Town of Delusion

The entrance of the town was grand and rather complex architecturally. With several stone walls going around the front side of the town, with a long serpent dragon looming overhead on the arch that marked the entrance.  The dragon was painted green with black stripes down its side and piercing eyes that glared out and down at the entering duo. 

One of the two Pokémon was struggling as they entered the town. The quadrupedal one. Volo’s walking was irregular. His steps were messy and lopsided as he struggled just walking straight. He almost stumbled into the moat around the town. He probably would’ve if Silver didn’t grab him and keep him going straight. 

The Vulpix wasn’t very grateful for her aid. The only thing stopping him from sneering at her was the fact that she’d probably just throw him off the bridge anyway. He chose to say nothing. Merely raising his chin as they walked side by side through the gates of town. 

His tails also were a pain. They seemed to exemplify his hip movements. Flopping the dashing back and forth behind him as he walked. He was also unable to keep them upright for long. They just didn’t seem to listen to him at the moment. 

“Yeesh. Do I need to teach you how to walk too?” Silver would remark, her gaze glued onto his chest and probably forepaws too, considering she was looking down at him. The Hisuian Sneasel placed a hand to her hip and sighed, “I’m not even a quadruped, and I could probably walk better than you.” 

Volo just scoffed at her remark, “I know what I’m doing. If an animal can do it. I can.” He mumbled the latter half under his breath so she didn’t catch it. The Vulpix didn’t bother looking at her either, as he replied. She didn’t deserve to have his eyes on her anyway. 

“Your loss, Keo.” She replied, shrugging with her other paw, the one still rested at her hip. Silver continued walking, taking a large step away from the Vulpix to ‘let him swim’ rather than act as his floaties to help.

Volo was not surprised by her action. It was petty and really didn’t do much other than hinder the Vulpix on his journey for a moment. What hindered the Vulpix more was the stone path beneath them as he stumbled and fell to the ground a moment later.

“Gah!” Volo hissed, slamming the ground with a paw in irritation. He fixed his paws placement on the ground and pushed up again. It took a few moments, but Volo was standing again. Now only with a small headache and slight pain in his chin. He gave a certain Sneasel a side-eye.

She was giggling to herself, both her claws trying to hide her face and mouth. She caught his gaze and immediately broke down in laughs, unable to hold it in.

“Don’t laugh at me, you damn animal!” Volo hissed to her, gritting his teeth in anger as she laughed away just out of his reach. The Vulpix took a deep breath and shook his head, “You’re making a fool of yourself.” 

“Noooope! The self-proclaimed ‘Prophet of Arceus’ is!” She replied, stepping towards him, getting her giggles under control. Silver sighed and placed a paw onto his head, “Alright mister, Keo. I trust you can handle taking care of yourself from here on out.” Silver hummed to him, raising an eyebrow.

“Finally. Some sense in your skull,” Volo rolled his eyes and moved his head to one side to get some hair out of his one really open eye. The blue-gray eyes stared through her as he spoke, “Glad you know what I’m capable of doing. Now get your damn claw off me. I am not someone to pat.”

“Oh of course~” She replied, holding back another laugh. Silver lifted her claw and pointed directly behind the Vulpix. Her feather twitched and waved in the wind slightly, “Over there. You’ll find the baths. Go clean yourself or else someone else here, probably the guards will do it for you. No one wants that stench around.” She looked at her claw and waved it through the air as if to try and fling the germs off, “Got it?”

“Those guards won’t touch me.” Volo replied, raising his chin with a smirk. He looked mightily high of himself at this moment. His fur wavered slightly in the breeze, his small and smug smile had a small bit of his teeth, showing, “Once I tell them I’m Arceus’s prophet. They’ll make sure *I* have the best there can be. I’ll get home and my memories back.” The Vulpix looked so confident in himself. 

Silver blinked at him. She raised a claw, not the one she had put on his head and clenched at her temples sighing loudly and dramatically, “Oh. My. Lunala. You are so delusional it’s insane,” She lowered her paw and gave him the most fed up look Volo could remember, “Good luck then. But. Before you go. I have an offer for you.”

“And why would *I* Arceus’s prophet need to hear you a peasant out?” He asked, tilting his head almost innocently. Silver brandished her claws and made a gesture of tossing something. Volo felt his tails freeze before he reluctantly added, “But you get an exception for aiding on my journey here-”

“Great~. Alright. I’ve got a mission to do here today,” She pointed opposite to where he was going to go. Her ‘dirty’ claw back on her hip, “Over thataway. When I’m done. I’ll be returning here and waiting for… maybe ten minutes. I’ll be waiting for you. Just in case you want to come with me to the Guild for some odd reason. I know the ‘prophet of Arceus’ would be a very busy Pokémon.” She replied, waving a claw dismissively, “Up to you. See you around, Keo.” 

