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46

Writer's Guild / Dragon Warrior TF

« on: August 16, 2019, 02:05:51 PM »

You guys didn't think I gave up on writing transformation stories, did you?

Yes, this is a brand new story that has transformation within, and what couldn't be better than turning into a dragon? Outside of a fox, that is. XP

In this case, this is a commission story as given by EisenManfred who wished to be transformed into his character, Gakyon, while playing a game of DnD with his friends Caleb_Lloyd, Arroavantho, Cecilia, and Stark (also known as Generic Meatbag #14). I believe that I did a pretty good job with it,

In any case, enjoy!

P.S.
I wonder how many readers here will recall Luke. ;)

-----

A brown-haired man wrote down the last few notes and stats for his new Dungeons and Dragon character. This character, he believed, will be a great and over-the-top warrior who will take on any monster in his path with his handy ax. A giant, at eight and a half feet tall with massive, bulging muscles that break the sturdiest wagon by just sitting on it. Even without his scales, little would pierce through the muscle layers.

Of course, it wasn’t a typical DnD game, with this one ran by furries like that man. To his friends in the DnD group, the brown-haired man called himself Eisen. A man with big ideas and a will to fulfill them as much as possible. Eisen planned for the new character, a wingless dragon by the name Gakyon, to be his primary from that point onward.

Though he also said something of the sort with the last twenty characters he planned with only five completed.

He lifted his pencil and his light blue eyes shined bright as he looked at his new, completed character sheet. Tonight’s game, he hoped, will amaze the others with the crazy yet awesome Gakyon. In any case, he should start to pack up and get ready for the night, despite it only a few hours off.

His hand reached out to his left and grasped-

“Huh?”

The dice bag wasn’t there.

Eisen blinked as he turned his head towards where his hand grasped, and he saw no dice bag, despite it being the usual spot for it.

“Where is it?” Eisen said to himself as he got up and looked around. His eyes skimmed through every hiding spot and places where he could’ve placed the bag from inside every drawer to under the bed and behind the desk. Yet, the dice bag remained missing as his heart beats faster in a panic. “Are you kidding me? Today of all days where I have a DnD game when it goes missing.”

Eisen glanced at the clock on the desk, which just turned 2:00 PM. “I have plenty of time and just enough gas to go to the usual shop to buy a replacement. Just that it’s so freaking annoying.”

Eisen, with a quick grab at the car keys laying on a shelf and with light feet on the ground, ran outside to his car. Though the vehicle is on its last gallon due to being short on funds, the drive to the game shop happened to be a few minutes away and so plenty of mileage left. With a slight grin, he opened the car door and hopped in, wallet in hand.

-----

“What do you mean it went out of business?”

Eisen let out a low, angry hiss as he glared at sign planted on the window. He already read it several times in denial and anger, but he read it one last time.

Sorry, we’re closed due to poor sales. We apologized for the inconvenience.

“Good. Good.”

Eisen looked around the shops around this one, though most had closed as well for similar reasons. The economic environment around this shopping center, or rather former shopping center, had suffered a downward spiral for years since the main store, once a large grocery store belonging to a massive chain of stores across the continent, closed. When it closed, the little stores folded one by one with this game store being one of the remaining ones until now. He hoped that it remained that way just a bit longer, but reality said otherwise. While he does know another store that has DnD, it was several miles away.

“And at this rate, I’ll need gas for the car,” Eisen said in a low voice. “That will chew up any remaining savings I have, including the ones needed for the new dice. What to do?”

Eisen looked through the windows of the former game shop, hoping that some of their stuff was left behind. But not even a worn-out poster remained.

“Would’ve been illegal anyway. I hoped that the others are willing to let me borrow their dice.” Eisen shook his head and turned.

Halfway between the turn from the closed shop and the car, his light blue eyes saw that a store that opened a few steps away. He paused and tilted his head, wondering how he missed it since he swore it wasn’t there a few minutes ago, before he walked towards it. As the store window become more explicit to see, his eyes widened a bit, and he gave out a big grin.

Another game store opened here.

“Why is my luck so stupid today?” Eisen asked himself as he reached to the door handle and, with a twist, swung it opened.

His light blue eyes looked around the inside of the shop as his footsteps echoed down below. The shop looked spacious, too spacious for that matter since it seemed like it encompassed the entire store block and beyond. Must be some sort of clever illusion with some mirrors, Eisen thought.

The store’s products, from what he could see, seemed like its every gaming stuff, from tabletop RPGs and board games to video games and computer games. Heck, even toys, plastic and stuffed, based off of those games were here with a few he recognized such as that one with the plumber.

“Hello there,” a voice from Eisen’s left said.

Eisen stopped mid-step, and he turned his head towards the source before he gave out a gasp. There stood one of the most realistic fursuit he ever saw, with the animal based from a jackal and with green eyes that looked too real. His tail, at least doubled the size of his body, swayed behind him with every step of his exotic designed digitigrade paws. The claws on said paws clicked against the wooden ground as a hand pressed against his belt, tight around his blue jeans and cyan shirt.

“Oh wow,” Eisen said as he walked around the jackal, which Eisen believed to be the owner of this shop. “I didn’t think anyone would be as bold like you to show off your furry side.”

“Thanks, I guess,” the jackal responded as he flicked his ear, causing Eisen to take a stand back in awe. The jackal also turned his head so that Eisen never left his sight. “It’s not like I had a choice in the matter. I do, but I also don’t. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Oh, I need new dice for a DnD game I have tonight,” Eisen answered as he stood behind the shopkeeper, resisting the urge to even touch that massive tail. He wanted to ask the shopkeeper for permission, but he felt that even asking was too rude. Anyone with such a glorious tail would value it over winning ten thousand dollars.

“Ah, sure. Just give me one moment for me to get them,” the shopkeeper said before, to Eisen surprised, he sprinted down what looked like endless shelves. Eisen raised his hand, not wishing to tire out the fursuit-wearing guy by searching something he could find for himself, but the shopkeeper had already left his sight.

Eisen, alone again, looked around the general entrance to the shop and his eye caught a plush toy on a shelf. He approached the toy, with its sleek fake-fur and its nine tails with it red, sharp eyes. Eisen felt the temptation to touch it, to cuddle it, and gave it its own name. But he doubted that he would ever let go of such a toy and he doesn’t wish to spend more money than needed at this moment.

“Got them,” a voice behind Eisen said with a loud voice. Eisen jumped a bit before he spun around and saw the jackal with a bag that rang when shook. “Sorry for scaring you.”

“I wasn’t scared at all,” Eisen responded as he stepped forward. “I was just admiring your products. Though I haven’t touched them, I swear.”

“I know you didn’t. If you did, I would’ve known,” the shopkeeper jackal said with a grin. Eisen tilted his head in confusion from that grin. What kind of animatronics does that head have?

Eisen shrugged as he stepped towards the cash register, old fashion and with a golden finished. “If you say so. Though it’s just the dice for me today. I need to save money.”

The shopkeeper nodded, and he jumped over the desk to the other side with such incredible grace for someone wearing a suit. He pressed a few keys on the cash register, and a few numbers popped up. “$10.57 is your total for today.”

Eisen pulled out his wallet and opened it, but no cash remained within. So, with hesitation, he removed a card and handed it to the jackal. “Do you accept cards, Mr.-”

“Oh yes, it does,” the shopkeeper answered with a grin before he swiped the card and slid it through. “And you can call me Luke.” The numbers slid down, and paper rolled out from a printer. He ripped out the receipt and handed it and the card to Eisen. “Here you go. Have a magical time in DnD.”

“Thank you very much, Luke,” Eisen said as he tucked in his card and pocketed in the receipt. He picked up the dice bag, turned towards the door, and opened it as his happy mood increased. “Great costume, by the way.”

Eisen grinned before he turned back for a bit and waved at Luke, not noticing the confusion written all over the jackal’s body. He then stepped out from the shop and headed towards the car.

-----

Night came as if night completed its shift and wanted to leave as quick as possible, with a golden haze over the horizon and a few stars peaking out. Eisen drove his car, with its fuel light on, towards the DM’s house with his brand-new dice and character sheet. When he got to the house, he saw that a couple of cars were already there, with one being sleek and brand new.

Eisen parked behind that brand-new car and hopped out with his supplies. He walked up to the door, fist raised to knock it before swinging, but it instead hit thin air.

“Hello, Eisen,” the sandy-haired man said, standing behind the opened door and got out of the way from the knock.

“Hello, Caleb,” Eisen said back in a surprised tone. “Saw me coming?”

“Yup. You aren’t very subtle, Eisen,” Caleb replied as he placed his hand on Eisen’s shoulder and pulled him in.

The living room Eisen stepped in had a table with a few chairs within a spacious place, enough to fit two cars within. Three others sat around the table, one who’s hair as black as a smartphone screen. From what Eisen heard when entering, the black-haired man boasted to a silvery-blond lady about his sweet new ride that he drove here. Though even Eisen noted that she was humoring him. Another black-haired guy sat beside the other, though not as dark, with him leaning back as he read some medical papers though his glasses.

They all looked up at Eisen, and the darker black-haired one stood up with a hand raised. “Hey there, Eisen.”

“Hello, Stark,” Eisen said in return, shaking the hand. “And hello, Arro and Cecilia.”

Arro put away his medical papers away and smiled. “All good for game night?”

“Barely,” Eisen replied as he sat down at the table with Caleb joining by his side. “Lost my dice bag and the closest store for new ones closed. It’s a good thing another store opened up practically in the same area.”

Arro’s eyebrows rose. “You mean the one at-”

“Oh,” Cecilia said in a loud voice as everyone turned to her. She pulled out her purse and dug through it. “I just remembered. At that last game, you left them behind. I grabbed them for safekeeping, but I completely forgot to tell you about them. Here they are.”

She pulled out Eisen dice bag with a sheepish expression as she gave out a light blush.

Eisen, along with the others, laughed. “Oh, Cecilia. Dependable as always. I mean it,” he added when he saw the blush deepened. “After all, if I had called any of you to see if I can borrow you guy’s dice, I would’ve found out about it, and I wouldn’t need to drive out to the store. Now I really hoped that the paycheck comes in tomorrow.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having two,” Caleb said as he pulled out several sheets of notes and a DnD book with a grin. “After all, now you have a backup in case you lost them again.”

“Fair point,” Eisen said as he took back his original dice bag and placed them aside. Instead, he pulled out his new dice bag and pulled them out, each looked blue with white dots that resembled stars. “For tonight, I’ll use these new ones.”

“Very well then,” Arro said as he and the others pulled out their character sheets. Sark with his character Kyliana, a fat yet agile vixen fighter; Arro with his character Shade, a rouge cat; and Cecilia with her character Coosle, a mouse mage. “And did you actually complete your new character, Eisen?”

“Of course, I did,” Eisen answered as he placed his character sheet of Gakyon, the dragon warrior, on the table. “What makes you think I wouldn’t?”

Outside of Cecilia giggling and Stark rolling his eyes, no one answered.

“In any case,” Caleb said after several seconds passed, “care to make your first roll so you can make your dramatic entrance to the group?”

“Sure,” Eisen replied, and he rolled his twenty-sided dice, while landed on a twenty-

The dice exploded in a burst of blue flames all over Gakyon sheet with a firecracker sound.

“Gah,” Eisen said in a loud voice as he fell off from the chair and onto his back.

“What the Hell?” Stark stood up, his eyes wide as he got to Eisen, his eyes wide and unfocused.

“Is he OK?” Caleb asked as he also got up and jumped to Eisen’s side.

The other two joined, and they all leaned down around Eisen, who doesn’t notice them. The sheet that Eisen spent so much time writing kept on burning with a blue blaze, though nothing else caught on fire. The last of Gakyon’s character sheet burned up, not leaving by any ashes, and Eisen's eyes became focused again.

He looked around at his friends before his mouth curled into a grin that is too wide to be natural. His fingernails, clipped short, grew long and sharp as blue scales formed at the back of his hands. Paddings form on the palm of his hands as a pair of fangs grew out as long and sharp as his now claws. The blue scales, blue in color, traveled up his arms, forming thick plates at the back-hand side of his forearms, as he sat up, the others jumped back.

“What the- This is impossible,” Arro said in a loud voice as his green eyes observed the spreading scales. “What is happening to you, Eisen?”

“What are you talking about?” Eisen asked back in a voice far bolder and thunderous than his usual voice as claws ripped through his shoes. “Who is this ‘Eisen’ you speak of?”

Eisen stood up, his feet ripping through the shoes as they stretched out into digitigrade, with blue scales covering them and traveling up his legs. The thick scales kept on spreading through his body, reaching his chest, stomach, and back, with it turning gray in the torso area. His mouth and nose stretched themselves forward into a snout, with his nose flattening into just a pair of holes, as his brown hair landed near his digitigrade paws as if shedding them.

“Oh, now I think I understand,” Eisen said, looking at the four with a disturbing grin, more so because of a lack of scales. “We were all under some sort of evil enchantment. That’s why you all look so odd and don’t recall me, the great Gakyon.”

“What? But you’re just-” Cecilia looked back at the table, and her green eyes widened at the lack of character sheet of Gakyon.

“Jesus.” Stark grabbed a chair as he looked onto his transforming friend, not trusting that he’s still friendly.

Gakyon’s scales spread up his head as his muscles, once lanky, bulks up against the shirt and pants, with it rolling up and his pants button popping out. The fabric that formed the shirt gave way to the expanding muscles and ripped apart as the floor groaned against his increasing weight. His chest widened up, soon doubling in width, as his legs bulge out, as thick as tree trunks, through his pants.

Gakyon grew more in height in mass, with his feet-paws crunching the floor beneath him with a loud sound as a mane, gray on color, fluffed up around his neck and a pair of spikes poked out through the sides. His head, covered in blue scales, formed three more spikes on the back of it as a golden energy wave flowed around his body. What’s left of his clothes disappeared and got replaced by a large, leather sash across his shoulder and hip that carried a massive ax and a brown kilt slung on by a belt.

All four of the humans looked up at the enormous, wingless dragon before them, standing at eight and a half feet tall as three of them widened their eyes in horror. Stark, the exception to that, swung his chair at Gakyon, which shattered into pieces against the broad chest.

“There’s no need to harm a member of a party, friend,” Gakyon said in a bold voice, not feeling any pain from that strike at all. He raised his light blue eyes at Stark and laughed. “Instead, we should head out into a brand-new quest.”

“Um, what kind of quest is that?” Caleb asked, standing back as he gripped against the table.

“Why, it’s to find a cure to your enchantment. That’s what our quest should be about.” Gakyon pulled out his ax, ripping through the ceiling. “Come, my friends. Adventure awaits!”

Before any of them say anything, Gakyon ran towards the wall and smashed through it like thin cardboard. They heard a hearty laugh, a smash, and a few loud car horns blaring into the house.

“Um, did he just-”

“I’m freaking done. I’m freaking done!” Stark said while screaming out towards the hole in the wall. “This is BS! When I got here, I was expecting a peaceful time with my friends, and instead, I lost one who just smashed my car into my bits!” He picked up what remained of Eisen’s dice. “When I got here, I asked myself, ‘What should I do for this campaign?’ NOT! FREAKING! THIS!”

Stark stormed out and threw out the dice bag as the others stared.

“Where did he got them anyway?” Cecilia asked.

-----

The dice bag fell down across the street as a figure in a dark cloak stepped out from the shadows and kneeled down at the dice bag. His canid muzzle poked out from under the cover as he picked up the bag and looked inside, making sure that only one had been used.

“This has worked too well,” Luke said as he pocketed the dice bag and looked at the other side of the street, seeing the carnage caused by the dragon. “I’ll do the best I can to help them with the damages and the dragon.”

-----

The sun rose from the horizon as Caleb woke up from his sleep, his mind burning with thoughts of how to pay for the damages. The other three remained in his home, stranded due to their loss of vehicles since Gakyon destroyed them beyond any hope of repair on the way out. They don’t blame him for what happened, but he hoped that there must be a way to fix this.

He put on his robes as he heard a knock on the front door. “Oh jeez, I hope it’s not the landlord or the police.”

He walked up to the front door, stomach tight, and opened it and there stood a couple of men.

One took off his hat and said, “Hello. Are you the owner of this house?”

“Rented, really. But what-”

“We got a call that you needed some house repairs.” The man looked at the wall of bed sheets with a slight grin.

“That would be nice, but I don’t think, with the damages that occurred-”

“Don’t worry. It’s already been paid for.”

Caleb blinked, and the other man stepped forward.

“Hello, dear sir. I also got a call regarding destroyed vehicles that needed towing out and replaced. That had also been paid for. By the end of the day, you or your friends and family will have replacement cars, brand new.”

Caleb blinked some more. “Who did?”

“The person, Luke, did and he left you a package for you, which he wanted us to deliver.”

Caleb looked at the two men as one of them handed over a package. “Who are you?”

“We’re from a company, Vulpis Lignum, that deals with incidents such as yours,” the first man answered as he stepped inside, observing the damages within.

“I doubt that what happened here is typical of your job,” Caleb said with a slight sarcastic tone to it as he opened up the box.

Caleb heard the two men laughed as he emptied out the contents of the box, which had a collar, a necklace with a blue gem, and a letter.

It read:

Dear sir,

I do apologize for what happened to your house and your friends’ vehicles due to my product. While my products are always meant to change the buyer, I never saw one that also transform the mental state to such a degree. I fear that your friend will get into serious trouble in time if he continues like that.

The collar within this package will change his mental state back to normal as long as he wears it, though his form will remain. The necklace will, also as long as he wears it, transform him back to human. I would restore him myself with them, but I fear that he’ll see me as an enemy if I approach.

On the back of this letter is my current location. When you come, I will take you all to him. It doesn’t matter where he is, even if he went to the other side of the planet, because I can and will find him.

I hope to see you soon.

From,

Luke

“Seems like we’re going on an adventure after all,” Caleb said as he stepped inside, his stomach no longer tight and his red eyes filled with determination.

47

Writer's Guild / Faith's Twitter Story

« on: July 29, 2019, 12:04:10 PM »

I need to explain this to anyone not following me on Twitter.

What happened was that, a few days ago, a meme was born by Bethesda's incompetence again. A glitch for their classic Doom rerelease has players forced to log in to their Bethesda account to play it. And yes, it is a glitch which Bethesda is trying to patch out.

As a result, I decided to play into the meme in my way, which is to post  a joke story that cuts short due to Bethesda's login requirement. I admit that I find it to be funny and a bunch of people who I shared it with found it to be funny. But, by the end of the day, I decided to rewrite the story a bit more serious. It's still a silly story, but there's no cut out by Bethesda. I wrote it down, and posted it on Twitter the next day. And now, I'm sharing it with you all here. Especially since it's a lot longer than I expected (I was planning it to be 500 words, and it's more than doubled that).

I have one last thing to note here.

The story itself is a Schrödinger canon to The Pokémon Prometheus, which is to say that it's both in canon and not. The reason why is because this story takes place in a different world than the one The Pokémon Prometheus takes place. But because the later stories (and, to an extent, the first one) will establish the idea of a multiverse, I cannot say that this story couldn't happen. Just that it's too far out to put in a solid plan. XP

-----

I sat down by the edge of a field a few miles out of town, looking out into the distance. It happened to be a beautiful, bright day. Perhaps too sunny, with the temperature reaching up to 108F already. Just one of those problems to live in the middle of a desert as I always say.

Then, right out in the distance a few feet ahead, I saw what looked like to be some kind of orange fox, but it seemed odd. While it had a red-brown pelt, it also had not one, but six tails all curled up at the end. Not to mention that it also had an unusual set of fur on its head that looked like a curled locks and ending with a turf. What kind of fox was it?

Even weirder is that the fox saw me and, after a few seconds of watching with those baby blue eyes, decided to approach me with those white paws it has. What kind of fox chose to contact a human like me? A tame one? That would explain the lime bow its wearing.

But then, to my shock, the fox seemed to have been growing larger. Wait. How could it be? The fox was just average size for one a few moments ago.

Then it hit me. I was looking at the fox a mile away from me, not a few feet.

The fox soon approached me, the ground shaking as it walked, and looked down at me from a hundred feet tall. I felt my heart beats faster, yet I didn’t run away. I’m not sure why I didn’t run. Perhaps I was just at awe over how huge this fox really is.

The fox then bent down towards me and, um, gave me a nuzzle? What? Is this a gentle giant?

“Hey there,” the fox said with a feminine voice. “I’m Faith the Vulpix. Who are you?”

O. K. I must be sick at the moment and suffering from some sort of dream. Because of this fox, well, vixen really, just talked to me and said that she’s a Pokémon.

“Um, can you understand me?” Faith asked me.

“I, yes I can,” I finally answered, dumbstruck. Even if this is a dream, I thought, at least it isn’t a disappointing one. “My name is Daren.”

“That’s a nice name, Daren,” Faith said, raising one of her paw against her maw and gave out a giggle. “I was wondering if you know where there’s a lake here. For drinking and cleaning, clearly.”

“We have a lake here at the heart of town,” I answered before she lowered her paw next to me, which caused the ground nearby to shook. I jumped up a bit, feeling the vibration through my body.

“That’s great to hear,” the Vulpix said with an excited tone. “It’s incredible how walking for miles, even as a giant, wears you down. Now, if you can tell me where it is, I’ll be even more grateful.”

“Um, at your current size,” I said as I stood up from the ground, “I doubt that you’ll reach it without causing some significant damages to the town. Heck, looking behind you, you left some large footprints. Unless you wish to cause some destruction along the way.” I gave out a blush. “No offense intended if you don’t.”

Faith gave out a giggle again. “That’s a fair point. But don’t worry, Daren. Despite my footprints, I’m reasonably lightfooted even at this size. I doubt that any road damages I cause will be patched up by the end of the week.”

“Even if that was the case,” I leaned back against one of Faith’s forepaws, with it is surprisingly soft for its colossal size, “there are still loads of people with just as many vehicles along the way.”

Faith nodded before lowering her head towards me, enough that I could, in part, see my reflection against her eye. “If that’s the case, then I like for you to come with me so that I know where there are the least people around.”

“Um, you wish for me to come with you?” I asked as my eyes widened. “How so?”

“Easy.” Faith lifted the paw I happened to leaned against and used it to catch me. Then she lifted me up to her head. “You relax up on my head and direct me from there.”

I blinked as I soon found myself on the giant Vulpix’s head. Yeesh, for a day I planned to spend nothing on, it sure had turned into the strange. If it happened to be real and not a dream.

“Sure, sure. Why not?” I said as I leaned back against the curls on her head. “This is one dream that I don’t wish to wake from anytime soon.”

Faith lifted up her body as she laughed. “What makes you think this is a dream?”

I steady myself at the sudden jolt from her movement. “To be blunt, I’m on what should be a fictional creature from a video game that’s also many times larger than one should be. How could it not be a dream?”

Faith giggled as she walked forward towards the town ahead. “I’ll be sure to give you something you won’t forget.”

-----

It didn’t take long for us to get to the town lake. Despite my fears, Faith managed to, with an enormous level of skill if I may add, avoid any vehicle and pedestrian below us. It helped that they, for the most part, stopped and galked at the giant Vulpix much like I had.

Faith swam in the lake as I sat near the edge, watching her. I admit that, for such a large Pokémon, she happened to be a graceful creature of size. It amazed me to see how, with great care, she groomed her fur and her six tails. Indeed, the six tails swayed into the air with a gentleness I didn’t think came from a giant.

But, all too soon, the fire-type Pokémon stepped out of the lake and sat down against me with a ground-shaking thud, which caused me to jump. “You need to work on that.”

Faith looked down at me and grinned. “It’s kinda tricky when you’re a giant like me. It’s like everything is made out of sand or paper after a certain height.”

“I can bet so,” I said, looking at her white paws. “In any case, where are you off to now?”

“Now?” Faith looked up into the sky. “I’m only halfway through my journey. It had been a long one. Though you cannot come, I’m afraid.”

“Wasn’t asking to,” I said, though my voice couldn’t hide the disappointment. “Besides, nothing here convinced me that it wasn’t a dream.”

“Still thinking that it’s a dream, eh?” Faith winked at me as I blinked. “So, paws or tails?”

“Um, what?”

“What’s your favorite? Paws or tails?”

I thought about it for a few seconds. “Tails, to be honest.”

Faith grinned and, before I knew it, her six tailed pressed down against me. The sweet scent flew out from her tails as they squashed me down. I blushed enough that my entire face turned red as my arms spread out against the tails. I soon found myself to be hugging the closest one against me, enjoying every minute of it despite the sore feeling though every bone in my body.

I heard Faith giggled again, this time pretty loud, and the tails lifted themselves off of me. “Darn. I was having so much fun.”

“I can tell,” Faith said before she turned around towards me, the ground shaking with every movement she made. “In any case, I hope that you’ll have an excellent rest of the day.”

Before I could say anything else, the giant Vulpix walked away, with her head held high and with a grin on her face. I got up on my feet, but Faith got too far away from me by that point, being fast for someone so huge. From an already far distance, I saw her tails swaying behind her and yet I wondered if she turned back and gave one last wink.

Even if it was a dream, it was the best dream I ever had.

48

Writer's Guild / Re: The Pokémon Prometheus - Maya's Story

« on: July 25, 2019, 11:17:49 AM »

The answer to your question, Aurum Lupus, is that it's meant to heavily imply that his actual cause of death was that the Blastoise uses water attacks to drown Maya's brother. That's what got Maya suspicious since, despite the wet body and his last meeting being with a water-type Pokémon, they tried to pin it on 'heart attack.'

That was my intention when I wrote it. Sorry if it wasn't obvious enough. ^.|.^;

49

Writer's Guild / The Pokémon Prometheus - Maya's Story

« on: July 17, 2019, 11:20:10 AM »

Here is the brand new story that centers around the main antagonist of The Pokémon Prometheus, Maya the Lycanroc/Zoroark hybrid. It's not one of my easier stories to write because it's a tragedy, which isn't something I write usually. It deals with what happened in Maya's backstory that caused her to be the destruction-happy Pokémon she became. It's almost enough to make one feel sorry for her even after trying to destroy Arkanilacum.

Almost.

-----

Even after two days of running, the four-legged Pokémon still ran from her defeat. For a half hour, one glorious half hour, she was a goddess of destruction, with a tail powerful enough to level buildings and a paw large enough to crush lives. But now, this Lycanroc-looking Pokémon, but with teal on her tail and claws red, had shrunk back normal thanks to that Vulpix, that Vulpix.

Maya, the Midday Lycanroc with Zoroark traits like red rimmings on her face and black mane with four red spikes, was a researcher in the anthro technology leftovers. Anthros were the beings who once came to this world with machines that could increase the size of beings to a humongous degree. What they hadn’t accounted for was Pokémon like her taking such tech for themselves.

