Welcome back to another chapter of Usurping! This chapter is a little bit longer, but not as long as the previous chapters (8000 words without author's notes). The reasons will be explained in the author's notes, as usual.
Also, after the chapter there will be a change with updating. Mainly, my updates will probably be a little slower. This is because I am starting college courses and other related aspects/training on May 24, 2021. This is in order to (hopefully) make and complete my career change. As a result, I will be focusing a lot on that and not as much on this. But I'm still planning to write as much as I can, both for the story and for any others I have planned. There may also be periods where I get a bit of a break (e.g. a few weeks or months where classes are not in session) and thus can update faster for a while.
I will try to keep my profile updated with these changes, so anyone that is wondering about my update schedule can also go there.
Other than that, I do not own Pokémon, and see the author's notes for details.
2. Idyllic Landscape
I was snapped out of my thoughts as someone spoke.
Gabriel again.
"You been lost in thought, haven't you?"
I nodded again, still weakly.
Gabriel didn't have the power to read minds, but there were times I swear he could.
Then again, he probably just knew me too well.
Regardless, Gabriel continued, voice still full of sympathy.
"I understand completely, but you should get going. You probably should take a shower after all that. It will make you feel more comfortable."
I merely groaned.
I didn't feel like I had the energy to move at all, let alone drag myself to the nearby bathroom to take a shower!
It was like an invisible hand was pinning me to the bed, and that that hand wasn't going away time soon.
Gabriel's voice cut through the air, despite his soothing tone.
"I know you're worried and upset, especially with what happened to Tulip and the others. But lying in bed won't change anything, and you know that better than anyone."
The nod I gave was more vigorous this time.
No matter how I felt, he was right.
Including about what happened to my other Pokémon.
Especially Tulip.
Tulip, a creature that had been with me for nearly two decades and was by far my strongest…
A Pokémon fused with and living inside my body after a special event, a heartfelt request, a power activated, and a consequential experiment…
And Tulip was my constant companion, training together, fighting together…
Traveling through all of the regions and conquering all challenges together…
Even ascending to a form that few had ever seen or heard of, and the first stable instance of that form ever known…
A new form that had no name, although Tulip used to be called Nihilego…
Sometimes we still used that name, although not often.
But regardless of her species name, it was clear that the bond between Tulip and I was unlike any other.
Not just in how it manifested, but the fact that it had formed over many years and seem to persevere no matter what happened on my journey.
But the bond was nowhere near as useful as one of the other perks.
Such as having someone to talk to and break the constant silence, because I usually traveled alone.
Tulip spoke to me often, and we interacted so much it was almost like we were family, even sisters…
But after the mission in the nightmare, she had been mostly silent…
Gabriel and I both knew why, and we also knew there was nothing either of us could do…
And that wasn't even getting into what happened to my other Pokémon…
Because…
Because…
No, that was the last thing I needed to think about right now.
Right now I need to focus on getting out of bed this morning.
And Gabriel was at the ready.
"Do you need help?"
I shook my head.
"No, not yet."
I paused a moment before adding.
"You can come out now if you want."
Gabriel's reply was instantaneous.
"Very well."
I felt a brief sensation of something leaving my body, almost as if someone was simply taking an item from a pocket.
With what was going on, that may as well have been what was happening.
Except there were no pockets at all, and the object was a round orb of blue light that flew through the air.
The object slowly stopped as it floated in front of me. It stayed there for a few minutes, before the blue light disappeared.
If we were on a battlefield there would have been another flash of light.
But this was any place but the battlefield, and I didn't want to take the risk of attracting unwanted attention.
Or blinding some poor soul who could possibly walk in here.
So rapidly, the light took shape and materialized into something else.
Something without a speck of blue on it.
Something that many called Giratina, god of death.
But I just called him my close friend, Gabriel.
Either way, the name didn't change how my close friend looked.
He didn't look like he could be anyone's friend, regardless of how close we were.
For Gabriel was a giant floating snake with a gray and twisted body. He also had black and red stripes running down him, although it didn't completely block out the gray. Yellow spikes stuck out on every side, and more spikes on his head resembled a horse's mane. Red eyes saw the world from behind a yellow mask. To most it would seem ominous, but it was effortless for me to decipher the concern and protectiveness in the red eyes' gaze. But what caught my attention more than Gabriel's red eyes were the tendrils behind him. These tendrils were pitch black with red spikes on the ends. They resembled wings, or maybe hands. The tendrils could have been closer to the former, though, considering Gabriel was currently floating in the air in front of me.
But I couldn't focus on Gabriel right now.
Right now, I was just grateful even the nonmoving beds in most Pokémon Centers had railings.
I rapidly reached for the silver metal railing to my left, grasping it firmly with in my left hand.
The object showed no signs of giving way as I held onto it with all my strength.
The railing was forced to undergo even more stress as I started moving while still holding on.
And yet, everything held as I sat up and swung my feet over the edge of the bed.
The hand pinning me down may have been there a second ago and my progress towards moving may have been glacial, but I could perform the previous motion so instinctively it was almost like I had swatted it away.
Even though the railing had been durable, I was glad it held.
Not every railing did.
Then again, considering the beds Trainers used were based on hospital beds, the railings probably endured far worse.
But all that just signaled a reminder of who I was, and who I would always be.
Alongside the twisted legs dangling over the bed, and the hands that didn't straighten out unless I forced them.
And although I had swatted the invisible, intrusive, obstructive, hand away…
It simply came back in a different form.
One which I expected, like a reoccurring unwelcome guest.
But that didn't make greeting it any easier, or its presence any more frustrating.
Right now, it was just a dull ache that radiated down my entire body.
But I knew it could something morph into something else.
Something that could bring even the strongest to their knees.
A sensation that set my body ablaze internally, invisible flames greedily devouring anything in their path…
Simultaneously, the sensation turned my body to ice, as if I was encased and frozen.
Within all that came the internal electric shocks, zapping me so intensely and often it rivaled the largest lightning bolt.
Joining these sensations were a plague of tiny bugs, eating me alive from the inside while remaining unseen.
There were times where I was completely numb, but that was no mercy.
For the sensations would waste no time rapidly alternating between themselves and feeling nothing at all.
And they would race through my entire body, almost like a competition as to which parts could suffer the most.
Most of the time it was my legs and arms, but the sensations spread so violently and at a speed so fast it was often difficult to tell.
No matter where these sensations were, they made even the tiniest movement feel like a separate effort, and that was if they hadn't paralyzed me completely.
And although these sensations were so different, I had a word to describe them all.
Pain.
Neuropathic pain.
Something that could destroy even the mightiest, something that many did not comprehend, but something that I dealt with as part of my life.
Of course, that didn't mean it wasn't real.
There were many things that made it so.
Such as the words people who understood it used to describe it.
Nerve damage.
Wrong signals.
Bad reaction.
But at one point in my journeys, I knew it by other names
Weapon.
Savior.
For in one of my more recent missions leading to the one depicted in the nightmare, it had brought down entire armies.
It had rescued countless civilians and Trainers, bringing an end to a huge battle that had endangered everyone.
But it still didn't stop me from failing on the mission the nightmare showed, and the positive use I found was something temporary that I never do again.
The dull ache brought me back to reality and I resisted the urge to wince.
