Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 2, Episode 6, Chapter 2

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August 12th, 12:00 PM

Coumarine City, Kalos Region

"I need you to look at the chart and tell me if you can see this," the Pokémon eye doctor calmly said as he placed white board filled with white numbers and letters in front of her. Ōdachi, visibly nervous at glancing at both the doctor and Saito standing right beside her, was seated on a counter. After a moment, she nodded in understanding, and the doctor nodded back.

"Good, good. Simply nod if you can see it or shake if you can't," the doctor replied, then started the test.

Saito's mind was racing a mile a minute, his levels of stress and anxiety higher than the had ever felt in quite some time. Fear, guilt, anger, and more volatile emotions were forming a churning mixture that just would not go away no matter how much he wanted it to. Given the reason why they were here, he imagined it wouldn't go away until they finally figured out exactly what was wrong. And there was, indeed, something wrong with Ōdachi. That was no longer in question.

Seeing Ōdachi unable to hit a Caterpie, of all things, and hearing Maindo declare that she was legitimately blind had thrown Saito into a panic. He immediately returned Ōdachi to her Pokéball and ran back to the others, barely having time to explain what was going on before Maindo teleported himself and the rest of his team to the nearest Pokémon center. Nurse Joy immediately understood the gravity of the situation, but unfortunately optical care was outside of her area of expertise. She directed them to a dedicated Pokémon Hospital, setting up an appointment with an ophthalmologist for that morning. Saito wanted to get Ōdachi in immediately, but as Nurse Joy pointed out that simply wasn't feasible. They were lucky they were able to get an appointment in that day at all. Besides, it wasn't as though a few hours would change Ōdachi's situation, for the better or worse.

That was where Derflinger, Louise and Henrietta found Saito, tightly holding a scared Ōdachi in his arms on his lap inside the hospital waiting room. None of them had the strength to say anything, leaving them in silence for what felt like an eternity. Every so often, someone would speak up and try to say something, if only to break up the doldrums they all found themselves in, but any conversation they had lasted for only a few minutes at most before petering off. When the doctor finally called Saito and Ōdachi in, the trainer immediately rose to his feet and followed without saying a word to his travelling companions, with them following right after.

That was where Saito found himself now, trying to give his Pokémon comfort as the doctor did every test they could think of to diagnose her condition. The doctor wasn't just doing a standard eye example. He hooked her up to an apparatus that took scans of her retinas, had her look through another that had a series of optical refractors that gauged her eyesight. He even had Saito move back and forth at various speeds to gauge Ōdachi's ability to see him. The more tests they did, the more familiar they became to the young man. He had seen these tests before, if not in the exact same format.

These were the games that Ōdachi had been playing with Maindo for days. He thought back to that first conversation he had with the male Kirlia, where Maindo first declared that he was concerned about her eyesight. How she kept squinting since it apparently helped her see better. Saito had dismissed him completely, refusing to see anything was wrong after doing the bare minimum on his end. Saito had also seen Ōdachi's apparent eyesight issues, but instead of doing the responsible thing and looking into it more closely, such as taking Ōdachi to an ophthalmologist like he was doing now, he took Nurse Joy at her word and didn't get a second opinion. He got complacent, and nearly got Ōdachi hurt.

He thanked Arceus that they found out she did, legitimately, have a problem now rather than later. The only opponent who would've been better suited for such a thing might've been a Magikarp. What if Saito hadn't noticed her eyesight issues until pitting her against a more powerful opponent? He obviously never planned on using her in battle against a trainer or a powerful wild Pokémon until she was ready, but already there had been plenty of times where they were forced into battle rather than entering it by choice. What if he hadn't noticed until they got caught up in another Team Flare attack, Arceus forbid? Ōdachi could've gotten seriously hurt, all because he was too blind to see what was really going on.

Glancing to the side, he could see Louise, Henrietta, and Derflinger looking in through a window. They had wanted to come in and give moral support, but Ōdachi was Saito's Pokémon. It was his responsibility to care for her, not theirs. Despite the churning emotions in his gut, he gave his friends a soft smile and nod, then returned his attention to the doctor who was finishing up the latest batch of tests.

