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kettouryuujin · 2 years

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Nobility AU - Mai

[Inspired by @monsoon-of-art's Pokérus AU and @jade-nargacuga's Pokérus: Ghosts]

Warden Mai stared at her charge, blinking - and wobbling a bit, given her weakening legs. “You… want me to walk with you?”

*Snort* “Wyr.”

“...alright then… I…guess we’ll get going.” A sigh as the pair started off from the middle of the Fieldlands. The Diamond Clan member wasn’t sure why her Lord had called her here. Something about a sacrifice to Sinnoh, for power to protect her Clan and loved ones?

If there was any time Mai disliked how her Lord rarely used his psychic powers to talk with her, this would be it. She couldn’t tell if he was just being cryptic or if he was struggling with what to say!

Well. If the Lord of the Hills wanted her to go on one last walk before her legs became Crobat wings, then who was she to stop him?

—-

As they trekked into the Mirelands, the Warden couldn’t shake the feeling something was off. She’d been going for quite a ways, and yet her legs weren’t giving out the way a future wing would. If anything, they felt a bit heavier…and stronger! The opposite of how they’d been changing before!

But when she looked down to check, they looked just as purple-tinted and thin as she’d started the walk with. It was… honestly quite the inconsistency. Was her Lord playing a trick on her?

No. When she looked up to check, the Wyrdeer’s orbs weren’t glowing - meaning he wasn’t using any illusions. Maybe she was just getting her hopes up… well, if doing so made this trek more enjoyable, then so be it.

—-

Approaching the “hand” of the lower Coastlands, the pair stopped to take a breather. Thankfully, Mai had brought some water with her on their trek - something both Noble and Warden appreciated. Still, was it her, or did the Noble seem slightly…smaller? No, everything seemed a bit smaller. How strange.

The Lord still wasn’t using any illusions, but…something still felt off about this whole thing. She just couldn’t put a finger on exactly why. She had no doubt that her Noble had the best interests in mind, however, and soon they set off once more.

As Firespit Island came into view, happy barking could be heard across the plateau. Sounds like that Pearl Clan warden finally wised up…

But as they crested the slope, the sights didn’t quite match the sounds. For one, she could still see the young Growlithe there, playing with a larger - and slightly clumsy - Arcanine. A sibling? No, the Arcanine was female. To her knowledge, there weren’t any female Growlithes that had been deemed worthy of succession. And over there, in the water - since when did Lord Basculegion have a blue stripe? For that matter, why would a male Basculegion have a blue stripe? Weren’t they supposed to be pink?

Before she could ponder this more, a nudge from the side sent her stumbling. “Deer.” Apparently, the Lord of the Hills wanted them to get moving once more. So with a sigh, Mai continued on her trek - thinking about what she’d seen the whole way through.

—-

They continued into the Icelands, the low temperatures making Wyrdeer’s Warden shiver. Ugh, how could those Pearl Clan people survive this? Even Sabi had to wear so many layers to do her job here.

Then again, maybe she remembered the temperature being worse than it was? The persistent shivering wasn’t quite as bad as she was recalled, even though her coat felt taut against her.

…taut? That wasn't right. She had to shrink to become a Crobat, not grow… maybe her size was just further down the line? Possible, but as Mai looked to her Lord’s softly glowing orbs and recalled the path they’d taken so far, she was starting to suspect something else was going on.

—-

They did not enter Jubilife Village - Showing there, even slightly changed, would only end poorly with the prejudices those people had. Instead, they wrapped around, past the Fieldlands border and into the Highlands of Mt. Coronet.

Climbing the treacherous cliffs was difficult enough without the aid of Lady Sneasaler, but Lord Wyrdeer led one nevertheless. Mai did her best to follow, stepping with the utmost caution.

For most of the way, she held firm. For most of the way, she was able to slowly follow the Wyrdeer’s measured pace. For most of the way, when he looked back Mai was still there, if not unsteady.

For most of the way, her legs didn’t give out from under her.

—-

Crying out as she fell, Mai tried her best to grab onto something - anything - but it was like it was all out of reach! A tear came to her eye - was this the end? Passing whilst following the Lord of the Hills on a trek along his Trial route?

Well… it was far from the worst way to go, at least.

“WYR!” Uff! Or maybe her Lord could catch her in Extrasensory…that worked too.

As she was gently lowered down, Mai looked at her legs… and winced. They were both bending at a rather odd angle, yet the sharp pain of broken bones wasn’t there. Instead, it was a dull ache - a weaker version of the pain she’d been used to.

Once she was on the ground, she grunted, trying to stand…and failing. Of course. “...Lord Wyrdeer… what are you doing?”

The Lord blinked, then sighed as his orbs ceased their glow. As the light faded, the Warden saw a small white muzzle in her field of view, her nose brown and engorged. Looking down, she saw the fingers of each hand shrinking away into her tan wrists - all but one, which was extending and darkening.

“...Are you…bringing me into your herd? Why?” This was…a peculiar action for any Lord to take. Then again, turning into a Pokémon was peculiar to begin with.

The Lord just approached, a sad look in his eyes as he nuzzled his changing Warden. Sensations of fear pulsed through her mind, followed by an urge to protect. “You… you think I’ll be safer like this?”

Affirmation. “But…it still leaves me a Pokémon, not a human…” Irrelevance. “It’s for something else?” Affirmation once more. “...me becoming a Stantler… lets you protect me, huh?” The Lord let out an amused chuff and backed away. The soon-to-be-ex-human sighed, slowly getting onto four pseudo-hooves. “Well… I suppose if this is how the Lord of the Woods wishes to protect a member of his Clan, who am I to deny him?”

