《Altered Bonds Extras》 Omake 1: Burning Love Altered Bonds Extras Omake 1 ¡ª Burning Love (Best read after Chapter 8) (Canon? ¡ª No)
It was the smoke that Lucario noticed first, his nose wrinkling as he entered the attic of Gabite''s cottage. Then there was the fire. Oh goodness, that was a literal fire in the house. Lucario gawked, dumbfounded for a solid few seconds as he took in the immense blaze of destruction gobbling up a select space in the middle of the attic area, blue Water Gems and lighter-hued Ice Gems surrounding it in a ring as if to magically prevent its spread. Charred pages and book spines flailed and prayed for repentance within the flames, their calls shunned by all. Vulpix sat next to the fire in a giddy trance. "The what?" Lucario found himself saying. Eira the Alolan Vulpix. An Ice-type Pokemon in disguise sitting next to a fire. Burning books inside of Gabite''s house. Am I hallucinating this? Is this a dream? he wondered, before grimacing at the heat that clung to his fur. That fire was burning hot, alright. Again ¡ª why was Vulpix sitting right next to it like it was but an ordinary campfire? "Kid? Did you start¡ª" he questioned. "Had to." Vulpix''s voice was horrendously monotone, like she had been replaced by one of those computer voices that humans generated for their electronic devices back home. "They had to go." Her tails flicked toward one of the bookshelves lining a corner of the attic, Lucario turning to find it somewhat barren of its book supply. "The romance novels," Vulpix went on, her static smile widening impossibly ¡ª and yet she could make Hattrem jealous with how emotionless she seemed. "Such horrors have no place on this planet. The world must be cleansed of them. We must be exorcized of the love triangles." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Okay, this was getting trippy. Why was Vulpix talking like an insane grandma sage? "Uh¡ª" "Lucario." With a swish of her tails Vulpix faced him, not a bead of sweat to be found dripping from her fur. "The flames cannot touch me. They burn with passion, and yet my heart remains cold, aloof, and indifferent. It was what those books deserved. You know this to be true, don''t you?" A part of Lucario wanted to admit that okay, yes, romance novels were a glaring blight in the universe and one of humanity''s ¡ª and Pokemon-kind''s ¡ª worst creations, but this was a bit excessive. Another grew horrified at what had possessed Vulpix, if that even was the faux vixen herself in front of him. Or was that a doppelganger? Some stupid illusion from the Mismagius? Vulpix wouldn''t act like this, or be resourceful enough to use Elemental Gems like this to keep the fire from spreading, wherever she got those from. Really though, why wasn''t that fire burning a hole into the floor¡ª WAIT SHOOT THERE''S A FIRE IN AN INDOOR SPACE WHAT DO I DO¡ª Lucario frantically turned tail to inform the others, only to pause as he found Gabite behind him. The dragon-shark had snuck up on him, gaping at the fire with narrowed eyes. Vulpix barely looked at him before rubbing her paws in front of the flames, humming a chirpy tune to herself. Gabite pressed his lips, turning to the bookshelves. Then back to the fire, noticing the books set alight within. Then back to the bookshelves. The undignified, shrill scream of desperation that left his throat was one no eldritch monstrosity would dare make. Maybe a stand up comedian, if anything. "THE ROMANCE BOOKS!" he said, diving right into the flames. His typing must have been coming in handy, Gabite completely unfazed by the fire tickling his scales as he rushed to stamp out the blaze and salvage whatever scraps remained from his smoldering books. A lump formed in Lucario''s throat as he made tearful noises, pulling out a pitch-black piece of paper and staring at it with trembling claws, before letting it flutter back into the fiery pit. "Why?" he asked Vulpix, his face the very picture of agonized defeat. Vulpix looked up, staring at the dragon-shark submerged in raging fire, stuck in a world that was not fine and would never be fine. She tilted her head without a single shred of care for his feelings. "Wynaut?"
Late that night, Vulpix stuffed her face into her pillow bed, appalled. She had gone too far. "What came over me today?" she kept questioning herself, fur prickling from the weight of Lucario''s wordless gaze. Gabite''s sobs were audible from across the hall, his emotional state pounding on her ears. Mother would have found this extremely funny. She also would''ve smacked her for committing property damage. She did leave burn marks and soot on the second floor, after all. Worth. No, it wasn''t! Vulpix yelled at whatever demon was messing with her. Get out of my head! Omake 2: A Form Most Uncomfortable Altered Bonds Extras Omake 2 ¡ª A Form Most Uncomfortable (Best read after Chapter 8) (Canon? ¡ª No)
Anxiety spiked in Lucario''s nerves as Eira somehow tugged the white wristband an Abhorrent Eevee gave them onto her hand. That anxiety doubled when she let out a world-changing gasp. The surrounding forest trembled at the noise. Lucario wiped the sweat in his forehead, while the Eevee made an anticipatory humming noise, sounding much like a kettle that was about to erupt steam. "Do I¡ª?" Eira murmured, her gaze distant. Lucario nearly shrugged to respond when he froze, the girl becoming enveloped in a white light that reminded him of evolution. Her body shifted, her body melting away into several tentacle appendages, and then¡ª A whitish jellyfish-like creature emerged from the light. Two tentacles served as redundant legs for the hovering entity, four were her arms, and the rest flowed behind her like a cape. Or hair? The jellyfish looked like an eerie imitation of a human girl, now that he thought of it. Even its glassy, transparent bell, covered in star markings, had a wavy rim of bright blue that resembled a sunhat. For the longest time Lucario stared at the jellyfish. The jellyfish turned towards him, before raising her tentacles to her lack of a face. She screamed. Lucario screamed. Cries of startled Pokemon echoed from afar. "What did you do to her, Eevee?" Lucario yelled as Eira the what-on-earth-was-that-thing moved back, immediately flopping to the floor in an attempt to use her legs and crying out gurgling noises. "Change her back!" Even Eevee looked caught off-guard by her transformation. "I-I didn''t do a thing!" he said, hackles raised. "The band lets her change into a Pokemon form and back, she has to do it herself! Tell her!" "She doesn''t understand me!" Lucario blurted, his voice cracking. "And excuse me? That thing is a freaking Pokemon?" "I don''t know! I never¡ª" Eevee raised his head, gawking at nothing in particular. "A-an Ultra Beast, Leafeon? Why would the wristband turn her into some extradimensional Pokemon? That doesn''t¡ª" He caught wind of Lucario gawking, and firmly shook his head. "Voices in my head, don''t mind me," he said. For a moment Lucario intended to worm through the monster Eevee''s head, before remembering his priorities. "Kid! Eira!" he said, sending the human-turned-''Ultra Beast'' every ounce of calm he could through his aura. "Please¡ª" Eira rasped, her voice light and wet-sounding. Lucario stumbled back as she jerked, then shied away, heaving. "I-I''m fine!" she exclaimed. "I''m fine! I''m sorry, I d-didn''t¡ª" She clutched her torso, before shuddering as she realized she no longer had a torso, and clutched her hair-like tentacles instead. Eira pulled up her other three arms, gingerly eyeing the wristband adorned on one of them. "A Nihilego?" she said. "Of all things?"
It was a surreal experience, to say the least, being an Ultra Beast. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Eira the Nihilego ¡ª though she really, really didn''t want to call herself a Nihilego ¡ª had plenty of time to familiarize herself with her form the next morning. The wristband guided her, it turned out, giving her nudges and cues for how to move around. Right now she was staring at her four tentacle arms and having them move independently, tracing the bark of a tree. She was also floating ten feet in the air. I can fly. Insane. Eira gently floated down, as if the act was second nature, and landed on her tentacle legs. She walked on them, as if she always knew how, until she reached Lucario. Sleeping. What a convenience. It had given her time alone to cry over Mother''s death. And to learn that no, Nihilego did not shed tears. They didn''t have eyes for that. Yet she could see just fine. Well, things were blurrier, but she saw in other ways. Her tentacles caught vibrations tingling in the air as Lucario tossed and turned, and she gagged at the overbearing scent of wet fur. Odors were almost tangible to her, the wooden pine smell of the forest permeating all around her. She still had a mouth, but it was in a rather odd place, at the underside of her transparent head. And she didn''t use it for speaking either ¡ª there were vocal cords elsewhere that independently did that. "Makes me sound like a high-pitched siren talking underwater," she told herself, disliking the voice. Too childish and bubbly and watery. And with a weird otherworldly echo to boot. A Nihilego. She could turn into a Nihilego, a creepy Ultra Beast that acted as a parasite. Mother would never quit teasing her about it if she was here. Why, she''d think even Father would, if he¡ª Eira trembled. We''ve already cried enough, her inner voice insisted as she held back a choke. Did Nihilego breathe? She took in a deep, quivering breath, letting it pull her away from her painful thoughts. Yes, Nihilego did breathe. Well, maybe not oxygen, she couldn''t tell. And she didn''t have to breathe through her mouth. How was she thinking, by the way, if she didn''t have a proper brain? Did she have a brain? Nihilego were probably the weirdest things she could turn into. But I guess it''s not as bad as I thought. She toyed with the lever within her that would transform her back, before feeling her spirit again. She had already done this earlier, prodding the strange energy flowing out from deep inside her, and had felt bizarre knowledge touch her in return. Things like her Rock and Poison typing, her infant Level, her Beast Boost ability, and her moves. Just Wrap and Pound, ordinary attacks. But she would get actual powers later, surely. It''ll be amazing, she thought, giddiness overcoming her as she swayed and floated about. The thought of having Poison moves unnerved her, admittedly ¡ª it reminded her of that horrible, horrible Ariados who attacked her ¡ª but the wonders she could do! She would even learn the Pokemon tongue, given time. It brought joy to the child within her. Inattentive, she let herself zoom around trees with enchanted amazement. Flying was such a marvel, and she wanted every opportunity she could to relish in it. Only too late did she sense the vibrations in the air, warning her to¡ª A Weavile collided with her, Eira the Nihilego ¡ª she still didn''t want to call herself that ¡ª tumbling down with him in a heap. They both grunted, gazing at each other, and for a moment Eira''s fear was blocked by the fragrant, almost magical smell of the majestic pink flower Weavile held, drowning out his own stench of various odors she didn''t recognize. Then Weavile growled and swiped his claw, and suddenly all Eira thought about was self-preservation. As if in a trance, she locked his limbs in place, then scooped the startled Weavile toward her. Her head latched onto Weavile''s, clamping down. He cried out in pure horror. So did Eira. Still her instincts kept going, injecting neurotoxins into her squirming victim until he sagged, compliant. His thoughts were hers, his memories were hers, his emotions were hers to manipulate and play with like soft dough¡ª Make it stop make it stop MAKE IT¡ª
Lucario sighed, observing the comatose Weavile. His eyes stared into the Distortion World, the criminal in shock. Freeing him from Eira the Nihilego had been a hassle. Said Nihilego was whimpering in a corner, head against a tree. Beside Lucario, a trio of perturbed Pokemon glanced at his disguised human. Where the Togetic seemed overly concerned over the kid''s state, the Gabite looked nauseous, eyes neither able to settle upon her, nor the Weavile she had harmed. "A child can do that?" he muttered. The Shaymin scoffed, checking her Gracidea Flower for any scratches or torn petals. Yes, he was meeting a real life Shaymin. Yes, that flower Weavile stole was a fabled Gracidea Flower, able to grant her kind the power of flight. "Typical Nihilego thing. They''re parasites that can enthrall victims and suck their vitality to defend themselves." Shaymin scratched herself, ignoring how Gabite cocked his head back in primal fear. "Lucario, was it? Uh, why do you have a young Ultra Beast roaming with you?" Uncomfortable question. Lucario slid his gaze away, checking Weavile''s aura to make sure he was alive. In doing so, he accidentally brushed against Eira the Nihilego and her inner laments. I don''t want to be a Nihilego anymore, she whimpered. Poor girl. Omake 3: Bone Wielder Altered Bonds Extras Omake 3 ¡ª Bone Wielder (Best read after Chapter 8) (Canon? ¡ª Maybe)
Thrust and stab. Side swipe to parry. Counterstrike. Step back and disengage. Lucario''s bone of aura swung and attacked the air, the jackal in combat against an opponent that only existed in his imagination. He strafed, feinted, blocked, and rushed forward in a deadly dance, his weapon in sync with his every movement. He twirled it between his digits, then lunged with the full fury that his Bone Rush could offer, before spinning away. Eira the Vulpix watched curiously from the side, the jackal smiling at the Powder Snows she had coated the field in. Frost firmly clung to grass blades and tree bark alike, the result of her continued practice. "Something up?" he asked her. For a moment Vulpix bashfully turned away, looking at Gabite''s cottage atop the nearby hillside, before giving in to her inner desire. She approached, inspecting his bone weapon with a tilt of her head. "Do you always, uh, shape your bone like that?" she said. Lucario pulled the bone to eye level. "What about it?" "J-just wondering. Why a femur bone?" Odd question. But no reason not to indulge her. "It comes naturally," he told her, giving a few practice swings. "It''s for my move, Bone Rush. Marowak and Mandibuzz learn that move since they''re usually equipped with femur bones as weapons, while us Lucario learn to conjure them with aura. It always comes out in this shape ¡ª sturdy and good for clubbing." Vulpix seemed to understand. Yet where there was one question, there were surely plenty more, lurking in the mind of the inquisitive. Judging from the elongated hum the kid made, she certainly had another in mind. "But you could change the shape, right?" And there it was. "Well¡ª" "I mean, I don''t know ¡ª you can make small and big Aura Spheres. I can fire quick, light Powder Snows, or heavy ones, or scattered ones. I also can use Tail Whip as an attack, or to distract someone." Vulpix made a face at the thought of her underused Tail Whip, before continuing. "Can you change how you use your Bone Rush too? Change it into a different shape, even?" Lucario considered it. It was just a matter of manipulating aura, wasn''t it? Not that he was particularly skilled at it, but so long as he kept a bone-like shape, wouldn''t it still count? May as well try. Taking his glowing blue bone, Lucario tried to alter its shape. At first the bone resisted, unwilling to take a form other than the one he always instinctively gave it, but soon it began to meld in his hands. Lucario restructured it like it was putty, carving its shape with great care. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Ground-type energy was a key component of Bone Rush. His spirit would reject the weapon as just an aura construct, if he strayed too far from the shape of an actual bone. The elements were finicky like that ¡ª and although Lucario knew some Pokemon did go through the toil of creating truly custom moves, that wasn''t what was intended here. He wanted a Bone Rush that still felt like a Bone Rush, loosely speaking. And somehow, he managed that. A good minute was spent before he reached completion, Lucario eyeing his handiwork. A serrated, bladelike bone rested in his grip, the jackal careful not to puncture himself on the spines growing on its side. A spiky arrow-like tip grew on one end. "A vertebral column," Vulpix said in wonder. "Just call it a backbone, oh smart one," Lucario said, smirking at the flat look she instantly shot at him. "Or a spine." A humanoid spine, to be exact. The bone was rather flexible, yet somehow held rigid so long as Lucario forced it to. Still, it didn''t feel ideal ¡ª not good as a bludgeoning tool, and more likely to poke his fur than to do meaningful damage to anyone. Unless they got it stuck in their flesh. Which might be useful. Except it''s made of aura, and I can''t maintain it forever. Lucario shook his head in disapproval, before trying to go for something more unorthodox. The bone separated into many little pieces, each curved and bent. Lucario held them up, then flung one toward a tree a distance away. It snapped on contact, barely chipping the bark. "Rib bones?" said Eira the Vulpix. Lucario tsked. Somehow rib bones counted as a Bone Rush, even with them separated and all. Throwing weapons, perhaps? But he saw no need for those, even though he could reinforce the aura to keep them from being so brittle. Frankly, if he did want a throwing weapon, he could just chuck a femur bone at someone. Or be boring and use a good ol'' Aura Sphere. What else was there? Hand and feet bones didn''t sound appealing. A properly connected ribcage could be used as a shield and a ramming weapon, albeit a very poor one. Shoulder bones? Lucario had no clue why he''d want to make those. No reason to bother with changing the bone type I use, he thought, before a silly idea came to mind. Although¡ª He began reshaping one more time, creating his most complex construct by far. Several times Lucario found himself straining against his limits, or finding his aura not holding the way he wanted to, but he powered through to the end. For science''s sake, he had to know: could it be done? And he was rewarded with knowledge. Yes, it could. Five grueling minutes of detailing and chiseling, and Lucario found himself holding a truly remarkable work of art: blue aura, shaped into the form of a crude humanoid skull. Empty eye sockets, holes where the nose and ears went, a working jaw, and a cranium that was mostly round. It had awkward bumpy edges and poorly designed teeth, but still a skull. The aura''s glow seemed to set alight its eyes. And well, the holes for its nose and ears. "Uh," Vulpix said, impressed yet stupefied. "Cool, I guess? Why does that count though?" Lucario stared at his ridiculous masterpiece. And then he roared with laughter. A skull! By the very faintest definition of a Bone Rush, his spirit saw a skull as compatible! What was he supposed to do with this, give someone a concussion with this thing? The skull deserved a name, he decided on a whim. Something over the top. Bonehead? No, skeleton puns were overrated. Serif? Nah, that felt weird, naming a skull after some word font. Maybe he should settle for the irony of a human name, like Steve? Or Rogers? Lucario thought and thought, before snapping his fingers in a stroke of true madness. "Galmalov the Griever!" he yelled, raising his skull for the world to see. "Most hideous of the liches! His name is fury, and his word is frost!" Eira the Vulpix slowly raised a digit, her face scrunching up at his theatrics. "W-what?" "Galmalov!" Lucario repeated, the poor girl struggling to translate a made-up name into her own tongue. "Imagine it, kid! That darned Aerodactyl shows up one day, looking for trouble, and I bash him with the skull of the accursed Galmalov! The look he''d have on his face!" "I-I don''t¡ª" Vulpix covered her face and groaned, unsure how things had led to this point. "Lucario? Can you not?" "The irony! The ridiculousness of it all!" Lucario guffawed, keeling over and resting a paw on his hurting stomach. "That skeletal fiend, tasting the wrath of the great Galmalov the Griever! Oh, it''s too perfect! It would be so hilarious, so¡ª" Abruptly he pulled himself together, tossing the skull against the grassy ground. Galmalov the Griever stared back, heartbroken, and Vulpix blinked as Lucario crushed it underfoot. "You''re right, this is stupid." Aerodactyl was immune to Ground-type energy anyway. Omake 4: Waterfall Moment
