Author's Notes:
Sorry for updating this story longer than expected. I found some holes in my writing and fixed them, so please excuse me if this chapter feels a bit rushed. Anyway, I ended up cramming more battles than expected (probably to make up for the low-key second chapter?). I'll try sticking to a weekly schedule from now on.
11/25/2021 - Just now I made some quality-of-life changes to the chapter, like removing/modifying meaningless words, and a small change in dialogue.
Happy reading to all!
Luke found himself floating in the middle of a void as stark-white as snow. He heard the ambience of silence, as if he was in an ethereal state. His feelers levitated around his head like space debris.
A silhouette was advancing from the horizon. As it came closer and closer, it revealed a humanoid appearance. Luke's eyes widened.
The shadow unraveled, uncovering an immaculate businesswoman with curled black tendrils and porcelain brown eyes. She adjusted her spectacles as she walked toward the Lucario, who heard the clacking of her stilettos echo.
"Yoko!" Luke uttered, "It's me, Luke!"
"L-Luke?" Yoko gasped, bending to within Luke's eye level, "What on earth happened to you?!"
"It's a long story..." whined Luke, "But at least I'm so glad to see a human like you in a world of monsters," He gave her a smile.
"World of monsters?" Yoko questioned, "What are you talking about?"
Luke observed the void around him, "What...what is this place?" he asked.
"I don't know," Yoko said as she shrugged.
"Then how did you get here?"
"I DON'T FREAKING KNOW!" Yoko's shriek reverberated in the void.
"Calm down, Yoko. Calm down," Luke gestured with both of his paws, "I'm itching for a little chit-chat. May we converse?"
"If you wish."
"Okay. You see, yesterday morning I saw a puppy in the middle of the road and I tried to save it. Just as I pushed it out of the way, a portal appeared in front of me and I was sucked into it. I ended up in another universe, where I was turned into a two-legged dog! And everyone around me were monsters who called themselves Pokemon!"
"Luke, have you become insane? You never used to spout nonsense like this."
"I-I'm telling the actual truth! We're not in an amateur story! Please believe me!"
"..." Yoko was lost for words. Luke watched her lips pucker.
"You...you..." Yoko hushed as her body quivered, "ARE WROOOONNNG!"
Suddenly, her voice became as deep and throaty as a chain-smoker, white strands of fur began to sprout from her skin, her body became shorter and squatter, an additional pair of legs grew from her torso and her face metamorphosed from pretty to grotesque.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Luke screamed as his feelers jumped.
Upon completion of the transformation, what remained of Yoko was now a stout white crab with giant pincers. "LUCAS DAIGO ANDERSOOON!" bellowed the crab, "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!"
"How did you become a Poke-"
"ICE HAMMER!" The crab slugged him with a debilitating punch.
"AAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Luke yelped as he was bolted awake by an Ice Beam to the chest.
"Wake up, Luke!" Snowball shouted, glaring at his half-conscious body, "It's already morning! Get yourself ready and come to the drawing room fast!"
Shivering from the cold, Luke heaved himself onto his feet. "Uh...okay, Snowball..." he drawled with half-lidded eyes. The Lucario rubbed his eyes and stretched his body as he let out a voluminous yawn.
"Cannon has already prepared the hot water," Snowball told as she pointed to the bathroom, "Get washed and quickly come for breakfast."
It was noon, and Luke was inside the bakery kitchen wearing a magenta cap, a dark blue ascot, and a black towel around his waist. He observed Cannon and Snowball's preparation of a strawberry cake, which was...unorthodox, to say the least.
Snowball kneaded the cake mixture in a bowl with her own paws. Within intervals, she breathed a puff of snow, which she called 'Powder Snow'. After enough kneading, she filled a mold with the mixture and put it inside a stone oven.
"Flamethrower!" Cannon breathed fire at the stone oven, heating it. After around half a minute of steady heating, the cake was ready, releasing a potent aroma. Luke's mouth salivated as he transferred the cake to a plate. Meanwhile, Snowball kept blowing snow puffs in another bowl as she prepared the icing.
The icing took longer than expected to be completed, around three minutes instead of the usual thirty seconds. After all, there were no electric beaters. Upon completion, Luke applied the icing on the cake with a wooden knife before adding cherries on top.
A Furret and her four Sentret monlets were waiting at one of the tables as Luke arrived with the strawberry cake on a plate. Luke couldn't help but marvel at their adorable appearances.
