Pokedex One-Shots (PG)

[Estuary]

Wonderful mood in this one! Especially when he cleans off the statue. I was just sad that it ended.

A great tribute. <3

[tombux]

nice story and thanks

[SugarPesticide]

I really liked this one, especially the main character's shady past and the mother's attitude. The Bandit was a nice touch too, and I was surprised that he managed to get it without getting his head ripped off. Great job ^_^

[Ysavvryl]

@Missingno. Master: I'll do that. I love odd combos. Just look at the other two in the 'On Deck' status.

Whenever there's a thread bashing my dear Pokedex, these two always pop up. Garchomp because it can't learn Fly and Dragonite because the claim of flying around the world in sixteen hours seems like a stretch. So of course I did my best to show how they potentially could. Next time you see someone complaining about those entries, point them to this counter-argument story. And probably to the Cubone/Marowak one too.

And this continues the PMD Camelot theme!

In Process: Zubat/Golbat/Crobat
On Deck: Gallade/Gengar, Aipom/Piloswine, Mudkip, Dunsparce/Qwilfish
Reserve: Luvdisc (2/14)


GARCHOMP
Diamond entry: When it folds up its body and extends its wings, it looks like a jet plane. It flies at sonic speed.

DRAGONITE
Leaf Green entry: Only a very few people ever see this Pokemon. Its intelligence is said to match that of humans.


The most dangerous Mystery Dungeon of the region no longer existed. Known as The Trembling Tunnels, it had been a place where a team could prove themselves the best of the best, if they survived. To get to it, one had to pass through a vast field of stinking sinkholes and poisonous pitfalls. Even the strongest and nastiest of Poison Pokemon could become overwhelmed by the lethal vapors.

Once the team found one of several entrances, they had to make their way through confusing and winding tunnels. These tunnels were littered with lava pools, steam geysers, and frail stalactites. And as the name suggested, earthquakes were rampant. It was highly likely that the path out would be obstructed. In order to prove that they made it, they had to acquire and bring back a rare Star Ruby from deep within the Dungeon. Rumor had it that an even greater treasure lie within.

However, that treasure was possibly long gone along with the dungeon. Last month, The Trembling Tunnels had experienced a massive explosion. It had been felt in distant regions. A giant cloud had mushroomed from the spot, putting those within view in awe. But then that cloud had rained rocks and ash everywhere. It had been a frightening time.

What remained? No one was quite sure. No one had been brave enough to come out and see, fearing another explosion. So he was the first, as far as he knew. He had the most experience with The Trembling Tunnels, but he was never after the Star Rubies. He was after the special treasure, the thing of legends.

He was Jaithan, a Garchomp. He didn’t work with a team. Teammates would drag him down. Those who could match his speed usually couldn’t match him in battle, and those who matched him in battle couldn’t match his speed. Jaithan didn’t mind. Being around other people usually got on his nerves.

He made it through the toxic fields the same way he always had. Running on all fours, he kept low to the ground. He kept his elbows out, as the fins on the back of his arm kept him stable at full speed. He could hold his breath for a long time, and knew by feel which air was dangerous and which air was safe. In this manner, he could fly along the ground from safety zone to safety zone. Where a team could take weeks to scour this deadly land, Jaithan could zig-zag across it in hours.

As he approached the central area above the dungeon, he noticed strange things. The land itself had sunk. He used to see a large shallow dome above The Trembling Tunnels, but it was gone. Did that mean the dungeon, and its legendary treasure, was truly gone? After dozens of attempts to find it, the heavens merely laughed at him.

No, it had to still be there. It was a treasure greater than any other. It had to exist. It was known as the Holy Nail. It showed up from time to time in history. Although the stories varied, it was obvious that whoever managed to find the Holy Nail was destined for greatness. He had already proved himself to be the best in the land, yet he wanted something greater. He felt like his growing legend was incomplete. Gaining this treasure of treasures might be just the thing he needed.

Jaithan arrived where one of his regular entrances had been, near the center of the dungeon. But it was no longer there. A massive chunk of the land was gone. In its place was a gurgling gray lake of mud. Escaping gasses caused large bubbles to rise from the surface, bursting with hisses of dangerous vapors. Steam filled the air. Strange that it had changed like this.

He shook his head. This was not good. The books he had read indicated that the Holy Nail was last left here. How was he to find it now? And, what if it had been blasted away with the rest of this rock? If that was the case, then where was it now?

Normally, he preferred to stay close to the ground, but for this, he lifted himself on his hind legs and looked into the air. Where would it have gone? He had been in and out of various damaged dungeons, but had seen nothing resembling the Holy Nail. It was reported to be a shed claw of the Original One, but anyone stumbling onto it should recognize the power of the One it came from. Not only that, but it had been marked centuries ago with an open eye, a symbol of great power and knowledge.

While he was musing on what to do, he spotted a ripple in the sky above. Something up there was flying unbelievably fast. It slowed, then descended in a wide circle. Jaithan dropped back to all fours; his dark blue skin didn’t blend well with the brown rocks, but it made him less obvious. The flying Pokemon descended a long time, indicating that it had been extremely high. What sort of Pokemon could reach that height and speed?

It was a fellow Dragon, one even rarer than him: a Dragonite. She had yellow skin over a large body. With her relatively small wings, it was hard to imagine how she flew, let alone so tremendously fast. Of course, it was hard for him to imagine how it was to actually fly. The Earth was sacred to his kind. He felt strongest when he was close to it.

The Dragonite stopped to hover over the putrid lake. She gazed over the remains of The Trembling Tunnels. Within the steam and vapors, Jaithan could see a strange force coming from her wings. It seemed that her true wings were much larger than what could normally be seen. They were strong for both hovering and racing. He felt quite jealous.

However, her kind was known as the wisest of all mortal Dragons. They were hailed as sages; they knew and understood many things that other Pokemon did not. She may know something that he needed to know. So he moved closer to her. “Greetings, cousin.”

