Groravi?s Playtime
BySokz
Sunlight twinkled through the leaves of the forest canopy. In the distance, bird Pokemon chirped and sang their songs for the entire world to hear. Their voices faded through the trees and added to the chirps and clicks of the bug Pokemon that lived in the ground and inside the bushes. Groravi skipped along one of her favorite paths as she listened to the chorus of sounds. A faint breeze ruffled the leaves as she went, tickling her pink skin with warmth.
She loved days like these. The forest was at peace, the Pokemon inside were happy, and nothing stopped her from enjoying life to the fullest. She smiled at a small Pikachu digging near a tree along the path. ``Pika,'' it answered with a smile of its own.
Many other Pokemon were along the path, and they greeted her with a warmth and exuberance that filled her with joy. The Eevees hopped and skipped around bushes, the Zigzagoons darted back and forth in their hyperactive play, and Pidgey cooed from their perch in branches overhead. She even paused to hug some of the other Happiny when she came across a group of them playing near one of the ponds. She was larger than them by almost double, but their hugs were still warm and comforting.
A growl echoed from the undergrowth nearby. The sound did not threaten her, but she recognized the aggressive tone and the sinister implications. As the growl rose in volume and ricocheted through the trees, the other Pokemon went silent. Butterfrees took to the sky while smaller Pokemon skittered away from the small clearing. Soon, it was just Groravi standing on the packed dirt path as the sound continued to grow louder.
She frowned. Now just what was making that racket? It was disturbing all of her friends! Annoyed, she hopped towards the source of the sound. Whatever it was, it was angry. She felt the ground tremble as it stomped around, and saw bushes shake as it slammed into them.
Groravi pushed her way through a thick bush and discovered a clearing of trampled plants, broken branches, crushed flowers, and packed-down grass. In the center of the area, a Rhydon thumped back and forth on its two large feet. Stream practically erupted from its head as it glared at anything that moved. Its glare found Groravi. The large Pokemon thumped its feet once more as it stomped closer to her.
Most Pokemon in the forest would have been intimidated. They would have run from a Pokemon as big and powerful as this Rhydon, but Groravi wasn't scared. She had seen bigger and stronger Pokemon before, and eventually, they all learned to respect her little part of the forest.
The Rhydon lowered its head so that its pointed snout faced her, then charged. Chunks of dirt erupted from its tirade as it charged forward. The air around its face glowed from the power of its attack. The trees trembled and the bushes shook, but Groravi didn't flinch. She just held out one hand and braced herself.
The Rhydon's mad charge came to an abrupt stop as its horn slammed into her hand. The electricity in the air fizzled and the tremble in the earth ceased. Simply by existing, she had canceled out everything the bigger Pokemon could do.
Recognition flashed in its eyes as a bead of sweat dripped down its forehead. The
Rhydon understood what was before it, and it realized that it was utterly outclassed. Slowly, it backed away from Groravi. Though Rhydon was larger, evolved, and far more intimidating, it was so exponentially weaker than the little Happiny that it stood no chance. It threw itself to the ground in a low and pleading bow, ducking its head to show it understood its place.
Groravi smiled. She didn't really want to hurt the Rhydon. As long as it knew that it shouldn't go stomping around, she was happy to let it stay. She skipped over to the Pokemon, patted it on its head as though it were a hatchling, then ignored it as she bounced into the forest beyond.
The other Pokemon returned as she skipped down the path again. Nothing could threaten her in her forest, and all her friends knew that they were safe as long as she was around. And today, that made her so, so happy.
She continued to skip and play for the rest of the morning until a strange patch of light caught her eye some hours later. A deep part of the forest cast the ground in shadow, and the trees grew so close that their leaves overlapped each other far more than in the other areas. It was sometimes difficult to move through the bushes and undergrowth, but Groravi knew her way around, even in these conditions.
The single beam of sunlight caught her attention. There, in the darkest part of the woods, a single glimmer of golden light shone down onto a boulder that shot out of the undergrowth. Curious, she hopped over to it, then climbed on top of the stone. Warm light felt wonderful on her skin, and she would have been happy just to stand there and bask for a moment. But the world had other plans.
