((Yay, almost to Johto. According to my my very nice mental map of Kanto, that is. ))

Axel smiled at my little prank and said we should all meet up at Viridian Forest. Cat went Garchomp and darted into the woods. Axel transformed into Pidgeot and got ready to take off. Then, I morphed into Noctowl for the first time.

I felt myself acquire somewhat of a hunched back, and instinctively put my arms to my side. My head changed to the shape of a bird's and I grew a beak. My torso grew fatter and a little shorter, then I was encased completely in brown feathers. As the feathers grew on my arms, my arm itself transformed into a flat, winged shape. My legs shortened dramatically, and thinned out. Finally, my feet changed to talons, and the transformation was complete.

I spread my wings and let out a hoot. I looked at my apple i tossed on the ground and kept my wings spread. I closed my eyes and concentrated on levitating it. Sure enough, the apple was floating in front of me when I opened my eyes. I concentrated on throwing in the woods, and it did. <Sick...> I thought.

<Ok, Axel. Shall we take to the skies?>

Leo was morphed into Bulbasaur at the time, stripping the green from a few healthy looking scrubs nearby a small stream. The smell of nature at it's best was pleasantly relaxing, especially being a Bulbasaur. He was starting to forget Sarah already. Apparently, there was a lake nearby from here that Bill liked to venture once and awhile, but then he'd have to socialise with the others... and in his foul mood. He overheard some mental chatter pass by from the others. Were they taking off already?

Suddenly, Leo overheard this crazy speeding thing through the thick of the foliage a great distance away, probably just coming from camp. He could feel the earth rattle beneath his Bulbasaur feet. Trees and branches fell crashing behind this thing with no match whatsoever. Passing over the top of the river bed, Leo spotted the Garchomp, Cassie, almost fly passed without so much as a eye glance. Leo gasped, rightly wondering if she could control such speeds yet. The Bulbasaur readied himself, the bulb behind his back suddenly reacting and shooting out a pair of vines, Vine Whipping to a high tree branch and swinging himself into the air before quickly morphing into his Pikachu form.

<Let's try Agility!> Leo launched himself into the air, almost forgetting gravity as it took ahold to his realisation. Leo glanced below, the height of the trees beneath him making his little heart sink into the deepest pit of his stomach... He gulped, <Quick Attack! Quick Attack!> he commanded himself before his fear took over. He lept from his falling sensation with a burst of speed, springing back into the air like a superman, and with a rustle into the thick brush of a tree. He clunched the branch and the feeling of safety, jagging his teeth as he jumped back up into a Quick Attack again.

The Pikachu bounced off branches, left, right and centre, trying to keep up and chase the destruction left behind from the Garchomp. Leo was almost up to her pace, until a clearing came and the trees he had been using came to a stop. Leo lept to a last branch reaching over the hill, gazing at the speeding dragon as it disappeared from his sight once again. Tsk, almost... Leo thought. <...Well, I can't keep this up forever... I better head back to the others.>

Leo looked back over the clearing before turning around, giving himself another boost of Agility back. He ninja'd back without a problem, rustling a few trees as he went.

---

As Leo ran back into the campsite, Axel and the others were waiting patiently for him in their own pokemon morphs. Agility had already faded by the time he got back. <I saw Cassie,> he spoke, <Let's hope she doesn't over do it. In any case, she'll get there before us. We better get moving.> He said, jumping onto Axel's back as the Pikachu, <Let's go already! And by the way, don't get the wrong idea! It's just convinent you're a Pidgeot and you can fly! Just don't... do any crazy stunts or I'll definitely shock you! I don't even care if I kill us both, you understand?!>

Before liftoff, Leo's little yellow paws yanked on the Pidgeot's back firmly. For one, he didn't want to fall off. And two, he was afraid of heights. He was very uneasy about this. Tree height --- sure, not a problem. Times two that and it's more like times ten height for Leo!

After Cat morphed into a Garchomp and swiftly dashed into the forest, Seth morphed into a Noctowl.  He was obviously having fun trying out its psychic abilities, as he threw his apple core into the woods with his mind.  Then, Leo came running in from the forest in his Pikachu form and hopped onto Axel's back.  Hopefully he was in a better frame if mind now.

