A/N: Before I say anything else, allow me to lend my hearty thanks to the faithful readers and reviewers of The Pokémon Project. Despite all the issues with my life, you people are the sole reason—combined with my love of writing—that makes all this worth it. I've seen the many pleas (many via review, but also a handful of rather heartfelt PMs) that were put forth, all asking if I was even alive and when I would update… Well, let's just say I decided to finally pick up the phone. ;)
After a year-long absence, I have finally returned with not one, not two, but THREE separate story updates for your perusal: My Life With Pokémon, Black Wishes & White Dreams, and of course, The Pokémon Project. The former two are completely new stories, so go check 'em out!
And in case you haven't already noticed, my penname has been changed. You may now address me as 'TheAuthorGl1m0'! (You can still call me gl1m0, or maybe TAG, or you can use the name my friends like to give me, Glowbo. xP) Even more? I've massively overhauled my profile page's data with all kinds of new stuff; go and see it if you have the time! Updates will be more, um, "regular" this time around.
I could go on and spend a few more paragraphs describing in detail what made things in my life so arduous and what else I've being doing, but then you'd be missing out on the story, right? So here it is, another chappie of Pokémon Project for all the fanfic readers and connoisseurs out there!
tl;dr – I'm back in business, dood.
With no further ado, please READ and REVIEW!
PS: I know this chapter is preposterously long (18000+ words, OMG!), but sue me! :P At least I made up for my absence. I can't be certain of the overall quality myself though, so that is to be judged by you…
Saturday, June 12 – Lobby - PokéGene Inc.
Subject 006 / Name: Maxwell
Whenever I think about the Uptown area, I get this odd chill for some reason. I dunno, I suppose it has something to do with being really excited? Because hey, I am very excited. And the reason being? We're finally getting ready to actually go to the Uptown area!
…But it's odd, actually. Come to think of it, I never did ask to go all the way to town specifically. Or did I? I can't even remember. Is it really that much to ask to just hang around the building's property? We can see plenty of grassy area out the window, after all… Eh, it doesn't matter now, since going to town is bound to be fun! …I hope.
I was in one of the Lobby's corners, absentmindedly twirling my blue baseball cap on one paw (and occasionally flinging it somewhere by mistake as a result of doing this, forcing me to go over and pick it up again). Warren was casually leaning against one of the walls opposite me, talking with Matthew about something. I noticed that they kept throwing me a glance every now and then as they spoke. What could they be talking about?
Samantha and Mary were also talking somewhere close to the center of the room. Both seemed quite engaged in their conversation, like Warren and Matthew were (minus the odd quick glance at yours truly of course). Steve was standing somewhere over…wait, hang on, where is Steve? I could've sworn he was here a moment ago… Jeez, you look away for two seconds, and he goes off somewhere.
Brian had left about half an hour ago, after we all bid him goodwill on his trip. He didn't say exactly where he was going, only that he was going somewhere out of the region for the day, and that he'd be back by tomorrow. I really hope he comes back soon… I already miss the guy…
I felt really lonely all of a sudden, even though my friends were barely a shell's throw away. It's like I'm being excluded from the conversations or something…
Sighing, I looked back over to Warren and Matthew. They were still talking it up, as I expected. …Well, if they were talking about me or something then I feel like I have a right to know what was up. So, after a bit of hesitation, I started walking towards them. As I approached, I began to hear their conversation a bit clearer…
"…so, whaddaya think 'bout all that, eh Matt?" I could hear Warren say, and Matthew shrugged.
"Honestly? I think you're full of crap. C'mon, there's just no way."
"Matthew, do I hafta 'splain everythin' over again? I jus' know there's a connection!"
"Between what? So the otter-boy got a jewel because of a dream, and it apparently relates to the one the other day. And that should be concerning me…why?"
"Well…Steve thinks that Max is really headin' fer a lotta trou—" Warren happened to look in my direction as I approached, and stuttered. "U-uh! M-Max's comin'! Act natural!"
Matthew threw me a glance as well, and rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure, way ahead of ya."
I fidgeted with the cap in my grip right as I came up to them, hoping that they weren't discussing what I thought they were discussing… "Um, hey guys!" I said a tad over-enthusiastically. "What…whatcha talking about over here, huh? Eh-heh…"
"N-nothin'," Warren nervously replied, twiddling his tiny fingers. "Nothin' at all, Max… Uh, yeah… We was jus'…talking 'bout…cars?"
"Like we can even drive those anyone," Matthew interjected, giving the Pikachu an apathetic look.
Warren chuckled uneasily, and straightened his goggles. "Y-yeah… Um… So, what're you doin', Max?" he asked, obviously trying to sidestep my inquiry of their discussion.
I shook my head. "Nothing much, I was just feeling kind of…bored." I wanted to say "lonely", but that would've sounded a bit strange in the circumstances so I went with "boredom" as my reason. "I was just wanting to know if…well, if we could just chat about stuff?"
"Ah…er…uh…um… S-sure? Why not, bud? Eheh… It's…not like we'd keep secrets frum each other, right? All's honest in this family, right?"
For whatever reason, Matthew snorted loudly and shook his head. A slight smirk crossed the Snivy's features as he turned to face me. "Well, I've gotta go…anywhere else, so you and Mr. Hypocrite here have a nice chat, huh? Heheheh…"
"'Mr. Hypocrite'?" I asked, raising a brow.
He didn't answer me; Matthew just walked past and continued laughing about something. Okay, now I'm DEFINITELY suspicious about this. I turned back to Warren, and narrowed my eyes. "…Alright, what exactly were you and Matthew talking about?"
"N-nothin'…" Warren seemed ready to deny this to the bitter end. But I could tell by the way he was fidgeting that he wouldn't be that way for long.
"Come on Warren," I pleaded, "what is going on? Were you talking about me?"
"…" The Pikachu looked to the side, ears drooping, then back at me after a moment. "…Yeah."
I knew it. Warren was talking behind my back… God, I feel so betrayed… "Okay, so what exactly were you talking about?" I demanded.
He nervously scratched behind his ear, then finally said, "I was just explainin' ta him 'bout the dream ya had…and that Mystic Water stuff…"
"…And?" Surely they were talking about more than just that.
"…And…I was also tellin' him 'bout Steve's suspicions o' these dreams an' them visions…"
"…"
"…That's all I told 'im! I swear!"
"…Fine," I said quietly. Truthfully, I was positive that he was still hiding something, but I probably didn't want to know what it was. Not that I care, really…
"…" There was an awkward silence between the two of us. Since my hunches were already confirmed, I didn't have much else reason to be there. But I had no intention of going back to the corner of the room and be lonely (and bored) again, so I figured that we may as well talk for real.
"…So, what are you gonna do in town today?" I asked him, trying to break the silence between us with an off-handed question.
Warren shrugged. "Well, personally I'd like ta check out that there Trainer's Forum… Hey, it sounds purty interestin' ta me!"
"Th-The Trainer's Forum?" I said, nervously biting my lip. "Isn't that the place where the trainers gather around and…battle?"
"Yeah! Sounds cool, don't it?"
"Er… Actually, not to me it doesn't… I don't really like the notion of battling…"
Warren raised a brow, smirking. "Oh? Are ya 'fraid o' battling, Max?"
"Afraid of getting hurt more specifically," I asserted. "I don't really care whether or not I'm a Pokémon, the idea of battling just repulses me…"
"If ya say so Max," the Pikachu said, shrugging. "Me and Matt was talkin' 'bout it, and we think that we could try an' see whut's whut. If ya wanna come wif us…"
"…I'll pass, thanks."
"Eh, suit yerself."
After speaking with Warren, I walked back over to my side of the room. I just can't seem to get why the notion of battling intrigues him so much… He does know that he could very easily get hurt, right? Does he even see what kind of battles take place at the Trainer's Forum? I'm surprised that some of those attacks don't kill anyone…
I loitered about in the lobby for a little while longer. Matthew seemed to be talking with Samantha and Mary now, Warren was leaning against the far wall, arms crossed with boredom, and Steve was…still not here. I reiterate: Where is he?
…Well, whatever. He'll show up before we leave, I'm sure of it.
Sometime later, Mark walked into the lobby. From the looks of his slightly ruffled fur and strange angle of his ears, I'd say he only just woke up a few minutes ago. Nevertheless, we all cheerfully greeted the Lucario with cries of, "Good afternoon!" and so forth.
"Thanks guys," he said, and yawned. "Would you believe I actually slept in today? I was up all night helping out Brian with a few things he needed done…" Mark gently flattened some of the fur that was still fluffed-up with a paw. "...Anyway, how are you all doing? Ready to go check out the town?"
"You know it, bud!" Warren chimed. "We've been waitin' on ya! …Say, where's Frank? Isn't he takin' us there?"
Mark nodded. "He is. Frank is just trying to wake up Danny…again."
"Oh." Warren laughed. "That's not surprisin'…"
"…Say, Maxwell?" Mark asked, looking over to me. "You wouldn't have happened to see Steve around, have you?"
I shook my head. "No, I haven't… In honesty, I was kinda thinking he'd show up before we leave," I said.
"I see… Anyone else?"
Mary, Samantha and Warren all shook their heads. Matthew just shrugged.
"…Guess I'd better go find him then. Please excuse me," Mark said, then turned and headed out of the room. I suppose he probably went to check if Steve is in the room…
…It makes me wonder why Steve is taking so long to get here. Boy, what I wouldn't give to know what goes on in that guy's head...
Living Quarters SUB – PokéGene Inc.
Subject 003 / Name: Steve
I won't lie, I'm quite nervous. It's a strange thing to feel, nervousness. You feel completely powerless against whatever might come at you, even if there is nothing to come. In this case, I know exactly what is coming, and I can do nary a thing about it.
If yesterday's vision taught me anything, it's that there are millions of perspectives to look at life from. When I saw the two diminutive figures facing off against the single imposing one, I took it as a sign of imminent conflict. From another angle, I could see it more like symbolism; the figures could represent goals or ideas, not just physical beings.
…But that one emotion I felt during such vision assured me that it was to be taken at face value. That emotion would be…fear.
I can't even begin to wonder this means, though. Could I honestly believe that I foresaw a scene from the future? Could these "two small beings" really end up in a position of danger? If only I could see more detail, then I could at least start to wonder who they even are…
One thing's for sure: It was definitely centered around, not Mark (as I originally believed), but…Maxwell. Somehow, it had shifted. But why? I can't even begin to…
…Unless…the two visions were not both the same thing…? Maybe, just maybe, both of my visions were separate instances? One belonging to Mark, and the other to Max? Perhaps, one was in the…and the other…
Hmm… I'll need to reflect on this some more before I can draw a conclusion… It's far too confusing...
In case you forgot, this vision had come to me twice. To reflect, in my first vision, I saw a pair of what appeared to be small, diminutive figures facing off against one large figure that seemed to imposingly stand over them. I can also remember seeing some sort of tool in its hands, and appeared ready to strike...
...And then, in my second vision, I basically saw the exact same thing. Even though I could not see the figures in much more detail than before (they seemed like blurred silhouettes really), I actually…heard something. I heard distinctive voices. Terrified voices, in fact. And extremely familiar ones.
Naturally, I neglected to tell both Warren and Maxwell about this, since it would no doubt have caused them worry. Though it does make me feel slightly guilty, I don't want to spoil our first outing to the Genta City Uptown area for them.
…Speaking of which…
"Steve? You in here—oh, there you are."
Suddenly snapping to my senses, I looked back to where the voice originated. It was Mark, having just come in through the sliding mechanical door. He seemed relieved to see me. "Yes, Mark?" I asked. "What is it?"
"The others were wondering about where you were," the Lucario explained. "Are you busy with something?"
"Nothing much really," I replied. "I was merely contemplating the recent goings-on. Is it nearly time for the trip?"
He nodded. "Almost, right as soon as Frank wakes up D—"
"AAAAAAAAAOOOOOOGGGH!"
"…What in the name of Arceus was that?" I exclaimed, trying to figure out where that shout came from. But I did have a shrewd idea who…
"I…don't really know," Mark admitted, casting a look around curiously.
