I would not be beaten so easy. I refused to lose. A worthy opponent I was, one that most certainly warrants respect! Alas, this battle was one harrowed with much difficulty and strife, the foe I was facing was one that had earned the title of rival.
And yet, how could I be triumphed so quickly!?
My body betrayed my valiant effort, as I succumbed to the bitter defeat and closed my eyes in anguish. Hark, a brave hero hath fallen on this dark day! Perhaps in the afterlife I would find sanctity in my loss?
Fenway poked my nose with her paw, making it twitch in response. Upset she had ruined my mock-death, I thumped her ear playfully. "Hey, who said you could nudge the corpse? Is it so much to ask for from your esteemed enemy?!" I chided.
Fenway snorted at my theatrics. She had grown to be a worthy staring-contest participant over the time I was spending recuperating and had beaten me every time we played. Each time I would mix it up with my ending as well; sometimes I would fake rage, other times I would act hurt, and once I even pretended to be a pirate. Boredom had certainly taken ahold of my brain over the week that had passed, causing a stark inclination to mess with anything within grabbing range. Usually this came in the form of Fenway.
My partner had dedicated herself to staying at my side as I recovered, leaving only to use the restroom or if she was forced out (which usually resulted in the irritation of many unfortunate nurses). Most days I was restricted to the confines of my bed, and not of my own will. If I had the chance, I would spring out of the cushions and off the pillow out the center. Homesickness wasn't making my stay any easier either. At the very least, the Nurse Joys were exquisitely kind to me; although, I was never sure if it was because they were required to be so kindhearted or that was their natural personality. I tried my best to return the sentiment, but sometimes they caught me when I was in one of my depressed slumps.
As Fenway and I broke off from our childish game and she reveled in her victory, one of the nurses trotted into the room, eyes glued to her clipboard in her arms. After typing in a few sentences into the screen to the right of the door, she waltzed beside my bed with a pleased beam.
"Mr. Benac, I have the pleasure to tell you that as of today, you are to be officially discharged from the pokemon center and will be allowed to travel about once more!" Nurse Joy announced. "Your possessions will be returned momentarily, and once you've finished preparing please exit through the main lobby."
Fenway beamed up at me, excitement bristling through her fur. I, on the other hand, was quite confused.
"I'm not sure I understood right. You said personal possessions, but… I don't… have any…?" I asked, bewildered. Nurse Joy giggled and shook her head.
"I would have to politely disagree. Why, just this morning the center received a package designated to you specifically."
That couldn't be right. No one knew of my existence besides Looker and the staff of the Pokemon Center. Did the center distribute uniforms or something to patients?
While pondering who could've been the mysterious sender, Nurse Joy left to fetch the items, returning after a couple of minutes with a medium sized cardboard box. The package was wrapped on each side with two wide threads of string, tied into a neat bow atop the cardboard. Imprinted into the walls of the box underneath the string were two golden half circles covering a single golden circle in the middle. My mind flashed back to when I had first met Looker as he presented his ID, a strikingly similar symbol draped under his identification card. 'Knew it.'
Nurse Joy gently placed the box on the sheets close to my lap, retreating back to the doorway to watch. I began to pick at the bow and strings while simultaneously testing the skin of my healed hand. Surprisingly, the web of scars held strong against the tension. I couldn't feel the entirety of the grainy texture on the string, but rather the rubbery smoothness of the fresh skin. That... may take a while to get used to.
Once I had finished fiddling with getting the make-shift ribbons off the box, I placed one finger between the thin tape holding the opening flaps together. The substance gave way and split in two, allowing for the flaps to flop down freely. With a neutral expression, I pried open the cardboard, Fenway and I staring at the contents.
Granted, upon first inspection of the peculiar package, I didn't have high expectations for the gift. Sure, a gift straight out of the blue caught me off guard, but I never expected a pile of folded, pristine clothes and a card lying on the mound of fabric. For reference, this box was the size of a small suitcase, and it was presumably a quarter full of clothes. Saying I was surprised was an understatement to be sure. I was beginning to put the pieces together with every passing moment, an overjoyed, toothy smile stuck to my face as I took out the card for further detail.
The letter itself was no larger than an index card, a clean cursive ink print reading "Norman" on the front. A red wax insignia had kept itself stuck firmly to the back of the paper, silently slipping off at the force of my finger. I already had a general idea as to what this letter may be about, crossing my fingers in hopes my plan had actually worked.
As I swiftly withdrew the written message, my eyes meticulously scanned over every word.
"Dear Norman Benac,
It is I, Agent Looker. I do hope your recovery has been progressing smoothly. It has been a decent amount of time since our last meeting, no? On this topic, I would like to formally apologize on behalf of the International Police Agency in regards to my irresponsible actions. It was highly unprofessional, and I would like to take full responsibility for any inconveniences or problems I may have caused during this incident. In reparation to your association and compliance, I have arranged a temporary housing arrangement within the Looker Bureau in Lumiose City, my personal office building. (Continued on Back)"
...temporary housing arrangement within the Looker Bureau…
...temporary housing arrangement.
I had done it. I had actually... done it. I could hardly believe my eyes and what I was reading. I was having to squint due to the size of the letter, but the squinting was the least of my inconveniences or focus. No, that came in the form of the letter I held in my hands. The letter, the message directly from Agent Looker of the esteemed interpol, renowned for his tenacity and bravery.
And I had managed to weasel my way in and live with him, albeit for a short time. Me, an average young man, had officially gotten a roof over my head in a foreign world with nothing but the clothing on my back. I was ecstatic.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSS!"
If anything, a bit too ecstatic.
I thrashed out in every which way, overjoyed and brimming with excitement.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! " I guffawed. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying very close attention to where I was thrashing, as my partner was no longer on the bed. My head darted around to find my fuzzy companion, but to no avail. My puzzled search came to end when Fenway slowly rose back up over the plastic rims of the mattress, looking noticeably irate and particularly queasy. Had I thrown her off the bed by accident? Part of me felt a twinge of embarrassment, but the negative emotions were swiftly overpowered by the wave of sheer childish glee.
After calming my giddy self down enough to not throw everything off the bed again, I turned the card back over and read the rest of the message. 'Why… would he write so much on this single tiny paper?'
"If this note is being read by you, then I can safely assume the package has met its mark. Inside, I have left various resources you should need to make the trip up to the northwest neighboring town, Lumiose City. There, we will rendezvous upon your arrival. Until then, I wish you safe travels, my friend.
-Looker.
Note to self: Request larger letter sizes from Jean."
"That explains the card…" I said, chuckling at the addendum. By now, Fenway had finally climbed back over the railing and perched herself beside my right arm, choosing this time to smack me in the cheek with her paw. I returned the gesture with another ear thump. From the aggravated snort in response, I guessed she was beginning to regret her taste in trainers.
Turning away from the fuming fennec, I set down the card on the nightstand and withdrew the first layer of clothing to behold. Before me was a clean, white button-down dress shirt, not a single wrinkle in sight. Three large black letters were stitched into the right arm sleeve directly below the shoulder, spelling out the acronym "IPA". However, the shirt seemed a bit… small at first glance. 'He must've had to eye-ball the sizes. Points for effort though.' Fenway did a curious sniff, intrigued at the hint of musky cologne.
Next to be fished out were a pair of dark brown corduroy pants and black leather belt, a metallic belt buckle adorning the front. Luckily, they looked to be a better fit than the shirt, and oh... quite soft as well! Bless you, Looker. Bless you.
As I eagerly placed my hand back into the box, my fingers wrapped around an odd form. At first I dismissed it as my scars impeding my senses. The object was spherical and about the size of a baseball; five bumps spaced equally around the top half and sliced through the middle horizontally with a thin divot across the entire ball. 'Wait a minute.'
