Chapter 4 : Introductions
The world have also the tendency to surprise you. It can come to many different forms, from luck, help, even a friend. But help and friend would be the most accurate in describing my situation from before. Even if the world does surprise you, sometimes it's not guaranteed to be something good either. We just have to be ready for it when the surprise comes to us, either good or bad. And never get your hopes up - Eric Angelo
Play this as opening theme
The City of Vanhoover, the City Where Nature Thrives as some ponies like to call it. A city where thousands of ponies go about their daily work or routine. It was supposed to be a good day for everypony within.
Except, that today is definitely not one of those good days because a big rhino-like thing appeared in the suburbs square before pointing a glowing rock in the middle between it’s palm at everything in the vicinity of the square. Then, as if that weren’t enough, a three-headed hydra appeared and attempted to negotiate with it. The attempt failed because of the action of one sloppy guardspony.
The three-headed hydra floated a few feet in front of said rhino, whom was now currently unconscious. “It shouldn’t be waking up for a while.” The Hydreigon noted as he floated a few feet before the unconscious Rhyperior. The fountain had all but crumbled beneath the force of the crash and the weight.
“Are you sure?” The lead Pegasus pony asked with a questioning frown, standing right beside the Hydreigon. “I don’t want it to suddenly wake up and started waving that glowing rock again.”
Noting the swirly eyes, the Hydreigon nodded curtly. “I’m sure. Do whatever you need to do. I advise you to hurry before he wakes up.”
With that the lead Pegasus pony glanced behind him and motioned a pony over. Some ponies had already left the square by the time the Rhyperior was taken down, thinking that the guard could handle it from here. However the ponies that still remained to see what the three-headed hydra and the dragon would do.
One pony with a jet-black coat and a pale white mane trotted up to the officer. “Tell your stallions to restrain the rhino and do it fast. I want that rhino in containment ten seconds ago!”
The black unicorn saluted in reply. “Yes, sir!” Turning around to face three unicorns, he straightened himself up. “Alright, you heard him. We’re restraining the beast!”
The ponies quickly kicked into gear and were now working on the Rhyperior. Four unicorns wearing all-black uniforms with chainlink cuffs on their belts did something that caused their horn to glow with various colors. The Rhyperior himself also proceeded to be prodded with those glows that slowly stretched outward to form some kind of dome around itself. To any flying creatures, it would appear as if a dome of multiple colors appeared in the middle of a circular square.
Needless to say, Eric was baffled. He never knew that Ponytas could use their horns like that. “Are they using Protect? Every Pokémon could, but using their horns?” Eric mumbled as he shook his head, knocking himself out of his state of self-indulgement. “Never mind. I can figure that out later. First... Sally?” He turned around to see the Salamence that had been laying on her side while facing toward the Hydreigon with glassy look on her expression.
It didn’t take Eric long to figure out why Sally looked like she indulged in drinking too much alcohol. The last move he recalled her using was Outrage, the ace-in-the-hole for any Dragon, not counting Draco Meteor. Of course, power comes with a price.
Outrages’ price being confusion after the rage had run its course.
Eric started to float towards the Confused Dragon-type, intending to check the current state the Dragon is in. Floating lower and lower before the Salamence. “Hydreigon?” A female voice called out to him.
“Hmmmm?” Eric glanced to his right, seeing Dawn trotting up to him, void of the cargo she had been carrying on her back.
“Are you okay?” Said Pokémon raised an eyebrow in question. “Well, you nearly got....you know what.”
“I’m okay. Don’t worry about it.”
His offhanded response somehow put Dawn off somehow. Like he had been in this kind of situation for a long time. “Hydreigon, maybe you should-“
“....Eric...” The Hydreigon mumbled.
“Huh?” Dawn tilted her head in confusion.
Eric floated back up, turned to face the confused mare proper. “....It’s my name.”
At this, the mare frowned. “But, but....I’m confused.” The mare scratched her head. “I thought you said, your name was Hydreigon! Unless I’m starting to hear things.”
“Well, Dawn, I couldn’t really speak my real name at the time. What I spoke is just my....species’ name.”
Dawn sighed. “This is getting really confusing for me. Please let me get this straight, if your real name is not Hydreigon, then what? Just Eric?”
“Eric Fitzgerald Angelo. That’s my full name if you want to know.”
The mare pursed her lips. She knows not many have triple names like that. Most ponies only have two names, with a single name being quite rare thought not as rare as a triple name. “So....Mr....Angelo? Nice to-“
The Hydreigon quickly cut her off by putting his right arm up. “Just Eric is fine. Most of my friends call me that, anyway.” Eric could tell that the mare was confused just by looking at her expression.