Nor did they account for Pokémon being far more potent than anthros ever could be.

Since that golden era, the anthro disappeared and the giant Pokémon, who were worshipped like gods, died out with their remains being the last hint that such macros once walked the land. Such as the Arcanine remains that surrounded the town known as Arkanilacum.

Arkanilacum, the thought burned into her mind as she ran across a plain. That town that had taken so much from her. That town that she wished to complete the utter destruction as payment for what they did. That town with no honest Pokémon within the bones that surrounded and protected it. How could the dead Arcanine goddess still give her town blessings after it caused the death of her brother?

-_-_-Fifteen Years Ago-_-_-

A small, canine-like Pokémon lay down with her dark brown muzzle face pressed against the book, reading the lines within with large blue eyes. Her ears, divided between light brown and dark brown, flopped halfway while her curled up, fluffy tail lay down against her. Images of the past long ago popped into her imaginations as she read more, not noticing a Pokémon approaching behind her. At least until she felt the claws on her forehead, pressing against her light brown fur.

“Yip!” Maya said, trying to jump, but the claw held her down.

“Hehehe, it’s me, silly,” A male voice behind her said.

“Wait,” Maya said before she sniffed the air. “Big bro!”

The Rockruff spun around and pounced on her much larger brother, who fell back from the sudden force. His red fur ruffled as his long arms rubbed Maya, with him giving out a large, toothy grin. His pink-red eyes, glowing bright enough even in the day that any other color, including black, couldn’t be detected by sight alone, looked down at his little sister while his white mane, with most of it on his back and shoulders, fluffed up and bent down over his head, ending with a black tip. Slung across his white, fluffy chest was a black bag filled with papers and pencils, with several pages written within.

“Oof,” the Midnight Lycanroc said, his short tail stuck out from under him as he snuggled his sister back. “Nice to see you too.”

“How did it go, bro?” Maya asked, wagging her tail behind her.

“I say that my interview with the new mayor of Arkanilacum went surprisingly well,” The Lycanroc answered, rubbing the tip of his mane as he got up. “I wasn’t too sure of Mayor Richard since I heard,” he paused as he rubbed the back of his neck, “since I heard not such nice rumors about him. But, after asking several hard questions, I have to conclude that there is nothing wrong about him.”

“That’s great to hear.” Maya smiled as she turned back and closed the book. “So, we’re leaving soon?”

“Yup. After we get something to eat, we’ll be heading back to Rameidon town,” Maya’s older brother answered as he picked up the book.

The two Rock-type Pokémon walked alongside each other down the dirt path. “It’s a bit of a bummer that it happened so quick. I mean, this has THE bones around the town.”

“The bones of the giant Arcanine, also known as the Great Protector.” The Lycanroc looked up at the ribs. “You like reading about the giant Pokémon, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do, silly.” Maya gave a bit of a hop. “It must have been so amazing to be so big that a huff of air can knock down even an Onix to the ground.”

“I imagine it might be.” He brought down his claw onto Maya’s head, rubbing it as he smiled. “Yet, because of the actions of those bad Pokémon, the ones who seek to destroy needlessly, the stuff that allows it was lost. Even the ones that could allow us to grow without anthro machines, Dynamaxing, was gone.”

“Yeah. Lousy jerks.” Maya looked up at her big bro. “What a way to ruin everyone’s fun just because they can’t behave like good Pokémon.”

The Lycanroc gave out a sigh. “Despite it being so long ago, yes.”

“You know what, bro?” Maya looked up at the bones above with determined eyes. “When I reach your age, I’ll find a way to bring it all back!”

The Midnight Lycanroc stifled a snicker. “And what will you do if you become a macro, oh goddess in training?”

“Why, I’ll go out around the world and fight off all the bad Pokémon! No matter how big or strong they are, I’ll fight them until the end! Then no one will have to suffer anymore.”

The Lycanroc’s pink-red eyes stared at the little Rockruff with a kind look. Even with some of the leftover tech when the anthros disappeared long ago, he doubted that any that could cause them to grow remained. After all, if any remained, forgotten by their makers, they would’ve been discovered already since so much time had passed. Maya’s dream of being a giant will remain as such, a dream.

“I’m sure that you will discover the lost macro tech,” he said out loud. “Just don’t feel disappointed if you can’t.”

“Don’t worry. I know I’ll find them.” Maya grinned. “I think it might be my fate even.”

“I’m sure it is,” the Lycanroc said while he plotted to find someone who would help him out in playing out his little sister’s dream in a game.

The two walked on with Maya skipping every crack on the ground while the Midnight Lycanroc pulled out his notes and read through them. After some time, the two Rock-type Pokémon entered a small café, with a small panda-like Pokémon with spiral eyes as the owner of this clean place. The Spinda took their order, with Maya sitting on a chair far larger than her while the Lycanroc looked over his surroundings.

Despite it being a small place, with only eight tables and quadruple the chairs, the café seemed to be a popular place to be in with several Pokémon either eating, waiting, or relaxing within. On his left there sat a Typhlosion, an Ampharos, and a Marowak, and to his right sat a Riolu, a Vaporeon, and a Pidgeotto. Outside of the two Rock-type, all of the Pokémon within sat in their table area.

It didn’t take too long for their meal and drink to arrive and, after they gave a toast (made with Gummis), the two dug into their meal, with Maya having Iapapa berries and the Lycanroc having a pair of Watmel berries. Their meal tasted beyond their expectations, with their joy of such well-grown berries filling up the room. As such, they didn’t notice a newcomer entering the café until the Pokémon stood beside them.

The Lycanroc’s pink-red eyes looked up at the newcomer, a large, turtle-like Pokémon with blue skin and a brown shell.

“Hello. Sorry to interrupt,” the Blastoise said, looking down at the two, “but aren’t you the famous interviewer from Rameidon?”

“Yes, I am,” the Lycanroc answered as he leaned back on his chair. “Surprising to hear that my name’s known out as far as here, though.”

“I’m always happy for Pokémon like you who wish to unveil others’ closet for a good cause,” the Blastoise answered with a massive grin. “I’m curious to hear how you do your interviews.”

“Oh, um,” the Lycanroc said with a sudden jolt. “I’m not really that great. I’m sure there are far better you can ask regarding journalism.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the Blastoise said, giving out a low bow only to bang his head against the table. The Blastoise gave out an angry swear, which Maya giggled at.

“Please forget you ever heard of that word, sis,” the Lycanroc said.

“I’m very sorry. I mean, what was I thinking?” The Blastoise rubbed his head. “That sounded so much ruder when spoken out loud. Please forget that-”

“It’s not a problem.” The Lycanroc stood up. “I can at least give you an overview of how I ask questions.”

“No, no. You don’t need to.”

“Sir, I insist on telling you about it.” The Midnight Lycanroc stretched out one of his arms.

“You wish to answer my fanboyish questions outside?” the Blastoise asked as he looked at the other’s claw, pointing out at the door.

“Oh, um,” the Lycanroc replied, not intending to point at all, but he didn’t wish to make the blue Pokémon feel more foolish than he already was. “Sure. Maya, stay here until I come back.”

“OK, big bro.” Maya grinned as she wagged her tail.

She twisted her head as she saw her bro and the stranger walked out the door. When they got out of sight, she returned to eating the Iapapa berries, the sour taste filling up her tongue. She gave out a wide smile as her tail behind her wagged. Her ears twitched as she heard a chair being pushed, and one of her blue eyes looked at the location of the sound.

The other Pokémon there was another canine-like Pokémon, but blue and bipedal with a black torso and a black line across his face and down his muzzle that reminded Maya of a mask. His black paws walked on the wooden floor as his red eyes stared at the Rocktuff with no noticeable emotions. The two black appendages that hung out beside his head made Maya think that those might be his ears, though his actual ears were pointed upwards and blue.

The Riolu approached Maya and stared out at Maya as she tried to think of something to say. “Um, hello.” The Riolu continued to stare. “Do you wish for my Iapapa berries? There’s plenty for both of us. I would suggest my bro’s food, but he’ll be so angry.” No response came? “Aren’t you listening?”

“Do you care about your brother?” the Riolu asked in a cold voice.

Maya blinked as she felt a chill down her spine. “Yes, I do. He’s the best big bro anyone could ever ask for.”

“Even though he’ll leave you forever?” the Riolu asked.

“What do you mean? He’ll be back again soon.” Maya’s ears flattened back. “It’s only for a talk-”

“This world is filled with Pokémon who take advantage of others,” the Riolu said as his eyes darkened. “No matter how nice or generous you try to be, those Pokémon will treat you horribly for doing something they consider to be wrong. They see you and your brother like naive prey. If you wish to survive in this world, you need to become like them.”

“I,” Maya paused as she tried to find the right words, “have no idea what you’re talking about, so I’ll just ignore you.”

“If you think you can hide from the world, you’re wrong.” The Riolu’s voice becomes colder. “Because this world is so rotten that the only answer to fix it is to destroy it and start with a new beginning. I felt it with my own Aura when my home got destroyed. I felt all the fear and the anger when it happened because of those Pokémon, and yet no other place care about what happened because it’s not their problem.”

“I think you have been talking to the wrong-”

The door swung opened with a force that caused a deafening crack and most Pokémon within jumped in surprised. They all turned to the door and there stood on all four a brown and yellow Pholidota-like Pokémon, panting as if she ran a hundred miles in a minute though Maya saw that she might have run even half a mile. The lack of any kind of sweat or even dust on her body showed it.

The Spinda ran towards the Sandslash. “What’s wrong?”

“S-sorry, but,” the Sandshash said between pants, with it clear to a childlike Maya that pure panic ran through her body, ‘a-a Pokémon died nearby.”

“What?! Who?” the Spinda asked as he, with great care, patted the Sandslash’s back.

“A-a L-Lycanroc.”

A chill as cold as winter ran down Maya’s spine as her blue eyes widened at those words. Then, without thinking, she got off her chair and darted around the two Pokémon as fear consumed her. It couldn’t be him who died. How could it be?

But her eyes saw, on the ground unmoving, a Midnight Lycanroc with his eyes closed.

Maya gave out a grief-filled howl as she ran to her brother. She nuzzled his face, hoping in denial that it was just a joke, but no reaction came from his wet body. Hot tears swelled out from her eyes as she clutched her brother’s face, not moving away from him until other Pokémon came and took him.

-----

Maya sat down within a white hallway, her heart still full with grief. She had heard many words since, but only a few seemed to enter her mind about what happened to her big bro. Among them was said that he suffered from a heart condition and, while outside, it triggered a heart attack and he died.

But the Rockruff guessed that they lied to her and the others, having felt her bro’s fur. She remembered the Blastoise who came for a talk with her bro and how not a trace of him remained by the time the Sandslash found the Lycanroc’s body, despite being a ‘fan.’ Not to mention how her bro’s bag carrying all his notes disappeared. Perhaps he did something that killed her brother and stolen his papers.

But how could she convince anyone of what she guessed what really happened? Those Pokémon, the ones who pronounced the cause of death, wouldn’t believe her and, because they happened to work in that field, anyone would believe them over a kid like her. She imagined herself being within a forest, wondering where the exit was and wishing that her brother helped her out.

The thought of never hearing his voice again struck her as tears flow out again.

She then pulled herself up and, despite her heart crying out to stay near the room where her brother’s body lay in, walked away. Maya wondered why her limbs decided to lead her away since her mind didn’t have a goal to walk towards. Yet, for whatever reason she didn’t know, her legs took her along for a walk.

After what seemed like hours of walking, from the edge of a hallway, her teary eyes saw a dark brown, quadruple Pokémon with a large mane around his neck. Despite never seeing him before, her mind pieced together the details her brother said long ago and recognized the Pyroar as the new mayor of the town, Mayor Richard. Perhaps he was here because the one who interviewed him died so soon afterward, Maya thought. A small part of her wanted to talk to him, pour her heart out about what she believed, but she felt a strong doubtful feeling.

The Rockruff walked two steps forward, only to paused when she saw another Pokémon in front of the new mayor: the Blastoise who last talked to her and her big bro.

The two talked in quiet voices, enough that even she couldn’t hear, but she could still see the emotions they emitted and the expressions they showed. Not a trace of sadness shown on them and instead happiness and pride shined from their bodies. Then she heard them laugh.

Maya took several steps back as a chill ran down her spine, and questions echoed within her skull. Was her brother’s death planned by them? Why? Her brother questioned Mayor Richard and discovered nothing wrong about the Pyroar.

Unless Mayor Richard happened to be a front for the real power.

The Riolu’s words, about how this world being a rotten place with Pokémon preying onto others, surfaced in Maya’s memories as her eyes darkened. That Blastoise, the one who tricked her big bro, held the real power behind Mayor Richard, his willing pawn. Her bro’s questions must have been digging too much about the new mayor for their own liking and the Blastoise, not wishing to have his strings over the town break, decided to kill him and steal the paperwork.

But how could she stop them? The ones who told her and others lie about her bro’s ‘heart condition’ rather than the true reason showed that the Blastoise’s control branched out beyond the mayor’s office. Who could she trust within this town? No one here would help her, so she did the only thing she could do.

She ran.

Tears fell as she ran around confused Pokémon and out through the door. She ran down the dirt road, her heart pumping hard against her chest. Even when her legs screamed out in pain, she still ran out of town.

Yet, as she ran, a seed planted within her, full of wrath over her brother’s death, the ones who caused it, and the pawns within the town.

“I will avenge you.”

-_-_-Present Day-_-_-

Maya kept on running, despite her legs begging her to stop as she entered a forest. The trees covered her with its shadows that covered her as she slowed down. Her heart, in pain, beat against her chest while she lifted her nose. The Midday Lycanroc then smiled, sensing no Pokémon from behind. Anyone who did chase after her she had managed to lose.

Yet, she sensed another Pokémon ahead.

The Lycanroc twitched her nose as she remembered the smell and who it belonged to, but there was another scent attached to it. She tried to place what or who that other scent was but couldn’t.

Despite it, she followed the smell since she knew the Pokémon it belonged to; the one who taught her the corruption within this world. He had met her many years after that meeting when she gained the traits and ability of a Zoroark by accident.

The woods opened a bit as she continued towards the source of the smell, and she saw him. But it looked like he learned a trick since their last meeting as her eyes widened.

There sat with his legs crossed in meditation a huge yellow and white Pokémon with black arms and legs down the knees and halfway down the forearms. The four black appendages, now hanging down from his head like hair, had spikes along with his yellow tail and a bit on his head, far different than the natural spikes on the chest and back of the hands. On his face, he wore a purple mask up from his muzzle that resembled to Maya a Ninetales.

The Midday Lycanroc stepped forward. “Hello again, Kyle.”

The Lucario opened his eyes, glowing blue at first, but it faded into his natural red eyes. “It has been awhile, Maya. I sensed your aura when you ran into the forest.”

“And I see that you gained the ability to grow in size,” Maya said, her eyes observing the giant Lucario who, even when sitting down, his head reached the tips of the trees. “Though what is with the mask?”

Kyle looked up through the tree branches, seeing the sky. “Since we last met, I was in a battle that lasted for three days and nearly died for it. My death would’ve been in vain if it wasn’t for him. He pulled me out from the darkness and granted his blessings, being impressed with my willpower. This is why I am my current size now. With it, I’ll fight them again.”

Maya’s eyes narrowed. “Why would Arceus-”

“No. He’s not a Pokémon. He’s one of them,” Kyle answered as Maya’s eyes widened in surprise and confusion. “Despite it, he seeks the same goal as me.”

“A traitor to his own kind?” Maya asked as she approached Kyle’s foot.

“Don’t be too surprised,” the Lucario said as he picked up the Lycanroc with his hand. “After all, everyone has a blight within their souls to the point that, if it weren’t for others having something they need, they wouldn’t deal with anyone else at all. That is the natural state of all creatures within the world.

“But in any case,” Kyle stared at the device, partly melted, attached on Maya’s leg, “another failed attempt?”

“No, I actually managed to succeed the last time I used it,” Maya answered as she emitted a growl. “I managed to grow up to 60 feet with it. But that Vulpix had to find a way to grow herself and destroy it. That Vulpix.”

“Vulpix,” Kyle said as he lowered Maya back to the ground.

“Yes.” Maya’s fur ruffled as she bared her fangs. “Who would've thought that a little Vulpix called Faith ruined my perfect revenge?”

Kyle’s hand twitched. “I see. I think I understand a bit more about what happened. In any case, because of my meeting with him, I have learned much more about anthro technology. I’ll fix your device.”

“Huh?” Maya blinked as she looked up at the giant Lucario. “Um, thank-”

A large hand came down and pressed against Maya’s body, causing her to whimper.

“Haven’t I taught you anything?” Kyle said as he glared at the small Lycanroc. “We all have a blight that prevents us from empathizing from one another unless we need something from them. I’m not doing this because I wish to help you. I’m doing this because I need you to help me and you can’t while you’re at this state.”

Maya lifted her head to speak, but Kyle twisted his hand and instead she gave out a pained yelp.

“I’m not finished. What I need you to do, after I fix this device, is to put your petty revenge on hold and try to capture this Vulpix you mentioned. But do not kill or maim her in any way.”

“Why?”

“I don’t need to tell you my reasons. I have doubts that you’ll succeed if she did have the ability to grow.” Kyle gave out a cold smile. “But even if you do fail, you’ll next meet my savior, and we’ll fight them. Is that clear?”

“Yes, yes! Please let me go!”

Kyle lifted his hand. “Good. Then together, we’ll wipe out all of the anthros within this world.”

Maya panted as she struggled to get back up to her feet. After several seconds of sliding down and getting back up again, she managed to put herself into a sitting position and looked up at Kyle, only to not see him. She lowered her vision, and there stood a Lucario, now normal size with only an imprint where he sat much larger than him as proof of his former size.

The Lucario walked towards her, stone face, as Maya closed her eyes. She felt the device being removed from her leg while a wind brushed between her ears, and she recalled his claws so long ago planting themselves on her head. Yet the windy claws seemed sorrowful rather than the joyful ones she remembered so long ago.

“It’ll take me a week to fix it.”

“That’s fine with me. Why not wait a little longer? Then I’ll help you and, afterwards, I’ll have my revenge against Arkanilacum.”

When she said those words, a wind blew by again, and the touch left her.

50

Writer's Guild / A Thief in the Night

« on: June 12, 2019, 11:42:00 PM »

Here is a story I've written for Caleb Lloyd, which involves muscle growth and fat furs. Enjoy!

-----

Daren Crevan leaps up to the air with a force that caused the ground below him to shatter towards the gray-scaled dragon. The dragon shot out a jet of fire towards the anthropomorphic red fox, but Daren, with a swing of his Spiorad that was in the shape of a longsword, sliced it in half. The dragon’s eyes widened as Daren flew towards it and slammed his sword on his head, flat side.

The strike sent a shockwave with the nearby grass being blown away from the battle between fox and dragon, which had been happening for several long minutes, as Daren flung himself into the air up and behind the dragon’s tail. A few seconds passed, and the dragon collapsed onto the ground with a quake that was heard miles away, exhausted from the long battle. Daren looked back with a confident grin as his sword faded into a flame that flew into his chest.

“Well done, good sir.”

Daren looked at where the voice came from, and his sea blue eyes observed several brown-robed figures with all but one, their leader, with their hoods up, obscuring their heads. The one who wasn’t wearing her veil was a red cat with flowing red hair. She extended her hand, which Daren shook as she gave out a kind smile.

“It’s no problem at all,” Daren said as he gave a slight bow. “I even kept the dragon alive as you requested.”

“That is good,” the red cat said while letting go of Daren’s hand-paw and looked over the grey dragon. “This beast will make a fine creature for our sect’s research on heavier than air flight and trying to replicate it.”

“Very interesting,” Daren said as he followed the she-cat’s gaze. “Though I do fear that you won’t be able to contain him. At least, without seriously harming the creature.”

“Do not worry, our great warrior with flowers,” the cat responded, referring to Daren’s Hawaiian outer shirt. “Our sect had always made sure that the creatures we capture are safely secure and well kept. Then, when we’re done with them, we release them back into the wild far away from any town and city.”

“I sure hope so,” Daren said, observing her people’s tying up the dragon in steel chains. “That big boy gave me a bit of trouble.”

“Have faith in our ability to maintain the dragon as we had also maintained other similar, dangerous creatures,” the red cat said as she beckoned one of her monks to him who held a couple of wooden boxes. “But in any case, we shall reward you greatly as promised.”

The robed one first gave the anthro fox the larger of the two boxes that gave out a jangle when shook.

“500 gold pieces,” the she-cat said while Daren accepted the box and gave out a short bow. He turned around, but halfway through the turn, she continued: “Wait. There is one last gift we shall give to you.”

Daren blinked as he turned back with the robed monk giving the fox the smaller of the two boxes, which was the size of a big, fat fist. Daren’s left ear twitched as he lowered the chests and picked up the smaller one. His nimble fingers opened the chest, and his sea blue eyes met a bright pavilion-shaped jewel. His fingers then rubbed against the side of it, and his eyes widened more.

“How did you make this work of art?” Daren asked as he closed the box.

“I’m impressed that you can tell,” the cat said with a soft giggle. “With years of studying within our sect, we discovered a combination that, with the right mixture and amount of heat, makes something we can mold into our likings. That was just a prototype, but we hope to make more like it with far better use.”

“Thank you very much,” Daren said with a sincere tone while bowing low. “I know a friend who will love it and will especially love how you made it.”

Daren gave out another bow and walked away, not seeing the she-cat and her assistant bowing in return. His black paws walked through the silk-like grass as his big tail swayed in the cool breeze. The yellow sun shined in the sky, giving the area a warm feeling, which the red fox enjoyed since it was winter time in his own planet.

It was the second test with Project Oncoming Storm that allowed Daren to traveled to his world from another universe. The spaces between the universes were filled with almost impregnable darkness that prevented travel within the multiverse. The only way one could travel through was through a piercing light forcing open a path through the darkness. Fortunately, Daren’s group had one such light, Hope, and one that they could control to the degree that allows them to travel through with reasonable accuracy.

Of course, an unwise person would jump in without any way of coming back and, with the perhaps infinite size of the multiverse, it would be impossible to find that person if a path was open through a roulette. Alex, who was the leading creator of this system, did think of that and developed a tracking system that would allow him to track Daren even through another universe. Still, it wasn’t smooth on the first try on the network since Daren lost most of his clothes in that travel and landed in the middle of winter.

After walking for almost an hour, he entered an inn that he rented a room in for a week in advance as a place to rest after exploring and helping the people of this place. Daren walked up to the stairs, both chests in hand, and entered his room with not a sound. He placed the bigger of the two boxes on the table, filled with gold from a week of questing and helping. The red fox then put the smaller chest inside of a drawer and gave it a little pat before shutting it in. Then his fur gave out a cold-less shiver before he sat down in front of the table and begun the rest of the day counting the gold since he lost count yesterday.

Last day here on this world, Daren thought as his fingers picked up each gold piece and placed them inside of the chest, and I’ll be home.

-----

An anthro fox, orange in fur color aside from his tannish torso, leaned back behind the inn with a knife hanging in the open on his waist-belt. His thin body, exposed through a free sleeveless coat, shows ribs underneath the fur. His stomach, flat and without a trace of muscle and fat, relaxed with his belt hanging loose while his kilt flapped against his skinny yet sturdy legs. His dark red eyes skimmed the nearby area as he flipped a gold coin with his fingers, his hands wearing fingerless gloves, which is an unusual feature for a foxy thief.

But then, Caleb always loves a challenge of not leaving behind any evidence of being there.

His brown ears twitched and, with his free hand, gripped against an open-air, which somehow emits a squeak from that action.

“How did you know I was there, Caleb?”

Caleb Lloyd gave out a sly smile. “You were sneaky, but not sneaky enough. Your steps can still be heard, and the grass below you bend against your feet, which looks like they were leaning themselves. For such a mouse like you, you still yet to master the ability to travel without any notice.

“But, in any case, tell me about the red fox you’ve been following for the last two days.”

“Um, from what I saw, I’ll say that you should abort trying to steal from him,” the invisible mouse answered. “That last mission he did he fought a dragon alone and managed to come on top without any serious harm to himself. He also displayed some magical abilities he can do and, from what I can see, that belt he wears allows him to carry a seemingly infinite number of items without any added weight. He’ll be a dangerous foe to fight against.”

Caleb’s smile turned into a smirk. “Sounds like a challenge to me. But enough about how tough that adventurer is. How much money does he get?”

“I cannot tell the exact amount, but in that last mission, he was given 500 gold pieces and something else that impressed him. Something that the sect created that he didn’t think they could’ve made.” The mouse paused. “You still intend to steal from him, aren’t you? I’m telling you that fox is too-”

“Ah, details, details,” Caleb said, putting his arm around the mouse shoulders. It looked odd since it looked like he was hanging out with an imaginary friend or was insane to an outsider. “I believe that I heard enough about him to come up with the perfect plan to steal from him tonight when he’s sleeping; even if he does wake up, the plan will negate any advantages that fox may have.”

“Oh? How so, if I may ask? Especially since, as I told you, he fought a drag-”

“It’s evident that the belt had an enchantment on it that allows the wearer to put the items in the form of compressed space,” Caleb said, ignoring the last sentence. “Useless for something to sell considering how common that is on items outside of the A on the belt. But, by removing it, I can remove pretty much removed most if not all weapons from his hands.

“But the real first thing I shall do is put this collar on him,” Caleb said as his hand entered his coat and pulled out an orange collar. “I brought this from a short fox mage. He assured me that it will suppress the wearer’s magic while wearing it.”

“OK, but what will prevent him-”

“-from taking it off?” Caleb finished for the mouse. “That’s the beauty of this collar. When it locks itself on, only magic can be able to unlock it. A foolproof way of making sure the collar stays on since they cannot use magic while wearing it and needing magic to unlock it.”

“Oh,” the mouse said. “But look at you. You haven’t stolen anything in a while now and, as a result, you’re super thin. One well-placed punch or kick will knock you out cold.”

“Don’t worry about me,” the orange fox said with a confident voice. “Especially since I brought my beefy sandwich for that mission. The one who will be giving that powerful punch or kick will be me.

“But, in any case,” Caleb flicked the coin in the air and watched it disappeared mid-air, “here is your payment. Thank you for your time. The diamond cupcake should last for another hour, so use it well.”

“Very well,” the invisible mouse said, pocketing the gold, with a tone that had given up. “Good luck. You’ll need it with that fox.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Caleb said as he let go of the invisible mouse and watched the grass before he bent against the mouse’s paws. From the spaces between the bent-up grass, the mouse had gone on a sprint.

