Hey guys! I'm glad you like where this story is going so far. Here's the next chapter! Although it isn't really strong on plot development nor is it long, it's more like an introduction to the second movement of a musical symphony instead. Enjoy!
Chapter twelve: The Viridian Forest
Where am I...
More importantly, who am I...
Wait...I remember now...I'm a Pikachu.
But...what's this voice I keep hearing in my head?
He claims that my body is his vessel, that he has been using, and also claims he's been using it since the day he was born, but was transformed into a Pikachu. But I've always been a Pikachu...who is this person? Is it a person at all? A parasite perhaps, which has taken control of my thoughts?
Who is this...Lucas Bright...this...Lucas...Bright...
Lucas...leave now, this is my mind you're inhabiting!
Lucas...get out!
I wake up with a sharp gasp as I grab my chest in pain. I bend over to cough but as I do a new pain develops that spreads throughout my skull. I immediately grab my head, which hurts a lot more than my chest. As my breathing returns to normal, I adjust my eyes to the bright sunlight that is hitting me at an angle while I sit upright. I check my surroundings: I see the sun. I see the trees. I hear a stream and I hear wind blowing. Closer study shows that I was unconscious right next to the stream itself. Despite all the clear indications that this is indeed a natural habitat, there are no Pokémon to be seen and there are no sounds of birds chirping or other Pokémon making distinct noises. Am I…alone? No, just because you don't see or hear a Pidgey doesn't mean it isn't there…
I rub my head in pain, but I then hear something burst out of the water. I turn around, startled, to see some very large fish: they have jumped out of the water and are about to fall into the stream again, I shield my face with my arms. With all their combined bodies, they splash me with cold water. Soon after, I throw my fist at them with anger and shout, "H…hey! What's the big deal!?" and then I realize something about the water that makes my ears rise all the way up, "The river…my head is hurting because of this river…"
I close my eyes as I try to remember what exactly happened.
I remember now…we escaped from the prison, me and Orion, and we were being chased by the robot…wait! Where is that thing!?
I quickly check nearby for the Spiderbot, but there is no sign of it to be found. This makes me extremely nervous. I quickly move into the shade provided by the forest for now as the pain begins to subside from both my head and chest.
I unconsciously go down on all fours and I shake my entire body very fast to get rid of the excess water from my fur. This makes me raise an eyebrow in confusion as I stand back up, "These Pikachu instincts are really getting annoying. If I wanted to do this, I want to think about doing it ahead of time…"
I inspect the area: still no sign of the robot.
Let's see…I fell from a cliff…and that damn Spider fell down with me, that's for sure. Orion was the only one to stay behind. When I fell, I heard him shout...but it was too late…
From the comfort of being under a tree, I watch the stream with tranquil. The river here is calmer than the one I've encountered last night. That's because I have been carried downstream…but how far was I taken? The momentary calmness that I am feeling shifts back to worry.
"I remember hitting a rock before I passed out. I couldn't have been taken very far because I would've drowned." I say to myself. I move away from the tree and I hold both hands near my mouth and shout toward the sky, "Orion!" I yell as my voice echoes which eventually reach the darkest trees of the visible forest. There's an eerie atmosphere inside this forest…at least in this part. No animals respond but me…or at least I think…
I'm near water: which is a good sign and also a bad sign. There may be wild Pokémon nearby watching me. I'm not stupid. Everyone knows that animals need water to survive and being near a river or any other viable water source means that I may be trespassing territory. Being alone doesn't help either and I'm an easy target out in the open. Now that I think about it: it was a stupid idea to shout…
The good thing about being alongside this river is that that Orion can just follow the river's path to find where I might have been taken too. That's to say…he wasn't captured. After all, he was struck by a tranquilizer…made by Team Rocket.
Team Rocket...? They're the same thing. They're definitely out in this forest right now in groups searching for any gullible or weak Pokémon to recapture and carry back to the base. They're not the only ones; there are also probably Needlebots and possibly even other Spiderbots to watch out for.
So despite all the fuzz that Team Rocket is probably making right now, did Orion manage to escape? Maybe he's mere feet away from this river right as of now? He can't be far from here…then again…he was most likely captured, so I might have to embrace the possibility of never seeing Orion again, but I don't even want to think about that.
And what about myself…I haven't been captured yet, but I don't know much about surviving in a forest. I'm not an expert in survival but I assume Orion is…because he's been a Pikachu all his life. All I've learned from him so far, however, has been Pokémon moves and not really on how to start a fire. Just thinking about it, it would've been great if I was turned into a Fire-Type instead because then making fires would be ridiculously easy…
This forest is already making me stress out…and despite the threat of running into Team Rocket, I think the biggest threat to my life will be: not finding food in this forest. The rumbling inside my stomach right now makes me think about all the possible signs of edible vegetation around here, but as I search and search, It seems that I can't find any fruits or vegetables of any kind nearby. Just thinking about not finding food makes me cringe: I'm in a vast forest that stretches for hundreds of miles and I'm probably very far from the nearest town, so reality sets in quickly: If anything inside this place moves then it can be eaten and I can't hesitate to eat another animal if I want stay alive.
