The next day, Darmanitan met the Pidgey cohort before they went to breakfast.
"Bring your gear, if you have any. Your first class today is survival, and Sergeant Rime will be inspecting your gear and issuing any necessary equipment you don't have," he said.
Alex had almost forgotten about his bag, stored in the chest at the foot of his bed. Deputy Raticate basically tossed it at him his first morning here, but Alex hadn't actually looked through it yet. Alex dug it out, a dull green canvas pack which was square and functional. It was just as heavy as when he had received it a few days ago, pressing down on his shoulders and resting on the base of his tail. Remembering his practice with Gothetelle last night, Alex concentrated on psychically lifting it, easing the burden on his frail body as he focused.
Caleb pulled out his own bag with only one strap. He opened it, glanced through the contents, and slung it over his shoulder. Wobbling a little under the weight, Alex and Caleb went to breakfast, then followed Darmanitan outside.
Survival class wasn't in a classroom, like their species and reading classes. Nor was it in a gym, like the battle class. Mentor Darmanitan led the Pidgey cohort outside, to a bowl shaped depression in the pervasive red rock that had filled with sand. A strange Pokemon with a cane, feet made out of ice, and a second face on its torso waited for them.
"Is this all of you? Good, we can begin. I am Sergeant Rime. We are related to the more common Mr Mime, but in rare, faraway places, we can evolve and gain the ice type. I found my way to the Academy from a rumor that the best and brightest minds in the known world are found and nurtured here, and I decided I wanted to teach the next generation.
"Now, this class will be a bit different than your other classes. While most education here at the Academy is based on learning human knowledge and tradition, I will teach you how to survive in the wilderness- and later, Mystery Dungeons. Most or all of you have lived in villages, towns, or cities, with organized sources of food, water, and shelter. But explorers must know how to navigate and survive outside of these civilizations. If you intend to travel, or explore the Sand Continent, you must know how to find water, make shelter, find and cook food, and read a map in all kinds of environments. Without these skills, you will not graduate to apprentices or be trusted with more difficult jobs. Braving the Mystery Dungeons is even harder, as you must battle ferals and find the exit in constantly shifting areas. Open your packs, if you have them. You must be properly equipped before you can start practicing these skills that will save your lives one day," Sergeant Rime said.
Alex set his bag on the ground and started looking though it. He wasn't sure what he expected to find inside, but the first thing he pulled out was… a blanket of some kind? It was a roll of thin, coarse fabric, folded and rolled into a size small enough to fit inside. Then he found a knife, a lump of something that felt like leather, a pouch of sticks and thin wood shavings with a few twigs painted red, and a roll of rope. There was an odd crystal disk with a black needle suspended so it could rotate freely. Alex saw runes etched into the edges, with more on the inner arrow.
Seeing Sergeant Rime watching him, Alex carefully laid out the supplies as he unpacked his bag. Alex cautiously handled each item; he didn't know how delicate or valuable they were, and he didn't want to damage the gifts the Academy had so generously given him.
On the other hand, Caleb's supplies were strewn around him messily. Alex noticed some similarities to his own, but he also carried one of the small crystals used to project light held in a wooden enclosure for protection.
Murkow didn't have any supplies to display. He fluffed his feathers bashfully as the other dug through their bags. Girafarig rummaged through her two saddlebags for her supplies.
"I see that some of you already carry the bare essentials. Be sure you have the following: a knife, bedroll, tinderbox, waterskin or jug, a water filter, compass, and a portable light crystal. You should also have at least one day's rations appropriate to your species. However, if your species requires special supplies or tools, you will have to carry those as well. On the other hand, if your physiology does not require one of these supplies, you may omit them, only with my permission. That's not including extra equipment you may need for specific missions, such as goggles if you brave the Sandstorm Plain. Some of these may seem superfluous, but each one is proven to save lives in the field. The teams on the Grass, Air, and Water Continents can get away with single explorers wandering around with nothing but a few apples and water, but the environment here on the Sand Continent is much more harsh. Every year, we have at least one recruit lost or fainted in the backcountry because they didn't account for the heat, the harsh terrain, or the length of the journey."
Alex shifted uncomfortably. Adventuring was really that dangerous? What kind of place was this, and why did the voice put him here? The half-day walk he and Caleb had done to get to the Rainbow Mesa had been hard by itself. Everywhere he looked, there was only sand and rock — with occasional scrubby bushes or tufts of dry, yellow grass. The sun was already starting to bake upon the sand they sat on, quickly burning the coolness of the night away. The Rainbow Mesa was an oasis with its river and town, surrounded by desolate miles of wilderness.
Caleb raised his hand. "Do I really have to go through all this? I made it all the way here from Granite Quarry on my own, can't I just skip this?"
"You walked one of the most well-traveled and best marked roads in this region of the Sand Continent, between two major settlements, that has rest stops every ten miles… Congratulations," Sergeant Rime said dryly. "Can you read a map and find the easiest route down the cliffs of Craggy Valley? In any case, do you really want to leave your cohort behind?" he said, looking meaningfully towards Alex.
