Music filled the chilly autumn air on Halloween night, the faux-spooky tunes perfect for the party going down at Lutro’s quaint little home. The buizel’s den was fairly spacious, but not nearly enough to host a party, and thus designating the grassy open space to be the party place to be. Jack-o’lanterns featuring various crudely-drawn pokémon dotted the perimeter, with many more candles sitting atop tables burdened with various tasty candies, party snacks, and punch. Music to dance to pounded out from the den, loud enough for the party patrons to hear and, if brave enough, dance to. Party games were strewn about the lit-up area to be enjoyed by all at their leisure. Over half a dozen pokémon were in attendance and enjoying Halloween night costume-free, there to have fun with friends, enjoy some food, and generally have a good time. The party had been on for the better part of an hour, and the mood was delightfully spooky.

A certain furret with a blue collar adorned about his neck, however, was still trying to find a way to get into the festivities and have some fun. Dio had arrived after everyone else, and the shy pokémon had spent 10 minutes just working up the nerve to tell Lutro that he’d arrived. When he finally did, Lutro had greeted him with a beartic-style hug and proclaimed his arrival to the masses. Dio still recalled how much his cheeks burned, being the center of attention however briefly, and immediately scuttled away to down some punch. Dio’d managed to avoid most other contact as the party flowed all about him, standing alone by a glittering pumpkin featuring an off-model pikachu face. He was growing tired of just standing there nursing that same glass of punch anyway. Dio downed the rest in one swallow, tossed the cup aside, and went forth to try and mingle.

A sudden splash made Dio flinch. One of his ears flicked, and he found himself moving cautiously to large wooden tub filled to the brim and dribbling some water out. He saw three tails wriggling in the air as two pokémon kicked their hinds playfully. Lutro came out first, head dripping, looking disappointed at coming out empty-pawed. Immediately after, a totodile with green tail stripes emerged, looking victorious with not one, but two berries stuck in his powerful jaws. “Aw, I almost had it!” the buizel bemoaned with a giggle, “and you got two! Nice, Guzzle!” The proud totodile munched away at his double prize, juice getting everywhere. Dio put a paw to the rim and peeked into the tub, seeing berries of all varieties floating about in the water.

“Hey Dio!” The furret jerked again, tail stuck up straight. Lutro was beaming at him, even as Dio held paws together shyly and relaxed his tail. “Wanna give this game a go? See how many berries you can snag with your mouth! It’s harder than it looks!”

“As if,” Guzzle chirped after swallowing, licking his chops. “Easiest game I’ve ever played.” He blinked and smiled to Dio. “You in?”

“Uh… S-sure,” Dio answered softly. The furret reared up and towered over the tub, staring down into the clear water as the two water types leaned over the rim once more. Dio was the tallest pokémon in attendance. Maybe he’d have an edge?

Lutro counted them down. “Three… Two… One… Go!” Two heads plunged into the depths instantly. Dio hesitated, scratching behind an ears, watching the other two go after the slippery berries. The furret planted both forepaws on the rim, took a deep breath, clenched his eyes shut, and slowly arched his head downward into the water. The cold fluid washed over his features and made him blow out his held breath instantly, bubbles going everywhere. He frantically chomped and snapped in random directions, blindly biting for a berry. His jaws missed the mark by a mile every time, and he only just realized how badly he needed to take a breath when the rush of cold water finally passed and his lungs burned.

Dio flung his head out and gasped, gulping down deep breaths. Icy water drew shivers from him as it ran down his body. The other two were still under, tails in the air and hinds kicking playfully once more. The furret blushed despite himself and rubbed his arms to warm up. “Maybe I’ll… t-try something else,” he mumbled, shyly scooting away from the water tub and leaving Lutro and Guzzle to the game. The furret poked his paws together as he walked, looking to the ground and regretting not at least waiting for the others to finish or to tell him he was excusing himself.

Lost in thought, Dio almost bumped right into a gyrating set of hips and a whole lot of tails that swerved into his path. He looked up and stopped himself just before running into that big rump. “Gah!” he yelped, stumbling back as a dancing ninetales had nearly backed into him. The fire type peeked over his shoulder at the exclamation, a long maroon scarf bundled comfortably around his neck. Dio noted purple friendly eyes staring him down.

“Whoa there! Almost got you!” he laughed with a flick of his many tails. “Name’s Spice. And you are?” Dio’s head bobbed up and down, trying to keep his eyes on Spice as the ninetales never stopped bobbing to the tune thumping from the den.

“D... D-Dio,” the furret finally managed. “You uh… having fun?”

“You bet! I love this song!” Spice closed his eyes and rotated about in the grassy dance floor, swinging his hips back and forth to the tune. “Yo Roco, where’d you get off to?” Dio looked around, only to find an eevee with a black mane and a big smile dancing about much closer to the ground.

“Right behind you!” Roco chirped, shaking and bobbing similarly to the ninetales. Though Dio couldn’t help notice the eevee’s eyes were locked on Spice’s shaking rear end. Roco didn’t even notice Dio awkwardly watching the scene play out. “I uh, really like this song too!” the distracted eevee finally managed.

Spice chuckled, none the wiser to Roco’s staring, and flicked his head at Dio. “Wanna join us Dio? Plenty of spooky tunes to come I bet!” Spice fanned his tails out and flung them every which way, cutting loose without waiting for an answer. Dio blushed and just stood there with paws together. No, this wasn’t happening. The eevee and the ninetales danced the night away while the furret scurried off without answering.

Dio sighed as he tromped along. This wasn’t going well at all. The furret found himself wandering over to one of the tables, settling onto a bench and reaching into the candy bowl. His furry paw brushed across a scaly one, the furret flinching his paw out as if he’d been electrocuted. He peeked up at the salazzle paw that extracted a few chocolates, popping them into a grinning maw. The reptilian pokémon lay relaxed on the bench opposite Dio, chewing thoughtfully. “Hey.”

“Oh… Hi,” Dio squeaked, gingerly reaching into the bowl and extracting a single candy from it. He ate it, eyes darting this way and that, about anywhere but the salazzle. When Dio finally settled his gaze on the other pokémon, he got an odd look in return.

“What’s the matter with you?” The furret’s cheeks glowed.

“O-oh sorry! Nothing I’m fine. Just… I’m fine. My name’s Dio.”

“Saul,” the salazzle purred, claiming more candies for himself.

“I’m Sparky!” Dio nearly fell out of his seat, saved only by an instinctive curl of a tail around a table leg. A perky goggles-clad pikachu perched on the table itself inched forward and pawed into the candy with fervor, giggling at the tumble Dio nearly took. Saul laughed and watched Dio struggle back into his seat, the furret flushed red.

“Not much for parties, are you?” Saul asked, Sparky looking back and forth between the two, cheeks puffed out with tasty chocolates.

“Er, yeah… I-I mean it’s not a bad party or anything! I just…” Dio needed a moment. He grabbed a candy bar, unwrapped it, and shoved it all in his mouth. Saul chuckled and flicked his tailtip about visibly, rolling his eyes. Dio peeked down to the rodent. “H-hey again Sparky,” he mumbled through a mouthful of candy bar.

“Hi Dio! Nice party huh? Lutro always gets the best snacks.” That was all Sparky got out before shoveling more candy into his gob.

“Eh, it’s alright I guess. Kinda boring,” Saul offered, resting a cheek on a claw propped on the table as he nursed his own snack. “I mean, bobbing for berries? Cheesy Halloween music? Really? At least we didn’t have to have costumes.”

“Awe, c’mon Saul, it’s not that bad!” Sparky had finished his latest batch of candy and was lounging against the bowl now. “Everyone’s having a good time and Lutro worked hard getting all this set up.” Dio was quick to nod-nod, finally finishing his candy bar. Sparky’s ears perked and he pointed at the furret. “See, he thinks so too!” Saul simply rolled his eyes and went back to pokémon-watching.

