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Inflatable fun in a balloonie park!

Hoo, boy. This was a long time coming. I've mentioned in my plans that I wanted to do a big story with Screens and Lilith. Well, here we are, with the first part. Was not expecting this to be a multi-part one, but this first part was already six pages. Now that I'm done with school and still looking for work, I have a bit more time to do some writing. I'll try to get the rest of this done soon, but it's looking like it'll be a total of three parts. So please just be patient, and thanks for reading.

Balloon Area idea courtesy of  Balloondra
Pokémon © Nintendo

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The sun shone brightly over the crystal blue lake. A massive Wailord floated gently above the water, heading towards a large, lone island in the center. Atop the Wailord were numerous other Pokemon, all seated on the benches strapped on to the balloon whale’s back. The large Pokemon was a ferry, serving as the method of transportation to the Balloon Area, a large, wonderous theme park residing in the center of the lake.

All the passengers seemed to be in high spirits, many groups laughing amongst themselves. A Meowstic named Screens sat on one of the benches impatiently, a wide smile on his beaming face. Next to him sat a surly-looking Delphox, a slight scowl on your face.

“I still can’t believe you got that lucky.” Lilith glared at her brother. He had entered a raffle to win two free season passes to the Balloon Area. She had promised that she would go with him if he won, simply shrugging it off without a second thought. Much to both of their surprise, and the Delphox’s dismay, he received a letter the next day stating he won, with two free tickets to the park. Screens had given her a smug smile, knowing she wouldn’t go back on her promise. The day after, they made for the lake first thing in the morning and were now sitting on the back of the Wailord Ferry among many others.

“Don’t be such a downer!” Screens gave her an excited smile, his eagerness unabashed by her sour mood. “This is going to be great!”

“Yeah, whatever. Did we have to go so early? These passes are good for the rest of the year.” Lilith yawned.

“Yes! This place is huge, and I want to do everything!” The two sat in silence, listening to the gentle splashing of the Wailord moving through the lake. Screen’s excitement could not be contained as the Wailord ferry arrived at the dock and sprayed a heft amount of water upwards, signaling their arrival and their need to disembark. Colorful balloons of all shapes and sizes lined the entrance gate to the park. Screens’ smile could not have been any wider, though Lilith’s mood had not improved.

And many those balloons were other Pokemon, a glossy sheen on their latex ballooned bodies. That was one of the major features of the park; all the attractions were related to balloons and toys in some way, with those balloons and toys being the park guests. There were many strange magics to allow the Pokemon to blimp up, all for harmless entertainment.

“Welcome to the Balloon Area!” A Goodra, skin shiny as latex, waved as the large group descended from the ferry. Lilith followed closely behind Screens as they made their way into the vast entrance.

“What should we do first!?” Screens yelled at his sister over the roar of the crowd.

“Do whatever you want. I just need to calm down for a bit.” Lilith sighed. Being surrounded by so many balloons made her uncomfortably excited, though she’d never let him know it. “If you need anything, mental link me.” The psychic siblings could communicate telepathically, regardless of distance. The hyper Meowstic ran off in a haste to nowhere in particular while she sat down on a nearby bench, trying to gather her thoughts. Lilith pulled her branch out of her bushy tail, the trick she and most other Delphox learn as a Braixen. With a quick flick of her wrist, a small flame ignited at the end of it. Exhaling deeply, she focused her gaze on the flame she held in front of herself, practicing her meditation technique.

Passing the main plaza of the park, Screens was giddy with excitement. So many bright colors, so many Pokemon balloons. Everywhere he looked, he saw something new, something squeaky, something he wanted to do. Loud, high-pitched laughter caught his attention from above and he quickly found the source; Pokemon balloons attached to strings by a sign called Buizel’s Balloon Rental. His small legs carried him towards it quickly, thankfully with no line to speak of.

“Hey there, boy!” The cheery toy Buizel with a big painted-on smile spoke as he approached. “Are you interested in renting one of our fine balloons? Only ten berries.” He gestured to the many round Pokemon floating above stand.

