FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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Some time later, the pair decided to make their way out of the cave. Fortunately for Kyo, his arms, legs, hands and feet hadn't changed in the way they were structured, so he didn't have much trouble with walking or grasping things. So after collecting his things from the ground and stuffing them in his bag, they made their way back up to the surface.

_Oh Kyo..._Totodile thought to himself, silently listening to the sound of their footsteps, _I just hope...that you'll be okay... _He hugged Kyo's tail tighter, not knowing whether or not he could feel it.

Due to the fact that his tail was still numb, it only hung from his body limply, dragging along the floor of the cave. Since it was still dark and the poke-gear was still out of power, they had decided to let Totodile hold onto it so that they didn't get separated. They would have listened to each other's voices if not for the fact that they didn't know what to say at this point, leaving each other to their thoughts.

The thing was, Kyo didn't have any thoughts to think about in the first place. He was still trying to process everything that had happened. He was still having trouble believing what had happened in the first place, even as he felt his scaled feet pad across the cold stone floor, and his scaled fingers trail along the railing of the walls. His mind was as numb as his tail, just dragging along with him, unable to do anything.

"...Hey...Totodile," Kyo began. Totodile turned to him, even though he couldn't see him. "...thanks..." He remained silent for a moment.

"...F-for what?" Totodile asked hesitantly. Kyo waited a moment before speaking up again.

"For sticking around with me," he continued, "after all this time... Even now... Even after what happened for me... Even though...even though I'm a terrible trai-"

"Kyo please stop," Totodile cut him off, stopping in his tracks, making Kyo stop as well. "Kyo...don't you...DARE...think that any of this is your fault. It's not." Totodile choked, feeling a lump form in his throat again. Shakily, he spoke up again. "And don't you...EVER...think that I would abandon you. Cuz whether you like it or not, we're partners to the end. O-okay?" He sniffled. "That was decided the second we laid eyes on each other. That was decided...th-the second you turned to the professor, and said, 'I choose Totodile.' THAT, was decided, when you took me home for the first time, and introduced me to your parents! THAT WAS DECIDED...when...when...wh-when..."

He hugged Kyo's tail tighter, shuddering, finally breaking down and letting his tears flood his eyes once again. "K-k...KYOHOHO!" He began to bawl, hugging Kyo's tail as tight as he could. Kyo felt him pull at his tail, refusing to let go. "KYOOO!" he wailed, "PLEASE NEVER LEAVE MEEEHEEE!" He breathed in shakily. "PLEAHEESE! OHOHOho..." For a long moment, Kyo remained silent, listening to the sound of his partner and dear friend bawl and tremble with each breath. Dang it, _Totodile thought to himself, _I shouldn't be crying. Not now. Not while Kyo is the one hurting. _Desperately, he tried to cease his crying, only to find himself unable to stop the flood of emotions he had unleashed. It seemed that the harder he tried, the more difficult it became to stop. _DANG IT! STOP CRYING DARN YOU!

Suddenly, Totodile felt warmth. He felt the arms of his trainer embrace him in a tight hug. He felt his scaled hands affectionately rub at his sides. He felt his chin rest atop his own head, further enveloping him in his warmth. They were embracing him the same way they had done when Kyo had first woken up in his new form. This time, it was Totodile's turn to be comforted.

Slowly, but surely, Totodile ceased his sobs, containing himself to the occasional sniffle. He cuddled Kyo's tail closer to his face, treating it as though it were a stuffed toy. "P...please Kyo..." Totodile said quietly, "...please...I-"

"Shhhhh," Kyo hushed gently, "...I know..." He pulled the smaller crocodile in closer, feeling a bit of pressure from his tail being squeezed between them. He rubbed his partner's sides as he spoke. "I promise, I'll never leave your side... Not as long as I'm your trainer." He heard Totodile sniffle. He chuckled lightly, and rubbed his chin against his smaller head, which felt oddly natural to do to Kyo's surprise. "I'm sorry I made you cry Totes...I'll make it up to you...I promise..." They both remained the way they were for a while, strangely comforting silence filling the area.

"...Thank you Kyo..." Totodile said, breaking the silence, "...thank you so much..." He leaned into his trainer more, silently listening to the sound of his heartbeat, slow and strong.

"You're welcome Totodile..." Kyo closed his eyes, "and...I know I don't say this much...but...I love you Totes." Totodile sniffled.

"I love you too...Kyo," Totodile replied. Abruptly, he let go of Kyo's tail and wiped his eyes, maneuvering out of their embrace. "N-now come on," he began, grabbing Kyo's tail again, "w-were almost at the end, n-no time to lose." Kyo smiled warmly, allowing his small blue friend to tug him along, leading the way.

Thank you Totodile, _Kyo thought to himself. O_ne of these days I'll make it up to you, I promise.