“Yeah, it’s fun…” Dio agreed, picking himself off the bench and standing upright. “Listen, I’m gonna go for a… little walk, okay? I know Lutro had plans for a group activity later but if I’m not back tell him I will be alright?”

“A group activity?” Saul groaned.

“Sure thing Dio!” Sparky nodded, reaching into the bowl a third time and scooping out more. He offered one piece to the furret, who took it with a shy smile. “Be back soon though!”

“I’ll try,” Dio said, and, having properly excused himself for once, unseated himself and walked away without feeling too bad about himself. The furret meandered about the borders illustrated solely by the lights of the party before pressing outward into the darkness, leaving the party behind.

Dio’s paws and long tail began to crunch and swish noisily, as open grass morphed into less-luscious land coated with freshly-fallen leaves. Lutro’s home bordered a simple tranquil forest, and Dio found himself needing to get away from all the excitement that was the Halloween party. He looked over his shoulders every so often, still hearing the dull thumps from the music and seeing the brightly-lit outdoors, wanting to keep it in sight. It was dark, after all, and the furret didn’t want to end up getting lost. He pressed onward for a few more minutes, weaving between trees, eating the piece of candy Sparky had given him.

Despite his promise, Dio considered leaving for home, fighting that urge but dreading the return back to the party. His thoughts were interrupted only by a peculiar whine emanating from… somewhere. The furret’s ears quirked this way and that, when he heard the noise again. Dio looked every which way, squinting in the dim light the stars and moon provided, and eventually fell upon something that stood out from the rest of the forest’s flora: A bright pink flower twitched about in the breeze… There was a breeze? Dio certainly never felt it. A blood-red center stood out as well, drawing the furret nearer, with a thick green stem the only part blending in to the environment. “Awww… What a pretty flower.” Dio knew he was finding any excuse possible to not interact with others, finding himself removed from everyone else and putting his focus on a plant instead. But he indulged his desires just for a moment, settling down before it and leaning down to give it a big whiff.

The next instant Dio reeled back as the flower spat out a gob of something viscous and tingling, right in the center of the curious pokémon’s muzzle! “Gah!” Dio fell straight onto his back, wriggling his large noodly body about as he swiped at the goop on his face. He managed to get most of it off, sneezed a couple times, and rolled onto all fours. “What… What was that flower?” he mumbled, fighting off a third sneeze and eyes watery. The tingling sensation didn’t go away, he realized after a moment, though at least his vision cleared and the urge to sneeze was quelled. Although… The tingling sensation grew. Spread from his face to his whole head, down his body and to the tips of his paws and tail!

“Wh-what...” Dio mumbled, before his head flumped to the ground, leaving the furret unconscious just feet away from the spitting plant. His body convulsed and twitched, writhing all about on the ground. His breathing was loud and labored, eyes now clenched and the furret making all manner of odd grunts and groans! Dio’s fur grew out several inches, uncontrollably, as his body itself noisily grew. His paws, ears, tail, head… everything expanded to match, making the furret a foot taller and longer than before, and wider to boot. The collar that sat snug around his neck stretched and strained against its larger occupant, but the clasp managed to re-catch itself on the last possible loop, still fitting the larger pokémon.

A bubbly grumble sounded out from Dio’s stomach as his transformation completed, Dio running his tongue out across his lips. His senses sharpened, able to hear the music from the party, the conversations being held, and the smells of all the pokémon there.  Their mouth-watering, delectable scents that made Dio’s stomach growl again. He opened his eyes and out poured an eerie green glow from the pokémon’s irises. The pupils were dilated. The larger furrier Dio rolled onto all fours, mind focused on one simple desire: To eat. Licking his lips again with a thicker tongue and sharper teeth, the changed furret lumbered back towards the light, where the party was being hosted and a half dozen tasty pokémon were waiting to become his dinner.

Minutes after the changed furret had thudded away, an unaware pokémon skittered along the ground to where the pink flower rested. The joltik’s tiny legs motored along as rushed along, before coming to a halt and looking around. “Hope I’m not too late for the party!” Pica breathed, seeing the lights above the taller blades of grass. “Good, I’m close. Lutro’ll be upset if no-one else from the guild shows up! He’ll be happy to see… Ooh, what a pretty flower!” Pica leaned up and closed his eyes to take a whiff of the slightly-sagging plant. The petals suddenly spread wide and lunged down over the bug, Pica letting out a surprised squeak as he found his head and body shoved down the blood-red center of the plant that squelched open in an instant.

CHOMP! Slrch, slup, glk, gulp, ulp… “Mmph!”... GLCK! The joltik was devoured in seconds, bulging out the thick green stem with his squirming, protesting body. The bulging form was squeezed down into the earth with a slimy slurch, the pink flower uttering a tiny belch with its meal successfully devoured.

*	*	*

Lutro had gathered everyone together in the center of the party and looked gleeful. It was time for the main event! The rest were a mixed bag, from equal amounts of anticipation from Sparky and Roco, to a lazy attitude of ‘get it over with’ from Saul. Spice and Guzzle were idly munching candies and relaxed against the table, looking a bit tired from all the dancing and games. The music had quieted down to more somber yet still spooky tunes, and all eyes were on the bouncy buizel at the center of attention.

“Alrighty!” Lutro rubbed his paws together. “Who’s ready for the big game?” He accepted the mixed reactions and pressed on, not losing his perkiness. “First thing we’re gonna do is divide into teams. Now I know we’re at an odd number now, so one team will have the advantage...”

“No we aren’t,” Saul interjected. He was laid out on the table with his tail flicking. “There are six of us here, counting you.”

“Yep!” Sparky agreed, pointing to everyone in the circle. “One two three four five six! So we’re even!”

“We shouldn’t be...” Lutro looked around. “With Pica not here it threw things off…” Lutro counted everyone off again, eyes going wide at the revelation. “Where’s Dio?” Everyone looked around. “He was here at some point, right?”

“Maybe he was so bored he left,” Saul yawned.

“Bored? You kidding, this party’s been… spicy!” Spice grinned. Everyone groaned. His grin faltered. “What? It’s been fun!”

“Where’d he get off to though?” Guzzle ambled away from the table and peered out towards the darkness. “Sure he didn’t leave, Lutro?”

“I know he didn’t wanna dance. Just left after that I think,” said Roco. “Maybe he wanted some food?”

“That’s it!” Sparky hopped on the table and eagerly tugged at Saul’s tail. “He said he went for a walk, remember?” Saul glowered at the pikachu and flicked his tail from his grasp.

“I suppose he did,” the salazzle said. “Probably was his excuse to leave for good.”

Lutro bit his lip. “He would’ve said goodbye though.” The buizel joined Guzzle in scanning the outskirts of the lit-up area. “I wonder if–”

A deep rumbling sound echoed from the dark forest area beyond all light. The music mysteriously died. Wind whistled through the trees and extinguished the candles throughout, blanketing the party in darkness. There was a scream of surprise from someone and a lot of rustling. When Spice spat out a burst of flame and set a nearby bush ablaze, everyone was revealed having gathered closer in the middle. Roco and Sparky were clutched together, with Spice and Saul crouched on opposite sides. Guzzle was atop Lutro, who was pinned under the totodile. He tried nudging Guzzle off.

“Wh-what was that?”

“It was just the wind,” Saul huffed. “No reason to be scared.”

“Hey, you’re cowering against us too you know.” Roco didn’t let go of Sparky, who was all-too-happy to cling to the eevee.

“We aren’t all warm-blooded, you know.”

“You can breathe fire and you’re telling me you’re a just chilly?”

“Quiet,” Spice snapped, his ears perked towards the darkness. The only sounds from the group came from a squeak as Guzzle was rolled off Lutro onto Sparky, who let out a squeak of fright and scrambled forward. “Good idea Sparky. Get a little further from the fire and tell us what you see.”

