Chapter 4
After some of that croissant, we moved on to the test. My mind has not left the unanswered question. What happened? Honestly, I'm just curious in the events that led to what it is now. Of course, my idiocy forgot that I would be taking a test, so I put my curiosity at the back logs for now and focused on this test. "First question," she said, "what is your name?" Seriously? Didn't we already establish this? It's hard to tell if she's being ironic since she looks absolutely serious. Confidently, and rather sarcastically might I add, I said my name. Not too loud, of course, but much more boldly than one would expect when introducing themselves. She got the message, so she moved on to the second question, this time with a little snide and snarkiness as to complement my previous remark. "What are you?" I answered this with, "I, from my humble observations, am a Mew, and, from the looks of it, will remain a Mew until my days will come." This, rather posh, derisive tone continued in my descriptions, of which I bullshitted my way through, and would be much easily summarized as, "Look at me." My tone is so condescending in fact that, when I turned to Pikes, he looked at me funny. However, the train is still running on what little coal is stocked, so I marched bravely into the third question to which she asks me, "What moves can you do?" Aha! Trick question. I anticipated this sort of question popping out from the get-go. I spoke, in a brave valiant manner, "I eat, walk, sleep, and that's about it." She chuckled, but then she realized what I actually said. "Wait, I mean like moves. You know, like it's literally innate. Even the Karp's got Splash. Things like that count as moves." I kept the act on, but still told her the truth. "Alky, might I say," Pikes spoke to her, "he may have been hit with something, maybe somemon actually, and, well, it took him awhile to stand up just today, so he's probably like a little Pichu learning how to walk." Pikes came off as pretty sincere; that made Alky buy it. Due to this, her demeanor now became more serious and sceptical after this third question, yet she seemed to give more beneifit to her doubts as Pikes cleared the obvious predicament I'm in minus the whole human situation. Now with this knowledge, she went to the fourth question, "Where are you from?" Now, although she has served me lunch, I still doubt the Alakazam who tried to read my mind. I know keenly where I am from, but I don't want to risk a person of power finding me out; believe me, that didn't go too well last time it happened. Because of this, I played into Pikes' cover-up, and told her, breaking the put on mannerism and witticism, to act as if I've run out of things to say, and fall completely off as to come up with nothing funny or genuinely not know how to assess the situation, perhaps because I didn't assess the question in which I didn't anticipate in the first place, "Well, I don't know." This and yet, even with the subtleties that I have both implied and shown, she still doubts on whether I said in that insatance is the truth or concealing such. That, or maybe I'm just a bad actor. Either way, she accepted it as fact and moved onto the finalè of this slew of questions.
She starts off with, "These questions are gonna be a little different from those last ones." Oh no. She went plural. "You see I'm gonna need to assess you in talent, to fit you in fondly with what you can do best. Therefore, I will have to let you answer, orally, an Intelligence Quotient test; at least that's what humans once called it." Mayday! It's worse than I expected. An IQ test orally. It's already a challenge to think about it whilst needing to write it down; this is on a whole new level. She explained that the test tests on my knowledge of the world. It hasn't even been a day yet, and, already, they're questioning me about the familiarity of this place. She gave me quick questions in which some I do know while others I simply don't. Alky didn't lie about the difficulty; I went through my whole maths education, from elementary up until college, trying to answer what equation she throws at me. Did I solve them all? Nope. As if you'd expect me to derive Pi since the 3.141 is incredibly inaccurate to her standard. Then there's other systems like measurement and the sciences, as well as where we are and the geography and location, moves and Pokèlogic, and the weird trivia about Pokèmon and humans. It's safe to say I am left dumbfounded by everything Alky threw at me, however I did manage to answer a few there. A few moments pass as the Pokèmon thinks about the discussion that took place. "After thorough observation and computation, you're IQ is inconsistent and undeterminable." I paused. I am now currently waiting for the rug to be pulled out of my feet, but it already looks like that happened. I kept quiet. "Your score," she said, "is the most incoherent and uncalculable in all of my experience doing these." I, and Pikes who is listening to my demolishment, am left in confusion and shame. "Now, I don't understand how to approach the situation you are currently in," she continued. "However, it must be noted that you are the first to give me something new in terms of IQ. Your IQ, by any means, does not and simultaneously does exceed all mon. I barely gave you any location, historical, and Pokèmon-related questions for the simple reason that you wouldn't get it, however it has come to my attention that you have knowledge on two of three general grey areas that, even I, don't know much of. The natural studies is sufficient, and in between that of a normal mon and one of considerable intelligence. Some more archaic are answered easily, while you struggle on fairly modern inventions such as the SPOD system. Overall, I do not understand you, and so, for my times' sake, you can stick with Pikes, and just let him handle the recommendations." I didn't know what to say. I say, puzzlingly, "Thank you?" She didn't catch up to this ambiguity, and simply replied, "You're welcome." She gave her closing remarks, laid some coins on a money holder, and teleported away.