“It’s. Volo.” He grumbled in response.

“Not to me~” She sang back as she waved with a claw, “Good luuuuck oh Prophet.” The Sneasel turned away and made her way into a nearby group and disappeared from his sight.

The Vulpix stood there in what seemed like surprise and relief for several moments. Alone. He was alone. No Sneasel to try and drag him around or call him lesser names. He was finally on his own. Able to fulfill his superior duties Arceus had given him. 

The Vulpix smirked and raised his chin once more. His tails now raised up as a hint of pride made its way through his chest. Finally, those damn things did as told. It was time to find these guards and inform them of his presence. The Vulpix began his march in the direction Silver had pointed. He assumed there had to be guards positioned over that way. Why else would she threaten him with their presence?

Volo turned and began to make his way through the town while walking starter off rough. He wanted to spite that Sneasel, so he made sure to keep upright. He did this while avoiding any looks Pokémon gave him as he walked. Many of which were near gags and the looks of disturbed disgust. Their gazes didn’t matter to him anyway. None of them mattered. Arceus had brought him here. They were just stepping stones for him to get to Arceus. 

They were Pokémon after all. And even Pokémon needed to be tamed. If they weren’t? They were wild animals. Beasts that would kill and threaten and hurt with little to no reason. It was Pokémon’s nature. He might’ve been one of them on the outside but on the inside.

Volo knew he was higher than them. Above them. He didn’t know exactly why. He was human, humans train Pokémon. That’s about all he had in terms of memory of being human. There had to be something more, but he didn’t quite place it down.

Eh. It didn’t matter anyway.

The town itself was rather large to Volo’s surprise. Large buildings decorated either side of the street. It reminded him slightly of… that village? He couldn’t remember. Even the village details were fuzzy. But it reminded him of that place ever so slightly. 

The stone walkways were nice. They were a bunch of different sized and colored stones but all seemingly flattened out to form a road of some kind. Vendors and other shops called out and waved around at passerby Pokémon trying to sell them goods and wares. A few of these places had long lines that broke when Volo marched through them. 

The air was rather peaceful, even with the occasional breeze coming through. It was rather warm out in the sun. Comfortable. Volo didn’t mind walking in the light of his master. It gave him strength and power after all. 

Soon enough, the Volo neared a rather large intersection of town. The Vulpix could see a building. A large towed. Where uniformed Pokémon were walking in and out of as he watched from afar, through the crowd. He merely hummed and trotted into the path of Pokémon with little regard for what they were doing. 

… And the ocean of Pokémon parted for him as he walked. The leading Pokémon, a large Goodra, saw him and skidded to a halt. Many others fell and stumbled, causing a large pile up of Pokémon as many stopped and yelled in anger and surprise at the sudden stop. While that unimportant business happened, Volo continued his march to the guard tower, his chin raised high. These Pokémon knew their place. They let him through despite the pain it caused. They could sense his importance and assumed he had to be somewhere.

He could celebrate those who knew their place beneath him.

”Why did I meet that Sneasel instead of anyone here?” He thought as he trotted alone down another path, it slowly faded from stone to dirt. His paws caught some of the dirt and kicked a stone down. ”All of these Pokémon knew and sensed my importance. Why didn’t she?” 

Those thoughts plagued him for several moments. Circling his head like some sort of path that always ended at the start until he finally caught wind of a few voices ahead of him.

“Lazy day, eh?” The first one uttered, his accent thick and voice deep. The Pokémon behind it seemed to be a Samurott. Not the one from Hisui from what Volo could tell. 

“Ever since the war ended, nothing has propped up. No rebels, no groups, no nothing. Which I suppose would be a good thing.” The second guard murmured in return. An Ampharos. They had a hand to their head as they sighed in thought.

“And yet.” A third grouched, calling down from near the top of the tower, they sounded more irritated than the other two, “We’re still stationed here? Why? They don’t need part of the armed forces of Platyna here!” 

As the trio of guards spoke. The Samurott would notice the approaching Vulpix and raise a claw, silencing the Ampharos soldier to his right, “Eh? Not every day we get someone approachin’ us eh.” The water type craned his neck to peer down at Volo.

