slam, SLAM!, slam, slam , SLAM!
Scott stepped back from the training gear and sighed. His sweat pouring down his body and drenching his light clothing. He'd been training for roughly a month here. He had another two weeks to go before he'd paid his debt off and now he'd wished that he hadn't revealed so many of his suspicions to his 'sponsor'.
When he agreed to be a pokegirl adventurer, he never realized that his training would be accelerated heavily. Practically all he did now was training his mind and body. His nominal clerical work job had been given back to the original person who performed that task, and now he was a full time trainee.
Ten hours a day, six days a week. It had been grueling, but he could start to see the difference. It's amazing how hard a body can be worked if they use magic to remove the toxins built up by the activity. The muscles healed on their own and at a much accelerated pace due to this, as well as the diet he'd been placed on.
Four of his hours a day still revolved around history and magic studies, but his physical training still took precedent. He'd be expected to be part of any combat that occurred instead of simply a 'general' barking orders at his troops, like most tamers tend to think of themselves.
While he'd probably never be on par with the girls on his team, he'd at least be able to survive a surprise encounter or two hopefully.
At night he slept with modified teaching machines attached, to reinforce and accelerate his knowledge in certain areas. It took longer due to his human heritage, but they did work. The concept was similar to listening to books on tape while you slept. He'd learned a decent amount of spanish like this back home. Basic, utilitarian spanish, with a poor accent and incomplete sentence structuring skills, but still spanish.
It had taken two weeks to convince him she wasn't trying to brainwash him in his sleep. He still wasn't sure he believed she wasn't. Especially when he learned how to knit and sew overnight. Necessary survival skills his ass.. well sewing is useful and he'd done a bit of that in the army as needed, but was he expected to knit his own clothes in the wild?
Still, the night time subliminal learning had performed it's duty, and his knowledge and such of basic needed skills had grown.He had learned some general survival skills like how to make fires. He knew how to drive several different vehicles, some basic sword styles and combat moves, and his general science, biology and math type educations had increased or been refreshed.
As it turns out, the fact that he'd taken pre-calculus before, even though he'd forgotten most of it, had marked him as highly educated in this world. The science and technology was more advanced, but to be honest.. a lot of people relied heavily on their pokegirls to do everything. Including think for them. Strange then, that pokegirls were considered less intelligent than 'real' people.
Scott gazed at the training machine and nodded. He was done for the day, and the readout display had shown him his improvements and lingering deficiencies. His raw physical strength had slightly more than doubled in the month that he'd trained here. It seemed a little fast to him, but you can do similar back home if all you do is train.
He was a long way from Mr. universe level musculature, and he'd be laughed out of the olympics if he showed up for the weight lifting competition, but still, he could bench three hundred pounds now. His upper body strength had always been lagging before. By the time he was done paying off his debt, he might finally reach the four hundred club. His actual muscles hadn't increased that much in size really. He'd just been getting better at using what he had.
The read-out displayed that he was still only using eighteen percent of his true capacity though. It had raised an entire two percent since his training had started. If he ever made any improvements in those 'chi' classes he had to take, he might be able to use more of his strength.
Most people never realize how strong they really are. Heck even world class body builders and weight lifting olympic gold medalists rarely are able to tap more than twenty to thirty percent of what their bodies can really do.
Scott, shut the machine down and toweled off. He'd hit the showers, get changed and go see the doc to get his body cleansed of the bio-toxins a hard work out produces, and then get some dinner.
Hopefully he'd be allowed to eat real food again soon. The chalky tasting stuff he ate five times a day, was filling and extremely nutritious, but did little to satisfy his taste buds.
-------------------
He was sitting in his room, a reasonably appointed but smallish little room on the eastern side of the research complex, gazing softly at the computer screen again. He'd brought her file up for the tenth time this week. It showed a digital rendition, and bio-specs as well as win loss record, but beyond that the file spoke of nothing about the life and welfare of one Serena Tsukino, now known as 'Usagi'.