Retrieving the item, my jaw physically dropped when I found myself staring at a specialized pokeball. A real, literal pokeball right in front of my face. I could feel Nurse Joy's unease at my odd behaviors, but I didn't care. I had a pokeball; my very own pokeball. I was the first ever person to hold an actual pokeball in my hand, and soon catch my first ever pokemon. At least, the first person from my dimension or world.
By God, Arceus, Jirachi- who cares! This. Felt. Amazing.
Cupping the device in my hands, the fennekin beside me held an amused smirk as if she were a respectful parent watching their child ride their bike for the first time. I couldn't help but wear the biggest, most genuine grin I could muster and hold out the ball to her.
"Last chance to go back. I ain't forcing you, y'know. I'm going to suck major ass, and that's just the facts. I mean, there's always some Ace Trainer I could hand you off to in case you change yo-" I offered, Fenway cutting me off with a friendly nip on the finger. I sighed and ran a hand through my coarse hair. "Fine. I'll cut the dramatics. Go ahead and get in the dang thing."
Fenway snickered and shifted her focus between me and the ball, then Nurse Joy who had been wordlessly watching everything unfold with a caring (and most likely embarrassed) smile. The fox followed up by turning back and beamed towards me with gratitude. One small tap of the ball's button was all she needed for the lid to pop open from the capsule, a thick red streak of light enveloping her tiny form. Just as quickly as the beam had sprang from the device it zipped back, clamping shut with a hasty 'Chink!'
The ball began to wobble within my hand back and forth, the white button on the front shining red systematically.
Wooom…
Wooom…
Wooom…
Wooom…
Wooom…
Click!
A thin sparkle of white light fizzled out the sides of the pokeball. Now, within the confines of the mysterious device, was my new pokemon. The thought of calling Fenway 'my pokemon' in the first place still felt foreign to me, even after spending a week with her. How long would it take me to accustom myself to things people deemed normal here, anyway? Based on how I was still infamous across the staff of the Pokemon Center to be a nutcase, I'd say a bit too long.
Suddenly, the pokeball shot open, the capsule springing to life as the same red beam zipped back onto the bed. Materialized upon the white sheets sat Fenway, her joyful glow as radiant as ever. Not a hair on her looked out of place, as if she had never even entered the capturing mechanism at all.
"Fe-e-en!" The fox pokemon announced, brimming with pride and began to hop about with glee. Her previously timid nature had almost completely dissipated, making me wonder if this was the same pokemon from all those weeks ago. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought she would have been waiting for a trainer she deemed worthy for ever since I saved her. 'I haven't even done much for her, and yet she's just dying to travel with me. Poor soul. Even then, is this a common pokemon trait- to be so friendly towards your trainer right off the bat?'
"Congratulations on your first pokemon, Mr. Benac!" Nurse Joy commended, clapping in approval. A constricted breath of relief I hadn't known I was holding escaped my lips as I slumped back down in the bed to stare at the plaster ceiling. "...Are you alright, young man?"
I gave a gentle nod. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just, taking a lot in right now."
"Of course. Take all the time you need! If I may ask, what type of Pokeball is that? I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it before." The nurse pointed out. Taking a better look back at my new gadget, I realized what she was talking about. Through my astoundment, I had failed to realize how peculiar this ball had looked. The top of the device had a light grey paint job, with five shallow humps on the outside of the top half. The middle-most hump was a stark orange, while the sets of two other adornments were red. All across the ball were minor metallic scrapes and scratches. The device had certainly seen it's fair share of use. Luckily, it was not too damaged to be deemed unsafe; if anything the battle markings just enhanced how cool the ball was.
"Erm… I've got no idea." I admitted. Fenway also shrugged when I turned to her. I made a mental note to ask Looker before messing with it too much. If it still operated like a normal pokeball, however…"Oh, Nurse Joy?"
"Is there something wrong?" She asked, straightening up.
"No, it's fine- just… I… don't know how to… you know… use a pokeball." I sputtered out awkwardly, diverting my gaze. The nurse sat in stunned silence before cocking her head to the side.
"Pardon me if this may sound rude, but did you not go to a trainer's school?"
I chewed the question over in my mouth. On one hand, I could feign ignorance and act like I lived under a rock with pretty much no clue for common technology uses. That route may prove a bit more risky though if the nurse wasn't an idiot. On the other hand, I could be truthful. Okay, being truthful was a lot easier when I put it like that.
"Nope."
Nurse Joy's eyebrow twitched as we sat in silence. Finally, the helper broke the silence with a heavy breath through her nostrils. "To reduce the pokeball, hold the button in for around 4 seconds. To return the ball's size to normal, repeat that same process. Now, if you could please robe yourself sir; I believe it is almost time for your discharge." She said, calmly shutting the door as she marched out the room.
I turned to Fenway. "Can you go stand on the other side of the bed or something? I've gotta… you know. Get naked." I said, spinning my finger to motion her away. My partner's head whipped around at her mention, recognition flashing in her features before bouncing off the right side of the bed.
Shuffling my way to the left guardrail and placing my box beside me, I heaved my lazy appendages over the rail into an awkward dangling position. A grunt escaped my lips as I hoisted myself onto my feet, once more out of that god-forsaken bed. Parts of me felt overjoyed as I stood, the feeling of freedom wafting over me.
As I slid on my new apparel, I realized something a bit embarrassing.
I didn't have any underpants.
With the brown pants dragging lopsided on my hip and cheeks slightly flushed, I pulled the box back over to me to check if I missed anything. Turns out, in my pokeball phenomena, I had missed a ton. And by a ton, I mean an orange tie, tight brown leather suspenders with round metal coins dotting the straps, a weird device shaped like a flip phone, a pair of matching brown Oxfords, socks, and an enormous wad of thin blue cloth slips. Oh, and a pair of underwear underneath the suspender case. So in short, a definite ton.
'I feel like I just had a care package drop down from heaven…' I thought, slipping the now moderately wrinkled corduroy pants off and scrambling to cloth myself a second time. Next came the buttons on the white dress shirt, getting my finger caught within the holes many times from the unfamiliar garments. As for the suspenders, well, let's just leave it at "it took me a few tries to make them look right".
I didn't even want to try putting on a tie on my own. I doubted that Fenway would know how to either.
Having a sense of fashion has never been my strong suite. Usually, I'd have to either phone a friend or Google an outfit that may work out with the resources I had available if need be. Thanks to the efforts of my new boss, my abhorrent clothing capabilities were now inconsequential, if only temporarily. My quaint party still had a lengthy trek to undertake to Lumiose City, the bustling metropolis of the Kalos region. One measly outfit wouldn't make a trip that would take numerous days; that much was certain. I made another quick mental note of the upcoming task and slipped on my brand new footwear. It took a few minutes to accustom myself to the fancier duds, but it was nothing a bit of waltzing around couldn't fix.
Once a few stretches and calisthenics were out of the way, I childishly spun around and hopped around a few times. Even if I had never been in such formal attire, I had every inclination to mime a dancer or act like I was a cut star from Dirty Dancing. 'Do they have tap dancing in the pokemon world?'
Snickering began to rise from the other side of the room as I trounced about, the audience of one thoroughly entertained from my antics. I about-faced the bemused fennec, my own crooked smile ebbing out.
"You wish you could look this clean," I remarked. Fenway snickered again, shaking themselves off as they arose from their perch on the bed rails. With one mighty leap, she sprang from the rail towards my shoulder, gracefully sailing through the air.
Unfortunately, I wasn't ready for such a jump and the fox pokemon wasn't ready for the awkward landing either, as her scrambling body collided with my head. Stumbling around madly, I tried to keep myself from toppling over in my disoriented state. Fenway fell to the ground, a surprised whimper escaping her as her back struck the floorboards. "Let's… not try that again, at least for awhile…" I murmured.