Her smile widened as a glimmering necklace lowered from the sky as if the sun itself was gifting it to her. Perhaps it was, because as soon as the golden necklace touched her body, she felt warmth and power radiating through her entire existence. All the natural energy she had stored up within her soul was magnified, doubled, tripled, then exploded out in a surge of brilliant happiness. And with the surge came a sudden change. Her body expanded as the light shone into the dark forest around her.
When it was finished, she was astonished to find that she was taller than the trees! They had once seemed like a roof above her head, yet now her eyes were above the canopy. Her smile widened. This was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced!
She took a step forward. Her foot swung outward, crashed into the dense thicket of trees and bushes that surrounded the rock, and shattered them all to pieces. It was an odd feeling, almost like the times she had stomped on random twigs that were in her path. Except, instead of a dead branch, these were entire trees. The forest shook as the first few slammed into the earth.
She giggled at the flurry of shapes that flew from the destruction, and as she did, her body expanded again. The trees around her shrunk away until she had doubled her size again, and they appeared more as saplings than a mighty forest. Now, as she swung her foot forward to take another step, they crumbled just like little twigs and crunched under her weight just like dried leaves.
Trees erupted under her feet as she skipped forward, laughing the entire time. Bird Pokemon took to the skies around her, and tiny Pokemon darted out from the underbrush in a mad attempt to avoid her steps. She had never felt this level of power before, and it was so much fun! With every step she took, with every crunch under her feet and with every tree that was toppled, she grew larger and larger.
Soon she was tall enough that walking through the forest felt like hopping through a
grassy meadow. When she looked to the horizon, the only thing she saw that was taller than her were the mountains at the very edge of the world. This was so amazing.
She skipped through the woods until she came to one of the lakes that dotted this region of the world. With a grin, she walked up to the edge and looked into its surface. Her wobbly pink body and her cheerful expression were reflected back at her in the placid waters. It looked so pleasant and calm from this scale as if it was just a simple puddle that had collected on the side of the path. And she loved to stomp in puddles.
Groravi leapt into the air, aimed her feet at the center of the lake, then came down with all the force of a crashing meteor. The water erupted around her as her body was driven into the depths. Steam was violently thrown outward as the pure energy of her movement vaporized whatever was in direct contact with her. The rest surged outward in a great wave that swamped the trees on the outside of the lake and caused a flood that surged deep, deep into the forest.
When it was finished, Groravi laughed from her place in the center of the mostly empty lakebed. Some fish Pokemon flopped on the ground around her, mostly Magicarp and a few tiny Goldeen. She shifted her weight and felt the mud squish under her feet. Were there any Pokemon under her right now? It was an interesting thought and made her laugh even more.
After she finished playing in the mud around the lake, kicking it and stomping through it, she returned to the surrounding forest. A tree caught her eye. It was one of the largest in the entire region, and its ancient wood was home to more Pokemon than any other tree in the forest. Yet, as she stomped over to it, she found it smaller than a single foot.
She giggled as she reached down, grabbed the tree near its base, then pulled it right out of the ground. Its root system snapped as dirt fell from its base, and its leaves shook violently as she lifted it higher. Many Pokemon tried to flee from the huge plant, but others were stuck in place. She noticed a few Kakuna hanging from the branches, and Wurmple squirming along the trunk.
But she didn't let that stop her. After all, she had a really fun idea she wanted to try out! With a huge smile, she opened her mouth, held the tree overhead, then let the massive plant drop onto her tongue. She chomped down and felt the crunch of the wood and the shift of the leaves. The flavor of it exploded on her tongue and filled her with its unique texture. It was a little like eating the herbs that grew on the forest floor, but more crunchy. She liked it!
After a few more chomps, she pushed it to the back of her mouth and swallowed. It slid down her throat and into her belly, where it would rest from then on. With a sigh, she patted her pink abdomen and turned towards the sun. What should she do next?
The question was answered for her as an entire swarm of small black shapes appeared in front of her. Curiously, she tilted her head to observe the creatures. What were they? It almost looked like a swarm of gnats. When they flew closer, she saw flashes of yellow in their bodies and recognized them for what they were. An entire swarm of Beedrill!
