Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. The Rights are owned by the Pokémon Company.
If you peer a bit sideways you might see that this chapter slipped into bordering the Grimdark in places.
World-building took a glimpse into the abyss and the abyss glimpsed back.
I wake up from a night of unruly sleep to find my sleeping spot disturbed. From where I fell asleep I've made a visible furrow across the room. Adding the fact that I don't feel well-rested to faint recollections of battling 'something'; I must have been dreaming and fighting in my sleep.
Having fallen asleep while brewing up a storm of seething anger at the humbling and helplessness I experienced that day must have set it off.
I draw in a breath to get up and moving, I'm surprised when I get only halfway before I feel the familiar feeling of resistance and compression. There's a sensation of already having filled my chambers and inside there's a buildup of energy. I immediately tense and let go of all the built up pressure. Instead of releasing a jet of pressurized gas my entire nest is enveloped in a blast of finely grained particles that are infused with my energy. I can feel and control the storm encircling me and every surface it touches is, like a radar, sending back its relative position around me.
Would you look at that. I learned sandstorm in my sleep.
I'm going to have to take a minute to think this through before playing around with it, because I can already feel the pull of keeping it up and active. After letting it go it stays up for a while except now I can no longer feel the radar-like effect.
Let's try that again with a different ratio, less sand and more air.
The resulting blast has a higher velocity but is less intense on the energy consumption, which I assume is because of the lowered mass of particulates that I am having to keep in motion.
It's still drawing more energy than I am comfortable with considering I am unable to refill my energy stores.
Just out of curiosity I do one more test, this time with more matter and less air.
As I pass half full I already sense that this is not going to work, I'm starting to feel internally heavy, instead of staying granular the sand is being compacted by the internal pressure and rather than being charged up for release, the energy is infused into the solid mass which is now somehow holding a charge. To what end? I have no idea. With the amount of mass currently in my chambers I must have increased my weight by at least half of that from my normal 'empty' state.
While I purge my chambers following my experiment I imagine the possibilities.
With a lot of training I can probably achieve something similar to circular breathing which would allow me to keep up an ever worsening sandstorm that'd only be limited by my energy reserves.
My Pupitar-form is constantly working to increase the potency of my energy, simultaneously I am guessing that my physical growth and maturity will expand my reservoir into something frightful as I evolve into Tyranitar.
I imagine an opponent stuck inside a sandstorm that effectively renders them blind, the sound of millions of grains of sand rubbing against each other, feeling the sand scraping against their skin and being unable to breathe in fear of drowning in sand, knowing that they're in the presence of a Tyranitar that knows exactly where they are and can keep up the storm indefinitely. All the while the energy driving the storm exerts a constant pressure infused with dark intentions
...I'm metaphorically drooling.
Come to think of it, isn't that the ability it got when I played HeartGold? Tyranitar enters battle and automatically starts a sandstorm that 'coincidentally' boosts its special defense.
If I'm going to go around prepared to unleash a sandstorm I can see that contributing to the low speed stat that the Larvitar evolution line has in the games.
While I'm not agile as a Pupitar, I am fast considering my jets. But carrying up to half my weight in sand would slow me down in two regards; decreased thrust capacity combined with there being more mass to move. More mass, less gas to pressurize, weaker jets.
On the topic of mass... -ive, from the best of my knowledge the games indicate that I, as a Pupitar, should not tower over a full grown, fully evolved, Ursaring.
The bear-cub could be understandably 'little' in comparison, but looking down on what is the counterpart of a Grizzly Bear is not something trivial.
It might be that the games show a representation of an average individual of a species.
I remember something remotely relevant in the anime; the tiny size of Ash's Crabby.
Then at the other far end of the spectrum; the HUGE shadowy figure standing enveloped in mist by the side of a lighthouse, that I believe was a Dragonite.
So combine them and you get hints that in the 'Real Pokemon World', which is certainly not in a game or an anime, there are variations in size that are similar to what you find in the Animal Kingdom on the TRUE Earth, the REGULAR Earth, the NORMAL Earth... Crap.
So, reality check. I'm in a world with supernatural creatures. I AM a supernatural creature.
Yet I'm thinking 'Real World' physics, in a world that is clearly supernatural, dare I even say it: MAGICAL.
