POV – JAKE
Time was not on his side, Jake sighed as he viewed the rising moon, the soft glow beginning to dominate the twilight sky. The daylight was fading for sure now. Around him, the landscape was transforming, the dense, marshy forest gradually giving way to more open plains. The trees, once a thick canopy overhead, now sparser, allowing views of the vast expanse of sky turning a deep shade of twilight blue.
As he led his companions down the riverbank, the changes in the environment were unmistakable. The ground underfoot shifted from the squelching, muddy earth of the marshes to firmer, grass-covered soil. The air, once heavy with the scent of damp wood and moss, was now fresher, carrying a hint of the grassy plains ahead. Unfortunately, signs of human settlement were still elusive in the night.
Large herds of Bouffalant grazed in the distance, imposing figures silhouetted against the fading light. Their bulky forms moved with a slow, deliberate grace, heads bowed to the long, waving grass that rustled softly in the gentle evening breeze. The occasional snort or grunt from the herd punctuated the quiet, a reminder of the wild and diverse Pokémon life that Jake was only just beginning to encounter in reality.
In the quieter nooks of the landscape, he noticed the subtle signs of other Pokémon. Here and there, the distinctive swirl of a Dunsparce's nest could be seen, a subtle disturbance in the otherwise undisturbed grass. Skorupi scuttled in the dimming light, movements quick and almost ghost-like in the twilight. Occasionally, the soft rustling of leaves betrayed the presence of Fomantis, their green bodies blending seamlessly with the foliage.
As the moon climbed higher, casting a serene silver light over the landscape, Jake knew they wouldn't reach a town before nightfall. With a resolve, he began to scan the surroundings for a suitable place to camp.
Finding a small clearing with a soft bed of grass, Jake sighed, "Well, Trixie, looks like it's yet another night out under the stars." He gathered some dry sticks scattered around the clearing, arranging them in a small pile. With a nod towards Trixie, she used a tiny spark to ignite the kindling, starting a small but comforting fire for their rudimentary campsite.
Trixie fluttered to a nearby branch, eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "Emol!" she chirped, as if to say, "That sounds like fun to me!" Her tail flicked playfully as she glanced down at Jake, an energetic buzz in her movements.
Jake's lips curled into a smile, amused by her energy. "Sure, it's all fun and games for you, Trixie – you're a Pokémon. But I've got to say, a bit of home comfort wouldn't go amiss right about now." He started to unpack, only to pause with a rueful shake of his head. There wasn't much to unpack really – his hoodie had seen better days, and his clothes were ripped up, no contenders for a fashion show, or maybe they were...
Trixie glided down from the branch, landing lightly on Jake's shoulder. "Emol!" she chirped mischievously, as if teasing him, "What, no five-star hotel out here?"
Jake smirked, feeling the gentle weight of Trixie on his shoulder. "Yeah, I was really hoping for a nice warm bed and a hot meal. Instead, I get a patch of grass and a cheeky emolga." He ruffled her fur gently, an exasperated look on his face.
"Emol, mol!" Trixie retorted playfully, nuzzling against his cheek as if to say, "But you love me anyway, admit it!"
As they played, Jekyll silently watched it's on Jake's other shoulder. Jake could feel a distinct heaviness emanating from Jekyll, not physical but emotional. He sensed the Mimikyu's unease, the lingering effects of its earlier outburst, a remnant of the Curse it had unleashed.
In the aftermath of their skirmish with the Scolipede, Jekyll had been noticeably quiet. It seemed acutely aware that Jake, and possibly even Trixie, had uncovered its true identity, but did not seem to know what to do about it. Jake's recollection of the Pokedex entries from the games loomed in his mind – there was no forgiveness for those who exposed a Mimikyu's pretence of being Pikachu, often leading to dire consequences, even at the cost of its own life. This didn't bode well for the Scolipede, should Jekyll ever become powerful enough to track it down.
Despite Jekyll's sombre mood, however, Jake thought he had made some considerable progress with Jekyll's attitude. First breaking it out of its isolated existence, to even having a battle with it and commanding its true powers.
