Warped
Team Valiant left Kima's house early that morning. After
saying goodbye to the old Marowak, the children and their friend, Sickle -who
reminded them that he still owed them a lunch, they gathered around Mewtwo, and
in a flash of light, they vanished in Mewtwo's Teleport, carried through space
itself to the unknown beyond...
When they appeared, they could immediately tell they were at
a high altitude; the air was thinner, and colder; the wind rushed around them,
blowing hair, fur and feathers alike as they appeared. There was no snow, but
the biting chill was like that of winter, and the air felt ominous, like
another presence was all around them.
"Nice place," Volcan called non-chalantly, forced
to raise his voice because of the wind.
"Surely you had to expect such climate conditions when
you decided to venture here..." Kage retorted calmly, but again with that
low tone of his.
"It's
called sarcasm Kage," Volcan
returned, shaking his head.
"This is as far as I can take you," stated Mewtwo.
"Dialga's shrine is protected by a powerful energy that prevents Psychic's
from teleporting inside, and we're also close to Palkia's warped space."
He pointed towards a path, barely visible in the stone. "Follow that
slope, and you will reach Dialga's shrine."
Luke
nodded, offering his paw to Mewtwo in gratitude. "Thank you...be safe,
Mewtwo."
Mewtwo looked at Luke's paw, but didn't grasp it. He settled
with a nod of respect to the Lucario. "Beware, brave one. There's no
telling what is waiting for you out there," he warned.
"Farewell." And with that, he vanished in a flash of light, leaving
the five of them to navigate the mountain on their own.
Luke let out a small sigh, and then turned to everyone else.
"Well....this is it..." He said to his team. "Steele your nerves
and always stay alert...We don't know what awaits us here..."
"We know what we're looking for, though," said
Volcan. "But uh... what does Dialga even look like; how will we know him
when we see him?"
"We'll know." Katsu returned with a nod of
confidence. "Stay close to us."
With that, Luke led the way toward the top of Spear Pillar
with his team close behind, keeping their wits about them.
They didn't go twenty steps before a horrible, high pitched
cry echoed over the mountain, coming from up the other path and sending chills
up their backs not caused by the cold; Volcan and Serena stopped in their
tracks, before they frantically looked around for the source.
"What in the name of Poseidon was that?!" Serena
demanded in fear.
Luke
cringed and covered his ears until the sound died down. "Ugh...that sounds
like Palkia." He returned.
"It must be in a lot of pain..." Katsu said in a
woeful tone.
"But you remember what Mewtwo said... we can't approach
him," said Volcan.
"Which is why we're going to Dialga's shrine
instead..." Kage returned. "The more we stand around, the lower our
chances diminish of solving this crisis...."
"Right...
we need to hurry," stated Volcan.
"This
way." Luke said, tapping to his Aura Sense to help guide them down the
right path.
They
sprinted up the hill, moving as fast as their legs could carry them, but
evening their pace so that they stayed together as a group. Every step of the
way, Volcan kept his eyes out in each direction, searching for any signs of
danger, but though he saw none, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
He eyed the cliffs above with his sharp blue eyes, narrowed in suspicion and
nearly losing his balance as he tripped on a rock, but corrected himself and
resumed his trek.
"You
sense it as well..." Kage stated as he sprinted along his side.
"I
do," said Volcan. "Something is out there, and I don't think it's
Dialga..."
"I
feel the same...whatever is waiting for us, it isn't the God of Time..."
Kage returned in agreement to the Blaziken.
"Up
ahead... is that Dialga's shrine?" Serena asked as a building came into
view in a large gap in the cliffs ahead; a structure that was large in size,
and though fairly simple in architecture, it was covered on every wall with
symbolic images. All around it, there seemed to be a flow of invisible energy,
like an endless river, looping itself around the temple again and again, but
the energy could not be seen, only felt.
"That
it is." Katsu returned. "Good eye Serena."
Luke slowed his pace when they got close, as did the rest of
his team. He took a huge breath, sighing heavily. Slowly, he started stepping
toward the entrance of the shrine.
"Wait... Luke, stop!" Volcan barked suddenly,
startling everyone.
He halted and looked back. "What is it?"
"Do
you smell that?" Volcan asked.
Luke
sniffed the air for a moment, and then cringed a little as the sharp odor, like
the smell of brimstone, reached him. "I do..."
"That's Sulfur, and a lot of it," said Volcan.
"But I'm guessing this place isn't a volcano."
Luke nodded. "There's never been any incident of an
eruption on Spear Pillar." Luke narrowed his eyes. "Are we too late?"
"No,"
replied Volcan. "The shrine's intact; if demons hit it, they wouldn't
leave it standing. But there's one demon species from the plane of fire that I
know of and have faced before; it's known as a Salamander, a big red serpent
that reeks of sulfur and has a body as hot as a furnace. If we're smelling
sulfur on a non-volcanic mountain then there's a Salamander nearby, and he's
closing in fast." He scowled as he readied himself. "We're being hunted."
"I
see... well we do have two water types to help with that." Luke returned,
motioning to Kage and Katsumoto.
"Hope
they can shoot through something insanely hot, then," said Volcan.
A loud hiss filled the air, followed by a sizzling sound;
some rocks tumbled down from the cliff above, each one smoldering as it landed,
smelling of sulfur. The group looked up, but there was nothing in sight.
"Remember guys, this isn't a corrupted Pokémon,"
stated Volcan. "This is a real demon; a Major level demon. Watch the hell
out, and whatever you do, don't let it entrap you in its tail; it burns like
acid and it'll melt your skin off in less than a minute."
Luke nodded. Katsu and
Kage both drew their weapons and kept them at the ready, glancing all around
them for any sign of the demon in question. The hissing continued, and the
smell of sulfur was getting stronger yet. Volcan and Serena watched every
direction, trying to spot the demon; Volcan seemed especially uneasy, evidently
by their location.
"Not good...," Volcan said, grunting. There are so many
outcrops it could spring out from anywhere... Luke, can you find it with your
Aura Sense? Since it's a demon it should look like a corrupted Aura."
"I'll
try." Luke returned, then he closed his eyes and tuned his Aura Sense
again, scanning in every direction he could for any sign of the salamander.
In a moment, he spotted it; a huge, serpentine form was
coiled around a pillar above Katsumoto, and looked poised and ready to launch
itself down and attack him!
Luke
flinched, then he looked back to the Samurott. "MOVE KATSUMOTO!" he
roared to him. The Samurott quickly glanced to Luke, then he quickly darted
forward and away from the spot he was just at. "Kage!"
The Greninja nodded, quickly conjuring a multitude of Water
Shuriken and firing them all up at the Salamander as its presence became known.