_ _

Sure enough, the exit was not far. Out in the distance, they could see light, about a few meters away. The pair began to walk a bit faster, eager to leave the dark confides of the cave and see the surface once more. As they became closer and closer, the silence that had surrounded them was soon replaced by the sounds of nature, the outside world opening up to them once again.

"Come on!" Totodile exclaimed, breaking into a run, with Kyo following closely behind. Out of the excitement, Totodile let go of Kyo's tail. Kyo didn't mind, as he was just as excited as Totodile was. Soon, meters became feet, and feet became inches. Smiling widely, Totodile jumped into the air, closing the distance between the exit and him, and sending him flying out of the cave, landing and rolling a couple of feet, leaving him in a giggling mess. "Hahahaha," Totodile laughed as he got to his feet, "we made it! Wasn't too bad. Don't you think...so...Kyo?" He looked around. Kyo wasn't by his side.

"I-I'm over here Totes," Kyo called out. Totodile turned, and saw that Kyo was still at the mouth of the cave, crouched down and at the side, tail curled around his lap.

_Huh, _Totodile thought to himself, tilting his head, _looks like he learned how to move that now. But why's he still there? He wants to get out too, doesn't he? _Curious, he walked over to his trainer.

"Kyo?" Totodile asked, "what's wrong? Don't you wanna get out of there?"

"I-I do," Kyo replied, "i-it's just that I...I just can't." Totodile tilted his head in confusion.

"Why not?" he asked, stepping closer to his trainer. "Is something wrong?" Kyo shifted uncomfortably.

"B...because," he replied simply, leaving Totodile further confused.

"Come on Kyo," the smaller croc began, "there's nothing to be afraid of."

"I know there isn't, but..." Kyo turned away, blushing. Totodile blinked.

_What's he so worried about? _he thought to himself, _I mean, I get that he's shaken up about what happened to him, but it doesn't seem like that's what's bothering him... _He took another look at his trainer, trying to see what was bothering him so much.

He certainly wasn't human anymore. From the look of things, he appeared to be a more humanized version of a Feraligatr, blue scales and everything. His muzzle was slimmer than a normal Feraligatr's would be, and he lacked the hunchback they usually had as well. His tail was also slimmer, though it seemed to widen near the base, and was actually slightly longer than normal length. His feet, while slightly larger now, hadn't changed much, only adding short, stubby claws at the end of each toe. The same went for his hands, also bearing short claws. Interestingly enough, Totodile noticed, that instead of having brownish-yellow eyes like all other Feraligatrs, Kyo's eyes still retained their original sea green color.

Aside from that, nothing seemed wrong with him. Totodile thought for a moment. "Are you...scared of other trainers seeing you like this?" he asked.

"Yes," Kyo replied, "well, s-sort of, I mean, that's part of the reason but, n-not entirely, I mean I _am _worried about that, but I'm also worried that, I mean it's just that..." He turned away again, face reddening further.

"...It's just that..." Totodile echoed, urging him to continue. Kyo turned to him, tightening his tail around himself.

"I...I'm naked," he answered awkwardly. Totodile blinked.

"...Ooooooooooooohhhhhh... So that's why you're...and the tail is...o-okay I got it." Totodile had forgotten that, back in the chaos of the crystal, Kyo had ripped off all of his clothes. He had even gotten rid of his shoes and cap, not that he could use any of them anymore. Totodile tilted his head. "But, does it really matter? I mean, there's nothing to see right?"

"H-HEY!" Kyo shouted angrily.

"N-no-no-no. I-I didn't mean it like that!" Totodile replied hastily, waving his hands. "I mean, your...stuff should be hidden now, right? Just look at_ me_." Totodile gestured to himself, his member completely hidden due to his vent. "Isn't it the same way for you?" Kyo turned away again.

"N.....no..." Kyo blushed hard, "i-it's still...out..."

"...Oh..." Totodile said simply, unable to come up with a better response. He placed a hand on his chin, thinking for a moment. "Wait, I know!" Kyo turned to his partner. "Don't you have some spare clothes in your bag?"

"That's right!" he replied enthusiastically, "I forgot I brought them!" Wasting no time, he opened up his bag, and fished out a pair of shorts. Keeping his tail looped around his groin area, Kyo stood up. Totodile's eyes widened a bit, seeing that not only had his trainer gained a bit of height, but he had also gained a good amount of muscle as well, though more lean than bulky. "W...what?" Kyo asked upon noticing him.

"Oh, uhhh, n-nothing," he replied, quickly turning away for a bit.

Deciding not to question further, Kyo bent over and put his foot through one side of the shorts, and slid it up his leg. Stopping at about knee's height, he raised his other foot to put on the other half. Once it was through, he straightened himself and slid his shorts up, only for the band to get stuck between his cheeks and his tail base. Kyo sighed in irritation.

"What's wrong?" Totodile asked, turning back to his trainer.

"This isn't gonna work," Kyo answered, "my shorts just get caught between my tail and my...rear..." Totodile chuckled.

