In Progress Connection

This is a story i'm writing, to connect Pokemon Mystery dungeon one and two. I don't know why i felt the need to do this, but the idea poped into my head and i needed to get it out. I hope you enjoy reading it, and if you find any mistakes please tell me.

Connection​

Prologue​

“Celebi, you know it needs to be done.”

“I can’t do that to you, not again! You know what will happen!”

“You have to. You know that we are the only ones, if you do not do this then far far worse things will happen.

“I can change it though! There are others I can call on, you don’t have to…”

“YES I DO. Celebi, you cannot deny that the events that have occurred aren’t able to be stopped. Even if you don’t do this it will still happen other ways, you said so your self.”

“But…”

“No. GO NOW. You will send me to that time, where I will search for the time gears, and you will make sure that can happen. It doesn’t matter what happened before, what matters is what’s happening now, we have a mission, I will complete it with or without her, but it must be done.”

“Fine, I will send you to the time she landed in, be careful Blade.”

“From now on just call me Grovyle, I cannot have our trackers knowing my real name.”

“Fine then, Grovyle. Be careful, remember, she may not be the same, what happened in the dimensional hole, something like that has never happened before.”

“I do not care. Just as long as she is safe, as long as Lilly is safe, I can keep living…”


I walked through Pokemon square beside Blade, my partner. “Come on Lilly, you should at least try.” He said as the two of us made out way past the Gulpin link shop. We were just returning from the Dojo.

“How many times do I have to tell you! Skitty can’t evolve without a moon stone! Besides, I don’t want to evolve until I learn Captivate, you know I only have two levels to go! Tomorrow at the Dojo we‘ll spend all day leveling up if you like, but we can’t ignore a direct request!” I said, looking pointedly at the letter in his hand.

Blade rolled his eyes, he had just recently evolved into a Grovyle, and had been insisting that it was the best thing that had happened to him since meeting me. And he insisted that meeting me still topped the list. I looked around me, the square was rather busy today, everyone was out purchasing supplies and linking moves. I suddenly noticed Alakazam, standing under the tree that was just at the bottom of the square. He waved us over.

“Come on, lets see what he wants.” I said, tapping Blade and pointing towards the yellow and brown bipedal Pokemon. “I’ll be that there’s a new dungeon to explore.”

Blade walked over while I was fallowing, the end his tail was swinging a little. I had to focus really hard not to pounce on it, and failed.

“Ouch! Darn it, that hurt!” He said as I let the end of it fall out of my mouth.

“Sorry.” I mumbled as I hung my head. Another reason he was intent on my evolution, so that I would stop attacking his tail, like I had been for the last two years.

We heard a chuckle as Alakazam closed the rest of the distance between us. “Still haven’t broken that old habit I see.” He smiled at us.

Blade rolled his eyes then looked down and grinned at me. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it, she’s been doing that more and more since I evolved.”

“Right, well, I have something to tell you, and it is urgent. Lets go up to your base and I’ll tell you there, there’s too many ears here.” Said Alakazam, with an extremely serious, and one might even say worried look on his face.

We just nodded, and began to lead the way to the base. “HEY!” A voice called, they turned. “Hey, hey, aren’t you guys the famous team DarkLight?” They could see a small Pokemon, an Igglybuff, running towards them, her face lighting up.

“I told you you would get to meet them, you rambunctious little girl. Hello team DarkLight, this is my niece, she came all the way here from the other side of the world just to see you. Even though she says that it was to see me.” Wigglytuff laughed.

Blade laughed and crouched down so that he could see her face better. “Hello, I’m not surprised that our fame has traveled that far, you know that my name is Blade and my partners is Lilly, I’m sure. What can we do for you?”

“Tell me the story!”

I stepped up to her, I felt terrible, but Alakazam seemed urgent. “I’m sorry, but we can’t right now, Alakazam has something extremely he needs to tell us. I’m very sorry.”

She frowned, then looked down. “Okay.” she mumbled.

“Lilly, I know who can tell her the story, remember Absol, he came back yesterday from his mission. I bet he’d be happy to tell her, he came with and got to see it all first hand after all, and then there‘s Whiscash in the pond too.”

“But it’s not the same, please…? With pecha berries on top?” said the little Igglybuff.