“Greetings, cousin,” she replied, not looking at him. “The same force that made the Star Rubies made this deadly lake. The forces of the Earth are so strange, to both create and destroy.”

“The forces of Earth are sacred,” he replied.

“As such. Now you know what has come of this place, so now you may go. Hanging around longer could bring your doom.”

“I came looking for something.”

“Something you left for another to find? That is unfortunate, to have lost a treasure. You’re out of luck in finding it.”

“I’ve never left anything here. And it’s not the Star Rubies. Once you got down far enough, they were easy to find.”

She looked at him gravely. “Then you must be looking for the Holy Nail.”

“It was here?” he asked before he could think to check his excitement. So he countered it with a more subdued, “Rumor had it that it was left here over a century ago, and yet no one has found it.”

“No one had returned with it,” she corrected.

“Where would it be now?”

She shook her head. “It could be anywhere. It’s probably not here, just somewhere in this land. Someone will find it.”

“How should I go about finding it?”

“Why do you want to find it?”

He tilted his head, curious at her lack of desire. “Doesn’t everybody want to find it? It is a power directly from the Original One. Those who hold it become more powerful, perhaps even immortal themselves until they let it go.”

She hovered around to face him fully. “Why do you want more power? You can reach this dangerous place and you have survived it. You have all the power you should ever need and then some.”

He straightened his front legs up to lift his head. “I want to find the greatest treasure, that’s it. You seem to know something about it, so how could I go about finding it when it could be anywhere in this land?”

“But can you take the treasure?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It is a source of great power, yes, but not everyone can handle this power. It is said that only the truly innocent can touch the Holy Nail without going insane. Do you know your heart to be truly innocent?”

He crouched back to the ground. “That’s just part of its legend. Nothing can affect people like that.”

“Nothing? Lesser treasures can cause great strife, dividing teams and inciting battles. The greatest treasure can cause the greatest wars. Many Pokemon will die so that one can claim it. But if this is so, what is so great about it? What is Holy about it anymore? Perhaps only the truly innocent can remind it of its origin and thus becalm its bloodthirsty desires.”

Jaithan snorted. “That’s just plain ridiculous. It’s Holy, so that’s that. And I will find it.” He took off across the poisonous fields again. He would find it. And if someone else happened to find it first, well, he’d find a way to get it before they realized just what they had on their paws.

He would hold the Holy Nail.

-+-

The Dragonite sage sighed. “And thus, the strife continues. Forgive the foolishness of us poor mortals, oh great ones.”

[#Chimecho#]

w00t w00t! Dragonite. Tied for my favorite with Sandshrew. I liked this. The ideas of a Holy object not really being Holy since it is saught after, and causes strife. I like how the dungeon was a pretty nasty and vile place. A place full of evil. Inside, lys a 'Holy' item. Seems to be much meaning (though, I may be over analyzing lol!)

[tombux]

[QUOTE=As he approached the central area above the dungeon, he noticed strange things. The land itself had sunk. He used to see a large shallow dome above The Trembling Tunnels, but it was gone. Did that mean the dungeon, and its legendary treasure, was truly gone? After dozens of attempts to find it, the heavens merely laughed at him.

No, it had to still be there. It was a treasure greater than any other. It had to exist. It was known as the Holy Nail. It showed up from time to time in history. Although the stories varied, it was obvious that whoever managed to find the Holy Nail was destined for greatness. He had already proved himself to be the best in the land, yet he wanted something greater. He felt like his growing legend was incomplete. Gaining this treasure of treasures might be just the thing he needed.[/QUOTE]

ROFL Holy Nail

[Ysavvryl]

I've got to the hundreth Pokemon! And it's Crobat! Awesome. Makes me want to go hunt down a shiny Zubat/Golbat. Pink Crobat is awesome. And before anyone asks, I wrote the dialogue exactly as I heard these three in my head.

I was looking at holidays in February that I might want to do something for. Presidents Day is there; Probopass came to mind, but that seems ridiculous. There's also Ash Wednesday. That would be neat, but since I don't belong to a liturgical church, I'm not sure what would be appropriate. Any suggestions?

EDIT: Got another guest entry coming up. It's a good one.

Guest entry: #Chimecho# with Ponyta/Swellow/Barboach
In Process: Gallade/Gengar
On Deck: Aipom/Piloswine, Mudkip, Dunsparce/Qwilfish
Reserve: Luvdisc (2/14)


ZUBAT
Sapphire entry: Zubat avoids sunlight because exposure causes it to become unhealthy. During the daytime, it stays in caves or under the eaves of old houses, sleeping while hanging upside down.

GOLBAT
Ruby entry: Golbat loves to drink the blood of living things. It is particularly active in the pitch black of night. This Pokemon flits around in the night skies, seeking fresh blood.

CROBAT
Pearl entry: A Pokémon that gained vastly enhanced flying performance by having its legs turn into wings.


As the sun began to cross the horizon, Zubat woke up. He didn’t open his eyes, though. He never opened his eyes. His ears and sonar voice told him everything that he needed to know. What he found out for the moment was that he was still in the shadows of an old rundown barn. A difference in warmth told him that the sun was coming close to his location, something he didn’t like. But an older member of his kind, a Golbat, was hanging next to him, blocking the light from reaching his more sensitive skin.

Zubat stretched his wings out to help wake himself fully. “<Hey, thanks man.>”

“<No problem, man. You think you can find your flock?>”

“<Pretty sure. Once I find some landmark, I should be able to find the cave, at least.>”

Golbat, who did have full use of his eyes and his sonar, looked around the countryside. Farmland was all around them, fields full of wheat, soybeans, and corn. The barn they had spent the day in was abandoned and falling apart, but other buildings around were in better shape. From memory, he could name off twenty or so small caves that the young one could have come from. But he needed something to help Zubat become un-lost.

