say the least for Xerox. Not for only due to the act of them staring at the pair, but for the whispering he saw a few pass to each other. His mind could only speculate what they were talking about, but a high chance was about the scene in the park about the child getting ‘eaten’.

“Just keep your eyes straight Xerox, don’t stare at them,” Scarlet spoke to him without looking at the Zoroark, keeping her eyes forward as she guided him down the streets.

The Zoroark took in a deep breath of air and slowly let it out, nodding his head as he took the Serperior’s advice. “Right... sorry,” he said as he focused on keeping up with her. As the two continued, something else was beginning to catch his eyes. He was noticing Flying type Pokemon, flying through the air or resting on top of houses, and they too were staring at them, or more importantly him. Many of them looks of confusion.

Xerox couldn’t help but shared some of the confusion behind the looks, not really knowing why he was getting them.

“YOU!” a male voice shouted from his side and before Xerox realize it someone had grabbed his arm and yanked hard on it. Xerox stumbled a bit from the hard pull and found himself staring down at a Lopunny, both of its hands gripping tightly around his arm. “How are you still human! Tell me! Please!”

Xerox’s mouth hung open in a bit of shocked from the question and his words fumbled out of his mouth. “I... I... I’m... I’m not a human.”

The Lopunny gritted his teeth. “Don’t be daft! My eyes don’t lie! So tell me how to-owowowowowo!” A vine wrapped around an arm and was squeezing just enough for him to let go of Xerox’s arm and Scarlet moved into view.

“You heard him right, sir, he’s not a human, but a Zoroark,” she told the Lopunny calmly, letting him go with her vine and letting it retreat back underneath her leaf collar. The Lopunny blinked in befuddlement and glance at Xerox, who was rubbing a hand behind his head before in the blink of an eye suddenly transformed into a Zoroark.

The Lopunny blinked in surprise before it quickly turned into anger. “Well why the bloody hell was he doing that for, huh!? Are you trying to mock us humans that just because we’re freaking Pokemon now that you can just waltz around like a human!”

Xerox winced from the volume and shrunk away from the accusation. Scarlet kept her postured formal and straight. “He has a good reason, sir, but I’m afraid we really don’t have the time to continue this conversation.”

“Tauros shit!” the Lopunny all but snarled, eyes glaring at them. “I’m trapped in the body of a freaking Lopunny of all things, surrounded by weird Ponyta creatures who can’t understand me, and most importantly of all, MY FAMILY IS MISSING!” he roared. “And now here comes your Zoroark mocking every ex-human in town with his disguise!”

“First off, he is not mocking, more of him being who he is,” Scarlet replied, keeping her voice firm and unwavering. “Second, I’m sorry that you were separated from you family, if you go to the guard station down to the end of this road, the ponies there can help you as much as they can. Including with the communication issue. Tell them Scarlet sent you.”

The man turned Lopunny continued to glare at Xerox for a long moment before snarling and storming off, tail twitching irritably against his rear. The Zoroark let out a long held in breath that he didn’t know he was carrying.

.....stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. He repeated in his mind as he bashed the palm of his paw against his forehead. He should’ve know that looking as a human was going to draw attention, especially from the former humans. And of course, they would be angry at him for doing so, after all it’s not like he should look like a human in the first place.

“Hey, don’t let him get to ya,” Scarlet said softly to Xerox, a vine reaching underneath his chin to push up so they were looking eye to eye. “You are still you, and you have the right to act however you like. It doesn’t matter if you look like a Zoroark or a human, nor does it matter where we are or the circumstances. If people look and point their fingers to complain, just shrug it off. Their words are just that, words.”

Xerox softly nodded his head. “Right... right... just words, that’s all,” he said, letting out a long sigh.

“Good,” Scarlet said with a small smile and nod of her head, her vine retreating. “Now, let’s find this child shall we?”

Xerox took in another deep breath and stood fully upright, his jewel glowing once more as he retook his human appearance. “Right, let’s.”

The two resumed walking down the street, passing by many blocks of houses and stores before it started to opened up to the park next to the small woods. It was empty, with nobody around, which wasn’t much of a surprised. News of a child getting ‘eaten’ would’ve sent the other mothers in the park into a state of frenzied panic to get their young to safety.

“Alright, where did the mother last saw her child?” Scarlet ask, glancing over at Xerox.

“She said by the swing set,” he answered, looking over to see two sets of four seated swing sets off the side. Few of the swings swaying a bit from the wind blowing through the air.

“Right... it’s always by the swing set,” the Serperior muttered as she slithered over there, Xerox following closely behind. “Better get acquitted to that scent now,” she reminded him.

“Oh, right,” he said with a nod, lifting his right hand that held the leash the mare gave him. He held it under his nose and took a few sniffs at it, not even thinking of how it must have looked for a human to be sniffing a leash.

While the average Zoroark aren’t known for having the best sense of smell compared to other dog Pokemon species, but he knew that even his scenting ability was leagues and bounds above the average human. A helpful tool Xerox has used many times when he can during his time spending with the humans and even in classes.

