Author's Notes :
Okay, the second chapter's already rolled out.
My heartful thanks to Swifteagle313, Xivarst, Silentstorm56, Kurama the Platinum Zoroark, and Animeloverdog for becoming the first fans of this fic! Also I express utmost gratitude to MatheusMarujo and Soulseer Xaleyz for becoming my first followers! Everyone else, thanks for the support!
Now I'll preview this chapter : Luke recovers from fainting and comes across a couple of bakers. Mesmerized by their support, he chooses to live with them, while learning about Pokemon battles and history along the way...
Disclaimer : This chapter is focused on worldbuilding, not fighting as the summary suggests (very sorry for that). Anyway, I have also been working on the third chapter, which puts the focus back on fighting! Okay, here we go!
"Monster Lucario, why are you sleeping in the middle of the road?"
A voice from out of the blue entered Luke's consciousness, causing him to twitch his eyes. What is this? he thought, I'm supposed to be dead right now. Why am I hearing voices? Perhaps this is the afterlife?
Luke slowly opened his eyes and woke up. A Bulbasaur was staring at him with cherubic eyes.
"Hello, monster!" said the Bulbasaur, waving a vine.
Luke can't help but surrender to this Grass-type critter. "Aww," he cooed, "You're such a cutie!"
The Bulbasaur lightly chuckled. "Thanks for your words," he said, "But for what are you sleeping smack dab in the street? Other Pokemon will look badly at you!"
Luke looked around him and gasped. He's not in heaven, he's in Square City. The only difference was the time; the sun was setting, the sky was bathed in twilight, and oil lamps had already started to glow.
"Umm…sorry, kid," said Luke, still awestruck at his situation. "Please hold on. I've something to ask,"
"Oh, you've got a question for me? Yay!" said the Bulbasaur, hopping.
"You see, this morning I went to a jewelry store, and this fiery bird-person became so angry that he breathed fire at me," said Luke, "My whole body was burned and I lost consciousness. But now I'm alive!" He shrugged. "Did you revive me? If not, then who did?"
The Bulbasaur chortled. "You only fainted, monster Lucario!" he said, "It's normal for Pokemon to wake up hours after they fainted. The only problem is that they'll become really hungry! You should know all this, right? You're a grownup, and I'm a monlet."
Luke blushed. A drop of sweat formed on the side of his head.
"Uh…yes," Luke stammered, "I-I remember…I mean I know now…I-I think I have to go…goodbye," He got to his feet and quickly walked away.
"Hey!" said the Bulbasaur, extending one of his vines, "Who's that 'fiery bird-person' you talked about?"
Luke ignored him and ran, but only for a short time. He was halted by a thunderous rumble. The Lucario clutched his stomach and whined. I'm famished! he thought, I haven't eaten anything since I came here. I must eat something now.
Among the buildings nearby was a large igloo, which Luke headed for. Maybe that's a house, he speculated, Gee, Pokemon do have strange infrastructure.
When Luke arrived at the igloo, he was astounded by a massive ice door that dwarfed him. Quivering, he knocked it.
The door swiveled wide open, and Luke saw a Mamoswine glaring at him.
"I don't want beggars like you to tarnish my dwelling," snorted the Mamoswine, "Get lost!"
Luke scurried away. No, not another battle! I'm sick of getting pummeled by strangers, he considered.
The Mamoswine slammed the door as Luke escaped.
Aww, just what have I brought myself into? Luke pondered as he kept walking across the street, I've cheated death not once, not twice, but four times today, everybody is throwing fights for petty reasons, and I've been outsmarted by a little dino kid. He looked at the faint glow of the moon, which had just risen. And all of this is on top of-
Suddenly, the smell of freshly-baked bread wafted through the air. Luke sniffed the aroma, his ears perking. He turned left and right to identify the source of the olfactory goodness. He found no discernible source, and decided to trace the scent.
Luke found himself tracing more meters than he expected. The aroma became stronger and stronger till he arrived at a small wooden building. A pair of torches illuminated a sign at the top, which read 'Hotshot Bakery'. There was a blackboard next to the entrance, which listed out the available items.
So this is where that wonderful bread is being baked, Luke thought. He checked his own legs, much to his vain. But I don't have any money! he whined, pulling the fur on his thighs as if they were empty pockets.
