—— new anomaly. [ashton]

Vize’s ear-feathers twitched. He glanced over to the side and immediately widened his eyes in shock once he saw the Sylveon Morph looming over him and Neos. ( … What the fuck? ) Vize muttered. He knew that morphs existed, and they weren’t exactly uncommon in Stellara, but this was the first time that he had ever seen a beast of a morph like Ashton. Confused as to why Vize suddenly stopped yelling at him, Neos looked at who Vize was busy gawking at.

“…” The trainer gazed at the massive stranger. Slowly, a hand reached up to grab his sunglasses by one of its arms. Gingerly, Neos pulled his sunglasses down, just enough for his eyes to be visible; they were wide, unblinking and full of terror and interest. The Sylveon morph was huge, easily standing almost a foot taller than Neos. The stranger wasn’t a twig either; judging by how tight his shirt was, the poor piece of clothing was struggling to contain the morph’s bulging muscles. When the morph spoke, Neos got a good look at the numerous sharp, white fangs that lined his jaws, perfect for tearing apart flesh. Now, Neos had heard of and seen Sylveons before, but he never would’ve expected for a Sylveon morph to be so … intimidating. Then again, he generally found all morphs to be intimidating in some sort of way. After all, being able to wield the same supernatural abilities as Pokemon while taking on their physical characteristics was something that Neos never even believed to be possible.

( Everything’s fine, ) Vize stated, his shocked expression quickly replaced with one of annoyance once the yappy Eevee started going off on him. ( What do you want, rat? ) the tall Weavile asked with an arch of his brow. When the Sylveon morph told the Eevee not to cause trouble, Vize smirked, fangs glinting. ( Your master’s right; play nice. ) He didn’t have the time or patience to deal with a little runt like Duster. ( Now then, Neos, as I was saying–)

( Vize! Are you bullying him again!? )

Suddenly, a massive Gliscor landed next to Neos and Vize. His red-chambered ears shifted, and he pointed a giant pincer at the Weavile accusingly.

( Did you bully him?! Did you traumatize him ?! What did you do to him!? ) the Gliscor interrogated.

( I didn’t do anything. It’s HIM who traumatized Neos, ) Vize claimed, jutting a pale-furred paw at Ashton.

Squinting, the nearly eight-foot tall Gliscor looked over at the Sylveon morph and gasped in surprise. ( Woah! That’s a big dude! And he’s pink! )

( Yes, Romileus. Good job being able to notice the obvious, ) Vize said. He glanced over at Neos; the poor trainer hadn’t moved an inch ever since Ashton showed up.

( Well, he looks nice to me! I like his little ribbon string … things, ) the chatty Gliscor said, nodding his enormous head. ( See, Neos! He’s not a bad guy. He’s – … oh. ) It was then that Romileus realized just how … shaken Neos was. Ever since Ashton arrived, Neos had been staring right at him; it was a look that made it clear that Neos was nervous, yet at the same time he was trying to figure Ashton out.

After thinking for a moment, Romileus walked over towards Ashton and leaned down to whisper at him. ( Neos is just a little shy; that’s all! Go on and introduce yourself! )

Vize shook his head. Oh, this was going to be rich.

ASHTON AYREDALE

Vize lowered his eyelids.

( Not traumatizing on purpose? Just look at you; how can you NOT traumatize people? ) the Weavile said, scoffing a bit. Really, he thought that the Sylveon morph was one of the scariest, most intimidating beings that he had ever laid eyes on his life, and that was saying a lot considering that he has seen quite the slew of terrifying Pokemon. ( Look at him; he hasn’t stopped staring at you ever since you showed up. )

To prove his point, Vize motioned towards Neos, the trainer remaining incredibly still. Romileus glowered over at Vize; the Weavile had a point, but it wasn’t something that would help the obvious fear Neos had of Ashton.

Once Ashton approached Neos, Neos visibly tensed. The morph extended forth a plate-sized, clawed hand for a handshake. Neos looked down at the hand, eyes still hidden by his sunglasses, before peering back at Ashton. The mention about the Zorua made Neos glance about; there was a Zorua about? He sure didn’t see one.