The creature launched itself from the pillar, but the Water Shuriken melted
before even touching its flaming red body.
The ground shook as it landed, and the bright red, burning hot
snake-like monsters rose up on its tail. The creature's head was serpent-like
in appearance, but had fins growing from the back of its head, and big fangs
protruding from its mouth. A spiked fin grew from the end of its tail, which
lashed ominously at the air as it raised its weapon, a three-pointed spear,
better known as a Trident. In this close proximity, the scent of sulfur was
intense, and the heat radiating from the monster was like a whole tree was
ablaze, radiating sweat-inducing amounts of heat.
Luke grimaced and had to shield himself from the intense heat
and smell of sulfur hitting him. "Gah...I can feel it even from here. I
won't be able to get close."
"You'll have to rely on fighting it from afar,"
Volcan called. "I can handle the heat; the rest of you, cover me."
Volcan tapped his mega stone, becoming engulfed in the amethyst-crystalline
light as he triggered his Mega Evolution. As the light shattered, Volcan was
now a Mega Blaziken, and faced down the Salamander. "Remember guys; this
thing is not a Pokémon! No hesitation, no remorse; this is a demon! Destroy
it!"
"Understood."
Kage returned, crouching low in preparation for battle. Katsu twirled his
blades in his paws, coating them in water as he stanced himself. Luke hopped
back a little and held his paws up, ready to provide cover fire.
"Go!" Volcan
charged in; the Salamander stabbed at him with its Trident, but he leapt over
it, arcing through the air and delivering a kick to the Salamander's chest,
making it reel from the force of the strike.
Serena was next, firing a Water Gun at the demon, but her
attack did not reach; the water evaporated before making contact with the
Salamander, turning to steam faster than she could produce it, until she ran
out of breath. Katsu charged in head first with Aqua Jet, and then he quickly
veered off and splashed water among its chest before he circled around and
fired a Water Pulse from his swords. Kage followed suit, weaving a sign and
taking a deep breath, then he expelled a powerful Hydro Pump from his mouth
hitting just after Katsu's Water Pulse right on the same spot.
Steam erupted from the Salamander's body, and it hissed in
pain as its body was hosed by their combined water assault. Volcan came in
again as the Salamander tried to attack the two, leaping up and kicking it in
the face.
"It may be a major demon but it's not smart; keep
leading it on a merry chase! Don't let it get close!" Volcan instructed.
"A
simple task." Kage returned, quickly sinking into teh ground with Shadow
Sneak, then emerging behind it and firing more Water Shurikens at it from
behind. Katsu discharged another Water Pulse from his swords while it was being
attacked from behind.
The
combined assault was wearing it down; Volcan continued to assail it with every
chance he could, battering it with his speed and strength. But soon, the
Salamander wisened up, and as Volcan moved to attack again, it spun, and the
Blaziken was suddenly engulfed by its tail, trapping his arms and legs
together; flesh sizzled, even for a Blaziken, and the Salamander began to
squeeze, while simultaneously making a dash for Luke.
Luke quickly took aim and discharged two Aura
Spheres before he darted out of the way with Extreme Speed. The Aura Spheres
nailed the tail in hopes of releasing the Blaziken trapped in its coils. Volcan
managed to break free as the Salamander's tail loosened, and when it moved
around to catch him again, Volcan managed to land a jump kick on its face,
dazing it, while simultaneously using the kick as a boost to launch himself out
of its reach; it was vulnerable now, while it was stunned.
Luke then tapped his Mega Stone, quickly transforming to his
Mega Lucario form, then he raised his paws above his head and collected a
massive amount of Aura to his paws in teh form of a giant Aura Sphere. He
roared and discharged the attack, sending it right for its spine. Kage
discharged a Scald attack at the giant Aura Sphere, propelling it forward at
even greater speeds.
This
time, the Salamander did not withstand the attack; it was blown apart by the
Aura Sphere, and what remained of it scattered all over the ravine, leaving
only half of a corpse. The scent of sulfur intensified, but the heat slowly
began to wane. Volcan stood by the corpse of the Salamander, checking it, and
nodding when he confirmed it was dead.
"We got it... lucky for us if can't prioritize," he
said.
Luke sighed and powered down from his Mega Form, then he
approached Volcan. "Are you hurt?"
"A little cooked, but not even a first-degree
burn," replied Volcan, looking himself over; he had some compressed
feathers where the tail had wrapped around him, and there was still some smoke
coming off of him but based on how he was moving his limbs he wasn't actually
hurt. "Probably because I'm a fire type. You guys alright?"
"Not even a scratch." Luke returned. The others
also nodded to signal they were unharmed.
"Excellent," said Volcan. "Lucky we had it
outnumbered, too."
"Yes indeed. Still..." Luke returned, looking to
the side a bit. "That creature was tough..."
"They're a lot more dangerous in a small pack, or backed
by others," replied Volcan. "The cold up here was also helpful for us;
like any reptile, it slowed it down." Volcan breathed in deeply.
"Can't smell anymore sulfur so, this one was alone; must've just strayed
off."
"Let us not stick around for others to show themselves."
Katsu suggested. "We should hurry and get inside the shrine."
"Agreed," said Volcan. "Time to make a house
call on the god of time..." He snorted. "Huh, great; sound like Pavan
again."
Luke
nodded and led the way again, trotting over to the entrance to Dialga's shrine.
His ears flattened a little as he got closer to it, silently praying that
Dialga could help them in any way.
They approached the main entrance of the shrine; the building
was a lot bigger up close, making many of the group feel small -especially
Serena, who looked up at the building with awe as she studied its layout,
taking in the unfamiliar architecture and looking curiously at the carvings in
the sides. More such carvings were inside the shrine, which was empty except
for a massive altar in the center. The walls were lined with more carvings,
many of Pokémon -most of which she of course had not seen before. Curious, she
walked over to one of the carvings, wanting a closer look.
Volcan and the others approached the altar; at its corners
were torches, currently unlit and filling the room with an unsettling gloom.
"So... where is he?" Volcan asked, looking around. "I don't know
what he looks like, but I'm guessing there's supposed to be a big,
divine-looking guy in here?"
"Usually
yes." Luke returned. "I'm hoping
he didn't get caught in the corruption..."
"We'd
know if he had," Volcan stated firmly. "But if he's anything like the
gods of my world, he should be invulnerable to the corruption, since corruption
is easily countered by divine essence."
"Excuse me, Katsu?" Serena called, getting the
Samurott's attention as she continued to look at some of the carvings to the
left of the altar, engraved on the very walls themselves. "What Pokémon
are these here?" She pointed to the wall with her tail.