"What are you waitin' for, buyer?" A gruff canine voice came from inside the bakery.
"Please come inside," said a more polished, feminine voice.
Luke opened the saloon doors and saw an Arcanine and a Glaceon waiting at the counter.
"Welcome to our bakery, monster Hitmonchan!" greeted the Arcanine, his thick, shaggy fur bristling.
The Glaceon shot a blast of ice at the Arcanine's face. "He's a Lucario, you oaf!" she chastised in a hushed tone as her bangs swerved. She turned to Luke and asked in a more pleasant tone, "What would you like to have?"
"Um, can you please give me the menu?" Luke replied.
"Cannon will give the menu," the Glaceon assured, "Please take a seat."
Luke walked to one of the tables and sat on a chair beside it. Meanwhile, the Arcanine was still standing at the counter, wagging his bushy tail.
"Cannon, did you hear what I said?" hissed the Glaceon, "Stop fooling around!"
"Right, Snowball," said the Arcanine as he jumped across the counter.
The Fire-type brought a note to Luke, who was intimidated by his gargantuan size. Luke took the note from his mouth and read it. "1 Mega Donut, 1000 P, 3 Four-Leaf Cookies, 600P, 1-"
"Arrgh, that's a receipt!" Snowball snapped, hopping off the counter. "I told you to bring the menu!" She walked toward Cannon and glared at him. "Don't embarrass our customers like this!" Meanwhile, Luke watched the two Pokemon in puzzlement.
Snowball came back with a menu in her mouth and gave it to Luke. "Please forgive us, customer," she said, "My husband is...strange, to say the least. At least you're here for a meal, right?"
"Yes," Luke responded. "I have something to say, mistress" he added.
"Miss-tress?" the Glaceon asked, tilting her head, "Did you mean 'monstress'?"
"Please forgive me, but I am none but a hobo without any money," said Luke, his head down, "Do you mind if I can order food for free?"
"Oh, you're poor!" Cannon replied with a sorry face, "Don't worry, we'll make a special thingy for you,"
"Special case," Snowball corrected him, "Please make yourself comfortable here, monster," she reassured Luke, "We're not afraid to offer our services to the underprivileged,"
What nobility! Luke smiled and his eyes brightened, Finally, I have not one, but two Pokemon who are not fighting me at the drop of a hat. Even if they have pretty weird names...
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hospitality," Luke said as he got up and bowed to Cannon and Snowball.
"No need to thank us!" Cannon raised his paw, "Tell us what you wanna eat!"
Cannon pushed a trolley of bread loaves, pound cakes and tarts toward Luke. "Happy eating!" he bellowed as Luke picked up the treats.
Luke first tried out the bread. It was as soft as a pillow, as warm as a bonfire, and his fangs seemed to sink into it. Ravenous, the Lucario scarfed down all the loaves.
The pound cakes were next. He took a bite from one of them, and was soothed by its rich texture. Soon, all of them were reduced to crumbs.
He immediately shoved all the tarts into his mouth without even looking at them, and was mesmerized by their fresh and fruity taste. Meanwhile, Cannon was as carefree as ever, still wagging his tail, while Snowball was busy in the kitchen.
Luke glanced at his stomach, Geez, this is the most I have eaten in my lifetime, and my belly's only half-full! he thought, Should I ask for more, or should I not?
"E-excuse me, monster?" Luke asked Cannon, "I-I'd like to have some more food. Do you mind?"
"What did you say?" Cannon turned to Luke, his fur bristling.
"Um, I want some more food. Your dishes are excellent, by the way," Luke told him, "They were the best I had ever tasted," He nodded and smiled.
"'Kay," Cannon replied, "I'll tell Snowball!" He turned to the counter. "Extreme Speed!"
Cannon zipped across the bakery as he left red afterimages of himself. The Extreme Speed was so strong that it cleaved the counter into two halves and destroyed the saloon doors that led to the kitchen.
"WHAT DID YOU DO, CANNOOON?!" Luke heard Snowball caterwaul from inside, "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!"
Here they go again, Luke sighed, At least I'm not involved this time... He attempted to rest his chin on his knuckles, but he was prickled by their spikes. "Ow!" Luke gasped as he rubbed his chin in pain.
