I could hardly contain my excitement as we slowly scaled the top of the cliff. We were finally headed to the peak! The Ninetales that I'd heard about was only getting closer! Sam shared a couple rumors that some Pokémon decide to live in secluded places, especially if they are famous. They tend to like hard-to-reach places, so that they aren't bothered by their popularity or status or anything. I don't know exactly how true that is, but I guess it kind of made sense.
I'm just so excited! Rue and Sam have also been excited for me too. I think they are interested in what Rebecca has to say for me also. Laura doesn't seem bothered by any of this though, maybe this is normally how Pokémon react when they are going to see the top? She just smiles as she watches us.
As the sun rose just over the peak, you could see a little house on the highest part of the mountain. It was a nice cabin, looking very cozy. I assume it belongs to Rebecca. Looking all around, it was a spectacular view. You could see the entire mountain region spreading off into the distance! The little town we spent a night in about a week ago, the sea, and a lot of other places I haven't been to. I wonder if I will ever get to go to those places.
"Wow!" Sam exclaimed, holding onto a wooden beam that looked like a guide rail to prevent travelers from falling down the mountain. "You can see Tarry town from here!"
Sam pointed behind us. Sure enough, in the distance was a little Seaport Village, and not from from that was a little town with a forest next to it. That definitely was Tarry town.
"We've really come a long way..." I said.
Laura led us up towards the house, stepped onto the front porch and knocked on the door. "One moment! I'll be right there!" A sweet grandmotherly voice called from the other side.
Was this really it? Everything that I've been working through for the past... month or two? It's hard to tell. Either way, after all this time I've been in the Pokémon world, would I finally find a way to get home? Would Rebecca really have the answers I was looking for, or was she just going to send me to someone else like Pos?
My biggest question though, would I finally get my memories back?
The door began to unlock, and I prepared myself. I didn't know what a Ninetales looked like, but I wasn't really expecting it to look like a small little... Uhh...
"Snom?!" Sam exclaimed.
Yeah... one of those.
"Hi!" The little worm Pokémon said in a high-pitched voice. "I was told to let you in. Make yourself at home while she comes!"
The little guy scurried away and we walked in. Laura started hanging her coat on the coat rack by the door, and so we did likewise. There was a comfy-looking room to our right, with lots of cushions and chairs. We went over and sat down.
All along the dark-wooded walls, there were pictures of Pokémon. There was one of a dragon, a turtle, a horse that looked like it was happy being on fire, and tons more. How many Pokémon species are there?! They were also TONS of pictures of Pokémon like the one that greeted us at the door.
One picture in particular caught my eye. It was Pos! There she was, with a smirk, standing next to a many-tailed red and brown fox! The fox was smiling greatly, and seemed to have its arm around Pos.
Sam saw the picture and said "Look! There's Pos! And the Vulpix, that must be Rebecca!"
"It sure was!" The grandmotherly voice said again. We spun around to find a very large, white and blue colored fox was walking into the room.
"Wait," Laura said. "How were you a Kantoean Vulpix? You are definitely an Alolan Ninetales now?"
So this was Rebecca.
"Well it's quite an interesting story, Laura. Maybe let's introduce ourselves first, and we can talk more about that after."
"Sure." Laura replied. "This is Sam, Eva, and Rou. I rescued them on the mountain while they were on their way to the top. I was going to bring them back down, but it looks like they were sent to find you."
"Sent by who?" Rebecca questioned.
"Some Espeon named Pos."
"Oh! Pos! Yes, it's been so long! How has she been, cooped up in that cave of hers?"
Sam spoke up. "Uhh, she's been all right. You can talk to her if you want?"
"Oh yes please! She's finally found that rock then! Bring it here, bring it here."
I let Sam take the Elucide pendant off of my neck, and he handed it over to Rebecca. "Pos?" Rebecca asked aloud.
"Yes?" Pos' voice emanated from the stone once more.
"Pos! It is you! How have you been?!"
