The door creaked loudly as it swung open, the sound echoing through the mostly empty streets. A few lone «NPCs» and a single player turned their heads momentarily towards the noise, but went about their business after a second as if nothing had happened.
The cloaked figure who opened the door paused, looking around, before slowly walking down the steps. A small, brown-haired foxy «Pokemon» trotted out after her, yipping in an annoyed fashion when the door closed on its bushy tail. It pulled it out with a yank and spent a second smoothing it out.
As if he hadn't noticed, the cloaked man continued on his way without pause. He walked two strides this way, two steps that way, as if he didn't know which way he was supposed to go; or, if he didn't actually have a destination in mind.
The Pokemon gave an angry yelp and ran forward to catch up with the man. He gave no sign of acknowledgement at its presence; the little furball glared up at the back of his hooded head.
Apparently the Pokemon had reached a tense resolution with its trainer, as it looked away with an angry look on its face at the same time the man gave an audible sigh. The exhaling of breath sounded slightly high; not quite so manly.
The figure wandered down a few more blocks, aimlessly walking from one side of the street to the other. He shook his cloak back, revealing a white «Pokelink» with red accents mounted on his thin arm. Above it was the hem of a white sleeve, looking slightly worn. A slender finger was drawn along the glowing strip down the center of the device, and the wraparound menu appeared.
He stared hard at a blinking digital clock in the corner, then at the number and word below it. His Pokemon appeared to become even further annoyed by his actions, even so far as to give the man's leg a bat with its paw.
There was, however, no reaction. A few minutes passed uneventfully. The little brown fox sat down and surveyed the area with little interest. A few doors opened and closed; several more people walked by.
A stocky looking «Hitmonchan» wandered out of an alleyway and oogled the steaming bread in a nearby stall before stomping off.
"I missed it."
The voice that finally came from underneath the hood was unmistakably female and full of disappointment.
The Pokemon sitting next to her rolled its eyes and gave a baleful snort.
She turned and finally addressed it, albeit with great contempt. "Would you please stop that... Pokemon?"
It growled a warning right back at her. Clearly, the two were not on the best of terms.
She met its indignant stare with one of her own from under her hood. The standoff ended after a minute when she flinched as a low rumbling came from her stomach area. Simultaneously, the Pokemon's digestive system also gave a cry for nourishment. They both glared daggers at each other's bellies for a moment, then came to a tense truce as somewhere in their link, as they both agreed that food would take precedence. Both of them dropped their hostile attitudes, now only appearing extremely tired.
A rare occurrence indeed.
They wandered over to a roadside stand, where a generic NPC was hawking his wares in a sleepy voice. His unkempt appearance made him look not entirely qualified to be doing business; his unfocused eyes, slightly crossed, added to the effect. Nonetheless, his products were no different from the ones sold by a variety of different vendors all across the city: «Black Bread», for 1 «Poke». Easily the cheapest item in the game.
Or this world, depending on how you looked at it.
Buying three loaves, she made her way down to a nearby bench under the shade of a tree and sat down on one corner of it. Sniffing a little hopefully, the Pokemon followed her there, hopping onto the same stone seat, but the opposite side.
Looking at the creature with an unreadable expression, the cloaked girl tossed it a bun. Half of the second bun followed shortly when it gave her a withering look. She watched as it didn't give her a second thought and began tearing ravenously into the bread.
She looked down at her own loaf and a half. Saliva started to form in her mouth, and her stomach screamed at her to start digging in. To her empty belly, the bread looked as appetizing as anything she had ever seen.
Under the hood, she shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. A few lengths of long chestnut hair fell free of the cloak, hanging next to her face.
It's all electrical signals. Asuna thought to herself. This world is fake. It's all fake.
Just shut up and eat, stupid. Her «Eevee» muttered over the link, munching loudly on a hard piece of crust.
Chapter 4: Glowing Hope
On the bus to school.
"Hey, did you hear of that genius Kayaba Akihiko?"
"Did you hear that breakthrough he made? He managed to program the world's first self-aware, learning AI!"
"Ugh, that still gives me the shivers... I guess the robot apocalypse is upon us. We're doomed."
"No, no, he's one of the senior designers and programmers of «Pokemon Online»! That new generation virtual reality game? He's going to give them all his new smart AI! He even said he programmed every personality possible!"
"So when you play with the Pokemon its like playing with real animals?"
"I dunno, but he promised it would be like a real Pokemon journey! I can't wait to try it out!"
Her older brother.
"Hey, have you heard of that next-gen virtual reality game?"
"You'd have your very own Pokemon to grow up alongside you as a partner!"
"The AI is fantastic! It's literally the best experience someone as dull and antisocial as you could have."
A billboard near her testing center.
"A whole new world! Live a new adventure in the world's first VRMMO RPG!"
"Fight and grow alongside your partners! Over five hundred different species!"
"New generation AI courtesy of lead designer and programmer Kayaba Akihiko!"
Even her mother, who despised video games in general.
"I read an article in the paper today about an exclusive interview with Kayaba Akihiko. That man is really something."
"I cannot even begin to imagine how much effort he invested into creating this advanced Artificial Intelligence. A pity he wasted all his work on a game."
"You could do to learn a trick or two from him about dedication though, Asuna."
Everyone was talking about that game. Asuna had dismissed it as an annoyance, opting rather to focus more on the upcoming mock entrance exams.
Then her brother had purchased a new «NerveGear», the virtual reality headset that was required in order to play the new VRMMO that had came out, along with the game. Curiosity overcame her, and she couldn't resist taking a closer look at the device that was causing such a stir across the world.
It hadn't seemed like anything too out of the ordinary. An iron-gray helmet, with incredibly complicated-looking sensors on the inside. The logo on the side. A few indicators, including battery and wireless connectivity. A padded strap to secure it in place.
It sure didn't look like something all that special, save the inside sensors.
Then she had been seized by the sudden desire to see for herself what was attracting so many kids her age, and thus she donned it, lay down after reading the manual, and intoned, "Link Start".
Reflecting on that moment and the events leading up to it, Asuna of the present swallowed another bite of bread and concluded that those 5 minutes of pure stupidity had been the worst 5 minutes of her life.
For the hundredth time that week alone, she felt like breaking down again. She knew whole lives could be ruined in periods of time less than ten seconds, but that didn't stop her from bitterly cursing herself.
Why... why did I do this. This is nothing more than a drawn out death sentence.
Stop bombarding me with your negativity, "master". It's ex-treme-ly annoying.
Asuna straightened up abruptly and threw the last half of her bread at the offending Pokemon, knocking her off the edge of the bench with a yelp.
No one asked you, Pokemon! Just shut up and stay there! You aren't even real, you stupid program!
I guess I should be offended by that... The «Eevee» climbed back onto the bench with the piece of bread in her mouth and a resigned expression. ...but I've heard that so much it just bounces right off now. Thanks for the extra bread.
She curled up and began working on nomming the food down. Asuna just continued staring in anger, before she expended the rage with a punch to the bench.
The machine back in the professor's lab had asked her a bunch of pointless questions before giving her this abomination of a partner. It had judged her to be a "lighter shade of gray", whatever that meant.
It didn't matter. Everything in this world was fake, from Asuna's feeling of hunger down to the Pokemon sprouting annoying gibberish in her head.
Everything is fake. You're all not real.
Yes, we are. She looked at her. We think. We feel. We exist. We do stuff.
Yeah, you kill innocent people is what you do! Go away! Asuna swatted at the side of her head with grimace. You're fake. You're only a collection of ones and zeros. You're a part of this... this fake, electrical signal, distorted world! Get out of my head!
The Eevee sniffed. I can die too, you know. I'm your partner, for heaven's sake. As rude and annoying as you are, I'm still your part-
Asuna stood up and stomped off. STOP! Shut up! You're a part of everything. You are just another part of death. Go away!