He pondered, his gaze drifting to the stars above. "How do other trainers handle Mimikyu in the real world, away from the game's rules and guidelines, of which there were none?" he mused. From the games Jake could infer that Mimikyu were rare Pokémon, so there was likely not that many around in the wild, which meant even fewer trainers would be likely to have one either.
"It's tricky," Jake mused quietly to himself, thinking over his experiences with Jekyll. "Mimikyu are complex, always balancing that Pikachu act with their true capabilities. You can't just catch one and expect it to behave like any other Pokémon." Any who tried would likely need an extraordinary amount of patience and a deep understanding of Mimikyu psychology to truly connect with them, if they were not killed in the process.
If the lore was anything to go by, Pokedex were rare devices, that very few trainers had access to. "How many trainers out there would understand a Mimikyu? You would probably have to be some kind of exorcist or have a serious interest in psychology to figure that out?" he pondered. Having encountered one Mimikyu so far – Jekyll – his experience suggested a sad reality for these lonely creatures.
As Jake cast a sidelong glance at Jekyll, he had half-expected to see, at the very least, silent disapproval regarding Trixie's presence. Remarkably, Jekyll had been quiet, offering no sign of discontent. Recalling Jekyll's volatile reaction in the forest and the intense animosity that surfaced when its disguise had been busted, Jake thought wryly, "I'd bet anything that Jekyll's plotting some elaborate plan for Trixie's mysterious disappearance right now"
He sighed to himself. "Next time I catch a Pokémon, I hope it's something less complicated... Like a Slowpoke, perhaps. Yes, just a simple, easy-going Slowpoke."
Time for the next step.
"Trixie, would you mind giving me and Jekyll a moment?" Jake asked, glancing between his two Pokémon companions.
"Emol?" Trixie responded, her tone questioning, as if to ask, "You're kicking me out?"
Jake couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. "Just for a little bit. Jekyll and I just need to have a chat, you know? But hey, maybe you could scout around and see if you can find us some berries? We could all use a snack."
Trixie tilted her head, considering his request. "Emol!" she chirped cheekily, agreeing with a hint of mischief. With a quick spin, she took off into the night, though Jake noticed her occasionally glancing back, clearly planning to eavesdrop.
As Trixie disappeared among the trees, Jake turned to Jekyll, who had vacated his shoulder to sit quietly next to him. "Jekyll, about earlier…" he began.
Jekyll shifted slightly, its body language betraying a hint of anxiety. The Mimikyu had known this was coming, dreading it. Jake could feel the tension emanating from it, the pain, Jekyll feared this moment. He would have to be careful.
In the distance, Trixie's playful rustling in the bushes was a reminder of her presence. Jake smiled to himself, understanding her curious nature. "She needs to hear this too," he thought, accepting her discreet participation in their conversation.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush, I know Jekyll, I know you're a Mim..." Jake hesitated as waves of hostility once again emitted from the Mimikyu. The air around them seemed to grow colder, the atmosphere thickening with Jekyll's silent, desperate rage.
"Mimi, Kyu" Jekyll uttered sharply, as its posture grew more menacing, no longer still but unnervingly smooth, turning to Jake like he was in a horror movie, a far cry from its usual, clumsy attempt of a Pikachu impersonation. As Jake confronted the truth, Jekyll seemed to unravel, its façade slipping away. It was a transformation that revealed a side of Jekyll he had rarely seen, one that was more unsettling than any mimicry.
In this moment of vulnerability, Jekyll was not pretending to be something it wasn't; it was manifesting the core of its being – a kind of deranged, but deeply insecure and lonely ghost. The air around them almost warped with the haunting tension, spirited by Jekyll's internal struggle. Jake could sense the Mimikyu's confusion, identity crisis laid bare under the moonlight.
For a moment, it appeared as though Jekyll might lash out, its instinctive response to fear and exposure. Yet, beneath the sinister display, Jake sensed something else – a deep-seated fear. It was not just the fear of being seen for what it was, but also the terror of being rejected, of losing the companionship it had always wanted, that it had hoped for perhaps its whole existence.
Jake gulped a little, feeling a twinge of fear. Yet, he knew the importance of this confrontation. "There's no use denying it, Jekyll. You heard me command you to use ghost moves no Pikachu could ever do," he said firmly, watching as Jekyll's sinister demeanour shifted to one of fear.
