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It's been a while, but chapter 3 is finally done. Wooooo!
Next:
Previous: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/53681411/
First: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/52593330/
Cover by
torakuta
Story written by me
arthas972
Alex/Sceptile belongs to
fruechtetee
Daniel/lucario belongs to me arthas972
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Legends of Alta
Chapter 3
“I’m telling you, this is a waste of time, Sceptile,” Daniel called out to his friend. “There’s nothing out here.”
“Don’t call me Sceptile when we’re alone,” Alex reprimanded him, looking back. “You know I hate that. Also, you didn’t have to come. I could’ve found my way myself. It wouldn’t hurt to look again, see if you missed anything.”
Daniel muttered something under his breath, but kept going.
A few days had passed since they rescued Pichu. They were getting used to life in Arboreta, used to the routine, but Alex wouldn’t let go. They couldn’t stay here forever. Worse, they were coming up dry on leads. The villagers didn’t know much beyond what Pikachu told Daniel. It was grinding his nerves.
After turning into pokemon, neither of them thought about picking up their stuff. Alex wanted to look around, but he also wanted to get their belongings: Their backpacks, phones, clothing. It might be damaged and unusable, but It was not doing any good lying in the middle of the woods either. At least they could clean up. Maybe something could be salvaged.
Alex pushed through another bush and stepped out into a familiar clearing. His tough, green scales brushed off the thorns better than any human skin would. He had to admit, there were perks to being a Sceptile.
“Are you sure this is the spot?”
“Yeah, this is where we transformed.” Daniel gestured at the clearing. “See? There’s nothing here.”
Alex ran a hand over the bark of a tree, feeling the claw marks he’d made there. He remembered leaving those marks on the tree during the transformation.
He sighed and stooped down near his ripped pants. He sorted through the pockets and frowned. His wallet and keys were missing. “Daniel, I thought you didn’t take anything?”
“I didn’t. I-“ The Lucario paused and looked around. “Wait, where’s our backpacks?”
Alex swore and shook out his jeans. He found nothing but the tattered remains of his socks and underwear. “My wallet and phone are missing. And my keys, too.”
“It rained the other day. Wouldn’t your phone be broken?”
Alex didn’t like Daniel’s attitude, how dismissive he was. He didn’t want to be here and thought it was a waste of time getting their human remains back. He’d much rather be in town, doing cool, fun Pokémon stuff.
“I have a waterproof case,” Alex snapped back. “Besides, we can’t just leave our stuff lying around. We have to find it.” He stood up and carefully folded the remains of his clothes. Maybe he could make something with them, like how he made a scarf with his t-shirt. “We should head back to town and ask around. Maybe someone picked it up.”
He turned to walk away when Daniel grabbed his arm. “Wait.” He grabbed Alex's pants and started sniffing at it.
“What are you doing?”
“Maybe I can track the scent.” Daniel lifted his head up and sniffed the air. “Hmmmm…”
“You’re not a dog, Daniel,” Alex said exasperatedly, shaking his head.
“Aren’t I? I look like one.” Daniel closed his eyes and turned his head, sweeping the clearing.
Alex was about to object again when Daniel’s dreadlocks suddenly quivered. They fluttered slightly, glowing a faint blue. He opened his eyes and nodded. “That way.” He pointed ahead and took off at a jog.
“What? But…” Alex cursed quietly and took off after him.
As they moved deeper into the woods, the trees grew taller, wider. Their branches were thick, like the ones Arboreta was built on.
Daniel ran up to a tree and quickly climbed the trunk.
“Where are you going now?” Alex called up to him.
“There’s a fruit tree here,” Daniel responded. “Why don’t we take a break for a while?”
Alex sighed and leaned his back against the tree. “Fine, but hurry up.”
A few minutes passed as Alex waited. “You feeling alright, Alex?” Daniel suddenly asked.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know, you’re just…” He trailed off and shook his head. “If you ever need to talk…”
“I’m fine, I said,” Alex cut him off, turning to face him. “Hurry up so we can go already.”
Daniel fell silent after that.
Alex wanted to go home, and these dead ends were grinding on his nerves. If they could find something, ANYTHING to point them in the right direction, it’d put his mind at ease.
With a rustle of leaves, a banana fell out of the tree, landing at Alex’s feet. He picked it up, looking at it curiously. The peel was bright red.
“I think Sceptiles like these,” Daniel explained. “I’m not sure what it’s called, though. They’re really sweet.”
Alex hesitated for a second, then quickly peeled it. His eyes widened in surprise as he bit into it. The flavor was amazing. Sweeter than he usually like, like a pile of sweet tarts, but part of him really liked it. He scarfed it down quickly. Another banana dropped down.
They were silent for a minute or 2, except for them eating. Suddenly, Daniel called out, “Ya know, you should learn to climb.”
“And break my neck for a light snack? I’ll pass.”
“Come on, it’s not that hard. Besides, you’re a Sceptile. Sceptiles, Treeckos and Grovyles live in trees. They’d laugh their asses off if they knew you can’t climb a tree.”
“But we’ve never met-“ Alex swore under his breath and turned to the tree. “Ya know what? Fuck it.”
