Chapter Seven:
Skin-Crawling
The continuous spur of events was exhausting to say the least. Holland embraced the silence of the night sky after battles upon battles. He truly understood the meaning of Whispering Woods. To some it meant the whispers of a predatory entity, to Holland it was but a wisp of calm to his ears. As if the whispering were nothing but the forest's way of reaching out to hug you.
To his side, he was reminded that it was not only him that needed rest. Vivzy sat idly by a branch, her wing flapping ever so slightly. Runi hovered over her, emanating a comforting hum as it too recuperated from the battle. And finally by his stomach, sat his little baby.
Goomy was now regaining some of its goo, though not as much as it was before. Holland was just happy that he was recovering. But that doesn't mean he's completely fine.
He adjusted Goomy slightly, careful not to cause too much of a disturbance. His hands hovered among his pokeballs. It went past the main six and entered the back portion of his belt. The comforting feeling of her PokeBall was enough to elicit feelings of homesickness from him as he remembered the memories of his childhood. This Pokemon was his oldest, and by far pertaining the most memories.
He grabbed hold of the PokeBall and threw it in the air. A flash of bright light soon gave way to a figure of pale pink. Her belly and legs were a pale cream that ascended to her lower face. Her ears flapped at her release, causing the tendrils and the marble-like jewel hanging from them to swirl. Her eyes reminded Holland of a mother about to scold her children, and that's just what happened.
"Audino!" The pink pokemon chastised. Her eyes examined Holland and the three pokemon in front of her. Her face did not look please at what she found.
"Sorry Bel. We got into a little fight hehe." Holland rubbed the back of his neck. After all this time, Audino's sturn look still caused the hairs on his body to freeze. Being the pokemon that practically raised him besides his family does that to people.
"Audi..di..audino." Her words were a mix of worry, annoyance, and anger. Holland didn't blame her though. After all he had her went through when he was travelling, he wouldn't be surprised if she all out left him. Of course, they both knew that would never happen.
The Hearing Pokemon wasted no time and immediately went after the most bruised, Goomy. Her hands carefully grabbed hold of the dragon and cradled him in her arms. Bel was his mother's Audino and tasked her with looking out for him whenever they were busy with work. She was pretty much a second mother to him, and an important asset to their team. Her eyes and hands carried years of experience and care, something Holland desperately needed right now.
Bel laid down on the dirt and placed Goomy gently on her lap. She hovered her hands over the pokemon and used her magic. Her palms emitted a faint light that enveloped Goomy. Instantly, the look of fatigue vanished and was now replaced with comfort.
Heal Pulse, a move that Bel had mastered. It was the move that had got them through rough times. From travelling through forests for days, non stop battles without a PokeCenter, and even through his altercations with evil teams. Bel was always there to heal his team up, no matter what. Even then, the enemies were smart to not underestimate her caring nature. She may not be of champion level such as his main team, but she was definitely elite. Trained by her mother and him of course. When push comes to shove, Bel will be there to throw punches and Heal Pulses.
"Gooommm…." Goomy looked as if he was in heaven, earning a chuckle from the motherly Pokemon. After a thorough check, Audino placed the dragon on the grass and watched it slid across the dirt, good as new.
"Goomm…gooommmyyy" The dragon cheared and Audino laughed even more.
"Diiinnoo…" With those words, Goomy halted his movements to nod at her and continued playing.
Bel them moved to Runi and Vivzy. Runi was for the most part, fine. Only needing to regain energy. Audino nodded to the cell and gave him a mild Heal Pulse for a boost. She then turned to Vivzy. Because of the lightning bolt, her wings were burnt in some parts and her body was blackened. Audino gasped in worry, quickly tracing the wounds with her hand.
The path her hand moved through, glowed a bright light until it spread acrossed her entire body. Vivzy let out a screech of happiness and proceeded to flop down on the branch, clearly tired from everything that happened.
