The Jolly Mudfish Chapter 11: New and Wonderful, a pokémon fanfic

Wooper PoV?

I'm so tired…

I feel like I've slept like a log for weeks on end… what?

Attempting to get off the bed brings disappointing results. In fact, trying to open my eyelids seems equally as futile.

Whatever sleep I had in me is swept away by a quiet increase of adrenaline. Not to the point where I'd panic, not at all, just enough to bring full clarity to my mind.

I try to move my arms first, nothing, absolute jack actually - it's like they're not even there. The legs are next, same result, at least I can feel them. They are… warm? It makes sense that they are, things have been getting colder because of the unending rain chain recently, it's reflected in my choice of blanket - large and warm.

Moving on. I try to bring other parts of my body into motion, the abdominal muscles, the shoulders, the muscles on my face, anything - it just doesn't seem to work.

I can't move. Why can't I move?

At this point I've been relatively calm, a bit of dread has started to build in the back of my heart but nothing serious. My friends always joke that I'm stoic like a statue. Usually I'm really good at thinking under stress. I certainly know some people who'd have gone mental if they were in my situation.

Then I notice it.

I… I can't.

I can't breathe.

I try to command my diaphragm to move, trying to get a feel for the stream of air that should be there, that should be moving in and out of my lungs. When that doesn't work I try doing it harder, trying to involve the surrounding muscles to help out, the muscles attached to my ribcage, those on my neck, I even try moving the arms I can't even feel in panic. It just doesn't fucking seem to WORK!

I'M NOT BREATHING!

My delicate 'hold' over the adrenaline breaks as it comes flooding in with nothing to stop it, bringing with it what feels to me like an unendingly large spiral of panic and dread. What first involves only my respiratory muscles slowly spreads outwards in every direction. I try to move something, anything. The mental thrashing encompassing all the muscles in my body…

Despite all that.

I remain perfectly still.

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

- o - o -

Haaaa… haaaa… haaaa…..

I think that… I- I've calmed down a bit now.

Despite the fact that I can still feel my nervous system misfiring here and there, what would have caused erratic twitching had I been able to move, you could say that I've calmed down.

Was that a p-panic attack? It was, wasn't it? I don't want to everexperience that again. That was without a s- s-single shadow of a doubt the single worst thing that has ever happened to me. And I've broken bones before!

My breathing still hasn't returned, but I'm still alive. That's good… that is very good indeed…

I assure myself that I won't be dying from a critical lack of oxygen. Although I haven't counted the time it feels like it's been… three or so minutes? I know that I can barely hold my breath for more than a minute, if I weren't breathing I'd have passed out by now, or at least feeling faint.

Okay…

Now that I've had some time to relax and think. I believe that I know what's happening to me.

Sleep paralysis. Being conscious but unable to move - often accompanied by the feeling that something is very wrong. Like Satan himself is standing next to you.

Check , check, check and check.

…

A part of me wishes that I'd spent even the slightest amount of time deepening my knowledge when browsing the internet. Cuz, I'm going to be honest, I don't know anything else aside from that one sentence about sleep paralysis.

Stuff like.

Why does it happen? How is it triggered? Is it harmless or something?

Most importantly… How long does it FFFF…

No, I'm not going to swear. The mind is a temple, a temple connected to the body. Taint that temple and you'll taint your very body and soul…

I sound like a hippie.

Or a Buddhist priest, I think? As I do with sleep paralysis I have only the barest bones of bare bones knowledge about the two. For all I know they'd be quite offended by my babbling nonsense.

I'd still like to know how long sleep paralysis lasts for at least. That would be a real tasty nugget of info.

I don't live in the future where Elon microchipped everyone's brains so I can't really access my computer right now. Shame.

Eh?

A sudden weakness assaults me… Not my body. Not in the conventional sense at least.

My nerves feel like they're giving out, starting with those around my legs. This feels weird beyond belief.

I don't lose the sensation in them but I can 'feel' the nerves just - stop working.

What the hell? So it wasn't enough that I can't move my legs now you want to take my ability to even send neural signals to those legs huh!? The Nerve!

Damn it! Now Isn't the time to make cringe jokes!

I don't even get the time to feel outraged as I pass out not even a second later, unaware that I've even passed out.

And so day one ended. Scared, confused and angry in this new and wonderful place.

- o - o -

Day Two

A brief moment of confusion as I wake up and remember the events of yesterday.

Ah… I still can't move. Or breathe, no matter how unsettling it is to my being. Well, I don't want to have another panic attack now do I? I'll have to make peace with it.