There wasn't a single Pokemon in the forest that would have seen a swarm of Beedrill and felt anything less than total terror... except Groravi. She just giggled as they flew over her body and tried to sting her with their attacks. Neither their stingers nor the sharp cones on their arms could pierce her skin. They were completely harmless at this scale.
But they were still a little tickly. She thought about what to do for a moment, then found the answer. She breathed in, prepared herself, then unleashed one of her favorite moves. The air erupted with vibrations as she sang out a song and electrified the air with its melody. The Beedrill were violently thrown away, and the trees nearby were uprooted. The ground was torn apart and dirt was uplifted. The air itself shivered as her song continued.
Her Disarming Voice was always powerful, but even Groravi was surprised by how effective it was.
She gave an embarrassed giggle as she looked at the destruction, shrugged, and then hopped off in search of something else fun to play with.
``Go Rattata!'' the trainer shouted as he pointed at the small Wurmple in front of them. His Rattata lowered itself into a combat stance as its fur bristled. In answer, the Wurmple flexed its body and readied a string shot.
Trainer Matty grinned. He knew exactly how to handle a battle like this. ``Rattata,'' he shouted. ``Dodge to the left!'' Rattata leapt forward, right at the Wurmple. As the small bug-type Pokemon fired its string shot, Rattata jumped to the left, avoiding the sticky web by only the smallest margin. The attack plopped onto the ground harmlessly, leaving the bug type open for an attack. ``Good job!'' Matty called out. ``Now, finish it off with a tackle!''
Rattata landed on the ground, took aim while the Wurmple recovered, then launched into a full charge. With its battle cry echoing through the forest, the small Rattata slammed into the Wurmple and sent it flying. It landed a few feet away, rolled with the impact, then came to a stop with its eyes spinning. After a few seconds, it ran into the undergrowth.
``Ha, we did it!'' Matty called to his Pokemon. Rattata smiled back at him. ``We must be the strongest duo in the entire town. Heck, maybe the entire region at this point! Nothing could possibly stop us!''
As he finished the thought, the ground began to tremble. The trainer looked down at his feet as the pebbles on the dirt path jumped up and down, and rocked back and forth. He tilted his head curiously as the impact came again, though slightly stronger than last time. ``Is that an earthquake?'' he asked himself. It didn't really feel like one. If a Pokemon was using a move, it wouldn't happen this quickly, or this periodically.
He stood there, transfixed on the strange phenomenon until the sound of cracking wood drew his attention. Matty looked behind him and squinted into the dark undergrowth of the forest. Something was coming towards him... something big. The ground shook more and more as the footsteps echoed through the trees. Other Pokemon ran from their hiding places and sprinted past him in a desperate flee. The trees shook and the leaves fell from their branches, all as the tremors grew stronger and stronger.
Then the sun was blocked as an immense form loomed over the forest. Matty and his Rattata stared up at the creature with awe. Never before had they seen a Pokemon so large and impressive... especially not a Happiny!
But Matty wasn't the type to be intimidated. ``Rattata, get ready!'' The Rattata blinked in shock, then lowered itself into a battle position. ``Ready? When I say so... Now! Fire a Shadow Ball!'' It was their ace move. Normally, Rattata were restricted to physical attacks, but Matty had trained his partner for months until he had learned this secret. Now, it'd be their key to victory!
The Rattata jumped into the air, concentrated all its dark power, and then launched a fully charged shadow ball forward. The attack shot through the space, through the tree leaves, into the sky, then smacked into the giant Happiny's pink belly with a tiny plop.
She didn't even notice.
Matty and Rattata could only stare in exasperation as the giant continued to step forward. ``It... it didn't work?'' Matty whispered to himself. ``But... how?''
Groravi would have smiled if she saw the tiny trainer below her. She might have giggled, or waved at him, or answered the attack with a move of her own. Instead, she simply continued her step. Her foot lifted and swung until it was directly over the pair of would-be fighters.
``Ah!'' Matty screamed as the immense, blobby mountain of pink power came down. With a terrific BOOM, Groravi completed her step and decimated everything that happened to be under her foot.
Today was so fun! So far Groravi had hopped through her forest, a few meadows rich with wildflowers, a pond, a lake, and now she followed a river all the way toward the coast. Her footsteps sent up huge splashes as they came down on the muddy soil and violently altered the course of the water's flow. The trees and rocks that flanked the river were obliterated just like the rest of the landscape she skipped through. Pokemon fled from her movements, and the sound of her stomps echoed for miles.