"Okay, well, how is this a problem?" he asked curiously. "All of your privates are covered, aren't they?"

"Well, yeah," Kyo replied, "but...the thing is...it just feels so low. I feel like I'm showing off my rear from how low it is. That...and...I feel like my butt-hole is exposed..." Totodile snickered.

"Well then," Totodile began, "how 'bout you just put your tail through one of the...uhh...leg holes? 'Least I think that's what it's called."

"It's worth a shot I guess," Kyo replied, shrugging. Looking down at his waist, he pulled at the waistband of his shorts, making an opening for him to fit his tail through. Awkwardly, due to the numbness that still lingered, he lifted his tail to his hand and guided it though the opening. Facing a bit of difficulty with his strange fin-like protrusion at the end of his tail at first, Kyo was eventually able to slip his tail through. Well, halfway at least. Kyo sighed.

"What's wrong now?" Totodile asked upon hearing his trainer sigh again.

"Well it _almost _worked," Kyo explained, removing his tail from his shorts, "but my tail can't fit all the way..." Totodile frowned.

"...Huh..." he said, putting his hand to his chin once more, "so there goes _that _idea...hmmm." He began to tap his tail rhythmically on the dirt ground, thinking for a moment. "Oh! I got it!" he said suddenly. "Take off your shorts for a second?"

Kyo's face reddened so much that it seemed for a moment it were his normal scale color. "W-w...why?" he asked, curling his tail around his waist again.

"I think I've got an idea, but I need your shorts," Totodile said, holding out his hands. Kyo hesitated for a moment before complying, realizing that there was no reason to not trust his partner. Keeping his tail wrapped around his lower area, he carefully slid his shorts back down to his ankles, stepping out of them and handing them to the smaller croc. Taking them, Totodile spread them out in front of him, examining them a bit.

He lowered them so that he could see Kyo again. "This is the front part, right?" Kyo simply nodded, curious as to what Totodile had in mind. Nodding in satisfaction, Totodile gingerly placed the pair of shorts on the ground, waking around so that he didn't step on them, and grabbed the elastic band. He stabilized it with his left hand so that it wouldn't budge, and leaned over a bit, getting to work. Kyo watched patiently as the smaller water type fiddled with the cloth. "Almost...there! All done." He held them up to reveal his work. With his claw, he had cut open a hole just below the waistband for his tail to fit through. Kyo smiled.

_Leave it to Totes to come up with the ideas, _he thought to himself, _what would I do without him? _Nodding in thanks, Kyo took back the pair of shorts as they were handed back to him. Slipping them on, Kyo found that they were actually quite comfortable now. His tail was no longer cutting off blood circulation to his leg (though the hole that had been made felt relatively small around his tail and pinched him slightly), and he didn't feel like he was sagging anymore.

"Nice work Totodile," Kyo praised, "this feels a lot more comfortable now thanks to you." Totodile smiled proudly; happy to have pleased his trainer.

"I-it was nothing really," he said, scratching the back of his head. "So...are you gonna put on a new shirt? Or do you not have an extra?" Kyo took another look inside his bag, and he indeed had an extra. He pulled it out, slipping the strap of the bag off of his shoulder and letting it fall to the floor with a muffled thud. He stared at the piece of cloth for a moment, contemplating. "Well go on then," said Totodile. "What, do I need to cut a new hole in that too?"

Kyo chuckled. "No, that won't be necessary." He sighed, picking up his bag and stuffing the shirt back inside. Totodile looked up at him, confused. "To be honest, I don't really feel like wearing a shirt. I mean, I'm definitely wearing the shorts, as I don't fancy running around in the nude. I can't really explain it...but for some reason, a shirt just feels...excessive."

Totodile shrugged. "Maybe it's cause you're still getting used to your scales?"

"Yeah..." Kyo's eyes trailed down to the floor, remaining silent for a moment. Totodile bit his lip.

_Shoot, _he thought to himself, _maybe it was a bad idea pointing that out... _He looked up at Kyo worriedly. Totodile mentally kicked himself for being so thoughtless. "Hey...Kyo?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you...alright?"

Kyo let out a sigh. "Yeah I'm alright," he said, "I've gotten over my initial shock, at least for now. My mind's just sort of...numbing my feelings at the moment." He looked off to the side, looking at the path ahead. "It's just...it's weird feeling, knowing that I'm...not what I used to be." He looked down at his hand, now able to see it more clearly in the sunlight. "But at the same time, I'm also kinda fascinated by this change." He turned it here and there, flexing his claws. "I know that I've changed, yet I don't feel that much different. And the parts that have changed don't feel entirely unnatural. It's...almost as though...I've just...grown."

Totodile smirked. "Or you've evolved." Kyo couldn't help but laugh at his partner's joke, and Totodile joined him soon after. They sighed happily. "Either way, I'd say you're taking it fairly well. I mean, you handled your tail like you had the thing for weeks!"