He rubbed an itchy spot on his nose with his wing tip, then pointed out to the northeast. “<There’s a group of three grain silos out that way a couple of miles. That any help?>”

Zubat checked to hear which direction Golbat was pointing in, then nodded. “<Three grain silos? Yeah, I think I know which ones you mean. We hunt around there sometimes. I can find my way back from there.>”

“<Good. Well, you’ve got a little while before the sun fades. I’ll hang out so nothing tries to snag you while you’re alone.>”

“<Right, they would once I was by myself. I got lucky last night in finding you before dawn.>”

“<S’alright, man. No biggie.>”

Then, quite to their surprise, another one of their kind came flying over the roof. This one slowed abruptly, sending it into a couple of aerial somersaults to turn around and face them while hovering upside down. “<S’up, dudes? Mind if I hang out and rest my wings for a bit?>”

“<Nah, we’re waiting on the sun to drop anyhow.>”

Zubat was quite awed. “<Hey, you’re an actual Crobat, man!>”

Crobat flipped around and clamped his lower wings onto the underside of the barn structure. “<Sure am, little dude. I come from far off, by the western sea.>”

“<Wow, I never thought I’d actually meet one of you. Almost nobody can evolve that far.>”

Crobat shrugged. “<Well almost nobody means somebody has to, am I right?>”

“<So how do you get that far, man? Is it like some super hard quest of the gods?>”

He laughed. “<No, thankfully not that. You got dreams to fly this far, little dude?>”

Zubat flipped his wings excitedly, almost falling off. “<Well yeah! I want to be that awesome.>”

Golbat snickered at the near-accident. Then he added, “<I’ve wondered that myself. I thought about it real hard, but can’t seem to figure it out. It’s not about getting real powerful like the other Pokemon ‘round these parts, cause some of my kin can fight off a Tauros, but can’t evolve.>”

Crobat nodded sagely. “<Well, you’re right, we ain’t like that. It’s a personal journey, dude, in order to get to this point. The inward instead of the outward, if you get my drift. You’ve got to take a good hard look at yourself and figure out who you really are and what truly makes you happy. It is hard; the answers will escape you at first, leaving you with more questions and uncertainty. But then there is that magic moment where you realize the simple truth and that’s when you can evolve into a bat like me.>”

Golbat frowned. “<Well if it is a simple truth, how come more of us don’t evolve? And what is that truth?>”

“<Sorry, can’t tell you.>”

“<Is it one of the secrets of the universe?>” Zubat asked, timid now.

Crobat laughed warmly and tapped the young one. “<Dude, you’ve got some serious dreaming going on in your head! I ain’t sure about that. The truth seems to be slightly different for each one that reaches this point. At least, mine wasn’t quite like the other Crobat I met a year back. But keep on dreaming; it’s a good sign that you might fly up to my level someday.>”

“<Oh, okay. So what’re you doing around here, man? You said you were from the sea.>”

“<Well I heard it said that the Shellos of the west coast have different tasting blood than the Shellos of the east coast. Now Shellos aren’t exactly the greatest meal in the world, yeah, but I’ve been wondering if that’s true. I’ve lived on the west coast forever, it seems, so I’m flying out to the east coast to find that truth.>”

“<I’ve heard about that too,>” Golbat said. “<But I’m not sure it’s worth flying a great distance just to sample the blood of a Shellos.>”

“<Come on, dude, where’s your sense of adventure? I’m sure there’ll be other Pokemon I’ve never tasted before too, so I think it’s worth the trip.>”

Golbat shook his head. “<Nah, there’s plenty of farm Pokemon around here, so I know there’ll always be a meal. And if I get lucky, I can take the blood of a human. Now that’s some good stuff.>”

“<Oh, I’ll agree with you on that. But humans are a dangerous prey to mess with. They got tools that’ll mess you up far more than any Pokemon could. And the Pokemon will usually fight you back alone. The humans will bring up other Pokemon and stomp you flat.>”

“<I wouldn’t know about that,>” Zubat said. “<I only eat microbugs right now.>”

“<That’s fine, you’re just a little dude right now. But if you ever get the urge to try later on, make sure to confuse ‘em real good. Or better yet, get them asleep.>”

“<But make sure they’re not confused in the first place,>” Golbat advised. “<I did that once and her blood tasted funny. And then I was all funny in the head all evening, not flying straight and laughing at every stupid little thing. Then in the morning, ugh, it makes me queasy just thinking about that morning after.>”

Crobat snickered. “<That’s called being drunk, dude. The human probably had too many beers that evening. You can tell cause they smell like it.>”

“<Whoa, okay, I’ll keep that in mind.>” Zubat stretched his wings out again; he sensed that the warm areas were cooling down, a sign that the sun was completely down. “<Well we’ve got to find my flock now. Goodbye, Crobat.>”

Crobat stretched out one of his main wings. “<Bye, little Zubat dude.>”


Note: Microbug is my term for insects that are not Pokemon: fleas, mosquitos, flies, beetles, normal 'bugs' for us. I imagine that you couldn't catch them in Pokeballs (and wouldn't want to, anyhow).

[#Chimecho#]

lol, I really like this one. Jonathan Livingston Seagull, just as you said. It had that feel too it (probably since you reminded me of it in your reply ^^ ).

Wonder what that Truth is... (only I would get that pun.. and my friends)

This was good. I liked the way the bats had a surfer feel to them. Man, and dude lol!

I really liked it.

EDIT: Nothing I could see wrong with it. Described well and the characterization was good. (I noticed I haven't been giving feedback on your writing. I will post my Guest Entry after a day or so. When and if others reply to your story)

[SugarPesticide]

The Holy Nail? Where do you come up with these awesome ideas? I loved it. And Crobat's personality was awesome too. ^_^

President's Day? If you hadn't already done it, I'd suggest Obamasnow. *shot*

[TheSequelReturns]

Just checking back in to let you know I'm still reading.

I especially liked the Kangaskhan and Zubat/Golbat/Crobat ones.

