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Chapter 8 Char-mimick-ing

It was kind of pleasant, making the 'journey' home. Sure, I didn't do too much today, getting a late start and all, but what I DID do was rather fulfilling. Hanging out with Monte, Wily, Jean, and Rattler wasn't so bad. Lil...unpleasant, but surprising. It WAS kind of weird that we all met up again after so long. I hadn't really been seeking anybody else from school in the past few years, guessing they've all gone on to do their own things. Today, it just happened. Still processing.

Right now though, I was in my comfort zone. Traveling my own way, with my own adjustable plans, with my lizard pal. Albeit my rather soaked lizard pal. Sol was still laying against me, probably a little tuckered out from the whip-lashing engagement. Couldn't blame him at all, especially the last bit of it, as I was still reeling a bit myself.

I was kind of feeling both extremes at the moment as I walked. One hand held the back of my Salandit, and I could feel the warmth and weight of his body through my shirt. It was kind of reassuring to me, on many levels, to feel him there.

As for my other hand, it was half-buried in quite a squishy wet diaper. Had to remind myself every few minutes that it was just water in there rather than 'number one'. It was kind of weird, but not too uncomfortable for me, as I've carried Sol many a time when he was wet. Still, the thing was overly full, having absorbed so much water at one time, but thankfully it wasn't leaking or on the verge of falling apart I couldn't imagine Sol would have wet a diaper THIS much if I was around to change him, so it was unusual to feel such a big damp bundle in one hand.

Sol, though, was enjoying it a bit more. Now that we were away from the group, and the circumstances that caused said-padding's deluge behind us, he was back to acting like he was when just with me. He settled against my chest, his jagged mouth curving into a smile as he enjoyed my hand pressing the soaked diaper against him. He murmured in a little delight with each finger flex and crinkle, and the occasional squishy pat. His tail draped past my arm, swinging idly most of the time, but jerking a bit with each movement of his wet padding.

I smiled a bit as I heard him mumble in pleasure. Yep, my little lizard liked the feeling of a wet diaper, whatever the reason for that was. And seemed he liked it even more when it was just water and not something that actually called for him to get changed. Maybe I'll have to take note of that for the future heh heh.

I paused in my regular route home, noting some disturbance ahead. Looks like a traffic jam or---oh great, not again...

I started going more off to the side as I watched the scene several feet away. There was backed-up traffic, but the cause wasn't simply a problem with the road lights. The crossroad was in the midst of being cornered off with police tape and barriers, which would have been worrisome if not for the obvious holes in the street and the embarrassed Pokemon around, and in, them.

While the police were in charge of securing the area and trying to get traffic settled, the middle of the scene was occupied by a few construction men, along with several padded, abashed Drillbur. Most of the mole Pokemon were being lightly chewed out by their supposed-superiors in the business, with one or two hiding in the nearby holes.

This wasn't a common occurrence, but this kind of thing tends to happen from time to time, especially nearing big events. Miscommunication was usually the cause, but, ironically, our city accepts the fact that, well, 'accidents happen' heh.

I would guess that most of the Drillbur in the city are on construction crews, and they do provide a great service for the city along with other builder Pokemon. But on occasion, they get their wires crossed and miss their intended work site by a few blocks. Strangely enough, it seems like they ALL missed the mark, so either it was a management issue, or somebody really made the wrong choice to play 'follow the leader'.

I grimaced at the scene. It didn't seem so bad this time, but the crossroad was still blocked off, meaning I couldn't go my usual way home. Oui. This day just keeps putting more things specifically in the path huh?

I looked down at Sol, who was still relaxing against my chest, clearly unconcerned with whatever had caused me to stop walking. Oh well, guess I should take a page from his book and just not worry about it. After running a few roads and streets in my head, I figured I could just cross to another block and continue on from there. The furthest alleyway was blocked by a van, so I chose the one nearby, trying to remember what was in there...

The sounds from the street faded as I passed through the narrow alley, making two or so turns before passing an open gate. It soon opened up into a small court with building walls to the front, left, and near the gate I just went through. Weird, I noticed, how there were no windows for these walls. Then again, not much to see. I came to the middle of the area, looking to the right, in the direction I would be going to get back on my path.

"Dang," I mumbled.

No fourth wall, but there was a chain-linked fence just as high blocking that way too. I also noticed a basketball hoop set up before it, with what looked be some kind of flattened ball near it. I suppose kids use to play back here. Guess they moved, or are watching the scene in the street, or just older and left the place behind. Kind of sad, but I didn't let it bother me too much.