Ashton grinned – there were those glistening, white fangs again – and kept his hand extended towards Neos. Neos thought for a moment and finally reached forward and grasped Ashton’s hand with his own for a firm handshake. Although Neos was noticeably smaller than Ashton, Neos had a pretty strong handshake.

“… I’m Neos,” the well-dressed trainer finally said. “He’s Vize, and he’s Romileus.” Vize merely grunted at the mention of his name, while Romileus excitedly waved a meaty pincer. “I have recently met both of them, and we’ve been traveling together for about a week now.”

( He’s a new trainer! ) Romileus blurted. ( And we’re his A-team in the making! ) The Gliscor then made a flexing motion, which was even more humorous considering his noodly arms. Vize rolled his eyes. ( Yes. I suppose we are. While Neos is still a beginner trainer, he has progressed rather quickly in such a short amount of time. Now, we just need to make it to where he isn’t terrified by anything that remotely looks like a Pokemon. ) The Weavile then noticed Duster circling him. He shot a glare at the normal-type. ( Stop doing that, runt. You don’t want a fight with me. ) Vize did hope that Duster would lash out against him; he really did want to beat some sense into the yappy, little furball.

Neos side-eyed Vize. “Thanks, Vize,” he grumbled. He then peered up at the much taller morph, sunglasses glinting in the afternoon sun. “… Sorry about the staring,” Neos apologized. He doubted that he had to explain why he was practically burning holes through Ashton with his stare alone. “You are just very–”

There was a pause.

“… Interesting.” Neos felt that it was better to be honest. “You’re a morph … right?” Neos asked. “I’ve seen plenty of them around Cyngi.” Neos held up a hand. “And I’m not from Stellara. I’ve only been here a week so–”

Neos stopped for a few seconds. “Seeing … people like you – it’s definitely a surprise. I don’t mean that in a bad way but–” He stopped again.

Vize and Romileus watched the conversation in silence. While Vize looked indifferent, Romileus looked really into it.

( It’s like watching one of those movies! ) Romileus whispered at Vize.

( What are you talking about? ) Vize returned.

( You know! The ones where the most unexpected but best friendships are formed! )

( I seriously doubt Neos will be Ashton’s friend, Romileus. )

( Why not? ) the Gliscor hushedly asked, tilting his head.

( Isn’t it obvious? Neos is still scared of him; just look at his body language. You can practically smell the fear from him. Plus, I would not be surprised if Neos made Ashton angry one day, and Ashton decides to tear him apart limb from limb. ) Vize explained.

( Oh, Ashton wouldn’t do that! He's so nice! ) Romileus protested.

( Please. Just because he’s pink and has ribbons on him doesn’t mean he’s harmless. Look at his size and stature and his claws and teeth; he could kill a person easily if he wanted to. Don't forget that he's a morph; I'm certain he has the ability to use moves just like we do, Romileus. )

Romileus’s ears drooped slightly. ( Aw, c’mon, Vize. They can be friends! )

Vize shook his head. ( We’ll see about that. )

ASHTON AYREDALE

Neos sighed inwardly. He was glad that Ashton wasn’t upset about Neos’s constant, blatant staring and the fact that Neos was pretty much treating him as if he was some kind of deadly monster. To be fair, Ashton definitely looked like he had the potential to turn into an absolute, flesh-rending beast in a split second, but Neos assumed (for his own sanity) that it took a lot to push Ashton to undergo that transformation.

Neos made a face when Ashton yelled at Duster for trying to square up against Vize. Vize chuckled and cast Duster a smug look as the normal-type took the walk of shame back towards his trainer. “A Sylveon morph? … I’ve seen Sylveon before. Hmm …” Neos hummed, taking a moment to observe the ribbon-like feelers wiggling in front of him. “You can control those?” Neos asked, pointing an index finger at the feelers. It seemed as though Neos was becoming more comfortable, and it showed. “And don’t worry about me. I am now worried I offended you.” Off to the side, Romileus nudged Vize.