“How about this, right now we need to go, but if you’re still here tomorrow we’ll sit down and tell you the whole thing, beginning from where I met Lilly, and ending when Lilly came back.” Said Blade.

The Igglybuff seemed content with this and nodded. “Okay, promise?”

“Promise!” We both said at the same time.

************************************************************

Alakazam, Blade, and I were sitting at the wooden table inside of the base, the small bowl of apples in the center was in desperate need of a refill.

“I have discovered a new dungeon. It lies on a small island in the ocean, far away from here. There I met someone who said they needed to meet you, a Pokemon named Celebi, she is pink and small, but powerful for her size, I have heard her called the time travel Pokemon. She said that time itself depended on her finding you. She is coming here, and will arrive in the morning, she said that all will be explained then.” He paused, and looked as if something deeply troubled him.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, staring at him. Was it possible that the world would have to depend on us twice?

“Yes, but I’m not sure if I want to tell you this part.”

“Tell away.” Said Blade, looking straight into his eyes. “You know that we can take most anything you tell us, easily. After what happened to us in sky pillar anything else would probably be as easy as walking through tiny woods.”

“I’m afraid that it is not that simple, and it is far far worse than sky pillar.”

“Tell us.” I said. “You’re just making it worse by not saying anything.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re correct. See, Lilly is going to have to go under a transformation.”

“You mean she has to evolve?” Asked Blade.

“No.”

“What then!” we asked. My heart began to beat faster, something was very wrong here.

“She has to become human again.”

“NO! SHE CAN”T LEAVE AGAIN!” Yelled Blade, looking nervously at me, we needed each other in a way that not even I fully understood.

“I’m not leaving again, I couldn’t do that, it would kill both me and Blade, and you know that pretty damn well, you were there last time.” I hissed.

“Relax, she doesn’t have to leave, just look different. She has to become a human, not leave this world. Celebi didn’t explain why, but I’m sure she will when she comes. The reason she isn’t here now is because she said something about finding a Pokemon called Jirachi.”

Blade looked at me worriedly. “But she won’t be able to protect herself, humans can’t use moves.” He was looking into my eyes.

“Blade, don’t worry, I won’t be leaving, and you’re stronger than I am, you can protect me.” I said. He didn’t look convinced.

“Are you sure? What if you’re attacked while I’m not there, or if we’re attacked by fire types, what do we do then? It would be impossible for us to get anywhere where there were Pokemon who had an advantage over my type.” He was nervous, he looked desperate to keep me the same, to keep me.

“Blade, relax. I trust you, I’ve trusted you with my life on several occasions, and this is no different. Nothing but my appearance will change. I trust you. Trust me.”

“You know I’ve always put my trust and faith in you, but what if..”

“What if what?”

“You can’t change back?” he whispered. His question shocked me, and I turned towards Alakazam.

“I can’t tell you what would happen, I don’t even know if there’s a way to change you into a human.” He sighed, then stood up.

“Thanks for the warning Alakazam.” I said, truthfully I was very worried, but I couldn’t let Blade know that, he was already so worried about loosing me. “Blade, I think that we should go through a couple of dungeons and make sure we have enough reviver seeds and supplies.”

“You know that we have enough supplies.” He said flatly.

“I’m going to go now, I have to make sure Tyranitar and Charizard haven’t made a mess of our base. Tyranitars kid just learned how to use moves and is being a nightmare.”

We said goodbye to him as he walked out the door.

“Come on, relax.” I said, unleashing a full force pout on him.

“I can’t. I’m trying, but this whole thing has my mind really screwed up, it feels like you’re going to disappear on me again, and I can’t take it, not again……..”

I sighed and trotted over to where he was sitting, and climbed into his lap. “I promise you that I am not going anywhere without you. They would have to tear me away.” I curled up into a ball, and rested my head against his chest. He ran his clawed hand over my back, petting me. I purred.

“Did I ever tell you……” he started, but then trailed off.

“Tell me what?” I mumbled, my eyes half closed.

“Nothing.”

“Come on, what haven’t you ever told me? You can tell me anything.”

He stared off into space for a few minutes. “Can I tell you that I love you?” He whispered, looking down at my face, watching my eyes.