He turned over to look
at Serena, then he approached her and looked up at the carvings she pointed out
to him. The images carved into the stone were of two great beasts; one of them
was a stag-like being with massive antlers, standing over numerous smaller life
forms, but high above it was a sinister-looking bird that had wings spread out
widely, and its long tail gave it almost a 'Y' shape as it soared above, with
objects that appeared to be... the ghosts of other Pokémon, swarming around it.
Volcan, his curiosity piqued, had also walked over and was
looking at the carvings. "Whoa..." He breathed as he examined them.
"Xerneas
and Yveltal..." Katsu cited softly. "The gods of eternal life and
oblivion..."
"The god of life?" Volcan repeated. "But I
thought Arceus was the creator of all Pokémon; wouldn't that make him the god
of life?"
"Xerneas has the ability to grant eternal life."
Kage stated. "Arceus created Xerneas with that power."
"Oh, I see," said Volcan. "And Yveltal, the
God of Oblivion... he's the rival to Xerneas?"
"Yes."
Katsu returned, looking to Volcan."In a sense, Xerneas represents life,
and Yveltal represents death and destruction...All of the legendary Pokémon
have polar opposites to one another. Space and Time, Continents and Oceans,
Truths and Ideals." He went on to explain.
"Hmm..."
Volcan seemed to want to say something, but kept it to himself as he looked
over the carving some more. Suddenly though, he stiffened, sensing the gaze of
something burning down his back. He swallowed nervously, before voicing the
question. "Why do I suddenly have the feeling we're being watched?"
He asked.
"Me
as well." Luke returned, his posture very similar to Volcan's, the two
slowly turning and glancing over their shoulders, followed shortly by the rest.
At that very moment, a shadow loomed over the group; a
massive Pokémon, utterly dwarfing all of them, had suddenly appeared in the
shrine; the Pokémon was quadripedal, standing on four legs -each as big around
as one of the columns in the corners that held up the ceiling, with a metallic,
blue skin covering its body. on its chest was what appeared to be an armoured
chest plate, with short spikes protruding from all around it, minus two at the
ten and two o'clock positions that jutted out much farther, and a bright blue
jewel in the center. His head, resting atop a long neck, was decorated by two
more metal plates that angled along his unusually elongated cranium, and two
red eyes peered out from under a chrome, downward-curving brow. On his back,
near where his tail met his body, was a five-pointed crest rising up, casting a
shadow over his body as the torches from the altar suddenly came alight, only
adding to his imposing appearance.
"I'm guessing that
is Dialga..." Volcan muttered, clearly blown away by the sheer SIZE of the
Pokémon he was looking at -how in the hell had they not heard him approaching?-
if not clearly intimidated by his appearance. "Holy mother..."
"That is him." Luke returned, keeping calm on the
outside, but on the inside he was a nervous wreck. Katsu quickly turned about
and lowered his head in respect to the god, while Kage turned as well, but
maintained his composure and keeping his arms crossed.
Dialga was eyeing them as if trying to determine if they were
a threat, looking at each one of them individually before his eyes fixed on
Volcan and Serena, flashing briefly as he stared at them. "You two,"
he spoke, his voice echoing through the shrine as if heard from multiple
locations.
"Uh... yes?" Volcan asked, still nervous, while
Serena stood with her head lowered respectfully.
"You are not of this world," he stated firmly.
"I do not see your faces upon the currents of time here." His eyes
glowed brightly. "Reveal your true selves..."
Volcan irked an eyebrow, not understanding what Dialga meant,
when he suddenly doubled over, grabbing his stomach in pain and twitching
madly. "AH! Hey, what the hell?!" He demanded. "What're you
doing?!" Serena moved to help Volcan, but suddenly she seemed to be
experiencing the same thing, stopping short and cringing, clenching her eyes
shut as an unknown feeling struck her.
"S-Serena!" Katsu called out, quickly running to
her side.
Luke quickly glared at Dialga. "The hell are you
doing??"
The
Deity ignored him, his gaze never leaving the two strangers -somehow, able to
tell neither of them were really Pokémon. Katsu was cut off from reaching
Serena as she and Volcan were both engulfed in light, of the sort that covered
a Pokémon in the process of evolution, and their shapes began to change.
"Serena!!" Katsu kept calling to her, backing off
as the light became so bright he had to shield his eyes.
"Calm yourselves. Both of you." Kage returned in a
sharp tone. "They're not being harmed..."
For a moment, the light carried on as their forms changed,
becoming almost... human, in appearance, except for many obvious discrepancies.
Serena especially was becoming much bigger, and Volcan's shape changed
drastically; wings seemed to explode from his back, spreading out so widely it
was almost ridiculous, and the spread illuminated more of the inside of the
shrine as his musculature changed as well; his body had already become so big
even a Machamp would be impressed.
And then, suddenly, the light faded, and the two dropped to
the floor, landing on their hands and knees... yes, even Serena had hands now;
she was no longer the quadripedal form of a Vaporeon. This new body she had
adopted looked like a tri-bred fusion of a horse, a fish, and a human -by
physical musculature only. Her feet were soft, delicate hooves ending
powerfully muscular legs, and her tail, easily as long as Luke was tall, ended
in two fins not unlike her previous body, but coloured teal instead of Blue. A
matching fin grew from her back, running from the top of her head down her
spine, stopping at the mid-lower region, and then there were her hands; she had
five fingers, each one tipped with a hard, black cartilage -it was almost like
each finger was tipped with a hoof, but rounded like a finger. Her equine face
was also mostly teal, with emerald green eyes peering at the others as she
opened them.
And then there was Volcan; he was larger than Serena even
now, both height-wise and by sheer girth, with a highly muscular upper body.
His hands, which looked like the talons of birds minus ending with four fingers
and a thumb and skin all the way up to the elbow, were calloused -especially
around the tips, and his colours had changed to a brilliant red and gold
combination that were far brighter than his previous body. He had a single
crown of feathers angling back from his brow, and his flame-patterned wings,
large enough for him to blanket the members of Team Valiant on a cold night,
cast a shadow over the wall behind him. The only thing unchanged were his sky
blue eyes that peered out curiously, looking at Luke and the others, seeing
their stunned expressions.
"Did you guys get smaller?" He asked,
non-chalantly. He heard the click of his beak, and crossed his eyes to look at
it. "Huh? Orange..." He raised his hands, looking at them, seeing the
taloned five fingers he knew were his own. "My hands..." He stared
off into space, both of his wings twitching. "My wings!" He looked
over his shoulders at both of the massive appendages growing from his back.
"I have my wings!" He was smiling gleefully, turning about to look
himself over. "I'm me again!"
"Arceus
Almighty..." Luke whispered, remembering back to the drawing Volcan made
of his true self back when they first met, but to see it for himself, it erased
any doubt that still lingered in his mind about Volcan's true form... a form
which was very imposing to the short-statured Lucario. "You're....HUGE!!"