This internal energy; I don't know what it is, how it works or where it comes from, but I know how to use it and there is no way I am calling it magic... or PP.
Psshh, I'll keep calling it energy.
...
'This energy does things that shouldn't be possible' is my immediate response, which I suspect could limit my ability to fully reach my potential in this life. I felt it yesterday, regaining parts of my human mind has expanded my frame of reference to the point that it has drowned out some of my 'natural behaviour', my instincts, in this body.
My first thought after getting my Mama Bear Beat-Down was 'I don't want to get hit again' followed by 'I'm probably double her size and six times the weight and she sent me sliding!'.
Afterwards when I was back to being on my own I had stayed clear headed during my ruminations, but approaching my bedtime thoughts strayed increasingly towards my humbling and anger came to the fore. As I finally let my rational mind go into the arms of Morpheus; my dreams were of battle, fighting and conflict.
How much creature mentality will drip into the human before the human becomes a creature?
I'm doing a very human thing in overthinking this.
Let's just start my day as a Pupitar; I have an adorkable new friend to go visit and a mother that needs convincing that I'm trustworthy.
X.X
-6 months later-
Looking back, these months have been bittersweet. I got involved to the point where I was kind of a fixture in their little family's life. Several weeks of building up trust while 'playing' with Nibbs and trying to socialize with Mama Bear. Easier said than done when every little thing I did or said was put on the scale to judge if I was a bad influence or intentionally 'corrupting' Nibbs.
Horsing around (read: me acting as a play set) was OK. If a game got too close to anything reminiscent of adversarial roles or some of the stories about my activities outside of their little corner of the cave, we were quickly hemmed in.
What I did get to do a lot was entertaining through manipulating the surroundings, like making waves along the floor, having a lump of dirt chasing after him or vice versa, later on I was even allowed to do soft launches where I'd send him flying across the room.
By the end of our first month of getting to know each other she finally stopped looking over my shoulder.
During my visits she started to engage me in conversations and enlisted me as a babysitter while dangling promises of information as a reward.
This lead to regular conversations about the realities of being a wild 'mon in a very real Poke-World, things considered common knowledge, basics of 'mon-vernacular that almost directly relate to 'customs' and some friendly introductions with those receptive within the local community.
As for my relationship with Nibbs, I went from being the exciting new friend to reluctant 'playmate' and babysitter whenever Mama Bear went out for some time to herself or for a hunt. Yes, hunt, more on that later.
We've had various adventures in and around the local 'Water-Way' district, which is supposedly safe if you ignore the incident with the Onix and occasional low-rate battles that never escalate anywhere close to lethal levels or cause too much of a disturbance (most don't want to aggravate Grumpy, no one appreciates a grumpy Grumpy).
Out of all of the so called games we play his favourite is sitting on my shell while I go for a slow breeze through the known 'safe' passages to and from the surroundings of the lake-room.
I was 'allowed' to follow the mother and son up to the surface where I met and got introduced to the 'ruling' herd of Donphan and Phanpy. I thought they'd be the size of elephants from my old world but I didn't know I was so far off; they are tiny in comparison.
...
It was meeting the Donphan and comparing them to Mama Bear that narrowed down my size difference; if a Ursaring is circa the size of a Grizzly Bear standing upright at somewhere between 2.5 - 3.0 meters, the Donphan being a bit less than half that, then my size is probably at least 6 meters in length. Add in how girthy I am. That's insane.
...
I got to witness the meeting of the small fry; Nibbs tugging around a Phanpy, squabbling with 8 smallish Poliwag on the banks of the close-by river and laughably 'racing' a Ponyta. I had to watch from a distance since whenever I was nearby they'd be too nervous to actually do any playing. Though I was close enough that when an irritated Doduo got the idea to chase them off I just had to make my presence known to convince him otherwise.
...
Month by month I've seen the relatively rapid growth from a small teddy bear to an oddly proportioned bearling that has gone from boldly babbling to a more humorous gabbing that shows a slowly developing wit (that I'd like some credit for).
With the way I had been involved in his life you'd think from a human level that I'd fit into a big brother role, but as a 'mon I could never be placed in that kind of familial position, I had no place in their familial unit as that kind of adoption is not usual or proper between species.
