FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Pokemon: Further Evolutions

CH 4

Set Sail for Pokemorph Island

"So...after this trainer threatened you two, you brought out your pokemon to defend yourselves?" an older woman asked, writing down notes on her notepad.

"Uh-huh," Michi replied, "and he was really scary too." The woman nodded, and scribbled down more notes on her paper.

The woman the two trainers were talking to was sporting a blue uniform along with a matching cap. She had come in response to a call coming from one of them. Her car was parked behind her, and cuffed in the back was Eidin, who was still unconscious. After he had been properly detained, (which wasn't very difficult considering his condition), the officer had moved on to questioning the two trainers about what exactly had transpired before her arrival.

"And...what was the pokemon this trainer used to attack you two?" the officer continued, looking up from her notepad.

"I remember," Asako chimed in, "He was using a...uh...an Amphors."

"It's called an Ampharos," Michi corrected her, nudging her with his elbow lightly.

"Y-yeah that," she said, looking up at the officer. She nodded, and scribbled down the name on her notes.

"So did you both battle him at once?" she asked them, eyes flicking from one trainer to the next.

"Yeah," Michi replied, "but it was still hard, cuz' his pokemon was really strong."

"I see," the officer nodded, "and...what pokemon were each of you using?"

"Let's see," Asako began, counting them off with her fingers, "I was using my Cyndaquil, and Michi was using...Hoothoot, Farfetch..."

"Farfetch'd," Michi corrected her.

"Farfetch'd, aaaaannnd... Oh! Chikrita."

"Chik-O-rita."

"Chikorita." Again, the officer nodded, jotting down the names in her notes.

"So," she began, "what you're telling me is, you two defended yourselves against this trainer," she briefly pointed her pen towards the car, "using several first stage pokemon, against one fully evolved pokemon, while also dealing with type disadvantages against half of your party, and still won." She gave the two kids a look. "Is that correct?"

"Uuuuhhh," Asako began to hesitate, avoiding eye contact from the older woman, "y-yes, th-that's what happened." She put her hand to her cheek, looking to the officer's left.

"Uh-huh," she said, turning her gaze towards Michi, "so what about you? Is that what happened?"

"W-well," Michi looked down, scratching the back of his neck, "yeah. I-it wasn't easy though. H-he was...s-strong." His eyes flicked back towards her before quickly flicking back down.

"So he was," the officer replied, lowering her notepad slightly, "Alright, your story checks out." The two trainers looked back to her. "So then," she continued, "I have another question for you two."

"W...what do you wanna ask us Officer Jenny?" Asako asked shyly. Jenny knelt down slightly, resting her hands on her knees.

"Would either of you happen to know someone by the name of Kyo Sakamoto?" Both of the trainers' eyes widened, and they quickly avoided her gaze.

"N-n-n...no," Michi stammered, "I-I've never heard of him."

"Y-yeah," Asako added, "s-same with me. I-I don't know anyone with that name..." The officer smirked.

"Interesting," she said, "Do you wanna know something else that's interesting?" Once again, the trainers returned their gazes towards her. "Did you know that when you call an officer with your poke-gear, the call causes your gear to emit a signal?" The young trainers tilted their heads. "And did you know that the signal links to all other poke-gears within a mile radius?"

The trainers gulped, avoiding eye contact. "So when you called me, I found the signals of four different gears. Now let's see here." She pointed to each trainer, counting them off one by one. "One, two, and three...huh." She put her hands to her hips. "That's odd. Where's the fourth one?" Neither of them said anything. Their eyes occasionally flicked towards her, before flicking back away. Jenny began to notice that Michi seemed to be looking in one particular direction. From her peripheral vision, she saw a bit of movement in the area amongst the trees.

_Bingo,_she thought to herself. "Well if you guys don't know anything, then I guess I should get going." She pocketed her notepad and pen, and turned away from them. "But first, I think I'll take a quick bathroom break." She began to walk towards where Michi had been looking. The two trainers looked at each other, silently arguing among themselves. "I mean, it's a pretty long trip back. It'll be a while till I get to a bathroom."

"W-wait!" Asako shouted suddenly, causing the officer to stop, "Uh...I-I don't think you should go in there. I-I think I saw some...s-some scary pokemon in there..." Jenny smirked.

"Believe me honey, I've seen some pretty scary pokemon in my time. I'm sure they can't be that bad." She began to walk towards the trees once more, and the two trainers scrambled in front of her.

