#pokepred

Little Spheal scooted along the snow covered ground with great effort. Its rotund body was not easy to pull with flippers or push with tail. However, it couldn't roll right now.

Its eyes were trained on icicles hanging from a rocky outcrop. All of them were lumpy from layers of melt coating the slick surface over time. A few had some odd spikes jutting out though.

Spheal reared up and clapped its fins happily while below one of the strange icicles. The snom above it gave a surprised squeak and broke off its icy filament. Clearly it intended to run, but it hadn't realized its hunter was directly below.

The worm pokemon fell down into the wide, waiting jaws of Spheal. Its prey wriggled helplessly as it sucked on the icy spikes, melting them away slowly. It gulped at the fluid, each swallow dragging the whole snom down further. In no time at all, the hapless morsel slid through Spheal's throat to its waiting belly.

Spheal clapped again and cried joyfully, delighted to feel its belly full. Though it was a big meal, there wasn't much of a visible bulge in the pokemon's form. The snom still squirmed for a little while, but that too was hidden by Spheal's blubber.

Serendipity, known as just Dippity to her friends, raced down the street on her rotom-bike. Without missing a beat she veered into the Battle Cafe and dismounted. The man behind the counter smiled, "Back again? I've seen you every day for months now."

She nodded and pranced up to the counter, "Of course! I gotta get more sweets to get the perfect alcreamie of my own!"

He chuckled. The battle commenced. Ace, her starter, and Kludd, her corviknight, made quick work of his fairies, as per usual, and he handed over the reward, a star sweet. She snatched it from his hand with a grin and ran back out of the cafe, waving behind her and calling, "Thanks again!"

Back on the bike, she hurried down to the wild area. With the sun setting over the hills, she dismounted and stood in the grass, a pokeball in hand.

"Come on out, Milcery!" She cheered as she threw the ball. Out came the little dollop of cream with an adorable cry. It wobbled over to her, big white eyes shining up at its trainer. 

"Here you go," Dippity said, holding out the star sweet. Milcery took it in both of its little hands, staring in wonder. Then it looked back at her and cooed.

"I'm glad you like it! Now come back and let's evolve you!" The excited trainer hardly waited for an answer, recalling the little pokemon immediately. She glanced up at the sky to double check the timing, then crossed her arms and began to spin. Round and around she went, grinning and clinging to the pokeball as she twirled for what felt like forever.

The ball burst open, the escaping figure nothing but glittering light. Dippity gasped with as much delight as she had the first time she did this. Before her eyes the form of the pokemon shifted, and the light faded to reveal a gorgeous rainbow swirl alcreamie. The trainer clapped her hands together and the elegant little pokemon flounced over to give her legs a hug. She knelt and scooped her up for a proper hug. 

Holding her at arm's length now, she gave the pokemon a look over, "Mm you're beautiful! I know I'll call you- Well, maybe I'll just wait actually. I'll have to see how you are at battling first!" Alcreamie cried happily and waved her arms in the air.

Together they ran off into the tall grass to battle. Their combat took them all over the wild area as they took on opponent after opponent. Before long they were both plenty tired out. Alcreamie had performed admirably, but they usually did the first day; Dippity reserved judgement for tomorrow. For tonight, the trainer pitched her camping tent and settled down to sleep.

While she slept, Ace popped out of his ball. He stretched his arms above his head and arched his back, then shook out his paws. On soft-furred feet he padded over to where his best friend slept and grabbed one of her pokeballs. With the press of a button and a mischievous gleam in his eyes, the alcreamie was free. Groggy and confused, she looked at Ace. He put a finger to his mouth then waved for her to follow him out of the tent. She waddled after him, waiting in the brisk night air as he closed the tent flap behind them.

He crouched down, hands on his knees and whispered, "You wanna be the best?"

Alcreamie nodded enthusiastically, "Of course! Miss Dippity is very nice; I wanna fight with her all the time."

"Then let me train you."

"Okay!" The little pokemon bounced in place with excitement.

Ace backed up a good distance then flicked up a rock, juggling it from foot to foot as a flame grew around it. "Alright, try to dodge this," he called gently.

Alcreamie nodded and dove out of the way as the fireball came flying at her. She narrowly avoided it. "Good! You got moves. Now let's see how you handle this!" 

He kicked two rocks at her in quick succession, each one moving with incredible speed. She leapt up, but one caught her poofy skirt of cream. "Gotta do better than that. Let's try close range now," he growled, leaping at her without warning. She squeaked and dodged his initial jump, but he tripped her with his long leg as she landed. In an instant he had one long foot planted on her body. She wriggled beneath it and pushed at his leg to no avail. He grinned down smugly, "Come on, is that all you got?" 

She put on another flurry of effort, then went limp. "Yup- hah- that's all," she parted.

"Alrighty then, mate," he moved his foot off and offered a hand to her. She grasped it in both of hers and he pulled her up. As he lifted her, his grip shifted, catching both of her hands in his big paw. When she tried to pull away, his grip tightened. 