What happened in the past did not mean I shouldn't do something about what was happening now.
I glanced at a nearby pink nightstand sitting so close to the bed it was almost attached.
A thought crossed my mind, immediately turning into a silent command.
I could feel something removing itself from my body, although this time I knew it wasn't a Pokémon.
Because there were no colored orbs floating in front of me, or objects flying into the air.
Rather, the sensation was similar to something being picked up and placed somewhere else.
Fitting, considering that may as well have been what was happening.
For a black soda can materialized on the nightstand.
The can was unopened, the white fliptop staying down as the object appeared. I could easily read some red writing on it, even though I didn't pay much attention. The red writing sometimes looked a little bit different from object to object, but what the object symbolized remained the same.
Coca-Cola.
A special brand with no sugar, sweeteners, or even calories.
My version of coffee, but something far less bitter.
Caffeine, the elixir of life.
Something to wake me up in the morning, even when that seemed impossible.
The first thing I had every day, and it had been that way for so long I couldn't even remember when I started.
But it also symbolized something else, a time of day unrelated to any of that.
As Gabriel was quick to remind me.
A reminder that was even clearer without telepathy, and instead with a questioning tone permeating his voice.
"You're taking your medication now? Don't you need to use the restroom? You normally do that first."
I shook my head, frustration entering my voice.
"I'm dried up from all the sweating. With the way I'm feeling now, I may as well take my medication sooner rather than later."
The questioning tone stayed in Gabriel's voice as another inquiry left his lips.
"Would you like something to eat while you're taking your medication? I know you usually take it with food. I could ask the nurses to bring you something, if you like."
I knew Pokémon Center nurses had ways to translate all Pokémon speech, and this was probably far from the first time they'd seen a Pokémon act on behalf of its Trainer, even if the Pokémon was a god.
Even so, I rapidly shook my head.
"Thanks, but I think I'll be fine until I head out to eat after the shower. You know I don't like to eat right away in the morning anyway."
Gabriel nodded.
"Fair enough."
With that, another thought formed in my head, changing into a second unspoken command.
Several more objects appeared alongside the can of soda.
The can of soda was surrounded by several orange bottles with white caps. Other bottles were there too, but instead there were green and white. A small red inhaler lay beside them, and beside it, there was a grey sheet with punched out holes.
The new objects might have looked a little different from each other, but their purpose was the same.
A purpose that was revealed in the next few minutes.
For I gingerly grabbed each of the bottles, twisting off the tops with practiced ease. More objects made their way into my hands and clattered on the nightstand. Even the gray sheet was not spared as I punched another hole in it.
Soon the table was full of even more accoutrements. Though I didn't stop to look at their names, I knew what each one of the newcomers were. Many of them were rounded rectangles of different sizes. Another was a small red circle, joined by a yellow capsule alongside it. A white round concoction sat in between them. I almost reached for a bottle containing pink squares, but put it away. The small red inhaler formed an L-shape, a closed cap the bottom.
Seeing all that might have had some outsiders cringing, but I paid it no mind. Summoning these objects was just as natural as breathing, and they were all daily familiar faces.
Besides, they were just part of who I was, and when I had to do to survive.
And survival didn't just mean surviving enemies, harsh battles, or any number of disasters that could happen during traveling.
It also meant surviving fighting against myself.
And ritual I had performed was the only way to combat that.
The pill with the yellow capsule and its round white counterpart was my defense against a digestive disease known as acid reflux... The small red circle, the red inhaler, and two of the white capsules formed a drug cocktail to help with breathing… The pink square was a front-line fighter, ensuring I was protected at night from the deadly opponent called upper respiratory allergies and the asthma they fought alongside… The smallest of the white capsules helped relax my muscles and was the only thing that aided me with my neuropathic pain, and even it wasn't completely effective…
But even if the solution wasn't perfect, it provided some relief.
And at times, it was the only relief.
So I didn't hesitate picking up the different medications and popping them into my mouth. Each medication was effortlessly washed down by a sip from the soda can. Once all the medications were gone, the rest of the can was drained faster than one could blink. Another thought, and the medicine bottles disappeared. Mere moments later, I tossed the soda can into a nearby wastebasket.
I glanced back at Gabriel, and he nodded.
A wordless request passed from me to him, and within moments it was granted.
For Gabriel suddenly disappeared in a cloud of shadows. There was a sensation of something else being dispersed from my body, and a machine appeared where Gabriel had been.
The machine was dark blue with four black wheels. It had big blue bars that wrapped all the way around and a gray bar above them. The machine resembled a picture frame, with room to have a person in the middle. There were two black handlebars on both sides, and black bags draped below both. A black seat was in between the blue and gray handlebars in the back, but it almost blended in with the other parts.
Some called this a reverse walker.
Others, a gait trainer.
Still others, a frame.
And then there were all sorts of made up names.
Like the erroneous one of wheelchair, a colloquialism called wheeler, and even Cadillac, racecar, and carriage.
Most of the time, it was just my legs.
And my real ones would demonstrate exactly why.
I seized hold of the black handles, my body no longer dangling over the bed as I slipped into a standing position on the floor. I twisted to the right, both hands on one handle. Rapidly I reached back, grasping the other handle. Expertly and instinctively, I turned around so I was standing in the center of the machine.
The wheels and my legs again began move as one as my steps, hands, and shoulders propelled the machine forward. The pace was still glacial, with me seeming to sag slightly, as if the invisible force weighing me down had followed me out of bed. I was grateful that I did not have to be out of the Pokémon Center at any given time, even though punctuality was still important. It didn't change the fact that I still had to move, and so I forced myself to go onward.
Yet as I moved I was aware of my right foot barely touching the ground and my left one was partially up on its toes. A bad limp, painful looking, to be sure. But it typically wasn't painful, and for me, abnormality was normal.
Because this was the other reason I'd gotten the name Mold Breaker.
It was not just because of my ability, but also because of my disability.
Perhaps even more the latter than the former.
The disability called cerebral palsy.
Something not uncommon, but a phrase few had heard in Pokémon training world.
Even fewer had seen a Trainer, let alone anyone good with Pokémon, that had the condition.
Such was with the reality of being part of that life, I supposed.
Many disabled Trainers' journeys were short and often tragic, with Pokémon training not being adapted for disabilities of any sort.
But for me, things had been different.
I'd been one of the lucky ones, I'd been told.
Someone who had a milder form of cerebral palsy, and escaped any of the secondary conditions that could come with it.
Including any issues with my intellectual abilities.
So, instead of trying to get the Pokémon training world to adapt to me, I was able to adapt to it.
Mainstream and inclusion, I had heard people call it.
Regardless, to me, it meant one thing.
It meant I kept going, could keep going, despite my disability, or perhaps empowered because of it.
Whatever the case, where others failed, I thrived.
I broke the mold, again and again.
And so Mold Breaker became the perfect name to describe me as I charged into battle, and it was one I used with pride.
But the only bad part about breaking the mold is that no one had any idea what to do with me.
Because although people associated the name Mold Breaker with my successes in Pokémon training, the origin of it was far before I even stepped foot on a battlefield.
For I was able to do many things no one ever thought possible, associating with and able to complete most tasks that able-bodied people could. My intellect sometimes made it so that I could perform those tasks even better.
But at the same time I still needed help in some areas, and some tasks were beyond my physical ability no matter what.
