Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It finally has happened. It's something that comes to everyone that lives. Melli knew this. But just because Melli knew something didn’t mean that he had to like it. After all, just because Ingo was stronger than him didn’t mean that he liked it. Just because Galaxy Team was part of these lands now didn't mean that he had to like it. Knowing things and liking them are two very different thoughts.

Melli had been attacked by a Pokémon. He wasn’t mad about it. That would be pointless to do so. It was Melli after all, that was where he wasn’t supposed to be. It was him that ran into the Crobat and startled it. Normally the deep resonance of its cries would be enough to guide Melli away from it but this time it had been quiet. Sleeping most likely. He was the one that made what should have been a short trip to the Mirelands into a long one and he was the one that left his sick little Skuntank to be guarded by the other two Pokémon. Not that they would have done any good against the alpha.

Melli let in a shaky breath. It hurt. He was surprised the Pokémon didn’t stay and finish the job. Guess it wasn’t hungry. Another wet cough made Melli wish that it would come back and finish what it started.

It was so cold in the caves at this time of night. The pain that had griped Melli was steadily replaced with the bitter cold. He hopes that his Pokémon will do okay…And Adaman. Melli knows that they weren’t as close as they used to be, but he still wishes him well. His heart hurts at the thought. It was the only thing left that he could feel.

His thoughts wandered to the rest of his clan and what warmth that he had felt at thinking about Adaman fled from him. The rest of the Diamond Clan would probably be happy. Melli was never good enough for them. He had tried so hard to feel like he was worth something to them but even as a warden they would withhold any praise. They used to pity him, then they forgot about him and then they hated him. And now he was dying, and he still wouldn’t be great in their eyes.

There was a saying that a man should think of home in death, Melli knows that the point is that the thought of home would bring the dying man comfort…

It only made Melli feel bitter.

Chapter 1

Who You Are

Melli opens his eyes in the darkness of the cave. His ears catch the gentle melody of water flowing and the haunting cries of Pokémon near and far. The warden runs his hands along the cold earthen floor. He was confused. Why? Where?

His mind was slow and sluggish in giving him any answers but where he was now was safe. How was he so sure? No telling but he didn’t need to rush to any answers right now.

A deep breath in brings with it a scent of something coppery. It made him a bit hungry. Meat? His stomach agreed but some part of his mind seemed to jump in alarm. Melli takes a deeper breath to try and pin down the smell.

Blood.

Frowning Melli was a little more awake now. He forces himself onto his forearms and blinked thru the darkness. Not that he should expect to see anything. The torches had gone out and for once Melli didn’t have anything to do with it. Ingo just hadn’t been around to light them in the first place. Despite the apparent darkness Melli’s eyes started to come into focus.

Hm yes…That was blood. Had he thought he was safe earlier? He definitely didn’t anymore. Disoriented Melli wobbles to his feet. He had to get out of here.

Melli manages to take a step before tripping over something and crashing back to the ground. His nose smacks into the fall and Melli yowls in pain.

“Fuck!”

Getting back up Melli glared down at the object that dared trip the Great Melli. His blood went cold as ice at the sight of his own mangled body. The navy blue of his clothes couldn’t even disguise the stains of blood and gashes.

Melli couldn’t even manage a scream. He could only gap at what he knew was his own dead body laying cold and still on the ground. But how could that be so when Melli is also standing right here to look at said dead body?

With shaking hands, the warden reaches down to his body but before he could touch the torn fabric of his clothes he notices his hands. Or what should be his hands. A tremor shook his body as he lefts his other hand in front of himself or claws more like.

His breaths started to come out in harsh bursts that fogged up his own vision. His heart pumped ice thru his veins. He was alive surely? His chest wouldn’t hurt so much if that wasn’t the case. But just as surely, he was dead. His body left broken right in front of him.

Ignoring his claws for now Melli rolls his corpse onto his back. Dialga above there was so much blood. Bile tried to rile in his mouth at the sight. He could remember the pain of the first strike when the Alpha Crobat recovered from being run into and slashed him with its attack. It had hit him square in the chest. The flash of red from his chest matched the red of the Alpha’s eyes and Melli knew that he wasn’t going to make it, but he had ran anyway. What else was he to do?

Die. That answer was very obvious to him now.

Melli stared as his mind tried to come up with something useful to do. He…Should probably leave…

Melli frowned at his own thoughts, and do what? Go where? Home? At that moment he remembered why he was down here in the first place. His Skuntank was sick, and he came down to get some medicine! His Pokémon were still expecting him, and the warden didn’t know how long he had been…lying here.

Refocused on his goal Melli looks back down at his old body. He ignored the bloody mess and looked for the bag of medicine that he needed to hopefully cure his closest companion’s ailment. Somehow, even while being murdered he had managed to keep the medicine in his grip. Melli cringed as he had to pry the bag out of his corpse’s cold and stiff hands. Now Melli was understanding why they called it a death grip.

He had what he needed now. He didn’t have any reason to stay in the cave that killed him but the thought of leaving his body there kept his feet planted in the spot. He didn’t want to leave his corpse to either traumatize some poor traveler or worst, be eaten by some other Pokémon.

Melli tried not to look too closely at his corpse as he starts to pick it up. It was stiff as a rock and cold as ice. There was no warmth to be found anywhere here. He only had a minute moment of wonder at how light his old body felt in his arms. It might be because of all the blood that he lost.

Melli left the cave without encountering another Pokémon. He knew that they were there, he could hear them quite clearly, but it seemed they were going out of their way to avoid him. He shouldn’t be surprised really. He was already dead. There was nothing else the world could take from him now.

The bitter feeling flooded his chest again like the bile that threatened him earlier. Even in death, Melli wasn’t good enough to be noticed. How long has he been out here to grow cold and for no one and nothing to find him?

Melli’s grip tensed before he forced himself to relax when he realized that his claws were digging into his corpse. It was already in such bad shape. There was no vanity left to save but his body was still in one piece, and he would like to keep it that way.

The moon hung heavy in the sky. The fullness made even the night seem bright to his eyes. The dead man tried to remember what moon phase it was when he came down the mountain. The moon looked full to him. Either he had lost a whole month, or it had only been a day. There was no way that his body would still be this fresh if it has been that long. It was a strange relief. If he moved fast, he could at least cure his Pokémon. That might be why he still lingered here.

The journey didn’t take long, and fatigue didn’t cling to his limps like it usually would when he would walk this far. Let alone with a whole dead weight that he was carrying. It was beautiful out. Melli could almost trick himself into thinking that he was out for a stroll to enjoy the night.

In a trance, he walked up the Highlands. Oh, what is his poor Lord to do without his warden? Could he still maybe keep his responsibilities even like this? He could touch physical things so there might still be some things he could still do for his Lord.

He wondered how long he might be able to do that before anyone came up here and realized that Melli was missing. A growl rumbled out of his chest as he knew that answer would be longer than it should be. No one came up to visit him unless they wanted something, and people would avoid him if they could help it. Since Ingo became warden here even his own clan members would defer to the outsider before him.

It only made it worst that the man he despised would probably be the only one that would notice his absence.

Melli set his corpse on the ground. His bad mood made him less gentle than he would have liked but truly what did it matter? He couldn’t feel it anyway.

Melli didn’t quite reach Moonview when he stopped. The thought of burying his body where others are expected to work didn’t feel right. Here would have to be good enough. Out of the way so others might not find what was left. Having claws made digging child’s play. He had a deep enough hole before the sun could start cutting the darkness of the night. The dead man places his corpse into the dirt only pausing long enough to remove his jewelry. The necklace was a gift from Adaman, Melli wasn’t ready to leave it and the bracelet would be given to whichever new warden that would take Melli’s place. It belonged to Lord Electrode and was one of the few bracelets that hasn’t been lost yet. It was still the original.

Melli suddenly overcame with a wave of grief covered his face with his dirty claws. The dead were supposed to be free from pain, but Melli couldn’t even have that. He couldn’t even enjoy oblivion; he had to stay here and lie witness to the pain that his death will cause the people he loved. The agony of knowing how little others will care. He was being punished. For what? Melli couldn’t begin to know. It seemed like he was being punished his whole life and now his death it seemed too.

His anguish made him scream. He howled to the moon that wasn’t there anymore. He prayed to the god that never gave him any mind. He cried for his mother that had passed so long ago that he couldn’t even remember her face. He wailed until his insides felt numb again. Then he buried his old self.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Reflection

The sun had fully come up when Melli finally made it back to his tent. He could only hope that his Skuntank was still alive enough to forgive him for taking so long. His trip should have only been a day but now it was two. Regardless of if he truly thought that it would work, he still prayed for his companion’s health.

He parted the cloth opening and walked in. The smell of sick was bitter in his nose but sick was better than the smell of death. Melli knew very much what that smelled like now.

All three of his Pokemon were right where he had left them. They didn’t jump to greet him like usual. Melli didn’t expect them to. He hadn’t stopped to look but he wasn’t under the illusion that he looked the same in any regard. The way his Pokémon acted upon seeing him was just more proof.

His Zubat screamed and tried to flee and his Skorupi hissed and faced her pincers at him. While he had expected this, he hadn’t taken the time to figure out what he was going to do about it. So, he did the first thing that came to his mind. He spoke.

The noise that came out his mouth wasn’t words, however. It seems to at least give his Pokémon pause. He could work with that. Making himself small Melli wandered farther into his tent. The small scorpion Pokémon seemed to be caught between backing away from him and wanting to protect the sickly Skuntank. Honestly, it was nice to see. Skorupi isn’t the most outwardly friendly Pokémon but knowing that under pressure that she wouldn’t abandon her friends was sweet.

As he got a little closer the small Pokémon gave him a mock charge, snapping her jaws and threatening a bite but not quite confident enough to commit to one. It was extremely cute to Melli, even if no one else would agree. Zubat on the other hand was trying her best to be invisible near the top of his tent.

Melli, very gently, moved the aggroed Pokémon aside and gave his Skuntank a few pets. He felt like an open fire against his dead cold hands, making him flinch. Poor thing. Hopefully, this medicine would do the trick and Melli hadn’t died for nothing.

Stunned by being pushed aside the Skorupi could only watch as the strange giant creature, that kind of looked like the guy that would feed her, mixes up some bitter herbs with the dexterity and knowledge that she had only seen in humans.

Ugh, if only Skuntank was awake. The older Pokémon would usually have an answer for all of this. He knew a lot of things! At least he never told her anything that was ever untrue before.

Pokémon didn’t usually help other Pokémon outside of their line, but Skuntank said that wasn’t always the case. Just like how humans didn’t always hurt Pokémon. Was this such a Pokémon? Hmm, the example that Skuntank had given said the helpful Pokémon was round and pink. This Pokémon, if it was a Pokémon, was not even close to either one of those descriptions.

However, it moved like it has been in this den before. This might be another Pokémon ally of Melli’s! Yes, yes that must be why it was helping. Oh, but still, where was Melli? She was getting hungry.

Melli cared for his longest partner while he let the other two settle down. Ignoring them seemed to do the trick as they no longer hissed at him when he moved about. Young Pokémon were more trusting. He feels that it would be harder to convince Skuntank when he felt better, but there was nothing for it now. His partner would have to be in good health first. That can be a problem for later Melli.

A problem for Melli right now was taking care of his chores for the day. The sun is fully in the sky right now and Lord Electrode would be expecting a visit from his warden right now. Being a lord to the Diamond Clan for generations, Lord Electrode expected punctuality. He had been shocked enough times to know that and the Lord wasn’t scared to track his warden down if he felt that his warden was slacking.

How would he explain himself to his lord? Could he drop the bracelet off and hope that the Lord would understand? No, that would likely set the noble off and it would be a cowardly thing to do. His Lord might misunderstand and think that the Diamond Clan has abandoned him, which would surely throw the giant Pokémon into a rage. Noble Pokémon were feared and revered for a reason. It wasn’t unknown that a Noble would attack its own clan if it felt it has been dealt an insult. It's best that he goes and gets his licks now and hope that somehow, he would get his lord to understand him.

Melli stalls a moment longer grooming the knots out of his Skuntank’s fur before forcing himself to get up. Maybe if he put his jewelry back on, he would resemble his old self enough that the Lord might at least hear him out.

He picks the pieces up from where he left them to see the splatters of red that dirtied the priceless objects. He quickly moves them out of view of his Pokémon lest they connect some dots he didn’t want to be connected. With haste, he leaves the safety of his tent. He needed to wash everything! Melli looked down at his arms to see that his fur- fur? – was matted with blood. He looked an absolute sight! And his Skorupi hadn’t even noticed! Zubat didn’t have eyes, so she gets a pass. Ah, Melli would have to just be grateful even if he had to face the fact that one of his Pokémon might be a little dim. There were worse things for her to be considering.  

Like being the farthest spot from any kind of water while being completely filthy. Hmm, this body was stronger than the old one, might it also be faster? Melli looked down at his legs. Strong looking with three sturdy claws on his feet. Reminded him of his own Skuntank’s paws. Which gives the question of what manner of creature was he? Nothing that he has seen before he doesn’t think.

Melli runs his claws along his chest only to snug against his thick blood-matted mane. He stopped, realizing that he wasn’t about to figure out what he was while covered in blood and only about to see his own limbs. All this will be solved with some water.

So Skuntank-like paws. That Pokémon only walks about on four legs, so top-heavy at evolving he wouldn’t even entertain standing on its back legs anymore. In fact, his Skuntank had an easier time doing handstands. Melli doesn’t feel like he quite had that problem. While it didn’t feel that comfortable standing up straight like he had been doing, it didn’t feel wholly unnatural. However, when he relaxed, he would slouch so hard that if he was at the settlement he would have been scolded for mocking the elderly.

Begrudgingly Melli reapplies his accessories to free up his hands…paws…claws? Melli was going to keep calling them hands. With his hands-free Melli lets them settle on the ground. This felt…odd but right. Melli let his claws sink into the dirt before a bizarre sensation danced up his spine. He started running without a thought about where he should be going. It felt like flying he was going so fast. Melli had never moved so fast under his own power before! He didn’t give it a second thought before sprinting down the rocky decline from a height that would normally break something. When he met the ground, he landed light as a feather, so he took the other one without hesitation. He only realized his mistake when a reflection of the sun stung his eyes from under him instead of over him.

Whatever he was, was no flying type, he thought as hit the Fabled Spring with an explosive splash. Melli quickly swam to the surface as he remembered the Gyarados that lived in the waters here. He didn’t feel so featherlight anymore! All his fur and his thick mane of hair felt more like anchors in the water, making him fight for every inch.

Melli knew that his time was numbered as an all too familiar roar of a Gyarados sounded behind him. If he could just get out of the water, he should be able to get away. Stupid! Melli had completely lost his mind running about the Coronet Highlands like that! Melli couldn’t be murdered twice, right?? If he doesn’t hurry up and out of the water, he might just find out.

Melli struggled to get out of the water for a heart-stopping moment before getting back to dry land. Then the craziest thing happened. The Gyarados stopped when he turned to face it. It flinched back like Melli had attacked it before diving back under the water.

Melli stood where it was stunned by what he had seen. Gyarados backing down? Without a fight? Was his mug so ugly now that it scared one of the most furious of beasts? Or maybe the dragonfishes were fearful of ghosts.

Water trickled past Melli’s ear making him shake his mane out. He growled in discomfort as the water seeped down to his skin. Felt worst than walking around with wet clothes. He couldn’t take the fur off after all. He shook himself again to fling as much water as he could off.

He took his hair and wrung it out like he would when he was a human. Whatever manner of beast that he was now matched his original body’s volume of hair. It was kind of a small comfort. His claws also made for a great comb. He guides his hair into his favorite style of twists.

Melli spent longer than he needed to on grooming. He knew that really; he was avoiding the other reason that he wanted to come to the water. He was scared to see what kind of face that would put fear in one of the most infamous Pokémon of these lands. With a sigh, Melli stops running his claws thru his hair and walks over to the spring, and looks into the water.

It was even worst than he thought. A long nose, pointed ears, long white mane that faded to his original hair color. He wasn’t an ugly thing…he was a monster, which was beautiful and terrifyingly cunning.

In his reflection was not Melli but a Zoroark.

Chapter Text

Melli must be dreaming. Yes! Yes. A nightmare even. This was all too crazy to be happening. Never mind people falling from the sky, this! Right! Here! Was absolute madness. Dying was one thing. Being a ghost was another thing! But coming back as a Pokémon, a hated one at that, one he hasn’t even interacted with before was inconceivable! This had to be make-believe! If it wasn’t then Melli had the worst luck in the world!

Melli touched his own face and pulled at the skin as if hoping that it was a mask that he could simply take off. His claws were so sharp, even after digging, that he cuts himself.

That hurt! Wincing Melli watches blood slowly well up from the wound. It stopped flowing before becoming heavy enough to turn into a drop and sat on his face like a ruby gem.

Melli’s fur stood on end. His mother used to tell him that you could tell if you were dreaming or not based on whether you could feel pain. In his youth, Melli would have strong and vivid dreams. When he would wake, he wouldn’t be sure if he was really out of them. Melli doesn’t dream that hard anymore, but he never forgot what his mother had told him.

As much as Melli wished that he was, whatever was happening now wasn’t a dream.

Gentler with his claws now Melli wipes the blood away. The skin underneath was already smooth, and the pain was gone. Melli had healed just like that. It was small things like that made Melli feel mixed about this whole thing. Much like his speed and strength, it was hard to be sad at such abilities. However, the former human didn’t feel that his old body made for a fair price for the new one.

Melli took a deep breath. Yet another small comfort that the technique still had a calming effect on him. Not alive but not dead either. Not many people could say that. That didn’t stop the dread from making him feel like he was filled with lead.

Deep breaths Melli. Focus on what you could do. He still had responsibilities. He should still try and complete them the best he could. He was reminded of one of them when he heard the rumble of thunder despite the clear blue skies. Lord Electrode was feeling Melli’s absence. He had to go now before the Lord became belligerent.

Melli’s speed and strength came in handy for the way back up. Instead of taking the long way his claws made short work of scaling the cliffs and rocks. So, this was how Lady Sneasler must feel. Melli would feel smug too if he could dominate his surroundings so easily for his whole life. While now he could do it too, and without the Lady’s help! The reborn Zoroark only stopped long enough to grab the proper offerings for his lord. Extra fresh! Hopefully, his Lord will be distracted by his favorite treats.

The second rumble of thunder told Melli that his time was up. He had to go now or face the Lord when he was right to blow. Thankfully the lord hasn’t come out of Moonview yet, so Melli quickly makes the offering and placed it in the lord’s special dish. He quickly taps the side of the stone announcing to the Lord that his offerings were ready and darted a safe distance away.

The giant Pokémon rolls up to the entrance of the arena. The charge in the air exhibited the Pokémon’s building annoyance. But the smell of his favorite foods seemed to calm the noble down…At least while he was in the middle of eating. The noble finished his food faster than Melli would have hoped, and the lord also didn’t seem to have forgotten about his warden.

Lord Electrode made a buzzing noise that Melli knew was the lord calling for him specifically. The young man should have known that the Lord would still expect to see him. He had been too great of a warden. Melli had spoiled the Lord for years with his undivided attention.

Melli fought with himself on how best he should approach. Melli tries to speak again. He made an inhuman noise, and he cringed the moment that it left his mouth.

The Electrode whipped his upper hemisphere in his direction and Melli tried his best to make himself smaller behind one of the nearby pillars. His lord was great at many things, but his eyesight wasn’t one of them. They were just holes carved into his face after all.

The noble squints in his direction before rolling towards him and calling the whole way over. Melli switches his mode of communication, humming a familiar song that he would sing for his noble. His vocal cords could manage the right notes just fine, thankfully.

“Melli?”

The Zoroark jumped a bit and then looked around before looking back at his lord. That sounded like that came from his lord’s direction. Melli’s ears twitched.