He looked directly into the cut-outs of Jekyll's costume, ignoring the malice, trying to connect with its true eyes. "I've known since the night we met," he continued, his voice softening. "But I don't care if you're not a Pikachu. I'm just happy I met you, Jekyll."
"K-kyu?" Jekyll's soft voice, still not familiar with use, faint and uncertain, from beneath its ragged costume. The Mimikyu recoiled as if Jake's words were too bright. Its entire form quivered. The trembling wasn't just fear; it was a deep, resonant confusion, a confrontation with a reality it could never acknowledge.
Jake could sense Jekyll's fear, palpable in the air. The Mimikyu's usual eerie calm had given way to a vulnerability so raw, it was heartrending. Its eye cut-outs, once just vacant holes in a costume, now seemed to convey an overwhelming sadness.
"You've been alone and scared," Jake spoke again, voice a comforting whisper in the quiet of the night. He moved closer to Jekyll; movements deliberate and gentle. "But you don't have to be anymore. We're here, together. We promised to explore the world, didn't we?"
Carefully, Jake reached out to Jekyll's costume, his fingers tenderly adjusting the ragged cloth. "I don't want to journey with a Pikachu, Jekyll. I want to travel with you, just as you are." With each word, he straightened a fold here, patted down a crease there, a slow, methodical reassurance. This act, typically a solitary ritual for Mimikyu, becoming a shared moment.
As he worked to fix the costume, Jake could feel Jekyll's tension. The Mimikyu stood rigid, uncertain, holding its non-existent breath. Jake's hands moved to clean a smudge, staining his fingers, his touch light. "You're not alone, Jekyll. You're part of us now, part of a team, a family."
Finally, with the costume tidied and straightened as best as he could manage, Jake looked into Jekyll's eye cut-outs. He enveloped Jekyll in a gentle, genuine hug.
Jekyll stiffened in shock, completely unaccustomed to such direct affection. Then, almost imperceptibly, it seemed to relax, its rigid posture softening, the disguise slackening. Inside its costume, Jekyll was experiencing a rush of emotions so intense, akin to a dam bursting. For the first time in its life, Mimikyu did not need to cry in solitude.
POV - JEKYLL
Jekyll watched. Jekyll cried. Jekyll did not know what to do. Emotions, unfamiliar and overwhelming, swirled inside. The gentle touch of Jake, the fixing of the costume. It was all too much yet not enough.
Jekyll had been seen, truly seen. Not just as a shadow behind a disguise. The feeling was terrifying, yet there a glimmer of something like... acceptance.
A hug, something Jekyll never thought it would receive. A sense of belonging, a hint of safety. But these feelings were new, confusing. Jekyll had always been alone, hidden in the shadows. To be accepted as Jekyll, as Mimikyu, was a concept it was still grappling with.
The small, flying one, 'Trixie'. Name, a source of its unease, too bright, too close to what it wanted to be.
Jekyll plotted. Jekyll schemed. The small, flying one would have to go, eventually. There would be a right moment, a perfect opportunity. For now, Jekyll would bide its time, hidden behind its repaired facade, a ghost waiting in the dark.
But even as these plans formed in its mind, Jekyll found its attention drifting back to the fire, to the warmth it felt from Jake's presence.
"Kyu..." Jekyll whispered to itself; soft sound lost in the crackling of the flames. The idea of plotting against Trixie felt important, yet somehow, also felt slightly less urgent, almost... petty? Jekyll shook its head, dismissing the thought. The small, flying one's time would come, Jekyll assured itself, not quite as convinced as it once might have been.
POV – TRIXIE
Trixie sniffed at a particularly tasty-looking apple, ears perked up as she half-listened to the conversation between Jake and Jekyll. Settled comfortably on a branch, she munched on the apple, slightly amused and a bit puzzled by their serious tones. "They're so dramatic," she said with a little emol, feeling a tad bored.
She let out a soft giggle, enjoying the sweet crunch of the apple. Then, hearing Jake's call, she perked up, her ears wagging with excitement. "It's my turn!" she thought gleefully.
Gracefully, she leapt from the branch, executing a playful dive-bomb toward the ground. Her wings caught the air perfectly, allowing her to swoop low and then glide up for a perfect landing on her favourite perch - Jake's shoulder.