"I-Dyuh-Uh," Michi stammered, "I-Iseriously don'tthinkyoushouldgointhere There'ssomereallybigandscarypokemon thatarereallyscaryandbig andtheymighteatyouorspitonyou orstomponyouoreatyou becausethey'rereallyscaryandbigand-" Jenny stopped him, putting her hand over his mouth.

"Al_right_ then," she said, letting go of his mouth, "I won't go in there." The two trainers let out sighs of relief. "Besides," she continued, looking past them, "I'm sure these 'scary pokemon' will just come out to meet me. Isn't that right, Kyo Sakamoto?" Both trainers gasped, eyes widening. Jenny folded her arms. "Come on. Come out of your hiding spot. Or do I have to go in after you?" A moment of silence passed, before a blue scaled head slowly poked out of the trees.

"Uh..." Kyo began hesitantly, giving her a small wave, "hello officer. H-how are you doing this fine afternoon?"

"Oh just fine thank you," she replied with a smile, "and I hope that you are doing just as well, especially after what's been happening with you recently." Asako and Michi looked to each other, exchanging glances. Jenny smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. "So you really are a Feraligatr-morph huh?"

"Y-yeah... I-I am," he said, still reluctant to come out from his hiding spot, "is...is anything wrong with that?"

"No, not at all," Jenny replied, putting a finger to her chin, "it's just...from what these two told me, you guys were attacked by an electric type, correct?"

"Y-yes...that's correct," he answered, curling his tail around his heel, "why do you ask?"

"It's just..." she continued, "even though you're a morph, it doesn't mean that your type disadvantage has changed." She tilted her head slightly, raising a brow at him. "And considering how much of your group was at a disadvantage, I doubt that you alone would have been able to win." She put her hands to her hips. "So, who is it that helped you out?" Another moment passed, before more movement could be seen from behind the trees, and the Ursaring morph came into view.

"Ahhhh, it seems we have both been caught," he sighed, stepping out from the trees, "Come Kyo, there is no point in hiding anymore." Hesitantly, Kyo followed him out, stepping into full view. Officer Jenny smiled.

"There we go," she said to them, "See? I don't bite." The larger morph's booming laughter was heard once again.

"Such a brave woman," he said, folding his arms, "not even showing a hint of fear to the ones that can bite." Jenny raised a brow at this.

"Now who said I can't bite?" she said playfully, "And besides, I know about your stories, both you and Kyo's." Kyo's eyes widened, and he looked to her in surprise. "What? You think that information about a possible pokemorph living in Olivine City would pass by such an officer with a rank like mine?"

"W-well," he stuttered, "I...I suppose not." He looked away, tail curling tighter around his heel. He jumped suddenly, feeling a heavy hand land on his shoulder. He looked over to see that it was the hand of the Ursaring.

"You need not be so nervous," he eased him, "she is here to help after all." He turned his head to the officer. "I am not wrong in my assumption, am I?" Jenny shook her head.

"No. I'm here to help." She looked to Kyo. "I wanted to make sure that you were alright. And I'm happy to see that you are."

"Yeah, we helped him get better," Asako piped up, "We gave him and all of our pokemon the paralyze healers so they could feel better."

"Yes, I know," Jenny smiled, looking to her, "You already showed me them, remember?" Asako blushed, giggling slightly.

"Well," Kyo spoke up, "in any case, I should thank you." He bowed to her. "So...thank you for the help." Jenny smirked.

"It was my pleasure," she replied, returning the bow, "but, I'm afraid I can't stick around for long, so I oughta be headed off now." Straightening, she waved to them briefly as she made her way over to her car, with the group following not too far behind.

"Take care Officer Jenny!" said Michi, waving to her. She smiled, and gave him a wave of her own.

"Take care Officer," said Kyo, "be safe on the way back."

"And make sure that bully gets what he deserves!" Asako added, pointing to the back seat of the car.

Jenny laughed. "Will do. You guys take care as well." She got into the driver's seat, closing the door. She started the car, and rolled down the window. "Oh, by the way, Teddy," the Ursaring's head shot up in surprise, "Cheryl says hi." Confused, the group looked to the bear, whose cheeks were beginning to redden.

"W...well, th-then give her my greetings as well," he replied, raising a paw.

"I will." She turned to her wheel, before quickly turning back. "Oh, almost forgot. Do either of you know about Pokemorph Island?"

"I do," the Ursaring replied, nodding, "and I plan on filling Kyo in as well."

