Pokémon: Changeling
Chapter 8 – The Poké Ball
Almost as soon as I entered my Poké Ball, I knew something was very wrong. There was not any kind of simulation of a familiar environment or place to relax like I expected. Instead, I felt like I was suspended in the air. I was partially curled up and could barely move my body. All around me was a white grid. If I looked closely, I could see environments faintly appearing and disappearing around me. One moment, the faint outlines of trees and bushes would start to materialize. However, many of the objects in the environment would look very…wrong. Some appeared as a jumble of pixels being ripped apart and reforming. Others would appear blurry like a low-quality image and were stretched at impossible angles. And that is just a few of the examples. It was like being at the center of a glitchy video game.
Over time, these environments would begin to dissolve and reform into new ones with their own bizarre objects. Twisted versions of mountains, deserts, tundra, and lakes all seemed to try to form in this nightmarish hellscape. But even though they tried, they never did fully form and never managed to completely replace the white grid around me.
With my heart in my throat, I struggled to breathe, or at least preform the simulation's equivalent. I still felt like I existed, like my body was still real, but I was stuck in what appeared to be some sort of digital purgatory. My eyes hurt simply trying to comprehend what was around me, forcing me to shut them tight.
I was uncertain how long I was in there, stunned by the fear I would never escape, but eventually desperation overtook me. In my panic, I tried has hard as I could to claw my way out even though I could not see walls or edges to claw against. I cannot really explain it, but I felt something build up inside of me and it grew the more I focused on it and the idea of escaping. Suddenly and without warning, I released the power that had built up inside of me and virtual cage I was in, including the strange white grid, suddenly vanished.
Next thing I knew, I had materialized on the side of a small winding dirt path through an impossibly lush forest. The trees were just sparse enough that bushes, grass, ferns, and other small plants covered the forest floor. Large rocks and logs were also scattered through the area. It was like something out of a fantasy and would have been absolutely breathtaking if I was not so frightened.
I spotted a massive fallen tree nearby held at a slight angle by a rock that was just barely be big enough for me to hide under. I dove under it without hesitation. So, there I was, an eighteen-year-old human in the body of a full-grown Mightyena, cowering under a log and shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.
Brandon, who I had materialized next to before running off, quickly caught up to me and peered under the log, a worried expression on his face.
"What's wrong, Remus?" he asked concerned.
"Don't put back in that THING!" I cried, "It's…It's like Hell in there!" At least that's what I tried to say, but not only were my words were expressed in my new animalistic tongue. There was no way for Brandon to know what I was saying, all he could tell was that I was scared out of my mind.
The movement of Brandon's hand towards the Poké Balls on his belt drew my attention. I flinched in fear, but instead of grabbing my Poké Ball, he grabbed the one with the red flame painted in its white circle. The Poké Ball disconnected from the machine almost like it was held in place with a magnet although, for reasons I cannot fully explain, I suspected something more arcane was at work.
"Hey, Amber, can you give me a hand here?" Brandon requested before tossing the Poké Ball into the air. It opened and energy arced out, landing just a few feet away from me. The light faded way to reveal a bipedal foxlike creature standing there.
The creature, which I somehow knew was female, was barely a meter tall and stood on digitigrade legs covered in soft black fur. Most of the rest of her fur was a warm yellow with a white fur forming a collar-like mane covering her shoulders and upper chest while the same color could also be found on the short fur coating her arms down to her three-fingered paw-like hands and the fur that coated the sides of her face, including the longer strands that grew out of her cheeks.
Tufts of dark orange fur grew out of her large ears, matching the color of the tip of her very large bushy tail. Above her legs, the yellow fur was sept out to either side in a manner that almost made it look like some sort of dress or skirt. Her eyes, like her vulpine nose, bore the same dark orange as the fur that grew out of her ears, which should have made them look intimidating, but, somehow, they did not frighten me.