A sigh echoed in her head, and somehow she knew the darned thing was still following behind her. She released a choked sob, wiping the tears coming from her eyes.
Stop following me! You're a part of this fake world!
This world is my reality and, right now, yours. You need to realize that, for your own wretched-
SHUT, UP!
Asuna clenched her fist and walked faster.
Why... what did I do to deserve this? She cried out silently. I was supposed to take the mock entrance exam yesterday...
She had always listened to her parents. She studied hard for every class. She was at the top of her grade, near perfect on almost every test. She had never lied, never stole, never cheated, always been faithfully obedient and kind.
What was supposed to happen to her was that she was supposed to work hard in school, get into a prestigious college such as Tokyo U, graduate to a high-paying job, and live comfortably for the rest of her life.
So then why was she here, trapped in a Video Game of all things, just waiting to die? Before her life had even really begun?
Conquer the continent and clear the game? Any dunderhead could see at first glance that was nigh on impossible. It was just an excuse for the almighty fraud that was Kayaba Akihiko so that he could watch these humans scramble around like ants, hoping for freedom, before this unfair world finally overcame them.
An image popped into her head: the man himself, watching them struggle for their lives while reclining on a couch, sipping a glass of expensive champagne with a cruel smile on his face.
It's not fair.
Life isn't fair. The Eevee replied both sagely and sarcastically.
Asuna mentally screamed a slew of curses for the first time in her life, most of them phrases she had heard from her brother's room when he had lost in his games.
...that was... colorful. A slightly stunned voice floated around in her head.
Mentally exhausted, Asuna leaned against a nearby shop window, resting the side of her head against the cool glass. Her eyes watched the store owner as he raised an eyebrow at her before returning to his wares.
I... I don't want this. I want to get away... I want to apologize. I want to tell my brother how sorry I am... for stealing his game. I want to tell my mom how sorry I am for missing the exam...
Her throat constricted.
I want to go home.
"...I heard, if you go there, it logs you out automatically and let's you go home."
Asuna's ears literally twitched as she stood bolt upright, running over to the corner of the building from where the voice came from.
"Seriously?"
"Yup. The cave in the middle of the spring, that one's apparently it."
Asuna glanced around the corner; the speakers were three males sitting at a cafe table. All three of them had whole loaves of bread in their hands; they were probably just starting breakfast.
One of them already had his mouth full of wheat. A moment later, he swallowed heavily and commented, "That's probably just fake info. There's no way something like that exists."
The one across from him, the first one who had spoken, scratched his neck. "I don't think so. I heard that this was information from the «Rat»."
Asuna edged closer. Across her link, she knew that her Eevee was still beside her, just looking around.
"Oh? Then it probably exists. Where is it?"
A gesture. "Over in the west route. Somewhere down that line, there's a path to the south branching off to a place called «Sendoff Spring». I think there's a waterfall next to it."
"That place?" A disappointed expression formed on the face of the second guy. "That place is pretty tough to get to. There's like, level fives over there."
The third guy perked up worriedly. "«Sendoff Spring»? I've heard that anyone who goes there never comes back."
Asuna silently slid her finger down her «Pokelink», bringing up her menu. She quickly opened up the map function, nearly hopping with a wild excitement.
West route... West route... Route 104. That direction...
That place is really high level, compared to you. Her Eevee duly noted. The wild Pokemon there are all strong enough to take a fourth of your pitiful HP in one hit.
Asuna pointedly ignored her and ran off the way she came. The Eevee sighed again.
...She's just so... Ugh... What did I ever do to her?
"Well that's because they've all logged out, innit? Safe and sound."
"More like they all got killed by whatever lives in that cave, man."
"You chicken, Billy? It's called 'Sendoff Spring'. I think it's called that for a reason."
A slam echoed out as Billy placed both palms on the table and stood up, half a loaf of bread in his mouth. "Nobody calls me chicken!"
The rest of this went unnoticed by the Eevee as she ran off towards the west exit of «Starting City», following Asuna's path. Despite being so far behind, she could still track the girl via the link.
When the tutorial had ended, a small riot had broken out. Because of the «Area Protection Code», no one had been killed, but some people had been trampled underfoot. Asuna had watched as a little girl, probably no more than ten, was kicked around like a rag doll while hordes of adults ran around in chaos.
Although there was no pain in the game, it still simulated concussive force to get as close to reality as legally possible. They wouldn't be crushed , but it would be a supremely uncomfortable and disturbing experience for them.
Watching the fear on that screaming girl's face as she had been swept away by the crowd had broken something in her.
Wandering out of the plaza, as if in a trance, she somehow managed to rent a room in an inn somewhere. She had literally tipped over onto the bed like a plank, and started to sob.
For a week, it was pretty much all Asuna did: Pure, mindless sobbing. The gravity of the situation had been too heavy for her.
Later she began to head out, forced by hunger. Water came from the cooler in her room, but the endless supply of H2O had always reminded her that this world wasn't reality.
None of this is real. Not even this.
A cloud of particles rose up as the «Eevee» rammed hard into a «Lillipup» with another «Tackle», defeating it. A small halo of light rose up around her as she leveled up again, and a notice popped up in Asuna's vision informing her that the Eevee had leveled up to level 4.
She looked away from it.
...not real. That has nothing to do with me. I'm leaving soon.
Partly out of spite, Asuna still hadn't named the Pokemon yet, so the system still referred to her by her species title. Part of Asuna knew she was treating the Eevee unfairly, but she still could not repress the feeling of resentment she had towards her for being a part of this world that was trying to kill her.
The first time she had summoned the Pokemon after the tutorial had been on the third day of the game's release. Having spent the time before uncontrollably sobbing in her room, Asuna figured she could help her feel a little better, if in a small way. She had called the Eevee out once right before the tutorial started, and had been completely smitten by its cuteness.
When the light faded and the Pokemon sat on the edge of her bed, however, Asuna was seized by a sudden sense of panic. It had tilted its head at her curiously, right before Asuna had screamed bloody murder at it before calling it back and curling up in her bed to sob for another day.
"Let me out! You're a part of this world, you can help me, please just let me out!"
"Let me go home...! Do something just.. p-please... ughhh..."
"Why aren't you letting me go HOME!?"
"You're a Pokemon. You... you, you're one of them. You're just another part of this world."
"You knew, didn't you? You're just sitting there looking at me...!"
"You stupid program, you've been coded to kill me, haven't you!?"
"I... I HATE YOU!"
Since that day on, she could not look at the Eevee without remembering that she was a program, one of the many programmed monsters out there just biding their time to kill her. When it had begun speaking to her in her head, Asuna had nearly choked it to death out of fear, convinced it was trying to destroy her brain.
She was scared of it all. Everything was out to kill her.
At least now... she was heading to freedom.
I'll be free... I can escape this world. I can go back to mother and father and brother and tell them how sorry I am...
In my honest opinion, a feminine voice spoke in her head, this so called "logout point" is really sketchy.
Asuna's anger flared. Of course you'd say that, Pokemon. You're all out to kill me, of course you'd want me to stay here so you can pick me off at your leisure! Just stay down, you bundle of code! You don't even properly exist!
Hey, the Eevee growled as her eyes locked onto Asuna with smoldering fury in them. I exist. I am aware of myself. I can make my own decisions, thank you very much, and for the last freaking time, I'm not trying to kill you!
Asuna stared right back. You are a program. You cannot escape the bounds of what your creator meant for you to do. Which is to kill everyone.
A moment of silence followed her mental denial before the Eevee replied in an angry tone. Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just go on.
Turning away from Asuna, she attacked another «Sentret», viciously using her teeth to gnaw at its tail. An air of quiet rage radiated from her.
Ignoring her again, Asuna hurried forward at a steady jog, eyes trained on the small waterfall in the distance. The players she had overheard had mentioned that landmark. There should be a path branching off the main route near it.
