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"speech"

'thought'

"English"


Void and veil - Imbalance

"Jerry, Jerry, you up?" Knocking at my door woke me. As I slowly came to, I realized quickly that I felt terrible, fatigued, sore like I had gone a round with a bear, sorry a Beware. "Yeah," I responded with a croak as I pushed myself up. The witch in training glomped me almost as soon as I spoke.

"Well, it's time for dinner, get your butt downstairs," The voice I now recognized as Sonia shouted through my door.

"OK," I said a bit more clearly now and staggered from the floor to my feet, Hatenna still clung to my chest. I was just now realizing that I had gotten up from the floor. I closed my eyes and tried to focus and organize my thoughts.

"Hatty, Hatty," Getting her attention, finally. "I'm OK, not great admittedly, but I am OK," I tried to soothe the distressed witch, which made me painfully aware, that small as she was she could tear me apart, her line hated strong emotions after all. And I am not certain how they handled their own, especially negative emotions. No, we were partners, trust.

Reopening my sore eyes, I looked down at the little witch I was now cradling and was instantly drawn to the ghostly pale purple aura outlining her.

"Hatty? Are you using your telekinetic's right now?" I questioned. While she didn't move from her position clasping my chest with her feelers, she did broadcast confusion at me.

"I... I can see a... Psychic aura? Around you?" I was unsure. But Hatenna suddenly teleported to the top of my head, and I was hit with a feeling of excitement while she directed my head toward my closet mirror.

"OK, OK," I complied with the little which, I did need to see if I had bled again.

I stumbled over to the mirror, still feeling weak, sore, and hungry now that I think about it. Looking into the mirror, I was, however, shocked to see that I had become skin and bones, I looked horrible, no wonder Hatty had been freaked out. Shit, how? That rapid a change should have destroyed my body.

Then as I was staring in shock at myself I saw a flicker of something, squinting I looked harder and saw my own outline bathed in a faint but stable purple glow, 'What the hell.' Apparently, I had broadcast that thought because the little witch flared her psychic aura to match what I had seen in the images she had sent me. I could only stare in shock, but I felt pride and concern from Hatenna as I finally looked toward my hand to see the same aura there.

*Sigh*

One thing after the other today, isn't it? Strangely there was no blood on my face, but my whole body hurt, especially in the torso. So, I lifted my T-shirt only to find massive bruising all across my stomach and chest and probably other areas. 'Well that can't be good, ' I thought then snorted, yeah coz bleeding from the eyes and mouth is. Then I realized I had the taste of iron in my mouth, on closed inspection, it was blood, 'Shit.'

"Jerry!" Sonia called, from downstairs, interrupting my surprisingly minor freak out, I hope I wasn't getting used to this.

"I'll be down in a minute," I shouted back, projecting a calmness that had already become second nature. Then the vertigo hit.

I legged it to the bathroom as fast as I could, or well stumble as the case may be, and began gagging over the toilet. Nothing but white mucus came up, which I promptly spat out. Hatenna radiated with concern.

"Jericho, are you OK?" Sonia called again, this time hesitantly and with thinly veiled concern.

"Yeah," I spoke softly before speaking up. "Yeah, just really had to go," I responded louder.

It was quiet for a second, and I was afraid she would come up to check on me. "OK, then," she sounded hesitant still, and unconvinced. "Dinners getting cold, so hurry up, yeah," she finished.

'Crap,' I looked at my skinny form. Slowly getting up, I walked unsteadily back to my room. "I'll be OK, Hatty," I tried reassuring the little witch, but it didn't stop the concern from coming from her.

Re-entering my bedroom, I grabbed the thickest jacket I had, a black bomber, and put it on, trying to mask my current physical malady. And hiding my head, at least the lower half, in the zipped-up neck of the jacket. It would have to do for now. I was starving and I wanted food.

After steadily descending the stairs, I made my way to the kitchen, though on entering I saw no one there.

"Jericho, your dinner is in the microwave," Gran said rather shortly from the living room. Ah, dinner is one of those meals Gran was always there for, even if she would usually head back to the lab afterward.

And I had missed it, great.