All kinds of categories are available concerning relations with your own and other species; friends, lovers, rivals, enemies, competitors, caregiver, leader, student, mentor... et cetera.
I'd like to think I inhabited their family zone as a friend of Nibbs and as a strange anomaly looked on with a certain fondness by Mama Bear.
His growth reached the point which Mama Bear intentionally had never divulged would be the time of their departure from the den. He'd grown enough that she saw him fit to roam outside the safety of a protected area like the established safe-zone around Grumpy's Water-Way.
Being suddenly told that they're leaving, without any sort of warning, was hurtful and made me more than a bit mad. I felt exploited. I'd invested a lot of time into establishing this relation and they're going to just fucking LEAVE?
I didn't give much of an reaction outwards, but I could see that she'd sensed my anger. Luckily they left after a brief goodbye, before I could do something stupid and take out my anger in a way that'd upset Nibbs.
Nibbs reaction was more along the lines of; "We'll come back for visits and then you can see how BIG and STRONG I've become *wink*, I don't think we'll have a hard time finding you, you're not exactly easy to hide under a rock... or a mountain! See ya later, Hardram!"
During our time together Mama Bear made it clear that she would not entertain the thought of mentoring me in any way regarding combat, but as they were leaving she left me with some advice.
"If you want a mentor, a teacher, that'll teach you more than just the bare necessities, then go into the main deep tunnel going straight down from the surface entrance. At some point you should eventually come across an old body-sculptor that occasionally comes up the Water-Way, he is the sort to take pity on the uneducated. Be respectful and who knows? Now behave yourself and don't do anything stupid!"
Eventually come across. EVENTUALLY COME ACROSS?! What the hell kind of advice is that? How could she possibly know that they are somewhere down there?
Having an ask-around with my acquaintances around the water-way does result in the confirming answer of "Oh, yes. He comes around for a visit every now and again, he lives down deep, you know?"
So existence and direction confirmed.
*Sigh*
-Rules of Society-
So what am I left with after their departure?
Some information was kept out of reach; Mama Bear refused to discuss or reveal anything more about what could potentially be my parents, if there had been other traces or rumors about my species (like other potential hatchlings) or where I'd find anyone else of my line.
What she did do was equipping me for striking out on my own. I now have the knowledge to stay within the limits of what is socially acceptable behaviour in civil "society".
I call it that, society, but it's really not comparable to what I was a part of as a human.
Pokemon aren't human, while all of them are in most ways sentient (be conscious, responsive and present), not all of them are fully sapient (being able to think and reason, act with wisdom), this mix of higher and lower thinking is the foundation for a social system that is divided by 'intention'. Do they intend to do you harm or not?
The guidelines were laid out in a no nonsense little speech:
"Live and let live, I have no intention of getting up in your business unless you do something that makes it MY business. Maybe if you scratch my back I'll scratch yours. If someone or something comes along to disturb the status quo we might band together and put a stop to it.
Of course, if someone can't back up their end with force they are the ones that have to make allowances towards the ones more powerful in the pecking order, but goodwill goes a long way."
Sounds simple and reasonable. But realize that these are the rules of 'civilized' society. Places that are afforded these rules and guidelines by their, if not benevolent then at worst indifferent, 'Ruler'.
My earlier hypothesis on owning territory turned out to be fairly on the nose. The closest parallel in human history is a form of feudalism. With some exceptions like the ruling 'herd' of Donphan who are more along the lines of a tribe owning tribal-land or nomadic tribes that migrate and move territory.
Fiefdoms ruled by 'Lords and Ladies' that are at comparably Champion level, somewhere in the league of the 'mon owned by the Elite Four in the games. Actually, that's a good gender neutral term, so from now on I'll call the 'Rulers' Champions.
Anyway, they own territory and if they are 'nice' they shelter and allow 'societies' to live under their umbrella of protection.
Then there are those that will either chase away anything that enters their territory or, maybe worse, those that bring with them minions that exercise their authority by association, malevolent dictators that subjugate and terrorize those 'beneath' them.
That's not to say that ALL Champions have absolute control over their area, but they exist as a 'nuclear threat' that nobody sensible (weaker) would want to set off.