“M-me?” A softer, but still threatening, rumble echoed from beyond the light. Sparky gulped and fell to all fours. “I-If you say so...” Most of the group waited with baited breath as the pikachu crawled ahead, squinting into the forest and perking his own ears forward. A minute slowly ticked by and Sparky managed maybe a dozen steps. Then he heard something crunch against the ground. A footstep? Another, then another…

Then a paw was placed on Sparky’s back! The music that had died managed a sudden orchestral sting. “Yikes!” Sparky sent a jolt of electricity out into the darkness. The resulting sparking light revealed nothing of note. Saul rolled his eyes.

“You were taking too long,” the salazzle grumped, nudging Sparky aside. He looked back to the others. “Well? Don’t tell me I’m the only one here brave enough to take on the evil wind.”

The looks he got back seemed to suggest exactly that, Sparky in particular scurrying back towards the fire. “I’m no coward,” Roco growled, marching forward with tail held high and proud. “You’ll all see there’s nothing to fear out there!” The eevee bounded ahead, past Saul, and into the darkness.

“Wait, you fool!” Saul hissed, but the eevee was gone. The salazzle hesitated, then shot forth a fire of his own. The lance of flame caught a patch of leaves under a mostly-bare tree, illuminating the path beyond. The rest of the party advanced up and stood alongside Saul, peering to see where the eevee had run off to.

A moment later everyone, including Saul, flinched as a loud series of crunches revealed a bounding Roco speeding back up into the light, perched several feet away from the group. He had a big, proud smile on his face. “You see?” he bragged with a swish of his tail along the ground. He ran a paw through the mess of black hair on his head. “Nothing to worry about!”

“You sure?” Lutro said. “Those growls were awfully scary...”

“This isn’t anything party-related, is it Lutro?” Saul turned to the buizel and gave a judgmental stare.

“No way! I wish I could come up with something this good!”

“Maybe whoever it was ran off because they knew I was coming.” Roco puffed his chest out and buffed a paw along it. A crunch of leaves sounded behind him. “You know my reputation tends to precede me, after all.” The firelight across the ground revealed a large figure looming up behind Roco. Crunch, crunch, crunch... 5 pairs of eyes looked up over the eevee. Roco blinked and huffed. “Hey! It’s rude to ignore someone who just saved everyone, you know? Right? Guys?” A familiar lumbering growl, now much closer and louder, rumbled out above him. A thick, goopy gob of something hot and wet poured over Roco’s head and down a cheek. The eevee flinched, ears folded back as he slowly tilted his own head up.

It was Dio. Taller. Thicker. Fur pushing out around the collar he was never seen without. The looming furret towered over the pokémon.

Eevee were always the first to go, weren’t they?

Dio quickly flicked his tongue out and over his lips. His maw opened wide, firelight glinting against the glistening drooling insides of his mouth, and shot down towards Roco like an arbok striking a rattata. “Yah!!” Roco cried as furry jaws locked over his middle. He felt a thick, slobbering tongue press hard into his back, and had only an instant before he was yanked into the air, tail dangling, legs pedaling uselessly. The others stared in horror. “Someone help! Spice! Sparky! Anyone! Help me!!!” Roco wailed, his tail flicking away in pure terror. Dio’s clenched jaws could feel the pounding beat of the terrified eevee’s heart, and a slow smile crept out the corners of his muzzle. He gave Roco’s back another thick taste, dragging his tongue slowly along the fur, before suddenly thrusting his jaws open. The squealing eevee plummeted into the jaws, his yell cut off when the mouth clacked shut, sharp teeth shining in the moonlight.

“Roco, no!” Lutro shouted, but was paralyzed with fear.

“Mfff mmmffff!!!” the pokémon heard, Dio lowering his head with one cheek bulging out distinctly. The bulge deflated as drool leaked from his lips, the whining muffled cries of the eevee ringing loudly to everyone present. Dio casually swished the tasty eevee around his maw, Roco sputtering against the thick tongue constantly coiling and buffeting against him. The eevee’s whines and protests couldn’t overpower the loud smacks of Dio’s lips parting and re-sealing as he savored his first meal of the night.

Then, without warning, the furret closed his eyes and swallowed Roco whole and alive. ULK GLK GLRK! A horrified eevee face appeared in a thick bulge that noisily slithered down the neck and chest of the looming furret. It slopped into the stomach messily, SPLORT!, another muffled groan crying out from the eevee within. The familiar rumbling groan sounded out once more, now identified as the grumbling belly of the monstrous Dio that threatened the group! Grrgle...

“H-he ate Roco!” Guzzle stammered, taking a step back. Sparky took several more.

“And he still looks hungry!” The furret fell to all fours, thudding to the ground and nearly making the other pokémon lose their balance. His belly audibly churned around the devoured eevee, while the enlarged furret licked his lips at the sight of the delicious-smelling pokémon laid out before him.

“RUN!” someone shouted, and the group scattered in all directions. Dio’s devious grin faltered a moment as the prey he was after wasn’t just going to sit there and let themselves become his dinner. He even let a terrified buizel and panicking ninetales zip right on by him and escape into the forest behind. The salazzle and pikachu scampered off in another direction. The totodile… had fled into the large den right in front of the furret. Dio smacked his lips loudly and slurched forward, bubbling belly dragging against the ground as he went after the lone water type. 

Guzzle tore into the den, hoping that Lutro had built some kind of secondary exit to his place. He stumbled through the darkness that was feebly held at bay with a single lit candle within, until the totodile’s snout budged up against the dirt wall against the back of the den. He panicked and looked over his shoulder, striped tail flicking nervously. The den’s entrance showed the empty darkness and gave way to loud crashes and slams. Dio was clearly out there causing a ruckus, making the totodile tremble in fear. Guzzle was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a rumbling thump tore through the den: Heavy steps from the furret approached, Guzzle’s eyes widening in terror. “No, no! Go away!” he shouted, beginning to scratch his claws up against the dirt wall in an effort to dig his way out.

What little moonlight managed its way through the den’s entrance was blotted out suddenly. Guzzle’s scribbling bounced around the den, though it was soon overpowered by a series of grrrrns and chrrrrgles. The outlines of a much-more-shriveled version of Roco’s head briefly pressed out from the stomach, along with a paw print. They both faded, the eevee’s bulges replaced with softer contours along the belly fur. The totodile turned and gasped, seeing the bulging striped stomach completely blocking the entrance! The flickering candle betrayed the furry gut squirming… Roco plainly still fighting for his life in the belly of the beast. Another powerful glorp made Guzzle shiver, the totodile redoubling his efforts to get out of the den alive. “Stay back!” his squeaking voice commanded. But all Dio did was lower his sinuous body down and revealing his drooling, smiling maw. The furret’s eyes glowed a deadly green in the dark, Guzzle letting out a pitiful shriek as he found the larger furret easily able to worm his way into the den.

“N-no, Dio! Stop! You know me!” Guzzle slipped and flipped around, green spikes digging into the den floor and wall. He backpedaled hard against the ground, hind paws pushing uselessly as he back himself up further along the wall. The furret crawled in further, forepaws helping his journey inward, able to squeeze all the way up to his belly. The churning stomach caught around the edges of the den’s entrance, the furret’s tail thrashing about eagerly on the outside. “Don’t come any closer Dio I mean it!” Guzzle threatened emptily as the head was inches away from the flicking totodile tail. He gawked as the furret’s maw parted before him. Oozing drool was brought to life by the candle that stayed lit, and Guzzle screamed right into the oozing maw. Dio’s eyes closed as his opened further, and then… Urrrrrrp! The gullet twitched around the totodile buffeted by stale air and a splotch of slimy eevee fur, a result of Dio squeezing his belly in just a bit more. His stomach was mostly full of burbling blorps, no longer shaking about with the throes of protest within. Roco was no more than a floating lump of meat in the furret’s stomach, well on his way to being properly digested.