"Thanks, Gran, sorry I'm late, feelin' a bit off," I gave into my weakness a bit, damn I was tired.

"Are you alright?" she questioned with concern in her voice, prior irritableness forgotten.

"Yeah, yeah... Just a bit under the weather is all," I steadied my voice a little.

"Hmm. Let me know if it gets worse, alright," She didn't ask, she told me.

"Yeah, Gran," I moved to the microwave.

Grabbing the plate from the microwave, not bothering to heat it up. I saw it was steak and chips with gravy, plenty of calories. Good, I needed it.

I began to eat with gusto, I don't remember ever being this hungry before. As I began to think back to when I first saw steak in this world, as in cow meat. That had been a surprise to me when I first saw it. After some questions about where meat came from to Gran and my own research, I got my answers.

As it turns out, mundane animals and plants did exist here, it's just that Pokémon out-compete them in every way. Their only saving grace was that much like the local humans they used a type of neutral energy meaning they didn't provide the energy and caloric diet required for Pokemon, so they were left alone for the most part by Pokemon. However, that was only when it came to hunting, wild Pokemon would easily overwhelm mundane creatures when it came to territory.

Humans didn't need the same amount of energy and calories as Pokemon, so they became our food source without major competition from Pokemon because they mostly hunted more animalistic Pokemon, hell more intelligent Pokemon formed types of clans. Though, Snorlax and others that didn't differentiate and eat anything would still be an issue. It allowed humans to become top of the mundane pyramid yet also removed from it, there's still debate on how we can interbreed with certain Pokemon and/or become adepts.

Which lead to the usual farming and cattle rearing. It's only when people and Pokemon started interacting on a large scale that we began doing the same with Pokemon, though eating them was considered taboo, much like dogs and cats on earth, byproducts like Miltank milk and non-mundane berries, or energized foods, like Pecha berries were harvested and started appearing in marketplaces. Though nowadays it's normally used to make Pokemon food, with countless carbs added in, or to licensed trainers.

You can buy them, but they're expensive and usually diluted with mundane elements, like that Pecha jam I had used, it had Pecha in it, but that was like 2, and peaches made up the difference.

All in all, humans can eat energized food, but the extra energy is dissipated by our neutral energy, though it does have benefits such as increased healing and stamina increase among others. And while Pokémon could eat mundane food it did little for them, they're typed Energy... needed more...

I looked at my now empty plate, the food having done nothing to my hunger, as I can to a conclusion. I got up and walked to where we kept the Poke food mix and the energized berries gran kept for the Pokemon.

Putting the quiet Hatenna on the counter next to me. I took out the Pokemon mix and put a hand full next to my partner, though she continued to watch me as concern was batted into me.

*Sigh*

I took out a food pellet of my own, and to use an Earth saying, bit the bullet. I ate the pellet, and honestly, it wasn't all THAT bad for mass-produced junk anyway. Then, I took another, and another, and another. After about 30 pellets, I honestly felt better, my hunger was subsiding. I was right, my body had been cannibalizing itself unable to sustain its new energy requirements and my body had been adapting to try to compensate.

As I finished, Hatenna gave a happy though once again quiet cry and began eating her own food. As she ate I returned the food bag, I wouldn't be able to keep eating Pokemix not only was it not very good, someone would notice. I would have to scavenge some berries and begin hunting feral Pokemon, hey it was taboo for them not me, at least for the animistic ones, I'm NOT eating something sapient. Plus you know, I wanted to live. How the heck did the dragon clans deal with this?

I ran through the Pokemon in the area. Fishing for Magikarp MIGHT work, but I would have to check, most Pokedex entries on earth mentioned there wasn't much on it. Arrokuda would be a better bet. Maybe Skwovet on the ground, it would mean more berries in the area afterward.

"Jericho?" A voice greeted me from behind. Shit how long had she been there, Hatenna didn't say anything, so not long?

And she was using my full name, wonderful, which meant something was up. "Yes, Sonia," I replied. Hatenna had finished eating now and was staring at Sonia, were her eyes under her hair?... Questions for later, at least she wasn't hissing this time.