The explanation soon came in the form of a sopping-wet Danny, who ran past the open doorway of the Living Quarters while screaming, "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO WAKE ME UP BY POURING A BUCKET OF ICE ON MY FACE, FRANK!"
"It worked, didn't it?" the voice of Frank answered, and he soon passed the doorway as well, holding an empty bucket and smiling smugly.
"…That would explain the scream earlier quite well," I finally said. Now I've truly seen everything the world has to offer…
Mark nodded while stifling laughter. "And how. I suppose we should get going, hm?"
"Yes, of course…"
As I followed Mark out the doorway and downstairs to the lobby, I began to wonder if I should tell the others about those voices. I couldn't tell what one of the voices was, but it sounded frightened of something. The other one…it was much more familiar. But I'm afraid that if I say it…well…
…Let me just assure you that it won't exactly make Maxwell feel any better about his situation.
Lobby - PokéGene Inc.
Subject 004 / Name: Mary
"So where should we go in town?" I asked Samantha. "The Uptown is pretty big. I think it would be a good idea to know where we'd want to go, right?"
She looked at the ceiling in thought. "Um… Maybe we could just walk around the Park area? It's pretty nice this time of year after all…"
"…Yeah, that does sound good," I agreed. Thinking for a moment, I looked over to Matthew. "What about you, Matt? Was there someplace you were thinking of going?"
The Snivy shrugged, as if he didn't care. "Not specifically. But Warren was yapping on about the Trainer's Forum, so I agreed to go with him there. Eh, might be a slightly interesting thing to go see..."
"Oh, I see... Well, uh…" At this point, I wasn't really sure what else to talk about. We'd already gone and talked about everything from the upcoming trip to why the sky is blue… When are we actually going to be leaving? It's been more than an hour already…
"AAAAAAAAAOOOOOOGGGH!"
…What the…
"What the hell was that?" Matthew said quickly, darting his gaze down the hallway the shout echoed from. The others, myself included, also uttered words of astonishment and turned towards the source.
Within minutes, Danny and Frank both finally entered the Lobby. As soon as I saw them both, somehow I instantly knew what had happened. Danny was shivering like mad, not to mention soaked, and Frank was holding an empty bucket in his hand.
"So, is everyone ready?" Frank asked us all.
I nodded. "We've been waiting for ages, of course we're ready!"
"At…at least until Steve gets back," Samantha commented, looking a tad worried.
Frank eyed us curiously. "Steve? Is he not here? I thought everyone was already present and ready to go…"
"We're coming!"
"…Hm?" Frank turned to look back down the hallway. Much to our relief, both Steve and Mark were just now walking into the lobby. "Oh, there you two are. Where was Steve?"
"In the room," Mark replied simply. "He said he was just busy thinking through some things, and I guess he lost track of time or something."
Steve shrugged, then quietly said, "Forgive me, but I do tend to let my mind wander…"
Frank nodded. "I understand. Well, now that we're here, perhaps we can get underway." He cleared his throat, and then went on. "I've asked Marilyn to drive us in the facility's van to the Uptown area. Specifically, we'll be going to the park first, as it should provide a good starting area for our little escapade."
Me and Samantha both looked at each other and smiled at the fortunate coincidence.
"We'll spend some time there, then we'll each get to break into groups and tour around the Uptown for…let's say a couple of hours. Maybe two or three. After that, we'll meet back up at the park and then head back here. How does that sound?"
"I-it sounds great!" Maxwell piped up, arms crossed behind his back and smiling. "I really appreciate that we can finally do this! It'll be nice to get out for some fresh air…"
Frank offered a gentle laugh, and waved his hand modestly. "It's no trouble at all, Max. Really. We're just trying to make you all happy and comfortable."
"…Thanks for your consideration," Danny spitefully remarked, still shivering. Why did he seem so…cold? It's actually really warm indoors… Oh…right, I nearly forget about the "him-being-soaked" deal… Was it really the only way to get that guy awake?
"Ah-hah… Well, I didn't necessarily mean you Danny, but you're welcome nonetheless."
"…"
"…Regardless, shall we all depart?"
It all seemed to go really quickly from there. We were led out of the building into the facility's parking lot, walked over to the van (which had clearly seen better days…) and were herded inside. From there, the secretary lady Marilyn, whom I hadn't even seen for a long while, drove us out of the lot and down the road towards Genta City.
It wasn't exactly a 'comfortable' ride though. Not necessarily because the van dated back a couple of decades, but because there weren't very many available seats. Since the front two were occupied by Marilyn and Frank, and the middle two taken by Danny and Mark, that only left a three-seated area in the back. The six of us ended up divided into pairs in order to compensate…which meant that two of us each had to share a seatbelt.
I ended up paired with (and pretty much tied to) Warren, whilst Samantha was joined up with Steve, and Maxwell had the misfortune to be paired with Matthew. It was pretty awkward, really…
"Aww, man… Why'd I hafta be paired wif a gurl?" Warren whined, sinking back into his seat and groaning with defeat.
I wasn't sure if was mad or embarrassed by that comment, but I couldn't help but flush red in the face.
Matthew was grumbling something under his breath for a moment, and then snapped a slight glare at the Oshawott tied to him. "I do NOT enjoy this, I would like to point out."
"The feeling is mutual, 'bro'," Maxwell shot back, reciprocating the look.
"Hey now kids," Frank said, turning his head back to look at us, "don't make me come back there. It's only for a short while, mind you."
I sighed. "I just wish that this road didn't have so many—"
THUMP!
The car seemed to jump suddenly, startling me and the others for the twentieth time as we hit yet another bump.
"…Speed bumps. Ugh…"
Genta City Outskirts – Route 180
Subject 006 / Name: Maxwell
The ride to Genta City was exactly as tense as it seemed. I was still very excited, and I couldn't help but want to look out the window of the van and see all the trees and occasional building fly by. I wasn't exactly tall enough to see over the edge of the window though, so I couldn't determine our exact location. The sun was up high in the afternoon sky, which was as blue as blue could be. Come to think of it, it was the same shade of blue that my body was… Huh, neat.
…With all the excitement, how could I not be enjoying this? Well, for one, I was buckled up with Matthew. And by buckled, I mean that the seatbelt was freaking tying us together. Ugh. Sure, we and Matt may be friends now, but it was…more than a little awkward. Not that we had much of a choice, since there weren't many seats...
The others weren't much better off in their respective pairs (Warren and Mary, Samantha and Steve), so at least I wasn't alone in this rather compromising position. Any casual observer might snicker if they saw the way things were arranged.
Oh, and that was on top of the—THUMP!—speed bumps. Or were they just potholes? What does it matter…
But, thank the merciful god that it didn't last that long. In minutes I was able to notice that the number of buildings whizzing by the van window started to outmatch the trees, and it wasn't long until I came to the conclusion the others were starting to come to: We'd finally arrived in Genta City. The capital of Pæin, and my so-called "hometown". It certainly seemed much more imposing, me just being a Pokémon now, but apart from size it hadn't changed much in terms of layout. Just the same old burg that I remember.
We soon reached the Uptown area—the "new" area of town that's certainly a lot better looking than the dilapidated Oldtown area. Uptown is technically the "Downtown" of Genta City, but everyone calls it Uptown because it matches the place's image: clean and upscale.
"We're nearly there, guys!" I heard the cheery voice of Marilyn say. "We've just entered the Uptown area of Genta, so…I'd say that the park would be about only…four or so minutes away. Almost there!"
"Only four?" Warren asked, with a hint of a rhetorical tone easily detectable. "Gah, it can't be soon enuff…"
I heard the sound of snapping fingers, accompanied by a cry of "Aha!" To everyone else's and my own confusion, it was Danny who did it. "Why don't we put on some…uh…?" Everyone was staring at him now, myself included. He was clearly being put on the spot. "Um…err…maybe we should…put on some music? On the radio?"
"…" Frank shrugged. "I don't see why not. Though, I have to wonder why you did not suggest that earlier…"
Danny cast a quick glance back at us, then at Frank. "Er…nobody else asked…"
I face-pawed. Well, I suppose it would've been nicer had that trend been started beforehand. It would've kept our minds off of the rather embarrassing situation we were currently in…
Frank chuckled heartily. "Well, alright then. Let me just get the radio on…there!"
Instantly, sound filled the van. Apparently, whatever station the radio was tuned into had just started playing a new song. It sounded like the beginning riff of a guitar, signaling a 'rock-n-roll' song, but then it kicked in with what sounded to be an up-tempo piano, then back into the guitar. That's when the lyrics started to sound.
"The Paradise Special's pullin' into the station,
Hurry up, gotta get on board!
Adventure is the ticket to our destination,
Come on, now don't be slow!
Here we go on down the track,
This Paradise Special's movin' down the track!"
"Hey!" Warren said suddenly. "I know this song! I used ta listen to it all the time!" He put a paw to his chin. "Eh... Whut wuz it call'd again…? Uh…"
"Half the fun of travel's just the journey there,
Lighten up and enjoy the show!
We're gonna make it now with hours to spare,
Hey don't you hear the whistle blow?
Moanin' low, the wheels talk back,
Raisin' a racket like a yakity yak!
Now we're goin' in style, let's start wearin' a smile!
Life keeps gettin' better all the time! So much better…
Takin' the Paradise Line!"
"Ah! That's it!" Warren said abruptly, slamming a furry fist onto an open palm. "'The Paradise Line'! Yeah! I luv this song!"
I didn't doubt that this genre of music would appeal to Warren. It just seemed to…I dunno, fit him. But, well, it is kind of catchy… It has a nice riff to it…
"Now the locomotive's steamin' like a runaway,
So come on, let's rock and roll!
And by this time tomorrow we'll be so far away,
If there's one thing that I know!
Then I know, it won't be back,
Paradise Special's never comin' back!
Just relax for a while, watch the world goin' by!
Just as long as we're together we'll be fine! We'll be fine…
Takin' the Paradise Line!
Life is fine, on the Paradise Line!
You and I, on the Paradise Line!
Life is fine, on the Paradise Line!
You and I, on the Paradise Line!
Wave your troubles goodbye, leave your sadness behind!
We can ride away forever you and I! Yeah forever…
Takin' the Paradise Line!
Takin' the Paradise Line!
Takin' the Paradise Line!"
The song finally played on through the outro and ended, and I finally stopped swaying my feet to the music. I hadn't really intended to do so in the first place, but hey, it was pretty catchy… And for whatever reason the lyrics seemed to match our current car ride. …Well, the van wasn't exactly a train per se, but the other bits made sense in context. Well...some of them did at least...
I felt another bump as the van ran over something, but it didn't seem like a speed bump; in fact, we were also making a hard right turn. And not even thirty seconds later, the van slowed before coming to rest somewhere. Frank clicked off the radio as Marilyn cheerfully announced, "We're here, everyone!"
It took me a moment to process what was going on, but then I finally realized that we must've just pulled into some kind of parking lot for the park. We'd finally made it! "Finally!" I couldn't help but say out loud. At last, the car ride was finished. Perhaps now we could finally get on with this 'outing' thing?
As the adults were already unbuckling their seat restraints, I quickly followed the suit. I allowed myself a fresh breath of air as soon as I was free (as the belts were rather tight on my lungs, I found). "Phew… I didn't think I could stand another minute of being tied to that guy… It's slightly less appealing than being forced to eat a Magikarp." I've eaten Magikarp flambé before. It's exactly as unappetizing as it sounds…
"…Tch." Matthew crossed his arms and looked off in some other direction, his face contorted into a scowl. Apparently, my comment must have struck a nerve. Touchy, touchy…
The others were just as glad to be out of the van at last, so after unbuckling ourselves and vacating the vehicle along with the adults (and Danny), we arranged into a little group outside the entrance of the park. Frank briefly reminded us as to be on our best behavior (he was especially firm on this point with Matthew), and then the ten of us finally entered.
It was, in a single-word description, gorgeous. Genta City really knows how to keep its parks clean. In fact, there were a few signs to that effect here and there. The grass was a vibrant shade of viridian, the flowers were all of many pallets of red and yellows and purples, and the water of a nearby pond was blue as blue could be…
"…Wow," was all I could manage to say. I've never been to this park before, admittedly. But now that I finally got to see it…well, let's just say that the earlier van ride instantly became justified.