"Alright, I think I know what's going on," the doctor said as he stood up straight, then turned to face Saito who firmly but gently gripped Ōdachi's sides.

"Ōdachi's not actually blind, is she?" Saito begged in a fearful tone, and the doctor sighed.

"Ōdachi can see," the doctor answered, then quickly added, "But she does has astigmatism myopia, or near-sightedness. A very severe case, I'm afraid. While she may not physically be blind, legally she is."

Saito's heart fell, and could feel Ōdachi's body stiffen as she absorbed the news. He then pointed to a nearby charted mounted on a wall and explained, "Normally, humans and Pokémon are supposed to have 20/20 vision. The first number is how close, in feet, the patient needs to be to see something, and the second is how close someone with normal vision needs to be to see it. So 20/20 vision is normal, and 20/15 is exceptionally good. To be considered legally blind, you need a score of 20/200 or worse. Does that make sense?"

"I…yes," Saito answered, then gulped. "What's…what's Ōdachi's vision?"

"She's at that 20/200 mark," the doctor answered.

"Is…is there anything we can do?"

"While we have made tremendous strides in fixing these sorts of issues for humans, unfortunately research has lagged for Pokémon. Especially for species with such sensitive eyesight like Skarmory. The technology simply isn't there yet," the doctor claimed. "We can put Ōdachi in for LASIK surgery, and that'll fix much of it, but even then she'll have to wear specialty glasses for the rest of her life. You're very lucky you caught this when you did. From what I saw, the type of astigmatism she had would've grown worse the longer it went undiagnosed."

Saito sighed in relief. Hearing that his youngest Pokémon had such severe near-sightedness that she was legally considered blind was horrible, but at least it could be treated and stopped from getting worse. Having to get some LASIK surgery and wear glasses was far from the worst case scenario. And it wasn't like he'd have to pay anything for it. Human and Pokémon healthcare was free all across the world, considered to be a right and not a privilege for only those who could afford it.

"When's the next opening?" Saito firmly asked, and the doctor nodded.

"We have one this afternoon," the doctor answered. "Do you want me to set an appointment?"

"Yes," Saito said, with no ounce of hesitation in his voice.


To say that the situation was tense would've been an understatement in Henrietta's opinion. One moment, she and Louise were finishing up their magical training – Louise having far less success in creating a Seed Bomb explosion than she hoped whereas Henrietta herself was practically frolicking in a cloud of bubbles she conjured – and the next they were running back to Coumarine after Saito declared something was wrong with Ōdachi's eyes. The subsequent hours spent in the doctor's office did little to calm everyone's nerves, especially for Saito and Louise.

Henrietta could easily understand the look of guilt and shame on Saito and Louise's faces. Even though she'd only been with them for a little over a week, it was a feeling she had as well.

"So, Maindo was right. Ōdachi is blind," Louise softly repeated as they sat in the waiting room again, Saito on a chair opposite the sofa she and Henrietta had claimed as their own.

"She's legally blind, yes," Saito confirmed, then hung his head and released a sigh. "They can do some surgery to fix most of it, but she'll still need to wear glasses."

"Could've been worse, then," Derflinger spoke up, and Saito only sighed in response.

Henrietta, meanwhile, was confused and asked, "How can they do surgery to fix her eyes?"

"I don't know the full details. All I know is they use a laser to repair the damage," Saito explained.

"…I see," Henrietta replied, then gently clamped her hands together. Part of her wanted to marvel at the idea that the people of Earth could repair one's sight when not even the best healers back in Tristain could, but she couldn't find the strength to do so. It just hit far too close to home in this case.

"What happens now?" Derflinger asked, speaking up when no one else would.

"Now we wait for them to call Ōdachi in for surgery," Saito answered. "After that, assuming all goes well, we'll have to stay here for a few more days for recovery. Travelling cross-country just after eye surgery is probably not a good idea. You two can go ahead if you—"

"Absolutely not," Louise firmly interrupted, frowning softly while staring right at Saito. "Ōdachi may be your Pokémon, Saito, but you're our friend. The gym isn't going anyway, so we can wait a few more days."