As Seth, Axel, and Leo prepared to take off, I morphed into Beeheeyem, figuring that I should use it to travel this time around.  After I completed morphing, my newly enhanced cerebrum rapidly searched to find a solution to the situation.  I combed through the enumeration of moves possibly learned by a Beeheeyem and produced an answer.  The move Teleport should fit to satisfy my needs, as it would empower me to move short distances automatically.  Splendid!  I will deign to utilize this ability to ensure my odyssey to the Viridian woodlands is plain sailing!  ...Did Beeheeyem always think this way?  And I thought that I knew a lot of big words!

Anyway, I started off, and used the move Teleport.  I didn't know what to expect, and at first, it felt weird, as a psychic glow enveloped me.  The next thing I knew, I was about 50 feet away from the rest of the group.  Cool, I thought.  I sent a message to the others. <Tally-ho chaps! I'm off to our planned destination spot! Please accept my apology for the superfluous vocabulary; it comes with the form I currently inhabit> I continued on in this fashion as I made my way through the woodlands... err, I mean forest.

((sorry for the late reply; school has only just started, but that plus extracurriculars is bogging me down...))

I mentally waved a hand at Leo's worries. <Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it. I think we'll be fine.> I flapped my wings a couple of times to get above the treetops; already, I could see some shaking trees where Cat had gone off. I put on a Tailwind, then we were off!

As we flew, I thought about what we were going to do in Johto. We had to take care of Leo's business, whatever it was; but after that, what if we couldn't find the people Bill had talked about? What would we do then? It's not like there were relatives any of us could run too. Neither was there a refuge for a bunch of shapeshifting freaks.

Then it hit me. What if, instead of roaming Johto, looking for some mysterious contact that might not appear, we just kept moving west, until we hit a port? If we could get far enough away from Kanto, we might be able to disappear into obscurity, slowly training, adding forms, and learning to use them, until we could bring down the regime.

The idea had merit. Places like Unova were far enough away that the Governor and police there probably wouldn't know about us. Nonetheless, I would have to sit on the idea for some time; it wouldn't be a good idea to announce this to the group. At least not yet.

The feeling of clouds rushing through my feathers, the smell of the crisp, clear sky... All was right at the moment. I let out a cry, declaring my excitement to all the gods above and below. Damn, but this felt good.



In Viridian City, a helicopter lands. Already waiting on the helipad is Joseph. Farquahar disembarks from the plane, then glances with disdain towards Joseph. "If you fail me here, I will kill you, Joseph. Or rather, you'll, 'disappear.' Do you understand?" An emphatic nod. "Good. Then let us continue."

The two walk to a door at the edge of the pad, then down a set of stairs. Joseph is silent, contemplating the fate that may await him. They reach a door at the bottom of the stairs, then walk back out into the sunlight. There is a hulking purple creature awaiting them.

"Good. You made it here. I've decided that this problem will warrant a more massive operation; my team will be necessary. Five of your group are with me." He opened his coat, showing five other Pokeballs. "When the children get here, you and the others will kill them. No questions." The Nidoking nodded his massive head. Joseph shivered. The malice of the Pokemon was evident.

Five Pokeballs are thrown up into the air, and five monstrous Pokemon appear. A large steel worm, a green reptile, a red-clawed insect, a yellow and black bear-like creature, and a pokemon whose form shifted like shadows. All were powerful... and all were utterly loyal to Farquahar, and had never failed a mission like this before. This time would be no different.

((just to clarify, Farquahar's team has Nidoking, Steelix, Tyranitar, Scizor, Electivire, and Zoroark. I think we'll all face one, but the idea is that it'll be our "team" versus his actual team. Or that's the idea for now, at least; it's subject to change.))

((That's fine so long as this doesn't die. Re the team, seems like a cool idea-- I can handle the Scizor, Steelix, Electivire, or Sceptile with my two forms. Up to you guys.))