Fuuuu… okay. Slow and steady, you'll get through this buddy. Let's do some 'recon'.

I can feel my nerves working again, that's good. So they didn't just give up on me, I can't say that I was looking forward to the brain in a jar experience much. Not that this is much different.

Moving along.

I focus on my skin, tactile sensation, remembering that I could feel my legs the last time I was awake. Although I can't bring my body into motion I can still 'feel' it. It wouldn't be correct to say that I'm incapable of movement… technically. I can feel myself shifting ever so slightly, the movement caused by the beating of my heart.

What I feel on my skin is… warmth. In every single direction. The aforementioned legs, the face, the torso. Everything. I still can't feel my arms.

I spend what I assume to be several minutes like this, trying to feel out every bit of my body.

I feel weird. Everything is weird. My legs are there but they don't 'feel' like my legs did, it's like someone changed them with someone else's - same for basically every other part of the body.

I have doubts that this is sleep paralysis.

Maybe it's actual paralysis.

Then I remembered it.

…

Oh…yeah…

That happened.

One would think that it's easy to remember that you got hit by a ten thousand pound beast of raging steel.

Why was that dumbass going at 110 in the middle of the city? On a roundabout!?

I didn't even have time to react. When crossing the road I had looked to my left and seen a truck that was far away, barely perceivable. Deciding that I'd have time to cross, on a crosswalk mind you, I walked on ahead. Little did I know that I'd failed to account for the speed of the vehicle.

Last thing I remember was falling from the sky headfirst into the asphalt with two broken hands outstretched in front of me to try and ease the impact.

Haaaa…

Is that why I can't breathe? Most likely. The moron probably busted my ribcage. Something must have taken the impact for me to be able to fly that high. I'm probably intubated and drugged up to high hell right now, I don't want to know how much pain I 'should' be in.

That doesn't explain my clarity of mind but whatever, I'm not a man of medicine. It does explain why I suddenly went to sleep yesterday. My rapid heart rate probably scared them and they gave me some drug to calm down.

Scratch that…

I'm tired to death again. What's this? Five minutes of clarity?

Nothing to do but sleep it out I guess, I'm still alive.

And so the second day ended in this new and wonderful place. At the time I just didn't- couldn't know- how wrong I actually was.

- o - o -

Day Seven?

Ten- thousand mississippi, Ten- thousand and one mississippi, Ten- thousand and two mississippi, Ten- thousand and three mississippi, Ten- thousand and four mississippi,

Ten- thousand and… nine mississippi?

I'm so fucking done with this shit, bored outta my mind here.

What else am I supposed to do? I still can't move an inch, I'm permanently tired but can't sleep despite that. I've tried to, it's impossible.

I don't even know how long it's been, I tried counting the time but I'm not some Senku yo. I don't even know what Mississippi is! A river? Lake? I'm not even American. I just know that It helps when spacing out the seconds when counting, not that it even works much since when you get to the higher numbers it takes you two or three seconds to summon the entire number in your mind.

How long is ten thousand seconds even. Doing math in your mind is hard work.

Uhh let's see here, I'm not the best at math but I'm not some incompetent either.

One hour is 60 minutes, one minute is 60 seconds. 60 times 60 is… 36 multiplied by a hundred… 36 hundred.

So like… three hours? Have I really been counting for three hours straight here?

This is awful, can't I just wait it out while sleeping?

Fuuuuu… come on, it's only been seven days buddy, who knows how many months it will take for you to get healed from that ploughing. Keep strong, you'll get better eventually.

And so another day ended in this new and wonderful place.

- o - o -

Day ?

After a certain point I just stopped counting the time. Why? Because who cares. I'll get better when I get better. Counting the days just makes me anxious. Not that you could say that I'm even counting them, I have no frame of reference. I don't get hungry, I don't breathe, I don't even feel myself going to the bathroom.

I would have assumed that I'd been paralyzed from the ways down, except, I can feel my legs.

My arms are probably paralyzed though, or amputated.

Heh… I'm gonna cosplay Rin Tezuka… except you know, I'm a guy so it wouldn't work.

Our capacity for emotion is about on par, I'm a redhead so it could kinda work? Genderswapped Rin. Genderswapped Katawa Shoujo sounds, uhhh.

Ooff.

Girls would probably like it, Yuri on Ice is a thing after all…

Time to knock myself out again I guess.

I don't know when I figured it out exactly, maybe I started doing it subconsciously and then it became a conscious thing.