Altered Bonds Extras Omake 4 ¡ª Waterfall Moment (Best read after Chapter 8) (Canon? ¡ª Maybe)
Gabite blinked at the backside of the waterfall he just leapt through. His head pounded from the weight of the rushing falls, and his sensitive ears twisted at its cacophonic noise as it pounded the lake below. Water ran through his scales in rivulets, a small pond forming around where he stood. In front of him, a similarly soaked Lucario and Vulpix waited upon him, their wet fur smell wafting into Gabite¡¯s nostrils. They stood in a small cavern with a suspiciously convenient lantern, holding an Electric Gem that emitted a dim light. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. At Lucario¡¯s feet was an opened chest. With a Tiny Reviver Seed, whose plain appearance was belied by the tiny green bud sprouting from a cracked spot. Gabite stared at it. And then at Lucario. ¡°There¡¯s a secret cave at Gr###root Falls.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°With a chest that holds a notably rare item.¡± ¡°Apparently.¡± ¡°And you just figured it had to be behind one of the waterfalls.¡± Lucario clutched his bruised head ¡ª a result of his efforts to inspect every last waterfall he could find, at the risk of having a deluge of water crash against his body each time. ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon,¡± he reasoned, ¡°and it has waterfalls.¡± Gabite clutched his head. Which wasn¡¯t as bruised, but was beginning to grow a migraine to compensate. ¡°Where did you live that it¡¯s normal to chuck yourself headfirst at waterfalls and find secrets?¡± he cried out. Lucario and Vulpix threw each other twin stares. Eventually the latter gave in and clutched her head too, tails tussling at her curly snow-like hair as if to get rid of the dampness within. ¡°You¡¯re weird,¡± she said. A huff came from Lucario. ¡°Tell me you weren¡¯t thinking the same thing.¡± From the annoyed look she shot him, Gabite knew she had. Which made him groan. ¡°We have no records of this at the Explorer Board!¡± he stated. ¡°How could nobody else think of this?¡± Lucario shrugged. ¡°Maybe you guys are washed up at your job?¡± The pun made Gabite elbow him in the shoulder. Omake 5: Canon Event Altered Bonds Extras Omake 5 ¡ª Canon Event (Best read after Chapter 8) (Canon? ¡ª uhhhhh)
Eira choked and gasped for air, consciousness flooding her shaken mind. A torrent deafened her ears, and her nose smelled the ocean. Her damp clothes clung to her like a second skin. Her actual skin was damp too, and yet so dry. Saltwater? It must be, she was just in the sea a moment ago¡ª The sea? Rain battered her sore body, Eira wincing at the feel of sand crawling within her clothing and shoes. Her fingers were denting a piece of splintered wood, the one she''d been clinging to for dear life. An immense cold swept through her spine, and she shuddered, head slowly turning up and eyes squinting through the dark. "W-where?" she said to herself, confused and afraid, her hands unclasping the driftwood and inching toward the beach sand. Lightning boomed and lit the sky, and she reflexively turned. Red eyes met hers. She reeled back, suppressing a shout. It took a moment to realize those eyes belonged to a blue furred, bipedal jackal with long dreadlock feelers growing out of his head, a metal spike jutting out of his cream-colored chest and another two from the backside of his paws respectively. He stood on the balls of his feet, as if it was natural, and with a start Eira realized he''d been speaking to her. For a moment, that distracted her from everything else. Is he trying to talk to me? she thought, unsure of what to do. She never had a Pokemon do that before. It wasn''t often she got so close to one either. What does he want with me? She stared on, wary of his hardened red eyes, and the jackal frowned. He bent his knees and raised his arms in a placating gesture, and suddenly, Eira realized this wasn''t just some mere Pokemon. That''s a Lucario. There was a storm. My ship¡ª Everything rushed back all at once. Eira remembered the screams, the cacophony of a ship shattering apart, her sense of vertigo as she tumbled into the air¡ª I almost drowned. But she didn''t. "You," Eira mouthed, peering at the wooden plank she was lying on. "You saved me." Lucario nodded, flashing a little smile. She returned it. It could only contain a grain of her infinite gratitude. She was alive! That shipwreck should''ve been the end of her. Just thinking of it made her numb ¡ª how did it even happen? There was no way she should''ve made it out alive from such a freak accident¡ª Mother. The cold seeping into Eira''s body found its way into her bloodstream, freezing it over. Her Mother! What happened to her? Eira twisted her head, neck protesting as she gazed toward the sea, her breath going shallow. "Mother?" she cried. "Mother!" A feminine groan. Eira shook, then noticed Lucario gesturing, his paw pointing past her. She turned further, toward the rest of the long piece of driftwood, and her heart fluttered with rapture. For there she was, coughing to herself and holding on to the other half of the wooden plank. The darkness and heavy rain had obscured her, but there was no mistaking the figure. "Mother?" whispered Eira. Mother gingerly turned over. "Daughter?" she croaked, and it was everything Eira wanted to hear. Looking at Mother was almost like staring at a mirror, so similar did they look to each other. Same body type, close to the same height, similar faces ¡ª it was only Mother''s dark shade of skin and her more mature appearance that set them apart. From the way Lucario furrowed his brows, he must''ve originally mistook Mother as an older sister. An easy misconception to make. "Are you fine?" said Eira. "Mother?" Mother rolled her eyes. "Me? Oh no, I''m actually a Zoroark who stole your Mother''s skin," she said. "I''ve been pretending for five months, and your Mother''s still locked in the cupboard." Eira laughed in spite of herself. "Mother," she said in a chiding tone. "Oh no, don''t you ''Mother'' me." Mother shifted away from the rumbling ocean shores, but too late, sputtering as a wave of tidal water leapt onto her face. "Goodness, I think I''ve outdone myself this time ¡ª I''ve written us both into a tragic story without even trying. You like the beach I made for us?" More laughter. "You''re alive," said Eira. Despite the thick darkness, despite the rain, and despite Mother''s casual attitude, there was no mistaking the tender tears welling up in her eyes. "Father can be lonely for a little longer," she still teased, before extending an arm in invitation. "Darling?" It was all Eira wanted. She crawled over¡ª Her leg flared up in pain, making her hiss and drop to the side. Mother rushed to her, before gasping out, gingerly clutching her other arm. The Lucario from before leapt in, Eira suddenly remembering he was there. He gestured for them to stay put, thinking to himself for a brief moment. Then he extended his paws, glowing a faint aqua, and rainwater coalesced into sparkly, magical droplets before her eyes. They shot toward her, and instant rejuvenation hit her with every drop that rippled into her skin. Other droplets flew toward Mother, who eased up with a contented sigh, and Lucario himself. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Eira''s leg still throbbed, but the pain was muted, hardly noticeable. She pulled herself to her feet, and Mother did too, her face beaming. "It was you, wasn''t it?" she told Lucario. "You saved my life, and my daughter''s." Lucario seemed abashed, her words pulling a half-smile onto his face. Deeper down, however, Eira thought she saw melancholy in his face. A noise left his maw, his eyes staring toward the sea in a trance. She looked too, and found herself lost in utter wonder. Waves crashed and tumbled over each other, the sea raging with irascible fury. Thunderclouds screamed as a brilliant bolt of lightning lit up the pouring sky, and in that sacred moment, she could see a grand, black tower jutting out of the ocean, far in the distance. Stranger still, at the furthest reach of the horizon was a rippling wall of glitter, stretching out across the world and bending the light. "Lurr rio," Lucario said in a somber voice. Obviously, Eira didn''t know Pokemon speech, but she could understand enough. "You lost someone, didn''t you?" she whispered. "Y-your trainer?" Lucario cast his face in shadow, eyes shut. His body trembled. Mother approached him, hands clasped in front of her face. "Lucario," she told him, "I cannot begin to repay you for what you''ve done for us. Your sacrifice means the whole world to me. Please, whatever you need¡ª" A snort. Lucario shook his head, looking up at her. A moment passed before his eyes glowed a fierce blue, and Eira trembled as something foreign touched her mind. A wave of emotions, one after another. Pain. Questioning. Loss. But also satisfaction, a sense of peace. And an urge to continue helping. Grief won''t stop me from doing the right thing, he seemed to say. Mother felt his message too, her solemn smile deepening. "You''re too kind," she said. "You mean to stick with us, don''t you? I''m afraid Eira and I have never been Pokemon Trainers, but regardless, we do seem to have a shared predicament." She glanced around at the beach, then the cliffside and forested terrain beyond. "We''re stranded on a remote island, it seems. And I fear the downpour will be bad for our health." That Eira had realized. And yet, despite how unbearably cold it was, a warm fire still lit her heart. "But we still have each other," she said. Mother''s smile was its deepest yet. "So we do." Again she extended her hand, and Eira ran forward. Their fingers clasped, before they leaned into each other in a loving embrace, entwined with each other like two halves of a whole. Mother kissed her cheek, stroked her hair, and laughed a joyous laugh. "My little darling Eira," she said. "I was afraid I''d have to say goodbye to you too soon." Eira rested her chin upon Mother''s shoulder. "Same, Mother," she whimpered. "Same." She peeked at Lucario, fearing for a moment that she was bothering him, but the jackal only perked up at their display of love. He eyed the sea one last time, wiped his face clear of rain and tears, and found contentment in their happiness. Eira choked, resisting the urge to tear up. Their travels had gone awry. But she still had her closest friend. "Thank you," she told Lucario. "T-thank you so much." She still had Mother. Everything was right in the world. "Now then." Mother released Eira, resolution written in her face. "This is no storm to be out in. Perhaps there''s a cove we can take shelter in?". Shelter. The most important thing. They''d also need a fire for warmth and to dry themselves, and some food and water. But shelter came first. Eira nodded, as did their Lucario companion. Mother took lead, walking¡ª Their bodies all froze. A powerful force held them in place. Alarm shot up within Eira as she found herself being rotated to the side. Then fearful awe as she beheld a small, green winged figure with an onion-shaped head, floating menacingly in front of them. A mask with symbols of azure gears and clock hands cloaked the creature''s face, with tiny slits revealing the glowing, twitching blue eyes beneath. Her gaze encompassed all three of them, but they focused on Mother in particular. Divergence! she said, her whispery voice making Eira''s mind throb. Lawbreaker! A cheater of fate! Destiny gives you no right to be here, child progenitor. A Celebi. That masked Pokemon was the Mythical Celebi, a traveler and lesser watcher of time. Eira was meeting a Celebi. And she''s condemning my Mother? she thought with a start. Mother seemed dazed, trying to process what was going on. Your fault! The Celebi said, pointing at a wide-eyed Lucario. What trick was played upon us, that you succeeded in finding and bringing her here? You rend this timeline askew with your act! Ripples shimmered in the air, before violently bursting, leaving behind several more glowering Celebi with masks over their faces. The lead Celebi rubbed her head as if to soothe a migraine, grumbling to the others in the Pokemon language, and Eira felt her heart seize when she noticed the wince in Lucario''s face. One of the other Celebi whispered something, to which their leader gave a dismissive wave. No, this crime must be redacted. The woman causes a conflict in the timeline, she said, using her telepathy again. Her appearance here shall be undone ¡ª in the old-fashioned way, brethren! With her, time jumps will only propagate the seeds of chaos further. The other Celebi nodded, causing Mother to stir. "What?" she said, before several sets of glowing eyes locked onto her. "No, stop! Why are you¡ª" Halfway her mouth went rigid. Eira too cried out, only to find eyes pressing against her. Her throat caught, and even speech was taken away from her, leaving a horrified girl to scream with no voice. Lucario rocked and trembled, visibly thrashing against the Psychic force holding him, only to be restrained as a few Celebi glared his way. Why? the lead Celebi said with a tsk. Fool lady! You create a fork in time so divided, it throws everything off-balance! This world cannot compensate for the strain you place upon it! No, you will be sent to your proper place, to prevent such a cosmic upheaval. Thunder roared, accentuating her words. A few Celebi moved, and Mother floated with them, her limp form as pale as death. Waves leapt up into the sea with hungry glee as they sent her toward the heart of the ocean, and Eira''s heart tore up into infinitesimal pieces. They''re taking Mother away! she thought. THEY''RE TAKING MOTHER AWAY! The Celebi holding her buckled for a moment as she did everything she could to force herself out of her mental hold, begging, bargaining, pleading with them to not do this to her. Yet it was futile. Before Mother could be tossed out into open waters, her form rippled with frenzied light, as did her captors, the world twisting around them. A loud tear resounded, and dear Mother vanished from the world ¡ª leaving behind a fleeting memory, a wonderful dream that had been stolen away from her. Eira couldn''t tell if her face was streaked with raindrops or tears. Not that that distinction mattered. WHY? she wanted to yell at the lead Celebi. To her surprise, the leader heard her thoughts. Think not that I revel in the separation of a child from her mother, she said, folding her arms. Obligations hold their due on me, human spawn, is this hard to understand? Alternate timelines can be managed, but not this one. At last Lucario stopped his struggle. His face spoke of the empty shell he was inside, his efforts of heroism all for naught. P-please, demanded Eira, on the verge of having a breakdown. D-don''t d-do this to m-me, I-I can''t¡ª I will put this in terms your brain will perhaps understand, snapped the Celebi. This is a canon event. Canon! It must be played out. You must cope with your inciting incident, and grow from it. These are the established rules, and neither we Celebi, nor the Dialga of this realm, will bend those rules for your short-term gain. You will appreciate this when all is said and done. Eira''s face grinded against the psychic hold on her, unable to scowl or gawk or rage at her words. ''Canon''? Losing Mother was canon? And she was supposed to be thankful for this? Now enough. I shan''t tarry any longer, dealing with this inconvenience. Kindred! The other Celebi obeyed, approaching Eira. She tried yet again to escape her Psychic prison, only to falter when the gears in their masks glowed with hypnotic colors. Her thoughts slurred, and¡ª And¡ª Eira choked and gasped for air, consciousness flooding her shaken mind. A torrent deafened her ears, and her nose smelled the ocean. Her damp clothes clung to her like a second skin. Her actual skin was damp too, and yet so dry. Saltwater? It must be so, she was just in the sea a moment ago¡ª The sea? Rain battered her sore body, Eira wincing at the feel of sand crawling within her clothing and shoes. Her fingers were denting a piece of splintered wood, the one she''d been clinging to for dear life. An immense cold swept through her spine, and she shuddered. For the briefest of moments, deja vu made her head hurt. Eira shook it away, eyes squinting through the dark. "Where?" she said to herself. Omake 6: A Krabby Goes to the Beach Altered Bonds Extras Omake 6 ¡ª A Krabby Goes to the Beach (Best read after Chapter 12) (Canon? ¡ª Maybe)
