flames will be ignored. Constructive criticism is welcomed, I want to do better and bring a fun story.
Early A/N here: trying a new grammar filter to help with my writing, let me know if this chapter is better or worse than older ones in that department. If it's better I can go back and fix the mistakes of the older chapters.
"speech"
'thought'
"English"
Void and Veil: Chapter 5 - Making plans
"Ooooh," I groaned as the waking world greeted me. "My bloody head," The phantom pain quickly began to subside, though my mind still felt bloated and foggy. I looked around the room slowly it was still dark out, I felt my new friend begin to stir. "Mornin, Hatty," I felt curiosity shoot through me. Sitting up slowly, I responded, "The nickname? It's to differentiate you from other Hatenna and you DO like my head, speaking of name's, do you have one of your own?"
A new image appeared in my head, of a starry sky, then I felt clammy, and the taste of citrus entered my mouth. "What the hell," I thought for a minute, maybe I shouldn't have asked, it's not like she can tell me in words. I sent the image and sensory input back to her, "That's your name?" I inquired about curiosity. Likewise, I received Happiness back, 'Huh, OK then.'
Getting up from my sitting position and looking at the old oak grandfather clock next to the desk ticking away, 0430 the clock read roughly, probably AM considering the darkness outside.
I moved to the bathroom, pausing only to turn on the light, and saw myself in the mirror, I looked as if I had fallen on my face considering the dried blood under my eyes and nose.
*Sigh*
Pressure build-up? Probably, My head felt better, but fuller now, and I was thinking clearer.
It took around 20 minutes to get all the blood off and my shirt was ruined. "Great," I sighed once more, taking the shirt off and cleaning it in the bathtub.
Curiosity entered my head. 'Ah, I'm cleaning my shirt before anyone sees it,' I saw the little psychic staring at me, but apparently satisfied she became disinterested and went back to looking at herself in the mirror.
Quickly finishing my task, I threw the shirt into the laundry bin.
'Hmm, you're going to need some toiletries,' I thought to her as I began to clean my teeth. A quiet but happy cry echoed through the porcelain room and I felt a conveyance of happiness, though muted under that layer of calm, through the link? bond? Going to have to figure out how deep it goes.
Finishing, I put Hatenna back on my head and moved to my bedroom.
The room was fairly sparse with a light-colored wooden cabinet and draws a desk and chair of the same colored wood and a bed of the same wood and color acting as a box spring with draws and white sheets. A darker wood made up the floor, and white plaster walls and ceiling completed the room.
Sitting down on the bed, I brought out a notepad and pen from one of the drawers below me. 'So we need a plan,' I projected to the faux witch getting her attention. 'I have had a lot of time to think. And one of the first things I concluded is we will need to be stronger, the supernatural world can and will be dangerous. In light of that, training will be one of the first things we need,' The little psychic was curious now. I nodded, 'I will need to see your moves later, and I believe I am old enough to start training myself as well without heavy detrimental effects, we will be in this together I won't have you doing all the heavy lifting,' I firmly stated.
Before I could continue I was sent an image via Hatty, an image of me and Hatty side by side first of me and her, her with a cloak of energy around her. Then, one of me and her, both with the aura of energy around us. 'No Hatty I meant physically. Humans have neutral energy; it's why we can survive Pokemon attacks to an extent. Unless you have an energy typing naturally from your bloodline, you need to tune yourself to the energy manually which is a long process, or a very painful and possibly fatal… Wait,' My thought was cut short by realization.
Hatenna jumped on the bed next to me and sent me a feeling of confusion, then sent a real-time image to my mind of myself. Then I felt her concentrate and I saw several purple wisps dotting my form, 'What the hell.' Then I realized that it was psychic energy. It seems I misinterpreted what she meant when she communicated to get stronger. Pride was her next emotion.
*Sigh* Of course
'Fine, fine we'll try it, but it has to be a secret, especially from humans. If the league finds out I won't be left alone, they don't like adepts outside of their control,' I stressed. Being Gran's grandson might buy me some leeway but not enough. Hatty seemed confused but nodded a yes regardless.
I hadn't expected this. I'm happy that my new partner was willing and pleased to help me I knew I had been hasty with our bond. I had wanted to avoid forcing it, and I wanted to give her an out, but I knew I had fucked up there.
I had spent 4 years as a damn child only able to gain subpar information on the supernatural, and even that was blocked at times because of my age. I was sick of it, the mysteries that were plaguing me, and the constant possibility someone would come along and find out about what I know. I wanted to DO something and get started, normal books only took you so far, and conclusions need testing.
'So I'm psychic, what, typed now? I'm going to need your help with this, Hatty,' I NEEDED her help with this before I messed up more. I received a happy confirmation from her.
'How do you know all this, anyway?' I know she was a psychic, but she was young. Parental pride and love filled me along with an image of a Hatterene and a Togakiss, it looked like a white bird with blue and red triangles on its chest though it was shaped more like a flying wing aircraft from back home, both are fairy types. Mother and Father, I realized. I could only smile and think of Sonia and Gran, I couldn't let them know they would be devastated.
'I hope I can meet them sometime, moving on though, we're going to require better information and knowledge for future tasks. To that end, I am going to teach you how to read and write, along with some basic information on what could be out there. We also need more… Accurate information,' I informed the witch.
As the first rays of light finally began to funnel through the window above the desk. I finished jotting down the last few things we had gone through in English, it was rough, but it would do for now.