“Yes you can.” I said, surprising myself. Suddenly I understood our bond much better, and several things became very very clear in that precise moment.

“Can I ask you if you love me too?” He whispered again.

I stood up on all fours, put my paws up against his chest and pressed my nose to his, he wrapped his arms around me. I leaned my head on his shoulder, surprised by this sudden change. I felt like I was looking at him for the first time. And I liked it, I wanted to keep him forever, I never wanted his arms to let me go. “You could, or I could just say yes,” I murmured into his ear, “I love you too.” I curled back up in his lap, placing my head against his chest again. “Is that why you’re so worried?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“What exactly worries you?”

“That I will loose you again, that you won’t be the same.”

“How long?”

“Since the day we defeated Articuno.”

“I love you.” I said. Everything was quiet for a long time, then he began to stroke me and I fell asleep.

******************************************************************

I woke with a start, I was laying on my bed that was on the small platform just a few feet off the ground. I sat up “Blade?” I whispered. I blinked a few times to get my eyes used to the dark then looked around. I could see a little light coming though the windows, the sun was just beginning to rise. Blade was laying on the other bed on the floor, I jumped down and walked over to him and curled up in a ball against his stomach. Something in the air didn’t feel right, but curled against him I could sleep again.

******************************************************************

I woke up again, and Blade was curled around me, his arm over me in an almost protective fashion, I opened my eyes and yawned, curling myself closer to him.

“About time one of you woke up!” A feminine voice practically yelled. There was a sound like snickering as I jumped about a foot in the air and away from Blade.

“It’s about time they figured out they loved each other, the stupid friendship thing was irritating me.” Said a Voice I recognized. I blinked and focused my eyes. Charizard, Alakazam, some strange pink pixie onion thing, and a sleeping thing with yellow and blue streamers hanging off of it had all situated themselves around the table in our base. I hissed at Charizard, who had been the speaker.

“What’s going on?” Murmured Blade as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around the room, then got to his feet. “How long have you been here?”

“About two hours.” Huffed the pink onion.

“And no one thought it would be a good idea to wake us up?” He growled.

“You were too cute together, and Tyranitar owes me fifty Poke.” Said Charizard, laughing.

I growled now, a deep feral sound coming from deep inside me, reaching its way up my chest and through my teeth. I didn’t care who the hell could melt mountains, I’d slash that stupid grin right off of Charizards face.

“Charizard, shut up. We have business to discuss, would you two care to joins us, it is your place after all.” Alakazam said.

I walked over slowly, remembering what he had said earlier about Celebi and Jirachi. I looked up at the pink onion. “You must be Celebi.” I said, still irritated about no one waking us up.

“I am, and you sleep late, but I take it that you’re Lilly. You aren’t exactly what I expected, you don’t look like a great hero, he does though.” she said pointing at Blade.

“Yeah, well you don’t exactly look like some great time traveler, who supposedly knows the secrets of changing Pokemon into humans. So I suppose the thing here is that one shouldn’t judge by anothers appearance.” I spat, glaring at her.

“Touché.” She said. “I’m sorry for my rudeness, but the longer I have to stay here the more things change, and the more my plans have to change. Please forgive me for my rudeness.”

Blade nodded, then went over to the table, I fallowed him, making sure to look at anything but his tail……

He rolled his eyes as I batted at it, the leaves springing under my paws, I pounced on them and began playing with them, completely forgetting that we had visitors. I began to giggle as I rolled onto my back and kept batting at them.

“Lilly?” said a voice, but I wasn’t paying attention.
“Lilly, what are you doing?” It said again. I just kept giggling as I watched the leaves springing above my paws. Another voice joined mine, then I suddenly realized what was going on. I jumped up and looked up, embarrassed. Celebi was looking skeptically at Alakazam, he just shrugged. I looked up at Blade, he was laughing quietly.

“Sorry.” I said, hanging my head. Why couldn’t I control myself around him!? This wasn’t something one did when there was company! I realized that lately I’d been finding it harder and harder to control myself, like now. I’d made a huge attempt to avoid looking at his tail, and ended up playing with it anyway.

He just laughed, he looked into my eyes, his were shining. “I love you.” he said, laughing again.

