Perfect Disaster 3

Understanding

Yeah, remember what Paul just thought? About how the pokemon thing wouldn't be that bad? Well, he was wrong.

There he was, an absol with inverted colours, feeling utterly relaxed: the harmony all around him was something he had cherished throughout all of his years travelling. The other pokemon hadn't bothered with any sort of initiation and accepted him seamlessly into their routine; their auras flowing to fill the air with faint patterns that swirled calmingly, allowing him to divert his concentration from his barriers. No one was critiquing him for his training methods (which his pokemon had created themselves) or his aloof nature (which only made their auras fluctuate irritatingly against his mental barriers).

He had already met two of Ketchum's team and found that his task would be easier than he thought if Unova was the only exception to the amazing line up of pokemon. It was, admittedly, optimistic of him, but he indulged himself. Just this once.

"Is that an absol!?"

Paul immediately looked up as the calm atmosphere shattered. The pokemon were startled, disrupting the beautiful canopy of aura that reminded him of his team after a particularly difficult day

... It seemed that he had temporarily forgotten to take the human beings into account.

'Pathetic,' he inwardly scolded to himself, 'of course the assistant, Tracy, had to come back to the trolly to get more food. Where else would he get it?' He signed aloud, recreating his barriers once again as he resigned himself to a thorough inspection.

There was no point in hiding when the person would inevitably tell the professor about his rare presence, only to find that he was "wild" when they searched the databases for him. Then they would request the pokemon to help search for him, leaving him no time to search for Ketchum's team or train; not to mention the loyal pokemon that would try to convince him to meet up with their trainers.

Even if he had hoped they would discover him a fair amount of time later, it made no profound difference to his plans. All that would likely happen is a check up inside the lab, some samples and some discussions with more professors in different regions (the professor researching bonds between people and pokemon wouldn't deliberately harm a pokemon in any way). Paul guessed he had approximately two month before something was leaked to the public (by hacking, accident or an eavesdropper), sending thieves, trainers and collectors his way.

The Kanto laboratory would then get more security, but wouldn't last more than a few more weeks before someone managed to slip through the system for him. He might have already gone to Unova when this happened, but it would transform the harmony into chaos as the other pokemon fought against being stolen too. Thieves must have already visited the lab, only to be driven off by the barrage of attacks from all of the pokemon. Would the pokemon endure if smarter, more powerful, people decided that an unusually coloured absol was worth the trouble?

Although that was merely one of the worst case scenarios. If Arceus decided to grant him this small mercy, no one else would know his existence before he confronted Ketchum in a...a battle...

Why did everything have to become so complicated again? It was going so well, too...At least he had already finished the dark type food beforehand.

Bulbasaur must have mistaken his apprehension for the future for being nervous about another human. *Tracy won't harm you. The most he would do is try to draw you before telling the Professor. Noctowl said that he only did a regular health check, take some of her loose feathers and talon powder, after filing them for her.* Paul just nodded in response, failing to hide all of his insecurities from the Kanto starter.

"Wow, I've never seen one in person before. And that pelt is so unique!" Paul fought the urge to flinch as Tracy's face suddenly appeared inches away from his own.

"Hmm..." Binoculars were whipped in front of the man's eyes, despite Paul being directly in front of him. "This absol is 1.5m tall, which is 30cm taller than the average absol," now he had a sketchbook and pencil in his hand- how did he get those so quickly!? "Pelt has a glossy purple sheen, potentially natural or obtained through specific diet..." The rest of the speculative chatter went over Paul's head, Tracy moving around far too quickly to keep up with...

"Oh, I have to tell the Professor!" Then Tracy dashed off towards the lab, leaving the pokemon to sweatdrop at his antics. The rest eventually returned to eating but Paul was no longer relaxed enough to feel their auras (only see them).

*Just to be sure, should I be expecting more people and pokemon like this? I mean, he isn't as energetic as Bayleef but I don't think my sanity can handle it if there were a lot of them.* Bulbasaur shook his head, grinning at his bewilderment.

*He's only like this when he sees something new; normally, he's much calmer.* Paul frowned, or did the canine equivalent to it, feeling uneasy.

*And the answer to the question?* The grass-type's convenient deafness and the bright fluttering of his aura was answer enough.