The Kangaskhan one had a great setting and atmosphere and the "unknown" legendary statue was really cool.

The Crobat was hilarious. Just the way they all talked seemed so perfect. And I actually have a shiny Zubat.

Anyway, I'll PM you details for my guest entry soon.

[#Chimecho#]

Hello

Here is my second guest entry. Once again, thank you Ysavvryl for allowing me to post a Podedex One-Shot and helping fix it up. I hope everyone enjoys it.

><> Truth


Ponyta
Pearl Entry: Ponyta’s legs grow strong while it chases after its parent. It runs in fields and mountains all day.

Swellow
Ruby Entry: Swellow Flies high above our heads, making graceful arcs in the sky. This Pok&#233;mon dives at a steep angle as soon as it spots its prey. The hapless prey is tightly grasped by Swellow's clawed feet, preventing escape.

Barboach
Sapphire Entry: Barboach's body is covered with a slimy film. If a foe grabs it, this Pok&#233;mon just slips out of the enemy's grip. This Pok&#233;mon grows weak if the slimy coating dries up.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The sun was setting. Oranges, pinks and purples spread across and rose in the sky. A pasture of Ponyta lay in the distance. They galloped and frolicked about all day long, giving chase to their parents or racing one another. Through this perpetual motion, the Ponyta had muscular legs.

A lake was on the edge of the pasture. The water was a clear blue, and all around it furry plants and grass swayed with the wind. Inside the lake was a limited amount of life that hid under the rocks I the lake. There were only a few kinds of fish, a dozen Magikarp, several Goldeen and a few Barboach.

High above a creature lurked. It stared down into the lake with its keen eyesight, scanning the water; waiting. Its blue top and white bottom wings held it easily in the sky. It had two tail feathers, both lunging sharply upward.

A Ponyta in the distance had noticed the bird. She stopped chasing her all too quick parents and instead observed the bird. She was eyeing it curiously, wondering what it was up to, way out here. Absent mindedly, she trotted towards the bird, never letting her eyes of it.

I wonder what that bird is up to, flying above the lake.

She came closer to the shoreline of the lake and recognized the bird immediately. It was a Swellow, a strong and stubborn bird. It would fly up their all day, waiting for its decided meal to poke its face out of the water. The Swellow’s powerful blue wings would allow it to soar all day. The bird looked fierce, with a neck and face of red, almost like war paint. One blue line streaked through the red, creating a collar.

Fierce and handsome were these creatures. Soaring elegantly, with minimum effort. Two tail feathers, sticking straight up always meant a sign of good health. This swellow was healthy, and no doubt looking for food; diligently waiting for the right moment to use its red claws to dig into the skin of some unlucky fish.

Ponyta, however, knew not the intent of the bird. Instead, she gazed upon its majesty; mystified by its elegance and power.

“Hey Fitz. What brings you over to the lake?” asked a voice. Startled, Ponyta leapt backwards and frantically looked about her. She noticed the fish, sticking its white head and blue mouth out of the water. Two blue whiskers protruded from the top of its mouth. It was her good friend Muds.

“Oh my gosh! Don’t startle me like that next time. I almost died from fright.” She spoke, with a breathy voice, relieved that it was her friend that spoke to her.

The barboach giggled, his squeaky voice filling Fitz’s ears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were so lost in thought or something like that.”

“Well, that’s okay.” She looked up and didn’t see the bird above her anymore. “Hey, Muds, did you see a swellow in the sky just now?”

“A...a… swellow?” Muds shivered with fear. “I didn’t see one. But I think I should be going now. If there is one… I don’t want to be around to shake its claw.” With that, Muds dived into the water and swam towards the middle of the lake.

“Aww… cmon, don’t be a scaredy skitty. It was probably just looking around. I don’t see it anymore. It must have gone off. Come back here!”

She huffed as her friend ignored her. The flames on her back light bigger with anger. “Fine then! I’ll just talk to you later!” With that she stormed off.

“The nerve of that guy. Scaring me then running off without so much as a goodbye. Just because a little bird was around he quivers his fins.” She had walked a couple of minutes away from the lake before she looked up into the sky again. She noticed the Swellow flying closer to the ground, going towards the lake at an angle. Its powerful wings held close into its body, gaining speed, descending towards the lake at an incredible rate.

“Now, I wonder what this guy is up to.”

Before she realized it, the Swellow had passed her and shoved its claws into the lake, pulling out a skinny white fish, with a blue mouth and protruding whiskers.

“Help me! It got me!” the little fish squeaked, even higher than it normally did. It was Muds.

Without hesitation, Fitz galloped towards the lake as the bird started flying back in her direction. “Muds! Wriggle free. Aren’t you suppose to be slimy?!”

With her quick thinking, Muds realized she was right, and wriggled harder than before. Even as tight as Swellow’s grip was, Muds managed to slide free. He started plummeting to the earth. The Swellow was not about to let his game get free though. Quickly and elegantly spinning around, the bird dove after its prey.

Fitz was close now, and saw swellow dive back down for Muds. Muds was getting closer to the ground, too fast for her comfort. A thought flashed through her mind. He might not survive the fall.

Fitz, worrying for her friends safety, decided that all she could do was save him from either the powerful creature, or help him survive the fall. So she chose. I need to cover his back. He should be able to survive the fall if he…

“Muds! Save yourself. Squirt as much water you can towards the ground!”

Muds opened its small mouth and blasted water out, hitting the ground. The ground became muddy, and the blast was slowing him down.

Fitz puffed her chest up, rearing her head up. The flames on her body blazed faster, brightening. Without knowing what she was about to do, she blasted a long streaming flame into the sky. She couldn’t control it, but she managed to block the swellow from grabbing his prey again.

Muds had landed softly on the ground, spent after using all the water it could. He was breathing heavily. He could survive on land, but it was difficult to move easily on it.

Fitz was shocked at what she had done, but quickly recovered as the swellow descended upon Muds. After running for many days on the field, Fitz gathered all the strength she had and blitzed towards the bird whose speed was demonic.