“Are you hiding from me? What have you done now my silly little Melli?” Now Melli was sure that the words spoken were actually coming from his lord himself! The buzz that Melli had considered his lord’s voice turned into a deep, fatherly tone to his ears.

A younger Melli used to sometimes try to imagine what his lord’s voice would sound like. The tone and cadence were much like how he used to guess. Gentle but quite capable of turning booming when displeased.

A burst of elation at hearing his lord’s true voice almost made him forget his form. Melli had to stop himself from his excitement lest it turn to heartbreak in the very next second when his lord saw what he had become.

If he could understand his lord, then maybe it could go both ways. Melli never had much thought about how much Pokémon could understand each other. He knows that they must understand each other at least a little bit but he hadn’t realized that it might be so clear.

“My lord?” Melli’s own voice didn’t sound familiar at all to himself, but he hopes the intent of the noise still translated.

The Pokémon pauses a bit away from him. “Melli? You sound strange. What took you so long earlier? Are you feeling unwell?”

Melli didn’t know how to answer that. Even at this distance does his lord not notice what was wrong with him. “I-yes, I’m not feeling myself. Um, uh, as you could probably see for yourself.”

“Hmm? Now that you mention it.” Melli had to force himself to stay still as the giant Pokémon leaned closer. “You’ve gotten bigger, I thought humans stopped growing at some point? Hm? I thought that my warden would be satisfied being taller than even the other humans.”

“Ha-ha, I guess you can call it a growth spurt of sorts.”

“Hmm? Now since when did you have such a furry face? I never thought you would be the type to grow a beard. And grey hair? I haven’t lost track of time, have I? Not only that but you are actually answering all my questions for once.”

Melli loved his lord but certainly, he wasn’t this daft. Melli was starting to feel like he was being messed with. Melli pouts. “Please my lord be serious.”

“I AM SERIOUS. Melli what have you done to yourself!” Lord Electrode’s tone shifts abruptly becoming thunderous.

Melli yelped and dodged away as sparks flew off the noble. “I don’t know!”

“YOU DON’T KNOW? YOU DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’RE WALKING ABOUT LOOKING LIKE ONE OF THOSE DEVIL BEASTS??”

Melli was starting to think that he might have been in a better spot if his lord didn’t actually recognize him. At least if he was just some rogue the noble wouldn’t be lecturing him as he chased him about the Highlands. Maybe if it had still been winter proper his lord wouldn’t have been so energetic.

 Melli was faster like this, but it would seem he had greatly underestimated how fast Lord Electrode could be while going down the slopes. Their little game of cat and mouse ended with Melli being flattened under his lord’s weight and pinned against a rock wall. The commotion that they made sent all the other Pokémon running for the hills.

At least the impromptu game of tag had tried out the lord enough that he no longer carried a charge across his body.

“Explain yourself, boy.”

“I told you I don’t know! I went down to get medicine for Skuntank and-and I was attacked in Wayward Cave!” Melli leaves out the part about him dying and burying his own body.

“Who?” There was a warning in his voice. As exciting as it was before to finally be able to understand his lord it was quickly turning terrifying in ways that Melli couldn’t explain.

It hadn’t even come to Melli’s mind that his lord would be so enraged that his warden had been attacked that he might go down and exact revenge. Melli doesn’t want his lord to get into a fight where he was disadvantaged. Never mind the part where he was the one that startled the Crobat. It was so late out he had thought that it would have gone out for the night.

The Electrode zaps him. “Tell me!”

That stung but Melli was starting to feel a little belligerent himself now. The new Zoroark maneuvers his back paws against the noble’s carapace and pushes his weight off of him. The lord grunts as he tries to regain his place, but Melli was now around the same size as the other Pokémon. A trill of joy came when the warden physically moved the wooden mass.

“Brat.” Was Melli’s only warning before the noble jumped back a pace and then quickly rolled forward slamming back into him hard enough to knock the rest of the wind out of him. “You are a hundred years too young to think that you can take me on!” Lord Electrode bellows.

Maybe if Melli had the confidence to try and stop the lord earlier he wouldn’t be in this position. The warden decided that it was best to try and appeal to the other Pokémon’s better nature. “Please mercy!” Melli whined hoping that his lord would ease up on him.

With a sigh, the giant complies, rolling his weight off of the Zoroark. Melli made sure to make himself look extra pitiful, lest his lord change his mind again. Even with his vulpine face, it seemed to work. Thankfully while Lord Electrode’s temper was quick to ignite it was also quick to go out.

“What am I going to do with you? I’m no expert at raising no ghost or normal types but I guess I couldn’t say that I was an expert at humans either when I took you on.”

What? What was his lord going on about? He was making it sound like he was some kind of foundling that he took under his wing and not his esteemed warden, but Melli didn’t feel like questioning him after he just finished chasing him all around the Highlands.

“Come on then boy let's head back home. I don’t want any humans seeing you like this and thinking that it's their place to do something about you.” The large orb looks at him. “Come on now lad. You know good and well that I can’t carry you.”

Melli was finally starting to feel tired after everything that had happened today. Going back home sounded like a grand idea so Melli obediently followed behind his lord. All in all, this had been the better outcome.

Chapter Text

The travel back up to Moonview never felt so long. Not only was Melli exhausted at this point the silence between him, and his lord was becoming extremely awkward. How couldn’t it be? Lord Electrode’s very human warden who had been his since he had been a child was now a Pokémon. Was his lord wondering who should take his position now? Was he going to send Melli away? Was Melli going to be expected to live like a wild Pokémon?

His lord always seemed to know when Melli’s thoughts were getting too loud for his own head. The noble makes a tutting noise drawing the Zoroark from his mind. He must have been more out of it than he thought, they were back up near the arena already. His new sensitive nose picked up the smell of sick and he remembered his Skuntank.

“My lord, may I?”

“Yes, go check on your friend. I don’t think that we will be coming to any grand plans today. Stay out of sight for now. If you have to do something make sure to do it in the cover of night, understand?”

“Yes Sir…” Melli had never referred to his lord as sir before but he had also never had a fully two-sided conversation with him either. He never would have guessed that his lord would be so informal when talking to him. He didn’t mind…It was kind of nice.

The lord nods to him before rolling back into the arena. Melli wasted no more time outside when he could be checking on his longest companion. He pushes aside the cloths that cover the entrance and walks in. Everyone was still more or less right where he had left them last. So, he makes himself at home.

The smaller two didn’t look like they had left at all to go feed themselves at any point while Melli had been away. The warden had been gone far longer than he meant to and if they had been waiting for him this whole time then it's been about two days since they ate. The poor things were probably starving, thankfully Melli had thought ahead. Whilst getting Lord Electrode his offerings he had picked up plenty of goodies for everyone to eat. Reaching up into his mane the Zoroark pulls his stash out for the others. Melli had put the stuff up there at first without much thought but really it only made sense. The thick locks made for a very convenient storage.

The little Skorupi didn’t hesitate a moment when he presented her with a handful of berries. She feasted away chittering and squeaking in delight the whole time. Melli really hadn’t been worried about her anyway. The little Pokémon’s love of food was the reason that she even came to live with him in the first place.

His Zubat on the other hand was another story completely. Everywhere that Skorupi would be bold Zubat would be cautious. It had taken weeks before the bat would let Melli touch them, and it was no telling how long she had been a silent admirer of him.

 Melli liked to sing when he worked. His voice would attract Pokémon at times so he tries not to do it too often and only while his lord was present. One day he noticed a Zubat that would always linger nearby but the minute that Melli could turn any attention to her she would fly off. A few times he had thought he had scared her off for good. But just like the sun would rise she would turn back up the next day.

It hurt a little to see how much progress he lost because she couldn’t recognize him. He tried to feed her never the lest. He made sure to wave the berries around so that she could hear and smell them before stretching his arms out as far as they could go and being still. He heard the moment that her hunger won out as she swooped by as quickly as she could and snatched up a berry to eat off in a corner.

Satisfied that his two smallest charges have gotten something in their bellies, Melli’s mind moves to worry about the largest and oldest of the bunch. Hmm, there were plenty of berries left along with some Plump Beans and Crunchy Salts. Solids might be too big of an ask for his sick companion, but Melli knew that he wouldn’t get better on an empty stomach.

While it might be spring now up here in the Highlands the air still had the fangs of winter at night. Some nice soup wouldn’t be misplaced. Mind made up Melli takes a moment to readjust the blankets that he made into a nest for his Skuntank before preparing the meal.

There was a small setback while Melli tried to cut the berries. Three claws for fingers didn’t make for a confident grip on his knife, which was now too small for his hands. After fumbling with the tool one too many times Melli gave up and cut the ingredients with his claws. With a little more struggle he manages to strike his flint well enough to get a fire going for his stove.

Melli puts all the goodies into the pot only hesitating a moment at the Plump Beans. It must be something about his new nose, but the beans had a delicious scent. While Melli couldn’t say that he had disliked the beans before, they were filling if a little bland, now they had a delectable earthy aroma that made his mouth water. Melli had to fight with himself while gathering to not just eat any that he picked up right when he found them.

He wasn’t the only one that found the smell enchanting. As the food cooked and the smell filled his tent his Skuntank grunted from his spot and started moving around. That was a good sign! It looked like Melli wouldn’t have to force his companion to eat and Skuntank’s sense of smell was returning.

Melli watches as his Pokémon drowsily lifts his head and looks over at him. The former man’s delight at seeing his partner awake was dashed as the Skuntank growled. Just that quickly Melli had forgotten what he was.

Skuntank wobbled to his feet and fluffed his tail making him even bigger than he already looked. “W-who? What? What are you doing here?” The Pokémon hissed defensively.

The other two Pokémon alarmed by the eldest’s reaction to the stranger quickly go to the skunk’s side. Even though Melli didn’t know any attacks even he felt that he could take the group on. However, Melli didn’t want to fight his own Pokémon. Especially not his Skuntank while he was still recovering. Maybe he should get Lord Electrode to explain for him?

Ugh, Melli really didn’t want to bother the large Pokémon again today. His flanks still stung with exhaustion at running so hard and then being zapped by the noble. Plus, this was his partner Pokémon! They have known each other longer than he had known even his lord. If Lord Electrode could recognize him even with his poor vision, then surely, he could convince his friend.

“Sweetheart it’s me. Its Melli”

The Skuntank glared at him. “Do you take me as some fool? You think that you can trick me with that two-bit disguise?”

Skuntank looked ready to attack. Melli had to say something that could really convince him. “It’s me, Skuntank” Melli couldn’t keep the nostalgia from his voice. “I still remember the day that we first met. We were both so small back then. Keeping you was the first time that I really stood for something. I remember crying so hard, I’m sure I didn’t look as brave as I felt.”

The Skuntank froze at his words. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment, then Melli could see when his partner was convinced.

“Melli?!” Skuntank cried out before breaking out into coughs. “What-What happened to you?”

The Pokémon tried taking steps toward him but the excitement from earlier has left his limbs and he stumbles. Melli moved, catching his partner before he could hit the ground. Maybe it was a bit of an overreaction, it wouldn’t have been that far of a drop, but Melli was still feeling sensitive after his partner’s brush with death. His other two Pokémon must be very confused at this point.

Melli’s emotions were too raw to have this discussion. “You’re still ill. I’ll tell you…I’ll tell you when you get better. Okay?”

Skuntank hums. That meant that he knew that Melli was going to avoid answering as long as he could. Unfortunately for Melli turning into a whole different creature wasn’t something that Skuntank was soon going to forget, but he knows that it would do little good to pressure him at this time.

Melli was thankful that his partner lets him be. He knows that he was going to have to say something, but he at least had time to come up with something that wouldn’t make his partner feel like he had anything to do with Melli’s untimely demise.

“Let’s eat.”

Melli grabs a bowl for him and Skuntank, but at Skorupi’s hungry squeak, he went ahead and grabbed two more. Should have known that Skorupi wasn’t going to watch others eat without her and Zubat only had one berry. It wouldn’t hurt to get her to eat some more. After setting up the table he serves everyone an appropriate amount.

Melli makes sure everyone has their fill before pouring more for himself. The warmth of the soup helped drive away the persistent chill that he had. Just like his Pokémon, he hadn’t eaten all that time either. Even after finishing off the pot, he didn’t quite feel full. He could see that keeping this body fed was going to be a chore.

Chapter Text

Lady Sneasler wasn’t really one to be in other Pokémon’s business, it wasn’t her job after all, but she would still keep an eye out for anything unusual. Unusual things tended to be quite amusing as she comes to find. And indeed, today she saw something that covered both qualities.

The tremendous Lord Electrode was chasing a Pokémon around the Highlands. Lady Sneasler couldn’t see the whole thing but what she could see had her breathless with laughter. She had been worried for a moment that he was chasing one of her children considering the color of the Pokémon, but no self-respecting Sneasel would run on their forelegs like that even if they were being chased. Their claws would lose their edge and their venom if they did that.

The poor thing also didn’t sound like a Sneasel. Sounded more like the lord’s warden actually. It wouldn’t be the first time that she had been witness to the arrogant man getting disciplined for something or other.

She couldn’t help but wonder what the Pokémon did to get the Electrode so riled up that he would chase them this far from Moonview Arena. Ugh, it was a shame that Ingo was somewhere else. She would have loved to share this with him. All the kerfuffle caused by the Galaxy Team was kind of getting on her nerves, but it wasn’t her place to fix those kinds of human problems. However, Ingo didn’t share her views. It was easy to say that she could tell him later, the man understood her a lot better than most, but some things just didn’t translate well.

It was really too bad too. What she saw after all the noise stopped was even more curious. As the lord rolled his fat-self back up the Highlands she sees that he wasn’t traveling alone. The very same Pokémon that he had chased down here in the first place was obediently following him like a lost pup.

Lady Sneasler used her claws to shield her eyes from the setting sun. My, my that was quite a long confrontation, wasn’t it? But never mind that! What was all this going on here? What kind of Pokémon was that and what was its relation to the Lord of the Hollow? Now, now the lady didn’t care to be in other Pokémon’s business, but any goings on with a noble surely qualifies as her business too, right?

She simply couldn’t help herself.

Lady Sneasler tailed them from a safe distance. Which was pretty far considering. Lord Electrode had a sixth sense when it came to her spying. Also, she still wasn’t sure what matter of Pokémon she was looking at. It kind of looked like something that she didn’t want to say out loud. It couldn’t be. Otherwise, the lord wouldn’t have stopped until the Pokémon was turned to paste. The colors were all wrong for that kind of Pokémon anyway. Lord Electrode’s shadow really did look like another Sneasler from this high up with its grey and purplish fur. Well, one if their fur grew as long as their feather crest maybe.

Lady Sneasler still couldn’t figure out what the Pokémon was before she had to stop following. The area around Moonview is a little too open for Sneasler to feel confident that she wouldn’t be spotted. The temptation to just barge down there and get some answers was strong but she knows that Lord Electrode was still mad at her from her last little prank. He needed another week, um maybe two, to cool off.

She was just going to have to keep her eye out for the interloper.

Melli had a fitful sleep last night. His dreams taunt him with visions of his own demise. The smell of death seemed to flood his nose. Maybe physical pain couldn’t be felt in dreamland but emotional definitely could.

Feeling worse than he did when he went to sleep, Melli gets up to start his daily duties. He was in the middle of putting on his clothes grumbling at how his pants didn’t fit when he remembered…Again. Melli really needed to get a grip. He couldn’t keep forgetting something so important.

Melli sighs mightily as he puts his clothes back in his storage chest. It was just now starting to hit him the fact that this whole time he was been running around completely nude. Worst there was nothing that he could do for it! Everything that he owned were many times too small to cover anything on him. He was just as bad, nah, worse than that exhibitionist Gaeric! Ugh!

Melli peeks outside his tent to find the sun was well on its way to its zenith. He couldn’t even go out right now because of his face. He was all alon-Wait! He could speak to his Pokémon now. He could talk to them before, sure, but now he could understand what they say back to him.

“Skorupi!” The little Pokémon perks up at being called. She comes up to him chittering. Looks like she had been getting bored herself. It was a little weird that he couldn’t understand the chittering but maybe the noise was only just that, noise.

He strokes her carapace, and she squeals in delight.

“How do you feel about all of …this? You’ve seemed to be unbothered? Don’t you think all of this is strange Skorupi?”

The bug just tilts her head at him before nudging his hand for more scratches.

Huh? Did she not understand him or did he not understand her. Melli tries again. “Um, what do you want to eat for lunch?”

Hearing the word ‘eat’ and ‘lunch’ the little Pokémon jumped in place and then does a little turn for him, trying her hardest to be as cute as possible hoping for some treats. Melli was flabbergasted. He stared at his Skuntank for an explanation when he laughed at him.

“Skorupi isn’t good with her words yet.”

Melli gasps, “Is that normal? Why ever not?”

“Skorupi is still a baby. She only knows enough to feed herself.”

Really? Pokémon seemed so self-efficient when they are born. They hatch from their eggs ready to fight. However, hearing that young Pokémon couldn’t really understand others was strangely upsetting. No wonder the older Pokémon were often quick to come to the younger’s defense regardless of relation. How many Pokémon were out there that were in essence murderous toddlers? It was even worst knowing that some Pokémon didn’t bother to care for their young.

“Zubat?” Melli looks for her near the ceiling. Zubat seemed young too but was she that young?

“M-melli?”

Thank goodness Zubat could talk. Still, she sounded to his ears something like a young girl, maybe around Sabi’s age.

Zubat covers her face as if embarrassed. “S-sorry. Sorry for earlier.”

She spoke so softly that even with his improved ears he was having a hard time hearing her. When Melli didn’t respond right away she started sniveling.

Alarmed Melli spoke, “It’s okay Zubat! I’m not mad. I would never be mad at you for being scared.” Melli wished someone had told him that when he was younger.

Melli reaches a hand up toward her. That was his signal to her to land. She only paused a moment before flinging herself from the roof to fly to him.

“I heard something terrible! I thought that you would never come back! I was so scared!”

Melli pulled the little bat to his chest as her words chilled him. Certainly, she couldn’t have heard him being attacked all the way down in Wayward Cave from up here. Maybe Melli wouldn’t have cared as much before but now that Zubat as a child solidified in his mind the thought horrified him.

“It's okay Zubat,” Melli tried to soothe. “As you can see the Great Melli is still in one piece…if a little different.”

“You were screaming, and-and I couldn’t do anything,” Zubat sobbed.

His words didn’t seem to reach her as she began to shake in his hands. He could feel the heat of Skuntank’s eyes on him. Melli knew that he was in trouble but all that could wait. He tried to comfort her like he would a small child, cradling her to his chest and rocking her. He hummed a soft melody until the Pokémon’s tremors stopped. He was sure if Zubat had eyes he would have been soaking in tears.

Melli felt selfish. Maybe everything wasn’t great, dying and turning into a Zoroark was a low, but at least he was still here to give his Pokémon comfort. He would gladly suffer a little if he could save his Pokémon the pain of losing someone they loved. He knows as well as anyone those scars don’t heal as well as they make it sound. They continue to pick and sting years later, sometimes at the slightest touch. Tears watered his eyes, but he refused to let them drop. He had to be strong.

Confused by all the commotion Skorupi tried to comfort them. However, her little legs made it hard for her to get in his lap. He pulls her to his chest as well and lets out a shaky breath. His eyes were getting really full right now.

Melli’s composure broke when he felt the familiar weight of Skuntank press against his side. He didn’t say anything when Melli finally broke down. It was good that he couldn’t go out today. His family needed him right here.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

Sinnoh Moves in Mysterious Ways

Melli wakes up with a grunt. He blinks in confusion as he tries to figure out what might have stirred him from his sleep. He slowly detangles himself from the cuddle puddle. He takes the time to readjust his Pokémons’ position so that they can continue to sleep comfortably without him. He couldn’t help but spare a thought about how well his lord fared the day without him. Was it his own worrying that woke him up?