"Ice Beam!"
"Flamethrower!"
The crackle of fire, the shattering of ice, and the sounds of pain rang from inside the kitchen. After about five minutes, Cannon and Snowball were back with a trolley of more food, walking together as if nothing happened.
"W-what happened?" Luke asked, "You battled each other, and now both of you are alive?"
"Cannon gave me a Reviver Seed," replied Snowball, raising one of her paws, "Only fools would forget to gather Reviver Seeds before a battle,"
"And I ate an Oran Berry!" Cannon added, "What are you waitin' for, bud? Eat your extra fill before it gets cold!"
It wasn't long before Luke had devoured all the food. He leaned on his chair, patting his stomach and licking his lips. "Thank you for the sumptuous meal," he said heavily. He let out a small belch by accident, and covered his mouth in shame. Cannon lightly chuckled at the sight. My goodness, I've eaten much more than a human could normally take, he pondered, looking at the empty trolley, Perhaps I was just that hungry?
"Mons...monstress, I have something to say," Luke stood up.
"What is it, customer?" Snowball asked, her eyes glinting.
"Umm..." Luke began to think, raising his head and pawing his chin. He had to give a reason for his impoverished state. He knew that Cannon and Snowball were the only Pokemon who would accept a plea without a punch, bite or slash to the face. Memories of his interactions with his boss began to float in his mind:
"Please, please don't fire me, Boss. My car broke down on the way!"
"I saw a cat up a tree during my drive, and I couldn't ignore it!"
"My water heater stopped working!"
"Can you please forgive the All-Star Game celebrations last night?"
Luke continued to think. Snowball frowned, furrowed her eyelids and one of her hindpaws tapped the floor repeatedly. Another slacker in our bakery, you are? I guess I've to ready an Ice Beam, she said in her mind. Meanwhile, Cannon kept looking at Luke, seemingly lost in bliss.
"Uh...you see, I lost my memory," Luke began.
Both Pokemon perked their ears.
"I don't even know what caused it, apparently," he continued, "The thing is, I literally lost all my memories. Memories of my..." His voice became quieter and his head lowered, "...my home...family..." He raised his head again and his voice returned to normal, "I don't even remember how to fight. And even my knowledge of Pokemon's all gone." He scratched the back of his head.
"You have amnesia?" Snowball inquired.
"Umm...I-I think so," Luke replied in a guilty tone.
"What's amnesia?" Cannon said to Snowball, tilting his fuzzy head.
"Hush!" Snowball turned to Cannon and breathed a small gout of ice at him, "Don't interrupt us right now!" she sneered. "Customer, at least can you remember your own name?" The Glaceon returned to Luke.
"Me? Luke Anderson," he replied, gesturing his paw in front of his chest.
"Good," Snowball said, "Turns out you haven't lost all your memories, to be exact." She raised one of her eye ridges in suspicion.
"What about you?" Luke asked.
"My name is Snowball Hotshot Connexi," she answered, "I'm a Glaceon," She pointed to Cannon, "And this is my Arcanine husband, Cannon Hotshot. We run this bakery together."
Weird, weird names, Luke remarked. "Monstress Snowball and monster Cannon, I have an important question." he said.
"What is it?"
"Do you mind if I stay with you both and work in this bakery?"
There was silence for a moment.
"Please wait. We'll discuss."
Snowball went to a corner of the bakery with Cannon while Luke got back to his seat. "Cannon, it's about time we need waiters," she told, "That way you will no longer flub my commands."
"But where will the Lucario sleep?" said the Arcanine, "There's only two beds."
"No silly questions. We must adjust."
Luke waited for an answer with bated breath as he watched the couple return to him, Please, please don't fight me, he wished, clasping his paws.
"Monster Luke, we accept your request," Snowball beamed. Luke breathed a sigh of relief.
"Do you want to come to our dwelling?" Cannon added with a dopey grin.
"Yes," Luke nodded without any hesitation and stood up, smiling, "Please take me there. I've been itching for comfort since a whole day in the outdoors."
"At your service!" Cannon wagged his tail.
Behind the bakery, Snowball and Cannon guided Luke to a circular wooden door on the ground. Cannon pulled the handle with his jaws and opened the door, revealing a stairway.
