Chapter 66, everybody! A little late but I was running the streets today—outside world how I have missed thee. ;v;/
In other news, I love how everyone reacted to Frenzy's evolution. X'D
So in this chapter we discuss type specialists and a radio drama called The Shadow and the Nightmare, which is basically me comboing Pokémon with another IP I love, The Shadow. Come nerd with me about early 20th century radio dramas. \.o./
Fun bit of last-minute editing—originally I had Brock rolling his sesame chicken into his rice, which is something my Mom does…and then I remembered that chickens don't exist in the Pokémon world, and the closest version, Torchic, is a no-no according to my worldbuilding notes (Foodies cannot be starter Pokémon). Granted, also according to my worldbuilding notes Kantoans would 100% eat Torchic, but for the sake of not starting another inter-regional war they don't. So, long story short, had to edit that after squinting at it at twelve in the morning. ^^; Brock using The Shadow to stay awake during late nights comes from my Dad, by the way, who would do the same thing on late-night road trips when The Shadow was experiencing a radio revival.
In other news, we're also quoting Jurassic Park—the "that's her happy scream" line comes from something, but I don't remember just what. Also, game review shade. \.o./
And now for reviews: Kayuri Igrimakeon Pax, Raj8, Dragonkeeper10, Urdeadnotbigsurprise, talesfanjmf, Clow Angel (go for it!), griffin blackwood, Silverwing23, AverageHiveMind, LongNightDragon, Cyan Quartz, Chryssal, SkeletonBisque, epantoja521, DeathCrawler, Guest (oh dear), forward-smash, Guest (Crazydude13), Red Archus (me too), Roxas Lucist, Silver-ShadowSpark (maybe), and RunOnSentences, thanks for the reviews! And your patience. ^^;
Kayuri Igrimakeon Pax, thanks for the review! That's awesome, I'm glad you've been enjoying the fic and Frenzy enough to name your Paras Frenzy! I've always had a fond spot for Paras, so I'm glad you're enjoying them too. :D
AverageHiveMind, thanks for the review! It did! And yeah—liked that characterization of her and I definitely have had more fun with it. I…did not realize that was the theme I was going with but now that I look at it yeah. X'D That moment when fixing the problematic parts of their anime characterizations makes them competent. XD Oh right, Haunter kinda cheesed that one…and yes, killer Frenzy time. \.o./
Cyan Quartz, thanks for the review! I…think I actually have that book I'm going to have to see if I can't find that typo now. :O
Roxas Lucist, thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far! My current goal is to finish the Indigo League (goal is mainly finish and post it all next year but we'll see how that goes). I do have bits and snippets for this universe addressing other games/seasons, but we'll cross those bridges when we get there. (Honestly I'd really like to make sure my current fanfics are finished up before I commit to another massive fic like this one I hate the schedule slip ;^;/). Thanks! :D
Pokémon © Game Freak; Nintendo
And now, for something completely different:
Gold Coal presents—the thrilling adventures of the Shadow and the Nightmare! The continuing story of a mysterious trainer fighting a relentless battle, to demonstrate to old and young alike that crime does not pay! But first—a word from our sponsor, Gold Coal! The shiny coal from the shiny Torkoal!
Dinner was at Sabrina's house next door, and the bulk of their conversation after their moment of silence involved going over the gym battle again. The Pokémon involved were in a machine in the next room over that worked just like the healing machines in the Pokémon Centers, and Sabrina's dad assured them that they'd be right as rain in the morning.
Sabrina's dad was also in the kitchen on a video call after cheering with Walter the Alakazam about Sabrina bringing friends over, to which she rolled her eyes and moved on to the next subject.
"I am a little disappointed you didn't pull out a Dark type in the match though," Sabrina said.
"I don't exactly have one available for battling," Ash told her.
"Huh," she noised, spooning more rice onto her plate. "That doesn't explain me not being able to read you though—usually that's from either having a Dark type or…have you thought about being a Dark-type specialist?"
"Er, no?" That thought hadn't even occurred to Ash—how could he be a Pokémon master if he specialized in only one type? "It's not like I have the opportunity to run into a lot of Dark types in Kanto."
"You want to try for variety in your first couple of years anyway," Brock advised, stirring his veggies into his rice. "After that, you start noticing which types you work best with, and then you can start specializing."
Sabrina nodded, looking pensive. "Yeah…must be nice, having that opportunity."
"I'm guessing you didn't."
"Natural psychic, started attracting Psychic-type Pokémon almost immediately," she told him, pointing at Walter. "My parents came into my room one day to see Walter floating over my crib. Kinda fated, but sometimes I wouldn't mind trying to train another type."
"I'll try not to be insulted," Walter said, floating a spoonful of rice into his mouth.