The Vulpix stared back up at the water type. Not wanting to show worry or fear regarding the much larger and probably stronger Pokémon sitting before him, “Hello. Someone told me you were soldiers. Is that right?” He asked them.

The Ampharos blinked at the Vulpix yet didn’t say anything. They glanced at the Samurott first, just gauging the seeming leader of the group’s reaction first and foremost before responding or adding more. 

The water type stood up a bit straighter, clicking his front paws together as if to sign something, “That would be right. We’re soldiers of the Platyna crown and capital. Stationed here to watch over this town in a time of need.  While that time has passed. We remain here to ensure everything is rebuilt and protected.” The Samurott explained, rubbing his beard with a claw, “Is that what you wanted to know, eh?” 

Volo grinned and nodded in return, “Yes. That’s what I wanted to know.” The Vulpix nodded at them, his tails swaying as he looked up, chin raised high, “I wanted to introduce myself. I am Volo. The prophet of Arceus, and I need you to take me to your king so that he may aid me in any way he can.” 

The silence that followed was just about deafening. The two soldiers glanced at one another for several moments. They didn’t speak and seemed to just look into the other’s eyes. The Samurott looked back at the Vulpix and asked a question, “And what will the king do for you?”

“I’m glad you asked~” Volo gave a toothy grin as his tails wagging continued behind him, “I assume the king would have the most resources available. So he’d be able to help me best,” He cleared his throat and held a paw to his chest, “I am the only Pokémon who can speak to Arceus. I was brought to this world for a reason, and Arceus showed me a path. This is that path.” 

Now that last part wasn’t entirely true. Arceus hadn’t exactly told him or showed him anything. No visuals, no nothing, but he distinctly remembered being the only one left able to bear the blood capable of speaking to Arceus himself.

This was his journey. His goal. This was what Arceus had lined up for him. Everything that led him here was too perfect, minus a certain Sneasel who almost killed him. Who undermined and teased him. She’d know his real name soon enough. 

They all would. They would know him as Arceus’s prophet. The one who helped save the world. 

Yes. Arceus’s power would be his. The world would be his to control. He could train and tame them all. They’d all be his to control!

And nothing could stop his ascension now. This was the beginning of his rise-

“Eh? Kid, we’ve heard pranks like this all the time.” The Samurott replied finally, glancing at the Ampharos again, “They were funny the first, maybe fifteen times? They don’t hit quite the same.”

Volo blinked, his tower of glass to the top immediately cracking below him, “H-Huh? Wh-What?” They blinked at them in shock. The Vulpix’s tails faltering and dropping down.

“What I can say for all of us,” the Ampharos piped up, raising a cup of some purple juice, “I’ve never seen a prank given with such vigor and prowess. You should try acting.” The Ampharos laughed.

Volo felt his legs shake beneath him. He couldn’t believe it. These Pokémon thought this was a… prank? An elaborate scheme to try and give them false hope? To make them celebrate and let them in? They…

Didn’t take him seriously. 

“Eh. I’ll give ye this one kid. First time hearing the ‘Arceus’s prophet’ one. Extra points,” The Samurott then pointed a finger at them, a small spurt of water shooting out and into Volo’s face, “Now. I suggest getting to the bathhouse, eh? You passed in on your way here. You smell worse than Corviknight after all the flying he does in the rain.”

Volo yelped and shook his head at the weak water gun, trying to at least save some face as he nodded in return to them, “I-I uh-” The Vulpix could feel his heart in his throat as he tried to speak, “You’ll regret this-” He muttered, turning around and trotting away from them. Volo moved as fast as he could away from them. Back towards the crowd to get away from their gazes.

They didn’t listen to him. They didn’t believe him. Why? Why didn’t they listen? Why didn’t they obey and understand him? That’s what Pokémon do. They obey. They do as told and follow someone blindly. Th-These soldiers were flukes. There was no way these Pokémon were tamed. They were feral. Every last one of them.

Stupid. 

Aggressive.

Wild. 

Beasts. 

All. Of. Them-

“There’s where you ran off to!” An odd feeling… something would grab the Vulpix by its tails and drag him back into a wall. Not enough to hurt, but enough to ensure he didn’t try to just run away from them immediately after.

“Hey! How dare you!” Volo hissed back, trying to sound threatening to the ‘mon who grabbed him. The Vulpix tugged his drooping tails free, and he glared at the Goodra with angry eyes.

