Outer Body
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By Angelbloodlover
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~ "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear."
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C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed
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Chapter 3: Consolation
She was numb, staring at the necklace around her neck.
Her normalcy depended on this measly thing with a fucking stone. Fresh tears blurred her vision and she clenched her fists, not caring that she looked like a pitiful, ungrateful human. For a moment, hope had made her drunk, only to have it shatter in front of her. What a cruel joke was this?
"...chi?"
She looked down when the wish Pokémon appeared in front of her, not wanting them to see her like this. Her humane appearance was nothing but a mirage of her old self, a fucking illusion, ready to disperse at any moment. Everything depended on that necklace and when it would break down, so would her transformation.
"Mew!"
Snapping her head up at that surprised cry, she gasped in incredulity when she noticed a horde of Pokémon blocking the entrance of the cave. "...oh my God..." Anger overtook her soft features and she snarled at them, "Get out of here! I'm not some kind of attraction in a fucking zoo!"
In unison, they all cocked their head to the side.
Hatred clouded her mind and she started throwing rocks at them, but it didn't deter them. It only made them squawk in indignation. After throwing a dozen rocks, she gave up and glared in distaste, wanting them to be gone.
"...mew?" The pink creature whispered quietly as it cowered in fear, hiding behind some rocks. Chi was trembling, doe-eyes large and shining with worry as it huddled close to the pink Pokémon.
She sniffed pathetically, standing up abruptly and cursing her weak body when black spots appeared in front of her. The familiarity left her cry-laughing like a lunatic. "How pathetic have I become? I'm becoming a raging freak and scaring off my only allies in this fucked-up world with my ugly personality." Covering her face, she turned around and cried like the child she was. Ungrateful and throwing temper-tantrums.
Throughout the cave, she heard the echoes of her pitiful cries.
By some stroke of luck, her fragile, cold heart warmed up. Disbelief coloured her eyes when she felt two sudden pressures against her legs. And looking down, she could easily confirm that Mew and Chi were leg-hugging her. That sight made her snort in amusement, eliciting more laughter after the two Pokémon smiled widely at her. It was like they were saying that they still accepted her, her raging self included. Crouching down on their eye-level, she caressed their heads, smiling weakly, "Thank you for cheering me up. Really, I wouldn't know what I would be doing without you two guys."
...probably still abusing her paws and stuck in her Mew-form.
She turned her attention on Chi and nodded in gratitude, "Thank you for the necklace. At least this way I can try finding another method to return to my human form without any needed object."
Chi's face lit up like the sun, cheerful chirps coming from its lips.
Moving her attention to Mew, "And thank you for dragging me here, even if I did act quite rude." She knelt down and kissed them both on their forehead, giggling slightly when Mew started doing some acrobatic flips while Chi glowed like a star. Her attention shifted to her necklace and she clutched it tightly, not wanting to lose her last piece of sanity. She would surely lose all ounce of hope.
"Well," Standing up, she coughed quietly, earning their attention, "It seems that from here onward, our paths will be split up. I'm sure that you two would like to get on with your lives without my bothersome presence." ...even if I wanted nothing but your companies. She knew it was too much to ask from the two Legendaries. People from all around the world would flock towards them, trying to capture them. Team Rocket, Team Magma and Aqua. Team Galactic and more. It would be too selfish to request more things from them after they showed her such kindness.
Her consciousness wouldn't allow it either.
Ever since her childhood, her parents had raised her to be thankful of the kindness of people. And not to abuse it.
Biting her lips and blinking her eyes continuously to prevent more tears, she smiled brightly and looked at Mew, "You can drop me back to our previous location, Mew."
Mew and Chi shared a look. Together, they chirped in confusion and followed her until they stopped in front of her.
"Mew/Chi!"
She blinked her eyes in shock, sadness and loneliness pushed away for the moment. "What are you two doing?"
Mew started pointing to Chi's tags. It had two instead of three now.
Realisation dawned on her, eyes widening, "You mean I have two more wishes?"
Mew and Chi nodded in unison.
In the background, she could hear the shuffles of the many Pokémon. It was getting to the point of absurdity but by now she was just going with the flow. As long as they didn't try to attack her then she could care less if they stalked her. No matter how creepy it was.