He knew Daniel was teasing him, but he’d never hear the end of it if he didn’t try. He grabbed a knothole in the wood. He felt his claws sink into the bark as he pulled himself up to another handhold. It was easier than he expected. His claws gave him a lot of leverage.
Suddenly, as he grabbed a high branch, the branch underfoot snapped. He fell out of the tree and landed hard on his back.
A sharp laugh filled the air and his face burned. He clutched his head as he sat up.
“Dan-“ He looked up, annoyed, but Daniel wasn’t the one laughing. The Lucario was looking up at another tree and Alex followed his gaze.
“Oh, that was good!” a new voice called out mockingly. A bird Pokémon was watching him from one of the lower branches. “You made it 2 whole feet. I’m impressed!”
The bird was a Spearow. Alex recognized him from somewhere, but he couldn’t remember where. “Why don’t you try it?” Alex shouted back. “It’s not as easy as it looks!”
“I’ll pass.” The bird spread his wings. “Much easier to fly, thank you.”
Alex approached the tree, getting pissed off.
“Oh, touched a nerve? This should be good.” The bird looked down through the branches at him. “I bet 3 of my favorite berries you can’t reach me.”
Alex pulled himself up the trunk, faster this time.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Alex,” Daniel reprimanded.
Alex made it to the branch the bird was on and the bird hopped away. “That’s cheating!”
“Never said I’d stay still.” Spearow held out a wing tauntingly. “Come on, just a little further.”
Alex was about to retort, but he paused. Now that he got a good look at him, he DID know this Spearow. He was in a nearby tree when they woke up here, as Pokémon. “Hey, you’re that bird Pokémon I saw the other day!”
“And you’re the ugly green lizard who insulted me.”
“You know this guy, Sceptile?” Daniel asked.
“Yeah, we’ve met.”
“It’s water under the bridge.” Spearow edged away from him on the branch. “But you’re not getting those berries if you can’t catch me.”
Alex moved closer, keeping a firm grip on the branch they were on.
“Come on, I haven’t got all day,” Spearow squawked. He fluttered his wings and hoped around. “Come and get me!”
Alex ground his teeth, anger rising. Suddenly he paused again. Spearow was holding something, a piece of blue fabric, in his talon. It looked familiar. “Where’d you get that?”
“This?” Spearow held up the cloth. “Just something I found lying around. Thought it’d look good in my nest.”
“That’s mine!” He lunged at the bird, swiping with his claws. Spearow jumped back in surprise, squawking. “Give it back!” Alex recognized the fabric. It was a piece of his jeans.
“Come on, it’s just some cloth!”
The bird retreated further up the tree and Alex chased after him. Instinct took over, his movements became more fluid. He grabbed the trunk with his claws, pulling himself up quickly. He leapt onto the bough and grabbed at spearow again.
“Screw this, I’m out of here!” Spearow spread his wings and took off, flying away from the tree.
Seeing his foe escaping, Alex acted quickly. He ran to the end of the branch and leapt at the bird.
Spearow squawked in surprise and tried to dodge, but he was too late. Alex caught him mid-air and slammed into the adjacent tree.
“Come on, I was just joking!” Spearow panicked, struggling in Alex’s grip as the Sceptile dropped down to the ground. “I’ll get you the berries!”
“I don’t care about the berries!” Alex held him up to his face and bared his teeth. “Where’s the rest of our stuff?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Alex took the cloth and looked down at it. It was definitely from their clothes. The color, the stitching. Daniel sniffed at it and nodded. “It smells like you.”
“I didn’t know it belonged to anyone!” Spearow protested. “Let me go!”
“You’re not going anywhere. Where’s the rest?”
Spearow hesitated at this and looked away. “I...uh...that’s all I found.”
He was obviously lying. “You’re lying.” Alex wrapped his hands around the bird’s neck and squeezed. “WHERE’S OUR STUFF?”
Spearow squirmed futilely, suffocating, and Daniel grabbed Alex’s arm. “Sceptile, calm the fuck down!”
Alex spun on his friend angrily, then paused. He looked down at the bird in his hands, suffocating and twitching. He immediately dropped the Spearow.
Spearow cowered away from him. Alex looked down at his hands, surprised by himself. “I’m sorry. I…I don’t know what came over me.”
“You just tried to kill me, you psycho!”
“Please, Spearow, we need those things back. There were backpacks, coins, and some other things you wouldn’t recognize. They were in a clearing,” Daniel said. “Just give them to us and you can go.”
Spearow hesitated and shuffled his feet. “I...don’t have them anymore.”
“Where are they?”
“I gave them to Honchkrow.”
Daniel and Alex exchanged a look. It was a Pokémon name, but no one in town mentioned it.
“There were a lot of coins there, so I thought he’d like them. He collects shiny things.”
“Who’s Honchkrow?”
Spearow looked confused. “You don’t know who Honchkrow is?”
“No.”
“Honchkrow’s a big name around here. He’s an asshole, but he has a weakness for shinies.”
“Take us to him,” Alex ordered.
————————-
Alex’s behavior unsettled Daniel. Ever since that night mission, Alex had been more aggressive, lashing out at little things. He knew his friend was stressed out, but this was getting out of hand.
