Chapter Eight: The Lie Becomes the Truth.
Chris blinked. There was a clearing ahead – and it looked like... "Is it me, or is that a town ahead?"
Kani nodded, from beside him. (Yes. It's actually a midway place between Cerulean, and Celadon.)
"Great. Got a name for it?"
(Uhm…)
(The town of three winds.)
"Cool. Thanks, Mathrara. How'd you know?"
Mathrara's voice had an 'aww, shucks' tone to it as he replied, (I lived near here for a while. Then got driven out.)
"Oh. Why?"
He sighed. (Pranks.)
"You might want to learn that lesson they keep on preaching at you, ya know?"
(Yes, I know. I still like doing them, though.)
"Ah well. Just keep them harmless."
(And don't involve me.)
Mathrara laughed. (You're just like every Espeon in that aspect…)
"Nothing wrong with enjoying the occasional prank, or not. Ok? Just don't make me the prime target."
(Whatever you say, boss dude.) Mathrara's 'voice' was thick with amusement.
"Kani, I'm gonna get you for that. STOP telling him how to annoy me."
Kani laughed, (Whatever you say, boss dude.)
"Stop it!"
(Whatever you say…) "Next one who says that gets five days in a ball."
Both stopped quickly.
Chris chuckled, and slowly walked towards the town of three winds. His ankle was getting better – but he didn't want to stress it. Mathrara was enough stress.
A villager grinned, as she watched the new trainer approach. He looked to be a prime target…
She dashed to the center of the town, and sounded a bell. There were several – this one called for a meeting.
(Uh, Chris? )
"Yea Mathrara?"
(Can I go inside my ball now? I think they still remember me. That was the alert bell. That sound nearly killed me, if I hadn't managed to run.)
"Sure." He pulled out Mathrara's ball out from his pack, and returned him. Just before he disappeared in red light, he said (Kani, be ready to teleport… or whatever you can do…)
Chris narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the sound of THAT, in particular. He'd already been torn through (was it the void?) once, and didn't want to repeat the process.
He sighed, as they (Chris and Kani) entered the village. "Kani, you heard him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid – like trying to prank these people, or something even more stupid than that. Even though I think that he's overreacting." As he said that, he entered the village proper.
(He's more trouble than he is worth.)
"True. But he's useful."
(Yea, if you need someone to come after you with a pitchfork.)
Chris cracked a grin at that. "He fought off that Tauros…"
(So could I.)
Chris restrained himself from pointing out that it seemed like she couldn't have, from what she sounded like at the time. "Still, it's kinda cool, the fact that he can use attacks like that." Chris froze, as a kid (about eight, from his looks), was looking at him in something like amazement. He grimaced (he worried if the kid had seen him talking to Mathrara), then glared at the kid. The boy backed up, clearly alarmed by the dirty look. Since it looked like he wasn't going to talk unless spoken to, Chris finally said "what?"
"Did you just talk to your Espeon?"
Chris rubbed his head, and shrugged. "She talks back." Right after the last word left Chris's mouth, the kid ran off.
"Well, that was weird." He looked around, and spotted a hair salon. He really didn't care that it was mostly full of mothers – he wanted to get rid of his characteristic hair. He walked in, and sighed. He was going to miss his reflection…
He came back out, rubbing his newly color changed hair, and occasionally his face. Now it was his normal hair color, except for the hair near his forehead. That he'd gotten dyed blue. And they'd insisted on his shaving, for some stupid reason. He turned to Kani, grinning slightly. She'd had to wait inside (and stay away from him for some stupid reason), and deal with several kids. Young grabby kids. "Well?"
(Better than before…)
"Crap."
(Why do you insist on looking stupid? )
Chris ignored that. "Kani, do we have to spend the day in a hotel? I didn't pack much money. Not that we had much to begin with…"
(Pokemon center's supposed to be free for trainers.)
"Aw, shit. Not this again…"
(You can also register there.)
"Wait… you're not… seriously…"
(Yes. You know what? I WANT you to register. You've got potential. Even Mathrara agrees with that.)
"Huh?"
(We talked a lot, while you were asleep. He said the same thing – you have potential. I'd like to see it drawn out.)
"But… we're dealing with the Rockets. Wouldn't they have a spy in place in the League?"