"...that's actually awesome!" She stomped her feet continuously on the ground, laughing freely. Once her excitement died down, she turned bright blue eyes on Chi, "Can you send me back to my human world?" Even if her request seemed far-fetched for such a creature, she didn't want to think of the what-if's. Better be safe than sorry.
Chi pursed its lips and started glowing, only to have it end abruptly. "...chi?" Scrunching its eyes, it looked at her in shame, tears watering when its powers were unable to fulfil her second wish.
Smiling ruefully, she placed a comforting hand on its pointy head, "It's alright. Don't feel ashamed of yourself. I'm happy just being in my human form, though I do wonder how I look like here..."
"...chi, chi?"
With one scoop, she picked the saddened star Pokémon, cuddling it close to her and enjoying its happy squeal, "Of course, I still like you. Just because you couldn't grant my wish doesn't mean I'd go in a homicidal rage..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly when the entire cave was filled with loud sounds of protests, coming from every Pokémon in the vicinity.
She sweatdropped.
Mew dispersed the awkward moment and plopped down on her shoulders, happy squeals entering her ear shells as it hid behind a curtain of pink- "What...pink?!"
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After using up her second wish to change her pink hair into black, she had set out with two new friends towards professor Oak. She didn't care if it was stupid to use it for something like that but she absolutely refused to walk around while looking like a walking bubblegum. No offence to Mew though.
Chi was forced to follow her until she finished the last wish and Mew... Frankly, she didn't know why Mew wanted to tag along with her. But she didn't stop the little pink rascal, feeling slightly safe with a strong, rare Pokémon like Mew.
...and really, it felt like being a Pokémon trainer. Something her childhood self had dreamed of for many nights.
Thankfully for them, Mew had teleported them back to her previous place. This meant that their walk had been shortened considerably. All the Pokémon from back in that cave had scattered in different directions after she had shooed them away. Having two tagging Pokémon with her was a handful, no need to increase it. After setting up some rules, she had told Mew to transform into a less desirable Pokémon, like a Bulbasaur or Vulpix.
In the end, it had decided to become a Flareon, flames lighting their path and keeping them warm. While Chi hid on her shoulder, using her hair as a curtain to hide from.
This way, she wouldn't spark the interest of any villainous groups. Once she arrived in Pallet Town, she would have to make professor Oak promise not to say anything about the existence of her two friends. She was sure that they didn't like all the attention. There was a reason Mew was hardly seen, opting to remain invisible from the human eye. Chi had also lived its entire life in the mountainous areas. Crowding them over would traumatise them without a doubt.
What she did pick up was the fact that there were less stalking Pokémon creeping on her. It could have been because of the presence of her two friends. Whatever it was, she was left feeling much better now that there were less eyes set on her. Being ogled wasn't something she appreciated.
She stopped in front of another sign, pursing her lips, "It says that we would be arriving near Vermillion City."
And here she thought that she was getting closer to Lavender Town. Orientation had been her weakest point, but she was no beginner either. Normally, she would have been able to get to her destination without any difficulty.
"Oh well, perhaps we could find a short-cut to Pallet Town?"
Mew-Flareon yipped in agreement while Chi chirped quietly, trying not to attract any attention.
Along her way, she had met up some trainers who had requested to battle her after seeing Mew-Flareon. But she had refused the offer, stating that she wasn't a Pokémon trainer, only a traveller with friends. That had disappointed many of them. After all, Mew-Flareon's flames was radiating brightly, power rolling off in waves. It had left many trainers envious of her while some had approached her, asking her how she had raised such a beautiful Flareon.
She had been unable to come up with an answer, saying that they had been like this when she met them. Which was nothing but the truth.
Her brows scrunched up when she noticed another trainer walking towards her, his intent clear in his burning ruby-red eyes, "Excuse me. Would you like to battle?" The pokéball in his hand doubled in size, determination blazing in his eyes. There was a pumped up Pikachu on his shoulder, staring at her with narrowed eyes, confusion clear on its face. She ignored it whatsoever.
"I'm sorry, but I'm just a traveller..."
...and his entire composure crumbled. He stumbled in shock, looking at her like she had grown a second head. "...are you for real?!"
