Well, for the last little while I've been looking into this thing called Jumpchain. The tl;dr...
Xyzarach's Jumpchain (CYOA SI/Multicross)
- Thread starter Xyzarach
- Start date
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 59
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 7
-
Statistics (7 threadmarks, 8.4k words)
User Total Xyzarach 7
Index and Character sheet
- Location
- Canada
Well, for the last little while I've been looking into this thing called Jumpchain. The tl;dr version is that it's a series of chained SI's for the entertainment of a ROB, with the MC being merged with the personality of an OC in each world, and being able to carry over any skills, abilities, tech, or companions he gets along the way.
I get 1000 points to spend on basic abilities and gear to make sure he doesn't die on arrival, and unless the jump in question has a jump objective he will usually be stuck there for 10 years.
This is the start of my Jumpchain, it's a WIP, and so it'll get updated as I go.
First up, we've got the Index and Character Sheet post, next we'll have the prologue, and then we'll get into the Jumpchain proper.
Writing Index
Character Sheet
*WARNING. Will contain Spoilers*
Important Characters
*Warning. Yeah this probably has spoilers too.*
seeing as I should practice what I preach, and make my build choices and their point costs more visible, here's the build index
Build Index
*Warning! Do I even need to say it any more?...Fine, may contain Spoilers.*
EDIT:
small note, the spoilers in the various info Sheets only go to as far as the end of the current chapters posted, and contain some somewhat snarky humor, so if that's your thing...
I get 1000 points to spend on basic abilities and gear to make sure he doesn't die on arrival, and unless the jump in question has a jump objective he will usually be stuck there for 10 years.
This is the start of my Jumpchain, it's a WIP, and so it'll get updated as I go.
First up, we've got the Index and Character Sheet post, next we'll have the prologue, and then we'll get into the Jumpchain proper.
Writing Index
- Full Pieces
- Omakes
Character Sheet
*WARNING. Will contain Spoilers*
- Current World, Background and Status
- Master List of Abilities
- Master List of Gear
- Master List of Companions
Important Characters
*Warning. Yeah this probably has spoilers too.*
- Allies
- Enemies
-
Dan - Total ass, very punchable.
Appearance - Not sure why, but whenever I think of him, I keep flashing back to this guy...
Meh, close enough.
Threat Level - Pfphfhahaa, this guy? a threat? maybe to himself, or his parent's dignity. its not like he knows a secret organization who can provide him with a full team of murderously twisted Pokémon and a seat on their advisory board.
Bio - an old enemy from the Pokémon world, Dan's been an ass to me since we were kids and he found out that he couldn't just 'buy' Aura sensitivity. rich, spoiled, generally lacking in common sense or self-preservation, he'll do anything to get his way, even, especially, things he might regret later.
- Frienimies?
-
Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg - THE ROB. No other designation needed.
Bio - Zelretch is one of, if not the most, powerful wizards in the world. he's also the fourth most likely person to bring about the extinction of the human race on his homeworld, despite having killed number 3 on that same list while preventing the Moon from crashing into the Earth at the same time. He commands the power of the Kaleidoscope, a Magic based on the control and operation of parallel worlds, which allows him to exist in every world ever at the same time (except when he doesn't). his favorite pastimes include screwing with the locals, driving his apprentices insane, and dropping alternate personality duplicates of people into bodies that don't match their history. Right now, he seems to be doing all three at once, joy...
seeing as I should practice what I preach, and make my build choices and their point costs more visible, here's the build index
Build Index
*Warning! Do I even need to say it any more?...Fine, may contain Spoilers.*
- Pokémon Build
EDIT:
small note, the spoilers in the various info Sheets only go to as far as the end of the current chapters posted, and contain some somewhat snarky humor, so if that's your thing...
Last edited:
Chapter 0 – Prologue into Insanity
- Location
- Canada
It was a late night. I was huddled up in my room, game posters and memorabilia staring down at me from the walls while I gamed through the night.