"Oh. Um, I don't think I can do that," Caleb said.
"Good. Are there any other questions?" Sergeant Rime said.
This led to most of the group bringing up concerns with their gear. Fomantis was issued a hat to protect his leaves from the sun, but his scythes doubled as knives, so he didn't have to carry another. Murkrow complained that he wouldn't be able to fly with such a heavy load, so his gear was changed to be as light as possible, with a special design that could be carried in his talons. Baltoy was exempt from a waterskin and filter, since "water turns my body to mud."
Sergeant Rime began by explaining the uses of each part of the gear. The lump of leather Alex found was a waterskin to sustain him outside of the Rainbow Mesa. The crystal disk was a compass that always pointed north. The blanket was slightly waterproof and could be used to protect from cold, wind, or other hazards. After the explanation, they switched to practicing packing and unpacking their gear. An hour and a half later, the bell rang across the grounds to signal the end of class. Alex squinted against the sun as he stood up, carefully balancing his pack on his back.
The next class was math, taught by a Gabite. She quickly rapped against the slate board at the front of the room, lecturing rapidly on numbers and how to write them. Teacher Gabite had no patience for backtalk or whispered conversations. If she heard any talking, she would whip around to face the speaker and screech out math problems for them to solve. If they were too slow, she would shoot a harsh stream of sand in their face. After one or two examples, all watched in rapt attention, lest they be assaulted and have tears stream down their face as they hacked sand out of their throat. Yet, Alex found it a little too easy. Once he understood what each symbol stood for, he knew the answer nearly as quickly as it could be written, while Caleb counted on his fingers. What was odd was that every Pokemon seemed to count differently, and it rarely matched how Teacher Gabite wanted.
"No! You start a new digit at ten, not twelve!" she lectured at Girafarig, the stinging sand hissing in unison with her voice. "Everyone must learn the standard! Otherwise you'll insult all the vendors in town by underpaying them, and never get your own fair pay!"
Alex was glad he could understand the numbers in his head, because he had three fingers on each hand, not enough to count with.
Caleb had been looking forward to the last class, human studies. Even with the minor scratches across his face from Gabite's sand attacks, his eyes sparkled with excitement.
"This is gonna be great! I've wanted to learn more about humans ever since I met one in Quarry Tunnel as a kid. I could have learned math anywhere, but here is the only place I could learn so much about humanity!" he cheered. They found the classroom led by a Pumpkboo standing on a stool at the front of the class. She needed it, too; even Alex was taller than her. Once they had all entered the room, she started her lecture without introduction or preamble.
"This class is the most unique one of the subjects taught at the Academy. Most settlements have at least one pokemon that can teach arithmetic, or reading, or how to battle and survive. But here, we have the most complete collection of stories and knowledge we've received from humans. Of course, some Pokemon have found unique skills and trades: like metalsmiths that have honed their craft from studying the properties of Steel-types, or the many capabilities of enchanting items and orbs, or the natural affinity Grass-types have for growing plants. But before all that, humans once inhabited this area," she said.
Caleb gasped in surprise. "Really? Humans were here?"
"We haven't found any specific evidence on this continent, but the Air Continent has many ruins that date back beyond any memory or legends. One notable place has a machine that produces electricity without any fuel or understanding of how it does it. It's a popular place for Electric-types. There are caves and ruins filled with Unown writing that hint at their past presence as well. Through some unknown act of the gods, they disappeared or were cast out of this world, leaving it as a utopia for Pokemon. But soon afterward, the first rise of Dark Matter led to the need for a hero. And so, Mew called the first hero to assist this world; a human, placed in the body of a Pokemon, was brought to this world in our need.
"The ingenuity of Chespin Rector, with his determination and skill, provided the power to defeat Dark Matter. Pokemon are strong, harnessing the elements of fire, ice, and the Earth itself to our own ends, but the flexibility of human minds to solve problems proved the advantage to face the threat.
"After this, other forces brought humans to this world. Some are brought to teach them lessons in humility or empathy, due to their actions in the other world. Some are reborn here due to a god's pity or thankfulness. And, rarest of all, a few are brought to save our world. There have been five recorded incidents of humans being brought specifically for some imminent disaster: Chespin Rector, in the first and second Dark Matter Crisis. Charmander Taylor against the Great Meteor. Riolu Rose unfreezing time against Primal Dialga. And finally, Axew Emi saved us from the Bittercold.
"In this class, we will study the stories of the recorded humans that we know of, their culture, and what contributions they brought to this world," Teacher Pumpkaboo said.
Alex nearly hyperventilated when hearing the stories she shared. Fighting a dragon god of the skies? Combat with entities of pure anger and negative emotion that nearly destroyed the world? What was so special about humans that let them fight such powers? If what Teacher Pumpkaboo was accurate, these fights happened when the team was still only in their first evolutions. What was so special about these teams that the professionals couldn't succeed at the same fight?
