by Wolf-Prince-Leon, Jun 19, 2013, 9:38:33 PM
Literature / Prose / Fiction / General Fiction / Short Stories
The Final Pokémon to step forward was Articuno. The Bird of Ice Calmly watched as the Windows opened, there were still many good humans left, and there was still much of this ahead for other Pokémon. But Articuno put these thought in the back of his mind for the time being, and searched for the ideal human to make his child.
The Pokémon's red eyes rested on one window, showing not a child, but a grown man- an artist, painter by trade. Aion frustratingly painted what he remembered the world being like years back, before corruption and tyranny. But a few brush strokes later, and he threw the paintbrush down in frustration, holding his head and rubbing his temples.
Articuno could see this man was not happy. "A little regression never hurt anyone I guess, I choose him." The Gate opened once again; Aion was extracted from the human world, and brought before the ice Bird.
Feeling like he'd been pushed backwards off of his stool, Aion screamed softly before landing roughly in front of Articuno, shaking his head as he looked up, his jaw dropping when he saw the massive bird. "Holy..."
"Greetings human." the Beautiful bird said, before bringing Aion closer and away from the cliff. "Let me guess, you've never seen anything like me before, have you?"
Tensing, Aion looked over his shoulder at the cliff, but didn't seem very perturbed to be so close to death. He looked back at the bird and shook his head. "Heard of you, read about you, but, never seen you."
"I see, what is your name human?"
Taking a step away from the bird Aion brushed his knees off from being dropped in, looking back up at him, frowning slightly as he crossed his arms. "Aion, Aion Kinouri." He took a look around, looking confused. "This is obviously not my house."
"Indeed, this is a special place that exists between your world, and mine. I, Articuno, have brought you here, to make you my son."
Aion froze, his angry green eyes focusing on the bird, his jaw clenching. "Son? Excuse me? What makes you think I'd want to be some bird's son? And in case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit too old."
"Well, the age issue can be easily remedied, and... I could tell you were unhappy back in your world, you were unhappy, correct?" Articuno asked.
Aion's glare didn't falter, but he looked away, down the cliff Articuno had pulled him away from. "That's right. I was. I'm an artist and teacher who hate the world. Don't all artists?" He grinned and looked back at Articuno. "I'd ask if you know what that's like, but you don't paint."
"But I have a different artist style." Articuno charged his Ice Beam and fired at some nearby ground, using it to create a beautiful ice sculpture.
Aion shielded himself from the debris that kicked up from the force of the blast, waving dust away to look at the Articuno's work. He took a step closer, unable to help but admire it. "That's impressive...I don't know how you did it, but it's incredible."
"So, care to reconsider my offer?" Articuno asked.
Aion crossed his arms, looking away from the sculpture. "Reconsider it? For a sculpture? What about my life? You just yanked me away from my responsibilities...I'm a teacher...people will wonder what happened that I'm suddenly gone, my house is empty, but it looks like I was kidnapped...which I sort of was..."
"I guess I'll have to fully explain, did anyone ever appreciate your talents in your world?" Articuno asked.
Aion turned away from the sculpture and frowned at Articuno. "Few. Close friends. That's about it."
"And did anyone really care about learning in your classes?"
Aion scoffed, turning his back on the bird. "How would I know if they cared about...if they learned they learned...if they didn't then oh well?"
Articuno sighed, "If you haven't already realized it for yourself, your world is corrupt by Greed, Fear, Power, Hatred, Jealousy, and many other poisons. There is no longer hope of saving it; your world is on an inescapable path to its doom. But for you, there's still hope, you've managed to remain pure, not once poisoned by the corruption. My world wants to give you another chance, in a world that isn't poisoned."
"A world that isn't poisoned..." His back was still to Articuno, looking out at what he thought was the world, frowning still. "...I'm not sure..."
"The Pokémon World isn't corrupt; we all respect each other, and live in peace, though there are the occasion troublemakers, we live in a very peaceful world." Articuno explained. "Please, give us a chance."
Aion was silent, mulling over the Articuno's words, his offer. "...I'm hesitant to agree....what happens to everything I had before? What happens to the people I teach?"
"I can easily bring it to my world, and if any of your students were also not poisoned by your world's evil, they will be brought into the Pokémon world as well." Articuno said.
"Ha I doubt it." He lowered his head and looked down the cliff, his eyes closed and silent for awhile. Eventually he let his arms drop and his head drop against his shoulders. "Alright."
"You'll give my world a chance?" Articuno asked, filled with hope.
Aion didn't face Articuno and let his head drop, nodding slowly. "Yes. I'll give it a chance."
"Thank you, thank you so much." Articuno approached Aion, and gave him a loving hugging, placing his energy into the human.
As Articuno wrapped his massive wings around the man, Aion felt tingling in his arms, his fingers flattening into feathers. He watched curiously as his skin prickled with smaller blue down feathers, covering his arms.
Aion would've been in shock, but the presence of Articuno kept him completely calm, he started feeling more trusting to him, happier to be with him, he actually started feeling younger. The blue feathers began to spread to his chest and back. However, the feathers on the chest were more white than blue. In addition, his tail feather also grew out, becoming long and thin.
Deciding to not look, Aion turned away as his legs shifted in structure, blue feathers covering his thighs, before stopping completely after his knees, his legs thinning out and changing color. His feet altered, thinning out as his toes shifted, turning from five toes into three, and his nails curving into talons. From his heel another toe grew, a sharp talon protruding from it.
At was Aion.
"How do you feel so far Aion?" Articuno asked the nearly complete young Articuno that as Aion.
Aion looked down at himself, his wings stretched next to him. He turned to look at his tail, then at his feet. "...it's different...I thought it would be painful...but it wasn't..."
"You're almost done; soon you'll be happier than ever before in your life, I'll make sure of it." Articuno said.
Aion felt some minor discomfort as his mouth and nose fused and pushed out into a new beak.
With a soft yelp, Aion's face shifted with the formation of the new beak, feathers covering his head, the silver of his hair disappearing under blue feathers, a plumage of dark blue shooting up from his forehead.
With that, Aion was an Articuno, regressed to a juvenile age, about 7-8 in human years. "How do you feel, young Aion?" Articuno asked.
Aion shivered as the change finished, hiding behind his wings when he regressed, shivering again before standing up, looking down at himself.
"No need to be scared, this way, you can start over, as a Pokémon, and as my children. If it's worth mention, you're feathers make good paintbrush and easily grow back." Articuno said.
Looking down at himself again, Aion lightly dragged his fingers- feathers along the ground, admiring the way they so smoothly ran.
"So, are you okay with being my child?" Articuno nervously asked.
Aion ran his feathers along the ground again, even incorporating his tail to 'paint.' Articuno was getting more and more nervous awaiting the former human's answer. After painting a little more, Aion looked back at Articuno, taking a few steps to nestle against him, rubbing his head against him. "Yes I am."
The Articuno was relieved, and happy. He knew that there were more Humans to rescue, but for the time being, he simply spent some quality time with his new child, as they painted a masterpiece.