"And
I..." Serena remarked, looking at her hands and feeling over her body;
both she and Volcan were clothed, unlike in their Pokémon forms; Volcan wore a
black tanktop and brown pants, but Serena was wearing a strange, sleeveless
black body suit that covered her whole figure from the neck down to her ankles;
it was form fitting, showing off the nearly-human shape underneath, but
sufficed for decency.
Volcan looked at Serena. "Hey! You're a hippocampus
again!" He exclaimed, and then looked at Dialga. "How... how did you
do that?"
"Do not celebrate," the deity stated, plainly.
"It is only temporary, but I have undone the transformation that occurred
upon your entry to this world. It shall only last while you are in here; when
you step out, you will revert back to the Pokémon forms you were in
before."
Volcan frowned at that. "Drat... still I suppose it's
enough to get to feel my real body again," he admitted, once more looking
himself over. "Geez, ain't it funny how it is, you never really appreciate
what you look like, until something comes along and transforms ya." He
chuckled at that.
Katsu approached Serena slowly, having to stand on his hind
legs once he got closer to her, and even then he was still shorter than her.
"This...is your true form...?" He asked softly.
Serena nodded to him.
"It is, Katsu," she replied. "This is what I really am..."
She frowned. "I... I hope this doesn't bother you."
He slowly reached up and placed his paw on her cheek, shaking
his head slowly. "Not in the least." He returned. "You're
beautiful...."
Volcan looked at Kage, gauging the Greninja's reaction to all
of this. Once again, he still had that deadpan, stoic look in his eyes, though
he did make a comment. "This is a surprise..." He stated. "Seems
you were telling the truth..."
Volcan scowled at the
Greninja. "I know you haven't known me long, but have I lied even once
since we met?" He asked defensively, but then relaxed. "No, wait...
that's unfair." He shook his head. "If you had shown up in my world
turned into something else and told me it wasn't your true form I probably
would be skeptical too... sorry." He looked at Luke. "Same to you,
buddy."
That voice... and that mild-mannered demeanour. His form had
changed, but it was still the same person they had met; this was definitely
Volcan standing before them, no longer a Pokémon, but something else entirely
-something that did not even exist on their world.
"I had my doubts, yes..." Kage confessed.
"But I never leave anything to chance."
Luke nodded softly. "It's alright. I'm just... still
blown away by how tall you are..." He returned. "And that muscle mass
too... you'd give a Machamp a run for its money."
"Not much taller
than I was as a Blaziken," Volcan pointed out. "But, yes... this is the
real me." He cleared his throat, and looked at Dialga, who had been
waiting rather patiently. "But, we still have business to attend to,"
he reminded the group.
"Right."
Luke nodded, and then he and his team turned to face Dialga. "I take it
you're aware of the crisis affecting this world?"
"Yes,"
he replied, tonelessly.
"We came here to ask if you knew what was
happening," Volcan began, stepping forward. As he did, though, Luke got a
glimpse at his back; he remembered Volcan mentioning that he had a scar on his
back, from when the entity called 'Calhoun' had torn his way out of Volcan's
body. Now, Luke could see that scar; it was gruesome to behold. The flesh was
twisted and warped, bald of any feathers and leaving a permanent deformity on
his body just beneath where his wings met his back. The scar honestly reminded
Luke of a dried up raisin, only pale instead of dark.
Luke grimaced at the sight of the scar, visibly shuddering
for a moment and having to look away. "How horrible..." he muttered
softly before he regained his composure.
"The Pokémon down below have told of cries of agony
resonating from here. Cries that sound like the Deity of Space is in
pain." Katsu called to Dialga. "Is there anyway we could help relieve
him of his suffering?"
"There
is not," Dialga replied without hesitation. "Currently, Palkia
battles with one who is attempting to open a hole to the Distortion World;
their battle rends the very fabric of space around Palkia's shrine, preventing
all approach; I too have attempted, just as Mewtwo did. But it is impossible to
reach Palkia, and even if you did, the one he battles is powerful beyond
belief; powerful enough to challenge even us."
Serena looked confused. "What's the Distortion World;
why would Kalo'Temir be heading there?"
Dialga looked at Serena. "Kalo'Temir?" He asked.
"He's the one that, I assume, Palkia is fighting
with," Volcan stated. "He's an Arch Demon; I've fought him once
before."
Dialga's gaze drifted away from the group, his eyes glowing
as if searching for something, but before long the glow faded and he lowered
his gaze. "Strange... I cannot see this creature on the currents of time
in this world."
"That... is probably because he's not meant to be
here," stated Volcan. "Kalo'Temir is from another Dimension -not the
same one as mine, but more like a neighboring realm to that. Well, nine realms
really... he's from a place known as the Realm of Destruction, which is also
where this corruption affecting Pokémon across your world is coming from."
Dialga eyed Volcan for a moment, considering him, before he
finally spoke again. "Your words ring true," he admitted, turning
from the group and stepping over to his shrine, his thunderous steps causing
the ground to quake with each footfall.
"How the hell did this guy sneak up on us before?"
Volcan muttered so only the others could hear him. "He's about as quiet as a
tractor."
Dialga stood by his altar, and as he stared at it, his eyes
glowed once more as he peered into the future a second time. He stood still and
silent for longer than before, giving the group a chance to speak again.
Luke looked to Volcan as Dialga looked into the future.
"I may not know of Kalo'Temir, but I think I have an theory as to why he's
trying to get into the distortion world."
"What's
that?" Volcan asked, looking at Luke. "Is there something there he'd
want?"
Luke
only spoke one word in response. "Giratina."
Volcan's
eyes widened in realization. "Wait... you mentioned him before," he
said, rubbing his chin in thought. "The... Deity of Anti-matter wasn't it?
But..." He jerked as if he'd been hit, eyes filled with horror as if
realization had struck him like a hammer to his head. "Son of a
bitch..."
Luke nodded.
"Giratina is the Diety of Antimatter, and lord of the distortion world. He
has the power to challenge Arceus himself, and in turn, defeat him."
"Then there's only one reason Kalo'Temir would be after
him," said Volcan. "To gain his powers."
"He
can steal other's powers?" Katsu asked, turning to Volcan.
"Yes.
That's why I had to fight him before," Volcan replied. "He abducted
me, taking me to his realm with the intent to consume me and gaining my fire
powers to amplify his own; he gains the abilities of others by consuming their
core essence, causing them to not only cease to exist but to permanently bond
with his own spirit; when that happens, that person is gone forever, even
removed from the cycle of Reincarnation, and every sort of power they had
-strength, speed, intellect and..." He held up his hand, which promptly
ignited, much like a Fire Punch. "Elemental, Mutation or
Superhumanoid-based powers like this; they all become his."