Louise then hung her head and sighed, saying, "Besides, it's my fault I didn't see it earlier."

"What? No, it's not," Saito, taken aback by Louise's declaration, insisted. "Ōdachi is my responsibility. I should've been the one to realize something was wrong. You had nothing to do with this."

"But I've been with her for as long as you have," Louise pointed out. "The warning signs were there from the beginning, and I didn't even notice them. You at least did."

"Yeah, then I dismissed them because I took Nurse Joy at her word and ignored Maindo's warnings. I think he noticed before any of us did. He tried to tell me but—"

"Alright, that's enough," Derflinger interrupted, his voice cutting through Saito's like a knife. As everyone shot their heads towards the ancient Honedge, Derflinger released a sigh and admitted, "You want to know what I think? What happened is everyone's fault."

He pointed his sash at Saito and declared, "It's your fault, Saito, because Ōdachi is your Pokémon. You are her trainer. It is your responsibility to look out for her well-being, and you didn't do that. Sure, you did notice something was off and reached out to a medical professional, but that was the bare minimum. You should've followed up and done more."

Derflinger then redirected his sash towards Louise and continued, "It's your fault, Louise, for the exact same reasons you gave. You were here from the beginning, and while normally you're very observant this went completely ignored. But Ōdachi isn't your Pokémon, no matter how much you love her, so you're less at fault than Saito is."

Pointing the sash at himself, he claimed, "It's my fault, too. I should've realized what was going on. While I noticed Ōdachi was squinting a lot and figured something was up, I couldn't be bothered do anything about it. Figured you or someone else would. The only person who did anything was Maindo, who actually took things into his own hands to try and diagnose the issue. But even he's at fault here. His actions and attitude poisoned everyone's opinion against him, to where you and the others dismissed his worries strictly out of habit. The only person here who isn't at fault at all is Henrietta, and that's because she just got here."

Derflinger paused for a few moments, and the silence became palpable. He then declared, "What's done is done. Wallowing in self-pity and flagellating ourselves isn't going to solve any problems. All we can do now is fix what we can and make sure we're there for Ōdachi. She's going to be scared and confused, and it's up to all of us to make sure she's as comfortable as possible. Understand?"

No one responded at first, with none of the trainers knowing exactly what to say. After a moment, Saito hardened his expression then answered, "You're right, Derflinger. Thanks for…you know."

"Don't mention it. Frankly, it's about time you realize I'm right about everything," Derflinger joked, and despite the tense atmosphere, the others couldn't help but chuckle.


Several hours went by, with Saito and the others waiting in the hospital for Ōdachi's appointment. There was a courtyard to let the Pokémon run around and stretch their legs, which was where they spent most of their time. Much like their trainers, the Pokémon felt tense, guilty and forlorn over Ōdachi's diagnosis. The poor Skarmory was practically glued to Saito's leg, scared that if she left his side she wouldn't know where to go. Hardly anyone said a word, preferring to sit and eat their lunch in silence which, by itself, wasn't all that surprising.

What was surprising, however, was that Maindo wasn't rubbing it in anyone's face. Instead he was, as usual, sitting by himself, his back turned to the others. By this point it was obvious to everyone that Maindo's prior warnings about Ōdachi's eyesight were absolutely correct, and that he alone was doing anything to figure it out. Everyone else simply didn't notice or thought he was making a mountain out of a Diglett hill. Such a vindication would've normally led to declarations of "I was right" or "I told you so." Many of the Pokémon would've preferred Maindo say such things. Somehow, his silence cut even deeper.

Only when Ōdachi was called back for the procedure, with Saito taking her inside and leaving the others with Louise, Henrietta, and Derflinger, did the tension somewhat alleviate. They watched her go, Tanuki using his Aura Sight for as long as he could to keep track of her life signatures. With all the people and Pokémon inside the hospital, keeping track of just her and Saito was challenging, but it was something he was able to work around. Esprit and Maindo did the same thing with their psychic abilities, their minds briefly interlinking but otherwise avoiding each other.

The silence was only broken when Gène tentatively asked, "Is…is she going to be alright?"