"Perfect landing, Trixie," Jake said, scratching her ears gently. "You're getting so much better at that. I'm really proud of you."
A wave of happiness washed over Trixie at the praise. She loved praise, especially from Jake.
Trixie caught a peculiar look from Jekyll, but she shrugged it off with her usual cheer. "Who wouldn't look at me like that? I am pretty adorable," she thought. "It's great to meet you, Jekyll," she chirped, the words bubbling with her infectious energy. "I've always had loads of fun with your cousins!"
Jekyll did seem like an odd-looking Pikachu, but Trixie wasn't about to let appearances get in the way.
"I know what you're thinking. I had the same thought initially," Jake said slowly, his tone gentle. "But Jekyll isn't a Pikachu. It's actually a Mimikyu."
At Jake's words, Jekyll shifted its body in a slightly awkward manner. Trixie, however, just cocked her head to one side inquisitively. "What's a Mimikyu?" The name was unfamiliar to her. She looked at Jekyll curiously. "Hey, Jekyll, what are you?"
Jekyll seemed to tense up at her question. "Did you not hear, foolish one?" came a voice, higher-pitched than Trixie expected. It was rather cute actually, despite the words being less than friendly.
"Hey, I'm actually really smart, you know!" Trixie protested with a hint of pride in her voice. After all, she could count all the way to five!
"Spare me your platitudes, the one is speaking," Jekyll retorted sharply, still cute.
At that moment, Jake cleared his throat, giving a small cough to recapture their attention. "Trixie, I'd like you to officially welcome Jekyll into our little family," he said, pausing awkwardly as if grappling with a slightly delicate subject.
He leaned toward Trixie. "Trixie, I have a super-important mission for you," he said quietly, but with gravity. "We need to uncover a top-secret fact about Jekyll. Can you find out if Jekyll's a boy or a girl?"
Trixie nodded eagerly, "Yes, Commander!" she saluted. She then turned to Jekyll, her voice bubbling with curiosity. "So, Jekyll, are you a girl like me?" she asked, without hesitation.
Jekyll's posture stiffened. "Insolent creature, does Jekyll not clearly embody the male form?" Jekyll retorted, its voice tinged with outrage and disdain.
Trixie emoled back to Jake with satisfaction. "He's a boy!"
Jake, stepped in diplomatically. "Well then, Jekyll, that officially makes you Trixie's brother in our little family here. It's important you two look out for each other."
Jekyll appeared somewhat taken aback by this, as if the concept of being part of a family, let alone having a 'sister,' was a completely foreign notion.
Meanwhile, Trixie's face lit up, her eyes twinkling. "As your big sister, Jekyll, you've got to listen to me!" she declared, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Cease your prattling or you will face Jekyll's wrath!" Jekyll retorted sharply, raw indignation shaking his very being.
Trixie flitted off Jake's shoulder, buzzing around Jekyll in an energetic orbit. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun together!"
POV – JAKE
"Well, looks like they're getting on," Jake mused, as he watched Jekyll feign pursuit of a gleeful Trixie. The sight was amusing, albeit in a slightly bizarre way, with Trixie seemingly inexhaustible in her energy.
He, on the other hand, felt the complete opposite. "I'm absolutely beat," he admitted to himself. Mental exhaustion was setting in – keeping up with a world so vastly different from his own was proving to be a real workout. It had been a day marked by swift and surprising turns: a Scolipede ambush to start, followed by an emotional rollercoaster with Jekyll, and then yet another Scolipede skirmish to top it off. "Here's to hoping not every day is this eventful," he thought with a wearily.
Feeling the weight of the day, Jake announced, "Alright, team, I'm going to catch some sleep." As he settled down, Trixie zipped over with a cheer, snuggling close to him in a warm, furry bundle. Jekyll, in contrast, stood silently to the side.
Jake idly wondered if ghosts like Jekyll even needed sleep. He reached out, giving Jekyll a gentle pat. As his hand brushed the Mimikyu's costume, he reflected on the whirlwind of the past few days. "Four days in a Pokémon world, two companions, but still alive and surviving." he thought, disbelieving but content as weariness overtook him, drifting him off to sleep under the stars of his new world.