The mare scratched her head. “Uhm....okay...Eric. Nice to meet you, again?” She received a nod of confirmation.
“You know, it’s kind of a weird name.” Out of nowhere, she blurted that out. She received a stare that could mean ’Are you joking?’ resulting in Dawn sighing. “Eric, I mean. I don’t know anypony who gives their son or daughter the name like Eric. But, Angelo? Yeah, that one I heard. At least there’s a number of ponies naming their kids like that, but it’s still uncommon.”
Eric frowned in return. Resisting the urge to rub his forehead. “Naming convention...This region must be completely isolated if Dawn didn’t know the name Eric.” He mumbled to himself, unheard by the Bat Pony. In an effort to clear his head, Eric looked into the sky and noticed something before looking at the direction where the sunlight came from.
Of course, the one below Eric’s gaze is Dawn. The mare saw that the Hydreigon seemed to stare somewhere behind her. “Uh, what are you doing?”
“It’s getting late.” Eric murmured.
“Huh?” Eric pointed behind her. Dawn glanced behind her towards the sky that was slowly changing into that of an orange hue. She knew that the night was coming soon. “Wow, I didn’t notice.”
“Time flies when there’s something interesting happening.” Eric said absentmindedly.
Dawn scratched her head. “Well....that’s kinda true.” Then the Bat Pony remembered something. “Hey, I thought of something. You wanted to go to Vanhoover right?”
Eric nodded.
“Well, here is Vanhoover.”
“Thanks, Dawn. I appreciate the help.”
“Soooo....what are you going to do?” The mare asked “I mean, what are you going to now that you’re in Vanhoover?”
Eric put his arm-head to his chin for a moment. “I wanted to find help.”
“Help? What do you mean with help? And why would you want to find help? Is there something wrong?”
Eric raised an eyebrow. “Do you really want to know?” When Dawn nodded, he knew that there was no avoiding this sooner or later. He had to eventually tell someone no matter how outrageous his story was if he wanted to find help.
He sighed in submission. ”.......I wasn’t always like this.” When Dawn tilted her head, Eric added. “I’m not a Hydreigon, Dawn. I’m another species that somehow….transformed into...this.” The Hydreigon sweeped his entire body with his right arm for emphasis.
What came next was silence. That silence turned into awkwardness. Before Dawn blurted. “.........What!?” Dawn exclaimed. “But, that’s impossible! I felt you, I touched you, I saw you! How can you even be another species!?”
The Dragon-type didn’t know how to reply to that. Eric remained silent for three seconds before resolving to continue his explanation. “Dawn, do you know what a human is?”
That silenced her future tirade. The Bat Pony scratched her head once more. “......uh, sorry, what is this….hoo-man?”
Questions filled Eric’s expressions. “She didn’t know.” the through rose in his mind. “Then that means….. that explains why there isn’t a single human in sight after I entered Vanhoover.” Eric sighed coupled by shaking his head. He didn’t even know how he remained calm despite the situation. “I don’t even know where I am anymore.”
“Sorry to repeat myself, but what’s a hoo-man?” Dawn asked again
“Not hooman. Spell it out hyu-men. Then imagine a 6’0 tall bipedal being wearing a white shirt and khaki pants with two arms, two legs, hands on each arm with five fingers, feets on each leg with five toes. Imagine them not having fur, only skin and a dark brown hair on top of their head and not a snout, but only a nose.” Eric purposefully added the part about clothing. So she wouldn’t…..best not to think about that.
Dawn scratched her head as she tried to imagine the whole thing based on his description. Truth is, she could imagine it easily enough, partly from how some ponies wore shirts and pants after all. The hard part is imagining what they look like. She was surprised when she thought about how tall these….humans are compared to ponies. Also slightly horrified at how they only have skin and wore clothes. “Yeah, I think I can imagine it….just enough. And kind of disgusting if they didn’t have furs to cover themselves.”
Eric ignored the last part. She had figured it out. “That was me you imagined.”
Dawn sighed while looking with an expression that screamed, ’Are you kidding me?’ While scratching her head once more, she said. “Look, there’s no way you can be this….human, whatever they are. And I can hardly compare you as this….human...you just described.”
Eric didn’t show it, but he had a metaphorical headache coming. “Of course, I’m a Hydreigon and they hardly resemble a human being. Anyone would have a hard time to imagine me as a human.” Eric drooped his head slightly with a sigh.
