Mandatory apologies… err… I mean, Author Notes:
Well…I guess I don't take the matter of vacation lightly. What was supposed to be 3 weeks turned out to be 3 months and a half. I'm kind of feeling guilty here. To my own defense, I can say a lot happened in those three months. I got involved in a new project, I got to study, I got a crush and I think I got a cough at some point. But what really happened is that I got lazy, and I lost motivation to write this story. Time management kills me, because I suck at it. Also, I lost my passion for the pikachu's species, and lost confidence in my skills. But here I come, with both of those problems solved. I'm going to include my new favourite pokemon at some point, and I decided not to care about what some people I know might think about my work. I'm going to write for the fun of it. And if you are asking the question, yes, I will try to go back to constant updates, but I cannot promise anything. Time will tell. Well… so let see those reviews I got:
Kirby: Viva la Eevee, dear Kirby, Viva la Eevee… well… not really, but they've got to have some recognition. I'm happy to know that I inspired you somehow. Though, you are not the worse in the updating rate category anymore (guilty smile). I see you like apples… but I think your eevee self might like them more (wink). My chapter was epic? Hum… hum hummity hum… no… I don't remember it being so epic. I guess I will take this as a compliment, and store it in my happiness box. Have fun reading this chapter.
Twilight: Hum… I'm kind of split there. I could argue against the fact that I explored the pokeball, and rather say that I simply stated a few obvious things (to me), but I digress, this is not the time for an argument. I had enough lately as it is. I wanted to talk about more important subjects… like hearing that my story is one of the best piece of fanfiction you read this year. While this might not be true after so long, I thank you for the praise. My writing style is not so great really, and I'm lacking in a lot of departments. But I thank you anyway for how highly you think of my work, and I will continue to give my best.
Foxyjosh: Great review! Wow! This one was informative! I especially liked the word "Great", it was awe inspiring! And what to say about "chapter"… never I saw a so good use of a precise word saying exactly what you are talking about! And there was this "!"! Seriously, thank for the review anyway. It might not be much, but I think it sums up the essential of what is being said in the other reviews. I could have been mad for receiving something so short, but 2 words of praise is better than nothing, or a whole paragraph of bashing. So, I decided to be nice and do you a favor. We shall what it is all about later…
StormFang: Wooh… you nearly got me with the beginning of that review… I guess that's what I get for playing a joke myself. I will repeat it: I didn't put that much detail about the pokeball. Much more is left to be said, and most of it will probably stay in the shadows. Or inside my head. Or inside this cookie (eat cookie). Poor cookie… this is almost as sad as me not posting for so long. Worst of all, I made your review lie… and I hate lying. And olives, but that's another matter. I didn't feel pressured into writing it, but rather in NOT writing it. I blame laziness. But it will get better from now on, I prom… naw… I said I wouldn't make any promise. Hum… enjoy this chapter, and I hope it won't stink so bad.
Reeds: Ooooh… (pachi eyes sparking) A review with feelings! And emotions! Oh… thank, Reeds. I know it took you long before you got new content, and when I gave it, I was evil enough to cut it away from you. I feel bad… really bad. But it's nice to know you enjoyed it. And yes… that other pikachu is great. I love him/it! Not that kind of love, mind you. I'm not that crazy. Well… maybe I am, but that's beside the point. That's sad we won't see him/it for a while, but he/it will return when the time will be right. (look at watch) Which is not right now… too bad… But good characters are the best when used in good measure, something Sparktail haven't learned yet, Mr. I-am-in-more-RPs-than-everyone. I should teach the pikachu good manners, but I'm kind of busy. I guess it could be worse.
TigerPrime: Yay! My story is powerful! Whoot! Happy! (Sparktail knocks out my pachi side) Ok… what was I… yeah… I didn't really take time to think this up. I write as I go, and I hope what I write is not so bad. Sometime, I didn't get the right ideas, but you cannot blame me for not trying. And I'm not one to back up on something either… one of those day, I swear, there will be one bad chapter here, but not this new one, I hope. The fact that you can't wait is quite sad, since you waited exactly three months, if you are still here to read it. I feel kind of bad… wow… I wonder how many times I said it… I suppose I really mean it. Especially since this chapter is my shortest one yet. It doesn't help me to feel much better about it. I guess the new reviews will help… anyway, have fun reading it from now on, and welcome aboard!
