Yeah, I'm really pumping out content now. I wonder how long that will last. Anyways, I have a ton of ideas for human interaction with Daniel, but I can't rush the island part. Even Though I really want to. Maybe I should have thought this through more.
Thanks for reading this far!
Day 14
The day breaks once more. Daniel rises from his cot to find his oddish Wilson planted in the ground next to him. The two have grown closer, and Daniel swears that Wilson has grown bigger too. His leaves are taller and more numerous. Wilson's body is round and plump, whereas before it appeared like a blueberry that was left in the fridge for too long.
Or I guess an oran berry left in the fridge for too long. Daniel Thought.
While the relationship between the man and the pokemon has changed, Daniel's aches and pains have not. Each morning he climbs coconut trees, each afternoon he picks berries and digs up tubers in the forest, and every minute he can find in between is spent experimenting and crafting. It always seems like Daniel is hungry, reminding him that he is alive and must keep living. Although not everything sucks terribly. Ever since landing on the island, Daniel is more active than he ever has been in his life. His fat is burning away, judging by the new stretch marks on his abdomen. His belt is now on the last buckle hole, it wasn't like that two weeks ago. His calves and forearms are more defined than before, no longer vaguely sausage-shaped. He climbs coconut trees much faster by using a rope-like in those pole climbing competition videos. His perception is changing too. Back on Earth, Daniel remembers being sleepy and somewhat tired for most of the day regardless of how well he had slept the night before. Now he feels much more awake and alert. He figures it's some survival response mechanism built into all humans. Daniel is returning to monkey.
The morning passes uneventfully. Trees are scaled, coconuts are gathered, and skin is tanned while fishing on the beach. The occasional wingull and pidgey cry break the monotonous waves and sea breeze. The afternoon is spent attempting to weave a basket all while Wilson watches. Daniel plants a circle of sticks in the ground about the size of a pizza. Then he weaves vines, in and out, layer by layer, between the sticks. He reaches about two feet high before trying to close the basket. He ties vines from one stick to the one directly opposite of it, creating a wagon wheel shape. Then Daniel simply weaves between the spokes.
Might not be good for carrying heavy loads, but should hold berries and tubers just fine.
Daniel and Wilson now venture into the forest with his basket and digging stick, the end of which is sharpened and fire-hardened. Daniel has grown adept at spotting edible root plants in shady conditions under the canopy. Tree clearings are the first spots he searches thanks to Wilson's (inferred) suggestions. A few dozen tubers fill his basket, half of which Daniel swears are sweet potatoes. The diminutive size of each bulb and root are readily apparent to the Earthling. Daniel attempts to cheer himself up.
No GMOs and all-natural. Best of all, free. No rewards card needed.
Wilson looks at Daniel and his basket, unbothered by its contents nor by Daniel's intentions with them. While the pokemon receives food from the human and grows stronger as a result, Wilson doesn't understand what the human gets in return. The pokemon does have some clue though. Ever since they first met, the human has been talking to the pokemon. At first, The pokemon didn't want to listen. Fear warned him that this large creature was going to eat or attack him. Still, the pokemon could do little but hide in the tall grass it had known for so long. But as the two met more and more often, and as the human started feeding him, Wilson's dropped his guard. The human posed no threat and the two started going around the island together, and the human kept talking to him, calling him Wilson and calling himself Daniel. The oddish starts recalling the first time he was named.
"I've thought of the perfect name for you, you know," Daniel says.
"I'll call you Wilson! Just like that volleyball with a face from castaway. Heh" The human chuckles.
"And I'm Daniel, Wilson. Wilson, Daniel. Daniel, Wilson." Daniel points to himself and Wilson respectively.
Wilson nods his head up and down. It just feels right. Daniel's expression lights up and he says something in a louder, excited voice. The increased volume startles Wilson, breaking his understanding of the human's words. Wilson just stares at Daniel as he points at trees and rocks saying "Wilson!" followed by words the pokemon doesn't understand.
The oddish recalls an earlier event. It was right after the human finished that weird thing made of cut trees and vines. The human rekindles the fire as he always does before he sleeps and Wilson hid as he usually does. But this time he hides directly behind Daniel instead of running to the familiar patch of tall grass. Daniel called it "fire" and it frightens Wilson on a primeval level. It seems so dangerous and wild. It feels hot like the sun, but it shakes and bends erratically as if it will jump out and bite him at any moment. And Daniel handles it like it's nothing. This human controls the fire, he possesses dominion over its life. He ignites it and snuffs it out whenever he wants. Why is such a powerful creature just giving away its food to this tiny pokemon?
