Vulpix lets out a long, drawn-out sigh as she walks, trailing closely behind her trainer. The forest was lovely in the early morning sun, and the prospect of being able to stretch out one's powers was an alluring one. "In a way, yes. But also no. It's complicated. To say the least." She reminisces upon the past, weighing its meaning. 'Why do I remember? Luna, the drives to work…'
Cyndaquil ponders her words. "It's not often we get to choose our own paths, you're lucky that you could. I still wonder what kind of trainer I'll end up with. I hope they're nice."
'Is it really that unusual?' She wonders. "I don't think it's that out of the ordinary. I… Somehow found someone who works with me. We just kind of click, and we stuck it out."
Her flaming blue associate laughs, "Hah, have you heard Lyra talk? She and her Meganium often have differing opinions. Same with Ethan and… Most of us. Difference is he's got a much more caring side to him. And he bribes them with food." He thinks for a second. "It's mostly the food."
The fire fox is silent before he continues. "Most of us you'll talk to will say the same. There's often a fair amount of friction between them and their trainer. Only the truly powerful choose. They await a worthy trainer. But the rest of us? It all comes down to luck, I suppose."
'Was I just lucky, then? Why are we really here, of all places?' She looks over the blonde boy in front of him. "Friction is normal in any relationship. Familial, friend, romantic. It's normal to have some degree of differences."
Cyndaquil hesitates a long while before he gives a nod. "I guess. Still, I hope my trainer is nice and thoughtful. And that Lyra and Meganium can work together better more."
The pair spend the rest of their walk in silence, listening in on their trainer's discussion.
The house burned, as it always does.
Every night the same thing.
An endless purgatory of reflection.
Always wishing in vain for a different outcome.
But nothing ever changes.
And just as certainly as the sun will rise, Nick will watch it all unfold again.
Until he awakes.
...
The clock read 18:01 when Nick finally awoke enough to open his eyes. 'The same dream again. Different though. Muted. Only mildly anxiety inducing. Maybe what I needed was a vacation after all. Place might be better than Monterey Bay.' He stares at the clock for a few seconds. 'Oh, military time. What's that, six? Probably. Guess that means I have to get up.'
He groans as he begins to move, stiff joints creaking as they were once again put into motion. As he went to remove the blanket, it moved of its own volition. 'Well that's not normal.' He thought as he turned over, looking to find where the sentient blanket made off to.
Looking around on the bed, much more lit now than it was previously thanks to the benefits of The Sun, he found that he was sleeping on the blanket that was meant to warm him. 'What the-' His eyes met that of Vulpix' and they shared a moment. His eyes shut and he took a deep breath as a smile crept on his face. "Thank you." He said, opening them once more to look at his Pokémon. "I don't know why, or how or anything, but. Thank you. It's nice, having care…" He trails off, mind wandering before snapping back at a quiet "Vul." From the orednge fox in front of him. "I'm going to have to look into getting you a treat or three. Already promised you one fancy berry, wouldn't hurt to up it to two."
Vulpix lets out a little trill as they stand up and stretch, yawning in the process. "Well, suppose food is the current question. Then maybe some internet browsing. I don't know about you but I have a lot of questions." Nick says as he rolls out of bed with the grace of an onion rolling off the table. A marginal improvement.
It takes slightly less time to get out of bed and change than it did prior. 'All progress is good progress.' Vulpix sat on the bed this time, rather than waiting by the door. Much less stressful not having an impatient adorable fox waiting to go.
Instead, it was he who looked at her, hand on the door nob and ready to head out. "You know, I'm fairly certain you can understand me, we'll have to figure out a better way to communicate." He thinks over what little he knows of the Pokémon anime. "I wonder if Ash can speak with his Pikachu here. Or like, Meowth. Regardless, something to think about on a full stomach. Until then…" He cracks the door. "Shall we?"
With a little yip, Vulpix hops off the bed and follows the man out of their room into the hallway and ultimately the seating area.