As Teacher Pumpkaboo lectured, Alex noticed that these teams seemed to have an odd consistency in their stories; The human wakes up and immediately meets a partner, who supports them in everything they do. They join some adventuring organization, go into Mystery Dungeons on a near daily basis for a few days, then a conflict shows up. These heroic teams fight gods, and somehow win, while bigger, stronger, and more experienced teams fail. Then the team is separated for a time, whether in exile, banished out of time, or hunted by even more gods, until they return back to the town in time for a final push to save the world in some reality-bending place. Caleb sat with rapt attention, while glancing back at Alex every so often.
No. I can't do this. There's no way I can do this. I know there's a few Pokemon that support me, but Monferno and Psychic Musharna hate me. They'll spread rumors, and I'll be driven out like Taylor and his partner Owen were years ago. And I can't blend in. Not with these scars on my back, my only attack right now is Hidden Power, and I still can barely aim it. Caleb only likes me because I'm human, but there's nothing special about me. Not really.
"Hey, you okay?" Caleb asked.
Alex opened his eyes to see the class had ended. Teacher Pumpkaboo was looking at him curiously, but everyone else had left.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep!" Alex yelped. He hurriedly stood up and scrambled out of the room down to lunch. Seriously, why was he so bad at this? Couldn't he even stay awake for an hour? He couldn't fight, didn't know anything, and was such a failure of an Abra that he needed a private tutor to even do basic things that hatchlings of his species did instinctually. Was he really supposed to save the world?
The din and chaos of the cafeteria drowned out his thoughts as he entered the line. Dozens, maybe even a hundred Pokemon ate or served food, chatting with each other in their own groups. He saw the same Combusken who had opened the doors for him when he and Caleb had arrived their first night, talking with a Flygon and Bastiodon. What was so special about him, when this guild had dragons and dinosaurs?
"Hmm, do you smell Pidgeot? One of the foraging teams must have had a great haul last night," a Shinx said next to him. Alex had to look down to see her, as her ears barely reached his chest. She was one of the few species here shorter than him.
"Umm, I don't know. I haven't been here for very long," Alex said.
Shinx turned to him. Her face fell when she saw the scars that marked his body, even though they were more prominent on his back. "Oh… you're the human, aren't you? What are you doing here? You're not going to make me give up my place in line, are you?"
Why would she think that? Alex wasn't here to force anyone to do anything. Why did they expect him to change how everything was run? "Umm, no. I… I just want some food before my apprenticeship this afternoon," Alex said.
Just then, Caleb caught up to Alex. "Hey, I didn't think you could teleport that easily yet!"
He had teleported? It hadn't seemed like that, but everything was a rush of anxiety and dismay on the way down here. Had he taken the elevator or the stairs? Alex couldn't remember taking either, as distressed as he was.
Alex stammered something in reply before accepting a bowl of food. Sitting down, he realized that he hadn't been paying attention to what they were serving. His mouth burned as he took a bite. He had gotten the spicy option! And it wasn't the pleasant warmth of the soup he had in Principal Blastoise's office- this felt like he was trying to eat the sun!
Alex gagged. There was no way he could eat this. Caleb, on the other hand, seemed to love the flavor, even as his eyes watered and nose ran. Alex tried to dig around the fiery sauce, pulling out lumps of vegetables, but after a few bites, his stomach turned entirely, ruining his appetite. He pushed his bowl away.
"What's wrong, Alex? You know, I don't think Pumkpaboo really cared about you zoning out in her class. Heck, I dozed off in Talonflame's class yesterday. Who knew you could make fire sound boring?" Caleb laughed.
"Umm, nothing. This is just too spicy," Alex said. He pushed his bowl away. His stomach curdled from his anxiety and the food.
"Are you going to eat that?" Caleb asked.
"I don't think so. I'm not hungry anymore," Alex said.
"Well, can I have it?" Caleb had been eating his so fast, he was already nearly done with his.
""I guess," Alex said as he pushed it toward Caleb.
Alex's stomach continued to turn as he walked to his apprenticeship. He felt the stares of the town and the other Pokemon in the Academy. News of his humanity and Musharna's outburst had apparently spread throughout the Academy
"Do you see him?"
"Did you hear that explosion a few days ago? That's when he attacked Psychic Musharna."
"What's he going to do?"
"I know the Academy's supposed to help him, but he's creepy! He doesn't look like a normal Abra. He actually opens his eyes!"
"I've heard he doesn't even remember being human."
As Alex left the Academy, the whispers changed subjects.
"Did you hear he's got a Ghost type hidden power?"
"Oh no! Do you think he's going to manipulate us, just like that Gengar from the stories?"
"Why do you think he has those scars? What god would do that? It's got to mean something."
