"Shouldn't I be feeling something right now?" Said Andrew, gazing upon his mirrored self, leaning over the slightly yellow-tinted faucet.
"You'll face physiological changes soon." Said the Contrarian, manifested atop his shoulder. Before, it could only appear within the confines of his imagination, or any refractive surfaces. But with its newfound ability to alter the young man, they discovered the ability to make his mind perceive nonexistent objects. They'd come to terms with labeling it as 'faux projection'. "You're far more tattered than I'd presumed."
"How proficient are your therapeutic measures?"
"I improve your restoration on a microscopic level. Mitosis, disorderly programs. I can even curate hormonal imbalances and even certain organ failures. Watch that cranium of yours though. I do have my limits."
"To what degree of injury could you theoretically remedy, is what I meant to say."
"Lost arm? Replaced within a week. At the brink of death? Maybe a month or two, give or take. I can temporarily seize organical functions, such as respiration or haemodynamics. A pierced heart will take time to heal, due to the reducement of cellular reproduction within your organs. But I can heal every injury inflicted upon you with the right resources."
"From where do you acquire the necessary supplements? Surely my diet doesn't redeem the constant expense of excessive amounts of energy and resources."
"You're right; it doesn't. You don't consume anywhere near enough to sustain this process. Assuming your metabolism would continue to operate with the same efficiency as it usually would."
He raised an inquisitive brow at the contrarian, beckoning it with a twist of his hand.
It adorned a petrifying grin upon its dark, wavering face. He'd grown used to it though, entirely unfazed by the blood-curdling expression. "The human body is surprisingly inefficient in its use of any and all resources. But the fidelity of my work is so precise, I'd be able to add nearly thirty kilos worth of muscle mass with merely a few grams of nutrition each day, and further sustain that body composition with even less sustenance."
A devious grin was plastered onto his face. "Could we potentially make a scheme out of this?"
"No! I can't replicate kidneys to be sold on the black market. I merely possess the ability to add to your body, not duplicate it."
"But you add to my body by duplicating cells. How's that any different?"
"You're one large, unified structure of cellular organisms. Their leader is your brain. It prefers to have each and every cell behave according to their programming. Its introduced safety precautions in the form of your immune system in an effort to circumvent any deviance. This is the case for every organic feature of your body. Biochemical composition is a wonder I cannot defy, nor overcome, I'm afraid."
"But could you still 'theoretically' provide me with a second pair of arms?"
"Yes. But your immune system would immediately take action; destroying your body to prevent the development of additional ligaments. I have no way of deterring the onslaught. The very concept is deemed unsuccessful before even conducting any trials."
He felt light tickles passing through his body. Minutes of gazing into his reflected features had amounted to nothing. Yet ever the stubborn man, those minutes had turned to hours regardless. Though he trusted the Contrarian, doubt was ever present at the forefront of his mind. "You sure you're not able to speed-up the process?"
"Would you rather face insurmountable amounts of pain, the likes of which rivaling every ounce of pain you've ever felt in your entire life, all at once?"
"Probably not."
"Then stop complaining."
He considered himself a man of patience. But doing nothing for an unproportional amount of time was eroding the composure of his diligence.
He did certainly feel better though: All tension in his overworked muscles were entirely gone. All soreness in his stressed joints was entirely nonexistent. Even the visceral activities of his body seemed to operate far more effectively.
"While not ideal for recovery, you can engage in leisure activities anytime you wish." Said the Contrarian. "I've diminished most of the impairment. The rest should only take me about an hour or two. Doing something else in the meantime won't prolong the purification to a substantial degree."
Whilst the notion washed relief over the young man, he couldn't help but hesitate as he approached the door.
He shook off his reluctance. He'd not get anything done through pondering within the confining space of the bathroom walls.
The faux projection of the Contrarian ceased, growing inconspicuous to his eyes, but remained very present within his consciousness.
The trainer's Pokémon were sound asleep, pitter-patters still bashing against the transparent surface of the window. But Andrew was still wide awake, his mind unable to resist a fierce current, tides pulling him further from the shore of rest. Conceding to the unrelenting torrent, he was reclusively drawn through turbulence, faced with frenzied matters. None were quelled and more arrived.
