<>:<>:<> Shadow's Hiss <>:<>:<> - ((Viper X Celestial))

[Celestialvortex]

SNAP-HISS!


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TSEEEEER


HIIIiiiisssskshhhrumblerumbleRumbleRUMbleRUMBLE



TSEEEEER



The rain fell like a vast army, raindrop marines assaulting the green shawl of the forest's canopy. Having infiltrated the soggy, sagging leaves, it ran in a liquid formation down the vast tree trunks before pouring into and over obstacles on its downward journey. Lightning crackled above, echoed by its mighty brother Thunder as the pair took turns rampaging the forest below with sound and light, frightening wumple into their secluded holes and scattering the rattata on the leafy floor. The wind roared with such ferocity even the mightyena packs had retreated to their lairs, their padded footsteps absent from the usual after hours ambiance as the rushing air dared them to match its furious song.

The war between earth and sky continued, trees falling in the wake of the howling wind as the currents swept into the environment. Zeek looked out from his usual place, rubbing his crimson eyes with a soft sigh as he looked out upon the sea frothing far below. The very tree they were residing in sounded like the heartbeat of a bass drum from all the ruckus, sending vibrations to his agile hands as he tapped out a rhythm on a strange device. His patterned taps were echoed by soft electric chimes as it audibly repeated his melodies back to him. Two more taps, and he stopped, listening to the machine for a response. Sure enough, a volley of beeps were released from the silver box, to whence he listened and sent a reply, occasionally stopping to write down notes on a nearby notepad.

The small form of Lari entered the room, having just climbed the fleet of stairs to Zeek's abode. She paused, then spoke, her voice barely a whisper to the uproar of the storm. "Is there any news?" "Yeah," Zeek returned, not even a flinch to the new voice. "Lavaria is flooded, complete evac. Aspen is okay so far, and New Haven is as good as ever. Sarendale's still mostly intact, although lightning took out the top of Madame Spark's cafe. " "What about old Xerxes' place?" "You know, still no news from that wacko's abode. Seriously, its the highest place in the town, yet it never seems to be affected. Ever. " Zeek shook his head. The town elder had been going off about strange happenings occurring, with the chosen ones of the prophesy arriving soon. He didn't really believe any of the old folk tales, especially about things like prophesies and chosen ones and the world ending. This storm was the sort of nasty thing they should really be worried about. He had been communicating to the nearby towns through morse code, as the local communications expert for Sarendale. Another array of beeps returned to him from the machine, so he turned and smiled to the smaller Lari before going back to work.

Satisfied from the report, Lari turned back to the stairs, scaling them once more. There were four stories total, each delicately cut out of the massive tree; ground floor, storage, and 2 rooms on each remaining floor. She had the one paired with Zeek's, while Miranda had the one below, the additional space used for their gear. For some strange reason, though, she found herself drawn to the highest floor, where she would stare outside the glass panels, entranced by the flowering willow dancing in the battering storm. It was originally supposed to be a guest room or something, but it never really saw use, so she would come up here to observe the environment in peace. The storm had been going on for days now, some freak act of nature that decided to crash its way into the normally peaceful summer. From this highest floor in the oak, she could see the tops of the other trees, and, when the bluff cut off the sea of leaves, it opened up into the sea of water. But right now, it was that willow that caught her attention. She sat there, transfixed by the pink flowers swirling from the branches, silently enjoying the storm, when suddenly....

tsseeEEEERRRR---CRASH!

The willow exploded in a flurry of multicolored light before her eyes, the pink flowers being caught up in a maelstrom of fire and rain and wind. Branches flew to other trees, impaling them with sharp edged sticks, the curtains of flora dropping to the ground as the blaze engulfed them. Lari cried out, beating up her wings as she flew down the stairwell. "FIRE FIRE FIRE THE WILLOW CAUGHT FIRE!" She yelled, her quick transit sending Zeek's papers soaring amuck and the steam from Miranda's cooking cascading around the lower floor on her path to the door, and, through it, the blaze. Zeek ran down the steps, and, nodding to Miranda, picked her up, carrying her with his own strength after Lari. Together, the three of them stared at the fire, watching as the downpour slowly but surely dampened the conflagration, until only a smouldering mass remained. Suddenly, Miranda's eight eyes noticed something moving in the charcoal. She dashed forward, digging through the rubbish, the soot blackening her golden fur as she sought out the movement. And, with another push of charcoal, she found it. Darkened with ash, the small flicker of fire at its tail was ebbing away, the rain threatening to put it out forever. " We've got a breather here! We gotta get him under shelter before he dies!" It certainly was a strange happening, but that didn't get in the way of Miranda's duty. She quickly spun up a web to support the pokemon, and, attaching it to Lari and Zeek, sent him off back to their home, covered with a leafy barracade against the rain.