Ronin immediately nodded while saying, "Of course she will. Besides, Ōdachi may be young but she's strong. She'll get through this, just watch."

The Dewott's words seemed to calm the Eevee down somewhat, only for Guerrier to gruffly point out, "She's lucky she's a trained Pokémon. Had the situation been different, I doubt her prognosis would be nearly as pleasant."

Gène tilted his head, then he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we cannot ignore the fact that Ōdachi has been under human care for her entire life," Guerrier clarified. "That distinction affords her tremendous opportunities to recover. But if she had been born in the wild, I would very much doubt her chances of survival."

The air grew heavy as Guerrier paused, then he grimly added, "Sight is one of the most crucial senses a Pokémon can have, especially for a predator species like Skarmory. Without being able to see clearly, Ōdachi would've most likely become prey to a larger Pokémon, or starved to death. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about."

There was experience behind his words and pain in his eyes, something everyone could notice. No one knew what to say after that. Tanuki wanted to refute Guerrier's assertion, but at the same time knew he was correct. Especially given how bad Ōdachi's eyesight actually was. Even after surgery, her eyesight wouldn't be completely fixed. He idly wondered how, exactly, they would fit glasses onto her head, but he decided that such a thing could wait.

After a moment, Brennaraki released a sigh, then said, "Frankly, it doesn't matter what could've been. What does matter is that we need to be there for Ōdachi through all of this."

Shogun nodded then declared, "I'll protect Ōdachi with my life."

It came as no surprise to Ronin that Shogun would say such a thing. He was always the most instinct driven out of everyone, and protecting the young was perhaps the most hardwired instinct anyone had. He dared to say that if anything were to actually hurt Ōdachi, even if she wasn't blind, would be like incurring the wrath of a Legendary by the rest of the team.

That was when Maindo grumbled, 'Yes, because you guys were doing so well before….'

Everyone's attention shot towards the male Kirlia, his biting remark cutting into their cores. Part of Ronin wanted to chastise him, say that hadn't Maindo poisoned the well with everyone they might've heeded his warnings earlier. But at the same time he knew this wasn't the time for that. Maindo was hurting just as much as everyone, and his fear and worry over Ōdachi's condition was easily noticed by the others.

No one knew what to say after that, and once more the courtyard fell into silence. Louise and Henrietta were having a hushed conversation among themselves on a nearby park bench, but none of the Pokémon particularly paid any attention. Instead, they focused inward, most chastising themselves for not noticing Ōdachi's issues earlier. Only Fleur and Mer didn't feel guilty, although they did feel sad for the young Pokémon. Like their master, they only just joined the group. It would've been hard for anyone to notice something as intricate as one being functionally blind when you had so many other things to worry about.

Half an hour passed. A few conversations were started up here and there, mostly about minor, trivial things that were forgotten almost immediately afterwards. Throughout the entire time, Maindo kept quiet and to himself, psychically watching as Ōdachi's procedure began. He could feel Ōdachi's fear. He could sense how nervous Saito was, and how calm and collected the surgeons were in contrast. The entire surgery didn't take that long, much to his surprise. Within the span of thirty minutes, everyone was done and Saito was back on his way.

Maindo noticed Saito arrive before anyone else did, his attention focused squarely on the boy. It didn't take long for the others to see him as well, and soon the entire courtyard fell silent.

After a moment, Saito announced, "There weren't any complications. She's resting in her Pokéball right now, and she'll need to wear bandages over her eyes for a few days. But after that…she good to go."

"Oh, thank the Founder," Henrietta said as she and Louise let out a sigh of relief, a sentiment shared by the other Pokémon.

As everyone smiled and gleefully talked among themselves over the news, Saito pursed his lips then made his way straight towards Maindo who continued to stare at him. He stopped a few paces away from the male Kirlia, then he sat down and stared at the building alongside him.

"You can say it," Saito said, crossing his legs together and resting his hands on his knees.

'What, that you're even more blind than Odachi? We already know that,' Maindo harshly responded.

Saito hung his head and sighed, then replied, "Yeah, I know…."