I could only hear the sound of the wind whipping past me, and chuckled at the joking statement in my mind. <I think I'll get there first, out of all of us non-Psychic types...>

Then the whopwhopwhop of rotors filled my ears and I went still, whipping to a halt to avoid detection, crouching down beneath a big tree and looking up as the helicopter passed overhead, growling softly in distaste.

After it left, I straightened up and continued my run, sending a warning message to the group. <I saw a chopper heading for Viridian. We might have a welcome committee. Stay sharp.>

((Just posting to say I can take Steelix with Aggron when we get there.))

((I'll take on Zoroark, but if not, Scizor's also good.))

((It's not really a dibs kind of thing, guys. I'll assign who gets what later on, probably. Although i do appreciate and will take into account your preferences. I just need to see who will be active when we actually get there. Besides, we might wind up taking them on as a team. Like i said, we'll see.))

((Ok, cool. I was actually just looking for weaknesses, and it turns out Alfred's team has a pretty good resistance to my morphs. ))

Leo buried his Pikachu face into the Pidgeot's back, his heart doing that sinking feeling as Axel took momentum and took off. <Just hurry up and be over with...> he thought to himself aloud. The wind was way too strong, especially for his size. If he'd let go, he'd fall off and die, he thought. The wind tortured him, threatening to grab him and throw him off into oblivion.

Axel let out a cry. What was the big deal...? He thought. Leo slowly eyes, seeing nothing but blue sky and cloud. <Oh, crap!> Leo quickly shut them again, realising just how far up they were... He attempted to try again, slowly but surely. This wasn't too bad... Besides, Axel would catch him if he fell, right...? He lifted himself up, lookng over the Pidgeot's strong wings flapping in the wind and cloud... <Hey, this isn't so bad...>

Leo, one bit at a time, loosened his grip on Axel's back, beginning to look forward. It felt like he was flying, too. It was kinda, like... Axel's feelings of flying and the joy of it were flowing into him as well. Leo smiled a little, his eyes widening, finally giving a full on "Pikachu!" cry of excitement and letting his instincts run free.

This was kinda fun...

Leo listened to Cassie's warning, giving Axel a pat to get his attention, <We should probably keep above cloud level or something.>

I mentally laughed. Leo was starting to get a little braver about the height we were at, and didn't huddle as close to me anymore. When he let out his cry of, "Pikachu!" it occurred to me that this is what Pokemorphing was about; being able to share in the unique experiences offered by morphing. Not the act in and of itself, but what it enabled us to do - swimming without having to surface, flying, teleportation... the possibilities were mind-boggling.

Leo mentioned that we should get above cloud level. <I agree. Kind of stupid of me not to think of it before, especially since this Pokemon is so visible from the ground...> Flapping my wings hard, I started to gain altitude. As we broke through the clouds, I enjoyed the brief rush of the water vapor flowing through to my skin. It was so refreshing after exertion.

Above the cloud cover, there was nothing but sunshine. The air itself was very cold; but the feeling of the sun being so much closer than normal quickly warmed me back up. But I was also exerting myself; Leo didn't really have that option. <Let me know if you get cold up here.. We can also get back down to ground level if you need a drink or anything.> I kind of wanted him to say something; I was really looking forward to a fast dive toward the ground, just as I'd always imagined in my dreams.

Leo lifted himself up, letting the cloud and vapour hit his face as Axel gained attitude. When they shot up through the cloud and began steadily hovering above the white fluffy marshmellows below, all that remained was the beautiful blue sky above and the sun shooting the clouds and heavens alive. The scenery was magnificent. The sun warmed Leo's heart and his red cheeks, so the cold didn't bother him so much. It was a little chilly, but the warmth from the Pidgeot's back was comforting enough. Leo's eyes glimmered as he gazed around, this silly smile on his Pikachu face.

