I was going to wait until next week to post this, but then I remembered how busy I'm going to be. I'm pretty sure I've edited it to death anyways. Have a Blessed Samhain!
On today's episode: Filler! And World Building! And absolutely no explanations! Yet! XD
Also! Some people have rightly pointed out that my use of French periodically is very confusing. That's the point. But it's a romance language! Try reading it out loud and connecting the main words, and you can sometimes get an idea of what's being said. :D The rest of it you get to muddle through from context just like the MC. XD
Chapter 12: On Hold
"Nos sincères excuses. Le numéro que vous essayez de composer est déconnecté."
Ugh, even with my Kalais still being terrible, I knew what that meant. I grumpily jabbed the 'end call' button on my screen. For eight days I'd been trying to get ahold of my mother. Eight days. Before it had simply gone straight to voice mail. Now it seems the number was disconnected completely. Texts had gone similarly unanswered. I didn't bother sending another. I knew it wouldn't go through. And I'd only had marginally better luck contacting my father.
"I'm sorry sweetie, I really am," The man had rushed in our one brief phone call back on Thursday morning, when I should have been challenging the Santalune Gym. "I can't talk about it right now, but I will be there just as soon as I can. Stay with the Lieutenant until I get there."
He'd sounded so imperious over the phone, I could only nod, despite him not being able to see me. Lt. Moreau had heard though, and given me a comforting smile with two thumbs up. I'd only pestered him a little bit, knowing full well that if my own father wasn't talking the lieutenant sure wouldn't. I'd been staying with him at his flat in Lumiose City ever since; Louis and Tierno had been dropped back off at the Trainer's School with barely a word. I'd gotten a few text messages from my friends asking me if I was okay, but with the exception of Louis, even those had stopped after Friday. I groaned as I looked back at my phone again.
'Any news yet?' a new text from Louis asked. I sent a single thumbs-down emoji back before sighing and switching back to the app Callbook.
Ah, Callbook. It was essentially Facebook for Pokea, but had actually been started by the same branch of the International Pokémon League that ran Pokégear and League telephones. Boring minutia of differences for what, to me, looked to be the same program. The only unique feature I'd been able to determine aside from the name was the color scheme, which was dark red instead of blue with little pokeball designs everywhere. Louis had sent me the link in a text and I'd set up my account immediately. I'd sent friend requests to pretty much everyone I had a name for, including Lt. Moreau, but only he, my dad, and Louis had responded so far. My requests to my mother and new friends from Vaniville sat untouched. I was fairly certain I was being ghosted but with no changes on the Game's Relationships page there wasn't much I could do. Something cold pressed inside my chest, and I wondered why I even bothered.
XYXYXY
With me and most of my pokémon being stuck at level 15 for the forseeable future, I didn't really see a point in going through another run through the Infested Forest. Even if I had used it to practice my new magickal skills and get both Faith and Cure up to level 5. But I didn't have any offensive magic yet, and I desperately needed to work out some frustration. Since Lt. Moreau had warned me that with a suspended license training in public was extremely risky, going out in the parks around Lumiose wasn't feasible. With no better options, I called up Instant Dungeon Creation.
After the typical pixilation from ID Create stabilized, I found myself standing in a large gymnasium. The room was done in an old-fashioned blue and grey color scheme and was about the size of a basketball court. There was a line of machines; a punching bag, a treadmill, a weight bench, and more; lined up along one wall and glowing a dull, foreboding red.
Welcome to Super Training! In this Instant Dungeon you can train your Pokémon and yourself anytime, no matter where you are!
I rolled my eyes at the blue text screen. Sometimes I swear the Game was doing its best to be just as corny as the Nintendo games. Unfortunately, I couldn't dismiss the windows and had to go through a whole script about EVs and balloon bots. But as the gym equipment has suggested, I wasn't going to get an easy shooter mini-game here.
To toughen up, you and your pokémon will need to dodge or block attacks launched by the balloon bots while throwing or kicking your own attacks at the targets set up on the field.
You can also use Core Training, where you hit a punching bag or use various training machines to get stronger. Results of training will vary by the training equipment you use. Gotta try 'em all!
Let's do some special training to bring out the best in yourself and your pokémon!
