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Description
The hard casing that his skin had become was quickly overwhelming Dylan. As his tail shrank and was overcome, the former Otter's left eye drooped lower and lower.

No, it can't end this way! Please! He mentally begged.

But it could, and it did. His left eye sealed shut, and Dylan knew no more.

...

...

Dylan came to. He felt hollow inside, empty. He couldn't move his body. A light breeze blew over him from behind. Into him. Dylan couldn't really feel it, but he could hear the air within his empty body. The parasite had torn itself out of him. But how was he still alive?

A figure appeared over him, "Hey kiddo, you alright."

What? Who...?

The figure leaned down, into Dylan's field of vision. It was a Meerkat humanoid, wearing a hardhat and red bandanna alongside blue pants and a similar colored vest.

"Call me Kazz. I'm a Reaper."

A Reaper!? But that means!?"

"Yeah... You're kind of dead," the Meerkat nodded.

There must be some mistake!

"Afraid not, Kiddo," the Meerkat frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I'm kind of new at this. Only been a Reaper a month or two. You're supposed to come with us to the afterlife."

But I can't die yet!

Kazz sighed, "Please don't be difficult... How about this, why don't you become a Reaper too? My brother and I run a spirit train, steam engine, and we could use a mechanic. 100 years as a Reaper and you get brought back to life!"

... How do you know I'm a mechanic?

"We know everything about you! It's the Reaper's job to know who they're taking and where they're bringing them. You're Dylan Wesson, a mechanic, 17 years old, done a few bad things in your life, but not enough to outweigh the good." Kazz grinned.

Oh... You can make me a Reaper?

"Well... I myself can't, but Death can. We're always understaffed, so I'm sure he won't argue," the Meerkat explained, "Besides, I don't think you want to be a Reaper looking like that."

Looking like...?

Before Dylan could continue, his body floated up into the air. Kazz followed it up, digging around his pocket. He pulled out a small locket, and opened it. When he showed it to Dylan, the Shedinja saw his reflection for the first time. He was the husk of his old skin, with something of a halo floating above his head.

"Your soul sort of attached itself to your shell. Don't worry though, Death can remove it!" Kazz smiled replacing the locket. "So what do you say? Come with us and become a Reaper, or hang around the living world as a possessed husk?"

When I'm taken out of this, I'll be myself again?

"Yup!

... Lead the way.

---

Hoenn's third of 17. Damn that was long, but I felt that all of it was necessary.

Description
The hard casing that his skin had become was quickly overwhelming Dylan. As his tail shrank and was overcome, the former Otter's left eye drooped lower and lower.

No, it can't end this way! Please! He mentally begged.

But it could, and it did. His left eye sealed shut, and Dylan knew no more.

...

...

Dylan came to. He felt hollow inside, empty. He couldn't move his body. A light breeze blew over him from behind. Into him. Dylan couldn't really feel it, but he could hear the air within his empty body. The parasite had torn itself out of him. But how was he still alive?

A figure appeared over him, "Hey kiddo, you alright."

What? Who...?

The figure leaned down, into Dylan's field of vision. It was a Meerkat humanoid, wearing a hardhat and red bandanna alongside blue pants and a similar colored vest.

"Call me Kazz. I'm a Reaper."

A Reaper!? But that means!?"

"Yeah... You're kind of dead," the Meerkat nodded.

There must be some mistake!

"Afraid not, Kiddo," the Meerkat frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I'm kind of new at this. Only been a Reaper a month or two. You're supposed to come with us to the afterlife."

But I can't die yet!

Kazz sighed, "Please don't be difficult... How about this, why don't you become a Reaper too? My brother and I run a spirit train, steam engine, and we could use a mechanic. 100 years as a Reaper and you get brought back to life!"

... How do you know I'm a mechanic?

"We know everything about you! It's the Reaper's job to know who they're taking and where they're bringing them. You're Dylan Wesson, a mechanic, 17 years old, done a few bad things in your life, but not enough to outweigh the good." Kazz grinned.

Oh... You can make me a Reaper?

"Well... I myself can't, but Death can. We're always understaffed, so I'm sure he won't argue," the Meerkat explained, "Besides, I don't think you want to be a Reaper looking like that."

Looking like...?

Before Dylan could continue, his body floated up into the air. Kazz followed it up, digging around his pocket. He pulled out a small locket, and opened it. When he showed it to Dylan, the Shedinja saw his reflection for the first time. He was the husk of his old skin, with something of a halo floating above his head.

"Your soul sort of attached itself to your shell. Don't worry though, Death can remove it!" Kazz smiled replacing the locket. "So what do you say? Come with us and become a Reaper, or hang around the living world as a possessed husk?"

When I'm taken out of this, I'll be myself again?

"Yup!

... Lead the way.

---

Hoenn's third of 17. Damn that was long, but I felt that all of it was necessary.