"Are you insulting me...?" She spoke in a low, dangerous voice. Mew-Flareon yipped in anger and even Chi was growling quietly. Even Pikachu face-palmed itself at his trainer's reckless behaviour with the opposite gender.
"No?"
Her eyebrow twitched in anger, "I'm leaving."
She left the rude young man, ignoring his loud calls. Increasing her pace, she hoped that he would lose interest and leave her alone. Alas, that wasn't the case. The stubborn fool followed her until she froze on the spot, seeing the idyllic landscape below them, her eyes going wide when she looked down on the port city from the high, green hills. The sight was absolutely mesmerising and had left her speechless.
Even the young man's annoying presence didn't deter her from enjoying it to its fullest.
His breathy whisper reached her ears, "It never stops being beautiful..."
"...and right you are."
Mew-Flareon had also quietened down, looking at everything with curious, large dark eyes. Her little friend on her shoulder gasped out in amazement, wide doe-eyes on the brimming city.
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If she used enough imagination, she could probably burn him to death with her eyes.
"-and then I caught Pikachu-"
Perhaps she could use her third wish to take away his vocal cords?
"-even after many reprimands, Pik-"
She wanted to bash her head against something and die. But this mess had all been her fault and now she was stuck with this creature of Hell. All because she told him where she was heading to. How could she even know that this person was heading to Pallet Town as well?
"-then Team Rocket-"
She blinked her eyes twice and furrowed her brows, "Wait, did you say Team Rocket? As in that evil organisation that steals Pokémon?"
"Huh?" He appeared slightly confused at her sudden interruption, but nodded, "Yeah, that one, I have fought them off too many times to count and still do at times."
My God, this person was a trouble-magnet. Better to ditch him before she would get swept in his mess as well.
"So, what you mean is that Team Rocket is constantly after you?"
Another bop of his head was his reply, along with Pikachu's angry battle-cry.
"Then, I'd rather not be around you. I don't want to gain their interest as well. Goodbye." Without any word, she walked off, ignoring his angry shout. She was really not in the mood to entertain that boy either. Besides, his presence scared Chi, even if Mew-Flareon actually liked him and allowed him to pet its fiery fur.
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Ruby-red eyes turned into slits once the young woman was far enough.
"Pika..."
He nodded slowly, brows furrowed and lips pursed, "I know. I have noticed something off about her as well. Her and those Pokémon of hers, even if she constantly insisted that they weren't her Pokémon but her friends." Taking his PokéGear out from his pocket, he flipped it open and dialled the professor's number.
After some ringing, professor Oak picked up his phone, "Ah, Red, how are you doing? And how is your Pokédex coming along?"
"I'm doing good and so is my Pokédex. I've already caught new species coming from Hoenn. But, that's not why I'm calling, professor..." He trailed off, unsure how to tackle the mysterious girl without sounding like a love-sick puppy. Professor would never live him down if he worded it strangely. But his gut was telling him that there was something fishy going on.
"What did you want to talk about?"
After organising his sloppy thoughts, he decided that it couldn't hurt to say it, "Professor, do you have an appointment with a girl going by the name of-" His eyes widened as saucers when he remembered that they had never introduced each other's name. He refrained from bashing his head in and groaned at his own stupidity. "Shit."
The professor's stern voice reprimanded him in disapproval, "Language, Red."
"I'm twenty years old, professor, not a ten-year old brat." He joked with a slight chuckle, inwardly screaming in frustration.
He heard a long sigh, followed by the heart laughter of his grand-father figure. "You're right, those years had passed in a blink. It makes me feel old to admit that." Another sad laugh, "Now, enough reminiscing of our past years. Why have you called, Red?"
"Right," His eyes flickered to his life-long companion and best friend, Pikachu, then back to the last seen place of the mystery girl, "I've met a girl on the road-" "A girl?! Should we call the wedding planner?" The professor perked up in joy at that wonderful news, excitement lacing his voice, "That's wonderful news, Red! When will you introduce your girlfriend to your mother and I?"
Red sweatdropped at that. He had a feeling that things would escalate like this.
"Not a girlfriend. She said that she was on her way towards you. Though she didn't explain her motives for trying to meet you. It was all to suspicious, professor. She felt strange and those Pokémon of hers didn't feel like normal Pokémon... Even Pikachu was affected weirdly by her presence."