Since he became a Pokémon, Daniel could feel something, like a sixth sense. It was hard to describe, but it was like he could feel Alex’s emotions. It was stronger when he was mad or happy, and especially since that mission. The feelings had changed that night, but he couldn’t figure out why or what it meant. He didn’t know what was wrong with Alex. Pokémon or human, this behavior wasn’t normal.
Spearow pointed them toward Honchkrow’s house. He refused to go with them at first, so Alex stuffed him in a bag made from his torn jeans. A few minutes later, they were trekking through the woods again. Spearow complained loudly the entire way.
This Honchkrow - Daniel recognized the name, but not from this world. From what spearow said, he sounded like a local gang leader or an asshole settlement leader. There were only a few large towns around here, but a lot of Pokémon lived wild or in small outposts.
“We should be careful,” Daniel explained as they walked. He thought back to the games, thinking out a strategy in his mind. “Honchkrow’s the evolved form of Murkrow and a flying type, which we’re both weak to. It’d be a tough fight.”
“We should avoid a fight altogether then, but I’m getting our belongings one way or another,” Alex growled, shaking his head.
They talked strategy the entire way. They decided to case the place, figure out a plan before making a move. Daniel couldn’t help thinking of the games. Bounty hunting, chasing criminals, it was a big part of the gameplay. He almost hoped this would be like that.
After 10 minutes, they arrived at their destination. Daniel paused as they walked into the clearing. There was a large building around the base of a tree, made of wood. Most of the branches on the tree were broken off. The structure had large cracks in it.
As they approached the house, the guards on either side of the door watched them warily. There was a Murkrow and Tailow.
“What do you want?” Tailow demanded.
“We want to talk to Honchkrow,” Daniel answered. “We heard we could find a place to stay the night here.”
“Honchkrow’s not here right now, but as long as you make a donation, he shouldn’t mind.”
That annoyed Daniel, but he was expecting that. He pulled off his bracelet and held it up. “Is this good enough?”
Spearow started squawking unintelligibly and Alex shook the bag to shut him up. Murkrow eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing.
Tailow examined the bracelet curiously and nodded. “Yeah, that’ll do.” He gestured with a wing and pushed open the door. “Follow me.”
They walked into a large, warmly-lit room. It looked like a tavern with a bar and half a dozen tables scattered about. A large balcony hung over the bar and a curved staircase led up to it. Several Murkrow huddled near the bar, chattering about something. An Aron was sleeping in the corner and a Growlithe sat quietly at a table, watching them as they entered.
“Put your bracelet upstairs,” Tailow ordered, gesturing at the stairs. “Second door, can’t miss it. And don’t take anything. The boss will notice, trust me. After that, make yourselves at home. I’ll let the boss know you’re here when he gets back.”
Daniel nodded and headed toward the stairs. Alex sat down in a chair to wait. He dropped his bag on the floor, eliciting an angry squawk from their captive.
As Daniel stepped on the first step, a delighted cry drew his attention. One of the Murkrows at the bar stepped back the counter holding up something shiny. “I knew it! Check this out!”
Daniel’s breath caught. It was a small silver coin with a face on it. A quarter. There was a small chest in the middle of the group, up on the bartop. It was made of lacquered, dark brown wood with gold lining.
“Better put it back,” another bird squawked at the first. “Boss likes those new coins.”
The first Murkrow groaned. “But there’s so many!” He grudgingly put it back in the box.
Daniel approached the group. “Where’d you get that coin?” He pointed at the treasure chest.
The Murkrows squawked in alarm and one grabbed the chest, backing away from him.
“Paws off!” the first Murkrow barked angrily. “It’s mine!”
“It’s the Boss’, you idiot,” the second corrected. “and we’re only allowed to take one each.”
The first Murkrow grumbled angrily and snapped at the bird with the box, “Take it back upstairs.” Daniel watched as the bird lumbered up the staircase with his load. The box was obviously heavy.
“So, Honchkrow gives you treasure?” he asked casually, eyes locked on the chest.
“He pays us in shinies,” one of the birds answered. “And keep your paws off if you know what’s good for you.”
“Hurry up, Lucario!” Tailow suddenly called out, startling Daniel. “You can socialize after you pay tribute.”
Daniel nodded quickly and started up the stairs. He made his way to the second door on the right and placed his paw on the doorknob. Then paused, hesitating. He looked to the left, watching the Murkrow with the treasure chest round a corner into a hallway. “That box…” He definitely saw a quarter, and the birds said there were more like it. He looked over the banister and saw Alex talking to Growlithe and the group of Murkrows was arguing. No one was looking up at him. He turned to the hallway and quickly went after the bird with the chest, being careful not to run.
He looked around the corner, watching the Murkrow stop at a large door. There was no guard at the door. The bird put down the chest and opened it. Daniel hid in a side passage as he waited for the bird to leave the room. After a few minutes, he came back out without the treasure chest and went back to the balcony, without noticing Daniel. Daniel waited a minute or 2, then quickly ran into the room the bird left.
He quietly closed the door behind him and turned to the interior. He was in a large room with a nest of thick branches in the center. Had to be Honchkrow’s bedroom. Gold coins and other bits and bobs littered the nest. The chest was in a corner, near the door.