This creature, which I almost instantly recognized as a Braixen, wore a short red-orange cape that covered her neck and half of her back, largely obscuring her mane from view. The two sides of the cape were held in place with pin with a small piece of amber on it that was off-center to her right slightly and had the same small flame design engraved on it that was painted on her Poké Ball.
In the blink of an eye, she pulled a short stick from her bushy tail and twirled it as a small fire appeared at its tip, seemingly without actually damaging the stick itself. She looked around like she was expecting trouble but, noticing none, turned her attention to Brandon.
"What is it?" She yipped softly in a language similar to my own. Even though I could tell it was slightly different, I could still understand her. I guessed that meant I could probably understand all Pokémon. Her voice, while undoubtedly feminine and soft, still sounded determined.
Brandon, guessing her question, answered, "Don't worry, were not being attacked; it's our new friend here." He motioned towards my pitiful hiding spot. "He jumped out of his Poké Ball suddenly and dove under this log. He's clearly scared mind, but I have no idea why. Do you think you help me calm him down a bit and figure this out?" Brandon asked as he knelt back down to resume looking at me.
The Braixen, apparently named Amber, nodded quickly. The fire on her "wand" extinguishing like it was never even there before she placed it right back in her incredibly bushy tail. She followed her Trainer's lead and knelt down to look at me and briefly flinched as soon as she saw me. She quickly recovered before beginning to talk in her strangely comforting and almost motherly tone.
"Hey there, did Brandon give you a name yet?"
I did not reply; I was not prepared to talk to a Pokémon. The sheer strangeness of talking to another sapient species and being able to hold a conversation when both sides were speaking a different language were not the only reasons. I was nervous about accidently giving something away. 'What if she learns I was human? What would she do? Would she try to kill me?'
After all, back when I was a human in my world, if I found out a creature from another world had come to inhabit a human body, I would probably consider that creature a monster, so I expected a Pokémon would probably consider me one.
"Ssshhh, ssshhh. It's okay. You're safe now. Nothing is going to hurt you."
The more I thought about it, the more me fear of ending up back in the Poké Ball came to override my fear of my humanity being discovered. I needed to tell her. Maybe she could help keep me from experiencing that impossible hellscape again.
"Remus," I finally replied timidly. "He named me Remus."
"Okay, Remus. What's wrong?" she asked, her worry evident in her voice.
"Don't…Don't…Don't let him put me back in there…" I barely managed to choke out.
"In where? Your Poké Ball?"
I nodded hastily.
"Why?" she asked, perplexed.
"Nothing was right…" I whined. "I was trapped… Unable to move… Everything was twisted and contorted…"
I broke down entirely at that point. It was hard to explain, but nothing was more frightening to me then the idea of being trapped in that Lovecraftian parody of reality for eternity. It may not sound that bad to someone who has not experienced it, but being unable to move is nightmarish enough and the corrupted landscapes that tried to replace the white plane I was in was frightening in a way I will never be fully able to, or want to, put into words. I did not have any idea how I escaped and I was not going to risk being stuck in there again in order to figure out how.
I knew I was confusing Amber, but I was sure I got across the point that being inside my Poké Ball was something I NEVER wanted to do again. Concern overpowered Amber's confusion and she got up, tapped my Poké Ball and shook her head.
"…He doesn't want to go back in his ball?" Brandon asked, looking slightly upset.
"Yes," Amber yipped; despite the language barrier, her yip and nod seemed to get the message across to Brandon.
The color drained from Brandon's face as he sat down in front of the log. He crossed his legs and put his head in his hands. I was not entirely sure why he seemed so distraught. Was he really that upset that I did not like being in my Poké Ball?
"By Arceus! How could I be so stupid! Not even rookies should make that mistake!" he shouted angrily, banging his fist against the log in frustration. It was strange seeming someone about my human age get so upset; however, it seemed pretty clear he was not angry with me.