Guzzle’s heart pounded as the muzzle before him never closed. Dio’s tongue unfurled out of his maw, the wide pink think tickling the edge of Guzzle’s tail. “No no no no no!!!” Guzzle cried, trying to back away further but finding no more room to retreat. The hungry furret lurched his head forward the remaining distance and snapped his jaws shut around the first two tail stripes of the terrified totodile. The saliva-soaked tongue protruded still, lapping against the third stripe. Guzzle was beside himself with panic, flicking his tail tip and feeling it press against the soft malleable insides of a pokémon’s muzzle. Dio growled and pressed his tongue up against the scaly totodile body, pulling his head back and dragging Guzzle along with it. “L-let me go!”

Dio yanked harder. Guzzle gasped as his head and body slipped from the wall and banged to the ground. He mumbled dizzily as the throat grabbed around his tail tip, Dio swallowing it and pulling more and more of Guzzle’s tail inward. When Guzzle shook out the stars dancing around his vision, his rump pressed to the furret’s teeth, the maw opening wider to accept the meatier part of the meal. Guzzle’s hinds bent up and back against his chubby gut, the totodile devolving into incoherent pleads for mercy. CHOMP! Dio’s jaws crunch around the pudgy totodile belly, squishing it tightly and dragging Guzzle along the ground into his drooling muzzle. “N-n-no, please!” Guzzle whined. He felt and heard every GLRUP, GULK, ULP as his tail, legs and middle all squeezed tightly into the throat. Up to Guzzle’s chest now, Dio’s jaws craned wide open before the terrified water type. Oozing lines of dripping saliva ladled over Guzzle, who brought his arms up to press claws against the looming furry lips. They quivered under the strength of Dio and his hunger, one paw pressed against a rather sharp tooth being quite the distraction. The wide wet tongue of the furret slithered up Guzzle’s neck and cupped up against his head, and an open mouth’d GLURK and a press of that tongue suddenly ushered Guzzle inward. “NOOOO–” CLCK! Guzzle’s twitching paws were collected around pursed furret lips, and greedily slurped up in the blink of an eye.

Dio’s tail was arched up and swaying, his hindpaws up on their toes. Between the legs his belly gurgled and squished, as the furret backed up slowly. His body arched as well, head and chest still deep in the den as he finished devouring Guzzle. “Chrrr…” GLURP! ULK! GLURRRRK! Guzzle’s large squirming bulges pressed outward from the furry body of Dio, traveling up the arched chest and crashing down into the stomach with a loud wet SLORSH. A loud URRRRRRRAAAAAP muffled by the den threatened to collapse the home, but it managed to stay standing. Dio wriggled out of the den, leaving behind a mess of saliva and scales, the furret smacking his lips as he rose to standing height with his tail flicking merrily away. His stomach was once more active and swaying to the protests within, Guzzle greeted with an eevee he was grateful to not able to see, the totodile thrashing about among the powerful churning acids. Dio ignored his meal, lifting an ear to hear sounds of splashing coming from a nearby body of water. With a lick of his lips he fell to all fours and followed the noise…

*	*	*

Spice sped through the dark forest, panting, fleeing for his life, scarf flapping about in the wind. Lutro barely kept pace behind, grateful the ninetales was as least lighting the way with an occasional small burst of fire. The flashes kept the two of them from careening into a tree, and the two ran until the initial terror of seeing a pokémon eaten alive by a monstrous, transformed friend started to falter. Lutro stopped a little before then, heart pounding as the chubby buizel began to slow. “Think we… lost him?” he choked out, just within earshot of the self-proclaimed hero of Clearspring. Spice stopped too, head lowered and panting.

“Y-yeah,” he breathed, spitting out a bit of flame to illuminate the area. Lutro caught up to him and stood beside, glancing back at where they came from. “What the heck happened to him?”

“I don’t know! I’ve never seen Dio so much as raise his voice before. He wasn’t that big an hour ago!” Lutro shivered, recalling Roco’s outlined face sinking down Dio’s gullet. “A-and he certainly never even thought of eating someone!”

Spice lifted his chin and reached into his bundled scarf. “Well, I may be the Hero of Clearspring, but I know when I’m outmatched. I’m calling for help.” His paw shuffled around his bundled scarf a moment, before pulling out clutching a shining explorer badge. “We have to stop that furret before he devours anyone else.” Spice placed the badge on the ground and planted his paw over it, smiling at the knowledge that help would be on the way.

“...Is that supposed to do something?” Lutro had never tried stepping on an explorer badge. Spice grunted and stomped on it a little harder. After the third try he batted the badge away.

“Bah! For some reason the badge isn’t working! Why can’t we get a signal out here?” Spice glared at Lutro, as if the buizel was a walking signal jammer.

“Don’t look at me I just thought badges were symbols not… magic.” He gave Spice a sidelong glance. “You sure it’s supposed to call out to your guild?”

“Of course I am,” Spike huffed. He retrieved the badge and jammed it back into his scarf, every tail flicking a different direction in irritation. “What are we gonna do now? You think you could take Dio on?”

Lutro was quick to shake his head. “No no no noooo no way! I’m furret food if I go back there!” He glanced over his shoulder, squinting. “The lights are all out but we’re not too far away from my den… We must’ve been criss-crossing the forest.” Lutro stepped forward past Spice, glancing about. “We gotta find the others!”

“Right,” Spice agreed, stepping forward. “We can try and fight Dio off together. Maybe even find out why he changed and if we can do anything about… that… Hey, look at that.”

“What?” Spice pointed down to the ground. A large pink flower, vibrant even the darkness, was twitching about despite a lack of breeze. Lutro inched forward, muzzle out and nose twitching. “What a pretty flower.”

URRRRP! Lutro and Spice reeled as the pink flower suddenly belched, a small saliva-coated skull tumbling from its blood-red center to the ground. Lutro turned away and tried not to lose his lunch. Spice peered down at the expelled bone. The flower sprung to life and snapped at Spice’s lowered snout right at that moment! The ninetales leapt back and snarled. “Evil!”

Lutro sprung shortly after the flower snapped, it still ravenously reaching in vain for the nearby ninetales. All his weight came crashing down over the stem, flattening the maddened flower. He gave it a couple extra stomps for good measure, before leaning down and uprooting the thing. To their shock, they heard a pitiful whine from the flower as its stem was torn from its roots, drool drizzling from the floral wound as Lutro spat it to the ground. It twitched once or twice, then fell still. “What the heck kind of flower is that?”

“I don’t know, I...” Spice chuffed. He couldn’t just admit that he, the Hero of Clearspring, was clueless here! “It… it’s clearly a predatory flower,” he recovered with a gesture at the skull still dripping. “Clearly this is… an infected amaryllis flower!” He nodded, knowing he’d read the term somewhere before. “Yes, it all makes sense. Dio went for a walk earlier right? He came this way?”

“He left but I dunno if he came out this far,” Lutro said. “But there aren’t many other places to go from my place at night unless you want to go for a swim.”

Spice nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “I bet this flower infected him. You saw how ravenous it was, right? About as hungry as Dio was acting.” Spice flared his tails dramatically. “Clearly our furret friend was infected with this flower’s deep desire to dine... He’s a furret now infected with… With hippeasthropy! A were-furret!” A gust of wind suddenly picked up, making his scarf and tails billow dramatically.

“A were-furret?! That’s awful! Is there anything we can do to cure him?”

Spice nodded. “I remember a similar mission from long ago,” he claimed. “Ironically, to cure Dio and rid him of the hippeasthropy, we have to make him eat the amaryllis flower. It should knock him out cold and reverse the transformation after a while.” Spice scooped up the flower and stuffed it into his scarf. “We’ve uprooted it so it can’t infect anyone else but I don’t know how long it’ll last before it becomes as useless as my stupid badge.” Spice did his best to appear knowledgeable, confident, even flashing a toothy grin down at the uncertain Lutro. “Easy, right?”

“Yeah… easy,” Lutro said. “So we just have to go back to a large hungry furret that’s eating anyone in its path and convince him to eat a flower instead? S-s-sure, no sweat...”

“Either way, we should go back to your place.” Spice turned around and stared off into the darkness towards the den. “Hopefully the others will do the same, and we can all meet up and try to force-feed Dio this flower, before it feasts on any more of us.”