The scene is not unlike it was this morning, though the Professor is gone and Ethan is watching something on the TV. He gives Nick a wave as they enter. "Foods on the counter, sandwiches, figured they'd keep better for whenever you got up." He motions in the direction of the kitchenette.
Lyra, hat missing in action and flowing brown hair free to reign, looks up from her position at the table away from a book before greeting Nick with a warm smile. "Hey! Was worried for a bit. Checked on you an hour ago, Vulpix seemed fine so we let you rest more. Glad to know they weren't wrong." Vulpix nudged her trainer's leg. "Like Ethan said, foods on the counter, and I have some stuff here from the Professor. He'd have handed it to you himself, but he went home for the day since he didn't know when you'd be up. Family and all that. On the bright side…" She produces and tosses an envelope forward. "You got documents!"
Nick makes his way over to the table and examines the envelope. INDIGO LEAGUE DEPARTMENT OF TRAINERS AND TRAINER SERVICES. He flips it over and begins to open it. 'What a specific governmental department to have.' The envelope is more robust than initially let on. "Speaking of, when do y'all head home for the night? I get whole trust issues, but if not that, feel no need to stay here on my account. I probably won't die. Worst case, Vulpix here will just come and find you again. For a second time." He chuckles as he finally opens the envelope and pulls out some very heavy-duty feeling paper.
Lyra speaks up. "Yeah uh, we live here. Our parents do live in town, but it's suffocating sometimes so for the most part, we just sleep and live in the lab. Small rooms, but private. It's nice, though at this point I wouldn't turn down an adventure. This entire town feels claustrophobic."
Ethan in turn speaks. "Some of us enjoy spending time with our family, thank you very much. Maybe I'll head home tonight just because of that statement." He speaks as though his ancestral familiar honour has been insulted.
The brunette snorts. "Yeah okay, just like that time you threatened to walk all the way to Sinnoh?" Their bickering fades away as the contents of the envelope pull away Nick's attention.
Thank you for registering with the Indigo League! You should receive your brand-new Trainer ID in 7-10 business days at the registered address provided during registration. Attached is a temporary ID that will expire in 3 months from the issuing date.
If you do not receive your official Trainer ID in that time, please return to your nearest Poké Center prior to the expiration of the temporary ID to have a new one re-issued. Failure to do so will result in having to re-pay an application fee.
Thank you for your patronage, and we look forward to seeing you compete!
-Indigo League Department of Trainers and Trainer Services.
As the document says, attached is a paper that looks not unlike a temporary driver's license. It is filled with identifying information, at the very top reading Nicholas Foster.
'Huh. Wish they'd have just used Nick. Shame.'
Birthdate, age, gender, and current residence as somewhere in New Bark Town. 'Probably the lab, if I had to guess.' Trainer ID Number. 'Going to have to memorize that.' Issuing region, issuing date, expiration date, signature from the current League Champion, and an additional portion marking Nick as a researcher and trainer under Professor Elm. 'Is he really that big of a deal? Or is their system just different? Mysteries upon mysteries.'
'Well. I guess this is even more real now. Still impossible to believe.' He looks to his companion, kneeling and showering her the paper. "Guess this means I'm a real trainer now, baby girl. Is it fine if I call you that? Calling you 'you' or 'Vulpix' all the time doesn't feel right. Like calling a dog 'dog.' Though it is a thing." He sighs as he rests a hand on her head, scratching it gently. "We'll figure that out later, since I want you to be happy with it too." Vulpix doesn't hesitate as she leans into the hand, purring gently with feelings of warmth and love radiating out from her. 'I'll take that as a yes on being happy.'
"Anyways, want some food? We can split that sandwich." Vulpix gives an enthusiastic "Vul!" As he stands up and makes his way over to the counter where a couple of sandwiches and a single knife reside. He grabs them both as well as a glass of water and moves over to the table once again focusing on the disagreement between the two other trainers.
