Pokémon: A New Evolution (Chapter 1)

Chapter 1: ...and then you die.

"Oh, Arceus..." The trainer coughed out as he lay at the bottom of a deep chasm in the collection of cold plains that Northern Sinnoh consists of. He had been scaling the great Mt. Coronet in the hopes of reaching the top, the legendary Spear Pillar. It had been a treacherous journey, one filled with long hikes and vicious battles with the native Pokémon of the mountain. He had prepared himself for this expedition over the past few weeks, stocking up on various medicines and remedies at the local Pokémart. Aaron was sure that he was ready for the challenges that awaited him.

“Heh..." He chuckled grimly, staring at the growing pool of blood beneath him. "And it was a little shove that killed me in the end.” He had already lost a lot of blood and a thought occurred to him suddenly.

“Oh. I can't forget about you..." He weakly muttered as he weakly reached for his belt and pulled off a black Pokeball with two yellow lines on it’s upper hemisphere; an Ultra Ball. He grasped it and, with a grunt of pain, threw the ball into the air. With a flash of a white light, an inhuman creature materialized at the bottom of the cliff. A bipedal fox-like entity stood over the trainer, its long red mane almost touching the ground. Any trainer would easily recognize this creature as a Pokémon.

“Master," a voice said within the trainer's mind. "What is-" The creature finally looked down and gasped at the sight of its incapacitated master. "Master!"

The creature knelt down and supported the trainer's back to allow a small amount of comfort. The fox’s eyes began to get wet as it examined the trainer's body. "Oh, no... What happened to you?"

The trainer looked back up at the creature and smiled. "Took a bad fall. Don't know if I'll be able to make it," he weakly whispered. The creature's face hardened at his words.

“Didn't you bring some kind of medicine?” At the trainer's nod, the creature grabbed the travel bag and dug through it vehemently. After about thirty seconds, the creature's eyes became downcast. “Nothing for humans! Damn it, where did all of the general first aid go!?” The trainer smiled once again and slowly raised an arm to place his hand on the creature's own right forearm.

“Remember?” he asked, quickly losing his voice. He started coughing wildly, spitting blood onto his shirt and the ground. The creature tensed, its expression showing desperation. “Back on the path?” he wheezed out. The creature looked up for a moment, its eyes widening and filling with clarity.

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In the shadows of the woods, a dark creature moved swiftly through the underbrush, darting and weaving through branches and leaves. The creature resembled a fox, but looked much more menacing. Its grey and black fur blended into the darkness while it moved like a ghost, even in the sunlight above. A long, mottled mane trailed behind it, colored like fresh blood with black tips. Its wickedly sharp claws matched the color perfectly. A bright green bangle tied the bottom of its mane down to prevent it from flying everywhere, a genius stealth measure. Its eyes held a certain predatory glare that could scare the pants off of a seasoned trainer. This creature was an apex predator, its mouth curled up into a fanged smile as it neared its prey.

“Ah, there you are!” Zoey said as she finally located the scent of the particular item she was looking for. She barreled through the woods with a dopey grin on her face as she continued to track it. Her master would say she looked ridiculous, but she didn't care about that now. She was going to get something sweet.

She rounded a corner and her eyes widened. Right there before her stood a small tree, from the branches of which sprouted a pear-like fruit that made her mouth water.

A whole patch of Sitrus berries. And they were all hers.

The Illusion Fox Pokémon leaped at the bush with a ravenous hunger and a toothy grin. She snatched a berry off of a branch with precision accuracy and in one fell swoop she rolled onto the ground and sunk her teeth into it. "Oh Arceus, this is the best!" Sitrus berries were primarily used for their medicinal properties, as they were able to heal a wound almost as effectively as a Super Potion spray, with the literally sweet bonus of their juices possessing more healing properties than Oran berries.

Zoey would tell you that the berry's primary purpose was being delicious, and it served that purpose very well.

So for a while, Zoey sat munching on the Sitrus berry, gleefully unaware of anything except for the sweet and slightly bitter taste. “Ha, and this isn’t the only one.” She looked over to the bush and saw at least a half dozen more Sitrus berries hanging from it. She smiled deviously. “Oh, I’m gonna get as fat as a Snorlax, but it’s completely worth it!”