"And now he seeks
Giratina to further increase his powers..." Kage stated softly. "Truly
a fearsome beast..."
"Yes,"
replied Volcan. "If Giratina is as powerful as you say, it's no wonder
Kalo'Temir is after him; he probably has powers nobody else in my world or any
of the Demon Realms has, and Kalo'Temir wants that power himself."
"You are correct," Dialga spoke up suddenly, coming
out of his trance and turning back to the group. "The one called
'Kalo'Temir' seeks the power over Anti-Matter that only Giratina himself
possesses; I have attempted to peer into the future, but the darkness around
Kalo'Temir is thick, and I cannot pierce the veil to see whether or not he will
succeed. The future is currently imbalanced and uncertain on all the streams of
time."
Luke looked down toward the ground, flattening his ears
completely as a mixture of emotions poured over him.
Volcan
looked at Luke. "Hey... you okay?" He asked.
"I..." He looked up to Volcan for a moment. "In
all my years of living...never have I been faced with such a dilemma...this
makes the last threat I dealt with look like a cakewalk." He said before
he started to shudder. "I'm actually scared right now."
Volcan knelt down next to Luke, placing a hand on his
shoulder comfortingly. "I know, man... to be honest, so am I," he
admitted, and then looked at Dialga. "Were you able to see how Kalo'Temir
intends to capture Giratina?"
"I was not," the deity reluctantly admitted.
"I do know however, that these spacial anomalies caused by his conflict
with Palkia, are functioning like a vacuum, as if to draw something
through."
"Mewtwo mentioned that," said Serena. "When he
encountered that piece of Kalo'Temir's essence; he said it was like something
was trying to drag him into it, not pull itself through."
"So he's trying to open a portal to the Distortion World
in order to pull Giratina into his
world," stated Volcan. "That explains the anomalies on this world and ours."
"It does?" Serena asked.
"Kalo'Temir must be passing through our world and Luke's
simultaneously, reaching between spaces to try and get to Giratina's
realm," said Volcan. "Going through that many dimensions all at once
is bound to cause some chaos."
"As unlikely as that sounds," said Dialga, "I
believe you are correct. Palkia battles with Kalo'Temir to keep him out of the
Distortion World; I believe my nemesis has made himself a wall between the
demon and that realm, but it has thrown his powers into flux and conflict with
Kalo'Temir's own spacial abilities; a similar thing has occurred when his
powers clashed with my own in our last battle."
"Is there anything we can do, Lord of Time?" Katsu
asked, lowering his head to him.
"If there was someone who could sever Kalo'Temir's
current link to this world, the distortions would cease," replied Dialga.
"But the only one in this world with the power to do that... is Palkia
himself."
"Then you have to send Serena and I back to my
world," said Volcan. "One of the gods there might be able to sever
that link and stop the damage; if we can..."
Dialga opened his mouth to speak, but he suddenly tensed, his
metallic toes scraping the floor as he was hit by an unknown ailment that made
him growl; Volcan stepped back instinctively, wondering if maybe he'd
overstepped his bounds and angered the deity, but Dialga made no move to attack
or berate him for any such thing. He just stood, staring off as if looking at
something, and tensed as if in pain.
Luke,
Kage adn Katsu also backed up a little, though it was Katsu that broke the
silence. "Lord of TIme...?" He asked. "Is something the
matter?"
Dialga relaxed in a short moment, exhaling a calming breath
before regarding the ones before him again. "Do not concern yourself with
me... but there is more than just Space being mishapen here. The currents of
time between this world and your friend's world are beginning to merge... it
causes me discomfort when the streams are being pushed together."
"Wait, merging?" Volcan asked.
"The spacial damage is becoming so great it is drawing
your world to this one, and vice versa," explained Dialga. "The
dimensional barrier between our universes is collapsing; time on this world is
now very closely shared with time on yours."
Luke's
ears perked up, and then he looked to Volcan. "Wait, then...if they're
merging together..."
"Then the entire fabric of reality between our worlds
will converge too," Volcan stated. "Or, worst case scenario, our two planets
are going to collide... that will mean Armageddon." Volcan shook his head
briskly, stamping his foot. "This is
completely out of control; we have to stop Kalo'Temir; we need to get home and
cut him off somehow!"
"That cannot be done," Dialga stated. "I cannot
grant your request to send you home."
Volcan, now stressed to his limit, suddenly exploded with
rage; he sprang off of the floor with a single powerful kick off the ground,
flying up to look Dialga in the eye. "Are you kidding me?! You're a
deity; why you can't send us back?!"
Dialga's eyes glowed again, and suddenly Volcan was sent
right back to the floor, dropping straight down as if gravity increased, his
beak slamming shut. "Mmph!"
"My power is over Time, young one, not Space,"
replied Dialga. "I cannot pass between dimensions as my counterpart can;
the only other one with that power would be the Creator itself."
Volcan was free to speak and move again, sitting up with
irritation. "Dammit... so despite coming all this way we're STILL at a
dead end."
Luke rubbed the back of his head for a moment. "So now
what happens?" Luke muttered softly to himself.
Dialga was silent; even with extensive wisdom, he could not
give Luke an answer. But after a moment of uncomfortable quiet in the shrine,
Dialga's gaze shifted. This time, however, he didn't stare off randomly as if
peering into another world, he peered towards the door. "A dark presence
is forming outside," he stated, turning around and stepping towards the
door. "Something is coming."
Both Katsu and Kage turned and had their hands on their
respective weapons, ready to draw them. Luke also perked up and pulled Volcan
to his feet. "On your feet." He said before he looked toward the door
as well.
"Right... sorry," said Volcan, dusting himself off.
He looked at Luke sadly. "I'm sorry..." He repeated, but saying it
differently this time, as if feeling guilty.
"This isn't your fault..." Luke returned, glancing
over to him.
"Which part? The fact that our worlds might be about to be
destroyed by an enemy I wasn't able to defeat," Volcan iterated, berating
himself and everything that was happening. "Or because I dragged you hundreds
of miles from your family -your wife, your son, your brothers, all for
nothing?" He sulked, his arms hanging limp at his sides. "What the hell do we
do now?"
"We'll just have to find another way is all."
"But what other way is there?" Volcan asked,
helplessly. "If even Dialga can't help us get home, then Serena and I are
not only trapped here, we can't warn everyone on our world what's happening.
Who knows how many Pokémon have been sucked to my world or vice versa by
now?" He grabbed his head in frustration. "I've dealt with
world-ending situations before but this is just beyond insane!" He fumed, his voice escalating. "Why did
this world have to get dragged into this plot as well?! At least if it was just
mine we'd know who we were dealing with and be ready to stop it, but
here...!"