Some days Krabby wondered if he was just a little too curious for his own sake. Of course, it was curiosity that killed the Skitty. Or the Meowth. Or really any cat-like being. But did curiosity kill the crabs? Nope. And so with that flawless logic, Krabby scuttled onward, admiring the pleasant day he was having. The grass was green, tree branches were rocking from harsh winds, the sky was being suffocated by gray clouds, it just started raining like crazy and the downpour was slapping his crustacean body, lightning was screaming as it arced through the heavens, he''d forgotten to eat lunch¡ª Good day, all in all. He usually forgot about breakfast too. Eating for once in the morning had been an exhilarating change of pace. What else was exhilarating? The weather. It was a stormy mess, same as it was a few days back. And there''d been an earthquake too! The tremors had been crazy wicked, nearly throwing him off his feet. And he had four feet! That was two more than a lot of other creatures ¡ª four, if you considered snakes like Seviper or Arbok. Where was he going with this again? Oh yes, he remembered. He was going to examine the tremors. How couldn''t he? It wasn''t everyday that an earthquake happened, and even storms were rare around Grassbranch Island. It was like a mystery, but without the dungeon! He liked mysteries, and Krabby wanted to solve this mystery. Was there a reason the earthquake happened? It''d been so huge, he doubted even a Pokemon could do that. Unless ¡ª what if it was an awakening Legendary beast, proclaiming its presence to the world? Wasn''t there some funny red dino creature like that? A Grounding? Er, Gordon? That probably wasn''t it, but he liked the name Gordon. Too bad it didn''t suit a Krabby, Water-typing and all. No Water-type could ever possibly be called Gordon. His wife would smack him if he had such a ridiculous name. Good thing he wasn''t married yet! It wasn''t easy for Pokemon who took up the wild life to get married, of course, it took a lucky run-in with the right person and a shared willingness to start a family and¡ª Ah, distractions, distractions! In any case, he was making his way to the beach right now, having a funny hunch that some kind of commotion might be happening there. He''d heard once from some traveling townspeople that a strange figure had been sighted out at sea, during the storm a few days back. Some people had wondered if that creature had something to do with said storm, and if it was possibly a Legendary. He even heard the term ''Lugia'' floated around. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Now that was an actually cool name for a Water-type. But Krabby figured he probably shouldn''t steal an actual Legendary''s name. Actually, what if this Lugia thing was the source of the earthquakes? Could a storm Legendary do that? Strike the earth with lightning bolts so fierce that it''d make the very island rumble? All this thinking made him giddy. He had to go see the ocean. The earthquake must''ve happened around the beach area, he was so sure of it. He had to go see if he could find this Lugia creature. He also wanted to collect seashells. So even if he found nothing, he was still winning big-time. Rude winds kept pushing him back, as if warning him he was dumb to do this. But Krabby kept going, because he didn''t care. He was dumb! Probably dumb. Going out alone in this weather was kinda dumb, and wasting time looking around for a Legendary he might never see was kinda dumb too. He also still hadn''t eaten lunch, which was definitely dumb, so he was dumb. And he was owning up to it, because he had to see! Whatever awaited him would surely be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And so Krabby, happy and content as could be, a goofy smile eternally on his face, marched onward. The deafening rain was letting down for a moment as he neared a cliffside, seeing the tumultuous ocean in the far distance. Its waves were in a one-sided boxing match against a huge, black obelisk jutting out from the waters ¡ª one of the fabled human-warding towers. And even further away, despite the storm''s best attempts to veil it behind clouds and rainwater, Krabby was certain he caught a refractive glimmer of the distortion field encasing the entire archipelago. A beautiful sight, worth it on its own. Who else got to see such a wondrous tower, with such a wondrous backdrop behind it? But he hardly gazed at it this time, the sounds of conflict reaching him. Curious, and not all a cat, Krabby couldn''t help but be drawn to the noise, slinking toward the cliffside. Was something happening below him, on the beach shores? It sounded like a battle, a rather fun yet chaotic one at that¡ª He saw, and Krabby''s eyes bulged out of their sockets as if he''d become a slug. A large group of Pokemon were engaged in an all-out melee, furious elemental attacks flying everywhere. There was a blue dog Pokemon, an ice vixen, a dragon-shark, some angelic creature, a green flying reindeer¡ª And mutants. Abhorrents. One was already down, an electric bird spasming from some ailment, but ten others held the battlefield. One was a brown fox ¡ª an Eevee, was he called? ¡ª with maddened, haunted eyes and crystal spikes on his head, surrounded by eight other specters that looked like apparitions of the evolutions an Eevee could take. All of them fired non-stop at their opponents, almost mindlessly so, the vixen, angelic, and reindeer hard-pressed to dodge their onslaught. It was mesmerizing. It was horrifying. And yet, the blue dog and dragon-shark were facing something far worse. A literal flying dinosaur creature of shadows and bone. A lich of sorts. A monster. A demon incarnate. He was speaking inciting words, the sort that made Krabby itch to stick his pincer into his bony eye sockets, but raw fear saved him from leaping in reaction to the Taunt. The dragon-shark and dog? They had no such luck, the former roaring out as he slipped past an Ice Beam and swung his claws with explosive Dragon-type energy, deadly strikes that scorched the sand yet never touched the lich demon. He was so fast, like a murky mirage! The dog ran in too, only for the demon to intercept his and the dragon-shark''s strikes, before whipping around with an Iron Tail that clanged against their bodies. The twosome fell, prone and harried. And Krabby just watched. Afraid. And then the bone shadow dino swerved his head for the briefest of seconds. The red burning pinpricks in his eye sockets scanned the cliffside above. He smiled. Krabby was already skedaddling, vamoosing, and planning a vacation somewhere to the west coast of the island. As it turned out, curiosity could kill a crab too. That, or he was actually a cat. A scaredy-cat. And he wasn''t a scaredy-cat, he was a scaredy-crab. Huge difference. Omake 7: Novice鈥檚 Ninth-Tier Niflheim Altered Bonds Extras Omake 7 ¡ª Novice''s Ninth-Tier Niflheim (Best read after Chapter 14) (Canon? ¡ª Mostly no)
Floor B6F of Stringed Forest. Eevee cursed as his Quick Seed ran out, leaving him too woefully slow for the mission he needed to accomplish. Insect clicks and chitters ran throughout the dark, webbed woods, almost like garbled voices warning him of his impending failure¡ª Why can''t you run faster? Hurry! You''re taking darn forever! The girl''s going to die! Forget the dying part, what if Aerodactyl gets her first? ¡ªthough then again, he literally did have voices in his head doing just that. Hush it, Jolteon and Flareon! Eevee snapped. And Sylveon, you''re supposed to be better than this! It''s a possibility though! Sylveon said back. Lucario might save Eira in time, but what happens if Aerodactyl catches up? Other voices echoed. Umbreon grumbled about the ridiculousness of the situation, and Glaceon and Leafeon were giving anxious remarks to each other in the background. Their thoughts were in a disarray, and even Espeon had her worried thoughts laid bare, wondering if their efforts would be enough. If they could really¡ª Yes, we can, Eevee. The rest of you, give your brother a moment of peace. Bless Vaporeon. She was the most unflappable of their group, and her authority kept the others in line. The others went quiet, leaving nothing but the muted buzz of their concerns behind, and Eevee enjoyed those moments of near-silence. True silence was impossible, of course, what with their hive-mind nature. But it was good enough. The stairs, Eevee. I see them, Vaporeon. Eevee exhaled, the exhaustion touching the fringes of his mind lifting at the sight of worn stone bricks in the middle of a clearing, a sign of the staircase they were built around. Was this the one that''d take him into Ariados''s lair? Would his Tiny Reviver Seed be their saving grace after all? Curse that spider. He hadn''t been ready in the slightest for her ambush, but he''d been smart enough to take precautions. Lucario had been long gone by the time his Tiny Reviver Seed kicked in ¡ª obviously, Ariados had stolen the girl, and the jackal had given chase. Aerodactyl was in Stringed Forest too, to make matters worse. Eevee had only gotten a peek of his shadowy form darting around a corner, but he knew his eyes hadn''t deceived him. He had eight other siblings as witnesses after all. A nuisance that Espeon couldn''t track the Dark-type Abhorrent. Still, Eevee almost appreciated having him here. He''d take down two Pidgey with one Geodude today. Eevee took haste, a Quick Attack launching him straight into the stairwell. The closing of its entrance took too many precious seconds, seconds he might need for the human''s sake. For Eira''s sake. His foot tapped with impatience, with agitation, until at last the stone door at the bottom of the stairs began to shift. He squeezed through the little opening it made, wondering how meaningful the time save would be¡ª And then, against his better self, he paused. And gaped. The dungeon mist touched him, and the words ''Stringed Forest Village'' entered his mind. He hardly noticed. It was a village all right, with huts, little houses, and the occasional clay and stone buildings all over the place, complete with a quaint fondness for using silky string as either decoration or as a structural material. A village in a Mystery Dungeon ¡ª and somehow, that was the normal part. There was snow everywhere. And ice. And permafrost. Why is the whole place frozen over? This section of the village was somewhat spared, with only occasional large patches of frost that had strained to spread their frigid infection so far out. But around the center? Literal pillars of spiked ice, icicles strewn about like giant blades of grass, and snow several inches deep. With Eevee''s little stature, it''d come up to his chest. Even the massive trees ringing the village weren''t spared, coated white and blue and feeling the sting of frostbite. His siblings were utterly speechless, their thoughts half-formed at best. Something is wrong, Espeon eventually managed to say. Very wrong. Vaporeon recomposed herself, urging Eevee onward, and onward Eevee went, shuddering at how abominably cold it was. His paws dashed over snow piles and across slippery rooftops, Espeon alerting him to scores of still-stock villagers huddled in between alleyways and from distances further away¡ª Ah. There. A large barren field. Lucario was present, the jackal worrying over a collapsed Eira the Alolan Vulpix, her face smushed into her chest and tails, one of which was tightly clutching the white wristband on her paw. And to the side? A great expanse of ice, spread out in a conic shape that blasted past a few buildings in its wake. Ariados was encased in a giant block of ice, struck point-blank by the wintery assault with eyes bugging out, and a Rabsca, Scyther, Heracross, and Spidops were furiously chipping away at the ice to free her. Frostbite made them shudder, the unnatural cold stinging the myriad of cuts and bruises their bodies had, yet they refused to tire. Not with the matriarch in such critical conditions. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The Spidops in particular kept shooting Eira the Vulpix fearful glances, before Scyther promptly turned his head away with a severe grimace. Said Scyther had his eyes elsewhere too, focused on Aerodactyl¡ª Oh yeah, Aerodactyl was here. A shadowy glob of his former self, his bony body was only beginning to reform, judging from the white spiny pieces floating about and the flimsy mockery of a skull encasing his head. Many villagers watched him with apprehension, but Aerodactyl didn''t even twitch, floating overhead with glazed, bewildered eyes. Strike him? asked Leafeon and Glaceon. Take him down? said Sylveon. Bash his skull in? suggested Flareon. Eevee entertained the thought, seeing a clear chance to strike. But no matter. Aerodactyl twisted toward him in that moment, and he tensed, ready for anything. "What is she?" Except for a question. A genuine one. "E-excuse me?" Aerodactyl pursed his shadowy lips, seemingly torn on what to do. He took in Vulpix''s state of weakness, considered, before snarling as Lucario shot him a death glare. Now Eevee felt stares upon him, villagers whispering with dread and terror¡ª "Odd." Eevee''s soul leaped around the earth, him and his siblings joining the villagers in shock as they collectively processed a word spoken in a Mew''s tongue. Behind him, Eevee found the culprit ¡ª a floating, catlike creature encased in black crystalline armor, with colorful glass-stained eyes. Eyes laser-focused on Vulpix. "Odd. Very odd." The Mew Abhorrent scratched his ears with a large three-fingered claw. "If I did not know better, I would garner that a Kyruem had ravaged this place, or that an unusually destructive Subzero Slammer was responsible ¡ª and yet, the only possible culprit is weak in Level and thoroughly spent from the backlash, not to mention that she lacks a Icium-Z. Unless you, Abhorrent Eevee, have some elemental affinity for Ice?" Eevee felt Glaceon quiver and mentally deny any relationship to what happened, deep within himself. Espeon? he said. I didn''t sense him beforehand, was Espeon''s uncomfortable response. I did not know of him. "Primal Gear?" Aerodactyl''s lips contorted as he processed Mew''s presence, Eevee''s ears snapping at the name. "You come at a strange time. What¡ª" Mew darted and pulled Aerodactyl''s mouth shut. The shadow lich hissed, but a glare from Mew kept him silent. "Brainless fool, running around without permission and trying to mutate a Lugia," he chastised him. "Have you no common sense in you? You realize the calamity you nearly caused? I came here to drag you off and see how you explain this heinous act away¡ª" He waved at Vulpix, and the monstrosity of ice she''d expelled all over the village. "But the perplexity of this situation also catches my fancy. What sorcery is this, that such a spell could be used by a child who couldn''t know how to cast it? Before me, a power that expends the soul wholesale seems to be unleashed ¡ª scarcely have I heard of a Pokemon wielding such a power, to warp a landscape in such a way that even terrain-based moves cannot. Such magic, its style almost appears reminiscent of something the humans of old might have done, at risk to their inner spirit." Lucario had now noticed Mew, his expression a muddled mess. Eevee couldn''t help but notice how he edged ever-so-slightly closer to Vulpix, still huddled into herself. Rabsca, Scyther, Heracross, and Spidops were inching back too, and Ariados, somewhat free from her ice prison, had finally had recouped enough to use her Warp Scarf to teleport herself out, before staggered back with remnant shards of frost attached to her legs. Somehow her eyes were bugging out even more than they had from Vulpix''s attack, her face colorless. "I don''t suppose you would explain this mess? Or anyone else here?" When Mew found Lucario refusing to speak, and the villagers just as silent, he gave out a bored sigh. "Be it that way then. As much as it''d entertain me to pry open your minds, I have more important business, and I haven''t any quarrel with your lot." Aerodactyl blinked. "Gear, the Ariados¡ª" "Do not dare speak of the Ariados''s artifact to me, nitwit. I am not interested in stealing trivial tools of power at the expense of a village''s continued survival." Primal Gear the Mew shoved Aerodactyl forward, toward the village exit. "Leave." Aerodactyl grumbled, but obeyed. One last time did he eye Vulpix, doing so in wonder and consternation, before departing. Mew followed suit, but not before acknowledging Eevee. "You see a sworn enemy in the Aerodactyl, methinks. You and that Lucario and Vulpix, were you present to stop him from committing his idiocy?" Mew let himself smile as Eevee gave a start. "A mere guess, fellow mutant. Mayhaps we will all meet again, if you mean to see him put down for good. Why, I almost look forward to such a confrontation." The Mew Teleported, and Eevee rubbed his eyes, in sheer disbelief. A disbelief he knew was shared by the villagers, Lucario, and Ariados. The matriarch''s numb whimpers seemed to echo throughout the village, a noise he found nearly as irritating as the unrelenting cold. Vulpix still hadn''t moved. So uh, could someone explain what just happened? asked Jolteon.