And there were some areas where would always need help.
But it was hard for others to wrap their heads around the contrast.
So many weren't sure how to treat me, and didn't know how to adapt things to me, if I even needed help.
So my family told me I broke the mold whenever that happened.
It wasn't long before it morphed into the Trainer title Mold Breaker, and I embraced everything that came with that.
Of course, that didn't make what was happening any less frustrating.
But embracing it was all I could do, because it was something I had since I was born and I could never change it.
A sound snapped me out of my thoughts as I heard a distinctive clicking noise. It didn't take me long to realize that the rug in the Pokémon Center room had given way to tile in the bathroom across the hall, and that my walker wheels had hit the latter.
The small white bathroom sharply came into focus in front of me. I wasted on time scanning the area as glanced to the left and right. Unfortunately, there were no railings in this bathroom, since I had to take what I could get. Given that there weren't that many disabled Trainers, making things accessible to them probably wasn't on anyone's mind, if it was even possible in some cases. Luckily, the sink and its counter could be used as railings easily enough.
But there was still one obstacle looming.
The small walk-in shower across from me with its doors open wide.
Just like the rest of the place, there were no railings at all. There wasn't even a place to sit down, and the showerhead was high up on a wall. Bringing my walker wasn't even possible, as there was no place to turn. Even if I could, getting everything wet wasn't the best idea. That would be uncomfortable if nothing else.
So it was impossible for me to use the walk-in shower.
At least, impossible in this form.
Even though I could not see Gabriel or hear him do anything, I knew he was behind me.
And I knew he understood what I wanted to do next.
Another silent message passed between us, even without telepathy acting as a middleman.
What happened next was instantaneous.
Instinctive.
Natural.
Even though what was happening was anything but.
For in a second, my hands fell to my sides as my walker disappeared.
Aside from my twisted limbs, it look like there was nothing wrong.
And that was because of the power flowing into me.
Becoming one with me.
Changing me.
Turning the two of us into an entirely new being, with abilities outstripping the original forms.
Many called it fusion.
I just called it functioning.
Because in this fused state I could do almost everything an able-bodied person could do. Many times, I could do it better.
It looked as though I'd gotten rid of my disability almost completely, and I had a feeling this is why many whispered it was like I didn't have one at all.
But I knew that couldn't be further from the truth.
And it wasn't just because I had to take this form just to walk into a shower.
I hadn't really gotten rid of my disability at all, because this was just another treatment for it.
And like all treatments, it came with a cost.
And the cost wasn't money.
For instead of using a medical treatment, my actions relied on my supernatural abilities.
I had a lot of supernatural power, but I could never directly use it.
Instead, fusion allowed me to tap into that power, and by then the potential was near limitless.
Limitless, except for one problem.
To use the power the way I did, my supernatural energy was converted into physical ability, among other things.
And that was something supernatural abilities weren't really meant to do, and that also meant I was using it constantly.
No matter the reason, supernatural powers usually could not be twisted to act like that, and hardly anyone had seen a person in my situation.
Walking around was fine, but if I was doing anything else…
Then I ran the risk of running low, overusing, and even running out completely of my powers and energy.
And all the risks that came with that.
Including severe illness and even death.
My supernatural power replenished within time, so that helped. And there were areas that supernatural power users could take a moment to recover their strength.
But sometimes I used more than I could regain, and power restoration areas weren't nearby.
So the system wasn't perfect, and there were risks.
And yet this was the only way I could function, the only way I could travel completely alone.
So I kept using that system anyway, since I had no other choice.
But even if I did have a choice, I wasn't sure I would use anything else.
It was all I was used to since I was young, and it was quite versatile.
Like with what I was about to do now.
The toilet was the only seat in the area, so after I used the restroom I stayed sitting there. My right hand seized hold of my nightgown sleeve, tearing the piece of clothing over my head and off my body. My underpants were soon gone as well, sliding off of my moving legs with ease.
As I had them disappear within me and stood up, I had a chance to glance downward.
A huge scar on the left side of my stomach stared back at me. Even though I couldn't see them from where I was, I knew there was a similar pair of scars on my back.
To an outsider, it might look like I gotten into a few too many battles.
Perhaps that wasn't entirely inaccurate, because they were from battle.
But it was a battle no one saw, one that I'd fought since birth, and could never truly be won.
It represented efforts to hold the enemy back, to force it away, knowing it could never be defeated.
But in the same time it would never defeat me either, and nothing the enemy did would ever change. So I could mitigate its effect on me, and discover new abilities in the process.
Unfortunately, there were things the enemy would never let me forget.
Such as the fact that it was another way of referring to my cerebral palsy, and that it was there every time I walked, every time I moved.
Or the fact that the scars represented some of the few successful treatments I had. One, a major surgery when I was three. The other, a device that delivered medicine automatically inside my body. Both of them ensured I didn't have any more treatments when I was older.
But my disability didn't hesitate to remind me that it was my biggest disadvantage while traveling, and why I didn't start my Pokémon journey until I was 18.
Of course, there were other factors.
Like the digestive disease that ravaged my body for many years or the breathing problems that still gave me trouble to this day…
And then there was the face with red bumps that needed constant medical creams…
There was the bandage that I ripped off of my left shoulder as I changed clothes… It was a simple injection that made sure I didn't get sick from what happened to almost all women every month…
But all these were minor annoyances compared to my cerebral palsy…
The thing that everyone could see, affected me from the beginning, and that there was no getting away from…
Not even for things unrelated to my Pokémon journey.
Such as my physical issues been the main reason why I couldn't find a job. There were my fusion powers, but those were considered unstable because not every area had a place where I could recharge. Aside from agreements with the Rangers and some other members of the League, using it to get around the physical aspects of a job was out of the question.
That wasn't even taking into account the other problems I had, such as my inability to do a high level math and science shuttering off many careers before I even tried. I knew enough to get around and survive on my own, but anything beyond that was impossible. But no matter what I was and was not good at academically, my cerebral palsy it was always my biggest problem, and never let me forget it.
Which is why I couldn't think too much about it now. Being stuck in the past wouldn't solve my issues in the present.
Especially considering I was standing without any problems or machines at all.
And that only continued as I grabbed a washcloth and a pair of towels. Even though it has been impossible minutes before, the washcloth was placed in my right hand and the pair of towels draped over my left arm. One of the towels was on the floor between the shower and toilet. The other was thrown on top of the closed lid. The washcloth was tossed in a holding area within the shower. I could see that the Pokémon Center already had white shampoo and matching bar soap, so at least I didn't have to bring that. There was the sound of doors slamming slightly as I forced them closed.
Effortlessly, I reached up for the showerhead as if I'd never had a challenge. The water streamed down near me as I held the washcloth to it. My free hand seized hold of the soap and rubbed it against the washcloth. The soap easily returned to the holding area as the washcloth scrubbed my body. It was the same for the shampoo and my hair, as I stepped in and out of the water. Before long, I reached up again, and the water was shut off as quickly as it had been turned on.
There was the sound of a door slamming again as it was pushed open. Body and hair still dripping, I walked onto the towel I had placed down earlier. I then stepped in place as I maneuvered the towel on the floor to where the other one was. Without stepping off of the floor towel, my right hand grabbed the other one. Soon the dripping water ceased as I dried myself and the towel was back on the toilet lid. No sooner had that happened then I was sitting down, and an object materialized in my right hand.
