Prologue - The Virus
It was a warm, quiet day in Olivine City, especially in the secluded beach area Terry and his pokemon had found for lunch. The young boy had only become a trainer a few months ago, working his way around the Johto region in his attempt to become a powerful pokemon trainer, just like his idol Ash Ketchum had done.
He glanced over his pokemon, who were busy devouring their lunch. Poliwhirl was leaning back against a rock, enjoying the rest after their gym battle at Cianwood City in which he had absorbed attack after attack just to keep the team in the battle. Quilava, his first pokemon, was still chewing thoughtfully as he regarded his trainer with a friendly smile. His latest pokemon, Rhyhorn, had barely touched his food. Terry suspected that the armoured pokemon was still sceptical of being a part of the team and what that could do for him. The trainer gave an exasperated smile before looking over to his final pokemon, pausing at the sight.
Natu was looking off into the distance again, and while that wasn't unusual it was the shadow that extended to the psychic bird's feet that made the trainer feel uneasy. He followed Natu's stare, his eyes widening at the pokemon staring at the horizon. It was a tall creature, easily standing over Terry's height, its red and blue striped body looking much like an exact replica of the human shape. Its head however, was different to a human head. Terry would have described it as football shaped, with a blank mask for a face and two cylindrical shapes jutting out from each side. Unnerved and curious, Terry fished out his pokedex and aimed it at the strange pokemon.
"Deoxys, unknown forme." The automated voice said, continuing with its speech even as the trainer stopped listening. He had heard of Deoxys before, but what did it mean by unknown forme? So puzzled by the description, Terry nearly dropped the pokedex as Deoxys turned to face him. Sensing the danger, the rest of his pokemon formed up in front of their trainer, staring at Deoxys as it regarded them.
"You are nothing." It said, shocking the group by speaking in the human tongue. The shock was short lived as Deoxys leapt into their midst, landing a single blow on all four of the pokemon before flying off, disappearing almost as soon as Terry had noticed it.
"Aah! Are you all okay?" Terry yelled in panic, running to Quilava first and dropping to his knees for a closer look. Quilava rolled back to his feet, before sneezing and giving the trainer an apologetic look. He smiled reassuringly back, seeing that none of them had suffered any significant damage. "Man, that was weird... maybe we'd better get you guys to the pokemon centre, just in case."
***
From Olivine City, the virus introduced into pokemon kind by Deoxys spread like wildfire through human society. It took nearly a year before anything truly happened, but all too soon the effects became clear. Once the virus reached maturity in a pokemon, its next evolutionary stage was distorted so that the pokemon stood as an anthropomorphic version of its form. Some pokemon were mutated into these forms without evolution, startling both themselves and their human companions. These new forms were able to walk and speak in the human manner as well as their own, causing much rejoicing as humans began to believe that they could communicate with their trusted partners.
Things were never to be that simple, as not all pokemon that were in contact with humans felt that they were getting the same respect that they gave. Very little had changed in their society, and far from feeling like equals the pokemon believed that being made to battle was tantamount to slavery. Once this seed of resentment had been planted, it didn't take long before it came to bloom.
Though only a few pokemon were rebellious at first, many others joined their cause in a great flood of support and desire to throw off their perceived shackles. Led by an Arcanine named Lester and his beloved Ninetales Alexestra, the pokemon began to fight against the humans, attacking people and destroying their cities with their powerful attacks. While the humans retaliated with their armed forces, Lester proved himself a cunning general by using the weaknesses of the humans to their advantage. Human battle lines were met with an relentless wall of steel and rock pokemon, their bodies nigh proof to the weapons of the humans while ground types undermined the enemy positions, allowing other pokemon to attack with relative ease. While the human casualties mounted, pokemon deaths were almost non-existent in comparison.
Not all pokemon joined the uprising. In Pallet Town, a Pikachu reminded his team mates about all the good their trainer had done for them and succeeded in turning the small town into a bastion against the chaos, a place where humans and pokemon could live as equals. A similar story occurred in Undella Town, where a Garchomp and his partners refused entry to any who would see one faction rule over the other. Most wild pokemon simply vanished, unwilling to change for what the rebels considered a better life. Their own life, well away from the virus, suited them just fine.
However, these bastions were few and far between. Humans that didn't make the havens were rounded up and forced to raise new habitats for their pokemon overlords. Clothing became a rare commodity, allowed only to those humans who were owned by pokemon in high status, and even then they were little more than rags. Others were delegated to farming, growing food for the pokemon and being fed only what the pokemon didn't want. Still more were put to the most base of uses, forced into breeding in order to keep a supply of slaves for future generations.
Over all this presided Lester and Alexestra, ruling as king and queen of the new order. Many years passed and their family grew, birthing no less than seven children to act as princes and princesses under them. Of all their litter, Princess Tali was considered by many to be the most beautiful, with her regal face, curvaceous figure and fan of nine tails she was widely acknowledged to be the next in line to rule and was given all the education and power her status deserved.
Tali only chose one personal human slave and two pokemon handmaidens, her wilfulness and independence leading her to rely more on herself than the slave legions and dozens of retainers favoured by her brothers and sisters. Her own palace was much smaller, the humans made to build it even allowed a small nod of gratitude from the princess as opposed to the silence received by slaves belonging to her siblings.