"Wow," Pikes said, "I've never seen her so puzzled ever." He turned to me to say, "I can't believe you've done this." I felt a little bad. "She will be pretty upset about the whole 'you' thing, but she'll recover. Of course, that is, I hope she recovers," Pikes looked a little distressed saying that, "anyway, she left me responisble, so I say we go to this friend of mine." I'm not sure what to think of. I keep thinking about that event in my head for a bit as we walk th city streets going to this friend of his. I've not really thought alot about the city's scene. It looks quite homemade, robust, and yet untouched. Flowers litter what would be a very drab brown colour. Cobbled stone of not to dissimilar material make the roads feel much better than dirt. My feet, if even such a term is relevant, feel soft and must have barely any calli. Though still a hard ground, the smoothness does make it much more tolerable than coarse dirt or gravel. Oddly enough, I notice that some establishments are closed. It's weird to see some closed businesses at this time of day; then again, I'm used to businesses being twenty-four seven. Aside from this, the town looks, oddly enough, industrial. Marvels of that time have bled into the town that would be out of place anytime before and after. It's not modern, but neither is it ancient. We walk the streets until we reach a sort of dojo. It isn't labeled as such; in fact, it reads, "Dojo ano Ditto." Windows are a mere blinds only, but it is worth mentioning the very much concrete material it is made out of. It is, unlike the other buildings, built to last even the most catastrophic of works.
"Ok Xenos. You wait here, I got to go check someone." I nodded, but that wouldn't change anything as he bolted for the doorknob. The cottony clouds of midday, the cerulean skies, the worried faces of the people around me, it just seems off. A lot of things have gone through my head, which is mainly just rambling questions, and have made me suppress my feelings. In a way, things here are different. Not even in a way. Fully is it different from the landscape of my past. No longer am I being watched, no longer am I threatened by such obscure laws. However, I've always struggled with paranoia. Oftentimes I am paranoid about meaningless things. It's just my gut feeling, and, by any means, I feel it. The offness of the situation, the disdain, the staunch worriness, it all seems planned. It was only remarked strange once I came in. There is something, honest-to-god wrong, and I'm sick of not knowing it. I grasp for air as my heart beats fast. I'm starting to be anxious and worrisome. A bench is across the street. I carefully treaded with my bare feet on the ground, and got to the bench and carefully sat, minding my fifth apoendage. I took in my surroundings and just kept calm. As the people, no, Pokèmon, pass me by my little bench, I start to realise something. People always refer to our loneliness. A little pale blue dot housing an incredible amount of one species. No other intelligence and idea brought up by other animals. Back then, we, collectively, are alone, but now, I am alone. There is a human imprint, a human influence, clearly visible, yet there are no humans. I have been ostracised from every animal here. Even if these Pokèmon accepted me as one of their own, I cannot fathom my assimilation into the culture of Pokèmon. I'm not even done thinking when, out of the blue, Pikes came out, looked for me, and found the pink mew with the blue coat sitting on a bench. He ran over and said, "I see you're taking a seat at the little bench. Quite smart since those are littered everywhere. I just didn't expect you to sit down." Pikes then told me to stand at the entrance until he exits. I get up from the little bench, and crossed the walkways going to the entrance, making sure I did not block any flow of traffic. The door opened and we were greeted by a purple blob. The blob is bigger than it really should be; it really is bigger than it should be. It's just a big slime monster or a spillage of grape jam. "Xenos, meet Ides. Ides meet Xenos," Pikes says. "So, this is what I'm working with," Ides responded. His little eyes examine every inch of my body. From the blue coat, to the pink hair, well techincally fur, that has been distributed all over my body. He then meditated? I'm not sure what he's doing. He just stopped looking at me and started idling. We look down on him as he stared blankly at the ground. I am starting to get a little tired from this shenanigans. Finally, Ides spoke, "This is… I have never before been defeated so harshly." Pikes worryingly looked at the ditto and asked to speak to him in private. For a short minute, I didn't know what to do. I ponder, which is to stand still puzzled, at the situation. From what I can remember, dittos can copy other Pokèmon however I don't know if they had any other use aside from that. Aside from this, I am overwhelmed whatever's going on today. One day I was hunted and killed along with my memory in my own home, the next I'm not even human. There's something awful lurking, but I don't know what is. Still rambling in my thought bunker, Pikes and Ides finished talking. Not one word was exchanged since the conversation as Ides goes back into the gym whilst Pikes gestures to come with. I walk, still struggling, to him. I asked pikes about the strange event, and he responded with, "I'm sorry." I do not know why he's apologising, however, I did not want to press further matters with him. "Well, we have nothing else to do, and the sun's getting there, maybe you want to go home early?" I've not taken a good look at the house and its intricacies. The second floor is cool, but I also want to check out that piano. Bedroom's alright I guess, but I'll check on some things before I start exploring that floor. With the afternoon at full swing, we head back to our abode.