The whispers finally died down once Alex entered the Drake's Emporium, if for no other reason than they were drowned out by a dozen tapping hammers and weaving looms.
A few Pokemon tried to follow Alex in, but Zweilous faced the door and rasped, "Get in and buy something, or get out! You're scaring off my actual customers!"
Turning to Alex, the right head said, "You know your spot. Make three Escape Orbs before you leave today." She huffed. "Hmm. No one will bother you back in the workshop, at least. If they do, we'll give them extra tasks! If they can sit and gossip, they aren't working hard enough!"
Alex crept to his workbench, taking care not to bother the other Pokemon at work. Alex was earlier than yesterday, as evidenced by Ledian being absent. Most of the benches were empty this early.
Alex found the same reference Escape Orb on the table, in the same spot he had left it. Each of his tools were untouched. Alex hadn't put his tools away yesterday; he had wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Thinking of the feedback he had gotten on his last attempts, Alex looked hard at his tools. What kinds of shapes would each one make? The three chisels and hammers were easy to understand. They could make strong, deep cuts, according to their size. But there were also a few fine hooks and points, probably for precision work.
The symbols and designs on the Escape Orb were fairly simple. Alex had seen Kricketune etching spirals smaller than his nails, with lines and shapes covering the entire orb. Alex's Escape Orb had only a single band of designs around the equator of the sphere.
Thinking ahead, Alex picked up a discarded orb from the disposal bin and took it back to his station. He didn't really know how to use these tools, or what kinds of shapes they made. Why was there a chisel with a toothed edge? It didn't seem like a set of three parallel lines would be used all that often, as most carvings seemed almost like letters, rather than artistic design.
Alex took the toothed chisel, and began tapping with his mallet. It didn't cut into the stone, but it broke off a small bump out of the inside of a deep gash on the orb. The gash was probably the reason this orb has been abandoned, as the cut sunk deep into the stone, much further than the surface scratches.
Oh, this isn't for texture, it's for smoothing! Alex thought. He tried again on an untouched area. The chisel didn't cut into the orb, only glancing off the rounded surface. It caught only when there was an imperfection in the crystal. Looking at the other cuts made in the abandoned project, Alex saw that the rough cuts corresponded to the blunt picks, not the flat chisel. That explained why he had had so much trouble getting the wide depressions carved yesterday; he had been using his tools in the wrong order.
Alex tapped out a thin spiral with the pick on an unmarked surface. This was so much easier than using the corner of one of the wide chisels. The pick carved smoothly through the dark stone, almost like crystal, but softer, less brittle. It seemed the trick was to gently tap through the stone, instead of using brute force to gouge out the pattern.
Alex experimented with his tools, testing curves, lines, and shapes on the unused portion of the discarded orb. Often, a tap with the mallet would make the pick glance off in an unexpected direction due to the curvature of the orb. After filling up the rest of the unmarked surface on the discarded sphere, Alex started on a fresh orb, carefully looking at the carvings of the Escape Orb he needed to copy. Alex took the pick and intently copied the runes onto the blank orb. Alex could see how the carvings connected to each other; a spiral connected to wavy lines, then to concentric squares. There was a sense of flow, that this symbol connected to the next, and some hidden meaning could be teased out of the shallow lines.
An hour later, Alex compared the example orb with his own. The one he had been copying was immaculate, not a single scratch or line out of place. There was no awkward extending of a line, or a sudden sharp bend in a curve. It had to have been carved by hand or tool, yet the workmanship looked like a great stamp had impressed the carvings in one blow from a hammer. Alex's, on the other hand, was flawed. A cut had gone a little deeper here, or off track there. Still, it was much neater than yesterday's.
Alex took his orb and started looking for Altaria. Hopefully this was good enough. If not, Alex wasn't sure of what else he could do. Sure, that double curve could be a little better, but did they expect perfection? How many days would they let him hammer away at a workbench, wasting resources and time? Alex had glanced at the other orbs Drake's Emporium sold, and the Escape Orb was the simplest one, by far. Some of them even seemed to have multiple layers of carvings, tracked over each other in tiny grooves almost too small to see. Would he have to reach that level of perfection?
Altaria was perched on a peg next to a desk. She was inspecting an embroidered scarf with a magnifying glass, while a Whimsicott looked on.
"Yes, this Defense Scarf is satisfactory. Though, be careful in the future to avoid getting your cotton stuck in the weave. It would grant more affinity towards Grass types, but it can interfere with opposing elements," she said. She waved a fluffy, cotton-like wing, and a few small fibers curled out of the cloth and adhered to her wing.
"Of course, if you are commissioned for such an item, Zweilous can guide you on the proper ways to blend it. But for now, this is acceptable for sale. Please have another made by the end of the week," she continued, putting it aside.
"Thank you, Enchanter Altaria!" the Whimsicott said, going back to her workbench.
Alex stepped forward, holding the orb in both hands. What if he were to drop and shatter it right in front of Altaria, after the work he had put into it?