"Feeen…" came the pokemon's weak agreement. How in the world did Pikachu make it look so easy in the anime?
After dusting myself off and tucking my dress shirt back within my pants which had partially slipped out, I moseyed over to the other items I had acquired. The questionable flip phone and stack of blue slips were all that was left, as I had already placed the tie in my left shirt pocket. Fenway began to nudge my leg, begging to get my attention.
"Hm? What's up?" I asked my partner. Fenway diverted her eyes, her timid nature returning once again as she motioned with her snout to my arm. What a little cuddlebug, she was.
Wordlessly, I placed a hand underneath the fluffy pokemon's chest and wrapped my arm underneath her midsection, hoisting her up like a puppy. She began to protest by kicking out away from me, but quickly stopped the hasty action once I readjusted my grip. I may not have been a veterinarian in my "previous" life, but I had at least dealt with animals of a similar body type. That being said, I was still no veterinarian, even less so for pokemon.
"Fine, is that better Ms. Needy?" I scoffed, Ms. Needy herself springing out of my arms and scrambling up my shoulder. It wasn't the most comfortable spot for her to be on me since she weighed more than I initially anticipated, but I kept my complaints to myself. Hopefully this didn't pamper her too much.
My eyes were drawn back to the weird flip phone thing. I wracked my brain to see if I could remember what the thing was called but ended up drawing a handful of blanks. I doubted there was a signature device of the Kalos region like the Pokeetch, but you could never access one of those within the games, nor were they mentioned in the X & Y anime. My knowledge well had either rendered itself unreliable, or this reality was beginning to warp further with my very presence. An unnerving thought, to be sure.
Waving off the frightening theorems, I shoved the tech mystery into my pocket along with what I could only assume as Pokedollars into my pocket and adjusted myself one last time.
"I wish I had a theme song or something, because if I did, it would one hundred percent be playing right now." I remarked to myself as I strut out the room. The interior of the halls were the same as when I had last stumbled through them, although now I was actually walking on my own accord and fully healed, minus the scar-web coating.
Occasionally, one or two intrigued Nurses would sneak a look out of the corner of their vision from their various tasks to see who it was confidently marching down the hall, only to avert their gaze. Granted, I didn't mind a stare or two since I had never cared much about what others thought of me, but I wasn't used to… this kind of attention.
The atmosphere was heavy with tension, every step causing my heart rate to quicken. All I could think of was being free of the shackles that bound me to this center.
I'd be able to explore and find a solution. Find a way to go home. Maybe even make some friends, but that was more of an optional availability. All I wanted to do was go home; I had already gotten my fill of the pokemon universe, and the universe had seemed to already have it's fill of me.
At last, I had arrived at the sliding doors at the end of the notably extensive way. Making one last mental check and expelling a hearty breath of air, I stepped into the lobby.
The vast, open design of the immaculate room was around the size of a mall food court, and I had strutted out the back of it underneath one of the upstairs walkways. When I had first made out the lobby I was in a hazy and nearly incapacitated state, which hindered my efforts to comprehend more complex details.
One of the main details I had failed to grasp was just how gosh darn gorgeous the furniture and upkeep of the building was. Chairs and tables were spotless, register areas were free of any dust or mildew, and the waiting area around the spire of televisions still looked brand-new. To my right were a set of gray stairs, leading further into the higher and guard railed-off second floor of the building. And this goes without saying that the paint on the walls and ceiling were still a pristine shine, no visible signs of wear or withering on any such luxury or piece of architecture.
If anything, architects from my dimension would've been salivating at the homey yet modern appeal of the design, the neat additions to the room and the functionality of it all. Oh, not to mention the window booths positioned on the far east most wall behind the stairs which I was being beckoned towards.
A row of four divided counters were built into the white walls, each walled off by a decently thick layer of glass. Each counter had a different receptionist working the booth rather than Nurse Joys, all dressed within the same attire; ocean blue sheath dresses with a cream button affixed around the collar for style and a matching blue wide brim felt fedora. A respectfully classy yet formal style that fits the region. Even someone with no taste like me could tell these ladies a bit of class.
Fortunately, one counter along the end of the row was open, as a kindred short-haired woman waved me down. Her thin, brown lips greeted me with a kind smile when I approached the booth.
"Good afternoon sir, how may I help you today?" She politely asked. I could feel my eyebrow twitch slightly at her odd question. 'Wasn't… she the one who waved me over…?'
"Yes, um…the name's Norman Benac, and I was told I was being discharged sometime today, or something along those lines?" I inquired. The receptionist - who I now realized was named 'Carey' from the nametag pinned on her lapel - swiveled around in her brown spin chair, hastily plugging away at the keys of her computer, blinking a couple times at the displayed info before turning back.
"Erm, something wrong, ma'am?" I politely asked. Carey immediately regained her composure and locked eyes with me again with the same courteous beam.
"Oh no, not at all! Just an unexpected bit of info, is all. Nothing to raise concern over. Now then, if you can wait for just a moment, I should be able to finish signing off on the remaining paperwork and send you on your way." She assured me. A nervous hand began to pick close to the burn marks on my face as a rather distressing question entered my mind.
"So… uh, how much is this going to cost me?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You know, for my stay? What's the bill?" The lady simply stared at me like I was outright screaming I had transformed into a Magikarp. She then sent a passing glance back to her computer screen, then returned her focus to me.
"I believe that you're confused; here in Kalos, pokemon centers are free to use to the public and are supplied by the Interregional League Association. While this region may be vastly different from Sinnoh, our pokemon centers do not require any monetary payment for our services except for select options." Surprise took hold of my mind, but I refused to show it.
"I-I see, thanks." I said, trying my best not to slump down in relief. I still needed a backpack or case for my gear that I would gather along my makeshift journey, and I had rather not blow most of my cash on paying off the enormous bill that had come from my stay. 'Now I know what it's like to have healthcare outside of the United States.'
"It is no difficulty. One moment please." She said in a professional manner, resuming her rapid typing on the keyboard, occasionally asking me to sign a physical slip of paper or confirm miscellaneous questions along the lines of how well the Nurses treated me, possible reviews, and other less interesting requests. I of course complied, trying to split my attention between her and the easy-going patrons of the building.
Speaking of which, the pokemon center had a wide variety of clientele. Santalune City was one of the more quaint locations if my memory served me right, a beginning town towards the sleepier side of Kalos. This notion was practically thrown out the window as I saw people of all ages mill about the space. Hikers, lasses, older folk, and even a guy dressed akin to an ace trainer. One young girl in a cute floral dress with bouncy brown pigtails was chasing around a black worm-like pokemon, carefree as they bound across the space. I was beginning to take note of how different pokemon looked to their animated counterparts from my world, as details like fur patterns and scales upon hide were now visible to the naked eye. It wasn't a quirk I had considered until I noticed the Scatterbug.
I didn't have much time to delve deeper into thought however, as the woman behind the window had finished the paperwork and was now readjusting herself in her chair. "Done! Good luck on your travels, and we hope to see you again."
My response was a simple raised hand as I departed from the counter. Before I got too far from the counter however, I spun on my heel at an embarrassing revelation.
'I don't have any food for the trip, and have no clue where to get supplies...Crap.'
The receptionist was already back to work on her computer by the time I returned. No rest for the working, I guess.
"Excuse me, I, uh- I'm heading on out of town soon, and was wondering where I could stock up on supplies for the road?" I admitted bashfully.