"Wh-" she looked up at him, shock rendering her speechless as he licked his lips and stared down at her hungrily. He grabbed her side with the free hand then moved his other hand to do the same so he could hoist her to eye level. She struggled as he opened his mouth wide and shower her head in. Her creamy hair melted in his mouth, a little excess running from the corners and down his chin as he locked her face.

Her little wiggles were no use as he easily shoved her down his throat. His whiskers twitched as he licked cream from around his mouth before he wiped it off with the back of his hand. He plopped down in the grass and leaned back supported by one hand. The other patted his rounded belly in satisfaction. The fairy within fluttered around as she took progressive damage from his stomach.

He could feel her hp sapping away as he focused on her lingering flavour. It was sweet and mellow as always, but this was an intricate symphony of flavours intertwined to bring him a delightful experience. Each hint complimented all the rest without being lost in the cascade. That star sweet added a little kick of spice, much like a little spark or fireball. By far the most delicious yet.

He rubbed his belly, massaging it as it gurgled. Fairy types took so long to take down, leaving him to enjoy this all the longer. All too soon he heard the distinct noise and felt a streak of energy shoot up his throat and burst from his mouth as she flew back to her pokeball unconscious. He belched with a smirk then ambled back into the tent to return to his own pokeball.

In the morning Dippity took down her little camp and took off into the wild area to do some more training with alcreamie. At this point she was barely surprised when her newest pokemon was distracted and jumpy. She hardly listened at all, and even when she did, her moves missed more often than not.

Frustrated, Dippity set up camp again, letting all her pokemon out to play. While she tried to set up an internet connection, Ace bounded over to the alcreamie. Upon seeing him she shrieked and scurried away. He laughed and gave chase, the both of them kicking up dust. Dippity glanced over and smiled; at least Ace was making her feel like she belonged! It was a shame the poor cinderace didn't even know his new friend was about to be traded away for a new milcery.

"Good battle, buddy!" Fal jogged over and grabbed his dusknoir's helmet, pressing his forehead to the pokemon's. The pokemon's giant arms wrapped around him in a fond embrace. They stayed like that a moment before the human pulled away, reaching for the ball on his belt and calling gently, "Alright bud, back into your ball for now."

He held out the pokeball, the bottom half hanging open from the hinge. Dusknoir wasn't paying attention though. Instead, his single glowing eye looked past Fal. The trainer started to look behind himself, then remembered. His head whipped back to look at his pokemon, but he was already gone. He shook his head and made himself comfortable leaning against a tree beside the path; it could be a while.

Yasen scratched his head and looked around. He was normally much better with directions, but now he found himself quite lost. His map was soaked through after an unfortunate run-in with a puddle that was much deeper than it looked, and now it tore in his hands.

Something rustled behind him, and he spun around to face it. His walking stick was at the ready before his pokeball, but there was nothing to fight off. He laughed to himself and relaxed- then a large hand settled on his shoulder. He yelped and twisted around, but two giant hands caught his shoulders.

Right before his face was a giant, rounded face with a crooked mouth and yellow eyes which stared blankly. Those giant hands kept him from stumbling back, even when the mouth creaked open. Beyond its lips there was only darkness. Well, almost- faint wisps of mist swirled within.

As enchanting as it looked, the sight sent a cold shiver down Yasen's spine. His heart felt gripped by icy claws, and the shock left him frozen for an agonizing moment. Then he began to struggle, digging in his heals as the monster tried to push him towards its gaping jaws. His arms failed aimlessly at first, then he pounded with his fists against those beady yellow eyes. When nothing seemed to phase it, he clung to its upper lip and tried to keep his legs out as it pushed him inward.

One of those big hands picked at his arm, pulling it away before tucking it right past its jaws. Limb by limb his resistance was broken down until he was engulfed by the monster's maw. Its jaws shut, plunging Yasen into darkness.

With nothing to support him, he tumbled to the bottom, landing on what felt like tight canvas almost. It sagged lightly under his weight, making him unable to find solid footing. As he scrambled, the mists swirled around him. Light shimmered through the ethereal clouds, not enough to see by. The haunting sight took his breath away.

Suddenly everything was light. He tried to shield his eyes with his arm, but the blinding light was unhindered.

Dusknoir spat out the hiker's body. It was careful to do so without harm. It worked hastily to arrange the humans limbs in a somewhat natural position and prop up their head. It ignored the frantic flutters in its stomach; new souls were always so disturbed!

As the light faded, Yasen was left once more in the darkness. The mists had disappeared, replaced by smiling faces that faded in and out of visibility. He screamed and turned away from them. He quickly ran into a wall, and he failed against it. He felt it resist him, but his hands and feet no longer caused it to bend. He darted to the other side, finding the same obstruction. To and fro he went, frantically trying to find any sort of give.