"Volcan!!"
Luke grabbed him by his waist and shook him a few times to get him to both shut
up and calm down. "Pull yourself together!" He practically commanded the
phoenix, the sheer tone of his voice silencing the frantic Volcan immediately,
before he returned to a softer tone. "We'll find a way... I haven't lost
hope yet and neither should you..."
Volcan immediately
calmed himself, looking down at Luke with a blank expression, before he took in
a deep breath to relieve his tension. "Sorry... I guess I lost my head
there for a second."
"Volcan!" Serena called from the door.
"There's another anomaly opening outside!"
Immediately, the avian snapped back into alertness, turning
towards the exit briefly to peer at the group who had already run there, before
he looked back at Luke again. "Okay; go crazy later, focus now," he
stated. "Sound like a plan?"
"Yes." Luke returned. "Stay on your toes
everyone!" he called out to his team, who nodded in agreement. By now,
both Katsu and Kage had their weapons drawn, ready for whatever might pop out
of that anomally
Dialga stood with them as they gathered near the door, both
Volcan and Serena stepping outside to see what was happening. Immediately after
walking through the door, in a flash of light they both reverted back to Pokémon
form; Serena stumbled as she suddenly became a quadruped again, dropping to all
fours and looking herself over. Volcan looked at his hands and frowned.
"Well... was good to feel my wings again at least," he remarked,
before staring ahead again as a swirling white light down the path began to
form, expanding rapidly over the ground.
Luke, Kage and Katsu were right behind them, each of them
shuffling closer until they saw it begin to expand forming a line between them
and Dialga's shrine -it was no doubt the power of the Time Lord that had
brought these new intruders here, seeking to consume his immeasurable power.
And then, the wormhole opened wider, and figures began to
appear in its light, charging out from the bright abyss and running towards the
shrine. These creatures were unlike anything Luke and his team had ever seen
before; they were each a little taller than Luke, maybe five and a half feet
tall, and with surprisingly scrawny figures, but each one carried a form of
bludgeoning weapon; maces, clubs, hammers, some even carried pickhammers, and
they ran with a furious zeal towards the shrine as if driven by ravenous hunger.
Their mouths, on heads shaped like that of a toad, was filled with sharp fangs
and a sickly green tongue. On the top of their heads, behind their eyes, two
long antennae grew, so long they actually arced behind the creatures and
trailed like ribbons as they ran for the shrine.
"What in the hell are
those things???" Luke demanded.
"Maulers,"
stated Volcan. "Footsoldiers from the Realm of Destruction; always travel
in groups of at least fifty, to as many as four hundred."
"They're drawn to sources of magic or power,"
stated Serena, looking back towards Dialga. "They must sense his power and
are coming for it."
Dialga scowled. "They can try," he stated before he
opened his great maw, a sphere of violet energy forming in front of his mouth,
and erupting as a beam, which he swept across the front row of Maulers, utterly
obliterating fifteen of the creatures in that one attack, but they tenaciously
kept charging, their eyes fixed hungrily on the group ahead.
"Spread out; don't let them surround us!" Volcan called.
"Use the shrine as a rear defense!"
Luke, Katsu and Kage all spread out, each of them taking on a
few Maulers at a time. Luke smacked down a few with his Extreme Speed coupled
with some Aura Spheres at farther enemies. Kage weaved around each Mauler in
range of his Shadow Sneak and beheaded them one after another with his Ninjato,
and Katsu impaled some on his shelmet with Megahorn, then hurled them to the
side and used Razor Shell on any that tried to surround him.
Volcan kicked down the first three that came at him one at a
time, before unleashing his Flamethrower in a sweeping motion, igniting six
more that rushed his way. Serena used her Water gun to stumble two of them,
before using an Aqua Jet attack to intercept one that was trying to slip past
Luke, kicking it in the head with both hind legs before she turned and launched
a different attack this time; she fired an Ice Beam, much to her own surprise
as well as the group's, and froze the Mauler solid.
"I can... use Ice?" She asked.
Katsu
glanced back to Serena and smiled. "Excellent!" He called as he
hacked another in two. "Some Water Types can use Ice attacks as
well." He said as he grunted, blocking a Mauler's weapon before shoulder
bashing him away.
A
Mauler running at Luke let out a shriek as it sprang towards him, gripping its
hammer with both hands before trying to bring it down on the Lucario. Luke
weaved to the side, letting it swish past him and slam into the ground. He then
grabbed at its collarbone and reared his paw back, slamming it into its chest
with a potent Force Palm. The attack sent the demon flying back toward the
other demons, as well as paralyze it, preventing it from moving any further.
Volcan took out several more of the demons, but saw they were
still pouring out of the portal; even as Dialga blasted them again, taking out
easily another thirty of them with another sweeping blast of a Hyper Beam,
their numbers seemed to get no thinner. The Blaziken scowled, and touched his
mega stone, immediately transforming to his mega-evolved state and glaring
angrily at the demons.
"Enough messing around; you bastards are going
DOWN!" He bellowed before going in with a Flame Charge, slamming his elbow
into the first Mauler that came in range, landing a Blaze Kick on the next and
Fire Punch on a third. With every passing moment, as Serena watched, she could
swear Volcan was actually getting... faster.
"How..." She wondered. "Volcan has never been
able to move like that before..."
"Flame Charge has an added effect." Kage said as he
sliced another Pokémon's head off. "It adds a small boost to a Pokémon's
speed the more they use it."
"Then
why is he still getting faster despite not using it again?" She asked.
It was rapidly becoming clear that Volcan was getting faster still; he had only
used Flame Charge once, but at this point he was almost as quick as Luke,
striking every single Mauler that came in reach; not one got past him except
for those that were far enough away he couldn't get them.
"...Of
course!" Luke muttered. "Speed Boost!" He called out. "A
Mega Blaziken's ability changes to Speed Boost, which slowly increases their
speed the longer they remain in the form!"
"So
Volcan's speed is just going to keep climbing?" Serena asked.
"Yes."
Luke returned. "It's only temporary though. Once a fight ends, his speed
will return to normal."
"If
it ever does end!" Volcan called, evidently able to hear them. "These
Maulers just won't stop coming!"
Dialga, growling with fury, suddenly reared up on his hind
legs, breathing in deeply before dropping back down and slamming both forelegs
down, directing a roar towards the Maulers. At first, it seemed like any other
roar -the result of frustration, or an attempt to scare away the Maulers. But
rather than continue or retreat, the Mauler's had all frozen, and right before
the eyes of the group, the whole lot of them seemed to age thousand of years in
less than a second, their entire bodies turning to dust and falling soundlessly
to the ground in heaps of powder...