"Who's that new Pokemon, mama?" asked the youngest Sentret, "We've never seen him before!"
"He's a Lucario, sweetie," replied the Furret, caressing the youngest Sentret with her long tail. Luke brought the plate to the table and the mustelid family pounced on the cake like wolves to a sheep.
"Mmm, this cake's delishh...!" mumbled one of the other Sentret as he nibbled a piece in his mouth.
"Just as Hotshot Bakery always is!" chirped the oldest Sentret, licking his lips.
"What sweet complements, kids!" Luke cooed, clasping his paws, "You must be regular visitors, right?"
"Yes," replied the Furret, "You got appointed after Sunday, didn't you?"
"Technically," Luke answered.
"You make a nice addition to the bakery," the Furret squeaked, "Politeness, humility, work ethic...all of it is rolled into you,"
"R-really?" Luke stuttered. He noticed his tail wag back and forth, and immobilized it with one of his paws, embarrassed.
"What are you doing to your tail?" the Furret and the Sentret gasped in unison.
"..." Luke blushed, speechless.
The Sentret gave a chorus of giggles. "Monlets, don't make fun of him!" the Furret scolded, "You should always respect grownups, no matter what they do!" She turned to Luke with a smile, "So, you try to hide your emotions, monster?" she said, "Don't be shy! Everymon loves a good sport. You're one of the sweetest waiters I've met,"
"Thanks, monstress," Luke replied softly, bowing, "I appreciate your respect. Now can you please paw over the money?"
"Here, 500 poken," The Furret showed a bag of coins and bid goodbye to Luke along with the Sentret, before leaving the bakery.
"Lukey-boy!" Cannon called from the counter, wagging his tail, "How'd you like your new job?" He and Snowball had watched his interaction from afar.
"A lot!" Luke said, giving a thumbs up.
"Well, Luke," Snowball said with a smile, "If you enjoy your job here, then why don't you work out your last job? You can't abandon your old memories, right?"
"Um, I don't think I can recall them at all," Luke replied wistfully, "I feel it would be better to stay here than go on a tough search for my memories."
"Okay," said Snowball, "You can follow your own destiny."
I've been lucky! Luke reflected on his new job, leaning against the wall. How much better it is to serve delicious foods to commoners instead of slog through paperwork, spreadsheets and meetings all day long. Cannon and Snowball are much nicer than Boss ever was. That said, I'm waiting for an opportunity to return to my world. My family needs me...
Just then, he heard a stomp, and paid attention to the entrance. The new customer was a Rhydon. Luke stared at him with an uncomfortable look. Uh-oh. This Pokemon brings back not-so-fond memories... he thought as he twiddled his paws.
"Hey, waiter!" said the Rhydon as he grabbed a seat and slammed the table with his arm. Luke slowly walked toward him.
"Yes, monster," the Lucario replied quietly, "What would you like to have?"
"An Ultra Hay Sub,"
"What toppings and combos do you want?"
"Just give me that Ultra Hay Sub, dweeb!"
"O-okay. What is your name again, customer?"
"Rhyzo. Now get lost!"
Luke went to the counter to inform the Hotshots of his new request.
Soon, the Ultra Hay Sub was ready. A long sandwich with cooked hay and an assortment of vegetable slices emanated a trail of steam as it stood on a large plate. Luke collected the plate and walked to Rhyzo's table.
"Here is your Ultra Hay Sub," Luke showed the plate to the Rhydon.
"Wait a minute, stop!" Rhyzo demanded, squinting one of his eyes. "You look familiar," He took a good look at the Lucario, "You're the bastard who divebombed on my head, AREN'T YOUUUUUUUU?!" He tipped the table over with a thud.
Indeed, he was the same Pokemon Luke met when he entered this world. In an undignified way.
Startled, Luke lost grip of the plate, which shattered on the ground. "I-I-I-I..." he stammered. Cannon and Snowball watched them with alertness from the corner.
"I CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!" Rhyzo roared as he clenched his claws. "DRILL RUN!"
Stressed, Luke picked up the table and held it in front of the Drill Run. Rhyzo lost momentum as his horn pierced through the wood and he crashed belly-first, forcing Luke to back away.
"E-Extreme Speed!" Luke dashed to his right in a flash, and smashed against the wall, to the sound of broken wood. "Mons, please help me!" he begged to Cannon and Snowball as he freed his snout from the crumbled wall.
