A request for  incinermyn featuring his Fakemon Weasinge. Hope you enjoy!

PokéPark’s New Area: A “Singed” Opinion by SqueakyTails

A red and white thin Pokémon zipped back into a cold, stone tunnel the led into to the Cove Area, heavily panting. He checked behind and around him yet didn’t see her. Just… just being paranoid again, he told himself. She’s not here; you’re far away from her now. “She” was the Vulpix he met while back. While they became fast friends, the spells she practiced tended to go a bit… awry. He winced as he recalled fur becoming fabric and being filled with cotton as he turned into little more than a stuffed animal. That one was freaky. Then again, there was the time he became a Deerling, and a pool toy, and- Stop it! Stop it! he demanded of himself. The memories were still too painful to relive, as was being around his “friend”. Thus he decided to go on a little journey, away from the stresses of daily life, the bustling crowds, and… well, away from her.

Stepping back into the light, the Pokémon’s features became highlighted. A gleaming ruby scattered the bright coastal sunlight above a crimson muzzle, marking the start of his mane of burnt red-colored fur which ran uninterrupted to the tip of his white tail except for a tan knapsack resting on his backside. He took one last look in either direction, the azure gemstone embedded in a simple twine necklace flashing during its brief tenure in the light. He was a Weasinge, a Pokémon not commonly seen around PokéPark… or most places, really.

As his racing heart calmed down, he padded along the beach, relishing in the soft rush of waves crashing against the glittering white sand and watching as scattered groups of Pokémon played in and around the salty, clear water. As nice as the relaxing atmosphere of the beach was, he really came to see the Town just beside it. There was a lot of history behind it, apparently, and he intended to learn as much as he could, just like his dad raised him.

Tall, creamy stone buildings soared around him, adding more to the seaside atmosphere with their sandstone walls. Well, they were tall to him, at least. He squinted in the bright sunlight to look all the way up to the top, reveling in its architectural beauty. To his relief, few Pokémon walked around the town, giving him a mostly personal experience to enjoy the rich design of the town.

A colorful poster caught his eye. The carnival themed advertisement proclaimed the recent opening of the Balloon Area, a festive, lighthearted section of PokéPark where Pokémon could play and enjoy a wide variety of games and activities all for only twenty berries. Weasinge’s natural curiosity got the better of him. It was just a few minutes away from Cove Area; surely his studies could wait for tomorrow. Besides, it’s not like he was any rush to go back… no, it was probably better to take all the time he needed and maybe a little more. Anyway, it’d be a great way to unwind and forget about all the bizarre transformations he’s been through. He needed no more persuasion past that; the next ferry was to arrive in half an hour. He briefly remembered when Vulpix turned him into a balloon and winced, but he pushed the memory aside. It’d be nice to play with some regular balloons, rather than be played with.

***
Weasinge stood a little apart from the group of Pokémon standing on the damp, wooden pier, their conversations mixed in with the ocean’s ambience. He was glad to have avoided attention thus far; Pokémon tended to ask him a lot of questions as he was such a rare species.

He managed to pick out Umbreon’s mellow voice. “I’ve never been to the Balloon Area before,” he announced to Espeon and Ampharos, bushy black ears twitching lightly. “What’s it like?”

Ampharos turned with a manic gleam in his eye and an excited grin. The red light on the end of his tail glowed warmly. “Oh, it’s the greatest!” he declared. “Pretty much everything there will—“

“Shh!” The pink-furred Espeon hushed. “Don’t spoil it for him! It’s supposed to be a surprise, remember?”

A surprise? What could be such a big surprise that an entire Area was built around it? He wasn’t able to give the thought any more attention as Wailord came into view, enormous blue fins pushing against the water with a sound to rival the waves. A tan underbelly disappeared beneath the foaming ocean water as he dipped his head to make a gentle ramp from the pier to the shaded benches on his back.

“Please wait for all passengers to disembark before boarding,” he announced in a booming yet gentle voice. The Pokémon on the pier stepped to each side as a few jovial Pokémon stepped off Wailord and left the dock. Weasinge followed just behind the crowd as they boarded the enormous Pokémon, padding carefully up the slick, damp skin until he found himself before metal wire guardrails painted the same white as the plastic benches. He deposited the requisite twenty berries into a large collection bin to cause the mechanical doors before him to swing open. He walked forward, the unadorned steel of the ferry clacking beneath his claws. He cringed as the eyes of many Pokémon followed him as he walked to the back of the car. No sooner had he sat down than the Ampharos from before turned to face him, black-striped ears perfectly straight. Wailord pushed away from the dock and built up speed with powerful fins as Ampharos asked, “Hey, I haven’t seen you around here. What’s your name?”