Putting the pad away, I moved to my wardrobe, and curiosity entered through our link. 'I need a shower, the blood might be gone, but I'm still covered in dry sweat,' I informed the Pokemon.
Then I felt a weight on my head, my new hat had returned, 'What? How? I didn't think Hatenna could learn tel-.' Right, this isn't the game, it's real life. I really should know that by now.
*Sigh*
"I take it you're coming too?" At my question I was rewarded with images of water followed by joy.
'Great,' I deadpanned mentally though if she heard me, which she should have, she didn't react.
Turning from my closet, clothes in hand, I froze. "Hatty," I said aloud, getting her attention. "Has there always been a bell tower next door to the house?" rhetorical question, she had only been here about a day. On the other hand, it's been a day, the hell!
I received confusion from the witch to be with an image of when she faced me in the garden yesterday… Complete with a decrepit white bell tower in the forest behind me and the house… Oh, oh, dear.
"Really? Coz I've never seen it before in my life," I received confusion with that comment. Yeah me to Hatty, me too.
Coming down the stairs with simple black trousers and jacket, and a white t-shirt on. Hatty, currently acting as my hat, was quite content. I, however, had just had to explain male human biology, while washing myself to a young and curious being. Thank Arceus? We were too young to have Libidos, Pokemon might mature rapidly depending on the line, but I would rather not have to explain THAT.
Young or not, 5… How did I know that? Going to have to do more research on this bond. Furthermore, I'll have to remember that the Hatenna line of mons is classified as beings making them not only Sentient but sapient, not animals, like say Yamper.
*Sigh*
I had more to worry about right now though, like that tower, how long has it been there? And for what reason? Does anyone live there? Question after question filled my head, guess we'll just have to find out.
Making sure my mind's protective wall was still up, so as not to irk the little psychic witch. I entered the kitchen with a terracotta tiled floor and olive wallpaper wall, wooded cupboards, and glass front wall cabinets with a steel-colored fridge-freezer and oven. And Gran? She was sitting at the round wooden table in the middle.
"Mornin, Gran," I got her attention
"Ah, Jericho. Morning?" She questioned
"Yeah, it's about half-five. Have you been up all night?" That was my counter question. Taking out some Pecha berry jam from the fridge and heading to the bread bin.
"Oh dear, yes, I believe I have. I had a few things to take care of and some people to contact," here she yawned "Though I do believe I'll put my head down and get a couple of hours kip before Sonia is up," She got up from the table and stretched.
Makes sense, Sonia slept more like a teenager than a child of 10. Gran would get a few hours.
"Hey, Gran?" I asked.
"Yes," She stopped.
"You mind if I pop to the shop? It opens at 9 and you'll be asleep," I explained
"My, whatever for?" she was facing me now.
"A toothbrush for Hatenna," I gestured to the faux witch on my head. Before going back to the sandwiches, damn my shortness. I was barely reaching the countertop.
Gran looked thoughtful for a second, "Well I don't see why not, just be careful." She reached into her purse on the table pulling out a fiver in Galarian poke-dollars. "Here we go, that should suffice."
"Thanks, Gran, have a good sleep," I called after her retreating form. Finishing the sandwiches, I held one up to Hatenna while consuming my own.
'We'll have to check out that tower first,' I thought heading back to my room. I received a feeling of confusion as we went back upstairs, 'You'll see.' I chuckled.
Entering my room, I moved to my bed. Opening one of the draws I retrieved a small blue silk bag, it had the rune for protection sewed on the front, reminiscent of old Norse runes back on earth. A pagan pentagram decorated the back for protection and banishment of spells and rituals.
'Like it,' I asked, 'It has several herbs for protection like ginger, basil, bok choy, and sage along with salt. It's basic but better than nothing, not like I have much to go on against the real paranormal, after all.' Pocketing the talisman, Hatenna I could feel was simply confused but accepting regardless, I would have to work on that.
A River to the south and a small lake to the west, left the woodlands to the north mostly east of the house. It was mostly Ash, birch, and willow trees, grayish balk and hanging limbs were giveaways for two of them. My black boots fell on the grass lightly as I moved.
Arriving at the tower had been easy, actually. But as we got closer the decrepit tower was looking better, newer, it had changed from falling apart to looking brand new. It was made from solid white stone around 12 stories high and had a round base of about 40 meters in circumference and a silver bell on display in the belfry. After an hour of walking, we finally arrived at the base of the tower.
'Sooooo, should we knock?' My memory unwillingly reminded me of all the horror movies I had seen. Then a flash and an image in my mind courtesy of Hatty, showed the tower swirling with energy. While Hatty could see it, I couldn't, but I could feel… Something.
Looking at the entrance I saw an inscription above the oak door, the phrase was in Latin which strangely existed here, actually, most ancient languages existing here were the same as on earth, though in this case, the Latin came from ancient Paldeaic from Paldea. The inscription read, Velum elevatum est, the veil was raised... Well, that's not ominous or anything.
4 years, 4 long years, I had had time to learn some other languages, broken admittedly, but I had the basics down. And now it was finally time to act on the knowledge I had, time to lift the veil.
Best to ask for entry from something this powerful, stealing myself I knocked on the door.
A/N: the fifth chapter of Void and Veil is done, I know there will be some mistakes, but let me know what you think.
A/N: I am trying out scene breaks in this chapter, and getting the hang of them.
There is a reason the tower is there after he can now see it, you'll see the next chapter