It took Leo a moment before he realised Axel had said something, <Oh. No, it's okay. We should continue to try catching up after Cassie. There's no need to waste any time.> Leo looked around, smiling smugly to himself, <Well, flying isn't as bad as I thought... Thanks, Axel.>

Leo looked up at the hopeful sun once again, possibly for the last time, <I wish Sarah could've come with us...> Being so far away from anything, away from problems, the past and the distant future, along with that peaceful scene above the clouds... it cleared any immediate anger he had for her, at least for the moment. Right now, all he could do was miss her. <...She's my big sister. She was the only one a had for five years, after our home was destroyed... But we had a fight. She betrayed me, and everyone... I just got so mad... And then, she left me...> Leo looked down sadly, <I wonder what she's doing now... and, I wonder what she plans to do.>

((To make sure this doesn't die))

As I got near Viridian, I slowed down to make sure I remained undetected, and spent the last few hundred meters slinking along in the shadows of the trees. The Garchomp mind was hungry, but I was forcing it down, telling it firmly that it would eat later, when we got into a fight.

<I'm just about there. Where's everyone else?>

Axel took off, flapping his wings and gliding through the air, with Leo the Pikachu on his back. I spread my wings and kicked off the ground hard, and realized that even before flapping my wings, I'd traveled about four and a half feet off the ground. Haha, I guess that makes sense. I am a 5-foot-tall bird. I started flapping my wings. Flying was easier than I thought it would be. I guess you really can't have the feeling unless you're an actual bird, not in anything man-made. I flapped my wings harder, gaining altitude, and went up through the clouds. My wings were getting tired, and I braced myself for a possible fall if I stopped. Then, I let my muscles relax, but held my wings out, and just like that, I was gliding. Wow. I thought. This... This is amazing. I flew faster and faster, doing twirls in the air while making a beaky smile. Eventually I caught up to Axel and Leo. I actually completely forgot they were there, due to my fun during flight.

I tried to catch up with them, concentrated on their location, but Pidgeot was a naturally a much faster flier than Noctowl. While concentrating on them, I must've accidentally used Mind Reader. I heard a laugh that sounded like Axel's human voice, and felt their excitement in an overwhelming amount. Then, I heard a regular telepathic line of speech from Leo, talking about his sister, Sarah. Still using Mind Reader, I felt his emotion on the subject. It was like I just got punched in the face. I started to feel sorry for him. Leo's story put a little damper on my mood, flying was still fun. I realized that they didn't know I was behind them, and the last thing I wanted was Pidgeot dive bombing me, so I said <Axel, Leo. Just so you don't get surprised later on, I just caught up.>

After saying that, I heard Cat's message, saying she just got to Viridian. <Wow, you're fast. I think we're almost there. And when I say 'we', I mean I'm following Axel and Leo. Haha, I honestly have no idea where I'm going.>

Still making my way towards the meeting spot, I spent my time trying to overpower the Beeheeyem's instinct to use big words.  Right as I was pretty sure I had it down, I sensed that I was nearing the city.  I spotted Cat trying to sneak around and was surprised that she could still be just as stealthy in her collossal Garchomp body.  

It seems as though the others aren't here yet, I thought. I'll have a bit of fun.  I used Teleport to appear right in front of her.  <So how's it going?>

I jerked back and snarled as something flashed into existence in front of my eyes, the Garchomp's instincts causing me to lash out in a fierce Dragon Claw attack, but my human mind thankfully overriding in time to change the angle of my blow and send my claw into the nearby tree as I glared at the Beeheeyem which had popped out of nowhere.

<Don't do that again, the Garchomp mind is aggressive and highly reactive, I might injure you by accident.>

Settling myself down, I answered his question. <I am well. Just observing the comings and goings. This place is far too quiet for my liking, and it makes me uneasy.>

The dragon's claw swung out towards me, and for a moment, I was sure that this was the end. Damn it! Why was I so foolish?  I braced myself for instant death.  But it never came.  I sheepishly opened up one eye to see what had happened.  Cat's claw was embedded in the side of a nearby tree, and she was giving me a stern look.  

After a mental reprimanding, she started to loosen up, and talked about how it seemed unnaturally quiet for the outskirts of a city.  I realized that I probably owed her an apology.  <Hey, sorry about that.> I said. <I wanted to have a bit of fun, but stupidly didn't think about what could result from it.  I'd smack my forehead, but my arms aren't long enough to reach it.>

I listened to Leo talk about his sister, sadly. It was rather tragic; Leo clearly still loved her, but one or the other of them felt it necessary to break apart. I wondered if this was the reason why Leo wanted to go to Ilex Forest. Could it be he was looking for his sister? But he hadn't implied that that was where he'd broke off with her, so I didn't ask.