*Are you ready to see the rest of the conservation?* The absol reluctantly allowed the change in topic. It would do no good to dwell on something he couldn't change; he would only need some time to accept that there were going to be some very talkative beings he had to endure.

*Yes*

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The tour was straightforward and direct, Bulbasaur taking a route that prevented them from seeing the same area twice. There was a huge lake, a plain like area, numerous large caves and natural shelters (for Pokemon who usually live in the dark or for when it rains) in addition to the forest Paul had arrived in. The forest itself had a range of different trees, hollow or not, for more Pokemon to rest in, so wild Pokemon weren't unusual- thank goodness for that!

There wasn't a section for pokemon who lived in cold climates because the weather was never hot enough for them to overheat, just like how the winters weren't cold enough to harm Pokemon who preferred hotter climates. Pokemon were resilient, able to thrive where people couldn't imagine, so they were often underestimated when it came to adapting to new things.

*Lastly, this is the official training ground.*

Paul started. *Hn? Wha- oh, wow...* There were two average sized battle pitches just outside of the lab -it seemed that they had returned to the beginning again- where injuries could be quickly attended. Trees nearby were further apart but thicker, large rocks peppered in between. Some already had claw and burn marks to show that they had been used as practice dummies.

*Impressive, isn't it?* While it wasn't as harsh as some of the areas he had trained in, it was better than expected. He turned back to the bulbasaur.

*Thank you for the tour...Do you mind if I spend the rest of the day here? At least, until the Professor starts looking for me?* Paul really needed to start getting stronger if he hoped to become an asset to the team.

There was also the matter that his current strength was unknown, due to being unable to see his own aura. Pokemon could only learn some moves when they were at a certain skill/strength level to prevent themselves from being hurt by their own power. Of course, there were exceptions if the Pokemon trained hard enough, learnt from a different source or were bred to have specific moves, but it was the most accurate method he had to find his level ("level" was a term used more frequently amongst Pokemon care takers for measuring stages of a pokemon's strength. The greater the difference between stages, from when a Pokemon was dropped off to when they are collected, the more a trainer has to pay).

Bulbasaur gave a nod of approval before turning back to the path. It wasn't a rude gesture; wild pokemon usually kept their training methods to themselves. To give themselves an advantage. The protectiveness over their training faded after being captured, but adapting took time.

Paul walked to a more secluded area in training grounds (not that it was necessary with all of the pokemon eating or relaxing) that resembled the clearings he preferred to train in on his journey. Now...How was he suppose to do this?

His pokemon had said that triggering the beginning of moves required some sort of purpose. That purpose is what made their aura direct towards the place a move was used. Then the energy of the aura was harnessed 'instinctually' through one of the pokemon's known moves. Now he just needed to figure how how to use his moveset without knowing what moves he had. Right, this will be interesting.

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First Paul had tried to consciously intensify the aura throughout his body with the intent of finding out his level. Nothing happened.

The next attempt was to try using the moves Absol could learn, one by one, to see which ones he had. Failure.

Then he forcefully channeled his aura through his claws as he swiped at the air. That resulted in an invisible shockwave of aura that dissipated harmlessly into the atmosphere.

The fourth attempt was to concentrate on his resolve on saving the future from organised crime. Nope, nada, zilch.

*Pathetic,* Paul huffed, moodily dropping down to lie on his stomach. *What kind of pokemon can't use any moves? Even newborn wurmple can use Tackle from the moment they hatch-* he froze.

The moment they hatched? Like how ponyta could walk 'the moment they hatched'?

His pokemon had said that the moves were instinctual, but he had thought they had no other way to describe it. The trainer had thought that using moves were so ingrained into their memories that they couldn't remember how not use moves and, in a way, he was right.

He could have been overthinking it all along; just like he had when trying to walk. There was no need to think about how to do it. It was instinct.

Mind racing, the absol stood up and closed his eyes.

A graveler, tropius and exeggutor surrounded him, growling as they closed in, their steps making the ground tremble with their weight. Paul easily matched their growls, tensing his muscles as he glared at them. Even the slightest movements drew his attention. Every shift was met with a snarl, aura racing through his veins: poised to strike.

Seeking out to prey on the weak. Pathetic.

Attack.

One threatening step too close and he pounced, horn growing with a bright pink glow. The moment he was in range, he swung his head, horn sweeping through the air like a deadly blade. Shockwaves of energy sent crescent arcs at the Graveler, making it bellow with rage. Psycho Cut.