Eira the Vulpix practically limped, her soul feeling like a blackened, smoking piece of toast. "You''re kidding," spat Eevee. "I wish I was kidding." Lucario''s voice was raw, her guardian spent ¡ª mentally so. "The aftershock had me coated in snow pellets. I ran into the field and found her collapsed¡ª" "In human form? She can cast magic as a human?" Vulpix whimpered to herself. "Her wristband was lying a short distance away," mused Lucario. "Ariados must''ve fought her for it when she did, well, the thing." The thing. Encasing a whole section of the village in the torment of a dead winter beyond the worst of Sinnoh''s storms. It wasn''t her intention ¡ª she had only been desperate, unwilling to let Ariados take her wristband, her only safety net, and rip it to shreds. Apparently she''d been too desperate. She might''ve tapped into her soul in her panic, scrambling to find something, anything that would let her live on, despite her fears of the prophecy''s curse. And she might''ve, in her panic, pulled out a little too much at once. I did that. I turned the village into one big ugly popsicle. I messed up so many homes and hurt so many people. Her tails clutched her forehead, feeling the Extrasensory screaming within. She could''ve killed Ariados, doing that! She didn''t want that! She didn''t want to burn her soul out, throwing giant spears of ice and snowfall everywhere she went, just to stay safe! Was this related to the prophecy? Why did she have such a power as a human anyway, and how did she manage to do that to begin with? Vulpix couldn''t help but wish her magic act was penitence enough, that it alone was enough to complete the prophecy''s demands upon her. But i-it''s not that simple, is it? "Kid, easy now." Lucario''s palm glowed, caressing Vulpix in a shower of pleasant, warm, cozy feelings she wanted no part of. "It was just a first time thing. We can figure out a way to control it." "Maybe Glaceon could help keep her, uh, magic in check." Eevee let out an unsettled sigh. "Whatever the girl did back there, it certainly seemed like something out of a human folktale. Left me too distracted to do something about Mew and Aerodactyl when they left." "Not like we could face something like a Mew anyway. Kid? Eira? You can say something, you know." Eira the Vulpix made a whining noise. She hadn''t taken much notice of Aerodactyl and the Necrozma Mew Abhorrent who had shown up ¡ª it was hard to pay attention to such minor monsters. I conjured an ice wastescape by sheer accident. I''m a freak of nature. "T-this is how I s-shatter the world, i-isn''t it?" she said. Lucario and Eevee gave collective sighs. Omake 8: Stand Up Comedy
Altered Bonds Extras Omake 8 ¡ª Stand Up Comedy (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª Maybe)
Eira the Alolan Vulpix was on two hind legs, her front paws reaching into the fridge, when Shaymin showed up. Uh. The Land Forme hedgehog turned around the corner and entered the main room of Gabite¡¯s cottage ¡ª an open space consisting of the living room, the stairs to the attic, and the kitchen ¡ª before locking up as she spotted Eira standing on two legs. Perfectly upright, no less, in a way that no normal Vulpix would ever stand. The false vixen found herself stiff as a statue, the twosome staring at each other for a painfully long time. Eira eventually turned her gaze upon herself, noticing how human-like she seemed. Her posture was simply too human. Even her front paws, with the way they were spread out like arms, looked too human. And ridiculous. She made the mistake of learning she could stand up like a human in Vulpix form. Which had led to this. She stared at her paws. At her hind legs, growing sore from being in such an unusual position for a quad-legged Pokemon. Then at the fridge, her face finding solace in the mild chill it emitted, courtesy of the Ice Gem lodged within. At the topmost shelf, a Rawst Berry sat, taunting her for being a little too short as a four-legged Vulpix to reach. She wanted that berry. But then Shaymin would see her acting weird. But she wanted the berry. But¡ª Eira hastily grabbed the Rawst Berry and twisted ¡ª too humanly so, she noted with a pang of heavy anxiety ¡ª so that her six tails could snatch the berry from her paws. That being done, she brought herself back onto all fours, practically slapping the floorboards in doing so. Face squirming, she turned to face Shaymin again. The Mythical squinted her eyes. ¡°Could¡¯ve mistaken you for an Abhorrent,¡± she said. ¡°Or something else altogether.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Lucario,¡± pleaded Eira. ¡°You do realize it¡¯s safe to transform back into your human self here, right?¡± Eira blanked out for several seconds, her snout tilting toward the charred wristband she wore. The one allowing her to don a Pokemon disguise and change back and forth at will. The one she used to hide herself from the natives of Haven Archipelago, who¡¯d otherwise kill her on sight. Except I don¡¯t have to hide my human self in the cottage. I could¡¯ve gotten the Rawst berry without having to bend my body in ways I shouldn¡¯t. A few days ago, getting caught like this would¡¯ve put her under life-threatening scrutiny. Today? She was just making a fool of herself for absolutely no reason. ¡°I-I¡¯m tired, okay?¡± said Eira, suppressing a groan. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking of it.¡± Shaymin rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re tired, and yet you¡¯re grabbing yourself a midnight snack?¡± ¡°It¡¯s n-not that late! A-and¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. You mind doing that again?¡± Eira¡¯s face went flush. Uh, what? ¡°Aspear Berry on the second-top shelf.¡± Shaymin pointed at said berry, the yellow-blue fruit laying on its side inside the fridge. ¡°I can¡¯t fly since it¡¯s dark out, and while I could just jump up there, the fridge is freaking cold and I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d get in trouble.¡± Eira the Vulpix looked at Shaymin. The much shorter Pokemon looked back at her. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m asking you to do it as your Pokemon self.¡± With a long-suffering sigh, Eira worked up the courage to embarrass herself again. Getting up on two legs, she deftly grabbed the Aspear Berry, then brought it to¡ª Shaymin was standing up on two legs, her front paws reaching out for the berry. Eira blinked several times, the sight leaving her at a complete loss of words, which made the Mythical smirk. ¡°Not the first time I¡¯ve done this.¡± Shaymin plucked the Aspear out of Eira¡¯s paws, shuddering for a moment at how cold it was, before taking a nibble. ¡°What?¡± The hedgehog looked weirdly graceful for a Pokemon that wasn¡¯t exactly built to be bipedal. Way more graceful than her, that was for sure. Adorable, even? Eira considered crossing her paws in front of her chest like a human would, before deciding it wasn¡¯t worth the extra humiliation, and went back onto all fours. Shaymin looked up at her. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Eira dryly said. ¡°Your tails stick out in a funny way when you¡¯re standing. And your torso''s stretched out and disproportionate compared to your hind and forelegs. Makes you look ridiculous.¡± Shaymin slowly walked away on two legs ¡ª with a little difficulty, yet still maintaining her grace. ¡°I¡¯d probably look just as dumb if I was in Sky Forme, you know?¡± Around the corner she went. An exasperated Eira pushed one of her free tails to her forehead, the rest holding onto her Rawst Berry a little more tighter than she probably should. Shaymin wasn¡¯t wrong, she had to admit. Pikachu were known for sometimes walking around on two legs, and with their stouter bodies, it looked somewhat natural for them. Same for a Land Forme Shaymin, she supposed. For a Vulpix to walk around like that, however? Or to stand, even? Unnatural. Like something straight out of anthropomorphic fanfiction. The transformed human gave a shudder. She began scampering back to her room¡ª Gabite, leader of Team Heavendust, was at the foot of the stairs, staring at her with dilated, horrified eyes. The eyes of a half-feral. Eira¡¯s heart did several somersaults. He saw me standing. Agony overload. Eira pressed herself against the wall, slinking across the living room and willing herself invisible. Gabite slowly averted his gaze. ¡°Humans,¡± he panted, caressing his scarred mind as he strode right back up the stairs. Omake 9: Put the Gun Down Altered Bonds Extras Omake 9 ¡ª Put the Gun Down (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª Maybe)
"Put it down, Eevee!" Those were the words that made Togetic cancel her Ancient Power mid-cast, the energized rocks crumbling into dust. Shaymin likewise dropped the Air Slash she was about to fling, letting it disperse into mere gusts of wind. Their fight interrupted, they turned as one to the cottage, where a panicky Eira the Vulpix was sliding down its hillside. She dashed past, toward the edge of the forest where a bemused Eevee and Espeon were. "Put the metal weapon down!" she yelled at them. Espeon slowly dropped the strange object she''d been holding with telekinesis down. Shaymin rushed to take a good look at it, oohing all the whole, and although Togetic tried to make a point of being the more proper of the two, she found herself coming over with nearly just as much haste. For a weapon, it certainly looked unique. Togetic knew of the blades a Samurott wielded, had seen the lance-like leek of a Sirfetch''d, and of course, Lucario sometimes used a club-like bone of aura. But this object? It''s like a mini cannon. A long iron rod, a little like the pipe-like fingers of a Garbodor and yet much sleeker and nicer-looking, protruded from its metallic shape, attached to a wooden handle. It seemed to have a few levers, probably to trigger it, and it clearly seemed built for larger, dexterous hands. Ones with actual fingers. Sometimes Togetic wished she had proper fingers. But then again, at least she had arms to begin with, unlike some Pokemon. Shaymin was hovering over the weapon with keen interest. She peered into the opening of its metal rod, before Eira shoved her away. "Why do you have that?" the disguised human said, pale-faced. Eevee and Espeon eyed each other. "What is it?" said the former. Eira pursed her vulpine lips, clearly not sure how to say its name in the Pokemon tongue. Much to her convenience, however¡ª "Why do you have a rifle?" ¡ªLucario did, Eira jumping as he appeared right beside her. Further away, Gabite was leisurely strolling down the cottage hillside to see the commotion. His gaze steered toward the ''rifle'', then briefly to Eira, before he shook himself and raised a brow at Eevee. As did Lucario, and Shaymin. Togetic too found herself doing the same, leaving Eira as the odd one out, her expression far more distressed. "It was at the beach," Eevee slowly said. "I was checking to see if Lugia was still hanging around, and I found it on the shores. This weapon, is it dangerous?" Lucario waved dismissively. "It''s only a rifle," he said. "I''m no expert on guns, but¡ª" "Just a rifle?" Eira yelled, whirling upon him as if he''d said something incredibly silly. "It''s a gun! Guns are deadly!" The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Gabite squinted. "How deadly?" "How deadly? Like a crossbow, but with metal bullets that explode out at lethal speeds! It''s especially dangerous if you don''t know how to use it correctly!" The vixen was beginning to pace, sweat coating her face. "W-was this from my ship? Hardly anyone keeps guns around, Pokemon are good enough for protection anyway¡ª" "Might''ve been an extra precaution for the sailors," muttered Lucario. "Just enough to knock down a hostile Pokemon if needed." Togetic didn''t miss the undertones of his word choice. Eira thought of the rifle as a killer weapon, but for Lucario, it was more of an inconvenience. Maybe because humans had naturally frail bodies? Perhaps guns like these could do enough serious damage to maim a Pokemon or make them fall faint, but not prove fatal in most cases, unlike with a human? Regardless, strange human technology wasn''t something to mess with, she reckoned. And seeing Eira so worked up over the weapon tugged at Togetic''s sympathies. She didn''t like seeing the poor thing in such distress. Shaymin looked like she still wanted to mess with the rifle anyway, but a stern look kept her best friend in line. Scarcely had Togetic done so, however, did Gabite snatch the weapon up, eliciting a gasp of horror from Eira. "G-Gabite¡ª" "I know what I''m doing." And astonishingly, Gabite did seem to know what he was doing, his claws feeling around the ridge of the rifle with movements so smooth it almost seemed mechanical. "Like a crossbow, huh? There appears to be a safety switch to this thing, and a trigger too. And you said it''s loaded with bullets of metal inside ¡ª like tiny cannonballs?" Exactly the comparison that Togetic had made. Watching Gabite mess with the rifle amazed her, the dragon-shark''s uncanny skill in tinkering with objects despite his lack of digits showing. How did he do that? How could she ever do the same? "And I suppose another one of these triggers on the bottom opens it up, so you can reload it?" Gabite felt around the aforementioned levers, and Togetic''s intrigue jumped right back to apprehension. Gabite really, really shouldn''t be doing that. Even Lucario shared that sentiment. "I wouldn''t recommend messing with those," he warned. "I''m not going to," was Gabite''s curt reply. He shook his head at the gun, finding a strange mirth in it. "Odd thing, this weapon. Might actually make Aerodactyl stagger, if the user had a good aim. Perhaps it could also prove a serious threat to less armored Pokemon?" "I¡ª" Eira sucked in a mouthful of air. "P-please put the gun down." Shaymin began to frown as well, as did Eevee. Espeon, mouthless as she was, managed the same expression with her eyes alone. "Listen to the human, Gabite, and leave that thing alone," said Togetic. "It''s fine, I know how to be careful." Gabite tilted the gun, Togetic''s discomfort spiking when it wobbled a little in his digitless grasp. "When you have claws like mine, you learn how to not make accidents with¡ª" His claw shifted a little too quickly, making the gun slip off. Gabite hurried to reclaim it mid-air, placing his claws underneath and pressing against a lever¡ª The gun did not fire. No noises, no flying bullets, nothing. Everyone''s aghast expressions as Gabite somehow clasped the gun with both claws slowly melted away into relief, the kind that burned holes through throbbing hearts. The dragon-shark scoffed. "The safety''s on," he said. "That, or the trigger''s meant to be stiff, and you have to intentionally put a lot of force to activate this thing." Togetic caught Eira covering her mouth with her tails and exhaling loudly into them. Her forehead was glowing a slight pink. "Put the gun down," the angelic demanded. Gabite put the weapon down. An awkward quiet claimed the field for a good while, the group finding no words to be said. Well, considering the frazzled looks Eevee and Espeon threw at each other, they seemed to be communicating through their telepathy ¡ª perhaps in concern over the weapon they''d come across. Lucario rubbed his eyes, and Eira busied herself with recuperating. Shaymin raised a shaky paw. "Any, uh, chance you guys would mind if I tested¡ª" Togetic clamped her mouth shut.
Porygon-Z blinked several times as Togetic plopped down her Treasure Bag onto his desk, then reached in with both arms to gingerly pull out the wooden groove of the rifle, avoiding the levers as she did so. The lopsided weight made the affair a tad difficult, but she got it placed flat on the desk, snatching her Treasure Bag right after and floating several feet back. He tapped the rifle once, then stared at her. And then at the Lucario and disguised Vulpix behind her, and the Shaymin and Gabite naturally tagging along too. Porygon-Z stared on and on, the behavior uncannily out of place even for him. His antenna flashed, displaying a message. ~Ah.~ He slowly tugged the rifle behind his desk. ~Memory found: faint recollections of a human fanatically attached to firearms. Relation to self-unit: unknown. I am not sure I appreciate having to remember this.~ "You knew a human fanatically attached to guns?" asked Lucario. ~Please do not remind me.~ Omake X: Strike Altered Bonds Extras Omake X ¡ª Strike (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª No)
Exhilaration flooded through Donphan''s bones. In the cavern a distance from the rocky outcropping he had been traversing, a trio of Dugtrio had formed a triangular position, protecting a young Diglett amongst them. Ten heads, all arranged in an all-too-perfect pattern. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. One big triangle of heads. The dopamine rush instantly consumed Donphan, seeing an opportunity of a lifetime. There was a game rumored to have been invented by humans, which had supposedly found its way to the archipelago through Fallers. A game where usually, players would have a straight path with pins at the end, arranged much like the Dugtrio were. There was also a ball involved. Donphan lacked one. He improvised. ¡°BOWLING!¡± The Dugtrios'' and Diglett''s eyes grew large enough to block the entire cavern entrance. Not that overly exaggerated hyperbole could stop a Donphan''s Rollout. Their souls left their bodies as the elephant Pokemon hurtled down the slope leading to their home, picking up deadly momentum. They had more than enough time to burrow to safety. Unfortunately, fear was good at making idiots out of sapient creatures. Donphan screamed with delight as he blurred toward his crowning moment in life, savoring every second of it. Two miles in every direction, Pokemon stopped with a start, befuddled at where the obnoxiously loud noise of bowling pins crashing down had come from. Omake 11: Trolley Problem Altered Bonds Extras Omake 11 ¡ª Trolley Problem (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª Maybe)
There were a good number of things Eira the Vulpix had shown Togetic and Shaymin about the human world that she regretted showing. This was one of those things. Her white fur itched, and not because of the soft flowery rug in Togetic and Shaymin''s room. On the other side of the rug, Togetic stared down a parchment of paper with what might''ve been the most contorted expression Eira had ever seen her make, even in comparison to when she had realized the purity of Jumpluff. Or when coming to terms with the fact that Eira wasn''t some manipulative monster marauder out to destroy the archipelago. The root cause? A crude drawing of a trolley on rails, with a junction up ahead splitting into a straightaway and a curved section of track. Upon the straightaway were five stick figures tied to the track, and upon the curved section, a single figure. Off to the side was another stick figure in front of a lever that controlled which track the trolley would go to. Togetic shifted her eyes back and forth between the two tracks, sweat on her brows and her nubs pressed against her cheeks. "I¡ª" she stammered, before shaking herself. "I-I''m sorry, you h-have to choose? I-isn''t there some other way?" Oh, poor Togetic. "Sorry," whispered Eira, her ears pressing against her curly hair. "There''s only two choices. Either you don''t pull the lever and the trolley goes down the straightaway, or you pull the lever and the trolley goes to the curved track." It was the whole point of the moral philosophical question known as the Trolley Problem, after all. A problem that the Pokemon of Haven Archipelago had never heard of. "But why?" questioned Togetic, burdened by the weight of being amongst the first to face the question head-on. "Who would design something like this? In what world would there be several people tied up to a track, and a large vehicle locked to those tracks that can''t be stopped? Wouldn''t you humans have some braking system built in?" "I-I mean, we''re assuming the brakes are broken for some reason¡ª" "For some reason! Do you not see my problem here? The odds of this happening are next to impossible!" Eira blinked. "Togetic, I''m a human in a Pokemon-only archipelago who met the one Abhorrent with a wristband¡ª" Togetic glared at her. Eira bashfully turned her gaze elsewhere. In the opposite direction of the cracked hole in the wall Lucario had made back when she revealed her humanity, to be exact. In the corner of her eye, Togetic had gone back to vacantly staring at the trolley drawing. "I-I''m a Pokemon," she blurted. "Maybe a human bystander can''t do anything to stop a trolley, but I could, couldn''t I? If I popped a tire or derailed it with Ancient Power or some other move¡ª" "That''s not how the problem goes," said Eira, an awkward expression on her face. "But if you want to go with that, we could say violently stopping the trolley would get its driver killed¡ª" A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Togetic yelled out, nubs flung up in the air. "Why does everything in this stupid scenario require me to take someone''s life?" she snapped. "Why can''t I just save everyone? Why?" The Pokemon of Haven Archipelago really didn''t like the thought of death and murder, Togetic included. Why did I show the paper to her in the first place? thought Eira, her tails knotting themselves as Togetic huddled into herself with a drawn-out whimper. Traumatizing the angelic hadn''t been her intention. Neither of them would sleep well for the next week, it seemed. "Fine." Togetic wiped her watery eyes. "Fine, I give in. I pull the lever and save the five people on the straightaway. I''m already there, I can''t do nothing without feeling haunted by my inaction for the rest of my accursed life, and out of the only two choices I''m forced to have, it''s obviously better to lose one innocent life instead of five." It was a little obvious for many people, Eira had to admit. The Trolley Problem was decent for revealing one''s philosophical or religious beliefs on how morality worked, but not quite the best at forcing someone to make a truly difficult decision. "There''s other variations of the Trolley Problem that¡ª" she said without thinking. Togetic flew straight into her face and forced her lips shut. She violently shook her head, begging her to shut up. Mercifully, Eira shut up. "I need fresh air." Togetic growled to herself, moving toward the door. "One of my worst experiences in life ever. And no offense, Eira, but I''ve already had enough of those recently." Eira could sympathize. "I didn''t¡ª" "Another word and I''ll throw the rug on you!" warned Togetic. She reached for the door handle, before yanking her arm back as the door swung open without her accord, Sky Forme Shaymin on the other side. A muddled expression covered her face, Shaymin observing the latent agitation in Togetic''s face. She hovered past, whispered something to her ear, then flinched as Togetic pushed her away. The angelic left without another word, shutting the door. Shaymin lingered in place for a while, before cocking an eye at a fidgeting Eira. And then the drawing she had made, the Mythical flying over to inspect it. "Huh," she said. "Okay, I have no idea what the weird box-machine thingy on the track is, but going by what I''m seeing here¡ª" "Trolley," Eira hesitantly said. Was making Shaymin have to deal with this too a good idea? "It''s, uh, a trolley. Big vehicle on rails that lots of humans can ride as public transport." "So a giant-sized minecart, basically. And the people tied on the track? And the lever? This some kind of funky hyp*th*t*cal scenario where you get to choose where the trolley thing goes and someone ends up dying?" She picked on that way faster than Togetic did. "Y-yeah? It''s called the Trolley Problem¡ª" "Gotcha. And there''s no other option but to choose a track? Like you can''t just stop the trolley or free the tied up people?" "N-no?" "Yeah, that would explain Togetic being in a super bad mood." Shaymin rolled her eyes at the drawing. "Guess I gotta choose the curved track, because duh. Dumb question, honestly, but it kinda has practical applications. Can''t save everyone. Might be more interesting if the five people on the straightaway were petty thieves or something though." Huh. Wow. Shaymin was much more thoughtful and calm about this than Togetic was. "I didn''t expect you to see it that way," admitted Eira. "Eh, stuff like this riles up Togetic more. Makes the Fairy side of her boil. Did Gabite get put through this too?" Oh. Uh. "I originally drew that for Lucario''s sake," said Eira. Shaymin smirked. "How did that go?"