Fitz, could not match the speed, but she had been closer from the start, and stood above the fish before the swellow could reach out with its claws.

She pulled her head upwards and roared.

“GO AWAY!”

Her chest puffed up again, and the flames on her body blazed quickly once again. A stream of fire shot out of her mouth for the second time today, creating a sucking sound from the intense heat. The fire scored a direct hit on the swellow’s chest and neck. He got rocketed upwards, flung across the sky and into the lake.

“Muds! Muds… are you all right?” the Ponyta asked sympathetically, forgetting her previous anger towards the fish.

Groaning, and breathing raspy, he managed to squeaky “yea.”

Fitz stood by the fish, letting him rest before she would ask him if he wanted her to take him back to the lake. She then remembered the bird and glanced where it fell. She noticed the bird was not getting up and flying away.

I hope he can’t fly anymore. Deserves him right, he won’t bother us anymore. She couldn’t stop thinking about the bird as she stared now at a figure floating on the lakes surface. Her amber eyes betrayed her, showing the worry she felt now. A lump built up in her throat. Did I kill him?

“Fitz, what’s wrong? Is something the matter? Are you hurt?” the fish coughed, regaining strength as he breathed more evenly.

“That Swellow… is not getting up from the lake…”

Muds raised his head, looking towards the lake. At first he felt glad. But as he stared at the unmoving figure, his eyes began to widen. Worry and fear were painting themselves on his face. His strength rejuvenated itself faster now.

“Bring me over into the lake. Maybe I can help him. Hurry before he sinks.”

Muds gave a commanding voice, almost deeper than his voice has ever been. Fitz didn’t argue, and opened her mouth. He hopped in, and her hate for the taste of fish came back. Her kind never ate meat, but she accidentally tried to eat a magikarp before; it didn’t work out too well. What was worse was Muds slimy texture, but Fitz ran to the lake anyways, trying to push the taste out of her mind.

Once she reached the lake, she lowered her muzzle and Muds slid into the water. He sped off in the direction of the sinking swellow, whose head managed to stay above the water for a few more seconds.

When he had reached the swellow, he pushed up against the bird with all his strength towards the shore, where a now a worried Ponyta waited.

As gentle and close as he could, Muds put the swellow up onto the shore. Fitz sat there, dazed, wondering what to do. The only sign of life the bird showed was a steady breathing. He hadn’t drowned; only knocked unconscious. Muds lifted the swellow above the water just before he was about to breathe in water.

He needs to dry off, Fitz thought to herself. She nudged the bird up the shore with her muzzle, away from the water. She then laid down around the bird, curling her body close to his. She relaxed and made her flames shrink enough so she would not burn the swellow.

She sat there for ten… twenty…….. thirty minutes before the bird started to move. He first coughed a little, then pulled his head up before swinging it back down. He was dizzy. He looked around after his head stopped spinning. What he saw surprised him.

A ponyta was huddled around him, gazing intently at him. A barboach lay on the shoreline, not too far from where he was, staring with just as much intensity as the ponyta.

“Wha… What… happened?” Swellow managed to say, breathing deeply with each word. He never felt so out of breathe.

The ponyta answered him. “You tried to eat my friend! That’s what happened. Then I gave you a lashing. You plummeted, and fell in the water. Your earlier ‘catch’ saved you just in the nick of time, before you started swallowing water.” She was suddenly angry at him. She huffed and looked away. The flames on her body started to grow.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry…. Please forgive me.” He was apologizing. Food was food to him. He never thought much about the food he ate.

“You’re lucky Muds over there saved you. I would have been long gone before you woke up if he didn’t look so worried about you,” she snobbishly looked away, “Thank him for saving you too. And apologize to him. You didn’t do anything but worry me about my friend. Whom you were going to devour.” Fitz stood up, easing herself up around him, and walked away.

“Sorry about her. She angers quickly, but she is really a kind person. My name is Muddling, but everyone calls me Muds.” The Barboach spoke to the Swellow. His fear of the bird had gone.

“My name is Starkly," the bird puffed up proudly, only to cough in pain. "Sorry about earlier…. Food is food…. You know?”

“That’s okay. I understand. Except, I would have hated to be eaten….” Muds laughed a little, “I guess you will be going when you regain your strength.”

Starkly nodded. He managed to stand up, wobbling a little from side to side. He had gained some strength.

“I don’t think I can fly. That fire…. whatever it was…. was too strong. It might take me a few hours to recover.”

Muds nodded sympathetically, “Makes sense. That was a strong blast. She would have roasted me.”

The two talked a while longer, before dark had fully descended. Fitz was sleeping near her parents. Muds dove deep, hiding under the lake floor. Starkly remained in the grassy field near the lake most of the night. Regaining strength as he slept.




He awoke in the middle of the night. The stars twinkled in the sky. A cool breeze came from the East, making the grass sway. Kricketune chirped their melodies, singing to the full moon. Starkly felt a wondrous peace that he never once came across. The way the world was completely at ease; molding everything together into beauty. A beauty he did not think he encountered before… or had not noticed. His experience with death now must have brought about this new awareness. He looked up into the sky, and thought about life. He thought about death.

How trivial, is it, for one such as myself to merely survive? But what is there besides only surviving?

He tried to shake off his ‘ridiculous’ notion, but then stopped, and mumbled to himself, “Maybe there is more to life….”

The bird flapped his wings, testing his strength. He could make it some distance before he needed to rest again. He sat up, preparing to leave. He looked at it all once more. A star flashed across the sky.

He jumped up and rose with the winds.




Fitz heard something, a whistle of wind. She looked up and saw the bird, flying elegantly in the sky, rocking with the wind. It flew high going at the pace of the clouds, shimmering next to the stars.

How she wished she could fly. She closed her eyes, and lulled back to sleep, listening to the Kricketunes’ song.