"Becca? Oh hey! That means that Sam, Eva, and Rou got there safely then, right? I was worried that the storm got them!"
Wow. This sounded kind of like a phone conversation between two old friends.
"No, no... they are just fine! Laura, my apprentice rescued them!"
"Great! Are they right there with you then?"
"Yes they are!" Rebecca said, looking back at us.
"Do you mind if we talk alone in the other room for a minute?"
"About... that? Sure, one moment."
Rebecca turned back to look at us and said "I'm going to take Pos into the other room for a moment. I have some snacks in the kitchen, and the Snom will keep you entertained for a little while."
"Sure." Laura said.
"See you four in a bit!" Rebecca said before leaving to another room.
We all sat back down.
"So it looks like Rebecca does know Pos then after all." Laura said.
"Yeah, I guess they're old friends." Rou replied.
"So what's an 'Alolan' type?" I asked.
"Well," Laura started. "First you ought to know that there are Pokémon types- water, fire, grass, etc... and then there are differences in those types, depending on where the Pokémon was born. Certain regions have different weather and climates, so that affects how that Pokémon is developed."
"Wait, but isn't Rebecca a human also?" Sam asked. "How does that work?"
"I'm... not quite sure. Alolan Pokémon also don't evolve into their Kantoean counterparts either, so I really don't know how that works. I plan to ask her when I have a minute."
"Oh." Sam said.
We sat there for a few more minutes, looking around at the room. I got the impression that this Ninetales was almost like a grandmother figure. Her house definitely looked like how a grandmother's house would- pictures everywhere, grandma house colors... even knitted outfits!
We also talked with the Snom. These little worm guys were actually really cute! They were like white little cushions that had an icy shell on their backs, and they would scurry around and jump on each other. And yes, I guess the plural form of Pokémon species are the same as the singular form. Weird huh?
Anyways, the Snom that greeted us at the door was Kevin, and he was probably the most impulsive out of the group. I don't know how many Snom lived in the house exactly... but I wasn't sure if Rebecca did either? Anyways, Kevin was really excited to see new Pokémon, and he showed it by scurrying around rapidly. Laura said that he does this with everyone he meets, but to give him a minute and he would get all tired out. Sure enough, after a few minutes, he was tuckered out and took a nap on Laura's lap. I guess it was similar to having a little kid or a puppy, just that you could communicate easier with them. Was this how some Pokémon really saw others? Like how some people see pets or strays? What about the third world countries where people hated animals like dogs or cats? Was it like that to some Pokémon?
Eventually Rebecca came back and apologized. "Sorry everyone! I just got caught up talking to Pos about lots of memories! Anyways, I'm assuming that you three have some questions you'd like to ask me." She sat down on the cushion opposite us. "Fire away!"
This was my chance! "What am I doing here? Why can't I remember everything about myself? Why am I a Pokémon?!!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there! I can't explain everything, but hopefully my answers are satisfactory to you. First, you are human, correct?"
I nodded.
"Right, and you can't remember your own life, can you?"
"No. Only little things. Like I know I was a Girl Scout, I had a little brother, and I came from a good home. I also remember other little things, like Angry Birds and some random trivia."
"I see. And what can you remember from when you arrived here? I assume that you woke up as an Eevee?"
"Yes. Well, I think so. All I remember is that I was really surprised and scared, and that I thought it was a dream."
"What did you do after you woke up?"
"I- I think I ran off a cliff."
Everyone jumped back at this.
"Wait, what?!!" Rou exclaimed.
"You jumped off a cliff?" Laura asked in a concerning tone.
"YOU JUMPED OFF A CLIFF?!!!" Sam exasperated. "W-Why?!!"
I shrugged as I explained: "If you found yourself in a different place and body when you woke up, wouldn't you think it was a dream too?"
"Well, she's not wrong..." Laura said, taking my side.
"After you... erm, leapt, what happened next?" Rebecca continued.
"Well I fell into the ocean, and couldn't swim. I guess I hit my head and later woke up in the hospital and met Sam."
