Disclaimer: Pokémon is owned by The Pokémon Company and was created by Satoshi Tajiri et al. any recognizable content is credited to the original creators. The author earns no profit for this fanfiction.

Find you're not a fan of rap? How about experimental rock? If so, check out Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest, an awesome album. Most of this chapter was written while I listened to it. You'll probably recognize the song 'Two Weeks' the easiest, if you check it out.

On Writing

By Characters

Misdreavus, the Screech Pokémon. This ghost-type is nocturnal, often found in caves or graveyards. It tends to frighten or shock people for its own amusement. The red orbs around its neck allows it to feed on emotions.

So, basically, Misdreavus are pricks, and also vampires.

She eats feelings. Kinda coincidental actually, since my newest Pokémon before her is a Ralts.

That's fine, I guess. It's morning now, and I'm walking down the gangway off the ferry, going west on Route 121. I have a long way to go, it takes about a week of walking to reach Fortree City from here, according to my PokéNav Plus.

All of my Pokémon, except for Misdreavus, were pretty upset after they woke up at dawn. Going back to sleep with them last night wasn't that pleasant either, they avoided me the entire time (In the dreams, that is). The ghost was still in her 'ball recuperating from the short battle, though. I don't know exactly what their problem is, I can tell that they're angry and . . . jealous? It's a strange feeling.

They don't trust Misdreavus. And I don't blame them, really. None of us know her. She seemed odd since the moment she woke me up. Her moaning? That wasn't normal, even for a Misdreavus apparently. Across our newly formed psychic bond I can tell that right now she's resting in the shared dimension of the Pokéballs but she's stirring. I hope that my Pokémon will reconcile.

But, it's not to be. She's awake.

A light shoots out from my hip, Misdreavus' Pokéball opening and letting her out. She appears in front of me hovering in the air, "Misdreavuuusss . . ." her yawn draws out her name, "Mis!" and now she's looking around. I suppose she'd normally be asleep right now, but the fight and recovery disrupted her pattern. Three more lights shoot out from the belt holding the Pokéballs.

"Braixen!" along with the fox, all my Pokémon circle in front of me, a wall between Misdreavus and I, "Brai braixen!" she's angry, a snarl ripping its way out of her snout.

"Misdreavus?" the ghost on the other hand is completely confused, unsure of what's going on.

"Hey! What are you all doing out of your Pokéballs?" a Pokémon is capable of exiting on their own, but it's not typical that they do. I could understand why Misdreavus did, it wasn't really a big deal, but it looks like they're about to fight again.

"Brai ra braix bri braixen!"

"Frogadier."

"Ra ralts!"

They've all given their reasons, but like usual, I don't know what they mean. From their minds, I can understand better though. Defensive, suspicious, and hatred. That last bit is a shock although it's not that intense. Why do they hate her? Just the way she was acting last night?

The red orbs on Misdreavus glow for a second, and she recoils from the other three, "Misdreavus mis misdrea misdreavus!" Braixen pulls the twig from her tail and a fireball forms in front of her while Ralts' eyes start glowing, and Frogadier sighs.

"Stop! Enough, alright! I don't know what's going on but this is not okay! I get it, she was acting weird last night. That doesn't justify attacking her! You're acting like children!" and now, most of that anger is directed at me.

"Bra braixen?!" Braixen is the most outraged of all of them. She picks up Ralts, and then runs off into the trees and grass.

"What are you doing?! Get back here!" she doesn't listen and Frogadier stands there in the middle looking between the ghost and I. She sighs, again, and chases after the other two.

"Misdreavus?"

"Damn it! What the hell is wrong with them?" I pace back and forth along the road for a moment. This would be a lot worse if I didn't have my psychic abilities. As it is, I know where they are, but I don't know how to make this stop, "Okay. Misdreavus, I'm sorry this is happening right now, but I promise that once everything is settled I'll take the time to talk to you, alright? For right now I need you to go back into the 'ball." she's not happy about that. But despite her hesitation she returns to the Pokéball without too much resistance and I head off into the woods.