Lutro gulped hard, but nodded. His head was on a swivel, as if Dio could leap out from behind a bush or tree at any moment and gobble them up. “A-alright,” Lutro agreed, stepping forward to take point. “L-let’s go.”

*	*	*

“Saul! Help!” Sparky was flailing about in the middle of the lake, splashing blindly with all four paws. An irritated salazzle plucked the flailing pikachu out of the water by the scruff of the neck and callously tossed Sparky on his back.

“I told you to hang on, Sparky. We’re not getting out of here if you keep falling into the water!” Saul let out an annoyed hiss before starting to sway and swim across the surface of the calm lake water once more. They were a way’s away from the shoreline budged up near Lutro’s den, but even with the occasional ember into the air, neither pokémon could find dry land. “Just hope that overgrown furret isn’t a good swimmer.”

Sparky moved his goggles up away from his eyes and wiped water away from his face. “I’m hoping everyone else got away. Poor Roco...” Saul sighed and kept up the pace, trying to catch sight of shore and ignoring the pikachu on his back.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be safe soon.” And then I’ll have one less whiny pikachu to care about.

The two continued their way through the lake, with Sparky not falling in any more but clinging uncomfortably to the salazzle he was perched upon. Sparky’s ears flicked every now and then, thinking he head someone approaching from behind, but it was quickly dismissed as maybe a leaping fish pokémon. The on-edge electric type had scooted up against Saul’s neck, just to be safe. Saul’s tail continued snaking along the surface, grumbling about being immersed in water for so long. He suddenly stopped when a ripple flowed through the water, as if a small wave had crested from behind and gave them a subtle shove.

“Wh-what was that?” Sparky said, squinting into the darkness. Another wave nudged the pair about the mostly-calm lake water.

“No idea... Lutro ever say he had aquatic neighbors?”

“I don’t think so. You don’t think Dio’s underwater do you?” Sparky fearfully peered into the water. Useless. It was pitch black, even with a small flame shot into the air to help.

“He’s not that kind of pokémon, Sparky.” Saul started to swim forward again, when a sudden force crept from below and gushed out of the lake! Saul and Sparky, both crying out in surprise and fear tumbled opposite directions and plopped into the water. Saul managed to keep his head above water but Sparky sunk a foot deep, his little body flailing and eyes clenched shut against the water. The pikachu flailed about and just managed to break the surface before he ran out of air, gulping down fresh breaths and sputtering out water.

“Saul?! Saul where are you??” Sparky slid the goggles over his eyes when he had a moment, but it was pitch black all around him.

“Sparky?” Saul’s voice faintly answered. “Shout again! I can’t get a fire going!” The salazzle cursed, trying a few times to conjure a flame, but the recent dip under had rattled his bell something fierce. Was a water pokémon attacking?

Sparky tried to call out again, but only got a mouthful of water for his trouble. He sputtered and hacked out the fresh water, only to notice everything had gone deafeningly silent. The only sounds came from him treading water. “S-Saul?” he squeaked, then squealed when something bumped into his hip underwater. “Saul!” he cried, leaning forward and trying to paddle away. Sparky let out another squeak when he bumped into something wet, furry, striped and swaying…

A rather large, overgrown furret tail.

Terror struck through the pikachu’s heart. “SAUL!!” he yelled, just as something yanked hard on the pikachu’s bolt-shaped tail. Sparky let out another cry, but was cut off as his body was yanked underwater.

“Sparky!” Saul shouted back, finally managing to spit a large burst of flame over the lake. He immediately turned to stare at where he guessed Sparky’s voice had came from and swam. He found no sign of the panicking pikachu. But his eyes did catch the sight of bubbles streaming up several feet away. He made to swim closer only for another wave to flood him backwards. Dio emerged from the depths, half his body protruding from the water, outlined in the moonlight. “You!” Saul cursed, glaring at the smiling were-furret. The salazzle backed away on instinct, but froze when he caught sight of something familiar dangling from Dio’s lips: Sparky’s arm, wrist clad in a collar similar to the one still about Dio’s neck, flailing in terror. Saul was dumbstruck.

“Mfffff!!!! Hllllp!!!!” a muffled whine came from within. Dio’s head sank back down to hover just over the surface, his own large body swaying slowly, deliberately, inching towards the salazzle. Saul kept backing up, torn between trying to reach for the dangling pikachu limb or to flee, ending up doing neither. Dio even opened his maw wide not far from the salazzle, revealing a drool-drenched, sobbing pikachu planted on his wide tongue. Gobs of fresh slobber dangled from the roof of the were-furret’s mouth, continuing to drizzle over Sparky. “S-Saul help! I-I-I d-don’t wanna end up like Roco!! Please!!!” Sparky tried to gain footing but the tongue proved too slippery. His chin smacked the tip of the tongue, which cupped up to cover his face. A muffled shriek was heard, Sparky’s limbs flailing off to the sides of the tongue, plump yellow tummy pressed to the slimy muscle. Sparky couldn’t stop the jaws from slamming shut, or the tongue from guiding him towards the pulsating gullet. “Mmm–” ULK… GLURP!!! A small writhing lump squelched noisily down Dio’s throat and disappeared below the waters, Dio loudly smacking and licking his lips with glowing green eyes focused on the mortified Saul.

“No… no!” Saul exclaimed, making a beeline away from the were-furret. But a sharp pain in his tail tip told him that he wasn’t fast enough. Dio ripped Saul from the water and spun him around the air, the salazzle’s limbs flapping in the wind. Dio released, jaws gaping, hurling the pokémon away with glee. Saul soared through the air and landed hard… on a beach! Stunned but relieved, Saul tried to push himself onto all fours and skitter away. The were-furret exploded from the water an instant later, bulging gurgling belly not slowing him down, and piled his body onto Saul’s, pinning the salazzle. “Let me go you overweight furry worm!” Saul cried, on his back shoving with his paws. The only response he got was a bubbling chrrrn from the belly that writhed atop his body.

Dio smiled cruelly with his body arched over Saul’s, muzzle hovered a couple feet over his head. Saul wheezed out a pitiful flame and didn’t even manage to singe fur. He spat out a gob of toxic fluid right in the were-furret’s face! But Dio slurped over his muzzle and seemed to drink it down without a second thought. Glk. Saul was really starting to panic when Dio’s jaws parted, oozing slimy smelly drool down onto his face in viscous droplets. “Curse you!” Saul yelped as the jaws widened. In desperation, the salazzle attempted to flood the air with mind-altering pheromones. On a good day even a giant pokémon would sway to Saul’s whims. The air flooded with a purple mist, swirling around the were-furret, whose green eyes glowed faintly. “You’re… full,” Saul tried to suggest. “You will fall asleep and not wake up until I wake you. You are sleepy. You are… not hungry...”

At that moment, the salazzle saw multiple emotions flicker through the narrowed green eyes. One almost seemed to be a moment of clarity, as the eyes blinked several times. The other made Saul quiver in hopelessness: Pure, undiluted hunger. Dio’s smile only grew as his eyes closed and his jaws craned wide open. “No! No!” Saul whined, smelling the breath that was mingled with various pokémon, all ones he recognized. “D-don’t!” Saul’s eyes were wide as his head slipped past furry lips and sank straight into the visibly-pulsating gullet. He squealed a high-pitched, pitiful whine, silenced only when Dio swallowed his muzzle down. ULP!

The tight muscles of the throat buffeted Saul from all sides. He cringed and tried to flail as he was eaten, saliva coating his whole wiggling lizard-like body. His fores were jammed down the gullet along with his chest, tail straining as it was still pinned under the burbling stomach. When Dio raised his head, however, he yanked Saul up with it. The tail sprung free after stretched to the brink, Saul flailing it madly as it dangled in the air. His relatively-skinny body was going down too quickly for his liking. URLK… GLORK… SLRRRRR-GLK! He whimpered with his eyes bulging out in the pitch black depths of Dio, letting out a yelp when his snout squelched against the stomach sphincter and began to burrow inward. His rear and hindlegs slipped past smacking lips yet, heated drool coating every inch. The swishing salazzle tail disappeared moments later, the muffled slrrrrrrrp painful to Saul. GLRK! A powerful gulp pressed Saul’s head into the stomach, leaving it dangling precariously over an actively-gurgling sea of stomach acid. Rotten stenches creamed the salazzle and made him dizzy, the stomach and its occupants either having been digested or were just underway. Saul tried to cling around the thick were-furret tongue with his tail and hind legs, but he felt them squeezed and compressed towards the back of the throat without any effort. “Nooo!!!” he wailed in the stomach, the finale URRRRRLK swallowing him completely whole.