It might have seemed silly to be holding another nightgown to put on when I was trying to get dressed. Especially one as ornate as the light purple long but short-sleeved one depicting butterflies that I now held. But I knew there was more room in other parts of the area, so getting dressed would be easier there. I wasn't about to go into the area with no clothes, either. It was freezing, and somebody could easily walk in on me.
So on went the nightgown I picked out. Again I stood up in the bathroom but next to the toilet. Away went the towels as I made my way out. Even though the items weren't mine, I simply dematerialized them any other. I knew there was a designated area for the Center's laundry, so I could drop them off as I left. It would much simpler than carrying them around.
Especially since I wasn't planning on staying in this form anymore.
My walker reappeared again, and I immediately placed my hand on it. This sensation of Gabriel leaving my body returned, although this time he merely faded away instead dematerializing. The slower pace from before returned, although there was far more of a spring in my step. After all, that was nothing like a hot shower to wake me up in the morning. Even on the worst days.
Or perhaps, wake both Gabriel and me up in the morning.
After all, he was doing at least part of the moving from within me when I was fused. I still had complete control over the body though, and he couldn't do anything I didn't want him to. Not like he would anyway.
Perhaps it would have been more appropriate to refer to my fusions with plural pronouns, but I found that confusing.
Most of the power was mine anyway, and I was sharing it with whoever I was fused with.
So I may as well have been one person that form.
Regardless, I didn't need to worry about pronouns now or what Gabriel was doing.
Because I wasn't in situation where I would need his help.
I knew that as I glanced around in all directions, surveying the room.
I would never understand why Pokémon Centers had to make almost all parts of their rooms pink. There was always some sort of symbolism, considering a lot of top-level Pokémon Center nurses wore pink, but all I could see was my least favorite color… However, I didn't focus on the pink in the room for too long.
Because something else had gotten my attention.
And thankfully it wasn't pink.
There was a red chair with a back and handles, something that look like it could be transported from room to room. I could already see that the chair was low enough to put my feet on the ground despite my short height.
I methodically meandered over there, and a banging sound be heard as my walker wheel met the bottom of one of the handles. With my walker almost in front of the chair, I lifted up my nightgown and used the handles to swing into the chair. Letting my nightgown fall back down, I placed my feet firmly on the ground.
A plethora of mental commands flew through my head, and they were instantly obeyed.
For a myriad of objects appeared on the floor to my right. Some were instantly recognizable, like the clothes I usually liked to wear. Others were recognizable only to me, and the clanging on the floor betrayed how heavy they were.
Luckily, I wouldn't need them just yet.
For the nightgown went off just as easily as the last one. My top layer of clothes rapidly replaced it, the nightgown dematerializing back into my body.
It looked like all the objects I'd summoned before were laying there useless.
Until they weren't.
For I reached over and grabbed the bottom layer of my clothes. My underwear was arranged so that the foot holes were right in front of me as it lay on the floor.
At that point, the first of the heavy objects was in my right hand.
The object had a long and thin silver bar with a black handle sticking out of the end. There was another black part that could be pulled back like a trigger and I could easily wrap my hand around it. When I used the trigger, a yellow part at the end opened and closed. This part resembled a hook but it didn't latch onto things. Instead there was a space between the silver bar and the yellow part. When the latter closed, it was clear it was meant to pick up and hold objects within that space.
Such as my clothes.
I picked up my underwear, lifted my feet up slightly, and then placed them both in the holes. The grabbing object still held on as the underwear was raised to my knees. I bunched my legs together to hold the clothing in place as the object finally let go. It wasn't long before the object was on the prowl again, though. It had a pair of pants in its grasp, and they were rapidly coming near me. Soon, the pants met the same fate as the underwear, and the object was on the ground again.
I wheeled my walker towards me, staring straight ahead. There was a wall across from me, but not too far. I would've also preferred it to be a little closer, but it would have to do. So with my walker completely in front of the chair, I stood up. My legs was still bunched together to hold my clothing as I pushed my walker backwards.
As I got closer to the wall, I turned myself around into my walker so that it was facing the wall. The clothing dropped, but only slightly. Soon, there was another banging sound as the walker hit the wall. There was a repeated, quieter banging sound as I braced my body against the same wall. With my walker behind me, I carefully pulled up the bottom half of my clothing, having to fix it multiple times to make sure it didn't get stuck on my feet. Once that was done, I headed back to the chair.
Again I wasted no time sitting down in mostly the same position I had at the start. I didn't use the grabbing object this time, instead reaching for something else. One thing I reached for was a pair of socks, but another object was something else entirely. The object was white and resembled a tube that was curved and open. They were round handles attached to ropes, and the ropes were also white. The sock was placed upside down on the top curved edges and slowly pulled down until it covered all of the object.
I immediately grabbed a yellow bottle with holes in the top, shaking it as I tipped it into the white object. A cream-colored powder filled the object, producing a sweet scent. I paid it no mind as I slipped the object onto my right foot, and used the handles to pull the object up. The sock slid off the object and onto my foot. Soon, the process was repeated with my left. As the white object was placed back on the ground, there was only one object pair remaining.
The first of the pair looked similar to the yellow-ended object but almost all of it was gray. There was a part of the handle and the front that was wrapped in something resembling a giant bandage, but other than that the object was all the same color. Yet it was clear that this object was heavier the instant I picked it up. Although I could keep it in my hand fairly easily, the object drooped towards the floor where the other one had not.
Yet it was also clear it was stronger.
For it effortlessly picked up a pair of Velcro shoes that had been waiting patiently for me to finish dressing myself the rest of the way. It also picked up a tan shoehorn that fit perfectly on the back of the right shoe and brought both to me. The grabbing object held the tongue open as I slid my foot in. Once my foot was firmly in place, I let go of the grabbing object and the tongue lolled back. After that, I made sure the Velcro straps were firmly in place as I attached it to the bottom parts. Once that action was done and the entire process repeated with the left shoe, all of the objects aside from the clothes I was wearing dematerialized and disappeared.
I sighed and stared at the clock, trying not to cringe. Even though there was no place I had to be, and it was that way for the entire day, more time had passed than I wanted. Even with all my accommodations, dressing was still very slow. It was still that way even on the best days.
Yet at least I could get myself dressed now. I couldn't for years, and it wasn't until after intense occupational therapy and custom-made equipment that it was possible.
But it still was frustrating that I couldn't go faster.
But I couldn't dwell on that for long.
Instead, I leaned back in the chair, concentrating on something only I could see. I could feel the sensation of a type of energy gathering in my body, similar to one that I had felt when Gabriel was leaving, or when I was materializing objects.
Except now, nothing entered or left.
Instead I could feel the sensation washing over me.
Even though I remained where I was, the room was gone.
And in its place it seemed something was flying.
And although I couldn't view anything, I knew what it was.
My mind was being transported to a different place…
A different time…
A different life…
A different way of doing things…
And then was interrupted by Gabriel's voice shouting my name.
Reality hurtled towards me as I noticed he now appeared floating in the air.
His words after that sent it crashing down on me.
"You were trying to contact her, I see."
I nodded and hung my head a little low.