"No, nononono, you lost that battle fair and square, your Meganium just couldn't compete against Lucy despite a type advantage, and everything else that followed was an inevitability." He will shrug dismissively.
"Hey uh-" Nick's words are cut off as Lyra responds.
"You knew full well that we hadn't recovered after the gym! You insisted and refused to take no for an answer! I quite literally could not have left if I wanted to, which I did!" The frustration evident on her face as she shouts towards the TV watching individual.
"Well, we both learned something important that day. You're a sore loser, and the first thing you do after a gym is visit a Poké Center. No exceptions." He changes the channel to what looks to be a cooking show.
"Uuuggh!" Lyra lets out a groan of frustration as she facepalms, resting hard on table. "You are literally insufferable sometimes." She mutters.
Nick quietly begins to eat his sandwich, something that most closely resembles a BLT and cuts a portion off the second to pass to his Vulpix who like last time, resides on his lap and munches from the table.
After a few minutes of life contemplation, Lyra looks up and shares a small smile. "Is it good? I asked he make a spare since I figured you'd share it again. Glad to know I wasn't wrong."
He gives a nod, finishing his bite before speaking. "It is quite good, yeah. Thank you. I wanted to ask, what do you normally feed your Pokémon? Is it just that feed I saw outside earlier?" Vulpix continues to happily monch part of her sandwich.
"Well, that largely depends." Lyra sits up right and leans against the back of her chair. "Out there was generic feed but you've also got specialized food for specific types or 'mons. Those are usually more expensive but also better at supporting the Pokémon in question. Then if you're a more hardcore or caring trainer, you'd make your own food for them. That's what I used to do, but Chiko's just too big at this point for me to do it reasonably."
Ethan contributes, attention pulled briefly away from his show. Looks like a Chansey is preparing eggs. "Yeah and do you know how hard it is to keep a half tonne gator fed? Ain't no way I can easily make enough food for them every day."
'Half tonne gator? That's reputable salt-water croc size. Didn't think Feraligators got that big. Note to self, check.' He ponders at the implications of having ever growing, biologically immortal Pokémon.
Vulpix stops eating for a moment and looks up at the man who also acts as her seat with a definite appearance of concern. He'll look down and ask, "Everything okay?" Under his breath as to not distract the others.
She'll maintain eye contact for a moment and with hesitation, give a short nod before returning to her food.
'Such depths to her. Cryptic. Wonder if they make translators. Or if like, someone could translate.'
Nick will return to the conversation between the two other humans. "Well, looks like I'll need to learn how to cook then since I have a feeling adding supplements to fish won't quite be enough for Vulpix, and I've not made an actual meal in a hell of a long time, let alone one healthy enough and fit for a small cutie." Vulpix will almost buzz in his lap, giving his nearby arm a single lick.
"Well I'd be happy to help," The self-proclaimed chef declares. "And if personal lessons aren't needed, we've got resources everywhere. Books, TV, which they're about to show how to make a mean risotto, internet, though it's severely lacking in the quality department. Piece of…." He trails, muttering about something indiscernible. "In any case, I now have to defend my honor, and with that, I'm going to head on home and hug my mom." Ethan proceeds to stand up, stick their tongue out at Lyra, wave at Nick, and head towards the door.
"You didn't hear just how hard I rolled my eyes." Lyra retorted.
"No, but I did hear how you're still a sore loser byyyeeeee~" His voice fades as he closes the door behind him, disappearing into the late afternoon outdoors.
'You two act like siblings. Or teenagers. Teenage siblings?' Nick contemplates a moment. 'At least that's how my cousins acted. Who knows, maybe they were the exception and not the rule. Maybe every other family, friends, and such are well adjusted.'
Lyra mutters a presumed insult under her breath. Vulpix chortles. "Anyways, talking about literally anything except him. There was something…" She
A look of recollection comes over Lyra. "Oh! I almost forgot to mention, Elm wanted me to give you this note." She produces a folded note from her book. "Outlines a couple things he'd like. Another thing he would have gone over, but he'll probably mention it tomorrow. Main thing is just getting your thoughts, research, and notes down for him to go over. If you get good insights or some killer research, he can submit it and ideally get more or better grants."
