Welcome back to another chapter of Usurping! I finally have a break from classes, so I'm hoping I can update faster until early September when classes restart. So enjoy more chapters in the meantime! As always, I do not own Pokémon, and see the author's notes for details.
5. Broken
As the sound of hard tile against my feet and walker wheels clicked in my ears, I was aware of the door closing behind me.
I was also aware that the clicking sound had become muffled, replaced by a quiet slamming sound instead.
But the slamming sound did not continue for long, and I knew it wasn't because I was standing still.
My walker wheels had come to an almost complete stop, barely lumbering along as they tried to propel me forward.
They fought the ground below me valiantly, but it was clearly a battle they were losing.
It wasn't possible to see the wheels moving unless one stared at them, and it looked like I couldn't take a single step.
I may as well have not been taking steps, at the glacial pace I was going.
Which made stopping and looking around extremely easy to do.
Natural, considering what was going on and how it didn't give me much choice.
I currently stood on flat ground, but I knew that would not be the case for long.
A light brown, rocky area stretched out in front of me, surrounded by ledges of harder and darker rock.
I could see the incline of a hill, and I was now sharply aware of the ones that surrounded this place.
It has been a while since I traversed them in this form, after all.
Or least looked like I was going to.
Right now, I knew I wouldn't even think about it.
One step forward could send me barreling down the hill with no way to stop. In the end, I would be left in a tangled, broken, mess and my walker as something that could only be used for scrap metal.
Not even the green grass starting at the end of the hill would save me. My walker would simply be slowed as the grass crunched under its wheels. If the grass was tall enough, my wheels would be tangled up in it and I wouldn't be piloting my machine for very long.
No matter what, I was guaranteed to fall if I went any further in this form.
But that wasn't uncommon at all.
With so many rural and untamed areas, much of the regions were not handicapped accessible to those like me. And of course, that meant that the life of a Pokémon Trainer was not handicapped accessible either. Of course, things could get better, but they probably wouldn't get better very fast because of how few (noticeably) disabled Trainers there were. One of them being able to travel alone, especially as an older Trainer, was almost unheard of. Therefore, I could not count on anyone to accommodate for me, if they were even able to.
But then again, areas like this were also not uncommon where I was from, even if more areas were accessible there. Many still weren't and couldn't be, and even areas designated for travelers were not. Even traveling itself could be a hassle, so I suppose that made what I was doing even more impressive.
People had talked about putting a hovercraft on my walker and other machines so I could fly over ground that gave me trouble. Apparently, a scientist in faraway region called Orre had done that, and had been quite successful. After all, there had been a young boy named Michael who had hovercraft modifications put on his Segway The small and light wheeled machine could then traverse anything, even Orre's harsh and unforgiving desert sands.
But there was a difference between a light and mobile machine that an able-bodied person stood on once in a while, and the walkers and other accommodations I used. They were huge and heavy, and I had no place to put the hovercraft. Even with the travel scooter I rarely used as the Trainer, there just wasn't enough space and there wasn't a convenient area in the back. Furthermore, Michael didn't mind that the hovercraft did not allow him to be on the ground properly and that there was no way of turning it off. But I would have to land constantly in order to function, so the hovercraft would be more of a hindrance than helpful.
I wished I could use my walker and scooter more as a Trainer, but I wouldn't be able to fight and the environment didn't allow for it.
So the situation was what it was, and there was only one way to get around it.
A single mental command demonstrated what that ability was, and there were no words as the process took place.
I could feel Gabriel's power flowing into me again as I took my fused form, and my walker immediately disappeared. Despite using it in the Pokémon Center, adapting was effortless.
Speaking of the Pokémon Center, I half expected Trainers to come running out wondering what happened. Mercifully, none did.
Perhaps it was because to the untrained eye, almost nothing had happened.
Or perhaps those inside the Center were just happy I looked normal and could apparently walk without assistance.
Or maybe they weren't paying attention anymore.
Most likely, they wanted to avoid another lecture from the Pokémon nurses. Considering what happened last time, that reason was probably more justified than any other.
But I couldn't worry about it now.
Instead, I jerked my head to the right.
A cave entrance loomed on the edge of my vision. The massive set of rocks appeared pitch black, gloomy, and foreboding. However, I knew it as anything but, and I suspected most Trainers did too.
For this was the entrance to Mt. Moon, the structure I had been looking for.
And at that thought, Gabriel's voice sounded in my head.
"I see you're ready. Is there any particular place you would like to go in Mt. Moon?"
I rapidly replied matter-of-factly.