The Zoroark peeks outside of his tent again to find the position of the sun, or more like the moon as he gets the confirmation that it was nighttime. His ears twitch when he hears a distant hum. Looking for the source of the sound he spots a small Voltorb just a little way away that rolled back and forward in spot as if waiting for his attention. It was one of his lord’s children. In his head, he likes to call this one Chestnut.

It quickly rolls away as Melli walked up to it and he was forced to chase after it as it led him into Moonview Arena. When they both arrive, the little Pokémon stops and stares at him.

“Are you really Melli?” The Voltorb asked in a voice that reminded him of Liam. Just for that he might like the Voltorb a little less.

“Yea, it's me.”

The Pokémon reframes from saying more, staring a moment longer before rolling off. Weird ass kid. Children must be like that for all creatures.

“Melli, don’t just stand there boy. Come all the way in!” Lord Electrode rumbles. “Let me get another look at you.”

Melli quickly walks up and tries to stand straight for his noble. The orb rolls around his warden a few times before stopping in front of him.

“Hm, what to do with you?” The lord rocks side to side. “You really are stuck like this huh? Couldn’t manage to be a more friendly-looking Pokémon, could you?”

Melli didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure if his lord actually wanted him to respond.

The lord stopped his rocking with a sigh. “Ugh, I might have to ask for help with this one.”

Melli couldn’t help lifting an elegant brow. Help? He wasn’t sure there was anyone in all of Hisui that might be of any help. How would he even begin to explain the problem?

“Oh my. This is a curious case.”

Melli nearly leaped out of his fur at the arrival of another voice. An older female one at that. Her voice was clear as a bell with a calm, regal air.

“Huh!?” Melli got down on all four, ready…ready to do something he supposed. What that something was as lost on him though.

Lord Electrode didn’t seem surprised at all. In fact, he seemed to have expected her.

“Lady Cresselia, it's good to see you and yes my little warden has managed to get himself in quite the trouble,” Lord Electrode greets pleasantly.

‘Lady’. Oh. Melli had been calling her a croissant this whole time. He sure hopes that she never heard him call her that. This was the first time that he had seen her so clearly before. He hadn’t realized that his lord was on friendly terms with the other Pokémon. He will make sure to correct his way of speaking when referring to her from now on.

“Mmhm, I can see that.” The Pokémon floats closer. Her voice gains a motherly tone. “Poor child. Life has not been easy for you, has it? I fear that it might have to get worse before it gets better.”

Curiosity was starting to get the better of the Zoroark. Yet another Pokémon that seemed a lot more familiar with him than he could have ever imagined. However, he stays his tongue. This felt too much like a conversation between two adults, whilst he was just a child in comparison.

Lady Cresselia seemed to notice. “You are free to speak child. Please tell us everything that’s transpired that might have brought you to this form.”

There was no avoiding talking about it now. His lord was calm and Melli was also now under the attention of a foreign lady. He had to represent his noble, so he had to restrain himself from his usual embarrassing antics that he got into when he wanted to stall.

“Yes, please do tell us all what happened Camellia,” Growls an unfortunately familiar voice.

Melli didn’t think that his heart could take any more scares! It looked like his Skuntank was feeling much better, seeing as he was now blocking the only way out with his fluffy frame. Ugh! He didn’t know that his Skuntank knew his full first name!

Skuntank struts up before nodding to the other two Pokémon. “Lord. Lady.”

“Skuntank…I.” Melli had hoped that he would have more time. But it looks like the whole world has conspired together to make things harder for Melli. Zubat pretty much knew what happened and Skuntank wasn’t a stupid Pokémon. No running or hiding. Melli could at least make himself comfortable, he thought as he sat down and crossed his legs.

He tells them the truth with all the painful details. When he finished, he looked to see how Skuntank was taking it. The other Pokémon’s eyes were closed. Melli could almost believe that his partner was taking it while if it wasn’t for the slightly ripe odor that was coming off of him.

The general mood of the arena became sour.

“This…is not good.” Yes. We know that already! What was the point of her being here again? “Something has shifted. Even if you had died you shouldn’t have come back as a Pokémon. At least not like this. This hints at a greater imbalance. I-there isn’t anything I can do for you now. You are going to have to stay like this until you move on.”

So, until Melli, died, died. Melli didn’t intend to do that anytime soon. “What am I supposed to do? I have to keep up with my responsibilities! I can’t do that looking like this! Can I at least choose a different Pokémon to be?”

Lady Cresselia simply stared at him. “So, transform.” Melli’s flabbergasted look made her continue. “You are a Zoroark. Make yourself look different.”

“Oh, yes! How silly of me! I’ll just figure out how to do that right this second! It’s not like I’ve never been a Pokémon before!”

“Cut the sarcasm, kid.” The lady scolds. Her tone made his ears burn. “I see your point, however. Right now, you are little better than an oversized hatchling.”

“Then you’re thinking what I’m thinking then.” Lord Electrode looked solemn. Melli felt his heart sink.

“Are you sending me away?”

“I fear so- Temporarily of course!” Lord Electrode quickly adds. “I could teach you how to be a good Voltorb, but I can’t teach you how to be a Zoroark. Only another Zoroark can tell you how to live as a Zoroark.”

“So, you’re sending me off into the wilds? Just like that?” Melli pinned his ears back and whined.

The noble hesitated. “…Maybe not so soon…We should wait until you’re a little more used to your body. Train you up a bit.”

The noble couldn’t help being a little worried for Melli. Zoroarks are occupants of the Alabaster Icelands, a land of more ice than they had sense. The Coronet Highlands were the right amount of cold for the noble. Not too much not too little. But the Icelands would be far too cold for the lord to dare follow. Even if he could his presents would surely scare away any Zoroark even if he were to come along. His sweet little Melli would be all alone in a land that hated his kind. It was dangerous for sure… but it was likely even more dangerous if he stayed. His heart wept for his warden.

“Lord Electrode?”

The giant Pokémon remembered that he had to keep a strong face. If he didn’t believe that Melli would make it, then how could the young man believe it himself? His warden was strong enough! He hadn’t come this far to have the noble falter in his faith now! When he chose Melli as his warden all those years ago he had made a promise to always be in the boy’s corner. Even if the boy was now a man, which was now a Pokémon. Lord Electrode would keep his promise! That was the kind of Pokémon he was.

“Even as a Pokémon, I am sure my Melli will continue to be great. You are a great warden and now you will become a great Pokémon! I wouldn’t expect less!” Sparks fly at the giant Electrode’s cheer. “Times a wastin’ let’s get a trainin’!”

Everyone jumped at the lord’s volume. Lady Cresselia gave an exasperated shush and said something like mons are sleeping before getting ready to take her leave.

“I might not have been much help, but I can at least send a message ahead to the lords of the Icelands so that you may have some allies.” And with that, she vanishes.

“See son? No one is trying to toss you out. Now I expect you to act polite to the other lords. You’ll be going in my stead, after all. You better leave Lord Avalugg a good impression of me.”

Skuntank stayed quiet as he walked to a spot out of the way. Melli knew there was more to talk about there but also knew that much like himself, his Skuntank needed time to ruminate. Melli was also under no illusion that his partner was fully recovered, but as always, the best way to go is forward.

“What kind of moves do you think I can do?” Melli asks while flexing his claws.

“Try a Night Slash!” Skuntank comments from the side, swiping his claws for emphasis.

Night Slash! That should be easy enough. Melli had watched his partner use that move thousands of times.

Melli attacks the air a few times but was disappointed by the lack of the flash of purple that would normally come with it.

“No, no you got to think mean thoughts while doing it! Think of how much pain you want to cause! You want to hit them while their guard is down!” Skuntank’s tail fluffs in aggravation.

Pain huh? Melli had a few people and Pokémon in mind that he wouldn’t mind hurting. A vision of four wings flashed in his mind and he struck out. And attacked and attacked. So caught up in his own mind that he didn’t even notice when the black fire flared with a vengeance.

“I think you got it down, son.” Lord Electrode’s fatherly voice brings him out of his mild rage.

Melli’s limbs felt cold. Maybe he wasn’t as above how he had been killed as he thought he was. Despite what he had said before he was mad at the Alpha Crobat. All these years of living and co-existing with the other Pokémon and it rips him apart like he was nothing. He could have stopped at the first strike, but the Pokémon kept going until Melli was good and dead. Oh, well. It's not like Melli was known for his forgiving heart.

Skuntank gets back up from his spot and walks over. “I have an idea. You and I aren’t too different now. Let’s see what other moves we have in common.”

It only made sense. Even earlier he had been comparing himself to his Skuntank and while Melli was bigger and lankier, they both were furry, clawed, beast-things with a bad reputation. It helped that Melli had been there for every move that his partner had learned. He had just as good a chance of learning from his Skuntank as he did from anywhere else.

“Let's do it,” Melli agreed with a smirk. If he could learn even one more of Skuntank’s moves Melli could consider himself pretty well armed.

Unfortunately, the other moves were not so straightforward. They didn’t have the physicality of Night Slash. Melli had to…manifest the attack or something like that. The other two Pokémon had a hard time really explaining how they even used special attacks. Like how does a Pokémon that isn’t a fire-type learn how to do Flamethrower? Think hot thoughts? Sludge Bomb was easier to do even if he couldn’t manage to get it to go very far from his hands. It was a start and Melli was confident in his own ability to learn how to do it right with time. Iron Tail was a lost cause, Melli thinks as he looks back at the little fluffy stump that might be considered a tail.

“Come on Melli! If you are going to the Icelands without me, you better learn Flamethrower.” Skuntank was very persistent.

Melli understood the importance that the move would have in those icy wastes, but he was getting tired! The Zoroark regrets managing to blow out smoke, as it gave the hope that it really was a move that he could learn. However, something inside of Melli seemed to rebel at learning the move. Is it because Zoroark were the closest Pokémon to being an ice-type without being one at all?

“Let’s wrap this up for the night boys,” Lord Electrode interjects from his position farther away. The large Pokémon had moved back when the two started talking about flinging around poison and fire.

Skuntank sighed, “Do you think we can get one more night in? Would that be too much?”

“The faster I go to the Icelands the faster that I can come back,” Melli adds. The transformed warden could feel the clock ticking. As a follower of the great Sinnoh of time, he could not ignore it.

Skuntank let out a distressed sound. “Then I’ll just come with you and teach you on the go!”

The warden shook his head at his best friend. “You’re still sick and I need you here to hold down the hollow. If we both went missing anyone would be able to tell that something was wrong. And no offense sweetheart you are no Rapidash.”

Skuntank’s ears flatten to his head. “Offense taken,” The Pokémon grumbles.

“Skuntank please.” Melli paused. The night was still pretty young. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“…Okay.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

Away

Melli knew that his best friend was anxious. How couldn’t he be after hearing that his trainer pretty much died the one time that you didn’t come with him somewhere. He decides to distract them both with foraging. They had to stock up for Melli’s departure.

Skuntank was starting to lag behind. Just like Melli thought his partner wasn’t as recovered as he was trying to act. Melli knew it would probably be time yet before his Pokémon was as good as he was before. Just more proof that Melli wasn’t taking him with him. The other two weren’t even under consideration.

It was easy work, made even easier when whatever Pokémon that might be in the trees would rather make a quick escape than fight. Even at night none of the Pokémon were emboldened enough to approach. The benefits of being a monster.

Melli filled his mane with as much as he could. Which was more than any backpack that he had ever owned. Crunchy Salts for the lord. Plump Beans, Pecha Berries, and as many Medicinal Leeks as he could see.

“Melli…I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you like I should have been.”

Melli sighs. So, the dam finally breaks.

“There is nothing to be sorry about. Even if I had known that I would die I still would have gone.”

“Melli!” Skuntank rushes in front of him. “Don’t you think that I feel the same! I would have rather you be here, and I be dead! I am your Pokémon. That is my job!”

“Your job isn’t to die, it’s to do what I say!” Melli snaps. “It's my responsibility to take care of you! It was my choice to go down to the settlement! It was me who waited around for Adaman all night when I should have been rushing back to you!”

Skuntank puffed and snarled. “Oh, so it's Adaman who’s at fault here. You give that man too much of your love.”

Sinnoh gives him strength. Melli had noticed that his Skuntank, seemingly out of nowhere, had grown to dislike the Diamond Clan leader. The smell he would give off while Adaman was near was a clear sign of the Pokémon’s disdain. He, for the life of him, couldn’t figure out why his Skuntank had started acting like that around his childhood friend. So, this conversation was going to be enlightening.

“What do you mean?” Melli growls in warning.

Skuntank growls back, “What do you think I mean? Stop bending over backward for people who don’t care about you!”

Melli couldn’t even keep the outrage out of his voice. “Adaman does care about me! I’m not so needy that he has to constantly be under me to know that!”

“What are you getting so defensive if you are so confident? When was the last time that Adaman has done anything for you?”

“Friendships aren’t just made of favors! You know Adaman has been busy. Leaders aren’t made of free time!”

Skuntank grumbles, “Right, right. Sure. How much more do think that you can give him Melli?”

You are already dead, was left unsaid.

“As much as he needs to, for everything that he has done for me.”

Skuntank didn’t continue to argue and the silence was even more sour.

Melli gathered as much as he could before the sun started peeking over the horizon. Time was up for the night and now he could enjoy being confined to a small tent with Skuntank after their fight. It wouldn’t be the first time he had been trapped with less than enthusiastic company. He didn’t like adding Skuntank to that crowd.

The Zoroark felt all wrung out. Physically and emotionally, he felt like he had more in common with a Wurmple. Weak and squishy.

Melli plops down on his bed roll and lets the rest of his body hang out. Skorupi, ever the oblivious one, walked over to him and chittered and bit at his ears. He tucked her under his chin to keep her out of trouble and she squeaked at the treatment. Her incessant wiggling was enough that Melli mindlessly started licking the bug’s back to get her to stop.

The Zoroark continues to groom the Pokémon for a minute before realizing what he is doing. Deciding that he was going to pretend that he hadn’t been using his tongue like it was a brush, he rolled over and tucked the bug into his chest fur.

He will give himself one more night. For Skuntank and his sake. This would be so much easier if the other Zoroarks lived closer or if he could figure out how to make illusions by himself. However, Melli knew that he couldn’t ask for easy. When things were bad for him it poured.

Another day and night passed and now Melli had to leave. Even with the bitter words exchanged between the two, Skuntank still spends the night with him trying to get him to get the handle of the fire move. The best Melli could manage was a short but steady flame. It wouldn’t do much good as an attack, but he should be able to keep himself warm and cook food with it. And maybe scare some of the ice types if they come close.

Melli leaves his Pokémon with as much food that would keep and his lord a supply of his favorites and hopes that he doesn’t eat through them all before he gets back. The Zoroark had half a mind to try sneaking off but thought better of it. His Pokémon needed to see him off and honestly, Melli needed to see them too. All of Hisui was dangerous. Just as likely that something else was to happen to Melli, it could happen to any one of the Pokémon that stood before him.

“Remember your manners, Melli. Make sure to let Lord Avalugg know of your presence on his land and for the love of Sinnoh be polite son,” Lord Electrode gently chides.

“Melli stay safe, okay? Come back in one piece.” Skuntank gave him the saddest little face.

“Do you have to go?” Zubat sounded a second from crying.

“Melli! Food!” Skorupi adds, managing to say something coherent and irrelevant but still otherly heartbreaking.

Just hearing the Pokémon saying his name in her cute little voice was almost enough to make Melli stay. He had to make his farewell short as he tore himself away from his family.  

Normally the route to head for the Icelands from here was to go back down into Wayward Cave. There was a more direct route down the other side of the mountain, but the years have not been kind to it. As a human, it wouldn’t be worth the possibility of a broken leg but as a Pokémon, it should be fine enough. It should also be a lot faster too.

The journey down was uneventful. No need to worry about man or Pokémon on this side. The steepness of the Mountain made it so the only Pokémon that would make their homes were rock-types and a few nesting flying-types. Even with that knowledge, Melli could have sworn that he kept seeing something out of the corner of his eye. Was he being followed? No, that would be crazy.

His moment of distraction almost cost him as the patch that he thought was snow turned out to be ice. He yelped as his foot slipped and almost sent him falling to his second death. Yet another advantage of having claws and a naturally quadrupedal stance. He still had three points of contact on the rockface. He caught himself and managed a controlled slide until he hit another outcropping. A Geodude was also here but considering how hard it was trying to be a rock it didn’t want anything to do with him.

A hard blast of wind pushed Melli back and then another almost yanked the Zoroark off his perch. Digging his claws in he looked out to see where he was headed. Alabaster Icelands didn’t believe in spring, he could see as there wasn’t a hint of green to be found anywhere.

The warden looked down to see how far he had to go. It didn’t look that far. He thinks that it was about the same distance down as the jump into Fabled Spring. Melli debated with himself for a second before what he was starting to call his feral nature took him by the back of his neck.

He jumps.

He regretted it the moment that he let that wild Buneary run up his ass. He forgot a critical detail about his jump into Fabled Spring. He landed in water before…There wasn’t any water here.

Melli didn’t meet his second death. The deep dredges of snow broke his fall without him breaking his bones. Ha... Melli really needed to get a grip, or it wouldn’t be the wilds that were going to kill him but himself.

The man flipped himself over and pulled himself from the snow mound. The nearby Aipom scattered as Melli reoriented himself.

Another problem with this hellish land was the fact that it lacks any notable landmarks. The ones they did have were so far apart that it could be days before you came across one. Of course, the Pearl Clan makes their home here. They boast about all the space that they had but have they given any thought to whether it was any good?

Regardless Melli wasn’t going to find where he needed to go by just standing around.

If Melli did have to give one merit to the vast space of the Alabaster Icelands was that it made for a great place to run. Zoroark were truly made for the cold. His paws didn’t even sink in the snow! He had to remind himself, yet again, that he needed to slow down and watch where he was going.

Like right now!

Melli had to jump to avoid mowing down the Pokémon that suddenly blinked into existence in front of him.

“Watch it!” Melli snarled, figuring that the Pokémon would be too scared to even register his rudeness.

“You watch it mutt! You are the one that almost ran into me,” The other Pokémon returns in kind.

Surprised at the other Pokémon’s boldness, Melli whirls around expecting her to change her tone at his face. “Who are you calling a mutt?”

“You! You Mamoswine-sized cur!”

Melli glared at the other Pokémon. It was a Froslass that was giving him all that sass. Looks like the young man finally found a Pokémon that didn’t go fleeing at just the sight of him. Too bad she was a smart-mouthed bitch, he might have been able to ask her for directions.

Melli, the petty creature that he was, grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it at her. It hit her square in her oversized head. She didn’t take that kindly.

Quicker than Melli could get ready for the ice Pokémon powered up a Shadow Ball and launched it. Melli flinched and braced for impact only to gasp as the attack passed through him. The Zoroark couldn’t enjoy the Froslass’ surprise because he was so caught up in his own. He knew that dark moves were a Zoroark’s weakness, but no one has ever talked about them not being affected by ghost moves!

So caught on the back foot Melli almost let the other Pokémon escape. It would seem that having one of her best moves completely fail was enough to change her attitude. Too late to be scared now, Melli thought as he pounced. It was hard to get a grip on the other ghost type but a blast of fire inches from her head convinced her to stop struggling.

“H-hi come on, you don’t want to eat me! Don’t you beastly types like meaty things? I’m anything but meaty! I was just joking earlier! You are soooo pretty-like I was just jealous-“

“SHUT UP!” Melli only felt a little bad when the Froslass broke out in icy tears. “Take me to Lord Avalugg and I’ll let you keep your afterlife.”

Her tears dried up pretty fast at that demand. “Wha? Really? That’s it?”

Melli wasn’t sure what was so confusing for her. “Yes?”

“You don’t want to force me to catch other Pokémon to feed you? Or take out one of your rivals? Or make me help you terrorize humans?”