A brief grimace overtakes his face at the revelation as he accepts the note. 'Just like grad school. The prof gets the credit for the grads hard work.'
Lyra continues, "Plus, if the lab get's more money, we'll all get a larger kickback. Doubly if your research or conclusions lead somewhere. That's basically how Elm got started. With his research into Pokémon eggs, he was able to fund most of what you see here today as well as our paychecks."
'That's… different. Not the worst system in the world, at least. Maybe It's not all bad.'
"So he essentially wants me to share whatever it is I'm doing, and he'll publish it, and we'll benefit from that? Somehow?"
She contemplates his words, before nodding. "Basically! Though the Leagues a bit stingy. If you work with Silph or something, you'll get a lot more. Or heck, even small business. It's a whole lot more complex than that and I am not getting into it right now. I've been working with Chiko though to develop a new means of growing things that'll hoipefully lead somewhere. Can't say much more, don't want to give away trade secrets." The blonde boy contemplates her words.
'As is tradition, private research is where the money is. But getting guaranteed income for whatever research I do is a really, really good safety net.' He ponders the implications briefly. "Huh. Guess I'm going to have to start researching sooner rather than later." He remains silent following that, keeping the rest of his thoughts to himself. 'Especially since I'd rather not have to rely upon the generosity of others to survive. I've done that too much as it is.'
"Time to see how many of my hypotheses are accurate and see how much has already been examined." He adds, pocketing the note as well as his new trainer ID as he runs through his prior questions and adds a couple more. 'Can Meganiums spontaneously grow plants? Are Feraligators actually biologically immortal? What if Groudon is actually just a really big, old Feraligator. Wonder if the Mewtwo project has happened yet. So much to check. Best to keep most of those to myself, though. Last thing I want to do is mention things that people don't know about or haven't happened yet. Can't be revealing how much meta knowledge I have.' He chuckles quietly to himself. 'That's not a sentence I ever thought I'd say.'
Lyra raises an eyebrow. "Oh hoh? Mr. Scientist already has a list of topics? Man, you came here prepared. When Elm signed me on, all I knew was I wanted to try and do something with Chiko." She produces a Pokéball, and gently rolls it between her fingers. "Wouldn't be where I am now without them, after all."
He couldn't help but let out a smile. "I hope to have half the love for Vulpix as you do Chiko."
She in turn returns the smile briefly before averting her gaze as she looks down towards the table in front of her. "I wish it were that easy. Some days are better than others. One day we'll click and another I'm struggling to understand them." The Pokéball rolls effortlessly in her hand. 'A practiced move.'
Her voice cracks as she continues. "I just wish it were as easy as it is for Elm. Ethan. Most trainers out there. Always feels like they have a sixth sense, and I'm here trying to figure out what a Pokémon I've had for years now wants." Vulpix looks up towards the girl across from her.
"That's the hard part, isn't it?" Nick speaks. "You can look at them and know they have so much to say. They know exactly what it is they want, its just a matter of how to communicate that to us. You might look at others and see how effortlessly they're able to interpret the needs of those in their care and think that it's somehow a failing upon yourself that you can't. But it's not." He let's out a sigh, pulling from deeper within himself.
"Sometimes those we look after are too smart for their own good, and it gets in the way…" His voice trails off, mind wandering to a commonly remembered topic. '… Even going so far as to having an apparent death wish.' He shivers. "It's not your fault for not understanding them. You're only human. Same as I. Only thing we can do is try." He pushes the thoughts away with difficulty, focusing on the feel of the fox on his lap to mask the beginning of tears.
"A wise man back home once said, 'You can do everything right and still fail. That's not weakness; That's life.' And I think everyone would benefit from taking that to heart." He looks towards Vulpix who returns his gaze. 'Myself included.'