Would you like to begin? [Y/N]
A grimace stretched across my face. I hadn't realized until just that moment how much I'd been looking forward to the shooting game. It had gone mostly unused when I'd played Pokémon X on the handheld, as I'd never really cared for EV training and found the mini-game both tedious and monotonous. Super Training had been an unwelcome diversion from the story and regular gameplay. But now…
I was NOT the kind of girl who spent her free time obsessed with exercise. A nice hike I liked, and I could traipse up and down mountains all day. I enjoyed archery - note to self: I need to see if bows were available weapons - and horseback riding. I hated snakes and jellyfish, but give me a clear body of water and I could swim all day. But jogging… weightlifting… cardio…
Slumping, I heaved a dramatic sigh to myself. I needed the attribute points and I knew it. And I wanted to see what was going on in here for myself before I subjected my pokémon to any of it. Resigned, I pressed yes on the screen.
It's time to experience Super Training! Get your feet wet and learn the ins and outs of a Super Training regimen by hitting the goal that appears on the balloon bot!
[Quest Alert]
Super Training Part 1: Practice against Scatterbug!
Survive against the balloon bot's "String attack" and hit the target on scatterbug enough times to deflate the balloon.
Completion: +1 DEF, ST bag, access to the FightMaster machine
Failure: n/a
Accept? [Y/N]
Wincing, I pressed yes again. The gym equipment faded away and a grey scatterbug balloon almost three meters tall inflated out of the floor on the far side of the gym. Tiles in the ceiling opened up, and I took wide backward steps to avoid a downpour of footballs. As I tried to track the black and white balls bouncing all over the floor, a sudden surge of water, spat from the balloon bot's 'mouth', struck me in the chest. It felt like someone had blasted me with a firehose.
I fell back several more steps as I wailed at the sudden drenching. It was cold! And just barely thicker than water in a way that felt slimy while also stinking like the bugs in the infested forest. I was desperately trying to shake it off and not gag when I saw another blast headed straight for me. I didn't dodge fast enough, and it clipped me in the shoulder twisting me further off balance. Stumbling, I managed to avoid falling on my face and pulled into a lunge stance just in time for the next attack. Tucking my head behind crossed wrists I could see the liquid already beginning to dry in gooey strings.
Shuddering at the putrid sensation, I forced myself to move, protecting my face with my arms as I tried to get closer to the scatterbug balloon. They were quickly covered in drying ooze, however, and I switched to picking up one of the footballs that had dropped and using it as a makeshift shield. My hands still got splattered with the vile liquid but it spared my arms from further bruising. And as disgusting as the feeling of the drying glue was, it did help me keep hold of the ball long enough to get within shooting distance of the bot. Slipping and sticking to the floor make kicking the balls next to impossible, and I fell over myself at least a dozen times before I could get a ball tossed properly at the bot.
And of course I missed the target hovering in front of its head by almost a foot. Nearly screeching in frustration, I lobbed the ball I was using as a shield at the scatterbug instead. It hit the target, but the bot kept firing shot after shot at me. So I scrambled for the next ball, used it to block another blast of slime, and lobbed it too. I got blasted in the face for that one, and fell to the floor. I blocked another blast with my hands as I unstuck myself. Another ball allowed me to block again before I threw it. And again. And again.
Finally, after ten shots, the balloon bot finally buzzed and deflated with a horrible wheeze. And I stood there, cold and sopping wet and dripping slime and sticky strings clumping in my hair when the Game decided to it was finally time to give me another window.
[Quest Update!]
Super Training Part 1: Complete! +1 DEF, +1 S DEF bag, access to the FightMaster machine
Congratulations! Due to a special action, you have unlocked a new perk!
[Buckle Down] Sometimes you just have to take it. +50 HP, unlocks [Shields] in [Equip]
[Quest Update!]
Super Training Part 2:
Completion: +1 STR, ST bag, access to the weight bench
Failure: n/a
Accept? [Y/N]
I made a point to stand there for several minutes and forced myself to breath. In, two three four, hold two three four, and out two three four. In, two three four, hold two three four, and out two three four. In, two three four, hold two three four, and out two three four.
And then I punched the No so hard I could imagine the mockingly bright screen cracking like glass under my fist. It didn't actually, but I could still enjoy the visualization. And if there was a tiny sob in my voice as I dismissed the dungeon, well, no one was around to hear it but me.
Thank the gods the slime in my hair dissolved with the dungeon.