[Smear Vinci]

Go barboach!

These are as good as ever. I would like to request a beedrill b lease?

[Ysavvryl]

Those three worked so nicely together. I'm always pleasently surprised when that happens with a group of apparently random Pokemon.

I'm tempted to play around with this story and make it much longer. It has some interesting questions and issues that I've not seen done in Pokemon fanfic. Course, it might have been done and I've just plain not seen it.

In Process: Aipom/Piloswine
On Deck: Mudkip, Dunsparce/Qwilfish, Beedrill
Reserve: Luvdisc (2/14)


GENGAR
Ruby/Sapphire entry: Sometimes, on a dark night, your shadow thrown by a streetlight will suddenly and startlingly overtake you. It is actually a Gengar running past you, pretending to be your shadow.

GALLADE
Diamond/Pearl entry: A master of courtesy and swordsmanship, it fights using extending swords on its elbows.


It was late. The flow of people along the city sidewalks was slowing. Most were in a hurry, to get home, to get to a party, to get to an appointment, to get somewhere else. A woman trying to hold onto a full basket and dial her cell phone was unwittingly asking for an accident. The accident obliged, catching her heels in a crack and causing her to stumble forward.

Someone caught her. At first, she thought it was some skinny teenager with odd tastes in clothing. Fresh white and spring green wasn’t a fashion trend that she was aware of. But then it was apparent that his body was too slim and his head was not quite human-like. It was a Pokemon.

Still, it was polite enough to bend over and pick up a stray package that had fallen out of her basket. When he handed the underwear box to her, she was briefly glad that it was Pokemon helping her. Blushing, she slipped it back into the basket. “Thanks,” she mumbled, then went on her way.

The Gallade nodded. “<You’re welcome,>” he replied, then went on his way.

He walked down the street on his errand. True, he could have teleported and made this menial task much quicker. But he wanted to soak in this moment alone, reflective... quiet.

The night streets weren’t exactly quiet. There were still cars and motorcycles rumbling along the roads. The lights overhead hummed and attracting buzzing bugs. Apartments he passed by had blaring radios, loud conversations, noisy machines. It was different though, and in that difference he could be reflective.

Arriving at the parking lot of the convenience store, he paused and wondered why he was doing this. He had been loyal and obedient to his Trainer for years. He had defeated many difficult opponents and achieved many lofty goals. All that, and what did he get out of it? Moving into a frantic city where the best thing to happen all day was running a simple errand? It didn’t seem fair. He was still young, he should be able to...

Although he was standing, his shadow jumped out in front of him and made a rude gesture. He tensed for a moment, but soon realized what was going on. He stepped forward with his right foot and extended both of his arm blades. “<Looking for trouble, shadow?>”

It appeared to laugh, bringing out identical blades and waving them about like a bad kung-fu actor. In contrast, the Gallade made several quick jabs with his right blade, then followed up with a graceful slash of his left. The shadow brought both of its arms over its head, then sliced them down in a motion of brute force. He responded by retracting his left blade, then shooting Psybeam at the ground.

The false shadow popped right out of the ground, transforming into a hulking dark purple beast. It had ghostly claws on bulky arms, nothing suitable for mimicking a graceful sword artist. Still, he had a broad grin. “<Hey Ray. It’s been a while.>”

He sighed as he retracted his right blade too. “<Good evening, George. And yet you still look like a fool when playing at my shadow.>”

The Gengar held his claws up and shook his head. “<I ain’t got no interest in following your smarmy style. How’s the jerk doing?>”

“<You’re just angry that he traded you off.>” Ray paused a moment, considering that it was a fair reason for his former teammate to dislike their Trainer. “<He’s all right. Does good at his job, has lots of friends, that kind of thing.>”

“<Boring. I’m glad to be on my own.>”

“<So what exactly are you doing? Pestering me for old time’s sake?>”

“<Could be. Nah. I was looking for you, actually.>”

Skeptical of this, he put his hands on his hips. “<For me?>”

George nodded, but the glint to his eyes suggested something was up. “<Yeah, for you. What are you doing on this lovely night?>”

“<That’s none of your business.>”

In his usual spooky manner, he was soon standing next to Ray instead of in front of him. “<Oo, are we being evasive tonight? You’re not evasive unless it’s something you really dislike.>”

“<It’s nothing, really, just picking up some things from the store.>”

“<Like what things?>” Enjoying his discomfort greatly, George grinned to show his sharp teeth. “<I know you won’t lie to someone you know.>”

“<You know me way too well,>” he grumbled.

“<So what is it that’s got us all tensed up tonight?>”

“<It’s just a stupid errand, but it’s the only excuse I’ve had to leave the house all day. I’m picking up some baby formula and diapers.>”

To Ray’s surprise, George seemed almost pleasantly surprised. “<Is that so? The jerk and his woman had a baby?>”

“<Twins, actually,>” he replied, relaxing some at how the news was taken. “<Two boys. It’s been quite exciting the past year.>”

He chuckled. “<Nice, twins. Sounds a bit too exciting, if you ask me. You all getting settled into the domestic life, then?>”

“<It’s only as long as the twins are little. When they’re older, we’ll go back to traveling and camping like before.>”

“<Yeah right. Sounds like you’re stuck being a homebody.>”

“<Just temporarily,>” Ray argued, getting tense again. “<Our, sorry, my Trainer is all for heading back out to the wilds when the kids can handle it. He likes to tell all the great stories, like how we explored those old mines and found that Dawn Stone just in the nick of time to keep me from evolving into a Gardevoir. And even ones with you, like how you intimidated all the Ghastlies into leaving us alone in the graveyard that night...>”

George waved that off. “<Ah, then he’s turning into a storyteller like all the others. I’ve talked to a bunch of other guys, and they say that once the humans start having kids, then it’s all over for you. Your best days are behind you.>”

“<No they’re not,>” he replied, although there had been many times that he had thought that exact thing today.