( See! He’s relaxing! ) the Gliscor whispered. ( I told you these two can become friends! )

Then, right on cue – a massive, pink-furred monster jumped down from a nearby tree and landed right behind Neos. Blinking, the dark-skinned human spun around and immediately screamed in horror once he realized what it was.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

It was a second Ashton except this one had no concept of personal space, the doppelganger’s naked, muscular chest and stomach nearly pressing up against Neos. The morph “clone’s” bright blue eyes were wide and wild, lit with unrestrained lust, and his sharp, white teeth were on full display in a Cheshire smile. Neos had never been so frightened … yet so conflicted in his life. It didn’t help that this Ashton made it very clear that he was attracted to men in a loud, baritone, “mating-call” like scream.

( You spoke too soon, Romileus, ) Vize said. ( Damn. I could use a snack right now; this is prime time entertainment. )

( Oh! Oh! This reminds me those other kinds of movies that people like to watch all the time! ) Romileus said out loud, clearly forgetting about whispering. ( Apparently, they are really, really popular. There are movies about humans mating–)

( Romileus! ) Vize shouted before erupting into a fit of amused laughter. The tall Weavile took a quick moment to rummage through Neos’s bag that was resting on the bench. He pulled out a half-finished bag of chips and went back to his spot beside Romileus. Vize then tossed some of the chips into his mouth. ( They are not going to do that here, Romileus. I doubt Neos even knows what mating is at all. )

( Really?! Aw, he’s so innocent! ) the Gliscor said, still practically yelling. Neos shot Vize and Romileus an evil look; he was literally about to get folded by two Ashtons, and instead of trying to save him, his own Pokemon were actively enjoying the show, all while roasting him.

Neos took a step back. If the Ashton doppelganger kept pressing forward, then Neos would take more steps back. They would quicken in pace before Neos would turn around and bolt, aiming to put as much space between them and the horny doppelganger as much as possible. Neos was pretty fast, surprisingly so, and if the chase happened, Neos would run laps around the immediate area, trying to shake and juke the big, pink, shirtless terror wanting a piece of him.

ASHTON AYREDALE

The once-peaceful conversation devolved into total chaos. Medea’s loud, piercing howl echoed through the park and Neos’s soul, sending the poor human scrambling for dear life. Parkgoers stopped and stared in confusion as they witnessed Neos being chased by a massive, shirtless, Sylveon morph. Ashton finally tried to act, but it ended in an unfortunate blunder. As soon as he flopped flat on his face, Vize burst into laughter, nearly choking on a mouthful of chips. Romileus began to look increasingly worried; it didn’t look like Neos enjoyed any part of this at all.

Finally, Ashton was able to recall his doppelganger back to her Pokeball. Neos stopped running and buckled over, hands clasped over his knees. He huffed and panted, desperately trying to compose himself. The poor human looked as if he had been sent off to the Great War and was reliving every gruesome moment of it. Vize continued to laugh hysterically, and Romileus nervously clicked his pincers together.

Okay, maybe Ashton and Neos weren’t going to be friends.

“…” At first, Neos didn’t respond to Ashton’s reassurance. He remained hunched over, still trying to compose himself. Then, Neos stood up at his full height, took a deep breath before approaching Ashton. The look in Neos’s eyes made it clear that he was not happy. “So, that was Medea?” Neos asked, tilting his sunglasses down so that Ashton could see his piercing gaze. “Can you please explain what just happened?” It was a polite question, but it was more of a demand. “She looked just like you … except shirtless and what she said and that look in her eyes and that howl …”

Neos shook his head and sighed. Vize finally stopped laughing. ( Oh, that was rich, ) the Weavile said, still grinning stupidly. Romileus bared his shark-like teeth at Vize. ( That wasn’t funny, Vize! Neos really could’ve gotten hurt! ) Vize arched a brow at Romileus. ( Hurt? Please. You said it yourself that you believed those two were going to mate. )

( Well, yeah but – ) Romileus slumped his shoulders. ( That wasn’t actually Ashton. Plus, I don’t think he would look that scary and chase Neos around if he wanted to do … that … with … Neos– )

Vize turned and stared at Romileus.

( … What?! )

( Are you seriously insinuating that Ashton feels that way about Neos? They haven’t met for more than five minutes. Plus, Neos already hates him. ) Vize said.