This allows them to dictate the living parameters and what is acceptable behaviour:
- Are mon' divided into a class system based on their species or is everyone treated according to their merits?
- Sanctioned fighting, total non-violence or somewhere in between?
- Which food sources are available, allowed, and who has first pick?
- Do they demand tribute to extend their protection?
...I could go on
Keyword in both cases is DICTATOR. ...Maybe someday the whole of Mount Silver will have an oxymoronic benevolent Tyrant.
I have yet to find out if there ever are occurrences of aggressive expansion, war, invasions that rely on the organisation of 'armies'. The whole foundation of the territory system seems for the most part to focus on the power of the individual, not so much power in numbers. Though there are partial exceptions like herds, these still do have powerful individuals as leaders, they're not democracies.
I'm not sure if that is a result of the differences between the mentality of Pokémon and humans, but it does keep conflicts closer to the individual level rather than 'leaders' sitting secure far into their own territory while sending their subordinates to die.
I think I remember a quote that says something similar to "War is young men dying and old men talking."
-Grumpy's Water-Way. The Doorstep to the Deep-
Around the watering hole and territory that colloquially is called 'The Water-Way', or my private designation 'The Lake-Room', the ruling Champion is an old Gyarados that has mellowed quite a bit in his old age. He is at the level that very few would ever consider disagreeing much less try to conquer his territory. He spends most of his time in the lake, which to my surprise goes deep and has access to an outside source of water that I have no idea where it leads off to.
His presence has given 'mon in the area, which includes the entrance to the surface and a relative small stretch into the surrounding tunnels, a chance to establish a 'civil' safe-zone nestled in between the tunnels that go up, down and away into the big perilous unknown.
I haven't seen him, but judging by the evident respect used even when jokingly referring to him as Grumpy or Grumpy Old Blue, I am not about to present myself and risk being labeled undesirable. I don't care how mellow he's become, by size alone I'd be considered a future threat, then added on top is the bad rep my species seems to have.
A small bit of luck is that my nest is a fair bit outside what could be considered the border of his territory.
The few acquaintances I have made around the lake-room (a couple of Quagsire, a young Seaking and the Golduck dubbed by others as 'The Last...') are unlikely to sabotage my 'friendly' status and will by courtesy hopefully put in a good word if it is ever put to question.
As a side note that is a bit amusing; wild 'mon consider towns and areas of human habitation as just another different kind of fiefdom/territory. Which is on the whole quite special considering that humans are outside of what might be considered the natural order.
What does that mean?
The natural order consists of every being possessing our internal sources of energy, beings that I'd say are a part of the SUPERnatural order.
I was stumped to discover that there are animals without energy, normal animals, that are living adjacent in the ecosystem dominated by Pokémon. These consist mainly of herbivores that manage to coexist and not be out-competed like presumably the bigger predators, which are nonexistent, have been.
Hence humans are somewhat outside of the natural order in their lack of internal energy, but they are still a presence that is considered relevant in aspects like owning territory. Though they aren't usually the ones regarded as the area's leaders.
When Mama Bear went out hunting it was predation on elk that was her usual game and what she'd bring back as Nibbs main fare. Not that his diet didn't consist of other stuff, bears are omnivores, Teddiursa are indeed true to the stereotypical honey-crazed Pokédex entry.
There's still the question of what people with psychic powers, like the ones from the games, should be considered; "Humons"? ...he jokes while speculating about interbreeding.
Back to the cave system, while the Grumpy Gyarados is protective of his territory the radius is relatively short and doesn't cover more than the immediate area around the lake.
It is figuratively just the doorstep into the ever expanding labyrinth built by centuries, probably millennia, of feeding Onix and other burrowers (like me).
If I take a left turn after I exit my nest I am heading into uncharted territory without a benefactor to run to for protection. Which I have admittedly done a few times on my own time, though never wandering too far (something I never told Mama Bear about).
From what I could gather from my lessons and rumors heard around the 'watering-hole' I believe there's a possibility that where the natural tunnels in one cave ends the dug out tunnels may be connecting natural caves from all over. Underground highways that may lead to game locations like Mount Mortar, Victory Road and Mount Moon.