"Start fighting him already!" Snowball yelled, "You have to learn to defend yourself instead of destroy our bakery!"
Rhyzo was already charging toward Luke in another Drill Run. Luke crossed his arms in front of himself, intending to block the attack.
The Rhydon's horn bore through the Lucario's arms. Luke grimaced in pain.
Luke wrestled through Rhyzo's tough hide before delivering a Meteor Mash. His opponent backed away, slightly losing his balance.
Luke seized the opportunity and charged an Aura Sphere once he landed.
Rhyzo responded with a flying tackle, interrupting his generation. He grabbed the Lucario with both of his claws and flung him with a merciless force.
Luke crashed against another table, pain stinging throughout his body. Splinters flew in every direction. He got to his feet with difficulty.
Whilst he struggled, Rhyzo leaped high in the air and dove belly-first. "Body Slam!" he shouted.
Trembling, Luke pulled off the strongest uppercut he could muster. His fist collided with Rhyzo's torso.
Luke's punch was easily overpowered as Rhyzo flattened him like a fly. The Rhydon got up, rubbing his stomach in slight pain.
Luke tried to do the same, but sparks began to sting his body. His muscles were much slower than unusual. "What...is...this?" he feebly said, plopping back on the floor.
"Paralysis!" Snowball replied with concern.
Rhyzo was about to grab Luke when his foe managed to kick him hard. Luke grit his teeth and shut his eyes as his muscles pushed against the paralytic sparks. With arduousness. he managed to stand up again, and quickly launched an Aura Sphere at Rhyzo before the sparks stung again.
The Aura Sphere hit Rhyzo point-blank in the face. Cannon wagged his tail while Snowball gave a nod of approval.
"AAUGH!" Rhyzo yowled, "You landed a critical hit, you son of a bitch!" He hunched his back in pain, "PREPARE TO FAINT!"
Rhyzo used Drill Run. This time, Luke could only stand immobilized as the Rhydon rammed his torso like a torpedo. Cannon and Snowball shut their eyes and turned their heads away from the devastating attack.
Luke was knocked to the ground, and was surprised to find himself still awake. The battered canine only barely raised his back when Rhyzo grabbed him.
"Fury Attack!" Rhyzo growled.
Five rounds of stabbing were dealt to Luke's body, each punctuated with a resounding yowl. He fainted, and Rhyzo slammed his body on the ground, smashing the floor underneath.
Snowball breathed a puff of mist and Cannon growled with embers in his fangs.
"ICE BEAM!" Snowball blasted a pillar of ice at Rhyzo. The Rhydon barely noticed when he felt a painful chill down his spine, causing him to bellow. He collapsed with a mighty thud, further damaging the floor. "And that's the bonus you get for assaulting our waiter," she said in an icy tone.
Cannon jumped over the counter holding a Reviver Seed in his jaws, and brought it to Luke, who regained consciousness.
"What-what is this?" Luke said as he observed his bruised body and torn clothes, "Only scratches? Where's the blood? I was literally impaled five times!" He got up, "Aren't I supposed to have bloody punctures all over my torso?"
"Why do you wanna see blood?" Cannon replied, tilting his head, "Blood is scary! You should be happy about your bloodless body!"
"Cannon, answer his question properly," Snowball groaned, facepawing, "For your information, Luke, we Pokemon are so strong that we cannot be wounded easily," she explained as she walked toward Luke and Cannon, "To make a Pokemon bleed, you must use a very, very strong physical attack. And even that can't draw blood if the opponent is sufficiently powerful. Got your memory back?"
"Yes."
Luke glanced at the fainted Rhydon. "Now, what do I do with this guy?" he asked, his eyes in sight of the set of pointy fangs lining Rhyzo's agape mouth.
"Pick him up" bluntly said Snowball.
"Pick him up?!" Luke gawked in bafflement, widening his eyes at Rhyzo and stretching his arms out, "How in a thousand soda pops can I lift this 500-pound brute?!"
"Arrgh, you're a Fighting-type!" Snowball groaned in annoyance, baring her fangs, "Can't you realize your own strength?!"
The Lucario took a few steps toward Rhyzo, rubbed his paws, and shoved them underneath. He shut his eyes and began to raise the Rock-type's body.