When it was all over, Volcan stood dumbstruck, staring at the
pile of dust that was once the Mauler he had been about to kick. "Um...
okay that... was unexpected."
Katsu and Luke had to cover their ears during the attack,
which they knew it was Dialga's legendary Roar of Time, but Kage remained as
steadfast as always. "That was Dialga's Roar of Time." He stated to Volcan.
"As the God of Time, he can manipulate it into however he sees fit."
"Clearly,
considering he just sent these guys about forty thousand years into their
futures," remarked Volcan, rejoining the group.
Dialga, however, was looking over them, staring down the
short hill to the portal even as the wind carried away the remains of the
Maulers. "That portal is not closing..." he stated
"More
might be on their way..." Luke returned, expecting another wave of enemies
to come. "Stay on guard!"
But he couldn't have been more wrong...
Suddenly, the wind seemed to shift; not like just a trade of
direction, but something like the wind of a tornado was suddenly rushing around
them, kicking up dust that was immediately drawn towards the portal, catching
all of them off guard.
"Shit; changed polarity or something!" Volcan
remarked as he promptly got low, digging his hands into the ground and trying
to brace himself as the powerful vacuum pulled at the group, putting an arm
around Serena to keep her from being dragged off as well.
Dialga dug his feet into the ground, preventing his bulky
form from being dragged towards the rift either, defiantly growling as he
braced himself. "The conflict... is escalating!" Called the lord of
Time. "Palkia must be fighting Kalo'Temir directly now!"
"That can't be good!" Luke called back, crouching
low as well. "At this rate, he might even try to take Palkia's powers of
Space manipulation!"
Katsu started slowly skidding toward the rift, digging his
blades into the ground to try and anchor himself, but his blades were also
slowly skidding along the ground as well. "Damnit!!" He growled,
trying to back away from the rift as it pulled him toward it.
"Katsu!"
Serena called, immediately breaking out of Volcan's grasp to try and run to
help her beloved.
"No, Serena; you're too light! It'll pull you in!"
Volcan warned, but had to dig his hands in to keep himself from being dragged,
the ribbons of fire trailing from his arms actually being put out by the vacuum.
Kage quickly pulled out a Kusagari chain from his satchel and
hurled it at the Samurott. The weapon wrapped around his middle tightly, and
then Kage dug his ninjato into the ground and quickly tied the chain around the
pommel of his blade, trying to use it as an anchor. Luke caught onto what he
was doing and slowly crawled over to Kage, wrapping his arms around his middle
and anchoring him to the ground as well.
Serena grabbed hold of
the chain as well, pulling back on it and trying to pull Katsu back from the
suction of the rift, but just as Volcan had stated, she was suddenly pulled off
of her feet too, shrieking in surprise as she was pulled along the chain until
she hit Katsu's back; the chain still held on, but now it was only him that
kept her from being pulled in.
Volcan's feet were suddenly pulled out from under him, waving
through the air as he struggled to bring them back down, during which his
mega-stone carrying shoulder strap was yoinked off of him. "Hey!" He
called, watching it fly towards the portal only to be caught on a tree branch.
"So much for a souvenir," he grumbled as he reverted back to his
regular Blaziken form. "I hate to sound like Pavan again but, this sucks on so many levels!!"
"Damnit!"
Luke growled, feeling both his and Kage's feel scraping along the ground as
well. "NOT a good time for puns Volcan!!"
Suddenly, Volcan's hand slipped, and he was held down by only
one, which was losing its grip too as his legs flailed in the air. "You're
right!" He called as he suddenly popped free; he grabbed at the ground
again as he tried to anchor himself again but he was yoinked faster than he
could. "Now's the time to say FUUUUUUUCK!!!" He screamed as he went
spiralling towards the portal, flapping his arms and legs wildly!
"Volcan!!!"
Luke called to him, but at that moment he too lost his footing, as well as
Kage, which then led to everyone else quickly getting pulled into the portal as
well.
Serena held onto Katsu tightly as they were suddenly carried
towards the portal, not knowing where it would take them, but praying they
would not lose each other when they appeared on the other side. Dialga could
only watch as the five of them were carried off to world's unknown, struggling
not to be pulled in as well, but noticing the vacuum was starting to lessen as
they passed into the white beyond. In a moment, it finally ceased, and the
world became still again.
Dialga shook his head to clear it, before peering back to
where the portal was before, but it was gone now, with no sign of the heroes,
except for Volcan's shoulder strap still hanging from the tree where it had
been before...
~~~~~
The next thing Luke knew, he was waking up and groaning in a
groggy manner. Slowly he sat up and shook his head, squinting as his eyes
adjusted to the overhead sunlight. "Guh... That's bright," he
groaned, and then he started looking around, wondering if everyone else was
alright.
He didn't see anyone nearby. He'd landed on what appeared to
be some kind of slope, with a forest visible below, and off in the distance...
the sea? "Damn..." He muttered, slowly getting to his feet and
cracking his neck a little before he turned about to get his bearings.
He was in a forest, leaving him unable to see much, but what
did catch his eye was a large mountain jutting up in the distance. However it
was far too wide and short to be the one they had been on only what felt like
moments before. "Yup...definitely not at Spear Pillar..." He
muttered, and then he closed his eyes and quickly tuned to his Aura Sense to
try and locate his friends.
Below, he could see Aura signatures in the trees; spread out,
but pure, and living; whoever was down there, they were alive. Luke trotted
toward the signals, hoping it was the signals of his friends. He kept his sense
tuned on, heading for the closest one to him once he was within the trees. When
he got there, he got quite a surprise; he found Volcan, but not as he knew him.
His friend had once again reverted back to his true form; he was a winged humanoid
again, clothes back and everything, and laying sprawled out on the ground
strewn with dead leaves and sticks, not yet conscious.
Luke breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank Arceus he's
ok..." He muttered, then he trotted over and gently slapped his cheek.
"Volcan. Volcan wake up."
Luke froze... and found that he was using a hand that was not
his own... it still had the steel spike on the back, and black colouring that
was normal to his kind; even still had the pink-ish padding in the middle of
his palm, though not as dense as it normally was. But he had fingers -not paws
anymore, he had a HAND, an actual five-fingered hand!
"What the??" Luke exclaimed in surprise, quickly
standing straight again. He looked at the hand for a moment, and then he
glanced over to his other arm and noticed it too was a hand. he looked down at
himself and noticed his entire body had changed. "...This....what the hell
happened to me....??"
He had become... what had Volcan called it? It appeared
somehow he'd taken on the same kind of humanoid shape as Volcan; he had a very human
physique to him, with the same kind of musculature and body structure, except
for his feet; they had largely remained unchanged, except they seemed... bigger
somehow. He still had his tail, and the chest spike, but he had pectorals and
abdominal muscles, visible ones -the kind that appeared on a professional
athlete. But aside from his hands and this new musculature, he hadn't actually
changed that much; he was still a Lucario.