“What do you mean, renting?” Screens asked with his same goofy smile. “What are they for?”

“They’re for whatever you want! You rent them out and you can use them in a lot of attractions and they can act like a guide to the park for you. Or maybe… you’d rather be a volunteer?”

“Volunteer? Wait, you mean…!” Screens’ ears perked up and bright yellow eyes widened.

“Exactly! All of our fine blimps here are volunteers! You can be one of our balloon guides too!”

“YES! I want to volunteer!” Screens waved his arm excitedly as if trying to get a teacher’s attention.

“That’s the enthusiasm we like to see here! But…” the toy Buizel looked down at the short Meowstic, his rubbery body squeaking as he rubbed his chin. “Gotta take one step first before we can blimp ya.” He reached behind the counter and emerged carrying a spray can. “Need to make you nice and inflatable first!” Screens nodded wildly as the Buizel sprayed the strange mist. It first contacted his head, giving off a cooling sensation. Screens’ smile and face started to feel tighter. Though he couldn’t see it, his head had now taken on a glossy, latex-like sheen. The Buizel sprayed the rest of the Meowstic’s small body with the can, the same cool feeling applying everywhere. His body had taken on the same smooth, rubbery texture as his head almost instantly. With a quick puff of air from the Buizel, the excess spray blew from Screens’ now squeaky body. “So, what do you think?” He held up a mirror to the small psychic Pokemon.

Screens stared at the mirror in delight. The face staring back at him was his own, but now had the silky smooth and shiny appearance of rubber. His small stubby paw rubbed against it, a loud squeak emanating. Bushy twin tails wagged behind him, with more loud creaking and squeaking as the rubber rubbed against each other. The Meowstic was now fully an inflatable, sporting a squeaky and shiny body, as well as valves on both his belly and the tips of his tails. “This is so COOL!” Screens practically yelled as he turned to get a better look at his balloon tails behind him.

“Glad to see another happy volunteer! But we need you to be bigger and floatier first!” Buizel pulled out a large tank of helium from behind the desk, only causing Screens’ smile to grow wider. He almost greedily took the nozzle from the squeaky Pokemon and stuffed it in his mouth, knowing exactly what would come next. As expected, the air from the tank flowed quickly into the inflatable Meowstic’s body, his blue belly starting to bulge outwards. Squeaks could be heard as his rubbery skin stretched to accommodate the air flow. He giggled loudly as he pressed against his four-inch large gut, feeling it grow and press against his arms. The hose continued to hiss as his belly rapidly doubled in size, much to his surprise and delight. It pressed against the floor and he was certain it was even larger than he was. A strange tightness started to form in his chest as it began to puff outwards as well, rounding out to catch up with his bloated belly. The squeaky Meowstic’s back started to stretch, slowly starting to round his body out. Even his tails, which had been large before, were swelling outwards even larger. The helium was starting to take effect as his no-longer little body began to float upwards and continued to swell. Buizel pulled him down and tied a string to Screens’ stubby arm. As he floated upwards to join the other volunteer balloons, he giggled in delight at his massive size, nearly a 2-foot round blue balloon. His rubbery hide squeaked against all the other inflated Pokemon, waiting for someone to want a giant balloonie friend for the day.

Back in the plaza, Lilith continued to sit on the bench in a deep meditative state, staring motionless at the flame at the tip of her branch. Some stared for a moment, thinking her to be some kind of street performer, while most others just walked on by. The same large inflatable Goodra who had greeted the guests at the park took notice and walked over to her and cleared his throat. She seemed to not notice. “Hi there!” He spoke in a jolly tone. The flame grew larger for a moment before sputtering out as she broke from her meditative.
“What?” She spoke with a harsh tone.

“Oh, I’m sorry, miss! I just noticed you’ve been sitting there for a while and wanted to see if everything was all right!” The squeaky dragon balloonie gave her a friendly, dopey smile.