The others shared my sense of wonder—except for Matthew, who just stared at some bush with an aloof expression, but that should be expected by this point in time. "It's so pretty!" Mary commented, eyes taking in the sights. "Just like I remember from my earlier years…" She sighed. "Those were…better times…"
"…" Steve said nothing, but I can ascertain from the way his mouth was hanging open that he was impressed by the sight as well. Who wouldn't be? …Again, besides Matt.
Before long, we broke into small groups to explore the parkland while Frank, Marilyn and Danny stayed near the entrance area (I'm not sure where Mark went). I ended up walking along a pathway with Warren, mainly because I secretly wanted to ask him again about what he and Matt were discussing about my dreams and Steve's visions. I just know he's holding something back…
…But I promptly forgot about that goal. Something else demanded my attention. Our little walk happened to take us near the edge of the park, and I could see off the left of us a large forest. A pretty thick one, too. It just seemed to get darker and darker as you looked at it…
Wait a minute… That forest looks awfully familiar… Where have I last seen…?
"Hot dang, this place looks great! Lookit all the greenery and trees and stuff! I haven't seen a park like this in mah life," Warren commented, gazing at the nature around him with sparkling eyes. "The fields, that there forest, the lil' pond o'er there… It's like…sumfin' outta a dream… Yeah, like—eh? Maxwell? What s'matter with ya?"
He noticed that I wasn't following him anymore, and the Pikachu gave me a weird look as I continued staring off into space. "This…this place," I murmured. "I…I know this place…"
"Ya-wh-huh?" Warren sputtered, confused as to what I was implying.
"I dunno… It's like…déjà-vu or something…" I felt my stomach twist with anxiety. Something about this place seemed a little…off. Not in a bad way, but it was as if nostalgia itself was slapping my face. With a fish. (And no sooner had I thought that I suddenly felt really hungry…)
But no amount of nostalgia could've prepared me for what happened after that.
"Oh! Hello, friend!" a tiny voice abruptly called out from behind me, and I froze up. It can't be… That voice…
Warren looked behind me to see what had said that, and then gently smiled. "Oh, Max! This a friend o' yers?"
"Uh… Who?" I nervously mumbled, and slowly turned to face the source of the little voice. I couldn't believe my eyes. "It's… It's you!"
"You came back, friend! You came to play with me?" the little Pokémon that had spoken (in PokéSpeak, mind you (though I could understand regardless)) asked, playfully nudging my stomach.
It can't be the same one…can it? But…that's…impossible…isn't it?
"My momma was so happy when you helped me get out of the scary woods! I was soooo scared! Eeek! But then you came and helped me, friend!"
No way. It can't be. But…it is. "…Is…is that you? Caterpie?"
The little bug Pokémon nodded briskly. "Of course it's me! You remember, right? Y-you came to play with me, right?"
Warren must've been as lost as a coal miner with no headlamp, since he walked up beside me and stared at the little caterpillar like it was from outer space. He cast a sideways glance at me. "Max… Uh… What's the deal here? Wanna fill me in?"
"Um…" I bit my lip gently, and timidly crossed my arms behind my back. "…Remember that first dream I had? The one with the creepy, omnipotent voice?"
The Pikachu looked upwards in thought. His face gradually illustrated his realization as the details came back to him. "Y-yeah?"
"…And there was the Caterpie I saved from the forest?"
"Wait…ya don't mean…"
I nodded. "Yep… This…this is that very same Caterpie."
Caterpie, as excitable as he was, took a lot of interest in the 'newcomer'. "Oh! Who's that, friend? Is he also your friend, friend? Do you think he can be my friend too, friend?" And on and on he went with similar sounding questions that quickly confused me to no end…
"Sl-slow down!" I exclaimed, waving both my arms around to try and settle down the kid.
Thankfully, he listened to me and quieted down, which allowed me to start answering his questions.
"Okay… First off, you don't have to call me 'friend' all the time. Just call me Max. Secondly, this is my…" I wasn't exactly sure how to word that. What exactly IS Warren to me? A friend? Definitely. Confidant? Sure. But he's also something a bit more than that…
"…He's my brother," I said at last, placing a paw on Warren's shoulder and smiling. We each swapped a look. He seemed rather…touched by what I said. "Well… Golly, Max… I never thought that ya thought o' me like that…"
"Well it's true, right? We stick up for each other," I said to him, still grinning. "That, and you're a lot better company than Matthew. No offense to him, but you're more…trustworthy." I put emphasis on 'trustworthy', just enough to try and send a subtle indication to him of what I was getting at. But, I guess it just sailed over his head, as he simply blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Aw, knock it off… Yer makin' me blush…"
I held back the urge to roll my eyes and instead looked back at Caterpie, who was eying us both with a hint of…could it be envy? "Wow… You seem so much better than my brothers…and sisters…"
"Why's that?" Warren asked, raising a brow curiously.
"Well, they…they like to make fun of me a lot, just because I'm scared of the dark! And that I'm small! It makes me really sad when they do it…"
"Oh…"
"And none of my brothers…they…" Caterpie started to sniffle, and tears welled up in his eyes. "N-none of them…want…to play with meeeeeee!"
And before I knew it, the little bug Pokémon had threw itself at me and started to cry onto the shell on my stomach. Albeit with a little hesitation, I wrapped my arms around Caterpie to give him another reassuring hug, like I did in that dream…
"Don't worry, I'm here. I'll help you. You can trust me—as a friend."
"T-Thank you… Friend…"
…Only it was no dream. That dawning moment of comprehension finally awakened inside me. The dream…actually happened! I was there, in the forest! That light…with the strange Pokémon within…did I actually talk to it? In person? In that case, wouldn't the dream this morning be real as well…? I-if the Mystic Water was real, then...
"…Caterpie," I asked at last, looking around the field of green, "where's your mother? Butterfree? Isn't she here? If your siblings won't play with you, then what about her?"
The bug Pokémon suddenly seized up. "Oh… M-m-mommy? Um… S-she…she's…" He started getting all teary-eyed again, and looked up into the cloud-filled sky. "M-mommy is…not here…she…uh…"
"She's…where? Is she out picking berries, or something?"
"…" Caterpie said nothing; he just looked at the ground and cried for a moment before raising his head to look back towards the forest. "W-we were at our tree... It was okay, for a bit...then...there… Th-there was a bad man… H-he… he…"
I looked over to Warren, who already seemed to get the message, as his expression turned quite grim. My own expression fell, and a very bad image wormed its way into my imagination. "D-did…did something happen to her?" I asked, although I was terrified to hear the answer I knew I would hear.
Caterpie whimpered and cried some more, still looking at the sky for whatever reason, then finally found enough nerve to say what I had feared. "Mommy is…sleeping…"
The young caterpillar decided to put it in that innocent little euphemism, but it somehow seemed worse than a straight answer. His mom is...sleeping? Does Caterpie mean that literally, or...or does he mean something...else...? B-but...how could such a thing... No, I don't believe it...
Caterpie sniffled, and tears were practically pouring out of his eyes. Somehow, he managed not to start bawling, but he was getting dangerously close. "He...was going to take her away... A-and a bunch of other Pokémon too... But she tried to fight him, and...and he...he..."
"..." I cast another look towards Warren. He was looking at the ground, a paw placed to his temple as he shook his head. I looked back to the sniveling Caterpie, and felt almost painfully sick to my stomach. "She...she couldn't seriously have been...?"
"...That bad man...he...he hurt... Oh, m-m-mommy..." His voice became more and more unsteady. "Why, mommy...? Why...why did you have to leave me all alone..."
It's almost impossible for me to think about... I...I can still remember this Caterpie's mom from that dream...how they both were reunited after leaving the forest...
"Caterpie! My little darling! I'd thought I lost you! Oh, heavens above, where were you?"
"M-M-Mommy... I-I...thought I'd n-n-never...s-see you a-again... It was s-so s-s-s-scary..."
"It's okay, sweetie... You're safe now..."
...how she thanked me profusely for saving her baby...
"You were the one who saved my precious baby?"
"Uh, yeah... I suppose I did. It was really no trouble at all—"
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I'm so grateful! I can't thank you enough!"
"Umm... That's...okay... I just thought it would be a nice thing to do is all..."
"You're too modest! Who knows what could've happened to my baby in there all alone! I am in your debt!"
...I suppose now she can't make good on her 'debt'... But...how could such a thing happen? It all seemed so peaches and cream when I saw them last...so, whatever happened must've taken place very recently... And then there was this 'bad man'...did he...? N-no...that's just...not right...
Without thinking, I slowly pulled Caterpie into another hug and patted his back as he quietly sobbed into my shell again…
…I really should get that thing cleaned sometime.
Genta City Uptown – Parkland
Subject 005 / Name: Matthew
"…Let me just make sure I'm listening right," I said with utter disbelief, throwing Warren the best stare I could manage that showed I was pretty damn confused. "You and Maxwell actually found a Caterpie that the otter-boy dreamed about saving the other night? Which basically guarantees it was real?"
The Pikachu nodded, and I couldn't help but let my eye twitch. We were talking behind an old oak tree somewhere near the center of the park, since Warren had pretty much dragged me over here to talk with me. I leaned to the side a tiny bit, looking past the tree, and saw the otter-boy in the distance apparently playing some kind of game with that stupid worm. Gah. The sight was enough to make me want to gag.
"And then you say that you just picked up the Caterpie and decided to bring him with you?" I spat, raising my voice. "And now you're going to ask Frank if it's okay for that insect to LIVE with us?"
"W-whut was we s'pposed ta do?" he defended, throwing his arms up. "Let 'im starve? Get beat up by wild Pokémon? The poor thang's suffer'd enuff!"
I sneered. "You could have just taken that ugly thing back to its mom, or something! Jeez, isn't that kind of the obvious thing to do?"
Warren's expression suddenly hardened into a glare. "…Matthew, are ya really that stupid?"
"…Stupid?" Alright, that last word tapped a nerve in me alright. With a mallet. "Who the hell are you calling stupid!" I shouted, jamming a finger right in his face. "You're the stupid one! I just said that you should've taken that worm back to its mum! Is that SO hard to understand?"
He slapped my pointing hand away and practically screamed, "HIS MOTHER DIED, MATTHEW! SHE'S GONE! HE'S AN ORPHAN NOW, FER MEW'S SAKE!"
"…"
"…"
"…Well, you should have said so earlier." I may have replied a little too coolly to that outburst. I swear I saw a few nerves twitching on Warren's temple.
"Fer the love-a—!" He slapped his face with a paw and shook his head something like twenty times before calming down a slight enough amount to just look straight. "Matt, whut else could we've done? That Caterpie is really attached to Maxwell, and it'd be heartbroken even worse if he jus' left 'im there! The poor thang's own brothers and sisters don't even care about 'im!"
"…" I let out a sigh. As much as I wanted to keep up this argument (c'mon, he wants to practically adopt a baby worm), that stupid 'nice side' was starting to kick in again. Damn you, morality. "…Whatever. If otter-boy is fine with it, and as long as Frank's fine with it…then I guess I'm fine with it as well."
Well, that seemed like enough to satisfy him (maybe only just), since Warren finally cooled down and suggested we get going. So, hating myself a little bit more, I went back with him to pay the otter-boy and his little "pal" a visit.
"Oh, hey Matthew," Max said when we approached, and turned to face me. The little caterpillar thing looked at me as well. Guh, disgusting… "So, has Warren…?"
"…" I sighed. What I wouldn't give for a can of bug repellant right about now… "Yes, we discussed this…friend of yours at length," I told him, barely repressing the desire to refer to that Pokémon as an 'ugly green worm'. "And…yes, I'm fine with it staying with us, AS LONG AS Frank is fine with it too. And to a lesser extent Brian, when he comes back."
"Oh, Frank already said yes," Maxwell informed me a little too casually, seeming to be holding back a smirk. "He said that as long as all of us will accept him into our family, then he has no complaints. You were the only one left we needed to convince; Mary, Samantha, and Steve all said yes."