Before long at all, Yasen had calmed down. Less panicked, he was now able to realize how odd he felt. He was able to move effortlessly through the dark, cavernous space. The others there, those calm, content people, never hindered him nor spoke. The light that sparked through their features never lit their surroundings or him, so he couldn't see himself or the kind of place they were in. The walls stopped him from leaving, and he couldn't feel them beyond a general shape.

Dusknoir had left the hiker's body long behind. It glided effortlessly through the mountain's landscape, intent on a distant goal. The receptor atop its head quivered, communicating in a way even the dusknoir hardly understood. It knew where to go without awareness of where it was going.

Yasen felt warm in the strangest way. He honestly couldn't feel a thing, and yet he had the sense that he was warm, safe, and comfortable. He could feel the movement of the creature that had eaten him, though it was far from the swaying one would expect of a belly. Him and the others here moved as one, yet they retained their individuality when they wished to assert it.

At the foot of the mountain, the dusknoir found a ranger station. It came to stop beside the trail marker. Its mouth twisted to one side, a hole forming in the corner as it spat out the hiker's soul.

The poor fellow swirled through the air terribly disoriented. Yasen oriented himself with some difficulty. A shadow fell over him; the dusknoir loomed behind him. He yelped and spun around, fumbling for his pokeballs. When his hands could not find the familiar shapes at his belt, he looked down to find his packs and pokeballs gone! He balled his hands into fists and faced the imposing pokemon.

Dusknoir made no hostile moves. It simply pointed up the path. Yasen eyed it with suspicion, but it remained unmoving. Slowly he let his eyes wander; he recognized this place! This was the trailhead he had started down hours ago. He floated down the path a few paces, mind already recreating a map of the way ahead. Had this pokemon rescued him?

You walk along the dock confidently, boards thumping beneath your certain footsteps. At the end, a sailor stands beside his companion pokemon. You're certain this is the pair you hired, and your heart begins to race. It wasn't every day you got to ride a lapras across the sea!

The lapras looks to you and calls out softly. You wave then shake the sailor's hand. "Welcome! The name's Cappy," He booms.

You bow your head briefly, "Thank you. Does today seem like a good day for the trip?"

"Of course! You're in good hands with us," he grins widely and pat's his pokemon on the head. It leans into the affection happily. This is certainly a friendly pair.

"You'll be able to embark shortly, just let me make sure everything is good to go!"

You nod. Your eyes begin to wander over the equipment. Strangely it seems there's only one seat aboard it's back. He is busy checking the straps and various side bags, so you're left to draw your own conclusions.

Once the checks are complete he turns to you, "Ready to slide aboard?'

"Slide? I mean, yeah, but where do I sit? All I see is what seems to be a captain's chair," you frown and trail off, decided confused.

"Oh, you didn't know? Lappy here doesn't Carry passengers on her back."

"Then where..?" You start to ask, but he answers quickly by turning to his pokemon and rubbing her jaw. She opens wide and a soft tongue hangs out, saliva dripping from it. Your face flushes and you stammer out, "You've got to be kidding!"

"Nope! It's perfectly safe, now climb aboard," he punctuates the invitation with a sweeping ark as he steps aside.

You shuffle your feet then slowly start forward, eyeing up this new situation. Its mouth is wide as it can be, leaving plenty of space for you to crawl in. A uvula dangles above a dark passage that flexes as it swallows reflexively from time to time. 

You take a deep breath then punch your arms in first, flopping onto a shockingly warm tongue. As you try to grab its cheeks or something, its tongue flexes beneath your body and hauls you up. You squeal as it tilts its head up and gravity slides you down into that abyssal throat. Powerful muscles contract in waves all around to bring you down, the movement massaging your entire body.

In no time at all you slide into the warm, wet confines of the lapras. The fleshy walls are soft all around, almost cushiony. You slip between some folds in the lining and the muscle beyond flexes around you gently, moving you along to a good place to settle. You're enveloped on all sides by warm smooth tissue. All around there are gurgles.

Though you slept well last night, it's incredibly soothing in here. Your eyes feel heavy and you cuddle up against the wall full of large wrinkles to doze off.

The trip is peaceful and you can hardly feel the movement as the lapras swims you across the sea. Every so often you can hear the thunderous voice of the sailor, but none of the words are distinguishable.

You're brought sharply into alertness as a rippling contraction passed through the entire stomach, hauling you forward. You slip along easily as movements in reverse of being swallowed force you up through the relatively narrow throat. You try your best not to squirm as powerful flexing muscles push at your helpless body. 

The light is bright and the air is cold as you're coughed up into the arms of the sailor. He tosses a towel around you and helps you stay on your feet. You pat yourself dry and look around in a daze. You've made it!

You look back at lapras and it coos in your direction. You smile and totter over to give it a rub on its nose. It hums softly and Cappy chuckles, "You're welcome to hire us on anymore!"