They sat in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own worlds contemplating the meaning and weight of his words.
Lyra breaks the silence first. "Thank you, again. Gosh why is it we met essentially twelve hours ago and you've already seen me almost cry twice. Why are you so easy to talk to stop it." They both chuckle quietly, a small happiness breaking the heavy thoughts. "Don't, actually. It's nice having someone I can have these kinds of conversations with. Ethan's… Ethan, lighthearted and carefree to a fault." She shakes her head at his mention. "And the Professor is too analytical in his thinking. Not that he's wrong, but it's not always what you need. Sometimes reassurance is nice."
Nick raises a glass. "You're damn right about that." He takes a sip before replacing it, looking over the girl in front of him.
She looks discontent. Neither angry or sad, simply unhappy with something. 'Not that I can be one to judge.'
"Will you be okay?" He asks, gently petting Vulpix as a small reassurance. She's still present and still gives off an unplaceable warmth.
She returns a small nod. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before. Just never goes away."
He grimaces. "Well, you know where to find me if you need anything. I think I'll hit the room, try to organize my… life. Just life. Everything. All of it."
Lyra gives a crooked smile before it fades once more. "Good luck. I'm still organizing mine and I've been at it for a while."
With a muted laugh, Nick stands up, picking up and placing Vulpix on his shoulder. "I'll need it. I need to start logging my every activity for research purposes, so I'll have to organize something at least." He looks to her once more. "If my first day here is anything to go by, you're doing great. Don't let the few setbacks get you down. Alright?"
With a forced smile, "Alright. I'll probably stay our here a while. Or head outside. I don't know. Something."
"You know where to find me. Don't hesitate to ask for company." Nick lingers a few moments before grabbing his plate, bringing them to the kitchenette, and turning towards the hallway.
As he opens his door and enters his room, a faint sound resembling sobbing can be heard coming whence he came.
'Don't insert yourself into other people's business. You gave them the offer, let them choose. You did all you could.' With a deep breath, he goes in and closes the door behind him.
Taking in the room once again, it inexplicably feels smaller. He shrugs off the feelings and takes mental stock.
'I need to organize today's events, my current thoughts, future plans, and things I need to do. Easy. Just organize my life.' Standing in the middle of his room, he turns his head slightly to look at Vulpix. "Well, I know what I need to immediately do. Do you have a preference? Sleep? Watch me work? Continue to ride me as a parrot would? Or I guess a Chatot. Think that was the parrot Pokémon. Got one for trading something in… Sinnoh? Maybe it was Goldenrod." Vulpix nuzzles his cheek before giving it a single lick, a sleepy comfort radiating from her. "Alright, bed it is. I'll join you eventually."
He carefully maneuvers to the bed and removes the small fox from his shoulder, placing her gently on the bed. "Get as snuggly as you want, I'll squeeze in around you." They quickly make their way to the pillow and with a few spins, plant themselves centered within it.
With a smile and a sigh, "Smartass."
Vulpix simply licks their nose once, staring back at her blonde boy trainer.
'What am I going to do with you?' He asks himself as she yawns and rests her head.
'What are you going to do with yourself?' His internal voice responds. 'You've spent every waking moment of the day avoiding the difficult topics.'
'A conscious decision I have and shall continue to make.' He focuses on the lyrics to a favoured song, drowning out the inner voice.
"Summer in the hills..." The words flowed over him, a reminder of good times.
'Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to continue avoiding them by writing about all the good that's happened today.' Nick settles into the desk chair to begin pouring over the stationery and laptop. "Gotta get my thoughts down, how best to do that. Paper would be great for quick notes, but if Elm wants more comprehensive stuff, I'll need it to be digital. Which, speaking of, I should actually look at that."
The recently appointed trainer produces the note from his pocket, now somewhat crinkled and reads over it.
NICK!