Supposedly the further out into the network you get the more wild and savage it becomes.
The locals have a term they use that sounds quite ominous; THE DEEP!
What's in the deep?
I don't know, but I sure want to find out.
-Language and customs-
At this point it is probably time to bring some context to all the different titles and different ways things are named. Stuff that I speculate originates from our communication being a sort of mix between empathy and thought-speak.
I was a bit taken aback when Mama Bear was affronted at our use of personal names right after meeting. Unbeknownst to past-me that is considered a serious faux pas.
Personal names and their use is reserved for ones that you have a very close personal relationship with. My internal use of teddy bear, chatterbox, bear-cub, little bear and Teddiursa would actually be considered more appropriate out in open conversation.
It goes back to what Nibbs told me during our first introduction "...She says 'A name is a title describing something about you or about what you've done.'"
Unless you have a close relationship with someone you are to use 'names' that refer to something they are known for or a characteristic that sets them apart.
This means that in pokemon communities that typically number under the hundreds (technically not very big) an example would be:
If someone can be described as 'the female Ursaring that is a mother' an appropriate and customary title would be like my use of Mama Bear or Momma Ursaring or Ursa-Mom... or any variation that makes her distinguishable to me as an individual.
If there are several different Ursaring with cubs you just add modifiers or simply use some other physical characteristic or personality trait. Size, colouring, demeanor, something they're known for (like their past and their achievements), etc.
So unless you are really close to someone you refer to others by one or more unrelated titles. Your public 'name' can be several different titles that are unrelated, just as long as the 'persmon' is identifiable.
In my old human neighbourhood there was a lady that lived on the back end of the cul de sac who was a bit eccentric and owned several cats. So we called her 'crazy cat lady', 'the cat lady' or 'Madam Fur' on account of the amount of cat hair on her clothes.
Rude and inappropriate in human-society but In Poké-society that's the way it works.
I have yet to reach the point where I've earned the right to use or know the personal name of Mama Bear, even after learning some of her background and having developed an amicable relationship.
My titles so far all originate from my size or way of communicating, I don't know if the superficiality is a compliment or 'depokénizing?' considering I'm easily identifiably 'one of the tyrants' which is something I've heard a couple of times after having first interactions.
'One of the tyrants' brings with it several prejudices and negative connotations.
Common courtesy around here seems to have encouraged the use of 'kinder' descriptives like 'the big anomaly', 'the big wordy one', 'the heavy thinker', 'the oddity' or their shortened forms of 'anomaly, 'wordy one', 'thinker' and sometimes just 'Odd'. ..."Hello, I'm 'Odd'."
Funny thing about the way we communicate is that things you don't have a basis or context to understand makes you fill in the blanks with what's sometimes nonsense.
Other times...
I got really tickled when a Phanpy called me something that in my head got translated to 'Shellzilla' or 'Pupazilla'. "Oh no! RuN AwAY! It's SHELL-JIRA!" *Snort*
...
Having someone use your personal name feels very special when you otherwise only hear various titles, which has made being referred to as Hardram by only one person, Nibbs, a soothing balm to my sense of needing some kind of a connection.
I have managed to remember that it should be Hadrian Bertram, not Hardram, but it kinda stuck and now I'm more or less happy with it. It is admittedly weirdly funny. Ram hard - Hardram.
...
The way it works with place-names, historical events and things that are relative and relevant to the species is really interesting.
Like if I didn't have a understanding of the context, then Nibbs use of 'den' would've been 'nest'.
The Donphan on the outside call the cave 'Great Sea Serpent's Hollow' and it basically means the same thing as something like Grumpy's Water-Way to the insiders.
An example is how lifespan seems to make the concept 'long ago' very different for a typically long-lived rock-type and a short-lived bug-type.
...
Actually mentioning typing, I understand its use by humans in the anime and as mechanics in the games.
The reality I've found is a bit different than what I first believed.
I've put some thought into it being a human contrivance that is superficial and inaccurate, yet they do fit and cover several characteristics that allows for quick generalizations to understand strengths and weaknesses in physical or mental attributes, but don't make sense if you consider our energy.
Seriously, what is a NORMAL-type? Is it that their energy is normal or not special? Isn't there anything special about normal-type energy?