After sniffing a couple of times, Xerox got the minty pine leaves smell off the collar and had it memorized. Once he reached the swingset he knelt down and started to softly sniff the air, closing his eyes to focus on each and every scent he was receiving. Smells of cinnamon, and cotton, along with a few others stuck out to him but he could easily smell the pine scent. He turned his head to the left and got up, taking a few steps in that direction as he followed the scent.

He stopped in front of the second seat of the other swing set and pointed at it. “Here, he was definitely sitting in this one,” he informed her before he walked past the seat and sniffed the air more, frowning. “Other than that... I can’t tell more. The wind is already distorting the scent for me.”

“Where’s Kasai when you need him,” Scarlet muttered to herself as she slithered past him and furthered past the swing set onto the patch of grass. She turned her head down wards and slowly scanned the ground with her red eyes. “Hmm... I do make out a few set of hoof prints,” she said after a while of scanning. “A bit fresh and they’re moving into the forest. Though... I don’t see any other set of prints.”

Xerox frowned slightly. “He ran off by himself?” he noted as he walked up to the Serperior.

“Looks like it,” Scarlet said with a small sigh as she lifted her head up and glanced into the woods. It was dense at the edge but further in the trees were space in enough to giving a good cover of anything that could be hiding. “We should chase after him. With the recent addition of Pokemon to this place, there could be some Pokemon who wouldn’t mind eating something as small as him.” She glanced back down at the ground and started to track the set of hoof prints left behind, moving at a brisk pace.

Xerox could feel some of his fur standing on their ends underneath his illusion. “....right... should I wait here for deputy Maxim and tell him of our progress?”

“Up to you Xerox, I’m not really your teacher anymore,” Scarlet replied, pausing in her searching to look up at him. “I can track him with or without you, and we can always meet up with the deputy later. This is really your call.” She looked back down again and resumed moving as she followed the trail.

The Zoroark bit his lip. On the one hand, she did have a point of her tracking skill. He knew from experience that she was an expert in that, so he could just wait here for either her or Maxim to come here. On the hand... part of his mind was a bit worried about her safety. Sure, she was a Pokemon Ranger who had seen and been in many battles and brawls; however, that was when she was a human and had Lance by her side. With her now being a Pokemon, that all changed, especially since she was now heading into the woods with Arceus know how many kinds of Pokemon could be making it their home. Sure, most Pokemon would rather not pick a fight with a Serperior but...

“I’ll come with you,” he said, picking up his feet and doing a small brisk run up to her side.

Scarlet nodded her head. “Alright, keep your eyes open and that nose and ears of yours on high alert. Speak up if you notice anything off or see a colt just by himself.”

Xerox nodded his head and began to gaze around the woods carefully, doing what he was instructed. As well as keeping his illusionary powers on standby.

---

“Child I still fail to see how your mother can possibly be out here in the woods,” a deep resonating female voice sounded in Xerox’s ears after twenty minutes of walking. “Though I don’t suppose I really mind watching over you, you’re rather cute.”

Xerox’s ear’s twitched from hearing the voice and his hand reach out to rest on Scarlet’s neck. The Serperior lifted her head up and turned to face him. The Zoroark lifted a finger to rest over his lips and then pointed to where he heard the voice. He then dropped his human form and held his left paw out. His jewel on his mane softly glow, and to Scarlet’s eyes, a sort of slightly dark tented dome formed around them.

“I heard a voice a couple of meters to the west of us. Whoever it is shouldn’t be able to see us know,” he whispered softly as he kept the illusion up around the both of them.

Scarlet nodded her head. “Alright, lead the way.”

Xerox wordless nodded his head and started to head to where he heard the female voice, walking as carefully and softly as he can, his ears turned to pick up anything else that could be overheard.

“Come on, my mother should be here somewhere,” a young boy’s voice spoke out.

“I rather doubt that... but it’s better than letting you walk around here by yourself,” the female voice said. “And while I know that you’re not really understanding me little one, I am glad you’re not running from me.”

“Hehe, you sound funny you know?” the boy said with a small chuckle. “But hey, it’s kinda amusing.”

“I don’t know, I never thought of ‘Goodra’ as being all that amusing,” she replied with a small chuckle of her own. “But you’re young.”

Xerox’s ears perked up slightly. “A Goodra?” he said softly as he picked up his pace. The two moved in between a few trees until they came upon a Goodra with a small dark green unicorn colt walking in front of it, a noticeable red harness strap around his body.

The two were walking aimlessly in the forest and neither even noticed the Zoroark or the Serperior watching them a yards away from their left. Xerox glanced over at Scarlet and whispered. “Well, we found them... now what?”

Scarlet looked at the Goodra and the colt for a moment. “Well, we simply introduce ourselves,” she replied back before she moved forward out of the illusionary dome. “Excuse me,” she called out to the two, slithering towards them at a causally pace.