The thief fox snickered under his breath when he felt that enough time had passed as he pulled out a couple of gold coins from between his hand-paw and glove. An effortless thing to do, despite the mouse being invisible, to pickpocketed him with his other hand.

Plus, Caleb noted as he looked at his once thin stomach, which had gained an extra inch of fat, it would make an attempt on stealing from the red fox more interesting.

-----

The day passed on nighttime, with the sky showing a dark blue with shining stars in the air. Daren had collapsed into sleep while on the wooden chair when he had finished counting the gold pieces. While he doesn’t care about gaining money that much, a little extra doesn’t hurt for funding FOXWOOD. His mind felt numb when he finished counting them all to the level that the idea of slipping out of his clothes and flopping onto the soft bed felt so exhausting, let alone staying awake for an extra minute after counting the gold. The candle on the other drawer at the opposite of the bed burns down until the flame died a couple of hours after the red fox fell asleep.

Caleb saw the light faded away below him while tapping his paws, wearing boots as red as his gloves and exposed as much as his feet-paws. While an impatient thief would just jump in a couple of minutes after the light is gone, the orange fox knew that it would be too risky since the adventurer could still be alert. The minutes passed on since the light died until a half hour had passed when Caleb pulled out his hook with a rope attached to it and threw it up at the top of the three-story tavern’s roof. He gave it a quick tug before climbing the line like a quiet cat.

Once he got up to the second-floor window, he pulled out his knife and, pressing it between the window crack, managed to flick the lock open and threw the window open. His dark red eyes skimmed the room before he gave out a subtle smirk, seeing the red fox on the chair. Sure, him still wearing that belt would be extra tricky to take it off, depriving him of his tools, but it looked like a good challenge. Then, with silent paws, Caleb stepped into the room.

His eyes fell upon the chest on the table as he suppressed a snicker, seeing no lock on it. Did this adventurer think that no one would try to steal from him? The only reason why Caleb didn’t head towards the chest first and take all the gold within is because of his plan, which required him to put the orange collar on him.

Caleb tip-toed towards the sleeping fox as he pulled out the collar. The only real benefit of the adventurer fox sleeping on the chair instead of the bed, Caleb thought, was that it makes things easier to slip the collar on. Then, with silent ease, he wrapped the necklace around the red fox’s neck and heard a quiet click. Stage one complete. Now for step two.

Caleb’s eyes then skimmed down to the red fox’s waist and saw the belt on it with its golden A. He then gave out a grin as his hand touched the belt and slid it from the adventurer fox. The orange fox then slid it onto him, opposite of his own shoulder belt, as he gave out a grin.

Caleb’s excitement swelled within him, much more than stomach which had gained an extra inch of fat, as his paw touched the chest and opened it up. Caleb felt his eyes almost popped out from his skull when he saw just how much the red fox had in gold. He grinned wider as his hand reached out to its contents.

Daren felt disturbed for some reason as his brain got overwhelmed from how sore his body felt due to how awkward he slept on the chair. His hand-paw rose up and rubbed against his side due to instinct before a question flooded his mind due to not feeling something on him. Where was his belt?

His eyes shot open and, despite the darkness of the room, saw a figure standing beside him, who just opened the chest. His eyes fell upon the hand, the figure’s hand reaching out to the gold within, before he grabbed it with his left hand. Then, with a quick motion, he threw the thief against the other side of the room onto the floor.

“Bloody thief!” Daren said in an angry voice because he saw his own belt around the other fox’s shoulder and side. His hand then aimed at the thief, claws extended from his fingers, but nothing happened. He blinked before he realized that something was pressing against his neck. His hand then reached up to it and rubbed against the leather side, feeling a belt. “What is this thing?”

The thief below him, the light from the moon showing the orange fur on him, gave out a laugh. “A collar that suppressed your magic! Now you’re helpless!”

Daren’s eyes widened as he tugged at the collar, with it unyielding as a response. As he does so, the thief ahead of him raised up his knife and threw it at Daren. He ducked down with surprising reflexes as he gritted his teeth like a dog trying to break away from a tight leash. Then, with his left hand, he grabbed the wooden chair he was sleeping on and charged at the orange fox.

The fox ahead of Daren pulled out another knife from one of his many hidden pockets while grinning as he jabbed the blade through the seat of the chair. That proved to be a mistake since the red fox twisted the chair, breaking the thief’s grip on the knife in a quick, efficient manner. His dark red eyes widened as Daren raised up the chair and smashed it over the orange fox’s head, with it shattering to pieces and falling over his shoulder.

Caleb stumbled back, seeing dark splotches before his eyes for a second before he shook his head. He then raised his arm up, blocking the adventurer’s fist, and swung it away before giving out his own punch. His punch connected to the red fox’s stomach, knocking him back, his eyes determined. Even without his tools and magic, he’s still a tough foe, Caleb thought. His eyes then darted down to the ground and saw a steel gleam on the floor through the moon’s light.

“Urk,” Daren said under his breath, feeling the air within him got punched out as he stumbled back. His feet-paws stumbled back before standing firm and looking ahead. His sea blue eyes then saw the orange fox reaching down to the chair remains. Daren, realizing what the thief saw, swung his foot-paw up and connected at the forehead.

“Gah,” Caleb said as his paws flew off from under his feet and he swung back. His back then impacted the wooden floor below him, with it giving out a cracking sound. Despite the pain flowing through his head, his mind was clear. Caleb’s feet-paws, feeling the chair remains, kicked up the seat of the chair where the knife still stuck out from and grabbed it. Then, rolling up as he removed the blade from the chair, he swung the blade at the adventurer.

Daren jumped back, feeling the air shivered as the knife slashed through his shirt and some of his chest fur. He then jumped back more, his sea blue eyes never breaking contact with the dark red eyes, as his hands grabbed for any objects he could use. Then they felt a long, brass object which he gripped onto.

The thief grinned again, seeing how the adventurer lost the advantage before he charged ahead with the knife low. He then thrust it as the red fox swung something he held. His hand then filled his head with pain as he dropped the knife, his hand just met the candlestick the red fox swerved. Caleb gave out a pained yelp as he saw the red fox swung again, the impact at his chubby stomach causing him to stumble back to the other end of the room, tripping over the bed, and falling on top of it.

Daren bent down and picked up the knife as his sea blue eyes watched the orange thief fell onto the bed. He then stood up straight, the candlestick on one hand and knife on the other, and ran towards the other fox. Even with the advantage like this, best to keep up the momentum and not to relax just because the opponent is down since they could always get back up. Best to make sure they stay down.

The foxy thief, despite his dark red eyes seeing stars, still managed to see what the red fox was down and reached down into his pocket. Caleb then gave a quick grin as he rolled off the bed, avoiding a downward stab, and pulled out his beefy sandwich wrapped in paper. He hoped to not use it, but the adventurer gave out a better fight than he expected. His mouth opened up large and ate the sandwich whole even with the paper.

Daren swung the candlestick down to the thief’s head, intending to crack it open. The thief caught it with his hand as the red fox blinked, noting the surprising strength the orange fox showed. His sea blue eyes widened as they saw the thief below him started to grow, with expanding muscles all over his body. His abs, once pudgy, became ripped as his pecks rose bigger and broader. His arms also thicken up with physiques, doubling in size.

The orange fox tightened his grip on the candlestick, causing it to crumble like a thin piece of tin, as he ripped it off the adventurer fox’s grasp. Then Caleb swung his fist from his other arm, hitting the red fox’s chest. His dark red eyes saw the red fox ahead of him, who gave him so much trouble for so much loot, flung off from the floor and at the wall at the other side of the room with a loud crack.

The red fox slid down from the impact area as his back screamed out in pain, and his ears drooped down. Daren’s head leaned back as his instincts screamed in his head to stand up again. Despite the pain and the strong punch he received, his body had taken far worse before and could still fight. Yet he forced himself to be slump back against the wall, his eyes seeing through between his eyelids. He lost the advantage to an unseen circumstance, and it’s best to wait until the thief opened himself to the ‘defeated’ Daren.

Caleb chucked as he got back onto his own feet-paws, his eyes looking at the beaten adventurer. Despite the red fox putting up a far better fight than even he planned for, he managed to claim victory. Yet, because of the loud noise from that impact, Caleb should get the loot before someone got here. As such, with his quick hand- and feet-paws, he went to the chest on the table and picked it up.

Daren’s eyes looked at the thief as he tried to put out the fiery anger burning within his head. This other fox, the other fox who came in, sealed his magic, took his priceless belt, and was now taking all the gold Daren put in a week worth of work in gaining. He fought the urge to stand up and fight again, his reason knowing how the time wasn’t right to go for a round two and trying to find a way to calm himself down.

Yet, he does when he saw Caleb’s stomach expanded not too long after he picked up the chest. He wondered if it was because he was still gaining strength, but then Daren noticed that the thick abs protruding from under that skin and fur faded into a thick layer of fat. The red fox scanned more about this thief from between his eyelids and saw the same was happening all over the orange fox’s body, who seemed to gain an extra two hundred pounds in fat. The fact that the thief’s kilt, rather than snapped off from all the extra mass, stretched out to fit his fat body that could snap a chair by just sitting on it showed that this wasn’t unexpected.

Caleb snickered to himself, patting his now huge belly before his ears twitched as they heard a moan. His paws, already heading towards the open window, paused as his head twisted in a slow-paced matter, with his dark red eyes looking at the sea blue eyes of the adventurer. His eyes widened a bit, wondering how the adventurer could still be awake after such a powerful punch, as the red fox below him struggled to lift his head, looking at the now fat fox in wonder.

“Forgive me for prying,” the red fox asked as he leaned his head back to better look at Caleb, “but why are you getting fatter?”

Caleb looked down at the red fox with a critical eye. He wondered if he should answer that question or not. On one hand-paw, it’s not like the adventurer could still fight back, but on the other, Caleb should get out of there as quick as he could and, having gained a massive amount of weight already, it would be slow progress. After a few seconds, he made his decision.

“I got a gypsy curse on me just because I refused to pay her,” Caleb answered. “Made it so that any valuable objects and money I steal, resulting in me fattening up. It’s a bit of a blessing since it only adds to the challenge.”

“I see,” the red fox responded as his head rolled to the side. “Is it always some specific amount or-”

“It’s proportional to how valuable the treasure is,” Caleb answered, cutting in as he heaved the box over one of his shoulders. “Lesser value means less fat to gain.”

Daren’s right eye looked at his belt slung around the thief’s chest and shoulder as his eyebrow rose. It doesn’t really make sense if it really was proportional to how valuable the treasure is since the Fóntais belt would be considered a priceless relic. It had existed for eons with only one other belt like that, having been made by his ancestors in another planet long ago. If this thief really gets a certain amount of fat depending on how valuable the object is, Daren doubted that the entire field would be vast enough to contain the orange fox’s expanding girth. Yet, it doesn’t seem like that thief gained that much fat from it.

Unless it also works in how valuable he thought it is.

“In any case,” Caleb said as he stepped towards the window, “this has been a massive amount of fun. I’m only disappointed in how quick it ended up being. But I must go and plot on how to spend my loot. Tootles.”

Caleb’s grabbed the underside of the window and was lowering his head under it before his ears heard from the red fox: “At least he didn’t steal my diamond.”

“Oh-ho,” Caleb said, pausing as he turned back to the red fox, who was looking at the shelf next to the bed. “You said that you have a diamond? Inside of that shelf you’re looking at?”

“Please don’t take it,” Daren said in a pleading tone. “It was a gift from the sect for helping them out on that dragon. Carefully carved in a brilliant cut and clear as the air. It was the last thing I expected to see when I came to this place.”

Caleb gave out a laugh as he lumbered back from the window and towards the shelf. Despite the extra mass he gained, he wanted the diamond for himself. He pulled it open and, seeing a small brown box, picked it up and opened it up. His eyes widened as they shined as bright as stars, seeing what the red fox described within. He pulled it out from the box, the diamond the size of his fist.

“Yes!” Caleb said in a loud voice. “I’m so rich-”

Caleb’s stomach gave out a louder growl before it surges with fat. His own waist and shoulder belt felt tight and squawks out against the sudden income of fat across his chest as his kilt stretched out from his expanding waistline. The wooden floor groaned when his belly crashed against it and his arms and legs, already humongous from the muscles and fat, tripled in size from the newfound fat.

Caleb’s cheeks fatten up, pressing against his coat’s collar, while his neck disappeared underneath the foot of fat. His rear expanded, filling up so that it could engulf the bed behind him when sitting down, while his own belt snapped off from his chest. He gritted his teeth as he felt himself swelling up more and more with fat, still gripping onto the diamond tight until even his height had grown an extra three feet. Just when he feared that he wouldn’t stop becoming fatter, he stopped, having gained an additional three thousand pounds with his waist as broad as seven feet.

“Huh. I didn’t expect it to work this well, but I’m not disappointed at all.”

Caleb blinked as he struggled to turn his head or even move at all, his newfound fat and muscles fighting against every movement he tried. He gritted his teeth more as his fingers clutched the diamond closer, trying to make sure he doesn’t drop it despite his hand growing an inch of fat. His dark eyes widened when they saw the adventurer fox in front of him, looking well.

“Now then,” Daren said, pressing a finger up against the orange fox’s chest, “time to put you down.”

The thief tried to move forward, hoping to crush the adventurer with his mass, but his stomach fought against it from the floor. Instead, the finger on his chest pressed harder with Caleb’s eyes widening, realizing what the other fox was doing. He fell back, his body jiggling from the impact of the bed, as a loud crunch emitted from under it. The stuffing within the mattress ripped out through the sides as the wooden support snapped into splinters if not dust. Caleb gave out a yelp as the diamond fell off from his hand-paw.

“How convenient that you don’t start slimming down when you lost what you stole,” Daren said as he gave out a chuckled. “Make things even easier.”

Daren, with a quick hand, picked up the seethrough treasure before he placed it back in its rightful place. His eyes then turned to the thief, who’s grunting and making motions with his arms that looked like flailing. The red fox then bent down against the orange fox’s side and went through his pocket, the A on his belt giving out a glimmer.

“If you’re trying to find a key, forget it,” Caleb said in an arrogant tone. “Magic is the only thing that can unlock it, which you can’t use.”

“I wasn’t looking for a key, but thanks for the tip,” Daren replied with a foxy grin as he pulled out a long, metal rod with a light at the end of it. The orange fox blinked and tried to tilt his head as Daren pressed a button and light and buzzing sound emitted from it. A couple of seconds passed before a hard ding sound echoed in the room, the collar slammed against the ground.

“W-what? That’s impossible,” Caleb said through grunts. “You shouldn’t be able to use magic.”

“It’s a good thing there was an external magical power source in the TF Scriúire,” Daren said as he, in one singular motion, removed his belt off of the thief’s chest and waist. “Just in case.”

Caleb’s ears twitched. “A TF wha-”

The door swung opened, and an orange cat, the owner of the inn, stepped in. His mouth hung opened as he stared at the strangeness within the room; in particular, the world’s fattest fox. Before long, he found the words to speak: “What happened here?!”

-----

“That sounded like an awkward moment,” a silver vixen said, sitting beside Daren, who was laying on some sort of bed-like contraption. “What happened next.”

“There wasn’t much to tell, to be honest with you,” Daren said, feeling the bed rubbing his backbone from top to bottom and back again. The white room, painted bright, hurts anyone’s eyes by just staring into the wall, so Daren looked up at the ceiling where variations like a darker shade of white with black splotches painted on hurt less.

“To put it simply, Zelda, I managed to explain what happened to the inn owner and he called in several strong soldiers to carried the troublesome thief away. Caleb Lloyd, they told me, was wanted for stealing all over the country, and they paid me a massive amount for assisting in his capture. I admit that I gave most of it to the inn owner as an apology to the mess over his protests. Then I waited at the designated spot, and Ash came to pick me up.”

“Glad to see things went well, despite the last night there,” Zelda said, smiling as she nuzzled Daren’s ear. Daren blushed as the machinery below him stopped humming and rubbing his back. “Also, I’m glad to see that you’re not as ticklish when your back is touched. In any case, I suggest that you lie down on this for one half-hour every day this week.”

“Very well,” Daren said as he rolled himself up and sat at the side. “Just glad that the gift that sect me proved to be more valuable than I expected.”

“It’s a diamond, so of course it’s valuable,” the silver vixen said, her bright blue eyes looking at the sea blue eyes. She paused for a few seconds, waiting.

“There’s one thing I neglected to tell you about it and what I deliberately hid from that thief,” Dared said after a few seconds.

“What do you mea-”

The door swung opened, and an anthro coyote stepped into the room, his grin as wide as his jawline. “Hello D-Man and Z. Sorry for the interruption, but I finished checking over the goods you brought with you. I must say, that piece of plastic is so incredibly well made that it took me a few seconds to realize that it’s not a diamond.”

“WHAT?!?!” Zelda said in a loud voice that Daren winced. “That was just a piece of plastic?!”

“Yes, Z. Rather impressive, especially since Daren told me that it’s roughly around low middle-ages tech with some high middle-ages. But, all the same, a piece of well-crafted plastic.”

Zelda gave out a stare at Daren, who gave out a shrug in response. “Other than as a piece of curiosity, it’s completely worthless. But then, Caleb didn’t know that.”

51

Role Play Theater / Re: February Form Poll!

« on: January 31, 2019, 10:03:17 AM »

A Lucario.

52

Writer's Guild / Re: The Pokemon Prometheus

« on: December 24, 2018, 07:31:46 PM »

For anyone who read all four parts of this story, thank you very much. I know how much of a hassle it can be to read what is one of my longest story. <3

It basically began a few years ago with discussions about macro Pokémon and he asked for a story with a macro Vulpix. We exchanged ideas (he was the one who named the Vulpix Faith and I was the one who named the Flareon Adrian) and a basic story idea. The initial story idea was about how Faith tried to evolve into a Ninetales, but she had a nasty allergic reaction to the Fire Stone. In her despair, she blindly wished to the night's sky be bigger and Jirachi, not knowing that she meant to evolve into Ninetales, mistook what she meant and instead thought it meant that she wanted to grow big. This causes growth spurts throughout the next day which caused a fair amount of destruction, which caused her to leave her home. Adrian managed to catch up to her and confessed her love to her; swearing to never leave her side no matter how big she got. Jirachi then shows up, now realizing that he messed up and removed the allergy problem, but not the macro part, leaving her as a macro.

I did admit that I tried to write it down, but it wasn't working with me. It doesn't help that I was working with Amazon at the time, which, if you haven't read my journals about it, is a horrible, moral draining place to work in. So much so that, since getting fired from Amazon and even with the craziness of my new job (Safeway as a deli worker), I find it much better to write now. By that time, this story that's been bouncing in my head had changed so much that I decided to start from scratch and start off again.

If you read the story, you'll notice some similarities with the original outline (bad reaction with Fire Stone, meeting and getting a wish from Jirachi, Faith becoming a big girl despite still being a Vulpix), but changed from the context. It's what happened when I have years of thinking about this one story. It doesn't help that A-Ninetales wasn't originally supposed to be a character here, but Chris loves the idea of Faith fangirling over him (even suggesting that she has a painted letter F on her back) that I have to work him in. In a way, it does make what happened with Jirachi works better since it's a subtle change rather than exact words literal genie thing that caused her to gained her macro abilities.

As for the title, the prototype for the title was 'Faith and Adrian L&L Story', but I changed it in part because of, while it's a Large story it's not really a Love story due to how it ended and in part to call back the legend of Prometheus. While Prometheus was well known for creating mankind in the Greek mythologies, he was also known for giving fire to mankind as well, allowing them to grow and build civilizations along with all the messy stuff that comes with it. It works with my story two-fold. One is, as detailed in the prologue section at the beginning of the work, originally only the anthros have macro abilities, but then, whether through a mistake or as a gift, Pokémon gained such abilities as well, which gave rise to the macro Pokémon in this world with all the messy stuff that comes with it. Indeed, just like as fire can be a blessing and a curse, growing as large as trees and even mountains can be a blessing and a curse. Another major reason is that Faith gained her ability to grow because she inadvertently took the edited ability Flash Fire from A-Ninetales, allowing her to grow in size.

Whew. Well, I hope you all enjoy this novella of sorts and I hope you guys will enjoy the sequel I have in mind (still need to work on other writing stuff I've been neglecting and still needed to iron out some ideas).

53

Writer's Guild / Re: The Pokemon Prometheus

« on: December 23, 2018, 09:12:04 AM »

Here is the final part of the story. Don't worry about how it ends, though. I admit that I do have an idea or three on how things will continue when I write a sequel to this story. Enjoy!

I would like to thank Tails230 who has been very supportive of me while I was writing this story. Not to mention that the characters here, aside from A-Ninetales and Saria, are as much his characters as they are mine. ^.|.^

++++++++++

Faith lay down on her back while a pair of Blastoise used Water Gun at her open mouth. By that time, despite help from the others, the toll of living outside in the tall hills had grown onto her with unkempt fur and covered in dirt. She was also exhausted as she remembered the images created of the Great Protector and wondered how she managed to maintained her looks in those times.

She waved a pat at the two Blastoise and they stopped using Water Gun, with their cannons folding back into their shells. “I'm good for now. Thank you.”

“Thank goodness,” one of the Blastoise said as he flopped onto the ground. “Anymore and my tank will really be empty.”

“It's for a good cause, bro,” the other Blastoise said, patting the first's back.

“I don't think 'blasting water into a giant's mouth so she doesn't die of thirst' is a good cause. Especially since, if the rest of town known of her, they'll be treating her like some sort of queen,” the first said as he winced at the pats. “I'm just hoping at this point that it'll worth it.”

“Come on, bro,” the second Blastoise said as he helped the first one back up. “I'm sure resting at home and refilling your tank will restore your mood.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the first one said as the two folded into their shells and spun out.

“See you later,” Faith said out loud as she rolled onto her stomach. “And thank you very much again.”

Her baby blue eyes looked around the high hills surrounding her. They did look much taller than two weeks ago when it felt like she could only be hidden if she lay down as low as she could. The area around her was also much wider to her, with more room to move around and the stones being much tougher.

“Hello there, Faith,” a voice below her said. Faith looked down and saw Dr. Erelah with Mayor Richard. “How are you feeling today?”

“Feeling much better now that I got water,” Faith answered with a smile. “Still, I also continue to hope that they'll also help wash out my fur.”

“Gal, you know how sacred the high hills are,” Mayor Richard said as he flicked a tail. “Massive amount of water could damage them in a way that we can't repair it.”

“I know,” Faith said with a shrug. “I just can't wait until I'm back to my normal size. Then I can finally relax. I hope that this week will pass by quickly.”

“It won't be all of this week,” Dr. Erelah said with a smile. “I calculated that, at your shrink rate, it shouldn't take any more than four days from now.”

“That's a relief.” Faith gave out a slight smile that shined as bright as a star. “As cool as it is to be this big, I think I'll do my best to stay as a normal Vulpix from now on.”

“Very much so, gal.” Mayor Richard poked his own nose with the back of his paw. “This is costing the town so much Poké. Oh, if only there was a way to repay it-”

The Pyroar paused when a sound-piercing noise came to the area. Everyone there cringed and covered their ears as a Pidgeot of the Pidgeot Aerial Express pierced through David's Illusion. The Pidgeot landed right between Mayor Richard and Dr. Erelah, his face etched in pure panic.

“Sir, something terrible is happening in the town!” the Pidgeot said, his face blue.

“What the hell is it?” Mayor Richard said, yelling out in anger. “Damn it, you could've blasted all of our ears off.”

“Sir, Arkanilacum is under attack!”

“What?” Mayor Richard looked at the Pidgeot in horror as his face turned pale. “By who?”

“Just one Pokémon, a strange looking Lycanroc,” the Pidgeot answered. “Yet this Lycanroc was growing in size and smashing everything in the way. When I left to came here, the Lycanroc had just reached 20 feet.”

“A strange looking Lycanroc,” Faith said and her mind pictured Maya just two weeks ago, looming over Adrian and herself. “This Lycanroc, was she strange because she has attributes from a Zoroark? Like coloring and teal on her tail?”

“Y-y-yes,” the Pidgeot answered, blinking up at the 50 feet tall Faith. “How did you know?”

“Because I met her and she could grow in size then too.” Faith's eyes narrowed. “She's also the reason why all of us are here since that Fire Stone that exploded when I tried to evolve and caused the evolutionary flux was from her.”

The three Pokémon below the Vulpix looked at each other.

“S-she's the cause of this mess,” Mayor Richard said with an angry tone. “Why, she should be captured and squeeze all the money I can get out from her so I can pay for this money sink.”

“I doubt that it'll be that easy,” Dr. Erelah said in a controlled voice. “Unless you have a secret weapon that can fight a Pokémon that big. Maybe several secret weapons since she might be even bigger than 20 feet by the time we get back.”

The Pyroar flustered as Faith closed her eyes. She imagined the destroyed buildings, smashed because of a bored, giant Lycanroc. This Lycanroc was grinning in her mind as it soon flashed to an imaged of several Pokémon getting crushed under her paw. And, worse of all, was an image of Maya with her jaws wide as Adrian fell into it.

Faith opened her eyes as they glared in determination. “I'll stop her.”

The three Pokémon below her blinked and, before they could say anything, Faith was already climbing over one of the high hills around her. Close to her was a giant Arcanine skull, much larger than her entire body, as she with a gentle walk went through the hills. On one of the hills was a Zoroark, looking at the town with fright himself. Even from this distance, he could see a growing Lycanroc rampaging through Arkanilacum.

David spotted Faith walking out of the high hills and jumped up high and grabbed the giant Vulpix's back leg. He with shocking speed climbed up the leg and soon ran up to Faith's head.

“What? Are you trying to tell me to stop? That it's too dangerous?” Faith asked, having felt every movement David made during his climb.

“Even if I did, would you stop?” David asked in turn, as he grabbed onto the turf of fur on her head.

“No,” Faith answered as her walk changed into a sprint with her paws digging into the ground, causing huge chunks of the ground to fly off.

“Then let me help you by hiding you,” David said with a grin. “So this threat won't see you coming.”

With that declaration, the two faded in sight like a mirage in a desert.

-----

“Huh. This is the maximum size I can get to at the moment,” the massive Lycanroc said as she looked down at her fore-paw and the device onto it. “It'll have to do for now.”

The Lycanroc towered over the houses at 60 feet tall, her red claws piercing anything below them, whether if they were the roads or buildings. Her tail swayed behind her, the teal on her tail smashed through several buildings at once like a huge Golem rolling through them. Indeed there was a trail of destruction behind her from the heart of town to where she was near the edge, growing larger and destructive as she gets there. Yet, despite how huge she was, the Arcanine bones above her were even larger.