(Even if they do, this is a backwater town. They won't have any of their operatives here. Besides, then you can't get busted for being something you're not. You want to be a target? Try sitting in a station, while they press charges. Faking a trainer's identity is a felony. And what's it matter? By the time they find out, you'll be gone from here.)
Chris sighed, and hung his shoulders. "Fine…"
The pokemon center was empty, except for the red-haired nurse. "Well, hello there. Can I help you?"
Chris sighed, as Kani nudged him. He kept silent, but her 'gentle' prodding was too much. "Actually… where do I register to become a trainer?"
The nurse looked at him – almost in surprise. "Why… I thought you would already be registered. What with your Espeon and all…"
He sighed again. "Nope. It's too long of a story. Where do I…"
She sighed, and went under the counter. She came up with a clipboard and a questionnaire. "You fill this out. Once you're done, I'll check it, and if everything's ok, you'll get your trainer's gear. You are eighteen, right?"
Chris's response was a half-sigh, and a nod.
"Well then, that's all that you need. Normally, parental consent is also required, but you're of age…" She continued on, but Chris tuned her out. Most people didn't even ask if he was eighteen.
He glared at Kani, who looked completely innocent. "This is all your fault."
(No. It makes it more convincing. You were well known for your dislike of trainers. If the Rockets dug that info up, you'll have another shield between them and you. It's not like there's a tracking device in trainer's gear… well, actually there is. But I'll disable it.)
He reached for the clipboard, still glaring at Kani. "Grr…. I hate it when you use logic on me like that." Just as he was grabbing it, the nurse held tight. He glanced at her, a questioning look.
"Did you just understand what your Espeon said?" She seemed excited, as if it was a big deal.
Chris paused for a moment. He had a feeling that saying the truth would be a bad idea – someone who understood pokemon would draw attention, and he didn't want that. Thinking quickly, he shrugged. "Yea. What? I'm telepathic, according to her. Most people who use psychics have to be. So what's the big deal?"
"Oh... can she translate for you?"
Chris shrugged. "More or less."
"Please come with me." She grabbed his hand, and dragged him into the back room.
Kani followed, very reluctantly. She didn't like most pokemon center nurses – they felt like clones to her. Besides, she was worried about Chris – he'd almost slipped there. He hadn't lied, but…
She led him to an ill-looking Pikachu. "This pokemon has been sick for weeks now. I can't seem to find what's wrong. Maybe she can tell you."
(I'M A HE! )
Kani, who had just walked in, burst out laughing. She was lying on the floor, nearly fainting with laughter. So much for being a pokemon expert.
"Yea, yea. You're a he. People are idiots sometimes. I've been called a girl when I kept my hair long. Feel better?"
(Hehe… being called a girl… wait… you understand me? ) The last comment was a shocked question, like the Pikachu was surprised beyond understanding.
"More or less. Sometimes, the hearing fades in and out. Especially when I'm having emotional issues, or if Kani's mad at me." On the sly, he added (actually, I DO understand you. But I'm pretending Kani's translating, so that I don't draw attention.) Chris flinched at the backlash of pain (it wasn't intense, but any head pain isn't pleasant) – evidently, the portion of his mind that Kani had changed hadn't healed fully.
(Telepathy? )
"Espeon trainer, duh. I mean, she walked in right behind me. Even saved my life by teleporting us away."
"Oh… are you a trainer?"
"I'm trying not to confuse him. Save it, please."
(What? )
"Technically, I'm not a trainer. I was going to fill out the stupid application thing, when she heard me argue with Kani."
(Oh. Your Espeon may not have told you this, but I doubt it's just telepathy. Nor was that a teleport.)
(He could understand pokemon language. I've heard of a few people who can.)
Chris shook his head, then telepathically began to talk with him. (Oh, great. But that's not it. I HEAR your words as 'Pikachu'. I also hear them in my mind as what you're saying. Besides, Kani did this to me.) He restrained his expression as the backlash nailed him again. It wasn't getting worse, at least.
(Odd. I've never heard of someone being able to do that before… anyway, it's also interesting that Espeon cannot teleport, yet you claim she did.)
"What?"
(Espeon cannot teleport. It is not a skill they can learn.)
