Author's Note:

This is an interesting part of my "Grand Tour" series...a dive into psychological assessment. I intend to analyze not merely Pokémon of every shape and size but to reveal some truths about trainers as well, and about the Pokémon world. I hope you enjoy it...and by all means, feel free to review!

PROLOGUE

Sitting down at the table, I look down at the notepad which I will be writing upon.

A "tabula rasa". A blank slate. Heh…I love John Locke. He was a brilliant philosopher. A good man. Like most people he had flaws, but he was nevertheless a very good man.

Philosophers. Hmm.

People don't just "decide" to become philosophers. They have other jobs. They're scientists or writers or perhaps even painters…and then one day, something hits them. Sometimes it creeps up on them, other times it SLAMS them like a linebacker.

What is "it"?

An idea. A motion. A possibility…

What if…

What if the world was round?

What if people are born basically good?

What if there's something else existing in this world besides us? Something we cannot see?

What if…we're never alone, always watched over?

"What if". Two of the greatest and most horrible words in the world.

What if I'd been faster. Stronger. Smarter. So many things could have gone better.

"What if". The twin brother of "If only"…

But that's not what I think of now. I think of one thing…the people I'll be meeting with. I trust them to tell me truth and lies, to tell me their dreams and their secrets, to tell me what they think, what they feel, what they stand for, what they represent, what they feel they mean, what they will and have done.

I trust them to tell me who they ARE.

In the old days, you could just "decide" to be a philosopher, but that was back in Socrates and Plato's time. And Socrates was put to death for asking the questions people didn't want asked, even though they lied and said it was for other reasons.

People have died for stupid reasons before. I've almost been one of them.

People have died for selfish reasons many, many times. I was one of them once. I came back. I was always lucky. Not everybody shares that luck. But I like to think I have an edge. Unfair, maybe, but I use it. It's given me some wisdom, overcoming death, going through Hell and back. I'll use that edge now to discover what's needed.

The truth.

Time to get started. My first patient is going to come in, he'll be here in around five minutes…

Hmm.

Five minutes…

I've got a little time…

POKÉMON:

TRUTH

A finger reaches out and presses a button on a watch. Music begins to play. Outside, a large group of forms begin moving towards the tall, steel-grey building the owner of the finger is in.

Please don't mind what I'm trying to say 'cause I'm, I'm being honest,
When I tell you that you
You're part of the reason I'm so set on the rest of my life
Being a part of yoooouuuu!
You tell me what you think about being open,
About being honest with yourself…

'Cuz things will never be the saaaame…

They cross the road, ignoring the people who are staring at them.

So I guess I'll see you, I'll see you around!
I'm spinning while falling down…
Now you know why I'm begging you to staaaaaay…

And don't waste time getting to the point, 'cause I'm, I'm patiently waiting,
For your next phone call, your next excuse for losing sleep agaaaaiiin!
Tell me what you think about being open,
About being honest with yourself!

'Cuz things will never be the saaaaame!

They go down a hallway of light blue, then turn to face a doorway. The first one opens it up, and leads them up a long flight of stairs.

So I guess I'll see you, I'll see you around!
I'm spinning while falling down…
Now you know why I'm begging you to staaaaaay…

'Cause I can't stop it now!
It's soooo amazing how…
I know I can't, I could never walk awaaaay!

How can we resolve this now,
We let it go, and wonder how
This can never be the same…
Can never be the saaaaaaaaame!

They walk down another hallway, going to a door near the end of the hallway…

So I guess I'll see you, I'll see you around!
I'm spinning while falling down…
Now you know why I'm begging you, I'm beggiiiing…

'Cause I can't stop it now,
It's so amazing how,
I know I can't, I could never walk awaaaaaaaay!

The first one opens the door, nodding at the others as the music nears it's end.

Please don't mind what I'm trying to say, 'cause I'm, I'm being honest!

The psychiatrist sits down in his chair, the music ending. He folds his hand and smiles.

"So…what shall we talk about?"

CHARIZARD

His very presence in the room makes the temperature spike. I crank the AC up, naturally…but even then it still remains at 75…a little bit hot for my liking, especially considering I sweat like a friggin' horse when it's too hot out or I'm out exercising or working in the sun. It only takes like, all of fifteen minutes…

But time's not my concern. I'm doing this because I want the truth and nothing but. And I want the patients I'm meeting with to realize the truth themselves. The others are waiting out in the hallway.