"Luke, come down with us," said Snowball as she descended. Luke followed her before Cannon, who slammed the door shut.
Luke entered a small drawing room with a wooden floor and torchlights pinned to the mud walls. He felt an atmosphere of quaintness. There were two doors, one of them on top of another stairway. Luke assumed it was the way to the bakery's kitchen. To his surprise, there was a television, but not a typical one. It was wooden, it looked like it was preserved from the 60s, and it was crudely attached to a power supply box. Luke could see the letters "RF" below the screen. There were two cotton mats beside the television, a big pink one and a small blue one.
"Please relax yourself here," Snowball pointed to the mats, "We'll be working till eight. Meanwhile, you can pass the time on the TV."
Luke nodded as he sat on the red mat. Cannon and Snowball took the staircase to the bakery.
Instead of what Snowball suggested, Luke lay on the mat and began to ponder.
Laura, Landon, Lucy, Mom, Dad, Grandma, my colleagues...everybody is mourning for pointless reasons, He stared at the wooden ceiling with a heavy heart, I can't cheat them. I have to come back. I can't leave everyone heartbroken. But how? When will that mysterious voice come back? Please, whoever gods you are in this universe. Please...take me...back... His eyes began to tear up.
Unable to contain his feelings, Luke got up and groped for the remote. No such luck, there was no remote. He turned the knob of the TV.
A loud roar blared from the TV, "Breaking news! Regice, one of the Five Legendary Titans, was just defeated in a battle! I repeat - Regice! Was! Defeated!"
Luke covered his ears in response. He adjusted the volume knob.
"The proud winner of this battle is none other than a young Blaziken by the name of Etna Kickpunch!" announced a Nidorino on the screen, "Here are her thoughts of-"
"Duh. Battles, battles, battles," Luke groaned as he changed the channel before the reporter finished, looking at the screen flicker black and white, "I'm sick of that word already!"
What Luke saw next was a crude animation depicting a Pikachu fighting a giant Tyranitar. "Super Pikachu is here to save the day!" said an excited narrator, "He must defeat this evil Tyranitar to stand a chance!"
"Ugh. I would have never watched this amateur trash as a kid," Luke condemned, frowning at the messy squiggles that passed for a cartoon. He turned the knob again as the TV wailed.
"Presenting the latest of Held Items, Heavy-Duty Boots!" blurted a commercial, "These fine works of art guard you from all entry hazards, including those pesky Stealth Rocks! Fire, Flying and Ice types rejoice! Brought to you by Rock Foundation."
"Arrgh!" Luke growled as he turned the TV off. "This is what I'd expect from a race of monsters - poor taste in media. And they shoehorn battles into everything."
Luke got up and went to the other door. I need a distraction other than all this battle-battle-battle nonsense, he considered as he opened the door to the bedroom. Inside were two beds, one small and one large. Understandably, they were designed for quadrupeds, not humanoids like Luke.
Luke looked around him. The side near the small bed consisted of a shelf of books, a mirror and a box of ice, all immaculately arranged. The other side, however, not so much. Magazines and plushies were strewn about, some of them already chewed. In front of him was another door which he believed to be the way to the bathroom, and a burning fireplace.
"There are no computers in this world?" Luke muttered, "Geez, everyone's surely living in the olden times," He felt the unvarnished wood of the bookshelf, "That means there are no cellphones, too," His pupils constricted and his pulse slightly intensified. "Wait a minute, THE INTERNET DOESN'T EXIST?!"
He slumped to his knees, arched his arms, and wailed so loud that his voice echoed.
"NYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!"
Cannon and Snowball suddenly barged from the kitchen all the way into the bedroom, worried.
"What happened, Luke?" Cannon and Snowball asked in unison.
"T-the internet! DOESN'T! EXIST!" Luke whined, palpitating.
"Huh?" Cannon rolled his eyes.
Great. Now I have two idiots in this cave, Snowball grumbled in her mind, furrowing her eye ridges. "Please calm down, Luke," she told him, "What exactly is your problem?"
"Y-you know the Internet?"
"Internal net? What is going on in your mind?"
"I-I mean...there was a-a cockroach here...I got s-scared..."
Snowball scanned the bedroom. "Luke, I searched. There are no insects around here." she said.
"Why didn't you punch it?" Cannon asked.