There’s only one thing he could do right now to convince Dawn. “Maybe I should-“ A soft groan could be heard heard. Eric turned his head back towards Sally who was attempting to get up. “I’ll explain later. I need to tend to Sally.”
The Hydreigon floated to the Salamence’s front and lowered himself near ground level. “Sally, you okay?” Eric asked while Dawn watched them with interest.
The Salamence put her right forelimb to her forehead. “Ugh....I’m okay.”
Eric suddenly placed his right arm-head out in front of her face.“Tell me if you’re seeing double.” The Hydreigon starting waving it back and forth up and down. Hoping that the Confusion had run its course.
The Dragon Pokémon narrowed her eyes in concentration, intending to focus on the arm-head in front of her. As it waved back and forth, she quickly saw that her vision came back to normal, as in, not seeing everything in double anymore.
“No, not seeing double anymore.” Then a clenching headache caused her to grit her teeth and place another forelimb to her head. ”Ah, stupid headache.”
Eric rubbed her head in an effort to ease her headache. “Considering you got hit by the shrapnels of the Rock Wrecker, I’m not surprised” Sally knew what her trainer meant by that. Super effective attacks hurt a lot more than attacks that hit for neutral damage, as in attacks you neither resisted or were weak to. Meanwhile, the rubbing feeling took over her mind.
“How did you get here, girl?” The Salamence let out a small purr of enjoyment. She could do this forever, melting in her trainer’s care. He always knew her soft spots, a fact that the Dragon enjoyed.
“Sally?” Eric’s voice called out a little louder.
That snapped her out of her daze. “Uh, oh, right. About that.....” She had temporarily lost herself in the enjoyment of her trainer’s care. Nonetheless, she spoke. “I woke up in a meadow, looking around for you and Will. I didn’t see you anywhere so I started flying around in panic. Then I saw two cities,so I picked this one and here we are.” Sally had purposefully left some part out about beating the crap out of anyone that dared to harm Eric.
Eric waited for Sally to continue. After a few seconds, he asked: “Just like that?”
“Yeah, just like....wait a minute.” Sally glanced at her trainer with bewilderment on her face. “Eric, did you just speak to me?”
Eric sighed. “You should know Sally, I’m a Pokémon now. It’s natural for me to speak with you.”
“And how did you become a Hydreigon again? I seriously remember that you were 100% percent human.” She asked with a skeptical look.
“That’s the million Pokédollar question.” The Hydreigon added with a weary tone. “I fell asleep, woke up here,and discovered that my jacket and Pokéballs were gone. Also, for some reason, I’m now an Hydreigon.”
Sally remembered. He did say that he lost his jacket and Pokéballs that contained their friends upon awakening. “So what’s next?”
“Right now or later?”
“Right now!” Sally gritted her teeth in frustration. “We can’t just sit around here while some thief is running around carrying your belongings with the Pokéballs that have our friends inside. Running around with your Key Stone and my Salamencite doesn’t help either, but adds more trouble all the same.”
Eric sighed while softly shaking his head. “I know, Sally. Running into you was probably just a fluke. Right now I just want to find help.”
“Help?”
“So I can reverse my....situation if you get what I mean. But it seems, that’s out of the question right now.”
Before Sally could add anything again, a voice call out to them. “Uh, hello?” Their heads turned at the female voice between Eric and Sally. It was Dawn who was scratching her head during the whole conversation. “Care to add me to the conversation?”
Upon seeing the mare, she scrutinized the mare. Watching every limb, every single mane and fur all the way to the tail for any hostilities. This caused the mare to back away, noticing that she had been stared at. “Uh, hi?” For some reason, she felt…..’intimidated’.
“Who’s the Ponyta?” Sally turned his head at Eric, preparing to defend Eric if necessary. To Dawn, it would appear as, “Salamence?”
Eric quickly brushed down her neck in an attempt to relax her. “It’s okay, girl. She’s fine.” The Hydreigon turned his head back at the mare and motioned her over. “Dawn, it’s okay. Come on over here.”
The mare showed signs of hesitation. If there was any sign that showed earlier during the fight with the big rocky rhino, the winged Dragon was truly one to be feared. Her fearsome features, a couple of wings shaped like a pair of axes, sharp fangs, and fin-shaped ears.
Because of that, the mare was unsure whether it was as safe as Eric said. “I don’t know.....”