Even though it was all fake, Asuna had to admit that the scenery was beautiful. The sky was a clear blue, dreamy wisps of clouds trailing here and there. The long grass rustled along the wind and the water from the fall in the distance sparkled colors of the rainbow under the sun.
If she could just ignore the fact that there were murderous pokemon in that grass, she would have felt at ease in the scene. It was something someone could never experience in a dirty Japanese city.
For a moment, she felt at ease. She even forgot she was in a false world.
In the «Starting City», everything there served to remind her that it was all virtual reality, all fake. The repetitive NPCs, the weapons chips and supply stalls right out in the open, the oppressive air of the place, everything. Most importantly, the huge amount of pokemon walking alongside their trainers.
Out here, though, with no one around, she could pretend this was reality. That this open space, this beautiful plain, this warm breeze wasn't only a collection of electronic signals. The Pokemon, if there were any, were all hidden away in the tall grass.
It feels like home...
Once, when Asuna was still only around seven years old, her family had taken her to the countryside for a holiday. She didn't remember it that well, but she felt as if she were seven again.
I'm going home...
Not to spoil your good mood, but I seriously doubt it. It's too good to be-
Eyes snapping open in wordless anger, without prelude Asuna slammed down on the single lit button on her «Pokelink». The Eevee froze, shining brightly for an instant before breaking apart into a stream of data blocks, streaming back into the device.
All was quiet again. Asuna let out a sigh and stared at the machine on her arm.
She suddenly wondered why she hadn't recalled the annoying evil critter before. Now that the Pokemon had been shut away, she felt a lot better, as if a great weight had lifted itself off of her heart.
Asuna breathed in a large gulp of air, exhaling right after. She felt marginally better. For the first time in two weeks, she completely forgot about the Eevee.
No more death... Home!
She took a deep breath, calming herself down. The breeze tickled her cheek.
Home... When I get home, mother... I need to apologize to you. I missed the mock exam, but I can still study hard for the real one. Brother... I'm sorry for taking and using your game. Father...
Asuna looked up at the mid-sized waterfall in front of her, momentarily pausing in formulating her planned reunion with her family.
Nearby... nearby...
The worn dirt road seemed to branch off a little beyond the rocky confines of the waterfall's deposit basin. Looking over in that direction, she saw that the treeline recessed slightly at that point. Looking around to make sure there were no Pokemon nearby to attack her, Asuna ran over to that area and pushed aside an obscuring branch, stepping into the woods gingerly.
A few meters in, the trees opened up to form a rough path. It continued on for quite a bit, turning a straight ninety degrees right at the end. Asuna hurried along it, the light footfalls of her feet tapping a constant beat on the soft ground.
Right, left, straight ahead-
Then she broke free of the trees, stumbling out into a sun-lit grassy knoll.
It was a picturesque location. The chirping of «Pidgey» and «Pidove» filled the air alongside the fresh smell of grass. Asuna stopped and closed her eyes, feeling the sunlight play across her face.
Freedom... I feel so unrestrained.
The stark difference in atmosphere this place had from the oppressive room in the inn she had stayed in was striking. Completely re-energized, she ran towards the flight of stairs leading up the hill in front of her.
A notice popped up with the name of the area: «Sendoff Spring».
Soon...
Yet, there was still some strange feeling gnawing at the underside of her heart.
Asuna hauled herself out of the water, shaking water droplets out of her long hair. She inspected her clothes; sodden. Her shirt clung to her thin frame, the cloak and hood hanging like a rag from her back. There was nothing she could do about that.
The spring had been at the bottom of a deep depression at the top of the hill. On the other side, reachable only over the spring, was a hole in the side of the wall. From the information Asuna had overheard, that would be the secret log off point.
As it was surrounded on all sides by water, she had had to dive into the spring to reach it.
The crisp feeling of the water against her skin had been completely revitalizing. Before long, Asuna had realized she had been soaking in the spring for over three minutes without realizing it.
Even though it's fake... all electrical signals sent to my brain... She thought ruefully, it did feel good.
Straightening up from wringing some excess water out of the hem of her pants, Asuna gazed towards the cave entrance. From the other side it had looked like the path to freedom, but now that she was close to it, it looked extremely ominous.
A chill crept up her spine.
At the exact same moment, she felt a vibration on her arm. Looking down, Asuna saw that the button that contained the Eevee was blinking, shaking ever so slightly.
She immediately clamped down on it with her hand. You aren't stopping me here.
The button shook even faster in response to her thoughts. Asuna held it down even harder, using as much strength as she could without actually pressing it. Eventually, it seemed the Eevee had given up, as the rocking stopped.
Ignore it. She told herself. You're almost there. Almost home.
When she stepped into the cave, the thing that surprised her most was the darkness. The light from outside streamed as one big pillar from the hole, cut in two by Asuna's own shadow, but that was it. Apart from that small circle of illumination, the area was literally pitch black.
The air felt still against her cheek; not a single breeze from outside had made it in. Yet, at the same time, it was damp.
Asuna felt her hopeful mood evaporate in a matter of seconds. Treading carefully farther inside, she looked around. What met her eye was pure black, broken only by the exit behind her.
Stay steady. Asuna told herself. It's probably so black because they didn't program anything visible here. Maybe if I go in far enough that I can't see the exit... It'll log me out.
She took another step and ran into something unforgivably solid, cracking her head on it.
Asuna yelped at the unexpected contact and stumbled backward, falling to her feet. Her heart was pounding, and her head felt slightly fuzzy from running into... whatever it was.
She lay there frozen in fear for a few seconds, but nothing moved.
Reaching out, she felt the tips of her fingers brush against smooth stone, slightly curved. A few bumps here and there. She took a step forward and felt the object down.
A pillar? There's something carved on it too...
The object only added to her unease. This was supposed to be a logout point. What would a column be doing here?
Tracing her hand along it, she walked around the thing; judging by how far she went, the pillar had to be over ten feet in diameter. It was a rough estimate, but it was the best she could do without light.
When Asuna guessed she was on the other side of the pillar, she pushed off of it and began walking away from it. She had to be somewhere close to the logout point as she was already pretty deep in the cave, but she had yet to come across it.
Her shoes scratched against the stone floor as she took more tentative steps forward. There was literally no light in any direction now; she could no longer see the entrance.
Asuna jumped as something moved on her arm. The button containing the Eevee was shaking again, even more urgently. It blinked twice, rattling.
A gout of anger rose within her. The thing was still trying to stop her?
"Oh, no you don't..." She whispered, throwing caution to the winds and breaking into a run. Using her left hand, she swatted the pokelink until it stopped moving. "I'm so close."
Clang!
"Ow!"
Asuna fell onto her behind for the second time, having run into yet another pillar. She lay there, rubbing her head.
What is with this place and columns? Just let me go home! she mentally shouted. Log me out already!
Getting to her feet, still wincing from the sudden impact, Asuna reached out and tried to feel her way around the pillar again. Laying a hand against its surface, she began to inch her way around it.
The cool metal surface under her palms were slightly rough here and there, sloping out the lower her hands were. It felt vaguely conical.
How many of these things are there...? Ughhh, where do I need to go to log out?
Asuna laid her forehead against the surface in front of her to cool her brain down. The pressure of the darkness was starting to wear on her eyes.
Ah... I wish I had some light.
The sudden flash of light painfully seared into her eyes.
Shrieking in surprise, Asuna flung herself off the column and ended up sprawled out on the floor again. A strip of white light shone on the side of the column she had just been clinging to.
Even as she watched, the luminescence spread up the pillar, tracing several predetermined intricate lines. Up and up, higher and higher-
Whoosh.
With the sound of wind, several torches blazed into existence, illuminating the area with ghoulishly purple flames. Asuna recoiled, momentarily blinded.