Eyes bleary, nearly falling asleep where I sat, telling myself I'd get to the next checkpoint and then go to bed when I heard a deep voice call out to me.
"Rejoice! For all your wishes will be granted…"
Of course, being the geek that I was, and half asleep at the time, there was only one response I could make. I immediately shot up straight so quickly I should have gotten whiplash, and called out "Kirei don't spook me!"
"…? Really? F/GO?"
"I've been reading a let's play, and besides, even if the charac-" Damn, I must be tired if I takes me this long to figure out that there's something wrong here.
Realizing that, no, there shouldn't be someone else in here with me, I slowly turn to the interloper with a movement so wooden it could give you splinters.
"Fuck."
"Yep. That's the normal response when someone recognizes me, that or horrified screaming."
"So… what are you going to do with me? Shove versions of my own mind from a world where I became a priest and another where I was born female and became a prostitute into my head, and then watch as values dissonance rips my mind apart?"
"No I-… actually, that sounds pretty funny. Maybe I should make you my apprentice…"
Shit. "Nononono, that's fine, you don't nee-"
"Nope, too late. I was bored and was planning on doing to you what I normally do to them anyway, now it's just official."
What he does to- "you're planning on sending me hurtling through the multiverse like a leaking canoe down the shit rapids without a paddle?"
"More or less."
"Well, I can't say no, but I do have one request. Don't send me anywhere near your end of the multiverse. The only interesting thing going on there is the Grail Wars, and Masters are far too squishy. Besides, interacts with conceptual is more bullshit then anything I'd like to deal with."
"Meh, as long as you stay entertaining. Now, time to get going."
"Wait, don't I get to say good bye to anyo- wwwaaahhh-*"
"And Here. We. Go."
Eyes bleary, nearly falling asleep where I sat, telling myself I'd get to the next checkpoint and then go to bed when I heard a deep voice call out to me.
"Rejoice! For all your wishes will be granted…"
Of course, being the geek that I was, and half asleep at the time, there was only one response I could make. I immediately shot up straight so quickly I should have gotten whiplash, and called out "Kirei don't spook me!"
"…? Really? F/GO?"
"I've been reading a let's play, and besides, even if the charac-" Damn, I must be tired if I takes me this long to figure out that there's something wrong here.
Realizing that, no, there shouldn't be someone else in here with me, I slowly turn to the interloper with a movement so wooden it could give you splinters.
"Fuck."
"Yep. That's the normal response when someone recognizes me, that or horrified screaming."
"So… what are you going to do with me? Shove versions of my own mind from a world where I became a priest and another where I was born female and became a prostitute into my head, and then watch as values dissonance rips my mind apart?"
"No I-… actually, that sounds pretty funny. Maybe I should make you my apprentice…"
Shit. "Nononono, that's fine, you don't nee-"
"Nope, too late. I was bored and was planning on doing to you what I normally do to them anyway, now it's just official."
What he does to- "you're planning on sending me hurtling through the multiverse like a leaking canoe down the shit rapids without a paddle?"
"More or less."
"Well, I can't say no, but I do have one request. Don't send me anywhere near your end of the multiverse. The only interesting thing going on there is the Grail Wars, and Masters are far too squishy. Besides, interacts with conceptual is more bullshit then anything I'd like to deal with."
"Meh, as long as you stay entertaining. Now, time to get going."
"Wait, don't I get to say good bye to anyo- wwwaaahhh-*"
"And Here. We. Go."
Last edited:
Chapter 1 – Pokémon: the First Step
- Location
- Canada
I'm awake.
I've always been able to tell the exact moment when I wake up. It comes from being one of those rare one in several million kids who are born with awakened Aura potential.
See, dreams don't model Aura very well. The closest equivalent I can make to what it feels like when you try to look at a dream with Aura, compared to the real world, is that it's like looking at the world through a video screen; the colors are duller, sound is tinny, and if the video is low quality, you get stops and glitches in the playback.