Eric sighed. Some people just had a thing against Dragons. “Dawn, Sally won’t hurt you if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Are you really sure? Because it looks like she’s going to bite me or fry me. No offense, but I don’t like either options.” Dawn replied, hesitation coloring her tone. Earlier she was admiring her skill in a fight, now she was terrified of its stare.
“I’m going to bite and fry her?” Sally stated with an almost indignant tone to it.
The mare looked at Sally with confusion. Where she could hear Eric speaking her language just fine, to her the Dragon just spoke, “Sal, mance?”
“No, she won’t bite or burn you.” Eric curtly assured her. Motioning her to come over again.
Seeing that the three-headed hydra was not going to let this go, she sighed before marching forward. Once she was close enough, Dawn could define more of her features. Mainly about the large crimson eyebrow that stretched to the rear of the head, white underbelly and crimson scale on her neck. Truly a fearsome appearance, indeed.
With hesitation, she trotted forward until shewas right in front of them.
“Dawn, this is Sally. My best friend. “ Next, Eric pointed towards the Bat Pony. “Sally, this is Dawn. The Ponyta mare I helped earlier.”
The mare scratched her head in nervousness of the Dragon. “Uh, nice to meet you, I guess.” She tried to be as polite as she could. Despite Eric’s assurance, she was not going to take chances of angering a Dragon.
Sally scrutinized the mare again. After some intense staring that made the mare uncomfortable, she had written off whatever suspicion she had on the mare. The Dragon Pokémon knew that the mare seemed harmless enough. The fact that Eric trusted this Ponyta was enough for her.
Sally smiled in return. “Same here, Dawn. I’m Sally.” It came out as more Pokéspeak.
To Dawn, she didn’t understand what she just said. All she knew was that the Dragon smiled which eased her tension by a small amount. “What?”
“She says, that her name is Sally. And it’s nice to meet you.” Eric motioned her closer again.
The mare trots seemed hesitant as she tried to get closer. Once close enough, she let out a hoof slower than the one she did with Eric. “I guess....it’s nice meeting you, Sally.”
“To you too, Dawn.” Sally bumped the bottom of her paw against the hard hoof of Dawn. The Bat Pony smiled, she had certainly made some weird kind of friends today. She also felt less ‘intimidated’ now for some reason.
“Hey, Dawn,” The mare turned her head toward the Hydreigon. “Why didn’t Sally understand you, but you could understand me?”
Somehow, Eric doesn’t know about magic. She sighed. “I should have known the spell only applies to you. Not to your Dragon friend here.”
“What spell?”
“I mean, the one the unicorn guard used on you so you could speak in our language. Obviously, she didn’t get one of the spells cast onto her yet.”
“That explains about the tingling feeling earlier. Wait, magic?” Eric placed his right arm-head to his chin. “Magic? Spell? How is that possible? There’s no such thing as magic. Except maybe, the Mismagius species.”
He shook his head. “Forget it....”
“Want me to ask the guard to cast as spell to Sally here?” Dawn flicked her head right towards the four guards standing side-by-side in their attempt to cast a dome together.
Seeing what Dawn meant. He glanced behind her and saw the unicorns at work. “....maybe later. At least, after we get the Rhyperior to leave the city.”
“Uh, right. Good point there.” Dawn scratched her head sheepishly. Realizing she wanted to ask during the middle of the guards work.
“I think it’s waking up!” A unicorn guard shouted. That caught the attention of everypony in the vicinity.
That got the Salamence back onto her paws in a jiffy. All, but forgetting her easing headache from the rubbing. “Eric!” Flames licking her lips once more.
Eric put out his left arm head in front of her face.“Easy girl! He’s secure. Look.”
True enough, the Rhyperior groaned and slowly got up from the mess of a fountain. Rubbing his eyes, he noticed something that was different from what he last remembered. There was a multi-colored dome, four unicorns to his front with their horns glowing of one of the various color each. His eyes also found the one Dragon-type that had knocked him out earlier. Beside her was the Hydreigon from before
Needless to say, he panicked again. “You!” He quickly prepared Rock Wrecker between his palms. Oddly enough, they didn’t seem worried despite the rock aimed right at them.
He fired the rock, smirking at the prospect of hitting his opponent. His smirk was wiped away when the rock shattered against the barrier, creating a ripple, but still standing nonetheless. He’s baffled. “What is this?” Walking up to the barrier, he put one hand onto it. Feeling that the dome was pretty solid. “Protect?” How dare you imprison me, Ponyta!”