Kyo glanced at his tail, gently swishing it. "Yeah, but I think that's just cuz of my brain numbness. I'd probably be freaking out if it weren't for that..." He chuckled nervously, turning back to his friend. "But yeah; it does seem like I've got the hang of it."

Totodile smiled. "Come on, let's get going. We've got a place to get to after all." Kyo smiled back and nodded. Hesitating only briefly, he stepped out from the mouth of the cave and walked alongside his partner, letting him hold onto his tail once again.

"Let's...stay on the path this time huh?" said Totodile with a smirk. Kyo laughed.

"Sure thing, just lead the way," said Kyo, letting him take the lead.

***

Soon enough, the two of them made it to their destination; Cherrygrove City. It was a fairly small city, with only a few houses here and there, a Pokemon Center, and a poke-mart set up next to it. Looking past the buildings, a small shore could be seen, with the waves gently crashing along the shore line. Off to the sides, some colorful flowers were planted, safely guarded by white picket fences to prevent wild intruders from entering the garden.

It was several hours past noon time, as far as the pair could tell. The sun had begun to set, and the few people that lived in the small town were already inside of their homes. The air was filled with the sounds of crickets chirping, having decided to begin their symphony. That, and the added sounds of the shore, gave the area a very peaceful vibe to the pair.

"Well," said Totodile, "we made it, though I can't really remember why we came here in the first place..." He turned to his trainer, seeing that he was looking around nervously, as though expecting something to jump out and scare him. "You alright Kyo?"

Kyo turned to his partner. "Sorry, guess I'm...just worried about someone seeing me." Totodile smiled.

"So then why did you want to come here? You _do _remember that _people _live in towns, right?" Kyo chuffed and rolled his eyes, smiling.

"_Yes _I know that," he replied, "but how else are we gonna get you fixed up?" Totodile blinked; he had forgotten all about the small bandages that were distributed across his arms and back. He smiled at his trainer. It was just like Kyo to put others into consideration before him.

"Looks like you're in luck then," Totodile began, "cuz it seems like everyone's turned in for the night." Kyo looked around again.

"Yeah, but the Pokemon Center is gonna be a different story," he pointed out. "I get that there've been wild cases before, but I'm not sure if what happened to me counts as one of them..."

Totodile shrugged. "I guess there's only one way to find out." He stopped himself. "I mean...if you want to...cuz it's perfectly cool if you don't want to... I-I'm not _that _badly injured." Kyo smiled, and kneeled down to his level, patting his head.

"Don't be silly," he said. "We're definitely going. Besides, what's one nurse gonna do?" Nodding to each other, they made their way to the entrance of the large orange building known as the Pokemon Center.

The clear glass doors slid open with a hiss as they entered. In the middle of the building was a counter, with a young, pink haired nurse seated behind it, silently working on a computer set up next to her. She raised her head, hearing the doors slide open. She turned to greet her new visitors. "Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Cen-OH GOODNESS!" She practically fell out of her seat upon seeing Kyo. She hid behind the counter, which didn't surprise him very much.

"Uh...um...N-Nurse Joy?" Kyo began, curling his tail around his legs uncomfortably, "can...can you please come out? I...I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise." Hesitantly, the nurse slowly peeked over the counter top, making the top of her head and her eyes being the only things visible to the pair.

"...H-how can I...help you...s-sir?" the nurse asked nervously, still hiding behind the counter. Kyo scratched the back of his head.

"...W-well..." said Kyo, "...i-if it's not too much of a bother...I'd like to have my pokemon restored." He briefly gestured to Totodile, who waved at the nurse.

"...R-right...o-of course," she stammered, scrambling back up to her feet. Kyo nodded in thanks, and pulled out his partner's pokeball. Totodile grimaced at the sight of it.

"Sorry," Kyo said apologetically, "it'll only be for a little bit, I promise." Begrudgingly, the smaller croc nodded obediently. Kyo knelt down to his height, and gently pressed the button on the pokeball to Totodile's forehead, converting him into red energy as he was sucked into the ball. With that done, Kyo got back up to his feet and turned to face Nurse Joy, who immediately looked away as they made eye contact.

"U-Uhm, y-you're pokeball sir?" she said nervously, her hand trembling as she held it out to him. Kyo nodded, and slowly approached the counter, holding out the pokeball with his hand.

Nurse Joy flinched, retracting her hand as he neared. "S...sorry," she apologized, "here, I'll...take that for you." Hesitantly, she plucked the pokeball from his hands, and walked over to a nearby machine. She flipped a switch on the side of it, a low hum escaping from the machine as it was switched on. "You'll...have to wait a few minutes for this thing to warm up," she said to Kyo, her back still turned to him.

"That's fine..." he replied, looking to the side awkwardly. For a moment, the only sound made in the room was the low hum of the machine. They didn't speak to each other for a while, the awkwardness of the situation growing more apparent with each passing moment.

"Hey...sir..." the nurse asked, breaking the silence, "may I...ask you a question?"