"I'm not thinking of any particular place, but I'd like to go down to the deeper areas. The top areas mainly have Moon Stones above ground, so I'm more likely to find more places to mine and rare objects further down."
Gabriel responded with affirmation.
"Fair enough and very well. Let us go!"
I nodded.
"Yes, let's."
Gabriel's voice disappeared from my head as I broke into a brisk walk.
I veered sharply towards the right, not even pausing to change my direction as I jogged into the cave.
My feet pounded on the cave floor, and I thought about breaking into a run.
However, I stopped abruptly when I heard Gabriel's voice in my head.
"Running could use up a lot of your energy. And since mining also uses a lot of your energy, running right now might not be a good idea. Perhaps you should use Lydia to get through the caves faster. That way it wouldn't as tiring, especially since you've used her for that in the past."
I grimaced, but did not say anything back.
Gabriel still noticed what I had done, and he replied immediately.
"I know you don't want to use the others after what happened on your last mission, but it would be safer."
I winced before responding.
"I'm aware, and you are right about that me not wanting to use my other Pokémon nowadays. However, riding also uses my energy, especially because using my fusion abilities even more than I already am is unavoidable. And since mining also requires me to heavily use my fusion powers, utilizing them any more that I have to is ill-advised."
Gabriel rapidly affirmed.
"A fair point. Just go slowly and walk through the caves. You're not in a rush, and it will give you more energy to do things, especially if something happens later."
I nodded.
"Good point."
Gabriel's voice disappeared from my head, and I slowed my jog down to a brisk walk.
Even though I wasn't used to the slower pace in my fused form, I admitted it did give me time to admire the inside of the cave.
Most of the rocks lining the walls had a reddish tint, something I hadn't seen in many other places. I had always wanted to figure out the reason, but I just never had time to remember to stop and ask someone. Knowing scientists and cave enthusiasts, I probably would get the world's most lengthy explanation anyway. I had to admire their passion and dedication though, and considering how dedicated I was to my own craft, it was understandable.
But even though Mt. Moon's wall rocks were red, the floor contrasted them with a dark gray. I could see tiny craters lining the floor, and was careful not to step in them. Glittering spots on the ground caught my eye, mostly in the craters. Walking closer revealed stones that almost blended into the floor. I knew that these were the aptly named Moon Stones used to evolve certain Pokémon. They could fetch a good price, but that price wasn't as high as other evolution stones. I wouldn't be searching for them today. Squares of sand lay front of me, but I could tell from the pounding my feet made against the cave floor that I wasn't at a beach.
Or anything resembling a place to relax, to be honest.
I had to get to my destination.
And that destination was slowly coming into view in front of me.
A platform made out of the gray red rock loomed in front of me. Darkness lay beyond it like a gaping maw ready to swallow everything up. If I strained my eyes I could see the faintest glimpse of more rock.
To the average observer, it looked like anyone going this way would jump off a cliff.
But I knew if I walked even further to the edge there were more rock platforms that resembled steps.
They were the means of getting around the dungeon of a cave.
And they were steps that I would soon have to traverse.
In my own way of course.
A mental command passed between Gabriel and me.
Within an instant, I could feel something appearing on my back.
Perhaps even unfolding or sprouting from my back.
It might look that way to outsiders, but considering the wings just appeared out of thin air like everything else I used, perhaps it wasn't.
And maybe it wasn't out of thin air considering they were attached to my back.
It wasn't like I noticed the sensation or actions anyway, considering I've long since grown used to it.
And even though the appendages were attached to me, they weren't really even mine.
For if I could've seen behind me, my eyes would've been met with giant black wings. These wings were pointed and jagged. Red claw-like appendages were on the tips.
Like Gabriel's wings.
Because these were Gabriel's wings.
It was just another feature of my fusion powers, and another way of taking the abilities and sometimes even appearances of Pokémon as though they were my own.
Perhaps these abilities were mine, as I fused I became neither human nor Pokémon, but something else altogether.
And this was the perfect example of that.
For although the form standing in the cave was human, the wings on my back were anything but.
It was one of the reasons why I didn't use this form more often than I had to.
I rapidly found that having demonic wings come out of nowhere on my back was a great way to terrify people into never coming near me again.
That and it used up more of my supernatural energy than running around, especially since it wasn't the only way I could move.
But in times like this, the wings were my legs, and I was forever grateful.
Going down the steps was impossible without fusion, and even in my fused form, I didn't trust myself not to miss the steps.
But the wings eliminated any chance of that happening.
Because perhaps I was jumping down a cliff after all.
With one ominous wingbeat, my feet left the ground and I catapulted down into the darkness. I could vaguely see the outlines of the steps as I soared downward, but didn't pay any attention.