Still in the air, he twisted. A tropius's head was used as a spring board to launch himself towards an exeggutor. His white claws tinged vibrant violet, raking across the pokemon's side before he landed on the ground. A thud sounded behind him as the grass-psychic type was brought to its knees.Punishment.

He glanced back the the exeggutor. Navy blue eyes darkened to a sickening shade of purple as ominous dark flames engulfed the absol, spreading towards the frightened pokemon. They raced across the ground, hovering just above it to give the illusion of fire, until it reached the target. With a pained cry, it toppled over completely. Hex.

Evade.

Paul vanished mere seconds before a Graveler replaced him with a missed Tackle. The invaders died out in confusion and alarm as they turned to try and find the dark type pokemon. Suddenly, the Graveler fainted as the absol appeared behind it, attacking the other pokemon. Feint Attack.

One left.

The tropius glanced nervously at it's fallen companions but the absol was gone when it turned back. Warbling uncertainly, it stepped back. A painful strike on its leg made it flinch, whirling around, only to find more trees. Then another two, three, four...With a yelp, it collapsed. The last thing it saw was a pair of deep blue eyes. Rough Play.

Paul gasped, eyes flying open. He ignored the new marks on the trees and the rubble by his paws. So that was his moveset: Psycho Cut, Punishment, Hex, Feint attack and Rough Play.

Two dark type moves, one ghost, one psychic and one fairy move.

Two rare egg moves, two common egg moves and one move learnt at level 37/47, depending on which region the absol was originally from (not as exact as he hoped, but still helpful to know). How did he get five moves without a trainer? 'Was it because I used to be human? Was it a gift from the five legendary pokemon I met before? Or was it a mistake they made when transforming me into a different species?

It was quite a valuable collection of moves, too; while it wasn't the rarest possible, it was still worthy of a professional breeder. However, he still had a weakness for Bug type pokemon so Paul still needed to learn a fire, flying or rock type move- none of which could be learnt without a tutor or a TM. Though a fire type move should have more priority, because fire type moves were effective against numerous types and easier to combine with other moves.

He smirked. 'Isn't it convenient that I have all the experience required to be a tutor?' Although, it would be better to perfect what he had before starting something new.

Paul now understood that his purpose had been too specific when he tried to train before. Pokemon could use moves for minor things, like showing off or playing, and there was no way a newly hatched pokemon could comprehend complicated concepts. Simple intentions were the most effective in this case.

The trainer looked at a lone tree nearby, diverting his attention to it.

'Attack with Rough Play.'

He immediately felt his aura strengthen his body, flowing beneath his fur. Obeying the urge that followed, he dashed towards the tree, gaining momentum. Then, he jumped, batting at the trunk with his paws. It would have been similar to a kitten playing with a ball of yarn, that is, if leaves and pieces of bark weren't falling with the power behind each hit.

*So that's why pokemon can understand commands,* the process of their attacks began almost exactly the same way.

After that, Paul went through some exercises to determine his level more accurately than knowing it was above level 37. Some evaluated the power of each move, and his ability to manipulate them, while the majority were mainly to check his stats. He still had his manoeuvrability from when he practiced as a human in addition to the speed from the form of an absol (his abnormal height was a mystery, but all of his muscles and systems were functioning correctly, so it wasn't too important).

The results suggested that he was between level 55-60, which was a pleasant surprise. When he was able to control his form fully, he would be the level of some of the weaker elite four's teams! From what he had seen, Ketchum's pikachu should be approximately level 75-80, but lower if he's had any type of specialised training. Specialised training is when a trainer concentrated on improving their pokemon's moves or stats through unique techniques, which doesn't give them as much of an overall power or experience boost as regular training.

There was still room for improvement, but it was more than enough to be extremely useful when beginning a journey- especially when he could listen to commands. The stronger a pokemon was when captured, the harder it will be to convince them to follow commands. He might even be able to improve how Ketchum's other pokemon trained to be even more of an asset.

*Absol!?* Bulbasaur? Paul retraced his steps back to the battle pitches to see what his guide wanted, even if he already had an idea of what had happened. As he thought, the other was waiting for him with an apologetic expression.

*...Is it time for the examination already?*