Luke blushed, unable to find an answer. "Um, can I read one of these books here?" He pointed to the bookshelf, attempting to change the topic.
"Excuse me," Snowball bluntly said, "Cannon just asked a question. You have to answer it first."
"I-I have no answer. Please forgive me. I admit that I lose my head sometimes."
"Oh," Snowball sighed. What in Arceus' name is wrong with this mon? she thought.
"It's okay, bud," Cannon reassured him, "Feel free to read Snowball's books. We'll be back by seven, I mean eight!"
"That way you won't lose your head!" Snowball added as the two went back to work.
Eight o'clock was approaching, and Luke was deeply immersed in Snowball's history book, reclining in the large bed. He was intrigued by the heroic stories that defined the Pokemon world's past - especially in the time period dubbed the Age of Legends.
When a rescue team fought the God of Balance, Rayquaza, and helped him destroy an incoming meteor which was propagating a string of natural disasters.
When two guildmembers braved bleak futures, tearful farewells and psychological torture to defy Darkrai, the vile God of Darkness, defeating an insane Goddess of Time, Dialga, along the way.
When the two founders of Paradise City silenced the Bittercold, an amalgamation of the world's negative feelings.
And when the reincarnation of Mew sacrificed herself to kill Dark Matter, the manifestation of hate, while all Pokemon in the world, including legendaries, were turned to stone except for her best friend.
Luke widened his eyes in awe of the colossal chronicles. These four subsequent events had two things in common - the heroes were monlets, and more importantly, the leaders of each of these twosomes were all transformed humans, just like Luke himself. So, being summoned here means you will eventually save the world? he speculated, These kids are surely something! But...I'm an adult, and these events happened like 500 years ago, so I mustn't think too much about this...
He turned the pages, inquisitive for more tales. Even outside the Age of Legends, the Pokemon world had a rich legacy. He learned of Lucandon Aurander, a celebrated Lucario explorer who popularized the idea of rescue teams before the Age of Legends, and was reckoned to be the strongest of his species to have ever lived. He also read about the fierce clash between Mewtwo, the God of Battling, and Eternatus, an giant alien invader who was sealed in the process. The Pokemon world was not without its dark ages however. 200 years ago, rising tensions between types escalated into a hundred-year-long series of conflicts known as the Type Wars. The ensuing brutality and death of around half the world's population called the need for harmony between types, which exists to this day, not unlike human races.
"Luuuke!" Cannon greeted as he swung the door open.
Luke's eyes were fixated on the book and he didn't notice him.
"Hey!" said Cannon, raising a paw, "Listen to me! How did you manage to read this boring book?"
"Uh!" Luke grunted as he put the book down, "Sorry, monster Cannon. I kinda like history, by the way."
"No need to call me 'monster'," Cannon woofed, wagging his tail, "Just call me Cannon! By the way, Snowball's calling you outside for somethin'"
Luke kept the book back in the shelf and went outside the cave with Cannon. Snowball was waiting outside the entrance.
"Luke, let's go to Onion Park now," Snowball said, "We have to teach you something,"
"Why?" Luke asked, "I'm not a kid!"
"But you have amnesia, right?" Snowball replied, "You have to regain your memories of basic activities, so come. Cannon, don't forget to bring the items!"
Luke, Cannon and Snowball stood in the middle of a verdant field. The luminescence of the moon reflected on a nearby pond. Luke could hear the gentle rustles of deciduous leaves.
"Okay," Snowball walked toward Luke, "First, I challenge you to a battle."
"NOOOOOO!" Luke wailed and scooted away from her, "Why battle?! I'm not that kind of Poke-OW!"
Cannon clasped Luke's tail, causing him to trip and fall flat on his chest.
"What is this, Luke?" Snowball hissed, "Refusing a battle is like refusing a meal! You have to regain your memories of fighting, in order to live as a Pokemon!"
Luke got up and reluctantly walked toward Snowball till he was five meters away from her. Please don't attack me, please don't attack me, please don't attack me... he repeatedly prayed.
"Okay. You are free to make the first move," Snowball assured, "What moves do you remember?"
"Aura Sphere," Luke generated a ball of energy in his paws and launched it at Snowball. The Aura Sphere hit her body and she grimaced in pain.