He stooped down in front of the box and opened the lid. He let out a sigh of relief. There was a lot of stuff crammed in, but he recognized quarters and nickels, car keys and Alex’s phone among the mess. He closed the lid and stood up with the box. “Now...how the hell do I get this out of here?”
He paused and realized the first flaw in his plan. He drummed his fingers against the sides of the box uncertainly. He didn’t have a bag with him, so he couldn’t just grab their stuff and waltz out. If it wasn’t for Spearow, maybe they could…
“HELP!” a familiar voice screamed, startling him. “Thieves! Bandits! They’re after Honchkrow’s treasure!”
“Oh, shit!” Daniel swore angrily. He bolted for the door and slammed it open. No time for subtlety now.
A Murkrow was knocked aside with a surprised squawk and the Lucario found himself face to face with another.
Daniel hesitated for a moment, caught red-handed. Then the bird screeched, “He’s up here! He’s-“. Daniel barreled into him, brutally hitting the bird in the face with the box. The bird was knocked back, but kept screaming at the top of his lungs.
Daniel ran for the balcony. 3 birds blocked the stairs, anticipating his moves. He leapt over the banister instead and hit the ground hard. He felt to the ground in a crouch, absorbed the impact flawlessly, and looked up.
Alex was fighting Spearow with claws and kicks. The bird easily dodged around his attacks.
“Bullet Seed!” Alex shouted. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Confused, he tried again, but to no avail.
“Ha! Can’t fight, can't climb-“ The bird was cut off with a squawk as Daniel tackled him, knocking him to the ground.
“Fuck you, dude!” Daniel turned to Alex. “We gotta go!”
Alex stared at him in confusion. “What the hell did you do?”
Daniel looked back at a flutter of feathers, seeing the mob of Murkrows closing in. “I’ll explain later. Let’s get out of here first.”
As they turned to the door, Daniel felt claws grab his tail, stopping him. “You’re not going anywhere! No one steals from Honchkrow!”
As he spun around, yanking the tail out of the bird’s grip, his left paw glowed blue. He struck Spearow in the face with the flat of his palm, putting all his strength behind it. The bird was launched back like a rocket, a small shockwave sent out by the impact. He hit the support beam under the balcony and a mighty crack rang out. He frantically ran away, just barely escaping as the balcony collapsed, bringing down a chunk of the landing.
Daniel stared in surprise for a moment, then looked down at his paw. The Murkrows yammered in fear, flapping their wings. Seeing his chance, he turned and ran out the door.
Several minutes later, they stopped running. Daniel dropped the box and bent over at the waist, panting heavily.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Alex demanded angrily. “That wasn’t the plan!”
“And neither was letting Spearow out!” Daniel retorted, looking up at his, friend. “I would’ve gotten away with it if you kept him quiet!”
“I DIDN’T let him out! The little shit ripped his way out of the bag!”
They glared at each other for a few seconds. Finally, Daniel looked away. “Look, it doesn’t matter. I got what we came for, anyway.” He opened the chest and pulled out Alex’s phone. He tossed it to the Sceptile. “Most of our belongings are in here, plus some other things.”
Alex’s expression changed. He rolled the phone around in his hands, examining it curiously. “How’d you know where it was?”
“I saw some of his henchmen going through this chest. I followed one of them and found where they kept it.” He closed the chest and picked it up. “It makes sense he’d keep it one place too. I guarantee he’s never seen coins like this before.”
Alex sighed and shook his head. “It’s a good thing, then, because there’s no way we’ll ever get back in there. We made some enemies today.”
————————-
A while later, Tailow and the others were trying to clean up the mess as best they could. They were in deep shit and they knew it. They’d never fix this before the boss got back.
The door suddenly slammed open and a deep voice demanded, “What the hell happened here?!”
Tailow quickly turned, panicked. “Boss, I can explain!”
A large Honchkrow walked in, feathers puffed and eyes blazing. An entourage of 6 Murkrows hopped in after him, eying the damage curiously.
“It better be a good explanation!”
“We got attacked! 2 assholes, a Sceptile and a Lucario, were after your treasure! They broke one of the support pillars!” a Murkrow guard called out.
“And they kidnapped and tortured me!” Spearow complained.
Honchkrow looked at Spearow in confusion. “Who are you, again?” Before Spearow could answer, Honchkrow suddenly looked horrified. “Wait, my treasure?” He spread his wings and jumped up the to remains of the balcony. Tailow and the others followed as he sprinted to his bedroom. “Where is it?!” he demanded, throwing things around. “Where’s my treasure chest?!”
“They took a box with them,” Tailow explained. “It looked like your treasure chest.”
“You idiot!” Honchkrow threw a large vase at the bird, barely missing.
“I know where they went!” Spearow suddenly declared.
Honchkrow paused, poised with a vase in his talon. He turned to Spearow. “Where?”
“They’re living in Arboreta. I bet they went back there.”
Honchkrow nodded and visibly calmed down. He carefully put the vase down. He pointed a talon at the nearest Murkrow. “You, find them!” He pointed at Tailow next. “Find me Skarmory!” Finally, he turned to Spearow. “And you, tell me everything you know about these 2.”