Gabite made a face at the drawing Lucario held in front of him, composed of a human vehicle attached to a rail system with two split paths. One with five tied figures that represented humans, and another with a single figure. There was also a lever with a figure that apparently represented himself, which he could pull to save the five tied figures in exchange for deliberately getting the last tied figure killed. Or he could leave it and allow nature to somewhat literally run its course, taking out the five figures. He stared at the Trolley Problem, then at Lucario''s ludicrously blank face. Then at a guilty Eira the false Vulpix, the both of them immediately averting their gazes. There was no way Lucario knew how to draw something this decent looking, Gabite decided. "Well?" said Lucario. He had to be snickering on the inside, Gabite knew it. He shot him a dry look. "How soulless are humans that they''d use their intelligence to make up vile trash like this?" he asked. The fact that neither the jackal nor the false Vulpix said anything in defense seemed telling. Omake 12: The Storm That is Approaching Altered Bonds Extras Omake 12 ¡ª The Storm That is Approaching (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª Yes, weirdly enough)
Lugia had been entering the innermost chambers of his Mystery Dungeon home when he saw it . He¡¯d taken a quick morning swim, fifteen minutes and no more, before returning back to the magnum opus he had built at the end of his dungeon ¡ª a great palace of white and blue hues held aloft by sculpted pillars, with a pristine marble floor that had a silver sheen, and magnificent arches supporting its high ceilings. Stained glass covered the walls periodically, depicting scenes of calm seas and stormy waters alike. At the very end of the palace was his beautiful throne, a plush, giant nest-like seat with elegant cloud-like cushioning and an azure backrest, tipped with scaly ornaments to give it a thorny and intimidating appearance. Behind it was a curtained door to the outside area. This place was his sanctum, his sanctuary, his place of solitude and serenity. And some cretin had defiled it with an object most insulting. In an act of unbridled mockery, it¡¯d been placed right in front of his throne ¡ª a tiny, shoddy-looking wooden chair . The kind that looked like something an old, three-foot commoner would sit on, only for its legs to give way. Lugia stared at it, pure disbelief locking his emotions away. It didn¡¯t last long. And once his disbelief left, his rage broke out in a furious jailbreak. WHAT? Lugia slammed his wings down, the palace trembling at the massive force used. Outside, he could hear the seas screaming alongside him, waves chaotically crashing into one another while lightning crackled and boomed. The great silver bird immediately probed the entirety of his dungeon palace, seeking the miscreant responsible. WHO? No response. Not a soul to be found. The culprit had long escaped. That only fueled Lugia¡¯s anger further. He cried out, and the dungeon shook and cowered at his wrath. ¡°WHO?¡± he screamed aloud, the pillars wobbling at his sea-splitting voice. The scandal of it all! The sheer nerve! He¡¯d just finished getting his dungeon back in order after those pesky Ruptures had made a complete mess of the place, and now some low-life had dared sneak into his palace! And left a stupid chair as an insult to its beauty! Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. How was this even possible? Nobody could ever so much as approach his home without his Silver Wings and the pedestal locks he¡¯d scattered in a few other dungeons. Only the worthy were to disturb this sacred place, and last he had checked, there certainly hadn¡¯t been anyone in the last few decades whom he had deemed worthy of receiving his invitation! What kind of vile trickster had done this? And for such a childish joke too? Lugia snarled, before shaking his head. No. This little slight did not matter. More important was if the crook had made the foolish attempt to steal one of his coveted treasures, an act that would need to be met with retaliation as swift as a Regieleki. But first, the dumb chair had to be done away with. Lugia focused his mind, casually imposing his psychic might on¡ª The chair was immune. It didn¡¯t budge. Lugia made a face as he found his mental grip slipping off the chair, like a slippery mosquito. His eyes narrowed as he noticed a few black pieces embedded into the backrest of the wooden chair ¡ª cut gemstones, in fact. Dark Gems. YOU ARE KIDDING ME. Dark Gems, wasted on a stupid chair of all things. Lugia snorted, and then moved on to the next most reasonable course of action: smashing the chair into smithereens. He thrust his wings forward with all his might, the winds blasting forward at his command. A mini-hurricane whipped up and shot across the palace hall, colliding right into the chair¡ª And it took the hit. Before Lugia¡¯s widening eyes, the chair stood its ground, not so much as even twitching as winds violently bashed against it. Unbridled spite awoke within him, and Lugia cried out as he hurled sizzling bolts of electricity at the accursed chair, which absorbed them all as if they weren¡¯t real. Then he cast more hurricanes and more lightning. Then he blasted Hydro Pumps, before launching an all-out storm within his desecrated turf. His scales stung from the howling winds and vengeful electricity he whipped up, soothed only by the downpour of rain he cast. And the chair kept standing. It kept standing! It wouldn¡¯t move a blighted inch! It just stood there, immobile, mocking him with its blank appearance! The gall of that chair! The unspeakable scandalousness of it all! That chair, that dumb, insidious¡ª! Lugia lost himself. He screamed, leapt in front of the belligerent excuse for furniture, and let loose an Aeroblast of truly apocalyptic proportions, lashing out at everything in sight. Only by pure dungeon magic did the palace shrug off such a devastating wind blast, able to shred faces off the skulls of any wretch who¡¯d earned the privilege of tasting the vortex produced by his siren death cry. And yet. The chair. Stood. A point blank Aeroblast. And it didn¡¯t even scratch it. It was whole. The wood was as imperfect as ever, unsullied by his signature weapon of doom. Lugia¡¯s throat and lungs gave out, and yet he still hadn¡¯t done anything to harm it. The chair was invincible. WHAT? Lugia stood there, in reverence of the chair¡¯s impossible craftsmanship. In fear of its nigh-indestructible nature. In awe of the binding magic that surely had to keep this horrible crime against the universe whole. Now that he was up close, he could see sigils carved into its seat, and more Elemental Gems subtly etched into its wood. He poked the chair. It toppled to the floor and silently begged for mercy. Lugia slowly covered his face in exasperation. THIS IS THE DUMBEST ARTIFACT ANYONE EVER MADE, he decided. And then, squinting at a particular part of the wood, rasped in disgust. For there, at the right-topmost of the wooden backseat, was a carved-in name in teeny tiny letters. Hoopa. OF COURSE. Lugia shoved down his annoyance, reminding himself to better secure his dungeon against mischievous portal travelers who wasted their talents on the most useless things possible. At least he didn¡¯t have to worry about whether any of his priceless treasures had been plundered ¡ª though he¡¯d double-check, just in case. He glanced at the chair, and on a whim, decided to store it in his junkpile. It would make for a good training dummy, if anything. Omake 13: Sunny the Sunflora Altered Bonds Extras Omake 13 ¡ª Sunny the Sunflora (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª No)
Two auras in the distance, both gray, their respective owners shielded by the wretched downpour of rain limiting Lucario¡¯s vision. Lucario had been in the process of straining his eyes, trying to make out who the figures were, when his aura feelers twisted at the feel of another aura. A violent red aura. Beneath his feet. He had too little time to react. Lucario yelped as vines ensnared his ankles and twisted up to his legs and torso, chaining both arms to his sides. He thrashed and wriggled, head turning toward the human girl Eira, the shipwrecked survivor he had to protect, and yelled out in tandem with her as vines claimed her too. The girl kicked even more wildly than he did, only for vines to snap forth at once, converging around both legs and shoving her down into the dirt. ¡°Kid!¡± said Lucario, before his eye bulged as the dirt burst apart and scattered, a giant flowery head shooting out. ¡°What in¡ª?¡± It was a Sunflora. Except not at all. Lacking its actual body, the sunflower only had a long stem extending into the earth, somehow supporting her oversized head. Her eyes were wide open, and her smile radiated with malevolence. And gleeful mania. ¡°Heya!¡± she said. ¡°Call me Sunny! Sunny the Sunflora!¡± Lucario thrashed harder, both in rage and trembling horror. The vines gripped him harder, evicting his lungs of air and making him gasp. Not even rainwater leaked in between the vines, so tight was the not-Sunflora¡¯s grip. Not even close to an hour in and already he was failing his newfound protege. His justice squirmed at the thought. What even was this freak of nature? Sunflora looked nothing like this! ¡°You both new here? Gosh, and here I was, just on a little stroll in a storm! Didn¡¯t think I would find a human of all things!¡± Sunny pulled Eira close to her face, the girl hyperventilating as she smiled with all her razor sharp teeth. ¡°Hi, human!¡± Eira writhed and struggled in place. The vines crushed her. She went limp. Lucario would¡¯ve roared out, if not for his lack of oxygen making him scramble just to breathe, his head going fuzzy. ¡°You must be so confused, little human, being in a new place and all!¡± Sunny said. ¡°And you too, mister Lucario! I reckon your human girl doesn¡¯t get a lick of what I¡¯m saying, does she now? Well, I¡¯m sure you can fill her in!¡± Her head shook. Glowing Magical Leaves scattered into the air, an ominous barrage of green amidst the endless rain. ¡°IN HEAVEN!¡± yelled Sunny, her face impossibly shifting into something far more monstrous. Her eyes were giant, pupil-less, and bloodshot, and her mouth somehow covered the rest of her body. ¡°I¡¯VE ALWAYS WANTED TO CLAIM A HUMAN¡¯S SOUL! THEY SAY DEVOURING THEM GIVES ONE THEIR VAST MAGICAL POWERS FOR YOURSELF, AND I WANT IT! MINE, MINE, MINE!¡± Scarcely could Lucario hear the Sunflora¡¯s nonsensical words. Too many vines encased him, choking out his life. His face was covered in them, with his eyes barely able to witness Sunny¡¯s countless Magical Leaves converging upon Eira like floating knives, all aimed at her neck. The girl didn¡¯t seem to respond at their pricking, too out of it to notice. Lucario feebly tried attacking the vines with Metal Claw. No good. He activated Detect, but the vines held him too tight. No space to dodge or move. No air. He survived a shipwreck for this. A fiend that thought humans were magical and could give her powers by eating them. Hilarious. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I CRAVE HER FLESH AND SPIRIT!¡± Sunny the not-Sunflora unhinged her mouth, her Magical Leaves slowly pressing against Eira¡¯s neck. The human whimpered and shut her eyes, awaiting execution. ¡°YOUR MAGIC, HUMAN! I CLAIM IT FOR MYSELF! GIVE ME YOUR SWEET, SWEET NECTAR¡ª¡± Fire branded rain and plant alike. Sunflora screeched, and abruptly Lucario found himself breathing again, the jackal gasping like mad as he swallowed down mouthfuls of air and nearly choked himself on rainwater instead. In the corner of his eyes, he thought he caught his savior, a whirl of motion that sliced and diced Sunny¡¯s vines and Slashed at her face, putting her under intense agony. Her Magical Leaves dropped at once, their energy lost. ¡°PAIN! IT HURTS, THE PAIN!¡± Sunflora burrowed back into the ground, spasming vines retreating after her. Checking his aurasense, Lucario found her speeding off, getting as far away as she could from the battle site. The monster Sunflora was gone. It was over. They were saved. Lucario pulled himself to his knees, endless words of gratitude on his tongue as he located the Pokemon who had driven her off ¡ª words that died upon finding himself with a scowling Kecleon. His face was half-turned, such that he seemed to simultaneously face him and a fallen Eira, her wet hair splattered all over in a messy heap and her breathing haggard. The Kecleon¡¯s aura glowered a slight red. ¡°A human,¡± he spat. ¡°I fight off a murderous Abhorrent, all for the sake of some puny human wizard and her Lucario retainer. Unbelievable.¡± His brows arched as he gave Lucario a stare that seemed to forcefully part the rain falling between them. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m a believer in preserving all lives, even human ones. Care to explain what she¡¯s doing here, jackal?¡± Learning Sunny the not-Sunflora wasn¡¯t the only one around here with messed-up beliefs about humans, it made Lucario¡¯s heart drop into his stomach. Possibly deeper still when his fur stood on end, Lucario turning to find a goggle-eyed Ariados that¡¯d been observing the whole affair. Her gaze never left Eira, her aura a fiery crimson with unspeakable fear echoing through her mind. You¡¯re kidding me.