It felt like a shock had suddenly gone through my body, not a bad one, but a good one, like someone had just brought me back to life. My heart was thumping so loud in my chest I thought it would explode out of me. I rubbed against him, purring.

“Lilly.” Said Alakazam sternly.

I opened my eyes and stepped about a foot away from him, then sat firmly in front of the table. “Why can’t I control myself!” I thought angrily. It was like I was in a different world.

“She doesn’t act like a professional rescuer and explorer.” said Celebi.

I just ignored the comment, it was true though, I wasn’t acting at all like one should when visited by time traveling Pokemon, strange yellow and white blobs, and old friends.

“She is though.” Said Blade, smiling. “She’s the best. When we were battling Groudon….” he just shook his head. “Not to mention her endurance, in the frosty forest she didn’t even say she was cold once, while I was complaining about my arms falling off.”

“That forest, ugh. How can you guys stand to go there on missions?” Asked Charizard.

“Let’s stop getting off topic and complaining about Lilly and woods and such. We have far more important things to deal with right now. Like the worlds demise, again.” Said Alakazam, looking sternly into each face, he paused longest at mine. “Let’s start with the most important thing. Celebi, could you now please tell us what on this planet is going on?”

Celebi took a deep breath. “Okay, here goes.

See, from where I was in the future the world has completely stopped, no time flows. It is because Dialga, the master of time, has turned feral, because a place called temporal tower began collapsing, his mind was poisoned, and he allowed it to collapse. This world is dark and deadly, many of the Pokemon who reside there are wild and vicious.

This is where you two come in, we need you two to figure out how to stop this from happening. I believe that it has something to do with things called time gears, but I have only heard of them in legend. Lilly is especially important to this. You know that there are two worlds that include our kind, there is this world and the one that she came from. I have spoken to a Mew from Lillys world, he is the Pokemon who arranged for you to be sent here, Lilly. He says that you had, as a human, the ability to see things in the future and past, that must have been lost when you were changed into a Pokemon. We believe, this Mew and I, that if you are changed back into a human you will be able to use this ability again to help figure out how to stop the world from stopping, being paralyzed.”

I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. In the short amount of time that I had been awake this strange pink onion had fired off more information about my life than I had learned in months.

Blade said what I was thinking. “What the hell?”

Celebi shook her head. “I don’t have the time to explain how I know so much, we need to get you two to that time before it’s too late, with Lilly as a human. There is another Pokemon, he comes from the future, that is chasing me. It wouldn’t take him long to figure out where I went after finding Jirachi. His ultimate goal is to capture and kill us so that we can’t stop the planets paralyses.”

Celebi then looked at Jirachi. “That is why I have brought her. Jirachi can grant wishes to any who defeat her. I need Lilly to wish that she could be human again, but remain here, with her memories of being a Pokemon.”

“If this Pokemon can do that, then why don’t we just wish that the world would never be paralyzed?” Asked Blade, crouching to examine the sleeping star shaped lump.

“Unfortunately even legendary Pokemon have limited powers, and that would be far too great a task. She will have trouble enough with this one. And Jirachi can only be woken up once every thousand years, we’re extremely lucky that I was able to locate her.”

“So we have to defeat her in a battle, then I wish to be human, but remain in this world? That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s it, but we don’t have time for a battle. Jirachi knows of me and I believe that she will grant the wish without the battle in this urgent situation.” Said Celebi, answering my question.

“I have to get you two to the time where this takes place as soon as possible, and just you two. I’m sorry but you can’t bring Absol or any of your other partners.”

“I figured it was like that,” Said Blade, “so how do we wake her up?”

“Chesto berry.” Said Celebi simply, dropping one on the table.

“Should we wake her now?” Asked Alakazam, looking at the sleeping form.

“As soon as possible, yes.” Said Celebi, staring at me. “Are you sure you want to do this? There are other rescuers in time I could find, because you must be aware, once you have gone to the future and changed things you will never be able to return here, you will…… you will disappear, as if you never existed before the time I have sent you to. And once you change the future, you may disappear, cease to exist. I do not know exactly what will happen.”

“No.” I said, this was something that needed to be done, I was the only one with that ability. “This is something that has to be done, like stopping the falling star, we’re the only ones who can do this if what you said about me being a human is true.”