Saul whined as he tumbled into the stinging sea of stomach fluids, the rest of his body and slobber piling down in atop of him. He cried out and tried to worm as much of his body out of the stinging fluids as he could, with partial success. He bumped up against something that was… something he was glad to not see. Another scaly body was motionless on his other side, making him cry out in terror. He screamed again when he heard a voice several inches in front of him.

“Please… Saul… Don’t wanna die… D-don’t wanna die!” Sparky’s squeaking voice became much more bubbly as the passed-out pikachu sank below the stomach acids. Violent churns and gurgles rattled Saul’s senses, walls squelching in from all directions tightly around the devoured pokémon. After hearing a muffled, far-away URRAAAAP, Saul became light-headed. He realized, feebly, that the last of his oxygen, along with various remnants of Dio’s prey, were just sucked from the stomach. The salazzle tried to cling to consciousness, but succumbed to darkness instead, slithering limply into the vat of growing, bubbling stomach fluids. GRRRBLE… GRRRRRN…

Another burp rocked Dio’s system, the were-furret’s jaws slack as various tufts of fur and scales drizzled harmlessly onto the beach. He smacked his lips before starting to sniff at the air. There were still more lovely scents floating about – scents that not even the water was washing away – and the were-furret still craved fresh meat that night. He dove right back into the water, head stuck above the waves he was making, to track down his final prey.

*	*	*

The two surviving pokémon traipsed back over to the den. Spice re-lit the jack-o’lanterns that still had a wick and weren’t smashed to pieces, revealing a disaster area. Tables were overturned. Candy and food were scattered all about. The bobbing-for-berries tub had been overturned at some point, leaving the entire area muddy. Lutro cringed at the sight of it all, the mess obviously being a small concern, but it was his home that was pretty roughed up. “Do you think anyone’s here?” The spooky jack-o’lanterns did a good job lighting the party grounds, and there was no-one in sight.

“Let’s check,” said Spice. “We should keep our voices down, though. No telling where Dio ended up.” The two explorer pokémon checked everywhere. Under the overturned tub, behind tables, in nearby bushes. Both whispering out their friends’ names.

“Sparky?”

“Guzzle? Saul?”

Minutes ticked by with no signs of life. That was, until Lutro peeked into his den. “Spice! Spice come here!” The ninetales, looking out into the darkness, turned and joined the buizel.

“What’s up?”

“The wall...” Spice peered in where Lutro’s shaky paw indicated, and gasped. There were clear signs of a struggle, with claw marks scrabbled all over the wall. Lutro waddled in and squinted at the floor, with deeper marks pressed inward. Spice put a paw down to where some water had apparently flowed in from the tub. When he pulled back, he found the substance stickier than water…

“I… I think Dio was in here.” Spice looked to the wall, then down at the shocked buizel. “And one of the party guests too...” Eleven tails twitched nervously just outside the den, and all of them froze when they heard the splish-splash of water, as if someone had climbed out of a swimming pool. “What was that?”

“Dunno! Let’s get out of here!” The two pokémon managed to squeeze themselves free after squishing against each other on their way out. Spice’s head was on a swivel but Lutro, knowing his home, glanced out towards the lake. It was too dark for him to see, and the splashing stop. Instead, he and Spice heard a familiar sound.

Grrrrrmble…

“Oh no...” Just like before, a larger, furrier version of a furret stepped into the dim light. Dio looked exactly like before, save for the fact that he sported a much larger, noisier gut. Chrrrrn… Brble. “Y-you have the flower Spice?? Give it to him!”

Spice was several paces behind Lutro already. “I-I do but I can’t get to it in time run run run!!” Lutro looked over his shoulder back to Dio, whose glowing green eyes were focused on the fat buizel.

“Wait for me!” Lutro cried, turning tail and scampering off. The pair heard a rumbling from behind as the were-furret gave chase, Dio falling to all fours and snaking along the ground. Spice led the way with Lutro not far behind. “Why are you running?! You have to give Dio the flower! Then he’ll fall asleep and change back!”

“I have to be ready! What do you want me to do, feed myself to him?!” Spice cried back. The two motored through the forest with Spice once more spitting small gouts of flame to guide them. “Besides I don’t even know if it’ll work or not!”

“You don’t?!” Lutro huffed and closed the remaining distance, running side by spice with the ninetales and glaring to him. “You said you knew what it was! Hippe-whatever!”

“I… have a good guess!” Spice admitted, rounding a tree with Lutro by his side. “But I was just trying to look confident in front of you!”

“You…!” Lutro let out an exasperated grunt and ran in silence, listening for the were-furret’s thundering steps and slithers. They sounded faded. “Well at least we’re getting away a–”

The monstrous furret was suddenly ahead of them! Coiled and licking his lips, tailtip flicking in the air in wait. Spice and Lutro both yelped and skidded to a halt, not three feet from the yawning jaws. They snapped forward just inches in front of their faces and the two changed direction. “How did he do that?” Spice demanded as the two took off in the opposite direction. “We should’ve heard–”

There Dio was again, leaping out from a bush and blocking their way! His tail was curled around the bush as he lunged forward again. Spice yelled and leapt over the lunging were-furret while the buizel rolled under the arching body, his tails brushing by the expansive stomach. The two managed to to get back on all fours and continue their trail, another roar coming from behind. “What, did he learn how to teleport?!” Lutro wailed.

Dio didn’t manage to magically appear in front of the two pokémon again, but he didn’t need to: The were-furret’s glowing eyes saw everything, even in darkness. Spice and Lutro weren’t so lucky! The ninetales nearly ran headfirst into a tall hill that sported an outcropping blotting out the moonlight. Lutro didn’t have the reflexes to stop in time, slowing down but bouncing against rocks hard. The buizel tumbled onto his side and moaned. Spice spun in place, standing over Lutro, head lowered. Grrrrrrllln… The terrifying roar of Dio’s full belly gurgled onto the scene, with the were-furret himself crawling towards his now-trapped victims. Lutro’s body lay limp, able to see the deadly Dio approaching (though most of his view was obstructed by the tails and backside of Spice) and unable to flee.

“Stay back!” Spice demanded, putting on a show of bravery. The ninetales pawed at the ground and made ready to bring the voracious pokémon down via hypnosis. His purple eyes began to glow and unfocus, muscles relaxing… But just as Spice was set to look the were-furret in the eyes, the ninetales’ face was assaulted by warm slimy slobber! Dio had spat a gob of viscous saliva over the fire type’s face, making Spice sputter and gasp for sudden breath, eyes winking out. Before he could recover, a wide were-furret tail clocked Spice in the jaw, sending him careening into the hill he’d managed to avoid just a moment ago. With a large thud and heavy flop, Spice lay stunned. His tails were messy and splayed, and he couldn’t form words coherently.

Lutro’s eyes widened when Dio loomed closer, but the were-furret’s eyes were not focused on him. The wide churning stomach that dragged along the ground plowed into and over Lutro, and didn’t let up: Dio had paused, tail flitting in the air, staring hungry daggers down at the large stunned ninetales! Lutro tried pressing against the suffocating stomach, but the furry malleable thing kept him pinned and blind to everything else happening.

