Chapter 11

Just as she promised to her father, Taylor turned in for the day to get some rest. Still, despite how tired and weary her body was, her mind had yet to find rest. There, laying in her bed, she stared wide eyed at the ceiling as it was illuminated by the warm light of the night lamp beside her. She couldn't sleep, and how could she after her success?

Her machine worked, Armsmaster and Dragon had praised her, and she was going to meet the Wards soon enough as her paperwork was finalized. Things were finally looking up, though she might have celebrated a bit too hard as Mew rubbed his ears. "Did you really have to shriek that hard?" He asked, muttering as he sat on her stomach.

"Sorry," She mumbled, cheeks burning in embarrassment at the reminder, "It's just… it's a big deal for me ok?" She was not just meeting her heroes, she was working with them. Yes, those personnels would definitely tease her for being a fangirl, but that was Dragon.

"She sounds like a big deal," Her partner teased as he plopped down flat on her stomach. Sliding up against the headboard, she pulled Mew and cuddled him against her chest. "Soft," Mew mumbled happily, earning him a flick on the nose.

"Pervert," She snorted before smiling. "She is a big deal," She told her companion, "And like what Armsmaster said, she's one of the best Tinkers in the world and someone better than me."

"You're really selling yourself short there, kid," Mew chuckled as he reached up and bopped her on the nose, "You're going to be a great hero. Never stop believing in that, ok?"

"I could be, but I'm not yet," She argued. Right then, she was a nobody. Maybe she could do some good, but that was still far in the future. "Even if I become a great one, I doubt I'll ever surpass Dragon," She sighed as a soft smile graced her lips, "She's just not a Tinker, but a hero that anyone can look up to."

There was no one quite as accomplished as Dragon. She was not only a fearsome heroine who inspired awe with Dragonflight, a series of suits shaped like her namesake, but also hope as she had not only saved lives, but changed them with her inventions. Truly, she was a hero to look up to.

She was everything that she wasn't. "She's kind, warm and just… awe inspiring," She whispered as her smile fell. She doubted she'd ever be like her with how she could have ended it all. Shaking her head from her thoughts, she said, "But you're right, I am going to be a great hero." Even if she never became one, at least she'd tried till the end.

"That's the spirit!" Mew cheered, "Who knows, maybe you'd be the one that kids will look up to if you keep this up."

Thinking about such a future, Taylor blushed. Pulling a pillow against her face, she whined in embarrassment, "Mew!" Despite how she wanted to just bury herself under her pillow and scream, she couldn't help but smile. She never felt so lucky, having someone believe in her.

As they both settled down, she felt some hard poke her side. "Oh before I forgot," She said as she reached behind her and pulled out a small silver ball, " I wanted to talk to you about something…" She had almost forgotten about it.

Pressing a button, the small sphere expanded, growing to the size of a large apple on her hand. It was grey and cold in her hands, but the shape was unmistakable, something Mew seemed to know all too well. "Oh boy, I knew this day would come," He muttered as he slipped out of her grasp and floated before the sphere, looking at it with a mix of apprehension and intrigue, "A pokeball, huh?"

While she knew it was an inevitability that she needed to make them, it was still an uncomfortable topic. Just knowing that she could make a stronger, more powerful ball that could capture even the likes of Mew without issue made her uneasy. Still, it was convenient from a certain angle, "While the machine could heal you…"

"Yeah yeah, it's easier inside a Pokeball," Mew sighed before crossing his arms across his chest. Floating about and looping in the air, he asked, "Just give a minute. I'm just feeling a bit claustrophobic just looking at it."

"If you don't want to-!" She offered, but her partner quickly cut her off.

"No, it's fine," He told her before shrugging, "I could give it a try? See how it feels before giving my judgement." It was a sensible take. The ball, with how crude and rough it was, was probably weaker than a bog standard pokeball.

"I should have probably made a Premier Ball," She whispered, but that required Spinarak web along with metal harvested from discarded Corviknight feathers and several other rare materials made by Pokemon. The only thing that was probably more comfortable for a Pokemon were Apricot Balls, but those required growing special Apricots and a lot of woodworking.

Her ball was crude, but it was what she had. She just hoped it was good enough. Clutching the ball, she asked, "Are you ready Mew?"

Slapping him and hyping himself up, Mew shouted, "Ok, let's do this!" Without a second of hesitation, he reached out, touching the ball before getting sucked in with a flash of red light. For a moment, it twitched, letting out a ping but, before she could even blink, it popped open.

Darting away from the ball, Mew backed away, pressing his back at the wall as he shouted, "Nope! Not going to happen. I'm not going back there!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Taylor apologized profusely as tossed the item to the trash. She'd never seen him react like that before. For someone so calm and cheerful, it was jarring to see them so terrified. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry!" She shouted as tucked her head close.