( But Ashton said that he likes men! Neos is a man! ) Romileus retorted.

( That wasn’t him! That was Medea! )

( But there had to be some truth to it, right?! She knows what Ashton looks like shirtless! And honestly, who wouldn’t want to be with someone like him? Did you see those abs?! ) Romileus said.

Vize slapped a paw over his gem-decorated forehead. ( You’re so stupid. )

ASHTON AYREDALE

Neos peered up at Ashton, weighing the Morph’s words. After some thought, the dark-skinned human nodded and waved a hand dismissively. “… Don’t worry about it.” From his droopy ears and feelers, the tail tucked between his legs and his slumped shoulders, it was clear that Ashton was embarrassed and ashamed of what happened. “It’s not like I can criticize you about your Pokemon. It’s not like I can call myself much of a trainer,” Neos admitted. “Besides, you tried to stop her; that’s more than what my Pokemon did.” Neos glanced angrily at Vize and Romileus. Vize frowned while Romileus slumped his shoulders in total shame.

“Oh, and I don’t think anyone has a problem with you liking men. It’s perfectly okay,” Neos added with a shrug. “Did you think I wouldn’t be okay with that?” Then again, Neos did just get chased around by a shirtless, horny version of Ashton; that was enough to make anyone traumatized for life. Truth be told, this particular experience would be embedded in Neos’s mind for weeks to come.

“You want to make this up to me?” Neos asked before shrugging his shoulders. “You don’t have to do anything. Just … be yourself, I guess. If you have something in mind though, you can tell me.”

Vize shoved more chips into his mouth. ( You would think that Neos would be more pissed than this, ) the Weavile commented.

( He knew that Ashton didn’t plan for any of this to happen! See! He sees that Ashton’s a good guy! ) Romileus claimed.

( Or that he finds it better not to set off the Pink Terror, ) Vize retorted through a mouthful of chips.

( Just let them sort this out, Vize! ) Romileus protested. ( It’s going to work out in the end! )

( You said that a couple of minutes ago. Do I need to remind you of what just happened? ) Vize said.

Romileus grumbled. ( … Ashton was just … very excited; that’s all. )

( That wasn’t Ashton, idiot, ) Vize replied.

( You know what I mean! He’s going to be like that towards Neos soon! Watch! ) the Gliscor said.

( He’s going to chase after Neos while shirtless and with undeniable lust in his eyes? I believe you need to quit with the love fantasies, Romileus, ) Vize snorted.

( I just want to watch my trainer grow up! ) Romileus said.

ASHTON AYREDALE

“I’m not a coffee drinker, but I’m still willing to see what place you have in mind,” Neos said, gesturing for the Morph to take lead. “You know this place better than I do.” Neos then waved over at Vize and Romileus. “C’mon, you two. We’re heading to a … cafe. I think.”

Vize and Romileus looked at each other, shrugged in unison and followed after Neos. Vize jogged until he was walking side by side with his trainer, while Romileus took the skies and circled the group from above.

“Any particular reason why you and Romileus didn’t help me when I was running for my life?” Neos asked Vize.

( One, it was funny. Two, we both figured you wanted it, ) Vize answered plainly.

“That was not funny, and what did you mean I ‘wanted it’?!” Neos fumed.

( Do I have to spell it out for you? A big, muscular, shirtless, pink, furry man coming at you? ) Vize said, looking pointedly at Ashton.

( You have to admit he looks good without a shirt on, Neos! ) Romileus piped as he glided above the group.

“I never said he does not look good! He–”

( Oh? Really? So, you like how he looks, Neos? ) Vize asked, wiggling his eyebrows. ( You hear that, Ashton? Neos thinks you look good. )

“Shut up, Vize!” Neos demanded, face turning hot. The tall Weavile cackled and jabbed Neos on the shoulder playfully. ( Go on and talk to Ashton. Don’t mind me, ) Vize snickered.

Neos grumbled before looking up at the giant Sylveon morph. “… So, are you from Stellara?” Neos asked. “And you consider yourself to be a trainer, right? How long have you been doing this?”

ASHTON AYREDALE