She was in a large room, the torches arranged at the four corners. At the center of the room was a large stone pillar, about the same size as the first one she had run into. She glanced behind her: there was a door leading to a corridor behind her, as well as on all four walls. That was where she must have come from.
What captured her attention, however, was the large bell-shaped construct in front of her, slowly floating up into the air. Two long arm-like appendages were attached to either side at the top. The white line that Asuna had seen was only a part of the design on its body, the entire lattice glowing brightly.
Her breath hitched.
A dotaku bell, she realized. They were supposed to be prayed to for a good harvest. It resembled the bells in the shrines near her home: a large conical body decorated with carvings capped with an ornate head design. The only irregularities were the long noodle arms.
She watched, frozen, as markings near the bottom of the bell resembling a pair of eyes lit up blood red. The rest of the lines dimmed, fading back to black.
The entire thing- no, a Pokemon, Asuna realized- rotated slightly. The etched circles seemed to stare into her soul. The gaze held no visible emotion, sending chills down her back.
Wha... A pokemon, what? No...
A violet cursor flashed into existence above its head. A full health bar rolled out, curving around the top of the monstrosity. A harsh, grinding sort of sound mixed with a deep gong rang out.
...am I going to die?
Asuna's brain hit a roadblock. She stared into those crimson "eyes".
No... Wait, logout... point? Where...? What am I...
It moved back a bit, like it was charging up for something. Its eyes pulsed, shimmering.
This.. Uhh... Uhhh...
Asuna just sat there, simply unable to process what was happening. Her own eyes were riveted on those haunting circles.
A part of her mind tried to force her muscles to move, but the glow of the Pokemon's- eyes, circles, markings? -was crowding out every thought she had.
Run...! She tried to order her body to move. But the deep, hypnotic red of those eyes was all she could think about. Her plea to her body died before it could even be born.
The Pokemon's eyes stopped glowing. It proceeded to back up several meters to the opposite side of the room, readying itself. A thick yellow aura surrounded its main body as it prepared to execute an attack.
Asuna just knelt on the floor, watching it slowly finish its preparations to kill her but not registering that fact. Her mind was locked in a light trance, unable to function at all. She stared blankly with her mouth hanging slightly open, arms dangling.
Finally, the steel bell-thing shot towards her as if fired by a slingshot. A spray of sparks emitted from its arms as they scraped along the stone floor, a testament to the speed and strength of the attack.
That tackle would flatten her against the wall like a pancake. Asuna watched her death approach, directly on course.
Fifteen meters.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
Four met-
Dodge it, to the left, to the left, JUMP TO THE LEFT NOOWWWWW!
An explosively loud voice blasted through her mind. Being the only thoughts in her blank head, her body naturally obeyed. Her legs bent, her body twisted to the side-
A flash of white light, in front of her. The sound of shattering glass tore through the silence.
Her mind barely registered that fact before something with the force of a bullet train slammed into her right side, throwing her sideways into the air.
Asuna's mind snapped back together, breaking free of the trance.
Wha-
With a sickening crunch, she hit the wall spread-eagled like something out of a cartoon. Some horrid amalgamation of a choke and a scream was torn from her throat. Hanging there for a full second, gravity eventually peeled her off and dropped her down, from the unhealthy height of four meters.
She hit the ground with a strange "splat".
Completely winded, she lay there on her stomach, uncomprehending, listening to a series of urgent beeps and watching the two HP bars in the upper left of her vision shrink all the way down.
Green, yellow, red-
Am I... She took a shaky breath. It may well have been here last. Am I dead?
The bigger one stopped a sliver away from empty. The other one, below the first, didn't stop at all, completely disappearing. It shaded over in silver, a red warning light blinking next to it.
She was literally a punch away from death. If Asuna had been hit head on by that attack, there was no doubt she would have died.
Died.
I... I don't want to die...
Vanished.
Not like this...
Disappeared. Ceased to exist as her brain got fried.
Her memories of her life flashed before her eyes in an instant.
I... My life... only 15 years...
Even though she was free from the Pokemon's «Hypnosis» attack, her mind still wasn't functioning. Thinking was like getting out of quicksand: the more you struggled, the more you got stuck.
I can't die... now... I can't let it end like- Grk!
Her back arched as something crashed onto it, forcing a pained "oof" from her. Her HP fell even farther, stopping just short of death. The unknown object bounced off and struck the ground in front of her, rolling over once and lying still.
Asuna blinked painfully.
...Eevee?
It was definitely the furball that had plagued her for the past two weeks. Creamy brown fur. White ruff. But...
The furball didn't respond. Not physically, nor in her mind.
She painstakingly propped herself up on one arm and crawled over to the Eevee's inert form. The Pokemon's fur was matted with blood, and it looked like all of her bones on one side were broken. Her little foxy face, usually displeased, was twisted into a frozen expression of pain.
Is this.. a dream? I'm supposed to be logged out. Alive. Am I actually dead?
As Asuna laid a hand on the small body, a circle popped up over it. The words embossed on it read "«Fainted»" with a timer under it read "29:47", and as she watched, the outer rim of the circle, colored red, began to slowly disappear like a dying pacman from the 1980s.
The timer accurately counted down, second by second.
What is... she doing here...?
"...Hey. Hey, can you hear me?" She coughed, feeling like an overused punching bag.
Nothing.
Then it clicked. The flash of light she had seen had to have been the Eevee forcing itself out of the Pokelink.
Into the path of... of...
"...no... come on. Wake up. You're just pretending to be... dead, right?"
Not even a twitch. Asuna picked her up and gingerly held her in her arms.
She had watched two people have a small battle from her inn window before. When two moves had clashed, the weaker attack's aura had been destroyed and the user had been thrown back.
Then, the shattering sound she had heard...
I was just supposed to go home...
"You..." Her voice was barely audible now. "You didn't just... Come on. Tell me how much of an idiot I am like you always do. You aren't dead. You're one of them.. a program..."
Bloody and beaten, the body sure didn't look like a program out to kill her. More like the corpse of a bird she had seen on the road after getting hit.
The timer counted down more, each second shaving another slice off of the red ring.
"I can die too, you know."
Those words from a mere hour ago seemed like they had been said in her previous life.
Asuna gave a weak laugh as her mind slowly began to put two and two together. "You're just trying to bait me in to... to kill me...? Right?"
A tear splashed onto the Eevee's cheek.
Thinking rationally, she now wondered why the Pokemon had always stuck with her through all her abuse.
"You didn't just sacrifice yourself to save my life, right? RIGHT!?"
Asuna shouted those last words out, her voice cracking. A sob choked out of her throat.
No response. The Eevee lay still in her arms.
What did happen was an arm wrapped around her body, jumping to the side and hauling her along with it. She didn't even have the time to scream before an explosion rent the air. Splinters of stone rained down upon her back.
Another arm propped up her back, and all of a sudden. Asuna was being carried. She could now see the spot where she had been lying: a crater was all that was left of it. The bell Pokemon from before was floating next to a large imprint of its shape in the wall, arms outstretched as if it had just flung some kind of projectile.
A large pulsating mass of dark energy crashed into it, causing it to pause in its actions. The HP bar only twitched. It made an irritating clang, turning to face the attacker: a thin, long-haired girl with a pained grimace on her face.
Asuna looked up at her savior through a thin veil of tears and saw the underside of a head with messy black hair.
From what she could see, he was only a boy about her age.
"Are you okay?" He grunted.
Wh-wha...?
There was a sudden chill in the air, and the boy flung himself forward. An invisible slice cracked the floor where they were just standing, spraying a fine layer of dust into the air.
Asuna clutched the Pokemon in her arms tighter.
I... I... why is this happening...
The boy shouted, "Zero! Raphael! Distract it for just a bit!"