I open my eyes. It's the start of a new day, a normal day in the life of Zachary Campbell… well, maybe not normal, I think, as I consider the Trainer's Bag and other various supplies stacked on my dresser. Yesterday was my 17th birthday, and now my parents are finally letting me go on my own Pokémon adventure.
Why am I only going on my journey now, instead of years ago like the rest of my friends? Well, kids don't know their doing something weird or different if the thing they're doing has just always been there. That's how it was for me with Aura, for more than half my life, I didn't realize being able to feel when others were happy or sad was strange. And when your kid ends up linking his mind to that of a Pokémon egg you got him for his 10th birthday, and goes around having full conversations with it? That freaks parents out. So I ended up with a full ban.
Me and Blaze, my Torchic, weren't allowed to have battles, go on adventures, or even test out what I could do with my Aura, at least, not until my parents could be sure that I was old enough that I could take care of myself, and had some lab tests done to make sure I wouldn't hurt myself using my Aura.
'Hey, Zach! C'mon, c'mon let's GO!'
And there she is, Blaze, my best friend and partner. Getting up and out of bed before she decides to cannonball on top of me to make me go faster, I throw my supplies into my new bag, get dressed, and head downstairs for breakfast with the best friend I've ever had riding around on my head.
…
"And you're sure you'll be alright?"
Paying half my attention to her and the other half to the Pokéball that I was floating over the palm of my hand, I answered "C'mon, Ma. We went over this. Half my friends aren't even in this country anymore, they all left on adventures years ago, and the party yesterday was just as much for my going away as it was for my birth. I'm old enough to handle anything this world can throw at me, I'll be fine."
"I know honey, I just worr- Zach, what have I told you about doing that at the table?"
Giving her a sheepish grin, I let the ball fall back into my hand. "Sorry Ma" I say "it's just that I'm really excited to see what I can really do with this. We've always known that I can feel and even send emotions, and there was that one time I shoved that jerk Dan from a few feet away, but until now, I've never had a chance to practice what I can do with Aura. And you heard what the Docs said; my Aura's just like any other muscle, just made of Will and energy instead of flesh and blood. I can hurt myself trying to lift too much whether I do it with my arms or my Aura, but as long as I pace myself the worst that can happen is that I get tired. Besides, all muscles need exercise, it's how they get stronger, and how they stay strong. If you don't exercise your muscles, then they…"
They atrophy.
Both me and Blaze shiver, both from our own fear, and from the spike of worry that I feel from Ma. None of us know what would happen, or even if it's possible, for Aura to atrophy, but we sure as hell don't want to find out.
I stand up so quickly that my chair skids back away from me. Holding out my arm, Blaze gets the message and climbs up, settling herself in my mop of thick blond hair.
I head for the door, calling back over my shoulder "don't worry mom. I will be fine. I'm going to travel the world, fight in the Pokémon league, and maybe even become a champion. And if you ever get worried and want hear the sound of my voice" I pull out my brand new Pokégear, waving it back at her "then I'm only a phone-call away."
Heading out the door, Ma calling out from behind me, I don't look back. Instead, I pull out the keys that had been in with the rest of my presents, the keys to the motorcycle that my dad and me had been fixing up and tinkering with for the last few years.
Hopping on the bike, I turn the key and roared away over the hills and away from home. I had to do it this way. If I didn't, Ma would worry endlessly back and forth over letting me leave. Better to take off quickly without permission now and ask forgiveness later.
I was almost out of sight of my hometown when something hit me. Not a physical something, no. Memories.
"God damn it Zelretch…"
'Zach? Are you alright? I felt a whole huge surge of mixed up emotions there.'
Crap. "Nah, its fine Blaze, just remembering something that I'd forgotten."
'Liar.' What?! 'You're worried about Ma, aren't you?' Oh…
"Yeah… I'm worried how she'll handle this… but it's the only way we could have done it, and it's already done. No point crying over spilt milk."
Best not to have an existential crisis just yet. My journey's only just begun, and whether I'm really Zach Campbell of Agate Village, or Xyzarach of Earth, I've got no choice but to move on.