Carey glanced up at me for a moment at my stark return, pushing back away from the screen to meet me. She took a moment to compose herself before responding. "I see! Well, the pokemart extension on the other side of the lobby should do you well if you are in need of food, and the Santalune Boutique had a shipment of products four days ago. They're right beside the center on the way out, so you can't miss it. Is there anything I can help with, s-sir?"
Choosing to ignore the stutter, I nodded my head. "Ah, I gotcha. Thanks."
A hushed sigh of relief escaped behind me as I left the window a second time. The tired sap must've been overworked to death with sheer volume of people pouring in.
Nonetheless, I pivoted back around in a beeline towards the pokemart corner. The orange stripes adorning the walls dissipated into blue-hued triangles as it neared the built in storefront. The interior was a stark contrast to that of the pokemon center, both decoration and color palette-wise. Instead of the natural and comforting look, the pokemon center sported, the shop had ample shelves chocked full of items from treats to first aid kits.
At the front of the store wrapped behind a thick light blue counter stood two men in matching white aprons adorned with blue pokeball symbols. The duo were working diligently, chipping away at a line stacked parallel to the store's doorway. In all my years, I had never seen employees have this much of a positive attitude towards their job, much less this level of customer service. On another note, my mind was only now beginning to register just how positively massive this place was.
I didn't have long to ponder my thoughts though, as a sudden force came tumbling into my leg. It wasn't very impactful to the point of knocking me over, but I did stumble for a moment. Curious at what had broken my concentration, I stared down at the source of the collision.
My eyes fell upon the same olive-skinned girl, this time flat on her butt sitting on the ground beside my right leg. Her high cheekbones and amber eyes displayed a startled demeanor as she stared blankly up at me. Then, our eyes met.
"Can I help you, young lady?" I calmly asked. The young girl shook her head as she blinked herself back from her daze and stared down at the floor. Her plump cheeks began to flush red.
"I-I'm sorry, mister… I d-didn't see where I was going…" She whimpered, still refusing to look back up at me. I sighed and squatted down to her level. The child whipped her head up at the sudden gesture, nerves showing through the weak defenses. Poor thing looked to be on the verge of tears. I cocked my head to the side, Fenway imitating me as her fluffy ears brushed my neck.
Scatterbug began to crawl into view beside the young girl, shooting a quick glance at me before nestling itself fearfully in the human arms. At this point, a few people had begun to look at the scene unfolding, but I paid them no mind.
"Are you hurt?"
"W-what?"
"Did you hurt your leg or anything? Twist an ankle?" I quizzed, motioning towards one of her green slippers.
The kid quickly shook her head again. "No, no. I'm okay. I j-just tripped. I'm sorry."
"Tell you what- if we ever meet again, we'll play tag together since I interrupted your game. How's that sound?" I offered, flashing a sincere smile. The floral girl hesitated as she looked between Fenway and I, wiping away the stray tears gathering around her eyes. She nodded silently, smiling ever so slightly.
"Ahhhhh, that's more like it. It's a deal, then. So, what's the name of the fair maiden before me?" I questioned, holding out a hand.
The pokemon with her arms let out an unsure whine, the girl hesitantly taking my notably larger appendage. "My name is Charlotte, mister."
I began to scratch my scruffy chin, as if I were deep in thought before rising back up to my full height.
"Charlotte, is it? Well, it is certainly my pleasure young lady. Oh, goodness me, where are my manners?! The name's Norman. Norman Benac." I announced. Charlotte giggled at my theatrics. Fenway impishly pawed my ear in response.
"...And this here is the ever-bashful Fenway." I added, rolling my eyes. A tiny huff blew from my shoulder, a fluffy tail knocking me upside the head. 'Shy much?'
"Oh my- Charlotte! What have I told you about running off on your own in crowded areas!?" An annoyed voice rang out behind me. Charlotte's mood immediately soured, the Scatterbug in her arms bristling at the beckon. She looked me in the eyes again, a poorly hidden scowl on her face.
"That's mamma… bye-bye Mr. Norman and Fenway!" She said, running off past me down one off into a clump of people with her bug pokemon in tow. I snorted at the energetic child as she bounded down the hall, setting my sights back on the mart.
"Mr. Norman… huh. I mean, it's got a nice ring to it, but I don't look that old, do I..?" I commented. Fenway purred softly as an answer. I took it as a 'no'.
"Thanks for the reassurance, bud." I remarked sarcastically. By now I was underneath the sky-blue arch of the pokemart, already running my eyes over the vast selections available. The first row bore an arrangement of pokemon snacks and meals, categorized by type variants rather than species. Most were canned goods rather than boxed, with an occasional bagged product here or there.
The fuzzy pokemon on my shoulder was practically salivating as we passed by the assortments. I grabbed one of the sacks with brown, ovalish treats inside and inspected the ingredients list on the back.
'So it's a spice and vegetable-based food, huh? I think I can work with this.' I thought, looking back down at the price tag.
"A THOUSAND BUCKS!?" My eyes nearly popped out of my skull at the obscene cost. How in the world did people afford this malarkey? I didn't even have a stable income anymore!
As Fenway and I milled about the store, the prices didn't seem to lower from their outrageous heights. I mean, three hundred and fifty dollars for a single bottle of Repel? I'd rather believe I had been turned into a Spoink than think I would've paid that much money for just a can of glorified bug spray. Eventually we had had enough and vacated the shop, scoffing at the shop as we left.
'That receptionist mentioned a boutique not too far from the center. Maybe I could go fetch a backpack or satchel for a decent price while I'm at it.' I recalled.
Now I stood a few feet behind the automatic glass doors leading out of the center. Beyond these doors was a world filled to the brim with mystical creatures and a completely new society, one I had yet to experience myself or live in. And I was moments away from walking on into it. 'Here goes nothin.'
Letting out a breath I didn't even know I had held, I marched out the drawn doors, taking in the unfiltered sun for the very first time in months. While the blinding ball of plasma caused me to shield my eyes momentarily to allow for my eyes to readjust to the drastic lighting change, although I was secretly overjoyed to be within its warmth once more. Back in my world, I was the sort of guy to prefer working outside and relaxing in hammocks instead of inside; either because I just liked the environment or because I just had a certain preference. I had no idea what actually spurred my odd inclination, but chose to roll with it anyway. Who am I to question why I like what I do?
All sorts of noises flooded my ear drums as I took my first steps onto the cobblestone road; sounds of birds singing melodic harmonies to one another, the delighted cries of a Growlithe bounding after it's owner, and other various hubbub. A pleasing aroma of citrus and applewood met my nostrils. It was honestly refreshing to stand and take in the town for a bit. I couldn't help but smile at the serenity. The place felt like there wasn't a care in the world and everyone in the city knew it!
I gingerly stepped along the stones, sometimes hopping from one to another as I went. As I was taking in the rustic beauty, I noted just how open the city was. While certainly much larger than the game's portrayal, the town had only a few buildings along the front, numbering around eight in total before trailing back towards the unpaved entrance back into the Santalune Forest. I shuddered at the thought of returning back through that accursed place after recovering from our first unsavory run-in.
No way I was going back there anytime soon.
Shaking the dreary thoughts away, I turned back to the older buildings before Fenway and I. Aside from the modern yet fitting pokemon center, each structure had a European-based architectural build, looking like something straight out of the streets of rural Italy. Of course, I had already known that the Kalos region was developed with a clear inspiration of France and other European countries, but seeing all these homes and shops in person? That was a different story entirely.
Something I hadn't noticed about the city though were the towering castle-esce walls surrounding the town. Jet black oil street lamps hung from the thick walls along with hanging baskets of flower bouquets, expertly pruned down to the petal. Everything about the city basically screamed peaceful.
"Now this looks like my kind of place." I noted, watching as an elderly woman carefully watered a pot of tulips alongside a Floette. "Chill atmosphere, sleepy citizens… Oh yeah. This is sooooo worth the bumpy start."