"You never are, don't try that with me."
"I'm still not sure about type specialization," Ash said. "How do you even know?"
"Mostly it's what you're used to," Brock said, indicating Sabrina and himself. "I grew up around Rock and Ground types, so that's why I gravitated towards them—I'm branching out now with Zubat, Drowzee and Bulbasaur, but generally you'll find that you have more of an instinct with your preferred type. Like knowing that Grass types love sun but still need shade sometimes, and how frequently to water them, and that if you let them have plenty of sun and the right amount of moisture and the opportunity to bury themselves in the ground sometimes, you don't have to spend so much on Poké-chow."
Ash tried to think of if he had anything like that yet. "I…don't think I have a type."
"It's still early," Brock said, smirking like Ash had just told a joke.
"I vote Dark," Sabrina told him, also smirking. "Still say you'd have an easy time of it."
"I always liked working with Water types, but that's mostly because that's what I grew up around," Misty said, looking thoughtful. "I never thought too much about trying other types, but Oddish has been nice—which type would you choose to work with, given the opportunity?"
"I wouldn't mind trying Dark types," Sabrina said. "It'd be refreshing, I think, to work with someone I couldn't read. It's a lot more fun that way, in conversations."
"I guess so," Ash said, munching on a hot bun. "And I guess Lamont Cranston didn't get that option, since he was a Psychic that could read Dark types."
"I bet it was his aura—"
"Yeah, about that," Ash started—cut off when he realized that Sabrina had frozen. "Uh, Sabrina?"
"Oh dear, brace yourself," Walter sighed. "You just made a new friend."
Sabrina took a slow take at Ash. "That's not exactly a plot point that casual fans would know."
"Yeah," Ash said cautiously, unsure of how to take her shift in tone. "I kind of have a friend who got me into it, so—"
Ash nearly fell backwards from Sabrina's excited rounding on him. "You actually know the show do you have any idea how hard it is to find someone even remotely close to my age that knows it—"
"I'm guessing you like that show," Brock observed, sounding amused.
"I love The Shadow and the Nightmare," Sabrina gushed as Ash recovered. "Lamont Cranston was my first crush."
"You're kidding," Misty said.
"Nope—fell in love with his voice, lost the battle when I found a picture of him in an old album of the show, was completely heartbroken when I found out he died decades ago. And I'm not entirely convinced he didn't have psychic powers."
"I bet he really did," Ash said, waving his fork. "How else could he understand Pokémon?"
"I think I heard a couple of episodes once, when I was up late working," Brock said. "Had the radio on trying to keep me awake—didn't the Pokémon all have voice actors providing the roles? I mean, it was a radio show."
Sabrina and Ash stared at him.
"Sacrilege," Sabrina said finally. "And here I thought you were cute and smart."
"You thought I was cute?" Brock asked, perking up.
"Past tense is key there," Misty said, helping herself to some more rice.
"Ah, such a pity."
"Indeed," Sabrina agreed, looking back at Ash. "Kind of my dream to take a sort of…pilgrimage slash vacation to Sinnoh, visit Hearthome and the Pokémon Mansion and the Old Chateau, find all the places Lamont and Margo went to. And maybe see a Darkrai. Not the Darkrai, but a Darkrai. Are you guys okay?"
This, she asked because they were all currently choking on their food.
"You've heard of Darkrai?" Brock managed first.
"Well, yeah," Sabrina said, bobbing her head as she rolled her eyes. "That's kind of what the nightmare part of The Shadow and the Nightmare is—'Kos,' the Darkrai's name, was short for koŝmaro, the Esperanto word for nightmare."
"Original," Misty observed.
Sabrina shrugged. "Yes, well, most of us just settle for calling Pokémon by their species name, so…."
Ash nodded. "I have a friend who says that Pokémon have their own names—"
"And they don't usually appreciate someone else muddling them up," Sabrina finished.
"Wow, you're doing the mind-reading thing again."
"Ha, no—that was from the show, when Lamont lets Margo in on the whole understanding Pokémon thing."
"So all this time he was quoting a show he liked," Ash mused.
Sabrina looked at Brock.
"Different friend," he clarified.
Misty, meanwhile, was watching Ash like she could guess what he was getting ready to do and didn't approve. "Ash…."
"Actually, I think you might like to meet said friend," Ash said. "I bet you'd get a real kick out of him."
Sabrina looked at him intently before breaking off, throwing her hands up in the air. "Daah, I hate not being able to read a person. All right, when can you introduce us?"
"Hopefully in the next five minutes—hold on," Ash said, getting up and heading for the hall.
"This isn't going to be a nasty surprise, is it?" he heard Sabrina ask the others.