Besides, if I worry Blaze'll worry, and I don't like bothering my friends with things they can't help with...
I've always been able to tell the exact moment when I wake up. It comes from being one of those rare one in several million kids who are born with awakened Aura potential.
See, dreams don't model Aura very well. The closest equivalent I can make to what it feels like when you try to look at a dream with Aura, compared to the real world, is that it's like looking at the world through a video screen; the colors are duller, sound is tinny, and if the video is low quality, you get stops and glitches in the playback.
I open my eyes. It's the start of a new day, a normal day in the life of Zachary Campbell… well, maybe not normal, I think, as I consider the Trainer's Bag and other various supplies stacked on my dresser. Yesterday was my 17th birthday, and now my parents are finally letting me go on my own Pokémon adventure.
Why am I only going on my journey now, instead of years ago like the rest of my friends? Well, kids don't know their doing something weird or different if the thing they're doing has just always been there. That's how it was for me with Aura, for more than half my life, I didn't realize being able to feel when others were happy or sad was strange. And when your kid ends up linking his mind to that of a Pokémon egg you got him for his 10th birthday, and goes around having full conversations with it? That freaks parents out. So I ended up with a full ban.
Me and Blaze, my Torchic, weren't allowed to have battles, go on adventures, or even test out what I could do with my Aura, at least, not until my parents could be sure that I was old enough that I could take care of myself, and had some lab tests done to make sure I wouldn't hurt myself using my Aura.
'Hey, Zach! C'mon, c'mon let's GO!'
And there she is, Blaze, my best friend and partner. Getting up and out of bed before she decides to cannonball on top of me to make me go faster, I throw my supplies into my new bag, get dressed, and head downstairs for breakfast with the best friend I've ever had riding around on my head.
…
"And you're sure you'll be alright?"
Paying half my attention to her and the other half to the Pokéball that I was floating over the palm of my hand, I answered "C'mon, Ma. We went over this. Half my friends aren't even in this country anymore, they all left on adventures years ago, and the party yesterday was just as much for my going away as it was for my birth. I'm old enough to handle anything this world can throw at me, I'll be fine."
"I know honey, I just worr- Zach, what have I told you about doing that at the table?"
Giving her a sheepish grin, I let the ball fall back into my hand. "Sorry Ma" I say "it's just that I'm really excited to see what I can really do with this. We've always known that I can feel and even send emotions, and there was that one time I shoved that jerk Dan from a few feet away, but until now, I've never had a chance to practice what I can do with Aura. And you heard what the Docs said; my Aura's just like any other muscle, just made of Will and energy instead of flesh and blood. I can hurt myself trying to lift too much whether I do it with my arms or my Aura, but as long as I pace myself the worst that can happen is that I get tired. Besides, all muscles need exercise, it's how they get stronger, and how they stay strong. If you don't exercise your muscles, then they…"
They atrophy.
Both me and Blaze shiver, both from our own fear, and from the spike of worry that I feel from Ma. None of us know what would happen, or even if it's possible, for Aura to atrophy, but we sure as hell don't want to find out.
I stand up so quickly that my chair skids back away from me. Holding out my arm, Blaze gets the message and climbs up, settling herself in my mop of thick blond hair.
I head for the door, calling back over my shoulder "don't worry mom. I will be fine. I'm going to travel the world, fight in the Pokémon league, and maybe even become a champion. And if you ever get worried and want hear the sound of my voice" I pull out my brand new Pokégear, waving it back at her "then I'm only a phone-call away."
Heading out the door, Ma calling out from behind me, I don't look back. Instead, I pull out the keys that had been in with the rest of my presents, the keys to the motorcycle that my dad and me had been fixing up and tinkering with for the last few years.
Hopping on the bike, I turn the key and roared away over the hills and away from home. I had to do it this way. If I didn't, Ma would worry endlessly back and forth over letting me leave. Better to take off quickly without permission now and ask forgiveness later.
