Training Gone Wrong

This had gone wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. Cerise’s back hit the floor of the training arena, mere inches of sawdust and straw between the back of her skull and the concrete floor underneath. Large paws pinned her shoulder, but instinct had her other arm come up between her and the snapping jaws of the Arcenyena. Thank Arceus for her thick leather jacket and the padding underneath that kept the worst of the bite from shredding into her skin. It was gonna hurt like a bitch later, and her Zorua ears flicked back subconsciously as her adrenaline surged through her bloodstream, shorting out her suppressor. Teeth grit together as she fought back every instinct to cower and lash out at the massive Pokemon looming over her.

Instead, she met his growl with one of her own, baring her own sharp teeth right back at him. Sharp teeth almost piercing through her protective layers gleamed in her face, and a primal fear coiled around her heart, encasing it in ice. If she didn’t get control of herself, of the situation, she was going to be severely hurt, if not worse, and too many people, too many Pokemon, relied on her for her to let that happen. He went to shake his head, and something surged inside of her, springing forth from the fear wrapped around her heart, lodged in her chest as it was. Nails lengthened into claws, and her Zorua features glowed with a brilliant light, and she could feel the creep of fur up her legs and stopping around her hips. As she stared down the enraged Pokemon, she barely became aware of the glow surrounding her hand clenched in his jaws, but at the same time, she didn’t care what it was about. Before she could verbalize a command, a different voice - hers but not at the same time - shouted from across the room.

“Bad dog!” Orion had already looked spooked by the sudden appearance of her more Pokemon-like features, but at the loud, angry reprimand, he dropped her arm and looked towards the mysterious voice, ears dropping back some. His massive weight kept her down on the ground, and she squirmed, trying to get out from under him. Cerise looked too, but nothing was there, and something deep down told the woman she’d been the source of the noise. Her tail lashed in what limited space was available to it, pinned between her and the floor and she growled low in her throat as the glow faded from her body. Claws met with red fur that trailed up her arms, giving way to black fur before stopping just short of her elbows, and the itch under her jeans told her there was definitely more hair underneath. If it was possible, her fluffy ruff had gotten thicker and more like what she’d been fused with. Fruitlessly, she shoved at the Pokemon’s chest, wanting out from under him and out of that vulnerable position.

“Get off of me, Orion!” She barked out, a growl and strain lacing her words. Before the Pokemon focused entirely on her again, a blur of blue and white slammed into the massive of grey and black over her, and she could breathe again. She hadn’t realized how much her lungs had struggled to function until after the almost four-hundred-pound weight had been removed by a Pokemon that weighed a hundred pounds more than the fire/dark type she’d been training. She coughed and breathed deeply, forcing herself up onto her elbows to reorient herself.

Orion’s owner stood behind the barricade set up for specifically this reason, mouth covered in shock. Spear, her Bearteon, and the five hundred pound truck that’d tackled the Arcenyena off of her, stood between her and the other Pokemon, who actually cowered now that he was knocked out of his flare of temper. Cerise gave a sharp whistle, quickly scrambling to her feet in case she needed to step in. She staggered as she stood up, not used to the digitigrade feet her unsuppressed form possessed. A low growl came from her again, and Spear took half a step back, the spikes of ice around his neck raised in a threat display as he bared his teeth at the other Pokemon. 

“Spear, down.” She touched his side, and he glanced back, the fringe of ice lowering to rest on his body somewhat. He looked puzzled at her, and she ran a hand over his body as she focused on Orion across from them. Instead of scolding the scared thing, she squatted down, making herself smaller as she held out her hand, palm up, for the spooked Pokemon to sniff. “You’re OK, Orion. You’re OK.”

The Arcenyena’s tense shoulders relaxed, his ears still back, but this time in fear rather than anger or aggression. Slowly, he approached, sniffing at her clawed hand, before shoving his enormous head into her palm, demanding reassurance in the form of pets.

“There… there you go. Good boy. We’ll figure this out. You just got scared. So did I. Good boy.”