Melli lifts an elegant brow. “Would I even be forcing you to terrorize humans? Doesn’t your kind literally feed on terror?”

The Froslass doesn’t respond immediately. “…Are you flirting with me?”

Nevermind. Melli might be better off just trying to find the giant Pokémon himself. It couldn’t be that hard if Lord Avalugg was as humongous as everyone says that he is. He releases the other Pokémon and starts to walk away.

“Wa-wait a minute! I was just kidding! Lord Avalanche is this way. It going to be quite the walk for you.”

Melli was really suspicious now. This friendly attitude was quite a change from before. He decided that he would just keep walking and ignoring the tail that he suddenly had grown. It wasn’t easy, he could feel her eyes on him, and it was starting to make his fur itch.

“Thank you,” Melli looks over his shoulder. “I can get there from here.”

“What do you want to talk to the lord about? ‘Avalanche’ likes humans,” Froslass finishes without explaining what she means.

Melli could guess why the noble Pokémon liking humans was a mark of importance considering what they both were, but he had a more pressing question, “Why do you keep calling Lord Avalugg, Avalanche?”

“He is the father of all snow slides… You’re not from here, are you?”

“Did asking for directions give me away?” Melli mocks.

“Um, yes. Also, I’ve never seen a single Pokémon in all of these lands make fire like that. What-what are you?”

“I’m a Zoroark.” Saying it out loud left a bitter taste in Melli’s mouth.

“Oh!” The ice Pokémon floats ahead of him to get a closer look at his face. “So that’s what a Zoroark really looks like! I thought you were an emaciated Lucario.”

Maybe Melli should practice his Flamethrower some more. He had the perfect target right in front of him. With a pop of fire, the Froslass finally darts away into the snow and Melli was alone again…

The Froslass hadn’t been kidding about it being far. Melli could see the Arena’s Approach and the planform of ice that made the lord’s home, but it was still a ways away. Now with his destination in sight, Melli breaks out into a sprint. Lord Sinnoh didn’t favor people that were not mindful of their time after all.

Melli had never met the Lord of the Tundra. Why would he? He didn’t live in the Icelands, and before now had made no plans of ever coming up here. All he knew was that Lord Avalugg was the oldest noble Pokémon, with Lord Electrode being the next closest in age. However, people would say that it was comparing the age of ice to the age of a tree. Melli felt that it might be a bit of an exaggeration but he was biased of course.

Other than that, Melli knew just about nothing. Lady Cresselia seemed to know of him enough that she was confident she could ask favors. The young man could only hope that the lord was as kind as Lord Electrode if a little less prone to his temper than his own lord.

The reborn Zoroark spent so much time worrying about the lord of the Icelands that he forgot all about the bare-chested lunatic that was the noble’s warden.

“What the- Hey!” Shouted the voice of an unfortunately familiar man.

Melli skids to a stop, cussing under his breath. Gaeric. He couldn’t believe that he had forgotten all about the warden. This was the first time that he had seen the man in his natural environment. He really did walk about in snow and ice with his whole tits out.

Right now, the Iceland warden's eyes were even bigger than his muscles. Melli couldn’t blame the man. He wouldn’t have been making a different expression if a whole Zoroark walked up to Moonview Arena like it was going to have tea with his lord.

They both freeze as if believing that if they stayed still for long enough the other might disappear. Maybe if Melli backed up, they could pretend that they didn’t see each other.

Melli took a tentative step back and seeing that Gaeric didn’t immediately attack him when he moved, he continued to backpedal until he was all the way back down the steps to the arena. The Zoroark decided it would be best to wait for nightfall to try again.

Gaeric was only taking a small break from his exercise to check up on his lord when the scariest thing happened to him! Great Sinnoh, no one was going to believe him on this one. Sneaking up behind him had been the single most colossal Zoroark that he had ever seen!

As the warden of the Icelands, Gaeric wasn’t unfamiliar with the tricky fox Pokémon. He would usually be the first sentinel against the beasts. He made himself infamous enough among the Pokémon that they would often break their disguise and flee at the sight of him. His combo team of Glalie and Froslass was made specially to repel the tricky beasts. Froslass would outs them with her ghostly insight and Glalie send them packing with a powerful Crunch. So Gaeric was pretty confident in his ability to recognize a Zoroark in or out of its disguise.

This one that was in front of him now was a beast like no other. It towered over him, and its fur was tipped a purplish color as if dipped in poison. Its eyes had the signature hellish glow of an Alpha. It was so bold that it didn’t even don a disguise to make itself look more inconspicuous before coming close. It was a Zoroark unlike any other that he had seen before.

Gaeric would cringe in later recollection of how his heart dropped and how he froze with not a single word falling from his lips. He prided himself on having a hard and impenetrable mind and body, but he cracked under pressure. His Pokémon were not nearby, and he had no weapons at hand besides his own body. So, he only stood there.

If the Zoroark was more like the ones that he was used to it would have taken that chance to jump him but the Pokémon across from him just stared, just as frozen as he was. Ice froze his veins as he waited for the killing strike.

Then, what might be the craziest part, the monster of a Pokémon slowly backed away. Not once did it break its gaze from his as it left the arena.

Only when the Pokémon was gone did Gaeric’s breath finally return to him. For once the warden could feel the biting cold against his skin and he shivered. A part of him didn’t want to tell his clanmates about his moment of weakness but the better part of him knew that this encounter needed to be reported.

Would his lord be fine while he goes alert the others? Gaeric has to shake his head at his thoughts. Of course, the lord would be fine. Just because Gaeric had been scared didn’t mean that his lord would. As big as the Zoroark was compared to himself, his lord could crush the Pokémon under foot like it was nothing. No, the ones in danger were his clanmates.

Gaeric whistled for his Pokémon who quickly came to his side having missed all the fun. His Froslass, seeing that her tamer was shaken by something, fussed over him. Looks like Gaeric wouldn’t have to worry about his two Pokémon running off to have little liaisons without him for a while.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

One of the Pack

Gaeric leaves not too long after their encounter and by the will of Almighty Sinnoh, Melli isn’t about to waste time. Even if the newly made Zoroark hoped that the Icelands warden would just forget about him, he knew that the chance of that actually happening was low. So, time truly was wasting and Melli wasn’t going to be caught sinning.

Melli climbs back to the top and pauses in awe at the size of the arena. It was massive and only fitting for the Pokémon that lived inside it. All the noble Pokémon were massive. That was a fact. Alpha Pokémon were giants, that was a fact. But Lord Avalugg was something else! If the arena wasn't clear of any kind of feature but smooth ice, he would have thought he was just looking at a misplaced plateau. In other words, Lord Avalugg was a landmark of a Pokémon!

“Greetings Lord Avalugg!” Melli calls out a greeting. Would the giant Pokémon even be able to hear him?

“Hmmm? Is this the visitor that I’ve been expecting?” The wall of ice lifted its head. A humongous eye focuses on the Zoroark. “It’s just like she said. You do look like a beast, don’t you?”

Lord Avalugg’s voice was a little hard to pin down. He spoke slowly and at times sounded less like a Pokémon and more like a small landslide. It rumbled loud enough that Melli hoped that the Pearl Clan couldn’t hear him from their settlement. The lord’s mouth was so large it brought into question what the noble ate. The lord could snatch him up and wouldn’t even have to chew.

“Y-yes my lord.” Melli couldn’t think of anything cleverer.

“I’ve seen this a few times, you know. Many a ghost Pokémon has its first origins born from the soul of a human being…” The lord takes a breath. The noble’s inhalation pulled icy wind around the warden.

“Take some comfort that you are not walking this path unknown and I’m sorry that your first life was cut too soon.”

Maybe Melli shouldn’t be surprised at the amount of sincerity that was in the noble’s words. Standing before him was one of the few Pokémon blessed by the Almighty and chose to lease its power out to the benefit of humans. Some compassion is part of the job, but it was still nice to hear. Even if the words are from the Pearl Clan’s noble.

“Thank you for your kind words.” Melli lets his ears tilt to a submissive position.

“…Aw, but you don’t need condolences, do you? You need directions. Here…” The landmark of a Pokémon let out a low rumble and out from a nearby snow pile pops a Bergmite. “My daughter will take you to one of the Zoroark territories so that you might learn how to live as you are now.”

The little Bergmite wattles up with a self-important strut. “I’ll escort you!”

“Safe travels Melli, Warden of the Hollows.” And with that Lord Avalugg lowers his head and appears to fall into a slumber.

Well, that was less stressful than Melli thought it would be. Anticlimactic actually.

“Let’s go!” The little Pokémon peps. “We have ground to cover!”

And with that, the short-legged Pokémon slides down the plateau’s steps and leaves Melli behind. Startled by her apparent speed the new Zoroark had to scramble to not lose sight of her.

The snow fell down in sheets as they traveled east from the lord’s arena. The Bergmite didn’t seem at all affected by the cooling of the night or the fluffy white ice that fell in increasingly larger amounts as they walked. Melli didn’t have that leisure. Even with his thick mane and fur-covered body, the temperature was making his limbs numb.

Were Zoroarks the type of creature that would be awake at this time of night? It would be rude if he appeared while they had been sleeping. Even then, how big of a territory is this? Do Zoroarks make packs? Or would he be getting his lessons from just a single Zoroark? As feared as they are the Pokémon were exceedingly hard to find. But how is anyone to know how many or few of a Pokémon that don’t often appear as their true form?

“We are here!” The Bergmite chimed and then spun herself like a little top completely oblivious to her escort’s internal worrying.

“Here?” Melli looked around to see ice…snow…and more ice. This looked like a bunch of nothing. Ugh, the Icelands are so drab! Everything looks the same! “I don’t see anyone.” He tried and failed to keep the aggravation out of his voice.

The Bergmite was unbothered by his tone as she had already left him. Leaving Melli to look around in a circle to make sure that he hadn’t missed her before accepting that he was all alone.

The snowstorm made the winds howl and the tunnels warped and warbled the sound until it was unrecognizable as it was before. As he stood the snow started to pile up around his paws and made his mane heavy. A whine wormed its way out of Melli's throat as the wind blew viciously, making the holes riddling the ice wail like the damned.  

“Hey, cut the theatrics. I think there’s a pup,” A voice could barely be heard over the wails.  

With that simple, barely auditable sentence the sound cut out. Melli almost preferred the wind to the oppressive silence that took its place. His ears swiveled desperately trying to catch on to every little noise of whoever else was there.

“You sure you heard a pup? I’m not hearing anything now.” A different masculine voice spoke.

“Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t know that you were the one called Big Ears.” The other voice was more youthful sounding.

“Right my bad,” The other one replied amused.

After a moment of thought Melli called out. “H-hey!” The warden flinched at his own voice. He sounded a bit too much like a young Melli. Um, his other old self, his child self. His weaker self. Being shy never helped him before and it wasn’t likely to help him at all now. How the Great Melli has fallen.

“…That didn’t sound like no damned pup.”

The two Pokémon appeared from the wall of ice to Melli’s left. Apparently, it was an illusionary wall as the two stood in the middle of it, making it look like they were a set of mounted heads. The three of them exchanged wide-eyed stares for a minute at a time.

Had Zoroarks always been this small? Melli thought to himself as he rose from his impromptu crouch to stand at his full height. The other two were way below him. The warden couldn’t stop the vindictive satisfaction that came as the other two Zoroarks’ eyes started to bulge in fright. It was nice to be the one doing the scaring for once. However, Melli had to remind himself, that he was here for a reason.

“I, um come to learn from your…pack?” Melli was really going to need those lessons. He didn’t even know what a group of Zoroarks were called or whether or not the actual Pokémon would use that same verbiage.  

“Uh, suuure?” The one that Melli thinks is called Big Ears said while sticking his neck out to try and get a sniff of the larger Zoroark without getting too close.

The other one whose name Melli didn’t know was more subtle about his sniffing, opting to not lean in but his wiggling nose gave away his interest. It was pretty normal for Pokémon to sniff each other so the warden didn’t take offence. The warden had seen his Skuntank do the same with other wild Skuntank many times. So, the new Zoroark tries to return the gesture, lest he makes a social blunder this early into an interaction.

Big Ears smelled like something kind of sweet with just a hint of musk. He was…a young adult… male?...lives with two others maybe? Healthy, if a little underfed. The other one kind of smelled like something woody and like he had a partner of some sort. Mated? Melli managed to get a lot of uncertain information from them, but he feared he wasn’t confident enough to make much use of it. He could only guess what they could smell from him. The way that Big Ears crinkled his nose he must be smelling his Skuntank’s brand of perfume on him. Being sick, the poor thing couldn’t control it like he usually does. He probably smelled like things that the other Zoroark had never even seen before.

“Wait-now hold on now. We need to talk to the Matriarch first. Stay right here…you.” The unnamed Zoroark looks at Big Ears. “Keep an eye on her, while I grab the Matriarch.”

“Huh? Wait a min-,” Big Ears tried to protest before realizing that his companion had already left him behind.

The two of them were left in an awkward silence as they waited for the one in charge to make her grand appearance.

“So…um? What brings you here?” Big Ears asks awkwardly. “Wait you already told us that. Uh, where are you from?”

Melli wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It was quite obvious he wasn’t from here, but he wasn’t too sure how much he should tell this stranger. Even if he was a Pokémon. “I’m from…the other side of the mountain.”

“Really? That’s so far! There are so many humans on that side too. Is that why you smell so strange?” Big Ears started firing off questions.

Melli wished that he didn’t bother to answer the shorter male’s first line of inquiry. Now the thing wouldn’t shut up. He was saved from losing his temper with the nosy Pokémon with the arrival of the Matriarch. With her came another small grouping of Zoroarks and …smaller Zoroarks. Um, baby Zoroarks? They were cuter and more Eevee-shaped than he thought they would be.

“Aren’t you a large lass?” Croaks the leading Zoroark. She appeared more aged than the other thanks to several scars, one of which took her right eye with it. The other eye wasn’t much better. What should normally be red, turned milky pink with cataracts. However, it didn’t take great vision to note that Melli was many times larger than her, or anyone in the whole pack for that matter.

She stops a few spaces in front of him and sits down expectantly. Her near-blind gaze watched him. Waiting. The longer she waited the more the other Zoroarks started to murmur.

Was Melli supposed to do something here? All the warden could think to do was bow like he would do for someone important. It was kind of awkward as he was still taller than her at his bow. His ears grew hot when the Matriarch laughed at him.

“You are a strange one alright. Who raised you? Not another Zoroark I’m guessing.” The elderly Zoroark seemed to take Melli’s social fumbling in good faith. Guess even Pokémon looked out for babies and fools and Melli had to disdainfully admit that he fits in the latter category.  

She takes his head into her claws and pulls him close before tilting his head so far that he would think that she was trying to twist it off if she wasn’t being so gentle. Melli let her lead him until he was forced to roll onto his side. He couldn’t help the grumble at the undignified position.

“This is how you should greet your elders and leaders youngin. However, as an Alpha I can see that you might not be prone to this,” The Matriarch chuckles before sniffing him all over. She was a lot more thorough than the other two dared to be.

Melli would have protested the treatment more if the words she used to describe him didn’t catch itself in his ears. Alpha? That is what she called him. But of course! Melli couldn’t be a regular devil. No, he had to be the king of devils! He was cursed and he had the worst luck. What a fool of Melli to think that he could get a break! No wonder Gaeric looked like death had come for him personally when he saw him.

“Alright pup, you can get up now. Hope you don’t mind sharing some of your goodies with the rest of us.” The elder didn’t wait for his response as she had already plucked one of his Plump Beans which he took with him as a treat, from his mane.

“No problem. Just help yourself.” Melli knew that he didn’t sound the littlest bit sincere as he said the words.

The other Zoroark were not so bold and Melli was not going to openly volunteer his food. He wasn’t sure what the hierarchy here was outside of the elder Zoroark herself, but Melli wasn’t keen on being below anyone else much like what the Matriarch said. Even in his own clan he really only deferred to Adaman. However fearful the others might be of him they still took every opportunity to sniff his backside when he wasn’t looking, only to dart away when he would glare at them.

The elder led them all back into the ice tunnels where the wall seemed to shift every time he glanced away. Were the walls even real? Could Zoroark’s illusion affect more than just themselves? What a frightening thought.

Big Ears bounded up from the back of the crowd to join him behind the elder and Melli could feel his general discomfort continue to rise. He was tired, hungry and already missing his home. The others better get a good whiff of him because he wasn’t planning on staying. Once he figured out how to look like himself again, he was out of here.

“Yo, beautiful, mind sharing your treats with me?” Big Ears asked while trying to schmooze up to him.

Oh, this guy. Melli recognized that tone of voice anywhere. Incredibly stupid and bold. Said in a way that implies more than just wanting a snack. He couldn’t believe that he was having this problem even as a Pokémon. It would appear that his esteemed beauty still came through even in this shape. Regardless of whatever way he meant by his words Melli’s answer was still the same.

The new Zoroark musters all his contempt. “Get lost,” Melli growled lowly.

The sound bounced strangely around the tunnel, but his message was plenty clear. It seemed it also worked great on the crowd that was following them. Suddenly everyone had somewhere else to be and something else to do. Like smoke, they disappeared and thankfully Big Ears ran off with them.

“Aren’t you a mean ol’ thing. Guess it can’t be helped considering.”

What did the old bird mean by that? Considering what? Great Sinnoh he always hated how old people would talk about him. It’s always in the loudest of whispers and the most annoying of riddles. It made Melli wonder how people could manage to live so long with so little empathy. It drove him mad.

“Calm yourself. You are back with your kind now. None of that growling.” The Matriarch turns to soothe him.

Melli hadn’t even realized that he was still growling this whole time. His anger kept coming up behind him with so little warning. He must be getting blindsided by all the socializing that he was forced to endure in one day. There was a reason that he would sequester himself to his beloved Coronet Highlands.

Melli forced himself to take a deep, shuttering breath. In came the icy cold air and out was a flare of smoke that blinded and stung his eyes… He was so tired.

The elderly Pokémon gently guided him deeper into the tunnels. Sinnoh only knows where she was taking him and at this point, he couldn’t care less. She could turn around and slash his throat and he wouldn’t even have the energy to fight her.

She pushes him into a fur-lined nest. It smelled strange, like old people and most of his body hung out of it but he couldn’t find it in himself to care as he closed his eyes. He didn’t so much as fall asleep as shut down. Darkness pulls him away.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

One of Us but Different

Melli’s ears flicked as it caught on to the sound of whispers. He couldn’t help indulging in an old bad habit of his by eavesdropping on the conversation. Even if the resulting words ended in his hurt feelings, he just couldn’t help himself. However hurt feelings were better than misplaced trust. So, he feigned sleep.

“Are you sure about letting the Alpha sleep in your den? You know how their kind get.”

“Hmph, what would the lass possibly do to me? Kill me? Ha, it would be about time I would say.”

The other Zoroark grumbles something too low for Melli to hear before continuing, “It’s been omen after omen. You don’t find this stranger just a little bit suspicious?”

“Oh absolutely.” The fur on Melli’s back raised. Did even the devils think that he was cursed too? What would that mean for him? The elder continues, “But the thing about omens and signs is you can’t tell the difference at arm’s length. I sure as hell can’t anyway.”

The other one grumbles something under their breath again. “How are we going to feed this ‘little’ project of yours?”

 “Same way I fed you lot,” The Matriarch snaps, her patience apparently spent. “You go and worry about your den.”

“…Yes mama.”

With that, the other Zoroark leaves and Melli reminds himself to relax like he hadn’t been tensely listening to their conversation the whole time. The Matriarch’s claws clicked against the ice floor, and he could hear the creak of her bones as she lay down with a sigh.

Melli waits, it would be too suspicious to wake up right in this moment, mulling over what he heard. He didn’t like hearing the talk of omens, especially when referring to himself. There was enough of that on the human side. He didn’t want to know what Pokémon would consider a bad mark. However, the situation of food is a valid point. Melli had only brought so much with him, and he didn’t know enough about the Icelands to gather more.

