Chapter 33: A Cool Revelation
'The truth is, I haven't even begun to consider what I want do with myself in the future. All of that stuff just felt so nebulous, like it would never come if I just kept living in the moment.'
'Back when I was a human, I wanted nothing more than to explore the region, the whole world, as a trainer. I could have gone backpacking, just picked up my life and go, pokemon or no. But I held myself back. "It's dangerous without a pokemon!" I reasoned, despite the fact that there are plenty of non-trainers out there who travel. Thinking back on it, I was just making excuses.'
'But now I wonder, what would I have done if I had become a trainer? I like to think I'd be pretty good at it, but so few people stick with it long enough to make training their whole career. Many people just get their starter and venture to nearby towns or passively train on familiar routes next to their homes. Not really going anywhere, just being a trainer in name. And that's fine. Those people come to realize that training pokemon just wasn't for them and they choose a new path.'
'I think, at the end of the day, I just wanted a chance to have that journey. A chance to discover a little bit more about myself. Put myself out there. Find out what it is I want for myself, not bothering what anyone else had to say on the matter. Fuck hearing "You aren't good enough" from my parents. Fuck that old professor who dragged his feet for eight years. Fuck that person who stole my starter! And fuck... fuck I just... I wanted a chance to succeed. To try. To fail. I should have left home sooner.'
'I should have become-'
'A Mantine swims over to us, streaking silently just beneath the waves. Our bodies were as close to the surface as possible to make best use of the rising sun, glittering light obscuring our movement. At the signal of approaching enemies, we began to make our advance. Slowly at first, then rapidly as the enemy failed to notice us before we were upon them!'
"Now! Cut a path to their cowardly leader!"
-"Damnit, enemies! You know what to do you lot, encircle and restrict movement!" A Wartortle with half an ear missing calls out orders to the rest of The Warband. That must be their leader, no doubt about it.
The two armies clash, one trying to outmaneuver the other which responds by sending attacks to churn the water and confuse their opponents. The sea is soon a vortex of bubbles, toxic spikes, and ice. In the hail of moves, two pokemon clash. Tentacle strikes against shell and snapping maw narrowly avoid squishy mantle. The two leaders lock eyes.
-"Not too bad for prey, but clearly you don't have a brain! A smarter pokemon would have run away by now!" An ice beam comes spiraling out of the thrum of chaos, Jessie sends out a Bubblebeam to take the attack, floating icy orbs rise to the surface.
"And you don't have much experience if you're flapping your mouth instead of focusing on what's in front of you!" An acid spray shoots out which the Wartortle easily avoids, only to hear the dull *THWUNK* as a Corsola stick embeds into his shell. A flash of red disappears, silently cursing his aim.
-"Heh, not bad. Classic bait and switch, I've used it plenty myself. But it's not. Nearly. Enough." The Wartortle smacks a hand against his shell. A loud drum echoes about the battlefield.
-"This bad boy can survive just about anything. I've got Eviolite stowed away in here, not that you'd have any idea what that is."
"I know what Eviolite is, dumbass. I've been to school." A bubble attack strikes Jessie, launched from an unknown foe. Rather than dodge, they allow the bubbles to envelop themselves, using Clear Body to blend in.
-"...Okay, so you aren't just some no-name pokemon. Who are you, really? You from that group we chased out of their territory a few months back? You look like something I ate before!" Looking around, the turtle retracts a single arm into it's shell.
-"What? No reply? Did you finally take my advice and run away? Back to your precious school?" Another spike launches out of nowhere, flung with tremendous speed! A flicker of steel flashes and the missile is deflected, a pocket knife appearing in Wartortle's hand.
They twirl the blade around in the water, whistling in amusement.
-"Never seen a pokemon do that before meeting your group. You teach them that? Or were you a trainer's pokemon before?" Their eye darts to the blade, a slight change in the reflection causes them to whip around slashing violently!
"Augh! Damnit! Do you know how long that thing is gonna take to grow back?" As their own tentacle sinks to the seafloor, Jessie releases a Screech attack at point blank range. The enemy clutches their head as his weapon is struck by another twig launched from somewhere else in the battlefield. It's broken blade sinks right alongside Jessie's fallen arm.
-"Seriously? I don't care about your fucking tentacle, do you know how long it's gonna take me to replace that knife? These hands aren't exactly built for smiting work!"
"I assume you just stole that from some convenience store."
-"I did!" They chuck the handle in the Tentacool's direction, easily avoided.
-"You are so fucking weird, you know that? First you take our kids, then you come at us with those weird weapons, and then you pull out that floating platform thing? It's bullshit! How do you have so much stuff? You're just pokemon!"
"Hey! Pokemon can do a lot when they have the right guidance! I'm more surprised at you! What kind of pokemon sends their own damn kids out to fight their battles for them? And the brutality! I've never seen stuff like that before, even from hunting parties!"
The two leaders stare each other down once more, more carefully this time. Eyes searching for any clue to answer their endless questions... Finally, a look of realization cross both their faces.
-"Ho-ly shit. You aren't a pokemon, are you?"
"No way... Don't tell me you're a human?!"