I just wanted to say thank you again for agreeing to work with us! As part of being a member of the research team, I have to ask that you log your research and proposals. Whatever it is you work on, noting down the efforts you take or progress you make would be most helpful. It would not only give me a chance to review what you're doing and guide you forward, it'd let you share what you're working on with myself and the world as a whole!
Plus, I always appreciate someone with a unique way of looking at things. No doubt you'll have endless insight on otherwise mundane or standard matters. I actively encourage you to share any and all thoughts or ideas you have. Though keep the particularly Pokémon World shattering revelations or questions between us lest other people steal the ideas.
Please choose a format of your choice, though however you decide, please ensure it is a relatively secure method.
I'll be around tomorrow to clarify anything.
Best of luck,
Professor Elm, Ph.D.
"Huh." Nick re-reads the note twice more. 'I still have my questions on how much he knows. I doubt he's legitimately concerned about research theft.' With an uneasy shiver, he sets the note to the side of the desk. 'Though I suppose that just re-iterates my prior point. Best keep most of my knowledge and questions quiet.'
"Anyways, notes. Lets grab one of these fancy journals. The nicest one shall belong to my favourite Pokémon." He cracks it open, grabs a pen, and begins to write.
VULPIX INFORMATION BOOKLET
Information is to be extended and updated as needed.
MOVE INFO
Ember: Good, see if can focus more energy into it. Research how fire Pokémon get power to see if it can be adjusted. *TBU
Tail Whip: Perfect as of now, requires field testing. *TBU
Roar: Needs general improvement, if at all possible. Put more into it? Depends how this all works. *
Quick Attack: Closer to Feint Attack than Quick Attack. Double check if variances are normal, if it's a Vulpix thing, and/or how to adjust and/or improve. *
Confuse Ray: Looks good, will need more practice to see how long it takes to take effect, and duration. Effective against birds at least.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Orange-brown fur, somewhat coarse, six tails, light underbelly, darker socks, brown eyes hiding a concerning intelligence, floofy tuft on top of head, sharp ears.
*Do the physical and actually fill this out correctly.
PREFERENCES
Likes BLT's and loaded omelettes.
Also likes affection, head scratches, and general presence of me.
'Man, this is going to be a full time job in and of itself keeping this up to date on top of everything else.'
"This is enough, I think. It's been one day. Yeah. It's enough." With a sigh, he closes the book and places it on top of Elm's letter.
"Step two, make a to-do list to put off me writing down my thoughts."
Grabbing a sticky note, he begins to write a compact list.
TO DO:
-Visit Luna.
-Research how Pokémon get their powers.
-See if Ember can be improved upon.
-See how Roar works, and if it can be improved.
-Find out the deal with Quick Attack + why its lame.
-Find out potency+duration stats on Confuse Ray.
-Feraligator immortal?
-Meganium plant grow?
-Note averages for Vulpixian physical features. - Perform physical on Vulpix.
-Get Vulpix a two Pokéberryes. - Determine what kind they'd like.
"Surprisingly short, all things considered." He reviews the points, a small voice nagging at him.
'You know why it's short.'
"Aaaand now it's time to look into this laptop!" He quickly tells himself. "Maybe it has a text to speech function, that'd be a life and time saver. And a sanity saver."
With the nimble deftness of someone who's been using computers since they were but a wee child, he was able to open it and get it running with minimal issue. The operating system was not unlike those of old, though it's also hard to make an OS that is unique to not be intuitive.
"Text editor… text editor… aha! Perfect. And there's a voice button, handy." He clicks the button. "Does it actually…" As he speaks, words begin to appear on the computer.
New Text Document, 19:02
"Alright so there is text to speech function and that sounds a lot better than having to transcribe everything into digital form and ensure it's actually readable and coherent. So instead we just get to deal with the possibility of it misanthropic what I say. Did it actually just write misanthropic? Well there I have the perfect excuse and I can and will blame the program for this being a chaotic mess.