If I fire every neuron in my body like I'm having a convulsion, my nervous system will get tired and I'll go to sleep.

My genius strikes again.

Probably not a good Idea doing it if your muscles are actually active. Would actually be a convulsion at that point.

Today there was something different.

*twitch*

Huh?

Wait…

*twitch* *twitch*

I kicked. I kicked!

Ahahahahahahaha! Yes. Yes! I'm getting better bo- ah- aaaaaaaah

*twitch*

My small kicks were immediately followed by the oddest sensation that I've ever experienced.

What was that? It felt like someone removed my spine, dipped it in liquid nitrogen, then gave it back to me, all in the span of a single second. Maybe not that extreme, just… letting it soak in cold water for a bit… still - what was that?

Ultimately I had no time to question what had happened as I passed out seconds later.

And so another day ends in this new and wonderful place. This time with a twist~

- o - o -

One Day later?

Something is wrong. Something is really, really wrong.

Why do I have a tail?

The feeling is unmistakable, a tail, I have a tail. Why? I can't see it, I can't confirm its existence but I know that it's there. I've had my tailbone broken before so I'm painfully aware of how that part of the body feels. Now that I know that it's there, the feeling of that tailbone being elongated, stretched and fused to my spine… it's a wonder how I haven't noticed it before. That first movement yesterday…

*twitch*

I can move it, barely, just like I can move my legs. I can feel it causing a current around me as it shifts.

This isn't just a blanket that I'm in is it? It's some form of liquid that is the reason for this warmth surrounding me.

I don't think this is a hospital bed that I'm stuck in.

And so another day ends in this new and wonderful place. Admittedly I was a bit phreaked out and confused, just a tad bit.

- o - o -

I just can't seem to figure out where I am, nothing makes sense, I've been here for so long now… it feels like I've been here for so long? Months is it? Years? Yeah, No. Probably just a couple of months.

You know, this reminds me of an SCP. It was SCP two thousand something, also known as 'True Solitary'. I remember watching it on Youtube. For a moment I think that SCPs might be real and I could have been thrown into that.

Makes no sense. Then again neither does my situation

Man, I could really go for a binge of all of Dr. Bob's SCP videos right about now. I'd rewatch them several times in fact.

…

Am I in hell?

Were the Bible Thumpers right all along? Am I in Limbo? This sure seems like Limbo to me if I'm being honest, the first circle of hell. Is that why I have a tail now? Because I've transformed into a demon?

Makes even less sense.

I kick my legs weakly in annoyance, feeling an uncomfortable burn immediately after.

It seems like I'm growing stronger, before one or two of these kicks would have left me figuratively gasping for breath… It looks like I'm not destined to remain here forever if I'm growing.

In the face of the dreadful situation I find myself in I keep myself strong, holding onto that hope, that I won't be stuck here forever.

And so another day ends in this new and wonderful place. Hopeful and optimistic.

- o - o -

What will we do with a drunken whaler?

Early in the morning?

Wayyyy, haaay, and up she rises.

Early in the morning.

Stuff him in a sack and throw him over.

Early in the morning.

Feed him to the hungry rats for dinner.

Early in the morning.

Get me out of this crazy nightmare.

Get. Me. The fuck. out of HERE!

Midway through singing the macabre song a brutally powerful surge of anger rushes through me.

In hindsight, yes, of course that would happen. Months spent just standing there in place, scared to move, where the slightest movement would cause hour long pains in the muscles, the frustration, the rage, the sadness, it just builds up on and on on top of itself. Past a certain point… those bottled emotions will get released. With or without your consent.

All of the muscles going into overdrive, they form their most coherent and directed movement yet.

I smash my forehead against a tough surface.

Owww… my head.

Argh… damn it. Why did I do that? Everything's burning, even my tail!

Huh…

Did I just wobble?

Wait wait wait wait!

I'm rolling! I'm rolling!

Seems that I hadn't been anchored correctly in place as my little impact on the egg's surface was enough to destabilize it and get it tumbling down wherever I was.

I'm gonna throw up. And I haven't even eaten anything.

With the egg losing inertia my rolling ceases, so does my consciousness.

That was awful…

- o - o -

Presumably shortly after?

I woke up to something wonderful.

Something I haven't felt in such a long time I forgot it even existed

Light!There's light. Lord almighty I'm being showered in light! I'm so happy with this development that I temporarily forget all of the pain coursing through my body as I start to wiggle around.

Heeeey! I'm right here!