He struggled at first, grimacing a bit, as he barely carried Rhyzo airborne. Soon, his force was in rhythm with the weight and he found himself lifting the Rhydon like a barbell. Shocked, he thrust his arms upward, holding Rhyzo above his head. "Whoa..." he gasped, raising his head, "How did I do this?"
"Just as you can walk out of battles bloodless, you can lift tons of weight," Snowball said, "Especially Fighting-types, who have increased physical strength. Now you-"
The Glaceon was about to finish when the saloon doors flung open. A Primeape and an Ambipom arrived inside the bakery.
"GRAAAAAHHHHH!" the Primeape hollered, jumping and flailing his strong arms, "Is this how you design a public space?! You have no sense of decency?!"
Luke, Cannon and Snowball looked around themselves. Chairs and tables were smashed to pieces, the floor was littered with craters, and one of the walls was stenciled with a Lucario-shaped indent. The threesome stared at the simian couple in embarrassment, twitching their mouths.
"Excuse us, the previous customer challenged the waiter to a battle here," Snowball explained.
"YOU NINCOMPOOPS!" snarled the Primeape, flaring his nostrils, "CAN'T YOU BATTLE OUTSIDE THE DAMN BAKERY?! YOU HAVE ZERO COMMON SENSE!"
"Calm down, Knuckle," the Ambipom said, clutching his arm with one of her four hands, "It's the customer who challenged, not the waiter, or any of the staff for that matter."
"WE CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!" the Primeape fumed, cracking his knuckles. The Ambipom made an annoyed face before entering her own fighting stance, brandishing her arms and her handed tails. Great, now you want to further destroy the bakery? she deadpanned in her mind.
"Luke, get out of here quick!" Cannon said. He turned to Knuckle and charged, "FLARE BLITZ!" The Arcanine cloaked his whole body in fire and raced toward the Primeape.
Heaving, Luke carefully made his way through the ensuing double battle. He avoided Ice Beams, Flamethrowers, Cross Chops and Double Hits like a pedestrian through traffic and headed for the saloon doors.
"Wait! Where are you going with him?" Snowball cried, "Wait till we-UWAAH!" She was interrupted by a Brick Break to the head.
With Rhyzo hoisted above his head, Luke ambled past crowds of Pokemon with heavy breaths. I think I should take this guy to the police, no matter what Snowball says, he pondered as he observed the hustle and bustle of the Square City streets, How can he get away with a cruel beating?
Luke stopped for a while, still carrying Rhyzo, as he faced a Forretress. "E-excuse me, do you know the w-way to the next police station?" he asked, flinching at the cone Pokemon's pitch-black, silver-ringed eyes.
"Go a hundred paces straight," the Forretress replied in a heavy, metallic growl which further intimidated Luke.
A hundred paces straight?! Luke gawked in his mind, "With Rhyzo above my shoulders?!"
The Lucario gave a slow nod at the Forretress and began to walk forward while internally counting his steps. He took care to avoid collisions with other Pokemon, lest not only would he be pulled into another battle, he would also lose his grip on Rhyzo. By the time his count neared 100, he approached a gray stone building shaped like a rectangle, which had a giant sign reading 'POLICE' fixed on its top. With instinct, Luke went inside the entrance as he heaved Rhyzo above his shoulders.
"GOOD AFTERNOON, MONSTER LUCARIO!" blared a trio of nasal robotic voices, "YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL FOR US?"
Disturbed by the voices, Luke fumbled, causing Rhyzo to let loose from his paws and crash like a cannonball on the floor, kicking up a cloud of dust. Hanging his tongue out and slouching, he saw a Magnezone with three police caps behind a desk. "What...are...you?" Luke uttered, trembling at the Magnet Pokemon's crimson central eye, "A-a robot?"
"YES! WE ARE OFFICER MAGNESIUM!" replied the Magnezone in an apparent treble of voices, "FOR WHAT HAVE YOU BROUGHT THIS RHYDON HERE?"
So, this guy is composed of three metallic lifeforms? Luke thought, observing each of the Magnezone's three eyes. If Pokemon could create sentient flying saucers, then how were they unable to invent computers?
"COME ON, ANSWER US!" goaded Magnesium, spinning his magnets, "WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS?"
"Uh..." Luke said, "This Rhydon challenged me to a battle without my consent," He pointed to Rhyzo, "He destroyed the bakery I was working in."
"THUNDER SHOCK!" Magnesium shot a ray of lightning at Luke.