Blade took a deep breath. “We have been resigned to such things before, if this is what must be done, then we will do it. We will do our duty as a rescue team without complaints or doubt. Lilly is the only one able to use this ability, and I will not leave her.”

“We aren’t entirely sure it will work, it may only work in certain situations.” Said Celebi. “But if you are sure, resigned to your fate, then it’s time to wake Jirachi.”

I watched as the star shaped Pokemon, who I previously taken to be more of a blob, was woken up with the berry. “I hope this works.” I said, turning to Blade. “What if I lost the ability entirely? Or she can’t change me? The world is depending on this one little factor.”

“It is not, it’d just mean that we’d have to change tactics.” He said, petting me on the head, it immediately relaxed me. “Does this ability have a name?” He asked.

“Yes, Pokemon in the future call it the Dimensional Scream. I have only met one other Pokemon who could use it, and he, he was um……….”

“We get the point.” Said Blade, he looked like he was in pain.

“She’s waking up.” said Alakazam. We watched as the Pokemon opened it’s eyes slowly, then they opened wider and she looked around nervously.

“Where am I? This isn’t where I fell asleep, who are you!?” She jumped and made an effort to shove herself into a corner that was really part of Charizards tail.

“Relax, calm down, it’s okay. Something really really bad is happening and we need your help, no one is going to hurt you.” Said Celebi, speaking calmly. She flew over to Jirachi and held her hand. “My name is Celebi, the Pokemon you ran into is Charizard, over there,” she pointed to me, “is Lilly, and that is Blade. Over there is Alakazam.”

“So you tell me to calm down, then say that something bad is happening? How exactly is that supposed to help me relax?” Said Jirachi, who seemed, despite her remark, to have calmed down. “How do you need my help?”

“See Lilly, the Skitty there?” Asked Alakazam.

“Yes, what does she have to do with any of this?”

“Two years ago she met Blade, formed a rescue team, and saved the world. Before that she was a human, we need her to become a human again.”

“Why? And what am I supposed to do about it?” Jirachi had sat down and was paying attention, but looked irritated.

“When she was a human we believe that she had an ability called the Dimensional Scream, that allowed her to see the future and past sometimes. She lost that ability when she was changed into a Skitty.” Said Alakazam, turning towards me.

Blade finished the explanation. “You can grant wishes, she needs to be human again but retain her memory, therefore, Celebi came up with a plan where she makes a wish and is somehow changed back under the circumstances I just said.”

“Great plan, but what if I can’t do it, and then, what if I said no?” Jirachi was glaring at Celebi.

“Then the future world is doomed to darkness.” Said Celebi darkly.

“What do you mean?” Asked Jirachi

“I mean that Dialga goes primitive and stops time, turning the world dark.” Celebi explained, looking sadly at Jirachi. “Our only known hope of changing her into a human is you.”

“Give me an hour, I’ll tell you my decision then.”

******************************************************************

Alakazam and Celebi were playing checkers, where they got the pieces I’ll never know, but the board was found under my bed. Blade was practicing moves outside, he’d just learned dig and was making good use of it so far, except that once he put a hole in the bottom of our pond. He’d gotten a lot faster since he evolved, it was fun to watch him jumping in and out of the ground, which is what I did while Jirachi was pacing, in the air, making her decision. The hour was killing me.

Jirachi suddenly threw up her arms. “Fine then! Make the wish, but word it carefully, or else you may not get exactly what you want. After this though, I won’t be able to change you back. I‘ve never done anything like this, and whatever happens is not my fault. Got it?”

“I know, I‘ve got it.” I said as me and Blade walked inside. I looked up to him, he nodded.

“I’ll be fine, the world is depending on this, go ahead.” He said. Panic painted his voice.

“Jirachi,” I said, looking at the floating form, “I wish that……..”

“Go ahead, it’ll be okay.” Said Blade after my pause.

“I wish that I were a human again, with all of my memories of this life, and remaining on this planet.” I watched Jirachi, suddenly the eye on her stomach opened, and light collected there, I was aware of all the things I could have wished instead, for memory of my past life, to be with Blade forever, to go around the world………

The list was overwhelming, suddenly I felt dizzy. “What’s happening?” I gasped, I felt like I couldn‘t breathe, everything looked like it was underwater.