"Of course there's a gate wall. Oh well, guess have to go back a little and try another one," I mumbled, rubbing the back of my content Salandit before turning to go back and try again.

"Huh?"

I stopped everything I was doing, looking to where I had come. At first I was worried, afraid even, when I saw me and Sol weren't alone. It's that creepy feeling in every crime or horror film we've seen when somebody just 'shows up' out of nowhere, causing us to jump. The unexpectedness of it was jarring.

Standing at the entrance to the alleyway, in front of the gate, was a padded Charmander. I stared at the unexpected Pokemon with slight surprise, but giving myself a small smile at the thought that the little guy had given me a cause for worry, incredibly brief as it was.

He (I guessed 'he') was a little smaller than the average Charmander I've spotted in the city, but he certainly didn't warrant fear. He was looking at me curiously, head curved to the side with a clawed paw partway to his mouth, tail flame flickering non-threateningly. Of course he was wearing a diaper too, though there was something weird about it that---

"Hey, little guy," I decided to say before my observation completed. It was just a little Charmander, no biggy. Maybe he was some kid's Charmander that got lost in the activity in the street. Perhaps one of the kids who played in this little basketball court.

In my hands, I felt Sol move his head sluggishly to the side, giving a lazy eye to the Charmander. He wrote the little fire reptile off almost immediately, returning to my chest. I rolled my eyes, but smiled at Sol's uncaring reaction. He was enjoying his time against me and his squishy padding. No normal, random Pokemon was going to ruin it heh.

"We kind of got a little lost, you from around here?" I decided to ask, crouching down, being a little friendly. For all I knew, for it's size, this MAY BE a baby Charmander. Just writing him off so fast seemed kind of mean. "Were you in the crowd back there?"

The Charmander's response was to curve it's head to the opposite side, still looking at me with that same curiosity. Then he twisted around a little to look back the way he'd come, diaper crinkling.

At the least, I kept my distance, several feet away, so as not to come off threateningly. Inwardly, I was a bit bothered that I had to deal with some else before getting home. Still, it was just a Charmander. If he was lost, I suppose I would do the right thing and at least take him to the police to be found. After all, he had to have a partner with that diaper and---

I realized what was weird about the Charmander's padding. Actually, it was several small weird things that seemed to pile to something more strange. It WAS a Poke-Poofs diaper, that much I could tell, but a few things were wrong about it.

One, it looked rather tight on the Charmander, as if the diaper was fit for something smaller. Two, when the Charmander turned, I saw the tail tab of it's diaper was loosened. That could be for a number of reasons, but I've seen enough diapers to see that the tail hole for the padding was not fit for a Charmander's tail base.

Three, most prominent, was that it wasn't a Fire-Type diaper, which types like Charmander would be wearing. Instead, the diaper's shell sported EVERY type as wetness indicators. Fire, yes, but also Grass, Water, Poison like Sol's, every single known symbol type was on there. On the taping strip on the front of the diaper were those weird black and purple eyeballs...the symbol for Psychic types. Honestly, I can't remember EVERY diaper I've seen (why would I?), but I swear I've never seen one like THIS before.

Concern was creeping in. There was something...strange about this Charmander. Sure, maybe his partner got him some new kind of padding or something. But still, the feeling that things were off here was too strong. Against my chest, Sol opened his eyes to narrow slits. It was as if he was picking up the increased pace of my heart-rate and was trying to determine the reason without moving from his position.

The Charmander seemed to be looking about for a few seconds, before looking back to me when it was satisfied. Then it smiled really wide and started coming toward me. It wasn't walking though, which I picked up a second later. No, the Charmander was floating over to me, a few feet above the ground an---

Wait.

A Charmander?

Floating?

Charmander don't float!

IS THAT A GHOST!?

"GHOST!?" I shouted, shooting upward and spreading my arms upward defensively. Unintended, but it happened anyway. I was regretful of course, but it was buried under the realization there was a GHOST CHARMANDER IN FRONT OF US!

Like said, I still was regretful as I...dropped Sol. Thankfully, muscle memory must have kicked in, or related to it, because I dropped him near my crouched position rather than from the standing one, so he fell a foot or two and in a more direct manner.