"Well you oughta hurry and decide if you wanna go or not," the officer continued, "the ship's next trip is at the end of the month." The larger morph nodded, and Jenny nodded back. "Alright, see ya guys then!" She waved to them through the window, before driving off into the distance.

"So," Kyo began, turning towards the Ursaring, "your name is Teddy then?" The bear blushed, folding his arms.

"Mh," he grunted, nodding in confirmation, "That was the name my former caretaker gave me, though I never understood why..." He looked up thoughtfully, putting a claw to his chin. "What is the basis of that name?" The rest of the group chuckled, and Teddy simply shrugged.

"So, you used to have a caretaker?" Kyo asked curiously with a swish of his long tail.

"I did," Teddy nodded again, "She was a pokemon ranger, and we crossed paths during one of her patrols." He sat down cross legged, bidding everyone else to do the same, which they did. "She had found me not too long after I had gone through the shift into becoming a morph." He folded his arms, letting out a grunt. "Cumbersome thing it was; having gone through such a sudden change. I can't even go on all fours anymore without it feeling strange."

"W-wait," Kyo said suddenly, looking to him, "s-so you weren't a...a..." The rest of the group looked to him, waiting for him to continue, "a...I...I was just...wondering.... W-where did you change? Did you go into a cave of any kind?" Teddy nodded.

"A cave it was, and my cave no less." He huffed. "That's what made it most irritating. One day, I had returned from hunting fish, only to find this strange purple gem at the foot of my home. Some fool must've left it there, because Arceus knows how little I care for colored rocks." He turned to the side, spitting on the floor. "As soon as I got near it, it began to glow, and my body began to burn." He clenched his eyes closed. "After it had finally ended, I opened my eyes to find my body completely different! And of course, I had nothing else to blame but the cursed rock. Of course I could have thrown it away and be rid of it, but I could not risk allowing other pokemon to stumble upon it. So instead, I decided to simply bury it deep within my cave, so that no other unfortunate soul would end up with the same fate as mine..."

"I see..." Kyo replied, taking this all in, "So...where...is your cave exactly?"

"Oh not too far from here actually," said Teddy, pointing behind himself, "It is among the forest near Ecruteak City, just north of it."

"Oh..." Kyo said, looking down at his lap. Teddy's head tilted.

"Is something the matter?" he asked the water type.

"Hm? Oh no, it's...just that I had a...similar experience when I went through my change. I also found a weird purple gem as I was exploring this deep cave, and I just thought that it had been the same place."

"Ah, I see," Teddy replied, nodding.

So...not the same place, Kyo thought to himself, and not originally human as well... But...then how does he speak English so fluently?

"Um," he began, "also, uh...just curious. H-how is it that you can speak English so fluently?"

"My caretaker helped me learn" Teddy answered, "When she took me into her home, she and one of her psychic pokemon started teaching me on their language, since it would make things a little easier in terms of communication." Michi raised his hand. "Oh, what is it little one?"

"Do you still live with her?" he asked curiously.

"Ha ha ha, not anymore. Though...I never really did in the first place." Teddy looked up as he recollected his memories. "You see, while I was under her care, she allowed me to return to the wild whenever I desired, claiming that she could not bring herself to separate me from my natural home. So, I really just went back and forth between homes. I suppose you could say that I am a mere visitor, and I wouldn't argue with that." He let out a sigh, putting his paws behind his head. "Now though...I will not be making that trip back. Neither to her, nor to my old cave."

The rest of the look looked to each other, exchanging glances. Kyo returned his gaze to the other morph. "What do you mean? You don't wanna go back home?" Teddy shook his head.

"I no longer belong in any of those homes," he replied, "I can no longer consider myself as a true pokemon either. All of my previous companions are now trying to stay away from me, and I can only impede on dear Cheryl for so long. And besides," he added, giving him a chuckle, "going back would defeat the purpose of finding you."

Kyo pointed a finger to himself. "Me?" Teddy nodded. Kyo looked back in his memories, and face palmed. "Duh, you told us that while I was resting earlier that you had been searching for me." Teddy's booming laughter filled the ears of the group.

"Do not blame yourself Kyo," he replied, "You have been through much this day after all."

"I guess you're right," said Kyo, "So...why did you want to find me again? You never really said why."

"Wait, mister Teddy," Asako began, "does it have anything to do with the island you told us about before?"

"Oh yeah," said Kyo, "Come to think about it, you said you would tell me about it when we said goodbye to Officer Jenny. What was the name again? Pokemorph Island?"