She stepped forward, stepping on a building with it crumbling under the weight like it was made of paper, as her eyes saw a number of Pokémon flee before her. Maya smirked, feeling like she was some unstoppable deity of destruction, even if it was in the name of testing her technology's limits. Her eyes then spotted a familiar Flareon to her and she grinned even wider. He could've run faster, she knew, if he only didn't stop and helped out any Pokémon close to him.

With a quick movement, she stepped near the Flareon so her claws are between him and grabbed him. She could've ended it for him, but why make it quick? Better to relished in his fear, his despair in knowing there was no hope no matter how much time she gave him than to kill him the second she got him. Maya lifted him up so that he's near her nose and showed him her fangs.

“Well, well, well,” Maya said. “I didn't think it'll be this soon that we'll meet again, Adrian.”

“Why? Because you thought I'll be back in the mountains?” Adrian asked as he struggled against the claws.

“Yes, I did think so. I didn't think you'll waste a wish to get back home in an instant, let alone awaken Jirachi,” Maya answered as she, with deliberate force, smashed down several buildings as she turned to the side, towards one of the giant Arcanine's ribs. “I was hoping that, when you and maybe that brat Faith get back here, all you'll find is ruins with not even the bones here standing.”

“You sounded like you have a major beef against Arkanilacum,” Adrian said, growling as he looked past Maya's head. “Letting a Fire Stone you created fall here, not even knowing what it can do. Following the one who used it, waiting for some side effect. Attacking Arkanilacum personally when you could've just found some valley.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Maya said as her voice became cold. “Everything I've done here was done in the name of researching the anthro technology. After all, science doesn't just happen when you create something. You needed to test it out on the field, hoping that any 'theories' created became true and modifying it when it doesn't. This town is just a convenient place to test them out on.”

“I will not deny that things will not go as plan. That what you think will happen and what actually happens are different,” Adrian said, wincing at the increased pressure. “But it's no excuse to just defect fault when things go wrong, like with Faith who could've died and who knows how many else if we didn't meet Jirachi in time. And, as I just said, you could've used any other to test out your machine rather than my home. You aren't doing research work, seeing what the technology you found work. You're nothing more than a bully hiding behind your so-called 'science' to justify pointless deaths and devastation.”

Maya's smirk morphed into a frown as she gave out an ugly glare. “Please tell me why I won't just eat you here and now?”

“Because I was just buying time for them.”

Maya blinked as she looked behind her. “What are you-”

“HYPER BEAM!”

Five powerful yellow beams met the giant Lycanroc's face. One she could've shrugged off, but five Hyper Beam at once in the face caused her to stumbled and fell down with a deafening crash, dropping Adrian in the progress. The Flareon twisted in the air as he braced his knees before being caught by a pear-shaped dragon with small wings. He gave a grin as the Dragonite reunited with the other four.

“Thanks, Captain Galreon,” Adrian said as the five flew up to the top of the Arcanine's bones.

“No problem,” the Dragonite replied as he along with the others landed on the rib cage. “Thank you for telling us that this could happen.”

“You're welcome,” Adrian said as he was lowered down. “I admit that I wasn't expecting her to come this quickly, but I knew that I couldn't just keep this possibility to myself.”

“If you were so worried about this 'Maya', why didn't you tell the Mayor?” another Dragonite asked as he leaned down and observed the giant Lycanroc on the ground with loads of rubble around her.

“To be honest, I think telling Mayor Richard about it could've made it worse,” Adrian answered as he looked down himself. “Knowing him, he would've made it into one big show in order to draw lots of Pokémon around the world and, with Faith nearby, he could've portrayed it as one giant battle of the century. And, with loads of more Pokémon in the town, there could've been loads more needless deaths. No, we couldn't let him know about her.”

They crouched down, looking at Maya as she gotten up, with debris flying around.

“She's a tough one, isn't she?” Captain Galreon said.

“Yes, since that was five Hyper Beams to the face,” another Dragonite said. “Being that huge made her much tougher to powerful attacks like that. And there's nothing we can do about it until we can recharge.”

“To be honest, I don't think it'll be needed for you guys to do another Hyper Beam attack on her soon,” Adrian said as he glared at Maya, who responded by roaring at them. “Besides, that surprise attack can only work once.”

“Are you saying that we should watch the town get destroyed?” a third Dragonite asked, his tone shocked.

Adrian would've responded to it, but his green eyes saw a giant Vulpix materialized and, with a sharp bite to the Lycanroc's scruff, dragged her out of the edge of Arkanilacum. The Vulpix then, with a sharp turn of her neck, threw her to the field. Adrian gave out a grin as the others looked on in surprise.

“I thought Faith will come when the news got to her,” Adrian said. “Sometimes, in order to fight a giant, you need to bring in another giant.”

-----

Faith, with a great amount of effort, flung Maya into the air. Her baby blue eyes were icy cold as, hundreds of feet away, the Lycanroc impacted the ground and rolled back with huge chunks of the ground flying. Her knees braced as she crouched low with the town behind her, like a mother protecting her kits. The Lycanroc rolled back up to her paws and saw the giant Vulpix glaring at her.

“F-Faith?!” the Lycanroc's eyes widened. “How did you become so massive?! It-it couldn't be the Fire Stone, could it?”

“Not really,” Faith answered, feeling the fire within her swelling up. “Just a mess up when we got our wishes from Jirachi.”

“A 'mess up', huh?” Maya said as she crouched low herself, looking past Faith to her prey. “I'm curious to learn more about what happened, but I'm in a strict time-frame. Perhaps if you're willing to work with me to unlo-”

“With you? You created that Fire Stone that nearly kills me, acted like it's some minor mistake in your study even though you knew that I could've exploded, taking who knows how many Pokémon with me, and you just were in the progress of destroying my home!” Faith said, spatting out the words in all the anger she could muster. “After all that, I have to be insane or stupid to even think of working with you!”

“That's a shame,” Maya said as she gave out a confident smirk. “I guess I'll have to test you and perhaps open you up after defeating you. Perhaps after that, I may have enough time to destroy Arkanilacum as well.”

Faith, seeing red, sprinted forward to Maya. Fire flowed into her throat as smoke was emitted out of her mouth, with energy swelling in there. The fire then blasted out of her mouth as she continued her charge. “Flamethrower!”

Flames met the Lycanroc's pelt as she closed one of her eyes. Maya's teeth bared as she had energy built up into her left fore-paw. When Faith was within 30 feet, Maya swung her paw to Faith's side. “Brick Break!”

The Vulpix was knocked into the air with her flailing her limbs. When she met the ground, it shook with a force that every Pokémon felt in the town with huge lumps of the earth flying into the air. Faith rolled around as the Zoroark on her was still on the air, with him flailing his limbs in panic. Faith's claws extended and grabbed onto the ground with them creating small valleys with quick speed while David landed not too far behind her.

Maya glared at the Vulpix before noticing that, during that impact, Faith shrunk down by 5 feet. “Huh. That's curious.”

“Wha-why did I shrunk?” Faith asked, yelling out as she felt the spacious paw impression on the ground.

“Perhaps it's because, in order to recover from that attack, your body shrunk in response,” Maya answered before giving out a wide smirk that would slash down anyone who saw it. “That makes things much easier for me. I don't have to deal with a huge body to carry around when I defeat you but instead your pathetic, small size.”

Faith's eyes widened as the larger Lycanroc crouched low to the ground before leaping up to the air with her jaws wide open.

“Crunch!”

Faith's natural instinct was to jump back, but instead, she ran forward and leaped. Her body twisted upwards as she felt a fireball swelling in her throat, her eyes staring at Maya's stomach. “Flame Burst!”

A concentrated fireball exited from her mouth to Maya's stomach. The fireball exploded upon impact as the Lycanroc gave out a cry. The blast's force kept her on the air, over the Zoroark, and crashing on her back with a quake. Faith panted, feeling that she just shrunk more to 40 feet, as Maya ahead of her twisted back to her feet, shaking the ground. When their eyes met Faith realized that, at the way this fight was going, she wasn't going to win as long as Maya doesn't shrink down while she does. Her eyes diverted onto the Lycanroc's legs and an idea formed in her mind.

“This has been fun, little one, but I'll end this right now,” Maya said as she forced herself up on her hind legs. She then slammed her fore-paws onto the ground as the earth shook. “Stone Edge!!”

Faith's eyes widened as the ground broke around her and huge slabs of stones shoot into the air, surrounding her. They clamped around her with a force that left her unable to move, feeling them slicing through her fur and skin. She gave out a massive hour that pierced the air for miles.

-----

“Oh Arceus, Faith's getting herself killed there,” Captain Galeron said, his voice trembled with fear.

Adrian stared downwards, feeling like something had pierced his heart. His face was filled with pain and whitening as his claws shook.

“We-we need to get down there now!” Adrian said as he looked back at the Dragonite. “We need to save her!”

“How?” another Dragonite asked. “That huge and crazy looking Lycanroc took five Hyper Beams to the face and didn't do any lasting damage. Not to mention that she managed to resist a few of the attacks from Faith, despite being nearly as big. What can we do that can stop that giant?”

“I-I'll think of something along the way,” Adrian answered, his entire body shook as if winter had come when it was only summer a few minutes ago. “Right now, Faith is in danger and we can't just watch.”

“Adrian,” Captain Galreon said as his short arms petted the Flareon, “we can't just blindly leap into action that can lead to certain death. We need a plan, something that can counter that giant, and we need it before leaping into action. Can't you think of an idea now?”

Adrian closed his eyes, doing his best to think. Yet all of this thoughts were about seeing a dead Vulpix. “I-I can't focus!”

-----

Maya gave out a harsh laugh as she walked over to the massive slabs of stone 200 feet high, ignoring the Zoroark below her in the progress. Her smug grin radiates a monolithic sense of victory since not even a Charizard could still be awake after such an attack, let alone a Vulpix. All she needed to do, she knew, was to collect Faith's fainted body, finish up destroying Arkanilacum, and she would be on her wa-

SMASH!

Maya blinked and looked up, with her eyes wide in surprise. Standing on top of the stone slabs was a Vulpix, who had broken through the stone with her now 25 feet tall body by her observation. The Vulpix gave out a soul-piercing glare as she leaped down, her body giving out a red glow. She then landed before Maya's legs and gave out a massive yell.

“OVERHEAT!!”

Flames and smoke engulfed the two giants and the surrounding area as the ground shook and a shock wave was emitted throughout, blasting David on the ground away by several feet. The stone slabs broke apart from the force with boulders flying around behind with the occasional few flying forward. David, with speed even he thought wasn't possible for him, moved out of the way from such boulders as his face screamed out panic.

The few trees and the grass field in the giant's battlefield was caught on fire, yet, despite Arkanilacum wasn't too far away, it was left unharmed from the behemoth of an Overheat attack, with the rib bones blocking the severed parts of the attack. What did go through the rib bones wasn't enough to do any lasting damages that Maya did. Every Pokémon, from the top of the high hills to the city, stared at the smoke in anticipation.

The smoke and dust soon faded and settled with Faith, now back to 1'11”, and Maya, still 60 feet tall. Maya, with a smug grin, looked down at the now tiny Vulpix while Faith glared back.

“Nice try, tiny, but I barely felt that.”

“I'm surprised that you did since I wasn't aiming at you.”

“What? What are you talki-”

POP!

Zzzzzzzz

Maya's eyes widened in horror as she looked down at one of her forelegs. The illusion device that she wore there was now melting as it gave out sparks and explosions. She gave out a horrified howl as she darkened into a shadow. The Lycanroc shadow shrunk down in size from an imposing 60 feet to an almost pathetic 2'7”. Colors came back to Maya as she stumbled and ripped out the device, with it almost burning through her skin.

“You-you little,” Maya said as she gave out an ugly glare, anger emitting off of her body. “I'll end you here right now!”

The Lycanroc then sprinted forward towards Faith as the Vulpix, teeth barred, braced herself. She felt so drained from that battle that, even though Maya with great speed got closer, she couldn't even produce flames despite her life being depended on it, let alone move out of the way. Maya leaped onto the air towards Faith with her jaws wide open.

“Crun-”

A foot met Maya's face, knocking her to the side.

“Eh, I won't let you harm my friend, so I suggest that you leave while you still can.”

Maya rolled back up and saw a Zoroark standing in front of Faith now, his arms crossed.

Maya growled. “If I have to fight you too, I will. I will get that Vulpix!”

“Eh, maybe. If you can fight off five Dragonite too.” David looked up at the ribs protecting the town, his eyes observing five pear-shaped figures flying towards them.

Maya closed her eyes. “It seems that everything's going against what I planned on doing. Good-bye for now.”

The Lycanroc faded from sight as David blinked in astonishment. His eyes shifted towards where the device Maya ripped off from her foreleg was laying, yet saw that it too had disappeared. He then turned back towards Faith and saw that she wasn't surprised at all.

“Wh-where did she and that machine went off to?” David asked.

“Who knows,” Faith answered, feeling her knees shaking before she let herself fell onto the ground. “Especially since she knows the ability Illusion. I know, she's a Lycanroc. But she told me more than two weeks ago that she gained it after a mishap with another anthro device and a Zoroark. In fact, that device she was using was making her Illusion ability reality, even her giant size just earlier.”

“That-that does explain why she looks funny,” the Zoroark said as he kneels towards Faith. “So, her being a giant was nothing more than an Illusion brought to life?”

“Yes.” Faith yawned as she lay down her head. “I feel so tired now.”

“Faith! Are you alright?!”

The Vulpix's ears twitched as she looked up and saw a Flareon running towards her. Her eyes widened as Adrian pounced her, leaving David and the five Dragonite standing there and watching in bemusement.

“Thank goodness,” Adrian said, squeezing Faith into a hug. “When I saw you trapped in that Stone Edge attack and later in that explosion in attacking her, I-I thought that you-that you-”

“It's OK,” Faith said as she patted the Flareon's back in an attempt to break off from the hug. “It was a tight fit in there, but it also caused me to shrunk just enough for me to break out from the top. I'm alright aside from feeling tired.” A massive groan came out of Faith's stomach. “And hungry.”

Adrian gave out a loud laugh as he released Faith from the Ekans-like hug. “Alright. I'll get you something to eat when we head back into town. But there's one last thing for me to do.” Faith blinked as Adrian looked into his bag and pulled out a mint-green bow. He smiled as he puts it and ties it around Faith's neck. “There you go, Faith.”

“Thank you very much,” Faith smiled as she patted the big bow on the back of her neck and her belly growls again. “Now let's go out to eat before my stomach eats itself.”

“You bet, Faith.”

-----

The Pyroar walked down the empty road at dusk, thinking about the events that happened several hours before. It's good that the problem with Faith ended a few days ahead of schedule, yet it also resulted in a great deal of destruction of Arkanilacum even if the two were only somewhat related. He dealt with a great deal of paperwork trying to cover what's been destroyed and how many of his citizens got killed, which got boring after a while.

Mayor Richard looked from side to side, now heading towards the suburban parts of the town. No one, except those who already knew the truth, knew that Faith was the giant Vulpix that saved them all. The Pokémon of the town believed that their savior died in a suicidal attack in an attempt to stop the monstrous Lycanroc rather than returning back to their normal size as Faith did. It did help that her bow that she always wore wasn't on her since it couldn't grow with her.

Perhaps he could be able to talk some sense to Faith to admit the truth. After all, loads of Pokémon died or become homeless because of the attack. With the publicity that she's the newest Pokémon who can turn into a giant in a long time would bring in every Pokémon around the world to see her. She could rake in millions of Poké just for them to see how big she can grow and how it could help the town. Couldn't she see? And, if not, perhaps his help will convince-

“Hello, Mr. Mayor.”

Mayor Richard blinked and looked around before his eyes saw a Zoroark standing behind him. His ears twitched, having heard nothing of being followed.

“Hello, boy. What can I do for-”

“Going to see Faith?”

Paused. Then he answered, “Yes, I am.”

“Eh, thought so,” David said as he walked around the Pyroar. “And are those papers of how many died or are homeless because of the Lycanroc attack?”

“L-look. What are you here for?”

“To make sure that my friend isn't in some debt for the rest of her life,” David answered as he rubbed a claw under Mayor Richard's neck. “If it wasn't for her, the entire city would've been demolished with who knows how many lives lost.”

“You know how much money I lost because of this!”

“And I know how many more you still have,” David said and grinned when he saw the Pyroar paled. “What? I've been following you on my off times and looked around your paperwork. I saw how much Poké the city really gained from tourism and how much you've pocketed.”

Mayor Richard regained his composure as he said, “You have no proof. You're just scaring me.”

“Am I?” David went into his pouch and pulled out several pictures before showing them to the Pyroar. “Hehe. Is that a sweat drop? I must say that the camera you have was very helpful in getting proof of your embezzling.”

Mayor Richard, through a pale face, gave out a glare. “How did you know?”

“Eh, it was an educated guess. When I saw the camera for the first time, I did note how new it seems. For, you see, a new camera like that, especially one made by the anthros long gone from this world, would be worth an absurd amount of money, which I thought was odd for a tight-wad like you. I did some digging, at first by my own and later with my wife's help when she was getting worried on where I was going, and I found out just how much you kept for yourself. With a convenient excuse that you don't want to shell out money because of how broke the town's income was and, thus, had to keep spending to a minimum, you managed to produce a scheme that made you one of the richest Pokémon in the world.”

The Pyroar's claws extended. “Thank you for the explanation, but, fortunately, my enforcers will silent you since I'm never alone.”

The Pyroar twitched his tail and two Blastoise leaped down on beside both of Mayor Richard's side as he gave out a sneer to the Zoroark.

“Take him out.”

The two Blastoise nodded and they extended their cannons before aiming them at the calm Zoroark ahead of them. They stood like that for a couple of seconds before they, with a grin, leaped onto the Pyroar, pinning him down.

“W-what's the meaning of this!?” Mayor Richard said as he gave out a roar. “Don't you know how much I've been paying you two?! Why betrayed me?!”

“Because they aren't your men,” David answered and two Blastoise materialized beside David, both fainted on the ground. The two Blastoise on top of the Pyroar shifted into another Zoroark and a Dragonite as the Mayor's eyes widened in horror. “And even if you did kill me, I sent out copies of the photos, ready to be read with eager eyes by reporters. There's no way you'll be able to silence them all without looking suspicious.”

Mayor Richard gave out a low chuckled. “You don't think I've paid off the reporters already? The ones who really enforced how poor our town is?”

“I didn't,” David answered with an indifferent shrug. “Good thing I've also thought of sending the pictures to the other towns as well.” He smiled as the Pyroar become white. “And I have one just waiting for Faith. You really didn't think it through at all, did you?”

“What do you want?”

“For you to leave Faith alone and to stop stealing the town's money. If you do, I'll guarantee that you'll last for the next few weeks for your 'retirement'. Deal?”

The Pyroar gave out a low growl. “Sure. I'll put it in writing.”

“Good,” David said as he gestured the two Pokémon on top of the Pyroar to get off of him. “Don't be so sad. After all, the world will know that a giant rampage and battle did happen here. Pokémon will come to visit here more than ever, so it's not like the town will be left poor or anything. Just leave your filthy paws off of the money, though.”

The three Pokémon left Mayor Richard with high spirits as the Pyroar left the other way, head low and with tail and ears drooping.

When they got outside of the Pyroar's range of hearing, Amber said, “Good thing you thought of creating copies of those pictures.”

“I didn't,” David said with both Amber and the Dragonite blinking at him. “There was no way I could think of that can create more copies of those pictures. At least, without taking more with that camera and I'm not sure how long it would've taken before he noticed that someone used up a full reel and was looking for another one. But it doesn't matter now. He accepted the deal.”

-----

Indeed, as David said, Pokémon did come to Arkanilacum in droves, in part to donate for the loss of lives and property and in part to look over the battle where the two giants, the Vulpix and the Lycanroc, fought. They looked over the paw-steps in the battlefield the size of parks and claw-marks as wide as a river and remarked how incredible they were. But, most of all, they looked at the Stone Edge remains, where the climax of the battle happened.

The Mayor noted in his report two weeks afterward that, because of what happened, tourism revenue increased by 400% (in actually 300% because of him not stealing money anymore), allowing the town to be repaired like it never happened within a month. Though it didn't improve his mood, some Pokémon noted, and the citizens were surprised when he announced his retirement, with his final day being when it was scheduled for the end of the repair period. Many believed that the sudden stress after a long lull of nothing might have broken his spirit of leading the town.

Faith, for her part, tested to see if she could grow in size again and blushed when, after using Flash Fire to absorb a fireplace's fire, she grew an extra six inches. She decided to keep it to herself and Adrian, who she told, so she could be able to live in harmony rather than be some sort of tourist spot or protector. After what she went through the last few weeks, being big like that was stressful to her and everyone around her and she doesn't want to be put into that spot again.

Though, she admitted to herself, a part of her enjoyed it and wouldn't mind if she was big again.

-----

Faith walked down the main road, her baby blue eyes looked around the shops on both of her sides. She wore a pouch around her neck and shoulder as the mint green bow flapped in the breeze. The late summer sun shined against her red-orange pelt with her white paws walked on the yellow dirt road.

“I really hope to find a Fire Stone this time and not one that's been tampered,” Faith said with a smile.

“If you say so, Faith,” a voice behind her said as her ears twitched and she looked behind her.

“That trick won't work on me again, Adrian” Faith said as she pressed a white paw against his nose.

Adrian blushed as he took a step back. “I wasn't trying to scare you this time. I just wanted to talk to you. That's all.”

“Oh? What is it?” Faith asked as she nuzzled the Flareon's blushing cheek.

“W-well, I've been thinking,” Adrian said as he shifted his eyes. “After what had happened the last several weeks, I-I wanted to ask you something.”

“Adrian, being shy like this isn't like you,” Faith said in a teasing tone. “But please try to spit it out.”

“W-w-well, here's the thing,” Adrian said while sweating. “It's had something to do with what I said during our meeting with Jirachi. Namely, I want us to live together from now on.”

“W-what?” Faith replied, blushing as well. “What do you mean by this?”

“Faith, I-I meant to tell you this. I-” Adrian said before choking on his words. “I-I-”

“Hello!” a new voice said as a Zoroark appeared between both, causing them to jump back, with Adrian on his back. “Sorry to interrupt you two, but there's a famous Explorer in the city visiting!”

Adrian glared at David as Faith said in a high-pitch voice, “A-an Explorer?! Who?!”

David turned around and pointed up the road as Faith and Adrian follow the red claw to the new figure coming their way. The foxy Pokémon's golden-white fur shined in the light with all nine tail-tips being orange in color. The green scarf he wore bore an Explorer's badge, with yellow wings on both sides. Yet the oddest thing about this sea blue-eyed newcomer's badge was a light green A engraved on it.

Faith let out a gasp. “It's it's him!”

“Who?”

Before Faith could answer Adrian's question, the Ninetales approached them.

“Hello there. My name is Daren, but folks called me A-Ninetales,” the Ninetales said. “I was hoping to meet with the leader of this town to discuss with, from what I heard, an attack by a giant Lycanroc.”

Faith held her breath, her face as red as the top half of a Voltorb while Adrian's green eyes glared at A-Ninetales, his face just as green.

“Sure. Of course, Mayor Richard won't be mayor for long, but I don't see why you shouldn't meet with him,” David said as he glanced at the Flareon with a mischievous smile. “I'll see you two later.”

A-Ninetales bowed his head to David before he gave a glance at the Vulpix with a curious face. The Zoroark gave a poke to the Ninetales' shoulder and walked for a couple of seconds, but he doesn't seem to notice, his eyes still looking at Faith. Adrian's face, if it was even possible, got greener as his claws dug into the ground.

“Didn't you noticed?” Adrian asked, his voice as cold as a Glaceon's attack. “He wants you to follow.”

“Oh, sorry,” A-Ninetales answered as he glanced at the Flareon, not bothered by the piercing glare. “Just that I also heard that a macro Vulpix was there at the time and your friend, Faith, reminded me of her.”

“Faith had nothing to do with it,” Adrian said, his tone still cold. “And, in case you didn't notice, this Vulpix isn't large like the one from before.”

“It is true that she isn't a giant at the moment, Adrian,” A-Ninetales said before looking back at David. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go.”

The Zoroark smiled as he nodded and gestured the Ninetales to follow. A-Ninetales nodded back and walked behind David, though he gave one last look at Faith. Adrian breathed back and forth, doing his best to think and relax again, as Faith looked at A-Ninetales, still awestruck.

“We just met the legendary A-Ninetales! I just feel so-so honored!” Faith said with an expression that screamed out how much her mind was up in the clouds. “Don't you feel the same way, Adrian?”

Adrian closed his eyes as he lowered his head, feeling like he was next to a cliff and was about to slip down. Something was holding him back. Something said before that was trying to reach into the forefront of his mind.

“Adrian? Are you being envious of how great A-Ninetales is?”

It drifted to the back of his mind. All he could think of was falling.

“I think that he's a devious, arrogant Ninetales who's just full of himself!”

Adrian lifted his head as he realized what he just said in horror. He opened his eyes and recoiled, meeting a glare from a pissed off Vulpix.

“Adrian! How could you?” Faith said as her paw slammed against the Flareon's face. He felled back onto the ground with a stunned look on his face. “How could you not see how awesome A-Ninetales is? As a result, I don't think I want to live with you!”

Faith stormed off, leaving behind a flustered Flareon behind. Adrian's ears then flattened back, his eyes glanced towards the ground as he felt a massive pain his chest. He had a chance to be with Faith for the rest of his life and he blew it! All because he couldn't keep his thoughts straight; because he couldn't help but noticed how much A-Ninetales looked at Faith and how much she idolized him. His mind went through ways on how to apologize to Faith, how he was jealous of A-Ninetales, who knew them by-

“Wait,” Adrian said to himself. “He referred to us by our names. But we never even told him our names. How did he know? And, come to think of it, he was certain that the giant Vulpix who defended this town was a she. How?”

Adrian looked down the road where A-Ninetales walked down with David and, with a leap back onto his paws, ran down the road. Whether if this was a way to make up with Faith or to learn more about A-Ninetales, one thing was certain, Adrian realized. This Explorer might have guessed or even knew the truth about Faith and her giant part in defending this town.

54

Writer's Guild / Re: The Pokemon Prometheus

« on: December 22, 2018, 09:26:14 PM »

Here's the next part and the one you've all been waiting for. Enjoy!

++++++++++

Adrian opened his eyes as they felt smoke, dust, and steam. His nose smelled the same as his paws helped him get up, feeling the small rocks underneath. He opened his mouth in awe before he coughed out a storm.