So many troubles happening all at once. Never mind how Melli’s actual transformation puzzled into all of this. As much as he would like to deny it, his presence was suspicious. But like the elder said there was no point in overthinking anything. Time flows forward and it is there that he must go.

So, nothing has changed. Melli, Warden of The Hollows, came here so that he could learn what he needed to so that he could go back to his holy duties and his mundane responsibilities. Whatever happens after that can only be tackled when the time comes. So are the teachings of Lord Sinnoh.

“Has anyone told you that you think very loudly?”

Melli’s ears perked up, forgetting that he was pretending to still be asleep. Looks like he was caught red-handed, pawed…whatever.  If she is like the elders of his clan, she will hopefully be more annoyed at his perceived laziness than think of the possibility of him overhearing.

“Someone might have told me once or twice,” Melli responds smoothly as he rolls over and stretches.

“Hmm.” The elderly Pokémon scratches herself with her hind leg. “So, tell me about yourself, child. As you must know your presence is causing quite a stir and I would like to see what I’m getting into.”

Melli didn’t want to give her too many details. The less the better for all he cares. “As you guessed I wasn’t raised by other Zoroark. I’m…I don’t know how to be a Zoroark.”

“Who raised you? As much as you are a pup to me you are a full-grown adult by anyone else’s standard.”

Melli could only guess how poorly she might react if he said humans. Electrode might be a little farfetched even if it was more honest. “I grew up with a Skuntank.” Based off of Big Ears’ expression when they first met, the warden could guess that it was an obvious scent on him.

 “Ah,” The Matriarch sighs. “Yes, that would explain quite a few things wouldn’t it. It’s going to be up to me to teach you everything from scratch.” The elderly Pokémon wobbled back up onto her legs and walked over to gently pat his face. “Poor pup, you’ve lost your mother far too early, didn’t you.”

Melli didn’t have the emotional wherewithal to take that pitying tone. He snatches his head away as he stands to his full height. He wasn’t sure what this old bird was aiming for, but Melli wasn’t going to play ball. He didn’t want any more misplaced sympathies and prayers. He wanted results.

Melli pretends to not see the flash of hurt in the older Pokémon’s eye. Even if the Matriarch’s intentions were pure, he wasn’t staying. There was no point in getting attached. He might be a beast on the outside, but he was still a man on the inside. He was no baby or pup or whatever she wanted to call him.

So, he tells her as much. “I only need to learn how to make illusions and I’m gone. No need to worry about how you’re going to feed me or any of that. I can give you something in exchange if you want it.”

Melli couldn’t stand the way she looked at him after the words left his mouth. Such a sad expression, like he was something to be pitied. And what for? The Great Melli was fine, and he will only get better the moment that he can get back to looking like himself!

The alpha’s lip curled as the Matriarch opened her mouth as if to speak but she closed it likely thinking better of it.

“…I see.”

He could tell that she wanted to say more but not another word leaves her muzzle. Maybe age did earn some elderly with a smidge of wisdom after all.  She hobbles back over to her spot and sits down. Her remaining milky eye was even glossier as she gets lost in thought. Melli watches her for a moment before accepting that the conversation was done. He takes some of his stored food from his mane and eats it. He was hungry before he passed out, so he gave little mind to what time of day it was. Something that would normally be worth getting scolded for but was sinning something that a dead man should care about?

…The silence was killing him.

Regret soon bittered the flavor of his meal and his appetite waned. He should have known that even if he didn’t think that he did anything wrong he would feel guilty regardless. It didn’t help that the old bag had been nothing but nice.

“So…What is the first step to making an illusion?” Melli asked in place of an apology.

The Matriarch’s ears perk up and she gives him a soft smile. “The first step to mastering illusions is maintaining the quality of your mane. Good grooming makes for a good deception. Our powers manifest from our hair.” The elder shows him as she manipulates the long ghostly, gravity-defying hair, into a miniature flock of Starly.

Well, that at least shouldn’t be a problem for the warden. He was considered vain for a reason and half of his vanity was his hair. Melli idly runs his claws through the weightless strands. “Check.”

“Next is knowing what you want to manifest. Some illusions can appear with little thought, like fire, apparitions, or fog. Just the simplest of thought can breathe life into it. If you want to fade away, you become see-through. If you want to be fierce you grow in size. If you are sad you might drip like you’ve been rained on. Illusions like these are more like an expression. It happens naturally but you can school yourself to repress or enhance your reactions.”

“Huh.” That was interesting and all but not what he needed to know… Actually, he might want to take that back. If his face suddenly melted off in front of others just because he got a little upset that would definitely cause problems. And now he was wondering if he had been doing that by accident at any point.

“Then comes the disguise. You need to imagine what you want to look like. As many details as you can manage is usually best but don’t be afraid to set a scene either. The right weather might be the difference between a perfect trick or you getting kicked.”

“…Is that all?” Melli had to ask. None of that sounded too hard. He might be able to leave a lot sooner than he thought!

“Yep! That’s pretty much it. From there it just takes some practice to maintain your form,” the elder answered, amused.

Well, no time like the present! Melli’s mind immediately jumped to trying to turn back into himself before remembering the company that he was keeping at the moment. It’s best that he didn’t try to be a human quite yet. Plus, if he had the opportunity why shouldn’t he try a few different creatures? Oh, like-

Melli tried to remember as many details of his partner as possible. The thickness of his fur to the very shade of purple. The rumbly purr of his voice and his cute little paws. He clamped his eyes shut and scrunched his nose as he concentrated.

“Oh my, well done!”

Excited, Melli snapped his eyes open and looked down at his paws only for him to catch the visage of his oldest partner. He looked at it with mixed feelings. It was a very life-like image but…Melli had meant for himself to look like his Skuntank. Still, he was mystified by the sight, and the harder he looked the more complete the illusion appeared. Each individual detail that he focused on would jump to full clarity at his inspection.

It made him feel homesick and Melli felt ridiculous for it. It has hardly been a day since he left. He would take longer trips to the Mirelands for crying out loud! With a huff, the new Zoroark blew the illusion away.

“Was that your brother? You must care about him very much to hold such a loving image of him in your mind.”

Brother? Would he consider Skuntank a brother to him? The bloom of warmth in his chest made the answer easy for him. Why wouldn’t he be? When he was alive, he might argue that as a human he couldn’t have that privilege, but life is truly too short. Why shouldn’t he call a Skuntank his brother? So, he nods.

“Then I guess it would be wrong of me to keep you from your family,” The Matriarch sighs. “It shouldn’t be too hard. You already have a solid imagination; it should take you little time to disguise yourself.”

“Yeah about that. I wanted to turn into a Skuntank not, um make a puppet of him.”

“The disguise can be a little trickier, it requires you to think from the point of view of who or what you are trying to look like. It can take a while to get it but even the young Zorua can manage a servable disguise.”

Melli didn’t need serviceable, he needed perfection! He needed something that could fool the keenest of eyes because if he was found out he would be at best forced to run or at worst killed by his own clansmen.

So that thought brought Melli to this next question, “How good can an illusion be?”

The elder tilts her head. “What are you up to youngin? What kind of trick are you trying to get away with?”

Ugh. Melli hesitates. He could tell that the elder was going to keep inquiring about what Melli was trying to achieve. She was probably wondering what creature he wanted to mimic that would even bother to look so closely.

“…I don’t want to tell you.” Even just saying that Melli felt was giving away so much.

“If I knew what you wanted to do, I might be able to help you more. Regardless, a proper demonstration can show you what you should aim for.”

The elder Pokémon had barely finished her sentence when the cave suddenly changed around him. Startled, Melli blinked but in that moment of inattention, the elder was swept away with the scene. He was in a place that he didn’t recognize but it was in full blooming spring. Flowers that he had never seen before swayed in the wind that he knew shouldn’t be there. He could even smell some kind of fruit just around the corner somewhere unseen, it had a tantalizing sweetness to it.

“Old lady?” He calls out to no one.

Instead of the elder a Buneary bounds into the field, completely oblivious to his presence. Melli gaped in surprise at the Pokémon’s boldness. He knew about Buneary, he even tasted their meat before, and it was a terribly hard treat to obtain. The Pokémon were easily frightened, almost like they knew that their delicate flesh was delicious.

The thought of the tender meat made Melli’s instincts flare, his lost appetite returning with a vengeance. He was posed into a crouch and was pouncing in the next breath before he had another thought enter his head. His jaws snapped around where the Pokémon’s neck should have been. He has a moment of satisfaction as he feels the small Pokémon’s fur in his mouth, but it soon vanishes as instead of the flavorful splash of blood, his teeth clacked against each other.

The illusion faded away as the old crone crackled at him. Dazed, Melli couldn’t quite get himself to be properly annoyed with her for laughing at him. Melli was hungry. Hungry in a way that he knew beans and berries were not going to fix. His stomach growled, furious at the deception. Maybe Melli himself was not angry but his belly was.

“Oh, poor pup. That was a mean trick of me. How about we go hunting and I show you how to use your gift on prey, hmm?” The elder cooed at him like he was a baby, her claws fixing his mane.

Melli was still too in awe to brush the elder off like before. He could smell and feel that illusion. He could even start to feel the warmth of the sun. It was amazing! Surely not every Zoroark could do that, or they would have wiped humans off the land ages ago. The warden hated to be caught on the back foot but even he had to admit that he had greatly underestimated the Matriarch…He could stand to be a little nicer.

“Are you okay pup?” The smaller Pokémon asked in concern as she pulled his face down to hers. She seemed halfway ready to lick his face to get a response from him.

“I’m okay. Hunting? Sounds good,” Melli answered before pulling his face away, gently this time.

“Okay…Do try to keep your head in the game while we are out in the snow pup.” The elder trots ahead before looking back at him. “Let’s go get us a hunting party.”

 Melli lets the elder lead him around the tunnels. He would like to think that he knows his way around a cave system or two but here it seemed to be mostly maze-like nonsense. After what he had seen the elder pull off he could only guess why the tunnels were like this.

Before Melli could think too hard about the tunnels, the sound of the other Zoroarks chatting and socializing distracted him. He started lagging behind as they got closer. Big crowds always made him a little anxious. Even if the solitude of the Highlands made him lonely at times it was usually preferable to the stress that the settlement causes him on most days. However, he had to wonder if that was because of big crowds or just the general unease that he had with multiple clan mates.

Regardless the Matriarch keeps walking ahead without him into the cavern. There was a distinctive pause in the conversation as the pack members greeted their elder. The Matriarch noticed his absence when the greetings didn’t include him. Her cloudy eye looks back and she gestures for him.

Melli crept forward but apparently took too long as the Matriarch loudly introduced him to the rest of the pack before he even got his whole upper body in view. He had to stop himself from back-pedaling and dug his claws into the ice to keep walking forward. The hush that covered the crowd was deafening.

Somewhere deep in the crowd, someone shout-whispers a voice, “That’s her! That’s the one I was talking about!” It was quickly followed by a shush and a yelp.

Melli’s ears flicked. He's been ignoring it but just about all the Zoroark seemed to be sure that he was a female. He had to wonder to himself if it was worth correcting them. His own clan knew better but with the addition and increasing importance of the Galaxy Team and Jubilife immigrants, he had been referred by the other gender more often. It didn’t bother him much but sometimes people under that impression feel tricked when they find that their assumptions were incorrect. Melli could never understand how any of that was his problem but if they wanted to be offended, he could definitely make sure to give them something to be offended about. But shouldn’t Pokémon, with all their senses, be able to tell the difference? Couldn’t they tell that he was a man? Uh, male. He was pretty sure that he could smell the difference, but he was new to all of this. Ah, maybe he should just let sleeping dogs lie.

So Melli stayed just as quiet as the rest of them. The Matriarch announced her intention to hunt, and the pack was alive again. Melli couldn’t understand what some of the sounds the others erupted into, but the excitement was palpable. He could relate. Food, especially meat, was always something to be excited about. The Diamond Clan didn’t have much opportunity to have palatable meat, most of the Pokémon near the settlement either had distasteful meat or lacked meat entirely. Who would have thought that Hippopotas tasted like dirt? No, they usually were sustained on the many plants and vegetables that would grow nearby.

The Icelands on the other hand had many a tasty creature. Aipom, Buneary, Lickitung and never mind the full-bodied, fatty flavor of the Swinub line. Melli had only got to taste it once when Adaman managed to negotiate a trade with the Pearl Clan for the precious meat. Only the important people were allowed to have a taste and thankfully at the time Melli had been established as a warden and was thus one of those important people. And while not everyone got to taste the meat, there was plenty of fat that was saved over and used to flavor meals for months after.

The Matriarch turns to Melli, “Go on now dear, and make some friends while me and the other elders go over some hunting plans,” With that, she walks off said other Zoroark, who didn’t look very elderly to his eye. At least not the same way as the Matriarch was obvious to him. He was going to have to take her word for it.

“Hey! Beautiful! Over here!” Melli winced at the volume of the other Zoroark whose voice he unfortunately recognized. He pretended that he couldn’t hear the catcalling as he tried to make his way to a corner to be left alone. His wish was quickly dashed as Big Ears and two other Zoroark bound up to him.

Melli pins his ears back. “What do you want?” He asked, lips curling to show his teeth.

Big Ears wasn’t put off by his sharp canines. It would seem that the smaller Zoroark had lost all fear that he had of the alpha and had decided that he was going to be Melli’s new fanboy.

“I wanted you to meet my brothers! Not by blood mind you.” Big Ears turns to the other two males who stood farther away in a much more subdued mood. “Isn’t she gorgeous?” Big Ears swoons to his brothers.

This was starting to get on Melli’s nerves. Not the being called gorgeous part but every Zoroark being so insistent that he was female! What gives? He was a man! The mistake was fine in short encounters but if Big Ears was going to consistently bother him, this needed to be straightened out.

“Big Head, was it? I’m going to have to ask you to shut up a moment and get something straight.” Melli shoves his claw into the other’s face. “I’m a man-male... Get it right or get out of my face. I don’t know what about me keeps giving everyone that impression,” The larger Pokémon huffs. While the reason for the mistake made sense as a human Melli didn’t understand what metric Pokémon were going by.

“Oh?” The three Zoroarks wiggle their noses at him before giving each other an inquisitive look.

And what was that look about? They’re acting like they know something that Melli doesn’t. Just the thought brought Melli’s annoyance to a peak.

“Excuse my mate here. He isn’t known for having the keenest senses outside of his nickname. I’m usually called Clear Eyes around here,” Speaks one of the other two Zoroarks with a voice deeper than made sense for his frame. “And this over here is Soft Voice.”

Interesting names. Melli’s eyes weren’t so keen to really spot the difference between the Pokémon at just a glance. He guesses Clear Eyes’ eyes were extra shiny and so far, Soft Voice hadn’t made a noise at all. That already made him the warden’s favorite.

“Aw I guess I goofed up, but you should still come hang out with us Beautiful.” Big Ears tilts his head and gives the larger Pokémon puppy eyes.

Melli sighs. He might as well, considering he has zero else to do, and the Matriarch said to go make friends. These guys…Melli stares down at the trio who were all giving him expectant looks, were friendly enough.

“Fine.” And at his word the group swarmed him and herded him away from the other Zoroark that looked on in unabashed curiosity. The whole while they were trying to convince him away, they kept doing little bows and wiggling their back halves. Well, Big Ears wiggled.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

Makings of a Monster

Melli feels that entertaining Big Ears was a mistake. It seemed that even after telling the other Zoroark that he was a male, he continued to flirt. The warden could only guess that something like that didn’t matter to the shapeshifting Zoroarks. Or maybe it was more like Big Ears didn’t care. Regardless, Melli wasn’t going to give him the time of day, because even if he was a Pokémon in body, he was still human in mind…It would be wrong.

However, that brought to mind, what about Melli himself? Would it be considered sinful to be with another human?? Melli shakes his head. No point in worrying about something that was never going to happen anyway, right?

“What's wrong?” Whispers someone from his right.

Melli looked over, confused before realizing that it was Soft Voice who was the one that spoke. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Your face was sad for a moment. You’re safe here you know. You’re with the pack now.”

Was he safe though? They didn’t know his true nature. Hell, Melli didn’t even know his true nature or why he was still here. Maybe if he was Sabi he would have had a vision about what would come next, but he was just Melli. The warden who couldn’t even do his job right now.

Melli frowned again, looking down to see that Soft Voice was still watching him. Quickly the new Zoroark straightened his face to something more neutral as Big Ears continued to ramble on about everything and nothing. Thankfully Melli didn’t have to suffer for too long as a howl rang out bringing the pack’s attention to the front.

Thank Sinnoh.

“All right everyone! It’s time for a big hunt! You know what that means!” Yells one of the elders.

Big hunt? Hopefully, that doesn’t mean hunting humans, Melli thought to himself, his ear twitching as the pack erupted into barks and howls.

“What’s that mean?” The large Zoroark couldn’t help but ask.

“We are aiming for the good stuff, Swinub and Piloswine,” Answers Clear Eyes.

Melli’s ears perked at that. Oh, that would hit the spot! He was just thinking about the tasty beasts. That leaves only one question, how were these Zoroarks expecting to capture and kill one of those behemoth mountains of fur.

“We can owe this big hunt to our new and biggest member. With their help, we have the strength to even kill a giant!” The elder finishes as the crowd cheers.

Huh?! What exactly did they think that he was going to do?? That old crone sold him out! However, Melli couldn’t express his displeasure in front of this strange crowd. Oh, they were all happy to have him here now, when they realized that he could do something for them.

Melli had to stifle the flare of bitterness before it showed on his face. Humans and Pokémon were not so different after all. They both only accept you based on your usefulness. He couldn’t wait to see how long this would last before they decided that he was more work than his worth. Melli reminded himself that he didn’t plan on staying anyway, so it mattered very little how everyone else felt.

The Matriarch regroups with him and saves him from having to spend any more time trying to rebuff Big Ear’s advances. She explains what she expected him to do. It was simple really. His job was to make sure that all the Piloswine and Swinub moved. They have a tendency to guard up when they are being hunted and they are a lot harder to kill when they are fighting back. Usually, that was the risk that a Zoroark takes if they wanted their meat, but an Alpha Pokémon is enough of a threat that they are more likely to keep running. A losing effort as they were not going to be able to outpace a grown Zoroark, let alone a half-grown Zorua. The best part is all Melli had to do was look scary and try and keep them running in the same direction.

The elder Zoroark stuck to his side as the others of the pack grouped up and spread out disappearing into the snow. She apparently had the time to nitpick the way he walked in the powdery fluff and kept adjusting his stance until she was satisfied. No other Zoroark paired up with them, but understandably it probably wouldn’t be needed.

A blizzard ruined the visibility but it mattered little as Piloswine and kin have a pungent smell. Even the warden’s inexperienced nose could pick out the scent in the storm. The Matriarch gestured for him to keep low as they got closer. He tried his best even if it ended up with him crawling on his belly through the snow. Now to wait for the signal that everyone else was in position.

The sign was silent, there wasn’t any barking or howling but a flash of red in the distance. The Matriarch rises to her feet and lets out a haunting howl and the reaction in the herd is instant. The Piloswine turn and bare their tusk in their direction and the Swinub scramble to get under their adult members.

Melli didn’t give himself time to feel bad before revealing himself with a roar. Just like the elder said their prey abandoned their thoughts to fight and turned tail to run, nearly trampling over their younglings in their desire to get away. Panic dispersed through the herd like wildfire, and it turned into a variable stampede.

Melli gave chase, not because of the plan but because his prey dared run from him. Excitement made him snap at the slower individual’s haunches and his instincts gave him a shiver of pleasure at their panic screams as they pushed their short legs to run faster. He ignored the Swinub that was swiftly left behind. It wasn’t his job to pick off the stragglers.