Maindo glanced at Saito in slight surprise, then he looked back blankly at the hospital. After a moment, he said, 'Well…at least you took care of it instead of releasing her.'

"Did you…honestly think I would do that?" Saito asked in a hurt and offended tone, but Maindo shook his head.

'No,' Maindo admitted. 'You may be an idiot, but you're not cruel.'

Saito stared at Maindo for a second, then nodded and replied, "Well, in any case…thanks, Maindo. For, you know…helping her when I didn't. It…means a lot to me."

Maindo looked up at him, then declared, 'I didn't do it for you.'

Saito nodded in acceptance of that statement, then fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence. He half expected Maindo to teleport away as he normally would, but instead the Kirlia remained where he was. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he felt far more comfortable now in Maindo's presence than he had any time before. Even more surprisingly, Maindo somehow felt the same.


August 16th, 8:00 AM

Coumarine City, Kalos Region

"Do I have to wear this?" Ōdachi whined as he wiggled the goggles strapped to her head with her wing. The goggles themselves were fairly simply looking, consisting of three straps; two went over and under her beak while the third went around the back of her head. Each end of the straps met in a large circle which housed a clear glass lens, which had the effect of making Ōdachi's eyes look comically big. It was, admittedly, quite goofy looking, which made Saito chuckle slightly.

"Yes, Ōdachi. You need those goggles to see, remember?" Saito said, understanding what his Pokémon was saying thanks to Esprit giving him a quick translation.

"But it itches!" she continued to complain, hanging her head down.

"You'll get used to it," Saito said as he cheerfully lifted Ōdachi up onto his shoulder. "Now, come on. I want to show you something I think you'll like."

Ōdachi grumbled about not believing what Saito said, but otherwise was content to remain on his shoulder. Together, the travelling party left the Pokémon Center behind, making their way down towards the entrance of the Lumiose Badlands. Rather than focusing on what was in front of them, Saito focused on Ōdachi, the young Skarmory appearing to be amazed as, for the firs time in her life, she was able to see everything around her. The sun rising, the puffy white clouds in a pristine blue sky, and the occasional Pokémon moving around. When they reached they cliff overlooking the vast, rocky badlands, she audibly released a gasp of surprise and let her jaw hang.

"…Wow…," Ōdachi muttered, and Saito chuckled.

"Yeah, it's pretty neat," Saito said, then asked, "Want to see more of it?"

Ōdachi eagerly nodded and affectionally rubbed her head against Saito's. He laughed, then began to move down the trail with a skip in his step and an immense burden lifted off his shoulders.

[~][~]

Hello, everyone! Here is the latest episode of Outsiders! Special thanks to Darwin Candidate and Yuri Vampire. A short chapter today, comparatively speaking, but no less impactful.

So, Odachi's eyesight issues have been successfully diagnosed and taken care of. While she may have to wear glasses for the rest of her life, it's far better than the alternative. We also see the first steps towards a possible reconciliation between Saito and Maindo. Where things go from here will be very interesting, to say the least.

To answer your guys' questions:

I'm glad so many of you are invested in Odachi's eyesight issues. Tells me that I made it to where you all care about her, which as a writer is something we always strive for. Her journey is only now truly beginning, so you can imagine this'll come up in the future as she gets used to her new situation.

While I do love Tinkaton, I can sadly confirm that one will not be joining the team. We already have teams planned out for Saito, Louise, and Henrietta (with Henrietta only getting three due to cast bloat concerns). I think you guys will like what we have in store in that front.

Season 3 will either be the last stages of Kalos, i.e. the last two gyms and the Pokemon League, or will be Tristain. Either way, the Tristain segment of the story would be more akin to the Post-Game content. A far shorter season than what we had before, if that makes any sense.

As you guys could see in this chapter, Odachi wasn't physically blind. She was just so incredibly nearsighted that she was legally blind. Had her issues gone undiagnosed for a few more months, though, she would've become physically blind.

That's it for now. Let us know what you think! If any of you have a TV Tropes account, any assistance in updating the TV Tropes page would be greatly appreciated. See you all next time and we hope you enjoy!