I speak the first thing that comes to mind. "I imagine that you got quite a bunch of stares coming here."

"Oh absolutely." He says. I understand every word he says. It's like there are subtitles underneath his body as he stands, arms folded. He's feeling defensive, it's understandable. "I don't care though."

"You don't care what they were thinking? I mean, a bunch of Pokémon just walking around in one big group…"

He waves a clawed paw dismissively. "Not a big deal. If any of them had tried to capture one of us, I would have defended the whole group. I don't care what they thought about our group, not even if they recognized us from the newspapers or from the tour or from an autograph signing."

"You don't care what other people in general think?"

"Well, of course I do." He says. Too fast. Way too fast.

"Really. Well…" I learn back in my chair behind my desk. "Something tells me you not only care about what other people think of you, you have a desire to know, a very strong desire at that."

He's quiet now. Before he was being arrogant and cocky. Now he's…contemplative.

"Tell you what. Let's do some word association." I say. "I'm going to speak some words. I want you to tell me what they mean to you. Say the first thing that pops into your head when I speak the words."

He nods. He's ready.

"Sky."

"Fly."

"Earth."

"Dirt."

"Mother."

"Warmth."

Hmm. Could…I'd better clinch it.

"Father."

"Warmth as well."

"Brother."

"Guide."

"Sister."

"Protect."

"Fire."

"Alive."

"Love."

"Passion."

"Life."

"Freedom."

"Death."

"Sucks."

I smile at this. "I think so too."

"Are we almost done?" He asks.

"No, not yet." I draw in a breath. A few more words. I begin again. "Charmander."

"Mischief."

"Charmeleon."

"Independence.

"Charizard."

"Pride."

One more word…

"Dragon."

"Guardian."

Of course. Perfect sense. I ask him to sit down. I reach into my desk, putting the notepad away for a moment while I draw out what I'm looking for from a drawer. "I'm now going to give you the Rorschach, or Inkblot Test." I tell him. "I want you to look at these inkblots and tell me what you see in them. Be honest."

"Sure." He says, nodding his draconic head. I sit in a chair in front of him as he crouches down on the ground, putting his tail to his side. His orange skin seems to…well, glow. He's strong in body. But what of the mind…the MIND is what I want to know.

I hold up an inkblot. The very first.

"A beautiful butterfly."

A lot of people say that. I smile and show him the next one.

"A rising fire."

"Rising in a good or bad way?"

"It's like it's trying to reach the very stars themselves…" He says.

"Alright. How about this one?"

"I see two people holding each other. They're in love."

"How about this?"

"I see…it looks like an explosion. Something heavy was blown apart."

"This one?"

"A gigantic piece of gold."

"This one, what do you see?"

"It looks like a sky filled with stars."

"This?"

"A group huddling around a big figure who's trying to keep them safe and close."

"And this?" It's the last one. He looks it over, then smiles.

"It looks like a hand. Stretched out to offer help."

I nod. "I see."

It's been said that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Maybe it is. But sometimes it's not. And when it's NOT, then put it down in pen! And that's what I do, writing furiously. I "hmm-hmm" to myself, then when I'm finished I look up.

"What does truth mean to you?" I ask him.

"Truth?"

"Yes. Can you think of a time when truth was important?"

My patient traces a line in the air, imagining a moment in time. Then he speaks. "Well…yes…"

…

…

…

…A young Charmander, the lovable little fire lizard, is sitting right next to Pikachu, the electric mouse. The two hadn't been getting along lately…mostly because Charmander was going through puberty, and was being seriously affected by hormones, and Pikachu was a no-nonsense type. Charmander was doing his darndest not to clamp his jaws over the "stinkin' rat's" head.

"I need some time alone. When does Nick come back from town with Pidgeotto and Eevee again?"

"…in two hours." Pikachu said.

"Ugh!" Charmander walked off, into the forest. He brushed some foliage aside, trampling through bushes. Then…

"Psst…"

His head snapped up. He looked around.

"Psst."

Nobody was there…

"PSST!"

He looked up, and saw a Pokémon hanging from a tree branch. It looked like a tanned dog with a long tail…that had a PAINTBRUSH at the end of it. It was also wearing some kind of artist's cap upon it's head, and it looked very, very keen.