Soon the blizzard couldn’t disguise the smell of blood and the other Zoroarks triumphed howls as they caught their prey. With all the commotion Melli could be forgiven for not noticing the one Piloswine who refused to run.

Bigger than the others, a monstrous wall of hair plows into the incoming Piloswine and throws one at the attacking Zoroark. It roars in unholy fury before charging forward, careless of anything that gets in its way.

It’s said that even the best of plans doesn’t survive contact with the enemy.

The pack ganged up on the Alpha Piloswine to try and regain control of their hunt. A few of the least bold members try and drag their kills away from the fighting. The Alpha, sensing their inattention spears one Zoroark before trying to stomp on the nearby Zorua. The little fox barely rolled out of the way from being crushed. It let out a confused and panicked cry as it looked for an escape from death in the snow that was now over its head.

Melli wasn’t a brave person. Some people might believe otherwise considering the Pokémon that he keeps but if he were to be honest the one thing that he kept from his youth was his cowardice. Age had only taught him how to hide it better. So, when he tackled the Piloswine he was scared out of his mind.

They tumbled, sending snow flying. Melli’s senses narrowed to the mountain of fur and muscle that wanted to kill him as much as he wanted to kill it. Tusks stab and fangs bite as the Zoroark as he lets himself be caught in his own bloodlust. For each bite that he lands, he was rewarded with an appetizer of more blood. There was no room inside of him besides thoughts on how best to kill his opponent. Because this wasn’t prey anymore, this was a rival.

The Piloswine managed to regain its feet and growled thrashing its head around trying to dislodge the purple claws from its hide. With a slam, rocks peeled up from the iced ground and bashed into the Zoroark until his grip loosened and he was finally thrown off. Melli doesn’t quite catch himself as the powdery snow breaks his fall.

Winded, Melli could only watch in alarm as the Piloswine that he’d been fighting was suddenly engulfed in light and whipping winds with only the glint of its red eyes still visible. With a blast, a titan-sized Mamoswine trumpets at its renewed strength.

“Run!” The wind stole the words away from Melli’s ears. Even if he had heard it, he probably wouldn’t have followed their instructions.

Some unknown malice had taken root in his heart, and it spilled out. With a roar, he lets out all his hatred in a torrent of flame. It was a proper Flamethrower, but he wasn’t in his right mind to congratulate himself. The fire hit the freshly evolved Pokémon hard and, in its desperation, to get away from the unfamiliar pain it made the fatal mistake of rearing up. Mamoswine doesn’t really have a neck, but the venom-colored Pokémon found it anyway.

Its short legs swung wildly in the air as it was forced to its back. The Zoroark buries his canines into the tender flesh and pulls. He ripped pieces out of the other Pokémon filling himself with the Mamoswine’s essence, stealing its life until its struggling stopped. The gore should have turned his stomach and the violence should have left him in tears. However, those kinds of emotional platitudes for more fitting for a human. Wasn’t it?

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Puzzle Piece

Melli realized what he had done rather quickly. In fact, he became aware again while he was still taking chunks out of the dead Alpha. Bloody meat still filling his mouth as he pulled away to fully see what he had done. A war waged inside of him as the part of him that hated blood tangled with the beast that reveled in it, so all he could do for a second was stand dimly in the snow.

What…did he do?

Stupid question really. It was quite obvious what he did. Why did he do it? He was having a hard time remembering.

Something approaches from his right and he growls without thinking. Leave him alone! He hated being bothered, especially when he was about to be sick! He retches and gags, but his stomach refuses to give back up what he had eaten. Annoyed at his own body’s disobedience he could feel himself becoming irate again. Distracted with himself he forgets all about the intruder. He was so uncomfortable. He hates it.

“It will be okay sweetie.”

His ears perk up at the voice. It couldn’t be. “Mother?”

“…”

He was on the brink of tears. “Mother?”

A warm hand wipes his eyes. “You’re okay. Don’t cry, sweetheart. I have you.”

It’s been so long but for a moment he could see her clearly. Her long hair tickled his face as she leaned down. He was covered in her warmth. Curled up into her arms like he was just a small child. Safe.

“Go to sleep. You’ll feel better when you wake up.”

Even though his mother asked he couldn’t help fighting sleep. He didn’t want to be apart from her for even a moment. She chuckles at him. She never could be truly angry with him. Instead, they do their little sleeping ritual. She pulls out her special feather that she always carried with her and sweeps it over his closed eyelids. Together they counted the sweeps and sure, as every night on the third pass he was out like a light.

The Matriarch didn’t know what to make of what she was seeing. It didn’t help that her sight wasn’t what it used to be, but she was damn sure wasn’t hallucinating. The hunt fell apart. Not too shocking considering what they were hunting but the other Alpha had been a surprise. It evolving while fighting their Alpha was a catastrophe. The only thing that surmounted that event was their Alpha falling to her own bloodlust.

The Matriarch didn’t judge her kinfolk for taking what they could and making a run for it. She should have been doing the same and she would have if she didn’t feel responsible. She wasn’t sure what she thought she was going to do about it. The last time that she encountered an Alpha Zoroark going berserk he had given her all the scars that mark her now. In the end, she couldn’t protect herself from him and he couldn’t protect himself from the humans.

Her interference at the time had been meaningless and it might still be meaningless now. Regardless she was compelled to try. So, she didn’t flee with the others and stayed close by. A sign that this attempt could be more fruitful than the last came when the giant suddenly stopped its carnage. She watched as the oddity pulled away from the corpse and heaved as if becoming sick just after growling at her. Eyes unfocused, the Alpha peeled her lips back appearing to be mad at nothing.

With the dangerous Pokémon’s mind scattered the Matriarch found it easy to cast her illusional web. She focused on trying to make the Alpha calm down. It was a vague command, but the poor mental state of the larger Pokémon made such a tactic viable. The mind will fill in the gaps.

The elder Pokémon almost pulled her influence away when the Alpha started to call for her mother. It broke her old icy heart to pieces, but she knew better than to waste her chance to bring the other back under control.

Sleep. She begged. Please just go to sleep.

She was almost breathless when it seemed to actually work. Maybe it was because the Alpha was young and undertrained, but she didn’t fight the call to slumber. However, as the giant curls up her shape changes and shrinks until a tiny human kit is all that is left of the fearsome Zoroark.

…

The Matriarch had many questions. She knew from the jump that the Alpha hadn’t been telling her the full truth, but she hadn’t really expected something like this. Was the kit raised by humans? Tricking humans? In the old world, across the ocean, some Zoroarks would switch out their kits with the humans. They would do it so that their offspring would have the edge over their biggest predator, and they would have a clever defender of their kind. A Changeling. Only stories really and she never heard how those situations ended. Not well, she could imagine.

It was a scary thought that someone might have tried something like that here. It was scary that this kit had to survive that…She couldn’t bring them back to the pack. Not until she knew more and maybe not even then.

The elder scruffed the kit as best she could. The false clothing gave her just enough to work with. Even in disguise the child was still covered in blood from her meal but was thankfully missing her true weight. Even in her advanced age, she could handle the burden.

She scampered off as fast as she was able. The snowstorm was dying down and she was feeling far too exposed for comfort.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

Rule of the Land

Ingo was a man of habit. Once he made one, he liked to stick to it for better or worse. So even if he found Jubilife more entertaining than the Highlands, he wasn’t neglectful of his duties as a warden. Today was his scheduled journey to the Highlands to make sure that all was well with Lady Sneasler and her offspring. He wasn’t worried much about his lady, he knew that she was having good fun with young Akari, but the Sneasel kits were still young enough that the occasional checkup couldn’t hurt anything.

Wayward Cave’s lights were out once again. Typical when Ingo wasn’t here to light the way. The torches were still in place so that meant that Melli hadn’t seen fit to come down this way or was feeling lazy.

No. The only thing that was out of place was the smell.

Suddenly on guard, Ingo lights the torches as he walks further into the cave system. The sounds of the local Pokémon were even muted. It set Ingo’s teeth on edge. Sensing his trainer’s tension his Gliscor released itself from its ball.

The Pokémon growled lowly. It was another bad sign, but it was his job as a warden to keep the way safe. At least as safe as it can be with all the wild and aggressive Pokémon that made their homes here.

Wordlessly, they both continued into the caverns, seeing more and more of the area with each torch that was lit. The smell was getting stronger, and Ingo was starting to think that the worst had happened. As much as he disliked it, he had become acquainted with the stench of death. Not a human’s, not yet, but it seemed like it was only a matter of time. So, he braced himself.

It was a grizzly sight. Dried splatters of what could only be blood decorated the area that the Alpha Crobat usually occupied. The warden’s heart fell to his feet. He didn’t need to be a scientist to know what happened here.

Fighting back the urge to vomit Ingo focused himself to look to see who or what was killed. There was a spot where it looked like something had sat and bled out but no matter how hard he looked there was nobody left to be found. What he did find was some slightly bloodied prints of some kind of Pokémon heading to the exit of the cave. The prints were smeared and incomplete to the point he couldn’t identify the creature.

So, that met something beside the Alpha Crobat has been over here and whatever it was, was quite large. Another Alpha maybe? It might explain why the other Pokémon of the cave have been so demure. It might even explain all the blood as the Crobat was also missing. Hopefully, it explains the smell as well. He had to keep investigating.

Following the prints back out, the smell of blood morphed into something akin to burned hair. It was strong enough to make Ingo retch again. Covering his mouth, he comes to the source.

The Alpha Crobat was dead. That quickly became evident. Charred into a shadow of itself, it was nothing but a black smudge. If it wasn’t for its size and the pattern of wing-shaped soot, it would have been unrecognizable. His Gliscor chattered its teeth, nervous enough for the both of them by the sight. A reasonable response considering that they still didn’t know the culprit of the massacre.

“Alakazam,” Ingo calls for his cleverest Pokémon.

The psychic type was visually uncomfortable. Ingo could only imagine what kind of senses might have caused that effect because all of the ones Ingo had were being quite assaulted right now. He gives his Pokémon a moment to compose herself. She barely gets into a meditative pose before standing again.

“That was quick. Please give me your insight.” Ingo braces himself again. He had been warned about letting Pokémon so causally into his head but even with memories apparently inaccessible he feels that this was hardly the first time.

Alakazam shows him an image of the very close past. He makes sure not to tell anyone that he has been doing this. It started as an accident with training to an experiment with his own memories, he was under no illusion that he wouldn’t be reprimanded if absolutely anyone knew. Ingo couldn’t afford to have people lose confidence in his mental capacity.

The scene opened before him. The sun was in a different position, making it morning. This morning, possibly? He became less certain as the sound of what could only be thunder filled his ears but yet he could not recall there being even a hint of rain recently. The source of the contradiction rolled itself to the opening of the cave, his frown even deeper than normal.

Ingo starts. What was Lord Electrode doing this far from his hallows? And without his warden at that. Very strange.

The noble stations himself, scowling the whole time, and waited. Ingo could only guess what for. It was pointless to wonder for long as the missing Alpha Crobat made its appearance, moving fast as if to try and avoid the noble as if aware that the giant Pokémon would be waiting for it. It was likely attempting to return to its cave before the light of the sun could become unbearable. It wouldn’t make it.

The lord loosed a bolt of lightning at the lowest part of the Pokémon’s swoop. The alpha screamed in pain before turning to face the noble. It turned as if intending to fight back but its efforts were in vain. With a rageful cry, the massive noble launches himself at the wild Pokémon, striking it back to the ground. Sparks fly as his bottom hemisphere spins rapidly, rending apart the land that dared get in his way. Ingo could only watch in horror as the lord used every inch of his revengeful might to annihilate his enemy. The flash of light as the Lord Electrode erupted with electricity burned his eyes even in the psychic vision. With a thunderous roar, the lord launched himself at the other Pokémon with the force to break the alpha’s wings. Helpless, the Crobat could do nothing as the lord then runs the downed Pokémon over. Then again…And again, and Ingo couldn’t stand to see anymore. The vision thankfully fades.

Well, that was an awful and terrifying reminder that the nobles in all their docility were still wild Pokémon that served a violent purpose. Now all Ingo had left to wonder about is what the Crobat might have done to provoke the noble to that degree. The lord was bombastic for sure, but despite Melli’s many failings, keeping the noble in a good mood wasn’t one of them.

Only the noble’s bad-tempered warden would be able to give him those answers. Even without that thought, he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know. In fact, he much rather continue on the route that he had set out on in the first place and make sure that his lady’s children were all in good health.

Ingo cleans the mess as best and respectfully as he can before calling his lady. His lady’s cry greeted him from one of the nearby cliffs. She had likely been watching him the whole time without a single word. Naughty Pokémon but he can forgive her as she was in a good mood and apparently unfazed by the carnage that her fellow Highlands noble left behind. She chatters away as Ingo finishes up what he is doing and returns both his Alakazam and Gliscor to rest in their pokeballs. Her carefree attitude did wonders at putting him at ease. He, despite all his years in Hisui, still feels new, so this might as well be business as usual. He made a note to report the incident when he headed back down the mountain.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Misplaced

Melli was comfortable. His mother was close by, and she didn’t seem to be in a rush to go anywhere. So, he stayed still and enjoyed every little moment of her brushing through his hair. But being a young child, he got bored of being still before long.

“Boo!” Melli giggles hoping to surprise his mother and make her laugh as well. So, it was to his great confusion when he didn’t see his mother.

Then he remembered.

He stared at the Matriarch, and she stared back. Whatever comfort that he had from earlier disappeared like ice in the summer heat, likely to never be found again.

The elder Zoroark starts and stops multiple times before finally speaking, “I know what you are.”

The words froze Melli’s veins because he didn’t even know what he was. The other Pokémon moved closer and seemed to loom over him. When did he get so small? He curled up more to be even smaller.

Regardless, he doesn’t answer her.

“You were raised by humans.” It wasn’t a question. “You’re a changeling.”

That sounded like an accusation to him. One that Melli didn’t know what to do with. He never knows what to do with these kinds of accusations. He just wanted to be himself.

She continues, “When Zorua are young, they might be placed with a host family to be raised. We don’t do that here usually, but your mother might have. When that happens the Zorua will learn and act like they should until they are grown…Are you trying to go back to the humans?”

That was the intention, but he refused to answer because he didn’t want to see her reaction. Doing that never really helped but nothing tended to help when other people were having the conversation without him. The other person had already made up their mind that he was in the wrong. He was already in trouble even if he didn’t know what for.

Expectedly the Matriarch grew agitated at his non-answer. “Don’t you know how dangerous that would be? Why? Please just tell me why?”

Why? Melli couldn’t remember ‘why’ himself. Tears gathered in his eyes as a familiar frustration filled him. He just wanted to be himself. That’s it. He didn’t want anything else right now. Why couldn’t he just be himself for once?

The older Zoroark relented as he started to sob. This is partly why they didn’t leave their children with host families anymore. Changelings would become confused and turn on their own kind. Their dual nature would make them depressed and anti-social. Even now the Alpha was still disguised as a human child. As much as she pressed for an answer, she didn’t think she had a solution for the poor creature anyway.

Dangerous.

The word the other Zoroark would whisper when the Alpha was mentioned, entered her head. A creature like this was unbelievably dangerous. She could hardly count all the ways. This misplaced beast could cause a bloodbath of destruction to a human settlement in an instant. As much as her brethren would be happy for the carnage, the humans would not be so easily killed. They would come back with biting weapons and slaughter them all and then some. And just as easily as it could be done to humans the beast could cut out the middleman and attack her own kind.

Like a winter storm, there was likely nothing she would do to stop the tragedy. There had been too much time between when this might have been salvageable and now. The best she could do it would seem is stall the inevitable.

Zoroark were monsters but they still cared about their own. Hopefully, the Alpha will remember that if nothing else.

So, she tucked the sobbing child under her chin and asked no more questions.

Melli was struck again by how odd the Matriarch was. Not just for a Pokémon but for someone who just met him. He couldn’t help feeling suspicious of her yet again but to what effect? She had plenty of time to hurt him. At this point, he feels he has given her enough reason to. As powerful as he had felt before he felt as weak as a newborn now. And small too. He didn’t know how he managed to do that.

Here he was having those hateful thoughts while buried in her fur. He didn’t like being touched, he reminded himself spitefully. However, he remained in place. When was the last time that he had been held? His own question provoked more tears to fall.

He needed to stop. He was being a nuisance. If he kept it up, she would lose patience with him just like everyone else.

He sobbed harder. A part of him was aware that he was hurting himself with his own thoughts but by Sinnoh, it was hard to stop! It hurts! Everything hurts! His ribs, his mouth, his head, his heart, all in pain! Shouldn’t one cry when they are hurting?

Wasn’t that allowed!?

“Shhh. It's going to be okay.” The Matriarch soothes, trying to stave off another violent outburst from the Alpha. Even amid his sorrow, she could feel a rage was building. The thought that she might actually be killed by this Alpha was no longer a funny joke but a distinct possibility. Oh, what could she say that might calm her down?

It came to her like a Luxray light. “You want to go back to your family, right? The humans? You have to get a hold of yourself!”

It seemed to work as the Alpha stopped digging their blunt human claws into her fur long enough to give her a look that was more akin to a wet Eevee. In this form, she could see how the humans might have been taken with her. All soft and willowy, in a way only the defenselessly young could be. It was effective because even in the shape of her enemy, even while she knew that in truth the creature that she was cuddling like a pup was double her size, she was becoming protective of this little confused thing.

Another exercise in failure because there was going to be no winning for either of them.

…But she didn’t live this long by being a quitter. She had been a lot of things in her life, but a quitter wasn’t one of them.

“Why?”

The Matriarch almost missed the question. “Huh? Why what?”

“Why would you help me? You have every reason not to.” The pup stares at her.

That is the question, isn’t it? “Somethings you have to help someone else to help yourself.” Because as much as this was about the pup it was about herself too. If she managed to save this one Pokémon, then maybe when she finally dies, she could forgive herself.

The pup quieted down but the occasional sniffles told her that she wasn’t quite done crying. It’s fine, the Matriarch could only guess how emotionally constipated she must have been if she’s been living with the Pink-Furred humans. They tended to walk around as if they thought everyone else had fleas.

Exhausted, they both stay in the small den that the Matriarch had reopened. She would have liked to go back for the Mamoswine meat, but she knew realistically that the main pack would either come by or the kill would be taken over by some other Pokémon. She wasn’t about to go back to the pack until this Alpha situation had been settled. They will have to get on without her for now.

It’s been a while since she’s tried hunting on her own and she wasn’t as spry as she used to be. She was reminded of it when the Aipom seemed too agile and the Buneary too swift. She needed dumber, slower prey. Nothing is slower and dumber than a plant. She tracks down a fruit-bearing tree with her nose and gives it a good knock, hoping for something useful.

There wasn’t a lot, but it will have to do. Oran, Sitrus, and one single Hopo Berry. So, with her modest haul, she makes her way back to the Alpha, who was curled up where she left the pup. Not sleeping, as those sad blue eyes met hers when she entered the den. She sets the meager offerings down in front of the kit, but she doesn’t eat. Nothing too worrying. She did eat a good bit of the Mamoswine before coming to her senses.

Such a frail-looking disguise. She must have had the humans eating out of her hand or more likely their adopted mother did. Changelings always try their best to look the most like their primary caretaker.

The now tiny Alpha looked over their own hands, probably wondering how they managed this disguise. Like she had said some illusions were hardwired and she could only guess that this was one of them. It was good but now she needed them to control it.

“If you’re not hungry then let's get back to the lessons,” she sighed but resolute.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

The Other, Other Me

Melli was concerned and because he was concerned, he was irritated. A week passed, and it seemed that the warden was no closer to understanding how to change his disguise than he was from the beginning. It was starting to feel like a hopeless effort and the form that he was currently stuck in was just a stress-induced fluke.

“Are you sure that there isn’t something that we haven’t tried?” Melli huffed, just about ready to try anything to get rid of this roadblock.