Without waiting for a reply, he stopped, kneeling down. Propping Asuna against his leg for a moment, he dug around in his belt pouch for a moment before withdrawing what appeared to be a cat toy: a weirdly decorated tail on a stick. With his other hand, he drew a length of rope from a bandolier strapped across his chest.
There was a loud screeching noise, prompting Asuna to turn her head towards the sound: The bell was ploughing into the ground, narrowly missing a small, white-dressed, green-headed Pokemon.
It shook and wrenched itself out of the ground, once again levitating into the air.
The boy drew back his arm and flung the tail-like cat toy at the dotaku bell pokemon. With a pitiful squeak, it bounced off of its steel exterior and fell to the floor uselessly.
The bell ignored the item and slowly floated closer towards them.
The boy flung the coil of rope up into the air, watching it hook onto something invisible. In response to the expressions his companions were giving him, he awkwardly protested, "Hey, it was supposed to distract it!"
In response, the green-headed Pokemon pointed its arm at the cat toy just as the bell floated over it. It flicked its hand upwards, and following that movement, the tail shot up into the depths of the Pokemon's hollow insides.
It stopped dead and made a weird, coughing bell sound. One of its eyes flickered.
"Uh, that works!" The boy tugged on the rope lightly, testing it. "It's done! Hurry, come back! Return!"
He momentarily released the rope to slam on the two lit buttons on his Pokelink, recalling both of them with twin streams of data particles, even the human girl. Asuna jerked in surprise at this.
Then she looked slightly to the side, and noticed the bell floating over towards them. It's markings hadn't changed at all, but Asuna could feel a pissed-off aura coming from it.
The black-haired boy noticed it too. He tightened an arm around her shoulder and yanked down hard on the length of hemp.
"Hold on to me!" he shouted as the upper tips of his hair suddenly transformed into cubes of data.
Suddenly, Asuna's vision started to dissolve, pixels of color draining away from her vision. The boy in front of her fragmented with the rest of the world, everything disappearing into nothingness.
Where... am I... going home?
She hugged her Eevee's body against her chest protectively as her mind slipped into unconsciousness.
...please...
"...looks pretty beat up, Ki-bou."
"She was literally hanging on to a single health point. If that «Eevee» hadn't been there to provide the defensive bonus, she'd be long gone."
Silence.
"Speaking of which, is-"
"I used the only «Revive» I had on it. It'll live." A sigh. "I won't be able to find another until past the first tower. I needed that."
"Oh, why did Ki-bou use it then? Could it be you were swayed by the looks of this beautiful girl and her kawaii Eevee?"
A rather loud and dissonant splutter cut deep into the darkness in Asuna's mind.
"Look, w-we can't carry it to the «Pokemon Center» without being labeled as orange and there's no guarantee she'd wake up and make it in time!"
"Hehee. Are you embarrassed~? So, why did you do it?"
Silence. Asuna slowly gained control over the nerves in her own body, trying to wake up. Everything felt like lead.
She listened to the two voices. One was male, sounding slightly familiar. The other was a cutesy sounding female, unrecognizable to her.
Finally, the boy replied irritably, "Gut feeling. But whatever. What are you going to do about this rumor? Secret logout point?" He sighed. "It's so unbelievable."
"Desperate people cling to any kind of hope someone presents to them, even if it is stupid hope." The girl paused. "Really though, to use my name to spread rumors and misinformation... I'm really mad." She gave a cute growl that didn't sound all that threatening. "Like, mad enough to dice you to pieces, Ki-bou."
A scuffle of clothes on grass. "Don't shoot the messenger. Take care of the guy yourself. Don't involve me!"
Asuna tried to rise, but nothing responded. Only her fingers twitched.
The boy seized the chance to change the subject. "Eh, is she coming around? Her fingers moved."
Someone knelt down next to her and laid a small hand lay on her forehead. Blearily, Asuna realized she was propped up on her back against a hard surface. Her body shifted on its own, trying to get comfortable.
She let out a groan.
"So it seems. You alive, pretty noob-kun?"
Some rustling sounded to her left; it seemed the boy was getting up. "I'll be going then. She's gonna be alright; there's no more reason for me to be here."
"Alright then, Ki-bou. I'll PM you later."
Two summoning circles sounded, as two beings dropped lightly to the a few seconds, their footfalls quickly faded among the ambience.
"Well," the girl turned her attention back to Asuna. "Thank god you're alive, noob-kun. That was very close. Can you hear me?"
Asuna nodded weakly. She could now feel soft sunlight warming her bare arms.
"That's good." The hand left her forehead, and some clothes rustled as the girl sat down somewhere above her. "Take your time, don't push yourself."
By the time Asuna opened her eyes, she'd already regained all the feeling in her limbs. She was lying in the shade of a tree, the light filtering between the branches.
She was overlooking the «Sendoff Spring» from the left side. From her position, she could see the black hole in the spring walls that she had entered. Now that she knew what lay behind it, it looked like a gateway to hell. Otherwise, though, the area was as picturesque as ever.
...
Eventually, she became aware of something furry curled up in the nook of her arm. Tilting her head down, she watched her Eevee's chest rise and fall as she slept peacefully. She looked normal now; the horrendous bloodstains and wounds from before had disappeared.
...she's okay.
A well of gladness suddenly rose within her, and she placed her other hand on the Eevee's head and scratched her behind the ears. The feeling surprised her; she had never felt like that towards her before.
"Better now? Your Eevee is fine now, by the way."
Asuna tilted her head up towards the voice. The speaker was a cloaked young girl, hood up but not far enough to cover her features. She had short brown hair, messily cut. Her large golden-brown eyes regarded her kindly, though a mischievous spark resided in them.
Most prominent were the triple stripes of brown face paint lining down both of her cheeks, mirroring the whiskers of the purple rat lying near her crossed legs.
"She..." Asuna whispered.
"When Pokemon lose all their HP, they get sent into a «Knocked-Out» state." The girl explained kindly. "A timer clocks down from then. When it reaches zero, they die. Keeping your Pokemon in the «Pokelink» slows the timer down. Before that, they can still be revived at the Pokemon Center, or through a rare Revive item, which we used on your Eevee."
Asuna spent a moment to take in the information and process it. "Yes... Thank you very much."
Her eyes roamed up to the upper left of her vision. Both HP bars there, hers and the Eevee's, were at 100 percent. They pulsed a healthy green.
She coughed, still feeling the impact of being tackled by that Pokemon. The memory of those dead empty HP bars swam to the front of her thoughts.
"So..."
"From what I heard, you were attacked by a «Bronzong»," the mousey girl cut in, reading her mind. "which is a dual «Steel» «Psychic» type bell pokemon. That place, for whatever reason, is the high level dungeon «Turnback Cave»."
"...high level, huh." Asuna murmured.
"The Pokemon there are all pretty high level. Fifties and sixties I'd guess. No one should go in there right now. It appears to be a randomized puzzle dungeon." The girl gave Asuna a slightly disbelieving smile. "It's a miracle you came out alive at all, Noob-kun. It's a good thing Bronzong are slow, and that your Eevee was there to help you. You wouldn't be here otherwise."
So the Eevee had saved her.
The Pokemon- it was impossible for her to think of her as a program anymore- that she had treated do scornfully had tried to sacrifice her own life to save her.
Asuna nodded slowly. "So the secret logout point-"
"-Is a myth. I suppose they cobbled the name of the spring and the fact that no one ever came back together and got that stupid excuse."
Asuna felt something supporting her heart drop out from under her.
...so. We can't escape from this death trap.
Something made an ominous snapping sound as the girl continued. "Someone's going to pay for using my reputation to spread it."
Then Asuna remembered she was talking to a complete stranger.
"...I'm sorry, but, who are you?"
"The «Rat» is how most people know me. I'm an info broker." The girl scratched her hair, her eyes lighting back up. "That reminds me, you need to pay for the information I gave you. Say, twenty «Poke»?"