This isn't the first time that my Pokémon had left me. When I still lived in Kalos, before my sister's health worsened and before my parents separated, we had been at the Santalune Forest. We were on a vacation, traveling around Kalos and seeing all that there was to see. It was a great trip.

Anyway while we were there it was me, my sister, and our Pokémon walking ahead on the path. Our parents had stopped about a dozen feet back, looking at some plant life. We saw for a moment a short, bi-pedal, red furred, primate dash across from us into the trees. Then, Fennekin ran after it. Froakie followed and Annabelle started running before I stopped her.

I told her to go back to our parents, to tell them I would be back with our Pokémon. It wasn't that simple. An hour later I found them, facing off against two furious monkeys. The battle was short, our Pokémon had already done a lot of damage to the monkeys on their own, but it was enough that by the time we got back there was another angry duo to contend with. My parents were not happy.

So, as I'm jogging into the bay side trees, I'm also thinking back to that time so long ago. Why couldn't Braixen have gotten rid of that tendency with her evolution? Although, now it's like rebellion rather than overeager curiosity.

I find them at a pond sullen and upset. At least, Braixen is, I think Ralts is following the fox's lead for the most part. Frogadier has always had the cooler head though, she's mostly there to keep the other two out of trouble.

"Okay, guys. I know you're not happy with me right now, and I know that it's because of Misdreavus. That I captured her, and that she's part of our team now. She's strange, I'll give you that, but why do you have such a problem with her?" I address them as a group because their feelings are all in orders of magnitude. They're all suspicious of Misdreavus to an extent.

"Brai ri braixen!" accusatory, remembrance of Misdreavus moaning, and disgust.

"Ralts ra ral ralts . . ." abandonment, and the thought of the ghost staring into my eyes.

"Frogadier fro dier." apprehension, imagined images of that Pokémon biting into the back of my head. She wasn't awake at the time, so she couldn't have seen it, but at one point last night my dreams went back to that moment.

"Alright, then we're getting somewhere. I know you two already know this, but Ralts, no Pokémon that joins our team from here on out will ever replace you or the others. You are very special to me, you all are. I'm not trying to get rid of you, I promise. Will you let me prove that to you, in time?"

"Ralts!" her eyes are watering, and she's lifting her arms. I pick her up and hug her.

"Okay . . ." I sigh, shaking my head, "So I understand how you all feel about her. I really do. It's just, how could she ever prove our judgment wrong if we don't give her that chance? If she really is the way she seems, how would we understand if we attack her without thought for finding reason? She hasn't hurt me, or any of you either. I don't think she's bad, so, will you please give her a chance?"

"Braixen." she gives a hmph and turns her head to the side, but I think she's resigned to letting the ghost be.

"Fro . . ." the frog on the other hand gives a slow nod.

"Thank you guys, really. It's going to be okay, alright? I'm going to return you two to your Pokéballs, in the meantime I want you to prepare to introduce yourselves, politely, to Misdreavus while I talk to her." I bring them back into their respective 'ball and then let the ghost out. I'm still holding Ralts in my arms, she could use the reassurance while I'm finally meeting Misdreavus.

The ghost immediately flies up high, looking around at the trees and down at the water in the clearing, "Misdreavus!" she's happy. It's odd that she's like this in spite of the near attack only a short while ago.

"Ralts!" now that Braixen isn't influencing her, and after I've given her encouragement, Ralts is a lot more cheerful. Her greeting brings Misdreavus down to our level, and she stares at us curiously.

"Misdre mis misdra misdreavus, misdreavus?" there's a sly look in her eyes, a glint that is not a good omen.

"Ra– Ralts?!" the psychic blushes and stutters, looking anywhere but at the floating ghost and I. Misdreavus then giggles, her body shaking and her façade of balance disturbed. She inverts, upside down, uncontrollably.