…I can't eat…other Pokémon…I might as well use ThunderShock on those fish because they're easy kills…wait, what the hell did I…just…ow…my head…
I grab my head in pain as I shake it left and right. Suddenly it goes away, which leaves me puzzled.
Was that…my instincts kicking in again? These thoughts are similar to the ones I've had inside the prison…but I can't think about them right now! I've got to find Orion. I have no doubt he knows where we can find food.
I begin making my way opposite of the river's flowing water. Within minutes I reach a wall of rocks and a fairly small pond…this is a waterfall. It's not a very tall one, thank goodness, but there's no way I can climb it. I look nearby and see a tree that looks like it can get me on top of the waterfall if I jump from it, so I try climbing the tree trunk but it ends repeatedly in failure. I groan in frustration, "Pikachu's are known to climb trees easily! Why isn't it working for me!? Come on instincts, now's a good time to take over for me." Nothing happens as I continue to fall flat on my back with each failed attempt to climb the tree.
I walk back to the pond and look up at the waterfall, "Orion! Are you up there?!" I shout again but I didn't care at the moment. I try climbing the waterfall again to get up, but once more it ends in failure. I decide to walk parallel to the rock formation to find a slope nearby, but there are none to be found. This wall of limestone is like a barrier, preventing anybody from going back the way they came. I don't give up. I keep trying to climb the waterfall only to fall flat on rough dirt all the time. Eventually, my fur is messy and needs to be cleaned. Angry and in pain, I raise my arms up as I shout with frustration, "Orion!? Can you hear me!? Please help me!?"
All of a sudden, I feel a drop of water hit my black nose, and I rub it afterwards. I look up to find more drops of water begin to fall all around me. At first they're small but they eventually grow in size and intensity: it has started to rain…hard. I immediately find myself walking in circles, trying to find shelter to escape the cold pellets of rain. I find a small opening, enough for me to squeeze through, along the impassable wall of limestone. It looks like a den or a cave. It may be inhabited, but I didn't care.
I could be invading someone's home and I didn't care about the morally wrong feat? Was this…my instincts taking over again…?
I shake my head a few times, It's all about survival…I'm by myself…no one is my friend in this forest except Orion. I've got to do everything I can to stay alive.
Against my better judgment, I enter the cave. I look behind me to see a powerful storm just outside this refuge. I venture deeper as it gets darker. I eventually rely on the electrical sparks on my cheeks to see where I am going. I make it to the end of the narrow path where there is nothing to greet me but an elevated rock to sit on. Thus, I take the opportunity to lie down. The seat is cold and my wet fur isn't helping. I try shaking my fur as I had done before unintentionally but it fails utterly.
"I just don't get this…why isn't it working now?" I sigh softly.
Not only am I cold but I'm hungry and I'm lost. Things aren't looking good for me.
Regardless of my negative thoughts, I lie on the uncomfortable rock in silence. I have no towels to dry myself with, I have no bed sheets to help keep me warm and I have no spring mattress to make sure I get a good night sleep. I haven't had these things for two weeks, but I feel as though this is the place that makes me feel truly alienated from humanity the most. At least inside the prison there was a heater and food provided for me; however, here…I was just another wild animal…trying to survive the best way it can.
Is this what it has come to? I spent my entire life living in human civilization, never thinking how my life could possibly be like inside of a Pokémon forest…I love nature and I love the trees and everything about them, but I've never actually spent more than a day inside a forest…all alone...lost…hungry…and angry…
Yes, I was angry: angry at Bartoli, angry at Team Rocket, angry at humans in general…from what I've seen, all humans are savages…treating us Pokémon as meager servants for experimentation and entertainment.
Wait…what did I just think about…ow...my head hurts! Strange pain causes me to grip the sides of my head very tightly.
Yes…us…Pokémon…because…I'm not a…human…no…I'm a Pikachu…no! I'm not!? I've always been a Pikachu…no! I'm human! Who…are you!?
The sound of the mysterious voice in my head fades. I clutch my head for several minutes in pain as I am left to wonder what is happening to me. Is this my Pokémon mind speaking? Is this the person I would be if I was a Pikachu with no human thoughts? Is this my…alter ego? It's…trying to take over…I shiver with fear…am I going through…a psychological transformation as well?