Teddy nodded. "Yes, that was what it was called. As the name implies, the island inhabits many other pokemorphs like you and I." He put a paw to his chest. "If you're curious, Cheryl was the one who told me about it, and suggested that I should go, which is why I am here now." He looked to Kyo. "However, a little bit before I decided to leave, we had heard rumors about another pokemorph living somewhere within Olivine City. So when I left, I decided to take a look. I thought that you would maybe want to come as well."

All eyes fell upon the water type, and he looked down at his lap. "Wouldn't that mean...leaving Jhoto?" Teddy remained silent for a moment before responding.

"Well...yes. It is...another island after all..." He rested his paws on his knees. "Will this...be a problem?" Kyo continued to stare down at his lap.

"It's just...I don't...know if I should..." He let out a sigh, resting his chin on his hand. "There are still...some people...that are still my friends. And if I left...then I wouldn't be able to see them again..."

Teddy folded his arms, pondering his words. "Well...that isn't entirely true." Kyo looked up from his lap, meeting Teddy's eyes. "After all, it is still possible to keep in touch with them. You have a poke-gear, do you not?"

"I...I do," he replied, "but...I mean like...face to face."

"Mmmmm," Teddy nodded, "I see what you mean..." He stood up from his spot, turning around and looking off into the distance. "It is true that simply keeping in contact is not the same as meeting them in person, and I cannot deny that leaving a home where so many people you know would be hard." He put a single clawed finger up. "However, I have but one question for you, Kyo."

"A...a question?" said Kyo. Teddy nodded, continuing to face away from the group.

"Are you...happy?"

"Am I...happy?" Teddy remained still. "I...I'm not sure what you mean by that." Teddy didn't respond for a moment.

"Another question," he continued, "You left your home in Olivine, correct?" Kyo hesitated.

"Y...yes," he answered, "I did..."

"Why?" Again, Kyo hesitated.

"W...well," he began, "it...it's because...I-I was-"

"You were treated as an outsider," Teddy turned around to face him, "were you not?" Kyo caught his breath, getting locked in the bear's gaze, before looking to the side.

"I...I was..." he nodded, confirming his statement.

"Mmmmmm," Teddy grunted, turning back around, "that is what I thought... Much of human kind has a hard time accepting those who are different," he put a clawed finger up, "but I shall tell you this; pokemon are no different." Kyo's head shot up in surprise.

"They aren't?"

"Sadly, they are not," Teddy replied, "I learned that during my first few weeks of becoming a morph." He let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Of course, pokemon have always been more acceptable than most humans, but...discrimination still exists amongst them." He turned to face the group. "My old friends, no, my former friends outcast me after meeting me for the first time in my new form." His brow furrowed, and his teeth clenched. "Good friends of mine, after years of knowing each other, suddenly turned on me." He looked to Kyo. "Am I wrong to assume that you have been through a similar experience yourself?"

Kyo shook his head. "No, you're right. In fact...it...happened just now..." Teddy's eyes widened.

"So then..." he began, "that trainer just now...was your-"

"He was a friend of mine, yes," Kyo replied, "and...he wasn't too fond of my change as well..." Silence hung over the group.

"I...I see," said Teddy, breaking the silence, "So...you understand my point then, do you not?"

"I understand," Kyo replied, "but...at the same time, I don't want to leave my fa..." he caught himself, and recovered, "my...my closer...friends..."

"I understand your point as well," Teddy nodded, "so now, I shall ask you one final set of questions. First," he put a single claw up, "when you left your home, you intended to live in the wild, correct?" Kyo nodded. "Second, you have...as you say...closer friends, correct?" Again, Kyo nodded. "Third, after considering everything that has happened so far, are you happy with the way things are for you now?" Kyo hesitated.

"I...I mean I've only began my life here so-"

"Are you happy Kyo?" Teddy asked him sternly. Kyo found himself speechless, unable to come up with a clear answer. Looking down at his lap, he shook his head in response. "Mmmmm, and now, my final question." Kyo looked up from his lap, meeting Teddy's eyes. "Do you think your friends, loved ones, or anyone that cares for you would want you to be going through this?" He folded his arms. "Do you truly think that they would want you to suffer living alone? Isolated because no one accepts you how you are? With everyone either running in fear of you or treating you as a freak?" Kyo choked, and tore his eyes from Teddy's.

"W-we don't think you're a freak mister Kyo!" Asako piped up.

"Yeah! We don't care if you're different!" Michi added. "We think you're cool!" Kyo smiled, fighting off the tears that threatened to come out.