Next:
Previous: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/53681411/
First: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/52593330/
Cover by
torakutaStory written by me
arthas972Alex/Sceptile belongs to
fruechteteeDaniel/lucario belongs to me
arthas972Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Legends of Alta
Chapter 3
“I’m telling you, this is a waste of time, Sceptile,” Daniel called out to his friend. “There’s nothing out here.”
“Don’t call me Sceptile when we’re alone,” Alex reprimanded him, looking back. “You know I hate that. Also, you didn’t have to come. I could’ve found my way myself. It wouldn’t hurt to look again, see if you missed anything.”
Daniel muttered something under his breath, but kept going.
A few days had passed since they rescued Pichu. They were getting used to life in Arboreta, used to the routine, but Alex wouldn’t let go. They couldn’t stay here forever. Worse, they were coming up dry on leads. The villagers didn’t know much beyond what Pikachu told Daniel. It was grinding his nerves.
After turning into pokemon, neither of them thought about picking up their stuff. Alex wanted to look around, but he also wanted to get their belongings: Their backpacks, phones, clothing. It might be damaged and unusable, but It was not doing any good lying in the middle of the woods either. At least they could clean up. Maybe something could be salvaged.
Alex pushed through another bush and stepped out into a familiar clearing. His tough, green scales brushed off the thorns better than any human skin would. He had to admit, there were perks to being a Sceptile.
“Are you sure this is the spot?”
“Yeah, this is where we transformed.” Daniel gestured at the clearing. “See? There’s nothing here.”
Alex ran a hand over the bark of a tree, feeling the claw marks he’d made there. He remembered leaving those marks on the tree during the transformation.
He sighed and stooped down near his ripped pants. He sorted through the pockets and frowned. His wallet and keys were missing. “Daniel, I thought you didn’t take anything?”
“I didn’t. I-“ The Lucario paused and looked around. “Wait, where’s our backpacks?”
Alex swore and shook out his jeans. He found nothing but the tattered remains of his socks and underwear. “My wallet and phone are missing. And my keys, too.”
“It rained the other day. Wouldn’t your phone be broken?”
Alex didn’t like Daniel’s attitude, how dismissive he was. He didn’t want to be here and thought it was a waste of time getting their human remains back. He’d much rather be in town, doing cool, fun Pokémon stuff.
“I have a waterproof case,” Alex snapped back. “Besides, we can’t just leave our stuff lying around. We have to find it.” He stood up and carefully folded the remains of his clothes. Maybe he could make something with them, like how he made a scarf with his t-shirt. “We should head back to town and ask around. Maybe someone picked it up.”
He turned to walk away when Daniel grabbed his arm. “Wait.” He grabbed Alex's pants and started sniffing at it.
“What are you doing?”
“Maybe I can track the scent.” Daniel lifted his head up and sniffed the air. “Hmmmm…”
“You’re not a dog, Daniel,” Alex said exasperatedly, shaking his head.
“Aren’t I? I look like one.” Daniel closed his eyes and turned his head, sweeping the clearing.
Alex was about to object again when Daniel’s dreadlocks suddenly quivered. They fluttered slightly, glowing a faint blue. He opened his eyes and nodded. “That way.” He pointed ahead and took off at a jog.
“What? But…” Alex cursed quietly and took off after him.
As they moved deeper into the woods, the trees grew taller, wider. Their branches were thick, like the ones Arboreta was built on.
Daniel ran up to a tree and quickly climbed the trunk.
“Where are you going now?” Alex called up to him.
“There’s a fruit tree here,” Daniel responded. “Why don’t we take a break for a while?”
Alex sighed and leaned his back against the tree. “Fine, but hurry up.”
A few minutes passed as Alex waited. “You feeling alright, Alex?” Daniel suddenly asked.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know, you’re just…” He trailed off and shook his head. “If you ever need to talk…”
“I’m fine, I said,” Alex cut him off, turning to face him. “Hurry up so we can go already.”
Daniel fell silent after that.
Alex wanted to go home, and these dead ends were grinding on his nerves. If they could find something, ANYTHING to point them in the right direction, it’d put his mind at ease.
With a rustle of leaves, a banana fell out of the tree, landing at Alex’s feet. He picked it up, looking at it curiously. The peel was bright red.
“I think Sceptiles like these,” Daniel explained. “I’m not sure what it’s called, though. They’re really sweet.”
Alex hesitated for a second, then quickly peeled it. His eyes widened in surprise as he bit into it. The flavor was amazing. Sweeter than he usually like, like a pile of sweet tarts, but part of him really liked it. He scarfed it down quickly. Another banana dropped down.
They were silent for a minute or 2, except for them eating. Suddenly, Daniel called out, “Ya know, you should learn to climb.”
“And break my neck for a light snack? I’ll pass.”
“Come on, it’s not that hard. Besides, you’re a Sceptile. Sceptiles, Treeckos and Grovyles live in trees. They’d laugh their asses off if they knew you can’t climb a tree.”
“But we’ve never met-“ Alex swore under his breath and turned to the tree. “Ya know what? Fuck it.”
He knew Daniel was teasing him, but he’d never hear the end of it if he didn’t try. He grabbed a knothole in the wood. He felt his claws sink into the bark as he pulled himself up to another handhold. It was easier than he expected. His claws gave him a lot of leverage.