Altaria glanced at Alex. "Is there a problem? Or did you finish already?"
"Um, I wanted to know if I did this orb right. It's supposed to be an Escape Orb, I think…" Alex said.
Altaria grabbed the orb with one set of talons and turning it around, inspecting the carvings.
"Hmm, much better than yesterday's, certainly. But look: this tunneling rune has a scratch crossing several lines," she said, pointing to the concentric squares, where a missed tap had caused the pick to bounce through the rune. "This will make the construct unstable, and here," she pointed at a sharp bend, "needs to be more rounded. These carvings direct, concentrate, and enhance the energies we put into them. Think of a river; water flows smoothly, and crashes on sharp corners, breaking down the bank while causing turbulence and erosion. We want to make the etchings as smooth and precise as possible, so the energy we imbue will hold until it is needed, then flow exactly as we mean it to. I'm sorry, but I cannot put this in our stock. Please try again."
After all that work? How could he try again? He had already done his best, but it still wasn't good enough. There must be some mistake. Clearly the example orb had been etched by a machine, to have such clean and precise carvings. No ordinary Pokemon could possibly have that level of exactness, could they?
Alex dropped back onto his seat, his orb rolling across the table. The example orb sat in its pedestal, perfect and unattainable. He glumly picked up his pick. Fine, glittering dust highlighted the wood grain in the rough surface of his workbench, the shavings of his previous attempts.
"Having trouble?" Ledain said from the adjoining workbench. Ledian hadn't turned his head, still weaving a needle in and out of the cape he was working on. Alex wasn't sure if he had even been addressing him, as Ledian turned his head and leaned one of his compound eyes closer to the fabric.
"Um, did you say something?" Alex asked.
Ledian faced the cape again. "Sorry for not facing you , but I can see you just fine and work on this at the same time. I have a very wide field of view. And Zweilous has been very insistent that I finish this within the next two days, so I can't stop just to talk. What did the dragons say you screwed up?"
"It's an Escape Orb. I did everything right, but Enchantress Altaria wouldn't take it. She said I screwed up some of the shapes and it wouldn't work," Alex said.
"Oh, that's it? Kid, nobody gets anything accepted within their first week. Nothing pleases them unless it's perfect," Ledian said with a huff. "See this cape? It's supposed to be a Reunion Cape for some team. I've had to remake it five times now. Altaria seems like the nice one, but none of the dragons will hesitate to reject something with a single stitch out of line," he ranted. "So, if you're looking for sympathy, you'll have to find it elsewhere. We've all got deadlines, except you newbie. The moment you manage to make something the dragons can sell, you'll be cranking out three orbs or more a day. Enjoy the niceness while it lasts." And with that, Ledian's pace picked up, attacking the fabric with a second needle.
"So it's not just me, I guess," Alex thought. "Ledian wasn't any help, even though he's been through this too." Alex looked at the failed orb, trying to see the differences between what he had made and the template. Sure, his work was rough and less precise as the example, but would it really make a difference? Alex reluctantly picked his tools back up and started on a fresh orb, squinting at the lines and curves.
A few hours later, Alex walked out of the Drake's Emporium. None of the other three orbs he made were accepted. So much for humans excelling in everything. Even Altaria's melodic voice sounded disappointed he didn't demonstrate some latent ability or knowledge for carving.
Near the road that led back to the Academy, Alex heard a Pokemon shouting.
"-couldn't even do the course right! What good is he even for? That human took the spot that should have been mine! And now he's got a cushy bed, free food, and a royal treatment for a career in front of him, while I'm stuck banging sticks together!" Alex recognized that voice. Alex moved past the road that led back to the Academy, ignoring his tiring legs by lifting himself with his psychic power. Across the street, near the carpenter's, Monferno was working a saw across a thin piece of wood. Sawdust billowed around her as the saw sliced through. To Alex's horror, he saw Caleb nearby, holding a shaped piece of metal with a hole on one side. Monfero smashed the cut lumber into the hole, rattling the metal, the lumber, and the workbench, leaving Caleb to absorb the shock as much as he could.
Monferno took a mallet and continued to hammer the lumbar through.
"Come on, idiot, hold it steady! I've got to actually work for food and a roof, and you're slowing me down!" Monferno snapped. "I don't hate you yet, since you're at least competent. But if you can't do anything without your ball-holder near, I'll get someone else."
"Alex doesn't boss me around! He's lonely and needs help!" Caleb said, trying to keep his voice steady against Monferno's powerful blows.
"So he's a lost hatchling. Why is he in the Academy then, and not in a nursery?" Monferno challenged.
"Because he's human, and they've saved the world five times over!" Caleb said.
"So? Should we grant every Vulpix admission too, because their great grandsire fought Dialga?" Monferno's tail-flame grew larger with frustration. "It's stupid, to pass off real potential for a useless superstition."