The asshole that had legal claim to her life had apparently made her fight eight times this month. She'd lost six of those fights, and been brought badly damaged to the poke-center on five separate occasions. One of which had nothing to do with a prior pokegirl battle.
Scott might have been gazing at the screen softly, but inside his heart and soul seethed. He couldn't stand this attitude people had about pokegirls. Sure, he knew a lot of the feral ones had to be dealt with and some even were killed as a necessity. It wasn't the case with threshold girls though. They all had lived among normal humans all their lives. Yet, they were treated the same as some mindless beast ravaging the forests and towns.
He'd lost track of how many times he'd shed a silent set of tears and softly whispered, "I will set you free again." He felt deeply that he had failed her, and the thought of some sadistic asshole tormenting her and ruining that kind and sweet spirit tore at him deeply.
He had to finish preparing though. He didn't even have a pokegirl team mate yet. His initial training was about to end soon, and his first mission. A simple courier assignment to the town would begin. 'Usagi' was already halfway across the continent though. She would have to hold on till he could come for her.
Besides, if his suspicions about all these youma 'pokegirl' attacks was right, then a lot more was riding on Serena's freedom than simple heartfelt desire not to see her abused. She might just be the only thing that can save this world from utter destruction.
Scott shut down his comp, and settled into bed. Three more days and his debt would be paid. His training ends tomorrow, to give him a few days to rest up and prepare, and then he'd be setting off on his first mission. He'd have to go alone to the town, to deliver a package to the guild office there.
He supposedly would be able to trade his first months pay allotment from them for a 'starter' pokegirl. The concept rather unsettled him and made him mildly nauseas, but he'd go through with it. If he was stuck in such a dark world besotted with intolerance, bigotry and ignorance then he'd have to do his best to make life just a little better for the few people he could help.
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"So you're ready to go Scott?" asked professor Ophun. She'd checked over his equipment list, and the like and granted him some basic starting gear unique to his new profession.
The man nodded to her after hefting his pack. Despite the number of items inside he'd hefted far heavier in earlier day, or perhaps with all his physical training of late it had simply seemed lighter. He'd spent just a little over a month in solid training and with the accelerated methods they used on him, he'd gotten the same as if he'd worked out for six months at the same pace. He had about three months total worth of various concentrated combat skills on top of that.
Hand to hand combat wise, he'd probably be considered something around the ambiguous 'brown belt' level in the generic basic martial art style they taught there. It seemed rather quick to have reached that level since all he knew of the 'art' before that had been kung fu moves, and his yellow belt in taekwondo, mixed with the tiny amount of army combatives he'd taken for like forty five minutes on the occasional Thursday back on base.
Though, considering he did the equivalent of four to six hours a day six days a week for a month helped him along greatly. It was almost like having a full-time job as a martial arts trainee. Another three months there and he'd of reached master status. In a normal pace with that much training time, it would have taken about two years. The generic art was just a basic one with lots of street fighting tactics thrown in. Proven to be highly effective, but nothing too fancy too it.
Some of the more esoteric arts took a life time to master. Which is why traditional martial arts training had almost died out. They took a lot longer, and with the exception of certain grappling arts, and chi oriented ones, they had proven entirely ineffective against pokegirls.
The modern combat art that was taught now, was about as bare bones as it got, though it proved effective in some situations with very near human, and near human pokegirls. There were certain special schools of the art that focused on particular pokegirl breed types like ponytaur and such, or the dragon type girls, but that wasn't included in the core discipline.
He'd shown his best skills in the use of unarmed combat, staves and to a slightly lesser extent swords. Of course his swordsmanship training had only just begun two weeks ago, so that could account for it.
Professor Ophun heard him mutter once or twice after seeing his gear, and she thought for the life of her he'd said something about being 'level one'. She didn't quite know what he was talking about, but figured it was some obscure reference to his former home life. The only levels she knew of were pokegirl levels, tamer levels (a statistical refference only) and the like. He'd have a guild level as a reference to pay grade and the like, but he wasn't even officially registered at the office yet. He was only on retainer status.