Just when she was wondering what she should play with next, something interesting came into view. A human town! It glittered on the edge of the ocean with its buildings reaching towards the sky and their windows reflecting the sun. A few Wingul flew overhead, and cars pitter-pattered through the street. Boats anchored in the port, and a few sails speckled the horizon out to sea.
Now this would be FUN!
The green Dragonite flew across the ocean with her muscles tense and a firm look on her face.
Something was wrong. She had a sense that there was panic coming from somewhere close by. The ocean was agitated, and there was an electricity that permeated the air. She feared that the humans were doing something horrible again. Just a few months ago she had destroyed a giant ship that was sailing along the coast, dredging up the sea floor and destroying hundreds of Pokemon's homes in the process. They tried to stop the green Dragonite, but a single hyperbeam cut their ship in half.
She would do whatever she needed to protect her ocean. She soared close to the ocean at nearly the speed of sound, her ears listening and her eyes scanning the horizon. Then she saw it. A burst of light erupted from the coastline in front of her and was followed by an explosion that sent smoke and debris hundreds of feet into the air. This was her target.
The Dragonite soared higher, until she could see over the trees that blocked her view. Her jaw dropped at the sight of a giant pink Happiny rampaging through one of the humans' coastal settlements. She had already destroyed so much of the town. Its streets were pockmarked by craters that matched her immense feet, and the houses in her path had been turned to splinters. Cars were crushed and people fled in every direction.
And the Happiny just kept bouncing along. She reached for one of the houses nearby, grabbed it by the sides, then ripped it out of the ground with only the sheer force of her body. Dirt and metal fell from the base of the house as she lifted it past her belly and thrust it into her mouth. It crunched and bent and buckled as she chewed it up.
The Dragonite growled. Though she wasn't a friend to the humans, she respected them enough to see the tragedy in the situation. Plus, what would the Happiny do once the village was decimated? She'd walk into the wilderness and destroy the Pokemon the Dragonite had sworn to protect.
No. She wouldn't let that happen. For decades she had protected this ocean and all the Pokemon inside of it, and nothing would change today. She folded her wings into a dive, plunging towards the pink menace.
When she was directly in front of the giant, she concentrated her power into her mouth, gathered all the energy of her form, and released it in a devastating hyperbeam. She had cut ships in half with this attack and defeated trainers' entire teams of leveled Pokemon. This was the ultimate technique for a Dragonite, and there were few Pokemon on the planet that could even endure the attack without fainting.
Yet, as the blast of raw power cut across the Happiny, it did nothing but leave a small line of soot. Groravi paused her playtime as she looked down at the mark, then she simply wiped it away. Her eyes moved to the Dragonite hovering in front of her.
For the first time in decades, the Dragonite felt a chill run through her body. This wasn't possible... nothing should have been able to withstand an attack like that. Even if the Happiny was huge, she should have fallen!
This wasn't possible... this didn't make any sense... but Groravi didn't give her the time to process her reality. Instead, the giant Pokemon smiled, lifted her hand, then brought it down in a titanic SLAP.
The impact was unparalleled, and Dragonite rocketed into the ground below her. She broke the concrete of the street with the impact and settled into a crater. Her head spun and her eyes were unfocused. Her entire body felt like it had been smashed by a train... and all because of a Happiny's slap.
The Dragonite blinked until she regained her focus. It was too late. She looked upward just in time to see the Happiny's immense butt looming directly over her. Dragonite growled defiance, but it didn't matter.
Groravi's butt slammed down, and the entire town shook from the impact. And she just giggled at the feeling of the tiny Dragonite under her body.
``All units, all units,'' the radio buzzed. General Spruce nodded to the man working the communication system on the battleship. A switch was flipped and the radio's signal was broadcast through the command area. ``Reports indicate that the giant Happiny is heading toward Oahu Island. Use of extreme force has been given. Stop the Pokemon at any cost. Repeat, stop the Pokemon at any cost.''
The radio signal ended abruptly. General Spruce turned toward the other people on the bridge of the battleship. ``Give me an update. Where is she?''