End: hmm… now I'm kind of tired of replying… I can't wait to post this. Well, End, I already know that you think more than what you said about this chapter, so I won't repeat everything I said before (I don't even remember it) I will be short, and thank you for posting a review, even if you didn't feel like it. I admire this and I could learn a thing or two from this. I could… but… (look up a tree) ohhh! An apple! (run away)
Tyler T the pikafan: Hmm… pikafan… I could probably spend hours pondering if you read my story only for the pikachu, but… naww… I'm beyond such thing. So I will do you a favor, and talk about pikachu. Yea… pikachu is our favorite yellow little rodent, with his cute ears and his adorable tail. And the cheeks. But more importantly, pikachu are brave, and social and… well… lots of thing I'm not. That's why I like pachirisu better now. I fit more within their natural hyperness and innocence. But pikachu is still holding the second highest position, which is still an honor, as the 3th position is much, much farther away. And I shall continue to explore pikachu in more unique ways other did, and this is a true promise! But, be warned, this means it won't be all happy all the time… a good dose of morals and problems is needed sometime. Poor chu…
MTG: You didn't review, but you deserve a mention, because I know you will read this. Thank for… simply being there. You might be a bit crazy, but that's funny. And I know what I'm talking about, I'm crazy myself. I won't even feel bad because you didn't review after I asked you like… a few times. I know you enjoyed the story, and hate cliffhangers, but I included something in this chapter that you will like, as it was more or less on your request. But there is maybe another cliffhanger at the end of this, but you are kind of lucky, because you know what will happen. Or maybe you don't… hehehe… (evil laugh)
Phew… this was long, and took 90 minutes, but I'm ready to post now. So… even if, like I said in the replies, this chapter is my shortest yet, I hope you enjoy it. And please review, if you feel like it. Feel free to ask questions about anything you don't understand, I love the challenge of answering them.
Chapter 5: Natural prison
Maybe Rick wouldn't know how long he could fight the instincts or if this question even had to be asked, but this didn't really matter. There were things far more important that would take much of his mind. He wasn't yet aware of this, but there was no way around them, as his pokeball hits the top of a table, engaging the unstoppable procedure that was about pull him into a world infinitely more dangerous than his current cell.
In the mist of one short moment, darkness unleashed its veil, as atoms formed from primitive energy, joining together to form molecules, then cells, organs and ultimately a whole body, in a impressive synchronization calculated inside the small, but yet powerful computer system of the pokeball. One additional jolt of energy, and this body took life, blood flowing to its deepest corners thanks to the inexhaustible heart, oxygen burning inside the cells, continuing the circle of life where it had left. Since running for his life was the last thing Rick was doing before being captured, he spawned in that position, oblivious to the fact that he was now on a table. A table that ceased to exist within half a second, lacking the necessary length to provide a running surface for the panicked chu, who soon found himself kissing the floor. A rude entrance into the real world indeed, but it did its work.
"Ow! Damn it!" he screamed furiously while squirming on the polished wooden surface. As much moving was easy in the ball, it proved to still be a horror to control here, his paws sliding endlessly in a fight to gain control over the floor. This control, however, as he finally got back on all fours, he lost it quickly. Before he was allowed to a make a move, something took a solid grip on his back, squeezing him back to the floor, and forced a soft white wall over his face. A strong, nasty scent emanated from it, itching his nose, warning him of an imminent danger. No squirming or uncontrolled shocking was able to remove it, though, those getting weaker as his muscles went numb and his awareness diminished. The poison crept through into his bloodstream, forcing his conscious into oblivion again…Time passed, becoming meaningless, minutes and hours only the ghosts of a moment, while the chemicals inflicted their effects, keeping the pikachu unconscious. As with everything, this eventually came to an end and consciousness steadily emerged from its forced cell. Rick stirred in his current position; his nose, ears and sensitive areas of his paws working together to get a first idea of this potentially new and dangerous environment. No scaring sounds: good. No suspicious and threatening smells of predators: good. Sleeping on a soft surface: still good. The first taste of this place pointing to a safe location, the instincts took a backseat, the much more advanced human mind of Rick back in control again, conscious, but yet oblivious to any of the conclusions his brain came to, as he simply swayed them away, keeping only the feeling of safeness. After all, there is no place for animal instincts in this mind of his, only logic and knowledge.