“Um, Weasinge. It’s nice to meet you… Ampharos, is it?”

“That’s right! …You know, you kinda remind me of Quilava.”

“Really? How is that?”

Ampharos sat beside him, his eyes tracing the gradient in his fur, turning from red to pink to a brilliant white. “Well, you’re both obviously Fire-types, and you kinda share a similar body structure.”

By this point, other Pokémon had turned to watch him. He cringed under their oppressing stares, but tried to stay calm and mature. Ampharos continued, “Yeah, you even have similar voices!” He blinked and adopted a suspicious look. “Wait… you’re just wearing a costume, aren’t you, Quilava.”

Weasinge was taken aback. “Wait what? What are you talking about?!” He grew nervous.

Ampharos sighed in disgust. “Seriously, first it was this creepy Skuntank copy, now… whatever this is.” He gestured to Weasinge’s body. “Drop the act; we all know.”

“I-I’m not Quilava,” he stammered, backing into a corner. “I’m really just Weasinge, honest.”

“Arceus, Quilava, look at yourself! You’re only half-red, you know. Were you too lazy to finish the paint job?” He reached for the mane running down Weasinge’s back. “And, what, did you glue some carpet to your back?”

Tears began to fill Weasinge’s eyes. “Stop it!” he shouted. The ruby on his forehead grew brighter until a fireball erupted from it and hurtled towards Ampharos. The Electric-type flipped over the fireball, just scorching his yellow-and-black striped tail. He held it close to, grimacing at the burn.

“What was that all about!” he demanded. Weasinge simply panted in fear.

“Now, now, you two,” Wailord reprimanded. “I will not have violence on my ferry nor in the Area. Weasinge, I understand you have been wronged, but you must refrain from using Moves on the island lest you be kicked off and reprimanded by Samurott, the Cove Area Leader. Balloons are quite fragile, as I’m sure you know. And Ampharos! I’m shocked that you would say such awful things! You need to apologize.”

Ampharos looked down at Weasinge’s paws. “Sorry,” he admitted. “Quilava likes to mess with me; please understand. And, um, you look great, by the way. Awesome mane.”

Weasinge smiled. “Yeah, it’s fine,” he forgave. “And thanks.”

“That’s better,” Wailord spoke. “And just in time! Welcome to the Balloon Area!”

Weasinge jumped on top of a bench and looked around, spotting the island. He mouthed a “Wow!” as he took in the sight of striped big tops and a fanciful castle adorned with towering spires and hundreds of balloons. A parade balloon shaped like Mew floated over the whole island, tethered by long cords as it greeted all the visitors with an open smile. Tall stone walls painted shades of orange hid most of the park from view aside from an archway proclaiming the island to be the Balloon Area in big, colorful letters. Behind the archway, many stalls selling balloons and other souvenirs proudly displayed their goods.

Weasinge bounded off the ferry, waving goodbye to Wailord before darting into the Area in excitement. He looked around, immediately noticing a stall selling big, round, Pokémon-shaped balloons. It was quite a popular stall; the Buizel employee handed out balloons almost constantly to his many customers. He couldn’t help but remember Vulpix and her spells, but he brushed it aside. This was a fun place, not a creepy witch’s lair. Turning to the side, he saw a Miltank running a little snack bar.

Weasinge approached the Miltank, who wore an apron over a blue uniform and a chef’s cap. “Excuse me,” he asked. “What do you sell here?”

The pink Pokémon turned from a large machine that heavily churned a white liquid, the apron jutting out to cover a large udder on a tan belly. “Why, I sell a special drink I whipped up I call “Moo ‘Loon Milk”. It’s a concoction that’ll help you become stretchier than you ever thought possible!”

“Strechier?” Weasinge asked with a quizzical look. “Why would I want to be stretchier? I think I’m flexible enough already, but I suppose I could try it.”

“Flexible?” Miltank laughed. “This isn’t supposed to make you more flexible! No, this’ll help you inflate bigger without popping!”