“Zoey!” A voice echoed through the small woods. Zoey immediately jumped to her paws. Her expression became serious almost immediately, dropping everything at the sound of her master’s call. Before she took off she grabbed some berries and stuffed them into her mane. Never know when they could be needed.

Zoey dashed out of the woods and ran back to the base camp which was situated further up the mountain trail. The tent came into view and when she passed it she gasped at the sight that she was presented with. Her trainer, Aaron, was trying desperately to heal an Eevee. Zoey noticed that the Eevee was covered in its own blood, a rather large gash visible on its belly. It moaned softly in its pain, barely conscious from all the blood loss. Zoey winced at the sight. She could feel every ounce of that poor kit’s pain like it was her own. After all, she knew how those kinds of wounds felt.

Aaron turned and waved to her. “Zoey, thank Arceus! Get over here and help me with this!” Zoey nodded and rushed over to the Eevee, which Aaron was frantically applying bandages to.

“We are almost out of bandages. I don’t know what we’re going to do after that.” Zoey's ear twitched and then she gave a reassuring smile.

"I think I've got the solution for that," she said through her telepathic link. She reached into her mane and pulled out four Sitrus berries. "Look what I found on my little hunt." When Aaron saw the berries, he couldn't resist to fist pump.

"Nice find, Zoey. I think you might have just saved a life." Zoey grinned at the praise and handed him the delicious healing fruits. A selfish part of her was sad that she wouldn't get to eat them, but she told that part of herself to shut it whilst ripping it to shreds with a well-placed Shadow Claw. Woah, she thought. That was a dark train of thought.

Aaron took the berries and slowly moved one toward the dying Pokémon on the ground before him. He placed it right next to the Eevee’s mouth. It stirred slightly before taking a small nibble.

The effect was immediate. The Eevee perked up a little as its wound closed up a little. The blood stopped actively flowing out of it. This prompted Aaron to continue feeding the little Eevee, who accepted the rest of berry with growing gusto. After three more berries, the Eevee was as good as new. The wound on its belly was completely healed, and it didn't even leave a scar behind. It stood up, bounding around the camp in celebration. Aaron couldn't help but laugh at the Pokémon's behavior.

Zoey stood to her full height and walked over to the Eevee, who jumped up and down happily when she neared. The Eevee gave a little bow that Aaron found absolutely adorable.

("Thank you so much for that. If it wasn't for both of you, I probably would’ve been dead!") the Eevee stated. Zoey easily recognized the language of the Pokémon, although Aaron wouldn't be able to understand it. They had just saved a child, as evidenced by its voice. She knelt down and patted the top of the young Eevee's head.

"No problem, kid. We were happy to help." Zoey replied. The Eevee smiled and wagged its tail. It ran back over to Aaron and he, capitalizing on the chance, scooped up the Eevee up in a hug. After a moment of snuggling, Aaron let the Eevee go and it looked over to Zoey.

("Tell him I said thank you for saving me,") the young Eevee requested. Zoey nodded and stuck her hand out, raising one claw straight up. It looked like what a human would call a thumbs up.

"Gotcha." The Eevee thankfully understood the gesture. With a little wave of its paw, it bounded off into the trees.

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Zoey snapped back into reality and looked back down to her trainer. "But... W-we can do the same for you. R-right?" she stuttered out, tears now flowing from her eyes. Aaron was quiet now, his voice losing its strength.

"I... think it's too late... for that," he whispered. Zoey realized in horror that he was losing his grip on her arm. She lurched forward, shoving her face into his own.

"No! You can't leave me yet! I made a promise after that day, and you aren't going to make me break it!" Aaron barely acknowledged the words as he drifted into unconsciousness. He would be dead soon if nothing was done. She threw her whole body on top of Aaron's own, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

Zoey, her emotions now out of control, threw back her head and released scream of pure anguish. She slammed down a paw, only to flinch when she heard a crackling sound. She moved her paw out of the way. Her eyes widened at the sight.

Aaron's Keystone inside the Mega Ring was glowing brightly, pulsating with an otherworldly white light. Zoey straightened, looking cautiously. "What is going on? I thought this thing only reacted to Pokémon that held one of those Mega Stones."