"I…I'm so sorry, Remus… I shouldn't have… I shouldn't have recalled you like that without asking. I never stopped to think that maybe you wouldn't want to be recalled like that. …Sure, it's rare that Pokémon don't like it… But that's no excuse, especially not for someone who has been Trainer for nearly eight Arceus-damned years…"
Amber and I stayed still in stunned silence; neither of us were expecting him to react like that. I could tell he was being honest with me; he was not expecting me to react so badly to the Poké Ball. I guess he just was just unused to the idea a Pokémon would reject being recalled like that. Judging from Amber's wide-eyed confusion at my mentioning of the distorted digital landscape inside and how I was unable to move, I felt like it was a safe guess that experiences like mine were at least uncommon. Since Brandon seemed to have at least three Pokémon besides me that have never had such an experience and Brandon said he had been a Trainer for eight years, I could kind of see why it would slip his mind.
It was obvious to me that what had happened was unintentional and, even without having the slightest idea of the true extent of my ordeal, he was already tearing himself up about his mistake. I could not let that continue.
Shakily, I got to me feet…err, paws…and crawled out of my hiding place. I sat down next to him and whined at him to stop crying as I placed one of my forepaws on his lap. Brandon nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise.
"You…You're not going to leave?" he stammered while wiping is eyes to stop the flow of tears before they could begin. "Even after what I did? I…I betrayed your trust. Even if it was just a stupid mistake, I can tell I hurt you… I failed you. Why aren't you mad at me?"
"Because you didn't mean it," I tried to say, temporarily forgetting he was incapable of understanding me.
It was my turn to be startled, as Brandon suddenly wrapped me in a tight hug. I was definitely not ready for it, but I could tell he needed it. So, despite awkwardness of the situation, I did not resist at all.
"I'll understand if you don't want to stay with me after this," he rambled, talking so fast I could barely keep up with what he was saying. "I mean, I've heard of Pokémon being angry at their Trainers for trying to recall them, but I can tell this is different. Something about it was horrifying to you."
He suddenly released me and looked me dead in the eyes, horror etched into his face like he suddenly came to a startling revelation.
"You didn't exit your Poké Ball immediately, but being inside it terrified you… Did you have trouble getting out?"
I nodded slowly, unsure how else to answer. I immediately regretted the decision as he was almost immediately assaulted by depression again. He just simply stared at the dirt in front of him, not wanting to make eye contact with me. Damn it, I was not going to let him feel so guilty over an innocent mistake, but I knew I could not directly explain that to him. So, I did the only thing I could think of, I forced myself to bark happily at him and began wagging my tail. I felt humiliated, acting like a mere animal again, but I needed to get my point across to him.
He looked up at me quizzically, "You're not leaving? You could sever your link to your Poké Ball at any time and I would no longer be your Trainer. You could just follow my scent back to the Pokémon Center and wait three days for your final checkup. They handle Wild Pokémon all the time."
That was not an option, even if I could figure out how to break my connection with the Poké Ball. I was not about to leave a Trainer who was obviously concerned about my well-being, even if he made a mistake, in order to be utterly alone in a strange world that I understood so little about. Frankly, I knew I should consider myself lucky that my Trainer cares about me even though we barely just met.
I shook my head and made a point of moving to sit by his side; I was going to stay with him. Without thinking about it, I leaned into him like a dog seeking to be petted. He let out a hoarse laugh before scratching me behind the ears. I could feel my tail wagging with pleasure behind me before I noticed that Amber was still watching us, a relieved smile on her face. Truth be told, I had almost forgotten that the Braixen was here. While noticing her made me aware of my own inhuman behavior, I was too overwhelmed to care at the moment. She sat down on Brandon's right, the opposite side from me.
"…Does this mean you forgive me?" Brandon asked after a long silence.
I nodded eagerly and barked "Of course!"
His smiled in return and I remember being thankful he understood.
"Look, Remus, I promise, I will never ask you to return to your Poké Ball if you don't want to. I will make sure to get it inspected, just to make sure it isn't broken. But, even if I can get it fixed, I won't expect you to return to it. I need to keep the your Poké Ball so you can't be caught by another Trainer and I can continue being your legal Trainer, but you can stay outside of it if you want. …Is that okay?"