"Thanks you two," he replied, patting them on the shoulder, "that means a lot to me." Suddenly, they came in for a hug, wrapping their arms around him tightly. Kyo laughed lightly, and hugged them back. Teddy smiled.

"You were very fortunate to have run into these two," he told Kyo as they let go of him, "they are very good children."

"Yes they are," he replied, feeling a lump form in his throat, "and I'm thankful to have met them."

"We're happy we got to meet you too," said Asako, with Michi nodding enthusiastically. "And...if-if you want, y-you can...stay with us...if you don't want to be lonely..." Kyo gave her a sad smile, and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you so much for the offer," he said to her, "but...I...I can't accept."

"W...why not?" she asked him, giving him a sad look.

"Yeah, why not?" Michi chimed in.

Kyo sighed. "Listen guys...it's...really nice of you to let me stick with you guys, and I'd love to, but...there was a reason I left my home in the first place..." The trainers looked at him, sadness and confusion spread across their features. "Thing is...when I was back home, the people around me treated me the same way Teddy's friends treated him; like a freak. What was worse was, it affected the people close to me. Being there, the people I cared about were put in danger. I don't want the same thing to happen to you two; otherwise the whole point of me leaving would be wasted."

"B-but-"

"No Michi," Kyo cut him off, "I'm sorry, but I refuse to put you two in danger. I don't want what happened earlier to happen again. Understand?" Michi choked a bit, before nodding in response. Kyo turned to Asako. "Asako...do you...understand as well?"

"I..." she sniffled, eyes beginning to water, "I understand..." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, shuddering with every breath. Kyo smiled, and reached out to gently wipe a tear from her cheek.

"Hey...come on...don't be like that," he soothed her, "I'll be sure to come and visit you guys some day."

"He is right," Teddy spoke up, "after all, we don't have to stay there forever." Everyone looked to him. "The only reason we're truly going is because the world simply isn't ready for pokemorphs to be integrated into the world. We aren't fully accepted yet, so for now, we must go to where there are others like us so that we may live happier lives. At least until the world is ready for us, when they are ready to treat us as equals once more. And I am sure Kyo wasn't planning on leaving for good in the first place. Am I correct?" Kyo nodded, and turned back to Asako.

"Yeah, I still have a family to get back to," he told her, "and now, I have two more reasons to come back." Both trainers chocked, smiling widely as tears began to stream down their eyes. Once again, Kyo found himself wrapped in the arms of Asako and Michi as they hugged him tightly. He smiled, a steady stream of tears beginning to run down his cheeks as well, and returned their hugs. "I'm gonna miss you guys..."

"W-whu-we're gonna," she paused for a sniffle, "we're gonna miss you too mister Kyo."

"Y-yu-yeah," Michi shuddered, "we'll m-mu-miss you too." Both trainers let him go, wiping their tears from their eyes. Kyo then turned to Asako.

"Hey," he began, clearing his eyes, "when you get to Ecruteak City, and when you challenge the gym, be sure to give it all you've got, alright?" He put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Make sure to not hold back for anything. Make sure, that when you leave that gym with your badge, that you left your mark on that leader. Make sure to have a battle that he won't forget. Got it?"

She sniffled, shuddering with every breath. "I...I wu-will." Kyo smiled, letting go of her shoulder, and turned to Michi.

"And Michi, whatever you end up doing next, be sure to have fun with it. Alright?" He struggled to speak, and only managed a nod in response. Kyo laughed good-heartedly, and patted him on the head.

"Uh...K-Kyo," Asako said hesitantly, causing the morph to turn back to her, "I...I just wanna say...bu-be safe there...a-and make a bunch of friends there too."

"Hah, I will," he replied, nodding to her reassuringly. He let out a sigh, and turned to Teddy. "Well Teddy, I suppose this means I'm coming." The larger morph smiled.

"Very good," he replied, "we shall leave whenever you feel ready." Kyo nodded, and turned to the two trainers.

"Before I do anything," he began, "let's exchange numbers so that we can keep in touch while I'm there."

"Yeah!" they said in unison, scrambling to get their poke-gears out of their bags.

***

Before they knew it, two days had gone by, and Teddy and Kyo were close to their destination. During those two days, the pair had walked for many miles. Thankfully, they didn't run into any trainers or opposition, as the road they had taken strayed far from any routes of Jhoto.

"We shall be arriving soon," Teddy informed Kyo as they walked, "the ship should not be far from here."