As tears brimmed on the edge of her eyes, she felt her soft paws around her. Reaching up, she pulled her close as she kept whispering apologies. "I'm ok Taylor," Her partner shakily replied, "I was just surprised, that's all." Shuddering, he explained, "It's surprisingly comfortable, but fuck! Losing the feeling in my body was not pleasant at all! It felt like I was back where Arceus pulled me out from!"

"Sorry," She mumbled weakly as she held him tightly. Despite his forgiveness, she'd still caused him distress as she brought up memories. She should've known it could ruin someone after everything she'd gone through,

"It's ok," He sighed, "At least I know how it feels." She shouldn't have rushed the development and made something better. "Maybe we can try with other balls?" He offered.

Shaking her head, she replied, "If you're not comfortable, then I'm not going to force you." If Mew didn't like being inside, so be it, efficiency be damned. "Besides, even if you're not inside a pokeball, you're still my partner, right?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

"Of course," Mew smiled back before his eyes glowed. Blinking in surprise, Taylor found herself manhandled by her pokemon as he tucked her in. "Now go back to sleep. You'd need all the strength you can for tomorrow." As she pouted, he reminded her, "You still have the Wards to meet as well as a Lab to pack."

Grimacing, he muttered, "Between the two, I'd rather we do the lab first."

Chuckling, Taylor replied, "Silly Mew. The Lab's not going anywhere, it can wait." Even if they raided her lab, they'd only find her special goo. While mutagenic, it was sealed shut. It was probably going to be fine. "But maybe I should do the lab first," She mused, "Meeting the wards sounds scarier."

Snorting, Mew replied, "Let me handle them ok?" As she nodded, he told her, "Now sleep… or I'll use Hypnosis!" Shaking her head, Taylor finally closed her eyes. She had big things to look forward to tomorrow. She slept, knowing things were only going to look up.

While she slept soundly, something in her lab stirred. Or, rather, beneath it. In Taylor's haste to make the perfect creature, she had neglected safety and proper disposal of her waste products. She had rushed through her project, dumping the waste down the sewers. It wasn't like it would accumulate in enough concentration that it would matter, she thought.

It wouldn't have, if the Sewers hadn't decayed so much. After years of neglect and rot, the once proud Sewers of Brockton Bay had become clogged, filled with fatbergs that were only cleared enough that sewage could flow to the equally overtaxed treatment facilities. It was there, in the deepest depths of the city, where a miracle would happen.

From the ooze and waste, beings stirred; beings of muck and filth rising, forming and coalescing to a form far more familiar to the Pokemon World, but alien to Earth Bet. From the pollution came life, and it spread; multiplying and seeking new territories in the new world they'd found themselves in. For weeks they had stewed, growing, and learning as they lived.

They had no purpose, nothing to guide them but instincts alone. They crawled, oozing, and consuming the waste. It was quite ironic that their presence would serve the community well, allowing the waters to flow once more and delaying any exploration of the sewers. Why should they when the sewers were just working fine, better even.

As beneficial it was for the city, the cleaner sewers pushed them to spread out, to search for food. It was with one of these searches that a certain young creature would finally see light. It was blinding, with air so clean that it made their insides stir, but it was hungry. It needed food.

Despite their apprehension, they moved forward until they finally saw a great river… and a small bipedal creature it wasn't familiar with. For a moment, the creature stared in wonder, observing how the creatures played with each other… It was almost like their birth place and how they played with their brothers and sisters.

This momentary peace would be cut short, as the creatures turned and stared at then. They were discovered. In fear, they cowered, receding back into the darkness as the creatures approached. Were they Friends? Foe? They weren't sure.

As they were about to run back into the sewers, they called out, "Hello?"

For a moment, they froze, hoping that they didn't see them. They couldn't understand a word of what they said, only heightening their fears. All such thoughts however would fade as they something new, something.. Delicious. Turning, they found the creature smiling as they waved this brown… thing, food!, at them.

"Don't be scared," They told them in their strange tongue, "I have candy!"

They knew they should flee, but it wouldn't hurt if they just took a bite, right? Oozing back towards them, they called out, "Grimer?"

A/N:

Dun dun dun! We got our first wild pokemon in the loose. Technically, Taylor still made these pokemon because she wasn't too keen in proper waste disposal... not when she wants to basically kill herself with Mewtwo. Now with these hazards on the loose, Taylor would have somethings to do... though she might have to deal with a fate meeting before that. Enough running away, it's time.

For now that, you guys have to wait. Still writing some other stuff and already on a crunch. Sorry, Just struggling recently. Anyways, I'd like to thank vyor once again. He makes sure I get reminded to sleep early else I make mistakes.

If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Pa treon or Ko -Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support. Link in my bio