His actual adventurer level wouldn't be decided until he'd been 'classed' and sanctioned.
"Ok.. um.. why is THIS.. in here..?" asked Scott with a straight face. In his hand was a big floppy blue item that greatly resembled the masculine side of the genital arena. For those that don't understand, he was holding a big floppy blue rubber dick.
The curvy professor smirked, "So THAT'S where he got off to.. naughty boy.." before walking over and retrieving her 'precious'.
Scott quirked an eyebrow and fought against the blush creeping up to his cheeks. He wouldn't let himself focus too much on that bit of trivia. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to leave..
"Well.. I should be off.." he said at last, before a slight wave and a down cast look. He was happy to finally be out doing something, but at the same time, he'd gotten comfortable with his routine here. It was a ten mile mini trek to the town, and another three to get to the regional office.
He'd managed to make a similar run in just under three hours back in his army days, and now he was in MUCH better shape. Still, he saw no reason to push himself. He had till tomorrow to get there anyway. If for some ungodly reason he didn't make it, he'd have to wait till next month. Ah well, if it happened he'd just get another month of training. Which honestly wouldn't hurt. He was at minimum standards for entry as it was.
--------------------
Scott got his first good look at a pokegirl world town without an escort four hours later. He'd ended up lightly jogging half of the distance anyway, since he'd wanted to get on with his life.
The 'city' wasn't exactly what Scott was expecting. He was used to large sprawling constructs that ate up vast portions of real estate. This city was more along the lines of a small to moderately sized rural town. Yet, it was considered large in size. It was also touted as the largest and finest city this side of nameless river. The nameless river, called such because no one could decide what it should be called. runs across a quarter of the continent from north to south.
He wandered aimlessly for a little while, soaking up what passed for culture here, as he made his way slowly towards his location. A short thirty minute hike up the small hill that the office rested on later and Scott was staring at the entrance to one of the most dilapadated buildings he'd seen to date.
The wooden door looked like it was about to fall off the frame, and the whole structure creaked when the wind blew. His misgivings about this new 'profession' of his were growing greater by the moment.
Inside all he saw was a desk next to a ladder leading down. Since he saw no one at the desk, he approached to see if anything was useful on it. There were random papers strewn about, and a little handbell.
A helpful sign directed him to ring bell for service, or take the ladder down if a guild member.
Scott shrugged and lifted the little bell, ringing it loudly. He waited a few minutes and heard nothing so he rang it again. A few more minutes and still nothing.
With a small sigh he wandered over to the ladder and climbed down, entering an underground tunnel system that was well lit by electric lighting.
The tunnel system was short with a few guide arrows here and there directing you towards one room or another. The underground complex seemed to be much better appointed than the shack above ground.
Rounding one corner, he came across another desk, this one with a receptionist. Said receptionist was an aging calico colored catgirl. A catgirl that was seemingly asleep.
"Hello, miss?" asked Scott, to the slumbering pokewomon. No answer prompted him to speak louder, but still nothing.
He reached over and shook her, but all that did was cause her to shake a little. There was no waking this chick! On closer inspection he could see some kind of fine powder on her face.
He pulled her head back by the hair and took a good look at the glittering substance and blinked. His recent tutoring immediately recalled the look and nature of some of the poisons random pokegirls used, and this seemed to match with what he considered sleep powder to look like.
Taking a bottle of water from his pack, and a cloth, he soaked it down and then carefully wiped the substance away from her face, getting as much off as he could.
A few minutes later she woke up groggily and wobbled in her seat.
"Excuse me.. miss?" Scott asked again, this time hoping someone would answer. Particularly the someone in front of him.
The catgirl perked up at hearing his voice and then hissed at him. "D-don'tsh come any clowsher..! I'll call shthe pweesh." slurred the sleep drunk pokewomon.