¡°What?¡± Aerodactyl staggered at how suddenly he jerked to face Sunny, his shadowy body and skeletal armor protesting in their state of duress. He had been resting beneath a shaded canopy of trees in the middle of the forest, cursing his failure to catch Lugia and then his display of weakness when a Lucario and an Abhorrent brat of an Eevee had driven him off ¡ª with Shadow Balls of all things! ¡ª and then the Abhorrent Sunflora he had befriended not too long ago had showed up, sporting torn petals and scarring wounds on her enlarged face. With miraculous news. Aerodactyl stared Sunny dead in the eye, making the Abhorrent cower before his baneful aura. A spasm wracked his body, ruining his imposing presence, but he pushed through the parting gift of pain Lugia¡¯s Electric attacks had left him. ¡°Repeat yourself,¡± he snapped. ¡°Now. You found a what?¡± ¡°A-a human! I swear I did!¡± Sunny replied. ¡°With a Lucario as her servant! I-I wanted to take her soul and eat it to get her powers¡ª¡± Aerodactyl charged Oblivion Wing. A small one, the violet sphere sapping his spent energy. Not that he cared at the moment. ¡°Eat it? EAT IT?¡± he bellowed, Sunny submerging herself halfway into the earth in terror. ¡°Fool! Imbecile! Idiot friend! You think you get powers from eating human souls? YOU THINK HUMAN SOULS SOMEHOW HAVE A TANGIBLE FORM THAT JUST PERSISTS WHEN YOU KILL THEIR MORTAL BODIES?¡± ¡°Y-y-yes?¡± stammered Sunny. ¡°T-they¡¯re not us, a-after all! They¡¯re w-wizards, a-aren¡¯t they? P-please, master Oblivion, it w-was a mistake¡ª¡± Groveling ironically ticked off Oblivion Matter the Aerodactyl. Sunny let out an eek as he flung Oblivion Wing at her, the parasitic power eating at her. One of her petals seemed to grow stiff and stone-like, while Aerodactyl felt his shadowy body regain a shred of its health again, a crack in his skeletal armor mending from the regained energy. Barely enough to sustain him. But not the point. ¡°You tried to kill a human,¡± hissed Aerodactyl, slowly advancing on Sunny. ¡°A human! Why would you do that, friend? WHEN DID I ASK YOU TO KILL ANYTHING, NEVER MIND A HUMAN? WHEN DID I ASK FOR CORPSES?¡± His face came inches within Sunny¡¯s. ¡°Corpses are worthless, useless, pointless to our goals! A hindrance, even! Corpses cannot be friends! For a human to show up, a fabled human of all things, only for you to NEARLY KILL HER, when she could help assist us with perfecting our gift¡ª!¡± Sunny gulped and put her face down. Aerodactyl¡¯s gaze burrowed through the back of her head, before everything finally settled into his skull. A human. An actual human. Oh. Aerodactyl¡¯s red glowing eyes dilated. The silent trickle of rain from a dying storm filled the holes where his ears would¡¯ve been if not for his undead nature. A human right under my nose. With the very Lucario I just met several minutes prior. Her protector. Something stirred in Aerodactyl¡¯s undead heart, deep within his body of shadow. The Mistress, she¡¯d¡ª He had to get both to her. Immediately. ¡°Track the girl and her Lucario guardian,¡± he commanded Sunny. ¡°Report to me each night until I say otherwise! Or do I need to coerce you?¡± Knowing what coercion meant from the mind-tampering lich himself, Sunny shook her head without question. She made herself scarce at once. Leaving Aerodactyl alone. With too many thoughts in mind. And none he could really focus on. His claw idly grabbed dirt, sculpting it into something resembling a heart. If he tried really hard to ignore the fact that it obviously wasn¡¯t. She will love them. A perfect gift. Anything for the Mistress. Side Tales 1: Musing Matriarch Altered Bonds Extras Side Tales 1 ¡ª Musing Matriarch (Best read after Chapter 18) (Canon? ¡ª Yes)
Night. Or a facsimile of night. Ariados was used to the odd, not-quite-right sky with its dotted stars and an always full moon hanging overhead. Did it make her sleep any easier? No. It didn''t make any of the others sleep easy either. As was her habit these days, she gazed from the hillside next to the exit of the dungeon of Stringed Forest, a giant tree at one end of her village with a knothole leading to the outside, and took in her home. A cozy settlement surrounded by a circle of large, thick trees in a forested environment, with buildings of wood and stone and clay, all decorated with webbing and dyed threads and pieces of silky fabric. Buildings unable to fall, being dungeon-made as they were. Buildings that would never fall again. Structures that could never break apart, collapse into themselves, be torn by rifts and things¡ª Don''t. Ariados chided herself, cursing her lapse. The matriarch''s eyes wandered around, all the way to the other side of the dungeon-encased village where another giant tree with a knothole resided. The entrance to their warped sanctuary. Floor seven, or as the dungeon fog invading her head would insist, Stringed Forest Village. How kind of the dungeon to recognize what it had gobbled up. Even in the night, she would spot the occasional villager going around. There was Galvantula, doing her weaving work outside her yard. The Grubbin family were cozying up on their little porch. Masquerain and Larvesta were chatting again, if with a hint of trepidation. The trepidation that everyone felt these days. Well, especially now, of course. Nobody would just forget what happened just yesterday¡ª Accursed human girl. Yet another thought Ariados immediately forced herself to quell. Too many bad circumstances. What would she do with her? The ill omen? The fated, too-nice destroyer of their realm? What could she do, darn it all? But she''d made her promise already. Butterfree, her old friend, had insisted, and so Ariados would keep it. No more worrying about the human. Sighing, she reached into herself, into her soul. And she pulled. Her left foreleg, the one that hadn''t been so terribly injured by the human''s Lucario guard dog, glowed and rippled before a shard materialized into its clutch. Ariados held it with absolute firmness, head tilted to inspect her shard, dark blue with red-purplish veins and with shadowy ooze that engulfed the object. It distorted ever so slightly in her grasp, afterimages left behind as it shifted and wriggled side-to-side. Her altering shard. The one thing that let her have any semblance of control over this blighted Mystery Dungeon that had the nerve to swallow her home, to break her people''s spirits. When Stringed Forest had first formed, shattering the village and twisting it into a hostile labyrinth filled with voided tears and things watching from the other side, grabbing this strange shard had been the only thing to save them all. It had allowed her to become a master of the dungeon, forcing it to reshape to her will and bring back her home. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Even with that, however, it wasn''t enough to keep her people together. Many had fled in fear, not willing to risk life inside the grasp of a distortion that might pull the rug from under them anytime. The rest, more afraid of leaving behind what remained of their homes and community, or paranoid that they''d move to another village only for another dungeon to form on top of them, had stayed. Their home was a former shell of its old, humble glory. And even that had nearly been stolen from them yesterday. By the lich. Ariados really, really couldn''t stop herself this time, her head tilting skyward as if seeing him hovering right over there, claws pricking her abdomen. The Aerodactyl of broken bones and shadow. The fiend who had played a role in the breaking of a local dungeon. The crazed Abhorrent mutant who would''ve taken everything dear to her¡ª And of course, she''d been spared by the human of all things. Noble thing. She hated it. But she couldn''t bear to hate. Too many other thoughts dared to drown her, Ariados shooing them all away with a wave of her leg and a silent hiss. The shard in her grasp reacted to her subconscious, her leg flaring up as it struck the earth, and red-purplish mist scattered in its wake and condensed into Spinarak and Joltik constructs. The matriarch of Stringed Forest Village stared briefly at their existence, the Pokespawn staring back with vacant, lifeless eyes. Summoning dungeon constructs in a moment of aggravation. And here she''d thought she was more than proficient enough to not accidentally do that. "Begone," Ariados said in a dull voice, making the Pokespawn vanish into red-purplish mist that rose to the sky and dissipated. She reabsorbed her shard, a pained gasp leaving her as it turned into red-purplish energy that washed all over her. An exhale left her as she let her gaze drift back to her village, a broken home that somehow refused to break into splinters entirely, despite the Calamitus-like doom that had hung over their heads. Still hung, perhaps, if the human lived to fulfill her curse. Or alternatively, if the monstrous Abhorrents were left unchecked in their rampage. They had a Mew amongst them, a Mew! Who knew what horrors were possible, if the mutants had the Dungeon-Plagued aid of a Mew? But no. She was no warrior, nor an explorer. She was a matriarch, and ironic as it was, her village had been too paranoid for its own good, saying things to others that should never have been said. She had to keep her people in line, for the greater good. She would leave the world-ending threats to the professionals. As she promised with Butterfree. Odd, how near-disasters could rekindle a sense of companionship between former friends. Ariados felt her mandibles form a bug-like smile at the thought, before growing wistful as her head moved to the side. Her eyes barely could see the black-wired fencing, but her vantage point still saw a few of the tombstones. Ariados took in the graveyard, rebuilt after the dungeon had torn up the old one. She thought she could tell, at this point, which one was the Beedrill''s who had perished when the dungeon had formed, crushing her¡ª Rest in peace, little Dandelion. We live and remember you for another day. ¡ªand which one was Webwill Ariados''s. The former matriarch. Would you have done things differently, Mother? Would you have dealt with the human better? Funny. Eira, the human girl, could probably relate. It bothered Ariados, the thought of her and the girl having something in common. A parent deceased in their youth, with their child forced to handle challenges foreign to them in the aftermath. Though of course, her circumstances as a once-unprepared child, thrust into the role of a village chieftain, paled to a girl marked for either destruction or death. It rankled her. Not the girl, not anymore, but fate itself. Fate that had compelled this girl to somehow bypass all the protections of Haven Archipelago against humanity, to begin the chain of events that would lay ruin upon their civilization. Fate that refused to buckle, to compromise, to bargain with her. But fine. Ariados faced her village once more, the entirety of it laid before her eyes, a village that had survived against all the odds, and decided she could spit in the face of fate one more time. The dungeons going haywire, being able to swallow up Pokemon villages when they shouldn''t be able to? That had been a preclude, a taste of the incoming horror that had fueled her fears, haunted her nightmares. It had made her scared witless of what would come next. But fate had made a terrible mistake. It had shown her the might of the Abhorrents. And it had proclaimed the existence of an ill omen, rubbing it right in her face. Doom was perhaps all but assured¡ª And that meant she had nothing to fear anymore. Try me! she yelled at the world, maddened glee overcoming her. I''ve faced my greatest fears and lived! You''ll have better luck dangling your threats of certain death in front of the undead husk of a Paras! The universe would break first, she decided, before she and her village did. Omake 14: Arachnophobia Altered Bonds Extras Omake 14 ¡ª Arachnophobia (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª Maybe)
¡°Spider!¡± Eira the Vulpix pulled back from her book as Sky Forme Shaymin thrust her paw toward her, a dusty brown spider wriggling in her grasp. The spider stared at Eira, and Eira stared at it. She wasn¡¯t an expert on spider expressions, but the little fella looked very confused. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± said Eira, dragging her book off the flowery rug in Togetic and Shaymin¡¯s room so she could go read in a corner. Shaymin pouted. ¡°Uh-huh?¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s your reaction? Dude, it¡¯s a freaky little spider, and it¡¯s going to eat you! Be afraid!¡± Eira¡¯s stare fell on the Mythical. ¡°So it¡¯s a spider,¡± she said. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Come on, you can¡¯t tell me you weren¡¯t panicking inside! Even Togetic gets a little rattled when I do¡ª¡± Eira gently took the spider out of Shaymin¡¯s paw, making her purse her lips. Pity adorned the vixen¡¯s face as she beheld the bug, so deathly still. None of its legs looked bent or squished or anything, thank goodness. ¡°I¡¯ll take it outside if you won¡¯t.¡± Eira beheld Shaymin¡¯s expression with a roll of her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just a bug, you know.¡± Shaymin took the spider back. ¡°Huh,¡± she said. ¡°Wow. Didn¡¯t think you of all people would be so comfortable around spiders.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eira cocked an eye. ¡°You think Ariados made me develop an irrational fear of spiders or something?¡± The lack of response on Shaymin¡¯s end said it all. Eira snorted, cold mist leaving her nostrils. ¡°A giant spider nearly stabbing me to death won¡¯t make me freak out at tiny little ones that don¡¯t have magic powers, Shaymin. That¡¯s dumb.¡± She had far more reason to be scared witless of the Pokemon natives in Haven archipelago, who¡¯d likely treat her like Ariados originally had. Even with Shaymin as an ally, the Mythical herself was much scarier than some spider she could crush between her digits. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°I-I guess. Logic really doesn¡¯t add up now that I think of it.¡± Shaymin made sure the spider was safe and secure in her grasp, rubbing her head with her free paw. ¡°But like, you¡¯re completely chill with insects or something? Like I could throw a centipede at your face and it wouldn¡¯t bother you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re throwing something at my face, how would that not bother me?¡± Eira winced a little at her raised tone. She took a deep breath, calming herself down, and put on a patient expression. ¡°S-sorry,¡± she said. ¡°But um, yeah, no, I can handle a bug. Even if they¡¯re real icky and wriggly, though I¡¯d rather not deal with those.¡± ¡°Eh, fair enough.¡± Shaymin moved away, Eira taking that as her cue to return to her book¡ª ¡°Spider!¡± Shaymin¡¯s paw was right in her face, spider attached. Eira yelped at the intrusion of private space, the vixen backing up to glare at a giggling Shaymin. ¡°Can you not?¡± she cried. ¡°Sorry, sorry, had to do it once!¡± Shaymin winked at her in between laughs. ¡°It¡¯s only a little spider, no need to be afraid of¡ª¡± Shaymin!¡± Togetic¡¯s shrill voice as she barged into their room made Vulpix stand erect. The angelic pounced upon Shaymin, pointing dramatically at the brown spider. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Doom. That was probably the best way to describe the scene flashing before Shaymin¡¯s eyes. ¡°U-uh¡ª look, I can¡ª it¡¯s n-not what¡ª¡± she stammered. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you! Ariados¡¯s tried to kill the poor girl at least twice, and you have the nerve to prey on her traumas for fun?¡± Togetic¡¯s eyes enlarged as she noticed Eira staring, the angelic spinning Shaymin around so she couldn¡¯t see the spider in her paw. ¡°Have you no consideration for her well-being?¡± Oh dear. ¡°Togetic,¡± Eira tried to say, ¡°I-I¡¯m not afraid of¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s stammering!¡± cried Togetic, throwing Shaymin a metaphorical Mean Look. ¡°First you terrify her, then you brainwash her into denying her fears?¡± That Togetic could twist her words so, it left Eira in a bewildered stupor. ¡°E-excuse me?¡± said Shaymin. ¡°Hey, time out here, you¡¯ve got this all wrong! I didn¡¯t do anything of the sort¡ª¡± ¡°And here I thought you were at least above such things! After everything poor Eira¡¯s been through, after you took initiative to make up for our misunderstandings about the human¡ª¡± ¡°This whole thing is a misunderstanding! Take it easy for a moment, Serene¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare ¡®Serene¡¯ me right now, Grace! You can¡¯t possibly tell me¡ª¡± Eira¡¯s vixen ears went flat in secondhand embarrassment as Togetic kept chewing Shaymin out. She tried speaking up again, but her words fell on deaf ears, the angelic ignoring her words. Her book gathered dust in the corner. Eira considered moving elsewhere to read, before movement caught her eye. The brown spider was scurrying through the flowery rug ¡ª it must have leapt out of Shaymin¡¯s paw while nobody had been looking. It paused to turn back at Shaymin and Togetic, unable to understand why on earth they were arguing about it. Deciding to bring it somewhere more peaceful, Eira approached it¡ª ¡°Oh my goodness, Eira, no!¡± Togetic¡¯s arms were covering her eyes, the gesture weirdly reminding Eira of the time Lucario had done the same when Corvisquire had snatched up a live rabbit for a meal. ¡°Look away!¡± said Togetic. ¡°The spider, Shaymin! Get it out of here!¡± Eira pushed Togetic away with a little more force than she intended. She carefully scooped up the spider onto one of her tails, before taking in Togetic¡¯s baffled face for a moment. An overly sweet smile crossed her face. ¡°You mind opening the door so I can take the poor spider outside?¡± she asked. Side Tales 2: Merely Human Altered Bonds Extras Side Tales 2 ¡ª Merely Human (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª AU)