"S-so does this mean you're all my friends now?" the Caterpie said, its squeaky voice raising a few more octaves than my eardrums would've preferred. "I…I'm so happy! Friends, friends!"
…Of course. I should have seen something like that coming. But really, just how stupid is this "family"? Let us take care of an orphaned BUG? What a load of crap… "J-just please don't ask me to change its diaper or something!" I said, sounding sarcastic even though I actually meant it. "I don't want to be around that thing too much, okay? Bugs…frankly, they sicken me."
Both Warren and the otter-boy fired me a harsh look. Perhaps I should have been less honest. But hey, I can't necessarily help myself… Me and bugs never have gotten along, mainly because they, well, bug me.
Anyhow, with all that junk out of the way, I was free to tour the park on my own. I had no intention of being near that bug, and since those two guys were all over that thing, then I'd rather be somewhere far away. Very far away. In fact, I actually walked all the way over to the farthest edge of the park.
All the while I walked, the sun beamed overhead me, harshly casting those rays of radiation that people say you shouldn't be exposed to for long. Well, it didn't exactly bother me anymore; if anything, it actually felt really nice and refreshing. Empowering, almost. Again, being a Grass Pokémon has some rather sweet perks.
At the furthest edge of the park, there was this 4-foot-something wall made of concrete that separated the park from the rest of the Uptown. From what I gather, it runs in a big square around the park, with the city surrounding it. There was a nearby bench propped up against the wall, so I thought it would a fun idea to hop up on top and peek over the top of the wall.
I was instantly greeted by the sight of the Uptown, and boy was it ever busy. Cars driving by on the road almost one after the other, people clogging up the sidewalks in a similar way to a fat guy's arteries…yeah, it was hectic all right. I caught sight of a little girl being led through the crowd by her mother's hand, and no sooner did I see her than she saw me as well.
"Mommy, mommy!" she squealed, making my ears ache with her annoyingly high pitch. "It's a Pokémon! A Pokémon, mommy! Look, mommy!"
I could hear the mom reply with a slightly-less-than-interested tone, "That's nice, dear."
"But mommy! Look! It's a Pokémon! On the fence, and stuff! Mommy, mommy!"
Getting a rather sneaky idea, I called out loud, "And a toodle-dee-hoo to you too, girl!"
I got the response I desired. "MOMMY, MOMMY! THAT POKÉMON WAS TALKING, MOMMY! LOOK, MOMMY!"
"That's nice, dear," I heard the mother respond again in that same bored tone as I climbed down from the wall, snickering to myself. There was a certain psychotic pleasure to messing around with a little kid's head. Heh heh heh…
But it wasn't long before I got bored again, so I wondered exactly what I should do next. Against my better judgment, I thought it would be a good idea to see what the others were doing. Why not? …Oh right. That bug is with them. Nrgh. Whatever…
I eventually found my way back to the area near the park entrance, where we first came in. And the first thing that I heard? Laughing. From five separate sources. Yep, the whole gang's here. They were all playing either in or around the pond.
The otter-boy and Mary had taken to swimming around in the water, while Samantha and Warren were talking with that Caterpie (Yuck…), and Steve was…meditating by the shore, I suppose. I climbed atop one of the large rocks on the shore, which gave me a nice view of the pond area. Directly below where I was now, as the rock overlooked the pond directly, I noticed that Maxwell was swimming a little bit close by…
…Close enough, as a matter of fact…
"Hmm…" Once again, a sadistic little scheme filled my head. Just where do I come up with this stuff? Ohohoho… It's time for a little "fishing".
I used that neat little trick I taught myself the day before, Vine Whip, and made one of my vine-like tendrils descend toward the water's surface where otter-boy was about to pass. I just love how those vine things are so easily controllable. It's like a second set of arms! Yet another perk to list down…
Finally, Max not only came past the area where my extended "trap-vine" was waiting, but he stopped as well. Oh, how totally oblivious he was to my little prank…
"This water is really nice!" the otter-boy said, looking over at Warren. "Hey, Warren? Samantha? Sure you don't wanna come in for a bit, too?"
"Ah'll pass, Max," the Pikachu replied, waving a paw dismissively. "I'd have a heckuva time gettin' the water outta my fur anyway…"
Samantha shook her head. "Nah, I'll…I'll pass as well. I…just don't really like swimming that much…"
Maxwell shrugged, still unawares of the vine creeping up behind him. "Well, if you say so. I guess I'll just—" And before the otter-boy could finish that sentence, I sprang into action. Almost as fast as he could blink, I reached for his tail and quickly wrapped around it tightly with my outstretched vine. Milliseconds later, I yanked him, tail-first, out of the pond. "WAAAAAAH!"
I mainly ignored his shouts of shock and anger, hauling him upside-down into the air so that everyone present could see. And then, just to salt the wound a little more, I shouted, in my best (or perhaps worst) imitation of Warren's accent, "Hay, every'un! I dun caughts me a big one!"
Cue a round of laughter from everyone present. Heck, I think I even managed to tickle Steve's funny bone. Warren didn't seem to even care I mocked him openly with the accent deal, since he had fallen over and was holding his gut from laughing so hard. Oh, how sweet victory tastes.
"…This is payback for that comment I made earlier, isn't it?" Maxwell asked me, still dangling helplessly from the vine.
I let a coy smile form on my face. "Oh? No, I'm just having a little fun with you," I said coolly. Then I let go of the otter-boy's tail. "This is for that comment earlier."
It happened quickly after that. A quick scream. Then a splash. And some more laughter, much of it my own. Life was good for a moment. Then something happened that I didn't expect.
"HEY! You leave my friend alone, Meanie!"
I turned to face whoever spoke, and was slightly taken aback. It was that bug that otter-boy and Warren had taken a shine to. And it was actually angry at me. Eh, but what do I care what a worm thinks? "Eww, go away. I thought I said to keep your distance, bug. Go on, shoo," I said, waving a hand to ward it off.
But that stubborn worm wouldn't have it. "You're not being very nice to friend! It's very mean! Please stop it!"
"…Look, I was just messing around with otter-boy. Jeez, don't get in a tizzy about it, worm."
He was getting madder; I could tell, since his face was getting redder. "I-I'm not a worm! And my friend isn't an 'otter-boy'! Stop calling us names!"
"Oh yeah?" I challenged, arching a brow. "Then make me. Worm."
It was then that I thought, 'Whatever happened to that indecisive "nice side" of mine?' Apparently, on the one occasion it wasn't barking in my mind's ear, I actually kind of missed it. If I had actually paid attention to it when it should've gone off in my head, then I wouldn't be in the situation I would be in now. And what situation was that?
…Well, have you ever had sticky goop sprayed at your face?
"MMMMMPH!" …That was all I could say, as that stupid Caterpie had sprayed this awful, horribly sticky webbing at my face, totally obscuring my vision. Not to mention cutting off my air supply.
I could not see anything that was going on, much less call out for assistance (like I even would, anyway), so I tried pulling the stringy stuff off my face. It was in vain, however. Heck, I couldn't even hear what was going out there, it all sounded so muffled…
…Well, they eventually managed to get that stuff off of my head, thank god. I won't say how long and arduous it was, mainly since it would be…detrimental to my dignity. That Caterpie from then on kept giving me this unnerving glare whenever it looked in my general direction, and then would huddle up next to otter-boy or Warren. Oh well. I don't like it, it doesn't like me back. The feeling is mutual.
Our little escapade in the park soon ended, however. We'd spent an hour and a half here, and frankly, I couldn't think of a better time to leave. The adults (Frank, Marilyn, Danny, and to a lesser extent Mark) were all waiting for us back at the entrance of the park. Heh, I guess I could say it was lucky that they weren't supervising us that much, since I wouldn'tve been able to pull off that little joke of mine on otter-boy earlier…
"Well now, did we all have fun?" Frank asked us as we were led back to the van.
"It was…eventful, to be sure," Mary said, rubbing her head with uneasiness.
Warren stifled a chuckle as he replied with, "An' that lil' scene earlier was funny as all heck, too!"
The scientist cast a look back at us, his smile not wavering. Then he calmly inquired, "What did Matt do?" Y'know, I really love how he can tell if I did something without even witnessing it…
"Oh, Matt strung up Max by the tail wif his Vine Whip while he was swimmin'… An' it was purty funny too!" The Pikachu laughed again. I admit that I laughed at that memory as well, 'cause hey, it was pretty good… "Ah, but then Caterpie here got real mad 'bout it, so he tagged Matt in the face wit' String Shot. I reckon it took us a good ten minutes ta geddit off! Heheh, boy was that ever amusin'…"
Frank shook his head and chuckled. "Well, I'll let Matthew off easy this time then. I hope he's learned something from this event."
Oh, did I ever. And that is, to never underestimate an angry worm. In addition to not letting your guard down as well…
"Speaking of Caterpie, I hope that everyone can get along with him just fine. Maxwell, Warren, I fully expect you both to take care of him. That Caterpie is still very young, after all."
"R-right! I will!" the otter-boy replied, doing a tiny salute. "I promised I would look after him, since his mom is…not around anymore. Me and Warren will take care of Caterpie, I swear!"
"Hey, speakin' o' which…" Warren rubbed his chin with thought. "Maybe we oughta give Caterpie a name or somethin'! Whaddaya think, buddy?"
"Um…okay! If my friends think so, then sure! It's a great idea!" the worm replied. Ugh, I can't get over that thing still…
Max nodded, and put a paw to his temple in consideration. "Huh… I suppose that's a good idea. But what should he be named? It's not like there are many ideal names for a Caterpie… Hm, how about…well, he's colored green, so maybe… Viridi? As in 'Viridian'?
"…Huh, that actually ain't a half-bad idea," Warren mused, cracking a smile. "It ain't exactly a normal name, but that's whut makes it unique, right? Yeah! 'Viridi'… It's got a "ring" to it."
'Viridi'? My god. It took a lot of self-control to not object to that. I didn't speak up since I honestly don't give a flying ding-dong about that thing. They can call it anything they want to; it'll always be "worm" to me…
"I-it sounds really nice! Um, I think! 'Viridi'! …Is that my new name, friend?"
"You bet it is," otter-boy replied. "I guess we can consider you another little member of our family!"
Oh god, please tell me I wasn't hearing this. I have to put up with it from here on out? Honest to Arceus, WHY did I ever agree to this? …Oh, right. My 'nice side'. The one that wasn't quite "nice" enough to tell me not to provoke that Caterpie, so I could've avoided having my head covered with sticky silk. Why do I have the nagging feeling that this 'voice' might just be my karma talking?
I guess it only proves my belief that fate has a bad sense of humor…
Genta City Uptown – Trainer's Forum
Subject 001 / Name: Warren
"So this…is the Trainer's Forum?" Matthew asked me, castin' a look 'round the whole field.
I nodded. "Yep, looks like it…"
"…" He frowned, and raised an eyebrow. "Then why is it so empty?"
Ah'll admit, I was wonderin' that myself. The entirety o' the whole dang place was…well, jus' 'bout empty. An' it was probably the size o' a full-on baseball stadium, too! Huh, ah'm startin' to wunder if it was a good idea to come here…
"It's normally not this busy around this time of year," Frank said suddenly. "Usually, it only gets really busy around the time of the Pokémon World Championships. In fact, I'm pretty sure this forum was only constructed because of such a yearly event. I know that the first few Championships were held elsewhere, but the League decided to move it to Pæin for whatever reason. I'm not exactly savvy about what the Pokémon League is into nowadays, but I'm pretty sure they wanted the competition to be in a place remote and relatively peaceful. Perhaps the problems with all these "Team whatever" incidents from Kanto to Hoenn to Unova unnerved them a little too much…"
"…I'll say," Matthew quietly murmur'd, lookin' to the side.
Wif a sigh, I looked up at Frank. "So whut yer sayin' is…no one's here? And no one's gonna be here?" I asked, gettin' more an' more disappointed. Jeez, jus' when I thought that we'd get ta see somefin' interestin'…
"I never said that," Frank clarified, shruggin' his shoulders. "Trainers come here on a daily basis. Sometimes they are here, sometimes they are not…" He look'd up, and suddenly pointed somewhere. "Oh, well, it would seem that there is someone here. Over there, on the bleachers, see?"