XYXYXY
Thoroughly disgusted by my time in Super Training, I took an extremely long and hot shower to wash away the memory of the balloon bot's 'string attack'. I'd be going back, I knew I would. I needed the stats. But if the rest of the Super Training sections were as bad as the Scatterbug one, I would be doing the bare minimum required to unlock the gym equipment and that's it. And I was going to avoid it like the plague for a while in favor of a giant bag of potato chips and an online video binge. Callbook was such a glorious distraction.
I'd gone from lurking around Harley fanclubs to scrolling through various community pages from Kalos. Most of it was in Kalais, and my translation skills were simply not up to par for most of it, but I was able to glean some important information regarding the general state of affairs in Kalos. Louis' odd comment about buses echoed wider concerns about public transport in Kalos; buses were getting slowed down and a rail expansion to better connect smaller towns seemed to be facing almost infinite delays. There was an ecological group warning that the unchecked growth of the tourism industry along the coast was upsetting the local ocean pokémon. I already hated ghost pokémon and jellyfish separately, so the video they'd posted of rampaging frillish chasing a boat was absolutely horrifying.
But the most distressing posts were from the people who were, rightfully, pointing out the dangerous potential of Team Flare, that were being dismissed as alarmists and news regarding Aquacorde and Santalune Forest were being downplayed by many reporters. I actually ended up joining Louis in one thread to offer my own experiences. The death of Louis' friend Rinka had been largely ignored by cable news but had caused a stir of frenzy online. Additionally, no one had been happy to hear that trevenant had been pushed all the way to the western path, as it was most often used by civilians and new trainers. Even over a week later, the only safe way to get to Aquacorde was to catch a ferry from Santalune. At least now people knew why.
Sighing, I flicked through more group pages on my phone. The Association Nationale Des Fleuristes had some gorgeous arrangements that I liked, and someone in a geology club had found a carbink that had grafted with rose quartz instead of the normal calcites, the lucky sod. From there I switched over to the page for the Union des Étudiants du Kalos and stopped mid scroll. I had no idea what the main post was about, I didn't even register what he'd written himself, but there, with a cocky headshot of him in dark sunglasses, was an icon for Oscar Duval.
Remembering his sidequest I quickly pulled up his profile and proceeded with the most obnoxious online stalk-fest I'd indulged in for ages. There were way too many photos of him working out or working on fancy looking cars; it wasn't helping me control my stupid crush at all. He was 19. His eyes were cornflower blue. He liked horror movies. He had a part time job at a café. He was a medical student here in Lumiose City. Nothing, unless the unnamed café was the one used as headquarters in the game, even hinted at Team Flare. In fact, aside from his major, he came across as more the typical shallow frat boy I'd avoided like hell in college. Still, I sent him a friend request, second guessed the whole quest and rescinded, before kicking myself for being a coward and sending it a second time. I shut Callbook before I could change my mind again.
[Quest Update!]
Alluring Enigma! Part 1: Complete! +500 EXP, +€500, +500 [REL] with Oscar Duval
Hidden Objective 1/3: send him a friend request on Callbook, +500 EXP, €500, +500 [REL] with Oscar Duval
You are now Friendly with Oscar Duval.
Hidden Objective 2/3: Find the information out within 1 month, +500 EXP, +€500
Hidden Objective 3/3: NA
LEVEL CAP REACHED. ALL EXP WILL BE DEFERRED UNTIL LEVEL CAP IS LIFTED. ALL MONEY AND ITEMS REWARDED AS NORMAL.
Alluring Enigma! Part 2: Raise your [REL] with Oscar Duval to Well Liked within 6 months.
Completion: +1000 EXP, +€5000, +500 [REL] with Oscar Duval
Failure: +100 EXP
Accept? [Y]/[N]
I twitched, annoyed at the reminder of the level cap I was currently stuck at. There was literally nothing I could do with my license suspended. I was barred from both gym battles and contests, the only two ways to break the level cap, and no answers in sight. I'd trolled through the bug dungeon a few times while Lt. Moreau was out to level up my azurill and the litleo I still had. I'd gotten quite friendly with the little blue mouse, though he was still chewing a bit too much for my liking. The litleo, however I was reluctant to get attached to. As much I loved cats, and it was so so very tempting to try and pet her, I still didn't need a third fire type. I was hoping to trade her for an electric type to balance my team. If I got really lucky, maybe I could get a shinx. Or a yamper. They were both so cute!