The charmander was turning in his sleep, muttering incomprehensibly. The ninjask and the vibrava flew him up to the only room open: the guest room, settling him into moss bed already set up. Out of the rain, his tail was now flickering a little less, though it was clear he was in a poor condition. Zeek, knowing the towns still needed their communication, sped back down to his room, his desert wings vibrating softly to rid them of any extra rain. Lari began to gingerly pat off the soot from his orange arms with a cloth when the pokemon sat up, shouted out "Veil, NO!" and fell back down, silenced by some unknown force. It was then that she noticed the shape of a strange amulet around his neck, blackened beyond recognition from the fire. She took her cloth and polished it, but the dark substance wouldn't be removed. Shrugging with puzzlement, she settled herself into a nearby extra bed that had been placed in the room, awaiting the pokemon's awakening.






-----------


The storm ended ubruptly that night. Days came and passed, with the pokemon alternating between total silence and strange incomprehensible muttering. Lari remained in the room,alternating between staring out the window at the remains of the far off Willow and watching the lizardlike pokemon. Miranda came up every once in a while to check on the charmander and bring up food for the ninjask, but the garvantula never stayed too long. Zeek popped in once in a while, but it was his duty to make sure proper supplies were being sent to the towns that needed them, and didn't worry himself much with the new pokemon. But Lari knew that something would happen. Seriously now, a pokemon appeared in in the middle of a raging storm from the ashes of a willow tree! Something life-changing was bound to happen!

[Viper196]

Dylan moaned softly, his head spinning for some strange reason. There was the sensation of having woken up from the craziest dream: All he could remember from it was being enveloped in fire, and being drug out of it by a giant spider. He knew he shouldn't have stayed up so late working on that physics homework! He rolled really sleepily over to one side and slowly opened his eyes. He noticed this isn't his bed, or his room...nothing of this is his, there was no bunk bed in the corner of his room just a small single wood frame bed, no TV in front of him just a bare wall, none of his books backpack, nothing next to the bed side just gone. All gone. He quickly started panicking, his heart rate increased exponentially and tensed and adrenaline rush through him and shot up in the bed. Dylan turned around and saw a bug, half his size floating up off the ground with red eyes, a golden mask with two points for ears, and two arm/claw appendages coming out staring directly at him. Dylan usually isn't afraid of bugs but seeing this large thing elevated scared the living daylights out of him. "AHHHHH! What the heck!" Dylan jumps back to the edge of the bed against the wall, he feels a response as in something hitting the wall before his back and turns to see a tail, now more scared and confused then ever. "AHHH. What! what! I've got to get out of here!" He jumps off the bed away from the floating bug thing staring at him. In mid-jump a realization hit him his legs are different they are stubby and caught the edge of the bed. As he was falling to the wood ground his life flashed be fore his eyes and he put his arms out to save him and saw claws. I HAVE CLAWS TOO! But that didn't stop his fall his large head smacked straight into the ground and it felt like a earth-shattering blow to his skull, and putting him into the darkness of unconsciousness, laying on the floor.

[Celestialvortex]

The charmander began to mutter again, and Lari fluttered herself closer, eagerly awaiting his awakening. The charmander that came from the sky was finally waking up? She hovered near his face, excited to find out what this supernatural pokemon had to say when he shot up in the bed, forcing her to quickly backpedal her wings to avoid hitting the pokemon in the face. He appeared to have not noticed her yet, as she had flown behind him, but a quick adjustment of his head fixed that, and she smiled and waved as she saw his eyes meet hers. "Hi, I'm Lari...." she began, but she was quickly cut off when the firetype pokemon freaked out, shouting "AHHHHH! What the heck!" before apparently noticing his tail, and trying to jump away. Except.... It looked almost like he didn't know what he was doing, as he jumped way too early and completely missed the bedpost. He hit the floor with a solid crack, leaving Lari floating there quietly in confusion.

After a few seconds of buzzing in the air, she landed, crawling over to the unconscious charmander. She tried not to let it show, but her wings drooped slightly with sadness. Why did everyone always react to her like that? There's nothing wrong with being a bug type! Sure, you have to be a bit more careful around flying types, and you have to focus to make your attacks count a little more, but many of the rarer kinds of pokemon always seemed to look at her with disdain, or even full on fear. She tried put this out of her mind as she slipped under the unconscious charmander before pushing him up and back onto the mossy bed.