Luke howled as his fur stood on end and a vision of his skeleton flickered. "For what did you electrify me, officer?!" he groaned in anger, singed and holding his dizzy head, "How can you attack a Pokemon without any rhyme or reason?"
"YOU LOST YOUR HEAD, GENTLEMON," explained Magnesium, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM? HE JUST ASKED FOR A SPAR. YOU APPROACH US ONLY IN CASE OF THEFT, FRAUD, MURDER AND-"
"What about the bakery?"
"HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE REPAIRMONS?"
"Repairmons? There are entire services which handle property damage?"
"OF COURSE! COME ON, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR REASONING?" Magnesium rocked in midair as the pins on his smaller heads bobbed up and down and his central red eye moved in circles.
"..." Luke was flustered and doubtful over how to respond, "Excuse me officer, how could abrupt battles be-"
"WE CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!" shouted Magnesium as his magnets crackled with static, "TO JOLT YOU BACK TO SANITY!"
Luke whimpered as he reluctantly entered a fighting stance. "Aura Sphere!" he said as he launched a fireball of aura at Magnesium.
"OUCHIES!" Magnesium grunted as he was hit by the super effective attack, shaking in the air. "ZAP CANNON!" Sparks wailed as he charged a bright ball of violet electricity larger than Luke's Aura Sphere, and shot it at his opponent.
Making the most of the Zap Cannon's slow speed, Luke crouched as an explosion was set off behind him. He remembered last night's training session.
"Bone Rush!" he said as he conjured a long bone-shaped rod of light. My move is Ground-type, he thought quickly as he sprinted toward Magnesium, He or they manipulate electricity. Lightning rods are grounded. Which means...
Luke rammed his steel hide with the bone rod. Magnesium yowled in a glitched voice as he generated a field of static around himself for protection.
Keeping himself a distance from the electric field, Luke kept poking Magnesium for super effective damage. The Magnezone let out a cry of pain and collapsed, his body clanging against the stone floor. Luke's bone rod disintegrated as he saw the cross-shaped pupils of the fainted police officer.
Okay, now it is my duty to revive him, Luke thought as he ran to the desk and opened the drawer. According to plan, he found a bunch of Reviver Seeds inside and picked one of them. He scurried to the fainted Magnesium and revived him using the seed.
"SEE?" Magnesium hollered in excitement, levitating in the air, "NOW YOU GOT YOUR SANITY BACK."
Just because I lost my mind does that mean you should challenge me to a battle? Luke internally questioned with a puzzled frown, Whatever this lifeform may be, he or they do have strange ideals. "E-excuse me, officer" he stammered, "A-are you a robot, or are you a Pokemon?"
"WHAT'S A ROBOT?" Magnesium replied, rotating his eyes, "HOW CAN YOU ASK THIS QUESTION TO A POKEMON?"
This living object's a Pokemon?! Luke was shocked, But he or they don't look like a monster to me!
Just then, Magnesium literally zapped him again.
"O-okay," Luke apologized, his fur charred, "I'll never talk nonsense again. Thank you, Officer." He bowed and he was about to exit when Magnesium stopped him. With another jolt of electricity.
"Monster Lucario, have you forgotten your fainted opponent?" said Magnesium, glancing at Rhyzo.
"Um...yes," Luke replied in shame, irritated by sparks in his fur, "I-I'm sorry...Thanks for reminding me..." He walked toward Rhyzo's body and lifted him above his head before he exited the police station.
Luke heaved, huffed and puffed as his shoulders bore the force of two hundred and twenty pounds, slowly walking away from the police station. He turned his head around in search of a secluded place; sure, Rhyzo is a scoundrel, but wouldn't his fainted body be an inconvenience to all the traveling Pokemon? After a length of time, he found an alleyway to his left - just what he was looking for, and promptly went through it. With a howl of exhaustion, he dropped Rhyzo on the ground with a thud.
There, I've done it, he thought, panting heavily, Is it enough if I just leave Rhyzo alone? Given his arrogant nature, I don't believe he should get away scot-free...Oh, wait, Snowball already made payback, didn't she? Well, I must go now. I'm completely burned out...
Leaving Rhyzo alone, Luke made a slow journey back to the bakery. His arms and legs were radiating with pain, his tongue jerked up and down like a piston, and his fur was still feeling the bitter aftertaste of electric shocks. Well, Snowball is right after all, he pondered, Battles are a way of life. It's so hard to adapt to Pokemon culture...