"Who are you?"

"Call me Pollock." The Smeargle said. "And my art is an explosion of passion and talent! Please, allow me to paint you!"

"Uh…" Charmander stepped back. "Look, I need to get going." This "artsy" type was creeping him out.

"Look, I'm a famous painter around these parts. I can make you well known as a model here."

Charmander blinked. "Gee, that's nice, but…"

"And I'll pay you…"

Charmander's eyes went wide. "R-Really?"

"Oh yes…I get good money for my works. You can get half!"

Half…Charmander immediately wiped drool away. "Of course, I'll…I'll model for you!"

"Great! But don't tell anybody else. I want this to be our little secret. I paint better when I think "clandestine" thoughts. Now meet me at the clearing about two miles THAT way." Pollock said, pointing to the west.

Charmander nodded and walked off in that direction, grinning to himself. He then noticed Pikachu was eating a berry from a bush right ahead of him. When Pikachu saw his grin, he blinked. "What are you so happy about?"

"Oh, I'm just in a good mood." Charmander lied. "It's so pretty in this forest."

"Er, uh…yes…" Pikachu mumbled, walking off.

"Phew." Charmander thought to himself as he resumed walking towards the clearing. After half an hour, he'd reached it, and he sat down on a tree stump to wait. Fifteen minutes later…

Pikachu entered the clearing. Charmander frowned. "What are you doing here?" He demanded to know. "I'm meeting somebody here, shoo!"

"So am I! A nice Smeagle said he would paint a picture for me and he wanted to do it in this clearing. His name was-"

"Pollock?" Charmander asked, eyes going wide.

"Yes, how did…you…know…" Pikachu trailed off.

"GET THEM!" A voice shouted.

All of a sudden, Smeargle swarmed from the clearing, jumping at them. Charmander and Pikachu screamed…

TEN MINUTES LATER…

The two were hanging over a vat of paint, tied up. Charmander sighed. "This wouldn't have happened if we'd been more honest with each other."

"Now look at us…about to be dunked…how humiliating…"

…

…

…

…"Sounds like that "Pollock" sent you on the Smeargle equivalent of a Snipe Hunt. Tricked you but good."

"Yeah…after they'd dunked us and taken a turn whacking us with their paws, leaving their "mark", we ran back to our trainer. Once he'd finished laughing he washed and dried us off. I found out that those Smeargles played pranks like that on newcomers to the forest all the time. Of course if I'd just been honest with Pikachu before, then we would have been ready…"

"Tell me about your trainer."

He sighs. He then turns and sits down on the big plush couch I have, FINALLY making use of it. His tail is held up, the flame upon the end burning slowly. His wings fold slightly, the inner blue of it contrasting greatly with his fiery tail…it's such a serene shade of blue…but his eyes…they're dark green, like…like a beautiful emerald that's shaded by a cave's lack of light. He looks at the ceiling, diving into his past.

"We never really THOUGHT we'd meet him. But we…we felt it. We imagined it in our heads. As far as the people from his world think, we're pixels on a screen, that's it. But he felt we were more. He always did. So many do. Enough so that it makes it all worthwhile.

When he showed up by accident in our world…a paradise untouched by man, it was amazing. I was a Charmander then, I'd changed due to the Legendaries decree. There were no humans in our world, in the Legendaries "paradise", and the person I saw in the forest clearing could have been ANY human. Logically, anyhow. But I knew, I felt it in my tail. It was him. My trainer from the other world. And he'd come to ours!"

He laughs, a deep, sizzling, jovial sound.

"He was so amazed at it. He almost touched my tail and burnt himself. Heh…I quickly introduced him to the world he'd landed in, telling him about how there were no humans, and how he had come to gather all of those that were his, all of his allies, his…his Pokémon. I knew he'd say yes. And he did.

So I took him to meet Pidgeotto. And she was ECSTATIC. She hugged him so hard, almost crying. She really loved him.

He was so brave…"

Charizard's voice becomes…pained.

"He…he heard from us that the Legendaries looked down on humans as being destructive. He felt he could convince them that we Pokémon and humans could live together in peace again. But then when we eventually met up with Pikachu and his two brothers, they…they were..."