Once again, I nodded and barked, this time to show I agreed to his proposal. We sat there for a while with Brandon petting both Amber and me. Eventually, Brandon stood up, causing Amber and I looked at him expectantly.
"We should probably get moving again," he said turning towards me. "I would like to get home so I can introduce you to the rest of the team, get you cleaned up, and change your bandages before Mom gets home. She can't wait to meet you."
I looked down at myself, realizing for the first time how dirty I had gotten in my mad scramble for shelter after escaping my Poké Ball. While I was not as messy as I could have been, I was still covered in dirt and definitely far from presentable.
"Yeah, I guess I could do with some cleaning up," I chuckled in a manner that sounded almost a bit like a soft growl while staying identifiable. To my surprise, both Amber and Brandon joined in.
"You didn't even realize you got dirty did you?" Brandon teased.
I hung my head down and shook it, still chuckling as I did so. It was not really that funny but, after the situation we just went through, we were all a bit tense. Even Amber, who politely allowed Brandon and I to resolve our issue uninterrupted, needed to release a bit of stress. After we all finished laughing, Brandon started speaking again.
"So… Amber, do you mind staying out for the rest of the trip back, its only about another twenty minutes and I am sure Remus and I would appreciate the company."
Amber smiled happily, showing her sharp canine teeth, and yipped, "Certainly!"
And with that, we started walking with Brandon taking the lead through the winding trails of the impossibly lush forest. As tense as I still was, I could not help but gaze in wonder at how such a place could exist. It was like something out of a fantasy and it was absolutely stunning. Trees of all shapes and sizes were scattered around with various bushes, shrubs, logs, stumps, and rocks filling up much of the space in between. Many of the trees and bushes even had berries growing on them, almost all of which I recognized from the Pokémon games. Even if I could not see that far off the trail due to the wide variety of obstructions, I could still appreciate the denseness and beauty of forest. Even its scents and sounds were oddly hypnotizing and calming.
After a few minutes of walking side by side, Amber turned to look at me as we continued. "So, Remus, I don't believe I had the chance to introduce myself. I'm Amber!"
Her broad smile was genuine, friendly, and comforting, but I was still worried about having to talk to a Pokémon. What if I said something to give away the fact that I used to be human? Still, I knew it would be better to respond.
"…Pleased to meet you, ma'am," I hesitantly stated while keeping pace with her. To say I was uncomfortable going by a new name was an understatement, but I didn't see much option. I was not sure if wild Pokémon had names and so trying to go by real name, Alex, could call into question my claims of amnesia.
As if on cue, Amber spoke again. "…So, Brandon mentioned you have amnesia. Is that true?"
I tensed slightly, but I was still largely successful at keeping my composure. I had already planned what I would say when faced with this question; I just hoped that she would assume my anxiety was due to my supposed amnesia.
"Yes. I mean, I think I know some basic facts, like how I'm a Mightyena, but I am not sure how many of these fragments of information are actually true and how many are partially or entirely wrong. …There are also clearly gaps in my knowledge. For example, I recognized what a Poké Ball was and understood that Pokémon could be 'caught' inside it, but Brandon had to explain how it worked."
It was disturbing to me how easily I was able to fabricate this lie. I felt like I sounded confused, anxious, and depressed over my "lost" memories, probably because I was actually feeling these emotions, albeit for different reasons. However, I was convinced this lie was necessary. It was an excuse that explained how I might be able to recognize some aspects of this world because I knew about them from the Pokémon games or because of similarities to my world. I could explain any knowledge I have about this world away as information I did not lose to amnesia, or "remembered," and could explain any misunderstandings about things or gaps in knowledge as the products of my injuries. This would hopefully be enough to lessen any suspicion that may be directed my way.
Amber faced me; her eyes were wide with curiosity. "So, what are some of the things you think you remember?"