Sensing the seriousness of the young man, professor Oak listened intently as the young man recounted the beginning of their meeting until their departure, "I wouldn't be able to give you an answer until I meet this mysterious girl. Tell me, how does she look like so I don't mix her up with another girl. As you know I get many young trainers to my Pokémon lab for their own starters."
Red nodded absentmindedly, for a moment forgetting that he was on the phone, "She had waist-long, straight black hair and very peculiar blue eyes. Eyes that remind me of Mew... Does that sound weird to you?"
Professor Oak chuckled in amusement, "Only you would be able to compare a female to a Pokémon."
"Well, that was the reason why I decided to tag along with her, only to have her ditch me after I confessed that Team Rocket had been after me since my tenth. Perhaps boasting about that hadn't been such a smart move?"
"No," The wise, old man started, "Every sane person would distance itself from you."
"That's cowardly."
The professor rubbed his temple, "It's human nature, Red. Just like that girl- she didn't want to endanger her Pokémon by being near you. Well, that's what I think of it."
After finishing his conversation, Red decided to follow the girl. After all, they were going to the same place so she couldn't blame him if he kept popping up around her. Grinning evilly, he walked downward to the port city known as Vermillion.
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"I'm sorry, but we can't let anyone in without their trainer ID." Nurse Joy looked apologetic at her.
She shook her head, waving her hands in front of her, "It's alright, nurse Joy. Rules are rules. I apologise for keeping you from your work." With that, she turned and left with a heavy heart.
Here she was in a beautiful, modern city with no money, lodgings or identification papers. It was a wonder she didn't have the police swarming around her.
Another long sigh escaped her lips and she kicked a pebble away as she sauntered around the city, ignoring the strange looks from many Pokémon. She was getting used to all the stares.
"Eon?"
Not wanting to worry her friends, she plastered a fake smile on her face, "Don't worry. I'll find us somewhere to stay the night." She groaned in annoyance when her eyes caught sight with the ruby-eyed young man from before. "Can I never have a moment of peace?"
"...chi?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry to wake you up, Chi..." She cooed gently, trying to avoid the attention of her stalker. It seemed that he was dead set on reaching her. Turning around a corner, she evaded the many people on her way, making sure that Mew-Flareon was with her and that Chi didn't fall off her shoulder. When she reached the harbour, her eyes widened when she saw a horde of Machop, Machoke and Machamp working there, alongside the sailors. Once they took notice of her presence, all Pokémon turned their head to stare creepily at her.
She shivered and quickly took another detour, bumping against some people and leaving them angry without any form of apology.
Finally, after shaking off the meddling boy, she sat down on the pavement, "Hopefully, he'll understand the meaning of leaving me alone, right Me- euuh, Flareon..." When she tried looking for her dear friend, she found no flaming cat-like creature around her. Her eyes widened in panic, "Oh no! I lost Flareon!" Her attention shifted to Chi, "Chi, Flareon is gone!"
Her star-shaped Pokémon huddled closer to her neck, trying to remain unseen and lifted its yellow drape towards a direction, "Chi! Chi!"
"You want me to follow that direction?"
"Chi!" Impatience was clear, as was slight fear. Chi had always feared things unknown things or new places.
She ignored the imploring, curious gazes from many people and instead tried hiding her friends as much as possible. There was an angry huff and she could already envision the adorable, pouting look from Chi. Without any word, she sped forward, worry for her pink friend pushing her beyond her limits.
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Red raised an eyebrow as his eyes locked with the majestic, fiery Pokémon. "So, why did you abandon your trainer?"
"Eon?"
His lips curled upwards and he crouched down, patting Flareon's shiny fur, "You're quite mischievous, you know?"
Flareon yipped brightly, purring in enjoyment at the attention it received.
"I don't think she'll be happy, in fact, by now I wager that she is driving herself sick with worry." He focused on his best friend, "Guess that's what she gets after being rude to us, right Pikachu?"
"Pika!"
He chuckled in amusement when Flareon crawled on his lap and closed its eyes. Though, why it decided to sleep on a stranger's lap, he didn't know. But he was deeming it a normality by now. After all, the things he had seen had been nothing but abnormalities after another.