He stumbled around as the dust settled and the steam faded into water particles, his eyes able to see the small Vulpix sitting down in the middle of a massive crater where the star engraving once was. She was panting as her body gave out a reddish glow with smoke coming out of her mouth. The Flareon walked over to her with a deep fear written all over his face.

“Faith? Are you alright?” Adrian asked when he got near her, feeling a massive amount of heat from her.

“N-no,” Faith answered as she stood up on all fours and faced the Flareon. “But at least I'm alive.”

Adrian gave out a sigh, yet he still felt his stomach tightened. “That's good. But, where's Jirachi? Did you blast him out to space?”

As soon as the Flareon uttered those words, the pit shook. They looked around as the shaking got worse, the two Fire-types Pokémon's ears flattened back. They then crouched low, bracing themselves as the quake got worse. A massive light appeared in a flash, illuminating the pit that would've blinded them if they didn't shut their eyes quick enough. A few seconds and the earthquakes stopped. They at first slowly opened one of their eyes only to shot them both opened.

All the destruction caused in the fight, the cracks, the craters, even the hole to the outside were all gone and fixed. Even the engraving on the ground was returned and repaired, the five-pointed star underneath them that was, just a minute ago, a huge crater. The two looked at each other in shock, neither having felt the ground changed.

Their ears twitched as they heard a yawn above and, when they looked up, they saw the yellow Pokémon floating above them, stretching his limbs.

“Hah! Alright, I'm fully awake,” Jirachi said with a grin and both of his eyes wide opened. “So, so awake! Ahhh!” His eyes then looked down at the two bewildered Pokémon. “My name is Jirachi! Who are you?”

Both Faith and Adrian blinked at the very casual, child-like Jirachi. Just a few minutes ago, Faith had blasted Jirachi with a Flamethrower so powerful, it blasted Doom Desire back at his face and sent him through the mountainside and to the sky. Yet, here he was, grinning without pain or worry in the world. Did those attacks, they wondered, even hurt him?

Faith looked back at Adrian for a second before stepping forward. “Um, my name is Faith.”

“And my name is Adrian,” the Flareon said.

“Your names are Faith and Adrian,” Jirachi said as he floated down to in front of the Vulpix with the white paws. “So, Faith and Adrian, you better listen well.” The three tags on his head glowed. “I grant wishes for those who managed to wake me up.”

Faith nodded as she felt her heart swelling up. This was the moment, the moment that she had been waiting for ever since she left Arkanilacum. Where if it's a day or an hour away from herself exploding, she succeeded. Yet, she had a hard time finding the words to say.

“Well, um,” Faith finally said. “I admit that I have a complex issue that only you can fix.”

Jirachi nodded before he coughed, blowing out smoke. He blinked at the smoke in confusion before changing his sight to Faith. “All right. I'll listen.”

Faith looked back at Adrian, who smiled back at her. Faith nodded as she smiled back and looked at Jirachi. “OK, to make the long story short . . .”

Faith, with some assistance from Adrian, explained what happened, starting with the Fire Stone created by Maya and her failed evolution from it, resulting in her evolutionary flux that was in constant growth. Jirachi nodded with politeness, though Faith sensed that most of the more complex parts went over his head. When Faith finished her explanation, Jirachi looked up to the top of the pit.

“So, um, let me get this straight,” Jirachi said. “You tried to evolve into a Ninetales, it failed because of some merged Pokémon named Mia-”

“Maya,” Adrian said.

“Whatever this Pokémon's name is. Anyways, she used some weird technology that creates evolutionary stones and caused herself to grow-”

“I think they're separate tech, Jirachi.”

“Whatever. And, because of this fake Fire Stone, it created a 'flux' (what does flux means anyways?) that resulted in a buildup of power that may cause you to blow up like a firework-”

“Honestly, it's more like a hundred Golem using Explosion at once,” Faith said, rather self-conscience of herself glowing.

“Same difference. Which is why you came here so I can fix it,” Jirachi said as he nodded. “Although, I admit that it's a little embarrassing to admit to. I have no idea what a Ninetales is.”

“Wait, what? You don't know what a Ninetales is?” Faith asked, blinking. “It's my next evolutionary form.”

“You do realize that, though I've been given a title of a 'Mythical Pokémon', it doesn't mean that I know absolutely everything,” Jirachi explained with a sheepish grin. “Especially since I'm only awake for a week after each thousand-year of sleeping. Unless I've been fought into an awakening, which is rare. Heck, from what you guys said, the world had changed a lot since I was last awake. Like, what are these 'anthros' mentioned? Are they Pokémon too?”

Both Faith and Adrian sighed as their ears lowered.

“What can you do so that she doesn't end up being, I don't know, a Venasaur?”

“What's a Venasaur?”

“Er, nevermind,” Adrian said as he shifted his eyes. “So, how do you think you can solve it?”

“Hmm,” Jirachi said as he rubbed his chin. “First off, what does a Ninetales look like?”

“Oh, ah,” Faith said as a vision of her favorite Explorer entered her mind, “unlike my reddish-orange fur, a Ninetales has a golden-white fur. Also, they have nine tails rather than my six and, unlike my curly top on my head, their turfs of fur are rather straight.”

“OK. That'll help. Now just wait for a moment while I do my super-duper sightseeing search!” Jirachi said with pride in his voice as his eyes closed and his arms spread out. Glass-like bubbles formed around the three as images of Pokémon appeared in them, at first filled with rock-types and ground-types. Faith and Adrian looked around in amazement, their eyes reflecting the images of those Pokémon doing various actives.

The numbers of glass-bubbles expanded in the pit, showing grass-types, bug-types, and normal-types in them. Faith opened her mouth with a complete sense of wonder before her eyes saw a golden-white Pokémon in one of them. She raised her front paw and pointed at it.

“This is it. This is a Ninetales,” Faith said as she looked back at Jirachi.

Jirachi opened his eyes as the glass-bubbles popped except for the one Faith is pointing at. “Huh. That's a weird looking Pokémon. Not to mention how uncool it looks compared to the others. Like that massive, long body one that looks like it's made of metal!”

“That's Steelix,” the Flareon said as Faith looked closer to the Ninetales one. Her eyes widened when she realized that this Ninetales was wearing a green scarf.

“Isn't that-”

“OK,” Jirachi said as the glass-bubble floated away from Faith and towards himself. His hands rubbed against it as his head glowed blue. Faith blinked as she looked down at her own body and saw blue around her as well for only a few seconds. “I believe I got it! I now know what moves, what abilities, what size a Ninetales should be along with how one should look! Comparing it with you, Faith, I can see now what needed to be changed. In fact, two things that needed to be changed so you're better. So, tell me you wish!”

Faith blinked, thinking of what the yellow Pokémon just said. “Jirachi? What do you mean by-”

“What is it?” Adrian asked, his voice anxious.

“Jirachi said that there were two things that's wrong with me,” Faith answered, looking at the Flareon. “I just want to know what he means by-”

“Isn't it obvious? He means your evolutionary flux and your failed evolution. Isn't that right?”

“It is true that, in order for me to evolve Faith, I have to cancel the attempt fully,” Jirachi said, floating around the two Fire-types. He opened his mouth to speak again but shut his mouth like a polite child when Adrian spoke up.

“See? So just wish for your body to be fixed.”

Faith hesitated for a second before breathing in and out. “Jirachi, I wish for myself to recover from this failed evolution.”

Jirachi smiled as the topmost tag on his head glowed in a golden light. Faith's own glow changed color from red to golden as well. She felt a smile forming on her face, feeling Jirachi's power flowing through her, as her eyes closed. The growing pressure, like she was continuing filled to the brim with fire, was gone.

“Faith, your wish has been granted,” Jirachi said as Faith opened her eyes.

She looked over herself and saw that the glow she was surrounded with was gone. The curse she felt she was under since she touched that Fire Stone was gone. She was free, yet, while she no longer felt the pressure of growing power, she still felt the power she had since it started. Would it dissipate in time?

Faith looked over to Adrian and said, “It's ov-”

“Um, Faith? Why are you growing?” Adrian asked as he took a step back.

The Vulpix blinked as she looked at the Flareon more and her eyes widened. When just a minute ago she was a foot smaller, she had just equaled Adrian's size for a second before growing past that. She found herself looked down at him when it was normally the other way around, finding Adrian to be the small one. Jirachi floated around Faith when she reached the fifth foot mark and kept on growing.

“Huh. I didn't think a Vulpix can grow,” Jirachi said as Faith soon surpassed the height of a Blazakin.

“They're not supposed to in the first place!” Adrian yelled out as Faith's growth pace increased and doubled in size, reaching the twelve-foot mark. “What did you do!?”

“A-all I did was changed her body so that it's back to normal,” Jirachi explained as Faith's eyes widened, her body now larger than the star they were on. “I spotted a flaw in her evolution that was causing that so I stopped that and I saw that her ability was wrong.”

“What do you mean 'her ability was wrong'?” Adrian asked as he got onto Faith's growing paw so he wasn't crushed by it.

“When I compared her body to that Ninetales, I saw a tiny difference,” Jirachi explained as Faith crouched low, reaching the amazing size of fifty feet. “They worked by absorbing flames, but I saw that the Ninetales' body reacted differently from it. So I thought that it's because of a flaw she has. I didn't think it could've caused it to grow.”

“Well, that's just-” Adrian said before being pressed up against the wall of the pit.

Faith kept on growing as if her body wanted to fill up every space in the pit. She felt like she was being crushed by the walls she was surrounded with, with both Adrian and Jirachi pressed against her and the wall. She closed her eyes, growling in pain.

“Ji-Jirachi! Ad-Adrian!” Faith said as her growth caused the cracks to formed again around the pit. “I-I am really getting crushed here!”

“You're getting crushed?!” Adrian yelled out as he's pinned between a wall and a growing paw. “I-I can barely breathe in here!”

“Jirachi, I want us out of here!” Faith yelled out, feeling so pinned between the (from her point-of-view) shrinking pit that she couldn't move anymore.

“O-OK!” Jirachi said, his voice muffled by a giant tail. His eyes closed as his left tag glows, with blue light enveloping the three Pokémon there. A flash shined out and they were gone. All that remained were massive riffs on the walls and ceiling, with huge chunks of rocks falling down.

-----

The three Pokémon reappeared outside of the mountain, with both Adrian and Jirachi on Faith's back. Both of them were dazed for a second, before giving out a sigh, their chest free to breathe again, not noticing that the Vulpix they were on was still growing. Faith looked down at the surrounding trees, almost like tall grass to her, as she gained another growth spurt. Her paws slammed against the trees below her, tumbling them down and shattering them like fragile glass, as a swung of one of her giant tails smashed against the mountainside behind, throwing several huge rocks away. She gave out a yelp as she fell down, with Adrian clinging onto the fur, causing the ground below her to quake and knocking down several surrounding trees with an accidental Earthquake.

She grew and grew, with Faith feeling her stomach tightened, wondering when would she stop growing. Then, as if that's all she needed to do was ask, she stopped growing at a behemoth size of 250 feet tall. Her eyes looked down, wondering if Adrian and Jirachi were down below as her heart stopped like a Glaceon grabbed her heart with their cold paws.

“Wh-what happened to me?!” Faith asked to herself, her voice carried over for hundreds of feet away. “Wh-why am I so HUGE?! Adrian! Jirachi! Where are you?!”

“Right here,” Faith barely heard behind her. She blinked as she looked behind herself and saw a tiny Flareon on her back with an even smaller Jirachi floating nearby. Jirachi motioned one of his arms and, with Adrian enveloped in a bluish-white light, the two floated up to Faith's muzzle. Adrian was placed onto her muzzle, with the Vulpix's giant baby blue eyes looking towards the two. “Jeez, I knew that you wanted to be big, but I think you had overdone it.”

Faith blushed, her cheeks fur fluffed up, as she crouched down low. “I didn't want to be this big! Why did I grow to this size!”

Adrian grabbed onto the Vulpix's muzzle, feeling every movement she makes like it was some sort of earthquake. “Jirachi said that he thought that there was also something wrong with your ability.”

“Yeah, my bad,” Jirachi said as he rubbed the back of his head with a hand. “When I compared you with that Ninetales, I honestly thought that your fire absorption power-”

“Flash Fire,” Adrian said, looking up at the floating yellow Pokémon next to him.

“Whatever. I thought that there was something wrong with that as well caused by your failed evolution. So I've copied that Ninetales' ability and placed it over your ability, Faith,” Jirachi explained, giving out a very nervous smile. “Again, I never knew much about the outside world and other Pokémon outside of a few.”

“But what kind of Ninetales has Flash Fire that causes it to grow?” Adrian asked as his ears flattened to the sides. “Not to mention that Faith hasn't been hit by flames at all. So, how could she be this huge?”

“Adrian, you're embarrassing me!” Faith said, giving out an even bigger blush as her back legs dug onto the ground behind her, making massive holes.

“I-I didn't mean it like that!” Adrian said, his face blushing as well.

“Hmm,” Jirachi said as he rubbed his hand against his chin. “The best I can think of is that pile of power she'd build up since it happened. It built itself up like some sort of fake fire absorption power thing and, when I changed her ability, it acted on it, causing her growth. As for why that Ninetales has such a power, I don't know.”

Adrian sighed as he rubbed his face with a paw. “So, we now have a very massive problem thanks to your screw-up. Can you fix it?”

“Um, there's good news and bad news for it,” Jirachi explained as he pointed at his left tag. “The good news is that I can reverse it with a wish. The bad news is that I took Faith's command as a wish, which means-”

“-we only have one wish left,” Adrian said, his eyes wide as his paw was back onto Faith's muzzle. “And we're over 4000 miles away from home.”

“Th-then, if I wished I was back to my normal size, it'll take months to travel back home,” Faith said as she lifted one of her paws and rubbed it against one of her eyes. “If I wished for us to teleport home, I'll still be a massive Vulpix. There's no good option here!”

“I don't think our trouble is as bad as you think,” Jirachi said with a childish smile. “That Ninetales was at what I think is a normal size when I located him, which means that you'll be back to your normal size in time. I can't say for how long, but, as long as you aren't attacked by a Fire-type attack, you won't grow and instead shrink.”

“That may take weeks!” Faith responded as she shut her eyes. “And being at this size, “I'll just be seen as some sort of monster.”

The Flareon looked as what he could see of the giant Vulpix's face before his lower his sorrowful eyes. His ears flattened back as he felt his chest tightened and he gritted his teeth. His claws clutched the fur underneath him.

“I-I don't think of you as a monster!” Adrian said with tears falling out from his eyes.

“You-you don't?” Faith asked, opening one of her eyes before closing it again. A tear swelled up on the corner of her eyes. “No. You're just being nice, Adrian. I am nothing more than-”

“-the most beautiful Vulpix I've ever met!”

“W-what did you say?” Faith asked, opening her eyes with them pointed at Adrian as she lowered her paw back onto the logs and boulders. Her chest felt a stab when she saw that the Flareon was crying as well.

“It's-it's true!” Adrian explained as his tail drooped down. “Ever since we met many years ago, I-I thought of you as beautiful and amazing. I didn't think you would've noticed a little, lonely Eevee like me, but you did. You are a bright part of my life, Faith. It's why, when offered various stones and means to evolved with, I chose a Fire Stone. To be closer to you!”

Faith stared at her dear friend, Adrian, in complete surprise, feeling that she now know him a bit more than before. She felt the heart in her chest beat slower from the panic state it was in as she, in a slow and gentle pace, gotten back up. Not a single tree or rock was smashed as she sat down, giving out a teary smile.

“Oh, Adrian,” Faith said. “You're always a sweet and understanding friend. I think you're just being nice here, but thanks anyway.”

Adrian blinked and looked up at her giant eyes. “No. I meant every word I said. No matter what you look like or how big you get, you are the most beautiful Pokémon I've ever met. I'll do my best to be with you, wherever and however you are.”

Faith gave out a massive blush as her eyes shifted away. “Adrian, stop. You're embarrassing me.”

The Flareon gave out a shy laugh. “Sorry. Anyways, I think that makes our answer to the third wish clear.”

Faith gave a slight nod before her eyes turned to Jirachi “OK, Jirachi. I wish for us to go back home. Or rather a mile away from Arkanilacum so I don't smash anyone by just appearing there.”

“Arkanilacum? Strange name,” Jirachi said before he closed his eyes. His eyes moved in circles above his head as an image of a globe formed above, with massive oceans and seven continents displayed on it. Adrian's ears flattened to their sides, confusion written all over his face, as the largest of the continents grew in size and the globe flattened up. It zoomed in until an image of a town with giant Arcanine bones around it like a mother protecting her children was displayed on this psychic map. “You wanted to be away from this place, yes? Like a mile off? How long is a mile anyway?”

Faith's left ear flattened to the side as Adrian said, “Er, may I point out where we want to teleport to?”

“Sure!” Jirachi said as he expanded the map and lowered it to Adrian.

Adrian looked at it and, spotting the high hills where the Arcanine's skull was on, pointed at it. “There.”

“There? Why? It looks so rocky.”

“Exactly,” Adrian said with a wink. “For a couple of reasons. One is that only a few Pokémon could be able to spot her while she's there and another is that it's a sacred spot of our home, where the only ones allowed to be in there are high officials.”

“You-you mean that you want to involved Mayor Richard in this?” Faith asked as she looked at Adrian in shocked.

“It's not like we can do this alone,” Adrian explained with a weak shrug. “To be honest, I would rather just deal with it with just you and me, Faith. But I don't see how we can do it alone. At least through him, we can pull out the help needed to hide you and give you food and water while keeping knowledge about you to a minimal.”

“That does make sense,” Faith admitted as her eyes looked up and her face blushed.

“Okey-dokey!” Jirachi said as the right tag glows. A light enveloped both the macro Vulpix and normal Flareon. Then, with a wave, they disappeared in a flash with only Jirachi still remaining. “Wish granted. Although, I wish there was a way to fix all the mess we left behind. Oh well! Back to sleep!”

Jirachi glowed for a few seconds before he disappeared from the area as well, himself leaving behind the ruined trees and shattered giant rocks. If Jirachi stayed a bit longer, he would've met another Pokémon, one who had listened to the latter part of the conversation.

“Huh. Arkanilacum, isn't it?” this Pokémon said as he stepped out from under the shade. His sea blue eyes looked over the carnage caused by Faith with sadness yet also with amusement. He then stepped onto a trunk of a tree, his nine tailed brushing against it. “That sounds like it'll be my next destination. But first, there's something I should do with this. Might as well call her in.”

-----

Massive rocks stood high in the what is called the high hills north of Arkanilacum, their tips piercing the skies as high as 500 feet tall with the half-moon shining down on them. It was thought to be, long ago, the remains of a battle between the Great Protector and another giant Pokémon, often theorized to be Rhydon or Rhynerior. The citizens believed it to be her final battle and chose preserved the remains in remembrance of the battle where she died protecting them.

A light flashed within the center of the high hills and a giant Vulpix materialized there with a Flareon on her muzzle, tiny in comparison. Faith felt her head spun as she steadies herself by laying down with care, with the hills very close to her. Adrian clung onto her muzzle until he felt his limbs went numb.

“Long-distance teleportation is not good for the body,” Faith said as she lowered her head.

“No kidding,” Adrian said as he hopped off of her muzzle. “I wish I could stay with you. Just that, if we need to get Mayor Richard here, I'll need to head over to Arkanilacum so I can meet him early when I can meet him.”

“It's OK,” Faith replied as her giant eyes looked down at Adrian. “Good luck.”

Adrian gave her a quick nuzzle before he ran out, his fur fluffed up from the cool breeze. Faith placed her head over her paws as her body relaxed and her mind reflected on what happened. When their quest began a few days ago, she thought that the best-case scenario was that she would be on her bed sleeping for days when they came back, her problem fixed. But instead, she's this giant Vulpix, perhaps the first in a long time. Everything that was solid and strong now felt like they were brittle.

She with a gentle shook of a head knocked that thought out of her head. What's done had been done and there's nothing that she could do about it outside of not making things worse. She closed her eyes and her mind drifted into a sleep that even an earthquake couldn't wake her up from, with a nice cool breeze brushed against her fur and the half-moon illuminating over her body.

-----

The morning sun shined upon Faith's face, with her struggling to keep them closed before she sighed and opened them. For a second, she wondered why she was surrounded by a number of rocks before she remembered what happened last night. She, with a gentleness of a Jigglypuff, moved her body so that she doesn't knock over the high, rocky hills around her. She then looked around, trying to see any sign of restless sleep and destruction, but found none.

She sighed in relief as she lay back down and waited for Adrian and Mayor Richard to come. The giant Vulpix at times looked up at the sky to tell what time it was, with the shadows shortening up and the sun crawling up higher in the sky. When it was at the highest point of the sky, her ears twitched as she heard paw-steps coming closer to her location. She lowered her head, attempting to look smaller than she really was when she saw Adrian and Mayor Richard.

Mayor's Richard's dark brown fur met his light brown legs, tail tip, face, and chest. His mane was magnificent large around his face, most of the colors being red but with golden streaks. His piercing blue eyes looked up at Faith's giant body with his feline face, plain to see by both Flareon and Vulpix, with amazement.

“Boy, if you haven't convinced me to come, I would never have believed that your girlfriend has become a giant,” Mayor Richard said. “Yet, here she is. Like out of the story ages past.”

Faith blinked as Adrian said, “Sir, we're not together like that!”

“Could've fooled me, boy,” Mayor Richard responded as his long tail flicked. “Of course, now that I see that you were honest about this, it is a question about what to do next.”

“Um, what do you mean?” Faith said with a soft voice.

“To explain, I gather that you wanted to be hidden. Is that right?”

Faith nodded as a thought entered her mind. Is he going to expose her?

“While I do wish to profit out of this since our lovely town hasn't got any good amount of revenue lately, I understand that I can't force you to come out into the light,” Mayor Richard said in a diplomatic voice. “Besides, at your size at the moment, it'll take everyone in town to pull you out along with two others. As a result, I have to respect your wish to hide in here, gal.”

Faith gave out a sigh, with the resulting wind blowing through Mayor Richard's mane.

“Although, now we have a logistic issue for you to remain hidden,” Mayor Richard said, annoyed at that sigh as his ears twitched. “We can't have you come out since there will be a chance of you being spotted. So we need to get resources for you like food and water, which can't be handled by only Adrian and myself.”

“Um, Mr. Mayor?” Faith said. “For the last few days, I haven't felt hungry. In fact, I still don't feel hungry. I do feel thirsty, though.”

“You aren't hungry? Even though it's been a few days?” Mayor Richard asked as his ears twitched. He then looked at Adrian. “Do you know why, boy?”

“N-no,” Adrian answered, looking up at Mayor Richard. “I don't have a guess why.”

The Pyroar closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking up at Faith. “Gal? Do you mind if I also bring in some researchers while you're hiding here?”

“W-wait,” Faith said as she looked down at them, flustered. “I don't want to be some science experiment. I just want to hide until I'm normal again.”

“Don't worry,” the Pyroar said reassuring with a slight smile. “I'll make sure that the worse that they'll do to you is observe your shrink rate. They will not hurt you, take your blood, or stick you into a room isolated for their observation, gal. You'll have my word that I'll make them back off if you felt uncomfortable.”

“It's good to have your word for it,” Adrian said with his head tilted and his ear flopped to the side. “However, on writing is better since you can't back out from it.”

“Oh come on, boy and gal,” Mayor Richard said as his mane fluffed up. “Don't you think of me as a trustworthy fellow?”

Faith and Adrian stared at him in response. The Pyroar looked back and forth between the normal-sized Flareon and the giant Vulpix and swallowed when he saw her, at a slow pace, lifted her paw.

“All right, I'll put it in writing.”

-----

With the agreement done and in writing, Mayor Richard went back to Arkanilacum for some private recruitment of various Pokémon who's unique talents would be useful in hiding a giant Pokémon. Of course, vision is always an issue since, although the high hills can cover her from the ground, it still doesn't hide her from any flying Pokémon above. Which was why it was a convenient thing that there were two Pokémon best suited for it, for their powers can cover the entire landscape in their Illusion.

“So let me get this straight,” David said with his wife standing nearby, his hair-like mane brushing against the floor. “My friend, Faith, after some adventure far off east met with Jirachi in order to cure her evolutionary flux, has accidentally become a giant at around 250 feet tall.”

“Yes,” Mayor Richard said, standing behind his desk in his office. “I know it sounds like I'm lying, but that's what really happened.”

“Eh, it's very crazy talk,” David said, his arms crossed and his eyes squinted. He then gave out a laugh as he leaned back. “But I don't see any reason why you're lying.”

“You-you don't?” the Pyroar asked, his ears pointed upwards.

“Of course I don't. Because you're giving me a job and I know how much of a tight-ward you are,” the Zoroark said with a wink.

The Pyroar's ears flattened to the sides as David's wife laughed. “Very funny, boy. Now then, will you accept the job?”

“Eh, I see no reason why I shouldn't. But,” David's lips curled into a grin, “may I suggest how much you're paying me?”

“Is it something I'll regret?” Mayor Richard asked, his eyes half-closed. The Zoroark gave a quick nod and whispered into his ear. The Pyroar, after listening to David for a minute, gave out a glare. “Unacceptable, boy! Please take this seriously or else everything I and the others are working on will be for nothing!”

“Eh, I had to ask,” David said as his wife laughed louder. “Say, is that a genuine anthro artifact?”

His eyes skimmed over what looked like a box with a cylinder on the side of it, but at the end of it was a circle of glass. The Pyroar gave out a small gasp as he, with surprising speed, picked it up and placed it inside of a shelve behind him. He then turned back to David, who's looked back with squinted eyes.

“Y-yes, it is. The anthros of old called it a 'camera',” the Pyroar answered. “It allows instant pictures to be made with a click of a button. Very sensitive stuff and can break if mishandled.”

David rubbed his chin as he gave out a low hum. “I understand that part. Of course, that looked like it's pristine. Where did you get that?”

“None of your business!”

“Eh, alright,” David said as he placed his arm around his wife and walked out of the office.

So far successful. With their help, it would be many times easier to hide a giant Vulpix with their Illusion. Another issue was the travel since, in particular on foot, a mile of distance was far and it would be hard to hide a stream of Pokémon, even a few, going to and from the high hills. Even under a cover of 'official business', it would be considered odd. As a result, they needed to set up some sort of fast travel to and from for them. It also wouldn't hurt that they would also have a fast way of communicating so they could take care of Faith's needs.

“I thought I saw something red while on my flight over there last night,” Captain Galeron said, his arms crossed. “Don't worry. I haven't told anyone yet since it's been a long time since any macro Pokémon ever appeared and I thought I was seeing stuff. Though why are you bringing them along too?”