Stretching out to let my body crack and groan all it wanted while remaining weary of my shoulder passenger, I wasted no time going over to the apparel shop adjacent to the pokemon center. Above the mahogany doorway adorned with a rosy wreath was a neatly painted white sign displaying the name of the store in a thin font reminiscent of cursive writing.
"Santalune City Boutique" it read. I repressed a snobbish snort at the affably uncreative title.
Stepping through the door, I was greeted with a gentle ring from the bell above me, indicating a customer. Bright marble tiles lined the floor with beige walls being illuminated by spinning fans on the ceiling with lights shaped like a flower blossom. Rows of hats sat within glass-sealed shelves, on display for the public eye. Little furniture resided within the shop beside the mirror in the west corner of the shop and other smaller accessories perched on rotund oak tables. Standing by one of the counters was a fair-skinned woman in a red burett and blue coat.
"Welcome!" She greeted, clasping her hands. I offered a friendly wave in return before eyeballing more of the inventory. So far, my search for a suitable bag to carry my items in was not turning out well.
"Hey, um- Ma'am? Do you guys carry traveling bags like a backpack or something?"
The lady shook her head with a sigh. "Unfortunately not. This branch of the boutique line specializes in hats exclusively, I'm sorry to say."
I blanched at the fact. "What? Oh c'mon, you've got to have at least one bag or something in the back, right? I got word you had a set of products arrive not a couple days ago, so there must be something!"
The boutique worker thought long and hard for a minute, then exited out a door through the back of the changing stall. She came back a moment later with a gray messenger bag, a beautiful leather strap stretching around her shoulder keeping the bag aloft in the air. A band of white looped around the top latch of the satchel. Even if there was no physical price tag, I could tell this one canvas creation cost quite the pretty penny.
"We do have a few special Devon corp importations from Hoenn, made especially with size magnification technology. This particular line of bags I believe would suit you best, but it's the best we have at the moment, as there aren't any other boutiques for miles." She explained. I only heard bits and pieces of what she was saying as my eyes were thoroughly glued to the bag. Honestly, I didn't care much about the small details.
"Sometimes we have mix ups in our shipment orders, which tend to mix up stock and require us to call back on the order. This vintage Jeep Bouffalant messenger bag is supposed to be hanging on a shelf within the Lumiose City Boutique..."
"How much is it?"
"...so I can't- pardon?"
"Do you know how much the thing costs?"
"You want to buy it!?"
I only shrugged at the woman's astoundment. "Well, yeah."
The clerk stared at me dumbfounded, but then began to lightly snicker to herself. "My, you had me for a moment! I thought you were actually going to try to pay for the bag! Goodness, you are quite the comedian…" She finished, laughter subsiding. I raised an eyebrow and remained silent.
The well-dressed woman began to fidget nervously as we sat in utter silence, only the faint hum of the lights being audible. As realization set in, the woman stared at me, flabbergasted.
"You're...you're serious!?"
I dug around in my pocket and pulled out the wad of bills nonchalantly. "Uh, I think so."
My finger began to twitch under the weight of the lady's stupefied expression. Judging by her reaction, the stack of pokedollars was either worth a ton or my ignorance of this world's price ranges was beginning to show.
"Oh my Arceus, they're… they're all thousands…"
Yup. I was holding a ton of money.
"About the bag..?"
"Eh..? Oh, right… Uh, it's around twenty thousand pokedollars, sir." She replied, composing herself. I thumbed through the stack and took out twenty of the bills, holding them out.
"I think this is it." I said neutrally. I guess I was lugging a decent amount of change thanks to Looker, but I didn't have much to use it on other than the necessities. The lady fumbled with the slips when I handed them over, then fervently flipped through the stack. Suddenly, a new light of vigor shone through the lady's eyes.
"Thank you so much sir! We hope to see you again!" she exclaimed, performing a perfect 90 degree bow and offering the bag like a medieval sword to a knight. I tilted my head away and scratched my neck, visibly abashed.
"Yeah, anytime. Thanks."
This was going to be a long shopping day, and both Fenway and I could feel it.
"So, that's one chocolat chaud and a Fire-type risotto special for the little one? All together that comes out to 1,200 ." The cafe cashier said with a courteous smile. I handed off the payment and retrieved the warm drink and filled plate from the laminate countertop. Fenway licked her chops in anticipation at the delectable meal I held.
"Hey, watch the drool, bud. The table's right here." I remarked. The little fox on my shoulder disregarded my comment while the alluring smell of diced peppers hit her nostrils. An excited sound close to a purr rumbled on my left shoulder. I couldn't help but blow an amused scoff at her incensed reaction.
'I'm surprised she's got such an appetite. I ate a cup of Razz berry yogurt mixed with Pinap berry granola just a few hours ago and let her have the rest after checking the bag to see if it was pokemon approved. I'm no cook, so I'll have to have pre-made meals or scrounge around through my savings to keep her well fed and healthy. Grooming may be a pain as well…'
Placing the beverage and meal onto the smooth wooden table, I slid a chair back for myself as Fenway leapt off my shoulder onto the opposite side of the food. Without a second of hesitation, my partner began to eagerly consume the platter. I placed my new messenger bag in front of me as I thumbed through a mental checklist.
'Food, check. Change of clothes? Have to wait on those 'cause all the boutiques here specialize in hats for some reason. Poke-phone thing, check. Pokemon who won't leave me alone, check. Thermos, check. Potions, check. And lastly,' I surveyed, pulling out a singular hardback book. Each page within the blank journal had been already numbered ahead of time for ease of use, and today's date had been etched into the top sheet. 'A means to keep myself sane other than talk to a fox all day. Check.'
I slumped down in my chair and took a long sip of my hot chocolate. For the past couple of hours I had been trying to think of a proper cipher to use for the journal. I didn't want someone to go snooping through my belongings and discover that I was from an entirely separate world, nor did I want anyone to read my journal without permission. The problem was, I had no clue how to make a cipher.
After mulling over the impediment, I narrowed my options to two ideas:
One, I use a language from my world and hope that it isn't spoken at all here;
Or two, I write and try to code my words so that they have nothing of interest, but rather a different meaning.
I took another slurp from my drink. If I chose a language, which one would I use? I knew enough french to keep me afloat in my high school classes and visit the country without looking like an idiot, but to be fluent enough to document my feelings with it? Absolutely not.
Thinking back to when I had ordered our food, I realized the language option was pretty much out anyway since the man - while most likely not fully aware he was speaking it - referred to my hot cocoa as the french term instead. Yeah, not taking my chances on that one. Even if it may be more of a hassle to pretty much transcribe everything into cooking recipe in my journal, it certainly beat waking up one day to hundreds of reporters cramming microphones down my throat asking if I'm an alien.
Well, technically I was, but that's besides the point. I had at least already chosen what I was going to structure my chronicles as.
With another shot of cocoa and a satisfied grunt, I withdrew a new ball-point pen and began my first entry into my journal.
"Addendum 1: Child From Which the Sun Stole
From within the deposit of stone in our illustrious night sky lay a boy, content and blissful within his sanctitute. He had no other qualms of life, his own life as calm as the dusty surface from which he dwelled. All his life he had seen the miniature explosions of stars from afar, safe and thankful from the confines of his home. The boy needed very little in ways of comradery other than his miniscule family and friends. Even his tiny, barren planet with deep scars in the rocky crust had their charms. It was imperfect, but it was his.
And it was enough.
Sometimes he would gaze at the ever-encompassing space that swirled around him. Other times he would stare with wonder in his eyes at the astounding gorgeous Earth, and all the creatures below. He could never traverse the distance however, for the shielding screen of space blocked any feeble attempts. Lo, he cared not. The screen he viewed gifted contentment for the boy.