And now the dreaded moment, Audino turned to him. Her eyes only looked at him that screamed, "again?". Holland gave her the cheekiest smile he could muster, earning a tired sigh from the pokemon. Same with the others, Bel hovered her hands over his chest. She released a warm light towards his heart that quickly enveloped his body. Without much effort, he was good as new.
Bel smiled at her work. Nothing brought her great joy than watching the people she cared about having fun. However, her joyful demeanor abruptly stopped. The others around her noticed the change in mood, with Holland looking at her for any words. Audino seemed to have space out for two seconds until her ears twitched slightly. She quickly got out of her stupor and looked intently at everyone.
"Din…audi…didinoo" Having been with her since he was born, Holland immediately knew what she was saying. The pokemon around them also understood her words as each of them tensed.
Her ears were twitching, she heard someone. And from what she was saying, they were moving, and fast. There was shock on Audino's face as she muttered to herself. It took a few seconds before Audino finally admitted that she hadn't noticed her earlier. It was only when the body made a mistake and stepped on a twig that she managed to hear her and discern her location. She had to focus to hear where she was, and that alone worried everyone else. If this thing could evade Bel's senses than it was a possible threat.
Holland hid Goomy in his hood and actively casted an illusion around him. Meanwhile, Vivzy and Runi were readying themselves for a possible confrontation. Audino was now looking forward, her eyes intent on tracking wherever this mysterious individual was. Seconds later, Audino motioned to her right and just like that a person appeared a few meters back. She was cloaked in the night, though her eyes released an eerie glow.
Silence permeated their staring contest. Both Holland and this unidentified girl did not give in to the pressure of making contact—or blinking for that matter. It was only when a slight crackle in the air that the girl made her move. All Holland could see was the glint of a fast approaching blade.
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Beatrice was an exceptional Knight in training for her age. Accepted by the most prestigious guilds in the empire and having the oppurtunity to work for early apprenticeship sealed the deal for her.
During her younger years, she showed average results. Expected for a child her age, though her parents did not take kindly to that. At the sight of their twisted faces, Beatrice promised to never have to witness those faces again.
So she trained.
She fought, she learned, and she grew. And once she awakened, their was only one guild for her that spoke volumes to the core of her magic, Midning Garden. Her parents were thrilled at having birth a "gifted" child and Beatrice relished in it.
Now, she was currently here. This moment was the precipice of er countless efforts. It was the threshold that would lead her to a new era of her life. One that only spoke of blinding lights and applause.
She will not let anything get her way.
Previously, the trainees for Light Of Chaos were tasked to hunt down a wild beast terrorizing a town, it was simple enough. Of course, simplicity escaped the roof when an mysterious individual appeared. For some reason, this individual was so important that all knights present in the area were tasked to look for him, even those in training.
So now, she was at this moment. Facing with the man that stood against her and obtaining her dream. There was no room for error, and there was no room to underestimate.
Sparing a quick glance, creatures surrounded him. A summoner? Than that only left her with one choice. This person was clearly in the middle of recuperating and it made everything more simpler. He was tired and his Summons were surrounding him. It doesnt take a baby to realize that keeping all those summons in the physical plane were draining out the already depleting mana within him.
It was too perfect.
She swung her sword, and fired. The attack clearly caught the person off guard as it smacked directly to his face.
Perfect.
Beatrice arched her lips, waiting for the signs of his summons disappearing. But it never happened, she miscalculated.
"You don't think it's rude to attack someone you just met—"
She gave him no time to speak, to react, to move. Her legs were already aimed and ready to strike at his face. His face confused Beatrice truly. She couldn't see it as if her mind couldn't comprehend the sight of it. She pushed this thought back as she continued with her attack. This time, she made contact.
The resulting collision caused a small wave of dust to spread out. Learning from before, she raised her hands and felt her sword pull back towards her. She twisted her body and pushed back from his face. Beatrice flipped upwards and came face to face with the blurry individual.
"Impossible…" Her voice cracked slightly, but she made sure to tighten it. This person, he was unharmed. Not just that, the beasts beside him made no sign of disappearing.