Pulling back his right arm, the upper part glowed white with Hammer Arm and promptly punched it. Unnoticed, the unicorns gritted their teeth for a second. Expecting the barrier to fall any second like any Protect would after deflecting an attack, only that didn’t happen. “What is the meaning of this?” He kept punching the barrier wildly in an attempt to free himself.
The unicorns started to sweat bullet from the pressure applied to the dome repeatedly. It seemed obvious that the strength of this beast was enormous.
He pulled back his right arm for another strike. “Stop!” And stop the punch he did out of surprise. He glanced forward over the unicorns, and found his eyes watching the Hydreigon floating closer to the dome.
Seeing that the Rhyperior had stopped punching the shield, he put his arms up again in a show of submission. “Now,” The Hydreigon floated forward, stopping a little behind the line of the four unicorns. Regarding the Rhyperior with careful eyes, he stated. “Can we talk like two normal Pokémons?”
The Rhyperior let out a deep growl. “Why should I trust you, Dragon? You lied to me before, so why should I believe you now?”
Eric sighed. “I told you. It was an accident. No one would expect him to throw the spear like that.” One of the unicorns in question who maintained the barrier blushed in embarrassment.
“Liar! You lied to me! And I’m not going to fall for it again, Dragon!” The Rhyperior stated with a snarl.
The Brutal Pokémon grit his teeth, it had gone so well earlier. Why couldn’t it now? “Look, just give me another chance, okay? I swear to you that it was all an accident. I’m sure we can come to a compromise if we talk quietly.”
After a few seconds of silence. Eric had got what he wanted with the words stated by the Rhyperior. “Alright, Dragon, but this is your last chance. If you lie to me again....” The Drill Pokémon made an arm glow white for emphasis. That made Sally snarl in anger. How dared he threaten her trainer!
He let out a small breath of relief at that. Generally, some of the guards nearby as well. “Please don’t let anyone screw this up.” He mumbled. “ Alright, what made you upset in the first place?”
“I was sleeping in the mountains where I made my home. Suddenly, I heard this voice, then I woke up here, surrounded by Ponytas and without my home.”
Eric raised an eyebrow at the word ‘voice’. He did hear that before falling asleep, but he decided to leave that for later. “Why did you try attack the Ponytas then?”
“Like you said, Dragon. I was upset. My home is gone and now.....this.” He pointed at everywhere in particular. “The Ponytas, they are everywhere.”
“Well, if you want a home. You could find one nearby, in the woods or in the mountain. I’m sure they could suit you to your liking for a little while. But that still doesn’t give you a reason to threaten them just because you’re upset.”
The word ‘upset’ got his attention again. “Watch it, Dragon.” He warned.
The Hydreigon remained undaunted. “The point still stands that you attacked them. You could find a new home out there. So, I offer you this, we could let you go, only if you promise to get out of the city without causing more trouble.” That was met with silence.
The Rhyperior kept up a straight face. A few seconds later, he uttered. “Fine....”
Eric raised an eyebrow in question. “Can I trust you to leave quietly then?”
The Drill Pokémon made a small nod. “You convinced me, Dragon. I will leave the city quietly as long as no Ponyta attack me along the way again.”
Eric remained silent for a few seconds to see any distinguishing features that might tell that he was lying. Somehow, the Rhyperior made a straight face, no anger or frustration visible.
“Be on your guard, girl.” Sally made an unseen nod. Turning to the captain who stood aside and watched the exchange, he said. “Alright, I think he can leave quietly. Please lower the Protect dome.”
The unicorns were confused for a few seconds. The jet black unicorn in charge at the left of the row glanced at their commander to the left. He gave a nod. “Do it...” He said curtly.
The unicorn nodded. He glanced back at the Rhyperior. “Stallions, lower the shield!” And they did. The glow of their horn slowly died down.
This in turn, caused to dome to slowly flicker out of existence. A few seconds later, the dome was no more, causing everypony to slowly back away from the behemoth before them. The Rhyperior’s eyes glanced everywhere, at the Ponyta, at the Dragons. Silence overtook the entire square, until a small rumble was heard.
The unicorns quickly ushered out of the path of the walking rhino. Eric moved out of the way alongside Sally and Dawn to the left, watching as the Rhyperior eyeballed them as he walked past. The ponies that had crowded the street leading out of the suburb wisely stepped aside left and right in order to create a path for the Rhyperior to pass through.
The rumbling died down as the Rhyperior slowly zoomed out of view. Dawn sighed in relief. “I thought that was going to go under again.”