Gabriel wasn't accusing me of anything, yet I could not help feeling shameful.
This wasn't the time or place to mentally and supernaturally wander off!
Of course I hadn't completely slipped away yet, and even though my body had been protected, I knew better than to do something like that here.
Yet Gabriel was understanding as he spoke again.
"I understand your concern, but if she hasn't contacted you, she's probably fine. The two of you share information and resources frequently, so if something came up, she would let you know. You need to finish getting ready for your own journey today."
I nodded.
Once again, Gabriel was right.
She would give me resources and information, for the person I had been trying to contact was me.
Or rather a supernaturally connected copy of myself living a separate life at home via permanent astral projection.
It was because of that I had been able to get an education at all, because traveling and training took up too much time and energy otherwise.
Whatever information she learned transferred to me if she wished it to, complete with all the memories. It was vice versa, and I shared it knowing that she would never go out on a journey.
Or rather, that I wanted my Pokémon journeying separate from other pursuits, and my astral projected self represented that.
And it was because of this projection that I could have all of my medications in order to travel safely, because not all of them were as simple as taking a pill. Because those two, were shared between us voluntarily, and she handled the ones that traveling would've made impossible to manage.
And she made she made sure my family was safe and whole, even though they were so far away from me. Even with all that, she made sure to take care of them, so that I could focus on what I had to do here.
Protect them.
After all, if I was here, and I would always stay on my journey, then there was no need to go after my family…
Not like anyone would, as I had made plenty adopted family members here…
And that way, my family didn't have to worry about me, because she was making sure their daughter was home, happy and safe. I often wondered if my family asked about my Pokémon journeys and what I was doing in the regions, but considering most of them knew almost nothing about Pokémon, that probably wasn't likely. If they did, she never told me, so that must not have been an issue.
One could say that one version was a body and one version was a soul, although we both had our own souls and bodies.
Or perhaps a clone or not-evil twin.
After all, aside from our locations and whatever we didn't share, there was nothing different from us.
Regardless, because of my fusion powers, combined with the supernatural powers of the Gym Leader Morty, permanent astral projection was possible and allowed me to thrive.
I suppose I could thank my disability and other medical problems for that, too. Because without them, I would have just gone on a regular journey, probably with devastating results…
Of course, Morty found out about all that and understood what I had done.
But the same couldn't be said for the general public.
Because most people didn't even know about what was going on between me and my astral projection.
And I hoped to keep it that way for as long as I could.
Because in order for me to do what I did, I had to…
I had to…
No, there was no reason to think about all that now.
The only thing I had to do now was finish up.
Gabriel seemed to understand that, as he disappeared again.
However, I briefly glanced over at the bed, resisting the urge to groan.
The bed was a horrific mess, something that made the word untidy the biggest understatement, with its covers and sheets strewn everywhere.
It was what one would call a complete disaster.
But I couldn't make my bed at all in this form, and even with my fused form, it was difficult. Considering the bed was also against a wall, it was nearly impossible.
Luckily, Pokémon Center nurses had services to help with that, and they had probably seen far worse.
Besides, a bed wasn't something that should concern me right now.
I stood up from the chair again, swinging into my walker, and heading straight back into the bathroom.
Tubes of medicine appeared on the counter at my command. A special brand of soap in a white bottle also appeared, with a blue handle that acted as a pump. I could feel red bumps that I knew were on my face, and the washcloth was quickly wet with water from the sink. Soap was mixed in and applied to my face. One of the tubes had a bunch of white circular pads, which I rapidly rubbed all over. After that, the tubes of medicine were opened and dabbed onto my fingers. Carefully, they were rubbed in with the rest, but I had to make sure I didn't put it in the wrong places. I already had a skin condition, and applying medicine improperly made it worse. Supernatural powers were a good substitute for makeup, but it didn't change the fact that I still had the condition and could feel it. It was even painful if it went unchecked.
At least with my supernatural powers, I could stop people from staring at me for it.
Another minute, all the medicine and the wet washcloth disappeared. In my efforts keep moving, I noticed there was a hairbrush already on the bathroom counter. I grabbed it and rapidly ran it through my hair. It was set back down after a while with a loud clatter.
At last my preparations were complete, and I backed up to look at myself in the large mirror.
Dark blue eyes stared back at me, with dark blue clothing to match. I wore long sleeves and pants, although neither had anything on them. Above that all stood short dark brown hair that went down to around my collarbone. The white Velcro shoes were the only thing that wasn't blue, but if I could I would've painted them that color. Instead they housed a right foot that was down on the ground, and a left foot that was still partially up in the air. I could have forced them down for a little bit if I wanted, but right now, I didn't care.
Instead, I rolled up my sleeves, and there was one last unspoken command.
A light blue ribbon appeared on my right arm, already tied neatly around it. I threw my sleeve back down, having it cover the ribbon completely.
I knew the blue ribbon wasn't something I would normally wear, but at time like this, I felt like I needed it. It was a reminder of something that happened in the past, and something that still kept me going now.
But it wasn't a reminder I wanted to reveal to the world, and I wasn't sure I would never be able to.
Besides, I wasn't sure if people would understand why the ribbon was such a powerful reminder. They might just find it stupid.
But it was a reminder to me that I would never forget, and that was all that mattered now.
And there was something else that mattered.
For soon as I was done, I heard a growling noise.
It took me only a second to realize what it was.
Of course my stomach would always alert me to when I was missing a meal!
And there was no better time than now to satisfy it.
So I jogged over to the door and seized hold of the handle.
The door opened wide, and I continued jogging as I passed through it.
There were more clicking sounds as I turned to close the door behind me, before leaving the room completely.
Author's notes:
-Like the last chapter, I chose to split things up and make them shorter, even though this chapter is not as long. The reason is because of major plot-relevant event coming up and I didn't want to rush it. This event also changes the tone of the chapter drastically, so if of the change would not work out with this particular chapter. The final change was just because of how things are translating from notes and ideas two chapters. I wanted to reveal a lot of information about Kristine in the first few chapters, but in the notes it was only couple sentences at most. It ended up being longer in actual chapters because of all the description, so the chapters were split up. All of this had the chapter ending with Kristine leaving room to go get food after her preparations.
-One of the biggest things that changed and I also want to figure out was what title I want to use. I originally had a title in mind, but said title fit better with what was originally going to happen in this chapter with the plot relevant event than what ended up happening. So I thought about using something like Preparations or Moving On, but found it a bit too generic and not enough emphasis on the events of the chapter. I started listening to a bunch of different videogame music tracks, including some tutorial music. This is because I wanted something that was very intense but ultimately one where the other in terms of mood. I also didn't want anything involving lyrics, because I just want to focus on the tone of music as opposed to words. This is all because Kristine is still rather somber, but she's more neutral as she is getting ready to leave and thinking about what she has to do to prepare for her day.
-I eventually settled on a song called Idyllic Landscape from the game Fantasy Life. Kristine isn't an idyllic landscape at the moment, but the theme does represent something that happening to her. This theme is often used as the protagonist heads out and walks around towns during the day (nighttime in the game has different music). During this time, they're making preparations, gathering whatever items and information they need before they leave for whatever else they need to do. I also considered using the nighttime version of the song (called Night of a Quiet Town) due to preferring the melody, but it doesn't make sense because the chapter is about Kristine waking up in the morning and it's clearly not nighttime.