Charizard closes his eyes. His claws clench along with his teeth. "Kidnapped to be executed by a Sneasel assassin for…for abetting a human…they were taken instead of Pikachu because he was off with US, while we were convincing him to come with us instead of staying with his brothers. Nick suggested he bring his brothers, and he would have, he…he really would have. I know he would have. But then we saw the smoke.

By the time we got there, it was too late.

Pidgeotto was heartbroken too. She loved them like little kids. And Pikachu…

He made a vow of hate to kill Sneasel. It would take a long time before Nick got him to forgive. But there's something that reminds me of, something I can't forget, ever."

Charizard takes a deep breath, then slowly opens his eyes.

"When all of us were together, we told him what it all meant…we were going against the Legendary Pokémon. The rulers of the world. Our heroes! And what did he say when we told him he could die, that he would be tortured, broken, killed, that any number of things could happen to him?"

"What did he say?"

"He said it wasn't about him. It was about what was right and what was wrong. And that the separation, the segregation they'd forced upon the world was wrong. What they'd done to the two Pichus had been wrong. He said he didn't care if he died, if it meant bringing two worlds together, he'd do it. And then he stuck his hand out and asked if we were with him."

Charizard smiles. "We were. Always have been. And we had so much fun…I miss him, he…"

He cries a little, laughing slightly. "He used to get me to laugh as a Charmander, when I was just a little fire lizard he could hold in his arms…he'd give me a horse kiss when I was being grumpy. And after a couple times I stopped blowing soot in his face after a few times…he just…even when we were always being on the run, even when everyone wanted to capture us or kill us, he was always happy.

He was always brave. I understand that now. He knew it was dangerous, but he smiled at it and kept going forward.

I wish I could have told him that before he had to go home to his world. I wonder what he's doing now…"

I nod. "You've been very brave coming here to talk to me. I'm grateful. And I know Nick would be grateful to hear your kind words."

He gets up. His tears have dried against his scales. He smiles and nervously scratches his neck. "Thank you, sir."

"Tell the next patient he can come in. And Charizard?"

He had been reaching for the door. He turns around. "Yes?"

"I think Nick's proud of how brave you are. First one in and everything. It takes a brave man to be honest."

He breaks into a big, happy grin. It's like he's won the lottery. He nods eagerly, then walks out, calling out her name. I write down my analysis on my notepad…

Subject: Charizard.

He had a good relationship with his parents. They protected him. They were, to him, a guide. The first thing that springs to his mind when he thinks of them is warmth…the warmth of love, of being held in somebody's arms. From this, he gained a sense of compassion, to know that one should love others. A brother must have somebody to look up to, a sister should have one to look after her. A little old-fashioned, but noble.

Dragons are often portrayed as destructive, as forces of nature like fire. They are supposed to be powerful, terrible, cruel. But they never slaughtered or burnt or slew and called it morality. Trying to excuse your evil as something good is, in a way, more evil than just doing evil simply because it's what's expected of you.

He dislikes death. He has a slightly simplistic worldview. Fire is alive, living, free. It is ambition, rising up into the sky to prove how brightly it glows in the night. Death brings an end to life. Hence the term "snuffed out"…your life is like a candle. It only lasts so long, yet can bring such warmth and light in the right circumstances.

Charizard is a leader. He is sort of like a parental figure who's watching out for the others, a defender for those who can't stand up for themselves. He's dedicated and believes with all honesty that they need him…and they probably do. People need somebody to look up to. And it's not that bad to have somebody like him as leader.

A dragon guards that which is most precious to it with its own life, using all of its power and flame to defend it. It never lets others touch or take its treasure. Charizard's treasure is the other Pokémon whom he looks after.

He could be considered dangerous, but only if you threaten those that cannot fight back. If you do, he will burn you with righteous fire. Don't antagonize him…but don't fear him either. He's a soft-hearted person. I mean, he likes horse kisses. It would be a good idea for him to leave him untouched, to continue to let him interact with the others and to take care of him. Perhaps, in time, he should be shown other Charizards…it might be wise to "find him a decent girl".

Perhaps one day he'll be not only a leader, but an actual father figure. That would be a beautiful thing.

I tap my pen against the desk, thinking. There are Legendary Pokémon and Legendary Trainers. This "Nick" appears to be one of those trainers who was special. I hope I can get some other information about him from my next patient...