“At the very least, the Rhyperior decided to leave quietly and without a fight this time.” Eric muttered, glad that one thing decided to go his way today.
“Yeah, can’t help but agree with you on that one.” The mare wiped her brows of sweat that had accumulated from nervousness.
“If he did, I would have pummeled him down again.” Sally stated. “No one harms my trainer.” She muttered that last part, unheard by Eric or Dawn.
To Dawn it sounded like more Pokéspeak. And it snapped her memory. “Oh, do you still want that translation?”
Eric glanced at his Salamence. “Sally?”
She shrugged. “Whatever you want, Eric. I’ll follow you.”
Eric turned to look at Dawn to his right and nodded. “Sure, she doesn’t mind.”
“Alright, be right back.” Dawn approached one of the guards. The jet black unicorn who had commanded the unicorns earlier had watched the Rhyperior leave in silence. Once close enough, she prodded the guard at the side who seemed to be in a trance until the prodding came. “Excuse me, sir?
He lightly shook his head. Freeing himself from his daydream before turning to the right and facing whoever prodded him. “Yes, ma’am. Can I help you?”
“Can you cast a translation spell for the dragon over there?” Dawn stepped aside before pointing at the Dragon Pokémon’s direction.
After seeing what she was pointing at. His eyes seemed to show a little hesitation. Mandatory for his line of work to show suspicion. He internally shrugged. “I don’t see why I shouldn’t.”
The mare smiled. “Great! This way.” The mare led the stallion to the waiting Dragon-type alongside her trainer to her right.
Upon approached, the guard couldn’t help but also scrutinize every detail of the dragon. Who in turn also scrutinized him with her piercing gaze.
The guard had to admit that he felt ‘intimidated’ by this dragon, no matter how he look at it. He resisted the urge to gulp. “Alright, you might find yourself feeling a little prodding all over.” When Sally frowned, the stallion quickly added. ”But don’t worry, it won’t hurt.” Somehow, that didn’tassure her at all. She resolved to maintain her gaze on the Ponyta.
The stallion closed his eyes as his horn glowed white. “Now, please stand still.” Just as Eric did before herself, she felt a little tingle here and there. Stretching outward all the way from the head to every limb to the tail. Honestly, she felt like she had been prodded by a cold metal.
She felt the tingle slowly ran across her tail, until it went outward through the tip, the stallion opened his eyes again. “There, she should understand us now.”
“Thank you for your help.” Eric nodded his head in thanks.
“You are welcome. Consider it a reward for helping us out earlier with the rhino.” He nodded to all of them. Glancing momentarily to his squad, he spoke. “If you excuse me, I need to help my squad.”
“Of course, sir. Thank you so much for helping us out.” The mare smiled.
The guard smiled in return. “Take care, ma’am....” He left to join his squadmates without another word.
Another awkward silence occurred,until Dawn talked again just in effort to find any good topic to talk about. “So....it’s getting late, huh?”
“Yeah, it is getting late.” Eric said, realizing Dawn’s attempt at conversation. “I thought, I mentioned that before.”
The mare scratched her head in nervousness. “Yeah, sorry. I can’t stand awkward silences.”
Eric nodded. “I can understand that.”
“So…...aren’t you going to find help? With you being in Vanhoover and all right now.” The mare let out a sheepish smile at her failed attempt at conversation.
Eric ignored the part and just answered her. “As you said, it’s getting late. Sally and myself are battered. I think it would be better to find help tomorrow.”
The mare couldn’t help, but be astonished when he said that “Wow, you sure thought things through, didn’t you?”
The Brutal Pokémon gave off a small shrug. “It’s just a habit of mine.”
Sally glanced to her right towards her trainer with an unseen deadpan stare. “You had that habit ever since you became like this, really.” She mumbled, unheard by the mare or Hydreigon.
“Well, I’m no expert in…..humans, but I think I can help with showing you and Sally here around town tomorrow. Give you a helping hoof and all.” The mare made another scratch on her head.
That...was something Eric missed. He was new in town after all, the Hydreigon would need help finding his way. “I guess, I’m going need help finding my way around town.” He muttered. Eric nodded in confirmation. “I appreciate it, Dawn.” Eric couldn’t help but feel as if he had imposed upon her more than he should be. He kept quiet nonetheless.
“No problem. So where will you guys be staying?” Another awkward silence occurred on what was like the tenth times that day.
Eric momentarily put his right arm-head on his chin again. Sadly, he couldn’t find any satisfying answer to the question. “I guess.....we could sleep outside again.” Eric glanced at Sally who made a nod in agreement.