Also, Fantasy Life is a more relaxed and lighthearted game, also moving a bit slower. This is because the game is about interacting with the people and the world around the player as they try out new skills to figure out their professional identity (with the skills being equivalent to careers, called Lives). This is opposed to something like combat or action. This is also despite the fact that there is a story mode and goals, with the player being encouraged to complete them. I felt like this fit in with Kristine's story as well. This is because since Kristine has already been on an action-packed journey and either solved or participated in an overarching conflict, Usurping is more relaxed, slower, slice of life oriented, and more about figuring out her identity and personal goals.
-Neuropathic pain is something that happens to me in real life as a result of my cerebral palsy. It happens to me when I am sick, stressed, sore, and/or overtired, and is exactly the same as Kristine describes in this story. The problem with the chance of it always been there as well as lack of options for it is also a real issue both in my life and overall. Kristine mentioning weaponizing it may sound familiar to those who have read Holly Rising. This is because it is the thing that takes down Zinnia and her followers in the Safari zone, and she tries to explain it later but doesn't understand what happened. Neuropathic pain itself is not mentioned by name in that story because the characters know what it is, and Kristine isn't narrating so she can't explain it.
-So Kristine's version of Tulip finally gets a mention! Those who read Holly Rising and Daughter may recognize this character, as she appears near the end of both. She is based off of something and canon, but is also partially my own interpretation. Since this explained in full in Holly Rising's authors notes, I will let them sum it up:
"-The creature the Mold Breaker summons is a canon Pokémon, although it's quite different in this story. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Lusamine captures a Nihilego and fuses herself with it.
The result is the same creature the Mold Breaker battles with.
Lusamine battles the player while fused with Nihilego. The new Pokémon itself does not battle, instead granting stat bonuses to all of Lusamise's current ones. As a result, the fight against the fused form is considered one of the toughest in the entire series. After she is defeated, Lusamine tries to attack the player. However, either Solgaleo or Lunala (depending on the game) attacks the opposing creature, breaking the fusion and freeing Lusamine. After that, the fusion is never seen again.
Then comes Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Despite still taking place in Alola, these games added a few new Pokémon.
Which meant it would be a perfect time to make the fused state Lusamine uses a proper Pokémon as well.
Except that didn't happen.
Instead, the fusion was never seen, or even referenced. Furthermore, there was no way players could battle Lusamine in her fused form, with the events that led to the fusion not occurring.
I found this was wasted potential.
So I decide to change things.
In this story, the new creature not only battles directly, but is also a completely separate Pokémon from Nihilego. As a result, there are quite a few changes.
The most noticeable is the Pokémon's color. When I first decided to use this Pokémon, I remembered it as being dark blue, and wrote it as such. However, I found out later that I'd misremembered, and the Pokémon is actually dark black. Unfortunately, I didn't want to lose what I had already written. However, then I recalled that Pokémon have rare differently colored forms (known as shiny colors). Furthermore, since the Pokémon that was fused with Lusamine never directly battled, it had no shiny form. That left me free to create one for it. So it was just a matter of taking what I had, inverting some of the colors, and calling it shiny.
The next thing is that the fists on the new Pokémon canonically only have four fingers. However, I decided to make the new Pokémon have fully formed fists because I envisioned it holding things, using punching attacks, and generally having some manner of opposable thumbs. It be difficult doing of that if there were only four fingers.
Another noticeable aspect is how the Mold Breaker appears when this Pokémon summoned. In canon material, Lusamine's upper body is inside of the new Pokémon's bell (meaning, the head), and her lower body dangles beneath it. Not only did I find this grotesque, but it also brought up the issue of Trainer and Pokémon getting in each other's way and even accidentally injuring each other. In contrast, I had written that she was used to travel in the way she is in this story from the start, so that's what was utilized in this series.
Those familiar with the canon material may notice that the Pokémon has very different abilities than the original fusion, or even Nihilego. Since the canon Pokémon never battle, I knew I was free to do what I wanted with it. So I made it extremely powerful, possessing a wide variety of moves. This has to do with what originally allows the fusion to be the way it is in canon, and the differences in my interpretation. According to developer notes, Nihilego absorbs a massive amount of Z-Crystals when it fuses with Lusamine. That gives it its appearance and power.
In this story, the new form is taken and the new Pokémon obtained because of entirely different reasons. Furthermore, the process of getting the new Pokémon is much longer and more complicated. While the exact details are unknown at this point, the basic premise is that the process involves the original form meeting many different people, learning and observing countless battle styles and other ways of interaction (such as Pokémon Contests), and forming an extremely close bond with the host, to the point where both can obtain great power from each other. With all of these requirements (even in their basic form), I felt like it would make sense for the resulting Pokémon to acquire numerous new moves and abilities. This would also lead to a massive increase of power overall (such as the ability to reliably use and take physical attacks, something Nihilego is notorious for being unable to do). Hence why the new creature seen here has a wide variety of moves with the strength to back them up.
-As for the creature in the battles themselves, I'll admit that they were the main reasons as to why I got rid of the form of limits. I really wanted to showcase the versatility and power of the Mold Breaker's deadly Pokémon, so I decided to have a use more than four moves. However, I quickly realized I would have to remove the restriction for every Pokémon, or things would not make sense. Therefore, that's what I did, and new rules were put in place. However, I knew the issue was going to come up long before this chapter. However, it wouldn't be seen anywhere in the story and no one would comment on it. So I decided to mention the new rules in author's notes much earlier on in order to make these battles less jarring."
-The medications Kristine takes all real-life medications I take the time of this writing. The conditions she has are also real-life conditions I have, and the medications are used for exactly the same reasons as they are in the story. The way Kristine walks is the way I walk in real life, and using a reverse walker is also real. The cerebral palsy is defined as and functions exactly the same in real life as it does in this story. Furthermore, the walker she uses looks the same as the walker I used in real life for many years (that I only stopped using because the company that made them went out of business I had to switch to a different one; I prefer the original one in quite a few areas).
My profile picture on most casual websites is the front wheel of my walker, and most of my usernames incorporate wheels in some form. Kristine's frustrations about people not knowing what to do with her or not having a lot of resources available due to her physical disability requiring her needing help but her intellect being above average and requiring no help in that area is in fact a real-life issue that I constantly have. Because this is something that will never change, new dilemmas involving that are constantly popping up, even at this time of writing, and likely always will. On another subject, Kristine liking Coca-Cola and using it due to not liking the taste of coffee is something I do in real life. I drink the particular brand of Coke every morning to wake up, and that one is available, I just use whatever brand I can get.
-The explanation of Kristine breaking the mold in the name of venture translating the mold breaker is based on real-life. Even though the real-life situation is a bit different, the context of how the name came about is the same. Since Pokémon training is not a career in real life, Mold Breaker is not a name I use. However, considering the context and especially considering the phrase Mold Breaker is used outside of that context in the Pokémon world, I figured it would not be improbable for constantly the using the phrase breaking the mold to translate into the name Mold Breaker. Thus, the name stuck.