I instantly recognized this a fantastic opportunity. I could start checking to see what "facts" from the games were true in this world. 'This will be helpful,' I thought.
"Well, were both…Pokémon," I said hesitantly. Saying I was not human, even for the sake of my survival, was even harder than I anticipated. I tried my best to ignore the bitter taste this statement left in my mouth. "I'm a Mightyena and I am pretty sure you're a Braixen."
"That's right," Amber confirmed.
"I also seem to remember something about Pokémon having powers and being grouped based on typing. Like how I am a Dark-Type and you're a Fire-Type."
Amber nodded slowly and thoughtfully, listening to each word carefully. She seemed patient, even though, for her, this must have been like a kindergartener explaining things to his or her parents.
"Right again. Pokémon may belong to one or two types. Of course, both of us only have one type," Amber explained. "You're also right about the powers, unlike animals and most humans, we Pokémon can influence our auras to use moves. Like how I can burn opponents with Flamethrower or blast them with a Psybeam."
So, the Pokémon next to me really could burn me to a crisp. That was…concerning, but I figured this was probably the case. Instead of worrying, I focused on continuing my pursuit of information. Knowledge is power after all.
"Psybeam, that's a Psychic-Type move. I thought you were just a Fire-Type." Of course, I did know that Braixen evolved into Delphox, a Dual Fire/Psychic-Type, and Braixen could learn the move pretty early in the games so it would not be so farfetched that a Braixen would know that move, but I figured it was better to feign ignorance in order to confirm my suspicions.
"Well, all members of my species learn a few Psychic-Type moves. I will evolve into a Delphox eventually after all, and then I will be a Psychic-Type Pokémon as well as a Fire-Type Pokémon. You do you know what evolution is, right?"
Somehow, although my mind translated the phrase she used most closely translated as "evolution," I could also tell this did not mean the same thing as biological evolution in my world. I am incapable of really explaining how I knew it; I just knew they were different. Of course, I was well aware that evolution in Pokémon was nothing even remotely like biological evolution in my world, but it was curious that I still heard it as "evolution."
Setting aside that curiosity and turning my focus back towards questions I could ask relatively safely, I shook my head to say "no." Amber spent the next five minutes or so explaining evolution. For the most part, it was similar to the games, however, when she mentioned that many Pokémon, like her "evolution family" of Fennekin, Braixen, and Delphox, as well as my "family's" prior form of Poochyena, evolved in due to learning to how to control their "auras" better due to emotionally maturing or experience battling.
Unfortunately, when I asked her to further explain what auras were, she looked at me like I had multiple heads. Okay, that may not be the best comparison given how some Pokémon have multiple heads, but that is not the point. After regaining her composure, she simply dismissed the subject as something she would clarify later before continuing.
Amber went on to confirm I was indeed fully evolved, which relieved me immensely; I did not think I could go through a sudden transformation again and still be sane, especially if I really could feel my body change during said transformation. One massive change to my biology was already overwhelming enough, even if did feel uncomfortably familiar.
Now armed with a basic understanding of evolution, Amber went on to brag how she was skilled with Psychic moves despite not having evolved yet. She mentioned that while she was not a Psychic-Type yet and could not use them to their full effect, she could still utilize them better than most Braixen. I guessed that meant that, like the games, if a Pokémon used a move that was same type as it was, the move would be more powerful.
As I was listening to this, I started to become a little nervous. Amber kept mentioning battles, so it seemed like Pokémon battles between Trainers did happen in this world. While the thought of being in a Pokémon battle was fascinating, the fear that I would be forced to participate in these battles was far more compelling, even if I did need to practice fighting in order to survive in this world. I knew that in some Pokémon manga, the battles were brutal and sometimes fatal. I silently prayed that was not the case.
"…So, Amber," I interrupted nervously, "you keep mentioning battles. What do you mean?"
She must have seen the worry on my face. After a few tense moments, she started laughing at me.