His eyes shifted downwards to the other guest being offered this job, an avian Pokémon with a brown plumage with a cream-colored torso and under-wings. His pink beak was short and hooked while a long crest of red and yellow hung from his head to his tail and perhaps even longer. His talons were also pink and sharp, which gripped on the floor to the point that the claws pierced them.

“Because we need all the help that we can get,” Mayor Richard answered, his tail flicked from behind.

“I doubt that things are so bad that you need to get help from our rivals as well,” the Dragonite said, slamming his hands on the desk. Splinters flew off up and around the three Pokémon. “After all, they're smaller, slower, and weaker than us.”

“Yet, in only a few short years, the Pidgeot Aerial Express has already rivaled the Dragonite Travel and Delivery Service,” the Pidgeot below said. “You're right that we aren't as big, strong, and fast as you, but that's like saying that an Alakazam is an idiot compared to Uxie. Not to mention that we outnumber you 10 to 1, so we can handle more Pokémon deliveries and travels than you can.”

“S-settle down, boys!” the Pyroar said, looking over the remains of his desk, shattered into pieces of lumber. “This isn't just to get as much help as we can get, but also kill any potential leaks about a giant Vulpix in the open a mile away. After all, I can guarantee that you two would be looking into each other's business if I only hired one of your business.”

The Pyroar smiled to himself when he saw the pear-shaped dragon and the large bird glaring at each other.

“Yes, that's true,” the two said.

“There we have it, then. I suggest that you two do your best to work together here since you may be doing this for weeks.”

The two stepped out with the Pyroar thinking about how would he get Captain Galreon to pay for the destroyed desk's replacement. Either way, that's another job done. He managed to get two groups to ship out supplies and Pokémon to and from the high hills. Still, that's not all that was needed for this duty. While he had promised that he wouldn't put Faith into a lab for examination regarding her abilities and such, he did ask for them to at least observed her. Besides, they would need someone who would be able to check her health for the coming weeks.

“You're telling me that my former patient has gotten herself in a giant mess?” Dr. Erelah asked Mayor Richard while fiddling with her earlobes. “And by 'giant', you mean that she is a giant?”

“Yes, exactly,” the Pyroar answered as he shifted his eyes. “Now, I know that it may be hard to swallow, but-”

“Why shouldn't I believe you?” the Audino asked, cutting in as her eyes glared at him.

“I honestly thought that telling people that we have a giant Vulpix within a mile would be hard to convince Pokémon of,” Mayor Richard said as he backed away with a paw raised, ready to defend himself. “But this is easier than I thought.”

Dr. Erelah stared at him like he was an idiot. “You do remember that our town is surrounded by the bones of Great Protector, who was a giant Arcanine in her time, right? While I do believe in facts rather than baseless claims, the idea that a Pokémon could've become a giant as they told in the old anthro legends today isn't that far-fetched since we have evidence surrounding our very town.”

The Pyroar blinked at the Audino. “Yes, yes. Will you help us maintained her health while this is going on? And perhaps we could be able to learn more about how the old Pokémon giants lived during those days as well.”

“Yes, I will,” Dr. Erelah said with a smile. “Just be warned that I wouldn't do anything that would make her uncomfortable.”

“Believe me, that's why I picked you,” Mayor Richard said with a shrug. “Besides, Faith had me put in writing that she wouldn't be some lab experiment during and afterward as you can see.”

Mayor Richard pulled out from what remains of his desk a paper and showed it to Dr. Erelah. She smiled wider as she said, “Smart girl. And I guess it wasn't that hard to convince you?”

“When you're face to face with someone who's at least 250 feet tall, you'll agree to anything they demand.”

Dr. Erelah laughed as she stepped out as the Pyroar shifted his eyes, wishing that he would be able to stay at home in bed rather than endure another round of mocking. But there's still one last thing to do if what Adrian said earlier was true; that, despite Faith at this moment having no need for foods, she still needed water. But she couldn't just step out of the high hills and go to the closest lake without being spotted. Even with the Zoroark cloaking her, they needed to coordinated with the Water-type Pokémon living there and there would be too many to keep this a secret. Good thing he knew two who worked for him who had enforced some unreasonable Pokémon in the past.

“So you want us to help this giant Vulpix by giving her water?” a Water-type Pokémon asked. This Pokémon and his companion were a large, blue Pokémon with a shell, brown on the back and pale yellow on the front, encompassing most of their bodies. White ridges surrounded the brown part of the shell with a pair of large cannons opened on the top part of their backs. Their blue, triangular ears twitched as their yellow eyes stared down at the Pyroar.

“Yes, that's exactly right,” Mayor Richard answered. “I know that it'll be a tough job since, at her size, she'll need a lot of water-”

“What I'm more interested in is why keep her a secret at all?” the second Blastoise asked, cutting in. “It'll be far better if she revealed herself. After all, it's been a long time since a macro Pokémon appeared in this world, so she'll be renown throughout the entire continent if not the world. Not to mention that given on what you told us about her, she's not a destructive type, so the town won't be harmed outside of an accident. And the citizens will worship her like they worship the Great Protector, so all of her needs will be met. Sounds like a win, so why not convince her to reveal herself?”

“Um,” Mayor Richard said, remembering Faith and Adrian hours ago. Of course, all of these points struck him back then when he saw Faith and how huge she was. It would be beneficial for him if she revealed herself as a giant to the town. But it wasn't the time for her to become reasoned with. “I know what you said is true. But she isn't interested.”

“Why not convince her to do it?” the second Blastoise asked again. “I'm sure that she'll listen to facts.”

“Boy, if you recalled what I just told you, she's now 250 feet tall,” the Pyroar answered. “Even though you both are water-type Pokémon, you're talking about fighting someone who'll require the entire town to even move her a foot. Just be patient.”

“But-”

The first Blastoise waved his hand at the second one. “We'll take the job. We'll be patient. Also, what happened to your desk? Is it something we should fix?”

“It was caused by a Dragonite named-”

“Oh. I know a carpenter who can replace it for you.”

“Er, thank you,” Mayor Richard said in a kind voice while, in his mind, he was annoyed that his hope to get Captain Galeron to replace it had failed. He watched the two walked out the door as he gave out a strained smile. Well, all of the pieces to hide Faith had been placed. Let's hope that it wouldn't take too long for her to shrink to normal, which would be the perfect time to convince her to reveal herself.

After all, she wouldn't be big enough for her to resist him with their help.

-----

The two weeks passed by in a Slowpoke pace, Faith felt as she hid in the hiding spot. Though it didn't diminish her happiness when she saw the help that Mayor Richard gave to her so it would be easier during those days along with Adrian. She was comfortable with Dr. Erelah and her team with them observing her, learning about giant Pokémon and how they could've lived.

“I do believe that I have a hypothesis on why you don't feel hungry anymore,” Dr. Erelah said to Faith on the third day.

“Oh? What is it?” Faith asked, laying down low so she could be at around eye level. Yet, because of how huge she still was, she's still looking down at the doctor.

“My theory is that, because of the huge influx of energy Faith built up until recently, it had temporarily replaced the need for foods since they would be needed for energy,” Dr. Erelah answered, her hand rubbing her feelers on her ears. “Of course, the water part isn't as easily replaceable since we don't drink water for energy usually, but for body regulations. Like making sure the body temperature is at the right level.”

“OK, but why haven't Faith needed foods now?” Adrian asked, who was sitting next to the Audino. “The influx of power she built up due to the evolutionary flux had stopped for days now.”

“That is something I thought of when developing my hypothesis,” Dr. Erelah answered again. “I believe that it's because, despite not in-taking any foods during the last few days, she just has that much energy to spare. Of course, that would mean that, when Faith is back to normal size, she'll have intense hunger pains due to not eating for so long.”

Faith blinked and imagined herself on the ground, laying down and unable to move. “I-I hope that there's something to eat by then.”

“Very much so,” Dr. Erelah said as she looked down at Adrian in amusement, seeing Adrian's horrified expression. “I must say, this is very fascinating. I wondered if all macros back in those days were like that or only those like you. At least most of them would've been like you, Faith, since such a massive body would require a ton of energy in order to just move a single step without collapsing in on itself. So much energy that, even if a giant ate everything and everyone in Arkanilacum, they wouldn't have a quarter of the needed energy needed.”

The Vulpix looked down at Dr. Erelah, her face turned green at trying to comprehend it. Still, at least noticeable progress has been seen in her shrinking down from 250 feet. It also meant less time for the other Pokémon to brush off all the dirt and grime off of her since there's less space to cover.

Four days afterward, Faith was chatting with David's wife, Amber, when it was her shift. The two Zoroark's agreed that the two would take turns in maintaining the Illusion around the area, hiding Faith and the crew. Faith also noticed Adrian talking to Captain Galeron around that time as well, but she was unable to hear what they were saying.

“I do wonder what my silly husband is doing,” Amber said before she blushed. “Did I just say that out loud? Sorry, can you ignore that?”

“Er, what do you mean?” Faith asked, ignoring Amber's requested. “Wouldn't he be at home while you're here?”

“I thought so too, but some of my friends near our home told me that he rarely goes inside. They don't know where he is. I'm just worried that.” She paused as she rubbed a red claw against her chin. “That he might have been-”

“Oh. I wouldn't worry,” Faith said, realizing what was on Amber's mind. “I knew him for years before I met Adrian. I knew, even back then when he was a Zorua, that he's not that type of Pokémon.”

“Yes, I guess,” Amber said. She rubbed one of her ears with a claw. “Yet, where does he go? And why doesn't he talk to me about it?”

Faith paused as she rubbed her own white paw against her chin. “Perhaps you should ask him then. I doubt that he'll keep it a secret any longer from you if you confront him about it.”

“I know I should,” Amber said as she shifted her eyes and feet from side to side. “But what if my fears are confirmed? What if he's not the Zoroark I thought I knew?”

“Then give him one hell of a smack-down,” Faith answered with a wink of her baby blue eyes. “And leave room for me when you're done.”

Amber looked up at Faith, a grin forming on her face. “OK. I'll do it and I'll make sure he'll regret it if he's been fooling around behind my back.”

The next day, when David left for the day and Amber took his spot for maintaining the Illusion, Faith asked, “How did it go?”

“It went extremely well,” Amber answered, her face radiating happiness. “When I talked to him about it, he did explain what he was doing and even gave proof on it. It turned out to be not as bad as I thought. In fact, it's even better than what I thought it might be.”

“That's great news,” Faith said, smiling down at the Zoroark. A pause passed by as Faith tilted her head. “What was he doing?”

“He made me swear not to tell,” Amber answered with a giggle. “Don't look disappointed, Faith. Just know that, when all this is over, you won't have to worry.”

Faith nodded as she spied Adrian coming in, looking high in spirits himself. “Hey there, Adrian. What's up?”

“Nothing,” he answered, his fur fluffed up as he wagged his bushy tail. “I had some talks and made some preparations with Captain Galeron. I know what you'll ask and I'll say no, I won't tell. Sorry, Faith?”

“But why?” Faith asked in an exaggerated whiny tone as she booped Adrian's tone with a soft touch that wouldn't knock over a boulder down a hill. “Pokémon around me are keeping secrets that I want to know.”

Adrian laughed as he pushed away from the giant paw much larger than him. “Because I know you'll want in on it. While this would normally be a good thing with me, it does involve Arkanilacum and, with you being at the size you are, it'll attract too much attention and ruined the surprise I'm planning.”

“Surprise? A surprise for me?” Faith asked, wagging her six tails while not chipping out boulders from the high hills.

“No, not for you. In fact, the one who'll get it will hate it,” Adrian said with a wink. “Just be patient and, who knows, maybe it wouldn't come to pass.”

Faith gave out an exaggerated sigh and relaxed. She does feel happy and not even the secret keeping done by her friends would dampen it since she had shrunk down massively since the previous week. Instead of 250 feet tall, she was just under 150 feet tall and, while it's too slow for her taste (and everyone for that matter, in particular, the ones who helped brush off the soil off of her), it at least won't take weeks for her to be back to normal.

The next week passed by with no real incident and her shrunk pace had stayed constant and, when the second week ended, she's only fifty feet tall. Just one more week, she thought, and things will go back to normal. Then she would get her long bath washing out the weeks of stress and filth off of her fur.

55

Writer's Guild / Re: The Pokemon Prometheus

« on: December 22, 2018, 01:15:24 AM »

Here is part two of the story. This is where things get interesting and where we have our first proper macro Pokémon appearance. Enjoy!

++++++++++

For the night they had stayed in a hotel, which Faith felt alienated since she was far too used to the wooden buildings of her own home that the stone buildings felt so strange to be in. At the very least the bedding was made of soft hay, which she was happy about. Adrian slept on a hay bed separate from her, which made her feel lonely for some reason, but she figured that it had to do with being so sleepless that night as well.

The next day after they paid for the room, the Vulpix and the Flareon went to various stores to get supplies for their two to three-day hike up and through the mountains nearby. Meanwhile, Faith felt a throbbing pain in her head that wouldn’t go away no matter how much she twisted and turned her head. She hoped that Adrian wouldn’t notice her neck stretches and stumbling during their walks through and out of the city, but when they were only a few steps out, he turned around and looked at her with a critical eye.

“Is everything alright?” the green-eyed Flareon asked as he walked around her.

“Yes, yes. Everything is alright,” Faith insisted before she, overwritten by instinct, shook her head again. “Although, I have been getting a nasty headache.”

“Glad to hear that you’re perfectly alright aside from one thing,” Adrian remarked as he rolled his eyes. “Not to mention that I did notice that you were unable to sleep last night.”

“I-it’s no worries! Honest!” Faith declared as she tightened the pouches and small bags on her, gained from their shopping trips. “Just been so nervous. That’s all.”

Adrian’s left eye half closed as his right ear flattened to the side. Then, with a quick paw, he placed a paw onto Faith’s forehead and rubbed it. Adrian’s eyes widened, his ears shot up, and his tail fluffed up as Faith shook the paw off of her.

“What was that for?!” Faith demanded as she glared at the Flareon.

“Faith,” Adrian said with a soft voice, “you’re burning up. I mean, like you’re on an open fire burning up. Are you sure you’re not sick?”

“Yes, I’m not sick!” Faith replied with her ears flattened back and her fur bristled. “It’s just a headache. That’s all!”

“Or is it just a headache?” a new voice said close to them.

Both Faith and Adrian blinked as they stared at each other before looking around. Soon Faith spotted a gray-brown colored Pokémon leaning against the exit gate, her arms crossed. This Pokémon was large compared to the two as she stood up with her two legs, her red claws clicking on the stone ground. The triangular ears flickered as her red ponytail-like mane somewhat dragged on the ground. Her face, with the red rimmings on her mouth and eyes, was a satisfied smirk as she holds a large pouch around her waist.

“It’s nice to finally properly meet you, Faith and Adrian,” the Zoroark said.

“W-what? You know our names?” Adrian squeaked out as he took a step back, his green eyes wide. “H-how did you know? And what are you doing here?”

“Oh, I’m just here to do one last test before you two meet Jirachi,” the Zoroark explained as she shook her mane off of the ground with a hand. Faith blinked as she stared at that arm, noticing an unusual device grafted onto it.

“She-she knows that we’re finding Jirachi!” Adrian said as his ears flattened back in horror. “Who are you? Some sort of guardian protecting Jirachi?”

“Oh, ho ho ho,” the Zoroark remarked as her eyes shined in the light. “I’m not that important and I doubt any Pokémon can be ‘guardians’ of Legendary and Mythical Pokémon without being Legendary and Mythical themselves. I’m just a simple, not so normal Pokémon who spends time researching the old anthro technology left behind.”

“Anthro technology?” Adrian asked. “What does that have to do with us? And you still didn’t answer our question. How did you know our names?”

“Haven’t you guessed?” the Zoroark remarked as her grin widened. “I’ve been following and observing you since Faith touched my Fire Stone.”

“Your Fire Stone?” Faith said, her mind flashed to the Fire Stone that exploded during her evolutionary progress. “You mean you set it to explode on me?!”

“It was just simple research,” the Zoroark explained as she shook her head. “To test out an anthro tech, which could convert ordinary stones to evolutionary stones. Though I must say, I didn’t expect it to explode. At worse, I’d expected for you to evolve into a giant Ninetales, which is why I’ve been observing you in the shadows until now, hiding in the hospital, your homes, and your flight here.”

Both Faith and Adrian blinked as their memories flashed back to those times.

“You were the potted plant that Bug-type Pokémon wouldn’t go near in Faith’s hospital room!” Adrian said with his eyes wider.

“And you were the low burning fire and Charcoal in my home!” Faith squeaked, her eyes just as wide.

“And I followed as an ‘extra package’ in the Dragonite flight,” the Zoroark concluded as she flicked dust from her shoulder. “All to see what will happen. But alas, it was all for nothing. Because, Faith, your evolutionary flux is in acceleration now. It’s speeding up. Your body is building up more energy than can be safely dispersed far faster now. Your body heating up is the symptom of that. In time, you will die of the overflow and I can imagine that the result of that will be a city-sized crater. Such a shame.”

“You,” Faith muttered under her breath in a controlled voice. “You evil-”

Faith then sprinted towards the Zoroark, not seeing anything else but her, with deep fires in her eyes. But the Zoroark gave a swift kick to the side of Faith’s head, knocking her off her paws and flung a few feet away. She growled as she braced her paws to get up, only for a dark foot with red claws meeting Faith’s cheek, pinning her down.

“Feisty little one, aren’t you?” the Zoroark commented as she crossed her arms. “Again, it’s such a shame that you won’t last long in the world.”

“Faith!” Faith yelled out before breathing in. He opened his mouth and a burst of fire came out. “Flamethrower!”

The Zoroark leaped out of the way, the flames flying over Faith where the intended target was. The Zoroark grinned wider as she held her arms cross with her hands near her face.

“You want to battle me?” the Zoroark yelled back, her eyes wide and filled with confidence. “The great Maya? You’ve made a grave mistake!” She swung her arms and spiky stones appeared from her hands. “Stealth Rock!”

The stones fell around Faith and Adrian, both blinking at the attack.

“Wait. A Zoroark shouldn’t be able to use Stealth Rock,” Adrian commented under his breath. “Must be an Illusion.”

Faith rolled up onto her paws and took a deep breath. She opened her mouth, eyes staring at Maya. Breath only came out.

“What’s wrong?” Adrian asked as his ears twitched and his eyes shifted to Faith, the Vulpix coughing her lungs out.

“I-I tried to use Flamethrower, but nothing came out,” Faith explained, her face red from stress.

“W-w-what?! You can’t be serious, Faith!” Adrian yelled out as the Zoroark before the two rubbed her lower jaw.

“Mmmmm. Very interesting. A Fire-type that can’t use a fire attack,” Maya said with a smug grin. “Of course, the most likely reason is that your body is so swollen from the evolutionary flux’s energy it’s actually blocking out your firebase attacks. I guess you can’t do nothing more than just Roar at me.”

Adrian let out a low growl as he bent his knees and charged ahead. “Quick Atta-”

Paw met stone.

Adrian jumped up from the pain, the sharp rock following from within Adrian’s front right paw, blood coming out in small amounts. He fell down on his back and slid towards Maya, who gave a toothy grin.

“W-what? That Stealth Stone attack was faked,” Adrian said as he glared up towards Maya, walking towards him while licking her teeth.

“No. That attack is very much as real as my next one,” Maya said as she opened her mouth. “Crunch!”

Her fangs pierced Adrian’s shoulder, causing the Flareon to gave out a sound-piercing scream. She lifted him off the ground, shook him to the point that he felt like his leg was going to get ripped off, and threw him several feet away. The Flareon twitched on the ground as the Zoroark stepped closer.

“NO!” Faith cried out as she stepped over Adrian’s body, smoke coming out of her mouth. A glow emitted from there as a small fireball came out. “Flame Burst!”

Maya gave out a laugh as she swung her arms to their side, welcoming the attack. The ball of fire, in response, exploded with a force that can blow up a stone wall. Faith blinked as smoke and dust covered up the Zoroark, who was flung back with a great force onto the wall, causing it to shatter. The smoke cleared up as Maya fell onto the ground, fur covered in sparks, as she gritted her teeth on all four.

Her mane gradually shortened from its hair-like form as her neck thickened out and four red spikes protruded around it. She also grew out a tail as the teal fell from her ‘hair’ to her tail between the base and tip. Her body morphed from an anthro stance to a feral stance as her fur color changed from dark gray to light brown and white while still retaining the red claws. Her face also changed from a vulpine to a lupine look, with white around her eyes and muzzle and light brown on her forehead between the eyes and large turfs of fur on her cheeks, though she still had the red rimmings around her eyes.

Adrian rolled himself up and blinked, staring at Faith’s surprised face, before changing his gaze towards Maya, his face twisted into just as surprised.

“W-what are you?!” Adrian asked through gritted teeth as the changed Maya glared at them.

“The truth is, I am really a Lycanroc,” Maya answered as she crouched low and walked towards them. “Specifically, the Midday-form.”

“But a Lycanroc doesn’t have the Ill-” Faith froze when the unusual Lycanroc gave a soul-piercing stare.

“An accident happened when I was researching one of the anthro technology,” Maya explained in a cold voice. “An accident that happened because I was attacked by a Zoroark. Apparently, I was too close to her territory when I was testing it. It grafted some of her traits to me, including the ability Illusion. I don’t know if the same happened to her, but I hoped so. Although I admit that the ability she inadvertently gave me was very useful, especially with my greatest prize, the additions to my looks were very unnecessary.

“Now then,” she continued as her eyes darkened, “taste the true potential of Illusion empowered by the greatest anthro technology!”

The device on her front-right leg hummed as a shadow formed around the Lycanroc until she became just as dark. The shadow that was Maya then started to grow in size as Faith and Adrian looked on in horror. Their necks bent upwards as the darkness kept on growing and became more solid. The ground cracked below the paws of the giant as the colors returned to Maya until the only real difference between her before and after was she was 20 feet large.

The giant Lycanroc grinned as Faith and Adrian looked up in fear. The Vulpix grabbed the Flareon’s scruff with her mouth and tried to drag him back, yet he was too big for her. She then hugged Adrian from behind as Maya raised a paw above them.

POP!

Zzzzzzzz

Maya gritted her teeth as one eye closed as the device on her exploded and gave out sparks. The giant Lycanroc soon lost her colors and became shadow again as she shrunk in size. The shadowy Maya figure shortened down more until she was her normal size. She panted as she stood on the cracks she made with her massive mass before as the device gave out more sparks.

“Grah. So, it failed again,” Maya said as she ripped it off of her with her jaws and placed it on the ground. “Though it’s much better this time.”

“T-that’s impossible,” Adrian blurted out, his green eyes wide with fear as his fur shot up straight. “I-Illusion doesn’t have the power to cause true physical changes. Just make them look and feel real.”

Maya gave out a laugh. “You’re a clever one, aren’t you? While it’s true that it was Illusion, this amazing anthro technology can amplify it to such an amazing point that it does become real, not imaginary. That’s what makes it the real jewel in the stash of leftover technology made by the anthros. But it needs more power and something that could store that power safely in order for it to really work. Thought I had it this time with some help, but, as can be plainly seen, it still needed work.

“Just considered yourself lucky this time,” she continued as she gave out a quick glare at the two. “But know this, when I finally got it working, I need a test area. And I do believe I know the perfect place. We’ll meet again.”

Maya then picked up the device, which had stopped giving out sparks, with her mouth and faded from sights, leaving the two Fire-type Pokémon there. Faith then, with a slow pace, went over to where the Lycanroc stood and touched the cracks. They felt real, too real. And they didn’t disappear when Maya did.

“I-I can’t believe it,” Adrian said, his voice shook with fear. “Illusion shouldn’t have any physical effect. It can make you feel like you’re in a real landscape, but it shouldn’t actually make it a reality. Just indistinguishable from it.”

“Yet these cracks are as real as us,” Faith pointed out, her voice also full of fear. “Not to mention that kick from before.”

“What do you mean?” Adrian asked, doing his best to stand up.

“That ability, Illusion, shouldn’t let a Zoroark, or in this case, a Lycanroc, truly change into another form. Just make it looks like they can,” Faith explained as she looked back at Adrian. “Yet, she seemed to actually be a Zoroark, not a Lycanroc pretending to be a Zoroark; especially since a Lycanroc like her would have difficulty pretending that she’s the more anthro Zoroark. So how could’ve she have faked that kick?”

Adrian blinked as his fur fluffed up. “Still, we wouldn’t discount it being an Illusion. After all, it can be so convincing that, from what notes that were left over from the anthros, even their machines were fooled.”

“Even then, these cracks shouldn’t still be here since she’s long gone. I don’t think there’s any doubt that it works as she said it does.”

Adrian closed his eyes as he limped towards Faith, his mind spinning with facts. When he got to Faith his eyes opened up. “Whatever it was, she’s gone and we have other pressing concerns. Namely that, if she was telling the truth, we need to find Star Cave and confront Jirachi to get a wish from him as soon as possible. Before your swelling power kills you along with anything nearby.”

“I know,” Faith said, her head feeling like it’s in some furnace. “Also, that Flame Burst attack I hit her with. You saw how little it was and how much it packed a punch like a Voltorb using Explosion.”

Adrian nodded as his gaze changed to the mountains. “Then we can’t waste time on waiting until my paw gets better. We need to get there.”

-----

The two Pokémon, after Faith had wrapped up Adrian’s injuries, walked towards the mountains, with snow still atop of their caps. Faith felt like a Shuckle crawling towards a hill only ten feet away, with the imposing mountains barely changing their height even after hours had passed. The day had turned into night with Adrian flopped down on the grass to sleep, though Faith couldn’t join him in sleep. The ability to sleep, she felt, had left her.

The next day the two continued to walk towards the mountain and Adrian felt the air gradually become colder as they went closer. The Flareon, once or twice, shivered as he looked at the Vulpix with concerned, yet realized that she wasn’t cold at all. He went closer and felt the heat like from the summer’s sun being emitted out of her.

They kept on walking towards the mountains towards the day and, faster, it had seemed taller than before. Yet they only reached the base of the mountains next to a river when night crawled over the sky, with stars shining down them and the moon half full and waning. Adrian set up a fire and slept near it while Faith sat near the water, the river so cold that it almost felt like tasting ice.

Throughout that time, Faith didn’t have a bite to eat.

The next morning, as soon as the Flareon’s eyes snapped opened, he turned around and looked towards Faith and found her near the river, alive and breathing. The ground below her was emitting a glow as it seemed to slightly melt from just her touching it. Adrian ate his breakfast in a quick pace and offered the Vulpix what remained of it.

“No thanks. I’m not hungry,” Faith said as she looked down at the river.

“Is there anything wrong?” Adrian asked, his green eyes shook. “You need to eat if you want all the strength you need.”