"Um...sure," Kyo replied uneasily. He heard her breathe in deeply, letting it out slowly.

"Are you...a trainer?" Kyo looked to the side, pondering the question.

"Well," he began, "I _was _a trainer...but...I guess I can't really call myself that anymore..."

Gathering her courage, Nurse Joy turned to face him. Kyo blinked, surprised at her action, though her eyes still looked to the side. "May I...see your trainer card?"

Kyo looked to the side as well. "I...I guess...but I don't know what good it'll do me now..." He opened his bag and fished out his trainer card, gently placing it on the counter top.

The nurse hesitated for a bit before using her index finger to slide it closer to her. She picked it up, raising it closer to her face. "Kyo Sakamoto...that's you're name right?" she asked, looking up from the card. Kyo chuckled a bit.

"Yes it is," he replied, "why, is there another name there?" Nurse Joy blushed.

"N-no, i-it's just...it's a very nice name," she said, smiling, "rolls off the tongue." She looked back down at the card. "So...this was you? You know, before you...changed?" Kyo sighed, nodding in response. "I see..." She placed the card back onto the counter top, sliding it back to him. "Well, if it means anything, you were certainly a handsome young man."

Kyo chuckled, picking his card up from the counter. "Heh, thanks. I guess I was wasn't I?" Nurse Joy bit her lip, thinking she might have chosen her words poorly.

"I-I mean, not to say that you aren't handsome now," she stammered, "I-I mean I wouldn't know but I'm sure-I mean-maybe you'd be handsome...to-a uh-w-what I'm saying is-" She stopped, feeling a scaled hand gently grasp hers. She looked up, seeing the Feraligatr-morph smile at her, giving her a comforting look.

"It's alright," he said, "I get what you're trying to say. Thank you." Nurse Joy blushed, quickly looking away and nodding. Kyo let go of her hand, letting his arm fall to his side. Once again, the sounds of the machine were the only ones between them. She sighed, tapping her foot nervously.

_What's taking it so long? _she thought to herself, _just finish warming up already. _She cleared her throat. "So...what...happened to you?" She turned to him again, seeing his cheery mood fade.

"Honestly," he began, looking off into the distance, "I'm not really sure myself..." He closed his eyes, the memories of the cave returning to him. "I remember...finding this...weird...glowing gem." He hugged his tail tightly around his legs. "I took hold of it...then I felt...like my body was on fire." He shifted uncomfortably, remembering the burning sensation that had scorched him so. "I blacked out, and when I woke up...well...I think you can guess what happened next..." Kyo remained silent, and Nurse Joy dared not to speak.

"I don't even..." he choked, continuing, "I don't even know...what I am anymore..." He looked down at his hand, his scaled, clawed hand. "I can't really call myself a pokemon, and I _certainly _can't call myself human...so...what am I?" Silence hovered over them once more.

"A Pokemorph," Nurse Joy said, breaking the silence. Kyo turned to face her.

"...E-excuse me?" he said, confused.

"You're a pokemorph," she said, "at least...I think that's what the term was." She put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "As a nurse, I've been informed of the existence of pokemorphs, that is, pokemon more human-like in appearance compared to normal pokemon, but..." she looked off to the side, "I've never met one before up until now. On top of that, no one ever told me a _human _could turn into one."

Kyo took a minute to process what she had said. Human-like pokemon? Could that be possible? Kyo mentally smacked himself. _Of course it is, stupid. _You're _proof. _He turned back to Nurse Joy. "So...what exactly _have _you been told?" She took a moment to think before replying.

"Well, from what I've heard, a group of rogue scientists found a way to make pokemon more human-like, changing them into pokemorphs." She looked up at the ceiling, recollecting her thoughts. "If I'm remembering correctly, I was told that they used some sort of artificial gem they created to make pokemon into pokemorphs."

Kyo's heart skipped a beat. Artificial gem? _he thought to himself, _was that what me and Totes came across down there? An artificial gem? He tried to think of any other possibility. It was a pointless really; he didn't know of any other kind of gem other than evolution stones that could provoke such a drastic change. But then, a thought popped up in his head; why had _he _been the one to change, and not Totodile?

"Unfortunately," Nurse Joy continued, "I've never heard of gems meant for changing humans, so I'm not sure if what you came across was the same type of gem they produced..." She gave him an apologetic look, and Kyo simply shrugged it off.

_I guess that's a good enough answer for now, it's not like there's anything else to go off of. _Kyo looked up at the ceiling. _Either A: you're not supposed to touch the damn thing, or B: some are meant for humans, and I just _happened _to come across that particular one. _He sighed, and turned back to the nurse. "So," he began, "do you think you know _why _these rogue scientists decided to do this then?"

She blushed hard. "W...well," she began, "f...from what I've been told, it seems that...they were meant to be...slaves..." Kyo raised an eye ridge.

"Slaves?" he asked, "you mean like...labor slaves?" Nurse Joy blushed again.