Suddenly, as he grabbed a high branch, the branch underfoot snapped. He fell out of the tree and landed hard on his back.
A sharp laugh filled the air and his face burned. He clutched his head as he sat up.
“Dan-“ He looked up, annoyed, but Daniel wasn’t the one laughing. The Lucario was looking up at another tree and Alex followed his gaze.
“Oh, that was good!” a new voice called out mockingly. A bird Pokémon was watching him from one of the lower branches. “You made it 2 whole feet. I’m impressed!”
The bird was a Spearow. Alex recognized him from somewhere, but he couldn’t remember where. “Why don’t you try it?” Alex shouted back. “It’s not as easy as it looks!”
“I’ll pass.” The bird spread his wings. “Much easier to fly, thank you.”
Alex approached the tree, getting pissed off.
“Oh, touched a nerve? This should be good.” The bird looked down through the branches at him. “I bet 3 of my favorite berries you can’t reach me.”
Alex pulled himself up the trunk, faster this time.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Alex,” Daniel reprimanded.
Alex made it to the branch the bird was on and the bird hopped away. “That’s cheating!”
“Never said I’d stay still.” Spearow held out a wing tauntingly. “Come on, just a little further.”
Alex was about to retort, but he paused. Now that he got a good look at him, he DID know this Spearow. He was in a nearby tree when they woke up here, as Pokémon. “Hey, you’re that bird Pokémon I saw the other day!”
“And you’re the ugly green lizard who insulted me.”
“You know this guy, Sceptile?” Daniel asked.
“Yeah, we’ve met.”
“It’s water under the bridge.” Spearow edged away from him on the branch. “But you’re not getting those berries if you can’t catch me.”
Alex moved closer, keeping a firm grip on the branch they were on.
“Come on, I haven’t got all day,” Spearow squawked. He fluttered his wings and hoped around. “Come and get me!”
Alex ground his teeth, anger rising. Suddenly he paused again. Spearow was holding something, a piece of blue fabric, in his talon. It looked familiar. “Where’d you get that?”
“This?” Spearow held up the cloth. “Just something I found lying around. Thought it’d look good in my nest.”
“That’s mine!” He lunged at the bird, swiping with his claws. Spearow jumped back in surprise, squawking. “Give it back!” Alex recognized the fabric. It was a piece of his jeans.
“Come on, it’s just some cloth!”
The bird retreated further up the tree and Alex chased after him. Instinct took over, his movements became more fluid. He grabbed the trunk with his claws, pulling himself up quickly. He leapt onto the bough and grabbed at spearow again.
“Screw this, I’m out of here!” Spearow spread his wings and took off, flying away from the tree.
Seeing his foe escaping, Alex acted quickly. He ran to the end of the branch and leapt at the bird.
Spearow squawked in surprise and tried to dodge, but he was too late. Alex caught him mid-air and slammed into the adjacent tree.
“Come on, I was just joking!” Spearow panicked, struggling in Alex’s grip as the Sceptile dropped down to the ground. “I’ll get you the berries!”
“I don’t care about the berries!” Alex held him up to his face and bared his teeth. “Where’s the rest of our stuff?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Alex took the cloth and looked down at it. It was definitely from their clothes. The color, the stitching. Daniel sniffed at it and nodded. “It smells like you.”
“I didn’t know it belonged to anyone!” Spearow protested. “Let me go!”
“You’re not going anywhere. Where’s the rest?”
Spearow hesitated at this and looked away. “I...uh...that’s all I found.”
He was obviously lying. “You’re lying.” Alex wrapped his hands around the bird’s neck and squeezed. “WHERE’S OUR STUFF?”
Spearow squirmed futilely, suffocating, and Daniel grabbed Alex’s arm. “Sceptile, calm the fuck down!”
Alex spun on his friend angrily, then paused. He looked down at the bird in his hands, suffocating and twitching. He immediately dropped the Spearow.
Spearow cowered away from him. Alex looked down at his hands, surprised by himself. “I’m sorry. I…I don’t know what came over me.”
“You just tried to kill me, you psycho!”
“Please, Spearow, we need those things back. There were backpacks, coins, and some other things you wouldn’t recognize. They were in a clearing,” Daniel said. “Just give them to us and you can go.”
Spearow hesitated and shuffled his feet. “I...don’t have them anymore.”
“Where are they?”
“I gave them to Honchkrow.”
Daniel and Alex exchanged a look. It was a Pokémon name, but no one in town mentioned it.
“There were a lot of coins there, so I thought he’d like them. He collects shiny things.”
“Who’s Honchkrow?”
Spearow looked confused. “You don’t know who Honchkrow is?”
“No.”
“Honchkrow’s a big name around here. He’s an asshole, but he has a weakness for shinies.”
“Take us to him,” Alex ordered.
————————-
Alex’s behavior unsettled Daniel. Ever since that night mission, Alex had been more aggressive, lashing out at little things. He knew his friend was stressed out, but this was getting out of hand.