Rising on four paws, he groggily blinked a few times, in an effort of discerning anything important in the strong light blinding him. Light soon lessened, as his eyes adjusted themselves to the lighting of the room, the blurry shapes of vertical lines appearing in front of him, blocking the light from reaching him. Those lines, arranged in a regular pattern, all appeared to be of the same size and separated by roughly the same distance. With his sight sharpening even more, those lines gained a faint metallic reflective texture and a round, cylindrical form.
Those lines… he had seen them before. The knowledge about where he had and what they are still missed from his mind, but maybe a closer inspection could reveal those secrets. Eagerly pushing himself on two legs, he discovered that the truth was closer than he thought when he felt a hard pain on his head, a small bump swelling on it. "Ow!" the small rodent screamed in surprise, bending back on four paws and crouching flat on the soft surface, which seemed to be made of some tissue. 'What was that?' asked his mind, already thinking of the possible predators that could have hurt him like that, and looking for a way to escape it, thought he had no plan to do so. Fighting the fear of meeting with this menace from above, Rick rolled on his back, looking unconfidently at the sky, only to meet more of those metallic lines, still ordered, covering the sky. Sighing, he looked all around him and saw more of those lines, covering every side of him, and standing as a wall between him and his freedom. Suddenly, those lines gained a meaning and a name, although he would have hoped for a better one: they are metallic bars, those of a cage!
Jerking back, his mind swung between the opposite views he had about this. One side of him told him that the cold, unfamiliar setting of a cage was not suited for a human being, neither was the way he was brought here, if his theory about what happened what right. And yet, those wild thoughts were telling about how safe he was in there. This was no lie, however. Beside the protection the bars offered against creatures bigger than him and obviously unable to open the cage, he saw a small bowl filled with water and one with pellets of what he supposed to be food. Combined with the towel he was sleeping on and the little red ball sitting in one corner of the cage, he had everything to live in what this part of his mind called a portable nest. Crawling to this source of nutrition, he lapped his tongue inside the bowl of water, the refreshing liquid sliding inside his mouth, wetting and cooling it, before he swallowed it down. He had to admit, for water, it tasted damn good. It was like drinking his favorite soda; he wanted more. He lapped more and more of the water in, shamelessly drinking it all. His thirst contented, he glanced at the pellets of food, his face frowning. He might have the body of a mouse, but he wasn't about to eat like them. This was a limit he wouldn't cross. Not that his choice mattered, with the sudden appearance of something new in the room. His ears picking up the sound of something huge falling on his right, priorities switched in his brain, to one command: Flee! Run away from the threat!
Turning left, he met with the bars, preventing his escape. Trapped, he shifted to his second option: Fight. The noises echoed again, getting closer and closer, at a regular pace. It then stopped, a dreaded shadow looming over the nervous pikachu, whose cheeks sparked. Those sparks, instead of bouncing between his cheeks like they should, were absorbed by the metal bars, the cage emitting a sudden humming. Would have it been only him, he would have stopped and pondered about the origin of that disturbing sound, but this sound looked more like another threat right now, forcing him to act quickly and release the flow of electricity toward the shadow, a mistake he could have prevented. As soon the electrons came out of him, they were immediately attracted by the bars, like the sparks before, and flowed inside them until they reached their new target: an energy accumulator. It acted like a battery you charged, but when you stopped charging it, the electricity was thrown back to the sender, in a much shorter and intense beam. The humming became louder and louder, ended by a deafening crackling, resulting in one burned rodent panting on the floor of the cage, ranting about his own foolishness, the shadow still towering over him, unfazed by his little show of blatant ignorance. At the end of this shadow was a human, who sat on a chair and stared at him. After a long silence, the man spoke: "I see that you are quite grumpy when you wake up, Rick. It was a good idea to put you inside this anti-shock cage" he stated, almost half laughingly.
