Matchups for the Day – Book 2
The last thing he remembered was the party.
He was in town visiting, and gotten an invitation to a party for all the Phantom Thieves, past and present, at Cafe LeBlanc. Ann, Ryuji, Morgana, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, Futaba, Sumire, Sophia (appearing in everyone's cell phones), and Zenkichi, also known by their Phantom Thief names, Panther, Skull, Mona, Fox, Queen, Noir, Oracle, Violet, Sophie, and Wolf. Wolf brought his daughter, who had figured out they were all the Phantom Thieves and wanted to meet them, promising to keep it all secret. Sae, Queen's sister, had figured things out as well and wanted to come, showing up with Queen. Sojiro was just glad to have all the paying customers.
Then Goro Akechi, Crow showed up. And things started to go wrong. Goro claimed that he had been invited directly by Joker. Joker claimed that he'd been invited by Panther, who said that she'd been invited by Skull, and around and around the chain went.
By the time they all realized it was a trap, it was far too late, and the trap had been sprung. Time stopped around them, and they were all pulled into darkness.
When Joker woke up, he found himself alone. He groaned, his entire body feeling off. His skin felt fuzzy. He shook his head, and even his ears felt wrong, as if they were longer and floppier. And what was up with his back? It felt like there was something attached to his spine.
"What the hell happened..." he muttered, only to immediately realize that while he could still understand himself, what he was saying sounded off. As if he was saying Eevee over and over again. Eyes wide, he looked down at himself, seeing his fuzzy, brown-furred face in the reflective surface of the floor. He looked at his paws. Felt his ears, his fur collar. He waggled his tail. He then did what any reasonable person would do in a situation like this.
He panicked, running around and screaming in terror.
"HELP! HELPHELPHELP! RYUJI, ANN, ANYBODY HELP! I'M A FUZZY THINGY HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!" Joker screamed, before finally crashing into a pair of short human legs. He looked up... and immediately felt a wave of relief. "Lavenza! Oh my God, I'm so glad to see you! I... I've been changed into-"
"A Pokemon," the long-haired blonde shortstack in the blue nurse's uniform said. "An Eevee, to be precise. I'm so sorry, Trickster. None of us, not even my Master, saw this coming."
That chilled Joker to the bone. "But... what can we do? Can you change me back? Have the others been changed as well?" He looked around, realizing he was in the Velvet Room, but it looked all wrong. More like a Pokecenter than the prison he was used to.
"They have been changed," Lavenza said, nodding. "And unfortunately, I have only a vague idea of where they are. You will know them on sight."
Joker shivered, nuzzling into Joker as Lavenza sat down and let him get into her lap. "This is so messed up..." he said.
"More than you realize," Lavenza said sadly. "The clients and comrades of my sisters, Margaret and Elizabeth, have been taken as well."
"Other Persona users?" Joker asked, shocked.
Lavenza nodded. "Saviors of the world, like yourself. And before you ask, none of them were in position to help you on either of your adventures. So they did not shirk their duty - they simply weren't available to save the world."
"Don't get me wrong, Lavenza. I don't regret becoming a Phantom Thief," Joker said, blushing. "Truth be told, I think meeting you has been one of the best things that's ever happened to me."
Lavenza blushed, hugging Joker. "Thank you... Thank you so much..."
Joker blushed. "What do you think caused this?" he asked, regretful for spoiling the mood.
Lavenza jolted out of her cuddle trance, coughing nervously. "My Master believes that an old enemy has returned... He attacked you and your comrades, and the comrades of other Wildcards, in an attempt to exile them and strip them of power. We managed to shunt all of you to this world, but with unforseen side effects."
"Like turning into a Pokemon," Joker said.
"Indeed. I wish I could go with you on your journey, but I, like my siblings, must stay and guard the Velvet Room. Master is away, looking for his master. And the Room must be protected."
Joker understood that. "Can you help me find my friends?" Joker asked.
"I do not fully understand this world," Lavenza said, gently picking up Joker and kissing him on the head. "The most I can do is give you the ability to sense their location."
"That'll help a lot, Lavenza," Joker said. "Thank you."
Lavenza kissed him on the forehead, and Joker felt a tingling in his skull. "I do not know if you will be able to use your Persona abilities," Lavenza said. "But you should have the full abilities of the breed of Pokemon you have become." She gently petted him, and set him down, opening the door to the Velvet Room, the front door of the Pokecenter. "I will be with you always, Trickster. Please, be careful."
"I'll try..." Joker said. "Thank you..." Joker stepped through the doorway, into the glowing light. He kept going... and emerged in a field, beautiful grass and flowers and trees surrounding him. He sniffed the air, marveling at how clean it was. He concentrated, and found he could sense each of his friends by their element. Nodding to himself, he set out into the world of Pokemon...
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