Weasinge’s heart thudded in his throat. “I-inflate?” he stammered out. “W-what do you mean?”

Miltank beamed. “Oh, you’ve never been here before? Everything here is geared to help you inflate just like a balloon; it’s great! In fact, I’ll give you a bottle for free so—dear?” Weasinge had bolted back for the entrance.

He skidded to a stop at the dock, watching in horror as Wailord disappeared behind the horizon. “Wait!” he shouted, jumping in the air. “Wait for me! Get me away from this place!”

Wailord simply disappeared behind the horizon with a flip of his tail. Weasinge sat on the pier, eyes shut as he retreated inward, desperate to escape this awful Area. A loud boom rang in his ears; he yelped and sprinted away, too fearful to see where he was going.

Weasinge found himself back in the Area, feeling overwhelmed as he realized for the first time that the big red and yellow balloons over there were actually a Flareon and a Fennekin and all the balloons being sold at the stall were, in fact, other Pokémon! He watched in horror as the Buizel peddled an Ampharos balloon to a little Eevee jumping up and down on fluffy paws in excitement to receive her toy. Wait… is that? Weasinge gasped. It is! That’s the Ampharos from earlier! What did they do to him?!

Weasinge could hardly think straight, his head filling with awful memories of being helpless to do anything as Vulpix played with him while he was transformed, and here he was, surrounded by people more than willing to do it to him again. He could only process one thought: Run! The little Pokémon dashed away as fast as his legs could carry him, trying to escape all the Pokémon and their twisted idea of fun. He stopped in the shade of the castle and caught his breath. The loud pop of a huge balloon bursting made him literally jump and bolt a little further behind a vending machine. He cowered behind the humming device, growing ever more nervous as footsteps approached.

“You okay, little guy?” Buizel said, bending down to look at Weasinge. Weasinge responded with a yelp and a fireball. Buizel jumped back as the fireball exploded before him, leaving a black scorch mark in the concrete. “Hey, hey, hey!” Buizel called in surprise. He walked back towards Weasinge, paws held up in a gesture of friendliness. “It’s okay; I’m not gonna hurt you,” he reassured.

“Y-you’ll turn me into a balloon, just like you did to Ampharos and the others!” Weasinge said, crouching to run away again.

“Wait, don’t go!” Buizel spoke quickly. “Let me explain!” Weasinge cautiously walked out of the shadow of the machine, still keeping his distance from the employee. “I run a stall where I rent Pokéloons that I employed to be inflated and sold. They all asked to be blown up; everything here is voluntary, I promise!”

“Then why’d you follow me?”

Buizel pulled a berry from his own pouch and deposited it into the machine. He pushed a couple buttons as he explained, “I’m on my lunch break; I came to get a drink when I saw you run behind the machine like a Skitty chasing a Rattata! What’s the matter?”

Tears dripped onto the concrete before red paws. “I’m scared,” he whispered.

The can of soda dropped into the bottom of vending machine forgotten as Buizel sat beside the whimpering Weasinge. “Why is that? Do you not like balloons?”

“No, they’re fine, but, see, there was this Vulpix, and she kept turning me into different toys…”

“But she wasn’t very nice about it?” Buizel inferred.

“N-no, she wasn’t,” Weasinge rested his head on Buizel’s lap.

Scratching Weasinge’s neck, Buizel proposed, “Why don’t you follow me back to my stall and—”

“No, you’re not turning me into a balloon!” Weasinge yelped.

“Calm down; why don’t you rent a Pokéloon? You said that Vulpix wasn’t nice; how about you prove yourself a better owner?”

“Rent? Make someone else go through what I did?” Quietly, he added, “Over and over…”

“No, no, they want to be played with! Come on, let me show you!” Buizel stood and gestured in the direction of his stall, a simple building painted in the Area’s carnival theme with a large bunch of Pokéloons floating just beside it. Weasinge hesitated… but decided to trust Buizel; he seemed genuinely kind.

Buizel picked up his soda: a pink can labeled “Party Balloon Punch”, and led his new friend back to his stall near the entrance.

“I thought you were on break,” a Zoroark balloon commented. The large black and red balloon floated near the front of the group, tethered to a pole by a string tied to the valve on the end of his mane. True to Buizel’s word, the Pokémon balloons seemed pleased if not ecstatic to be inflated and sold off.