Perhaps he was just freaked out because he was in a new place, and didn't expect her? Yeah, that had to be it. Who knows what something like a cosmic charmander would see on an everyday basis anyway?

Filled with a little more energy, Lari flew to the window, looking out upon the willow that had transfixed her mind for months. Could he really be the one Lucario talks about?

[Viper196]

A few hours have passed since Dylan knocked himself out from hitting the ground. His eyes began to twitch again and open slowly as he awoke with a pulsing pain sensation in his head. As he rolled over in the bed he rubbed his head noticing his stubby arms and claws again. AH! what the heck! that wasn't a dream! This loud reaction caused the pulsing in his head to grow and he twitched in pain from it. Ow, my head...what happened? Dylan looked over slowly, once the thought of this not being a dream and he remembered the bug from before passed through him, he saw it and instantly freaked out again. He mindlessly rolled around on the bed he fell off and hit the ground, but this time on his back instead of head first with a loud thunk. THUNK! Gahh! OWW, my head , my back, my everything...whatever everything is now!! As Dylan tried to get up off his back he rolled side to side and used his stubby orange legs and arms to push up but noticed he couldn't do any such thing, he was stuck on his back there. I can't get up! What is this shenanigans! Help! Help! Someone! Anyone! Dylan Looks upward to see the bug flying right above him staring down. HELP ME NOW THERE'S A GIANT BUG HERE AND I'M STUCK! HELP! As he still squirms around moving the stubby appendages trying to get up shouting loudly in utter terror and shock.

[Celestialvortex]

Over the past few hours, Lari had sadly watched the charmander, her excitement slowly reaching a peak as time passed, awaiting his next awakening. How she wished she had some chesto berries so she could finally speak with him! But they were out of season, growing ripe and ready only during the snows of winter. But, as the minutes began to tick by, followed by half hours and hours, her excitement slowly faded. What if it took days to wake up? What if it took weeks even? What if he had knocked himself into a deep coma? What if his fire ran out, or he had some allergy to the food they fed him or, or, or?

"HEY LARI!" The ninjask jumped straight into the air as the sharp voice of Miranda boomed through the floorboards. "LUNCH IS READY!" But the little beetle landed and settled herself back down into the other bed. Even if it took hours, days, weeks, or even if food was on the line, she wanted to be there when the charmander woke up, so she wasn't leaving the room for a minute! The garvantula's voice tried a few more times, but she stubbornly ignored it, crouching like a meowth as she tried to ignore the smells of toasting berries wafting up through the tree. It didn't take long for the calls to stop, and Miranda come crawling up the stairwell herself. Or at least travel up the stairwell; her fuzzy golden form appeared from above her as she lowered herself down from the ceiling, cradling a small bowl in her appendages. The tarantula handed the bowl over to the ninjask before settling herself down next to the smaller bug.

They sat there in silence, watching the slowly moving form of the orange lizard. "You do know..." Miranda spoke out, breaking the silence of the breathless room. "That there is the possibility he might not wake up... right?" "Wait, but he did!" Lari retorted, half choking on an oran berry as the garvantula made her remark. Two of the cerulean eyes were lifted slightly at this, and she repeated herself sternly "He did! He got up... but then he fell off the bed. I think he went into shock from the new location. I pushed him back up so he wouldn't get cramps." The electric type shook her head sadly, before propelling herself up on her many furry legs, making her way back to the stairs. "Right... Just make sure to come down when you are done with your stories, okay?"

Lari folded her forearms crossly, muttering softly to herself as she trained her gaze back upon the sleeping fire type. Of course he would wake up again. Of course she didn't just make it up, right? Right?

Wait, there! The charmander was moving again, rolling itself over with a small moan. She wasn't imagining this now, was she? And Miranda just ran out the door! "Miranda, come quick! " she shouted, excitement builiding within her so she had no choice but to jump excitedly into the air, albet a few feet away so the pokemon wouldn't hit her again if it shot up. The charmander began to mutter about dreams as the spider burst into the room, miranda crouching by the door curiously as she watched the fire type rouse himself. Both watched with interest as he managed to knock himself back onto the floor, and, even more curiously, get himself stuck on the ground, his tail getting in the way of the lizard (who was currently describing his strange predicament as something called "shenanigans") from pulling himself up. They looked at each other, their raised eye fur/ mask echoing the same question: Was the strange pokemon retarded?