It was enough.
T'was right, all true, all good. The harrowing habitat that he hailed from was perfect for the boy.
However, Sun hated it.
The ever-raging ball of plasma despised the serene grace and quaint life the boy had, and longed for it. He longed for the glamorous fidelity that such a life had wrought the young lad, a life of magnificence. But, he could never acquire his desired covet, for he allowed the inner rapacity to be unleashed upon the world.
With arms ablaze in jealous fury, Sun grappled with the moon for possession of the boy. The collision destroyed the serenity that had seeped within the boulders and dusty mountains, chaos splashing across the landscape with each grasp Sun took ahold of. Mounds of charred stone shot out from the surface to escape the onslaught only to be incinerated in the surrounding rage.
Finally, Sun grabbed the boy as he tried his best to hunker down and preserve the last of his crumbling home in his quivering arms. The poor young man's attempts at salvation were futile against the violent endeavors of the plasma, and the arms of hatred latched onto frail flesh. Skin sizzled like gunpowder and began to turn the flesh as red as Sun himself. He had gotten his prize, the source of his greed and lust of municipal junction. A well of fortune and wonder.
But it was not enough.
Sun felt no polarity. No deviation. His longing was not satiated in the slightest, only replaced by horror from the repercussions caused. Sun's face contorted to sorrow with a vast frown, silently weeping for the hurt figure in his hold. Why? Why had it not worked? From what source had he forsaken as to endure the hellish punishment? Was there no allocation to which he could concede?
No, Sun quenched this malice. No longer was he a maleficent of malcontent; he had not garnered his wish.
Renewed with a hand of remorse, the massive form placed the boy down onto Earth, a suitable replacement from which he may reside.
And for the sun, it was enough.
Soon, the boy awoke from his coma. Emotions swirled in his person at the strange, foreign environment with colors exploding into his view. The boy felt fear. Fear clawed his insides and tore him down as he wandered the vast landscape in solitude. His loved ones were now gone. The blue sky forbid view of his dwelling, no longer a haven of love and calmness. A jungle around the perimeter had captured the boy, and refused to let him see from their thick trunks.
The boy had nothing. He had no home, no loved ones, no one.
A small organism fluttered in front of his face as tears welled. The being gazed deep into the boy.
"What is ailing you, boy?" asked the flying figure. The young man merely sniffled in response; he could hear the words exit the mouth, but his ears had not translated the message. They did not understand him. The boy recognized the creature as an orange fairy, thin and delicate wings beating gracefully in mid-suspension. But he could not think about the fairy. He could only think about home.
The boy ran past the fairy and began to scream for Sun to come back and take him. He pleaded to the atmosphere to allow his return to the place he adored. But he knew it was in vain, for the sky refused to let the wails pass. For what reason had such transgressions befallen him? Was Lady Luck always a cruel mistress? The boy felt sick to his stomach, a new feeling that he did not know how to convey. He longed desperately for an escape that would not come. A saving grace of mere fiction.
"Why have you forsaken hope? Surely you can find or make a solution to which you may obtain peace of mind." explained the fairy. While he did not understand the words, the message sent flew true; the boy raising his head with renewed vigor. He made an exclamation to the air, knowing that he did have one last speck left inside of him. While he retained hope, he also carried a much more significant clause:
Return."
My eyes felt glued to the page at the last word. Return. It was only one word, yet it held so much… conviction. As if I had a duty, by any means, to get back to my world. Half of me scoffed at the dramatic take and the other half beheld the work. The verbiage made my journey to this world seem like it was much more grand than reality had demonstrated. Now that I had weighed my options, perhaps I really did have a reason to be in the Pokemon world. I just didn't know yet I guess.
Fenway had finished up the last of her spicy meal, now gently licking up the remnants as I broke away from my notes. She was looking at me with one eye expectantly all the while clearing out any remaining morsels. I took a moment to collect my belongings once more and stood from my seat.
"Pack it up, we're moving out now. No need to keep Looker waiting longer than he has to." I said, motioning for the fox to hop back on my shoulder by crouching down level to the table. My vulpine comrade wasted no time perching herself once more on my right shoulder, messenger bag slung across the left. I had also found out the purpose of the metal coins on the suspenders when messing around with the pokeballs, ironically when I was practicing tossing the pokeball into the air only for it to be stuck to my suspenders on the way down like Velcro. Currently, the specialized mechanism was resting on my right breast, a few inches away from the armpit.
By now, the sun in the sky had long since hit its highest point, now receding slowly back down the horizon. Fortunately, it wouldn't be evening for a couple of hours, so Fenway and I had plenty of time to make a good head start on our ventures to Lumiose. I was silently hoping that my legs would quit being so stiff on my way down as well. Ever since I had left the hospital bed, every appendage I had ached and groaned with nearly every action I did. I felt more like a rusted tin man than a recovering human.
Pushing my lackadaisical body away from our snacking area and discarding the remnants, I strut down the stairs of East Santalune. A few people that had been milling around the streets had now funneled back into their homes, but the trip was still populated enough to be as lively as ever. It honestly irked me at how carefree these people were. Hadn't a terrorist attack occurred just a few months ago?
'Have the travesties from my world occurred in this one as well? Even then, what year is it? I know that there was one NPC from Gen 1 who claimed he bought a color TV for some occasion I can't remember, but I doubt it's the 1960's anymore. This is Kalos anyway, with technology that is far superior to the stuff demonstrated in Gen 1. Speaking of which, do Gyms have a layout with insane tech to simulate all the game variant's environments, or are they-'
BONG!
That certainly wasn't a simulation. It was a streetlamp.
A streetlamp I had walked straight into.
Ouch.
Fortunately, one of us was still unscathed and finding the situation quite entertaining.
"Fe-e-e-e-eni-i-i-i!"
Fenway's insencent chortling was quickly halted by a well-deserved ear flick, converting her amusement into light snickering instead. My cheek was also being quite vocal by aching painfully with a wide new bruise. By the unsettling feel of the injury, it would be a few days before it would begin to wane. The message of getting my head out of the clouds was really starting to become meaningful right about now.
Ignoring the concoction of pitied and worried looks, I stood up once more from being knocked on my tush. My blunder wasn't as consequential as others thought it was though, as I was already taking my leave from the cherubic city. Snaking around street blocks with ease, my companion and I took our time exiting the marvelous town as to not miss any shops that may have eluded us the previous outings.
Within twenty minutes, we stood in front of grand leaden gates, open and rising high above the gray brick walls. Another metallic sign reading "Route 4" was hung from the wall beside the gateway, bars of metal sliding delicately around the frame. For such a tranquil village, the place had some real impressive architecture.
Beyond the exit was a similarly lush expanse of various trees, a wide dirt path sliding around a grassy hill sitting hundreds of meters away. Outside the burg, very few people could be found taking the trail; only a lone man crossing through the bramble into the lush greenery. I had no set qualms with this development, but I could tell journeys to and from cities would take much more than just a few hours by foot. Looks like yet another aspect of this world had sided with the anime.
Sighing and readjusting my pack, I moseyed through the gateway onto the arid dirt, dust coating the bottoms of my dress shoes. While the shoes weren't an optimal choice for long distance excursions like the one Fenway and I were about to go on, my thick socks provided just enough cushioning to reduce the scrubbing and uncomfortability so I wouldn't get blisters or sores. I couldn't tell whether Looker had actually planned for me to walk or take a bus, I made another note in my journal to thank him for the choice of clothing.