Hearing his name, Rick approached the border of the cage, returning the man's stare, his own a lot more confused, his face torn from hiding his instinctive fear and his pain. Who was this human? His first answer would have been Bill, but the voice was too deep and the scent too different. Digging into the memories of the recent events, another name came to his mind. Oak. Bill must have dropped him at his ranch and left, like he told him. Indeed, this man was Samuel Oak, looking rather unpleased by the rodent behavior. "Rick, Rick, Rick… you are a not making our life easy, you know that? With your current condition, you are putting us in quite a predicament. As you might imagine, I never tried to keep a human mind intact inside the mind of a rodent. However, I know what your body and your mind need to stay sane. I'm going to give you what a pikachu need the most. I think you know what it is, don't you, Rick?" the man asked, to which Rick replied to with a nod.
He knew too much what was needed; he shuddered only to think of it. Sure, there was the need of eating, drinking and having a nest, but none of those can be normally satisfied without another key element. Pikachu, being a small rodent at the bottom of the food chain, cannot survive long in the wild, where everything is a potential danger. It would need something to increase its size, which is not possible, so it artificially increases it by seeking to join a group of member of its species, called a clan, of about 20-50 individuals, in a simple organized system increasing their chance of survival. If Oak had anything to give him, it could only be that. He hated companionship more than anything else, at least with others humans; and he didn't doubt that it would be the same with those pokemon, now that he was one of them.
Deceived, the former human sunk into the depths of the cage, his tail bumping on the round ball, on which he took a quick glance at. Instinctively, he held onto it, the ball rolling left and right as Oak picked up cage, shaking it uncomfortably as he brought it outside, making Rick feel sick each time the man took a step and balanced the cage forward and backward like a ship on a stormy sea, and bringing it to what would be a shipwreck once they would reach their intended destination.. Lasting only one minute, this trip into the unknown have seemed to be long and stressful hours, even more as the comforting and modern insides of a house was replaced by never-ending wilderness, its unwelcoming scents forcing their way into his nose, more as time fled behind him. This time came to an end, Rick's new "home" now fully into view. It was a fairly large square enclosure, about 30 feet on each side and 4 feet high, delimited by a thick wire fence, covering all sides and the roof of it, much like his current cage. Protected enough to make him feel safe, if it wasn't for the setting inside this new place. In deep contrast of the open view of his dream forest, this enclosure was mostly filled with high herbs, easily towering over him. It didn't require deep thinking to understand that he would be as safe in there than in a hole surrounded by ekans. Shivering at the idea of walking into that place, fearing even those plants dancing in the wind, the small rodent didn't take notice of the professor locking the side of his cage into one of the enclosure's adapted opening, nor he noticed him opening the way into this death trap, until he felt a cold stick poking him in the back, irritating him to the point he had no choice but to crawl toward the exit on two feet, his front paws still hugging the ball tightly, calming him somewhat, if just in good amount to prevent panic from drowning his eyes in tears.
However, as soon he met with the ground, all those worries melted away. Soft is how Rick could describe the ground he set foot on once out of the cage. Not too rocky to be painful to walk on, nor too grassy to be slippery, this terrain offered just enough grip and comfort to allow for a good running speed, even short sprints, without any risk of hurting himself in the process or injuring his sensible pads on something sharp spurting from it. It was perfect… for his body. His mind couldn't care less for this kind of comfort. What would it be worth for anyway? Running fast and safely was a huge advantage, if he was in a clearing. But here? In this closed area, surrounded by green death traps? What good was there to run at max speed when you don't see where you are heading? He could as well escape from a predator to run into another one. It would be an endless circle that would ultimately lead to his demise. All wasn't black, thought. As this place could hide predators, it might also provide hiding places for him to hide. Maybe some place to dig a hole in the ground, since the surface also seemed ideal for this kind of survival activity. Maybe…
Lost in the middle of the many interpretations his body perceived from this new habitat, he wasn't even sure what to think. Should he consider this place a holy paradise or living hell? It had potential to be both, but realistically, only one possibility was truth. And logically, at least for the instinctive mind of the pikachu slowly creeping over his own, the latter choice was the one to envision. It was already telling him what to do to escape this fate. But no… he wouldn't follow those; this was not a proper way to act! He would get out of here, comfortable ground or not!
