Author's Note

This short is based on Newverse canon.

If you're wondering how the deer can understand Pokémon, Empress Serva says so in chapter 42 of A New World, a New Way.

“Quick question,” Shredder said. “How did you manage to communicate with them?”

Serva blinked once, then smiled. “Oh, we Deer are very good at understanding others,” In a softer tone, she added. “It comes from the forest.”

Wrath in the Woods

Carly leaped at an ancient, sturdy oak tree, furiously slashing its thick bark. Her white, triangular claws, claws she still couldn't believe were hers, felt sore, but she didn't care; it was nothing, NOTHING compared to the rage she felt. How DARE Arceus, or at least someone claiming to be him, get to decide on everyone's future without considering what THEY wanted? In what sick, twisted reality was transforming millions of people against their will, separating them from everyone they knew and loved, and throwing them into an entirely new place where the locals had never heard of Pokémon a REWARD?

Carly had no idea how long she had spent attacking the tree, but she eventually hesitated when she realised that she had removed a window-sized, X-shaped chunk of bark from the tree, revealing the smooth, beige surface underneath. Unlike the Sneasel clan she'd met on her first day here, whose slashes were thin and neat, hers were jagged and uneven. Suddenly, she felt an intangible force yank her away from it, holding her in midair.

"Hey!" shouted Carly. She turned around to see that dark brown deer (was that what they were called?) she'd seen a few times, along with that Deerling he was always with. The deer's short, brownish-black antlers were surrounded by a leaf-green glow, and she realised she was surrounded by a similar glow that kept flickering. The glow flickered out altogether, and Carly fell a couple of feet onto the ground.

"Sorry!" exclaimed the deer.

Carly stood back up, and noticed her reflection in a small, leaf-filled puddle. Her rage quickly turned into despair. At first, she had wanted to believe this was some sort of elaborate fever dream, and she'd wake up soon enough, but as the days had passed, the reality began to sink in. She had become a Sneasel, and now she knew she would be one for the rest of her life.

"What was that for?" Carly complained.

"Well..." said the Deerling, stepping forwards, holding herself up with confidence. "YOU were causing a, uh... a disturbance! And you don't want to give the deer a bad first impression of Pokémon... right?" She turned towards the deer. "Did I say that well?" The deer nodded.

"What made you do this?" the deer asked. She thought for a moment that he was angry at her, before realising that there was sympathy in his voice.

Carly sighed. "Well... y'know when Arceus mentioned Pokémon that had undergone changes?" The deer nodded. "I think he was talking about Pokémon that used to be humans, like me... You know what a human is, right?" The deer shook his head, so Carly crouched down and drew a stick figure in the dirt with a claw. "This is what I used to look like. Well, not exactly, but you get the idea. Point is, I miss being one..."

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about that," said the deer. "But I know someone who might be able to help you."

Carly crossed her arms and leaned against the tree. "Who is it?"

"Follow me. I'll show you," he said.

The deer and Deerling guided Carly to the largest, most magnificent oak tree she had ever seen. The ground below it was dappled by the shadows of its vivid leaves under the midday sun. High above, its branches spread out horizontally, reminding her of pictures she'd seen of Xerneas. She felt homesick.

The deer pointed at a sleeping, grizzled Lucario who was sitting against the tree. "This is Gurkinn," he said. "Empress Serva met him on the first day. This is her palace, by the way." Carly was mildly surprised to learn that. "Ever since then, he's been helping young Pokémon find their families. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to help Flora here, but he might be able to help you." The Deerling - Flora - looked down sadly.

"But I'm not looking for anyone," said Carly. It's not that she didn't have any loved ones; it's just that she had been so overwhelmed by her transformation, she hadn't put much thought into what might have happened to people she knew. It's not like they would even recognise her, anyway.

"I know," replied the deer. "But... Gurkinn doesn't just find people. He's also good at giving advice."

Something clicked in Carly's mind. "Oh, I've heard of him! He was some super-amazing trainer back where I... came from..." She could almost feel the sharp pain of homesickness in her chest.

"What's a trainer?" asked the deer.

"Long story," quickly replied Carly.

"I'll tell you later," shout-whispered Flora.

"Anyway... we'd better get going," said the deer. "Why don't you wake him up? I'm sure he won't mind."

As the deer and Flora turned away, Carly approached Gurkinn. Unsure of the best way to wake him up, she gently shook his shoulder. Gurkinn jolted awake in surprise. Carly was quite surprised to see him stand up; a Lucario was now almost twice her height.

"Hello, uh... Mr. Gurkinn? I'd like to speak to you, if you don't mind," said Carly, with uncertainty in her voice. "My name's Carly, by the way."

"There's no need to talk like you're starting a phone call," replied Gurkinn. "Assuming there are even phones here, that is. What's the matter?"

Carly spent several seconds mulling over what she was going to say as she looked down sadly, sighing softy. "Well... it's just that... do you ever feel so angry that you just want to take it out on the nearest thing? Because that's how I felt after I heard Arceus' speech. It's like... I was doing fine as a human! I had my whole life ahead of me! And now it's all gone in an instant..."

Gurkinn kneeled down. "Listen, Carly. While it's true that there is nothing any of us can do about it, we've got to make the most of what we have."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Carly, sounding more aggressive than she intended.

"Think about the positives of your new life. Take me, for example. When I became a Lucario, I gained the ability to sense aura, the lifeforce of all living beings." Aura was a concept Carly had heard of a lot, but she had never been able to wrap her head around it. "Since related individuals have similar auras, I was able to use this power to help children find their families. What about you?"

"Now that you mention it... on that first day, I bumped into a couple of Sneasel siblings. The older sister was about to attack me, until the younger brother told her not to because he realised I wasn't a rival. They decided to show me to their leader, who offered to let me join them... but feeling out-of-place, I said no. Maybe I should go back to them..."

"Is that not a positive?" replied Gurkinn. "You're lucky to have found kindness so soon. I think they would greatly appreciate your return." He stood back up. "You may have heard of my granddaughter, Korrina. Ever since I arrived here, I've been worried about her. I can't find any sign of her around here. Still, I reassure myself by remembering that Korrina can handle herself. I'm certain that she was worthy enough to come here, and I'm hopeful that Lucario is with her. Wouldn't it reassure your loved ones to know that you're not alone?"

"Yeah... I guess so," said Carly, smiling bittersweetly as she turned to walk away.