And just as quickly as it came it disappears.

Nooooo! Come back!

I feel being gently turned over. And then getting a bit warmer shortly afterwards.

Did I just yawn?

I'll think about what that was… later. Now I just want to sleep, and get away from the pain, why did I do that when I was already hurting?

Little did I know at the time that 'why did I do that' would become my catchphrase.

- o - o -

Many days later.

Why isn't it working, why not?

I kick against the hard surface once again. I hate this. I hate it so much. Logic dictates that once you get big and strong enough you should be able to break yourself out of the egg. If this is an egg even, it certainly has the shape of one doesn't it? I have no arms, I have a tail, everything feels weird, nothing at all like what it was before I got hit by the truck, I've got barely any idea what's even going on. Worst of all I have so little space to move around in.

I'm so fucking frustrated.

Is this egg made out of steel? Seriously! It's not budging at all!

Oh look! There is LightMc-Light Guy here again to annoy me by shining his big ass flashlight in my face again.

*Kick*

Get me out of here damn it!

*Kick* *Kick*

I've been going at it for days now, kicking, smashing my forehead, lashing my tail. Even trying to bite at what I presume to be the 'egg shell'. Every waking moment I have I try to get out with all my strength. Ever since my stamina improved, ever since I got stronger I just try to smash.

*Kick*

Come on man, I'm running out of space here, a little bit more and I won't even be able to kick properly.

I used to be what you could call 'stoic and emotionless'. Not any more, bucko. Being locked in one place for so long, with nothing but your own thoughts. It's terrible. I have no doubt that if you were to take a picture of my face this very moment it would be twisted in Fury.

The light turns off.

Yeah, you better run away! I'll chew your arms off you daft cunt, once I get a hold of you, and you'll be just like me before you even know it!

*Kick* *Kick* *Kick* *Kick* *Kick* *Kick*

I don't know what it was that finally caused it…

Was it my anger? Was there some sort of a biological clock that just decided 'now is the time'. Perhaps something else.

Well, in the end it doesn't even matter.

It began with me feeling an unusual warmth in my heart. Warmth that quickly expanded to encompass my entire being, the torso, the legs, the tail, the head, the skin. Everything. I saw a pure and bright white light expand until it was everything that I could see. The warmth slowly transformed into a scalding heat. I should have been in terrible pain.

Instead, all I could think of was how the barrier separating me from the outside turned soft with my last kick, almost like jello, and then I simply… consumed it somehow? Doesn't matter…

With a familiar and nearly forgotten instinct activating, for the first time in god knows how long I took a breath of fresh air.

"I'm free!"

Those were the first words that I uttered in this new and wonderful world.

I hatched standing, something which I'd later learn isn't supposed to happen.

With the bright light dissipating and my eyes adjusting I could finally take a look around.

What do I see? Utter ridiculousness stared directly at me from multiple directions. How is one supposed to react when faced with such an event? Shock? Confusion? Laughter?

In my case it was Pure. Cold. Rational thought.

Past the soft bed and blankets I found myself on, past the wooden floorboards and furniture I see…

That's a Quagsire… and that there is a Vigoroth. Both of them are giving me an odd look. Of course they are, after my declaration.

Those were only the nonhumans of the group.

The man seated at the table and having tea, that's Norman, there isn't a single doubt about that fact, the Vigoroth is probably his. And that's May over there on the couch… she's tiny, couldn't be more than seven or eight. They're also looking at me.

*Crash*

The last person in the room drops something.

Oh, serves you right LightMcLight guy, today marks the death of that horrid torture device, I don't even recognize your face from the anime. Ya side character.

The man in question has turned to look at me.

Careful there friend. What would you do if this place had cartoon physics and your jaw smashed itself against the floorboards.

…

I see.

…

I got hit with the Isekai Express Special

Fuck you truck-kun.

Just like it did barely moments ago, my peripheral vision is enveloped. This time, however, it's not enveloped in light. It's enveloped in darkness.

As it begins slowly creeping in and blurring my vision, as my muscles give out, a final thought passes through me.

I want to submit a complaint for shitty transmigration services.

I barely have time to mentally laugh at my own joke as I fall over backwards.

*thud*

And so my life truly began in this new and wonderful world.

- o - o -

Aaaaand unintentionally Wu is now my most fleshed out character since I don't know how to do proper character development.

I actually meant for this to be a short side chapter I crapped out in like 1 hour of writing. Some funny haha moments you know.

That…didn't go as planned.

Woop Woop.