The Matriarch sighed as she trod through the snow. She had been trying to teach the young’un some other important tricks as she was starting to believe that his, as he corrected her, frustration was aggravating the problem. But it looked like the kit wasn’t willing to play along.

“Hm, there's one thing we haven’t tried,” The Matriarch finally answered.

“Huh? Really? So, you were holding out on me!” The snippy pup quickly catches up to her. His pale human face was flushed with excitement.

“I didn’t want to resort to that because it can be kind of unpleasant.”

The human-shaped kit finally gets ahead of her and gives her a questioning look with his cherubim face. “What do you mean?”

“It’s an important lesson, regardless. When our kind suffers damage, we will drop our illusions.”

“So, if I get hurt, I’ll change back.” Melli finishes the explanation, his brows furrowing.

“Yes, so you must be careful to stay out of danger when you’re with others. Here.” She places her claw toward the pup’s face.

He only looked confused for a second before realizing what she wanted. He grabs her claws and lets the crimson blades cut across his palm. They both frowned as nothing happened.

“Stubborn, stubborn.” It just seems that everything to do with this kit was a trial of patience. It was too bad that he lacked much of it.

His cute face quickly curled up into a snarl. He didn’t even really care to turn back into a Zoroark, but he didn’t want to be stuck as a child either! Why couldn’t he just look like his adult self? He missed his long legs, his striking hair, and so many other things that he only had as an adult. It shouldn’t be that hard, he was an adult human man just a month ago. Maybe if he took more damage, he would change back but still didn’t solve his original transformation problem.

Then there were other problems that were becoming increasingly concerning. He could only guess that Gaeric reported his Zoroark sighting as now there were patrols from the Pearl Clan. He wasn’t sure what they would do but he very much didn’t want to find out. His lack of disguise made the danger more real. They would be foolish if they didn’t find a Diamond child running around their lands as suspicious. So, they had to keep moving and keep a low profile. More than once, he considered suggesting they leave the Icelands completely.

A sharp avian cry made them both flinch. There was only one type of bird Pokémon in the Icelands and there was only one that was ever so large. Thankfully, it was one of the times that the lord was flying around without his tiny warden.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t who I think it is?” The lord’s powerful wing beats scattered snow around them. Instead of landing right in front of them, he lands on a nearby ice formation. “It’s rude of you to make me go out to find you. You are a Diamond Clan warden, aren’t you?

Melli didn’t expect Lord Braviary to be so sassy. Maybe the lord was the one that Sabi was getting it from. “Apologies my lord, you don’t make yourself easy to find.” Never mind that he hadn’t thought to look for him either. Sabi was a strange but extremely insightful child, and something told Melli that she would be able to figure him out in a heartbeat. That extended to her noble as well.

“Hm, I suppose that is true…Lord Electrode misses you.”

His lord? “It’s only been a week,” Melli tried to deflect even as he knew that he missed his lord just as much.

“Yes, but time is so precious. Just because you might know how something ends doesn’t mean you neglect the journey. Every moment is important because every moment is what makes you.”

The noble’s words hit Melli like a physical weight. He wasn’t even quite sure why, but he needed to hear those words. Maybe it was because he had already met one end?

“…Thank you for the wisdom.”

“You’re welcome, dear warden.” The lord preens at the light praise before focusing on something just behind him. “Now who’s this friend of yours?”

That’s when Melli remembered the elder Zoroark that he had been traveling with. She was currently trying her best to look like a mound of snow without using her illusions. It probably wouldn’t work on Lord Braviary anyway.

“…This is the Zoroark Matriarch, at least that is what I know her as.”

“Hmph, is this one supposed to be teaching you?” The lord asked as if she wasn’t there.

“Yes, I’m the boy’s mentor.” The Matriarch finally unsticks herself from the spot.

The Pokémon stare at each other for an uncomfortably long time before the lord screeches suddenly, flaring his wings out.

“Kwaaaaaaaaah!”

Understandably they were both startled by the cry. The Matriarch’s hair stood on end.

“He was never mad at you, you know. He never hated you,” The noble said mysteriously.

“W-who?” The Matriarch stammers with ears pinned back.

“Who? I have you know ma’am I’m not a HootHoot, you know who.” Melli's gaze darted between the two Pokémon finding that he was completely lost in the conversation. With a sigh, the lord relaxes his stance before continuing, “This was fun, but I think I’ve used up enough of your time. The moment of revelation will be abode you.”  He pauses, “Very soon.”

With that last word, the lord covers the sky with his impressive wingspan and swiftly flies off into the distance.

The Matriarch spends a few more moments watching the sky before looking back at her student. “Warden? Lord Electrode?”

Aw. Yes. Melli wasn’t planning on telling the other Pokémon his whole life story, but he also didn’t think that he would accidentally reveal his human nature to the older Pokémon either. She didn’t ask any questions when he finally woke up and just kept going about as usual… Being on talking terms with the lords would be too much to ignore for anyone.

“…Yes…” Melli makes sure not to meet the Matriarch’s gaze as he continues, “I’m the warden of the esteemed Lord Electrode.”

The older Zoroark frowns. “And you wish to go back to that life? Does your lord know what you are?”

His lord probably knows him better than Melli knows himself at this point. The wayward warden felt like he was trying to see his own reflection through a sheet of ice that was inches thick. Covered in frost, all warped and warbled to the point that even if he knew what he was looking for he couldn’t even pick out a single feature. “He knows and he is waiting for me.”

“Hmph, to think that a Zoroark is in the service of one of the nobles. Truly every day is a new experience.”

That still wasn’t even the half of it. She was still under the impression that he had always been a Zoroark. She had even explained the concept of a changeling to him. It horrified him the possibility that a child might be replaced and the parents being none the wiser. However, that was absolutely not his case! There is no way that he could have lived his whole life without knowing that he was a Pokémon. Never mind the part where he had to bury his own dead body. Even under stress, he doesn’t think that he would have been that delusional.

…Surely not.

Melli couldn’t help but feel a little uncertain with so many artifacts of his last life being so far away from him. If this took too much longer, he might be able to convince himself of the Matriarch’s theory.

Melli wiped his face as if he could physically remove his frustration. Too many questions and not enough answers. The longer he had to wait the less he cared. He wanted his normal back even if he wouldn’t get the answer to why any of this was happening to him.

The Matriarch watched him rub at his face, seeing a reflection of her frustrations. Her mind conjured a minor solution that might help but it would require that she put more of her hide on the line. Truly what is there to lose? She was already defying death by attaching herself to this unstable individual. What was one more gambit in the grand scheme of things?

“If your lord is waiting for you like you say then we shouldn’t keep him waiting then.”

The pup’s mystified look was almost reward enough. “Huh?”

“Your lord. He is located in the Mountain, yes? We should continue your training in a place that is more familiar to you. We might have a better time of it up there.”

The human pup bit his lip in what she could only guess was a nervous gesture before responding, “Is that really oka – uh, a good idea?”

The older Pokémon huffed, “It’s just about as safe as it is here and a place that you associate with your human self might inspire you to transform back.”

It…Made sense but somehow it made Melli nervous. the possibility of Adaman seeing him like this is making him reluctant to go back yet. However, a change in location could help him look like himself faster, so shouldn’t it be all the better to head back home?

Melli gives the elder a curious look over still thinking about her proposal. Even if he had to bring a dubious guest with him, he was better off than he would be otherwise.

“Okay. Just…be on your best behavior, okay? My lord’s temper doesn’t tolerate disrespect or pranks. And with me being gone for so long he is definitely going to be in a bad mood.”

Just the thought of his lord’s legendary temper was the last encouragement that Melli needed. If someone came up the mountain at this point might get a shocking surprise. It wouldn’t be such a worry but with those overly involved Galaxy Team members running about, the likelihood of his lord becoming provoked greatly increases.

It looks like the winds have changed to send him back home.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

Nothing goes Unpunished

After it was decided, there was little reason to dilly-dally. There was no food to pack or home to secure so they left as soon as they agreed to leave. They were more likely to come across something edible outside of the Icelands anyway. However, even though their reasonings came easily didn’t mean that the journey was.

There is no fast route back up the mountain from the side they were on. Melli had made light work of it only by nearly flying down the cliffside. Not something he knew how to do in reverse and not something that he could do as a human child with a geriatric Pokémon as a companion.

The fastest route and path of least resistance are all manmade and make it likely to encounter people of some kind…It left them no choice but to masquerade as a grandmother and their grandchild. It was a very uncomplicated plan but should work well enough, outside of one problem.

Melli was still dressed as a Diamond youth. While the clan has been doing well in the past years, they weren’t so well that they wouldn’t miss a whole child and elder. Obviously, he couldn’t transform his clothes away. If he had that much control, he would just look like himself and be on his merry way.

“That’s an easy problem to solve child. Allow me,” And the Matriarch takes her new face, the perfect visage of a grandmother. So basic her features that if some were asked to describe her, they wouldn’t be able to say much outside that she was an old woman. She points down to him.

Melli looks to where she was pointing and finds that he has changed too. Gone were the signature navy blue clothes replaced by a more commonly placed brown…His first reaction is he looks poor but that isn’t true, he just looks common. Unaffiliated. Normal…Plain…

He could see his new hair color out the corner of his periphery to see that was also brown. He decidedly stops paying it any more attention before he makes himself upset. More upset.

 “… Let's just hurry this along.”

“Not too fast now dear. These old bones can only do so much.”

Melli couldn’t be sure if she was acting or not.

Expectedly as they walked, they were passed by other people. Even a Ginko caravan wandered by. Always the opportunists the brightly colored group stop them for conversation and possibly trade.

Melli knew that he had been stuck in this diminutive form for too long when his first instinct at being stopped by strangers was to hide behind the Matriarch. Melli would like to think that his courage isn’t height based but he wasn’t making a good show of that. He felt even less able to correct himself when he spotted his adversary.

Volo.

Melli wasn’t one to like most people at first meeting but something about Volo he couldn’t stand from the very moment they met eyes. Adaman had joked that it was probably because the taller man was worried that the Gingko might be prettier than him. That hadn’t been the reason, but he was more than happy to add that to the list. Yes, there was a list.

Volo is condescending, to a degree that Melli couldn’t hope to match. That man was an expert at backhanded compliments. No one else ever seemed to notice or maybe they simply didn’t care.

Volo is often where he shouldn’t be. Nowhere that is strictly prohibited, mind you, but still strange and suspicious. He likes to meter around the ruins near Moonview, with this…bizarre expression, eyes filled with this intensity. Melli tells himself that he doesn’t rush the man along because he doesn’t care enough to and not because he is intimidated.

Volo is too clever. He knows more than he lets on. The few times that Melli worked up the courage to confront the man he would always stun Melli with a piece of information, be it gossip or otherwise, the warden can’t help but feel that that man shouldn’t know. In fact, Melli has come to mostly avoiding him after Adaman came storming up one day about something the Diamond leader should have no way of knowing about, it didn’t help that the foreign man had armed the warden with a choice shard of knowledge to lash back with.

It is with such convenience that he would then sell them a solution to their problem. Maybe it wasn’t Volo directly, but it felt far too convenient. But Melli has made a name for himself being naturally distrusting so he feels that his clan wouldn’t and doesn’t take his warnings seriously.

Even now the warden couldn’t help but feel that the merchant was planning to cause him more trouble. Thankfully the man seemed occupied with his Tocepi. A Pokémon far too sweet and innocent for the likes of that man but Melli couldn’t call him a poor caretaker. He looked as serene as his Pokémon while he played with it and squished its cheeks.

Ugh…

“What brings you on the road today, Ma’am? We might have something you need so you can cut your travel a little shorter.” The lead Gingko greets pleasantly. That was the group’s biggest boon. No one likes doing all that leg work for trading, but the Gingko has the will and the means to do so. If only their traveling was actually about supplies.

“Oh, no. We’re not traveling for something so nice.” The Matriarch wears an expression that people who have resigned to death wear. Melli was even more ill at ease. “My poor youngin here is going to need a new caretaker soon and I want to have everything arranged before I pass over.” Taking advantage of his clinginess she pats his head like the poor, soon-to-be famililess, creature that she was implying him to be.

In just two sentences the elder Zoroark mutes any further conversation that the lead Gingko might have come up with. The others in the group shift in discomfort as the silence grows heavy and awkward.

“I-I see…” The man visibly struggles with what to say. “Good luck and safe travels.” The last words sounded almost like a question but there’s nothing more for it.

“You too dear. Safe travels.” And like that, what could have been a long conversation turned into none. Even if the Gingko were to wonder what happened to them or where they had gone. They will know the unfortunate outcome.

Melli stays under the elder Zoroark as the group pushes onward. He wished that he looked somewhere else as they passed, as Volo’s eyes met his own. Maybe it is his paranoia, but he thought he saw a minute light of recognition. It was gone as fast as it came, and the man turned away.

Melli does the same and makes sure to not look back.

Thankfully the rest of the journey was uneventful, but it still did little for Melli's fried nerves. They were in the range of the cave system that would take them farther in and the closer they got the more nervous Melli felt. He didn’t know the cause until he was standing back out in front of the cave and froze.

The mouth gaped at him like a hungry monster waiting to devour him whole once more.

It was in the middle of the day…That meant right now the Alpha Crobat that…ended him the first time was likely inside.

Cold gripped his chest and against his will or any good sense Melli started shivering.

“What’s wrong with you child?” The Matriarch wasn’t so blind as to not have noticed.

“I-“ It was suddenly very hard to speak, let alone breathe. He wasn’t even in the cave and he already felt like he was dying.

The elder grew even more worried. “Come back to me pup! Melli!”

The warden jumped a bit at his name. Was that the first time that she had referred to him as such? Regardless it was enough to remind him to breathe. He continued to shiver but at least now he wasn’t getting lightheaded on top of that.

He…didn’t tell her about this part. That would require him to explain that he wasn’t naturally a Zoroark like he has been letting her believe. It would require that he tell her in words that he was a dead man walking. It would be admitting out loud that he was really cursed.

So, he lies.

“There is an Alpha Crobat in this cave. It’s almost killed me multiple times.” Not completely untrue and it sounded like a reasonable enough fear.

The elder Pokémon in the guise of an old woman glares into the cave as if she wanted to fight it on his behalf. “A Crobat? I think I have something for that.”

Again, the Matriarch changes her shape, morphing from a little old lady into a craggy monster. She mimics the crunchy cry and the grinding of stone on stone that was characteristic of an Onix. A Pokémon big enough to intimidate most others. In the caves, the Onix are especially dangerous. He couldn’t think of any Pokémon in the cave that wouldn’t make way outside of maybe a Steelix.

The transformation was stunning enough to shake the rest of the fear from Melli’s body. Seeing that Melli is no longer frozen she charges the cave, sounding like a landslide all the while. The smaller Pokémon shrink away from the two, all of them but a Gible. The little dragon was notorious for being bold and not very clever. Thankfully the warden knew a trick for that.

As the Pokémon approaches them with mouth agape Melli quickly kicks it away. Normally you couldn’t get away with doing that if the cleverer evolutions were near, but this little guy was on his own. One of these days, he knew the Pokémon would evolve and get him back. Guess he was going to have to wait in line with everyone else.

The way was lit thankfully, so they didn’t have to waste more time getting lost before they were on the other side. In his rush to get the hell out, he almost misses the spot where he died and the strange absence of the Alpha. Even if he did miss that he couldn’t miss the charred and blackened ground of the other side of the cave. He knew the cause the minute he spotted spark-shaped burn marks and the trench that only something big and round would leave behind.

…It looks like his Lord had not heeded his plea. As much as it made Melli kind of sad he couldn’t overlook the relief that filled him knowing that the Alpha would never be an issue again. This was his Lord’s Mountain so he could do on it as he wished.

The Matriarch, still as an Onix, gives him a questioning look, seeing as he stopped in place. She sounded as an Onix would as she spoke, “You know who did this?”

Freed from his thoughts he continued to walk forward. “I guess I feared for nothing. It appears Lord Electrode had lost patience.” Which means that he had come back just in time. His Lord was probably primed to explode in frustration. “We should hurry!”

With little more fanfare Melli took off as fast as his little legs could carry him, his mind racing with all the things he was going to have to grab to help his Lord release some tension.

Damn, this mountain! Damn, all these cliffs!

Melli grabbed onto the nearest cliff face with the intention of climbing up it like he always has, no longer thinking about his childish form and the weakness that came with it.

“W-wait!”

The Matriarch sounded far away but he couldn’t stop now. There was a scent in the air like a storm was brewing but hauntingly the sky was clear. Filled with purpose he refused to stop. It was only as he reached the top and was galloping on all fours further down the path that he realized that he had changed back into his beastly form.

He pushes his new body to its limits. Massive claws help him scramble up the rock faces. Powerful legs send him flying over land and slow-moving Pokémon alike. It wouldn’t be the first time that Melli has cursed the distance of Moonview.

As the arena comes into view the warden couldn’t resist calling out to his Lord with a sharp vulpine cry. It was returned by the low rumble of his lord’s. He doesn’t sound happy in the least and the very air hummed with the giant Pokémon’s power.

“Lord Electrode! I’ve returned!” Melli greets as he enters the arena, proper.

“Melli…WHY DO YOU STILL LOOK LIKE THAT!!” Lord Electrode roars. Melli’s presence is the opposite of soothing at the moment.

“My Lord! Please be calm!” Melli pleads, claws out as if to touch the increasingly irate noble.

“Fool boy! You just don’t listen!” Moisture gathered around the giant Pokémon eyes. Steam bellowed from every crack and sem as the noble’s emotions reached a critical point.

The temperature rose and Melli knew that it was too late to keep the Lord from going off and he was far too close to get away.

The world erupts in a blaze of light and sound.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

Unwanted Attention

Melli…did not die.

Despite the concussive might of his lord’s Self-Destruct, he…did not get blasted to bits. He wasn’t torn apart by the sear force for being at point zero.

He wasn’t even hurt…

He couldn’t say the same of his Lord.

“Lord Electrode!” He screams even when he knows good and well that his Lord wouldn’t be able to hear a word. He rushes forward and runs his hands over the noble’s cooling carapace. A sob bubbles up from his throat as his hands catch against all the cracks and scrapes that now marred the once-perfect surface.

He…was a failure of a warden. Lord Electrode was right, he was foolish, but he was also the only one who knew best how to heal the now-extinguished lord.

All his hard work and polishing was gone in an instant! However, the wayward warden didn’t get to have time to wallow in self-pity as his unwanted Highland companion came shouting over the ridge along with the mischievous Lady Sneasler tailing him.

The burst of annoyance at hearing the other warden quickly turned to fear when the Pearl member appeared around the stone entrance of Moonview. Before Melli could think of running or hiding his beastly form the amnesiac was upon him.

“Warden Melli! What happened?!”

The man in question barely recognized the fact that he was referred to by name. For a minute he couldn’t speak with his heart hammering away in his throat. There was simply too much going on, enough that shame-filled tears forced their way out of his eyes.

“I-I…” His voice warbles without his permission and more tears run tracks down his face.

The stone-faced Pearl member manages to soften somehow without his changing expression. “Hey, now. No need to cry. I’m sure we’ll get everything back on track in no time. “This is just a minor derailment,” He spared a glance to the downed noble, “Right?”, he questions.

It was. With a little time and sunlight, his Lord would be right as rain. The damage wouldn’t be permanent. He knew because Lord Electrode had hardly been so placid with the former “warden”. That didn’t stop Melli’s guilt or stress about the situation that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. There was no way around it. It was his fault. He was the one who let his Lord down just like he let everyone else down.

Misery stole the rest of his pride away and he openly cries, in front of his enemy and the only one around that would check up on him. Melli was sure that this was awkward for Ingo as well, though he made a good effort of not letting it appear like it affected him.

The warden whom he didn’t like, and thought smelled bad, wraps him up in a hug that somehow manages to be comforting despite those facts. This might as well happen. Just about every terrible thing that could happen to him has at this point.