Speaking of Looker, why is he in Lumiose this early within the plot? His main assignment had been to track down Xerosic and arrest the tub of lard, but that was only after the player had become the champion and destroyed the ultimate weapon with Team Flare following suit in their destruction. But if he was already present, then was there another ulterior motion in the show Looker had I was just forgetting? I doubted that was the case, but there were too many unexplained variables. To my knowledge, Team Flare was nowhere near just lighting up an entire forest just to send a message, since they were more covert with their operations. Whatever was causing these events to colescend, it wasn't good in the slightest, and I wanted to get home before I saw the repercussions.
"Feeeeeen…"
A concerned simper cooed, followed by a friendly nip on my ear to break my trance once more. I blinked a few times and craned my neck towards Fenway who had tilted her fuzzy head to the side and was observing me intently.
I grunt at myself for allowing myself to slip away mindlessly into another mumbling session and diverted my gaze. "Sorry. Still working on it."
Fenway responded with a sound that resembled both a trill and yip, as if to say "alright" and followed up with extending her forelegs as far as she could without falling off.
My merry band of two had departed from Santalune City approximately an hour and a half ago, now deep into Route 4. We had yet to come across any tall grass or pokemon scampering along the clearing, which had made me quite uncomfortable to think about. Usually routes were prime spots to catch or meet pokemon, whether they jumped out at someone or you saw them drifting along with their own lives. And yet, we hadn't come across a single one.
An idea squirmed it's way into my brain. "Fenway, you know what moves are?"
"Fin?"
"Moves, y'know? Like Ember or something." I defined, wiggling a finger in front of my mouth. "You spat a torrent of fire at those bird pokemon a few months ago. Can you do it again?"
The fox pokemon shook her head glumly. "Kii."
"Seriously? Like, not at all? I mean, I get running out of PP or something, but we've taken months of time to recover after the assault. The only possibility would be if you just broke the system or moves are just really stupid."
"Fenne?"
I halted in my tracks and clasped my hands together. "I've made my decision. We're going to settle down here for the night and see what you've got in store."
Fenway nodded with a curt yip and nuzzled against my cheek. 'Physical as always.'
Moving away from the clearing under the shade of the surrounding flora, I searched for a sturdy-looking tree for my partner to rough up. I eventually found a thick oak, trunk as wide as a dresser. I crouched down and pat the ground, Fenway taking the signal and vacating my shoulder. Once she had hopped down, I rolled my shoulder to loosen the aching joint. After walking around with a small animal attached to you, the constant weight begins to take its toll on the joints.
"So, erm, go ahead and demonstrate some of your moves on this fella. Go wild." I patted the tree and stood off to the side. "Living in the wild has got to have taught you a few tricks."
Fenway stood still, looking between me and the tree. Suddenly, she rocketed forward, whipping her body sideways with her left foreleg leading as she sprang into the air. The pokemon's tiny claws began to extend, sharpening with a faint white haze. Within the next few seconds, my partner had sliced into the crude bark of the tree and bounced back off the truck before landing gracefully on a pile of pine straw. She turned back to me with a boastful pride, hoping she may have pleased me with her theatrical efforts.
I nodded and rubbed my chin. "There's Scratch at least, one of the basic ones… any others?"
The vulpine shook herself off and shifted into a ready stance. Fenway reared back her head, showing her mouth to the sky and drew a massive breath. A soft heat began to build close to the pokemon, a dim light illuminating within her throat.
"Feeeeeeeeen!"
Suddenly, Fenway spat out balls of fire each the size of an apple that sailed quickly through the air. The flaming projectiles burst against the trunk, erupting into smoldering embers and charring bits of already chipped wood and lighting thin grass blades on fire. The move took nearly 15 seconds to perform; much longer than I had initially anticipated. A shudder of agonizing memories passed down my spine as I witnessed the event take place, hastily composing myself enough to quickly stamp the remains out and turn back to my partner.
"Ember. It was much more powerful than I thought it would be at least…" I admitted, another scheme brewing in my brain. "Are you able to adjust the size or speed of the attack?"
Fenway narrowed her eyes but nodded anyway.
"With how you tilted your head back, you still have to have time to let the balls build and form before sending them out. If you were to instead try and reduce the power of the attack - reducing the charge time - could you shoot the embers at a quicker pace?"
The fox's eyes darted about the ground, racking her brain. After another brief moment of contemplation she readied herself once more, curling her lips into a determined snarl.
This time, Fenway dropped her head to her side while staring daggers into the tree. Another weak light flickered for just one second before being hurled at lightning speed towards the trunk. These projectiles were less round than their powerful counterparts, instead flying out in a stretched oval shape. Additionally, instead of a small burst of projectiles, this batch of embers spat out back to back like a shotgun, pelting the scarred wooden surface with miniature explosions.
A sickening feeling began to gurgle in my gut, but I shoved it down. "Try firing one at a time!"
The bursts of pyre wavered from the consistent spews, eventually morphing into a wavering stream of tiny pebble sized flares. Embers shot out even quicker from Fenway's maw as she continued to spew fire, her legs wobbling at the amount of energy she was consuming. However, just before the fennec of flame ceased, my focus drifted towards the coalescence that had sat in the back of her throat.
I was positioned at an angle a few feet away from the tree that restricted me from seeing down my companion's throat, but something about the way she spit fire had intrigued me. While I couldn't place my finger on what had caused the hunch, I could at least tell it wasn't like she was conjuring the barrage from a pit in her gut. If anything, it looked like she was drawing the power from somewhere higher in her throat. Even then, her chest was lightly rising and falling as she continued. Hm.
"-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-neeeekin…" Fenway sputtered as the last of the embers crackled into nothingness. As she sat down to catch her breath, I extinguished any microfires that had tried to start and sat down beside her.
"Y'know, I didn't think you'd be able to actually do it first try." I revealed, warranting a soft growl from the recovering pokemon. "I believed in you and all, but what I'm trying to say is... you did good."
A curled lip quickly turned into a satisfied grin at the praise. I thumbed through my messenger bag while on my knees in one of the side pockets, withdrawing an oddly shaped bottle with a wide violet bump protruding from the top. I placed the ether in front of the tired fennekin while popping open the purple cap.
Fenway sniffed the bottle and turned to me.
"It'll replenish your energy, so you should feel right as rain." I stated, gently tilting the container to let a magenta liquid trickle over the plastic rim. Fenway recoiled at the taste of the medicine at first but prudently continued to consume the substance as she wrapped her lips on the seal. Once around half the bottle was drained, I put the cap back on and deposited the now lighter capsule of ether back into my bag.
With a hand on my knee, I hoisted myself back up and cleared away all the obliterated bark from the abused tree. "Let's keep going. Daylight's waning and we've been sitting in the center for too long to take any breaks."
The fuzzy pokemon uncurled her legs and dove into a deep stretch. One set of calisthenics and cleaning off the tree a second time and Fenway was raring to go again. I scratched the side of my head and waved an unsure finger at the battered trunk.
"Let's uh, go again. See if we can keep the stream going again and mix things up and all." I stated, my partner nodding and barking out a strong agreement.
Even though I was trying to help drill Fennekin, I never actually paid any attention to how training sessions actually worked in canon other than just watching the protagonist mercilessly obliterate any poor sap that got in their way.
In short, I had no inkling of how to actually train a pokemon, much less my own.
As I watched my companion fire volley after volley of literal spitfire, I couldn't help but notice that the nauseous feeling that had resided within my gut had slithered it's way across my body. My legs were wobbling violently and breathing was akin to kissing a vacuum. I did my best to steady my rising heartbeat and relinquished the vice grip I didn't know I had on my wrist.
I stared down at my hand. 'What is wrong with me today?'
Shaking out the annoying body situation, I returned to my focus on Fenway, of whom was beginning to pick up the pace. "Quick, hop to the right!"