"I'll have to worry about it later...priorities,
Luke..." He muttered to himself before he knelt back down to Volcan.
"Dammit c'mon, Wake up!" He yelled at him, slapping him again.
Volcan's arm suddenly came up and swatted Luke's hand away.
"Ugh... not so loud, man; my head is going to pop," the avian
returned, sitting up and rubbing his skull. "I hope I didn't fall out of
the sky again..." He opened his eyes and looked at Luke, only for his
expression to go flat, and he just stared. "Uh... Luke?" He asked.
"I know, it
caught me by surprise too." Luke returned. "Seems I've somehow become
one of those....anthro... po...morphics?" He asked.
Volcan nodded. "Right on the money," he said,
looking Luke over. "Actually, yanno... aside from the fact you're taller,
there's not that big a difference. It's actually a good look for ya."
Luke glanced to the side and blushed a little. "Perhaps,
but let's not get sidetracked." Luke stated. "I picked up on other
signals not too far from here. I'm hoping it's the others."
Volcan nodded. "Right," he agreed. "We should
also try to find out where we are; this place looks familiar somehow, so I'm
guessing we're now on my world, but I can't recall where."
Luke nodded, gently helping him onto his feet. "Let's
hurry. I sensed a signal this way." He said, pointing to his left, then
trotted off toward said location.
"Right with you," replied Volcan, following closely
behind Luke. It still was a little startling to Volcan that Luke had changed to
an anthro... but maybe it was the same reason Volcan had become a Blaziken in
Luke's world. But if that were the case, wouldn't Luke had become an ordinary
Jackal? 'Different universe, different
laws of physics, but strangers in a strange land... I guess the effects vary,'
the phoenix thought.
They travelled for a bit until they found what looked like
Kage slowly rising to his feet. He grunted and shook his head a little, then
looked around until he caught sight of Volcan and Luke approaching him. "Kage!"
Luke called. "You alright?"
"More or less..." He said as he shrugged his
shoulders a little.
"Looks like Luke's not the only one who got an extreme
makeover," Volcan remarked, noticing Kage had become an anthro too; he was
still skinny, but not to the same degree as his previous form, and his tongue
was still worn around his neck like a scarf. 'If that doesn't draw attention I don't know what will,' thought the phoenix. Like Luke
though, Kage had only changed enough that he was now an anthro, but besides
that he still looked like a Pokémon.
Kage looked at himself for a moment, and then
narrowed his eyes curiosly. "Interesting," He muttered, then he
looked back at Luke and Volcan. "What of Katsumoto and Serena.?"
"They must be the other signatures Luke detected,"
said Volcan. "Which way?"
"This
way." Luke said, now pointing to his right. He then took off in a trot
toward the signals. "They were close together, so it has to be them."
The three of them strode over to where the last two signals
had been, and found Serena, back in Hippocampus form, and Katsu, now also in an
anthro form, still holding onto each other, despite not being conscious. Katsu
had changed the most of the three Pokémon; his body was not only muscular, but
his legs had taken on a new shape; they were now a more bipedal design to them,
ending with larger feet than he'd normally have. His seamitars lay at opposite
ends of the clearing, waiting to be retrieved, but his shelmet had managed to
stay on, albeit a little loosely.
"Well, at least they didn't appear far apart... or, any
of us for that matter," said Volcan.
"Lucky us..." Luke returned. "C'mon let's try
and wake them up." He said as he approached the two of them and knelt down
next to them.
"Hey, Serena?" Volcan called, kneeling down by the
hippocampus and shaking her. "Come on, girl; no time for a nap."
She stirred, and let out a groan as she reached up with a
hand and held her head. "Where... where are we?" She asked, and then
opened one eye to look at her hand, that eye widening with recognition.
"I'm...!"
"Yeah, Serena... I think we're home," said Volcan.
Katsu soon stirred as well, groaning lowly and slowly opening
his eyes. "Home...?" He asked as he shook himself awake.
"Katsu!"
Serena went back to his side without hesitation, checking him, and when his
eyes opened, their gazes met once more, and the Samurott immediately saw she
was back to her true self once more.
He slowly allowed himself a smile. "Serena... I'm glad
you're alright." He said softly, and then it dawned on him when he noticed
she was back to normal, before he looked down at himself and noticed he too had
changed. He was much more muscular, so much so that his kimono was feeling
rather tight against his form, he had 5 digits on his paw as opposed to three,
and he was much taller as well. "Quite a change..."
"You're not the only one," remarked Volcan,
gesturing to Luke and Kage as well.
He
looked at the both of them and was in a state of shock for a moment. "My
goodness..." He whispered, sitting up and rubbing his eyes a little.
"Is this...?" he looked to Serena. "Are we in your realm?"
She
nodded at him. "It's looking that way," she replied. "But where
are we?" "That's what
I want to know," replied Volcan, looking around. "This place looks so
familiar but I just can't place it..." He looked at Luke. "All of you,
find somewhere to hunker down for a bit; I'm going to go have a look around.
Maybe see if I can find a phone or a radio; if I can get in touch with... well,
someone anyway."
Luke nodded before he looked around, noticing a shady spot
near a bush and headed on over there. "This place should be a good
spot." He said, gesturing the others to follow.
"Alright; you
guys wait here and stay together," said Volcan, spreading his wings.
"I'll be back soon." He crouched low, and with a mighty leap, he
launched himself into the air; his takeoff was a little awkward at first, after
getting used to being deprived of flying for a while, but he managed to right
him, and flew off towards the great mountain in the center of the island.
Serena looked back at Katsu, and found herself looking him
over for a moment, particularly his new body. Clearly, his new body interested
her, further evidenced by how she blushed as she saw his well-built muscles
around his chest, unable to speak.
Katsu looked back over to her and noticed her eying him up
and down, making him blush a little. "You...like what you see...?" He
asked softly.
"Y-yes..." she replied. "I liked your old body
too -especially while I was... well, was a Pokémon as well, but this..."
She blushed further. "It suits you."
"Thank you..." He returned, slowly reaching to hold
her hand in his. "I believe I mentioned how beautiful you were when I
first gazed upon your true self..."
"You really think
so?" She asked, looking at him.
"I do..." He returned, gripping her hand tighter.
She smiled wider, her blush not becoming any lighter, but she
scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "When we get back
home... I look forward to showing you my world," she said.
"I look forward to seeing it as well, with you at my side."
He returned, slowly planting a kiss on her cheek before wrapping his arm around
her slowly in a warm embrace.