Luke finally reached the bakery, and once he entered, he was greeted...unusually.
Cannon and Snowball gave a sinister look at him. A look that was sinister enough to bring even the vilest to their knees.
"W-what's wrong?" Luke muttered, trembling.
"Why did you take Rhyzo's body away?" Snowball replied in a chilling voice, "You don't care about the bakery's income?"
"I-I considered taking him to the police-" Luke stammered with shrunken pupils.
"I told you to wait," Snowball said. Luke could hear the reverberation in her voice.
"You didn't allow him to pay!" growled Cannon, "Already not enough Pokemon come to our bakery and we're livin' off scraps!" he scolded.
"I-I'm sorry..." Luke apologized, his head down, "I promise I will listen more carefully in the future."
Luke took a moment to dwell on his mistake, before noticing the slick tables. He turned his attention to the bakery's premised and was surprised to find them spick and span once again. The walls were repaired, the chairs and tables were fixed, and the Primeape and the Ambipom had long since left.
"When did the monkeys leave?" asked Luke, "Did you win the battle or not?"
"Knuckle the Primeape and Grippi the Ambipom left around half an hour ago," Snowball began, "Cannon was the last mon standing, thanks to his Flare Blitz spamming strategy. Unfortunately, I was the first to faint, courtesy of Knuckle's Brick Break."
"And what happened after that?"
"I gave Reviver Seeds to everymon," said Cannon, "You could have done the same to Rhyzo if you didn't slink off!"
Luke briefly went silent as he soaked up the Arcanine's words, "I understand, Cannon," he replied softly, "Anyway, my limbs are sore from all the hauling. May I rest at home for a while?"
"Okay," Cannon said as he nodded.
The light of the oil lamps flickered inside the bedroom as Luke was engrossed in a book of folktales, relaxing in Cannon's bed as usual, fresh from a wash and a humble helping of bread. Amongst a new lifetime of uncertainty, Snowball's history and mythology books were an invaluable hideout of escapism for him. Not only were they entertaining, they also acted as sources of Pokemon culture and society.
There once lived a powerful Ninetales by the name of Amaterasu, Luke read the book.
Each of her nine tails was imbued with tremendous psychic power. It was believed that anyone so foolish as to touch a tail would be cursed for a thousand years.
"Whoa, what power!" Luke exclaimed to himself, looking at an illustration of Amaterasu, "I wonder how terrifying such a Pokemon could be. How would Amaterasu cope with accidental touches? Or nurses? Or fur barbers? A thousand year curse is stretching it a bit much..." He continued to read.
But there was someone so foolish as to grab a tail. And it was a human, Garth.
Luke gasped at the mention of his original species. "Humans existed in this world?" he muttered, "If so, then where are they now? Have they gone extinct? Maybe Garth came from my universe?"
As one might expect, Garth was subjected to a thousand-year curse. However, just when the curse was cast, his Gardevoir, Evangeline, shielded Garth, and sacrificed herself to absorb the curse, doing her duty as a Gardevoir.
Luke flinched at the harrowing illustration depicting the event, "Aww, that's sad!" he commented, "If all Gardevoir swear to protect humans, then what are they doing in this human-less world?"
Amaterasu took pity on Evangeline, watching her body dissolve to cinders. "Do you wish to save Gardevoir?" she asked...
But Garth had already abandoned Evangeline and fled.
Luke was shocked. Amidst all the sagas of humans saving the world with their Pokemon allies, this one is about a lowlife who left his partner to die? After all, humans occupy every level of the morality scale.
Amaterasu became disillusioned with Garth. And she learned from her clairvoyance...
One day, Garth will be reborn as a Pokemon.
And when Garth becomes a Pokemon...
"YOOHOO!" Cannon barged inside the bedroom. Startled, Luke's feelers jumped and he dropped the book.
"Cannon, can you please be less enthusiastic when you come to the bedroom to call me?" Luke whined, "I was in the middle of reading an interesting story when you interrupted me in an unceremonious fashion!"
"Oh. Sorry," Cannon whimpered, "Anyway, lunch is ready. Come to the bakery!" He shut the door with his jaws.
Luke got up, kept the book in the shelf and followed Cannon, regretting his inability to finish reading the Legend of Amaterasu.