-The fusion system was my answer to a question I had about how to incorporate some aspects of my life into the Pokémon world, as well as wanting to expand on something from canon. In real life, my cerebral palsy would prevent me from being on the front line of something that involved a lot of physical activity. Additionally, although traveling alone is possible, it can be extremely difficult, and as of this writing I have only traveled completely alone to local areas. However, in order to be a Pokémon protagonist (or at least, play the role I had in mind for her) Kristine would have to be able to in situations where she would have to be physically active. Additionally, traveling alone in a foreign area would have to be possible, or with minimal assistance. The Pokémon world doesn't see a lot of physically disabled Trainers canonically, and as such most places are not accessible to them, at least without help from Pokémon. Since I wanted to keep the Pokémon world recognizable, I also want to keep that aspect. Not a lot of physically disabled trainers are seen in fan works that I am aware of, so I couldn't turn to that either.
In the early stages, including when I inserted Kristine and other fandoms such as a partially modernized Fire Emblem, Tales of, Valkyrie Profile, a dragon version in Spyro, or even multi-fandom crossovers, the character was able bodied and the disability was ignored outright. Later versions of her did have the disability (most notably in the archived notes for Price of Rebirth), but used various magical powers to hand-wave it so that it affected almost nothing. A lot of other characters did notice it, but there wasn't a lot concern about having a character being very physically active and on the front lines when the disability should have made it impossible. A few characters pointed out that what Kristine was doing was dangerous (since she could and did injure herself) and her disability made it clear she had no business being there. Their concerns were valid, but concerns were about as far as that went. Since it was later revealed she was more or less mandated to be there by divine intervention, there wasn't much anyone could do but support her.
I considered using something like that in this story at first. However, I decided that I really wanted to portray what a Pokémon Trainer/other fantasy character living independently with my disability would be like. Furthermore, I still wanted the character to be on the frontlines and have the adventures that any other Trainer could have. Holly Rising was my first attempt at that, with the character that would become Maria having Pokémon using psychic power to move, perform other tasks, and get to place to place. However, there were issues with that pointed out in the story (such as Pokémon running out of power, either one being injured, and atrophy). I eventually came up with the plot reason for why Maria was able to function that way even though she shouldn't be. Due to Kristine's character and personal history being different, she couldn't use the same reason. So having her move in the same way Maria did was quickly discarded.
The method that finally was chosen was based off of a throwaway line in Holly Rising. Someone mentioned Maria using those possessing her to help her walk, but she was very comfortable with psychic power and was never seen using that ability. So I had Kristine take full advantage of ghostly possession, eventually adding different aspects to make it more functional (such as a regaining energy, mental protection from malevolent beings, mental ability becoming physical ability, power limits and a use for each form, and transforming into a single, powerful being). This eventually led to the fusion system used currently, and Kristine's overall ability specializing in that. I thought that such a system would allow her to do things my physical disability of real life prevented me from doing. In that way, she could fulfill the role in the story and be a person on the front lines. At the same time, it doesn't discount the disability because there's certain things she still can't do on her own, and she can't use the fused form all the time. So this seemed like the perfect happy medium.
It's worth noting that fusion does exist in the canon Pokémon world and a lot of fan works. However, it mostly has a negative connotation and isn't explored too much. Therefore, I decided I wanted something that didn't have the negative connotation and was explored more. However, true to canon, I kept it as something pretty rare and unusual at the time the story starts. This played into the end result of Kristine acting the way she does in the story.
-The treatments for cerebral palsy and the other problems it causes that Kristine refers to are from real life. The disadvantages of having her medical issues as it relates for Pokémon journey are also disadvantages in real life that would've prevented me from traveling in the Pokémon world at all. The issue with my cerebral palsy preventing me from finding jobs is also unfortunately true in real life.
This is because, in addition to the skilled career issues mentioned earlier, it prevents me from doing the typical physical tasks required for most unskilled jobs. This includes being able to drive (I currently can't and most likely never will be able to), or having the balance, mobility, speed, and stamina for things like waitressing or fast food preparation (I don't and will never be able to). It's a particularly nasty and frustrating issue for me, leaving me unemployed for years aside from being able to do specific temporary employment resembling internships in a few different fields. As of this writing, I am still unemployed, despite having skills, a tiny bit of work experience, hundreds of job application submitted to several different fields, and a degree in in a practical field. While I may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in real life at the time of this writing, it's still pretty frustrating, and Kristine isn't anywhere near the possible end of her search in her story. Hence why Kristine voices her frustration about the whole thing in the chapter.
-Kristine having issues with math and science and that causing problems with finding a career is also unfortunately something from real life. I cannot do anything above basic math, and in a lot of cases I still require things like a calculator or a place to write down equations. While originally it was only something that prevented me from taking some courses when I was younger and contributed to a few lower grades, it started causing major issues when I really got into my career search.
This is because I was interested in the short term or in particular areas involving those things, but lacked the skills and long-term/variety of interests to make a career out of them. These areas included business degrees, human resources, coding, anything still in the medical field but not directly related, marketing degrees, and computer science. Due to the way the story flows, Kristine doesn't have as much of an extensive career search as I have (since a lot of it was done in the years following college and Kristine has graduated recently). However, I still did some career searching when I was younger, and I did some again as soon as I realize my previous career failed but before I graduated. Even without any of that, Kristine would know that the low grade to lack of interest in math and science was a turnoff, and avoid it. Unfortunately, she would also realize the consequences and therefore it was easy for her to mention that.
-Kristine having issues with walk-in showers and having to use fusion for assistance comes from real life issues traveling, especially hotels. My family and I would book a handicapped accessible hotel, only to end up being faced with a walk-in shower and having to explain why I can't safely use one. There are some cases where I can use one, but only with a lot of assistance, and almost never alone. Other movements Kristine does are real life movements for morning routines.
Those who have read the chapters of the Altar or Holly Rising may notice that the morning routines are bit different and more detailed from Kristine's counterparts in both those stories. This is because in addition to having Traveler in a different world with different resources, there have been many advancements in my treatments and medicines. This allows me to do more on my own and have a set routine. Readers of these previous stories may also notice Kristine was more negative about who she was, but in addition to plot reasons, I could get annoyed that I was unable to do simple things and thus was a bit more negative (although not to an extent of either of the protagonists in those stories). Here, Kristine is more somber, reflecting on although there are some negative parts of her disabilities, she's ultimately neutral on it. She also notes that her physical disability affects their personal identity and the public sees her as. This perception about my physical disability is pretty close to how I see it in real life, as long (although Kristine is a bit more solemn about it because of the situation she's in).
-Kristine noting the pronoun confusion comes from Holly Rising. In that story, Kristine's name was not used for the most part until the middle of the final chapter due to plot reasons. As a result, when she narrated she was only referred to by pronouns. However, in one of the chapters where she narrated, she was in her fused form for a lot of time. Plural pronouns were used to differentiate when she was directly using her fused power (mostly in combat), and female pronouns for when she wasn't. This was still the case even if she was standing and walking by herself (in most cases, singular pronouns were used). Originally, this was used to signify two independent beings acting as one, and the difference between her being by herself.
As the mechanics of fusion got fleshed out, I realized that plural pronouns would not make too much sense. Regardless of what she fused with, Kristine is still a single being in her fused form, she just has a form change and is more powerful. As I kept going and reading other people's stories, I also realized that there would be a lot of confusion if plural pronouns were used. This is because in between Holly Rising and Usurping, I had discovered that using a plural pronoun to address a single person can mean the person is a non-binary gender. Kristine is not, even when she's fused. This is still the case even if she is fused with something that's the opposite gender or something that has no gender (like an object or substance). Kristine's gender is always put first, and she is always female. Therefore, there would be no reason to use plural pronouns. As a result, Kristine does make a reference to Holly Rising, but then explains things a bit more.