“Yeah, but this little guy here needs a friend to show him around,” Buizel replied, rummaging behind his stall. “He’s not too keen on the idea of inflation, you see.”

“Oh, yeah, I can do that! Hey, um… what’s your name?” Zoroark asked.

“I-I’m Weasinge,” he explained.

“Weasinge? That’s cool. Anyway, why don’t you rent me? I promise to be the best toy you’ll ever find!”

“You want to be a toy? Really?”

“You bet! It’s tons of fun to have someone carry me around and blow me up!”

“Well, if you insist…”

Buizel smiled and untied Zoroark from the bunch, the large black and red Pokéloon squeaking loudly as he was extracted from his fellow balloons. He tied the string to a metal ring painted like a Pokéball and handed Weasinge his new toy. “Here you go; he’s on the house, don’t worry about payment.” Weasinge slipped his paw through the surprisingly heavy ring and looked up at the Zoroark suspended in the air, drifting slowly back and forth in the slight breeze.

“Hi!” he said as Weasinge looked up to him. “Where to first?”

“I don’t know; I’ve never been here before. Speaking of, how is all of this possible, anyway? You know; the whole inflation thing and whatnot. I’ve seen it before, but that Pokémon used magic and I haven’t seen any of that here.”

“Um, something about Mew enchanting this whole place? Oh, yeah; with a bit of psychic energy you can turn Pokémon into balloons. How it’s done I don’t know; I’m no Psychic-type.”

Weasinge was a little disappointed that Zoroark couldn’t explain it, but he shrugged it off. He began walking in no direction in particular while he spoke to his shining, translucent friend.

“So you don’t like inflation?” Zoroark asked.

“Yeah, no. Kinda scary if you ask me, being immobile and fragile and all that…”

Zoroark gasped, his body swelling ever so slightly. “That’s right! Okay, I think I can find a compromise; take me over to that stall there,” he pointed with a squeaky paw to Miltank’s shop. “And pull me down so I can talk.”

Weasinge began to walk towards the bar yet questioned, “Why? What does she have?”

“Oh, you’ll find out… but I think you’ll like it.”

Weasinge remained unconvinced, but upon reaching the bar he bit softly on the string tethering Zoroark and tugged on it, bringing him level to the stall.

“Hey, Miltank!” he called. The Pokémon in question turned and beamed upon recognizing Zoroark.

“Well, hello again! Get yourself a new owner?” She looked down to find Weasinge and smiled even wider. “Oh, it’s you! What happened, dear?”

Before Weasinge could respond, Zoroark answered for him, “He’s kinda scared of inflation. I wondered if he’d want to try your new recipe.”

“Oh, I see. That’s a great idea! Just give me a moment…” Over the whirring of her drink machines and clanging dishes, Miltank questioned, “So, Zoroark… has he popped you yet?”

“Not yet. He just got me.”

“Pop him?!” Weasinge cried. “Why on Earth would I do that?!”

“It’s fun! You, uh, you don’t die. You’ll reinflate after a bit,” Zoroark explained.

“Well, I still don’t want to get popped. But you really do?”

“Oh, yes, please! But… make it a surprise,” he asked with a mischievous grin. “I don’t want to see it coming.”

Weasinge gave an awkward smile. “Um… okay, I guess.”

Miltank returned with a glass full of innocuous white liquid. She set the drink before Weasinge who eyed the drink suspiciously. “What’s this?”

“That’s a special drink I’m just about ready to release to the public; the only thing it lacks is a good name and some last-minute testing. Anyway, this will make you a balloon all the way through without inflating you at all. That way you’re still squeaky and rubbery, but you still have a full range of motion!”

Weasinge looked to Zoroark, who explained, “I figure you’d want a sort-of gradual experience—you know, start off just being a balloon then inflate later if you want to. If you don’t, that’s fine; I’m your toy for a reason.”

Weasinge pawed the drink and sniffed it, smelling a surprisingly enticing combination of milk, latex, and what seemed like vanilla. “How long does it last? Can I still pop?” he asked, still nervous.

Miltank gave a warm smile, “Oh, don’t worry about that! It’ll last until you leave the park or you can come back at any time and I’ll give you a drink to turn you back to normal. And, well, you can pop, but it will be much harder to because you won’t be that tightly stretched.”