Fortunately, I'd given the two psyduck to Louis for him to pick from before the trading ban hit, so I didn't have to worry about trying to train up two more pokémon I didn't really want.
He'd eventually picked one of the psyduck I'd caught as it had the best attitude towards battles, and I'd taken his suggestion to donate the remaining ones to his mother. One of Mdm. Pierre's classes would be graduating as trainers in June and they apparently had problems getting enough starters for the students every year. Louis promised that the school offered some compensation for pokémon donated, €2000 apiece, but I couldn't get it until my accounts, that I hadn't known about, were active again. It had also earned me another +200 [REL] with Kalos to donate them, and it wasn't like I needed the cash while crashing in Lt. Moreau's cushy apartment in the capital.
Still, it wasn't polite to be too much of a freeloader. Staying with the older man had been a surprisingly comfortable affair, Lt. Moreau had been a fantastic host, very considerate. I should probably do something nice for the guy as a thank you. Fortunately, there was an Intermarche not too far from the apartment that I needed to visit anyways. I borrowed a hoodie from Lt. Moreau's closet on the way out; while he'd promised I wasn't in trouble, I didn't feel like tempting fate after what I'd already been through. My mother was supposed to be famous so there was a good chance I might be recognized. Avoiding that was probably for the best.
I ordered "Save Game," as a precaution before leaving.
I was so glad that feature was finally functioning.
XYXYXY
"Bienvenue au L'Échange Commercial. Que puis-je faire pour vous?"
I stared at the static image of a non-descript man in brown. Brown hair, brown eyes, brown apron; the clerk at the counter looked like a stereotypical background character. He stood, with a frozen smile, and I turned my attention to the blue box hanging in the air between us. The store beyond me had gone grey and silent.
Acheter
Vendre
Quitter
I thought for a moment and pressed 'vendre'. My inventory screen automatically opened with another blue box floating on top.
Qu'est ce qui est à vendre?
I scrolled through, highlighting almost all of my loot and forage items, keeping only a bit of mint and a heal powder I'd managed to find in my last dungeon crawl.
Votre selection est:
Antenne (6) €900
Champignon- petite (8) €4000
Chitine (11) €1100
Corne d'insecte (2) €700
Herbe du plaintain (4) €800
Menthe sauvage (5) €2500
Rampes sauvage (3) €1500
Soie d'araignée (9) €2700
Venin d'insecte (1) €450
Votre total est: €14650
Est-ce exact? [Y]/[N]
It took me several minutes of frustration to double check my list. The items appeared in Common in my inventory, but in Kalais in the window for the Exchange. I finally matched everything up and pressed yes only to be greeted with another block of foreign text. I slowly took a deep, deep breath.
"Is there any way to switch this to Common?" I whined to the motionless clerk. Another box opened as an answer.
Merci pour votre entreprise. Souhaitez-vous sélectionner une langue?
Kalais
Common Pokean
Kanjogais
Sud-Wapilique
Alolois
Unovand
I tapped through all the options on the list, just to sate my curiosity. Kanjougais showed a mix of kana and kanji that I was familiar with through Japanese. Alolois, which had to be from Alola, looked like Korean Hangeul, but I hadn't known more than a few words of the language so none of what I could read phonetically made any sense. Unovand looked like German, and I dismissed it immediately. I'd never studied the language and didn't have time for it now. Having never even heard of it, though, I stopped and scrolled through Sud-Wapilique for several minutes. It was a beautiful alphabet, completely unlike anything I'd seen before, with tall slim letters accented with delicate loops. After several minutes admiring the enchanting script, I finally chose Common Pokean so I could move forward.
Thank you for choosing the Commercial Exchange, the number one market for locally sourced goods and produce. We have several methods of payment available:
Account transfer: We transfer the full amount to your bank account. You will need to enter your account information.
Cash: We charge a 5% fee for cash transactions. Limit €50000 per day.
Trade in: You can apply your total to purchase items from the Commercial Exchange. We offer a 20% discount on Commercial Exchange items purchased during trade-in transactions.
Intermarche Gift Card: We offer a 10% bonus to all gift cards for Intermarche stores purchased during trade-in transactions.