“No. I’m not hungry,” Faith responded as she leaned down to the river. “I just feel thirsty.”

Adrian blinked as she drank from the river directly with no sign of discomfort from the cold. He hovered a paw over the running water and felt the cold emitting from it, a cold that could freeze a Slugma. He then hovered it over Faith and felt heat like lava coming out of her body.

“I believe I know what you’ll say,” Adrian said, his ears flattened to their sides, “but are you feeling alright?”

Faith stopped drinking as she sat down again, her eyes closed. “No, I’m not. I’ve been feeling worse since we left Bojelin-Radeau. It-it felt like I’ve been using Flash Fire to absorb a never-ending fire. Like the Legendary Pokémon Arceus came down and blessed me with a small amount of his power, yet it’s still too much for my small body. I feel far, far more power than I can handle. I-I can’t take it! I want it to end!”

She then leaped towards Adrian and gave him a tight hug. He gave out a winced since, while a Fire-type like him could handle intense heat, it felt like he was tossed into lava. Yet he hugged her back and patted the turf of fur on her head.

“Don’t worry. We will end it. One way or another. Let’s go and find the Star Cave and, I promise you, that we will get the wish needed to save you.” Adrian then nosed Faith on her nose and steamed appeared between their nose. He blinked and pulled out his nose while waving his paw at it. “There must be some clue to the location to Star Cave.”

“Well, along the way in that Dragonite flight,” Faith explained as she undone her bow, “I read that,

Five points with five ends and one middle,

The core of the star illuminates where to meddle.

I don’t know what it means, but I’m sure it’ll make sense once we start searching.”

“Faith,” Adrian said he’s given the bow from Faith.

“At this rate I’m heating up, I need it to be kept safe,” Faith explained as she smiled. “Keep it until we meet Jirachi or forever if we can’t.”

Adrian blushed as he felt his stomach muscles tightened, yet he decided to say nothing. So, the two then packed up their camp before they went out to explore around the base of the mountains, looking for the entrance to Star Cave.

Hours passed by at a slow pace, with the sun crawling higher into the sky, while Faith stumbled a number of times. Every time Adrian helped her up and he felt her body getting hotter. It’s to the point that he wondered if, by just being on the very peak of one of the mountains, that she could melt all the snow away,

“Let’s go a little faster, Faith,” Adrian said with a nervous grin.

“I’m trying,” Faith responded, her ears flattened to their sides.

By midday, Faith and Adrian explored half a mile worth of nothing but dead-end caves, a steep cliffside, and loose boulders rolling beside them. The Flareon, after walking out of the fifth dead-end cave on one mountainside, walked passed Faith and down the side, his ears drooped as low as his tail. The Vulpix followed him, one of her ears flattened to the side. When Adrian stopped he gave out a heavy sigh.

“I-it’s no use, Faith,” Adrian said, his back to her. “Even if the cave is here, I don’t think we can find it in time. I’m so sorry for failing you, my dear friend.”

“Don’t say such things,” Faith responded as she went around him and to his face. “If we gave up now, then it’ll really be no use.”

“How can we be able to find it then?” Adrian asked, his eyes closed. “All the writings about Star Cave say that it’s around in these mountains, but we’ve searched for hours with no sign of getting there.”

“I’m sure there got to be some clue around in the mountains,” Faith insisted, getting close to the Flareon. “L-like a five-pointed star drawing or something. After all, how else would-” she paused for a couple of seconds. “Would someone find it?”

“Exactly,” Adrian said as he shook his head. “But whatever this clue or drawing is, it must be too subtle for us.”

“Or it might be staring at our faces.”

“Perhaps it’s so old that it wore out over the ages. After all, who knows when was the last time-”

“Adrian!”

Adrian looked up, his eyes opened, and saw that Faith wasn’t in front of him. He looked back and found her standing behind him looking up at the mountainside with the five caves on it, one at the top, two below it spread out, and two below them closer. The Flareon stared at the Vulpix, who’s waving her right paw around as one of her eyes closed and her ear flickered.

“Faith, what are you-”

“Getting the idea where the sixth cave it. The one that’ll lead us to Jirachi,” Faith answered as her one eye opened and the other eyes closed while leaning her neck to the side.

“Sixth cave? What are you talking abo-”

“Think, Adrian! Remember the poem I said this morning?

Five points with five ends and one middle,

The core of the star illuminates where to meddle.

This is what the poem was referring to!”

“I don’t get what you-” Adrian began as he looked at the cave openings again and felt something clicked in his mind. His mind pictured lines, lines that connected to each of the caves. The lines get longer in his mind until they formed a five-pointed star. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Faith and Adrian pounced over to the center of the ‘star’ with Faith following. Hopping over from boulder to ground and back onto the boulder, they reached to the heart of it. From pure sight, it looked like a rocky wall of a mountainside. Faith tilted her head and pressed a paw against it, her paw phasing through.

“So, there is a hidden sixth cave,” Faith said as she went in with the Flareon following. Both Pokémon’s eyes widened when they went through the fake wall and saw within the hidden cave.

White gems illuminated the cave from the walls that have a bluish-purple hue. The ground had what looked like small craters appearing occasionally with small back rocks at the center of each one. But what really amazed them was, at the surface of the cave’s ceiling, a blueish-white five-pointed star glowing down to them.

“We made it,” Faith said with a soft tone. She then declared much louder, “We actually made it!”

“Yes, we did,” Adrian said before he was pounced by the Vulpix. Her body was burning hot, enough that even Adrian felt pain from the intense heat. But he suppressed a yelp by gritting his teeth and hugged Faith back with a forced smile. “Now, let’s find Jirachi.”

-----

The two Fire-type Pokémon traveled through the cave, what was long and filled with turns. Sometimes upwards, sometimes downwards, and sometimes in spirals, they went, with them wondering if they even traveled to another mountain next to this one. All sense of directions and even time had left them, with the only thing certain was the path they’re on.

In the end, after what felt like a week of nonstop walking through the one tunnel, they had entered a pit that was huge, both in how spacious and high up the ceiling was. White gems glowed on the walls with craters littered on the ground. Yet these craters left the five-pointed star engraving, as large as two Groudon standing on top of each other and just as wide, at the center of the room untouched. At the center of the star was a purple crystal while had multiple gems sticking out of it.

Both Adrian and Faith, with caution, walked towards the purple crystal, their fur bristled with fear. The two stepped onto the engraving, going closer until they were close enough to even touch it. Their eyes were wide with fear, wonder, and confusion.

“Is that supposed to be Jirachi?” Faith asked as she looked over the crystal. “This looks nothing like the drawing in that book.”

“. . . . . . . . . . . . Phewwwww . . .”

Both Fire-type Pokémon blinked as they looked around. “Did you say something?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Adrian responded.

“So sleepy . . . Yaaaaawn . . .”

“Who’s there?” Adrian demanded, his fur bristled more.

“. . . Whooo iis iit?” a child-like voice said, not heeding any of Faith and Adrian’s words. “Whoooo’s therrre? Yaaaawn . . .”

“Er,” Faith said as she looked up to the ceiling of the pit. “My name’s Faith. Who are you?”

“Meee? Yaaaaawn . . .” the voice said, echoing through the pit. “Fwaaaaaahhhhhhh . . . I’m . . . I’m . . .”

“Get back, Faith!” Adrian said with a sudden urgency in his voice.

Faith turned her head down towards the crystal and her eyes widened. The crystal glowed in bright, white light, brighter than any of the gems in the cave. She took some steps back as the crystal illuminated brighter, enough that it felt like the day just appeared within the cave. Both the Vulpix and the Flareon covered their faces with a paw when the light became too much for them.

The light, at a slow pace, faded away as Faith and Adrian uncovered their eyes. They looked ahead and saw a small humanoid Pokémon, largely white in color, but also yellow with a bit of blue. The ‘sleeves’ on the arms flapped along with the three of the blue tags and streamers on the back. The Pokémon’s eyes were closed while floating above there the crystal was.

“I’m Jirachi,” the Pokémon said while it still appeared to be sleeping. “Yaaaaawn.”

Both Faith and Adrian stared at Jirachi with wonder and a bit of fear.

“So, you’re Jirachi?” Adrian asked as he stood next to Faith. “To be honest, I was expecting you to be larger, not so small and, um, cute.”

“Mmm-hmm . . . That’s right,” Jirachi answered. “Speaking of . . . Whoooo are yoooooou?”

“Oh, um. I guess I didn’t introduce myself,” Adrian responded as he gave a nervous smile. “My name’s Adrian.”

“Whaaaaaat?” Jirachi asked, his head tilted like he was getting into a better position to lay down his head on a pillow. “Zzz . . . Snorf . . .”

Faith and Adrian blinked as they took a look at each other. “He’s not listening to us, is he?”

“I don’t think so,” Adrian said as he shook his head. “Or at least he’s forgetting super-fast because his 1000 yearlong sleep was interrupted.”

“Well, either way,” Faith said as she turned to Jirachi. “Is it true that you can grant wishes?”

“Yep, it’ssss truuuuuuue. Yaaaaawn . . .” Jirachi answered as he glowed blue. “But right now, I’m pretty sleeeepy, so I can’t really help you. Sorrrry . . . Zzz . . . Zzzz . . . Snorf . . .

“And . . .” Jirachi continued as he glowed brighter and lifted his heads up into the air. The light then morphed off of Jirachi himself and into a ball over his hands. He then tossed the ball at Faith, who braced herself to jump away, yet the ball disappeared halfway. “I usually toss and turn in my sleep . . . Zzz . . . Snorf . . .”

“Toss and turn are right,” Adrian commented as he felt a flame in his throat, swallowing all fear. “Are you ready, Faith?”

Faith stared at Jirachi with fear and surprised as her head pulse from a massive headache. Her belly was tight, especially with the uncontrolled and near impossible to be released flame within her. Her baby blue eyes shook as her paws felt sore from walking for hours yet were still fine. She then closed her eyes and imagined the giant Maya from who knows how long since she last met her, before opening them, filled with determination.

“So, if you’re nearby . . . I’ll probably attack you . . . Sorry if I do . . . Zzzz . . . Snorf . . .”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Adrian,” Faith answered. “Let’s wake him up!”

“Yaaaaawn . . .” Jirachi said had his head glows bright purple and he charged at Adrian. “I’m so sleepy . . .”

Adrian gave out a yip as he jumped out of the way from Jirachi’s attack. The yellow Pokémon flew on towards to a wall, causing a psychic explosion and the pit to rumble. Loose rocks fell down while Faith and Adrian braced themselves from them. When the last of the rocks hit the ground, the two Fire-type Pokémon looked at the massive dust cloud where Jirachi slammed against the pit’s wall. The dust fell and there floated Jirachi, still sleeping and unharmed with a giant dent on the wall.

“Flamethrower!” Adrian shouted as a streak of flames came out of his mouth and hit Jirachi dead on. Jirachi mumbled in his sleep as he charged at the Flareon again with a purple light glowing on his head. The yellow Pokémon charged through the flames coming out from the horrified Adrian and was halfway there when Faith jumped forward.

“ROAR!” Faith shouted as a massive sound blast knocked Jirachi a tad off course and zoomed beside the Flareon and into the wall.

Adrian blinked before giving out a sigh. “Thanks.”

“Now’s not the time for ‘thanks’,” Faith responded as she hopped over to Adrian’s side and looked at the wall where Jirachi made his impact. “Especially since he not only went through a Flamethrower like it was nothing but even a powerful Roar only barely knocked him off course.”

“Yeah. Do you feel like you can force your flames to come out now?” the Flareon said as the dust settled and the Jirachi floated there with not even a scratch on him. “Because, at this rate, I think even a Flamethrower from you can defeat him.”

Faith nodded and she breathed in and out, doing her best to force out the fire. Yet only breath came out. “Adrian, I-I’m doing my best. But I can’t get it out.”

Adrian gritted his teeth while Jirachi ahead breathed in. “Damn it. If you can’t use even a minor Flame Burst, then we’re so screwed.”

A blast of water came out of Jirachi’s mouth towards the two Fire-type Pokémon, who stared back in astonishment. Both Faith and Adrian jumped out of the way as the ring of water flew passed them into the wall and drilled into it.

“I wasn’t expecting that!” Faith yelled out, fear inscribed all over her body. “Now I really need to force out some flames!”

“Yeah!” Adrian responded, dread also running from his head to his tail while the water attack stopped. “We really need it! Or a miracle!”

“I-I’ll do my best,” Faith said as a blue ball of energy reappeared behind her and fired itself again towards the Vulpix. Faith only had a second to look back, her eyes wide as a pair of Electrode, before the attack impacted her. She was sent flying over the Flareon and crashed into the wall, with the only thing he could do was stare. Adrain turned around and prepped himself to sprint where Faith made her impact on the wall, only for Jirachi and his glowing purple head to slammed against him. A psychic explosion occurred, sending the Flareon soaring into a wall himself.

Adrian let out a grunt as he fell off from the Flareon-shaped crater and onto the ground. His mind spun, like he did a hundred flips in a second, as he groaned and struggled to get back up to his paws, feeling massive pain all over his body. His sight cleared as he saw Jirachi breathed in. The Flareon attempted to move, yet his knees buckled down. He then closed his eyes and thought of sweet, sweet Fai-

“ROAR!!” Adrian heard as he shot open his eyes. The ground crumbled around him as a massive blast of water slammed and drilled against the wall, sprinkle of a water landing on his fur as his ears heard a high piercing noise of stone cracking.

Ahead he saw Faith panting next to Jirachi, who’s water attack was still ongoing. She then gritted her teeth as she breathed in and out, yet only smoke came out of her mouth. Jirachi then floated upwards to the ceiling, his body emitting a bright glow. Adrian’s eyes widened as Jirachi surrounded himself in streaks of lights colored silver and purple, shining as bright as a clear night’s star.

“No, no, no. It can’t end like this,” Adrian said, his voice filled with dread. “He’s using Doom Desire! Stop him, Faith!”

Yet Faith looked up in dismay herself, her tails puffed up and her eyes wide. The light emitted by Jirachi was, by that point, almost too much for her. She closed her eyes, in part in an attempt to block the light and in part to remember. Memories flashed, of her parents, of meeting Adrian for the first time as an Eevee, of him evolving into a Flareon, of receiving news of her parents’ death while in an explorers’ mission.

Her mind then flashed to her failed evolution attempt, her hospital’s stay where she learned of her fatal condition, flying in Dragonite’s pouch in a journey to fix her condition, confronting Maya who indirectly caused it, and discovering the entrance to Star Cave. Her breathing calmed down, the image of Adrian on her mind as she opened her eyes. She glared upwards at the sleeping Jirachi, now glowing as bright as a sun before he fired the light in a concentrated bundle.

“FLAME,” Faith screamed out as she breathes in, “THROWER!!!”

Fire from Faith’s mouth met light at the middle before the flames overwhelmed the light. It plowed through Doom Desire, sending itself and Jirachi’s attack back towards the sleeping Pokémon. The combined attack slammed against Jirachi, with them drilling upwards through the thick rocks.

-----

Two Pokémon, the smaller one on top of the bigger one’s head, where traveling towards the mountains themselves when they saw a bright light piercing up through the night’s sky. They stopped walking as they stared at the line of lights, red, orange, purple, and white, shining from one of the mountains. The larger Pokémon sit down, creating a slight shake on the ground, as the smaller one jumped off.

“Well, that’s curious,” the smaller Pokémon commented as a gush of air blasted from the mountains and blowing back the turf of fur on his head. “Under one of those mountains, it is said that Jirachi sleeps there. Did someone disturb his slumber?”

“Must be another Legendary Pokémon or a Mythical one,” the larger Pokémon said as the fur on the side of her face was also blown back from the sudden gush of wind. “After all, there’s no possible way a normal Pokémon or even a pseudo-Legendary Pokémon could do that attack. That attack is way too powerful than anyone under Legendary could do.”

“That, I’m not too sure of,” the smaller one responded as he looked up at the larger one. “After all, we’re not ‘normal’, are we?”

“A fair point since you did defeat a Groudon,” the larger one said as she gave out a mischievous grin. “Either way, shall we check it out?”

“I will,” the smaller one said. “It’s not that I doubt your capabilities, my love. But if they are in the mountains, I doubt that you’ll be able to fit into the cave entrance. Besides, given from the light, at least one of them is a Fire-type and I have a massive advantage against them thanks to my ability.”

The larger one sighed as she lay down, her fur brushing against the tree branches next to her. “Very well. Good luck and come back safely.”

56

Writer's Guild / The Pokemon Prometheus

« on: December 20, 2018, 07:36:45 PM »

Wow. When have I last posted a story here? :|

Also, yes! Finally finished a story in a long time! This one is made thanks to ideas exchanged between Tails230 Tails230 and myself. It was originally meant to be a short story; just a misadventure with Jirachi misunderstanding what Faith wanted when she had an allergic reaction with a Fire Stone. But then ideas bounced in my head and caused this story to grow into, well, a novella. XD

Anyways, enjoy!

++++++++++

The bones stood as high as four Wailords stacked on top of each other in Arkanilacum. The pierced the sky, the remains of a giant Arcanine’s ribs, with the backbones partially buried in the ground. The skull, carefully maintained by the inhabitants of the Pokémon city, was removed from the rest of the skeletal remains in a century-long project and placed onto the nearby high hills up north, looking down at the city.

Stories go from an unknown number of centuries ago, when a mysterious looking group called ‘anthros’ came into the world, they brought with them knowledge on how to increase the size of anything and everything. The Pokémon of the time took the knowledge and became the first of the giants, revered as gods when they increased themselves up to the size of mountains. That knowledge spread and more Pokémon became giants before entire landscapes became battlegrounds between two macro Pokémon that could destroy mountains and forests while creating valleys and deserts.

At the peak of the destructions, the anthros disappeared from the six continents of the world with no one really knowing why. Some said that they were all wiped out from any one of the battles while others said that they simply left the world, struck with guilt at what the firestorm the knowledge of size shifting become. Yet a few said that they went into hiding, in fear of what they brought and caused, and were waiting until the day they could return.

Yet, despite the question on what happened to the anthros, what happened later was clear: when they left, so did what was used in the power of changing sizes except what the Pokémon kept, which then failed one by one. Because the ‘gods’ kept no record on what they were, how they used them, and how they were made, the giant Pokémon’s population decreased, whether to them dying out or whatever they used to become macro were gone. By the modern day, only rumors and stories of giant Pokémon remained along with their bones.

Arkanilacum was founded many centuries ago by 600 feet tall Arcanine only remembered as the Great Protector, her real name forgotten. Yet, despite her intimidating size, she was very gentle to the ones much smaller than her and, when another macro came to cause destruction, she would always stand up and fight for their protection. It was said that, in her final battle, where she earned her title, she fought against a Vaporeon four times her size and won at the cost of her life, protecting the small.

-----

A Vulpix walked down the main road in Arkanilacum, her baby blue eyes stared intensely ahead. A pouch was sling around her neck and shoulder, brushing against her mint green bowtie. Her red-brown pelt shined against the midsummer’s sunlight as her white legs stepped onto the yellow ground.

“This is the day. I’m sure of it,” she said to herself, her eyes gleamed at the market ahead.

“If you say so,” a voice behind her said, causing her to jumped and looked back, the speed loosening the button off of the pouch and a gold Poké fell out.

Behind her was a Flareon, his reddish-orange fur gleamed in the light. His green eyes shined brightly, complementing his yellow turf, mane, and tail, which slightly wagged. A silver necklace hung around his neck against his chest, engraved on it a triangle on top of two triangles.

“Adrian!” the Vulpix squeaked out at the taller Flareon by a foot while she picked up the loose Poké. “Don’t scare me like that! I could’ve lost all of my hard-earned Poké because of that.”

“Hehe. Sorry, sorry,” Adrian said as he nuzzled the red-orange locks on the Vulpix’s head, causing her to blush. “Just curious to see what you were doing, Faith.”

“Well,” Faith explained as she walked towards the market with Adrian following, “I heard that there’s a Fire Stone for sale. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to buy it and use it to evolve, just as you did. Then I won’t be the short one anymore.”

“Ah,” Adrian remarked as he skipped over a small hole on the ground. “Then I’ll be the butt of your shorty jokes again.”

“Hey, that was only the first couple of years since we met-”

“-and until our final year at school, where I was the last one of our class to evolve.”

“It’s only because we needed a stone to help us evolve,” Faith remarked as she turned around and winked as she stuck out a tongue. “And I recall you passing over other means to evolve, like a Water Stone. Heck, if you really do care about being short, you should’ve picked Vaporeon to evolve to. Or Umbreon, Leafeon, or even the fabulous Sylveon. All of them bigger than a Flareon like you.”

“W-w-well, I-I just like my tail to be massive and super fluffy!” Adrian declared as he blushed hard at Faith’s unconvinced face.

Faith looked at his face for a few seconds before shrugging. “Besides, I’m not that short compared to other Vulpix, being only an inch shorter than average.”

“Only an inch shorter?” Adrian remarked as he stuck out a tongue back at her. “The way you act at times is like you’re only a half foot tall.”

“OK, so it is no big deal for me,” Faith admitted as she stopped walking and looked back at the Flareon. She then raised one of her white paws and booped Adrian’s nose, causing him to blush. “Then again, it’s not like you acted any better when you were the shortest one.”

“H-hey!” Adrian said, twitching his ears and nose. “OK, perhaps maybe I overreacted to some of your jokes about me being nearly a foot shorter and maybe I overdid it when I teased you back, but.” He paused.

“But what?” Faith asked, winking at him with her baby blue eyes.

“W-well, I don’t think being little is too bad nowadays,” the Flareon answered as his paws shuffled below him and his tail fluffed up even more. “L-like going through tight spots or that you need to relearn your sense of balance and strength. I mean, when I evolved, I broke a lot of stuff by just not knowing my newfound strength.”

“Yet you still hopped around me like a wild Mankey,” Faith teased before she licked Adrian’s cheek. The Flareon flustered with his fur fluffing up while she went back to walking to the market with several vendors filled with colors like red, green, and plenty of more. Adrian shook his head before following the Vulpix.

Her eyes darted from right to left to back to right, looking for the shop that had a Fire Stone. While one might think that being in a city filled with a high Fire-type population would make such a product in high demand, few were ever brought over to them as a way to drive up the price for such treasure. Faith idly wondered if the other cities in the continent would hold Fire Stone in abundance while her ears twitched, hearing Adrian catching up to her. They both looked around and saw several Pokémon of many types there, browsing and bartering with the shop owners. Though she would’ve liked it if one such bartering attempt wasn’t between two Loudred over a berry.

Her hearing slowing recovered as she felt a nudged to her side. She blinked and turned back, her eyes now facing the green-eyed Flareon’s face, the eyes bright as the sunlight. She opened her mouth only for him to nudged his head over to a shop twice. She then observed a shop at Adrian’s direction, ran by a Kecleon.

The green reptilian Pokémon was standing behind the wide desk, his black eyes looking around for customers. Directly in front of the Kecleon was a yellowish stone with a red streak inside of it, giving off a look that it was on fire. Next to it was a sign that read, “Fire Stone! 1000 Poké!”

Faith gave out an excited yip, hugged Adrian with a paw, and ran over to the shop with the Flareon close behind her.

“Excuse me, sir,” Faith said to the Kecleon in between breath and excited heartbeats, “but I would like to buy that Fire Stone from you.”

“Ah! Clever eye you have,” the Kecleon said proudly with a wide smile. “Especially since I just got it yesterday from a Lycanroc and at quite a bargain too! She looked somewhat off, but it might just be my imagination.”

“Very interesting,” Faith remarked in a very uninterested tone as she leaned over to the Fire Stone. “It’s not like a Lycanroc can use it for its true intention.”

“That’s perfectly obvious,” the Kecleon responded with a nod. “I also had it be inspected since there had been some cases of counterfeits Fire Stone in the market lately and I did overhear her saying stuff about ‘tests’ and ‘research’, which nearly made me suspicious enough to just cancel it altogether. Yet all the tests it has been put through confirmed that it’s a functional Fire Stone, perfectly normal.”

Adrian shivered as his sight turned from the Kecleon to the Fire Stone. “Um, Faith? I don’t like the sound of that. I’m sure that there’s another Fire Stone here, so I think that it’s best to hold off on getting this one.”

“Adrian, you don’t fool me for a second,” Faith teased as she handed the gold Poké to the Kecleon. “You just don’t want to be a victim of my revenge plot over getting teased being the short one of us.”

“I-it’s not like that!” the Flareon said in a panicked tone while the Kecleon picked up the Fire Stone. “I just think that you might be too hasty in getting it, especially since he got it from someone who’s suspicious enough to warrant exanimating it. It might be dangerous!”

“He checked over and found it to be perfectly safe, so I’ll find it to be safe as well. I’m evolving and you can’t stop me,” Faith declared before she reached over to the Fire Stone and touched it.

The stone glowed in white light while Faith’s body was engulfed in the light. The Flareon’s green eyes widened as he took a step back, the Vulpix glowing brighter.

Then the Fire Stone exploded.

-----

Faith groaned as her baby blue eyes slowly opened, her body felt sore and her right paw having a fair amount of pain, which gave her vibes of a Tauros stepped on it. Her eyes saw a Flareon figure near as her vision cleared. Her head then, in an instinct, looked upwards to the white ceiling with bright, cold lights glowed downwards to the two Pokémon. She twitched as she slowly realized that something soft was covering her and, when she looked over to what was on her, she realized that it was a blanket made out of Mareep’s wool. The Flareon lifted his head and jumped to her, his face written in surprised and relieved.

“Faith! Don’t try to move much,” The Flareon said, his voice sounding familiar to the Vulpix.

“A-Adrian?” Faith softly asked as her eyes opened up more and saw the Flareon’s green eyes and the silver triangular necklace. “What happened? Where am I?”

“You’re in a hospital,” Adrian answered as he sat next to the bed Faith was on. “What happened was,” he hesitated with his words choked in his throat, “when you touched that Fire Stone, it had exploded. It had blasted all of us away and, when I got up, I went to you as fast as I can. You-your right forepaw was bleeding so badly, I almost vomited. The Kecleon and I managed to get you into a hospital as fast as we can and the doctors here managed to packed your leg up. The Kecleon, I must say, was heavily regretful for what happened, and he not only refunded the Poké you used to buy the Fire Stone but also paid your hospital treatment.”

“Huh. Well, that’s nice of him,” Faith said, straining up a smile.

“Hah! I bet he did it because he doesn’t want you to press charges against you!” a sly voice said nearby, causing Faith’s ears to twitched and Adrian to jumped up.

“GAH!” Adrian yelped out, looking for the source of the voice. Yet, there was only two Pokémon here as far as he can see. And yet. “David! I know you’re here! Stop using Illusion to make yourself invisible!”