“Hey, while you’re at it, why not give him some Moo ‘Loon Milk on me?”

“You sure? I can pay for it; I brought berries…”

“Naw, don’t worry! I already offered you a free sample,” Miltank insisted, already pouring Weasinge a bottle of the creamy drink. Now with two drinks before him and two friends offering so much for him, Weasinge couldn’t put it off any longer.

He started with the Milk, holding the clear bottle between his paws and tilting back, gulping down the drink all at once. The cold liquid ran down his throat and sat heavily in his belly, feeling peculiar in a way he could not describe. Taking a deep breath, Weasinge turned to the second cup and looked back to Miltank and the Zoroark floating above him. They both gave a supporting smile.

“How’s it taste?” Zoroark questioned.

“It tastes great, like a milkshake. But… it does feel funny in my stomach.”

“Oh, yeah, once you become a Pokéloon the drink will incorporate itself into your latex to make you thicker and stretchier.

Weasinge downed the contents of the second cup, a shiver running through his body just before his body felt incredibly… empty. Weasinge recognized this feeling, growing somewhat panicked as he recalled the all-too familiar sensation of latex climbing up his tail, turning fur and flesh and even his ruby into rubber as his eyes became little more than splashes of paint… although they remained fully functional. He felt lighter and somewhat stiff, yet he still stood on four paws without a hint of a bulge. He looked over himself, noticing the shine reflecting off his limbs and body and hearing loud squeaks as he checked his range of motion, moving each of his limbs in turn and smiling as he was assured he retained his ability to walk and move as before.

“How is it?” Zoroark asked.

“Not bad, actually,” he admitted. “I feel much lighter,” he said as he bounced on his paws, rising up into the air before slowly falling back down. It was amazing how much better he felt about being a balloon now that he maintained control of himself. Although, Zoroark seemed to love being tugged around by Weasinge; maybe he just had a bad first encounter with the whole idea of inflation? But… no. He still didn’t want to blow up.

“I’m so glad you like it, dear!” Miltank exclaimed. “Before you leave the Area, would you mind coming back? I’d like to know if there’s anything that needs improvement.”

“I’ll do that,” Weasinge promised.

“Are you just gonna stand there or can we go inflate me?” Zoroark insisted.

Weasinge was surprised by his impatience. “Well, where would we do that?”

“Anywhere! If you look around, you’ll see some air fountains all over the place. Just hook me up to one of ‘em. Simple as that!”

Weasinge nodded and set out to explore the Area, seeing Pokémon inflate themselves and each other. Occasionally a loud burst rang through the air, but like thunder during a storm, Weasinge had grown accustomed to it. He managed to get away from the general congregation, finding himself alone with Zoroark. Sure enough, he came across shiny chrome machine styled like a water fountain, but a nozzle attached to a hose snaked out from the where the spigot would be.

“Fantastic!” Zoroark exclaimed with a wide smile. He looked down to his rubbery owner. “Okay, my valve is on the end of my mane; push the hose in there.” Weasinge nodded and pulled Zoroark down to rest belly-up, pinning him down the ring which sank slightly into the taut rubber of his mane. The rest of him rose slightly in the air as Weasinge pushed the nozzle into the valve on the tip of the mane and turned the dial on the side of the fountain. A soft hissing emitted from the black rubber of his friend as Zoroark lovingly rubbed his squeaking, growing belly.

“Just tell me when to stop,” Weasinge spoke.

“Heh… I’m not sure I want you to,” Zoroark replied blissfully. When before Zoroark had been a ball five feet wide, now he stretched at least twice as big. Weasinge fell over on his own balloony mane as Zoroark swelled larger and larger, much faster than he would have expected from the size of the hose. The shadow that his friend cast became more of a black filter as more light made its way through his thinning latex. Weasinge noticed as Zoroark inflated larger than the buildings around him that he was grimacing, straining to hold in the massive amount of air pushing mercilessly outwards in his taut, fragile body. Weasinge squeakily hurried back to the fountain and shut it off. Pokémon here and there stopped and marveled at the size of the Pokéloon, but they continued on their way, having seen it many times before.

“Hey,” Zoroark complained, “Why’d you stop?”

“It didn’t look like you could hold much more,” Weasinge replied. “I didn’t want you to pop.”

“Well, I did! Didn’t I say that before?”