I read through the options carefully. An account transfer was out; I couldn't access any bank account I had even if I did have the transfer information. I wasn't too pleased to see a fee for cash options, either, nor was there anything in the display case that I really wanted. There were some herbal pills, random clothes, and a pocket knife, but none were very useful to me. I chose the gift card, as I needed to go shopping anyways.
Thank you! Your total is €16115. Have a good day.
A gift card appeared in the box below the text. Gingerly peeling it from the blue game window, I turned away from the Commercial Exchange after giving the now animate clerk an awkward goodbye. It was odd, standing there seeing him suddenly alive and interacting with the customers in line behind me. No one had seemed to notice a thing about my Gamer abilities.
Frowning to myself, I grabbed a cart and headed into Intermarche properly. A good pair of earphones and a small solar charger from the stationary aisle were the first things in my cart. I found a small folding grill for campfires and tiny mess kit in the cookware section that I decided to save for later. They would be essential for camping, but first I needed to get my license reinstated. And figure out the funds for a tent and sleeping bag. And more durable clothes. And rope. I sighed at how complicated everything was becoming and moved onto toiletries. I bought a toothbrush to replace the one Lt. Moreau had gifted me as a guest, as well as my own toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner. A small washcloth and hand towel set also went into the cart, as they were eternally useful. I bought another big bag of Pandepature and some of the meat treats I'd seen Louis use before moving on to the human grocery section.
Lt. Moreau was a typical single guy in his 30s, and in the week I'd been staying with him we'd pretty much lived on takeout. Not that I was complaining about free food. And the poor man worked all hours, so I knew he didn't have time to cook. But this meant his kitchenette wasn't well stocked either. I'd poked around during the week to find some cereal, a few canned soups, and a half empty box of instant mashed potatoes hiding in the cupboards. And there was exactly one soup pot and one frying pan. I wasn't going to be making any culinary masterpieces any time soon. But as I picked through spices and debated all the gourmet vegetables on offer, I made sure to leave in my budget for a good size piece of tauros chuck. Everyone loved a good beef roast.
XYXYXY
Congratulations! Due to a special action, a new skill has been created! You can now use [Cooking]! Level 1- 46% to next level. All food items have been transferred to the [Cooking] section of your [Bag].
You have gained +500 [REL] with Lt. Jean Moreau. You are now Well Liked with Lt. Moreau.
You have gained +500 [REL] with Det. Ella Caron. You are now Friendly with Det. Caron.
You have gained +500 [REL] with Det. Dennis Berger. You are now Friendly with Det. Berger.
I rolled my eyes at the three rangers crowded at Lt. Moreau's tiny kitchen table. I hadn't expected the Lieutenant to bring coworkers home, especially not Det. Berger, who'd been completely unpleasant the first time I'd met him. But they'd arrived with a third ranger, a stocky pale blonde woman, around 5 with dark expressions, several armfuls of paperwork, and a bottle that I highly suspected wasn't wine. They'd looked at the roast, sautéed vegetables, and mashed potatoes like alien invaders for several long moments before dropping their files on the counter with a sudden cheer. Lt. Moreau had even ruffled my hair playfully as I handed him a plate.
"Just so you know," I interrupted their fast-paced conversation in Kalais with a shake of a wooden spoon, "She who cooks does not do dishes."
The three adults blinked, before breaking into grins and laughter. Det. Berger clucked something to Lt. Moreau in Kalais, before getting up.
"That's fair," he chuckled to me, getting more vegetables and another slice of beef. He even raised his plate to me before sitting back down. I raised an eyebrow. A smile made him look like a completely different person than the jerk who'd try to grill me at dawn in Aquacorde.
"You've done more than enough," Lt. Moreau agreed over his wine glass. "This was delicious, merci."
Berger and Caron mumbled their thanks around forkfuls of food as well. I gave all three an exasperated smile but felt myself go cold as I noticed my name on a file they had at the table.
"Is that about my case?" I asked, getting sheepish expressions in response. My face fell when Lt. Moreau quickly flipped it shut. "It's just that it's been over a week and I still don't know anything and-"
"I know," Lt. Moreau cut in gently. "I know. But Gryphonne, ma cherie, this is bigger than just you, oui? Your papa will be here soon. He can tell you."
"How soon is soon?" I wobbled, as frustration pushed heat into my eyes. "I need to know!"
Lt. Moreau stood and pulled me into a one-armed hug. I buried my head in his shoulder, ignoring the mutinous sniffles that escaped my nose. I was really starting to hate being 14 again. Even with Gamer's Mind, I was an emotional wreck.
