PokèDruids [PkmnWattys2016]

Unova-re's eventually going to be puns (Kalos can't make puns :( )

The boys watched the end of the show, the winner of which was handed one of the sought-after ultra balls in his possession. The thirty or so Druids spent their sweet time mingling afterwards, all discussing their various opinions on the performance and what Hank actually said back their; On the other hand, Eros and Hank were discussing what ships they would board and when they would leave. Using his X-I-phone, Hank managed to schedule a trip in about five days, giving Eros enough time to travel back to the fort and check on Alice, providing he has a quick means to return to Ashport (flight coming to mind).

The students hired another bus, letting everybody who drove one way return with the same means. It was almost seven, as the sun had disappeared without the lingering rays that shot from the horizon, meaning that by the time they returned home it was nearly the next morning, giving Eros the time to explain to the now cheery Xerxes the current situation before nodding off on the bus. He awoke to a few light nudges from Dusk that prompted him to leave the bus and step into the city of Snowpoint, one which he gladly left for his old home.

The fort was indifferent compared to when they initially left, although a few Pidgys had to be kicked out of the avian dorm. After a little bit of maintenance, Eros decided to check the rooms to find out what happened with Feraligatr and Alice, since the two had to spend a whole day alone in the fort. As he searched dorm after dorm, he eventually found the Eevee overmatched by the massive Feraligatr thing in one of the human dorms. Figures.

"How's she doing?" Eros walked into the room with full confidence.

Alice whimpered and frowned on the cot, attempting to run in her sleep. Feraligatr spoke, saying, "She's been having nightmares. She took nearly three hours to recover. Arceus, Xerxes is scary..."

"Yeah. Well... She still asleep?"

"Yeah, but..." A sad-like smile drew across Feraligatr's face, making him appear a little less intimidating. "Ever since she woke up, she seemed a lot more... With it, if you know what I mean. I like her better this way. She's better."

Eros smiled back, albeit a little nervous. "Yeah, well, that's good. Well, you can take your time recovering, but don't stay forever."

"Okay, we'll head out when she recovers." Feraligatr stared back upon Alice, bringing his massive hand to cover her body and calm her nightmares. "There was a mystery dungeon in one of the rooms, by the way. Weird, since this didn't seem like the place for that kind of thing. It hasn't opened up since we closed it, though."

"Great."

Eros was about to walk out when Feraligatr spoke again, "Look, I don't mean to be brash or anything, but... Alice burnt an awful lot of bridges back at the guild. I mean, I could return, but she has nowhere else to go, and... And... I can't help her at all. She spent all this time looking for you, and when she did she couldn't bear to face herself. She even wanted to die. Please, can't you do something?"

Eros returned aside the bed and looked down upon the girl. She wasn't whimpering anymore, but her face was anything but happy. He brought his hand over her head and felt her lean in a little; And to think, she was obsessed with him only a year ago... "I could try changing her back."

"Changing her back?"

"You know, into a human. Dispelling and all."

"Oh." The neutral demeanor of Feraligatr drooped into a morose one, one whose looks deceived the words he spoke. "That'd be great. I think she'd like that."

Eros, understanding that something saddened Feraligatr, brought his hand over Alice and attempted to focus on the magical energies surrounding her body, expecting to find some sort of seed or binding around her soul or spirit; Rather, there was almost nothing particularly different or exceptional about her that was truly distinguishing. He tried to focus on the body, ignoring the fact that there was nothing special about it; And, to his surprise, possibly due to knowing the nature of her curse, Eros could tell that her form was actually artificial, a body that was created from some foreign magic or alike.