Me an' Matt both look'd, and, as Frank jus' pointed out, there was a kid sittin' onda bleachers by the field. It looked like a teenager wif glasses an a red coat o' sorts. He seem'd ta be readin' and 'ccasionally writin' in sum kinda notebook.
"...Perhaps, he came to see if any trainers would come by today?" Frank s'ggested. "Though, judging from the book, I would say that he was looking for a quiet place to write..."
In case it weren't obvious, me, Matt, an' Frank had cum here ta the Trainer's Forum. I was hopin' there'd be somefin' excitin' goin' on here, but the way it's lookin' now...it jus' kinda made me wish I went wif Max ta the nearby strip mall. He, Steve, Danny an' Mark all went there, y'see. Mary, Sam, and Marilyn also went fer a walk, or so I hear.
I was thinkin' of askin' if we can go elsewhere, but 'fore I could...
"Huh, check it out. Someone actually showed up," Matt said stiffly, pointin' o'er to a coupla other teens that jus' walked inta the field.
I could (thanks ta my enhanc'd hearin') manage ta make out whut them two was talkin' about... "...So, you sure about having this battle, man?" one of 'em, a guy wif a backwards-facin' yello-an'-black hat and wearin' sum kinda maroon/gray-color'd coat said.
"I'm quite sure," the other, a teen in a red-n-black baseball cap an' wearin' a blue jacket an' black jeans replied. "Everyone tells me you're the best guy in the Johto region, and, with the tourney coming up, I was looking to see what I was going up against."
"Is that so. Huh. I've been hearing things about you, dude. So, I guess now we finally get to see who's the best?"
The guy in the blue coat scoffed. "That will be decided at the tournament, my friend. For now, let's just have a quick test of our mettle, hm?"
"I can dig that," the other replied, smirkin'. "Let's get this over with then!"
Well, ain't that somethin'! I guess we get ta see sum action today after all! "A'ight! A battle's goin' on! C'mon, Matt! Let's sit onda stands, so we can see all the action!"
"About time," the Snivy said dryly, chucklin'. "I suppose watching someone else get beat up for a change might help me forget about what that...worm did to me..."
"Fer the love-a... Matt, Viridi only did that 'cuz you was messin' 'round wif Max! I admit it was funny an' all, but ya gotta understand that he's really 'ttached to him now. And seein' as how Viridi ain't got nobody but us, then we gotta look after 'im!"
Matt groaned. "Are you seriously going to refer to it as that? Ugh, whatever... Call that worm any stupid name you want. I still won't go near it, mind you."
I sighed, an' shook mah head. Yeesh, why's Matt gotta be so leery o' that Viridi? Once ya get ta know 'im, he's a pretty nice lil' thang...
We clear'd outta that field an' moved onta the bleachers, an' not a moment too soon. Them two trainers took places at opposite ends o' the forum, and seemed 'bout ready ta fight, too...
"...Oh, are you here to watch the battle as well?"
I jump'd a bit, and turn'd ta look to the side. That glasses-kid we saw earlier was sittin' beside me, Matt, an' Frank. I wasn't aware we'd gotten so near to 'im...
Before me or Matt could say anythin', Frank answered the boy's question fer us. "Yes, as a matter of fact. We're just spending some time outside. And you?"
"I'm usually here," the kid replied. "I find that observing the battles and making notes on battle techniques is quite enjoyable."
"My, that certainly is interesting," Frank said, noddin'. "What is the 'observation' for? Are you a trainer as well?"
The kid shrugged. "Well, that's what I'm planning on being some day. As such, preparing a guide with battle strategies and techniques on raising Pokémon would be a helpful boost. And who knows, maybe I can compile a full guide that I could share with other novice trainers."
Frank seem'd purty impressed. Ah'll admit, I was as well. "Such a guide would be invaluable," the guy observ'd, noddin'. "...Say, what is your name?"
"Isaac," the boy replied, still jottin' stuff down in his book. "That's my name, sir."
"Well met. I'm Dr. Peters, but most know me as Frank. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise." Isaac look'd up frum his notebook at last, and turned to us. "...Oh, you have Pokémon, sir?"
Frank laughed. "Well, they're not mine, per se, but I'm taking care of them for now."
The boy a'justed his glasses, an' nodded. "I see. Hm... A Pikachu, and...a Snivy, correct?"
"That's right," Frank answer'd. "You do know a thing or two about Pokémon, that much is clear."
"I guess you could say that. I have been studying for at least three years now." Isaac shrugged, an' look'd back at his notepad.
Finally, I decided to say somefin'. "Three years, ya say? Wow, talk 'bout dedication, pard!"
The kid flinched when I spoke, then slowly look'd back at me, then at Frank. "...Pardon me, but...did that Pikachu just...speak to me?"
"'Course I did!" I went on, crossin' mah arms and grinnin'. "Nice ta meetcha. The name's Warren, and this here is mah friend, Matt!"
"...Yo," Matt said quietly, 'pparently not wantin' ta get involved much.
"..." A'ight, that boy shure look'd...stunned. Maybe I shouldn'tve said anythin'? "...A Pikachu, and a Snivy...both of which can...speak? How...curious," he said real quiet like, jottin' sum more stuff in his notebook. "It's almost unheard of... Not that I haven't heard of talking Pokémon or anything, but...to actually see one up close..."
"They're very special Pokémon," Frank cut in, not soundin' real concern'd 'bout this or anythin'. "It's not exactly easy to explain well otherwise than just saying that."
"...Fascinating," Isaac murmur'd wif mystified interest, then went back ta goin' through his notes an' writin' stuff down. Huh... That seem'd like quite 'n...under-reaction. ...Maybe he's already seen sumfin' stranger than a talkin' Pokémon? Who knows...
Finally, the battle we were waitin' on started ta take place. The first teen ta call out his Pokémon was the blue coat, red-'n-black-hatted guy. "Let's do this, then! Come on out, Serperior!"
He toss'd up the Pokéball containin' his Pokémon, which burst open wif a flash. In seconds, a huge green snake-like Pokémon had appeared onda field, lookin' ready ta fight. Them eyes really seemed intimidatin', e'en though they weren't even lookin' at me.
"Oh, a Serperior!" the glasses-kid 'sclaimed, flipping through the pages o' his notes. "That's the final evolved form of a Snivy! I've never seen one in the flesh before..."
That...that giant snake is a Snivy's final form? I turn'd towards Matt, an' he jus' gave me a smug lil' grin. "Heh, well well... I suppose that would be something to look forward to," he said, snickerin'. Yeesh, I can't even imagine somethin' so small getting' so...big... Thank goodness it'd be a (hopefully) long while still for Matt to evolve (iffin' at all, seeing as how he'd need ta level up an' such).
"Huh! A Serperior, eh?" the other trainer said after the snake was sent out. "Never fought one of those before. This is bound to be really interesting! Alright! Go, Typhlosion!"
Anudder Pokéball, anudder flash o' light, an' the next Pokémon was call'd out. This time, it was a 'mon wif cream-color'd and dark green fur, and flames were spoutin' out along its back.
"And that one is...a Typhlosion, of course. I'd recognize the flame-proof fur anywhere," Isaac said matter-o'-factly, once 'gain referrin' ta his notebook. "The evolved form of Quilava, which in itself evolves from a Cyndaquil."
Woah, that Typhlosion looks even more intimidatin' an' fierce than the Serperior! I guess the flamin' back helps wif the image, an' all. Though, it brings ta mind Samantha... That's whut she's gonna become sumday? Yeesh, that seems...less imaginable ta me than Matt someday bein' a Serperior... After all, she's so quiet an' kind, it jus' don't seem...
Isaac put a hand ta his chin, an' frown'd. "...Huh, type-wise, it seems that the fire-type Typhlosion is at an advantage against the grass-type Serperior..."
"It appears so," Frank said, nodding. "But then again, type match-ups aren't everything. Strategy is quite important. In addition to stats, moves, and the like, of course."
"...How do you know so much about that, Frank?" Matt asked 'im, fer once actually makin' a good point.
The ol' man shrugged. "Well, back when I was still a youngster, I dabbled in Pokémon training. I didn't stick with it for a long time, since I decided to pursue a different field. I got more into research, and the like. Forty years later...I'm stuck with you kids." He laughed, and Matthew jus' roll'd his eyes.
As fer the battle, it was only jus' beginnin'. "Alright, Serperior!" the trainer inda blue coat call'd out. "Start off by using Energy Ball!"
Right when the command came out, that there Serperior was already on top of it. It gather'd up a green sphere of sum kinda...well, energy in its maw, then fire'd it at Typhlosion. I s'ppose the attack caught it off-guard, since it hit wif dead-on accuracy an' the resultin' explosion made it stumble.
"Oof! Not bad!" the Typhlosion's trainer called out, recoilin' frum the blast. "But how do you like this? Typhlosion, Flame Charge!"
Right outta the gate, that Typhlosion got back on its feet an' the flames flarin' on its back start'd getting bigger. Wifin' just a coupla seconds, the whole dang Pokémon was lit up like a torch.
"H-hot dang! That thang's all aflame!" I shouted, gapin' at the sight.
"Flame Charge... I've seen that move used before," Isaac said, still flippin' through his notes. "It raises the user's speed stat. Pretty smart to get yet another edge over the much-faster Serperior..."
An' boy, was it ever an edge! That Typhlosion took off like a rocket, chargin' straight at Serperior all cloak'd in fire! Boy howdy, was this ever a sight fer me!
"Oh no you don't!" the other trainer shouted, raisin' a fist. "Serperior, counter with Iron Tail!"
"...Huh?" Isaac seemed quite shock'd, fer sum reason. "I-I didn't know that Serperior could learn Iron Tail!" he dang near shouted. "But how? It's not listed under the moves it can learn! "
The Serperior's trainer apparently heard that, since he look'd o'er at us and smirked. "My Serperior knew the move since he hatched from his egg. It's one of those so-called 'egg moves'!" he replied, right as his Serperior whiplash'd its glowin' white tail at the oncomin' Typhlosion. The impact made the giant snake recoil, and it sent the other 'mon flying back. Both seemed hurt, but only slight.
"...Wow. Egg moves...? And counter-attacking with a heavy physical attack to partially nullify damage? ...I should write that down," the glasses-kid mumbled again, and went on wif his doodlin' in that pad o' his. Jeez...
The Typhlosion's trainer seem'd ta be getting' a bit...irritated. "Grr! Again, not bad! But I think it's about time to stop playing nice! Use Quick Attack, Typhlosion!"
B'fore I could even blink, Typhlosion had got down on all fours an' was dashin' like mad t'wards the Serperior. That speed boost-up frum last time must've made that Quick Attack even quicker. And there weren't nuttin' the snake or the trainer could do 'bout it...
Slam!
Typhlosion ramm'd inta the giant snake's flank, makin' it shout with pain an' surprise. The Serperior look'd purty hurt by that, but Typhlosion seem'd a tad tired too. It could go either way at this point, I reckon...
"Alright, I've had enough! Serperior, use Leaf Storm!"
"Nuh-uh! Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"
Them attacks collided, a thick storm cloud o' sharp leaves crashin' with a blast o' superhot fire...well, naturally the fire won out. The giant grass snake came out werse fer wear this time...
"Ugh! We can still pull this off, Serperior! Let's unleash Solarbeam!"
"Typhlosion, Lava Plume! Burn through his defense!"
The s'spense was buildin' as both sides charg'd up their moves... Oh man, I swear I was chewing on mah paws like a nervous wreck even though I di'int have no nails no more... Even Matt seemed on edge, and Isaac was, well...he was tense too. The attacks were moments away now...
"Oh boy... This is gonna be big..."
Genta City Uptown – Sunflower Avenue
Subject 002 / Name: Samantha
"Isn't it such a beautiful day?" Marilyn asked me and Mary as we walked down the sidewalk beside her.
I nodded. "Yeah, it sure is…"
"I've always loved going down this area," Mary commented, smiling. "It seems like it's been forever since I last took a walk like this…"
Marilyn smiled brightly at us both. "Well, better savor every moment of this then!" she said. "We've only got a couple hours until we got to head back."