“No… You’d better not...” Spice grunted, as Dio leaned his upper body forward and reached out with large, stubby forelegs. The ninetales couldn’t stop Dio from gripping him hard around his chest, paws pressing harshly against his middle to get a good grip. The were-furret effortlessly lifted a quickly-panicking Spice off the ground, leaving all his limbs and many tails to dangle uselessly. “Please don’t…!” Spice’s voice rose an octave, hear the slchlrp-smck of a thick tongue gliding over greedy furry lips. Then came the sqlch of slobber-coated jaws parting, revealing a glistening gullet and many viscous lines of drool bowing out as a heated exhale blistered by the fire type. Spice’s eyes widened in horror as he was brought up to the looming jaws, his muzzle already starting to get coated in dripping saliva. “Stop! Don’t eat me!!”

Spice threw his forepaws in front of his face just as Dio snapped his head down. The jaws clenched tightly around Spice’s chest, loudly suckling on the tasty ninetales’ body. Lutro could feel every squirm of the delighted were-furret along with the strong churns and brrrbles emanating from the fat pinning stomach, unable to help his friend escape from being devoured. Dio’s paws remained locked around Spice’s sides, slowly pushing into the fur and upward to slowly feed the ninetales into the mouth – GLOURK! – and down the throat. The squealing Spice’s protests were heavily muffled, were-furret paws now pressing around his middle. Spice’s hind legs scissored through the air with all his tails flailing madly, the large butt of the ninetales quivering and jiggling from all the action.

Spice thrashed and yelled out for help some more, but the squirming bulge in the neck could barely be heard. “Mfff mffff! Ltrooo!!!” ULK! GLRRK. Dio’s eyes fluttered closed with his tongue folding up around the devoured ninetales’ chest. The body was squashed up against the roof of the drooling muzzle, sandwiched between it and the pressing tongue, slurped and tasted all over. The slimy appendage slipped out of the lips to caress up to one of the flailing thighs, leaving a sheen of hot drool in its wake. The tongue retracted and the were-furret swallowed again, a GLORK following the growing neck bulge. The collar about Dio’s neck stretched but held, Spice whining as he was squeezed tightly down the throat, ears against his skull but picking up threatening gurgles from below. Blind and squealing, Spice kicked and swished his backside about, even when his hips budged up against furry lips and his stomach sprawled across the slurping were-furret tongue. Lutro was kicking his own hinds and thrashing his own tails, which was all he could do as the rest of his body was beneath the growling belly.

Dio purred in pleasure, lightly tossing his head back as he opened his jaws slightly. GLNK! Teeth slammed down over the edges of Spice’s hips, the fire type’s hind legs bracing against his mouth in a desperate final attempt to prevent himself from getting swallowed whole. Spice’s tails all arched up in sync with each other, showing strain as his hinds extended and pushed. Dio’s glowing green eyes looked down with amusement as his prey fought and struggled. The were-furret casually lifted a paw up, and shoved at the strained, precariously-positioned leg. The fragile position simply couldn’t stand the new application of force, Spice letting out a shriek when said hind slurched into the jaws. The other, lacking balance, followed suit, leaving Dio’s slimy, saliva-coated lips pursed around the big bulging buttcheeks of the terrified ninetales.

“Mmrrr…” A feral moan rang in Spice’s ears and vibrated about him, hot drool seeping over his tails and down his rear in viscous rivulets. Dio wormed his wide tongue out beyond Spice’s pinned hinds and lapped up against the pudgy rump, slapping wetly and sliding to and fro. Spice’s fur matted and shone brightly against the moonlight, the tails starting to lose their strength and swaying with less fervor as Spice began to wear out. “Mffnn...” he groaned, the tongue cupping up right under his tails to press against the crevice of his rear, folding into it some. Dio yawned his jaws wide open, gooey strands laced all over the nearly-devoured ninetales, and guided Spice back with his tongue. GLUP! GLUK! GLRRRRK! The furry fire type body slid across the tongue, stomach squeezed into the gullet, hips budging up against the back of the maw. A whining ninetales head pushed into the stomach and was nearly instantly submerged in stomach fluids. Spice’s latest wail was heard clearly by Lutro, who was closer to Spice than he had been in several minutes. The many bulges of the largest pokémon prey of the evening stood out vividly against were-furret’s neck and chest, Dio closing his mouth daintily around the round jostling rear end of his latest meal.

Dio gulped again. HH-GLRK! Hips compressed into the throat along with the rest of Spice’s hind legs, leaving his buttcheeks perched precariously near the gullet. But the stretched-out Spice was worried more about loudly-groaning stomach all around him, and the gurgling stomach acids lapping up to his head and shoulders. All nine tails, flicking feebly, were the final remnants of Spice in the outside world. Goopy gobs of saliva drained down each one, flicks sending the droplets flinging in every direction, almost sounding like it was starting to rain. Dio’s cheeks bulged with the rump remaining in his maw, tongue not wanting to give up on the succulent meal just yet. But his belly had other plans, seeming to utter a protesting grrrrrgle despite receiving so much meat in one night. Dio obliged and, with a powerful, wet schllrrrrrrrrrrrrp!, Spice’s nine tails all wriggled and slurped past pursed lips, pressed against his butt deep within the were-furret’s maw.

“No! D-don’t eat me Dio please!” Lutro heard every word as another GLK forced Spice’s head up against Lutro’s chest. “Mmmblbbllbl!!!” Now submerged, Spice fought to hold his breath, pure terror racing through him as the tongue smacked up against his tails-covered butt and shoved. Dio threw his head back and… GLORK! GLUK! GLURRRRRRRRRK!!! Spice was swallowed whole, his bulging rear outlined along the striped neck as it rapidly distended. The biggest bulge of the night finally proved too much for Dio’s collar, the thing tore from his neck, tumbling to earth. Spice’s squealing journey was unimpeded as the many bulges collapsed down into the stomach, which distended and SPLORSH’d loudly over top Lutro. The panicked buizel whimpered, feeling Spice’s every protest and flail, the ninetales now compacted hard within the bloated were-furret belly.

Dio licked and smacked his chops, uttering out a strong, stomach-compressing OOOOOOORRRRRP. Splotches of fur and scales and even a small bone rattled free, plopping messily to the ground, Dio having to strain to bend his body down to reach for his last meal. Lutro felt the large paw press down on one his tails as it was forcefully yanked. Lutro shouted in pain as he was hefted out from under the belly, it wetly thudding down and pancaking out against the dirt. Dio brought him aloft and held him, upside-down, at eye level, licking his lips with narrow, evil eyes. “No! No Dio, don’t!” CHRRRRRN… BLORP! GRRRRGLE… The terrifying sounds of his active stomach made the buizel wail in horror, flailing about with all his limbs, sagging buizel stomach jostling every which way. “Nooooo!!!”

Dio grinned, having heard the same song so much tonight. He hefted the squealing buizel up over his head, and parted his jaws wide. The pink tongue hung out lazily, drool dripping from its tip to the ground. The widened mouth was more than big enough to devour Lutro completely, and the buizel knew it, sobbing and fighting for his life, uselessly swinging from the grip of the paw that started loosening.

Dio opened his eyes again a little. Lutro and Dio’s eyes met. Dio looked… confused? His mouth closed and his tongue slurped back in. The grip Dio had on Lutro faltered, and the buizel plummeted to the ground. He landed atop the stomach with a wet SHCLMP and rolled into the dirt, on his back. Dio stared down, the glowing green fading from his eyes. Said eyes then rolled up into the back of his head, and Dio the were-furret fell forward. Right atop a cringing curled buizel! The resounding thoom shook the whole area, and Lutro was left with a loudly churning stomach once more ladled over top him, combined with the extra weight of a limp grown pokémon. “Wh-what…?” Lutro babbled in confusion, pressing up into the stomach, feeling the many bulges within writhe and squirm, unintentionally massaging the belly as it glorped loudly. Then Lutro froze.

“Spice… S-still had the flower. When he… H-he got eaten...” Another chrrrrn from the belly roared, Lutro hardly noticing that the struggles within had ceased. “So Dio ate the flower! Spice was right all along! Th-that means Dio’s cured! A-and maybe I can–!”