“Eh, sure,” the voice responded and a figured phased into existence, standing behind the Flareon with his dark arms around Adrian’s neck. The vulpine face grinned widely with his glorious ponytail-like mane flowing down from his head, red asides from thick stacks of tips. Red markings were around the mouth and eyes of this Pokémon as his red claws rubbed against the unimpressed Flareon.

“Now that I know you’re there, David, that trick doesn’t work on me,” Adrian said, his ears flickered in anger. “Please stop acting like you’re going to kill me or worse.”

“I think kids like you should learn to take a joke,” David said, his arms uncurled around the Flareon’s neck and walked back to the white walls.

“Kids?! You’re barely a year older than us!” Adrian said, his eyes white as his teeth barred at the Zoroark.

“Eh, true. But unlike you two, I got married,” David said as he shrugged and walked up to the Vulpix and gently rubbed the curled-up turfs on her head. “I hope that this makes you feel better.”

Faith, who was struggling to resist a snicker, laughed out loud. “Hahaha! Yes! Thank you, David! You made my day after what happened.”

“Yeah, I’m so sorry about what happened to your leg and paw,” David said as he leaned over and licked Faith’s turfs. “Is there anything I can do to help you.”

Adrian answered before Faith can. “Yes. You can get the doctor here and tell her that Faith is awake.”

“Sure,” David said with a grin and picked up Adrian. Adrian gave out a yap and wiggled against the larger Zoroark’s grip while David hugged the Flareon like he was a stuffed toy.

Faith’s ears flattened back as a growing sense of loneliness grown in her chest. Her eyes darted around the room before she looked at herself and gave out a heavy sigh, unhappy that, even after all of that, she didn’t evolve. Her eyes then looked at the tight wool around her right forepaw and, when she moved it, she felt a sharp pain through it. Her head then fell back onto the pillow as her eyes looked up at the window. A flower encased in a pot was on the open window sill as she heard a buzzing noise through it. A Beedrill appeared, hovered around the flower, and shook her head before flying away.

She blinked, confused about why the Beedrill didn’t take any nectar or pollen from the flower before her ears twitched. Feet pad steps echoed into her ears as she lifted up her head and saw Adrian and David entering the room with another Pokémon.

The Pokémon was a pink and cream colored one who stood on her two stubby legs. She was mostly covered in the color of cream with pink around her torso like it was a lab coat that anthros were said to have worn when they were a part of the world. The top half of the Pokémon’s face was pink while the bottom half was cream with two large, floppy ears with long lobs reaching down to her hips. Her bright green eyes looked at the Vulpix and smiled as she stepped to the bedside.

“Hello. My name is Dr. Lulu Erelah and I am your doctor for the duration of your hospital stay,” the Pokémon called Audino said. “I am glad to see that you’re awake, especially since I sensed something was off during your sleep.”

Faith nodded as fear swelled up inside of her stomach. “What do you mean by that?”

Dr. Erelah doesn’t answer and instead, she pressed one of her earlobes against the Vulpix’s chest. David and Adrian looked on behind the Audino as a concerned expression formed on her face. Adrian managed to look at Dr. Erelah’s face and his green eyes widened.

“Is there anything wrong?” Adrian asked, barely hiding the fear in his voice.

“Yes, there is,” Dr. Erelah responded as she removed the earlobe from Faith’s chest. She then gave out a heavy, wearily sigh. “Your front right leg and paw will be alright. Just give it a week of resting on the bed and another on physical therapy and it’ll be just as good as it was before. But.”

“But what?” David asked, his orange eyes shaking in distress.

“To start with, when you touched that Fire Stone, it actually did trigger your evolution into Ninetales. Yet, as can plainly see, you’re still a Vulpix.” She gestured all over Faith’s body. “The reason why is because, due to the Fire Stone exploding, it placed your body in an evolutionary flux, which is to say that your body is both canceling and enabling your evolution at the same time, canceling each other out. Because of this, even if you find another Fire Stone, one that’s actually is perfectly normal, you cannot evolve.”

Faith felt a sharp pang within her heart while her stomach muscles tightened and her throat dried out. Adrian and David, when they saw her expression, leaned over and petted her. Dr. Erelah, when she saw them, closed her eyes as she gave out another sigh.

“Is-is there anything you or anyone here to help her?” David asked, his face down toward the ground.

“To be honest, I’m not sure what I or anyone can do to help her out,” she said as she shook her head. “There have been no reports as far as I can tell about Pokémon being put in an evolutionary flux. However, that wasn’t even the worse part.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?” Adrian asked, his eyes drooped down.

“Because a Pokémon evolution generates a lot of energy when it happens so you can change. However, due to her body being put in a state where she’s both evolving and not at the same time, it keeps building up energy for something that won’t happen. Again, I have no idea what will happen due to having no previous case where this happened. But, my best guess is that, after some time, her body will explode in pure energy and she’ll die.”

 Adrian’s mouth and eyes widened in complete horror as tears formed around David’s eyes. Their gaze then turned towards Faith and, while Adrian’s eyes curled down, David’s tears really flow out of his eyes. The Vulpix’s eyes were closed tight as hot water also flown out of her closed eyelids. The Flareon then leaned over and hugged her gently while he patted her back.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Adrian said, struggling not to cry himself.

Dr. Erelah gave out a sigh before her ears twitched, a buzzing sound echoing in the room. She looked up and saw a flower there with a Combee hovering around it. The Combee gave out an angry buzzing noise before flying away. Dr. Erelah, while still looking at the flower in its pot, tilted her head to the side.

“Did you two or anyone else brought a flower for Faith?” the Audino asked as her left ear twitched.

“Huh?” Adrian responded as he looked up at Dr. Erelah. “I didn’t bring a flower. Did you, David?”

“I didn’t bring one myself. I thought it belonged to the hospital,” David said, his triangular ears twitching.

“We don’t have any flowers here,” Dr. Erelah explained. All of them looked at each other before looking back at the flower and all of their eyes widened. The flower that was there was gone.

-----

Despite Dr. Erelah’s estimate on how long Faith needed to stay in the hospital, the Vulpix was out within the week. The Audino examined Faith on the final day and was surprised on her quick recovery before helping Faith checked out. Especially since, as anyone who was helped under Dr. Erelah and worked with her knew, she was rarely wrong on her estimates and especially to such a degree.

Faith, however, didn’t really enjoyed her newfound luck in recovering super quick from her injury since it at least distracted her mind from her failure in evolving with not even a chance of evolving ever again. Yet, there was no one to blame for her incident but herself; she brought the Fire Stone against Adrian’s suggestion and touched it as soon as she could. If she hadn’t been so impatient, she would’ve been alright, still capable of evolving, and perhaps find another Fire Stone to evolve with. How could she ignore the obvious signs of how dangerous it was and how could she ignore her dear friend Adrian’s warning until it was too late? Her ears drooped as she walked out, wondering where had he been for the past week.

Faith passed by several Pokémon as she, at a slow pace, walked to her home. Her baby-blue eyes then saw it, a fairly plain brick house painted dark blue with a wooden grey roof. The dark blue chimney sticking above the house while light green fences surrounded the grassy lawn and the house. Faith gradually walked up the dirt path to her home as she pulled out a key from her pouch. She inserted it into the side of the door, which was a wooden slab, and turned it. The wooden slab lowered onto floor level and she pulled out the key, golden in color. She then entered her home and, with a flick of one of her tails, lifted a small switch, causing the slab to rise up and closed the doorway.

It was a plain single room house with hay as a bed across from the door. The walls were painted light red with a brown wooden cabinet on the right side of the door, the absolute bottom holding a Never-Melt Ice to preserve the foods above. At the left side held a bookcase filled with books about ancient Pokémon Rescuers, Explorers, and Expeditions throughout the six continents of this world. Above it held a framed picture of a sea-blue eyed Ninetales with a green scarf around his neck and a stylized Explorers badge on it with a light green A. At the center of the room was a table with four chair stools around it. Next to the bed was a fireplace filled with a Charcoal, burning a low fire.

Faith walked around the table, pulling out her mint green bow off of her neck and putting it on the table, and flopped onto her bed, the smell of hay entering her nose, as she closed her eyes. She felt a deep desire to sleep for hours, even days, yet she had so much energy that she could not fall asleep. She twisted and turned, so much so that she didn’t notice that there was knocking until a few minutes had passed. She gotten up with a blush on her face and, putting the bow back on, flicked the switch down and opened the doorway. The figure of Adrian sat there, causing her to blink, as he grinned, the pouched he wore holding a book.

“Hello Faith,” Adrian said as he walked inside, the tone he has that sounded like he just recently regained his voice. “I went to the hospital to meet you, but I was told you’ve been discharged. So, I ran all the way here.”

“Adrian!” Faith said as Adrian hopped onto the chair stool. “What’s wrong? You sounded like you ran a hundred miles.”

“I’ve been reading books from the libraries here,” Adrian explained as he pulled out the book from the pouch, “hoping to find the solution to your problem.”

“But-but there shouldn’t be,” Faith blurted out as she hopped onto another chair stool next to Adrian. “You were there. We were told that there hasn’t been a case like mine and they didn’t think there was a solution to the evolutional flux.”

“No medical solution,” Adrain said he gave out a wink. “But I think I founded a solution to it.”

“You did?!” the Vulpix squeaked out in surprise and joy. “What is it? And why wasn’t it suggested to me by the hospital?”

“A couple of reason why I think they didn’t tell you is that they either didn’t know since it’s a very old and rare thing or that it was just too risky to try. As for what it is, we go out to meet Jirachi and ask him for a wish.”

“Jirachi?” Faith remarked as she tilted her head. “Who’s Jirachi?”

“Jirachi is the wish Pokémon,” Adrian explained as he opened the book. “Jirachi has the power to grant wishes to whoever asked for one and it said that he could grant up to three wishes.”

Faith blinked as she looked at the page the Flareon opened up to. It had a colored drawing of a small, white Pokémon. It looked like it was wearing a yellowish cap the size of its head with three tags on the top, right, and left corners, and a pair of bangs hanging down to both sides of its face. A pair of sleeve-like wings was on its arms while a pair of cape-like ribbons hanged down on its back. On its belly, it had a curved seam that reminded Faith of a closed eye.

“Woah,” Faith remarked as she stared at the drawing. “That sounds like it could work!”

“Yeah! Well, aside from a couple of ‘minor’ problems,” Adrian admitted as his left ear flickered and his front leg paws poked at each other.

Faith’s eyes half-closed as she looked at the Flareon. “Should’ve known that it was too good to be true. What are the problems and how ‘minor’ are they?”

“First off, he’s asleep and can only awaken for only seven days in, er, a thousand-year gap.”

“WHAT!?!” Faith screamed out at Adrian, his eyes wide and his ears blown back. “There’s no freaking way this is one of those seven days periods! The chances of that would be-”

“1 in 365,250,” Adrian said as he pressed a paw against Faith’s nose, causing her to blush. “I know. Believe me. There are a couple of alternate ways, though. One is that he can be awakened by a pure voice. Although, I doubt that yours is pure enough.” Faith gave a glare that caused Adrian to shuffled his back-paws. “The other is that we can wake him by fighting him.”

“Oh!” Faith remarked, her ears pointed upwards. “That sounds like that can work.”

“Yes, though there’s another problem connected to this,” Adrian admitted with a sheepish grin. Faith gave an exasperated look while Adrian continued, “Namely, that Jirachi is one of the Mystical Pokémon.”

“Oh,” Faith remarked with a soft voice. Mystical Pokémon were some of the most powerful Pokémon in the world outside of Legendary Pokémon, capable of creating and destroying entire regions on their own. “I admit that I have high doubts about defeating him.”

“I’m very much aware of that,” Adrian said as he placed a paw over the book. “While Jirachi, as said in the book, is part Steel-type, I doubt that we can defeat him. However, it says that you don’t have to defeat him. Just fighting him long enough and hard enough until he wakes up, which I think is more like trying to outlast him. I think we can do just that.”

“Really?” Faith asked with a squeak-like tone. When the Flareon responded with a nod, she glomped him tightly. “Oh, thank you very much!”

“Ack!” Adrian said as he flopped back with the smaller Vulpix on top of him, both falling off of their chair stools.

“Hehe, sorry,” Faith said with a shy smile as her ears flattened to the side of her head. “Anyways, where is Jirachi?”

“That’s the other ‘minor’ problem,” Adrian said as he, with a gentle paw, pushed Faith off of him. “Though one that I have a solution to right away. The book said that he lives in Star Cave, which is thousands of miles away.”

“Well, crud,” Faith said as her tails twitched. “How many thousands of miles to be exact?”

“4,155 miles,” Adrian answered as Faith’s fur stood up straight. Adrian shook his head as he stood up onto his four paws “I’ve also done the math for that. It’ll take 112 days to get there on foot.”

Faith’s ears drooped down. “That sounds like it’ll take forever to get there and back and, given what’s happening in my body, I doubt I’ll make it a quarter of the way there. But you do have a solution to this problem. What is it?”

“We’ll use the Dragonite Travel and Delivery Service!”

“Are you for real?!” Faith yelled out as she stood up straight, her knees shaking. “There’s no way! A one-way trip will cost us around 250,000 Poké! There’s no way you have that much Poké on you!”

“I admit that I don’t. But I’ve been working on a solution for the past week and I managed to succeed,” Adrian explained as he went into a pouch and pulled out two tickets for the service. Faith blinked as she stared at them. “I’ve done a bunch of favors for Mayor Richard and he eventually agreed to send me and one other on a delivery for a fellow mayor at Bojelin-Radeau. Once there, it’s only over 200 miles from Star Cave.”

“Oh wow! That’s amazing!” Faith said as she went over to hug Adrian. The Flareon felt his bones getting crushed as she continued, “Again, thank you!”

“No problem,” Adrian said as he wiggled a paw free and booped Faith’s nose.

The two gave a blush at each other as Faith let go and took a step back.

“Sorry for choking you in joy earlier,” Faith said as her tails fluffed up. “Also, it’s nice of you to start up a fire in my fireplace.”

“Um, no I haven’t. And what fire?” Adrian responded as his ears twitched and he looked at the fireplace.

“You know, the fire in the fi-” Faith tried to answered before pausing. The Charcoal that was on lit on a low flame was gone. She jumped over to it and there wasn’t even ash as remains in the fireplace. Like there never was a Charcoal on fire in the first place.

“Errrrr, I would like to stay at your place, if you don’t mind,” Faith said as she sidestepped towards the bookcase while staring at the fireplace.

“Um, sure. Especially since the flight is scheduled for tomorrow,” the Flareon answered as he looked at the Vulpix with confusion written over his face.

“OK-thank-you!” Faith said as she took the Ninetales picture off from on top of the bookcase and, with a shove, pushed Adrian along with herself out the door. Adrian yelped as he only, after the initial shove, grabbed the book off from the table.

-----

The next day, Faith and Adrian went out to the Dragonite Port. A Dragonite, while a rare species of Pokémon, was still far more common than Legendary and Mystical Pokémon. As such, a group of a thousand Dragonite was formed throughout the world for fast delivery and travel, especially for small Pokémon since they averaged at 7’3”. They, for the most part, delivered mail and packaged between towns and cities for large amounts of Poké and, while they tolerated the small Pokémon, they charged more for them.

When Faith entered the Dragonite Port, shaped like a giant Dragonite with two mailbags wrapped on both sides, her jaw lowered as she looked around the massive place within. Several Dragonite at once flew above the two with their small teal wings, tiny compared to their large, pear-shaped bodies. Their antennae twitched on their heads while they hovered from one wall to the next, picking up mail and packaged on the shelves and stuffing them into their pouches before flying out. Several Dragonite came in just as fast as they left and removed the contents from their bags and, with great care, placed them onto a conveyer belt, where they were carried over to the local delivery service and mail them. Faith wondered how could such big, bulky Dragonite with their minuscule wings be able to move in the air so quickly as she followed Adrian to their Dragonite.

The Dragonite was looking over the packages with his thick arms as his thick tail swung from side to side. Faith observed the striated underbelly, cream-colored, that went from the neck to the tail and the small horn in-between the antennae pair. His gray eyes shifted from the packages to the pair of Fire-type Pokémon in front of him and smiled with his round snout.

“Welcome to Dragonite Port,” he said with an unfitting light voice for such a big body. “My name is Captain Galeron and I’ll be your Dragonite for your flight. Do you have your ticket?”

Adrian nodded and pulled out a pair of tickets from his pouch with a paw and handed it to the Dragonite.

“So,” Captain Galeron said as he looked over the two tickets, “you are Adrian and this is your plus one?”

Adrian nodded and the Dragonite bit a hole into the tickets. He then, with a gentle hand, picked up Adrian and Faith and placed them into an extra-large pouch designed for small Pokémon flight.

“Very good,” Captain Galeron said as he spread out his large wings. “And, with the packages in order, we can start very soon. Though I admit that I could’ve sworn that I was scheduled one less package for today. Might be a last-minute package, though I hope the one had the extra Poké to afford it. Anyways, hold on tight. We’re off to Bojelin-Radeau!”

With a flap of his wings, Captain Galeron hovered over the floor before he flew out of the Dragonite Port. Faith clung onto the wall of the pouch as she felt the Dragonite flew higher and faster. Faith felt pressure in her ears as she gritted her teeth and a sharp whistling sound echoed around the pouch. After what felt like a year of traveling (though it was only an hour), Faith’s limbs felt too tired to clung onto the wall and she breathed in and out, controlling her breathing.

“Try to relax,” Adrian said as he rubbed Faith’s back. “I know it’s rough, especially since we’re traveling beyond the speed of sound.”

“I’m just glad that this pouch is tougher than it looks,” Faith remarked through gritted teeth as she went through her pouch and pulled out a picture of a Ninetales with a green scarf.

“Huh. I didn’t think you’ll take that,” Adrian said with a hint of coldness. “Who is that Ninetales?”

“He’s my idol, the famous Pokémon Explorer,” Faith explained as she stared at the sea blue-eyed Pokémon. “He calls himself A-Ninetales.”

“E-excuse me?” Adrian said as she tried to stifled a snicker. “A-Ninetales? That’s like the dumbest name to call yourself. I-I mean, is there a B-Ninetales or a C-Ninetales? Or how about an edgy X-Ninetales?”

“Hey!” Faith yelled out, feeling her head heating up. “There is, in fact, a good reason why he calls himself A-Ninetales and it’s not because of his custom Explorer’s badge. Look at his back and see.”

Adrian laughed as he scooted up closer to the picture. His eyes skimmed over the Ninetales’ back and saw what looked like a half of an A in light green. He then laughed out even louder.

“S-so he’s ‘A-Ninetales; because of some mark on his back?!” the Flareon asked as he flopped onto his back in a giggle fit. “Heck, I bet that he had it drawn in because he wanted to be cool when it really just looks stupid!”

“He is cool! Cooler than you!” Faith protested as her eyes narrowed at Adrian and her head felt even hotter. “In fact, last I heard of his exploits, he fought the Legendary Pokémon Groudon and won.”

“Hahaha! Wow!” Adrian said as he laughed some more, clutching onto his belly. “T-that meant that either Groudon is weak and dumb for a Legendary or that the story is a complete lie. In fact, I bet that it was a lie because there’s no possible way a Ninetales can go one on one against a Legendary, especially with a type weakness against him, and win!”

Faith glared at the still laughing Flareon as smoke poured out of her mouth. Her sense of sight turned red as she leaped up and slammed her head down against Adrian’s head. The Flareon stopped laughing and instead groan as the Vulpix rolled forward. She looked over Adrian and saw him fell into unconscious as she walked over to the poster and gazed into it more, hearts appearing before her eyes and not noticing how quickly her head pain faded away.

-----

The rest of the flight went on without any more such incident with the fainted Flareon sleeping away as Faith at times looking at the poster and other times read the book Adrian got with the Jirachi info. She felt the pouch shook as the Dragonite slowed down and landed in the Dragonite Port of Bojelin-Radeau. By that time, Adrian woke up with a sore head and a sorer mood.

“You really need to control that temper of yours,” Adrian said through gritted teeth as the Dragonite picked up both Faith and Adrian from out of the pouch. “That could kill someone someday.”

“Maybe if you’ll learn not to make fun of my idols and thus make fun of me, I’ll do so,” Faith replied, her tone cold as Captain Galeron lowered them onto the floor.

“I suggest that, for your return trip, that you’ll behave better,” Captain Galeron said as he loomed over the two. “Just be glad that it was only a headbutt since you’re both Fire-types here and can burn this pouch into ashes. If you did, you’ll die crashing into the ground going over a thousand miles an hour until you two are nothing but dust if our lungs didn’t burst first.”

“Sorry Captain,” both Faith and Adrian said in a union and lowered their heads.

“It’s no worries. Just keep that in mind for your return trip,” the Dragonite said before he gave a hearty laugh and patted both of their heads. “Assuming that you’ll be flying back with us and not with the Pidgeot Aerial Express, our blossoming rivals.”

“Don’t worry. We will,” Faith responded with a smile as her eyes shifted to Adrian. The Flareon’s fur ruffled as he gave a stiff nod.

“Anyways, have a safe trip!” Captain Galeron said before he spread out his wings and he hovered away.

The two Pokémon stepped through the Dragonite Port towards the exit without a word as she continued to look at Adrian. She noted that he was looking at the ground as if he was carrying heavy weight over his back. Soon they walked out of the Dragonite Port and Faith’s eyes widened as she looked out and saw the amount of water Pokémon around and the giant Floatzel statue at the center of the city with a ring of eight Floatzel statues surrounding the city.

There were stories when the word was full of giant Pokémon that a refugee of water Pokémon was defended by a group of nine giant Floatzel. This group, all brothers and sisters, defended the small with their lives while they were alive. While they were not known for their size (the largest was at 75 feet, only barely getting into the top 50 largest Pokémon relative to their normal size), they were known and remembered for loyalty to each other and their teamwork which had defeated far larger Pokémon.

The Vulpix and the Flareon soon reached the center of the town, with Faith feeling nervous around the many water Pokémon. The two looked around and, with a poke from Adrian, she followed him to a stone building, delicately carved with water in the shapes of lines and Pokémon figures that shown the nine Floatzel with the largest at the center. Adrian gestured Faith to wait outside as she looked up at the carving in awe, each figure holding what looked like a light.

After an hour had passed, Adrian stepped out of the building, looking both happy and nervous. Faith smiled at him as she leaped towards him and licked his cheek.

“Did it go well?” Faith asked as she then noses his cheek.

“It went as well as I expected,” Adrian answered as he gave an anxious smile. “Most of the time was spent on her giving a detailed history of Bojelin-Radeau and what it means.”

“Aww. Lucky,” Faith responded as she stood beside the Flareon. “So, we rest, get ready, go to Star Cave, get a wish, and come back here for the return trip.”

“Yeah, about that,” Adrian said as his ears flattened to the sides.

Faith blinked and remembered the Flareon’s body language an hour and a half ago as her mind clicked and her stomach tightened. “You didn’t have a ticket for a return trip.”

“No, I did not,” Adrian said before he blinked and looked at Faith’s face.

Faith’s eyes narrowed as she said in a controlled fury voice, “So tell me, how can we get home other than walking all the way there, losing a third of a year in the progress?”

“D-don’t worry,” Adrian said as he took a step back and seemed to shrink in size. “I thought of that as well. Namely that, since we’re going to face Jirachi anyways and he grants up to three wishes-”

“Except that we can’t guarantee can outlast Jirachi, let alone defeat him!” the Vulpix cut in, her voice becoming colder. “After all, I’m unevolved and you’re a Flareon, who is more well known for their good looks, not for their ability to fight.”

“Hey!” Adrian said, his right ear flopped to the side. “I’m capable of fighting Jirachi.”

“So, we are left without a backup plan in case it’s too much for us,” Faith muttered under her breath, not noticing the Flareon’s comments.

“Besides, it’s not like I didn’t try to have a backup plan,” the Flareon explained as his tail twitched. “I did try to get Mayor Richard to give me a return ticket, but he was unwilling to pay out the funds for that since this year’s touring season to see the bones of our great protector has been so low. He did offer to let it wait a month or so to get the needed funds, but I declined.”

“So, basically we’re trapped because you didn’t have the patient to wait a month,” Faith observed as she rolled her eyes.

“It-it’s not like that,” Adrain said as he took another step back. “It’s that, when I heard that you were recovering much faster than you such, I feared that it was the build-up energy caused by your evolutionary flux that causes it and that, I thought, the timeline of your body reaching your limit is much sooner than we expected. As such, I fear that, if we wait, then you wouldn’t-you wouldn’t-”

Faith blinked as she saw the Flareon exploded into tears. He crouched down, tears swelling out of his eyes as his ears flattened back. Faith’s ears also flattened back as she walked up to Adrian’s side and rubbed his back. She felt thorns in her heart as she recalled her recent actions and words to the crying, scared Flareon.

“Oh, Adrian. I’m so, so sorry,” Faith said as she rubbed her cheek against his, tears swelling out of her eyes as well.

57

Art Gallery / Re: Halloween Sketch-a-Thon 8 (Open!)

« on: October 12, 2018, 11:52:44 PM »

#42 (the answer to everything)

I would like to have A-Fox (ref: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/374569143040475136/498966804803092499/F_Oct08_DarenRef.png ) to be laying on his belly, very fat (around this level http://art.by.virmir.com/art/not_big_enough ), and leaning on his back legs. He's nomming on some candies as several empty Halloween candy bags lay down around him.

Hope this is alright.

58

Art Gallery / Re: Bodybuilding Contest With Daren The Werefox - Group Commission

« on: May 01, 2018, 04:06:21 PM »

As a final warning, please send me your info on your character and what they're doing in the pic. If I don't get it by tomorrow, I'll pull out what characters you have and what they're doing in the pic and I cannot guarantee that all of you will like it.

59

Art Gallery / Re: Bodybuilding Contest With Daren The Werefox - Group Commission

« on: April 25, 2018, 11:04:28 PM »

That's a shame. Oh well.

60

Art Gallery / Re: Bodybuilding Contest With Daren The Werefox - Group Commission

« on: April 24, 2018, 04:53:57 PM »

UPDATE:

I would like you guys to send me a detailed info on what your characters are doing in the pic (and I do mean detailed since Caleb, the artist, likes it when there's plenty of detail). Once that happens, I'll send the info to Caleb on May 2nd. That way, we can have plenty of time to get our info ready and still have more people joining in.

Remember, the basis of the picture is that, while the characters on the stage are doing their silliness (body posing, weight lifting, making others bulk up, being a judge), Daren is underneath, lifting the stage by himself.

As a final reminder, the cost per character is $33.

Have fun and enjoy!