Instead, a newfound wind whipped my hair back, blowing in my face as my arms became outstretched. However I ignored the wind as I flew into the darkness. Instead, I focused on the world hurtling towards me at breakneck speed. The darkness grew closer and stronger until it cloaked all of my vision. I was unsure about how fast I was going as I plummeted towards the ground, but to the uneducated observer, it looked like it was going to break my neck or fall on my head.
But with my many years of experience, neither happened.
Instead, I finally saw a speck of what I had been looking for.
The red and gray rock of the cave floor.
A little bit lower to the ground, and I could see the cave floor clearly.
Red and gray swarmed my vision, perhaps inviting injury or even early death.
But all I could see was my hidden cue.
In a silent swoop, I straightened my body to the point where I was flying forward. I had gone so low to the ground I could have touched it after I lost a little bit more attitude.
But I didn't dare.
Instead, I jerked myself upward and gained speed, so it seemed as though I was going in the opposite direction of where I had intended.
Indeed, that seemed to be the case as the ground suddenly got smaller below me.
But it was clear there was a method to my madness, as the seemingly ironic flight did not last for long.
Within moments, I slowed myself down, and I now looked almost like I was standing in midair.
The wind from before had disappeared, but I knew that would not be for long.
The enormous wings beat again, but it was unlike the way they allowed me to vault off the upper floors before.
Instead, the wingbeats were meticulous, careful, methodical, and calculated.
Almost gentle.
They had to be, considering the wings were preparing me for landing.
And they started by making sure my feet were lowered slowly and safely to the ground.
I couldn't resist looking down as the ground drew closer and closer. But instead of hurtling towards me at top speed, it gradually came into view. I could see every detail, from the red and gray rocks on the ground and slightly to the sides, to the craters nearby, to the glimmer of the famous Moon Stones.
And then there was the sound of my steps and I was on top of most of it as my feet finally hit the ground. Within another minute, the wings disappeared, and I looked like myself again.
But I knew that wouldn't be for long as I scanned the area.
I still couldn't see too much in the darkness of the caves, but something caught my eye instantly.
Buried in the rock walls was a glimmer, something that could have easily lit up the darkness had it been larger.
I only had to walk a little ways to confirm what it was.
A red rock wall jutted out in front of me and I could still see something sparkling. However, I still couldn't identify just what the sparkling object was.
But that would change soon.
Because I had found exactly what I was looking for.
The glittering objects stood out like a sore thumb, and they were the first indication that a Trainer could mine for treasure in the rocks.
Many Trainers used a radar, but I had gotten so much practice that most of the time I didn't need the help.
Of course, Gabriel's ability to see into the shadows of the darkness was used was well.
Gabriel's abilities…
That's right.
I needed them if I wanted to mine anything today.
It was just another reminder what I couldn't do.
But it was a reminder I had to pay attention to nonetheless.
Another silent command, and shadows enveloped my body.
However, these were the shadows people couldn't see.
And unlike my previous efforts, they came slowly.
But even though I couldn't see them, or could only see them briefly, I could feel them.
There was something slithering in my chest like snakes. The snakes crawled carefully, cautiously, almost methodically. Rapidly, that feeling stopped, and it was as if the shadows had reached their destination.
Yet now the feeling morphed into something else.
The shadows tightly and securely wrapped around something, showing no signs of letting go.
Yet they didn't squeeze or act oppressive.
Rather they seemed to be protective.
Like a shield.
Yes, a shadow shield would have been a good way of putting it, but the shield wasn't finished.
The shadows moved a faster pace as they sprinted in front of my nose, eyes, and mouth. Within minutes, that had been enveloped as well. I knew they wouldn't stifle my breathing or sight since the feeling was not the same as something being wrapped around me.
The feeling was more like a barrier, except there was some invisible way for clean air from the outside to get through. Perhaps more like an air purifier, with anything getting into the barrier being filtered. What I saw didn't change, either. Rather than seeing the barrier clouding my vision, it was nothing was there. It was like I wore goggles or protective glasses, and the shadows were another way of using them.
Just like the shadows that now swarmed around my head and the rest of my body.
These ones were not the gentle barrier of before, nor the crawling in my chest.
Instead they were thick, unyielding, and merciless.
Almost like a guard unwilling to let anyone through.
Like a massive suit of armor.
No, they weren't like a suit of armor.
They were a suit of armor.
I couldn't leave the rest of my body unprotected, but I knew that wasn't all of the reason why the shadows were the way they were.
The shadows had to be my armor, because if I had a head injury, it would be much more than my Trainer's journey that would be over.