"...You...could say that..." she answered, looking away awkwardly. Kyo tilted his head, confused. The nurse shook her head, waving her hands. "L-look, just know that that's what they were made for." Kyo simply shrugged, motioning for her to continue. She sighed, continuing. "Thankfully, most of these scientists have been caught and arrested, but unfortunately, there are still some that are still at large, having been able to elude from being caught."

Suddenly, a small ring could be heard from the machine behind her. "Oh, it seems it's ready to go." She walked over to the large machine and placed Totodile's pokeball in one of the six bowl-shaped grooves on top of it. "This should only take a few seconds," Nurse Joy said, looking to Kyo. He nodded in response, folding his arms. The nurse turned her attention back to the machine, pushing a single button on the side.

It hummed once more as it began to glow, light escaping from the grooves on its top and illuminating the pokeball as well. It lasted for only a few seconds, a short chime signaling that it was done. Nodding in satisfaction, Nurse Joy picked the ball off of the machine and walked back over to the counter, facing Kyo once more. "There you are," she said as she handed it back to him. "Your Totodile has been restored to full health."

"Thank you," Kyo replied, bowing briefly as he took his pokeball back. He turned to the side and tossed it in the air. It opened up, spilling out red energy as his friend re-materialized before him, free of any cuts and bruises. Kyo smiled, seeing that the smaller croc had his eyes clenched closed. He knelt down to his height, and patted his head. "Welcome back Totes," he said cheerily, provoking his friend to open his eyes, "feelin' better?"

Totodile nodded, stretching his limbs. He muttered something to Kyo that sounded like grunts and growls to the nurse. Kyo smiled and shook his head. "No, she was actually pretty nice to me," he replied, briefly gesturing to her. Totodile turned to her, looking at her curiously.

"H-hello," she said, waving to him nervously. He blinked, returning the wave. Kyo chuckled, and rose to his feet.

"Well," he began, "thanks for your hospitality, but we really should get going." Nurse Joy's eyes widened with surprise.

"W-wait," she said, "you're leaving? At this time of day?" Kyo simply nodded in response.

"I'm afraid so," he replied, "the two of us are heading home, and it's a pretty long way from here."

"How far is it?' she asked, a hint of worry present in her voice. Kyo scratched the back of his head.

"Well..." he looked off to the side, "I...kinda live in...Olivine City..." The nurse's jaw fell open in shock.

"O-Olivine City?!" she exclaimed. "B-but that's so far! You mean to tell me that you've walked this far from home?!"

"No," Kyo replied, "that's not _entirely _true. I mean...I ran sometimes..." Nurse Joy was rendered speechless. "E-either way," he continued, "thanks for your hospitality. We'll be on our way now." He quickly nodded his thanks, and started for the exit, with Totodile trailing faithfully behind.

"W-wait!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, making the pair turn around. "W-where are you going to sleep?" Kyo looked down for a moment, thinking for a bit.

"I dunno really," he answered, "I guess we'll just camp out somewhere like we usually do." The nurse's jaw fell open once more.

"...Will...will you be safe?" she managed to ask. Kyo smiled.

"Of course I will," he answered cheerily, "I've got my trusty partner by my side after all. Besides, it's not like it's any different from when I first left my home."

"I know..." said Nurse Joy, "but...still...I mean...with the way you are right now..." she trailed off, seeing Kyo's gaze fall to the floor. She put a hand over her mouth, thinking she might have said too much.

Kyo sighed. "I guess...I'll just have to manage then, huh?" he said, smiling half-heartedly. He turned back to Totodile. "Come on Totes, let's go." Totodile nodded, following close as they made for the door a second time. Nurse Joy's hand fell to her side, watching them go.

_What do I do? _she thought to herself, _I can't just let him go...can I? _The doors slid open; the two of them would soon be gone. She clenched her eyes shut, contemplating what to do.

"...H-hey Kyo-"

The sound of the doors closing echoed through the room.

Nurse Joy opened her eyes. They were gone. She was alone, left to the silence of the building.

They're...really gone... she thought to herself. She turned, glancing back at her computer. _Well...I guess I should...get back to work then... _Reluctantly, she went back to her seat. _So...pokemon files...and... _She sighed, slumping back in her chair. She turned her gaze back to the clear glass door.

She stared at it for a moment, not really doing much else. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she turned back to her computer screen. She moved her hand over to the mouse. She stopped. Her hand hovered over the mouse. She sighed once more.

"Screw it."

Getting up from her seat, Nurse Joy hurriedly walked around the counter and out the door. She looked around frantically, hoping that she wasn't too late. Spotting the pair, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called out to them.

"Hey!" she shouted, running after them. They stopped in their tracks, turning to face her.

"Oh, Nurse Joy," said Kyo, "What's wrong?"

"I can't...just...let you go...on your own like that," she said in between breaths. She stopped for a moment, catching her breath. She wiped a bit of sweat off her brow, straightening up to properly talk with him. "Please, just...stay here for now. It's too dangerous to go out there during the night." Kyo smiled.