"Mis mis misdrea misdreavus!" still laughing, she finally calms and returns to a normal position, grinning wildly. Ralts uses telekinesis to bring her 'ball up and inserts herself inside.

That was weird. It's gonna take a while to get used to the ghost's antics, I think.

"What did you say to her . . . ? Never mind, I don't want to know. So . . . now it's just me and you." that's probably not a good thing.

"Misdre misdra misdrea vus . . ." her last vocalization is rather husky, and she floats up to me staring at my eyes again. Is she trying to . . . flirt?

"Um," I take a step back, trying to get room. It doesn't work, "Uh Misdreavus, maybe you could move away for a moment? I want to explain what's going on, introduce myself to you," she sighs, but gives me space, "Thank you. So, I'm Ted. I'm an author."

"Mis?" interrupting me, she moves forward. Her breath is in my face and . . . it's oddly pleasant, "Misdreavus?"

"Yeah, I'm writing a book about the relationship between Pokémon and people."

"Misdreavus! Mis, mis misdra misdreavus misdre!" her excitement is palpable, shivering form obvious to my eyes. Now that I think about it, it's odd how well she understands me.

"Yes, that's right," I think. This easy understanding doesn't go both ways, "and I'm hoping you can help me with that. I've never had a ghost-type before, and people who haven't really don't know much about what the trainer/ghost-type bond is like."

"Mis! Misdreavus mis!" she immediately floats directly into me, merging with my body.

Shifting images, effervescent lights. Bursts of sound, reminiscent of an angelic choir. Blue silken threads tipped with pink, red piercing mirrors, purple glistening lips. There's a glowing, a pulsing, a feeling.

She's young, or is she timeless? Her heart is laid out, ready for the taking. Emotion stretches across chasms of emptiness, intertwining life burying itself within me.

She is paradise. Her skin shines, salty sweat sweet on my lips. Nothing is real, but I've never felt so alive. Darkness burns all around us, the cool light a protection against the flames.

Those red eyes are all that I can see.

I'm on my knees, vomiting into the pond. There are hands on my back, rubbing slowly and gently. I can hear a groan, but is it my own or the ghost's? I look up, and I see a phantom. Her blue body is shaking. She's groaning, but I realize it's the both of us.

There's a connection, a line. A binding so unlike the others, her soul is tied to my own.

"Well, that wasn't as pleasant as I thought it'd be," Misdreavus' red eyes meet my own, shifting in the air, "I hope it was as good for you as it was for me, baby." she laughs, shakily.

"What?! How can you be joking right now!? What even was that . . . oh Arceus, the headache!" I duck my head again, puking even more, somehow.

The hands on my back pause, confused. I can hear their sounds of bemusement, listening to their voices repeat their names in various fashions. Wait.

Why do I understand Misdreavus?

"Oh, that's simple Teddy. You're mine now, and I'm yours," there's a breathy giggle, and she floats back to my level, her eyes (those red eyes) looking into my own, "What more could it be?"

"No, that doesn't make any sense! You're not even speaking, your mouth isn't moving! Why can I hear you?!"

"Because our souls are one," she speaks out loud as well, that discordant voice clashing with her meaningful words, "and now you'll know what it's like to have a ghost-type."

The other three are angry but . . . not surprised. Did they know?

"Our souls are one? Uh. Okay. I guess–I guess that makes sense. But . . . why?"

"Think of it as being like that link you have with your cute little Ralts, but more. Don't worry about it right now, okay? It'll make sense in time." with a wink, she floats back, giving me and the others some space.

I lean back, looking up at the blue sky, squinting against the harsh glare of the sun. Is my life ever going to be normal again?

After washing the throw up off my face and out of my mouth I stand up, steadied by the hands at my sides. I look down into the worried eyes of my other Pokémon. I'm so happy that they're not avoiding me in disgust. Those are true friends, I tell ya.