The Gengar chuckled, then pulled out a large coin and tossed it over. “<You keep telling yourself that. Or, I’ve got an offer for you.>”

He caught the coin and looked at it. Made of copper, it was marked with an Octillery on one side, and a name on the other. “<A bar token?>”

“<I’m heading out on a quest of sorts, with some guys. It’ll be quite an adventure, but I doubt any human would come along with us. We were talking about what and who we might need and I knew immediately that you would be an immense help. That is, if you’d come along.>”

“<I’m a loyal Pokemon,>” Ray said sternly.

George nodded. “<And so am I, to those who deserve it. That is why I came looking for you. Are you really going to stay loyal to someone who’s going to restrain you to home for the rest of your life? And what difference is there between how he treated you and how he treated me?>”

“<He’s not about to trade me.>”

“<Are you sure? You keep your blades pretty sharp, don’t you?>”

“<Of course. I’m proud of them.>”

“<So what’s he going to do when his woman complains about having a bladed Pokemon around their kids?>”

“<I wouldn’t hurt the twins.>”

“<But you know how mothers can get.>”

“<She knows I wouldn’t harm them.>”

“<Okay, then you just keep telling yourself that it’s not a bad thing to be stuck as a homebody, only getting out at odd hours to serve the crying babies. Or, you can drop by that place some night this week and talk with us. But this week, mind you. After that, I’m sorry, but you’re on your own.>” George then dematerialized back into the shadows and left.

Part of Ray’s mind told him it was best to throw the Octillery bar token away. But it wasn’t strong enough to make him do it. More of him feared that George was speaking the truth, that his best days were behind him thanks to those two brats. Not that he’d tell anyone that he thought of the twins as brats who were stealing his Trainer’s attention and love.

Even after all this time apart, George knew him much too well. Ray went in to pick up the formula and the diapers. But as he paid for them, he wondered if he had the nerve to run away.

[#Chimecho#]

When he handed underwear box to her,

A 'the' is missing.


This was good. I liked Gallades character and the thoughts about a trainer having children and what happens to the Pokemon. Jealousy... just like a child. Which made it rather... heartwarming in a sense.

I liked it ^^

[TheSequelReturns]

You're right, I haven't seen an issue like this brought up in a fan-fic. It does have some interesting points though. Well, congrats on another original idea. I enjoyed this one, as well as #chimecho#'s. Who would have guess that three random pokemon would work so well together.

[SugarPesticide]

The ponyta answered him

Needs punctuation. Besides that, I couldn't find any errors.

I quite liked Ponyta/Swellow/Barboach, they just fit together so nicely. And Gengar/Gallade does bring up some interesting points that I just have to ponder over. Great job to both of you. ^_^

[#Chimecho#]

Dun Dun DUN!!!!! An Error Was Found! haha!

Thanks for catching that ^^, and for the nice replies.

The Gengar/Gallade was really interesting, in the sense it brought up multiple things I haven't really seen other stories bring up. There are such great story ideas in most of Ysavvyrl's one-shots. Things to expand off of is what I mean.

[Ysavvryl]

Intro to this one went on a little longer than I expected, but it's still good.

Glancing ahead to March, there's two holidays in close proximety: St. Patrick's Day (17th) and the vernal equinox (first day of spring-20th). Since the last legendary story I did was back in December, I'd like to do a legendary for one of those holidays and something thematic for the other. I'm open to any suggestions (although I have a feeling one legendary has a 75% chance of being picked for either holiday).

Completed: Luvdisc (2/14)
In Process: Mudkip
On Deck: Dunsparce/Qwilfish, Beedrill


AIPOM
Emerald entry: Its tail ends with a dexterous, handlike appendage. However, because it uses the tail so much, Aipom's real hands have become rather clumsy.

PILOSWINE
Emerald entry: A Piloswine is covered by a thick coat of long hair for enduring freezing cold. It uses its tusks to dig up food that has been buried under ice.


The first in line was the Piloswine. He seemed like a tall mound of brown hair wading through the sparkling snow. Acting as a natural plow, he dug his tusks into the stuff and heaved it off the sidewalk. He did not walk directly down the path; instead, he wove around clearing it of snow. Snowpoint nearly always was coated in white, but last night’s storm had dumped two feet of hard icy snow on top of everyone. It crunched delightfully when one walked on it, but made it dangerous to go far.

The second in line was the Aipom. Unlike her peer, she was not happy with the cold. Over her natural violet coat of fur, she wore a bright green coat borrowed from a child, a rainbow hat knitted by their Trainer’s granny, and a custom made glove over her tail. In that tail’s grasp, she held onto a shovel. She used that to get spots the Piloswine missed, as he was best at clearing large amounts of snow.

The last in line was their Trainer, a ten-year-old boy who carried an old broom and pulled a red wagon. The broom was for clearing anything leftover snow and scaring off wild Pokemon from his working ones. The wagon was for carrying his things and for Aipom to ride in on the way back home. While Piloswine didn’t mind walking around all day, she would get tired or start fussing over her wet feet and hands.

Although it wasn’t yet noon, they was starting to feel tired from the day’s work. They’d been up since dawn shoveling people’s walks and driveways. While it was a chore that the residents got used to, their neighbors were grateful to have a Saturday morning free. They had paid pretty well, the boy thought. His goal was to buy a heated bed for Aipom.

He had caught her during the summer when he’d been visiting some relatives in Florama Town, so she really disliked the northern city’s climate. She had been sleeping near Piloswine for a while, but they wound up annoying each other. His parents did not like the two of them arguing in the middle of the night, so he had to tell Aipom not to sleep by Piloswine even though his fur was warm. Then she started digging into the laundry basket and sleeping in the dirty clothes. The boy’s mother had not liked that either.

He was pretty sure that he had enough money for the bed, but felt bad in not buying his older Pokemon anything. However, his parents had limits to how far he could go from the house, even with his two Pokemon. They had run out of driveways and sidewalks to clear. But then at the last house, he got a great offer. They could get ten dollars instead of two if they cleared the path and stairs leading up to Snowpoint Temple.