If there was anything after that.
But the shadows ensured there would be.
Because they were my shield, to ensure that after I mined in the cave, I would live unscathed to see another day.
And they told of something else.
That even though I could be here mining, that didn't mean I had any right to be.
It didn't change that I was walking into a death trap for people with breathing problems, to be saved only by the shadows.
It didn't change that I was doing something incredibly dangerous for those who were not skilled, and I only wore armor because I knew I wasn't skilled enough to avoid the danger without it.
It didn't change the fact that I could damage my senses or lose them, and the shadows were the only thing preventing that.
And it didn't change the fact that although I was alert and ready, there was no equipment in my hands.
Because didn't change the fact that it was too unwieldy and uncomfortable for me to use, even in this form. I couldn't change the fact that my hands were compromised, after all.
So the biggest thing that wouldn't change would be that I would be expanding far more energy than any regular person would be even have the smallest chance of finding anything.
Oh, there were other things I could have done, such as wearing something to protect myself, especially with breathing apparatuses. I knew people who used the latter, and many people used the former.
But then there was the issue that only this form could wear anything heavy, and there was still something being knocked off or lost.
And then I would be even worse off.
So it was best just to utilize the shadows to protect myself, when things neither getting lost nor knocked away could happen.
But there was the matter of Trainers finding the objects I was looking for without mining. I knew several that had done that. But mining was the most efficient and reliable way, and I needed both efficiency and reliability.
The smallest chance was better than none at all at this point.
Even if it also meant that I would no longer look human in order to take that chance.
For I thrust out my hands, and they instantaneously turned into pitch black claws.
Gabriel's claws.
Gabriel's move Shadow Claw, to be precise.
Only now was mine, strengthened by our combined powers.
And I wouldn't hesitate to call it forth now.
The claws dug into the rock, tearing it away with a frenzy of a madman. Dust and gravel filled my vision, but I didn't even cough. I noticed there were a few small rocks above me, and maybe they could've fallen on my head. Yet they only struck the shadows, repelled just as easily as the dust had been.
But I didn't even pay attention.
Instead I stepped up the pace, my hands moving as if I was using wings instead of claws. The area got deeper and darker, almost as if it was trying to swallow me.
Yet I had a saving grace in the form of a flash of red. I knew it wasn't the rock from before. It was far too bright for that.
Instead, something fell into my right hand, the claw handling it delicately.
A jewel resembling a little star, red contrasting against black.
A Star Piece, I knew. Something that would fetch an exorbitant price.
But it wouldn't stop there, because there were other objects to be found.
I didn't even register the objects disappearing into me, or the mental commands I sent. I could not see the objects leaving, only being focused on moving forward.
The claws almost gleamed faintly in the darkness as I tunneled further and further. More gray rocks headed my way, but the claws demolished them. I could finally see a speck of white contrasting against everything, and I eagerly snatched it up.
A bone of some sort, perhaps the type a canine would chew, lay in my hands. I couldn't tell what the bone was, but I knew that miners were ecstatic if they found this underground.
A Rare Bone, Trainers called it, and worth more money than almost anything else one could find. I wasn't sure how rare they were, considering I heard stories of many Trainers finding them. Yet I knew it would surely fetch a good price, and be well worth my time and energy.
But I knew there was still more I could find.
I could see some pitch black, hard, sturdy rock formations in front of me, yet Gabriel's claws tore them apart effortlessly. Something fell out of the rubble that blended in so well that I almost left it laying there. The stone reminded me of the night sky, and it was only fitting that it was called the Dusk Stone. I could use it to make Pokémon evolve, certainly. But with the power I had, there was no need. It wouldn't be as impressive as the other items, but it would still fetch a pretty penny.
The claws hungrily scraped against the stone, clearing even more way in search of treasure. I had now hit even more red stone, and once again something tumbled out of it that almost escaped my vision. Luckily, I scooped it up with the claws. It was easy enough to examine it, and I instantly recognized what it was. It was an orange red, pointed at all angles like a tiny sun. Sun Stone was the perfect name, and so that's what it was called.
Yet I noticed another stone shimmering, almost lighting the place up. I snatched it up quickly, glancing briefly at the aptly named Shiny Stone before putting it away.
But suddenly the claws froze, as if they were encased in ice. My hearing was the reason why, as it was on high alert.
There was the sound of debris falling above my head, but it sounded nothing like what had happened before.
This sound was louder.
Clearer.
More violent.
And it was not alone.
Because after that noise, the sound came again.
There was another instance of it, and then another…
And the sounds seemed to be getting louder and faster…
I could feel the debris hitting the shadows, keeping the rest of me completely unscathed.