"How soon is soon?" I tried again, blinking away the threat of tears.
"Maybe tomorrow," he sighed. "Or the day after that. Alola is far, and there's a lot to be done before he gets here."
"But why?" I tried desperately not to whine, but I could still hear it.
"I cannot tell you, ma cherie," the Lieutenant repeated softly, squeezing my shoulder. "Please, your father should be the one."
"Because that doesn't sound ominous at all," I muttered but I tried to give him a watery smile anyway. "Tomorrow? Really?"
"I will call him for you myself if he will not make it," Lt. Moreau promised.
"I'm gonna hold you to that," I pouted in surrender.
I sagged against the counter, wiping my face. I'd managed to distract myself over the week with the internet and reading, but the situation was just getting to be too much. I ignored Berger and Caron's sympathetic looks as Lt. Moreau pretty much shuffled me off to the guest room. I could hear their conversation strike back up after the door closed, with chairs scraping the floor and papers ruffling sporadically.
'Arceus, Mew, Xerneas,' I prayed silently as I popped open the container with my earphones, 'whoever's listening. You dragged me into this mess. So if you want me to do whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing in this stupid Game, you'd better fix this.'
I flicked through my music playlist, and blared Icon for Hire as loud as my phone would go.
XYXYXY
I lounged in bed until nearly noon the next day, annoying all of my pokémon except Zen. She'd snuggled under my arms and mewled piteously whenever Loxley tried to bat me awake. She was an excellent co-conspirator for late morning lay-ins, and likely the only reason I was able to sleep in as long as I did. Loxley was still absolutely smitten with her, and it was hilarious watching him tumble between getting her affection and getting mine. Lounging resolutely over the pillows, I plugged in my headphones again. I let the newest album I had from In This Moment wash over me as I fought the internet for a full world map instead of just ones of individual regions. Either it wasn't being very cooperative, or the Game was actively sabotaging my web searches.
I spent several hours scrolling first through regional maps, then nearby routes in Kalos, to bus routes around Lumiose city. It was here that I found some very enlightening information. I chuckled to myself at the pun while zooming in and out on a city map. Like in Santalune, both the Common and the Kalais names were used for the city. Also like Santalune, the Kalais name of Illumis was used for the central section of the city, which hosted the Tour D'Illumis and the Rue Méridional and the fancy shopping districts seen in the game. The wider metropolitan area was what the people of Kalos called Lumiose, and it emanated from the central Illumis in a pattern similar to flower petals. Walled sections grew out in rings around the city, making it the third largest urban area on the planet. Only Saffron City in Kanto and Castelia City in Unova were bigger. Bus and subway routes ran throughout the city and beyond, giving it the world's best public transit system.
And public transportation was definitely the primary method of travel for most people, as a quick web search showed that cars were insanely expensive and the freeways I was used to from Earth simply didn't seem to exist. If you weren't on a bus or train, walking or riding a pokémon mount were the most common ways to get around. Outside major urban areas, paved roads really only existed directly between major cities and were limited to simple two-lane roads, often running alongside rail tracks, that mostly carried busses or freight trucks. Smaller cities and large towns might be lucky enough for a firmly packed gravel road leading in, but most places seemed to subsist on dirt paths I considered to be more hiking trail than actual road. It certainly explained why most larger settlements were either coastal or on a river.
From all the advertised protections on cruise websites, travelling by water also seemed dependent on sticking close to shore in order to avoid the more dangerous pokémon of the deep oceans. Despite the dangers, it was still much easier than trying to traverse large distances over the wild landscape. Shipping seemed to be the biggest industry, not just in Kalos but all over Pokea. Travelling over land simply wasn't a good option outside of strongly settled regions; the continental interiors were so vast it was impossible.
I'd goggled over the world map I'd finally dug up, zooming out on a satellite map provided by one of the websites showing routes of bus tours in Johto. The world of Pokea was made up of five massive continents, thick ice shelves on both poles, and plethora of islands chains. Kalos stood at the north-western coast of the largest landmass, known as Prima and roughly the same size and latitude as Eurasia, with the Kanto and Johto regions at the opposite, south-eastern coast, northern enough that only the southernmost islands there reached into the subtropical zones. Sinnoh was above them, stretching north into alpine and tundra, and Unova to the west about midway down along lower edge of the continent but far enough on the southern side of the equator to be temperate as well. The vast stretches of land between these well-known coastal regions were almost pure untamed wilderness.