Since he became a Pokémon, Daniel could feel something, like a sixth sense. It was hard to describe, but it was like he could feel Alex’s emotions. It was stronger when he was mad or happy, and especially since that mission. The feelings had changed that night, but he couldn’t figure out why or what it meant. He didn’t know what was wrong with Alex. Pokémon or human, this behavior wasn’t normal.
Spearow pointed them toward Honchkrow’s house. He refused to go with them at first, so Alex stuffed him in a bag made from his torn jeans. A few minutes later, they were trekking through the woods again. Spearow complained loudly the entire way.
This Honchkrow - Daniel recognized the name, but not from this world. From what spearow said, he sounded like a local gang leader or an asshole settlement leader. There were only a few large towns around here, but a lot of Pokémon lived wild or in small outposts.
“We should be careful,” Daniel explained as they walked. He thought back to the games, thinking out a strategy in his mind. “Honchkrow’s the evolved form of Murkrow and a flying type, which we’re both weak to. It’d be a tough fight.”
“We should avoid a fight altogether then, but I’m getting our belongings one way or another,” Alex growled, shaking his head.
They talked strategy the entire way. They decided to case the place, figure out a plan before making a move. Daniel couldn’t help thinking of the games. Bounty hunting, chasing criminals, it was a big part of the gameplay. He almost hoped this would be like that.
After 10 minutes, they arrived at their destination. Daniel paused as they walked into the clearing. There was a large building around the base of a tree, made of wood. Most of the branches on the tree were broken off. The structure had large cracks in it.
As they approached the house, the guards on either side of the door watched them warily. There was a Murkrow and Tailow.
“What do you want?” Tailow demanded.
“We want to talk to Honchkrow,” Daniel answered. “We heard we could find a place to stay the night here.”
“Honchkrow’s not here right now, but as long as you make a donation, he shouldn’t mind.”
That annoyed Daniel, but he was expecting that. He pulled off his bracelet and held it up. “Is this good enough?”
Spearow started squawking unintelligibly and Alex shook the bag to shut him up. Murkrow eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing.
Tailow examined the bracelet curiously and nodded. “Yeah, that’ll do.” He gestured with a wing and pushed open the door. “Follow me.”
They walked into a large, warmly-lit room. It looked like a tavern with a bar and half a dozen tables scattered about. A large balcony hung over the bar and a curved staircase led up to it. Several Murkrow huddled near the bar, chattering about something. An Aron was sleeping in the corner and a Growlithe sat quietly at a table, watching them as they entered.
“Put your bracelet upstairs,” Tailow ordered, gesturing at the stairs. “Second door, can’t miss it. And don’t take anything. The boss will notice, trust me. After that, make yourselves at home. I’ll let the boss know you’re here when he gets back.”
Daniel nodded and headed toward the stairs. Alex sat down in a chair to wait. He dropped his bag on the floor, eliciting an angry squawk from their captive.
As Daniel stepped on the first step, a delighted cry drew his attention. One of the Murkrows at the bar stepped back the counter holding up something shiny. “I knew it! Check this out!”
Daniel’s breath caught. It was a small silver coin with a face on it. A quarter. There was a small chest in the middle of the group, up on the bartop. It was made of lacquered, dark brown wood with gold lining.
“Better put it back,” another bird squawked at the first. “Boss likes those new coins.”
The first Murkrow groaned. “But there’s so many!” He grudgingly put it back in the box.
Daniel approached the group. “Where’d you get that coin?” He pointed at the treasure chest.
The Murkrows squawked in alarm and one grabbed the chest, backing away from him.
“Paws off!” the first Murkrow barked angrily. “It’s mine!”
“It’s the Boss’, you idiot,” the second corrected. “and we’re only allowed to take one each.”
The first Murkrow grumbled angrily and snapped at the bird with the box, “Take it back upstairs.” Daniel watched as the bird lumbered up the staircase with his load. The box was obviously heavy.
“So, Honchkrow gives you treasure?” he asked casually, eyes locked on the chest.
“He pays us in shinies,” one of the birds answered. “And keep your paws off if you know what’s good for you.”
“Hurry up, Lucario!” Tailow suddenly called out, startling Daniel. “You can socialize after you pay tribute.”
Daniel nodded quickly and started up the stairs. He made his way to the second door on the right and placed his paw on the doorknob. Then paused, hesitating. He looked to the left, watching the Murkrow with the treasure chest round a corner into a hallway. “That box…” He definitely saw a quarter, and the birds said there were more like it. He looked over the banister and saw Alex talking to Growlithe and the group of Murkrows was arguing. No one was looking up at him. He turned to the hallway and quickly went after the bird with the chest, being careful not to run.
He looked around the corner, watching the Murkrow stop at a large door. There was no guard at the door. The bird put down the chest and opened it. Daniel hid in a side passage as he waited for the bird to leave the room. After a few minutes, he came back out without the treasure chest and went back to the balcony, without noticing Daniel. Daniel waited a minute or 2, then quickly ran into the room the bird left.
He quietly closed the door behind him and turned to the interior. He was in a large room with a nest of thick branches in the center. Had to be Honchkrow’s bedroom. Gold coins and other bits and bobs littered the nest. The chest was in a corner, near the door.