Yet despite that, my eyes went wide.
This could only mean one thing.
I leaped back as the sound of the falling debris crescendoed. The quiet whispering of the tumbling rock turned into a roar. More and more debris plummeted down, now announcing its presence with lightning speed. All of the debris mercilessly slammed onto the ground, dust clouds flying up around it. It wasn't long before almost all the cave floor where I'd been standing before was inundated with the debris. In fact, almost all of it was soon completely buried, and I wasn't sure if any amount of clawing would reveal the floor again. Yet glancing through the dust I could see something else.
The dust settling confirmed it.
The wall had completely caved in and the opening from before was closed.
I may have received several objects from it, but it was like I hadn't mined anything at all.
I had just seen a rock wall collapse in front of me, and then all I could do with sigh with annoyance.
To those Trainers who weren't lucky enough to find everything in an area and then back away, this was how all mining expeditions ended.
Somehow, no one was in any danger. Or least, no injuries had been reported. Perhaps there just wasn't enough falling to cause an injury, or thanks to Pokémon and physical health, everyone was able to move out of the way.
Regardless, there was only one thing I knew after that.
I would have to go searching again.
With that, I continued stepping away from where I was, then turned so I was facing forward. Another sweeping glance revealed there were more shining spots. Rapidly, I jogged to the right of where was before. After that brief walk, I faced forward so that the shining spot was in front of me. The claws lashed out, not wasting a single second. Dirt, rock and dust yielded to the claws as I forced my way through the rock wall. My focus was as sharp as before, keeping my eyes on possible treasures as I hoped my efforts would not be fruitless.
Luckily, I was not disappointed.
It did not take me long to find more treasures.
A red orange stone with a flame emblazoned on it, appropriately named a Fire Stone…
There was a green stone with yellow lightning flashing, known as a Thunder Stone…
A stone with muted colors was in my hand, aside from the green leaf that shone like a light, something called a Leaf Stone…
And then there was the dark blue stone that shimmered like water, fittingly entitled the Water Stone…
Stones that allowed certain Pokémon to evolve, and all worth a good amount of money…
I snatched up all the stones without a second thought as they then disappeared inside of me.
A quick glance told me that there were no more treasures in this area, so I simply stepped back.
I was grateful I did not deal with a wall caving in, but I couldn't suppress a frown.
Even though I had gotten lucky and found quite a bit, it still wasn't even close to enough to make up for what I spent.
Especially if I could not or chose not to return to the Rangers.
But there were more shining places, and I wasted no time rushing to them.
Countless times the claws lashed out, destroying rock wall after rock wall…
And countless times treasure tumbled out, immediately being stored away…
Sometimes, the rock walls would collapse before I could find everything, but I was able to leap back before anything happened…
A gem here, an evolution stone there, another useful treasure there, and even rare items that needy Trainers would appreciate…
The items came to me almost effortlessly as the claws lashed out, and I welcomed every one…
They would all be immensely useful to me, with all the money I could recuperate and use in the future…
And I still hungered for more, still have plenty of energy and adrenaline left…
Until I stepped back after bit more.
My vision began to blur as a wave of dizziness assaulted me. Fatigue soon followed, and I thought I would stumble. Pain stabbed me in the stomach, and my sides soon burned with cramps. A headache slammed into me, and my mouth felt like sandpaper.
But there was one thing that was sharper than a knife.
Before there had been supernatural energy and power flowing through and from me like huge waves.
Now there was only a fraction of the power flowing, and the ways were significantly smaller.
I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth.
Of course I would feel like this.
I always did when I started to overuse my powers.
Not like this was normal for anyone with supernatural powers.
What I experienced was called physical overexertion, even though my powers were supernatural.
A situation unique to me so far, as no other supernatural users had seen anything like it in response to using the power.
Then again, I was converting my supernatural powers into physical ability, and no one had seen anything like that either. So that very well could have been why.
Still, I never got the typical symptoms of supernatural power overuse, such as the mental block, blacking out and not remembering anything, getting distracted, being unable to bring any power forth, and headaches much worse than what I was experiencing now. Aside from the diminishing energy, there was nothing indicating that I even had used supernatural powers.
And all the more ammunition for people to use against me to demonstrate that I didn't have them.
At least that had gotten better.
Like how I was feeling now.
After a couple minutes, my eyes slowly opened again. At last I could focus clearly, and my symptoms had disappeared.
I knew I shouldn't be lulled into a false sense of security, though. If I used my abilities for anything major again, my symptoms could and would come back with a vengeance. I would be fine as long as it didn't do that, and got some rest in the nearby city. I was sure I didn't need to use my powers to get to where I was going, and there would be plenty of opportunities to rest once I was out of the cave.