"Yeah, I know…" I said slowly, glancing off in another direction.
Our walk was going very pleasantly so far. In all honesty…I'm kind of embarrassed (in a good way). This is the first time I ever got to hang out with other girls, just like a 'group' of sorts. I mean, um, sure I got to spend time with the others, but…well, I guess I feel a bit of a kinship in this sort of situation…
Anyway, uh…we were walking down the sidewalk of this one road—Sunflower Avenue I think—and chitchatting with each other. I'm not exactly super-sure where everyone else was right now, but I guess it didn't matter much now... We could tell each other all about what we did today afterward, right?
My thoughts drifted off from our conversation as I began to daydream a bit. I couldn't help but wonder about all the goings-on in my life thus far…like, why exactly did I choose to become a Pokémon? Even I don't have a clue…it was just...well...a gut decision. Though, it's pretty well justified since I'm clearly better off with Brian and everyone else than staying at the orphanage, right? Still…I didn't really know why I chose to do so… And I'm still not really that sure what Brian, Frank and whoever else have planned for the future… I mean, it's not like we all have ESP or anything…
…Well, Steve does I suppose, but he doesn't count.
I began to think about all the things that made my life easier, too… Like, for instance, my new brothers and sister. It's been rocky at first, but, ah…well, they've been so good to me since then… Especially Maxwell…
Ohh… Why is it that whenever I think about him, I get this...odd feeling from somewhere within? It's like I want to…to…u-um…actually, never mind, f-forget I said that… Eh-hem…
But really…somehow…I wonder what we're going to do with our lives from this point on… Adults are always going on about us kids working toward our 'future careers', but how can we have careers if we're not even human anymore? I mean, that's something I just can't understa—
CLANG!
"OW!"
…Apparently, I was too absorbed in my thinking to pay much attention to where I was walking, and gone straight into some sort of metal pole at the corner of a four-way intersection. And not slowly either, I was walking at fairly brisk pace when I hit it… Now my head is really sore…
"S-Samantha! Are you okay?" Marilyn exclaimed, rushing over to pick me up and examine for any injury. "You hit your head pretty good…"
"I'm…fine," I managed to say. "I-it's just a bump… I'll be okay…"
After Marilyn decided to put me back down, Mary crossed her flippers and looked at me with concern. "What were you dozing off about?" she questioned, raising a non-existent brow. "It looked like you were just staring off into space for a minute and then wham! You walk straight into that street sign!"
"Street…sign…?" I looked up at the thing I hit earlier, and, as Mary had said, it was indeed a street sign. One of the plates atop it, which designated the road it was parallel to, had words which spelled out 'Shepherd's Lane'.
…Wait… That Shepherd's Lane…? It can't be…
"Hang on… I know this street," I said softly, sudden realization hitting me.
The other two gave me strange looks. "You do?" Marilyn asked me. "Have you been here before?"
I didn't answer her. Instead, I found myself looking to the right, where the sidewalk turns to follow Shepherd's, and I suddenly sprinted down that direction, wondering if it really was there.
"Hey! Samantha! Where are you going?" I heard Mary call after me, but I still kept running. I needed to see if it was still there…
Still running as fast as my little legs would carry me, and swerving around the legs of oncoming people who watched me with confusion as I passed, I finally found what I was looking for. Almost skidding to a halt, I looked out across to the other side of the road, at a building that was very familiar to me.
I stared at it for the longest time, in a sitting position, until Marilyn and Mary finally caught up with me. "Huff… Phew… Hah… W-What's up Samantha? Why'd you run off all of a sudden?" Marilyn exclaimed, panting.
"Yeah! Phew…huff…I was really worried for a bit," Mary also said, looked really exhausted from the marathon she just did. "We were...phew...really...gasp...ugh, I need to stop running so much..."
"…" I glanced at the two for a moment, then back at the building. Both girls stared at me some more before also looking at what I was looking at. Pretty soon it dawned on them what I was thinking.
"Oh," Mary mumbled, putting a flipper to her beak. "That must be…"
I nodded. "Yeah… It's…my old home…"
The building was a small, red brick structure, nestled in among the surrounding ones. On a sign posted near the front door, it read: 'Genta City Children's Shelter ~ "Opening our hearts to the young ones of our society."' Less than a week ago, this was my home. The orphanage I'd spent my whole life at. It brought back many a fond—and sad—memory…
...I wonder how everyone else I knew there was doing...
"...Samantha," Marilyn said at last, "do you...want to go see it closer? Maybe visit or something, for old time's sake?"
"..." I looked at the ground. In all honesty...I both did and didn't want to. The people here, they did take good care of me...and, well, the kids there are also nice (for the most part), but... No, I don't want to stay here. Not just because no one would recognize me anyhow, but because...it held...too many sad memories. Early memories...
"...No," I said finally, making up my mind. "I'd rather not. I have to move forward with my life." With that, I...just turned away from the shelter, and went on walking down the sidewalk.
Both Mary and Marilyn had to catch up with me again. "...Are...are you sure, Samantha?" Mary asked, sounding concerned. "If you want to just, I dunno, see someone there...unless, it was not a nice place..."
"It wasn't that bad," I said, trying to hide my slight empty feeling. "I just...don't want to hang on to such things forever. I'm perfectly fine with it."
"But...um...you don't sound okay with just that," she insisted.
I let out an exasperated huff. "I said I was!" I shouted, startling my adopted sister. "Just drop it already, Mary! God..."
"...If you say so," Mary agreed quietly. She shied away a few steps from me as we walked, but I payed no mind. Gosh, I was getting really..."steamed" for some reason... But Mary's constant yammering just...irritates me. I just can't stand...
"...Um, Samantha? Why...is your back on fire?" Marilyn asked me, nervously arching an eyebrow.
I froze. "...My...what is on...what?" Craning my neck as far back as I could, and looking to where she was indicating, I gasped. "H-huh? F-fire...? Fire?" What Marilyn said was true; there was a blazing (if somewhat small) flame spouting out of my own back! "Wh-when did that happen?"
"You mean you...don't know?" Mary said, staring at me incredulously. "That fire was there ever since we found that old home of yours! It must've been five or six minutes now!"
"...But I...I don't even know how to make fire!" I yelled, still in disbelief. "I haven't even made a single ember ever since I became a Cyndaquil! S-so how...?"
"M-maybe you're learning something!" Marilyn suggested hopefully, now examining the fire on my back with interest. "Perhaps...perhaps this means you're capable of producing a flame now? Ooh! That must be it!" She started to bounce with excitement. "You should try, Samantha! Who knows?"
I silently stared at her hopelessly, then to the still-blazing fire on my back, and then to Mary. The Piplup shrugged. "Um, well, go for it! I...guess," she 'encouraged'. I don't think it helped, though...
"...Okay, fine, I'll...give it a shot," I said, even though I was hopelessly confused about what to do. Just deciding to wing it, I took a deep breath then started to...exhale. That's all I did. And nothing happened...
...At least not at first. After two more attempts, I started to feel something hot rise in my throat... Was it...oh dear, I don't think I really want to do this anymore...
But I had no choice, as by then the hot substance rising within me arrived at my mouth...and promptly exited. With the sound of audible hissing, as if a fire was having water poured on it, a plume of smoke was escaping my jaw.
The other two started hacking and coughing as the smoke surrounded us, and I regretted listening to either of them all of a sudden...
"Oh dear—COUGH—it looks like some kind of—COUGHCOUGH—Smokescreen or something—COUGH!" Marilyn managed to say in-between her coughing fits. Mary wasn't much better off.
"S-sorry! So sorry!" I apologized, finally managing to stop myself from spewing more smoke, and the air around us soon cleared. Mary and Marilyn both took in deep breath of fresh air afterward.
"...Well, I suppose I was mistaken," Marilyn admitted, then coughed again. "Thinking about it...maybe you can't produce the proper fire just right enough...and if it can't properly combust, then there's nothing but smoke made." She rubbed the back of her head, and nervously giggled. "Sorry about that, Samantha..."
"It's...okay," I said, sighing. "But, I really don't think I'd even want to make fire or smoke anyway..."
Mary nodded lightly, seeming to understand what I felt. The secretary Marilyn gave me a sympathetic look as well. "...Well, if that's the way you feel about it Samantha, then I can understand."
Right after that, the warm feeling I was getting from the fire on my back suddenly went cold. I looked behind myself again, and noticed that my flame had put itself out, somehow. That didn't last very long... Whew, but at least I don't feel so tense anymore. Still...how on earth did that happen?
Before things became more awkward than it needed to be, Marilyn quickly suggested that we continue on our walk. So, we did. There wasn't a lot more of the town we needed to see, though...
"...Hey, Mary?" I said to her, turning my head as I walked.
She looked back at me as well. "...Yes?"
"I'm...sorry for raising my voice at you earlier... I-it was uncalled for... I-I don't really know what came over me..."
"Oh, no, that's okay. It was my fault for pushing you that far. I should have just kept quiet."
"But, I really don't like yelling... I think it's very hurtful to others if you yell at them, so...it's kind of a big deal for me..."
"...Well, then I...uh..." She edgily drew a circle on the ground with her foot, so I could tell she was feeling uneasy. "I...accept your apology then. But really, it's not a problem for me..."
"...It is for me," I quietly whispered to myself, and kept on walking. Mary quizzically tilted her head, as if hearing me, but thought not much of it and started walking again as well.
"Hurry up, you two!" Marilyn called out to us, having noticed that we both trailed behind. "We should go check out the beach next! There's still a half-hour left before we have to go back!"
Well, I suppose the beach would be a nice place to spend a little time at...even though I, er, can't really swim that well. I guess I can just lay on the sand for a bit...
Mary seemed pretty on-board with the idea. "The beach? Sounds great! It's a nice day out, so the water would be really refreshing!"
"Yeah, it would!" Marilyn said, giggling. "Alright, let's get going!"
Genta City Uptown – Strip Mall
Subject 006 / Name: Maxwell
"…So how you guys liking your milkshakes?" Danny asked me and Mark. The three of us were sitting at a table in the mall's food court.
Mark nodded. "Great, thanks."
"I suppose," I muttered, awkwardly trying to get a sip out of the cup, which was tricky considering the cup was almost as big as me (not even counting the straw). "I'll get back to you on that as soon as I actually try this stuff…"
Danny chuckled nervously. "Uh…um…yeah… Eh-he…sorry about that. I probably should've got it extra small, huh…"
"(Would've helped,)" I thought bitterly, rolling my eyes. Jeez, you'd think a guy like him would know…
"Need any help with that?" Mark asked me, offering an assisting paw. "I mean, it looks like you're having issues."
"Clearly," I mumbled, but then smiled and nodded.
Returning the smile, the Lucario reached over and grabbed a hold of the cup, tilting the end towards me just enough for me to get a sip from the straw. I sampled the taste for a moment. "…Hmm, it's okay, but…it has a strange aftertaste…"
"That's probably because it's strawberry-flavored," Danny mused, holding up his cup and examining it. "It usually tastes like that. You get used to it though." The guy shrugged and started slurping his drink contently again.
"Incidentally," Mark began, setting down my cup after I'd gotten my fill, "did you know that strawberry milkshakes made in fast-food restaurants aren't made of anything strawberry-related? It's actually a combination of over 59 various ingredients and chemicals that 'fake' the flavor. To be honest, it sounds quite silly to me...but, whatever."
Danny abruptly stopped drinking his shake and gagged. He was silent for several moments before he slowly put down the cup and grimaced. "Uh… I don't really feel thirsty anymore…"
"…Me neither," I concurred, putting on a disgusted look and thankful that I didn't have any milkshake in my mouth still, as I probably would've spit it out by now.
Mark stifled a laugh. "Sorry if I ruined your dessert," he said with a slight simper.
"Don't mention it," I and Danny said almost at the same time.
"…Say Maxwell," Mark said after a moment, eying me curiously, "I noticed this earlier, but I was waiting to ask…where'd you get that necklace?"
I looked down at the trinket around my neck, the Mystic Water, and then back at him. "This? Oh, this… It's a…um…well, why do you ask?"