This time, it was Beatrice's turn to not be given time to think as a beam of pixelated light shot towards her. She twisted her entire form to dodge the incoming attack, unfortunately that was not the end of it. Followed by the pixelated light, a beam of hallucinatory colors attacked her just as quickly as the beam ended. Beatrice was stunned, though years of training saved her when she instinctly brought her head back. The beam flew over hear and attacked a tree, collapsing it in the process.
Beatrice landed a few good meters away as they both resumed the staring match. This person was no ordinary warrior. She knew that though, but there was just something in him that still left her shocked. This was no easy fight, but the faces she never wanted to see appeared in her head, and at that moment, it was all or nothing.
She activated her magic, her body emmiting a purple glow. The mysterious individual watched her silently as she willed the magic to her arms and legs. Soon, her limbs began to change. It morphed into something inhuman. A shell covered her skin, and faint red hue shimmered off of them.
Beatrice squeezed her legs and jumped. The action resulted in a small crater appearing and a flash before she appeared in front of the individual. The individual was mesmerized, just like the wind she appeared and held her sword up high. There was an arrogant grin to her face that seemed to speak of her victory as she swung her sowed down.
The attack caused the entire ground beneath them to shudder and break. As if there was a sinkhole, the entire earth benath the individual sunk into the ground. Trees around them swayed violently as a gush of wind was propelled from the attack.
Beatrice held her sword high. When she was young people only ignored her. Practically stepping on her as if she was a mere ant. It seemed fitting that now, she was given the ability to show them that small doesn't mean weak.
Name: Beatrice
Magic Type: Changeling (Animal)
Powers: Entimorph
The user can transform any part of her body or its entirety into any insect.
Gaining their abilities and skills. The following power will then be scaled upwards to properly correspond with Beatrice's size.
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Whatever Holland thought would happen, didn't. The blade hit him just as fast as it appeared. Luckily, Runi was there to protect him. Holland cleared his throat and pushed back his entire grievances, his champion persona taking charge.
"You don't think it's rude to attack someone you just met—"
Before he could finish his sentence however, the girl continued her attack. Holland found this incredibly rude and redundant as Runi continued to block her incoming attacks. There was shock to her face and a mumble that Holland laid no attention to as he ordered Vivzy and Runi to attack.
The girl dodged both attacks, much to Holland's surprise and captivation. He covered his face with an illusion, he was beginning to think these fights are not of pure coincidence. The girl only looked at him and an eerie glow enveloped her frame. Her arms changed and Holland watched, raptured by the alteration. She moved and Holland could feel the power within her. It wasn't anything legendary, but it was still remarkable.
Like a quick attack, she appeared in front of him and swung down with the force of a Snorlax using body slam. The earth cracked beneath and the once petite girl was now something much freakier, in a sense that Viola would find interesting to capture with her camera.
The girl flew back after her attack and waisted no time. She continued the onslaught of kicks and punches, burrowing Holland and his Pokemon deeper into the earth. This magnitude of strength reminded him of a fifth gym leader at best, though deep down he wouldn't underestimate her.
With a flick of his fingers, a burst of pyshic energy pushed the girl back. The knight dug her feet in the earth to stop her movement just in time for Holland to follow with a two-time attack from Vivzy and Runi. It was just a second, but Holland could see it clearly. Her skin changed once more as it grew a hardy exterior that glinted like steel.
Upon contact, the two beams caused a flash of fiery explosions. Holland waited for the dust to settle and was mildly annoyed at the still standing girl. She had on a triumphant face that Holland ignored in favor of ordering his pokemon to attack.
The girl seemed to ready herself for another beam only to be caught off guard with the sudden energy enveloping her. With Runi's Psychic, she was now propelled upwards and taken out of her senses. Runi flipped her around and around keeping her from getting her bearing.