The said Lord looked a bit startled but nodded, turning around. The pair had fortuitously landed back in the Fieldlands, and Deertrack Heights was not far away.

—-

As the Wyrdeer and changing Stantler climbed up the heights, Mai found each step easier and easier to take. It was almost as if her changing body was guiding her along, sprouting instincts ensuring that each brown-ringed hoof landed safely and securely. A welcome change from her slow, unstable walk through the Highlands.

Her mind turned back to the Coastlands - specifically, the Lord and Lady there. Perhaps she was mistaken, and those weren’t the actual Nobles? Lord Growlithe would surely have done something like this to protect his Warden, doting as she was. And she could see the oddly-colored Basculegion as being Iscan, fully changed by his Lord for the same reason Wyrdeer was changing her.

Eventually, they reached the summit, where a familiar pillar of stone had been erected. Once the future Lord of the Hills had trekked to all corners of Hisui, he would come to the top of Deertrack Heights. Once there, he would use his Psyshield Bash to topple the pillar, signifying the completion of the Trial and triggering the new Lord’s evolution. And the first thing the new Lord would do with his Warden was to gather up rocks to make a new pillar, which would stay until the next Trial of the Hills.

The Warden couldn’t help but smile upon seeing the pillar that she and Lord Wyrdeer had years ago. However, the Lord apparently had different ideas as he took position behind and to the side of the pillar. “Er.”

Blinkblink. “W-what is it? You don’t expect me to knock the pillar over, do you?”

“Deer. Wyr-de.” A sensation of consternation.

“You…do? Why? We need it for the next Trial-”

“DEER.” Annoyance and irritation, spiked with a bit of fear.

“...ok then… I…suppose it’s symbolic or something…” Mai sighed, shaking her head - thankfully, her antlers had grown in. Brow furrowed in concentration, she could feel power pooling in her mind, flowing into the twin orbs she now carried.

With a flash, a cloak of energy formed around the almost-Stantler. Not willing to open her eyes and risk losing focus, she charged into the pillar with a *wham!*.

Impact banished the veil of psychic power as the “Warden” (eh? Why the quotes?) was sent flying back, landing near the summit’s edge.

“Er.” Again? A-alright, she’d go again… Getting her limbs under her, Mai stood, concentrating once more. Again, she charged, the field bursting upon impact.

This time, however, she only skidded back a few feet. Opening her eyes, she saw a sizable crack in the pillar. “Umm… right, this is enough rig-”

“ER.” Message received…did her Lord want her to take the whole Trial of the Hills?

“Finally…” Hrm? That…sounded like the Lord, but a bit younger? Ah, no time to dwell on that. She had a Trial to complete.

Closing her eyes once more, she felt the now-familiar crackle of the psychic veil form around her. Taking a deep breath, the cervid centered herself, focusing on the pillar - specifically, toppling it in this blow.

“WYR!” *CRACK!* Indeed, with one final Bash, the pillar had fallen. Opening her eyes, the changed “Warden” (again?) looked at the shattered pillar. It was done… although she wasn’t sure where to get stone for a new pillar.

Wait, wouldn’t the Lady - no, the Lady - the… “What in Sinnoh’s name is going on here!”

“Ler!” Mai’s planned tirade was discarded as the familiar sound of a startled Stantler struck her ears. Turning to face the source, she found what was definitely a spooked Stantler - but he was in the same place her “Lo-”...ugh. Where Wyrdeer was standing earlier. Well, worry later. Comfort now.

Bending down (why was she bigger?), the new Pokémon nuzzled the more experienced one. “I’m sorry for startling you…”

“I-it’s fine…” It took Mai one moment to realize ‘Oh yeah, I can understand other Pokémon now.' Then another to note that the voice was surprisingly young-sounding for the weight it carried. “I wasn’t used to hearing a Lord or Lady’s yells as a Stantler.”

…What.

As she locked up, trying to process what those words could mean, the smaller deer gave the key to the code. “I must say, though, y-you make for a stunning Lady of the Hills, miss Mai.”

A nervous laugh. “N-no, you have it wrong…” But if he had it wrong, then why did that feel so…right? Oh, and she sure sounded like she didn’t believe the younger ‘mon’s word’s either.

So instead, she just looked down at her hooves. The sight of white fur where there had been brown made her backpedal a bit more, stopping just before the cliff edge. Looking back, she was greeted by the familiar light gray of a Wyrdeer’s body, with a snow-white tail at the end.

As the new Lady’s jaw worked in shock, the Stantler - the former Lord - sat. “I-it was the only way to make sure you’d be safe from the things to come, m-ma’am.” Oh, she’d forgotten how much of a scaredy-cat the ex-Lord was before his Trial…and it seems like those old habits had made a comeback.

Welp. Time to woman up and take the lead. “A-alright. I assume the other Nobles are taking similar action?”

“Y-yes’m. We’ve been blessed by Arceus, Dialga, and Palkia to perform these modified Rites.”

“...Who, who, and who?” Blink and head-tilt.

“Ah. Erm… we can talk about them while we get some new stone for your pillar. C’mon.” The now-a-Stantler began descending from the Heights, his old personality at odds with his (ex-)Noble knowledge and experience. With a shrug, Lady Mai followed. Hopefully this wouldn’t be too dramatic a discussion… she didn’t want to startle the young one any further.

#pokemon #pokemon legends arceus #pla #pokerus au #nobility au #warden mai #Lord Wyrdeer #Wyrdeer #Stantler #Small cameo #The Trial's structure made it hard to keep Mai unaware of her changes the whole time #So I just worked with it.#The bit with the pillar was my own idea #Stantler evolve to Wyrdeer after using agile style Psyshield Bash 20 times #So I wanted an element that reflected that #transformation

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