"Thank you, guys, for being there for me. I really appreciate it," I take a moment to walk around the pond, away from the gross water and to settle my shaking, "I don't know about you guys, but I don't think I can do any more traveling today. What do you say we set up camp?"

"Braixen!"

"Frogadier."

"Ralts!"

"Ooh boy, do you think you'll have another wet dream? I'd love it if you did! All that sex and lust! Please do, for me?"

"What? We're not even going to go to sleep right now, it's way too early! Is that why you were acting so . . . you know, last night?"

"What, horny? Yeah, your arousal tastes soo good!"

"I don't know what to say to that." but I do know why Braixen was feeling disgust for Misdreavus earlier. It makes sense, Misdreavus did seem like that sort of . . . Pokémon. Not that this character trait is common for humans or Pokémon. I don't think I've seen or heard of a Pokémon so blatantly sexual.

"I do. Who was that woman? She was really pretty, I wish I could've seen you stic–"

"Alright! That's enough of that. And are you saying you were seeing my dream?"

"Well of course! I don't need to bind my soul to another being to possess them, silly." by now I've finished setting up the tent and placing my stuff inside, and I ask my Pokémon to gather firewood while I clear a space.

"So you can just . . . possess someone else? See their dreams, and I'm guessing thoughts and feelings too? Control them?"

"No I can't really see their thoughts, at least not when they're awake, and I can't control them either. I risk my life doing that."

"What, how?"

"It's like this. You ever seen someone trying to ride a Tauros? They'll buck and thrash, really resisting it," here she giggles, perpetually incorrigible, "if they're not their trainer, that is. Trying to control someone with possession is like that, but infinitely worse."

"Well then. Personally, I'm glad that you're not able to control people." she gets in my face, floating around sinuously.

"Oh, worried about what I might make you do?" she laughs, and licks her nonexistent lips, "You could just let me. It'd be so much easier to control you now, since our souls are bound. Think about it, me in you, directing you to do the most pleasurable things you would never think of." I think I'm desensitizing to her moans. What purpose does it even serve, at this point?

The others return, carrying loads of burnable wood. After setting up the wood Braixen sets it on fire. No need for tinder! It's only late spring so there's really no need for a campfire, especially in a warm region like this, but how can anyone have a camp without a fire? It's not right.

"Hey, scooch your soul over for a sec, mkay?"

"Huh?" she flies into me and I'm suddenly being tortured, "Agh!" the others are frantic, unsure of how to get her out without hurting me.

"Oh shush, it's going to be better in a little, baby, I promise. It'll even feel good!" it's true, already the pain is receding and my heart is no longer racing, "There, all better. Aren't you glad that's over?" she coos at me, her voice achingly sweet.

"Arceus, why would you even do that?!"

"Well, I don't like my Pokéball and we needed for some way for both our desires to be accommodated. And . . . it's easier for me to devour your lust this way. Don't worry! This won't make you some sort of emotionless husk, a shell of a man, an emotional battery that only exists for my own pleasure. None of that, I swear!" she's laughing now, that soprano voice echoing around my heart. It's a weird feeling, but you probably coulda figured that out on your own.

"Brai bri braix braixen!" the fox's angry red eyes stare into my own, looking for something.

"Oh don't you worry you clueless girl, he's perfectly fine. Not like you could do anything about it anyway . . ." those giggles escape my own mouth, along with the words. And was that Pokéspeech? Didn't she say she couldn't control me unless I let her?

"Yes, I did say that. But you're letting me control you, right now. For us, it'll be different. If I tried to control someone else they would instinctively throw me out, hurt me even. But you will have to deliberately stop me from doing anything, and right now I have implied permission to do anything I want." she demonstrates this by forcing me to my feet and taking the spluttering Braixen into my arms, lifting her up in the air.

I don't want her to control me.