But Gabriel was quick to remind me of what had just transpired as I heard his voice in my head.
"Are you all right?"
I nodded quickly.
"I am."
I could hear the concern in his voice, but also a bit of an admonishing tone.
"You overused your powers again, didn't you? You know you're responsible for taking care of yourself with them, because even in your fused form, I can't stop you. I can perform motions for you, but you are in control."
I resist the urge to cringe again.
He was right about all that, and this wasn't the first time he had called me out about doing overusing my abilities.
I had no choice but to admit what was going on.
"Yes, that is what happened. I just got so focused on what I was doing that I didn't think about how much power I was using. I currently don't have anything to restore it either, aside from what I can naturally regain. I will have to be careful until I get the city."
Gabriel rapidly replied, with the admonishing never leaving his tone.
"Indeed. Your tendency to overwork is causing trouble again. I'm just glad you're all right this time."
Suddenly, sympathy crept into his voice.
"Old habits die hard, don't they?"
I shrugged my shoulders as I recognized what he meant. Overworking had always been an issue with me, even when I was young. A lot of time it cause issues like this combined with anger and frustration, and even though I had had the problem for over two decades, I had no idea how to fix it.
And Gabriel knew that better than almost anyone.
Yet I still couldn't help the look of rage that made its way across my face, or the words that came out in a snarl.
"A habit? More like a vice!"
Gabriel's voice continued it soothing tone as he replied.
"I wouldn't call it a vice. It's not like you mean to overwork or want to. Sometimes you're not even aware it's happening."
For a moment, I did not respond.
I knew Gabriel was right again, even though that didn't stop me from feeling frustrated and annoyed.
Perhaps he knew me better than I knew myself.
I went to go respond telepathically with my thought, but the thought quickly died.
Instead, there was something else.
A sensation.
One of a hand grabbing me.
One that prevented me from moving as the cave before me already began to fade.
I wanted to groan in annoyance, but I couldn't.
Instead, all I could do was helplessly let the hand and the vision it represented whisk me away.
Author's notes:
-Kristine's comments about the lack of accessibility is based off of how the Pokémon world is handled canonically. Canonically, the issue of physically disabled Trainers (or anyone with any sort of disability) is never brought up. Although a few disabilities are seen canonically, none of them are anything physical (aside from one special case that is able to magically conceal his physical disability and get around using that; there is also a couple trainers using canes, but they're mainly elderly and don't mention having any trouble getting around). Therefore, the Pokémon world is canonically not physically accessible, and Traveler keeps it that way. This is also why people have trouble knowing what to do with and how to treat disabled Trainers regardless of disability. Furthermore, in fan works, very few physically disabled Trainers appear. Disabled trainers are more common than in canon, but most of them are nonphysical disabilities such as being on the autism spectrum or asthma. This also contributes to why Traveler acts like there are very few physically disabled Trainers, and why Kristine doesn't think accessibility will get better very fast. All of this is also the reason why an older physically disabled Trainer traveling alone is considered something almost unheard of.
Kristine talking about how areas where things are not accessible where she's from, even more things are, is based on real life and my experiences. I live in the United States, where many areas are accessible. However, just as many are not, including areas meant for travelers and large amounts of people (tourism). So while physically disabled person can travel alone in real life in the United States without any issues, they can still be difficult and they can still need help. Traveling somewhere outside the United States makes problem even worse, because there are many cases were almost nothing is physically accessible. Regardless, at the time of writing, I have still been able to travel through a lot of the United States and several areas abroad. Unfortunately, I encountered difficulties in some places and always travel with a traveling companion because there are a lot of places where I need some sort of help. So Kristine's comments reflect all that.
-The mention of hovercrafts is something that comes from Pokémon XD. A boy named Michael is the protagonist of that game, and he gets around on a Segway (erroneously just called a scooter). The problem is Michael lives in an area that's mostly desert, so the Segway is the only way he can get from place to place until he's in in areas like cities or dungeons. About halfway through the game, Michael tries to head to an area with especially thick sands. He is forced to turn back because the Segway can't get through. He's given hovercrafts attached to the back of the Segway as a solution. With those, Michael's Segway floats above the ground when traveling for the rest of the game. In early versions of Traveler, Kristine would've received the same upgrades on her adaptive equipment. Just like with Michael, these upgrades would've allowed her to go to areas that would've been almost or completely impossible to traverse before.