"A-already?" he replied, "a...are you sure?"

"I am positive," Teddy nodded, sniffing the air, "The scent of other morphs fills the air."

Kyo took a sniff as well, putting his improved sense of smell to use. Teddy was right; there was a strong scent of many different pokemon in the area. Kyo gulped. "M...maybe they're just a group of...native pokemon..."

"I doubt so," Teddy replied, turning to him, "there are far too many different scents for that to be so, and none of them seem familiar to me, as they do not match the scent of pokemon of Jhoto."

"W...well," Kyo continued, "m...m-maybe they...belong to...trainers?" Teddy frowned at him.

"Kyo," he began, "are you hesitant about going?" Kyo sighed, and shook his head.

"No, it's just...I'm kind of nervous about this..."

"Mmmm," Teddy grunted, nodding his head, "There is no problem with being nervous. However," he put a clawed finger up, "there is no need to be nervous as well."

"Really?" Kyo asked with a tilt of his head, "Are you sure?"

"Mmmm," he grunted, "You are going to be with our own kind, so you will not be seen as an outsider, but instead as part of the group."

"I guess you're right," Kyo replied, "but, I'm not sure how to act around them..." He looked to Teddy. "Do you know what the other morphs will be like?" Teddy put a clawed finger to his chin.

"Well, in truth, you are really the only other morph I have met so far," he replied sheepishly, "But, there is no reason to fear. All of the other morphs are still pokemon at heart, so they will not be all that different from meeting a regular pokemon." He folded his arms. "Besides, they all have been through much, so I doubt that they would want to search for any more quarrels or for anymore enemies."

"Good point," said Kyo, "Which reminds me, a friend of mine told me that morphs were used as labor slaves, but didn't tell me what kind of labor. Do you know anything about what they did?"

"Mmmm," the bear grunted, "Cheryl told me about it. Apparently, morphs were used as a human's sex slave in the black market." Kyo nearly tripped over his own tail.

"Sex slaves?!" he exclaimed, "D-Did I hear you correctly?!"

"Make no mistake Kyo," Teddy replied, "those were the words you heard from my mouth. Apparently, humans found a way to artificially change normal pokemon into pokemorphs, and sold them off in the black market to be used as sexual slaves." Kyo looked down at his feet, taking this all in. "What makes this so terrible is that the humans deprived the females from having children, and took away their ability to do so." He spat on the floor. "It sickens me that humans would sink so low as to depriving them from reproducing."

Kyo blinked, and looked up from the ground. "Wait, that's what upsets you? Not the fact that they became sex slaves?" Teddy raised a brow.

"Well yes," he replied, "why wouldn't it? Doesn't deprived reproduction upset you as well?"

"Well..." Kyo thought for a moment, "I mean...I don't like it either...but..." Kyo trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Oh, I think I understand," said Teddy, "it is because of your human standards, correct?" Kyo hesitated, before nodding.

Earlier in the day, Kyo had revealed himself as being human before his change. He told Teddy about how he and his pokemon had went into the tunnel and come across a gem similar to the one Teddy had come across. Thankfully, this did not change Teddy's view of him.

"It's hard for me to remember sometimes," Teddy continued, "humans have a much different outlook on mating than most pokemon do." He folded his arms, looking to the path ahead as they continued to walk. "You humans form bonds with your mates, you form...marriages...correct?" Teddy turned to him. Kyo simply nodded in response. "Ah, I see. Well, if it has not become clear to you now, pokemon tend to look at sexual intercourse in a much more casual way." Kyo's head tilted as Teddy went on. "You see, to pokemon, mating is meant mainly for reproduction. They don't tend to form bonds with their partners, because they don't usually remain with the same partner. Once their children are born, they move on with their lives, and search out new mates. Of course, mating can also be recreational, done simply for the pleasure it brings. I believe that this is a common trait some humans share as well?"

Kyo sighed, and nodded in response. He couldn't look past the fact that it was indeed true. "But," he began, "that isn't always the case."

"I know it is not," Teddy replied, "and the same goes to pokemon. Some of them choose to form bonds, some do not. This is another trait humans and pokemon share. However, you should know that most pokemon are this way, choosing reproduction over love. Of course that isn't to say that pokemon are emotionless, though I imagine that goes without saying for you, judging from what you told me about you and your pokemon." Kyo smiled, and nodded.

"Yeah, the two of us were, no, are pretty close," he replied, "So...out of curiosity...h-how much do they...ya know...do it?"