And, suddenly, she isn't. I let go of the flustered fox and she backs off staring at me, watching for any quick movement, "Uh, sorry about that, Braixen." she nods and now she can't meet my eyes. Odd.

"You like to ruin all my fun, don't you?" I can feel that sigh, brushing against my soul, "You'll let me use you, one day."

"Uh huh, sure. So you want to do this so that you don't have to be in your 'ball?"

"Yeah, it's so cramped in there. Not like your soul, where I can suck up all your feelings," she makes a brief breathy sucking noise and laughs, "Delicious."

"Arceus, I feel like I should be more worried about that than I am. Are you sure this really won't hurt me?"

"Mhmm. You feel more than I could ever lap up with my tongue . . ."

"Are you ever not a nymphomaniac?" I'm not feeling hopeful about her answer here.

"Nope." the 'p' pops just like you'd hear if . . . ahem. Never mind that. She's corrupting me now. I was definitely right about ghost-types changing their trainers. Her chortling is incessant and admittedly adorable.

"Okay. You know what? Let's all do something, this is getting to be too much. Training sound good to you guys?" with a chorus of agreements we all look for somewhere to practice, the ghost still hanging around inside of me.

We'd found a clearing a short distance away from camp, we didn't want to cause any damage to our stuff. After doing that my fox and frog once again paired off and me and Ralts did the same (Misdreavus riding along like a leech).

Now that Ralts is telekinetic our training became a lot easier, and I made her spend time working on her control and strength. I had merged our minds (and having Misdreavus in my soul at the same time? Not a good idea) and told her to continue her practice (but more like we both continued practicing; it's confusing, I think I've said that before). It was interesting feeling that extension of self reach out to something and pull or push it away lifting with ease, or not.

So it continued in that manner for a while, the other two in fierce battle (I think they were letting off their frustrations over the situation with Misdreavus) and Ralts and I working together.

But, Misdreavus became bored. I think you know that's not a good thing.

So she decided to join in on the training and after some reluctance on my part I let her battle against Ralts. She wasn't harsh or cruel, or anything like that, but Ralts couldn't fight her very well.

Misdreavus would weave in and out of perception, heckling the poor psychic more than anything. Midway through Ralts managed to produce some sort of glowing, blue, astral shield and it helped, a little. If the ghost resorted to an actual attack, like one of her balls of darkness that seemed to radiate fear, pain, and death, then it would be blocked. But, normally, Misdreavus went around it (popping in and out of existence), ignoring the problem altogether.

It didn't take too long before I realized that my Pokémon are brilliant. Special moves like this without any help from me? That's amazing. And for Ralts in particular, going from nothing to extraordinary telekinesis and shields like the ones she was using? I couldn't be any prouder.

Misdreavus also had to have had a lot of experience to be able to fight like this. I am really lucky.

We return to my tent eventually, the bright stars up above in the clear sky. It was a long training session but it did us all a lot of good.

After hunting down some small local wildlife (non-sentient simple animals, I promise) we had dinner, supplementing the supply of food I already had (which, wouldn't last forever; let's not get into the morals of all this, yeah?).

Then, we went to sleep.

That transition between waking and sleeping is now very strange for me, the difference between dreams and reality a thin line. On top of that, I have a naughty ghost-type in my head, in my heart, trying to make me to think about other raunchy things, like what I could be doing to Fern. And there's a lot, as Misdreavus has so proven. But I resist her wiles and try to spend a better night with my other Pokémon too.

Our dreams are focused on the day we just had, exploring other possibilities. Braixen is fantasizing about what it'd be like if instead I'd abandoned the nasty ghost. Siding with her and the others, forgetting about the sicko.

Ralts brings a nightmare into the mix, seeing me step back from the tiny psychic and espousing the superiority of Misdreavus, all the while everyone walks away, leaving her behind. I hold her tightly trying to distract her from the fake images, watching together as the apparition of myself leaves.