“I meant, I didn’t want you to pop yet,” he said with a grin. “You wanted it to be a surprise, right?”

“Ohh… oh, I see how it is. The tension is palpable… no, seriously, I feel really, really, tight. Popping is gonna feel sooo good!”

Weasinge climbed up onto Zoroark’s massive balloon of a mane, noticing how his balloony paws did not indent at all in the taut, translucent latex. He retrieved his Pokéball ring and hopped off, watching in fascination as Zoroark very slowly rose into the air, pulling tight on the string tied to his valve..

“Turn the air back on, did ya?” the enormous Pokéloon commented.

“What? No…”

“Yes, you did! I can feel myself growing bigger! Man, I’ve never gotten this big before! That Moo ‘Loon Milk does wonders!”

“I swear I didn’t turn the air back on…” Weasinge felt his body swell slightly as he gasped. “The sun! It’s making the air inside you expand like a hot-air balloon!” Weasinge felt the ring on his paw rise of its own accord. “Also… hot air rises…” The two were pulled into the warm, summer air, rising above the buildings and still higher as Zoroark expanded from the heat.

“Oh, man, I’ve never been this high before; no one’s ever let me go!” he commented, his once black latex now a light grey.

“No, I didn’t let you go; I’m still here!”

“Really? …Oh, yeah, you’re a balloon, too! So… wanna watch me go?”

“Um… not really!” Weasinge said hysterically. “But I can’t exactly just let go!”

“Yes you can. Remember, you’re just a balloon—” with a sound like thunder, Zoroark was ripped apart as air finally escaped his body, causing hundreds of black and red shards to flutter to the ground. With a yelp, Weasinge let go of the ring and tumbled through the air as every slight breeze pushed around his empty body. True to Zoroark’s word, he gently landed on to the concrete without a scratch (never mind what a scratch would have done to his fragile skin). He picked up the ring and looked around to find a deflated, fully intact Zoroark balloon on the ground just a few yards away from him. He quickly bounced over to the flat pile of latex to find a little fluffy Eevee toting a big, yellow Ampharos balloon and looking down at the black rubber.

“Aww, he popped,” Eevee said. Upon noticing Weasinge, she smiled warmly and said, “Hello! Is he your Pokéloon?”

“Yeah. Hang on, I need to reinflate him.” Weasinge clarified. He gathered the large balloon in his paws, threw it over his squeaky back and made his way back to the air fountain. Eevee pulled her Pokéloon behind her.

“Hey, I remember you!” Ampharos spoke. “You’re the, uh, um…”

“Weasinge. How’s Eevee treated you?” With a start Weasinge realized how comfortably he spoke with them. He was starting to really like it here…

“Weasinge, right. Anyway, Eevee’s been the sweetest owner I’ve ever had. So polite and kind, and she hasn’t popped me, either. I’m really enjoying being her toy.”

Zoroark quickly took shape as Weasinge turned on the fountain. Within moments the awakened Pokéloon rubbed his swelling belly, prompting Weasinge to turn off the hose.

“What, you tired of pulling me around?” Zoroark complained.

“Well, I might have lost your string when you popped.”

“Oh, right… well, I guess we should head back to get me reinflated with helium and whatnot.”

The two set off back to the entrance with Eevee following close behind. Weasinge looked back and questioned, “Why are you following us?”

“You’re balloons… but you’re not all puffed up. What gives?”

“It’s an experiment Miltank’s working on. You’ll find out soon enough,” Zoroark preempted.

“Oh… okay. Cool! Hey, do you want to play together?”

“Let me get blown up first,” Zoroark spoke over their squeaking.

“Sure! I can wait,” Eevee demonstrated by sitting on her haunches as Ampharos waved in a gentle breeze.

“Thanks much!” Zoroark replied, quickly bounding back to the stall.

Buizel waved as Zoroark approached. “Was that you who popped above the Area?” he asked, looking over Zoroark’s much slimmer form… except for his huge belly.

“That was me, alright! Did you know that hot air rises?” Zoroark grinned as he absent-mindedly drummed his tummy.

“Can I be your toy?” Weasinge blurted out. Out of the three, Weasinge was the most surprised at his outburst.

“Is this really the same Pokémon I saw cowering behind a vending machine?” Buizel laughed.

“You serious? You want to submit yourself to my whims?” Zoroark confirmed.