Afternoon. Lucario was hurrying back, fretting over his human, and wondering if the worst had come upon them already. His arm held tight to the strap of his personal Treasure Pouch, hanging over the spike protruding from his chest. The forest had finally started to become familiar to him, his movements more sure as he traversed the woodlands. Running past clustered trees, leaping over bushes and undergrowth, and brushing against annoyingly low branches that had a knack for latching onto the tufts of his fur, he soon enough found the barest traces of his makeshift path. Pieces of bark were sliced off in certain paths here and there, his own markings. They weren¡¯t needed, perhaps even a liability if he let his paranoid self go crazy over it. But they were still useful, a clear indication of where he was and where he needed to go from here. Using the markings, he angled himself, eyes glowing to life with blue light. Waves and ripples of aura appeared before him, threading the world around him, and the shapes of birdlike Pokemon somewhere within the treeline became evident to him despite the foliage that obscured them. Gray in color ¡ª neutral toward him, if not simply unaware of his existence. Leaves and branches rustled as he bolted forward, possibly startling one or two of them, judging by their cries and brief flapping of wings. Pidgey, it sounded like. Even as his gaze left them, His aurasense caught on to the slightest tinge of red coloring them, briefly annoyed by the disturbance his Quick Attack had caused. Not a problem so long as they¡¯re not following, he wryly thought, kicking himself for not being a little more careful. With their situation, caution was literally life or death. Is she fine? Did someone find her? The thoughts came unbidden to Lucario, his glowing eyes scanning the periphery as he neared the shelter. A moment of horror struck him when two auras made themselves clear to him, right smack in the center of their home ¡ª and then it left him just as quickly, relief pouring through in its place. Just her, the human, her friendly blue shape next to a similarly blue blob that resembled a fish Pokemon. Lucario was there in no time, matching the aura figures to the actual people as he came upon a small enclave of trees beside a hillside, a small dirt burrow carved into it with foliage draped over its entrance. It had been pushed to one side, Eira¡¯s tawny face peeking out as the Alolan human girl scribbled something onto a piece of paper. With her was Feebas, a brown fish covered in ugly markings, who read her words with a little smile. Eira passed her writing utensil over, and Feebas gave a curt response, managing to get a smile back out of Eira. Both instantly jolted as Lucario made his presence known, noisily moving past a large bush in his way. ¡°Oh!¡± said Feebas. ¡°Didn¡¯t see you there, Lucario, my bad. I didn¡¯t mean to drop my guard¡ª¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to pop in every now and then, would it be too much to ask you to do a better job of keeping the kid safe?¡± grumbled Lucario, before fixing his glare on Eira. ¡°And you? Have you any idea how dangerous it can be for you, showing your face without me around?¡± He accentuated his words with emotions and feelings, sending a wave of aura toward Eira to convey his disappointment, along with the need for vigilance and the guardianship of another. The girl shrunk into herself as the feelings struck her, arms pressed against her stomach and her head turned down. ¡°Sorry, Lucario,¡± she replied in the human tongue of Alph. Deeper down, though, Lucario heard the full message behind her apology. The feeling of boredom and constant worry gnawing at her, the discomfort of hiding in a claustrophobic space. I just wanted to spend time with Feebas, were the words she held herself from saying. ¡°She just wanted to spend time with me,¡± Feebas said, because she didn¡¯t apparently believe in holding back her thoughts. ¡°Can¡¯t blame her for being lonely, can you?¡± No. No, he couldn¡¯t. Lucario briefly stared at Feebas, one of the only two Pokemon he could trust on Haven Archipelago, before letting out a sigh. He allowed himself to relay Feebas¡¯s words to Eira in aura-form, giving her the raw emotions of a caring friend watching over a burdened soul all on her lonesome. The human girl¡¯s lips twitched, and when Feebas smiled at her again, she managed another smile of her own. Not too often did the girl smile. Lucario wouldn¡¯t blame her. The last couple days had been hectic on them both. There¡¯d been a terrible shipwreck that had stranded him and Eira on a strange place known as Haven Archipelago, and also killed Eira¡¯s mother and took away his trainer Adam and his Pokemon teammates in the process¡ª Can¡¯t dwell on it now. Don¡¯t dwell on it now. ¡ªnot to mention how Haven Archipelago had magic warding towers that kept humans coming in and out of the archipelago, which Eira had somehow bypassed. Never mind how there was a superstitious civilization of Pokemon here that hated humanity, a fact he learned the hard way from a murderous Ariados and a Kecleon merchant who had only changed his mind at the last moment. If Eira was to turn around from her spot at the burrow¡¯s entrance, Lucario would¡¯ve seen the rips in her blue dress where Ariados had punctured her skin. He¡¯d been extra vigilant ever since. Or well, he tried, but in his haste to get Eira to somewhere safe from other Pokemon in the forest, they had stumbled into some Mystery Dungeon called Sapling Woods. Which had been how they ran into Feebas, a perky Pokemon who had also wandered inside and gotten stuck there overnight. She turned out to be far more open-minded about a human, and became one of their few allies here. She¡¯d also made something really clear to Lucario. Pokemon here really, really thought humans had crazy magic powers. It had taken a lot to convince Feebas that their kind were far more powerless than herself, and she had seemed incredibly baffled at the thought of it. It had been two to three days since then. It¡¯d been a challenge to adjust to things ¡ª With Eira unable to show her face anywhere, Lucario found himself dealing with a bizarre reversal of roles as her caretaker, tending to the human¡¯s needs. He had dug up her burrow, managed to find a repentant Kecleon in the nearby Berrypark Town, and with the merchant¡¯s help, set up a Explorer Team with him as its sole member. Just a means to earn a decent living, doing something that he could enjoy and get done relatively quickly, and put food on the table for him and Eira. Better than foraging and hunting for animals, in some respects. Lucario took to pulling out a long piece of cloth from his Treasure Pouch, then placed a few of the fruits, nuts, and berries he¡¯d bought today, quietly appreciating how useful it was to have such a little magical bag that could hold so many items. Eira¡¯s gaze hovered over the food, looking a little like a starved Mandibuzz out in the middle of a lifeless desert as she nearly grabbed a banana without thinking. Then pulled back, staring at Lucario. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said the jackal with a touch of amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, you need the food.¡± The accompanying aura-message made Eira shiver. ¡°I-I mean, if there¡¯s something you want¡ª¡± ¡°Eat, Eira.¡± The girl gave in, snatching the banana and peeling it. Lucario briefly gave a look-around with his aura gaze, pleased to find no intruders coming close to their shelter, before examining the paper Feebas and Eira had been using. It was an odd thing ¡ª with Pokemon speech being a mess of emotional nuances built on subtle cues, noises, and pitches, the archipelago couldn¡¯t easily adapt it into a written form. So instead, they used a form of Unown-script as their primary written language. In other words, Alph. They used Alph for their writing system. And because most humans used Alph in the main regions, Eira had a way of communicating with Pokemon on the archipelago. Not that Lucario needed it, with his aurasense, but it was a godsend for her and Feebas. There was a pleasure in seeing her and Feebas communicate with each other in such a roundabout way. Or rather, there was a pleasure in seeing Eira communicate. She did do that with Lucario, of course ¡ª with their shared tragedies, the two of them had naturally turned to confide in one another ¡ª but Lucario had gotten the feeling that it wasn¡¯t something the girl often did. In fact, he was pretty sure the girl wasn¡¯t one to make friends. She was a shut-in, he sensed. A quiet, timid soul that had closed herself off. The loss of her mother had affected her terribly, but there was something about her pain that somehow felt muted. Or, to better phrase it¡ª It¡¯s not her first rodeo with death, is it? Lucario arched an eye, watching Eira chewing on her banana while scribbling something to Feebas. Who else did she lose? ¡°Really, I don¡¯t know how you can¡¯t feel bad for her.¡± When Lucario faced Feebas, she gave him the fish equivalent of a shrug. ¡°Well, for you both, but you get my point, yeah? Poor girl¡¯s nice as it gets, and yet because everyone thinks her sort are big bad monsters, she¡¯s hiding her face here, only having you and little old me for company. Can barely harm a fly, never mind keep herself safe from a Zigzagoon or whatever. You really serious about humans having no magic? Like, surely there¡¯s some innate power humans can learn to use in a fight, isn¡¯t there?¡± This again. Feebas really couldn¡¯t let the idea go. ¡°No,¡± insisted Lucario. ¡°Now, if I had to be technical about this, there are a few humans could learn Psychic powers, or aura¡ª¡± ¡°Aura!¡± Feebas said with excitement. ¡°See? That counts as something¡ª¡± ¡°A few humans,¡± Lucario spoke over her, ¡°and she¡¯s likely not one. And she wouldn¡¯t be anywhere as capable as me, almost certainly, she¡¯d struggle to be offensive with that kind of power. Plus, I have no idea how to even begin to teach that skill, or check if she has the ability to learn it.¡± Eira seemed to understand the gist of their talk, even without his aura to help her out. Feebas looked at her, and she gave a long resigned shrug. ¡°Sorry,¡± she muttered. ¡°I really can¡¯t do any magic.¡± Feebas went solemn for a little while after that. It was only when Eira tapped on her paper that Feebas took the writing utensil back, scribbling a response. They¡¯d been in the middle of a discussion about their homes, with Eira explaining Alola to Feebas, and Feebas in return talking about Haven Archipelago. Specifically, she was currently describing her place at Lakehome Town, with its artificial ponds and canal roads for water-bound Pokemon to get around. Eira seemed to find a quiet wonder at the idea of it all, imagining such a place for herself. It was nice, in a way. Feebas was proving supportive in a way that Lucario couldn¡¯t, helping to keep the human from dwelling on her miseries and the uncertain future lying in front of them. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Have to appreciate that, I suppose. Lucario allowed himself to give Feebas a grateful expression, the fish quick to wave it away as if she¡¯d done nothing special. Then the jackal let himself shift away from the pair, legs sprawled over the grass as he wearily stared at the surrounding coven of trees. Pity I don¡¯t have much of anyone to do the same for me, other than maybe Kecleon. The merchant had been clear he didn¡¯t know a way out, and that he really preferred not getting too involved in Lucario¡¯s quest with his human. What was he to do, really? The girl wasn¡¯t safe on this archipelago. She¡¯d be hunted on sight. He still worried over the idea of Ariados tracking them down to finish the job, or her alerting others about his presence ¡ª or really, just someone, anyone, making a chance encounter with Eira when he had his back turned. How would he manage the terrible task of finding a way off the archipelago, especially if the towers left Eira trapped within? He didn¡¯t know what to do. He hated it, having to figure things out himself ¡ª Pokemon Trainers usually did that for him. Guess I can count my blessings, if anything, he mused. Better to have two allies of some sort, than none at all. Thank goodness I have that at least. But still¡ª He startled, realizing his aurasense was screaming at him, the black feelers on either side of his head raised in panic. Instantly giving Eira a sensation of danger through his aura, he craned his head to find the threat, before wind rushed at his face. Painfully. Lucario found himself knocked over, legs and tail briefly over his head before he collapsed into a heap. He pulled himself together in time to roll away from a second strike, a razor-like blade of wind smashing into the earth beside him and pushing him from the sheer force of the impact. His gaze locked with the attacker¡¯s, and Lucario himself locked up, still for a moment as he faced a glowering reindeer of green and white colors that hovered overhead, a red scarf-like petal wavering around her neck. Oh no. He had seen her around Berrypark Town. Kecleon had warned him about a Mythical Pokemon he¡¯d been training for some time. The Shaymin. Part of¡ª His palm extended to the side, blue energy swirling into a small Aura Sphere that Lucario instantly fired, crashing into a second attacker ¡ª a Togetic ¡ª he had noticed with aurasense. The feathered angel Pokemon yelped, more out of surprise than actual pain, and shot him a dirty look. Almost a distraction, which Lucario didn¡¯t fall for, coalescing more aura into his palm and lengthening it into the shape of a bone. He swept to the side, parrying the bladed fin of his third attacker, a Gabite with teeth bared with near-feral disgust. Red lights hovered over his eyes, adding to his demonic look. Team Heavendust. The dragon-shark disengaged at once, the trio sizing up the threat in front of them. Lucario noticed how they looked past him, ignoring a shellshocked Feebas to observe Eira, the human girl panicking and huddled in the furthest corner of the burrow. Barely enough to obscure her, and not enough to muffle her shaky breaths. Halfway through, Gabite seemed to seize up, growling under his breath as he averted his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re harboring one of them, huh?¡± he spat. ¡°The enslavers. The death mages.¡± Where he had nothing but pure malice to offer, Shaymin had a bit of curiosity hidden in her eyes, something she was clearly trying to rein back. ¡°Can¡¯t believe there¡¯s one out here in the archipelago to begin with,¡± she muttered in a tart voice. ¡°Guess those towers don¡¯t mean much against human wizardry, huh?¡± Lucario had never engaged with the group, but he knew well enough what a losing situation looked like. Togetic alone seemed sullen, a little unsure of the situation. She kept examining Eira, trying to make sense of her, and growing more confused with each attempt. Her eyes glowed pink for a brief moment, and for some reason it made her extra flustered. Some kind of sixth sense of her own? Did Togetic have something like that? ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Lucario,¡± Gabite barked, ¡°drop to your knees, paws in the air. Now, if you have any sense of reason. You too, Feebas, back away from the burrow this instant.¡± Feebas didn¡¯t budge. ¡°How?¡± asked Lucario. The group advanced, making Lucario clutch his aura bone a little tighter. ¡°Figure it out yourself, fellow explorer,¡± Gabite said with biting sarcasm. ¡°Seems you crossed paths with a certain matriarch not long ago. Jumps at shadows, that one, but she got really insistent when talking to us, and well, the part about there being some oddball Lucario who barely stays a second in town before zipping off into the woods, it was curious on its own. I was hoping you were just some scapegoat, but well, looks like the spider¡¯s right about something this time. Got a certain Kecleon merchant implicated in this too as well, if I understand correctly.¡± Shaymin darkened at the mention of Kecleon. ¡°I knew that merchant well,¡± she said. ¡°Real cruddy, whatever you did to get him in cahoots with your lot.¡± ¡°The human¡¯s pure.¡± Everyone blinked, facing Togetic. The quiet angelic kept her gaze lingering on Eira a little longer, seeing how lifeless she¡¯d become, awaiting the judgement in store for her. ¡°J-Just saying,¡± she told her teammates. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make of it.¡± Gabite scoffed. ¡°Magic. Humans can tamper with your purity sense. Don¡¯t fall for it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing of the sort!¡± yelled Feebas, jumping in even as Team Heavendust scrutinized her. Lucario had to admit, the fish Pokemon was far braver than one would expect of her kind. ¡°Yes, I get it, she¡¯s a human, but can we have a time out here? She¡¯s a young girl, she hasn¡¯t done anything¡ª¡± ¡°Trickery,¡± Gabite said with a deep hiss. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly know¡ª¡± ¡°I know far, far more than you possibly could! I¡¯ve always known what they¡ª¡± Gabite staggered for a moment, clutching his head, before recomposing himself. ¡°She got past the towers.¡± Feebas quietly eyed Lucario. He silently gave her a pulse of aura, rebuffing her thoughts. You know better. There¡¯s no magic. She did nothing wrong. ¡°Unless you¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve been smuggling this human around for a long time,¡± Gabite kept going. ¡°But if not, then she came here by getting past the towers. Humans cannot just get past the towers. And frankly, they can¡¯t go around anywhere in secret. Not without powerful magic.¡± Togetic sighed. ¡°Strike first and ask questions later, I suppose?¡± No escape from a fight, at this rate, the angelic was going along with Gabite¡¯s mindset too easily. Lucario gritted his teeth, trying to figure out escape routes. Did he have items in his pouch he could use? Could he use them faster than the Gabite could use his items, or before the group could dive upon him in a coordinated attack? What of Feebas? Can¡¯t help her much. Eira first. Lucario grunted to himself, his inner sense of justice writhing as conflict overtook him. But I can¡¯t leave Feebas here, have to do something for her too. But my human¡ª ¡°What idiot wouldn¡¯t strike first in a case like this?¡± said Gabite, adjusting his stance. Tension made the wind stir, leaves and branches reeling at its force. ¡°Heavendust, take them¡ª¡± ¡°I would not do that, were I in your place.¡± All parties stiffened at the female voice, sudden and coming from seemingly no clear direction. Lucario spun a little to the side, keeping Team Heavendust in his peripheral vision, before his gaze widened as he glanced at the burrow. Eira, cowering human girl at large, was gone. What? He spun around instantly. Then jumped at the banshee in front of his face. The others, for some reason or another, had jumped at something too, Gabite slashing at the air. Or at an illusion, Lucario realized, as a group of translucent shades appeared in front of each Pokemon, drifting away to converge in the center. A more solid ghost appeared in their place, a purple cloth-like witch with red jewels on her body and an impish smile shaped like a W. A Mismagius. A Pokemon known for deception and hallucinatory powers. Eira. Eira! ¡°You took her!¡± yelled Lucario. ¡°What is this?¡± yelled Gabite at the same time. ¡°You¡ª¡± By some force, Lucario felt himself compelled to move, his feet readily moving toward a certain direction. ¡°What? No, stop!¡± he barked, finding Feebas moving alongside him. Were her eyes drooping? Were his? ¡°You can¡¯t¡ª¡± His gaze shifted to Team Heavendust, then the Mismagius, who looked to be cackling. Except there was no sound. The team of three looked to be attacking, Togetic firing a beam of red, yellow, and blue colors, Shaymin conjuring blades of wind and flinging them, and Gabite slashing without abandon. Except they were hitting nothing. Mismagius kept cackling. She had no aura. Team Heavendust did. Hallucinations. She¡¯s making them see things. ¡°Useful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lucario nearly leapt, finding another Mismagius in front of him. With an aura this time ¡ª the real Mismagius. And to his astonishment, a rather pale-faced Eira, the girl perking her head as the two looked at one another. Feebas yelped, eyes shooting wide open, before taking her in as well. ¡°Uh, what?¡± the fish said. ¡°What just happened?¡± ¡°L-Lucario?¡± Eira nervously glanced at the Mismagius. ¡°She¡¯s, uh, talking to me? In written words, sort of? What do I do?¡± Lucario stared hard at the witch Pokemon. Then Eira. Then back to the witch Pokemon. ¡°You¡¯re helping us,¡± he said, questioningly. ¡°Help doooooes come with a price, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Ah. ¡°They¡¯ll realize they¡¯re being toyed with soon,¡± Mismagius said, gesturing toward Team Heavendust. ¡°Hurry now. Tricking the Gabite while he has a Radar Orb powering his eyes is more cumbersome than I would prefer.¡±