Then, a large lavender Pokemon stomped out of the workshop.
"Monferno, your grievances are your own business, and I simply don't care. You're working faster than most of my workers, and that's all I care about. But, you should make sure you're not breaking my tools or materials. Anything burned comes out of your pay, not mine," the Exploud rumbled.
Monferno shifted her grip, and Alex saw black marks on the mallet shaft, matching each of her fingers. Caleb finally saw Alex now that he wasn't under constant assault, and his hands flew to his mouth in shock.
Monferno turned to see what Caleb was looking at, and saw Alex. She saw the scorched wood she was holding, dropped the mallet and snarled.
"Human, you might have the hearts of everyone in the Academy for some reason I can't figure out. But seeing you now, with that expression on your face? I don't have anything to worry about. Anyone who would choose you isn't worth my time. Machop, we've done twice our quota today. Get back to your ball-holder if you want. And human, you can get your slaves to prop you up to greatness. I'll get there on my own, without becoming a Rocket."
Caleb speechlessly walked next to Alex as they went back to the Academy.
After a few minutes, Caleb spoke up.
"Sorry, Alex. I met her yesterday at my apprenticeship, and she was just as foul-mouthed then. I didn't want to worry you, but it looks like the secret's out, anyway. Sorry if I haven't been paying attention to you today," he said.
Alex didn't know how to respond to that. What made him so important that someone he had met a few days ago would go to such lengths to help and protect him?
"Umm, what did she call me at the end? What's a Rocket?" Alex asked.
Caleb swallowed. "It's, uh…" He paused. "It's a very nasty word for someone who who mistreats and oppresses Pokemon. There's a story about a Voltorb who used to be controlled by someone called a Rocket, who made him self-destruct repeatedly. So some Pokemon think all humans are like that. But you're not!" he said hastily. "I just want to help you find your purpose!"
That explained why the options about him were so extreme. Some thought of humans as saviors to the world, but others like Monferno and Musharna thought he was a tyrant. Neither of those really applied to him. He was just an Abra with no memories.
"Caleb, why do you like humans so much? I haven't done anything special. It's like Monferno said, I don't really deserve to be in the Academy. I don't have any knowledge or skills, and I'm the weakest in the class," Alex said.
Caleb took a deep breath. "When I was a kid, I heard stories about a human working together with a Pikachu who went on all kinds of adventures and met tons of Legendary Pokemon. Somehow, I got convinced that the local Mystery Dungeon was a great place to train and meet one.
"You haven't been in a Mystery Dungeon yet. The layout changes when you're not paying attention. Pokemon always attack you on sight, and you can't reason with them. You get hungry and thirsty faster, but there's nothing to eat or drink. And you can't get out, not unless you know how to progress through them. I thought I could handle anything the Boulder Quarry could throw at me, since I had just learned Karate Chop to fight the rock and steel types in there." Caleb grunted. "Well, I couldn't really do it. Thinking back, I was about as good with that move as you are with Hidden Power; it took a second to concentrate and use, which is too long in a real fight.
"Anyway, I was in that dungeon for less than an hour when I realized I messed up. The first few fights were challenging, but they never let up, and I couldn't find the way out. I was about to be swallowed up by the dungeon, but then a Servine showed up and rescued me. Her name was Miko, and she'd been an explorer after teaching working as a healer for a few years. She used to be a nurse as a human, and taught her village her skills before leaving. She just happened to be in my village when I went into the dungeon. I think I was trying to impress her, but she ended up being the one rescuing me.
"And the amazing thing? She didn't want payment. Every team ever wants their pay before going into a dungeon. Dungeon crawling is dangerous and risky, and costs supplies that have to be replenished. For some reason, Miko was more concerned with my safety than her own. And after that, I was so impressed with humans I wanted to know more about them. I must have asked Miko thousands of questions, but she was patient with me. Eventually, I figured I had to come to the Academy to learn any more, after Miko had told me all she knew. And that's how I met you. So in thanks to the human that saved me, I want to help you in this world, whether that means as a tutor or traveling partner, I'm with you." Caleb said.
Yet another story of a perfect human. More expectations. And Caleb stood there, staring at him, eyes shining with admiration and anticipation.
"I… don't know what to say, Caleb," Alex said. "I still don't think I'm anything special. Miko, and Rector, and all the other humans I'm hearing about came here with knowledge, or memories, or at least did something. I can't even make the simplest orb the Drake's Emporium offers."
"I know. We'll get there, eventually. It's probably a good thing we aren't one of those adventure teams right off the bat, I guess," Caleb said. Alex found that only slightly comforting.
With everything that had happened today, Alex needed to find someplace quiet. He made his way to the shrines after dinner, hoping for some perspective, or at least some space. Chimecho had seemed one of the more wise Pokemon he had met so far, with her understanding of the gods and legends of this world. Mostly, she seemed to invite people to come in and talk, instead of the teachers just rushing through material.