"Well, thank you for the concern," he replied, "but I don't really have much of a choice. I mean, where would I stay?"

"You could stay at the Pokemon Center," she answered, a bit surprised at the question, "there are extra rooms for visitors to sleep in. You could sleep in one of them if you'd like." Kyo scratched the back of his head, looking off to the side.

"I know that, it's just...I don't think it would be a good idea."

"Not a good idea?" Nurse Joy asked, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Kyo sighed. "Well...with the way I am right now, I don't think I should be sticking around the public. I mean, I could stay, but I don't fancy being chased by a crowd of people with pitchforks and torches..." He chuckled slightly, though it sounded more forced if anything.

"That shouldn't be much of a problem," said Nurse Joy, "after all, you don't have to stay for long. We could try to contact your parents and see if they can come to pick you up." Kyo put a hand to his chin, thinking for a moment.

"I...guess that'd be a pretty good idea," he replied, "but they're still pretty far away. I don't think they would make it here that quickly, even _if _they left right away."

"_Actually," _she said in a matter-of-fact type of tone, "the cities in Jhoto aren't that far away when driving, so they might be able to make it within a few hours drive, assuming that they don't run into any problems along the way."

_Stupid smart people..._Kyo thought to himself, looking away briefly. "Okay then, we'll go along with your plan."

"Great," the nurse replied cheerily, "then let's get back inside, and we'll call your folks." With a nod, the group made their way back inside, quietly passing by the homes of the town's-folk as the sounds of the night filled the air.

***

"38...29?" Nurse Joy asked, looking up from the number pad of the phone.

"Yeah, that's it," Kyo replied, looking up from his seat. The three of them were inside one of the spare rooms meant for the guests to sleep in. Nurse Joy was at the phone, calling Kyo's parents with the room phone. Kyo was sitting at the edge of the bed next to Totodile, who was sleeping soundly, tired from the events of the day. Kyo's bag was set aside neatly against the wall, and his poke-gear was plugged in, slowly charging and regaining power.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to them?" Nurse Joy asked, looking at him in concern. "They might be concerned if I'm the one talking to them when their son is the one that wanted to call in the first place."

"I know..." he replied, "but...I'm not ready to talk to them just yet. Besides...how would I explain to them what happened to me?"

"Well then," Nurse Joy said with a warm smile, "looks like we have a problem, because _I _don't know what to say to them either." Kyo flinched. The nurse chuckled. "Don't worry. Everything will turn out just fine. I'm sure you'll know what to say when the time comes." Kyo swished his tail softly, looking away from the pink haired woman for a moment.

The sound of someone clearing their throat was heard from the phone. "Mia Sakamoto speaking."

"Oh, yes, hello ma'am. This is Nurse Joy," she answered. "I'm calling from the Cherrygrove City Pokemon Center on account of your son, Kyo Sakamoto?"

"My son?" Mia replied. "W-well yes, that is my son, but why are you calling for him? He's on his pokemon journey right now."

"Yes, I am aware of that," said Nurse Joy, "That's actually why I'm calling. You see, he is actually here with me at the moment." She heard a gasp from the other line.

"He's there? With you?" Mia asked, sounding confused and concerned, "but why? Is something wrong? Can I speak with him? Is he alr-"

"Ma'am, please calm down," Nurse Joy cut her off, "he's doing fine; he's just...tired right now, so he can't really speak with you right now." She heard Mia let out a long sigh.

"Alright," she replied, "I guess that's understandable. But then, why did you call? Has something happened to him?" Nurse Joy let out a sigh of her own.

"Well," she began, "yes...actually." She heard Mia gasp once more.

"Dear Arceus," she breathed out, "is he okay? What happened?"

"He's fine," Nurse Joy replied, "but...unfortunately I can't exactly explain what happened to him at the moment. For now, all I can tell you is that...he's...changed..." Once again, she heard the older woman let out a long sigh.

"Alright," said Mia, "because I know I can trust the people at the Pokemon Center, I'll take your word for it."

"Thank you Mrs. Sakamoto," Nurse Joy replied. "Rest assured, he is okay, but he is asking that you come over and pick him up. He would've asked himself, however his poke-gear ran out of battery at the time." She heard Mia mumble something. She couldn't hear much, but she did hear something about habits and reminders, making her smirk slightly.

"Okay," Mia said, "I'm on my way. Thank you very much Nurse Joy."

"You're welcome," she answered. She then heard the sound of the phone clattering before hearing a long, low hum sound from the other line, signaling the disconnection. Sighing, Nurse Joy set the phone down on the phone rack, and turned to Kyo. "Well, your mom is on her way right now."

"She is?" he replied. Nurse Joy nodded in response.

"Yup, and from the way she sounded, she's pretty worried about you." Kyo smiled.