We coasted along in silence, with Leo eventually joining us. Eventually, I heard from Cat that she'd made it alright. More silence. Finally, I spoke to Leo. <I know how hard it is to not have a family member with you. Everyone here does, I think. But she's probably still alive; and if you'll let me, I try to help you find her and make amends in whatever ways I can, alright?> It was from the heart; I didn't want Leo to have to wonder, like I did every day, about whether someone you love is alive or not.

Leo stared, morphing back into a human. He was wondering whether Sarah was still alive or not... No, there was no use wondering about anything. She was still alive, he could feel it.

Leo looked back at the Noctowl just catching up, then back to the clouds. Leo's head fell, "Thanks, Axel. I'll look for her someday... but in the meantime, I hate her." He glared.

---

Leo's bandana whipped back and forth behind his yellow fluffy head. Leo was getting sleepy up in the sky. He almost fell dozing off.

<Well, are we almost there?> the Pikachu patted the Pidgeot, slightly impatient, <Fly down, but do it CAREFULLY. OKAY?>

Fatigue began to set in with around four o'clock. Leo noticed that we were close by, and asked me to go down - but slowly. I wearily obliged; I felt that if I tried a steep dive right now, I wouldn't be able to stop our descent. So, a slow loss of altitude began, and Cat and Jeremy began to come into view.

I banked around the clearing, coming in for a landing. I spread my wings, then alighted upon a branch. As soon as Leo clambered down, I hopped down to the ground and began to wearily morph back. I observed that my energy level was still the same; so although any wounds would heal, if you became too fatigued to fight or morph, you could easily die.

"Damn, but I'm tired, guys... You know, I just noticed that I didn't gain any extra energy when I turned back into human, so watch your fatigue levels, okay?" Above me, I could see Vincent and Jeremy coming in towards the clearing. Off to my right, a Gallade sprinted in, catching up to us. Everyone had made it safe. I blew out a sigh of relief, then sat down for a little bit.

((I don't know when redt and shina are gonna come back; if it goes a few more weeks, I may have to kill them off, but I'd rather avoid that if necessary.))

<That's okay. The Garchomp is just a -lot- more aggressive than the Charizard, I'll have it fully under control soon but until then, it'd be best not to do that...>

I looked up as a shadow fell over us, instinctively ducking back into the shadows-- then relaxed as a Pidgeot with a Pikachu on its back landed, shifting back into Axel.

<I'm all right. Not tired. The Garchomp is hungry, but it's a predator, I'll just feed if we get attacked.>

Following the Pidgeot, I noticed I wasn't really getting tired. I guess birds have a better endurance. I thought. We approached Viridian City, and I dove downward shortly after Axel, watching him all the time to make sure we don't crash together. I landed, morphed back to human form, and nearly passed out from exhaustion. "Whoa... Little tired here." I said, ready to lay down and fall asleep. "That was definitely the most amazing experience I've ever had, though."

"Pfft," Leo jumped from Axel's back and landed on the ground, morphing back into a human, "You guys are a bunch of wimps. I'm not tired at all!" he gloated.

Leo took a step forward, landing flat on his face. His legs had caved in. They were nothing but jelly.

"Ugh," he muffled, "Give me a few minutes..."

Leo jumped off Axel's back and boasted how he wasn't tired. Then, he took a step and fell on his face. I smiled at him. It was then that I figured out these people were beginning to become my best friends.

((psst, it's viridian forest :p ))

Leo collapsed. I grinned a little; I guess there were some side effects to riding on a Pidgeot after all. Nonetheless, we needed to get moving; Elemental was hot on our tail most likely, and we had probably given them time to prepare for us. I forced myself to my feet; movement would probably be best for now.

"We need to get through Viridian Forest as fast as possible. The sooner we get to Johto, the better. And there's no way to easily get around Viridian City, so..." I began to morph into Mightyena, who was better for walking anyway.

<This time, let's stick together, okay guys?>

((i think i know what will happen next... )