Hours of research on the diet of his Pokémon was largely spent on contemplation of these matters.
The absence of light from the celestial that brought day left the sky shrouded in a nocturnal darkness. He considered it a good thing though; for his inundation was partially derived from his undetermined path. The unclear course of his life arrived closer, as the sun would shed light upon the first of many crossroads of his journey.
The long, arduous divergences in the windy path would appear trivial and mundane; only posing the question of left or right. But choosing the wrong turn when it matters most could potentially stray him toward a deadend, one he could not turn back from. Facing the consequences of a hasty decision is an alternative he'd prefer to avoid if he could help it.
The options of either left or right had him torn. He'd need more time to decide.
But the time of his contemplation was up, as the rays of early morning shone above the horizon.
The bright light illuminated Aibek's mountainous body. He twitched, turning away from the blinding light, slowly rising from his slumber.
Andrew smiled as the Peat Pokémon glanced groggily in his direction. "Mornin' Aibek."
The Pokémon gave a low, cordial rumble, muffling a responsive roar. He yawned, shaking off his slumber.
The vast, cavernous sound dazed the young man's lethargic mind. His form grew languid, eyelids heavy. He shook back and forth, blinking away his drowsiness. "How dare you yawn at me involuntarily." A grin accompanied his sarcastic sentence. "You almost put me back to sleep." He skittishly punched the Peat Pokémon's shoulder, both giggling lightly.
Andrew's expression quickly morphed to one of contemplation, scrunching his eyebrows slightly.
Aibek inquired over his musing state with a silent roar.
"Do you ever feel the need to ponder what's ahead of you? Silently doubt the path you're trudging down, worrying that you'll regret it later."
He'd felt that way constantly. You weigh your options, finding reason within both, or sometimes all. Being presented with immediate responsibilities, you feel the pressure to choose right then and there, forgetting that you still have time. But Andrew's dilemma is even worse: He not only has to manage his own responsibilities, but also administer the wellbeing of Aibek and Aluette as well. It's a constant battle of self-sacrifice to value their demands and necessities, and reserve their happiness. For him to put such consideration at the forefront of his mind, earned more of Aibek's reverence.
The Peat Pokémon nudged against his trainer, smiling reassuringly. He slowly approached the window, gesturing outside.
Andrew reached the window, gazing at the golden sky, the bright sun peaking above the distant horizon line. The green terrain shimmered beneath the celestial glow, rolling hills pelted by the falling droplets of rain.
Aibek roared quietly at his trainer.
He could not decipher a word his Pokémon pronounced, and yet he perfectly understood their meaning as though the sentence was spoken in fluent english. He smiled, "Yeah. One step at a time." He picked up another low roar from his Pokémon. "Thank you."
They collected their items once Aluette had awoken, before exiting the motel room. Reaching their rendezvous, Teela and Sycamore wished them good morning.
"We've ordered breakfast." Said the professor. "I don't have to pay for that either, fortunately. Though it'll take a while before they're done, so you might wanna find a distraction."
"That's fine." Said Andrew. He could use that time to further contemplate.
"It's still raining." A grin was plastered onto Teela's features.
"Yeah! What of it?" He raised a brow.
Sycamore smiled, giggling slightly. "In this weather, Teela?"
"A grass-type against a fire-type out in the rain is as fair of a matchup as you could hope for."
Andrew's state of perplexion turned to one of amusement. The environment could have large implications on the course of battles. Weather and terrain could interact with the effectiveness of moves of certain types. It could favor the losing side, potentially clutching out a victory. Or it could further the lead of the winning side, eliminating any hope of counterplay from the opponent. But at times, it could even out the field, ridding both battlers of any advantages or disadvantages.
The young man's eyes brimmed with confidence, in spite of the notion. He turned to the Fox Pokémon beside him, "What do you say?"
Though hesitant, Aluette's gaze gleamed with excitement as she nodded at her trainer, barking her sanction.