Then everything went black as I feinted, the last thing I heard was Blade shouting my name.

******************************************************************

“Lilly?”

“Be quiet Blade, she’ll be fine, let her sleep.”

“But Alakazam, she’s been asleep for two days!”

“That transformation probably took a lot out of her, more than Jirachi I think, she’ll probably be awake by the time Celebi gets back. Let her rest.”

“She looks so different, it’s weird. I feel really bad about her not being there while I told that Igglybuff our story, at least I didn’t lie, she has been sick, and no one is allowed see her.”

“The nightmares have been getting better, she’s been sleeping peacefully for a long time now.”

“Yes, I suppose they have.”

“Come on, you should make sure that everything is set up. I feel bad that you have to leave without any warning. Did you get those letters written?”

“Yes, they’re written. I put… our wills, in the one to Kangaskan, she’ll make sure everything is in order. Make sure to give them to Peliper and tell him to give them out a week from that day.”

“Yes, I know. We should go now, she needs to rest, and you don’t need to see her like this anymore, make sure to cover her up though, it’s supposed to get cold tonight.”

“Wake up soon Lilly, I love you.”

I thought I had finally reached consciousness when I felt my mind begin to sink back into the dark. The conversation, Blade loved me. I hear them walking out when I sank back into the dreams. They weren’t nightmares, they were… different.
I felt my body twist as I watched Blade attack Moltres, he received a burn…
I watch as a Pokemon, a Squirtle, is attacked by a Pikachu, a voice issues a command…
Alakazam is coming at me, fast, the battle in Mt. Freeze…
Hands, like a Machoke, but.. Five fingers? They’re holding something, an egg?

******************************************************************

My eyes flew open, I was gasping, it felt like I hadn’t breathed in years. I looked around, why was everything so, dark? Was it night? I looked around, my eyes were slowly adjusting, far too slow. I sat up and nearly fell back down, my forelegs, they were too long, so were my back legs. I took a deep breath and did what came natural, my legs crossed where I sat, I looked at my feet.

I had toes. Ten of them, I experimentally wiggled them… weird. My eyes had adjusted now, Blade, he looked different, smaller. He was asleep on the other side of the bed underneath a blanket, he twitched, then frowned. He said my name, “Lilly?” Just once, then his slow breathing continued. The sound was too soft, I brought my forelegs up to feel my ears, and almost screamed as something lightly brushed them.

I brought the ends of my forelegs up to my face… ten fingers, like the toes. I wiggled these too, it was strange, they did what I wanted easily. I touched the tips of each of my fingers to their partner. I took a deep breath and moved them up to touch my ears again, they felt odd, instead of triangles they were shaped like shells, and they were too small. I wondered how I had actually heard him, he would have had to yell.

I began to shiver, and realized that I was cold. What had happened to all of my fur? I touched my face with my new fingers, my nose was shaped wrong, my mouth and eyes were in the wrong places. I pushed my fingers up past my forehead, and felt something stingy, I ran them through it, then pulled some of it towards my face. Suddenly I realized what it was, I had hair, like Jynx did, it was long, it came down to my waist where a few pieces of hey, from the bed, were caught in it. The color was the same as what has been on my head, back, and tail while I was a Skitty…….

I gasped. Oh god, I wasn’t a Skitty anymore, I was a human… human. The shock hit me like a Golem had just fallen on me. “I’m a human.” I said it out loud, staring at the hair in my fingers. I shivered again, and realized that I was cold. I looked around, and noticed a couple of blankets that had probably fallen off of me when I’d sat up. I grabbed them and wrapped them around me, they were warm, I curled up again, but didn’t fall asleep. It felt weird being curled up without my tail to wrap around me.

I stared out the door, my eyes wide, everything looked so different, the base seemed shorter, but it still looked tall enough that I could stand up. I clutched the blanket to me and shakily pushed my body up until I was sitting again. I thought about how to stand, other Pokemon said that humans were a lot like Machoke, stood on two legs, were bipedal. I put my hands on the ground, then moved my knees underneath me, like I had seen bipedal Pokemon do when standing up. I moved so that my foot was pressed against the hay, and pushed up.