After thinking about it for a moment, he realized how much fun it looked to be blown up like Zoroark was. “Y-yes, please. What do I do?”

Buizel had already gotten out his green helium tank. “Well, considering you’re already a balloon, all you need is some helium. Where’s your valve?”

Weasinge blinked and looked over himself again. He forgot he had a valve. “It’s on his tail,” Zoroark clarified. Weasinge turned his tail to Buizel who wasted no time in inserting the nozzle. Weasinge heard hissing emanating everywhere within himself, a soft noise that grew deeper as his body swelled larger. His limbs were pushed apart as his belly swelled beneath him; he felt his latex skin stretch farther and farther to accommodate the helium being forced into him. Buizel tied a string to his valve as he rose in the air, tethering him to the familiar Pokéball ring. He shut off the gas as Weasinge approached four feet across; Weasinge felt almost disappointed at how small he was.

He looked to Buizel, who responded, “This is your first time, right? Best to take it slow. Besides, Zoroark can always blow you up larger.” Zoroark retrieved his own bag from a pile behind the stall, slipped it over his shoulder, and removed the ten berry fee, exchanging it for Weasinge’s ring. “Have fun, you two!”

Weasinge became very aware of all the currents pushing him around even as Zoroark pulled him forward. He watched from a bird’s-eye view as they met up with Eevee, Ampharos colliding with Weasinge to elicit a dull thud. Eevee craned her fluffy neck to look up at the red and white Pokéloon.

“Weasinge? You switched places?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Zoroark confirmed, rubbing his large, squeaky belly with his free paw. “So what’d you want to do?”

“Oh, hmm… Well, I was thinking we could compete to see who could puff up their Pokéloon bigger in a minute or so… but you’re so much bigger than me! And you have that big belly, too!”

“No problem!” Zoroark replied. “We’ll just both inflate ourselves to the same size and blow it all out as fast as we can!”

Eevee’s countenance immediately brightened. “Sounds good! Um… two cans of Party Balloon Punch each?”

Zoroark exhaled the contents of his belly, returning to a slim albeit still latex form. “Deal. Let’s go.”

Weasinge felt the string on his tail yank taut as Zoroark set off on a brisk pace to the nearest vending machine. He watched Zoroark reach into his bag with a free hand to pull out four berries that he quickly pushed into the machine. He pressed the first of the three buttons four times, causing four pink aluminum cans to drop into the bottom of the machine. Eevee had two cans thrust into her paws as she approached.

Zoroark’s rubbery, hollow claws squeaked in vain as he tried to pry open the can. “Hey, Eevee, a little help here?” he requested.

Eevee giggled. “You can’t open it?”

“Nope! My claws are too soft and squishy. Can you open it for me?”

Eevee complied, holding each can between her front paws as she opened the four with her teeth. She sneezed from the carbonation and took a deep breath.

“You ready?” she checked.

“Wait; how are you going to reach his valve?” Zoroark realized. “You’ll be too big to move!”

“Two cans should puff me up big enough to reach him,” she replied. “And if not, you could still help get him, right?”

“True… Okay, let’s do it!” They shared a nod before returning to their cans. Weasinge could not help but get nervous as the two downed the cans as fast as possible, the hiss of thousands of bubbles doubled between them to nearly drown out all the sounds around him. Their bellies grew, turning Eevee into latex as her belly pushed her into the air as it inflated. Zoroark rubbed his belly as it grew bigger. He closed his eyes and relaxed as the hissing reached a fever pitch, swelling his stomach until he had to bend backward to keep it off the ground. Soon all that air will be inside me, Weasinge realized. Finally the hissing subsided. Eevee’s prediction came true as she held Ampharos’s valve between two puffy paws, perfectly situated to blow up her balloon. Zoroark jumped, deftly grabbing Weasinge’s tail as Zoroark descended.
“Weasinge, will you start us off?” Zoroark asked, producing a series of squeaks as he situated himself for the match.

“Got it,” Weasinge replied shakily. “Three… two… one… go!”

He winced as Zoroark exhaled so quickly into his ballooned body, quickly expanding him much faster than the helium tank at Buizel’s stand. Looking over, he saw Ampharos similarly surprised at Eevee’s speed as he quickly surpassed six feet wide. Still Zoroark continued to puff, the air that couldn’t fit in his belly swelling his limbs and tail, keeping him somewhat in proportion. A creaking noise emitted from all around him as he grew tight.