"Well, as I said before, it can be recreational, so it truly depends on the mood of the pokemon, though it tends to spike during mating season. You are familiar with this, are you not?"

Kyo nodded. "I know about it. I learned about it during one of my classes." Teddy nodded in satisfaction, and went on.

"Then I need not explain what 'heat' is, correct?" Kyo nodded again. "Well, during that season, pokemorphs have it worse than regular pokemon." Kyo's head tilted. "As I said before, the humans removed a pokemon's ability to reproduce. Well, several scientists who are currently on Pokemorph Island have recently found a way to undo at least that part of the humans' tampering, so now they can reproduce once again."

"That's good to hear at least," said Kyo, "So, what does this have to do with pokemorphs' heats being worse than a regular pokemons'?"

"Everything," Teddy replied, "since they were deprived for so long, the morphs are making up for lost time, and are mating much more, most of the time taking several partners at a time."

"Oh..." Kyo said with a blush, "I...ahem, th-that's...in-interesting."

"To be honest, I do not think I can blame them," Teddy went on, "They are simply acting upon natural instinct, and are only doing what they feel is right." He turned to Kyo. "You agree, do you not?"

"Yeah, I agree," Kyo nodded, "It's just...I don't think I'll be taking part in...all that..." Teddy let out his booming laughter.

"Understandable," he said, "I imagine that doing such things would be rather overwhelming for one coming from such a different culture."

"Yeah," Kyo went on, "I kinda want to find the right girl to settle down with before I...do...anything..." Kyo blushed again, and looked away.

"Mmmm," Teddy grunted, "so you truly are a man of love. Truly an admirable trait. I am sure that whoever you decide to be with will be a lucky woman."

"Heh, yeah...if I ever find one..." Kyo trailed off, whispering the last bit to himself, however his words did not go unheard due to the larger morph's sensitive hearing.

"Why do you look so down upon yourself Kyo?" Teddy asked, giving him a confused look. Kyo mentally kicked himself for letting his words slip out. "Kyo, you will find someone someday. I am sure of it."

Kyo slowly turned to him. "How...how can you be so sure? Especially...now?"

"Because of your heart," Teddy replied, pounding his own chest with a clenched fist, "It bears much compassion and care for others. I simply cannot believe that someone like you would be incapable of finding a potential mate at one point or another." He placed a heavy paw on Kyo's shoulder. "Have faith in yourself my friend. One day, you will find your lover. Who knows, she may even be on the island."

Kyo couldn't help but smile. "Thank you Teddy."

"You are most welcome Kyo," Teddy replied, "Now then, we best hurry. The ship should not be too far from here." The two of them nodded to each other, and they hurried off.

***

Soon enough, the pair came upon a relatively small port. Docked at the port was a rather sizable cruise ship. One glance at it told Kyo that it had set sail many times, and still had many more to go. Walking around were several humans, loading and unloading various crates of supplies, with several pokemon, notably a Scizor, helping in their efforts. Looking back to the ship, the pair could see that its name had been painted on the side, slightly faded, but still readable.

"The S.S. Gyrados," Teddy read, "This is the one we're looking for. Ready Kyo?"

"As much as I'll ever be," Kyo shrugged, following Teddy as they made their way to the port. As they neared, an older man, which judging from his attire Kyo could tell was the captain, descended the bridge to meet them.

"Good afternoon gentlemen," he greeted them, "I am Shino, captain of the S.S. Gyrados." The pair bowed to him respectfully, and he returned the bow. "We've been expecting you two." His statement surprised the both of them, causing them to exchange glances. "We received word from Officer Jenny that you two might eventually come here.

"Ahh," said Teddy, "I see. So you know her as well."

"My associates and I try to keep in contact with the authorities of any region so that we can learn of any potential morphs that may want to come aboard," Shino explained, "And as such, she told us about you two, and gave us all of the info we needed to know. Which reminds me." He turned to Kyo. "Kyo, try to keep your secret on the down-low, understand?" Kyo caught his breath, once again taken by surprise.

"Impressive," said Teddy, "So you know about Kyo's previous life. Your people must be very good at finding information."

"As I said before," Shino replied, "we were given all of the info we needed, including your past lives." Kyo looked down at his feet. "Hey, don't worry about it too much. It's not too big of a deal. Besides, you're not the first human to have gone through this." Kyo's head shot up, eyes wide in surprise.

"Y-you mean there's someone else like me?!" he asked excitedly, "Wh-who is this person?! Is he here?! Is he on the island? Can I meet him?!"