"I wonder what would happen if I just..." She reached her paw out and tapped the Key Stone.

Zoey didn't even have time to blink as an orb of energy launched over her and her dying trainer, absorbing them inside. A mysterious force passed through her body, and in seconds Zoey was out cold.

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His mind was spinning. He was sure that he was going to die. In fact, he was dead. Right? Then what am I feeling right now? Strange sensations were felt across his entire body. It felt... alien? Is that the right word for this? His mind pondered these going-ons for what felt like days.

"Girls. GIRLS!" His dulled mind heard a voice. A familiar one. Telepathy obviously. A Pokémon. It finally clicked in his head. Zoey. His felt a slight tingling in his legs and he shifted them a little. It felt scratchy, itchy even. In fact, he felt a little itchy all over.

"He's waking up! He's waking up!" He heard Zoey again. He forced his eyes to opened a little. The light of the evening above stung, but he had to see her again. He realized he was laying on something cushioned. Did Zoey manage to save him?

He heard the sound feet approaching him, accompanied by several other voices.

"Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried. Especially since..."

"I knew Aaron would make it through. The difficult part will be breaking to him what happened."

"Him? Does that term even apply anymore? Whatever the case, 'he' is gonna be in for a big surprise!"

Aaron understood all of the voices perfectly, and they weren't telepathy either. He was sure he had never heard them before in his life. But why did they sound so familiar to him? The blur in his vision was lessening by the minute. He forced his eyes open wider. He just needed to see her.

Finally, there she was. As soon as he saw her, he could stop a smile from showing even in his numb state. When she turned and saw his eyes staring right at her, she gasped and jumped back a little. Huh? That was a strange reaction. What could be the matter? For all he knew, she just saved his life!

"Uh... Aaron. You're... awake," he heard her say, before three other figures walked into view.

The first to enter was Sparks. She was an Ampharos with a slightly stocky build. Aaron had found her as a Mareep all the way back from his journey in Johto. She was one of his oldest friends. Yes, friends was the term that Aaron used. He realized very early in his journey that just having powerful Pokémon won't get you anywhere.

In Sparks' case, Aaron had adopted her from the Daycare because her trainer had left her there, forgotten completely. She had isolated herself from the rest of the Day Care Pokémon, unable to stand the fact that they had trainers that always came back for them, while her trainer had all but abandoned her. He had named her Sparks mostly because whenever she got adopted, she jumped into his arms and caused a huge static build up, shooting electricity out of her wool. Aaron had gained a huge resistance to electrocution just from all the hugs they had. Needless to say, Sparks was always hyper, bounding around like a fool, jumping all over Aaron when he stood still, and generally always being happy.

The next to enter was Rin, a strong and muscled Dragonite. She had been an interesting case. After an expedition into the Safari Zone in Kanto, Aaron found a curious area in the back of the enclosure. A group of Dratini, led by a large Dragonair, were nesting atop a rock that was easily visible from all around the zone. Aaron had taken interest in studying this phenomenon, as Pokémon in the Safari Zone were known to mingle and play, never staying in the same area for too long. This group of dragons though were strangely secluded.

Aaron began communicating with the Dragonair. At this point in his journey, Aaron had gained a natural ability for understanding Pokémon. He couldn't always get exact words, but the emotions were always there. The Dragonair at the Safari Zone had all the emotion of a brick. She was extremely prideful, feeling the other Pokémon inferior to herself and her fellow dragons. She was even hostile to him at their first meeting, but managed to hold a conversation. Nevertheless, Aaron continued visiting her. Something of a bond began to form as Aaron began to give food and attention to the Dratini in her group.

Then one day, a terrorist group known as Team Rocket attacked the Safari Zone. It was an attempted mass kidnapping. When Aaron saw the fire coming from the zone, he took off to help fight the Rockets. When he got there Dragonair was trying to defend her group. A Dratini had been backed into a corner, along with a baby Nidoran. When a Rocket member tried to capture them both, Aaron tackled him to the ground. The Nidoran and Dratini embraced tightly as Aaron wrestled with the Rocket member, managing to knock him out. This was the moment that changed the Dragonair. She flew over to Aaron and stated that she would help him fight the Rockets. With Aaron's training skill and Dragonair's power, they foiled Team Rocket's plan and saved the Safari Zone. Afterwards, the Dragonair decided to go with him on his journey. She told her Dratini to mingle, have fun, and don't separate themselves simply because of their status.