Asuna closed her eyes. It seemed like a dream that she was still alive to enjoy the sun. "An info broker. Dealing business in information for profit."
"Yes. Quest details. Prices on rare items. Other players. Seeeeecrets." A mischievous smile. Simultaneously, the purple rat gave a toothy yawn. "Anything, really. You seem like a pretty studious girl. I can sell you the answers to your next math test."
So there was something akin to an economy here. Trade and business.
Asuna sighed, looking up at the sparse canopy of branches. It all seemed more vibrant now. The feeling of fur between her fingers, the detail on the leaves, the smell of grass. As if a thin blurry veil on all five of her senses had been lifted.
Everything seemed more real.
"Strange... It all feels clearer, now. More like reality."
"Of course. Like it or not, this HP bar is our life. This body is our body. This world," the Rat said as she spread her arms for emphasis, "is our reality now. Not our old one."
Those words they both spoke sealed it. There was no way back.
This was their world from now on, to live and die in. Their previous reality no longer existed except as a dream.
Then...
"Rat-san... can I buy some information from you?"
"Oh? Of course. What is it?"
"How do I become st-"
Ughh... Owwowowowow...
A mental voice intruded on Asuna, causing her to stop mid-sentence. The Rat looked at her strangely.
Eh?
Aghhhhh, my side...
The Eevee twitched, shuddering in her arm. Asuna straightened up, unintentionally dumping the Pokemon in her lap.
Eevee?
Ow! Ngh... Asuna...?
Her round eyes slowly flicked open, and the Eevee stretched out, muttering in pain as she pulled out all the kinks in her muscles. Opening wide, her mouth let out a small "Rwaaahhh" sound, showing off the little ends of her teeth.
I feel like... She moaned. ...I got run over by a train...
She got up unsteadily to her feet, blinking as the sunlight invaded her eyes. Looking around the area, she finally focused on Asuna after a few seconds of silence.
Am I alive...? Oh, it's you.
They stared at each other emotionlessly for a full five seconds. Eventually the Rat finally had enough of the awkward atmosphere, raising her hand. "Um, are-"
Asuna hugged the Eevee fiercely.
Wh-wh-wha-wahhh? The pokemon stammered, squirming. What's with this?
I-I... I...
Asuna gave up on giving a proper reply and just squeezed the little fur ball closer. Something ran down her cheek.
I... I'm-
What are- are you high on «Oddish» weed? Don't do that! Ow! It's bad for you! The Eevee gulped for air. Too tight! Nyrfh! Death by suffocation! You're too cruel!
...I'm sorry.
She stopped struggling.
What are you smoking, idiot?
Asuna gave a weak smile. She released the Eevee with one hand and used it to wipe her eyes.
Nothing. Thank you for saving my life.
Well... Her face carried a stunned expression, mouth hanging open derpily. Um. No problem?
You almost died. The memory of the Eevee's broken body still haunted Asuna. You almost died. She repeated as if in wonder.
I, uh... A blink. ...well, so were you.
I'm so sorry. Asuna closed her eyes and hugged her slightly tighter. I'm sorry for treating you that way.
...nuhh... Apology accepted? I think?
I'm sorry...
It's okay! It's okay! A feeling of embarrassment reached Asuna over their link. I'm sorry too. I'm not usually so brusque... for being rude and sarcastic to you too. I-
I'm... sorry...
Just stop it! I forgive you! I'm sorry too! I beg you! Um, who is this?
Someone behind them cleared their throat. The Rat was looking over Asuna's shoulder with an unusually curious expression.
"Hey, noob-kun. You seem to have a pretty good connection with your Eevee."
Noob-kun? Ha! It suits you. I like it...
Ignoring the Eevee's jab, Asuna opted to respond to the Rat instead. "Eh?"
Those coffee eyes were shining like she was thinking, "Preyyyy". "How clearly can you communicate?"
Asuna felt out of the loop. "Does it matter? About as clearly as you and me? Just normal."
The hooded girl fell silent, scanning Asuna up and down with those eyes. Then she switched to the Eevee, staring like she could read their minds if she strained hard enough.
"W-what?" Asuna felt uncomfortably like a lab rat. Her Eevee felt the same, shifting in her lap.
W-what's she doing?
Suddenly, the Rat grabbed her arm, forcing her around and looking seriously into Asuna's eyes. She squeaked in surprise.
Her Eevee flinched. Asuna-
"Tell me, why do you want to become stronger?"
"Eh?" Asuna winced at the tight vice around her forearm. Noticing that, the Rat slackened her grip.
"You were about to ask me for that. Here's my question: What is your conviction? Why do you want to fight? More importantly, what is your purpose; not just for fighting, but for living? Whether or not I'll give you this info depends on your answer."
"I... Ah..."
She looked at the Eevee, who gave a small shrug.
You've changed, somehow. You used to just give up and run away from the problem without confronting it. Now you want to fight. The Eevee looked thoughtful for a moment. I won't be able to answer for you. What made you change?
...
What had made her change?
Asuna thought back to that moment inside the Turnback Cave when she had watched her health bar fall to near zero.
What had she been thinking?
What had changed at that moment?
"Am I... Am I dead?"
"I... I don't want to die...."
"Not like this..."
"I... My life... only 15 years..."
"I can't die... now... I can't let it end like this..."
...
At that moment, she had been afraid of dying. She had wanted to go home, alive.
The moment she knew that escape via unconventional means was impossible, she had lost that hope. She already knew that clearing the game was impossible.
Everyone would die here, eventually.
Then why did she want to start fighting now?
Asuna hated this world. She hated that Bronzing. She hated the fact that so many things in this world were trying to kill her, and would.
She hated Kayaba Akihiko, who created this world.
She resented him. She resented it.
Therefore...
"...to not regret death a second time." Asuna finally said slowly. "To show this twisted world that I exist. To resist. So when I die, I die something. Not nothing."
The Rat considered her words, studying her face with an intensity Asuna hadn't seen before. Then she looked down, and found that her Eevee was doing the same thing.
...what?
...so all this time you... nothing, you dumb noob-kun.
"Good enough," The mousy-haired girl suddenly spoke up. A wry smile lay on her face. "I'll be expecting a better answer next time, though!"
She flicked her Pokelink menu out, opening a few complicated-looking menus. She stared hard at Asuna for a moment, then selected an option on a one of the screens.
A notice popped up in front of Asuna.
«A player would like to trade with you!»
Asuna bewilderedly selected the «Accept» option. A menu separated into her own inventory and a trading screen appeared. In the section labeled «Incoming» an icon of a manual appeared, before the entire section darkened.
She stared at the interface for a while before the girl realized Asuna didn't know what to do.
"Hit the «Ready» button, then the «Trade» one right below it." The Rat instructed.
Asuna did as ordered. As a result, there was a pleasant ding and a manual formed from a shower of data cubes, dropping into her hands.
"This is...?"
Asuna looked at the cover: a slightly embellished title reading "Beginner's Guidebook to Pokemon Universe; PT 1" and a small emblem, a red circle with a black center and white bottom half.
A book.
She had always loved books, spending hours at a time in the library reading in her spare time.
That looks pretty useful for you. the Eevee commented.
"Take it for free."
She looked up. "Free?"
"Just this time. I'll waive all the previous information as well. Just use it wisely-"
Asuna was already flipping through the book at a rapid speed. Her Eevee jumped up onto her shoulder to get a clearer view of the manual as well.
Whoa.
Information on the stats and moves of all the local Pokemon. Quests for beginners. Tips on forming the link. Combat expertise.
There were even hand-drawn diagrams and images to supplement the material.
"Sword type weapons range from normal longswords to thin rapiers to giant broadswords. They can all use the same skills in the skill tree, but the results will vary between types; for example, one skill that is a three-thrust combo for a longsword would be a three-swing combo for a broadsword, or an intricate stab skill for rapiers. Lances are all mostly similar..."
