The average human needs somewhere between six and nine hours of sleep per night for optimum health and cognition. Usually, they can function relatively effectively on slightly less over short periods of time.
I require exactly nine, and I rapidly degrade with less.
The first day after I have gotten insufficient sleep is effectively normal. I am tired, irritable, and unfocused, but I have been told that even in this state I am more pleasant than Cheren.
The second day is much the same, but my friends' voices become vague and indistinct. Suddenly I am only getting the essence of their words, not the details. While distressing for me, they rarely notice, unless for some reason they are telling me a phone number.
By the third day they're usually able to notice. The first time it happened, I was dragged to a Pokemon Center by my hair and given a referral to a human doctor. I could not understand his words, but Darmanitan seemed apologetic.
It was three more days before I was able to get an appointment with that doctor. By that point, the only friend I understood was the one who rarely speaks. Several of the others thought I was ignoring them.
The doctor had gentle eyes and blue-black hair, and he asked me why I couldn't sleep. When I told him, he referred me to a psychiatrist.
I saw little point in making that appointment; part of me still feared I would be told that speaking to Pokemon in the first place was the problem.
I continued in my duty as if nothing happened, became ill, and was relieved. I did little but sleep for two weeks, and when a phone call from Reshiram woke me, I understood every word he said.
That was a year ago.
I went to bed at exactly eight P.M. last night. I fell asleep around nine-thirty. It is now nine. And I have been going to bed as soon as I feel tired each night, and waking without alarms for a week now.
Samurott is holding the xtransceiver and shouting something, but I cannot understand him. He's repeating himself.
Is this the call I have been dreading? The one that has taken the rest of out of my sleep?
She walks up, holding out her hand to him, and he hands over the device. At this distance, I cannot hear her soft voice, or the voice on the other line. I can only see her lips move, her straight-backed posture, her blue eyes turned cold. They soften. She nods, affirming something into the xtransceiver, ending the call. Then she walks over to me and sits on the bed.
I smile, although I do not feel like smiling.
"Rood is going to help the Triad with Ghetsis. Bianca's bringing Musharna over. Breakfast?"
I suppose there is no need to understand words so long as we all understand each other's needs.