He shrugged. "Curiosity, mostly. I'm feeling a good deal of energy emitting from it…"
"Oh… Uh, well…this is my Mystic Water… It's supposed to be some kind of… Um… To be honest, I'm not that sure…"
"Mystic Water?" He thought for a moment. "…Oh, right, I've heard of those before. Pretty rare, from what I gather. They're supposed to enhance the power of water-based attacks."
"Y-You don't say…" So that Manaphy in my dream last night really was telling the truth… This little necklace is in fact real. But I still have to wonder…why did he give it to me? Or rather, why did Manaphy's "friend" tell him to give it to me? This has 'suspicious' written all over it…
Mark was silent for a moment. "…But how do you have one? Gift, maybe? Find it somewhere?"
"It was a...gift," I replied truthfully, but intentionally left out the giver's identity.
"Okay, but...why would you need one? Seems unnecessary… Unless you know any water-type moves…?"
I looked to the side and bit my lip. "Actually, uh…I don't… I...I suppose it's just meant to look nice...and stuff..."
"…Oh," was Mark's only response.
"…" Wanting to show him something I can do, I removed the shell from my stomach and held it up. "Well, um… I can do this, at least!" Gripping the blade-like shell tighter, I horizontally slashed the air in front of me (which startled Danny, prompting him to hide under the table -_-).
…But when I did that, something odd caught my attention. As I was swiping the shell, I noticed a glittering blue "streak" appear on the shell for a split-second, almost like a motion blur. Now, THAT had never happened every other time I performed the move, which surprised me.
"…Uh, you didn't, like, see anything just now when I did that, did you?"I asked, curious if anyone else saw.
Mark blinked, and softly shook his head. "Other than the fact that you used your scalchop to murder that milkshake...no, I didn't."
"Uh…" I looked back at the table, and gritted my teeth with embarrassment. The cup containing the strawberry shake had been inadvertently slashed partly in half, and the pinkish mass of artificial dairy was spilling out onto the table. Oops. "I…I meant to do that…"
"So you hate strawberry milkshakes that much all of a sudden?" He laughed. "Well, I can't say I enjoy them either. I ordered mine a vanilla."
"Y-yeah…" Returning the shell (Mark called it a scalchop, so maybe that's the proper name?) to its original position, and a tad red with embarrassment, I sat back down and promptly decided to forget about what I saw. It was probably nothing, anyway…
Danny soon poked his head over the edge of the table again from his hiding spot, and boy did he look unnerved. "D-don't do that, man!" he whined, shivering. "I thought you were going to try and slit my throat with that thing or something!"
"Don't give him any ideas Danny," Mark told him, smirking.
I looked over to the nearby fountain in the center of the mall's food court, where Steve and Viridi were sitting on the edge of it. It looked like they were talking about...stuff. I couldn't really tell. But I suppose it's nice that those two are getting acquainted. However, I can't say the same about Viridi and Matthew...
...Oh. Right. Matthew. Ugh. My tail is still sore from where his vine grabbed and hoisted me skyward. Believe me, it's not exactly comfortable. Somehow, it reminds me of school, with all the wedgies being given out back when I was there...and it also brings to mind the fact that I may never be able to live it down.
I just don't understand that guy sometimes. It seems like his disposition is so...indecisive. Schizophrenic, almost. One minute, he's rather indifferent. The next, he's (relatively) friendly. And the next after that, he seems like he would gouge your eyes out with a fork if someone were stupid enough to give him one. But...he's still technically my brother, I suppose. I should learn to put up with it...
"...Hey, Steve?" I called out to him as I hopped off the chair and walked to the fountain, and the Ralts turned to look at me from where he was sitting. "How are you and Viridi getting along?"
"Quite well, actually," was Steve's reply, showing something of a smile. "For an infantile Pokémon, he's surprisingly...chatty. And he doesn't seem to have any qualms with the fact that we are speaking plain English, unlike normal Pokémon."
"..." I almost palmed my face. How could I forget about that? I can't even believe that Viridi never said anything to me or Warren before... "Oh. Right. Of course, um... You...you didn't tell him why, did you?"
He shook his head. "I never explained it in detail. Since Caterpie—sorry, I mean Viridi—never really asked in the first place, we didn't discuss it for long. He seems to think it's a pretty cool trick, though."
Viridi, I noticed, was over on the other side of the fountain's edge now. It looked like he was just playing around without a care, and didn't appear to be listening in. So, I asked Steve, "Do...do you think we should tell him why? I mean...y'know, along with the fact that...that..." I bit my lip before continuing. I haven't given this much thought myself. I'm...technically, I'm not even a real Pokémon. Well, I am now, but I meant that I was a human that became an Oshawott by decision. What would Viridi think of that? Being the simple young Caterpie that he is, he probably won't understand it very well...
"...It's likely he will discover that eventually," Steve said at last, gently brushing his robe. "If Viridi is going to be living with us, in lieu of his mother's absence, then it may not even be a day before somebody says something that may tip him off. Perhaps we should just tell him up front; it would save us a lot of awkward conversation later."
"..." I nervously tugged at the collar around my neck, as I might have done with a shirt when I was human. "But...now? Here? ...In public?"
He shrugged. "It doesn't have to be here. But, the sooner the better. I'm fully aware that he's grown attached to you, Max, and seeing as how his mother is absent, he's already put his complete trust in you. I can tell from reading his mind a bit that Viridi truly believes you are his friend. He also is convinced that you're a real Pokémon; he doesn't even seem to consider the fact that we're speaking English and touring across Uptown with several human adults suspicious in any way. To him, it's just a interesting little quirk. Naïve as that little Pokémon may be, it isn't right to lead him further into a deception."
"...But Steve, he's already been through a lot!" I asserted, trying not to raise my voice too much so that Viridi wouldn't hear. "With all the stress he's gone through, telling him our little 'secret' might just hurt him more! Couldn't you tell that his...mother is not exactly...?"
"His mother is not dead."
"H-huh?" The strange, effortless monotone he said that single statement with was rather jarring. "Ho-how can you be so sure? When me and Warren talked with him, he said his mother was...'sleeping'. And he seemed all choked up about it when I asked what happened..."
Steve dismissively shook his head. "Um, yes? But you instantly assumed 'sleeping' was a euphemism for death, right?"
"N-not at first, but it seemed really..."
"His young mind is hardly able to comprehend and analyze such terrible situations. But I can guarantee that she is alive. When he said "sleeping", he really did mean it. She was asleep."
"B-but...how do you even know that? It's not like you were there..."
"True, true... But don't forget that I can read thoughts. Same goes for memories that are relatively 'fresh'."
"...Oh, right..."
"Anyhow... From what I could tell, the 'bad man' Viridi mentioned several times did injure his mother. And this man...he also tranquilized her; so she was indeed asleep. Get it now?"
"Tr-tranquilized?"
"From the relatively vague memory, I could see that this man appeared to be some kind of...Poképoacher. A person that hunts and captures Pokémon for money. A despicable sport, if you ask me... Not even Pæin is safe from these thugs..."
"P-poké...poachers...?"
Steve lowered his head, and sighed. "That's right. His mother isn't dead...though, depending on her condition, she may be eventually. It seems all too likely she was captured."
"C-captured! But...here? Aren't there laws that forbid catching Pokémon within the park and city limits?"
"Pokémon poachers aren't quite so bound by the law. To them, legality means about as much as a chewed-up wad of gum you might step on the sidewalk; worthless and annoying. They'll take whatever Pokémon they can get, and then sell them to the highest bidder."
I jumped slightly, as the voice came from behind me. Turning to look back, I saw that Mark had been eavesdropping on us. "O-oh... Um... How long were you listening in on us?"
"...Right around the point where you mentioned 'Poképoachers'," the Lucario said quietly, gently tapping the table with his paw. "I...know a little too much about them. You see...I had a run-in with one a few years ago. Back when I had only just joined 'Project Pokémon'. It was on an outing to the Uptown, a lot like this time... Only, I didn't really have a lot more 'friends', like you do."
This little revelation intrigued me, for some reason. Mark had encountered a Poképoacher firsthand? "Wh-what happened?" I asked, the curiosity making me forget about my previous conversation with Steve.
"It's not easy to talk about...but...I suppose I can still tell you the short version." He took a sip of his drink before continuing. "It happened a few years ago, as I've said, on an outing just like this one..."
"Come on, buddy! The tree is over this way!"
"I'm coming, Mark! I can't run as fast as you, y'know!"
Back then, I had but a single friend. I met him while on my first outing, you see. Of course, he was just a Pokémon, but that didn't mean we couldn't be friends. I was one too after all. We got along great together.
"We're here! Isn't this the coolest hangout spot ever?"
"Oh, wow! It is! I bet I could spend all day climbing it and still not make it to the top!"
"Well, you are kinda slow, pal."
"H-hey! I'm faster than all my brothers, at least!"
We always liked to jest and bicker about which of us was faster, who was stronger, blah blah... It never seemed to get old. And I never thought it would end.
"Hee hee! Wow, that was fun! What'll we do tomorrow?"
"I dunno, but I bet it'll be even more fun that what we did today!"
"You promise?"
"Of course! You're my best friend, after all!"
...But, of course, we all know how such fantasies can easily be swept away...
"Hahaha! What do we have here? A couple of unsupervised wild Pokémon? Hah! Easy pickings! Now why don't you be good little Pokémon and stay still while I capture you?"
"E-eek! H-human! R-run, Mark!"
"C'mon, let's get out of here!"
"Hah! You two can't run! No one gets away from me!"
Before me or my friend even knew it, a Poképoacher had found us. We tried to get away from him...but, we were quickly cornered. I saw no other option than to fight back.
"G-get behind me, buddy! I'll try and hold him off!"
"B-b-but Mark! He's really big and scary!"
"We have no choice! Just trust me on this one!"
I was still a small Riolu at the time, so I wasn't exactly a powerhouse just yet...but despite what I was up against, I did my best to hold him off. I grabbed a nearby stick and keep him away for a bit...though, it soon broke. He swung this...I don't really remember, but I believe it was some kind of net. And it had a Pokéball fitted at the base of the loop, so that whatever was caught in the net would be captured into the Pokéball. It seemed clear I was doomed to an unknown fate...
"Hah! You're mine now, mutt!"
"U-ugh! No...!"
...but before that horrible man could catch me...
"Get away from my friend, you...!"
"What the hell—?"
"Wait! No! Don't! You'll get caught!"
...my friend jumped in front of me. He accepted the fate that was due for myself. He...he didn't deserve such a thing.
"N-NO!"
"Aw, think you're so special? Letting yourself be caught first? Hmph, well it won't matter! As soon as I prep another Pokéball then—hey!"
Before that Poképoacher could do anything else, I...I ran away. As much as I wanted to free my friend from him...I was too weak. There was naught a thing I could do anyway. My friend chose my safety over his own. His sacrifice would've be pointless and in vain if I ended up captured as well.
"I...I'm sorry... I couldn't save you..."
I never saw that man, or my friend, ever again. And I never went back to that forest. The forest in the park. The only place I could remember from that forest...was that clearing where I first met him. That's the only place I would rather remember than any other.
"...I know it seems like a pretty long-winded, sappy story," Mark continued, "but it means a lot to me. From then on, I promised myself that I wouldn't be the weakling; that in the future, such a thing could never happen again. As...you can see, I've been working on that." He made a slight gesture to his Lucario body and gave a weak smile. "...It's never a happy thing, to lose someone you care about..."
I had no idea that Mark, as normal (for a guy that became a Pokémon) as he seemed on first meeting him, had such a sad experience in his life. I've personally never lost anyone dear to me (not counting my parents, but I don't even have any memory of them, so I can't really count that), so I can't really say I understand how he feels.
But everyone else besides me apparently did, though. "I hear ya Mark," Danny said quietly, looking genuinely upset for the first time since I met him. "I lost my mum when I was just a little kid...back when dad was only just starting out this CPT stuff. I had to live with grandma for a while after that..."
"Well," Steve began, rubbing the back of his head, "I can suppose that when my caregiver passed on, I felt fairly aggrieved as well. I've...never had a best friend taken away from me, however..."