The fire type's eyes suddenly seemed to lock onto Lari, who had been hovering a few feet away in anticipation. "Help me, NOW!" He shouted, flailing his arms feebly in fear as he tried to get away from the now utterly dejected bug type. "THERE'S A GIANT BUG HERE AND I'M STUCK! HELP!" " Now that isn't very nice," Miranda retorted as she stepped forward, shooting a strand of String Shot at his tail to pin it to the floor, hopefully reducing the fire hazard tenfold from the mentally challenged pokemon. "This 'bug' has done nothing but sit by your bedside since we dug you out of that fiery willow, and you insult her, and my type based on simply appearance?" The Garvantula stepped forward now, and, being nearly a full foot taller than the charmander, bent her long legs lightly so she could look him in the face, primary eyes mere inches from her own as she grabbed at him with her forearms to hold him still. "The least you can do is apologize, then explain why a foreign pokemon like a charmander just happens to fall out of the sky during the decade's craziest storm."

[Viper196]

As Dylan was still laying on the ground flailing around helplessly at the sight of the bug, he heard another voice off to the side. " Now that isn't very nice," In pure shock in hearing another voice turns is head and saw a tarantula bug thing come walking at him. A complete feeling of horror rushed over his face as he yelled, Another giant bug! Help me!" He struggled even more now rolling around the floor to get up his fire tail whipping all over the ground, was quickly hit by a string shot from the tarantula coming at him. This made him stop for a moment and gaze at his tail now pinned to the ground unable to move it in any form what so ever. Dylan looked back and forth from the tail to the spider coming at him and swung his feeble arms in the arm first at his tail and realized that effort was futile and moved to swinging at the spider that was now very close to him. She started saying something to him but Dylan, in complete fright and rage blocked it out, he started screaming at them. "Get away from me you monsters! Get away! Stop attacking me I haven't done a single thing to you! I don't even know where I am! LEAVE. ME. ALONE!!" Within the screaming and rage his mouth started glow orange, his eyes furrowed in anger and frustration, and let loose a column of small fire that just went few feet above him. He saw this and became very scared and unsure of what was happening, he started violently shaking his head around in a circle having the small column of fire dance around the area above him and near the two bugs. After a short time of that very unreal and uncontrolled incident it just stopped as quick as it started. Dylan stared up at the two bugs and embers were falling from the air to the ground near them and around them, and he began to twitch and eyes watered when it all just hit him at once of what just happened. I'm a monster... a fire breathing monster. What has happened to me? I was never like this before.... Many questions ruminated through his mind at once Dylan felt very dizzy now and head spinning and still pulsing from before, he put his head on the ground flat and just stared up at the ceiling through blur of water over his eyes.

[Celestialvortex]

Miranda sighed softly, mandibles wandering about the soft fur bordering her mouth as she contemplated the situation. The pokemon was obviously delirious, completely lost in his perceptions and incapable of reason. He was a danger, with that tongue of fire flickering out as he yelled at both her and the horrified Lari, but she simply couldn't boot out a pokemon just for it's insanity, or, at least, not while it attempted no harm. Fire types were especially looked down upon here, as a stray flame could ignite the forest - the last time something like that happened, the town of Hrawood completely burnt to the ground, leaving both the citizens and the borderline inhabitants stranded, and requiring tons of support to integrate them into other towns. Furthermore, who knew what had happened to him to cause his bizzare arrival anyway? It was all too strange.

Whatever his predicament, however, Miranda knew that Lari wasn't reacting well to this torment. The freshly evolved ninjask began to tremble softly at his words, mortified from the harsh burns they left on her spirit. Small tears had begun to well up in her eyes, and her wings buzzed on and off in random patterns as she tried desperately not to cry. The garvantula pulled back from the fire breathing lizard, slowly gathering up Lari in her forarms, comforting her with a soft rocking of her appendages. As the bug slowly calmed down, Miranda looked the charmander in the eye, and, with a soft hissing sound, shot a final web at the fire type.

The web was a pale grey, and would sink into his skin without pain as the Disable nullified his fire abilities. He was a low enough level, apparently, that he shouldn't have more than one, so at least her home wouldn't fall prisoner to the ruthless conqueror that was fire. Satisfied, she brought the sniffling Lari up close into her chest fur as she spoke once more to the charmander. "Your fire is disabled, but your claws are not. When you have settled down and edited your vocabulary, you may join us downstairs for dinner. " Giving one final nod, she began to walk down the spiraling wooden staircase, thoughts of berries already coursing through her brain. Perhaps I should throw some Persim berries into a salad... and then Aguav would even out the tastes... apparently persim was even a good remedy for simple confusions too....