The problem was when I quickly realized it wouldn't work. Hovercrafts couldn't be applied to a walker or an actual scooter, because they are much larger and heavier. Furthermore, unlike the Segway having an area to hang the hovercrafts off the back, there would be no place to put the hovercrafts on a normal scooter or a walker. Finally, Michael does not seem to worry about being unable to land on the ground after the hovercraft is applied to his Segway. Since Kristine's walker and scooter are necessary for her to move at all, she would need to be able to land. Therefore, if the hovercraft made it impossible, she couldn't use it.
-The reference to Lydia is to make things consistent with daughter and Kristine's other appearances. Daughter was finished before was decided that something would happen on Kristine's final mission before the Usurping began that made her not want to her Pokémon besides Gabriel. This also meant that Kristine Pokémon were mostly not planned to appear in the story at all after the decision involving her final mission was made. However, in the final chapter in Daughter, there was a line where it was mentioned that Kristine rode Silvally around the cave to move faster. However, there was no context other than that she had done that time in the past. The original line implied that she was doing it during that time she goes to Mount Moon in the present of Usurping (the final chapter in Daughter takes place a little after Usurping starts, so the event would be in the past then). However, since there was no context involving precisely when Kristine supposedly did all that, I decided the line could be interpreted a different way. Thus, I decided to have riding Silvally around be something she used to do almost out of habit until recently. Because it was something she did in the past, nothing would really contradict Daughter and the new plot line of her currently not wanting to use most of her current Pokémon aside from desperation after something that happened before Usurping could still be kept intact.
-In early versions, Lydia did not take up a lot of Kristine's power, so even with the plot points that were added, she had a good reason to continue using her. However, as I was thinking of what I would need a Pokémon's help for doing something completely independently and traveling alone, I remembered that it's impossible for me to ride a horse unassisted, and riding a Pokémon would be comparable to that. There are several reasons for this. One of which is that I cannot even get up on a horse unless I use a mounting ramp, because I can't lift my legs high enough to get up on one from the ground. Furthermore, I'm too heavy for someone else to lift off of the ground alone in many cases, and even with the help of several people, it can still be pretty difficult. Furthermore, I can only use a specific saddle (Western, mainly) because I need the extra balance help. I can only use a special type of reins (ladder reins) because my left hand isn't strong enough to signal the horse with both. Finally, I don't have as much balance or control over my left side, so I need a sidewalker to hang onto me and correct my posture if I start leaning in the wrong direction. Sometimes, if I'm on uneven terrain that compromises my balance, I need even more help on my right side. I cannot use my legs to command a horse either and have to rely on using my voice. With all of those issues preventing me from doing it completely independently in real life, it wasn't too much of a stretch to say something like that with Pokémon would take up a lot of Kristine's power because she would have to magically negate all those issues via fusion.
-The description of Mt. Moon is based off of the Kanto remakes, Pokémon Firered and Leafgreen. Moonstones not selling for as much in mainly being on the top floor are also based on canon games. However, the caves having steps that look like ladders are based on my interpretation. In most Pokémon games, ladders are used to get to different floors in caves. However, they don't make much sense being there, so they were changed to stone steps that resemble ladders in Traveler.
-Mining is based off of the Sinnoh Underground in the Sinnoh games. It works there exactly has Kristine describes, with a few changes to accommodate her character. In the games, mining requires a hammer and a pickaxe that the player character receives inside a kit. However, I cannot lift heavy objects in real life, so Kristine would need to use a lot of for supernatural power to even try to wield them. Additionally, she would be carrying a lot of equipment that she would probably never use. So it would be mostly useless her to even have that part of the kit. Since the claws can serve the same purpose, she just utilizes them instead. The items Kristine finds while mining can all be found well doing so in the games.
-How hazards are treated are another change. In the games, if a player is unable to get all the items in the designated time period, a wall does collapse on them and make the rest of where they were mining inaccessible. However, it's never mentioned if any of this is dangerous. It's also never mentioned if dust or rock would be bad for one's breathing or eyes, or even head. The player characters are also never seen wearing any protective equipment. In real life, mining would undoubtedly be more hazardous and probably would also be almost a death trap for someone with breathing problems like what Kristine has. Therefore, Gabriel helps out by protecting Kristine. Furthermore, in real life, I have trouble wearing heavy equipment and a lot of times can't. This means that Kristine would also have trouble and would find it easier just to use a magical equivalent.
The radar Kristine mentions is also something a bit different from the games. In the games the player has to use the DS touchscreen to search for areas with items in them. A wave would fill the screen, and any areas with items within the wave would sparkle. Since people cannot do the same in Traveler and the mining kit itself in the games does not give any details (it's located in the kit itself, but not as a separate item, Kristine just mentions the radar and leaves it at that.