“I didn’t get to do my morning routine, so I needed to meditate now.” Lilith scoffed. “Is there any place I can get some coffee? I’ll feel a lot better with that.”

“Of course! Come with me and we’ll head over to the Milk Bar!” The Goodra grabbed the surly Delphox’s arm and pulled her off the bench, to her displeasure. It came as a surprise that instead of the usual slimy skin Goodra had his hand was instead smooth and rubbery. Miltank’s Milk Bar was a quaint little stand on one of the smaller plazas in the park, alongside some other eateries. Bar stools lined the counter and a few tables dotted the plaza, full of various Pokemon. As they arrived, he let go of Lilith’s arm. She instinctively wiped her arm off like previous encounters with his kind to get any excess slime off, yet her brow furrowed when her hand came up dry.

“Aren’t Goodra supposed to be covered in some kind of slime? Do you need water or something?” She asked the Pokemon who escorted her here.

“What? Oh, no! Our skin is usually slimy, but not me here!” He gave the same dopey smile and jolly tone that only confused the Delphox further.

“Whatever I guess.” The two of them sat down at the counter, with Miltank quickly walking over. She wore a white apron with ‘Free Hugs!’ written on it, and much like the Goodra and many other park patrons, her skin was shiny and reflective.

“What can I get for y’all today?” she asked.

“Two coffees, please!” Goodra called out politely.

“Comin’ right up!” She replied cheerfully and turned away.

“How many berries do I owe you?” Lilith asked the Goodra as she reached into the small pouch she carried underneath the scarf wrapped around her wrist.

“It’s my treat! We here like to make sure our guests are happy!”

“Kind of you. Thanks.”

Miltank came back shortly with two mugs and a small tray with cream and sugar. “Here you are, darlin’. Let me know if y’all want anything else.” Lilith poured a bit of the cream and a small spoonful of sugar into her cup and took a sip, as did the Goodra next to her.

“So, whadya think?” Goodra asked cheerfully as he put his mug down and watched her excitedly.

“It’s thicker and creamier than what I usually drink, but it’s good.” Lilith took another sip, unaware of what the drink was doing to her body. The fur on her belly slowly started to mat down, become much smoother and more lustrous, almost reflective like rubber. Slowly, the shiny patch of fur spread as she drank more of the coffee. She felt a tingle in her body as it changed, but she shrugged it off.

Goodra however, knew exactly what was happening. The shine spread down her legs and up her chest as Lilith’s skin and body were slowly being turned into rubber. It took all his willpower to not laugh and squeeze her tail as it too turned into latex, its size already making it look like a yellow balloon with cute red stripes. Lilith remained yet unaware of her transformation into a balloonie even as her head was entirely turned into latex, taking on the same rubbery sheen as the rest of her body and of so many park goers around her.

“Thank you for the coffee.” As Lilith placed her cup back down on the counter, she heard the strangest sound from her arm; a soft squeak, like two pieces of latex rubbing against each other. “What the—” She looked at her arm in shock. Instead of the usual red fur, her arm appeared to be made of rubber. Even the choice scarf she always wore around her wrist had changed, appearing much more like a balloon tied around it rather than the simple cloth she cherished. She felt a strange pinch on her belly and tip of her tail. Inspecting those found small plastic valves, shut tight.

“Wait, balloon…” Lilith muttered as she grabbed her arm and squeezed. It fully decompressed and her forearm puffed outwards from the forced movement of the air. She let go and sure enough, her arm went back to its puffed form. She turned with a blank look on her rubber face towards the Goodra. “What did you do to me.” Her voice was calm, only making the Goodra more nervous.

“Um, well, one of the best parts of being in the balloon area is well, being a balloon! Ha ha…” Goodra laughed nervously. “So, I figured the reason you were in a bad mood was because you weren’t part of the squeaky fun yet.” Lilith shut her eyes as she listened. “Um, is everything all right?”