(What? ) Kani's 'voice' was strained, as if she couldn't understand. She'd finally gotten up of the floor.
(Actually, dear, could you perform your teleport? )
Kani nodded, and disappeared. She reappeared quickly.
(I do not know what you did, my dear, but it was not a teleport. Teleports emit a flash of light, before the user disappears. You do not.)
"Then what…"
(I do not know what that is. Perhaps Mew could tell you. Or Ho-oh…)
"They exist?"
(Of course they do. I've seen most of them, and even fought with a few of them.) The old Pikachu's mental voice was wry.
"But…"
"What?"
Chris turned on the nurse, and shook his head. "You don't want to know. Kani?"
(Actually, Chris, they guard the world itself. So why wouldn't they be real? )
"Huh. Hope we never have to fight something like that. Gleh." Chris was glad that he could just talk (the nurse wouldn't understand WHAT he was talking about).
(That's my final question. Young Kani, how do you know such things? And how did you manage that trick with him, to teach him to interpret pokemon language? )
(I… I don't know! )
"She even knows about stuff she's never encountered before…"
(This is quite odd. I've never met a pokemon like you, Kani. No one has been able to grant this gift to someone, yet you have. No psychic has been known to be a living guide to the world, yet you advise your trainer on facts you have never learned… I have no words. Not to mention the fact that you gifted him with this ability, which I'm still surprised about…)
Chris cut him off, before he stated to ramble, "Well, got any answers?"
(Come back to me later. I have spoken to Zapdos before over a matter, perchance I can contact him again. Anyway, can you tell her that I'm not sick in the way that she thinks? )
Chris took a moment to digest that, then finally realized that he needed to ask, "then what's wrong?"
"He's discolored, abnormally warm, all the machines say he has a unspecified illness, and has a far higher concentration of energy than I'm used to seeing." The nurse seemed a bit shaken – it had looked like he HAD been asking about what was wrong…
(Nothing that she could come up with. I'm naturally this way. I'm what some people call a 'shiny' pokemon. And I have the PPS. It's rare as hell. And my name's Cloudburst, for future reference.)
"Kani says he's fine. He's naturally this way, and that he has PPS. He's named Cloudburst." Kani flinched slightly at the small lie, but no one noticed.
"PPS? But I've never encountered a Pikachu with PPS! And the discoloring isn't a symptom of it…"
"He's a 'shiny'. That's her translation of his words."
"Oh… you DO understand her, don't you?"
"I don't lie. It gives Kani a headache."
(It hurts, too. Like a headache all over your body. A migraine, more like…) Chris grimaced, as the pain hit. Now THAT hurt.
"Did I just…"
"Kani, you're one odd Espeon. You know that? Mathrara's right on that." Chris froze, hoping the nurse didn't notice his slipup.
"Did I just hear her?"
He restrained himself from sighing with relief. She hadn't noticed. "More or less. She can use telepathy whenever she wants, just like any other Espeon. She's just more open."
"I've never met an Espeon that did that before."
Chris shrugged. "She's unique. Nothing wrong with that."
(We all are.)
"True."
The pokemon nurse looked disturbed for a moment. Chris gave her a moderate strength glare, and she handed over the clipboard. "Is it ok if I fill it out in here? This guy needs someone who at least understands he's a guy."
She gave him a hard look, and walked out. It was something between a stalk, and a stomp.
"Ok Kani, how'd you pull that off? I know that people without telepathy can't understand what you're saying, or that trainer of Mathrara's earlier would have known he was faking being young. Same for mom."
(I bounced it off you. Basically, I used you like a mirror to make anyone hear me. Humans can understand human telepathy, telepathic or not. Just not pokemon telepathy, unless they're like you. Or if the pokemon is very strong of mind. It's partially due to the fact that I've fiddled with your mind already…)
Chris smiled (he really didn't care), and went to work on his questionnaire. "Damn. Problem right here. 'Name:' "
(Just give your real name.)
(Actually, don't give your last name. Just initial it. I've known a few trainers to get away with it here.)
"Thanks, Cloudburst."
He continued to fill it out, and once he finished, he left the room. Cloudburst smiled faintly, and fell asleep.
At least she knew his name now. And why nothing worked on him. As soon as he recovered some energy, he would see about learning more…