They were outside within seconds, both trainers standing opposed to one another at the battlefield, roughly ten meters apart.
Both Aibek and Sycamore stood to the side of the field. The professor had his researchkit out, analyzing the Peat Pokémon upon granted consent from him and his trainer.
"This will be our first battle!" Shouted Teela, grasping a pokéball within her hand. "But we won't hold anything back! Go, Rowdy!" She threw the ball across the field. It opened up a few meters ahead, revealing a shimmering, blue light. The light landed upon the ground, coalescing into the shape of her Grookey.
"Grookey!" The Pokémon shouted exuberantly, grabbing the stick within his leafy hair and slamming it against the ground at a rhythmic pace.
A green mist was released from the Pokémon, slowly enveloping the field, straws of grass sprouting from the dirt as the Chimp Pokémon moved in accordance with his own beat. The grass continued to grow across the field, trailing the layer of mist, stopping just a few decimeters away from Andrew.
The newly grown vegetation stood tall in spite of the pelting rain, reaching halfway up Aluette's ligaments.
"Ready?!" Hollered Teela.
The Fox Pokémon turned to her trainer, worry ladening her expression.
"You'll do great." Said Andrew. "Win or lose; I'll be there for you regardless. Just have fun, okay?"
She smiled, facing her opponent once more. She felt heat rise to her cheeks as her tail swooshed back and forth excitedly.
One glance at his Pokémon was all he needed. "Ready!"
"Battle, begin!" Shouted Sycamore.
Andrew had already prepared the first move. The rain evened out the super-effective damage of Aluette's fire moves, but they were her strongest moves regardless: Scientists have worked out that Pokémon are more proficient with moves of the same type as themselves. They refer to it as 'concurrent type increment', though most people know it as 'same type attack bonus'.
"Ember!" He shouted.
The Fox Pokémon craned her head, crackling flames billowing within her maw. "Fenne-kin!" She shouted, alining her nose with her opponent, releasing a barrage of sparkling embers, heading directly toward Rowdy.
"Don't let it connect! Grassy Glide!"
"Groo-key!" The Pokémon shouted, dashing around the onslaught at an incredible pace.
"Now, head straight for her!"
The Chimp Pokémon continued to glide along the perky turf, riding its waving strokes as though he was surfing upon the open seas, heading straight toward the Fox Pokémon.
"Tail Whip, then jump aside!" Yelled Andrew, eyes wide from the Pokémon's alacritic celerity.
Aluette spun around whipping her tail across the grass, perturbing the rhythmic waves, presenting her enough time to avoid Rowdy's attack.
Teela's lips splayed into a wide grin, adrenaline rushing throughout her entire frame. Never could she have expected her first ever battle to be this exciting. "Taunt!"
The Grookey adorned a smug grin upon his features, throwing out his arm, retracting his fingers in mock ridicule.
Aluette's mind turned hazy for a moment. She did not think of herself as easily riled, but she could not help but feel the desire to shoot flames at the Chimp Pokémon's face.
The young man had not heard of such a move before. But upon the sight of Aluette's provoked expression, he guessed the move to have elevated her urge to attack the Grookey.
The battle turned much more arduous upon the revelation. Pokémon could learn any amount of moves they wished, but only four could be selected and then used in battle. With Aluette being taunted, only half of the moves Andrew had selected remained: Ember and Scratch. But he realistically only had one option. Scratch was almost always inferior to Ember in terms of damage.
They could not mitigate the Chimp Pokémon's speed, nor could they outlast their opponent in a war of nutrition. The battle was already over. But neither him, nor Aluette would give up till the winner was decided. "Ember!"
The Fox Pokémon quickly built up flames within her maw.
"Grassy Glide!" Shouted Teela.
Aluette released her attack as Rowdy dashed to the side, barely grazed by the stinging embers.
He turned back around, striking the Fox Pokémon's side with his stick, sending her flying across the field, fortunately landing upon her feet.
She winced at the pain in her side, but still stood tall.
Andrew resisted the urge to run across the field and embrace her, stumbling slightly. "Are you okay?!" He shouted, worry ladened in his voice.