“Um… Zoroark?” Weasinge turned his squeaking head to see his owner’s painted eyes squeezed shut as he strained to inflate Weasinge as fast as possible. The tight feeling of his latex skin soon became uncomfortable, even painful as he swelled larger than most legendaries. It was apparent that he didn’t need to turn very far to see Zoroark: he could easily see through his own red latex skin.

He was reaching his limit. “Zoroark?!” he said louder. Still his owner insisted on emptying his still-huge belly. Weasinge wouldn’t be able to take it. “Zoroark! Stop! I’m going to burst!”
Zoroark opened his eyes and stopped puffing. Weasinge nearly fainted in relief. “Oh, really?” he asked. “Sorry! I was so intent on winning I kind of forgot you’re a newcomer…”

“It’s fine,” Weasinge replied, somewhat traumatized. “Can you deflate me a little?”

“Of course,” Zoroark replied, holding his nozzle between two claws as air rushed out. He closed it before mentioning, “You know you could exhale it out, right? I mean, I’m a Pokéloon but I could still inflate you.”

Weasinge sighed. “Really? Ugh, I’m stupid…”

“Naw, don’t worry. Well, looks like Eevee won this round.”

Speaking of Eevee, she emptied the last of her belly, causing her latex to ripple as it became fur again. Gasping from the exertion, she looked to Zoroark. “What… you quit…? Why?”

“Didn’t want to pop Weasinge, is all. It’s alright; you won.”

Eevee smiled, her breathing becoming regular once more. “Wanna try again? It’s not very fair to lose like that.”

Zoroark turned to his Pokéloon. “What do you say? Would you like to play again?”

Weasinge frowned and looked away. “If it’s all the same to you,” he spoke carefully, “I’d rather not.”
Zoroark grinned. “Technically, it’s not proper toy etiquette to refuse your owner. But I don’t mind… I’ll just switch places with you!” He slipped his forepaw through Weasinge’s ring, letting it slide down his latex arm. After exhaling the rest of the gas from the sodas, he wrapped his muzzle around Weasinge’s valve once more. But instead of exhaling, he inhaled. Weasinge’s eyes widened as he felt himself deflate, the latex in his torso and arms creaking as they shrunk and shifted against each other. It was quite a peculiar sensation, one he couldn’t recall experiencing in all his time with Vulpix. Zoroark’s hunger for helium was not quenched until he had inhaled all of Weasinge’s extra gas, leaving Zoroark awkwardly holding the heavy ring with one paw as the rest of him yearned for the sky. He closed Weasinge’s valve and dropped him.

Despite no longer floating, Weasinge still felt like he weighed almost nothing. Indeed, it took him several seconds to fall those few feet to the ground; apparently he still had some helium left in him. A gentle breeze blew by, immediately lifting Weasinge into the air. The Pokéloon yelped as the wind tossed him around, never giving him a respite to return to the ground.

“Weasinge!” Zoroark shouted in dismay, unable to help due to his own inflation.

Helpless, Weasinge flew away from his friends and through the park, tumbling end over end as the wind pushed his weightless body around. He panted in fear, his body swelling and deflating with each breath.

Then a furry body pounced on him, tackling him to the ground under its weight. Weasinge turned his head to see Eevee looking down at him with a haphazard smile. “Remind me why you’re still a balloon?”

***

Weasinge donned his blue uniform, looking over his long, furry body in the mirror. Satisfied, he fit his identically blue cap between his rounded ears and stepped out of the changing room. Buizel smiled, “Is this the same Pokémon I saw cowering behind the vending machine?”

Weasinge grinned. “The one and only!”

“Good, I requested him specifically.” Buizel laughed at his own joke and Weasinge joined in. Giving his new assistant a friendly pat on the back, he waved for Weasinge follow him back to his stall. Given his stall’s popularity, Buizel was glad to have some more staff for all the Pokéloons coming and going. Weasinge shook his head, inwardly astounded how confident and brave he had become in just two days here, eventually deciding to stay for a while and help out. He remembered the poster that had led him to this magical place. Now, he decided, it’ll be fun to play with balloons and be played with. Looking at the stall and the long lines of Pokémon waiting to either rent or become a Pokéloon, he added, Not to mention selling them and inflating them and managing them and advertising them and…