-The machines and adaptations Kristine uses to get herself dressed are all things I use in real life. Dressing taking her a long time and taking her many years a lot of training to figure out how to do it by herself is also something that happened in real life. Every motion that she does was a motion that was taught to me so I could dress myself. This is a major reason why Kristine's preparations are more detailed than previous incarnations, or even other characters. Originally, I was going to omit her dressing herself and have Gabriel do it for her via fusion. However, I decided to show it because it would also show what her, and by extension, my disability is like. This also humanizes Kristine when she shown to be a larger-than-life legendary Trainer otherwise, or even someone negative and bogged down by rumors. The reality is that she is neither of those things and is more than both, and Usurping would be a good place to show that.
-So Kristine's astral project self is revealed! This character has been briefly talked about a notes, but never formally shown, and even then, she still is and isn't seen that often. This is because I'm still working out the logistics and appearances, but I knew why I wanted her there from the get-go. The astral projected version was my answer to how things like Kristine's family life, education, medications, and non-Pokémon experiences would work.
I was originally going to drop her into the Pokémon world somehow and adapt her to the world using experiences from my life. However, I realized that this wouldn't work without making the Pokémon world somewhat unrecognizable, since a lot of experiences through my life I've never been seen existing there, or couldn't. I thought about it in the real-life history of entirely in terms of things like education, family, and medicine. However, then I realized this would create a very different character and story than the one I wanted to tell.
For example, Kristine would've had nothing more than a high school education even if she started her journey at 18. Her family would have then had to have a reason to have her start on a Pokémon journey instead of going to college, especially when they had both the resources and good reason to put her through college. College also something I was looking forward to and wanted to do in real life, so it was not a matter been forced into it and Kristine couldn't be either. There were also the issues of her hobbies and interests having to be completely redone, due to not being present in the Pokémon world. Medical issues would be a problem as well, especially since some of the real-life treatments involve me heading to hospital. Since there is no way, Kristine would constantly have a hospital near her all the time if she was also traveling, she would've had to have a nurse with those medications on them with her at all times. I had already decided I wanted her to be able to travel completely alone, so that was discarded.
But then I had to come up with an idea of something in place of all that, and so I came up with the idea of her having two copies of herself. One would remain at home and live a normal life, and the other would travel around and go on adventures with Pokémon. With her powers of astral projection, this made sense. They would share some resources, like medication and some knowledge gained through schooling, so neither one was missing out on what the other was doing. It would also keep her family informed, if need be. The idea of projecting copies is seen in the Pokémon world via the move Double Team, but is used for combat and not much else. Cloning and creating copies of Pokémon is also a plot point in the anime, but it has negative connotations and a lot of details are left unexplored. It's a bit of a referenced to work-life balance as well, because the character representing me games like Pokémon and me in real life have completely different adventures. Unlike Kristine in this story, I have to allocate time for both, since videogames are not a career like Pokémon is in the story.
It's more noting that remote education and work were considered for Kristine, but quickly discarded. On top of the fact that these options were not commonplace at the time the original notes were created (and they wouldn't be for probably a few years, as the idea for this story was conceived in 2017), it would be extremely difficult for Kristine to do that successfully. The reason is that she would be traveling around a lot and would have other commitments related to it. Additionally, while remote education and work can be successful in the higher college levels, she would need it for high school and lower levels of college in addition to that. In the latter circumstances, remote education was nowhere near as successful, and so the idea was abandoned.
How she got the powers to split off her body was a bit different. In original versions, Morty carried around a machine that did that. Kristine forces that machine into her body and absorbed it, performing the separation and ensuring it could never be broken unless she herself did it. However, I switched it for several reasons. One was that I didn't know about the logistics of the machine. I also know why someone would carry something like that around, and why Morty would give it to her or let her take it before he knew what she was going to do.
Also, in the original version of this chapter, Kristine is going to be successful with seeing her astral projection before Gabriel called her back. It would probably show the astral projection going through her own morning routine, or even just getting out of bed. I decided not to do this because I was thinking of having the astral projection appear in person later on, and it wasn't really needed to establish the Kristine was using astral projection at all.
Also, originally, Kristine seen her astral projection would be no different than seeing any other dream or vision. However, this was changed to the current version because while I was writing this chapter I saw the Pixar's movie Soul. I was inspired by the idea of the Zone. This is an area where someone who is so into their passion and skills that they will enter an area where they're all alone and have contact with the spirit world. However, they only see themselves and some colors even though their bodies remain the same. Certain people called Mystics can enter the spirit world directly and interact with it via the Zone, although it's not entirely known how this process works. There is also the problem of spending too much time in the Zone and becoming a monster called a Lost Soul. Lost Souls are unable to find a way out of the spirit world, even if their bodies are perfectly fine in the living world. Mystics are devoted to helping these Lost Souls return to the living world, and part of the plot revolves around helping a particular one.
-Kristine's closeness with Morty is referenced in Holly Rising that a few other stories, going a bit into the familiar relationship they have. I figured it would be fitting for Usurping to show how they met. On another subject, Kristine was originally supposed to wear a bracelet in addition to the blue ribbon she wears in the final version. This bracelet would also have the Mega Stone of her fallen Ranger's partner, Joan, embedded within. Since Kristine's relationship with the Rangers and her partner changed, this scene was removed.
-Kristine's looks are based off of me for the most part. There are a few minor differences, however. One is that I never wear ribbons because I can't tie them myself. The light blue ribbon is something worn by Maria on Holly Rising during a scene there. It's shown that the blue ribbon is a bit of foreshadowing, although the reason is mostly implied. The scenario for this blue ribbon is entirely different, and the reasoning is planned to be a bit more direct. Although, although dark blue is my favorite color, I can't recall ever having a set of completely dark blue clothing. I chose Kristine to wear dark clothing anyway because it's my favorite color and thus the color I associate her with.
Kristine also looks different than some of her pre-Traveler incarnations. Prior to Traveler, she was mostly tall and thin. The reason is that many of my family members were short and/or stocky, and I inherited both genes. Unfortunately, I hated how I looked because I saw a tall and thin as something beautiful. Eventually, I learned to accept how I looked and to deal with some of the other things I came with that (e.g. being unable to reach things and having to really work to maintain a healthy weight). So, Kristine now resembles are looking real-life. However, being stocky is not mentioned because I wasn't sure how to mention it without drawing attention to it. So I just left it out to imply that she doesn't lean too far in either direction.
Pre-Traveler Kristine also had blonde hair, due to once again, me thinking blonde hair was beautiful and not liking my natural hair color. Amusingly enough, I also dislike changing my hair color with dye or highlights, so I never tried to make myself blonde. It's something I still dislike to this day, for some reason. Eventually, I learned to love my natural hair color, so the brown hair color was used in Kristine's incarnations. Some regulations did have barely visible red highlights, though, because it did try having my hair once. However, the highlights didn't show up and it ended up taking a lot of time, so I found it more trouble than it was worth and never tried again.