My sudden outburst startled the fuzzball causing her to stop firing and let out a sound akin to a squeal. I tried to stifle a snort at her glaring before explaining my message.
"You'll be on the move whenever you have to use a move, and I'm not a conventional trainer, nor will I be a conventional opponent. That means I won't let you sit still when battling. Constant movement is key, especially since we'll probably going to be going up against pokemon who hit faster, harder, and better than us. But if we can keep them from getting a chance to breathe, then we just may come out on top."
"Fennekin Fen Fen!"
"Alright back to it. We'll work on versatility in an hour." I said, turning my back and waving for my partner to continue her workout. Noises of wood being torched and flames crackling in the wind resonated behind me as I slumped against a much smaller birch.
As I relaxed against the tough plant, I allowed my mind to wander with all kinds of ideas. Since moves weren't bound by strict physics laws and could be altered, I could (theoretically) be able to do anything with them. Considering how Fenway's later evolution would also encapsulate dual typing, I could only bet that her technical physiology would be changed in the ensuing transformation.
'If I can figure out how to strategically utilize each aspect of fennekin's already known movepool and figure out how they perform these moves, then harnessing that sort of raw power could be game-changing. Speaking of that, some pokedex entries talked about how energy that pokemon produce are linked to their own body or a specialized organ rather than aura. I get that aura isn't as understood by the people of this world than how it is explained in the media I had, but wouldn't some things like Lucario's aura blasts and spiritual links at least have some sort of research being conducted on it? And if the movies were to be believed in any sense, shouldn't everyone, both humans and pokemon have an aura they draw power from?'
I unbuttoned my cuffs and rolled up my left arm sleeve, staring deeply into the patchwork of skin.
'Do I have aura, even if I'm not from this world?'
Krrsshshshhh…
That didn't sound right.
I whipped my head back around to the source of commotion, spying Fenway and her training still going. However, I couldn't see what had made the sound. It certainly wasn't like the sound of fire smacking against a bark, and it wasn't like Fenway could just sound like rustling leaves.
Rustling leaves? Rustling...leaves?
My eyes beelined towards the target of the constant barrage, watching as more and more chunks of wood sprayed in every direction. The determined fox had made quite a lot of progress in whittling down the wide stem, a very clear crater forming into the now-deceased log. From the spot I had sat in I could see that the crater took up a decent chunk of the bottom half of the trunk. A new creaking sound had begun to moan it's grievances as the embers berated the tree.
Oh shit the tree is going to crash onto Fenway.
"FENWAY!" I cried, dashing towards the terrifying sight. Fenway spewed out the last of her attack and spun around again to see me bolting directly at her. Fear clouded my mind as I tried to sprint as fast as possible, maneuvering over smaller plants and shielding my face from oncoming branches.
Unfortunately, I didn't take note of the deviously hidden root that had decided to snag the front of my shoe in place. Dang it.
My body jerked back in recoil as I was sent straight into the dirt, my eyes flying open in surprise. I managed to break my fall by holding my arms out to absorb the fall and keep my rolled shirt from getting dirty, but all of the momentum I had built up was gone. I was rendered helpless as I witnessed the event unfold; the massive figure of the oak tree looming menacingly over Fenway's tiny fram.
My heartbeat felt like an engine in my chest. "Fenway! MOVE!!" I barked, shaking an arm to signal her to flee.
The vulpine flashed an entire array of emotions before bounding away without question, right towards me. Then, I heard snapping.
Crispened wood shrieked as they splintered off under the weight of the top half of the mighty oak as the top half slowly descended downwards. Leaves and nuts came tumbling down to the shaded ground, followed closely by sizable branches and even a few nests. Fenway had just enough time to dodge out of the way from some falling debris, narrowly weaving her way to safety.
This was getting bad, fast. I needed to do something. I tried to kick out the wirey entanglement. No such luck. Next I tried brute forcing it with my other leg. No such luck. Finally, out of sheer desperation, I clenched onto the bundle of roots and yanked with all my might. The roots shot out of the ground and dirt sprayed from their absence, freeing my previously captured leg. What I saw when I turned back was a scene straight out of hell.
There was Fenway, running as fast as her little legs would allow, with the looming shadow of the tree cast directly over her. Time seemed to stand still as the tree just got closer and closer, and closer, and closer…
Until it was mere feet above my partner. She was going to be crushed. She was going to be crushed, and I couldn't get there.
Suddenly, something zipped out from behind the overgrowth, slamming into Fenway's side. The fox let out a hushed yelp as she was knocked off her feet and twirled on the ground, just barely out of the log's way as it slammed into the ground with a mighty thud.
By now I had already made it back to my feet, and was running back to my comrade's side. Thin layers of dust had been caked onto my pant legs as I raced to check on her, gritting my teeth. I didn't have time to feed my curiosity in the mad dash as worry had sponged up all of my thought process.
Peeling back burnt twigs and brush revealed Fenway's dirty form, curled into a disheveled but unharmed ball. Oxygen returned to my legs as I felt back onto my rump and took in large gasps of air. The frightened fox cautiously lifted her head out of the defensive position, breathing rampant and ears drooped. As soon as she laid eyes on my panting form she took off and crashed into my chest, a slight quiver in every breath. My brain had yet to catch up with the events unfolding before my very eyes as I sat motionless, staring stupidly at Fenway.
I had panicked. I had dove head first into danger instead of actually thinking of a more logical option. Why couldn't I think? Why was I so worried about Fenway?
A frustrated hand slapped itself on my cheek as I remembered my idiotic decisions. I could've just recalled her with my pokeball. I could've stopped everything, but instead I charged in like a moron. Why… why couldn't I have thought of that sooner?!
"Hey, is someone out there?"
Every muscle in my body tensed at once. The entire ordeal must have made an enormous ruckus and drawn someone over to the scene. Now I'd have to deal with trying to explain why there was a decimated tree and frazzled fennekin in my lap. Hopefully, whoever this was would believe me.
Dusting myself off, I lightly nudged Fenway off of me. "Yeah, we're on over here."
After a moment of rustling overgrowth, a figure emerged. Black hiking boots and jeans broke through the layer of brush as I rose to my full height to make myself appear semi-decent. A familiar face scanned the area, jet black eyes relaxing as they fell upon me.
"Are you alright, mister? I was heading down the route when I heard shouting, and I wanted to see what was going on."
"We're fine, just a training mishap s'all."
The younger boy wiped his brow as if he had worked up a sweat. "Thank gosh! Wait, did you knock down the tree?"
"Not intentionally." I replied, scratching the back of my neck. "Thought that the area would be safe to experiment a bit. Looks like I, uh, was wrong."
"So you did make it fall? You must be pretty strong!" He commented, pointing towards Fenway who had plopped herself behind my leg. "Would you be up for a battle?"
I held up my hands at the sudden challenge. "Hold on, I think we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves…"
"No worries, it'll just be a friendly battle, so no pokedollars will be exchanged or anything like that. What do you say?"
I quirked an eyebrow down to Fenway who was beginning to inch out from behind my leg. She wasn't hurt at least, and I knew a few moves. Besides, there was still a bit of daylight left, and training against inanimate objects didn't seem to be working.
"Before I answer that, shouldn't you at least let your opponent know your name? It's only right to know who you're going up against."
"Oh, right! My name's Calem!"
And there it is. I'm not sure why I make myself write so much dialogue when I suck at it in the first place... Also, a little note: if you think this fanfic is going to be a just an OP power-trip, you're dead wrong.
Anyway, next chapter will have a whole lot more action than this one; things are beginning to pick up.
If you're liking the story so far, as always feel free to favorite and follow and leave your thoughts in a review! Or don't. I'm not your dad.
Until next time homies,
-Borko