Eira didn¡¯t understand any of it. Well, no, that didn¡¯t sound quite right. She very much could understand the Mismagius, because the Mismagius was speaking to her through hallucinations. Specifically via words in some variant of the Unown-script that looked vaguely similar to written Alph. This should be far away enough. You may stop, the words currently said. All in smoky purple letters, steaming at certain places and rising into the air in little puffs. Perfectly readable. Perfectly understandable. She didn¡¯t understand, however, why she was getting the Mismagius¡¯s help. Or who she was to begin with. They had gone out of the forest, into some hilly plains, and then into another forest with rougher, hillier terrain. Mismagius had them pause in a spot surrounded by little cliffs and a sprawling mess of trees, smirking to herself as if she¡¯d played the greatest trick of all time and gotten away with the most fabulous prize. Eira had a queasy feeling she might¡¯ve been the prize. Lucario and Feebas were with her ¡ª Mismagius had made sure they kept up, scooping up the Feebas when it became clear the fish¡¯s decent bouncing skills weren¡¯t enough to get them anywhere fast enough. Eira, for her part, found herself panting and wheezing, more than thankful for the many, many hikes and trips around various regions she¡¯d done with Mother. You are safe now. Some Ariados let her voice be a little too loud, hee! Mismagius told her, speaking the words aloud for Lucario and Feebas ¡ª laugh included. Most care not for such rumor-spreading, but I do. Her mistake. Explain. Graciously, Mismagius was displaying what Lucario was saying as words too, smoky blue letters used to represent him. Who are you? What is the meaning of this? Where are you taking us? added Feebas, her words a yellowy-brown hue. What do you want with me? Eira could ask the same. The girl had her hand clasped against her chest, unable to make heads or tails of her current situation. It had always been a matter of time before someone found her vulnerable, human self, but this definitely wasn¡¯t what she expected. Was this some new captor? Someone out to exploit her for her own wants? At least it¡¯s not another Ariados, she consoled herself. Mismagius tilted her head at the Feebas, the gesture half-shading her face from the afternoon sun. The trees seemed to whisper to themselves in her presence, as if in wonder themselves. You seem bound to the human, are you not? asked the witch. Feebas frowned. They saw you with her. You will not be safe now. Not without help. Mismagius gave an oddly kind smile toward Lucario, the sort that almost felt fake, if only because she was just bad at giving truly pure-hearted smiles. You will be sought out, with nowhere to run. Unless someone was to give you a way out. A way out. The written words did little justice in expressing the deadpan disbelief Lucario spoke with. A way out. I do illusions, as you¡¯ve seen. Mismagius¡¯s smile grew too wide, yet it still wasn¡¯t quite as fake as it ought to be. And to be clear, you have my deepest interests at heart. You safeguard a human. Herself. Eira couldn¡¯t help it. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was how there was someone she could actually speak with, sort of, but the words couldn¡¯t be bottled up inside. ¡°W-what do you want from me?¡± she asked, before backing up as Mismagius stared dead into her soul. ¡°I-I¡ª what¡¯s special about me? D-do you think I¡¯m not dangerous?¡± Lucario, bless him, made use of his natural skill in translating human words to explain what Eira said. His tone was more forceful, however, the jackal leveling a glare at the witch as he demanded the answers that Eira requested. Mismagius pursed her lips, humming to herself. Dangerous? No. But yes. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Ca?¡± spat Lucario. ¡°Bas?¡± questioned Feebas. A laugh left Mismagius at their bafflement. You are human, she continued as if nothing had happened. Humans have been long gone from Haven Archipelago. Do you know of them? Almost nobody here does. Though the Gabite does pique my interest, the way he spoke of them. She hovered toward a line of tree trunks, resting against it. Phasing? Eira couldn¡¯t quite tell, but her hat seemed to melt through a little. I am a historian, young human, and many things more. Odd, isn¡¯t it, that we speak in entirely different tongues, yet we share a written language you can read? That you have somehow breached a barrier that should be able to hold your kin back from this place? That you seem to be magic-less, when your kind was known for its magic? Lucario bristled. Her kind don¡¯t learn magic. They don¡¯t have it. There was something taunting in Mismagius¡¯s smile. Perhaps I should change that. The tone in her actual voice, when she said it aloud, made Eira go cold inside. Weirdly, in an almost cozy way. Feebas sucked in a mouthful of air, and Lucario seemed gobsmacked for a moment. You do not believe me? Fine. Mismagius faced Eira directly, peering deep into the depths of her spirit. We have much to talk about, child. A great deal, if you wish to survive, to learn how to protect yourself. You wish to live? To escape? To break your curse, your omen? I will give you that, if you offer me a deal you know you cannot refuse. A devil. An enticing, crafty little devil. That was what the witch seemed like to Eira, at that moment. Someone who offered magic? Magic? It couldn¡¯t be. Humans couldn¡¯t have powers, it wasn¡¯t how things worked. Or was it? ¡°What kind of deal?¡± Lucario didn¡¯t need to translate. Mismagius knew already, her smile growing hungrier than the most famished Guzzlord that ever lived. Knowledge. Omake 15: Local Dark Type Fears the Dark Altered Bonds Extras Omake 15 ¡ª Local Dark Type Fears the Dark (Best read after Chapter 9) (Canon? ¡ª Yes)
Weavile''s yell startled Golduck as his lantern''s light abruptly turned off, the old Electric Gem inside giving up. The cavern Mystery Dungeon around them went pitch-black instantly. ¡°Change the darned light!¡± his boss snapped at him. ¡°Get your gem glowing and change the light, you nitwit!¡± A strange undertone of fear laced his voice. Golduck made the red gemstone on his forehead glow up with latent psychic power, providing ample red light that revealed their third teammate, a Swellow, along with a sweating Weavile. Their boss immediately whipped around, eyes darting in every direction, before turning back to him. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Golduck slowly reached into their group''s Treasure Bag, searching for a spare Electric Gem. ¡°You''re afraid of the dark?¡± he questioned. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Swellow blinked, before taking notice of Weavile''s behavior. Then let out a wheeze. ¡°Pluck my plumage off, he''s actually afraid!¡± he said, cawing out in fits of laughter that made Weavile blush. ¡°Man, that''s several levels of embarrassment right there! A Dark Type, scared of the¡ª¡± He began choking on his own laughter. Golduck too couldn''t help it and put down the lantern, pressing a webbed hand against a rocky wall and chortling at the absurdity. Weavile snapped at him to replace the light already, but it only made his laughter worse, until the duck was having a terrible coughing fit. Unable to stand it, Weavile hastily took the Treasure Bag and lantern himself, swapping out the old gem with a spare. The light came back in full force, drowning out Golduck''s light. The two birds still couldn''t stop their laughter. ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± said Weavile. ¡°You don''t know the things that lurk about when you''re not watching! We''re in a confounded Mystery Dungeon, for goodness''s sake!¡± ¡°A-a bandit!¡± Swellow hacked out. ¡°A veteran thief, and he''s scared of the dark! Ha!¡± Weavile''s face reddened further. ¡°Oh, you are so never going to live this down,¡± Golduck rasped, trying to catch his breath. ¡°I can see it on your tombstone, mate! Weavile, so terrified of the dark that he passed away in a pitch-black hole in the ground, scared of¡ª¡± Weavile''s claws forced his beak shut, an Ice Punch striking Golduck''s stomach. He hacked out from the pain, but it only served to give his laughter a second wind. The boss gave out a pained sigh. ¡°I hate you two,¡± muttered Weavile. ¡°He hates us!¡± yelled Swellow. ¡°Dude, we¡¯re so good at our jobs!¡± As required of the avian bro-code, he and Golduck shared a resounding high-five. Weavile naturally punched both of them. Omake 16: Theres Two of Them Altered Bonds Extras Omake 16 ¡ª There''s Two of Them (Best read after Chapter 17) (Canon? ¡ª No)
Myrna eyed the black void-like tear in spacetime that was plastered on her kitchen ceiling. Tsked. Then turned her gaze to the Alolan Vulpix with a white wristband who had tumbled out of said hole, groaning to herself. A Lucario had fallen with her, and was now staring gobsmacked at Myrna ¡ª and by extension, her twelve-year-old daughter Eira, who was currently hiding behind her with wide eyes. He kept looking between mother and child with undisguised amazement, and for once, Myrna had a feeling it had nothing to do with how amazingly similar in appearance they were. ¡°W-what happened?¡± the Vulpix mumbled in Alph. In her own daughter¡¯s voice. ¡°Where¡ª¡± She tilted her head up, and freaked at the two humans. Sputtered and stammered, before gaping at Eira for the longest time. Eira stared back too, spooked, before the two averted gazes. They instantly turned to Myrna, who tsked again. ¡°Eira?¡± she said. ¡°Y-yes?¡± both replied in mirrored voices. Almost a decade¡¯s worth of being a fantasy novelist, and none of her works had prepared her for this. The Lucario turned back to the void tear on the ceiling, making a flummoxed face that Myrna felt was all too fitting for whatever madness this was. ¡°Lucriio?¡± he said. ¡°Vi? P-pixili vulpix vulipi?¡± cried Vulpix, frantically waving her tails about. ¡°No, forget that, w-where did the hole even come from? W-why did it take us here? I don¡¯t¡ª this shouldn¡¯t be p-possible, this doesn¡¯t¡ª¡± The Pokemon kept ranting on and on, her breath growing heavy. Eira, her actual daughter, clutched Myrna¡¯s arm like it was a lifeline. ¡°M-mother?¡± she questioned. ¡°W-why is there a P-Pokemon version of me?¡± Myrna made a rueful noise. For all that she¡¯d wished she had gotten another child before the Spacetime Pandemic had taken her late husband, a second Eira in a Vulpix body was not at all what she meant. Seeing the Vulpix begin to break down into a full-on panic, she made her Eira let go of her arm, scooping up the Vulpix version of herself and clutching her close to her chest. Vulpix stiffened with a yelp, before melting in her grasp, her cold body making Myrna shudder. The vixen began to sniff aloud. ¡°Y-you d-died in m-my world,¡± she choked out. But not as much as those words did. Eira put her hands over her mouth, aghast, and Myrna¡¯s blood froze over. Ah. That explained everything. She redoubled her hug, stroking her vixen hair. The girl cried a bit, pressing her snout against her. Was it uncomfortable? For a loving mother, not in the slightest. Myrna held her there for a long while, conscious of Lucario watching the pair with a bittersweet expression. Had he lost something too? It seemed he had bonded with the other Eira ¡ª something Myrna wouldn¡¯t imagine her own shy, reclusive girl ever doing in normal circumstances. There was quite a story to unpack here, clearly. ¡°I told you not to read so many stories about Vulpix, darling,¡± Myrna lightly chided. ¡°Now you¡¯re gone and become one of them yourself.¡± A strangled laugh told Myrna she¡¯d done something right to put the girl in a better mood. ¡°I-it¡¯s the wristband, actually,¡± she managed to say. ¡°I-I can turn back and forth.¡± Eira, her actual daughter, went googly-eyed at that. Too many emotions entered Myrna¡¯s head as she processed the idea of it, her gaze dropping toward the white wristband in question. ¡°Your wristband makes you into a shapeshifter?¡± ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Vulpix made an awkward face as she turned to properly face Myrna. ¡°Oh wow, being held like a little pet by my own Mother is trippy. C-can I get down now? Um, p-please?¡± Lucario made a snort as Myrna put the girl onto the floor. One part of her, the part that was a dedicated writer, was already considering a variety of story ideas from this one interaction. The other part of her was a fantasy-obsessed geek that was beginning to squeal like crazy. ¡°Does it work in reverse?¡± she inquired, smiling a little as Lucario made a disgusted noise and fervently shook his head. Ah, too bad, a Pokemon turning into a human was too funny not to think about. ¡°Just for humans, then?¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Vulpix nodded. Then pursed her lips as she stared at her wristband, then at Myrna and Eira. Her actual daughter was doing her very best to avoid staring at the wondrous accessory, much to Myrna¡¯s mirth. Her daughter always had dreamed of being an Alolan Vulpix ¡ª curious, how there was another version of her that somehow succeeded. Her daughter was tempted to ask her other self if she could try the wristband, it was clear as day. And Myrna couldn¡¯t blame her, ¡°Actual magic,¡± she said, tickled by the thought. ¡°Now there¡¯s something I don¡¯t get to see everyday. Oh, you really had to come visit and make my poor heart do somersaults, didn¡¯t you?¡± For some reason, Vulpix put on the oddest expression Myrna ever saw. Lucario began to bark out in chortles, egging the girl on with a few terse words. She muttered something back in the Pokemon tongue, uncertain, but Lucario eventually made her give in. Her form rippled into light. Myrna had half-expected her to transform at some point, and managed not to flinch as the vixen changed into a perfect clone of her own human daughter, save for how her blue dress had been torn in places by what looked like Pokemon attacks. Eira, her own Eira, blinked several times at her duplicate self, before frowning at the ripped clothing. ¡°Darling?¡± questioned Myrna. ¡°What kind of situation were you in that your dress¡ª¡± Before she could say another word, however, shapeshifter Eira brought out her hand, concentrating. A fleck of ice formed, and Myrna forgot everything else. She stared. Eira stared. Lucario cackled a little more as the twosome¡¯s jaws dropped at actual magic. ¡°Excuse me?¡± said her daughter. Myrna scowled at the void tear on her ceiling, a burning desire consuming her mind whole. ¡°Twelve hours!¡± she yelled, making both girls jump. ¡°I will not accept anything less!¡± A good part of her was still struggling to catch up with whatever was happening here, but there was a copy of her daughter here. One with what had to be some terrible baggage, and magic coming out of her fleshy human fingers. She needed to know. ¡°Giratina, Hoopa, or whatever other force that¡¯s able to maintain this rift!¡± Myrna sharpened her glare as much as she could, even knowing that her words would be all bark and no bite to such entities. ¡°I demand my time with the girl! You will allow her back when I¡¯m finished spending time with her, and you will neither take her before then, nor close this portal prematurely on her! Or are you going to deny me this, after you¡¯ve allowed the girl to fall right into my lap? Do you dare play such pranks with me?¡± Shapeshifter Eira turned to Lucario, who stared at the kitchen with a thoughtful look, before sharing a few words with her. ¡°Huh,¡± she muttered. ¡°Uh, Mother? I-I could just, I don¡¯t know, stay? Me and Lucario don¡¯t exactly have a home in our world anyway.¡± ¡°Y-you wish to stay?¡± Myrna had a double-take as she looked at the girl, her eyes glimmering with a hint of longing. Ah, but of course she¡¯d say that. No Myrna to go back to in her original dimension, after all. ¡°I, well, I don¡¯t know if¡ª¡± ¡°Please.¡± Shapeshifter Eira clasped her hands tightly. ¡°I-I was trapped on a bunch of islands without a-any way of escaping, and Lucario and I were doing everything we could to get back.¡± ¡°Rio lura ca,¡± said Lucario, almost absentmindedly. ¡°Vul? Oh my goodness, you¡¯re right, your trainer and companions would be alive here, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Myrna bit her lip at this. ¡°And another version of Lucario?¡± she pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if keeping two of the exact same people in a dimension is a good thing¡ª¡± ¡°I-I could leave. G-go to another region, far from here.¡± Shapeshifter Eira eyed the portal with trepidation. ¡°I-I really don¡¯t want to go back. I¡¯m cursed. A-an ill omen.¡± The despair in the last few words made Myrna writhe inside. She eyed the rips in the girl¡¯s fabric, and felt a grave, unfathomable horror. Like she had stumbled onto the darkest machinations of fate. Dare she ask about the specifics? No. Not yet, the other Eira clearly needed time. ¡°I suppose we could arrange something,¡± Myrna considered, shooting a glance at her own Eira. Her daughter slowly shrugged, and Myrna noticed how the bewilderment in her eyes was slowly fading, replaced by a sense of fascination. Could she keep both girls? Two Eiras would get along well ¡ª who better for her quiet daughter to make a friend with? On the other hand, the appearance of a second Eira would probably lead to a lot of questions by neighbors and Eira¡¯s school. And what about documentation? Goodness, she¡¯d have to contact the Faller agencies to get this properly sorted out, and she wasn¡¯t sure if they had ever handled anything remotely like this. They¡¯d surely smooth things out, but how they¡¯d do such a thing, that was beyond her. Never mind her finances. Her writing business only made so much, and two girls and a Pokemon were a little pricey to care for. But magic! She got a magic daughter in return! Which definitely needed hiding, entirely unlike her Faller nature, because a human with a shapeshifting accessory and literal ice magic was too much trouble for anyone¡¯s worth. But magic! Myrna had to stop herself from giggling like a loon. Magic would make all the hassle worth it on its own. ¡°You do need a change of clothes, at the very least,¡± she told shapeshifter Eira, before snapping her fingers at the rift. ¡°Scratch what I said earlier, we¡¯re keeping the girl! You¡¯re free to close up¡ª¡± Three Pokemon cried out and hurtled out of the rift, Myrna facepalming as a Gabite crashed onto the floor. Then a Togetic, and then a ¡ª wait, was that little white reindeer with the grassy mohawk and petal scarf a Shaymin? An actual Shaymin in her house? Her daughter gawked at the threesome, while Lucario and shapeshifter Eira just stared, unamused. ¡°Our friends,¡± the other Eira said in a flat voice. Only in an alternate world would her daughter make her first serious bonds with a group of rare Pokemon. ¡°You¡¯re friends with a Mythical?¡± said Myrna. ¡°Y-yeah. Long story.¡± The Gabite jerked with a start at the sight of Myrna, before choking on a fearful grunt as he noticed the twin Eiras. The Togetic and Shaymin were frantically looking about at the kitchen like it was some alien world, before pausing too at the double-human situation. Myrna eyed them, looked at shapeshifter Eira, and realized she had a Pokemon translator standing right in front of her. And a Shaymin. ¡°They¡¯re from a Pokemon-only society where humans are seen as monsters,¡± added shapeshifter Eira. ¡°J-just a heads up.¡± Myrna¡¯s face was steel. ¡°Twelve hours!¡± she shouted at the rift.