"Ouch!" Snowball grunted, knocked back, "That was a super effective attack!"
"What's a super effective attack?"
"You see, each Pokemon and move has a type. The amount of damage a Pokemon takes depends on the typing of both themselves and the move. For example, your Aura Sphere is a Fighting-type move, and I'm an Ice-type, so it dealt a lot of damage to me. Can you guess why?"
"Fighting? As in...fists? Ice can be broken with a punch, so...what does that mean?"
"Fighting is super effective against Ice, so you're correct. Naturally, Pokemon learn type matchups in elementary school."
"Elementary?!" Luke whined, blushing.
"Don't be shy, Luke!" Cannon said, "After all, you lost your memories. Don't fear about learning stuff again!"
"Yeah, as if you always forget to use Fire-type moves on me," Snowball deadpanned, "Okay, now it's my turn to use a move," She focused on Luke.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Luke trembled and shielded himself.
"STOP BLOCKING!" she shouted, "ICE BEAM!"
The Glaceon breathed a beam of cryokinetic energy at Luke, who felt a sharp chill in his bones. To his surprise, he was able to shrug off the attack in spite of the cold. "Wow, I managed to r-resist your move!" he said, shivering a little, "How did it happen?"
"My attack was not very effective on you," said Snowball, "Because you're a Steel-type."
"Steel-type?" Luke glanced at his body, "I don't have any steel on me!"
"Grr..." Snowball grumbled as she facepawed, "Take a look at your damn paws!"
Luke did so and noticed the spikes on his paws, "Oh. Sorry for being ignorant," he said, briefly looking at the spike on his chest. "So, my Steel typing resists your Ice-type move?"
"Exactly. Steel is also super effective against Ice. Do you remember any Steel-type moves? If so, use them on me."
Luke's memory harkened back to the disastrous visit to the jewelry store in the morning. "Uh, yes..." he answered.
"Meteor Mash!" Luke ran forward and jumped with an uppercut, his fist covered in energy. Unfortunately, he missed. To be fair, Snowball was only the height of his waist, so you know why.
"Be careful when aiming your moves, Luke. Sometimes the attack could miss the target. However, there are a few moves which are guaranteed to hit, like your Aura Sphere. Do you know any other moves?"
"Extreme Speed!" Luke dashed at high speed, leaving blue afterimages of himself. Unable to control it, he collided with a nearby tree and leaves fell on his head. "I ain't that good at this move..." he brooded, his voice muffled.
"You can get better at it by training!" Cannon came to him and pulled him out of the trunk by the tail. Luke yelped from the sudden tug at his behind and mud got stuck to his face as the Arcanine dragged him to his starting position.
"I-I know one more move," Luke said as Cannon let go of his tail, "Bone Rush," He got back onto his feet.
"'Kay. Show us!" Cannon's eyes glimmered in the moonlight.
Luke remembered his near-execution of Bone Rush, which was interrupted by a door slam. He put his paws together and spread them wide. A long, stick-like bone made out of blue energy manifested in them. "Wow..." he whispered at the faint glow of the bone, "How do I use this move?"
"Hit Cannon with it," Snowball said bluntly.
Cannon barely paid attention when Luke whacked the bone on his head like a club, causing him to yelp in pain. His eyes rolled in circles and his tongue stuck out after the impact.
"Gee, you sure look messed up, Cannon," Luke empathized.
"Bone Rush is a Ground-type move," Snowball explained, "Cannon, as you can infer from his orange fur, is a Fire-type. Ground is super effective against Fire. Do the math."
"What do you mean by 'do the math'?" Luke asked, holding his energy bone.
"Huh? Just whack him repeatedly."
"You're asking me to beat up your own husband?!"
"JUST WHACK HIM ALREADY! WE HAVE REVIVER SEEDS!"
Cannon was not concerned.
Luke shut his eyes, raised his bone, and clobbered Cannon's head over and over till the Fire-type fainted with his mouth open wide.
"Boo hoo hoo!" Luke sobbed in remorse, "Why did you make me-"
"WE! HAVE! REVIVER! SEEEEEEDS!" Snowball blared, How much stupider can these two canines get?!
The Glaceon dug her mouth into the bag Cannon brought and picked up what looked like a circular seed with a heart-shaped sprout coming out of it. She went toward Cannon's fainted body and placed the seed in front of his muzzle. His nose twitched, his eyes fluttered awake, and he sprang back on all four of his paws.