The Shrine Hall felt quiet, hushed, the excited sounds of a hundred Pokemon going through their duties throughout the Academy becoming muffled as the door swung shut. A few tiny windows let in shafts of light, supplemented with the ubiquitous light crystals in different colors near each shrine. A dozen different varieties of incense scented the air. The overall effect made the Shrine Hall solemn, separate from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the Academy. This was a place to connect with the Pokemon gods. Alex saw Chimecho floating near and staring up at a statue in the very center of the room, a life sized human holding a Pokeball in its hand.
"I, um, want to know more about humans and the gods," Alex said.
Chimecho turned, the bell on her head letting out a gentle chime.
"So you have come. I wondered when you would come seeking clarity here. Your mind is much clouded from the standards others are placing on you," she said. "I have been pondering on the nature of humans after I heard of your application, and more after I met you. Surely there are many things to come," she said.
"Do you think I'm evil, like Psychic Musharna?"
"That judgment is not one I can make. Humans change and influence many things. But good and evil are ideas that can't be fully defined or understood, only guessed at. I will simply say this; humans are, above all else, inspiring to us Pokemon. When threatened at every turn with Pokemon's deadly powers, they first fought with bravery and ingenuity against much superior forces, until one found compassion and sought partnership. Pokemon have been changed by humans, but humans changed themselves. That is what makes you influential in this to us," Chimecho said.
"So, umm, can you tell me why I'm here? Which god sent me?" Alex asked.
"I cannot tell for what purpose you have arrived here. In many cases, humans come as an accident, someone falling between cracks in the worlds to land here. But in most instances, one of the gods is personally involved when a human comes to this world as a Pokemon. Perhaps you may find your purpose through them."
"Um, which of these gods usually works with humans? Is one of them more connected with humans?" Alex asked.
"No one god seems to have a particular affinity for bringing humans to this world. They stay within their own realms and dominions, only interfering when an imbalance is perceived. Many gods have brought humans to this world: as reward, as punishment, as a savior, or as a lesson for the human. Your struggle with memories suggest a powerful Psychic type has locked them away. There is one god, Uxie, who presides over memory as his domain. His sisters claim power over willpower and emotion, all pieces of that which raises a feral being to sapience."
Chimecho led Alex to a single shrine, where three Pokemon poised as if floating, surrounded by a chain carved directly from the stone.
"The Spirit Trio reside in lakes across the region." Pointing to one with its eyes closed, she said, "This is Uxie, shepherd of knowledge. Without the ability to recall past events, one cannot adapt to the future. Uxie possesses copies of all memories of every being that has and does live. But to those unworthy, Uxie erases memories of itself, its location, or in some wrathful examples, it takes all the memories of the Pokemon, leaving them a blank mind," she said.
"If Uxie has memories of everybody, then he'll know who put me here! Then I'll know my purpose, and I'll even get all my memories back!" though Alex.
"Umm, how do I make it so Uxie will accept me? I already don't have memories, so he can't take those, but could he give them back?" Alex asked.
"If you wish to gain favor in the mind of Uxie, you may start with polishing the shrine that represents him. Oil the stone with a light amount of Spirit Flower oil. Legend says that Uxie, Axelf, and Mesprit imbued the plant with the ability to balance the parts of the soul to become in harmony with itself." Her ribbon body opened a concealed cupboard in the base of the shrine, where an earthen jug and soft cloth were stored.
Alex took the proffered bottle, pulled the cork out and dabbed a little liquid on the cloth. The fresh oil had a sharp, earthy scent that somehow calmed him. It helped him focus on the here and now, instead of his anxiety for the future and other's opinions of him.
Alex started with Uxie's tails, which nearly intertwined with his siblings' inside of the chain carved out of the light gray stone shrine, linking the essence of spirit together. Alex carefully polished the stone. There wasn't any noticeable dust, as Chimecho's daily ministrations maintained the shrines in flawless condition. Still, a simple task like this calmed Alex. There weren't any expectations here; he could leave, and Chimecho wouldn't stop him. It didn't matter if he started with Uxie's head or his tails, a missed stroke wouldn't ruin an hour of work, unlike carving orbs. Alex couldn't mess up or disappoint anyone in here.
Chimecho watched for a few minutes, presumably to make sure Alex wasn't going to break or damage the priceless shrine. Soon, the shrine Uxie was fully cleaned and polished. The stone now held a soft luminescence, enhanced from the polish and buffing. The quiet and dimness of the room had proved meditative to Alex. He wasn't sure if Uxie had heard his silent pleading for direction and knowledge, but… he would find the answers one day, even if he had to meet a god in the flesh to do so.
Alex basked in the new calmness for a few minutes, until he remembered where he was supposed to be- upstairs, being tutored in the ways of being a Pokemon.