Both the Goodra and the colt turned their heads to look at the Serperior. The Goodra spook up first giving Scarlet a smile. “Oh, hello there Miss, this little colt has lost his mother and he’s been leading me through these woods looking for her...” she glanced down at the colt. “Or so he claims.”

“Who the heck are you?” the colt simply stated, startled out of his mind of the sudden appearance of a giant snake.

Scarlet softly smiled at the two. “My name is Scarlet Truman, young sir. I was accidentally sent by your mother to search for you. She’s very worried about your well being.”

The colt blinked before grumbling. “I don’t know why you can talk but that sounds like my mom... not willing to go looking for me herself,” he muttered. The Goodra’s eyes seem to perk up on him replying to the Serperior.

“You can speak to him?” the Goodra inquired, blinking twice. “Huh, I’ll have to see if I can’t find some way to do that, these ponies just aren’t as good at the whole ‘interpreting’ thing as humans are.”

“No they’re aren’t... but they have a way to translate what we say,” Scarlet replied to the Goodra before looking down at the colt. “Still, it’s probably best if you come back with me. Your mother is worried that you’re dead and it’s breaking her heart.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure it is,” the colt replied sourly. “Just like it does when I go for a walk around the block without her and she has a breakdown,” he muttered. “Or when I go to a friend’s house to spend the night and she comes rushing in during the middle of the night thinking something bad happen to me because of a ‘nightmare’ she had.”

The Goodra looked down at the colt with a worried frown before glancing up at Scarlet. “I take it you’re working with the police?”

Scarlet nodded her head, both in response to the Goodra and to the colt. “I see... mothers tend to have that kind of worried nature of their young. I know mine did in some cases.”

“Yeah, but she’s worried about every little thing,” the colt complained. “She watches me like if I get one little cut on my leg then I’m going to end up in the hospital!” He let out a huff through his nostrils and turned his head away. “That’s why I ran away when I got the chance, I’m sick of her and her constant hovering over my shoulder!”

The Goodra blinked and looked down at him. “Little one, I thought you were out ‘wasting time’... I didn’t think you were trying to ‘run away’,” she said in concern, moving a sticky paw down to nudge him at Scarlet. “I’m so sorry, but I can’t help you with that.”

The colt’s feet dug deep into the ground as he resisted being pushed. “Hey! I don’t want to go back! I had enough living with her and I’m going to live here now and going to live off the land!”

Scarlet looked at the colt with a flat stare. “Son... what you say sounds easy, but you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. Especially now. Pokemon are now part this world and trust me, there are some where you don’t want to mess with by yourself.”

“Pfft, whatever a Pokemon is I’m sure I can handle it. After all, I met her,” he said pointing up to the Goodra. “She’s been friendly to me, friendier than anyone else really, even my own mother.”

“... young one, I’m most certainly not someone who’s capable of truly mothering you... you can’t even speak the same language as me,” the Goodra said with a small sigh. “Besides, if my history has shown me anything then I know that I’m not worthy of having a child.”

Scarlet gave the Goodra a small sideways glance for a moment before turning back at the colt. She opened her mouth before the loud rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs caught her attention. She glanced around see that they were not alone anymore. Surrounding them in a small pack of seven Pokemon, three were Venipede, two were Whirlipede and the last was a Scolipede.

The Scolipede was scowling at them. “You are intruding in our lands,” she hissed at them.

The colt gulped, not liking the hostile tone he could pick up, his legs shaking slightly. Scarlet and the Goodra moved in closer to the colt without a glance towards each other.

“I’m terribly sorry for the intrusion,” the Goodra said, rising up to her full, rather impressive height. “We’ll be going unless you’d prefer to fight us and really... I’m a dragon.” Her eyes narrowed at the Scolipede. “Now it’s true that I’m not a Salamence or a Garchomp but...” she gave them a passive smile. “Would you really like to fight me, especially when I’m defending an innocent colt?” Her voice dropped at the end, becoming much deeper and considerably more threatening as well.

A chorus of angry hisses came from all of the bug Pokemon. “No.... but even you are outmatched, so don’t be making the threats,” the Scolipede remarked. “We can easily poison all of you and wait till you shiveral and die.”

“Yes... but we’re not going to to put up a fight,” Scarlet said calmly, glancing towards the last direction where Xerox was standing. “Especially when we can simply leave and let you be.”

“Buck that!” the colt said, his horn lighting as he pick up a rock and toss it at the Scolipede. “SCRAM!” The rock bounced harmlessly on its forehead and its eyes darken towards them.

“Oh child...”

“Kill them.” the Scolipede hissed angrily.

As the Venipede and the Whirlipede were about to move in, a cry shouted out from nowhere.

“THUNDERBOLT!”

Comments

[Krazyfan1]

...that Foal deserve a harsh talking to...

[Night_Moon60606]

typical brat 'rebel', thinking hes all that...and against a Scollopede? one of the stronger Bug/Poison Types...and more useful than some others i could name....

[Frogace55]

5551128 That foal needs a backhanded pimpslap

[Krazyfan1]

5582727
needs it or not, its a foal....and the parents couldnt press charges...