A Goodra was frowning down at him. Her purple eyes inspected him up and down. Her eyes were slightly curious as she looked him over. She crossed her front arms over her large belly. The dragon type leaned down slightly and grabbed his scruff this time to hold him in place.

“You can’t just run across the road like that! You almost got run over. By me!” The Goodra scolded, their goo-covered body almost leaking more than normal. The Goodra looked… distressed. But Pokémon couldn’t feel that. It was all just a ruse. They didn’t care.

The Goodra pulled the Vulpix head first against her chest and sighed in relief, “Sorry sorry. I get too worried. I saw you run and didn’t see you after I fell-” She quickly apologized, letting the Vulpix go, now covered in Goodra slime, “I don’t want to see you yes you. Running head first against the traffic, understand?” 

Volo shuddered in pure and utter disgust at the amount of green slime on his face and chest. His side and back too because he writhed in her grip. His eye twitched, and he could feel his legs faltering again.

“Y-Yeah. I understand.”

The Goodra sighed in return and smiled at him, “Thank you. Sorry about the goo. Goodra. Sorta in the species name?” The Dragon type laughed, “Just stay safe out there. Or else I’ll sick miss Kangaskan on you, and she’ll make sure you stay safe.” 

“Alright…” 

Goodra smiled again and gave him another, slime covered pat and gestured to the building beside them, “You uh… I’m sure you’ve heard already, but you smell atrocious. Worse than any Garbodor or Muk I’ve ever smelled. Reek of ocean water, garbage, oil, and rotten berries.” She shook her head, “I’m used to bad smells, but you really tested my immunity.”

Volo didn’t respond this time, just looking down in thought.

“Well. I best be going. Safe travels!” The Goodra walked away from Volo a moment later. Obeying the traffic laws as she went.

Volo didn’t know how to react or feel. So he did the one thing he at least he might not get screwed with in.

He turned and trotted into the bathhouse.

The bathhouse was rather empty by the time Volo made his way inside. He shook his head out and tried to focus on who he was and his goals.

He was Volo. He wasn’t some kiddy Vulpix who couldn’t do anything right. Who would be scolded by ‘worried’ Pokémon. Laughed at by some idiotic soldiers stationed in a town they didn’t even know the name of.

He was Volo. Arceus’s prophet. These Pokémon were just trials and setbacks. He had to overcome them. Go beyond the soldiers, do what he wanted and needed to do to make Arceus proud. To make his name known as his one and only prophet. He would save this world. He would find a way home.

Everyone would listen to and obey him.

The Vulpix straightened his posture and marched with more meaning in his step. He was important. He needed to cleanse himself, and this was the best way to go here. Wash away any and all sins that Pokémon had done to him. Yeah. That was the stench. The sins of Pokémon. All stuck to him as he was their superior and savior. 

The bathhouse was mostly made out of darker wood, and a pleasant steam filled the air. The wood was moist beneath his paws, and he had to focus on not slipping and falling. There were several designs and depictions on the walls ahead where a large wooden wall was to his left. Splashing could be heard in that direction. While on the right. Several doors lined the walls with golden handles with silver plated numbering starting at 1A and going to… maybe 12A.

There was a Pokémon working at a small desk. A Brionne. They looked bored out of their minds as the Vulpix neared. Her eyes rolled as she sighed, “Hello. Welcome to Bilbao Village’s West Bathhouse.” Her tone was as bored as her face, “Get in for free and go to the public bath. Or pay a fee to get a private room.”

Volo almost scoffed. He wasn’t going to bathe with peasants and Pokémon lower to him. They didn’t deserve to be in his presence. They didn’t deserve him at all, considering how he had been treated thus far. But unfortunately. He didn’t have any money. So he’d be stuck with the public bath-

“Or. If this is your first time here. You get a private room for free. We want our travelers and explorers to feel their best for when they are on the road.”

“It’s my first time here.” Volo spoke with a small smirk on his paw. Ha! What luck! This Brionne knows who he was. Gave him exactly what he wanted.

“Cool-” She tossed a towel overhead at him and shook her head, “Private Bathhouse 6A. Git.” She raised a flipper to her nose and held it as she glared at him. “Here’s your key while you’re at it.” 

“Hmph-” Volo snorted, grabbing the key and trotting away from her and down the line of private doors on the right. Stopping at the one labeled 6A. Volo quickly unlocked the door and pushed his way inside. 