What little knowledge there was of the topography came primarily from satellite imaging. All over the globe, civilization clung to the coasts. Towns inched up rivers, and farms and mining enclaves braved a bit further, but nothing, absolutely nothing was settled more than eight hundred kilometers away from any shoreline. The continental interiors were considered death zones. The pokémon there were too wild, too powerful, and too dangerous for humans to survive alongside.
Besides Prima, another continent, Wapili, was about half the size, and jutted up just west of Unova, connected by a series of large islands. It ran south, not unlike Africa,, but more evenly shaped, and also created a distinct body of water called the Pharosseen Ocean between the southern coast of Prima and the northern coast of Wapili, that was analogous to the Mediterranean Sea. The Pharosseen was more open to the wider oceans at either end though and that, in addition to being an equatorial sea, made it prone to savage tropical storms. There were few human settlements there, with only the small Fiore region large enough to classify itself as a legitimate nation. Most people lived on the western edge of Wapili, in only a few scattered colonies, small kingdoms, and mining outposts along the shore. The continent had a high mountain range running up the middle like a spine that split the topography like a knife. The western portion of the continent was drier, mostly deserts and savannahs, a rain shadow to the eastern half that was dominated by dense jungles that also ran through the equatorial parts of Prima.
On the opposite side of the world, between the Western and Eastern Oceans, sat two continents that correlated to the Americas. These continents remained unnamed, though Orre sat at the western end of the northern one. The arid land was vastly uninhabited beyond the titular region, with the rest of humanity massed on a few of the tropical islands between Orre and the southern continent. The northern continent was mostly desert, bleeding into dry grasslands. Like Wapili, a shard spike of mountains kept everything to the west incredibly dry. Only a thing strip on the very eastern edge of the continent was forested and it was devoid of any human outposts. The southern continent didn't have a mountain range to cause drastic climate differences, and the whole place looked like a tropical, swampy mess. Both landmasses were connected, again not with an isthmus, but with a vast chain of islands. Tracing the near circular edge of the coastlines, I realized in horror that the islands were likely the remnants of a massive volcanic explosion in the ancient past. I tried really really hard to not think about that, or the large island directly in the center, and quickly moved to the next portion of the map.
Like the Hawaiian islands it was fashioned after, the island nation of Alola stood alone in the Eastern Sea, halfway between Kanto and the northern unnamed continent. Galar was in the northern stretches of the Western Ocean, not even a hundred kilometers west of Kalos; the map was inverted from what I remembered from the games, with Wyndon to the south and the tundra connected to the northern edges of Prima through the polar ice sheet. It was much bigger than the British Isles it had been fashioned after, more like Greenland in size and location.
And several hundred kilometers east of Wapili, and south of Prima, in what was named the South Ocean sat Hoenn. It wasn't quite as big as Australia, and much more centrally located in comparison to the other continents. A few smaller regions I recognized from the Pokémon Ranger games ran up along the southern coast of Prima, between Unova and Johto, and few small islands were named here and there.
But the vast and overwhelming fact was clear: Pokea was a world of pokémon. Humans were clinging to the edges, with barely enough land considered safe to survive.
It was hardly a wonder the League had so much political power.
XYXYXY
I finally got up, puttering around doing minor chores for about an hour. Pokémon needed to be fed, my limited wardrobe needed to be washed, and Lt Moreau's apartment constantly needed to be picked up. Between my pokémon, his pokémon, and the general untidiness of a single guy in his 30s, it was in constant state of minor disaster. This did not, however, include the sink. I snickered at the shining metal basin; they'd definitely done the dishes last night. The whole kitchenette gleamed, sparkling dishes stacked neatly in the drying rack. I was putting the last of the plates away when my phone blared through the open living space.
"Gryphonne!" Lt. Moreau's cheerful voice crackled over the line. "You are still at my flat, non?"
"Can't really go anywhere else. Did you get ahold of my dad?" I asked hopefully.
"Oui!" he laughed. "Be outside in 10 minutes, s'il vous plait. We're going to récupérer à l'aéroport."