GLLLLLLLRRRRRRNN! “URRRRRRAAAAP!!! Zzzz…”

A sudden audible squelch of the stomach, followed by another ear-straining burp from the furret, told Lutro it was too late. He whimpered and pressed fitfully against the crushing, churning stomach one last time, before giving up and laying flat in the dirt. He panted and quivered, but was exhausted, mentally and otherwise. With the snoozing Dio keeping him pinned and a constant groaning churn echoing from the stomach, Lutro passed out and fell straight into a deep, dreamless slumber.

*	*	*

Lutro woke up with the morning sun shining against his belly. The buizel groaned and pushed himself up into a sitting position, scratching his gut and yawning. “Wow… What a party.” He looked around. The place was trashed. “…! Wait! Did someone spike the punch? Did I dream that… whole thing?” Lutro turned to look behind him, and answered his own question.

A normal-sized Dio lay sprawled out in a mostly-straight line, snoring loudly with his head pointed away. His collar lay a few feet from him, right where it had ripped free the night before. But Lutro was gawking at the wide, sagging stomach the furret sported. It sagged over either side of the sleeping pokémon and was sloshed forward, pressed partially against the furret’s tail. It quietly churned, but looked a fair deal smaller than the night before. Rounder and softer too, as its contents were nothing that could even partially be considered solid at that point. “Oh...” Lutro whimpered. His poor friends! The buizel was the only one to survive the vicious were-furret’s onslaught!

Lutro shakily stood on all fours and peeked up and around the sleeping furret. He then had to fight really hard not to lose what little his stomach had, seeing the mess pile that lay beyond. As if on cue, Dio let out a small urp in his sleep, a piece of red fabric joining the slimy pile of skulls, bones, and various splotches of fur, scales and fabric. The latest addition – another piece of Spice’s scarf – fluttered harmlessly over top, coating the ninetales skull that lay dripping. Dio’s tongue hung from his mouth a moment, before it was subconsciously slurped in. Lutro couldn’t look at the remains of his friends any longer, resting up against the sleeping furret’s belly and shaking. “At least… at least I made it. And Dio is no longer cursed.”

The shaking of Lutro’s body and the self-pep talk roused the furret. Lutro saw Dio’s tail flick, and the pokémon’s eyes fluttered open. He rolled to face Lutro, the buizel dodging the sloshing belly this time, and heard Dio yawn and smack his lips. “Morning...” the furret stammered through a second yawn. Then he looked down at himself. “Wow… What’d we have at the party last night? Feeling like a little breakfast despite… well, this.” Dio giggled and rubbed over his stomach.

Lutro thought quickly. He doesn’t know! And if I can get him away before he turns around… Lutro spun and smiled at his friend. “Just a lot of candy!” he said too quickly. After an odd stare from Dio, Lutro laughed again and grabbed Dio’s paws. He tugged forward, urging the furret to sit up, his belly resting gently in front of him. “The important thing is that you survi–  are still here! The others had to go… And you have to too!”

“What?” Dio blinked. “Why?”

“No reason! Just gotta clean up. See look all around you except behind you because it’s not relevant!” Lutro tugged Dio to keep him looking straight ahead.

“Lutro, you sure you’re okay?”

“Grrreat!” Lutro insisted. His smile faltered, though, as a quiet chrrgle rang from Dio’s bloated stomach. “I’m… I’m just glad we’re okay.” Lutro leaned into the stomach before him and did his best to hug around it, clutching to fur. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Dio smiled at the sudden affection. He reached down and tugged the chubby buizel up. Sitting on the belly bulge, Lutro was able to properly wrap around the furret and hug tightly. Dio returned the favor and hugged back, clutching around Lutro’s back, with his chin atop Lutro’s head. Halloween was over, and Dio’s curse had been extinguished.

The End…?

Nope! Horror stories seldom end on a happy note!

Lutro blinked as something wet dripped down his face. He looked up and gawked as he saw not Dio’s smile, but a yawning pink maw! Furret paws slipped down Lutro’s plump hips, cupped under his rear, and clenched tightly. Before Lutro could get a word out he was thrust up into the dripping furret jaws, head immediately slipping into the gullet with a loud GULK! “Mph? MMMMMFFF!!!” Dio began shoveling his breakfast down his throat, the normal-sized body bulging greatly as the fat buizel was swallowed in loud GLP, GLK, GLRKs. Lutro was squealing within, squelching down the black slimy esophagus in lurches, feeling more of his flabby body squeezed and scrunched into chomping furret jaws and throat.

CHMP, GULP, GLORK! Lutro’s wide belly took up the entirety of Dio’s mouth. The furret pressed his compact tongue up into the doughy belly, letting it fold down and around it, murring loudly at the flavor and letting saliva dribble down his chin. Lutro feebly kicked his legs, tails limp, as he was still in shock of what was happening. “But th-the curse was lifted! Dio!!! Stooop!!!” The furret’s response was to ULLLLP heavily, sending Lutro into his already-fattened stomach, into the sludge that remained of his friends and the stomach acids that were all-too-eager to start churning again.

Lutro’s many bulges up the chest and into the neck were quite plain, especially when Dio clenched his eyes, pressed against the wide buizel butt protruding from his mouth, and tossed his head back to each new swallow: GLRK GULP GLP GULK! Lutro’s twitching hind paws and now-flicking tails were all that were still visible as furry furret lips gradually sealed around squished, flabby buttcheeks. Lutro whined and cried as more of his body folded up in the stomach, acids pooling about him, feeling that furret tongue lap up into his crevice and immerse itself in fatty flavor. Dio pressed his paws into his mouth in order to fit the rest of Lutro in his jaws, cheeks bulging out to their limit. The twitching tails flicked opposite one-another as they were loudly slrrrrp’d up. Dio’s eyes fell half-lidded as he slowly brought his head up to point to the sky, the writhing bulges along his body feeling like a gentle massage.

GLP! ULK! GLK! GLRP! ULP!

GLURRRRRP!!!!

Lutro’s various fatty bulges squelched out the furret’s body and sank visibly down into the stomach. SLOP! An all-too-familiar sound of a devoured pokémon distending a wide stomach was heard, and Dio casually wiped his saliva-ridden mouth clean with the back  of a paw. “Haahhhh~” he exhaled, letting his tongue hang out. He rubbed and pressed hard into his grrrrrning belly, licking his lips and looking smug at having eaten Lutro alive. “Now that was a satisfying breakfast.” Lutro wailed and squealed deep within Dio, but the full furret ignored him. He flopped forward onto all fours, letting his stomach squash out against the dirt flat, with the bulging parts sticking out greatly along either side.

“Guess it was a good idea to attend the party after all,” Dio chuckled, confidently waddling past the messy pile he’d worked up all night. He paused, and reached into his mouth, plucking out something from between his teeth: A single pink petal. He tossed it aside, paying it no mind. It landed unceremoniously atop his torn collar. Dio glanced at his old collar, shrugged, and waddled by, leaving it behind. The furret tail swished about lazily in the dirt against the ground as he left the remains of friends and the party behind for good. GRRRRLLLLLG, BLORP GLRRRN… His stomach sang to him all along his trip home, Lutro having fallen still and silent rather fast. The evolved furret belly was quite good at processing prey now! And Dio noticed he thought about food an awful lot more than he did yesterday. He hummed to himself and thought the pokémon cravings were totally normal, the furret’s mind forever warped by having been in the throes of hippeasthropy for a little too long.

Dio enjoyed his walk home on the cool autumn day, and we he got home, his belly had smoothed out once again. He smacked his lips before his cheeks bulged out. His eyes quivered mostly shut as one last URRRRRP tore from his jaws! A tattered blue scarf and cracked buizel skull tumbled to the ground, dripping in fluids. The blubbery furret stomach grrrrn’d in desire. He smacked his lips.

“Well now,” Dio’s mouth spread into a toothy smile and turned to stare directly at you!  “Sounds like it’s dinnertime.”

The End… For real this time!

Happy Halloween!