“I’m just picturing how hot of a flame I would need to turn you into a puddle.” Her voice remained calm, eyes shut tight, but words dripping with disgust.

“Gee, I’m so sorry! I thought you’d like this! But please, this is a happy place; we c-can’t have violence!” Goodra was visibly terrified. Lilith was about to reply with something snarky, but a familiar voice in her head stopped her.

Lilith? Come to the main plaza! You’ve got to see this!

She recognized the voice as Screens communicating telepathically. He sounded like he was enjoying himself.

“Thank you for the coffee.” Lilith bowed gently to the Miltank and Goodra. “But I must be off.” The balloonie Delphox turned and walked away without another word, leaving both the confused Miltank and frightened Goodra living balloons behind. With every step she took, there was a faint squeak of rubber squeezing together from her legs. At first, she found it annoying, but quickly came to not even notice.

Screens? Where are you? She called out telepathically to her brother as she made her way to the plaza.

Buizel’s Balloon Rental! Come quick! The signs lead the impatient Delphox directly to the stand, still being manned by the sole Buizel.

“Hello there, miss! Are you interested in renting a balloon guide? Or maybe you want to volunteer to be one yourself!”

“No thank you. I’m looking for my brother, maybe you’ve seen him? Meowstic with yellow and red eyes?” She shrugged off Buizel’s strange question

“LILITH! UP HERE!” A loud voice she immediately recognized cried out overhead.

“Don’t tell me…” She pinched her eyes shut and turned her head skywards, already knowing what happened. “Don’t tell me you volunteered.” Sure enough, almost directly above her bobbed a two-foot large blue balloon with two big, bushy tails.

“Yup!” The balloonie Meowstic replied excitedly as he floated above her. “It’s so cool being an actual balloon like this!”

Lilith just let out a tired sigh. “You’re an adult, but still such a child. What if you pop?
“Don’t worry ‘bout that.” Buizel mentioned casually. “Hey!” He called out to the numerous Pokeloons above. “Anyone want to put on a bit of a show?” A large, round Dragonair balloon was the first to volunteer. Slowly she was dragged down until Buizel could get a hold of her. And in one swift motion, he stuck a large pin into her taut body.

BANG! And like any other balloon, she blew apart, much to the delight and laughter of most the nearby park guests. A flurry of blue and white scraps of her rubbery hide floated down. Lilith looked on in horror, first at the scraps, then at the Buizel balloonie with a smug look on his face. “Calm down, just watch the scraps.” The Delphox almost reached for her branch to fight, but her eyes were drawn to the scraps on the ground. They started to move and clump together, forming into a large pile. In a quick flash of light, the Dragonair was back to herself, a long blue rubbery serpent. She giggled and took a quick bow as Buizel moved to fill her up again with helium. “Ta-da. See, no problem with popping. So, wanna balloonie guide? Only ten berries.”

“If you don’t want that one, I’ll take him!” An Umbreon walked up behind her and pointed to the Meowstic. Lilith turned and gave him a glare that even a Ghost-type would fear. “On second thought, I’ll take that Quilava.” The Umbreon gave a nervous laugh and paid the stand owner, who attached the Fire-type balloon to a metal ring shaped like a Pokeball and handed it off.

“Fine, I’ll take the Meowstic, the damn troublemaker.” Lilith pulled the berries out of her satchel. Like with the Quilava, Buizel attached the string that Screens was tied to onto a metal ring and handed it off the Delphox.

“Thanks for using Buizel’s Balloon Rental and hope you enjoy the rest of the park!” He gave the pair a quick wave as the left the stand. She walked amidst the crowds, full of balloonie Pokemon all laughing and enjoying themselves. Even Screens seemed to be having the time of his life, constantly pestering his balloonie sister to figure out where they should go.

Lilith’s body felt so light and soft, the sun reflecting off her rubbery hide. She was almost embarrassed to admit that she liked the feeling of. For the first time that day, she smiled. “Maybe I can enjoy myself here.”