"Ow! Luke, your Water-type move beat me real hard!" he murmured, shaking his head.
"It's a Ground-type move, you moron!" Snowball yelled as she slapped him on the back, "Not all Water-type moves are blue!"
"Hmm, your Reviver Seed does live up to its name," Luke told, "So that's why you didn't give a toss about your husband being bludgeoned,"
"Well, I and Cannon may battle each other everyday, but we are still soulmates!" assured Snowball, "Our bond comes from our shared labor in the bakery."
Battle each other? Luke's eyes widened in shock, Every day?!
"Okay, on with the next round of training!"
NOOOOOOO! Luke howled in his mind as he trembled in fear and his pupils constricted.
"Cannon, take the cloth from our bag and wrap it around Luke's eyes," Snowball instructed.
"Right-o!" Cannon took out a black piece of cloth and began to tie it around Luke's eyes.
"Hey, why are you blindfolding me?!" Luke squealed, "I can't see-!"
To his astonishment, Luke's vision was not blocked. He was still able to see Cannon, Snowball and the scenery around him. The only change was that they were entirely in hues of blue; the hues of the plants and Pokemon were brighter than what was around them.
"See those thingies on your head?" Cannon pointed out.
Luke looked and pawed at one of the appendages at the side of his head.
"Those are aura feelers," Snowball explained, "Aura is basically the essence of all things, whether they are living or not. Your species is unique because you are the only Pokemon capable of sensing and manipulating aura."
"Does that mean my Aura Sphere is made of this?"
"Of course. It's right there in the name," Snowball tilted her head in sarcasm, "In addition, aura can also be used to read the minds of Pokemon."
"Read minds?" Luke's ears perked up, "How?"
"Put both of your paws in front of your head like this..." Snowball brought one of her straightened paws toward her head, "...and focus."
Luke held both of his paws in front of his head and focused on Snowball's head. His vision began to morph into something different, and Luke found himself in a dream-like state.
In his new vision, he saw a Growlithe and an Eevee in the middle of a grassy yard, giggling and pawing at each other frantically in the sunlight.
"Fifi!" the Growlithe yapped, wagging his tail, "I wanna marry you! Now! You're so cute!"
"We can't marry now, silly" said the Eevee, blushing, "We can only marry when we're fully-evolved!"
"'Kay! Let's fight together!" The Growlithe crouched in eagerness with sparkling eyes, "We'll get enough points to level up and evolve!"
"Not that way, Cannon!" the Eevee corrected him, laughing, "We only evolve when we get old enough to use stones!"
"Stones? Ain't we always playin' stepping stones?"
"I was talking about evolution stones!"
Luke stopped reading Snowball's mind. A warm feeling kindled in his heart. "You both are childhood friends?" he asked in a sweet voice, clasping his paws.
"Yup!" Cannon quickly replied.
"By using aura, you can read the thoughts, emotions and memories of Pokemon around you," added Snowball.
"You used to be so nice to each other, right?" Luke inquired, "Then why are you always bickering now?"
Cannon and Snowball stared at each other and blushed.
"That was just monlethood," Snowball told Luke, "It's a phase. In fact, we don't even bicker. I only correct my mate's stupidity. Now let's continue with our training."
It was bedtime. Luke lay beside the two beds Cannon and Snowball were slumbering in, watching the flames in the fireplace flicker and swivel. I wonder how I could get back to my own world, he thought, Of the four heroes of the past, only one was able to return home, whereas all the others...chose to stay? Were they assigned with destinies? If so, could I also be branded with the mark of fate? He heard Cannon's snoring rumble in his ears. I hope I don't, because despite my powers, this world is not my cup of tea...
The warmth of the fire radiated in his fur. He slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep soon after.
Author's Notes :
Holy crap, already my second chapter is longer than the first! I had a difficult time writing this; this one focused on characterization and worldbuilding instead of fighting, and I'm sorry to set the token battle at the end (and even that was more of a practice session than a proper battle). No need to worry readers, the next chapter's already featuring a fight between Luke and the first Pokemon he encountered! And it will come soon!
Thank you all for the support!
TurboBolt99