-The scene was a little bit different in the original version. In the original version of the scene, Kristine instead used Mew, a Pokémon she was revealed have at the end of Holly Rising. Mew would create bubbles trying protect her the same way Gabriel does with his shadows. This was changed for a few reasons. One was because of the plot point with Kristine not wanting to use her older Pokémon other than Gabriel eventually being implemented, and Mew was one of those older Pokémon. The second was that Mew was only shown with the power to create bubbles in a few instances and never in the main games. This happened necessary as it served as the final boss in Pokémon Snap, using bubbles as a shield against player's strikes. Pokémon New Snap, as a sequel, had the same thing occur, but Mew was an optional boss there. The only other time was in Pokémon: The First Movie and its remake where Mew created bubble shields as a defensive mechanism. The idea was also added to because Mew would sometimes slam into things or use energy shots to attack with the shield up. Since the ability to create bubble shields is pretty obscure and never acknowledged in the main games, I figured that would be pretty confusing to see Mew using it consistently. Therefore, between that and the plot changing, the scene was changed too.
-Kristine's overexertion symptoms are the symptoms of overexertion in real life, minus the ability to only get worse when she uses her power and noticing that power has run low. When I decided that exhaustion from her powers was going to be one of Kristine's issues, and that she would be exhausted while mining, I decided I want to use the symptoms of physical overexertion. The reason was that, unfortunately, I had encountered those symptoms in my life (mostly after exercising hard and thankfully, but even then I haven't encountered them too often, so I had the most experience with them). I figured it would make sense, considering she's converting her supernatural mental abilities into physical power, so would make sense that she would have some physical symptoms after overusing them. However, I wasn't sure what a supernatural power user's mental exhaustion would look like, and I couldn't find anything that I could borrow from. So I just wrote down some symptoms of mental exhaustion and used those. Once I knew Kristine's exhaustion was going to be more physical, I knew it was going to look different because most psychics and other related and mental abilities don't use physical power, and Kristine still does.
-Kristine been workaholic and dealing with both mental and physical exhaustion as a result is a problem I have in real life. Luckily, I'm currently receiving treatment for and among other things, but it's still very difficult to treat and work around. As a result, at this time of writing, it's still something I struggle within the present-day. Thus it was included into Kristine's character.
-Kristine thinking her problem is of vice has to do with this chapter having some similarities with one of the ones in Holly Rising when it was written. The chapter in Holly Rising is called Lucky Vice. It shown early on that the main character Holly has a vice for gambling and other things involving chance. It's also shown that many characters are concerned since she is only 13 and is display and other unhealthy, dangerous, and reckless behaviors on top of that. At first, it's something that only is mentioned in the background, explaining why Holly is not allowed to be in the Game Corner despite being from Celadon and old enough to become a Trainer (and thus play despite being a minor). Over the course of Holly Rising, Holly returns to Celadon. At that point she has become an official Trainer, and therefore cannot be stopped from playing in the Game Corner.
Holly then recklessly gambles and displays addiction behaviors. She does this because she is in pursuit of the rare Pokémon Porygon, which can be won as a prize if someone has a lot coins won from gambling at the Game Corner (coins are the Game Corner's currency, and in many games the player has to max out their coins in order to obtain Porygon, or come close to maxing out their coins). Holly is able to successfully obtain Porygon, but is exiled from the city afterward. The person exiling Holly is her adoptive mother Erika, who is also the Gym Leader and the one that presides over said city. Erika angrily explains that because she provides for Holly, Holly has also spent Erika's money and must earn it back via battling other Trainers near the city. Holly's money was actually given to her by Maria, but Erika doesn't know this and Holly doesn't have the chance to explain.
Holly attempts to make the money back, but fails to do so and is ambushed by an unknown attacker. The attack ends with an attempt on Holly's life, and her starter Pokémon killed in her place protecting her. This is what starts Holly's descent into much darker actions, culminating in her becoming a major villain and her eventual fate in Usurping.
Even though Kristine's not an addict, not trying to hurt herself or others, and has entirely different and sensible reasons, some of the ideas are still the same. Namely, there's the idea of doing something dangerous that would benefit only oneself. Furthermore, there is a similarity of not being able to stop or just not caring about the dangers because of personality flaw, as well as a seemingly unbreakable habit. For those who read some of the other works, another similarity is the flaw in the behavior leading to disastrous consequences, but the consequences only being noticed and the character in question trying to correct them when it was far too late. When I noticed the similarities between Kristine's and Holly's behavior, I decide to make the indirect comparison.