“I’ll follow you, Eric.”
The mare was horrified at what they had just said. “Wait, wait, wait, sleep outside?” Dawn stared in shock at what they’re proposing. “You’re only going to get a cold out here in the night.”
“It’s not the first time we’ve slept outside actually. I think we can handle it.”
Dawn shook her head. “No, no, no. Are you seriously suggesting you’ll sleep outside in the middle of the night within a harbor city?”
Eric knew what she meant. Sleeping outside in a harbor city in the middle of a night was not good for your health. Unless you wanted to catch a cold. “....is there someplace where we could sleep free from the night air?”
The mare scratched her head in confusion. She couldn’t let her new friends sleep outside like this. Despite their....appearance, they were actually quite nice. Eric even helped her. “I think I know one place.” She said cryptically.
“Where are we going?” The Hydreigon asked as he and his Salamence companion walked, or floated for Eric, down the road towards somewhere. Hugged to his chest was Dawn’s ruined painting. Dawn’s precious cargo of buckets returned to their place on her back again.
The sun had all, but completely set over the horizon just enough to leave a small amount of light shine through the horizon as they went through the suburbs, following Dawn while ignoring any ponies that might happen to glance their way out of curiosity to the two Dragon-types. Word have already spread around that a three-headed floating hydra and a dragon with a pair of axes-like wings were in the city.
The Bat Pony was unused to this kind of attention. She was always more part of the everyday flow of life instead of outside of it. To think that in about a few hours, she met a hydra that claimed to be a human, his dragon friend. Then, a big rock-like rhino appeared in the middle of town. Today was certainly interesting.
Right now, she had offered to shelter them both for a little while at least. She thought about how to repay him for now. There was one destination in Dawn’s mind that might serve as a roof for the night.
“My house. It shouldn’t be long now.” The mare replied, glancing alongside at Eric.
Eric raised an eyebrow on that one. “Your house?”
“Yeah, my house. At least, it’s better than to sleep out here tonight”
That made Eric stare at Sally to his left while she trotted on four legs just fine despite her earlier injury. Noticing the gaze, she glanced at the Hydreigon in return. She shrugged. “I think a house would be great, for a while. Certainly better than having to sleep outside…..again.”
Eric nodded. “I think that would be great.”
After turning to a few more alleyways for shortcuts, they had arrived at the less populated area of the suburbs where houses seemed to be separated more and more instead of lined up with each other.
Turning around the left corner again, they had witnessed a medium-sized house with two windows on each side of the door and one more on each side, with the rightmost taked the cake as the widest window. Generous amount of acres for the front yard, but not much to be considered rich. Two trees containing bananas that sandwiched a small stone road leading up to the door. Therewas also a second floor judging from the one window right above the door.
The mare pointed up to said house at the end of the street. “That’s my house there.”
It didn’t take long for them to reach the house’s front door. Like any stereotypical house owner, she lifted a welcome mat in front of the door with her forehoof and revealed a simple silver key. Latching it to the door, she turned it to the right with a click. “Well, welcome to my house. It’s not much, but it has been my home for the longest time.” Dawn opened the door and they filed into the house proper.
Upon witnessing the sight, it was quite true of the word ‘not much’. The interior seemed to be smaller than what it looked like from the outside, but still held a well-maintained look. The interior as far as he could see was clean.
In front of him there was a typical red sofa facing toward the door with a simple crimson carpet in front of the sofa. Eric could tell this was some sort of lounge. A few feet, behind the sofa, there were stairs going up before turning around the corner to reveal another flight of stairs, possibly a second floor. To the right of the staircase, there was a doorway leading to another room. To his left, there was some sort of living room, another pair of red sofas facing each other with a small wooden table in the middle barely reaching up to the sofa’s height. To his right, there was a stand that separated this lounge from it with a an architect desk propped against the other side of the stand from where they were now. The other side of the stands seemed to be full of buckets from where he floated, and books stacked together in a cluster against the widest window.
“All of this is in a single floor. It certainly has an…..earthly charms.” He mumbled.
Though, he or Sally didn’t mind the slightest at least judging from his lack of reaction or Sally shrugging. “Thanks, for inviting us to your home for the night.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad to help a friend.” Dawn smiled, trotting to the left to her desk by the wall. Reaching it, she slid her cargo off her back as they made metallic sound from meeting the wooden floor. She began to put them upright again and slid them together to the left of the desk.