"Sooo, I'm going ta' be training," Sonia began slowly, "With Yamper, I mean." Where is she going with this, I'm still weak I need to go rest.

Outwardly I raised a brow, "For the training camp, right."

Sonia nodded, though seemed to curl in on herself, "O.K? And you're telling me because?" I'm still recovering, sue me.

"I want your help," Sonia said weather meekly, I blinked, what the hell?

"Why do you want my help? Why do this anyway, it's what the camps for?" This was unlike Sonia, she often went with the flow, without much worry or preparation for that matter.

Sonia seemed to steel herself, "I'm coming home." She spoke with finality.

"Home?" I questioned. "Why wouldn't you?" I knew she would, I'd seen her future, well, kind of?

She frowned, "I sometimes forget how young you are." Oi, "I meant, I realized I could die out there it's dangerous, others have! I'm coming back. Can't leave my little bro now, can I," A forced smile had replaced her frown. Ah, that'd do it.

"You'll be fine, I'm sure you will," I responded with a Confident nonchalantness. "Though some training wouldn't hurt, I guess," That was a lie training hurt a lot.

Sonia snorted, "Much as I appreciate it, little brother, I want to be safe, not sorry. So yeah, training." She took a deep breath, "And I want your help, you're smarter than I am." She winced.

Ahhh, crap, I wanted to tell her I was basically cheating. I held back a sigh, "Sonia, I don't think you're givin' yourself enough credit. If my big sister was as smart as a regular girl your age, I would have lost my mind, a loooong time ago." Seriously, I'm cheating. She is an actual genius.

Sonia rolled her eyes but was no longer frowning, "Look, you're still bright, and I'd like your help, OK?"

I thought for a minute, considering my body's current state. While I could use it for my own training and Hatenna's while helping my sister. I was still recovering, trying to figure out magic and my new abilities. I had to reject her, "Sure."...

No Jericho you weak fool. She's using the puppy dog eyes, I'm only human. Stupid adorable, little, big sister.

The next thing I knew, I was swept up in a hug and I could feel Hatty's irritation bleeding through our bond. Calm. Control. "You feel smaller than normal," Sonia commented, frowning. Shit seriously!

Hatenna teleported on top of my head, hissing now. Calm, I projected putting a hand on her. Sonia gave a startled gasp and backed away. "We'll be there," I continued as if nothing had happened, walking by Sonia with a small nod, face still hidden.

I hate to do this to you, Sonia, but it's best you don't know. 'Good work, Hatty,' I tried, no pain, just a tickle like when I projected my calm. I received smugness in return. Sorry, sis, consider this payback for the puppy dog eyes.

We returned to my room much quicker than we left, though as I entered I received a memory. One of chairman Rose speaking to Opal of Ballonlea GYM, huh, guess I know where Hattys from now. Then the image focused on chairman Rose.

*Sigh*

"Yeah, ok," I spoke. 'The chairman is going to summon Eternatus, if nothing's changed, in four years, when Hop becomes a trainer,' I flashed an image from the game to her. I felt anticipation and fear, 'Yeah, I know, but I think it might be linked to the void, it isn't inter-dimensional like ultra beasts, which we will need to look into. Nor is it a reverse to our world like Giratina's domain, it's energy and that's why the chairman wants it,' I sent the appropriate images, and panic assaulted me.

'Wait, wait, it's OK,' I sent the appropriate memories of what had happened in the games and anime both. 'No matter the universe, things turn out alright someone puts things right well, for the most part. We will do what we can, when we can. But for now,' I pulled out the bag from the tower and retrieved the books that we had gotten. Perhaps it had some answers?

I settled onto my bed, though Hatty refused to leave my head. I really had to get her reading and writing, but until then, I read aloud, softly, "Introduction, the Magi circle or circle of Magi is..."


A/N: Ninth chapter of Void and Veil is done, I think I am getting the hang of this now. I wish everyone a good Samhain, All Hallows Eve, or Halloween however you wish to celebrate it. Have fun but pay respect to the dead, the veil is thin this time of year if the ancients are to be believed. Above all, be safe.