"«Spearow» are good sources of experience at early stages of the game. They are the game's first pre-aggroed Polemon, which means they attack on sight, which also make them slightly risky. If you're not careful..."
"«Pen Pals» is an easy quest to start out with. Talk to the woman in a blue jacket in the three-story building at the location depicted on the map. Ask if they neef help. Head over to the «Pokemart» on the corner and purchase a «Steel Mail»..."
Asuna skimmed the first few paragraphs and pages of each section in the space of thirty seconds, marvelling at the amount of detail in every paragraph.
She just felt as interested in this manual as she had in Pride and Prejudice.
Her Eevee leapt off Asuna's shoulder, padding forward on the ground.
"So..." Asuna muttered. She had skipped back to the combat section. "to call out my weapon..."
She read the instructions and then held her arm up in front of her, and the brought it down in a sweeping motion. Being the default motion for summoning «Sword» type weapons, her Pokelink beeped and a long, thin blade materialized in her right hand.
The Rat watched her passively.
"Alright... this kind of weapon..." Asuna squinted at the diagram of skills. "Quick attacks, parries, light footwork. Skills- «Horizontal», «Vertical», «Linear»?"
"Mmhmm. Hey, there." The girl pointed over to a nearby patch of tall grass. Asuna followed her finger: she could see fat beaver with a derpy face sneaking around. "Try taking out that «Bibarel». It's a «Normal» «Water» type Pokemon, probably underleveled. I want to see how you do. It might be a little too much for you, being level one, I'm guessing, but I'll watch your back."
"Take it out?" Asuna repeated.
"Yup. Together with your Eevee."
Together? Asuna looked over at her Pokemon.
...together with you, huh. Before... well, now, might as well. Now that you want to fight, we'll be working together. Let me see how good you are.
Asuna hesitated.
It's like tag-teaming, her partner said as she tried to comfort her. We'll attack from opposite ends, bait and switch, like that.
Alright.
Asuna looked over the page with information on swords a last time before placing it on the rock beside the Rat. Taking a deep breath, she stood up straight and focused on her target. An HP bar and a light purple cursor appeared over its head.
It was a pretty big beaver. Standing up, it would be just about as high as Asuna's shoulder. Despite the dumb expression it had, the two front teeth looked highly dangerous, probably easily able to shear through wood. The tail was huge as well; at hit from that would hurt pretty badly.
Aside from physical attacks, the Rat had mentioned it had a subtype of water. She wasn't entirely sure, but the beaver could most likely spit water-based attacks from its mouth. That, combined with the teeth, made the front dangerous to attack.
However, Asuna could tell the balance of the creature relied entirely on its tail. The stubby legs it had were not enough to keep it upright, and without its tail, it's movements on four legs would be off as well. The center of its chest, where its heart was located, looked like a weak point as well. It's back also looked undefended; Asuna mentally marked a target just below the small of its back, where, she judged by its stance, most of its weight was centred.
She suddenly paused.
What was I just...
It had felt so natural to her, like instinct, to do a scan on the opponent. Yet, she had never done that before.
That analysis is very... impressive.
The Eevee's mental voice was tinged with a hint of amazement.
Asuna hesitated again, then hefted her sword, testing it. She kept her gaze on the Bibarel, studying it.
I'll distract it from the front. You take it down from behind.
Roger.
The Eevee ran off into the bushes, to circle around. Asuna could feel her relative position in the back of her mind.
She went over the skills one last time, deciding on Linear.
Raise the sword. Hold it flat. Focus on the target. Step forward, thrust! Raise the sword...
She raised the sword, and held it flat.
It's so light...
Asuna was momentarily amazed at how natural the movement had come to her. Her only contact with weapons had been a small fencing class that she once took. That had taught her more about stances than anything else, yet her arm felt like it had been repeating the movement for years.
As she focused on the target, she felt herself concentrate on the target from a different direction as well, ready to charge.
It's cursor pulsed as it faced her body, becoming hostile as it sensed her attack.
Asuna stepped forward. Her blade blazed with a bright light.
Attack!
She thrust.
In that moment, a second stretched into infinity.
She was flying through the air, arm slowly moving forward. The edge of her sword was tracing a white line in the space behind her. Her hair was flying back as she dashed forwards towards the motionless enemy, frozen in time.
At the same time, she was charging forward from the trees, shrouded in the a pure silver aura. She could feel the power in her attack.
Her heart strummed with a thrill she had never experienced. Her mind was supercharged. She could see every minute detail on everything from two directions.
It was utterly exhilarating.
Her soul was ablaze.
When she blinked, she was ten meters away from her position a second ago, her sword buried in the Bibarel's chest. A large flash lit the area, and there was the sound of breaking glass.
The Eevee's «Take Down» attack had smashed into its back right on the point Asuna had targeted. A crunching noise rang out.
The Pokemon, several levels higher than either of them, slumped over Asuna's weapon. Its HP vanished in the blink of an eye and it shattered into a million multifaceted particles.
Asuna let out a pent-up breath. A glow surrounded her as she leveled up to two, the evolved Pokemon giving quite a bit of exp.
The Eevee padded over to her and looked up. She looked at Asuna with a new sense of appreciation.
Wow. That was.. really good.
"Hey, noob-kun."
Asuna jumped when she felt a tap on her shoulder, but relaxed slightly when she heard the Rat's voice. She turned around; "Ah, how did I do-"
The mousey girl was standing on the tips of her toes, staring into Asuna's eyes with a predatory grin on her Eevee's tail stood on an end while Asuna took an involuntary step back.
Uh-
"Uh-" they stammered in unison.
"I take that back." An evil twinkle appeared in the Rat's eye.
Uhh, what-
"Uhh, what-"
She leaned over Asuna, casting an ominous shadow. In the shade, her smile looked like that of Cheshire Cat's. "I can't give you that information for free. Sayyy... how about your name as payment, hmm?"
The request caught her off guard. "My name?"
"Yuuuuup~." The grin looked freakishly large. "So how about it?"
She had always been taught not to give her name out to strangers, but Asuna supposed it would be okay. This girl had helped her out a lot.
"Asuna. Yuuki Asuna."
The Rat suddenly seemed to shrink back to normal. Her smile turned from evil to slightly bewildered. "Not your real name, noob-kun! Your username!"
Asuna was confused. She had never heard the term before. "Username?"
"The name you entered when you created your character." The "whiskers" on the girl's cheek twitched. "Have you ever played an MMO before? It's common knowledge."
"Oh..." Asuna searched her memories. "It's Asuna too. This was... is my first time playing a game."
And probably the last...
"Oh." The girl frowned thoughtfully. "First time with your skill... well, in MMOs, you usually do not make your username the same as your real name for privacy. When someone asks for your name in a game, they're asking for your username." She knocked Asuna gently on the head. "You really are a noob-kun, aren't you Asuna?"
"Ow. Um, yes."
"Silly Asuna."
The Rat focused on Asuna's face again, drawing out her menu from her right arm and quickly selecting an option. A notice popped up in front of Asuna's face with another ding.
«Argo would like to be friends with you!»
Argo?
Asuna blinked and opened her mouth-
"Yes, that's my name." The Rat- Argo, now- hurriedly covered Asuna's mouth. "Don't blurt it out to everyone. I'd like to keep it a secret. Usually I'd charge people the highest price for it. Be grateful!"
When Asuna's mouth was free, all that came out was "...an't be friends?"
"Hmm?" Argo tilted her head.
What's wrong? Her Eevee spoke up from where she lay on the ground.
...friend? I've never had a friend before... I can't.
In school, all Asuna had done was focus on studies. She been a part of several clubs such as debate, but all her relationships had been strictly formal. Close relationships outside of school and business were foreign to her.
Friends were distracting, she used to think. They weren't a benefit to grades. All they did was distract you when you had to study for an important test.