The Temple was a source of wonder for all the kids of Snowpoint. Few people allowed inside, but the older kids said that if one snuck in, there were tons of powerful Pokemon waiting for a fight. He wasn’t interested in doing that today, though. He didn’t think his Pokemon could handle the ones inside alone. Maybe if they were stronger.

The group reached the stairs, which presented something of a problem. The Temple sat on a raised stone surface, so there was nowhere to throw the snow to except back down where they had already cleared. Piloswine stopped and turned to him. Aipom dropped her tail down, putting the shovel on the sidewalk.

“Go ahead and toss the snow down here,” the boy told the older Pokemon as he parked the wagon. “And you swap tools with me.”

Piloswine huffed agreeably, causing the lower parts of his fur to billow out. Then he dug a patch out of the lower step and began shoving the snow down.

“Oook,” Aipom squeaked, then brought the shovel back up for him to take hold of. When she took the old broom, she playfully spun it around before figuring out how to wield it properly.

The boy then went about shoveling up the snow Piloswine threw down, then tossing that off the sidewalk. Aipom followed up by sweeping off the steps and getting into the corners. It took a long while; the houses he’d done so far had a few steps leading up to the door, at most three. The Temple had twelve long steps leading up to its entrance. Adding to that time, Aipom and Piloswine kept flicking snow at each other. But they seem to be having fun, so their Trainer only laughed.

As they finished up, the gatekeeper of the Temple came down the path. “Thank you very much for doing this,” she said. “I’ve been busy making arrangement with a group of scientists who are visiting later.” She handed over a ten dollar bill.

“You’re welcome; glad we could help.” He took the bill and put it into a box where he kept all the other payments. This would be enough for the heated bed and some treat for Piloswine. And maybe even some trading cards for himself.

“You three are good workers. I never liked having Fire Pokemon clear the walkway. If they don’t make sure the path is completely dry, it freezes up something awful.”

“Really? So, what’s it like in there? Can I go see?”

“No, you can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

He was going to try pestering her into letting him in anyways. Realizing this, his Pokemon looked around for something to do to pass the time. Aipom looked up at the edge of the roof. A dazzling row of icicles sparkled in the sunlight. One of them had something stuck in it. Something dark, shiny, and small.

Cooing in interest, she hopped over to underneath it. There were columns holding the roof up, but none close enough to the icicle she wanted. There were trees growing thickly nearby, but they also weren’t close enough. So how should she get to it?

She tried putting her tail hand on the ground and stretching up tall. But when she stretched her small arms out, there was no way she’d reach it. She tried hopping up, but couldn’t manage the height. She even tried standing on her forearms and stretching her tail up. No, that wasn’t enough.

Piloswine scuttled up to her. “Fuuff fuu?” he huffed. He rarely made significant noises, but she could tell by how his eyebrows pushed his fur aside that he was curious.

Hopping back up on her tail, she pointed up at the mystery treasure in the icicle. “Ooo, ook.”

He shook his head, clearing some fur away from his eyes, then looked up. Those brown eyes squinted, though. He didn’t have the best eyesight. Huffing again, he looked at her.

Aipom waved him over and hopped back. Trying not to be too excited in her gestures, she pointed at the spot directly underneath the icicle, then back up at it. Piloswine might just be tall enough to help her get the treasure.

“Mmmm?” He glanced back up, then seemed to get the idea. He shuffled over to the spot she pointed to. “Fuff.”

“Aaip.” She dropped down to her hands and feet, then reached her tail up to grasp onto Piloswine’s back. Flipping herself up from there, she checked her reach to the icicle.

It was closer. Not quite there, but other icicles were longer and she could reach those. She grasped the nearest one. It was slick and she instantly lost grip. After trying a second time, she tensed up her tail and hopped up higher. “Ooof,” the Piloswine responded, then shuffled aside to watch what she was doing.

Aipom had to scramble to get a good hold on the icicles. Once she found a rough patch, she managed to steady herself. She was now in a better position to see the treasure. It was some sort of claw, either mid- or dark-blue depending on how she tilted her head. Its owner had probably lost it climbing up these icicles too.

But it was hers now. She grasped the icicle with her tail hand and yanked it off the roof. It snapped off cleanly. The claw stayed in place. But above her, the snow pack on the roof trembled. “Uh-ooo,” she murmured.

Nothing happened.

Relieved, she reached over to the next icicle in order to get a good look down before jumping off. It snapped quickly, disturbing the snow pack again. This time, it slid right off the roof, taking several icicles and Aipom down with it. The mass of snow crashed down right next to Piloswine, making him grunt in surprise.

The two humans then paid attention to the Pokemon again. “Aipom?” the boy called when he didn’t see her right off. He hurried over. “What happened to Aipom?”

Piloswine huffed, then went to the new pile of snow and dug. Before long, he had enough snow moved so that Aipom could get herself free. “Brrrr,” she said, shivering.

“Fuuuff fu,” he responded, bumping into her.

“I’d better get you back home. Come on, you can ride in the wagon.”

She scrambled fully out of the snow pile and brought her tail up to her face. The icicle was still there, along with the claw. “Oook!” she called excitedly, presenting the frozen treasure to her Trainer.

He took the icicle. “Huh? Is this a Weavile claw? Cool!”

“Now there’s something we don’t see in town often,” the gatekeeper said. “I hear that you might get lucky if you let a Sneasel hold onto that.”

“I don’t have one of them. Might as well keep it, in case I manage to catch one. I’ll see you later. I’m really cold right now, but I’m sure she needs to get warm more than me.”

She nodded. “Right. Thanks again for your hard work.”

Aipom jumped into the wagon and waved at the gatekeeper. Piloswine huffed, then followed alongside the boy as they went home.

[tombux]

First! Woot!

[tombux]

First! Woot! Good story!