"He's here?" I cheered. I grinned as Lt. Moreau confirmed it with a chuckle; my chest felt lighter than it had all week. It was a mix of relief, as my stay in bureaucratic limbo would soon be over, but also something deeper. I had been hit with real sadness over the week when I could couldn't get ahold of either of my parents. Now, with Patrick Higashi being so close I felt like jumping for joy. Waves of deeper emotion fueled me as I pulled all my pokémon back into their balls and slung my bag over my shoulder before dashing out of the apartment and down the stairs.
I still didn't have any memories of Gryffin Gabena before I became her, but something inside me was starting to feel much more at home in this new life and less like an imposter in my own body. It was similar to lucid dreaming, when you're aware on one level but most of your conscious thoughts were just out of reach, but it also didn't feel like a concern because you knew they'd still be there when you woke up. And something about my father made me absolutely certain they would be good ones. I smiled as I waved at Lt. Moreau's jeep, slipping into the passenger seat when he stopped. He reached over to ruffle my hair again and pulled back onto the main boulevard.
XYXYXY
My emotions flared, and before I could even think I flung myself forward without any restraint whatsoever.
"Daddy! Dad! Dad!" I chanted as I latched myself to Patrick Higashi just as he stepped out of the gate.
"Oh, sweetie!" He mumbled into my hair, pulling me close. I melted into the hug. It stirred a myriad of emotions, wrapping me in warmth beyond the physical embrace.
Gamer's Mind activated sooner than I liked, leeching away the pleasant sensation of familial devotion. Stubbornly, I clung harder to my father, sneaking a peek at the man I'd barely taken the time to identify before attaching myself like a limpet. Short hair just a shade darker than mine brushed his temples in an attempt to curl. It framed finely arched brows and pale blue eyes. His face was just a bit broader than mine, but had the same general shape with a long, straight nose and elegant cheekbones I really hoped I would develop. And for all he felt familiar, I still drank in the sight of him, committing his face to memory.
I didn't feel physical attraction, because even without my new life's memories Patrick Higashi fell firmly in the DAD category. But it was obvious he was incredibly handsome. The man practically belonged on a magazine cover. Enough people were certainly stopping to stare. The neatly pressed hickory colored suit and and fashionable khaki trench coat only made him look better.
I raised an eyebrow at one tongue-tied individual in particular. Lt. Moreau caught my pointed look with a wide-eyed one of his own. I snickered as he shook himself out of it and stepped forward to introduce himself to my father. Lt. Moreau and my father exchanged warm words in Kalais, with my father clasping the other man's hand between both of his own and bowing deeply. If there was a deep blush over the ranger's mocha skin, I wasn't going to be the one to point it out.
My dad stood up and reached out to pull me into another embrace. I snuggled in with a happy sniffle.
"I am so glad you're safe," he murmured into my hair. I hugged him a little tighter, not trusting myself to speak. "I'll fix this, sweetie," he promised, squeezing me closer in return. "I'll fix this."
[Auto-Save] activated!
Congratulations! Due to reaching a special goal, you have can now access [Gryffin's Diary].
[Gryffin's Diary] is a special log of memorable events.
Entry 1-5 Available!
Entry 5-10 Available!
Entry 11-15 …
And so I have explained absolutely nothing about my cliffhanger. XD I'm stuck waiting for a Major Event to happen before anything else can continue. That's the next chapter, I swear.
I hated Super Training in XY, I really did. So while the original format needed to be changed to fit a more real-life scenario, I decided I would still hate it in this fic. ^_^* I hope you all enjoy what I view as a realistic take on the world map. I've given up expecting one from Nintendo, so I had to make my own.
WispInABottle and Anti-Akuma: I'm glad you enjoyed my cliffhanger :3 I try not to overuse them, but I was being evil to myself so... XD
Holyx23: I can and I did! You're welcome! :D And thank you. I'm glad you like it enough to binge read. :3
Curiouscurios: what happened indeed? :3 She opened her mouth XD
Barcas: honestly, like ST, PokemonAmie was also kind of boring to me. Useful when gaining friendship, but beyond a method of evolving specific pokemon, no. It got better in Sun when I could use it to eliminate debuffs, but as it is in XY I almost never used it. You'll see it once or twice in later chapters, but it's not going to be a big thing for me. As for the ID pokemon...Right now they're just grinding tools. :D And I'm glad you like Marill :) They're a lot cuter than popplio, imo, and definitely one of the better water types in the game.