He immediately saw a bath before him. What a surprise. It was all soapy and sudsy. Bubbles floated and persisted around the top and corners of the pool. Everything smelled like lavender. There were two bars of soap on a shelf at the back. One purple, the other a beige. One smelled like lavender, the other like vanilla. A singular brush lay there as well. 

Volo sniffed the air and sighed, trotting to the shelf and grabbing the lavender soap gently in a paw, only for it to just slip out. He blinked and tried again only for the same result. Over and over, he tried to scoop and grab at the soap to no avail. He grumbled and just knocked both soaps onto the floor next to the tub and trotted into the pool himself. 

He trotted down two steps and tried his best to sit. The water was up to his chest. Not quite to his neck. The Vulpix would immediately take a deep breath and try to use the soap again.

Only for it to keep slipping away. 

He grit his teeth and bapped it back towards him and stopped. Through his irritation, the Vulpix took in everything around him. 

The stillness of the air. The quiet but gentle lapping of the water against his chest. The smells of lavender in the air soothing everything. One thing stood out to him above all else.

It was… quiet. Just like he wanted.

The Vulpix stood there in solemn surprise and loathing for several moments. Alone. He was alone. There was no Sneasel to talk to or banter with. No Pokémon around him. There was no one around with him. He was finally alone. Truly alone. Just him to fulfill his superior duties…

Alone.

With nothing.

He felt something wet begin to fall down his cheeks, and it sure as hell wasn’t bath water. He bit his lip as the water leaked down his face and into the bath below him.

Volo wasn’t sure he liked the silence anymore…

The Vulpix latched onto the soap, digging his claws into the exterior before scrubbing himself down. Until he was a soapy and lavender smelling mess. He scrubbed away all the dirt and grime in his paws, fur hair. All the Goodra sludge that was forced onto him. 

The darkness and grime soon came off his fur and claws and hopefully his soul as he scrubbed as scrubbed away. The Vulpix did this routine multiple times before dunking his body and heading into the pool. Again and again and again. He had to be spotless.

He didn’t know why he needed to do such a thing. At first, it was to please Arceus, but it was something else. Volo didn’t focus on what, though. After the eighth, he went around and stood from the tub and shook himself off, sending water everywhere. 

He dried himself with the plain white towel the best he could before brushing his fur down with the same claw jab into the wood of the brush rather than soap. He didn’t brush for long, just making sure his hair was right before leaving.

The Vulpix tossed the key to the Brionne as he went, leaving the towel on the door as he went. Not uttering a thank you or a sorry or anything. 

His walk took him outside. Where he took a right down the street, away from the soldiers and to the intersection again. The Vulpix would trot right through the intersection again. 

But there was no stopping or trampling. He went with the crowd. With the lower Pokémon. His trip brought him back to the gates of town. He quickened his pace and stopped at the town’s edge.

The Vulpix peered around slowly. His tails swishing behind him like a timer. Slowing and slowing as he looked.

“I had to wait twelve minute but lookie who showed up.” The Sneasel smirked and held a hand to her hip again, “Was I right? Did the soldiers not do a thing? Except throw you into a tub?”

Volo frowned, “I bathed myself thank you very much.” He snapped in return, looming away, “The soldiers were blind to the truth. So I presumed it’d be best I bathe myself so that those who hear my preach don’t flee to the smell.”

“Eyyy! One thing right!” Silver laughed, elbowing Volo with a paw, “So. Keo. Are you here to tell me that I’m destined for hell or whatever? Then send me on my way?” She asked, her face innocent. 

“You’re going to the distortion worlds most definitely,” Volo replied almost immediately, raising a paw and inspecting it briefly to make sure no dirt was on it. 

“Thought so. Welp. It was-” Silver began before the Vulpix continued. 

“But the Distortion world is much closer than anyone else can offer me.” He snorted as he looked back at her. His gray-blue eyes half narrowed, “I’m coming with you.”

Silver blinked at him before she began to laugh, “Oh. My! Isn’t this a twist!?” She rhetorically asked, glancing around. The Sneasel sighed and turned away from him, “Alright. Alright… if you can keep up until nightfall, Keo. I might just keep you around after all.”

Volo just snorted in return, “As expected.” He raised a paw to his face and flaunted it.

Silver snickered and forced his paw down, “Don’t get cocky. Let’s move, Keo. The road awaits.” The Sneasel them marched from the village, hands behind her head as she went.

Volo just nodded in return, taking one last look at the town before trotting after her.

… not alone.

Volopix in all his glory. Art by WeebaWoof on Discord!