[Viper196]

Dylan looked at the tarantula bug as it brought in the other close to her. Then saw it stare directly at him with a piercing cold stare, followed by a hiss and a web shot at him. Dylan instantly threw his arms up to cover his face from the incoming shot, hoping whatever that web was, when it hit it didn't hurt. He felt it hit and twitched a little but didn't feel anything except something he didn't know what, ...what was that it's like something inside of me is gone, the burning feeling in me...just gone. That is when the spider stated "Your fire is disabled, but your claws are not. When you have settled down and edited your vocabulary, you may join us downstairs for dinner. " Then the spider holding the other smaller bug scurried off down the stairs out of sight from Dylan. After staring at the exit to stairs, almost expecting them to come back or something to happen, he looked down at himself to see the web already dissolved into him and gone without a trace. 'Well...um..okay then I guess it's time to try and get my tail free. Come on Dylan you can get this just have to sit up and stretch these little arms of yours, that bug said your claws are still usable. Come on sit up body.' After multiple tries Dylan finally was able to beat the struggle and lift himself up and then stretching as much as possible was able to reach the sticky web that held his tail down to the ground. He ripped through both sides of the web that were attached to the floor with ease due to the sharpness of his claws. Once his tail was free he rolled over on his stomach and used his arms and legs to brace himself up and attempt to stand. After slipping and landing stomach once Dylan was able to get up and stand, he still felt a little dizzy from everything that has happened so quickly. 'Alright, I am now up I think I finally have a handle on this new body. Now what was that, that the spider said before she left? Something like dinner? Oh yes! That's right dinner is downstairs. I wonder what they eat and will I even be able to eat the same stuff. Guess I'll go find out.' With that last remark Dylan headed out the door he saw both bugs go out earlier. Once he went through the door he saw the winding stairwell going who knows how far down. Dylan began to walk down but not use to the legs and height of stairs trips and falls part of the way. He catches himself on a step and wall then stood back up. He decided to go much slower this time. He goes about two floors down and finds an exit, he peeks in slowly to see if that is the dinner room. As he peeks cautiously around the corner he sees a table with chairs around it and food on the table, he becomes quite ecstatic inside that he actually found it on his own. Dylan slowly shuffles in hearing some noises of others in there and gets around the corner of the door and into the room. Still quite nervous of the bugs there he keeps his head down as he goes in staring at his feet and stops a part of the way into the room when he realizes he isnt sure what to do now or what to say or even go.

[Viper196]

Dylan stood there in the dinning room for what seemed like months the waiting, wondering... "What's going to happen now." But as held that stature the bugs around the table seemed to not notice him and kept talking and indulging themselves on the berries as they have been since he walked in. Dylan started to feel woozy and weak, the whole room started to spin, he backed up to the doorframe to try and keep his balance but failed. His stubby legs rocked from one another arms waving in the tiny circle outwards. Sliding down the side of the doorframe Dylan slumped onto the floor on his side, and decided to just lay there. Barely any energy left in him, Dylan's eyes started to flutter and his vision was getting blurred and his eyelids slowly started to close in. The darkness engulfing the room bit by bit. In parallel with the engulfing darkness, his tail, the tail Dylan became accommodated with not to long ago, that tail with the glowing crimson orange fire on the end, was fading, becoming smaller. He just stared at it, watching the impending end of when the fire went out and his eyes fully closed, waiting as the seconds ticked by for what seemed like an eternity. Hoping to reach the attention of those in the room tried to open his mouth but nothing came out, no words could be heard , no cries for help of the darkness closing in that he'd never be able to escape and wake up from. No curiosity of those in there about the location of Dylan or his state or anything whatsoever, just what was right in front of them. When vision became narrow slits of the last bit of gleaming light of the tail thoughts went through Dylan's mind "What's goieng to happen to me? Why won't they help me? Do they not care? Will I never learn what has happened to me or my destiny and possible future pertaining becoming this thing?......... If this is the end for me then so be it, I just hope that even if I do not learn about myself or reasoning for being here in this world as this thing, that someone at sometime will wonder about me again and figure it out. That's all, interest and curiosity about myself and reason for existing be spurred and reignited to be later discovered. ....Goodbye all...." With those final thoughts Dylan's eyes fully closed and his tail that once burned brightly, now died out to a faint glow that embers of a dead fire make, and he laid resting there.