Suddenly I was standing, I wobbled a bit, but then regained my balance, I was a little dizzy, I must have been taller than Alakazam, maybe taller than Charizard. I turned my head and looked around, I had never been taller than any full grown Pokemon before, I felt like a giant, the whole base seemed to have rearranged itself. “I can see over the table? Wow.” I said. I decided to get a closer look. I concentrated on how I’d seen walk, it couldn’t be that hard. I lifted my leg, and suddenly lost my balance, falling on my backside, my hands moved out to either side to catch me. “Ouch!”

I was going to stand up again when I heard Blade roll over. “Lilly? You’re awake!” I turned to look at him, he was standing up, watching me.

Suddenly I burst into tears, I don’t know why, not being able to stand up right after changing from a Skitty to something that looked like a too-tall female Hitmonchan was to be expected. He frowned then came over to me, he gave me a hug. “It’s okay, relax, everything is okay.” He murmured into my ear. I wrapped my arms, my too long arms, around him and just cried until I fell asleep again.

******************************************************************

I don’t know how I could have possibly slept anymore, Blade told me that, not including the time I was asleep after I’d cried, I had been asleep for about three days. Alakazam, Charizard, and Celebi were at the base, and I had officially learned to walk, like a human at least. It still felt weird being so much taller than everyone, except Charizard, I was about an inch shorter than him, but it was still strange.

“She seems to be in the adolescent period, I heard that humans go thorough it differently than Pokemon. I’d say she’s about the same as a typical sixteen year old human.” Said Celebi, floating around me.

“So, what, exactly, does that mean?” I asked. I remembered flashes of humans from my dreams, most of them were of humans standing behind Pokemon and shouting things I couldn’t understand, they seemed to be older than me, I wasn’t sure how I could tell though.

“It means that you aren’t fully mature, but you aren’t a child either. Blade, had he also been changed, would be about the same age as you, maybe a year younger by human standards. But his maturing process is different than how Skitty mature. Skitty mature more like humans do, as they get older and learn more they become more mature.” Alakazam was doing his best to use the smallest words possible while confusing me.

“I’m still confused, how is his maturing process different? Why wouldn’t mine be the same?”

“Blade matures more through the evolution process, he is far more mature than some fully evolved Pokemon I know, but that doesn’t matter to the explanation. See, when Blade evolved he changed into a more mature form, he is able to learn more and is stronger because of it. Pokemon who have evolution like his, where they evolve in three stages, gain more physical maturity…” Alakazam had stopped, and was staring at Charizard.

He had begun laughing, he was seated at the table across from me. I watched as he shoved his head onto the table and covered it with his claws. He pointed one at me, then Blade, but couldn’t seem to speak through his hysterics.

“What’s wrong with Charizard?” Blade asked.

“You know how I said that I knew Pokemon, in their final stages of evolution, that are less mature than you?”

“Yes?”

“He’s one of them.”

“Was he dropped a lot when he was a Charmander?”

“I don’t know, he says he doesn’t remember much until after he evolved.”

“I suppose that’s my answer then.”

I just sat there and stared at Charizard, listening to Blades and Alakazams conversation. “I don’t get it.”

This caused him to begin laughing harder, something I had thought impossible, and sparks began shooting out of his mouth.

“Charizard, you should leave now, before you set the table on fire.” said Alakazam, staring meaningfully at him. He must have agreed, because he stood up and walked out the door, tears rolling down his face.

I then noticed Celebi, who had been sitting next to Charizard, had both hands over her mouth, and looked like she was going to explode. “I think Celebi needs to go too.”

She nodded at me then flew out the door faster than I’d ever seen, then I heard another voice join Charizards.

“How mature is Celebi?” I growled. I’d suddenly realized what was so funny, and was extremely irritated. “I think I’d just rather figure out how to actually attack something with… these.” I waved my arms.

“Good idea.” Said Blade.

“Yes, it is. Is there a human like Pokemon that you guys trust? Or at least a fighting type?” Asked Alakazam, glaring out the door. I took it that Charizard and Celebi hadn’t stopped laughing. I reached my hands up to my ears again, I was so sick of not being able to hear anything, it was like everything was muffled.

“Well, there’s Hitmonchan, but he can’t seem to stop talking no matter what we do, it’s like he never thinks, just talks.” Said Blade.