Displaying a pleading stare, he looked back at the old professor, hoping to get a last change of mind from the brilliant human. The man glanced at him for a few seconds, his head titled to the side, a clear sign that he was still pondering over his decision. Alas, Rick's bubble of hope popped as quickly as it was blown. Despite his profound reflection, the aged man still took the cage out of the hatch, one hand waving at Rick, almost tauntingly. The hatch, holding on nothing but thin air, closed, sealing the pikachu and any hope of escape inside. Straightening, cage in hand, the man let out a last smile before turning around. He took his leave on a slow, unconcerned pace, stared at by the cold, unforgiving glare of the trapped pikachu. What was he playing at? Wasn't he supposed to help him? With questions like this rolling down his endless pit of confusion, the former human looked at the sky, feeling so betrayed, and so close to freedom. It laid only inches from his paws, rubbing its face on the other of the metallic wires. It was so unfair! Oak was supposed to be the solution to his adaptation dilemma, not the cause of one more! Nothing made sense! Absolutely nothing! Oak… he was not like this! That's not how he remembered him! Granted, it kind of felt like his human memories were currently drifting away on a boat in the middle of the ocean, losing its supply with the rocking of intense storms, but he could still remember Oak… mostly. Oak was a human… someone big and… nice… he could pet… give food… and…
Rick frowned… this description didn't make any sense! Oak wasn't there only to take care of pokemon! He did others things like playing around his lab to do… stuff… and talking to others humans about… important things… and this have something to do with him. The human could do something to help him… and, unless he missed something, this enclosure was the last thing he considered a solution. If anything, it was a double lock to a safe keeping his sanity. He just didn't want to be here! Was it that hard to understand?
Increasingly confused, his eyes narrowing, he crouched, his feet tensing, his muscles accumulating potential energy. Releasing the energy in one intense burst, he bounced like a spring, ready to meet and demolish his newfound enemy in those inert pieces of iron. It was an interesting confrontation, one of might and courage, but, as one would expect, even the strongest fly wouldn't kill a frog. On a positive note, he did demolish something: his pride, his confidence, his hopes… and his forehead, which bled a bit on contact. On the other paw, the wires didn't even get the smallest dent or the tiniest weakness. They still stood solid, impassable frontier towering over the meager body of the rodent. His body bounced against the solid surface, landing with a thud on a ground still so soft and perfect. Feeling dizzy and tired, he lazily rested his nose on a small square hole in the fence, his eyes half closed, sighing sadly. Now, he truly didn't felt like playing. He had lost… there was no way to get out of here. And most saddening thing wasn't really because his failure made him lost the little remains of hope he had, but was that, the more he thought about it, the less those feelings seemed to matter. He wasn't even sure if he had to be sad about his failure or the about injury it caused. Since he wasn't getting a definitive answer about that anytime soon, he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pitiful position he was in, both physically and mentally.
With his view hidden behind the black wall, Rick let his mind wander aimlessly, listening to the flow of emotions coming from inside him. Rage and insecurity shown him many nasty images, many for which words wouldn't suffice to describe the horrors they were displaying, the pain and the fear they inspired. Breathing slowly and deeply, he absorbed the images he created, took a 'look' at them, and threw them away. As it seemed, his pikachu mind had no use for such worries. The images soon became more peaceful, fed by all the ambient sounds. His visions of being attacked by predators, of being trapped in this cage, of losing his mind, they became endless fields. The wind was running on his fur, the sun high in the sky, the field green and calm. And he wasn't only alone to enjoy this. Yellow creatures ran everywhere, playing, laughing, eating and sleeping.
This vision, of a paradise it was, became sharper and clearer as his body relaxed, all his others senses working together, gathering what they could from the soft touch of the ground, the caress of the wind, the music of a forest not far away, the delicate odors of flowers and other vegetation, building the logical and undeniable proof that he was perfectly safe where he stood. This vision, as false it was, brought Rick to a level of relaxation he hardly he felt before. Right now, there was no reason to be angered because of a wall. It was only a wall. The pikachu running around him were much more important. Potential friends, mates, protectors, helpers to get more food, children, all unique and important they were. And an elder watching over all of them. A group, an identity, a society. A goal.