Lady Sneasler watches on in mild curiosity. She hadn’t realized that the neighboring Lord had been in such bad shape. However, she had noticed a lack of Melli around. She wouldn’t have even noticed that if everyone hadn’t been acting so weird for the last week.

Everyone has been so tense in the Highlands. Not that she could get anyone to talk about it. While the local Pokémon population doesn’t consider her a threat doesn’t mean that they are friendly. She was a noble and apex predator for one and another her children were infamous for pranks. She on the other hand would never…

Regardless, all of this felt connected.

The poison-wielding noble leans a little closer to the disheveled warden and her favorite human. That Melli creature looked different than what she recalled, but that might be because his face was doing something she had never seen before on him and it was half buried into Ingo’s chest.

Deciding that there wasn’t much more to see, she looks over to Lord Electrode and all his mighty round might. At this point, his children have come to circle him and buzz in concern. These ones have likely never seen their father explode before.

Lady Sneasler hums to herself. It’s been a long time since he blew like that. She couldn’t help but feel that the mysterious creature that she had seen with him might have something to do with it. The thought prompted her to look around to see if it might be lurking around, but she didn’t see anything that she didn’t expect to.

At some point in all the chaos Skuntank, the only one that she knows, joins in on the commotion, his tail made more giant with fright.

This…isn’t very fun or funny. And she was quickly getting bored of all the worrying. Maybe she wasn’t nearly as old as the cogger, the Lord of Moonview, but she was old enough to remember when the bastard would practically go off once a day.

Ah. What was it that Ingo would put together that might get the elder Electrode to perk back up? It was two yellow somethings? Or maybe some green somethings. Aw! Why would she remember all that!?

Deciding that she is no good here, she leaves to go raid the taller warden’s dwelling. She could smell quite easily which container had the herbs that might be of use. With a precise claw, she lifts the bag and takes it with her. With little ceremony, she dumps the contents on the humans.

“My lady, what are you doing?” Ingo starts.

What did it look like she was doing? Here she thought Ingo was the smart one.

A little patience goes a long way as her warden picks up what she has been putting down. “Oh, I understand now. Hmm, yes, I can make a revive with this.” He gives his fellow warden some reassuring pats before continuing. “Lord Electrode will be back in commission in no time.”

Melli couldn’t dignify him with a response as he stared dumbly at his hands. His human hands. He uses them to wipe away the tears that wouldn’t stop falling. He feels like…he might throw up.

“I’m here. Calm down,” Skuntank rumbles and replaces Ingo. “You know the lord wouldn’t like seeing you cry like this.”

No, he wouldn’t but it was too hard to hold in now. It felt like he was overflowing with all the stress that he had been through, so clinging to his oldest companion was all he could manage. It’s not like he wanted to feel so ugly.

Melli could hear Ingo softly talking, the disguised Zoroark couldn’t be sure if it was to himself or just noise the other warden was making. He was likely trying to soothe everyone with his famous level-headedness. He always seemed to know what to do in these kinds of situations.

Better than Melli anyway. He should have been the one trying to revive the Lord of the Hollows but here he was being useless. He couldn’t even stop himself from crying.

“There! That should be enough to at least get him up.”

Then there is a creak and groan of wood as Lord Electrode recovers enough to roll back up onto his base. “Ow…,” Lord Electrode buzzes.

“See? Lord Electrode is fine, please stop crying.” Ingo might not be able to emote with his face a lot, but his voice was never one to fake sincerity. Melli hates him so much. How dare he be so nice when he has been dealt such a terrible hand. Just Ingo being here was making him feel worse for sobbing over his problems.

“Wait, are you okay?!” The noble shakes off the mental fog enough to be worried about the fact his warden had been standing only feet away when he exploded. He rolls close, careless as his bulk knocks the Pearl warden away.  

Lady Sneasler catches Ingo with a hiss. “Watch it fatty!” she growls.

Feeling embarrassed, irritated, and indigent, the lord rounds back on the rival clan’s members with a scowl. “What are you two even doing in my domain anyway!”

The Pearl noble scoffs, “You’re the one that blew up and scared everyone half to death. How do you expect anyone to ignore that!?”

Steam blows from the giant Pokémon’s seams and it looked like he was gearing up for an encore. “Oh, please! You’re just being nosey, you're good for nothing!”

“Don’t you dare go off again! If you like being unconscious so much, I can arrange that for you right now!” The Lady of the Highlands bares her claws with an annoyed yowl. She comes up here to make sure that he is okay, and this is how he treats them!?

Ingo, sensing the tension, jumps between the two Pokémon. “Please, that’s quite enough! Lady I’m going to have to ask you to depart without me for now!”

The Sneasler lets out an exasperated noise before walking away with a huff. He was far more patient than she could ever be. That was part of the reason she chose him as her warden, but she wasn’t going to be that far. She was just going to go back to snooping from a distance like she had been doing and let him handle it.

“Lord Electrode…” Ingo requests a little tensely, the memory of what the lord had done to the Alpha Crobat still lingering in his mind.

The massive ball frowns but rolls away regardless. Ingo pretends not to see how wonky and uneven the motion was.

The amnesic warden turns back to Melli, who still has his face buried and hidden in Skuntank’s fur. “May I have a moment alone with your partner?” Ingo refers to the “only” Pokémon left.

The poison Pokémon gives him a glary side-eye before referring to his trainer. While he couldn’t hear it Melli must have given his Pokémon the okay as Skuntank gets up from his lap while shooting Ingo a look that could sour milk.

With them being as alone as they are going to be, Ingo musters up all the fortitude and patience that he had in his body. It was everything that he needed in order to deal with his fellow Highlands warden.

Ingo likes to think of himself as a perspective man. He knows how to pay attention to details. While he couldn’t claim to know Melli well, he knew Melli well enough. The taller man, regardless of how he was acting, responded best to patience. If he was being annoying? Ingo couldn’t let himself be riled up. If he was being cowardly? Ingo must have confidence. If he was being lazy? Ingo must continue his own good work, and the other warden would straighten out, so as not be outdone. Showing any frustration would be doubled and thrown back like a Magic Coat.

So…If Melli is crying like a waterfall…Ingo has to be comforting. Comforting a sad Melli, Ingo finds, takes less energy than he would expect. Wrangling an actual answer about what the hell is going on, he suspects is going to be a lot harder. Explaining what he thinks is going on is going to be insurmountable, but he feels like it is his duty anyway. The angle of approach will make or break this. But first.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” Ingo gets a headshake of a negative. “What happened?”

Melli sighs and shakes his head again. Ingo has never seen the other warden be so quiet. It was disconcerting. Something else outside of Lord Electrode going off must have happened and it had both the ward and warden out of sorts. Neither one of them is acting like they should or maybe Ingo was presumptuous to think so. Nonetheless, he would like more details.

“You don’t know what happened or you don’t want to tell me?”

“I…It's none of your concern.” Melli’s words lack the venomous bite that Ingo is used to. In fact, his words sounded more like a question.

A grounded response is Melli’s greatest weakness. “Melli…” Ingo debates with himself how much he is going to say on how he truly feels. The wayward warden has become used to not saying his opinion unless he feels that it’s necessary. He often finds himself not being on the same track as…well anyone else around here but somehow, he has become respected around here. His words have power, and it is that power he fears sometimes. Careless words to the wrong people don’t just make someone upset it could get someone killed in this place that he finds himself in. The very core of his being cared about keeping everyone safe. When all other memories fail, he knew that imperatively. And while it might seem manipulative to try and convey that while Melli is in a vulnerable state but what other time might the hard-headed warden listen?

Ingo will just have to say it with his chest. All aboard! “It is my concern. Never mind what clan we are in, or how I personally feel! I can’t stand idly by while somebody else might get hurt. That’s just not the person I am!”

Melli doesn’t respond, only giving him a watery look but doesn’t reject him outright. Maybe a bit more persuasion.

“Warden Melli, you are an honest person,” he could be painfully honest, “Have I ever led you wrong? Have I ever acted in a way that would be worthy of your distrust?”

It didn’t take Melli as long as he thought to respond. The other warden wilts a bit, “No… I’ve… I haven’t been feeling well for the last few weeks, and I fear I have fallen behind in my duties.” It wasn’t the full truth but dying definitely could be considered being in bad health. “Think I might have gotten what my poor Skuntank had been sick with.” That sounded reasonable enough if Ingo were to double-check him. “Honestly, I still don’t feel very good.”

And with that last sentence, he was being very honest. And the sick feeling increased the more he had to lie, especially after Ingo called him honest. No. Melli was a huge liar and coward, and now more recently a monster. May Lord Sinnoh forgive him for all his transgressions, as he must have so many.

Ingo hums at Melli’s explanation. The Pearl warden can concur that Melli didn’t look like he was doing well. Right now, he looked unusually pale on this sunny day, and his eyes were rimmed red from crying. The contrast is all the harsher to see the prideful warden look so pitiful.

“I see…Please if you’re not feeling well, know that you can ask for help.” He has a thought. “Surely if not from me, someone from your clan could have helped.”

Melli scoffs immediately. “Oh, what? So, they can think I’m more incompetent than they do already?”

“…”

The taller man clicks his tongue. “People think that just because I talk a lot my ears don’t work as well. I hear…what people say about me.”

“…”

“If I can’t do my job, Ingo, tell me, what else do you think I would be good at?” The bitterness marred Melli’s features. “People don’t even like me, how am I expected for anyone to help-,” he takes a sharp breath in, “-me,” he growls lowly.

Ingo ignores his goosebumps that warn him of danger. He opened this conversation now he must take it to its final station. “If you feel you can’t rely on your kin then know that you can at least rely on me, and despite what others might feel I don’t think you’re a bad person,” he continues empathically.

His comment wipes the bitterness right from Melli’s face, which was now more stunned and confused than anything. “How can you say that? All you know about me is that I’m awful to you!”

“Hmm, that might be so…but someone that treats his Pokémon and his work with such compassion can’t be all bad,” Ingo admits. “I’ve found that you aren’t as selfish as you would like to seem.” Seeing that his words were influencing him, Ingo continues. “Plus, you’ve gone out of your way to get me out of a jam or two.”

Melli simply closes his mouth, no longer being able to produce any more protests. The man slumps forward in defeat. “If it makes you feel better, have it your way.”

“It does. Thank you.” That was a tough conversation as it was, so Ingo decides to save the rest of his information for when Melli has decompressed a little. “Come on let’s get you back to your yurt.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

The Problem of Trust

Ingo, much to his word, helped his fellow warden to his yurt. He could tell that Melli hadn’t told him the whole truth but having the man admit to any weakness was daunting enough as it was. However, his explanation didn’t clear up what happened with the Alpha Crobat that had enraged the bombastic noble to the point of murder.

Hmm. Ingo looked at Melli’s pale features and wondered if his poor health was from poison rather than sickness. That could even explain why the other man wouldn’t be completely forthcoming with him. Likely in his eyes, admitting the dangers of Wayward Cave would be considered validation in a point to the Pearl warden and if the bat Pokémon had attacked Melli, there is no doubt that noble would respond with violence.

However, it’s been a few weeks at this point since the Alpha had been slain and even longer since Melli must have been attacked. Being a poison-type trainer, Ingo knew that the other warden had far more poison resistance than, well, possibly anyone else in all of Hisui. Ingo would have thought that with this much time, Melli would have recovered. Ingo was only this confident in his estimation because the Diamond warden had seen fit to show him how to build his resistance when a scratch from a young Sneasel made Ingo instantly sick but failed to get a rise out of Melli for even a second.

Maybe the Alpha’s venom was strong enough to dent even Melli’s defenses?

Ingo sighs as he accompanies the unusually quiet warden into his home and cringes when he sees the state of it. It looked, well, if he wanted to be polite, like wild Pokémon had been scavenging it.

Melli lets in a sharp inhale before yelling, “Skorupi!” The little Pokémon, knowing she is in trouble, squawks and hides. Zubat too, but she likely didn’t have anything to do with the mess.

“I can help clean up,” Ingo offered, hoping to keep the young Pokémon from any kind of punishment.

Melli huffs and shivers. “Grr, no. Don’t wor-ry about in here. P-please, just get some Crunchy Salts for my lord’s offering and bring them back here.”

A shiver shakes the other warden’s whole body enough that Ingo decides to disregard going out himself. Quietly he released his Gliscor from his ball and asked the Pokémon to track down the ingredients for him.

“I know you’re old, but I didn’t think that you were hard of hearing. I said I’m fine by myself!” His protests were undermined by another rack of shivers. “Gah! Why am I so cold all of a sudden?!”

Seriously! He had spent the whole time up in the Icelands and hardly felt anything but here of all places he was suddenly freezing!?

“You hadn’t been before?” Ingo asks, feeling more alarmed. “I insist that you sit down!” His nerves make him louder than he is meant to be.

Melli looked like he wanted to protest more but Ingo’s serious glare cut him off. Feeling no more energy to fight, the taller warden plops down on his cot and drags the blankets over him to try and drive off the chill that has settled in his bones.

“Here, I’m going to get a fire going.” More and more worry bloomed in Ingo’s chest for the other man.

“Hnh,” Melli whines in discomfort.

“You’ll be okay,” Ingo reassures without thinking, forgetting who he was dealing with. He tenses up waiting for Melli’s harsh reaction to being coddled only to get nothing in response.

The taller man curls up more and whines. The pitiful sounds were enough to draw out his Pokémon regardless of the trouble they might not be in.

…This was not how the silver-haired warden thought his day was going to go.

What the hell was wrong with him?! Melli couldn’t believe how much his body had started to fail on him. Just earlier in the day, he had felt fine but now he felt he was on the edge of death…once again. Was he dying? But why? Why now?

Tears threatened to start back where they had left off as all he could think about was how this felt too much like the first time. Ice in his veins and bitterness in his heart. His only reprieve from the haunting sensations was the warm bodies of his Pokémon and the fire that Ingo had built up.

This was awful. He felt awful. Even worse, he was relying on the rival warden to do his job. Even if Ingo had some points that still didn’t excuse and absolve Melli of his worthlessness.

He didn’t even know how he managed to change back.

Idiot.

Waste of time.

Cursed.

Bastard.

Melli…is asleep. At least Ingo hoped he was.

He leans closer just to check because it honestly looked like he wasn’t breathing at points. It was hard to get too close as his Skuntank would frown at him the minute he could feel his shadow over them. Ingo figures that he will just trust the Pokémon's intuition that his trainer hasn’t passed away. But it was scary to watch the normally animated warden degrade so much.

Ingo bites his lips, debating if the best course of action would be to stay and keep an eye on the downed warden or if he should rush off to get help. The longer and harder it was to tell that Melli was still alive the more that he felt he should do the latter.

So why does he hesitate?

Melli, he knew, would not be appreciative of having even more people be witnesses to his diminished state. And Ingo had asked Melli to trust him and the Pearl warden knew that it was a hard thing. So, he stays put and prays, to the gods he doesn’t believe in, that Melli would make it through the night.

So that’s why by morning he finds himself slumped over the warden, blinking sleep from his eyes. The corners of his eyes water as his poor back greatly protested when he finally straightened it. Everyone was right. He should work on his posture.

“It’s about time you woke up.”

Ingo jumped. Now that’s a way to straighten the spine!

“Pardon! I didn’t mean to sleep over you like that!” He hadn’t but he couldn’t very well move when Melli crawled on to him, seemly desperate for more warmth.

“Hmph.”

That was probably the nicest thing that Melli could have said. Ingo can at least say that the blush was a more welcomed sight than the deathly paleness that the warden had been wearing earlier.

Ingo sighs. “I assume that you are feeling better?”

“Yes...” Melli gives him an undiscernible look. “I should go tend to my lord,” he continues as he makes to get up.

“Ah.” Ingo makes to stop him, earning him a glare, so Ingo thinks better of it. “Let me accompany you.”

Melli grumbles moodily. “If you insist.”

“Yes, thank you.” Honestly, the other warden was just happy that Melli was being mostly agreeable.

“You can get out now.” the other man finally says after staring at Ingo for a length of time.

He is confused for a second before catching the hint and he politely leaves.

Melli watches the flap for a moment to make sure that Ingo is truly gone before “disrobing”. It was a good thing too as when he removed his clothing, which disappeared as he did so, his chest was still covered in his grey Zoroark coat, down a good portion of his arms. So, his transformation was not perfect...that's a problem, but a problem that thankfully can be partially fixed with proper clothing. By however means, his old clothing fit. He finds he doesn’t have the wherewithal to question it and decides to be thankful.

He was about to leave his abode when a thought to other changes made him stop. He really should check that nothing else was off, even if Ingo hadn’t said anything. The other man is likely more distracted with making a fool out of himself than what might be going on with Melli’s face but that might not remain true in full sunlight.

He is grateful for his vanity once again as he has a mirror stored in his yurt that lets Melli more accurately see his own beauty. He pulls it out and hesitantly looks into it.

Oh...That's not too bad, he decides.

Much like how he feared, his face did look a little different but not in a bad way. It simply appears that he was wearing some purplish-blue makeup that lined his eyes. It was kind of fetching, and it matched his hair. Hopefully, no one asks him where he got such a color he doesn’t know if he could even make a servable lie.

Satisfied that no one should be screaming Zoroark at just the sight of him, Melli finishes off his look with a spare beanie, frowning at its lack of embroidery. Too plain but it will have to do for now. His other one was...with his body.

Shaking off the sudden chill, Melli opens the flaps of his yurt and stands to his full height. Shorter than he was as a Zoroark. He almost felt...normal. He could almost convince himself that everything had been a bad dream.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Ah, yes. That made a good reminder of what he had been through. He looks down at his Skuntank before answering. “Hmph, you worry too much.”

The Pokémon scowls at Melli’s flippant response. “Hmph! If you’re not worried that means I have to be doubly so! You never get concerned about the right things!”

Melli rolls his eyes but secretly enjoys the banter. “Well, it's a good thing you’re here then.”

“Damn straight!”

So, in his conversation with Skuntank, the transformed warden had almost completely forgotten about Ingo. He stares at the tattered warden awkwardly before brushing the feeling off. It's not like he had just now started talking to his Pokémon. He had always done that and there's no reason that it should register as suspicious to anyone that knows him even a little bit.

 And as Ingo said before, he knew him a little bit and didn’t even raise an eyebrow. “I’ve got the Crunchy Salt like you asked.” And Ingo presents him with a substantial bag of ingredients.

Melli could almost bring himself to smile. “Perfect. Now while my lord would love nothing but to eat these straight it's best to mix these with something more nutritious,” he explains.

Ingo nobs in understanding.

“So, I’m going to add some healing berries, Vivichoke and Medicinal Leek.”

“Won’t that make the offering bitter?”

“Normally, yes but-” Melli finds himself rambling, as he tends to do when anyone else is around. Ingo was very good at pretending like he was listening so Melli finds himself doing it more often around the rival warden. Or maybe Melli didn’t care as much if Ingo got annoyed with him...whichever.

They gather the remaining ingredients in comfortable noise, with Ingo occasionally interjecting Melli’s rambling to ask a question. Before long they had everything they needed and Melli was rolling everything into large rice balls. Hopefully, the extra effort will put the noble in a better mood.

After making sure that everything is perfect Melli wraps the treats up and lugs the oversized offerings to the entrance of Moonview with a polishing cloth in the other hand.

“Unless you want to see Lord Electrode's bombastic glory up close, I recommend that you wait out here. Better yet, you can go about your day. I’m sure Lady Sneasler will appreciate it.”

Ingo gives him a long, examining look. “Very well. We can recouple in the evening.”

Melli resists the urge to tell him not to bother but he knows Ingo could be just as stubborn as him if he wanted to. Plus, Ingo was trying more so than usual to be nice. Maybe Melli had genuinely worried him.

“Hmph. Do as you like,” and he goes about his way.