A mental giggle. So noob-kun is a nerd, eh.
Shut up! Asuna instinctively retaliated. Grades are important. Your entire future, whether you get a huge job like a doctor or become a garbage worker depends on them!
None of which matters here. She pointed out. So why not accept?
A good point. But...
Asuna sighed. ...I'm going to die anyways. What's the point? I'd only be a burden to her.
The Eevee was silent. She studied Asuna for a second, then turned to look at Argo. Some wordless understanding passed between them, and Argo nodded.
The girl turned back to Asuna, reaching out with one hand. Asuna flinched as she grabbed hold of her wrist, guiding her hand to the friend invite.
With a knowing expression, Argo pulled back, causing Asuna to tap the «Yes» option. The invite minimized, with a confirmation popup telling Asuna that she had accepted Argo as a friend.
Argo released Asuna's hand.
"I'll be off then, Asu-chan." She waved and grinned. "Like I said, next time we meet, I'll be hearing a better answer!"
Argo lowered her left arm to the rock, where her little purple mouse Pokemon was still sitting, studying the scene. It immediately jumped up onto her hand and ran up her arm. She turned away for a moment, concealing her left side.
When Asuna could see her left side again, there was brownish-pink Pokelink wrapped around her arm that hadn't been there before.
"What are you fighting for? Why are you existing here, why are you alive, hmm? Give me the right answer soon!"
Another wave, and Argo vanished among the trees almost instantly as she ran off.
Asuna stood silently, watching the branches where Argo had left sway back and forth in the breeze. Her hand stayed up in a late attempt to wave. She stayed like that until she finally collected her thoughts.
What did you look at her for? She asked the Eevee. Did you guys talk?
No. That Rat is uncannily perceptive. The Eevee sighed. This is something you have to find for yourself.
Asuna picked up the Eevee, who squeaked in protest, holding her up with her hands under her arms. What are you talking about?
Her furry face regarded her with an indignant expression. Put me dowwwn. The answer to her question.
Suddenly seized with an urge to do so, Asuna brought the Eevee close to her chest and lightly squeezed her.
Wha- put me down! Put me down! She flailed, yelping in surprise.
Thank you.
You already said that! Put me down, noob-kun!
I know... Asuna said quietly. I just... wanted to thank you again. And ask you something... why did you do it?
Her movements stopped.
After I was so mean to you... treating you like trash, ignoring you, hating you, you still saved my life. Why did you do it?
A full minute passed before she responded.
I don't know.
Don't know?
The Eevee let out a breath. Don't know. She repeated. I hated you just as much as you did me, for the reasons you said. I didn't know why you were like that. Neither do I know why I did that. It was something like a subconscious urge. But now... I understand a little. Why you were like that. I can't bring myself to hate you anymore.
Asuna didn't respond.
The Eevee murmured, Before you probably would have throttled me by now, noob-kun.
She felt an annoyed feeling rise up in her again. Well... I'm really really sorry that I treated you like... like those other killing wild Pokemon. You're not like them. But please stop calling me that!
The Eevee's tone took on a slightly teasing note. Noooooob-kun. Not until you find your answer to that question.
But I already answered that question! Asuna protested. She set the Pokemon down with a frown on her face. It was the same one she had asked before. Why are-
Like she said, your answer wasn't good enough.
Then what's the correct one? Asunaindignantly pointed at her. What makes you so altruistic? What's your answer?
The future. She replied simply.
Asuna blinked.
For the tomorrow... that leads to the future. That is what I fight for. I am alive here to exist, and I exist because I want to live.
I don't understand. That's hopeless. We don't have a future in this world.
It's not hopeless! We have hope. She retaliated. At least, I do. I believe it is possible to survive and live on. To get stronger together and live a life worth living.
Asuna fell silent.
...someday, I hope you will find your own answer. No, you definitely will. Maybe not yet, but-
I know now.
The Eevee looked at her strangely. You understand your purpose? That quick?
Not that, Hope.
Yes, hope. That is what I have.
Hope.
Asuna quietly said that one word.
Just that one word.
Um, what? Asuna?
...Hope.
Noob-kun? Asuna, are you-
Asuna shook her head, laying her right hand on Hope's back. She ruffled her fur.
...oh. Hope said slowly as she realized what Asuna was doing.
Hope.
Author's Note:
Brought to you from 55,000 feet in the air (or is it meters? Forgot... probably meters), in front of the original Mona Lisa, and the snowy top of a mountain. Written entirely on a cell phone. Wheeee, I went on vacation. Graduation present!
Look, I did concentrate on the exhibits and scenes, alright? It was just while we were waiting for the tour guides.
So yes, I've decided to make Soul Ablaze a multi-POV fic. I have one other character cemented in my mind, but there might be others, if it proves to be enough for me to handle. This chapter is mostly an introductory one to Asuna, and closely follows chapter 1 of the Progressive Manga. Her treatment of Hope is due to the fact she associates every Pokemon with the world around her, which, in her mind, is out for her blood. Thus she treats her like a murderer.
In case you didn't realize, the two items Kirito (you know it's him) used were a Fluffy Tail and an Escape Rope. Fluffy Tail is the Generation 3 escape item; use it in battle to escape from enemies. It closely resembles a Skitty tail. Escape Rope is the universal cave escape item; just teleports you to the entrance! In this would, that would be a little too safe, so I added a channel time to it.
Anyways, some answers to reviews. Mechanics/Psychology time! I hope I wrote this right.
I will not be going into Generation 6. Fairy types are a little too much for me to digest, nor do I want to read down about a hundred more pokedex entries memorizing facts to use. This fic was started with Gen 5 in mind, and when Gen 5 was the latest. Sorry! No Honedge line (literally the only gen 6 pokemon I know) for Heathcliff/Kirito.
Weepinbell are actually pretty territorial. First of all, they digest their prey by enveloping them with their mouths and then... digesting them then and there. Ew. And if you've read the Pokemon Adventures series, you can see a group of Weepinbell in the Safari Zone acting pretty much the same as they did here. Essentially, Pokemon are going to act as they should act. There will be aggro-on-sight variations that are territorial, but some can be pulled off that initial aggro if something special happens, or somewhat. Ralts is a peaceful species; they read emotions. Unless Kirito does something to actually anger it (maybe the ralts has a jolly personality and derpily dodges attacks for a bit before really getting angry) they wouldn't attack. It's not really clear cut; the cursor "aggro" means the Pokemon wants to attack you. It depends on the pokemon.
All pokemon have their personalities. It's just in the wild, if they really don't interact with much, they don't really grow on that personality. Thus they don't "evolve" from a basic personality and seem almost exactly the same as other members of that species. Some more intelligent species will grow different personalities, but it takes interaction and social activity with perhaps their trainer to thresh out their identity. I mean, if you were a baby and you just lived in the forest following your instincts, you probably wouldn't learn much about yourself until you had some outside contact right? Ralts, and other psychic type pokemon, sense emotions; they're probably going to have more awareness of themselves and their likes and wants and hates than a species that sits in a tree waiting to fall on prey all day. Previously owned pokemon such as Weed, even when released, will also have their own personalities more evolved than others as well.
As for some of the Weepinbell knowing Power Whip, at least in Gen 5 I believe, Power Whip is an egg move. It can be known by low-level Weepinbell; and the game would be a really dull place where every single wild pokemon has the same moveset, no? Some wild pokemon will be able to know some TM or egg moves from the get-go to add a bit of variety, such as Zero having the egg move Dark Pulse. For the same reason, some Pokemon will know moves they would else wise learn later in life. It's not like all wild pokemon have the same parents.
As always, thank you for reading! Please leave a review in the box below with your thoughts, and if you have any, constructive criticism. There's always room for improvement! Just tell me nicely, dun burn me aliveeee...
I do not own Pokemon or Sword Art Online.