Turning to face her new friends, she seen them stayed on the spot near the doorway. Examining the entire place. “If you guys need anything.” Catching their attention, she continued. “I’ll be upstairs in my bedroom, sleeping.”
Dawn felt the urge. Before she could, she put her right forehoof to her mouth to cover her yawn, the adrenaline slowly wearing off. “This day is seriously unexpectedly too exciting for me.” The Bat Pony mumbled before turning to head up the stairs to get some well-deserved sleep.
“Wait,” The mare turned her head left to look at the Hydreigon. “Where should I put this?”
The mare pointed her left forehoof at the desk’s direction where she just propped the buckets against the left of the desk. “Just put it against the stand there. I’ll take care of it in the morning.” Once realizing her curtness, she added. “Sorry, I think the day’s excitement is getting to me.”
“I think we can all agree that this day is quite tiring.” Eric added, knowing how many interesting had happened today.
Sally and Dawn couldn’t help, but nod. “If you two excuse me. I’m going to need my sleep soon. Wake me up if there’s a fire.”
As if by magic, Sally yawned in exhaustion. “I agree with her on this one, Eric.” Her earlier search and the battle with the Rhyperior didn’t help her imminent sleepiness. “I’m dead tired here and I just want to curl up somewhere nice.”
Glancing at Sally for a moment, he couldn’t help but nod. “Alright, we’ll go to sleep soon. Dawn, where should we-“ Glancing back, the mare had already gone up the stairs before he could ask where they should sleep. Possibly already fell asleep herself.
“I’m guessing we could sleep anywhere?” Sally quipped with one eyebrow raised.
Eric sighed. “Let’s just take the sofa and the carpet.”
Nighttime had claimed the day and casted the shadow of sleep over everypony’s head, causing them to rest for the day within the comfort of their homes. This is no different for the two Pokémons that were resting peacefully inside the house of one Solar Dawn.
Sally sleep contently on the carpet in front of the sofa facing the door, all curled up. Another one on the sofa, head propped on the armrest and staring at the ceiling aimlessly.
Three seconds later, the shadow slowly crept up from the sofa. With a soft beat of his wings, he. Revealing himself to be Eric within the moonlight that crept through the window blinds.
Eric reached down to Sally while floated lower to the sleeping Salamence. “Good night, Sally.” He rubbed her head. The Salamence made a contented sigh.
With that, he turned and floated toward the door. Shutting the door, he floated to the single tree to the right of the path in Dawn’s front yard. Soon, he sat down and propped himself on the tree. As if by protection, the tree leaves on the branches cast a shadow over him by the moonlight.
He glanced upward. Stars, there are so many stars beyond yonder. Eric couldn’t help, but find himself amazed at how many stars are there within the blackest night.
Almost unconsciously, he reached his right arm toward the skies. Intending to grasp the tiniest hope within the darkness that could bring back the once human trainer. Hoping that the tinies light could become the brightest light in the darkness.
Sadly, he knew he couldn’t. He pulled his arm back before resting both arms on his belly. “I’m just one person in the entire world.....” He muttered.
He propped his head against the tree. “Just what is happening to me? Who did this to me?” He couldn’t help, but think that something out there caused his transformation.
Shaking his head, he tried to get rid of his constant self-indulging thoughts. “I should really stop brooding.” Eric grunted out.
He let himself relax against the tree, watching the twinkling star that is within the sky. “So beautiful...”
He let himself fall into a trance, letting the stars guide him for the moment. Watching them in silence for five minutes, his eyes slowly drooping from the exhaustion of the day’s event.
Soon, he joined them all in their sleep. Letting the exhaustion taking over and closed his eyes. “.....dad.” Eric uttered before sleep took over to make way for the morning.
Play this as closing theme
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amazing chapter as always
keep up the good work
5578002
Thank you for your repeated comment. I seriously appreciate it.
The only issue I noticed in this chapter was a few missing spaces...
*Start understatement* Not bad *End understatement*
Its a good one. But we all have our own preference of what pokemon they became. Still good story
Wow, I'm out. I'm sure that this is a cute story, but the Author made a few basic mistakes that I have a hard time with. First, the characters are very, very dumb. It takes way too long for them to realize things, and to understand whats going on around them. It pulls you out of the story when your reading and your confused by how a character cant figure out whats common sense.
Second, they have a solid twenty minute conversation standing above a downed pokemon that not only saved him, but actually completed a full battle for him. ...And instead of caring or checking on her, he has a twenty minute conversation....standing right next to her.
I was literally screaming at the screen. "Check on your friend!"
Monk