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa," Shino stopped him, "try and calm yourself there son." Kyo paused to take a deep breath, and piped down. "Better. Now as for who this morph is, I am afraid that I am in no position to share. This individual prefers to keep hir identity a secret. I am sure you understand why." Kyo nodded in response. "And as for where this morph is, shi is already on the island. Been living there for over a year now. However, you will not be going to the same side of the island, as there are too many inhabitants there currently, so you will be living on the other side of it."

"I guess that's fair," said Kyo, "Wait a sec...did you say...shi?"

"Yes," he replied, "the morph I'm referring to is a hermaphrodite. During hir shift from a human into a pokemorph, a strange phenomenon occurred, which resulted in hir changing from a male human, into a herm morph." Kyo found himself speechless as he processed what he had heard. "Thankfully though, shi has been able to live a comfortable life, and has even settled down with a family."

"Hah," Teddy piped up, "impressive. Shi must have a very loving set of friends. It is good to know that shi lives comfortably with everyone knowing that shi is a herm."

"Y-yeah...wow though...a herm," said Kyo, dumbstruck.

"Yes, shi has been very lucky over the years," Shino told them, "However, I do ask that you please refrain from sharing the info of hir being an ex-human. The only ones who know of this are her close friends. Understand?" The two morphs nodded in response. "Good, now that we have that out of the way, it's time to take you aboard." He waved a hand, prompting them to follow him as he walked. As they made their way up the bridge connected to the ship, the Scizor from before flew up to Kyo.

"'Hello Kyo,'" he greeted him in pokemon tongue, "'I can take your bag to your cabin if you'd like.'"

"Oh, uh, sure. Thank you." The Scizor bowed briefly as Kyo handed him his bag, before hovering off to another part of the large ship.

"That was Ken," Shino explained, "He's one of our crew member's pokemon. He plays an active roll in helping out around the island." He tipped his hat to him briefly as he flew off. "Now then, on to business." He turned back to the pair. "Unfortunately, as captain, I have duties to attend to, so I cannot show you around. However, I do have someone who can." He turned to one of the crew members, and called to him. "Can you call over Octavius please?" The young man nodded, before walking off. A few seconds later, a Roserade-morph strode out from where the young man had gone, and began to approach the group.

"WHO was the one that called for me?!" the morph said in a rather civilized but loud tone, "You KNOW how much I hate being interrupted!" Shino let out a sigh.

"Octavius, this is Kyo and Teddy," he told the grass type, motioning to them with his hand, "and I would like for you to give them a tour of the ship." Octavius looked at them, putting his flowery hand to his chin. He chuffed and turned back to Shino.

"WHAT makes you think that I would want to give petty tours? And to such FILTHY creatures such as these? Ugh!" He looked away from them, with his chin up in a very stuck up manner. "Look at them; they look as though they have been walking around for days."

"That is because we have," Teddy replied, folding his arms across his chest. Octavius recoiled, putting his wrist against his forehead and looking up slightly.

"AH! My apologies," he replied, "I have forgotten what it is like living...out of shelter." He shuddered. "I would never walk for so long. That is what the_help_ is for after all." Suddenly, he was between the two morphs, arms around their shoulders, and his flowery wrist cuffs tickling their snouts. "It MUST have been dreadful out there, getting from one place to another without a chauffeur. AH! How I miss being a part of the privileged..." He let out a long sigh, leaning his head on Kyo's shoulders and looking off into the distance.

Kyo blinked, waiting in awkward silence. "...Uhh-"

"NONETHELESS!" Octavius said suddenly, startling the group. He pointed a finger outwards. "I shall CONTINUE to move forward, and LEAD my subordinates to a BETTER and BRIGHTER future, in which I may SLEEP in elegant beds, and DINE on only the FINEST of meals. Now COME my peons!" He shoved them aside, strutting away from the group. "I shall GIVE you your TOUR!" He continued to strut away, without even looking back. The two morphs stared at him, blinking in confusion.

"Did...did he just call us peons?" Kyo said, scratching the back of his head. Shino let out a sigh, and turned to them.

"Don't take it too personally," he told them, "It's just how he is. He was raised by an upper class family, so he can't help it." The two morphs nodded in understanding. "At any rate, I should get going. Take care you two."

"Take care mister Shino," Kyo replied, waving to him as he walked off in the other direction. He turned back to Teddy. "Well, I guess we oughta try and catch up to him, huh?"

"Mmm," Teddy grunted, "Onwards then."

***