But the Ninetales princess was forlorn. Upon reaching her twentieth birthday, she felt nothing but boredom for the suitors and royal functions, and felt drawn to things that needed to remain secret. Soon, she wondered about her now sixteen year old slave...
He glanced over his pokemon, who were busy devouring their lunch. Poliwhirl was leaning back against a rock, enjoying the rest after their gym battle at Cianwood City in which he had absorbed attack after attack just to keep the team in the battle. Quilava, his first pokemon, was still chewing thoughtfully as he regarded his trainer with a friendly smile. His latest pokemon, Rhyhorn, had barely touched his food. Terry suspected that the armoured pokemon was still sceptical of being a part of the team and what that could do for him. The trainer gave an exasperated smile before looking over to his final pokemon, pausing at the sight.
Natu was looking off into the distance again, and while that wasn't unusual it was the shadow that extended to the psychic bird's feet that made the trainer feel uneasy. He followed Natu's stare, his eyes widening at the pokemon staring at the horizon. It was a tall creature, easily standing over Terry's height, its red and blue striped body looking much like an exact replica of the human shape. Its head however, was different to a human head. Terry would have described it as football shaped, with a blank mask for a face and two cylindrical shapes jutting out from each side. Unnerved and curious, Terry fished out his pokedex and aimed it at the strange pokemon.
"Deoxys, unknown forme." The automated voice said, continuing with its speech even as the trainer stopped listening. He had heard of Deoxys before, but what did it mean by unknown forme? So puzzled by the description, Terry nearly dropped the pokedex as Deoxys turned to face him. Sensing the danger, the rest of his pokemon formed up in front of their trainer, staring at Deoxys as it regarded them.
"You are nothing." It said, shocking the group by speaking in the human tongue. The shock was short lived as Deoxys leapt into their midst, landing a single blow on all four of the pokemon before flying off, disappearing almost as soon as Terry had noticed it.
"Aah! Are you all okay?" Terry yelled in panic, running to Quilava first and dropping to his knees for a closer look. Quilava rolled back to his feet, before sneezing and giving the trainer an apologetic look. He smiled reassuringly back, seeing that none of them had suffered any significant damage. "Man, that was weird... maybe we'd better get you guys to the pokemon centre, just in case."
***
From Olivine City, the virus introduced into pokemon kind by Deoxys spread like wildfire through human society. It took nearly a year before anything truly happened, but all too soon the effects became clear. Once the virus reached maturity in a pokemon, its next evolutionary stage was distorted so that the pokemon stood as an anthropomorphic version of its form. Some pokemon were mutated into these forms without evolution, startling both themselves and their human companions. These new forms were able to walk and speak in the human manner as well as their own, causing much rejoicing as humans began to believe that they could communicate with their trusted partners.
Things were never to be that simple, as not all pokemon that were in contact with humans felt that they were getting the same respect that they gave. Very little had changed in their society, and far from feeling like equals the pokemon believed that being made to battle was tantamount to slavery. Once this seed of resentment had been planted, it didn't take long before it came to bloom.
Though only a few pokemon were rebellious at first, many others joined their cause in a great flood of support and desire to throw off their perceived shackles. Led by an Arcanine named Lester and his beloved Ninetales Alexestra, the pokemon began to fight against the humans, attacking people and destroying their cities with their powerful attacks. While the humans retaliated with their armed forces, Lester proved himself a cunning general by using the weaknesses of the humans to their advantage. Human battle lines were met with an relentless wall of steel and rock pokemon, their bodies nigh proof to the weapons of the humans while ground types undermined the enemy positions, allowing other pokemon to attack with relative ease. While the human casualties mounted, pokemon deaths were almost non-existent in comparison.
Not all pokemon joined the uprising. In Pallet Town, a Pikachu reminded his team mates about all the good their trainer had done for them and succeeded in turning the small town into a bastion against the chaos, a place where humans and pokemon could live as equals. A similar story occurred in Undella Town, where a Garchomp and his partners refused entry to any who would see one faction rule over the other. Most wild pokemon simply vanished, unwilling to change for what the rebels considered a better life. Their own life, well away from the virus, suited them just fine.
However, these bastions were few and far between. Humans that didn't make the havens were rounded up and forced to raise new habitats for their pokemon overlords. Clothing became a rare commodity, allowed only to those humans who were owned by pokemon in high status, and even then they were little more than rags. Others were delegated to farming, growing food for the pokemon and being fed only what the pokemon didn't want. Still more were put to the most base of uses, forced into breeding in order to keep a supply of slaves for future generations.
Over all this presided Lester and Alexestra, ruling as king and queen of the new order. Many years passed and their family grew, birthing no less than seven children to act as princes and princesses under them. Of all their litter, Princess Tali was considered by many to be the most beautiful, with her regal face, curvaceous figure and fan of nine tails she was widely acknowledged to be the next in line to rule and was given all the education and power her status deserved.
Tali only chose one personal human slave and two pokemon handmaidens, her wilfulness and independence leading her to rely more on herself than the slave legions and dozens of retainers favoured by her brothers and sisters. Her own palace was much smaller, the humans made to build it even allowed a small nod of gratitude from the princess as opposed to the silence received by slaves belonging to her siblings.
But the Ninetales princess was forlorn. Upon reaching her twentieth birthday, she felt nothing but boredom for the suitors and royal functions, and felt drawn to things that needed to remain secret. Soon, she wondered about her now sixteen year old slave...
Chapter End Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended, and is applicable for all consecutive chapters that follow