Aaron decided to name his new friend Rin, the same as the ancient queen of Cameran Palace. She appreciated that name, as she continued to hold a royal air about her even in evolution into a Dragonite.

The last to enter was Blaze, a Blaziken who was about as tall as Aaron was. She was technically Aaron's first Pokémon, and boy was she a handful. Professor Birch had warned a 10-year-old Aaron that Fire-type Pokémon were the most difficult to train. He was definitely right. Even as a Torchic, Blaze outright didn't trust Aaron, sometimes using moves he had not even commanded. They had lots of shouting matches with each other, all ending with a temporary truce. Aaron just didn't know how to get Blaze ready for battles whenever they clashed like they did.

Whenever they reached Roxanne's gym, Blaze and Aaron went in completely unprepared, and still fighting each other. Needless to say, they lost horribly against Roxanne. Blaze became incredibly depressed after that. She was sure she had the power to do it all on her own. Blaze and Aaron sat outside one night and just talked. Well, they talked as well as a Pokémon and a kid could. Aaron promised Blaze that if they just worked together they could easily beat Roxanne. Blaze was doubtful, but Aaron said he would train with her every step of the way. And train they did.

A few days later, Blaze and Aaron re-entered the gym as partners, not enemies. They breezed through the lower trainers and in the fight against Roxanne, Blaze evolved into a Combusken. With this transformation, the battle quickly ended in Aaron and Blaze's favor. They both celebrated afterwards, embracing each other and taking turns holding the badge. They also ate celebratory McDonphan's burgers, although Blaze insisted that she deserved two.

Years later, Blaze still retained her stubborn hotheaded nature, although Aaron had bonded with her a lot over the course of their journey. The battlefield was where Aaron and Blaze matched wavelengths on, getting really into their respective roles. Aaron still trained with Blaze, and he even was becoming better at sparing with her, although he knew she could destroy him with the amount of power she really had.

Aaron smiled at the memories of his friends. They didn't seem to be as thrilled to see him as he was. Rin and Sparks looked at him oddly, shifting awkwardly when he looked at them. Blaze had a talon over her mouth, seemingly repressing something. This again. What's up with all of them? Zoey turned and looked at the gathered group of Pokémon, speaking in telepathy.

"Don't. Say. Anything." Rin and Sparks nodded silently and Blaze slapped her other talon over her mouth. "Alright, Aaron. You're not dead, but... something happened to you. You're okay, but just take everything slow." Aaron looked at her quizzically before finally gaining the will to speak.

“What do you mean?” an unfamiliar voice said in a high-pitched tone. His face quickly changed to one of surprise. “Who said… that?” He panicked as the words left his mouth. That wasn’t his voice, but it did come out of his mouth. “What happened to me?” He tried to lift his right hand up and then promptly wished he hadn't.

A furry black arm entered his view. At first he thought it was Zoey’s arm because of the rather pronounced red claws at the end of it. He realized in growing terror that it was responding to his commands. Another furry arm rose up. It was his too. Suddenly his ear twitched. Human ears don’t twitch. “Girls, what the hell happened to me?!” Aaron shouted in his new voice.

Blaze sputtered before completely bursting out into laughter. “Who are you callin’ girl? By the way, nice rack.” Aaron’s eyes were as large as dinner plates as he stared at the laughing Pokémon before him. He understood everything she just said as if it was English. Aaron unconsciously looked down and saw boobs.

Boobs. Hanging from his chest. Covered in black fur. Completely naked. Two claws unconsciously traveled up and squeezed them. They bounced and squished together like two beach balls being thrown against each other. Aaron’s eyes traveled down and saw a slender torso covered in grey fur. Long flowing red hair lay beneath him, looking very big and mottled. Worst of all, there was a very noticeable lack of feeling between his legs.

Aaron’s breathing stopped and his eyes rolled back into her head. He was out cold.