Naturally, he was surprised as my own body heat and slight pressure left him and he was suddenly falling through the air. Ironically, the extra cushioning of his super-soaked diaper broke his fall. It squished under his rump and tail, instantly acting like a weird kind of cold-shower and causing his body to jerk from his earlier contented state. I failed to notice the slight smile on his face at the beginning, when he felt his diaper squish against him. But it quickly left when he looked at me with annoyance.

"Sa---land!" he shouted at me, wondering why I let him fall onto his damp rump. But, his further berating was cut off as he noticed me taking a few steps back, hands shaking, and a look of horror on my face. He was confused at first, but then, like a cold dread, my Salandit was curious to what had caused my state.

He looked back.

If he hadn't already filled his diaper back at the Flaming Taurous, he may have wet himself now. For what it's worth, I heard no hissing, so that didn't happen. Still, his surprise at seeing a floating Charmander was quite apparent in his wide eyes and gaping mouth. He too, was aware this was NOT something a Charmander could do.

He acted quite accordingly to things of the unknown.

"SALAND!"

My lizard was up and waddling toward me with speed I would have admired if I wasn't still looking at the ghost in front of us. His sagging wet diaper bounced with each foot fall, hitting against the space between his rump and tail-base and a fraction from hitting the ground. He skidded around behind my leg, his diaper swinging like a ball chain as he took cover, his breath quite audible as he watched the thing approach.

The ghost-Charmander swerved left and right, almost hypnotically, but was approaching us very carefully. I soon realized it wasn't going to stop till it got to us.

"R-run!" I yelled down to Sol. I stayed where I was for two seconds longer, enough for Sol to get out from behind my leg as we both ran for the opposite wall. I was close to the corner, Sol closer to the center, both of our hands going up against the painted walls.

Crap! We're so stupid! It's a wall, there's no doors or windows! I thought to shout out to see if anybody might hear us, but my words were lost in my throat. I turned around, planting my back against the wall as I saw the ghost Charmander pause it's approach for a moment, curving it's head in uncertainty as to our actions. I looked to Sol, who was trying to claw at the wall, but he hardly made a dent in the sturdy construction.

We should have tried the chain fence, but doubt we could get over it! Maybe...maybe Sol could burn through it with Ember! Yeah, he knew that! But what would it be hot enough? We only really used it for cooking and an occasional marshmallow treat, but---

Sol turned, planting his back and arms against the wall, legs coming together as tight as possible, though that wasn't much given the thick wet diaper. He watched, along with myself as the ghost Charmander floated to a spot between us a few feet ahead. It looked at each of us, as if trying to discern why we were acting the way we were.

Then it focused it's attention on Sol, making my lizard flinch, diaper crinkling. The ghost Charmander smiled, then flipped onto it's back in the air, pulling it's clawed paws to it's mouth and...began to giggle?

Both me and Sol were scared out of our wits, but that weird giggle was kind of disarming, making us move more toward being confused. Strange, that giggle was more high pitched than, I figured, a Charmander was capable of doing. It started to laugh more gleefully and, strangely, it was just as entrancing. It wasn't threatening or creepy...it was like a genuine, child's laugh.

I looked over at Sol, and he looked to me at the same time. He rose a brow at me, mouth gaping as he was just as confused by this as I was. Then my face went pale, unlike his, which became more confused. When he noticed my eyes were slightly away from him, he looked forward again and flinched. The ghost Charmander...WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.

My lizard didn't have much time to react, as the Charmander did something so startling, our fear was, at least, temporarily subdued. It happened in a few seconds, but the results were so astounding, we were stunned beyond belief.

The fire reptile was suddenly turning bright white, and it's form seemed to shift and change. It seemed to shrink half it's size, then it's smooth flattened a little and seemed to grow two little points, maybe like ears. It's feet extended more, claws disappearing. Finally, the Charmander's tail flame disappeared (which was a little concerning, given how important that was), and it became much thinner, and drastically longer, stretching to end in a slightly thicker bulb.

It was outlined in white, but as afraid as we had been, and even as the dawning shock began to come...we knew that shape. Nearly everyone in Berryton knew that shape. Which meant what was going on was...Transform. It wasn't a ghost! It wasn't a Charmander. It was---

No.

It couldn't be.

Why would it...?

We both watched as the inevitable happened. Suddenly the whiteness was ripped from the creature like a torn cover, shattering into light bits and particles, as it's true form was revealed. It spread it's arms and long legs, tail swishing as it's now-properly fitting diaper crinkled.

"Meeewweeewww!"