Frogadier's are calm. A lake of peace in our dreams, the thought of the waves of the bay and pond. It's rather melancholy, actually. But her desire for solitude keeps me away (literally; I can't actually interact with them if they block me, even if it's only my presence. Like I block them when I have wet dreams).

Then, there's Misdreavus. She . . . maybe I shouldn't even say anything about her dreams. I'm actively blocking the dream she's sending out from reaching the others, so she doesn't destroy their innocence. She's mostly focused on me anyway, pulling in scattered images of women I know from my own mind. For her, nothing is sacred. If you don't know what that might mean, I'm not going to help you figure that out.

So, ignoring my nausea, we sleep the night away. It isn't always like this, conjoined dreams of separate people tied together at the ends without any regard for cohesive thought. Sometimes it's all one big fantasy, nothing blocked, and nothing held back. Not that Misdreavus is able to then attack the others' naive outlooks. It's a combined will that determines the dream. Only what everyone wants.

We're on Route 120 now, walking northward. The ghost is in me, providing a constant backdrop of perversion and desire. I'm getting used to it.

It's raining, and I'm wearing my heavy raincoat. It's not perfect, I'm still getting pretty wet (don't say anything, Misdreavus) but it's okay. As a distraction from the monotony of walking the Route, I've opened myself up to the emotions of my Pokémon (The ghost loves that, she's eating up the feelings that she likes of myself and my Pokémon in tandem). They're mostly as bored as me, really, but they're playing in the (small) alternate reality of the Pokéball.

Ralts is having a blast, being entertained by her older teammates. Frogadier is carrying her on her back, running across (false) water. She (Frogadier) is happy to spend time with the younger Pokémon making her laugh. But Braixen is irritated, unhappy to be babysitting.

"Braixen, bra braix . . ." she mutters. To have this image in my mind of what's going on I have to extrapolate on their thoughts and feelings that I'm receiving. But it's pretty clear, and actually, their thoughts seem to be . . . becoming more. If I just . . .

Suddenly, there are voices in my head, speaking words. Words.

"Arceus, I can't wait 'til that girl evolves, she'll be so much easier to deal with then . . . "

"Faster Frogadier, Faster!" Ralts is laughing in delight, enjoying the spray of the water and the air in her face.

"Of course Ralts. Hold on tight!" Frogadier is speaking with some extra effort, as you'd expect from someone running. Her voice is deeper, lower than the others.

Oh my Arceus.

I stop immediately and stare down at the Pokéballs. My feelings stretch across our bonds (the amount that isn't eaten up by Misdreavus, anyway) and they respond in confusion. That isn't normal either, my thoughts and emotions shouldn't be able to project to them at all, unless . . .

"Braixen? Frogadier? Ralts?"

"Ted? Is that you?" that's Braixen speaking.

Lights flash before my eyes, and three Pokémon are in front of me being drenched in rain. They rush at me, grabbing at my legs and sides.

"Ted! I can't believe this! You can speak now?!" it's Frogadier this time staring up at me, her dark skin gleaming against the light breaching through the clouds, aided by the water.

I feel tiny arms hitting against my leg and I bend down to pick up Ralts, "I'm so happy you can finally understand us, Teddy!" she's beaming.

"Well, well, congratulations Teddy." this voice resounds from within, slightly husky.

I start laughing, looking up at the sky. The water blurs my vision, but I can see a moving dot, the most beautiful singing I'd ever heard carrying down to us. No words, but there's happiness being shared in those unsung lyrics.

Everything is different.

Author's Note: And now we have our fourth chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know how you felt about it, yeah?

Also, if you ever notice anything that doesn't sound quite right, like, scientifically (within the boundaries of my established universal mechanics of course) or regarding fields of art or anything like that, let me know. I, unfortunately, don't know everything, and at times I have to rely on outside sources (who am I kidding? I mean all the time).