"It depends on how you react to surprises," Misty responded.
"It's not worse than Frenzy," Brock said.
Ash could quite clearly picture Sabrina shivering as he opened the back door. "Well, that's a relief," she said.
Ash smirked a little as he stepped out into the night.
"Hey, Darkrai!" Ash hissed. "Darkrai, are you there?"
"What?" he heard Darkrai ask flatly.
Ash grinned. "I need you to come in here—I found something you'd really like."
"Doubtful."
"So you don't want to meet a big fan of Darkrai then? All right…."
A pair of bright turquoise eyes suddenly blinked into existence naught three feet away.
"Say what?" Darkrai asked.
Ash was grinning again as he turned to face him. "Sabrina—the girl who runs the Saffron Gym? She's a big fan of The Shadow and the Nightmare—like you—and says she'd like to meet a Darkrai—like you."
The tip of Darkrai's eyes said he was interested.
"All right, fine," he sighed finally. "Far be it for me to keep an adoring fan waiting."
Ash gave him a thumb's up, held the door open as Darkrai drifted in. Shut it, lock it as it was, hold up his hands to make Darkrai pause before going back into the room.
Everyone looked at him expectantly. "Well?" Sabrina asked.
"Well," Ash said, ducking his head a little and clasping his hands behind his back. "It took a lot of convincing, but permit me to introduce—"
He stepped back and spun dramatically to indicate the hall—which was unfortunately empty.
"Uh, hello?" Ash called, peering back into the hall.
"The Shadow, I'm going to guess, seeing as how he's invisible," Sabrina said, looking and sounding like she was trying to hold in a laugh but failing as Ash came back in, scratching his head in confusion.
"Missed your first guess, try again."
They all jumped, and Ash spun in place just in time to see his shadow bubble and twist—
And then Darkrai was bursting out of it and into the room, affecting a dramatic pose.
Sabrina reacted first, letting out a high-pitched scream.
"I do love the effect I have on people," Darkrai sighed blithely.
"Are you okay?" Brock asked.
"I've been with her since she was a baby," Walter the Alakazam said, indicating her with a spoon. "That's her happy scream."
"It is! It really is!" Sabrina shrieked, bouncing around Darkrai and several times almost-but-not touching him, looking him up and down and grinning madly. "It's—it's a Darkrai!"
"'They did it,'" Brock muttered, taking a drink of his tea. "'The crazy SOB, they did it.'"
"That's amazing," Sabrina said, looking him up and down before looking at Ash, confused. "Except—how is he here?"
"I'll tell you what I told the rest of them: I flew," Darkrai said, looking her up and down. "And by the way, don't ask the village idiot anything, he doesn't know."
Sabrina looked back at Ash, who shrugged.
"I'll contest the idiot thing, but I can't deny not knowing most of Darkrai's backstory," he told her.
"Search your heart, you know it to be true."
"I don't think so," Ash said, watching Darkrai and Sabrina circling each other, Sabrina drinking in the detail and Darkrai…evaluating her, maybe? Walter the Alakazam was watching carefully, at least.
"Well…you're definitely a Darkrai," Sabrina said finally, coming to a halt with one arm across her chest, her free hand on her chin. "At least, you match all the descriptions I've seen."
"You don't say," Darkrai said, tone and expression all sarcastic shock. "And here all this time I thought I was an overgrown Castform!"
Sabrina's mouth quirked—she was trying to hold in a laugh. "But—why aren't you in Sinnoh?"
"Because it has a seven-point-eight rating out of ten—not enough water."
"Huh?"
"I had better things to do," Darkrai said, tapping his claws together, nose tipped up in the air.
Sabrina looked at Ash. "I feel like he's evading the question, but I can't read him to be able to tell."
"He's always like that," Misty put in.
"You get used to it," Brock said.
"Unfortunately."
"You see what I have to deal with," Darkrai sighed.
"So that's finally done," Sabrina's dad said, coming back into the room—
And freezing upon seeing Darkrai. "What the—"
The good news was, Sabrina's dad was able to take this calmly after they explained that Darkrai wasn't dangerous (which Darkrai didn't help with, considering his head tips, humming, and lack of eye contact).
It did take a while for him to stop rattling his teacup, though.
On the plus side, he seemed to have recovered enough at breakfast the next morning—although Sabrina was cause for concern.
"Did you get no sleep?" Brock asked her as they sat down.
"Sleep is for the weak," Sabrina insisted.
"No it isn't," Walter sighed.
"And I quote, I will never get a chance like this again and I have noise-cancelling headphones," her dad said.
"In other news I am finally getting the respect I deserve," Darkrai said, preening.
"If that were the case, she'd be ignoring you," Misty muttered into her coffee.
"I heard that."