I should make this official it is currently uh May 28th twenty wait do they even use the Gregorian calendar here? Okay new plan. I'll add a proper date later.
It is day one log one.
Let's start off with talking about Vulpix because that's the easiest and it'll be the most coherent thing I have to say. Okay we'll start with their moves and not them proper. They're a goddamn enigma.
So. Ember. Ember was almost scary with its potency. After the first try on that log which had a chunk taken out of it and tossed a couple meters we tested it on some live trees after confirming they'd be fixed by Lyra's Meganium. The entire tree was shaken and we took out an even larger chunk of it. Complete with raining leaves. Seems like the first time most of the energy was forced into moving it. Against a stationary object it just ate the entire blow. Assuming her other fire attacks work how they think they will Ember is going to be an exception when it comes to striking and actually throwing off a target. I'm looking forward to this improvement.
Tail Whip was also resounding success and she was able to masterfully demonstrate her tail flourishing prowess. An attempt on a Pidgey was unremarkable and they ended up just leaving seemingly unaffected. Despite that they continued their attempts. I could feel myself relaxing as watched her spin her six tails whisking back and forth in a mesmerizing pattern and it took effort to remind myself that she was not a small defenceless fox of old. Vulpix seemed to enjoy it and they giggled when I fell off the tree I was leaning against. Don't remember learning about foxes giggling but also this isn't a normal fox. I do have concerns though that they'll use these powers for evil though. They're intelligent and I can almost guarantee they noticed more than I let on. Did did your ear twitch? Are you awake? I swear I don't need this getting to your head. Or giving you ideas. Whatever pretty sure you can already read my mind. Where was I? Moves Tail Whip right Roar.
Roar is a work in progress. It has potential but her diminutive size makes conveying her power and the imminent threat of danger a challenge. While Cyndaquil was intimidated it did little to concern the Meganium which is somewhat surprising since there's a type advantage but also not since Meganium competed against the Elite Four and Vulpix here is less than battle tested. Were they a Ninetails no questions asked. But as of now it'll definitely need to be worked on.
Quick attack was an interesting one. It was absolutely a quick attack but it was never a 'lethal' blow so to speak. Striking a plant did damage but never enough to sever the stem almost like she was holding back. The Pokédex didn't mention anything about that it wasn't False Swipe after all and I remember that exists and is distinct. So whatever the reason going to have to look into that in the future.
Last one was Confuse ray which we practiced on a couple nearby Pidgeys they ended up crashing hard on one occasion and flying into a tree on the second. Felt awful tried to help them but they flew off before I could do anything. At least it's not too long which in this case was a blessing but might not be in the future. We'll work on that one too. The games had it last a few rounds I'll need to figure out how it works here.
There's a lack of Will-O-Wisp though. Pokédex says she should be good with it but it also is out of date and more of a guideline than anything. Outside of Ember her fire skills are lacking. That'll be yet another thing to practice. But this serves as a great baseline from which we can build off of.
That's most of the moves. As for Vulpix herself I have had her for one day and already if anything happened to her I would be very very unhappy. Is it even right to say I have her? Like she's property? Given her actions and reactions she seems borderline human. There's something else to look into. Talking about that though she's shown almost concerning intelligence both emotional and otherwise. It feels like she's able to read me and my feelings as if she was reading my mind. Half the time it actually feels like she is reading my mind. Which is weird since I'm pretty sure she's a fiery fox. Anyways. Still need to do a physical to guess her age. How different could it be doing a physical on her compared to a Seel? Oh it misspelled Seel. Wait I guess it didn't. Technically. Anyways.
I'll keep my discussion of her brief since I'll probably be talking a lot more about her in the future.
Today has been a trip. Actually I'm not talking about any of that."
He deletes the last sentence with a series of quite clacks of the keyboard.