Hitmonchan was nice enough, but he did have a huge issue with talking. I thought about all of the Pokemon we had on our team… hmmm, teams, that seemed familiar somehow… suddenly I remembered one of our teamates. “What about Blaziken? She never talks, she’s hardly said a sentence since she joined. She’s really nice and listens all of the time too.”

“But if she never talks how can she show you how to throw a punch? I‘d imagine that some explanation would be involved.” Asked Alakazam.

“She’s smart, she’ll know how to do it.” Said Blade, smiling at me. “Good idea, she’d never say a word even if she liked to talk.”

“Good, me and Blade will go to scorched plains and find her, we’ll be back soon.” Said Alakazam as he floated out of his chair.

******************************************************************

Blaziken shook her head and sighed, but didn’t say a word. She took my arm and repositioned it, moving it back and forth so that I was making punching motions. Blade and Alakazam watched as she did this, then she took three long steps backward and motioned for me to attack her again. I ran towards her, pulled my fist back, and punched her as hard as I could. This had been going on for about an hour, and I felt like my arms were going to fall off. Humans really needed to find some better ways to attack, not like they had anything but arms and legs to attack with.

And Blaziken never got tired, hitting her was like hitting sand, every time I made a dent it would just get filled right back up! Blaziken had doing this punching thing down to an art, it was like watching, well, fire move, when she did it, it was fluid, firm, and effective. I felt like a crazy Donphan who couldn’t see straight enough to perform a tackle.

She nodded to me, then said one word. “Relax.” I nodded, then tried it one more time, taking a deep breath first. I pulled my fist back…….

******************************************************************

“She’s been kicking that Pokemon for an hour now.” Said Celebi, watching as it began to get dark.

“She’s improved quite a bit, she’s actually been hitting Blaziken.” Commented Blade.

Alakazam had disappeared when we began the session on how to kick something. I was also wrong about something, earlier this morning I was convinced that I wouldn’t need sleep for a week at least because of how long I’d been knocked out. Turns out that I could have collapsed right on the grass, except for the fact that I had my mind set on learning how to do this properly before I fell asleep. Blaziken still wasn’t tired, she hadn’t shown an ounce of exahustion since we’d started, she didn’t even have a bruise from all of my punches and kicks. “How do you do that!?” I yelled, I had kicked her as hard as I possibly could and she hadn’t even twitched in pain!

She gave me a look that obviously meant “What?”

“YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE A FRIGGIN BRUISE! I’VE BEEN KICKING AND PUNCHING YOU FOR HOURS!” I screamed and completely lost it, I sat down on the grass while tears poured out of me, someone was making some weird hiccupping noise, like laughing, I screamed at them to shut the hell up when I suddenly realized that it was coming from me. I fell over and began giggling, damn these stupid emotions! Why the hell couldn’t I control them!! No wonder I’d been changed into a Skitty for this job, I probably would have gone into hysteria at the sight of Zapdos… heh, Zapdos, it was a giant spikey bird, that shot electricity. Suddenly I began to laugh again, then I remembered that that was when Alakazam had been told I was a human, and Xatu, leading to that horrible trek through the snow, when Gengar was human too…

“What happened?” I heard Alakazam ask, but I couldn’t control myself enough to answer.

“I don’t know, she just kinda snapped, she freaked out at Blaziken and started crying, then screamed at someone to ‘shut up’. After that she began laughing and muttering about Zapdos, you, and Gengar, then suddenly she started crying again.” Blade sounded worried, heh heh, Blade was worried about me, that was right. He loved me. Suddenly all laughing stopped, and I began to sob again, my breaths coming in short and hiccuppy. Why was I crying… Again?

Blade came over and grabbed my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Blade, she’ll be fine, I think she just needs some rest. The whole human thing, I think, plus exhaustion, has finally gotten to her. Blaziken, could you carry her in, she’s kind of heavy.” Alakazam made sense, I think the human thing had finally caught up with me.

Suddenly I felt the ground disappear. Blazikens arms were hot, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, I was so much colder all the time now, even though Alakazam had found something warm for me to wear, without my fur I felt like I was standing outside in winter. I was still crying. Great. I suppose I’d just gone insane. I felt the hey beneath me, and I must have cried myself to sleep. Crying myself to sleep was getting old.