He stooped down in front of the box and opened the lid. He let out a sigh of relief. There was a lot of stuff crammed in, but he recognized quarters and nickels, car keys and Alex’s phone among the mess. He closed the lid and stood up with the box. “Now...how the hell do I get this out of here?”
He paused and realized the first flaw in his plan. He drummed his fingers against the sides of the box uncertainly. He didn’t have a bag with him, so he couldn’t just grab their stuff and waltz out. If it wasn’t for Spearow, maybe they could…
“HELP!” a familiar voice screamed, startling him. “Thieves! Bandits! They’re after Honchkrow’s treasure!”
“Oh, shit!” Daniel swore angrily. He bolted for the door and slammed it open. No time for subtlety now.
A Murkrow was knocked aside with a surprised squawk and the Lucario found himself face to face with another.
Daniel hesitated for a moment, caught red-handed. Then the bird screeched, “He’s up here! He’s-“. Daniel barreled into him, brutally hitting the bird in the face with the box. The bird was knocked back, but kept screaming at the top of his lungs.
Daniel ran for the balcony. 3 birds blocked the stairs, anticipating his moves. He leapt over the banister instead and hit the ground hard. He felt to the ground in a crouch, absorbed the impact flawlessly, and looked up.
Alex was fighting Spearow with claws and kicks. The bird easily dodged around his attacks.
“Bullet Seed!” Alex shouted. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Confused, he tried again, but to no avail.
“Ha! Can’t fight, can't climb-“ The bird was cut off with a squawk as Daniel tackled him, knocking him to the ground.
“Fuck you, dude!” Daniel turned to Alex. “We gotta go!”
Alex stared at him in confusion. “What the hell did you do?”
Daniel looked back at a flutter of feathers, seeing the mob of Murkrows closing in. “I’ll explain later. Let’s get out of here first.”
As they turned to the door, Daniel felt claws grab his tail, stopping him. “You’re not going anywhere! No one steals from Honchkrow!”
As he spun around, yanking the tail out of the bird’s grip, his left paw glowed blue. He struck Spearow in the face with the flat of his palm, putting all his strength behind it. The bird was launched back like a rocket, a small shockwave sent out by the impact. He hit the support beam under the balcony and a mighty crack rang out. He frantically ran away, just barely escaping as the balcony collapsed, bringing down a chunk of the landing.
Daniel stared in surprise for a moment, then looked down at his paw. The Murkrows yammered in fear, flapping their wings. Seeing his chance, he turned and ran out the door.
Several minutes later, they stopped running. Daniel dropped the box and bent over at the waist, panting heavily.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Alex demanded angrily. “That wasn’t the plan!”
“And neither was letting Spearow out!” Daniel retorted, looking up at his, friend. “I would’ve gotten away with it if you kept him quiet!”
“I DIDN’T let him out! The little shit ripped his way out of the bag!”
They glared at each other for a few seconds. Finally, Daniel looked away. “Look, it doesn’t matter. I got what we came for, anyway.” He opened the chest and pulled out Alex’s phone. He tossed it to the Sceptile. “Most of our belongings are in here, plus some other things.”
Alex’s expression changed. He rolled the phone around in his hands, examining it curiously. “How’d you know where it was?”
“I saw some of his henchmen going through this chest. I followed one of them and found where they kept it.” He closed the chest and picked it up. “It makes sense he’d keep it one place too. I guarantee he’s never seen coins like this before.”
Alex sighed and shook his head. “It’s a good thing, then, because there’s no way we’ll ever get back in there. We made some enemies today.”
————————-
A while later, Tailow and the others were trying to clean up the mess as best they could. They were in deep shit and they knew it. They’d never fix this before the boss got back.
The door suddenly slammed open and a deep voice demanded, “What the hell happened here?!”
Tailow quickly turned, panicked. “Boss, I can explain!”
A large Honchkrow walked in, feathers puffed and eyes blazing. An entourage of 6 Murkrows hopped in after him, eying the damage curiously.
“It better be a good explanation!”
“We got attacked! 2 assholes, a Sceptile and a Lucario, were after your treasure! They broke one of the support pillars!” a Murkrow guard called out.
“And they kidnapped and tortured me!” Spearow complained.
Honchkrow looked at Spearow in confusion. “Who are you, again?” Before Spearow could answer, Honchkrow suddenly looked horrified. “Wait, my treasure?” He spread his wings and jumped up the to remains of the balcony. Tailow and the others followed as he sprinted to his bedroom. “Where is it?!” he demanded, throwing things around. “Where’s my treasure chest?!”
“They took a box with them,” Tailow explained. “It looked like your treasure chest.”
“You idiot!” Honchkrow threw a large vase at the bird, barely missing.
“I know where they went!” Spearow suddenly declared.
Honchkrow paused, poised with a vase in his talon. He turned to Spearow. “Where?”
“They’re living in Arboreta. I bet they went back there.”
Honchkrow nodded and visibly calmed down. He carefully put the vase down. He pointed a talon at the nearest Murkrow. “You, find them!” He pointed at Tailow next. “Find me Skarmory!” Finally, he turned to Spearow. “And you, tell me everything you know about these 2.”
Category Story / Transformation
Species Pokemon
Size 85 x 120px
File Size 104.6 kB
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