"It's alright, a Pokémon battle isn't an actual fight. It's a competition, like a race. During the battle, Pokémon use their moves on each other, trying to exhaust their opponent while Trainers give instructions their Pokémon and devise strategies from the sidelines. Once a Pokémon gives up and can't battle anymore, he or she is recalled by his or her Trainer. …Make sense? You still seem nervous."
"You said 'once a Pokémon can't battle anymore.' Are these battles…painful?" I asked, attempting to avoid sounding like a complete coward. I'm pretty sure I failed, but Amber seemed to either not care or not notice.
"They aren't really that painful," she replied. "Sure, they can hurt; you are using weaponized aura against each other… But everyone's cautious about it and it's not dangerous at all! It's actually really fun!"
I had a hard time picturing someone else being as enthusiastic as she clearly was about fighting, especially when your opponent could blast you with energy beams. After all, in my world, I never got into fights. I was always more of the stereotypical scrawny nerd who always followed the rules, so I was unable to easily grasp the idea of fighting for fun. It just seemed strange but, at the same time, something deep inside of me saw the appeal; something that was not there before.
"Besides," Amber suddenly added, "it's not like were humans."
Those words cut into me like daggers and I nearly vomited. Yes, I knew I was no longer human and it was illogical to keep focusing on it, but it still hurt. Luckily for me, she had turned her head to look back towards the surrounding forest as we walked, so my reaction went unnoticed.
"Why does that matter?" I inquired after I had managed to recover from her casual statement.
"Oh, uh… Well humans aren't as tough as us. Sure, they can resist attacks to a degree, but it's not like they can heal like we can."
That made sense. I went from being declared dead to being released from the Pokémon center in just a few days. Obviously, the ability to heal rapidly was why Pokémon could compete in battles without it being fatal.
Amber realized how overwhelmed I was feeling and, even though I clearly did not fully understand everything, she did not add anything more. Instead, she decided to test the limits of memory by having me identify any Pokémon we came across and tell her what I could remember about the species. I felt slightly frustrated at the time as I realized I was basically trying to guess "Who's that Pokémon?!" from the anime and I was not always able to recall them as fast as I probably could because of how overcrowded with information my brain was but, in retrospect, I can see what Amber was trying to accomplish.
First of all, it served to test my "memory," which allowed her to get a better idea what things I could accurately "recall." It also served to distract me from my stress, which was especially important since I had to gather all my willpower to not jump every time we saw another Pokémon since I was afraid of what they could do to me.
Trying to concentrate on something else took the edge off and allowed me to act slightly more "normal," but only slightly. Finally, I think the main reason Amber did it was to keep me talking and get more comfortable around her. My fur was standing on end practically our entire walk, even when there was not anyone else around besides the three of us. If I was going to be a part of her team, I was going to have to not be so skittish around her.
We continued through the forest trail before eventually hitting a paved road and following it through a small collection of decently-sized houses. Most of the buildings also appeared to be made of concrete and in stone in a manner that reminded me of older French buildings. The area would have looked like a normal suburb from my world dotted with small shops, but there were a few differences. Most notable of these differences was the fact that all of the houses seemed to have decently large yards. It was interesting to see how spaced out the houses were and as I watched humans and Pokémon of all ages enjoying themselves one way or another in the mild afternoon sun, it was easy to see why the yards were so big. To say it was a picturesque town seemed to be an understatement and I could not help but smile as we passed a small creek with young children and water Pokémon playing in it.
Eventually, after a couple of turns down various roads, we eventually came to another two-story house that resembled old French architecture. Brandon led us up the front steps as he proudly announced, "Here we are, Remus! Welcome home!"
'Home? I wish,' I thought bitterly.
Author's Note: Dang, I did not realize how long this chapter was until I looked at the word count right before posting it. While I realize that this more of that annoying exposition, I did want to get across what the rules of this world are and how Remus was actively investigating what these rules are. I hope some character development and world-building helped make up for the exposition.
Also, we meet Brandon's starter, Amber the Braixen.
I hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far!