"She sounded like a feral after that." Sam said, continuing the story. "We lucked out and got the Elucide pendant, so then I could understand her. We then found the book and that led us to Pos."
"The book?" Rebecca questioned. "Do you have it with you?"
"Uh, yeah. It's right here." Sam replied. He reached into his satchel and pulled out the book. He then handed it over to Rebecca.
Rebecca took the book from Sam and opened it up. "Gosh, how long has it been?" She said, squinting at the letters. A Snom beside her held up a pair of reading glasses. "Thank you." She said to the little guy as she took the glasses and put them on.
"Gosh, he really went all out, didn't he?" She muttered to herself as she looked through the book.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Oh? Oh sorry. It's just this old lady just talking to herself again. Hector wrote this. He is probably a Blastoise by now. He should be over in Hillfare valley, in the Woodike region."
She flipped through the pages. "Oh, and here's a picture of the Shaded Forest! Oh how I loved that place! That was one of my favorite dungeons to explore! So relaxing."
As she turned another page, I looked over at Sam. He glanced back at me.
I cleared my throat. "Weren't you going to tell us something?"
"Hrm? Oh! Yes, of course! You were brought here to save us."
I felt smacked in the gut. "To save you? From what?"
"Well, I suppose 'save' isn't quite the right word. What Hector wants you to do is find the Relick stone, defeat Jake, and then wish for us to go home. That way, Jake's wish can be overwritten, and we can all go live normal lives again."
"So I'm supposed to go find this rock and then wish you guys home? Why me?"
"Well, that's because we already used our wishes."
"Really?" Sam asked. "What did you wish for?"
"Ah, now that would be cheating!" Rebecca said playfully. We made it a game to not say what our wishes were! Tell as few Pokémon as possible. So far, I'm winning!"
"So you won't tell us..." Rou said.
"Nope! Any other questions?"
"Uh, why am I a Pokémon?" I asked.
"Why not? Besides, only Pokémon live in this world. Us three came here to save it, and we had to be transformed into Pokémon for that. As far as I know, humans just can't exist in this world."
"Okay..." I continued, feeling kind of depressed about these answers. "Why can't I remember anything?"
"That is a question that I do not have the answer to. All three of us kept our memories when we got here. I don't know why it was different with you."
This seemed discouraging. So I was just here so that they could get sent back home? What about me? Would I go home with them? And then what else? Rebecca didn't even seem to want to go home!
My senses flared up with anger. Sam, noticing my expression, offered to go outside with me. I needed to blow off some steam. He helped me with my coat and we went outside into the cold snow.
There were plenty of large lumps of snow and ice around the house to funnel my anger into. Perfect.
"WHY. CAN'T. I. RE-MEM-BER!!!!!" I said as I swiped at the snow, trying to make sense of it all. "I. JUST. WANT. TO. GO. HOME!"
Sam watched as I flung snow and ice across the yard. He stayed silent as I threw chunks of ice and screamed my heart out. He watched, as I yelled and cried and hollered and eventually collapsed into the snow.
I sobbed and sobbed.
"Eva?" Sam eventually said.
I looked up. "Yes?" I sniffled. I knew my face was red with tears, but I didn't care. He was bent down on one knee, reaching out a clawed hand to me.
"You're gonna get home. I promise."
I know it wasn't much, but honestly, that was the best news I had heard all day. And I knew Sam would be there for me. How could he not? He stuck with me this far, and I knew for sure that he would keep sticking with me, as long as I needed him, because he needed me.
I embraced Sam in a big hug. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but I did know Sam. I knew he was a true friend. So I held him tight.
We stayed there for a little while, until it got too cold. We then walked back inside Rebecca's home.
———————-
"So let me get this straight..." Laura said as I sipped my hot chocolate. "Because you were not from here, you got to CHOOSE what form of Ninetales you became?"