"You might want to anyway! Look. I don't know what's going on here, but when no one answered up top I came down to see about my registration and found you covered in some kind of powder." Said the man, as his hand moved slowly down to the little tube at his hip. His shock stick might not do much, but it's all he had.
The girl wobbled as she tried to get a good look at him. "K.. um.. uh.. " she began as his slurring began to ease off.
Scott squinted at her and moved his hand away. How long had she been out of it? Worse yet, had whatever done this still linger in the building?
"You're a new recruit?" came a masculine voice from behind him.
The man spun around, whipping out his shock stick and preparing himself.
"Whoa! Whoa..! Calm down there man..!" exclaimed the older gentleman. He had a distinguished upper crust sort of look about him, but at his side rested a sword that did not look like decoration.
Scott, eased his stance a little, but didn't turn the power cell to his stick off. "Yeah.. i'm new.. and i'd like to know what's going on here? This girl has been drugged, and I saw no one else around."
The man nodded, as he studied the fresh meat, as he privately considered all raw recruits. His eyebrows rose a little at the strength in his energy signature, but didn't mention anything about that as he spoke, "Yes, I was wandering around here waking everyone up. This installation was recently attacked by a group of rogue tamers calling themselves the 'brotherhood'. They don't seem to be too interested in wholesale slaughter, but don't balk at loosing sleep powder into an air circulation system, and then robbing a place blind."
Scott squinted at the man. "If that's the case, then how come this girl behind me only had powder on her face?" he asked, while the catgirl in question wobbled and fell over again hitting her head on the table with a meaty thwack.
"I found three others like her. Apparently when they came through after most of the staff passed out, they 'dusted' anyone that resisted the diluted effects from earlier." responded the man.
Scott nodded to himself, but he still didn't completely buy the story. How did this guy know all this?
The man picked up on Scott's disbelieving expression and using a minor pyschic talent for empathy discerned what he was about to ask and beat him too it. "They left a note."
"Heh, nice of em..."
--------------------
Scott sat in his room at the guild and pondered his new assignment. He'd delivered his package, which turned out to be his recruitment packet among other things. It still counted as a mission though, so he had been given a mission point towards increasing his adventurer level.
The old man was generous and designated another point to him for helping the receptionist out. His questioning of the old fart, plus the help granted to the girl counted as a support role even if it wasn't solicited.
After everyone woke up, he was rushed through processing that afternoon, since they'd be closing down registration early this month. Normally it was open for the last three days of the month, but the assault had put everything out of whack. He'd be the last applicant till the end of next month.
Scott gazed at his memo sheet, and info packet for his upcoming mission. He was supposed to escort a local scientist to the 'Ophun reasearch institue.' So his very first mission.. was to backtrack to where he came from. Oh well, easy credits.
He glanced at his pay grade and classification information and chuckled. He was classed and then sub-classed due to his prior military training and lack of special abilities or blood gifts. He was a melee fighter, with the sub-class of soldier. His payrate was basically the same as he'd been getting from the dimensionally dispossessed dark elf hottie he worked for.
The man was relieved and at the same time disappointed that he couldn't get a starter pokegirl right now. He'd been offered the only pokegirl who hadn't been stolen, but he wasn't too fond of the snorlass type in general. Plus he'd barely cover his own food expenses as it is.
He still had his starter pokeball though, so who knew maybe something would turn up.
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Well, there we go for chapter five. Nothing majorly interesting I might suppose, but all the little incidentals are finally taken care of and the story can truly begin. hehe.
To those who despise me for writing an alternate universe story.. I'll live. I couldn't do this story idea in the pokegirl 'canon' universe because it would screw up the timeline and everything. So I made a pokegirl sailormoon fusion and added some random things I was interested in doing into the mix.
The adventurer's guild for instance doesn't exist in the standard pokegirl timeline. I might write another story soon, but since I prefer to only do self-insertion stories to story ideas I don't see done to death, I don't know.
The alternate universe, and self-inserts are pretty much all I write for fanfiction, since my time for 'fun writing' is limited and my other writing is mainly to get paid for. :)