"Fenne, fennekin!" She exclaimed, nodding.
"Let's continue then!" Said Teela. "Grassy Glide!"
Rowdy dashed across the grass' wavy strokes once more.
They could do nothing to avoid the attack: The grassy field could no longer be perturbed and Rowdy would avoid another Ember with ease.
An idea hollered within Andrew's head. "Ember!"
Her guise did not reflect her perplexion as she prepared her attack. Had he not learnt his lesson yet?
"Hold!"
She purposely avoided her instincts, continuing to hold her attack, slowly building up more and more embers within her maw, as the Chimp Pokémon grew closer and closer at a rapid rate.
"Aim down!"
Teela's eyes grew wide. "Rowdy-"
"Release!"
The embers escaped her maw, landing within the narrow distance between the two Pokémon.
Rowdy had no time to react, gliding straight through the quickly rising wall of embers.
"Jump aside!"
Aluette had no time to react either, facing the intense blow of his attack near directly.
Both Pokémon fell to the ground, bruise and scratch marks covering their bodies.
The green mist that enveloped the field dispersed, the lush, green grass finally succumbing to the hefty downpour.
Both trainers ran towards their Pokémon.
Rowdy had already risen to his feet by the time the trainers reached them. "Grookey!" He flailed his arms above his head, jumping from side to side.
Teela giggled at the display, petting the Chimp Pokémon.
Andrew saw the swirls in Aluette's eyes as he leaned down, petting along her disheveled fur. "Are you okay?" He spoke with worry, his voice soft.
Aluette blinked, her eyes returning to their usual pink hue. She rose from the ground, ears resting against her head and tail between her feet.
"You did amazing." Said Andrew. Aluette's ears perked. "We might've lost; but I had fun nonetheless. I hope you did as well."
Her eyes shone, further revering the young man. She nodded, her tail swooshing back and forth.
The first meal of their day was washed off the plates in only a few minutes. Their Pokémon had paid visit to the healthcare center immediately after the battle, brought back to peak condition, precisely in time for their meal.
Finally came the time to get back onto the road an hour later.
"What were the reviews of this place?" Asked Teela.
"Not positive." Said Sycamore.
Andrew paid no mind to their conversation, standing perfectly still in front of the motel entrance, staring off into the forest in the distance.
Aluette threw an inquisitive glance at her trainer, tilting her head.
"You hear that?" His voice was low, nearly a whisper.
"Andrew! You good to go?" He didn't budge, still gazing into the distance. "Did you forget something?"
He dashed off, running straight toward the forest.
"Andrew?!"
"Fenne?!" The Fox Pokémon followed closely behind.
Teela and Sycamore glanced at one another, before running off as well.
Auther's Note:
Hi! It's been a long time. Unfortunately, I've been extremely busy with high school, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon. I'll make progress with the story during any free time that I get, but don't expect me to bound through it at the pace I've managed previously.
Also, I'd love it if you guys could give me suggestions for fakemons that'll inhabit the region of my story. I already have some personal ideas, but do feel free to provide me with your own creative thinking, or give me a link to any fakemon designs you'd like to see me adapt into my story. Keep in mind that the region is inspired by Scandinavia (in terms of layout, traderouts, cultures, etc.), with certain subcultures sprinkled throughout (mainly japanese and european). Do also feature as much detail about the Pokémon as possible; I wanna be able to adapt the Pokémon properly into the region, without having to make shit up, and that means knowing the Pokémon's inspiration, dex-entries and other 'seemingly' trivial details (as an example, Scizor doesn't use it's wings to fly, but instead flaps them to ventilate its internal body temperature). I want every Pokémon's interractions with the environment to feel unique, and their biology should reflect that. Don't feel pressured to have your suggestions meet every requirement, I'd simply 'prefer' them to do so, view it as 'guidelines' more than anything (I do tend to get overly nerdy with these sort of things, lol).
But that's all for now. I'll make the most of these next few weeks. Hopefully I can get some noteworthy progress done. I'll see you guys another time! Bye!