"Not exactly." Rebecca replied. We were all in the cozy room again, chatting and sipping warm drinks. Time had passed, and we had already set up our stuff to stay the night at Rebecca's. Rebecca was explaining how she changed from Kantoean form to Alolan form when she evolved. "Think of it as if my soul didn't have a set form."
"That's the theory, anyways." Kevin piped up.
"The theory?" Sam asked. He was drinking hot apple cider.
"Yes," Rebecca answered, interrupting the Snom. "Pos came up with this theory a while ago, when I first evolved. It's the best that we could come up with for why I switched forms."
"So if I evolve, I could change to another form of what I would normally evolve into?" I asked.
"Possibly. When Jake and Hector evolved the first time, they didn't change their forms. So it's possible that it only happens for some of us and not all."
"Strange." Laura acknowledged.
"Well, it's getting pretty late. Do you guys want to play around or two of cards before we hit the bed?"
"Cards?" Sam and I asked at the same time, I asking more out of joy.
"What are those?" Rou asked.
Laura, Rebecca, and I all looked at both Sam and Rou. "This is gonna be fun." I said.
———————-
After teaching Sam and Rou the basics of cards and playing a few hands of go fish, we all decided that it was time to hit the hay. It was decided that Sam and I would share a room, and Laura and Rou would share the other guest room. Normally I thought it was boys with boys and girls with girls, but maybe since we're all different species it doesn't matter?
"Hey Laura," I started asking as we were walking to our rooms. "Why didn't you mention the Snom when you said there were only so many Pokémon here?"
"The Snom? Oh, well why would you have been looking for them? They've never left the mountain!"
I hadn't thought of that. "I guess that makes sense."
"Well, good night." Laura said.
"Good night!" I said as I followed Sam into our room.
"Wow, that was actually really fun!" Sam said as he closed the door.
"Oh yeah. And there's tons more card games than that!" I made a mental note to teach him about 52 pick up.
"I'm glad we ended the day on a good note." Sam continued. "What do you think, Eva?"
I remembered the depressing answers I finally got, my meltdown, Sam's kindness, and then the card game... I now felt I could finally say that it was okay. "Not everything went to plan, but we did get here in the end, and we did get some answers. I'm happy."
"Good. Then I'm happy too." Sam said as he got into his bed. He got ready to blow out the candle. "Ready?"
"Ready."
Sam blew out the candle.
"Good night Eva."
"Good night Sam."
END OF PART ONE.
Author's note:
Coincidentally, this chapter is set to come out on the same day that one of my very best friends gets married. Congrats Zach!
Also, you read that correctly. This is the end of the first part of the story. I plan to take a week, maybe more of a break, before continuing my upload schedule. I tend to write chapters in advance also, so that way I am getting the time I need. While you wait, I do have a side story of any overflow ideas that I can't use in this one. I have titled that story "PMD: Overflow." I have no set upload schedule on that, and I'm trying to see if I can use it as stress relief, so go ahead and read that if you want. I also have some old stories on Wattpad and a YouTube channel called The Emerald Bow-Tie. Look those up also if you desire.
I do want to thank the many people who have been keeping up with the story, or are just reading it in general. It is hard for me to find out how many people are reading it/enjoying it, because I do most of my work on it using my phone. The Wattpad and FanFiction apps don't really show you that kind of information. This is why I ask that you comment if you are enjoying it, because that is the most reliable way for me to see it. Even if you don't have much to say, I do enjoy reading each and every comment! And if you don't wanna comment, that's fine too... just know that reading the comments helps me know that people are actually interested in the story, and it inspires and encourages me to keep going with it.
I also want to thank my beta reader Dilly-MicMoo, for his constant help and suggestions, and GabIsNotAnArtist for his fantastic art and answers to my questions. I'd also like to thank the PMD Writer's Union Discord for being so supportive and helpful literally all of the time!
Lastly, I want to thank all of you who are reading this. It has been a blast, and I've learned so much. I look forward to any comments and I hope you guys look forward to the next part. Stay safe guys, and let's see where Team Sharp goes together! :)
Alexander