Then it happened. A moment of vulnerability. It's morning, and Wilson uproots himself from his slumber. The fire is burned out and sunlight instead shines on him. Wilson looks at Daniel sleeping above the ground on that weird thing made of cut trees and vines. Something is wrong. Wilson can't see what's wrong from the ground so he jumps onto Daniel's chest. From there he can see the human's face and feel his breathing. He looks like he is in pain. His face is wincing and his breath is short and quick. Concern wells up inside Wilson. He looks all around for signs of this invisible predator and sees nothing. Looking back at Daniel he finds the human still in pain. Maybe the predator is inside him? Unable to think of anything else, Wilson starts jumping on top of the human, attempting to exorcise whatever has entered him. It's not about the food nor about the invisible predator possibly coming for Wilson next. It's about saving Daniel.
Daniel's eyes open. A wave of relief washes over Wilson.
"Oh, Good morning Wilson." Daniel's voice is wobbling. His breathing hasn't recovered yet. Wilson looks at Daniel, wondering if he knew he was attacked by an invisible predator, and if he knew that Wilson saved him.
"Did you notice I was having a nightmare?" He knew he was being attacked. Wilson nods in response. It just felt right. He had just driven off the predator attacking his friend and was glad Daniel emerged unscathed.
Wilson returns to the present as he and Daniel return to camp. Daniel begins to reignite the fire while Wilson hides behind his human friend. Such a strange and powerful being wants him around. Wilson thinks it isn't just for driving off those invisible predators. Daniel wants a friend. It has been a while since the oddish colony collapsed and his friends were scattered and picked off one by one. Daniel must have lost his colony too. All this talking must mean Daniel is trying to start a new colony with Wilson. As Daniel lies down on that weird thing made of cut trees and vines called a "cot", Wilson roots himself in the ground next to Daniel's chest.
I'm happy I met you.
Day 17
A thought strikes Daniel as he is flintknapping a knife.
How the hell am I gonna get off this island?
The thought is so obvious it's a wonder why it took so long for it to come up. While Daniel is not thriving, he does more than just survive. With Wilson's help, Daniel filled his basket full of edible roots and bulbs. He has a large stack of un-husked coconuts for safe drinking water and his cot isn't to bad either. This security allows him more time to experiment, and more time for his mind to wander.
I never see any signs of land in any direction when I'm on the beach. No flocks of birds linger on the horizon, and I don't see the electric glow lights at night. Building a boat is out of the question. Maybe I can catch a pidgey or wingull and fly off the island?
However, Daniel dismisses this notion.
No, no. I don't know If I can afford to spend all that time training and evolving either of those pokemon. It was a stroke of luck that I have Wilson. Birds are much... flightier. Pidgeot is a flying raptor and those are hard enough to train back on Earth. And I don't even know if any could fly me and Wilson the long-ass distance I need it to. Do I need the fly HM?
The thought of HM requirements seems arbitrary and obtuse. Merely a progression gate from the games.
A lapras could physically be capable of ferrying me back to land. And I think they have a penchant for helping people. The Pokedex does say they save sailors right? Or was that dragonite?
Daniel returns to his half-finished stone knife. He chips away until the stones he's using create a spark. A light bulb appears over his head.
Well, that's an idea. For now, I'll just make signal fire spots around the island. That way, if I spot any boats, I'll be ready to get their attention!
Daniel puts his half-finished project under his cot and Wilson stops dozing off. The pokemon notices the man's renewed vigor and their eyes meet.
"Well good morning Wilson. I don't know if you know, but I don't plan on staying on this island forever, and I hope you don't either."
Wilson understands Daniel to some extent. He knows Daniel plans to leave the island and wishes for him to leave too. While Wilson has no problems with this, he has no idea how Daniel will do it so he shoots a confused look at him.
"Well you see Wilson, it's unlikely that I could build a seaworthy vessel or get a pokemon to carry me away. I'm a grown-ass man after all. So if I can't bring myself to civilization, I'll bring civilization to me!"
Wilson continues with a confused expression. This "civilization" must be his colony, but how is he going to convince them to move without talking to them?
"I'll just build several signal fire spots around the island! That way, if I spot a boat or something, I can get their attention!"
The only words Wilson hears are "several" and "fire". His face springs into a mix of surprise and fear. This human is crazy! Maybe that's why he doesn't have a colony.
"Wilson. The fires won't be burning all the time. I see that look on your face. I'll only light them when I need to. I'm just gonna stack some firewood and fire-starting stuff around."
Wilson receives the message, and his face morphs into relief. This human is not going to burn everything down. The two set off around the island to execute this plan.