As he watched the images, the former man wondered how it would be to actually be with them, and to have fun. It seemed simple, almost childish, but wasn't he happier when he was a child? This question brought a wind of change, the field vanishing from view, replaced by a much more blurry scene of a child playing with a few pokemon dolls. He knew this human child… a child with nothing to take care of, nothing but its games and friends. Like those pikachu, the human child was happy. Maybe not living a perfect life, but happier than he was right now. Maybe, just maybe, he could look around and try it. What did he have to lose?
Slowly opening his eyes, the mouse stared at the other side of the grey bars, at the world behind them. Trees, grass, other enclosures were about everything he could distinguish. Nothing worth getting excited over. Taking a few seconds to sway the tiredness away (he had to admit that this body was pretty good at relaxing), he rose on his paws. Again, he could feel a pulse on his forehead, an artifact of his useless escape attempt. Which was, all things considered, not the best idea he could have come up with? Digging a tunnel or shocking the wires would have been much better, if only he was able to perform those efficiently. Turning around, he examined his new home from this low position. At first glance, it was still mostly covered in long grass, but not as dense as he first saw it. The vegetation towered over twice his height, but among it, large passageways made navigation less of a hurdle. Large compared to him, of course, since the clear way was barely larger than him.
Feeling curious suddenly, and looking for anything that may help him forget about where he was, he entered the path, marching stealthy, looking for any treasure it might hide. There has to be some, as he could smell food close. It wasn't the enticing scent of an apple, but it didn't smelt like poisonous berries either. Tracing the origin of the food, he found a breach in the green wall. At this location, something had squashed (and eaten, from the look of it) the grass, digging its way into the vegetation. Inside the grassy cave was the food he was looking for, and no one was home. "Perfect", he muttered silently. Such a delicious opportunity offered to him that he wouldn't miss. He would just get a little taste, only to try. No big crime. He doubted that the former habitant was around anymore… he would have smelled it… probably…
Slyly entering the improvised cache, making sure he was not seen, the thief mouse got closer to the food. Each step into the hole made the grass under him crack loudly, as if something was hidden under it. Something so noisy didn't mean anything good, as it could be a trap. But… nope… he wouldn't flee, not when food was within reach. Speaking of food, what he found was not that bad either. There were a few seeds, and some pellets of an unknown nature. They looked kind of brownish, but there no way to know, with a vision as poor as his. Already knowing what seeds were supposed to taste like, this new kind of food had something… exotic about it. Granted, they were not much different from the pellets he saw before, but now he was hungry. Tilting his body forward, he took one of those into his mouth, covering it in saliva, looking for its hidden flavor. He found it pretty fast, and as soon he did, the round piece of food took a one-way trip outside, rolling back with the others. "What is that thing? It tastes so bad! Eww! Stupid pellet!" he shouted, still tasting the flavor the foul thing, a taste he could vaguely associate with meat. Without any more delay, he dug into the pile of seeds next to the pellets, downing them in a rush to cover the horrible taste of that saliva-covered pellet.
Hearing a low rumbling coming from his stomach, a clear signal that he was hungry, he decided against his original plan and ate all the seeds. As he gulped down the last one, he heard another rumble, this one much deeper and loud. This was getting quite annoying now. "Hey! I fed you already… what is your…" He was cut off by another low rumble. This time, he was utterly convinced it was not coming from his stomach. It was too loud… and the room was too dark all of a sudden… and the air seemed to burn around him… and there was an intimidating gist about all this. Peeking behind him, his fears materialized, as he was greeted with the shadow of a large creature. "Ahhhh!!!" he screamed, sheer panic pumping into his mind.
He needed to flee, right now! He had no idea what to do, but his body did. Feeling his cheeks tense, he released a few jolts around the grass hole, dug his paws forward and dashed into the long grass. Grass, grass and more grass; that's all he could see as he painfully made his way into the high herbs. He had a head start over the monster, but it didn't take long before he felt movement behind him. It was getting closer! Pushing himself to the limit, he ran faster, but it was short lived. One of his paws got caught into on rock hidden among the grasses, tripping him over. Soon the shadow was over him again. Lying in the grass, the rodent could smell the creature hot breath on him. He could almost taste the saliva that would drop over him as the creature would decide which part of him to eat first. Whimpering softly, he waited for the pain that would soon ensue, hoping his death would come quick.