Viridi had just been listening quietly to us all for several minutes now, so it surprised me when his tiny voice spoke up as well. "M-my mommy... She got...taken away from me by a bad man, too," he said, sniffling as the thoughts reoccurred to him. "If it w-wasn't for friend, then...I d-dunno what I would do, or where I would go..."
"..." Mark's tiny smile gradually faltered into a mournful frown. "You...were very close to your mother, weren't you?"
"Y-yes mister Mark," Viridi said, seeming to be holding back an urge to cry. "M-mommy was always there for me... Even when all my brothers and sisters grew up and left me alone, she was still there... I...I miss her..."
"B-but it's okay now, right?" I suddenly spoke, putting a reassuring paw on the Caterpie's head. "It'll be fine, 'cause we're here for you! We can still cope with loss if we have someone who we can trust with us, right?"
Steve nodded. "True, true..."
"I-I'm glad you're my friend then, friend!" Viridi said, his mood picking up as he looked at me with those practically glowing eyes of his. "Th-that would mean that...you've saved me twice now!"
...Saved him twice? Since...when? I know I saved him from that forest in what I thought was a dream, which would be the first time... But, I don't recall ever doing something similar after that or recently... Unless...he was referring to...
"It's...a strange thing," Mark said abruptly, looking upwards in thought. "Me and my friend always had put our trust in one another... And we'd both lost something even before then. You could say we had a lot in common."
Danny, who had been silent for a little while now, spoke up again. "What a way to spend an afternoon, eh? Just sitting around in the middle of the mall... Me, hanging around four different Pokémon, three of whom are speaking plain English... Drinking milkshakes that aren't even real milkshakes... And not to mention the countless odd looks I've seen our table get from passersby... Yep, this is the life." You could almost feel the sarcasm that was dripping from his voice. Since when did Danny turn into Matthew?
"If it's any consolation Danny," Steve said, tilting his head and smirking, "then you should know that a majority of those people were actually quite jealous of you. They were under the impression that we are all your Pokémon. You should be happy for yourself that people actually regard you with some degree of interest."
The young adult stared at the Ralts with a bored expression. "...Yeah, I feel like a freakin' Pollyanna," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Oh, and please stop condescending me."
"Noted."
Mark chuckled. "Well, it seems clear that Danny is in a poor mood right now," he observed, cracking a tiny smile as aforementioned person huffed indignantly. "Anyway, as for my story... I usually don't think about it so much...but ever since I saw Viridi with you guys, then...let's just say I was reminded rather harshly of my past."
"Why is that?" I asked, curious about this. "Why would seeing Viridi make you remember all that other stuff happening back then? It seems...kind of unrelated..."
"..." He sighed. "You see...my friend...he was a Caterpie as well."
7 hours later, at the Castelia City Orphanage in Unova…
"He is in this room, right here," Mr. Ferguson told the visitor as they both walked down the hall, stopping in front of a wooden door with the number '026' etched in the nameplate. "Aleron should be inside. If not, then he may very well be in the lounge area. Pardon, allow me to check."
The headmaster of the orphanage took hold of the doorknob, turned it, then gently pushed open the door and poked his head inside. "Aleron? Are you in here, my boy?"
"...Yeah," a voice from within replied.
"Remember the chap I mentioned to you yesterday?" Ferguson asked, and the boy made a sound of assent. "Well, he's here to speak with you now!" He stepped back into the hallway and turned to the visitor. "You may see him. I'll let you two discuss this alone. Cheerio!"
Mr. Ferguson walked back down the hallway from where he came, and the visitor slowly walked into the room, catching sight of the boy. He was casually lying back on his bed, arms crossed behind his head. A Lillipup was resting at the foot of his bed, seeming to be sound asleep.
"Good morning," the visitor said cheerfully, bowing slightly. "I take it that you are Mr. Aleron Bane?" The boy grunted in response. "I'll assume that was a yes. May I borrow this chair to sit on for a while?"
"Knock yourself out," was Aleron's eventually reply.
The visitor, wearing an oddly-casual getup of clothes, sat down on one of the chairs in the room. He took a couple of papers from his pocket and read them through for a moment before speaking. "So, it's a pleasure to meet you at last. My name is Brian Summers, and I represent PokéGene Inc., which is based in the Pæin region."
"...Pæin, huh," the brown-haired kid murmured, turning to look directly at Brian for the first time since he entered. "You're from PokéGene Inc.? And I've never heard of that company ever before...because?"
"We're not exactly...'high-profile'," Brian admitted, chuckling weakly. "But we're working on that. Anyhow, how are you? You seem quite well."
"...Thanks? I guess?" Aleron arched an eyebrow suspiciously at this man. "So, what's the deal? We're supposed to be talking about adoption or whatever, right? I've been down this road before..."
Brian shrugged, his smile fading a bit. "So it says in your records. Apparently...you lost your parents in an accident three years ago. Along with several other people that were involved, it would seem..."
"..." Aleron said nothing, but he seemed rather surprised that this man knew about it. He looked away for a moment, then sighed. "The boating accident... It was just supposed to be a weekend trip... They were going to the Liberty Gardens, but...the boat got caught in a nasty storm..."
"...And they were never heard from again, correct?"
Aleron nodded softly, closing his eyes.
Nodding as well, Brian folded up the papers he was carrying and stuffed them back into his pockets. "I'm terribly sorry about that. You have my wholehearted sympathy."
"..."
"...But, I have a proposition for you, Aleron," the man said, trying to brighten the mood. "As I said before, I come from PokéGene Inc. You see, we have been doing some experiments regarding the harmonization of Pokémon and human genetic structure. In other words, DNA research."
"Yeah yeah, DNA resear—wait...what?" The boy's interest was suddenly piqued. He sat straight up, which stirred his companion from slumber, and looked back at Brian. "Wh-what's this about...whatever you were talking about?"
"Pup?" the Lillipup barked, casting a curious look between his owner and the newcomer. The Pokémon was still rather groggy from being woke up, but it seemed as alert as it could be.
"Oh? That's a rather nice Pokémon you have there," Brian observed, placing a hand to his chin.
Aleron nodded, and ran his fingers through the puppy Pokémon's fur gently. "He was given to me by my parents when I was twelve... It was...a month before they died..." He smiled weakly. "His name's Hope."
"I see... Well, as I was saying," Brian continued, "I am a scientist currently researching the DNA synchronicity between Pokémon and human species. The basis of which may, and has in fact already been proven to, benefit the field of medicine."
"...Okay, so..." The boy shared a confused glance with his Lillipup. "...What exactly does this have to do with me?"
"I was just getting to that. At PokéGene, we dabble in the fields of medicine that few others dare to even consider. Our experiments consist of utilizing a miraculous serum which I have dubbed CPT-019. As the product of our research, CPT allows any normal human...to assume a completely different form."
Aleron gave the man a weird look. "That...sounds unrealistic. By 'assume different form', you meant something else, right? ...Something else that makes a bit more sense?"
"I guarantee you, it is as it sounds," Brian assured him, then raised an eyebrow. "Why would I travel all this way to Unova just so I could lie to you?"
The orphan bit his bottom lip and shrugged his shoulders. He had a point. Perhaps he really was being honest? "Okay, if you're telling the truth...what is this CP-stuff for, anyway?"
"Glad you asked. CPT-019 is our special little project; it contains a special compound that me and the rest of us at PokéGene have perfected over the years. Simply put, with this formula, it allows the inductee to become a Pokémon. Six other kids, a lot like yourself, have already become of part of it. We have, thusly, decided to refer to the whole experiment as 'Project Pokémon.' A bit redundant I suppose, but the name stuck for us."
Aleron's eyes widened slightly. Become a...Pokémon? Is this man truly serious? Was he insane? F-for all the kid knew, this guy Brian may very well have waltzed out of the nearby loony bin (conveniently located two blocks away from the orphanage) and wandered over here. But how could this guy seem so...casual about it?
It took a long time for Aleron to say anything. "So...what exactly are you asking me?"
"I'm asking you the same thing I've already asked those six other kids like you," Brian said, adjusting his glasses and smiling. "Would you like to come and participate?"
Next time, on 'The Pokémon Project'…
"Alright everyone, I'd like to introduce you all to our newest friend!" Brian said, patting the unknown kid on the back. He seemed rather quiet, that one. Why am I feeling déjà-vu right now?
"Oh, hi!" Marilyn said, greeting the newcomer with sickening enthusiasm. "What's your name?"
The kid looked around rather nervously, holding his Pokémon closer to him. "Al…Aleron," he said at last, obviously unsettled, but soon found confidence. "Ye-Yeah… Aleron Bane."
I leaned over to otter-boy and murmured in his ear, "Dumb name," to which he halfheartedly shrugged.
"At least he seems...kind of friendly," he replied. "More friendly than you in any case."
I gently slapped the back of his head after he said that. "Shaddup."
"Hey! Don't hit my friend, meanie!" the worm complained, angrily staring at me.
"He deserved it!" I defended, waving a careless hand. Sometimes I wonder why they even bothered dragging that bug home with us...
~O~
...Samantha...
"Wh-who's there?" I asked fearfully, quickly darting my head around the room. Where was that voice coming from? "W-where are you? I...I can't see you!"
I'm right here...with you... Somewhere very close...close to you...
"Samantha, what's wrong?" I heard the voice of Maxwell ask, and he looked at me worryingly. "Why are you all curled up on the floor and babbling to yourself? Are you not feeling well?"
Just relax...everything will...be okay...
I shivered more and more, putting my paws over my head as if to shield myself. "P-please...who are you?" What was this...presence I felt? It wasn't Maxwell, no...he seemed so far away now.
I'm so sorry...for everything...
It had gotten extremely dark around me. There was another thing with me though, and I couldn't even recognize it. And yet, it was instantly familiar. I felt a sudden cold heat run through my blood as I came to realize it.
...My darling...Samantha...
I felt as though I wasn't even alive anymore.
"...Mother..."
~O~
"...Well, I think it's clear that we have another 'Matt & Mary' situation on our hands," I muttered to Warren. "...Er, I mean paws. But...you get the idea."
The Pikachu nodded, gazing towards the newcomer and the Pokémon sitting next to him. "Yea, I hear ya Max," he said, a tone of dull resignation in his voice. "...Boy, he seems real upset o'er somethin'..."
"Look, the important thing is that I TRIED, okay?" I almost shouted, turning red in the face with embarrassment and quickly hustling away as Warren fired me a confused look. There was no way I'd admit that I messed up the negotiations like last time...otherwise he'd probably laugh his furry little butt off.
...This must be starting to become a running gag, or something. Why is nothing in my life ever easy? You always hear in these other books, stories, myths and whatnot about the 'good' people getting frequent breaks. No, none of that stuff here. At least not in the way I'd prefer.
I sighed miserably. "As if I needed another reason to consider getting therapy..."
A/N: THIS. CHAPTER. IS. TOO. DAMN. LONG! D: Gah, what is up with me and wanting to overextend myself…? Well, it was either a two-or-three part chapter arc (of which I hate immensely), or one really long chapter, so I went with the latter option. :P (And as usual, Aleron is an OC owned by...surprise surprise, Aleron's Sword. And Isaac is a minor OC that I created myself. I just decided to randomly include him here.)
In other news: YAY! TEN CHAPPIES AT LAST! Whew, that sure took long enough, eh? :P Now, how long d'ya think the next ten will take? XD ...Just don't get too used to having long chapters. The original chaps weighed in around 4-6 thousand words each...and it kept rising from then. But in order to make sure I can update more regularly, I'll be shortening these chapters significantly from here onwards. Only the important chaps will be long. So, expect many more cliffhangers. D:
Speaking of which, surely that little cliffhanger will leave some of you quite desperate to know more details, right? Don't worry, I'll try and be quick. ;) THE PLOT IS ADVANCING, PEOPLE. Until then, feel free to check out those other new stories I posted! Perhaps they'll hold you over for a bit...perhaps. And on top of that, I've gone back and edited all the previous chaps for errors, spelling goof-ups, and the like. Don't be shy to point out any mistakes! I'll gladly address them as soon as I am able! :)
Review where it's due, osha! Until next update, FARE THEE WELL!
-TheAuthorGl1m0
:D