Vivzy watched with amusement before following with her own attack. Her wings glowed and a fierce rush of wind attacked the spinning knight. The blast of wind circled around her and continued to push her up. Deciding, Holland wanted to end this, he gestured for Bel, who happily obliged.
The pink and cream pokemon raised her arms and shot out a sphere of pure light. As it rushed towards the girl, the sphere glistened and shone like the moon. It twisted and bulged and illuminated the area around it before striking the girl directly in the chest. The resulting attack caused a flash of light and a consecutive thump as the girl's body fell to the floor.
Holland looked at her with eyes that showed no true enotion. This girl was after him and even though she served no chance, he would still admit that she has talent. Nevertheless, the look that the girl had on her face was not of anger or frustration, but just plain out revenge. It was not a senseless rage that others normally would, this looked as if all her emotions disappeared and only one word was plastered all throughout her head.
The knight in question was laid bare in front of him. From his guess, they were similar in age. However, their gap in skill was combated by the girl's physical stature. She reminded him of Bea from Galar. With her arms and legs that showed lines of muscles along with her well-defined jaw. Her armor consisted of various metal plating that emitted a violet hue when under light. Her purple hair was cut in a bob that framed her face perfectly, with bangs that covered her forehead. Below the bangs, her eyes watched him intently, before making another move.
Holland prepared himself. She raised her arms and was doing various gestures with her hands. The champion had no idea what would happen thus he began reinforcing his shields. Only when the girl finished her movement did Holland's fingers twitched. His eyes widened as the shield around him fluctuated. The feel of his pyschic powers felt off as if it was pulled away from him.
The Kalos Champion looked at the girl in question. She smiled in return before her body started to grow. Holland looked on as the girls face twisted and bent until eyes as big as a crystal ball stared back at him. Two pairs of arms escaped from her hips and a pair of purple iridescent wings rose from her back.
After that, the girl flew towards him.
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Beatrice had no choice.
She couldn't let this perpetrator go. It was risky, but she new the consequences. This person was strong, and with his psychic prowess she would never break through his defenses. So, she casted a spell. She was young and inexperienced, but she was talented. And once she finished it, she screamed internally.
The look on the individual's face, although blurred, still cut through Beatrice. And once she had his guard down, she activated her magic once more. The feel of her powers coursed through her veins. Her face twisted and her back and legs were squeezed and stretched. Soon, all she could see was nothing but pure power.
Her once fragile body was now covered in a layer of a steel-like exoskeloten. Her eyes now as big as a crystal ball, reflected a near 360 degree view, and the wings on her back flapped menacingly. Without wasting any time, she attacked the individual head on.
Her fist met a strong wall, but she didn't halt her advances. Beatrice continued her attack, sending out punch after punch. She followed it with a kick straight at the center and two more punches to seal the deal.
Beatrice body shakes at the strain it was forced to experience. It was crazy, a full-body transformation at this stage would mean doom if handled incorrectly, but as she knew, she was from incorrect. Or that's what she thought.
All her eyes could comprehend was light, then pain, and finally darkness.
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What the girl did was a gamble, yet Holland seemed to praise her more for that. It was true she did not even reach an elite level Pokemon, but she sure put up a fight.
It was only for Runi that Holland got his powers back. It felt surreal. His powers were like an endless blanket of energy that tried its best to smother him, but at the moment, the blanket felt like it was yanked away from him. His fingers held it by a thread, only managing to grab hold of it thanks to Runi's intervention.
Holland eyed the three pokemon by his side. After everything, he felt tired and one more battle could mean the end for him if the odds were against him. The moment he arrived here, it was a non stop battle. And at this moment, he knew the battle was still not over.
Holland's eyes landed at the girl and to Bel, who signalled that there were more coming. He wondered deeply at what was truly happening. Was this a test sent by Arceus himself? Or was this something beyond that?
Whatever it was, he knew it was just the beginning.
"Beatrice!" A call escaped the cover of the trees. From those words, Holland knew it was time to go. He just hoped he could rest even for a little bit.