"Okay anyways I think that's most of today. Tomorrow I'll be looking into how fire moves work, Quick Attack Confuse Ray and Vulpix information to get a mark for their health. Hopefully I don't lose a finger in the process. With that Nick out. I just realized it did not use a single comma. I am not editing this and it is going to be hell to read. At least it uses periods and question marks. Better than most software I've used. Anyways Nick out. Again."
With a second click, he turns off the Text to Speech.
"Welp. It's past nine now, and I still feel awful. Should see if they have any pain killers. Tomorrow problem. Tonight, sleep. Maybe I'll get a full night by going to bed early." With a stretch and a yawn at having thought about sleep, he stands up and makes his way towards the bed. With a few minutes spent changing, he eventually crawls in, careful not to disrupt the vulpine form that has seized his pillow.
Using his arm as a makeshift pillow, he gently pets her with his free hand. They perk up and look at him momentarily, brown eyes as deep as ever.
"Don't worry, just getting ready to sleep." He says, gently stroking her fur.
She yawns, stands up, turns a couple more times before once again lying down in a way that faces him. The blonde man can't help but smile at the display, and he gently boops her nose before replacing his hand to gently pet his companion.
Her eyes stare into his for years before they eventually close, letting her enjoy the benefits of rest.
Not long after does Nick close his eyes and fall into a painless slumber, unknowing of what the future holds but happy to be in the present.
Choking smoke.
Pained cries.
A never-ending depth of despair.
This is the reward for those who survive.
...
With panicked breathing and a racing heartbeat Nick awoke. Eyes shot to his clock. 5:57. Then to Vulpix. She was still asleep, though she looked in distress, much unlike the peaceful calm of the night prior. With a gentle touch, he gave a single pet.
Before his hand makes contact, her eyes shoot open and she looks into him.
Fear.
Without hesitation, he reassured. "Hey, hey it's okay. You're okay. You're safe. I'm here for you if you need it." He hesitates. "Or I can open the door and let you out. You're not trapped, you're free to choose. It's okay. You're okay."
After a single moment, she inched closer. Closer. Closer still.
Without so much as standing up, she was now neatly nestled against his chest, vibrating. Almost shaking.
Wordlessly, he comforted her. As best he could.
And there they remained as the minutes ticked by.
Silent in each other's presence.
After a half hour, Vulpix stood up, hopped off the bed and onto the chair. She sat and looked towards her Trainer.
A simple request. He got out of bed and got dressed.
He grabbed little as he left, taking extra care to be quiet in the still-dark hallway of the lab.
They navigated outside, entering the twilight of the outdoors. A time he was familiar with, though not here.
And they walked, neither having made a noise.
Vulpix took point, guiding them through the forest. Knowing roughly where to go.
As the sun began to rise and light filled the world once more, the bird Pokémon awaking from their slumber and gracing the world with their songs, they heard the distant sound of an alarm.
Approaching it, they stumbled upon something not quite what they had expected.
Instead of finding the remains of Luna, they found the remains of Luna with an accompanying entourage of 2 people dressed almost as if they were park rangers, uniforms pristine with ironing creases still clearly visible, a Blastoise, and Pidgeot.
Looking over the scene, the 4 individuals by the remains of the car look towards Nick and his Vulpix.
"Good morning!" One of them shouts over the alarm. "Do you have a moment? We'd like to ask you some questions, particularly if you happen to know about anything involving this." They gesture towards the car.
'Huh. You know, I had high hopes for today.'
End of Chapter 4.
Rare comment from me, the Relic. I'd appreciate feedback on the layout, format, and pacing of this one. I'd like to include more 'personal thoughts'-esque sections and the like, but I recognize it can throw off the flow and feel of things. Since I'm already critical of my own work, I'd like an external opinion. This would also apply to future 'side tangents' of activity and interactions, like looking things up online.
I can either continue doing it like this, or just save them up for a separate 'bulk' chapter. Please either PM me your feedback or leave a review. Whichever you find easiest.
That aside, thanks for reading up till now and I hope you've been enjoying it, there'll be more to come. I now return to my warm and cozy writing cave.