The bakery was closed for the moment to accommodate the Hotshots' lunchtime. At one of the tables, the Luke and Snowball seated themselves as Cannon served two plates of meat.
"Luke, why are you uneasy?" Snowball asked with concern, raising her head from her dish.
"W-what is this meat made of?" Luke stammered, staring at his plate.
"That's from a boar I caught and froze the night before you came to our bakery," Snowball answered.
BOAR MEAT?! Luke gasped in his mind, "Seriously, y-you catch boars? Animals or b-boar Poke-" he said, panicked.
"Animals," said Snowball, "In fact, thousands of animals inhabit the wilderness around Square City. We leave most areas of the Air Continent untouched to let them live without any disruption. We hunt them only for food; only carnivorous Pokemon like us do. Most others are herbivorous, and some don't even need food at all."
Luke felt relieved. Slightly relieved. He struggled to look at his plate. Without any cutlery, the prospect of nutrition became even harder as his conscience was locked in a tussle between hunger and humanity. He shut his eyes, slowly brought the meat to his snout, and took a tiny bite. He chewed each bite only sporadically and swallowed it with caution. A taste reminiscent of venison spread through his mouth. Tears welled in his eyes as he fought through his meal.
The plate was now empty, and Luke prayed for his stomach to not reflux his lunch. He took an enormous gulp of water from a wooden bottle and shook his head.
"Luke, we have something to say," Snowball told, "About your battling skills."
Luke sighed at the mention of the B-word. "Okay, what?" he replied with apathy.
"You remember how badly Rhyzo beat you earlier?" Cannon began, "You could have won that fight! You had type and speed advantages over him!"
"You were able to score a few hits, particularly a critical hit to the head," continued Snowball, "But your execution was very basic. You took too long to charge your first Aura Sphere, allowing Rhyzo to hit you, you struggled to use Extreme Speed every time, and you had difficulty overcoming status effects like paralysis."
"So?" Luke barely paid attention.
"You can't stay incompetent like that. That way, not only will your fitness decrease, you will be looked down upon by other Pokemon."
What! They equate battle prowess to social status? Luke groaned in his mind.
"Hence, I recommend that you pay a visit to a nearby gym. There, you will meet Pokemon who will fine-tune your skills. That way, you can win more battles and everymon will tolerate you more. Remember, you are a Fighting type!"
"Excuse me, Snowball," Luke tried to weave an excuse, "When I was at the police station, the officer challenged me to a battle, and I won!"
"Wow. You defeated Magnesium the Magnezone? How, with Bone Rush?"
"Exactly."
"Still, you need training to overcome more opponents. You were lucky in that fight because you had a Ground-type move on paw."
Augh, even a win didn't work! Luke facepawed, running his paws through his fur. He thought about more ways to escape, "Um, I'm feeling sleepy after eating a large meal," he mumbled, "I'm not in the state to train-"
Just then, Cannon came behind him and snapped his jaws on his tail, causing Luke to yowl. The Lucario kicked and howled as he was dragged from his chair and out of the bakery, "Cannon, where are you taking-" he whined, only to find himself outside the bakery. The Arcanine had disappeared in a flash.
Just my luck, Luke got up and clenched his fists in frustration, At least I'll heed their words. If I don't want to get pulverized over and over by monsters twice my size, I must hit the gym. I could learn some helpful new techniques there...
Luke turned away from the bakery and set off as the afternoon sunshine gleamed in his spikes.
Author's Notes :
To quote a certain Monado wielder : "I'm really feeling it!"
This fanfic's slowly taking shape, and I'm beginning to get in the groove. Without further ado, here are some footnotes pertaining to certain points in the chapter :
- Sorry purists, but the idea of Pokemon living alongside regular animals was my own choice. I find it perplexing to imagine wild and sentient Pokemon existing alongside each other. Just what would carnivorous mons eat? What would pollinate flowers? To avoid confusion, I believed that Pokemon only use animals as a food source and nothing else (unlike us humans). Otherwise, this fic would have been bumped to an MA rating...Don't worry, this won't have a major impact on the plot.
- I changed the currency name from 'Poke' to 'poken' (a portmanteau of Pokemon and yen). Sounds like a more authentic name for a currency, right?
Okay, as expected, the next chapter will focus on training at the gym! Sort of mirrors the strive for fighters to push their limits, right?
Feel free to post concrits and suggestions if you'd like!
Cheers
TurboBolt99