Alex hurried out, whispering a rushed "Thank you," to Chimecho, and rushed to the elevator. Alex realized he was probably already late, so he couldn't wait for the Hoist to bring the elevator or run up a flight of stairs. Alex couldn't run that far without collapsing anyways. Concentrating, Alex teleported to the yellow floor.
Alex staggered when he landed. He hadn't aimed perfectly, and ended up bouncing off a wall and falling a few inches to the floor. He leaned against the wall for a moment, before quickly walking to the classroom where Gothetelle was waiting.
Psychic Gothetelle stared at Alex when he came in. His half-lidded eyes gave him an expression of boredom and aloofness.
"I wondered what was keeping you. Dinner was finished half an hour will not have as much time as I had planned," Gothetelle said.
"Sorry, Psychic Gothitelle," Alex said. "I lost track of time in the Shrine Hall," he finished, feeling embarrassed.
"Hmm. This tutoring is for your benefit, not mine. If there is something more important than becoming a functional Pokemon, how can I get in the way of a human's desires?" he said dismissively. "In any case, have you been able to use the psychic abilities we practiced yesterday?"
"Umm, I teleported from the blue floor to here a minute ago. And I've been supporting my body with psychic energy when my feet started to hurt," Alex said.
"Hmm, and do you feel weaker at all when you do this? Does using your powers in this way tire you perceptively?"
Alex thought about it. He hadn't noticed in the moment, but he did feel tired, like he would fall asleep instantly when he got to his bed. How had it snuck up on him so suddenly?
Alex yawned, hastily covering his mouth. "I'm really tired now, but I hadn't noticed it until you asked. I think it got a lot worse after I teleported up here," Alex said.
"Hmm. I feared as much. Abra typically sleep for two thirds of the day to maintain their psychic abilities, and it seems you are no exception. So tonight's lesson will have to be to practice a very basic ability that Abra have been shown to have: awareness of the environment and the ability to perform simple tasks while asleep. If you do this, you will have more energy to spend in study, battle, and in your apprenticeship. You must train your body to make appropriate actions while barely conscious, whether to ignore something, teleport away, or fully wake up to think of a better course of action. Non- civilized and feral Abra tend to use this power to eat and teleport away from threats without disturbing their slumber," Gothitelle said.
Eat while asleep? He could do that? It seemed paradoxical, that other Abra could live and function to an extent without being conscious.
Gothitelle handed Alex a berry leftover from his mostly-eaten dinner. "There isn't really a way for me to teach you this skill, as it is an ability unique to Abra– and Komala as well, I suppose. Eating while asleep should be natural to you, as it requires very little thinking or decision-making. If you fall asleep while holding something you know to be food, your body's instincts should awaken, if you pardon the pun," Gothetelle said.
Alex held the berry in his hands. In a human, this fruit would be small enough to hold in one hand, but Alex had to cradle it in two. He leaned back on his cushion, trying to relax. Falling asleep was a unique challenge, especially with Psychic Gotheitelle watching and expecting him to do something while asleep, where Alex couldn't consciously act. How did one fall asleep? So far in this world, Alex had simply closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness within moments. Now, though, he had to perform a paradox: to sleep, and yet still act.
"You're thinking about it too hard. Simply go to sleep, and see what happens," Gothetelle said.
Alex closed his eyes and leaned back on the cushion. Drowsiness immediately gnawed at his consciousness, but when Alex concentrated on having to eat the berry after falling asleep, he would float back to awareness. Eventually, Alex fell into something not quite sleeping, but not true awareness either. The sound of chewing and slurping berry juice became his only awareness.
Alex felt a nudge on his shoulder. Alex jerked awake, nearly falling on his back, but his tail supported him.
"You ate the berry, just as I hoped you would. What do you remember?" Gothetelle asked.
Alex through. Hazy impressions wafted into his mind, like leftover dreams. He remembered taking bites, the flavor muted and indistinct. There was sound, too: Mostly the sounds of eating. And something else; it wasn't sight, or smell, or hearing, but there was a wispy sense of a presence near him while he tranced.
"Umm, I think I remember eating, but not thinking about eating, if that makes sense. And, umm, I think I could sense something else, like I could sense you? There was a feeling like someone was watching me, but I only felt it when I was asleep. I might be just imagining it," Alex said.
"Hmm, that is encouraging. It seems you sensed my psychic presence, which is the basis for mental powers and detecting threats. In your case, Abra use it to sense danger while they sleep and teleport away. Did you notice anything else?"
Ablex though, but couldn't think of anything. "No, nothing else. Is there something I missed?"
"Hmm, I was speaking while you slept. If you would hear and comprehend speech while asleep, then you would be able to rest in the more cerebral classes. But that's apparently not a possibility right now. In any case, it seems sleep would serve you better tonight than teleportation practice. Practice eating while asleep, and we will work again tomorrow when you are rested. Good night," Gothetelle said, dismissing Alex.
Alex went to his room, barely noticing his cohort before falling into bed. He slept deeply that night, dreams echoing with whispers and accusations.