How can Pokémon learn moves outside of their typing? Is it possible to change my energy? Is that how I'll learn elemental moves?
TMs should be bullshit, if they even exist in this reality.
I don't have anything solid to back up my gut feeling, but the whole thing feels wrong.
Now that I intimately know my energy and its use I can certainly understand why it earns Pupitar a Ground/Rock typing, but why the hell would I lose my ground typing when I evolve? Is it just a constraint of game mechanics again? Food for thought.
-The Ugly Side-
With everything I learned about polite society and the expectations of living in a safe-zone the following lessons about other side of life were obviously included.
There are good reasons for seeking safety and order under someone more powerful.
While the energy-less animals are generally more acceptable prey for the decent and 'moral' in the 'mon-population, there are always the bad apples, admittedly more common in certain species, outliers that are violent and predatory far beyond the natural food-chain. Some 'mon do naturally eat other 'mon.
But there are some things that really put the monster in Pokémon, things you'd never find in a kid-friendly game or anime series.
The bloodthirsty, the sadists, the murderers, spree killers and mass murderers...
One example hit close to home.
Semi-Champions that do 'cullings', which is what I found out Mama Bear had been the victim of.
A cub from a different male Ursaring was found 'unacceptable'.
So after a maternal defensive that was little more than a futile struggle against the overpowering might of a newly crowned champion, the now supposed authority of the area.
All she could do was escape to bury her lost one and flee far from the forest where she'd been living for a big part of her early life.
There are reasons to be cautious. This natural instinct to battle and improve is there for a good reason.
That story really set off something in me, Human and Pupitar, I still had some naivete and hidden hopes about a world where everything turns out alright in the end.
...
Power. It all comes back around to power. Power to enforce your will. Power to protect.
I'm still lacking in the kind of power I need to protect what's mine.
It seems like I will be heading into the deep tunnels in search for a teacher. In search of power..
-On the day before heading into the deep end with no flotation device-
It has been over a week since my only stable fixture in life upped and left me.
I have spent it reflecting on my time with 'the Ursa' and what my reluctant teacher/friend imparted about reality as seen through her lens as an Ursaring.
Some things still seem a bit Farfetch'd. *wink*
What little I've done on my own time over the previous months is some cautious exploration down the left side tunnel from my nest and practicing my sandstorm to the point that I can keep it going as long as I want and still do other stuff at the same time.
Granted I can't use other energy sinks while actively keeping it going, but simple maneuvering and doing basic physical attacks is easy.
But didn't I have worries about running out of energy!?
Yes, and they were unfounded.
One time when I was spending a night out in the tunnels I decided to keep a sandstorm loaded in case I was ambushed or something during the night. So I fell asleep with charged matter in my chambers and woke up with empty chambers and a bellyful feeling of satedness that I hadn't felt since before evolving.
So after wasting two months of eating I got back into the habit, both because it allowed for an increase in my training and in a small hope that it'd be a way of either speeding up my metamorphosis or increasing the capabilities of my next form. 'Eat big to Get big.'
Tomorrow I'm heading out from the 'Water-Way' entrance room into the deep tunnels. I might stop by topside to take a look at the sun and clouds before I sentence myself to an indeterminate length of time searching for an receptive mentor... teacher... sensei?
Not calling him a trainer, don't like the connotations even if no one else has mentioned anything about humans capturing Pokémon.
It might be that the wild 'mon live in ignorance or maybe it's a case of no functioning capture technology.
The technology in the games and show was a bit Sci-Fi.
Digitizing and storing monsters in balls is just as much magic as my internal energies, so who knows?
Hmmm, if the humans in this world don't have Pokeballs; with no balls to pocket monsters, can we then really be called Pokémon?
'Mon is still short for monster...
-A roving sandstorm's musings while remote-patrolling throughout expansive border tunnels-
How much of the Creature has dripped into the Human, I wonder?
How much Human is left?
Has the Human become one of the... what was it Baerna said so many years ago?
"One of the tyrants, who seek conflict and leave nothing but wreckage."
Did I embrace the Monster and completely let go of the Human?
Or did I just embrace the 'Bear Necessities' of Monster life?
...to forget about my worries and my strife.
Bwahaha!