"That's my mom alright," he replied. "Oh, and, thanks for not telling her about...well...you know." He looked to the side, curling his tail around his midsection.

"It wasn't a problem really," she said assuringly. "Besides, I doubt she would've believed me if I told her anyway." The two of them chuckled, lightening the mood a bit.

"Yeah...I guess that's true," said Kyo, "but...seriously though...thank you." Nurse Joy smiled.

"Like I said, it wasn't a problem," she replied, "but, if it means anything to you...then you're welcome." Kyo smiled, nodding in response. A moment of silence passed between the two. Kyo's gaze fell to the floor, gently moving his arms around his midsection to further encase himself in a sort of self-hug.

"What do you think..." Kyo began, "my mom will do...when she sees me..." His gaze was still to the floor, a sad aura surrounding the Feraligatr-morph. Nurse Joy averted her own gaze from Kyo, thinking about what to say. Another moment of silence passed. Then, she rose to her feet, taking a seat next to Kyo on the bed. She gently placed her hand on his knee, making him look up from the floor.

"Hey," she said, rubbing his knee comfortingly, "it'll be alright. She's your mom, isn't she? She's not gonna love you any less. After all, you're still you." She squeezed his knee a bit. "I mean, sure, your body has changed, and you're certainly not human anymore... But you haven't changed as a person. Looking past your new body, you're still the same person you were _before. _That hasn't changed, and that never _will _change."

Kyo looked into the nurse's eyes, a bit dumbstruck from her words. Their eyes remained locked for a bit, before Nurse Joy looked away awkwardly, blushing as she snatched her hand away from his knee, with Kyo doing the same.

"U-uhm, i-it's late," she stuttered, "I-I should go now, y-you need your rest." Without another word, the pink haired nurse hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her with a loud thud. Totodile woke with a start, jumping from the bed and landing on the floor in a less than graceful manner.

"Ughh..." Totodile groaned as he rose to his feet, "what the heck was that?" Kyo shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"S-sorry Totes," he began, "I guess when she closed the door, she applied more force than she intended." Totodile rubbed his eyes.

"Mrph, figures," he said, yawning. "So how'd the call go? Are your parents coming?"

"Well _mom _is," Kyo replied, "I guess dad was at work or something."

"Oh, okay then," said Totodile, nodding a bit, "least they're coming." He yawned profusely, opening his jaw widely. He shook his head upon finishing. He looked to his trainer, seeing an astonished look on his face. Totodile tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"It's just..." said Kyo, "it's really weird...the way I'm understanding you right now." Totodile's head tilted to the other side. "When you speak," Kyo explained, "I hear you the way you normally speak. Yet...I can clearly understand what you're saying. It's like...my brain is automatically translating what you're saying to me." Totodile put a small hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"I guess it is a bit strange," he said, "I mean, you're still speaking in plain old English right now, _and _you can clearly understand my tongue, but it seems like you can't speak it yourself. Can you?" Kyo put his own hand to his chin, thinking for a moment.

"No," he replied simply, "doesn't seem like I know how to. Least I don't think I know how, can't seem to come up with any sentences that aren't in English..." Totodile shrugged.

"Probably has something to do with the gem we came across," the smaller water type said, climbing back up onto the bed, "but whatever. I understand you, and now you understand me, so we're fine as it is." He sat down, trying to comfortable position to sit in. "You know, now that I think about it, that might be the way us pokemon understand each other."

"Really?" Kyo asked, raising an eye ridge. "So that's how that works then?"

"I guess so," Totodile replied. "I never really thought about it before cuz I've been so used to it being that way for me, so it never seemed strange at the time." He yawned profusely, lying back on the bed. "But, mrph, wwwhhhaaatever." He closed his eyes. "I'm just gonna...gonna..." He dozed off, falling to sleep. Kyo smiled warmly. He gently petted his pokemon's shoulder.

"Sleep tight bud," he whispered. With a quiet sigh, he walked over to the head of the bed, seating himself there. He looked at his hand, still a bit fascinated by how surreal it seemed.

It felt strange, feeling as though he was wearing a tight latex glove. In fact, it felt the same way across his entire body. He curled his tail around, taking it in his hands. It had lost its numbness, and he could now fully control it. It was probably the strangest feeling of all, next to it being that of his now elongated face and his wider field of vision. He looked to his hand again, flexing it a bit.

He drew his claws, and retracted them back in. He drew them, and retracted them again. Drew, retracted, drew, retracted, drew, retracted, drew, retracted, drew, retracted. He sighed, letting his hand drop to his side. He curled his tail around his midsection.

_Could they really still love me? _Kyo thought to himself. _Even after I've become...this? _He thought back to the words of Nurse Joy.

You're still the same person you were _before. That hasn't changed, and that never will change..._

_Me as a person, huh? _He sighed, hugging himself with his tail. _I just hope that's good enough... _At that, he flicked off the lights and slipped under the sheets, slowly allowing sleep overtake him.

***