``To our starboard,'' one of the soldiers answered. A blip on his radar screen gradually moved closer.
``Is she within range of our guns?'' ``Yes, sir,'' the man answered.
``Is she weak to fire?''
``No sir. Reports state that she is a normal type.''
``Then prepare the AP rounds, and fire when ready.''
``Understood, sir.'' The man picked up the phone of the battleship and relayed the orders to the guns. General Spruce stayed at his position at the front of the ship, his nerves steadily growing as the ship turned. They were part of a fleet of warships, but his boat was by far the largest. The destroyers would eliminate any threat that came within range, but he hoped a full volley of the long-range cannons would end the threat before that was necessary.
Still, there was something strange about this. After years of serving in the Navy, he had developed a sixth sense for situations that had saved him more times than he could count. And today, his gut said that there was something wrong.
As the ship turned, the giant pink Happiny came into view. Even at this distance, she looked huge. Her top half extended out from the surface of the ocean, and a massive wave was thrust in front of her. Each movement of her legs caused the sea to shift and churn, sending eruptions of water in the air around her. But it wasn't her scale that made General Spruce nervous. It was the smile she wore as she steadily moved closer, as if she knew that nothing in the world could stop her.
``Guns ready,'' the man said.
``Fire everything!'' Spruce commanded.
There was a momentary pause as everyone on the bridge braced themselves. Then the main guns lit up in an explosion of raw force. Flames shot from their long barrels, and the concussive force made the entire boat rock. The sound echoed over the water in a declaration of the violence that had been unleashed.
They waited. They waited as their rounds soared across the ocean at multiple times the speed of sound. General Spruce held his breath as they impacted the side of the giant and detonated. He whispered a silent prayer, but it was left unanswered.
When the smoke cleared, Groravi still marched forward with that smile spread across her face.
``Arceus,'' General Spruce muttered. ``Any sign of damage?'' ``None at all,'' the man responded, his jaw agape.
``Ready another,'' shouted the captain. ``Another! Now! Fire everything we have!''
But it didn't matter. They unloaded their guns again and again, but she just kept walking through the smoke. The only difference was that she turned toward them. That smile never wavered. When she was within range, the destroyers joined in and let loose a barrage of gunfire and missiles. They all hit their target and detonated, but none of them slowed her down.
In a matter of minutes, she was upon them. It was trivial for her to pick up their ships and crush them against her body in a hug. Some of the destroyers were capsized just from the wake of the ocean that came as she moved. Others were swamped when she simply pushed them under the water.
They were like bath toys for her.
Solgaleo stood upon the clifftop, his heart heavy as he watched the destruction of the nearby island. The coastline was completely swamped by the tsunami that preceded the threat, and whatever had survived was trampled down into dust by her titanic footsteps. The Happiny smiled and giggled as she hopped around the island, each footfall causing an earthquake that Solgaleo could feel even from so far away.
The human settlements were obliterated. Smoke rose from some of the area that had been destroyed, but not trampled down to dust. Fires spread through the forest, lit by the pure energy of each one of her stomps, and the mountain that formed the center of the island had suffered so many landslides that it was barely half of its original height.
Groravi giggled as she compared herself to the peak. It was at eye level for her. Then it was reduced to nothing as she slammed her belly into the mountain and toppled it as if it were nothing more than a loose stack of dirt.
It infuriated Solgaleo. He was supposed to be a force of ultimate power in this region. He was a beast whose strength could defeat anything, equaled only by other legendaries. Yet, as he stood on the cliffside watching the destruction, he knew that if he were to battle the Happiny he would lose.
A shroud of darkness fell over his spot on the cliff. When he turned, he found Lunala hovering in the air just above him with wings as deep as midnight and golden highlights that shone like the stars. Where Solgaleo was the day, she was the night. Individually, they had their limits. Together, they were unstoppable.
It took only one shared glance to confirm that they understood one another. This Happiny would be stopped.
Once the main island had been completely flattened and its coastline reduced to nothing more than fine sand, Groravi turned her attention to the island Solgaleo and Lunala protected. Unaware of their presence, the giant Happiny moved across the deep stretch of water. A wave formed from her belly, and soon it impacted the coastline and flooded the villages near the water's edge. There was nothing that could be done for them.
Groravi's foot impacted the sands that formed the coast. She had reached the island, and there was no more time to wait. As one, the two legendary guardians of the region leapt into the sky and readied their attack.
Solgaleo struck first. His mane became enveloped by fire and the energy of the universe as he charged his ultimate move. Once he landed at the base of the cliff, he charged forward in a rush that no other Pokemon had managed to survive. His attack, the Sunsteel Strike, was unstoppable.
As he ran, Lunala took to the sky and opened her wings. Solgaleo radiated the sun, and she glittered like the moon and stars. Energy was drawn into her form, condensed, and then made real as she let it rip and tear through the sky. It came in the form of a radiant blast of energy that was more powerful than a hyperbeam and more feared than anything else on these islands. Her Moongeist Beam was unmatched.
The two attacks landed at the same time. Solgaleo charged into the Happiny and slammed into her belly with the full might of the sun. The Moongeist Beam cut across her chest and left an explosion that rivaled the radiance of the stars. The entire island shook from the impact of their attacks, with water shooting out in every direction.
For a moment, they thought they had done it. For a moment, they thought they had won.
Then her laughter cut through the fog. Solgaleo's jaw fell agape as he landed on the beach in front of the titan. No, it was impossible. She couldn't be LAUGHING at their attack. But, as the smog of their blasts cleared, he saw the reality of the world. Groravi had endured both attacks with nothing more than a smile. If it did anything, it had only tickled her.
Groravi found all these little attacks funny. First, the humans tried to shoot her with their silly boats, now these two Pokemon were attacking her with some basic blasts. She didn't know what type of Pokemon they were since she had never seen them before, but they were cute in their own way. And so, so tiny.
She thought about what she should do. They had attacked her with moves that tickled, so she should answer in kind.
An idea came to her! The tiny kitty near her feet glowed with all the power of the sun, and that was just perfect for her strongest move. She closed her eyes, opened her arms, and let her body take in all the radiant energy. Once she was charged, she opened her eyes again, smiled, and let loose her own attack.
Solar beam.
The air combusted around the beam of pure white light. The tiny Solgaleo was consumed in an instant. The rest of the island followed as she pulled the mile-wide blast upward until it cut through the clouds and completely swallowed Lunala as well. Once the beam passed, an explosion of such violence followed that the entire island was ripped apart. Chunks of burning stone were hurled into the atmosphere, and the ocean boiled all around her.
The concussive force was enough to obliterate everything close by, and when it was finished, Groravi stood in a crater that reached all the way to the base of the ocean. The water violently returned and splashed around her feet a few minutes later.
She giggled to herself. Maybe the Solar Beam was a bit overkill for those two.
Groravi walked, and the world shuddered. Her footsteps caused continents to quake and broke apart the very mantle of the Earth. There was nothing that could stop her, and no force in the world would ever slow down her playtime. In a few short hours, she had changed from a small but powerful Happiny to the largest Pokemon that had ever existed.
Once she had completely annihilated the islands, she marched back to the mainland and walked across the landscape, turning it into a collection of smoldering craters. Human cities became nothing more than a discolored patch of ground below her feet, and entire features of the landscape were changed based on her passing whims. She crushed mountain ranges, created new lakes, and turned entire cities into ash.
The humans tried to stop her. They sent planes, boats, and more bombs than she could count. None of them mattered, and she walked through their fireballs as if they were nothing more than a basic ember attack from a baby Growlithe. Soon, even these pathetic attempts to stop her faded away.
Then she grew so huge that the Earth itself couldn't contain her. She jumped upward and drifted into the great expanse of the cosmos, untethered and unburdened. She continued to play with the Earth for a little while, smooshing it in her arms, then her hands, then finally between her feet, until she accidentally broke it as if it had been a densely packed ball of mud. With it gone, she moved on to the rest of the solar system, growing larger and larger as she went.
In the end, nothing could stop her, and she expanded to the size of the universe itself. Her feet could smother galaxies, and her hyper voice made tears in the very fabric of space-time. She was immense, a titan of cosmic scale, a celestial deity that nothing could even comprehend anymore.
And still, she smiled. Her playtime had only just begun.
sokz yet again!