I was almost out of sight of my hometown when something hit me. Not a physical something, no. Memories.
"God damn it Zelretch…"
'Zach? Are you alright? I felt a whole huge surge of mixed up emotions there.'
Crap. "Nah, its fine Blaze, just remembering something that I'd forgotten."
'Liar.' What?! 'You're worried about Ma, aren't you?' Oh…
"Yeah… I'm worried how she'll handle this… but it's the only way we could have done it, and it's already done. No point crying over spilt milk."
Best not to have an existential crisis just yet. My journey's only just begun, and whether I'm really Zach Campbell of Agate Village, or Xyzarach of Earth, I've got no choice but to move on.
Besides, if I worry Blaze'll worry, and I don't like bothering my friends with things they can't help with...
Last edited:
Chapter 2 – Pokémon: A New Challenger Approaches!
- Location
- Canada
That night, after making my way to Gateon Port and resting at the local Pokémon center (Huh, they really do serve as a cheap inn for official trainers), I began to sort out my memories, trying to figure out who I really was while Blaze slept.
Who am I? Really? Am I some random kid from Orre who had his mind twisted and his future destroyed by one of the most powerful wizards to ever exist, just for the lulz? It would be just his style. And what's the alternative? That he manipulated the fabric of reality to reincarnate me here, and I only got my memories of my past life back now?
…Damn it. With the power he has, that's just as plausible. There's no real way to know unless I ask him, and I'm not going anywhere near that monster if I can help it.
Ok, so who I am isn't as important right now, since I just have to live with it. What's important is what I do next. I/He/Xyzarach never paid much attention to the plot of the Pokémon games, and he/we/I stopped watching the anime a long time ago. He didn't even know where Orre is, and I sure as hell don't know who the major crime groups that Ash would have fought here are. Probably for the best, I don't have foot thick plot armor to protect me. Like I'd ever be able to take on some huge criminal syndicate on my own. Guess I should just catch a ship to one of the regions I'm familiar with danger wise, even if I don't know the geography as well as I do in my homeland…
…
"What do you mean passenger shipping is shut down? I want to go challenge one of the Pokémon leagues, and I can't do that if I'm stuck here!"
"Sorry kid, but a massive Pokémon was sighted out in the waters beyond the port. The reports we're getting back aren't making a lick of sense, but it sounds like whatever's out there sank one of the biggest ships that have ever left this port. Until we can ensure the safety of our passengers, nothing but the most essential shipments are going to leave for, or from, this port."
Damn. Now how am I supposed to get to the Pokémon League?
Turning away from the main port area, I start heading back toward the Pokémon center. Maybe I could challenge Mt. Battle? But I don't have a full team, and Orre is desolate as far as wild Pokémon go. Even if she's awesome, there's no way me and Blaze could win on our own.
'Hey, Zach! Watch out!'
Head in the clouds, I didn't catch Blaze's warning until it was already too late. Both I and the person I slam into get knocked to the ground. As I'm picking myself up, I hear a whiney voice cry out "Watch where you're going Retard!"
?
Wait, I recognize that gratingly annoying voice and supremely punchable face.
"Dan?! What are you doing here?"
As the expensively dressed boy who used to live near my house picks himself up, he too, realizes who he bumped into. "Well, well, if it isn't the Freak. You gone AWOL, or did your parents finally stop being ashamed of you and let you out of the basement?"
See, one of the things about Aura powers? They can seem really cool. When you're a little kid and one of your friends can tell you exactly how your Pokémon feels, or even talk to his own Pokémon? That's awesome! But some kids, some spoiled bratty rich kids, don't like being told that they can't just buy their way to being able to do cool Aura tricks. So they get bitter, nasty, and punchable, like Dan here.
"Nooo, my parents are the ones who like me; yours are the ones who'd rather have their son on a different continent from them. That said, what the hell are you doing here Dan?"
He almost growled at me at first, but once he got himself under control, he looked at me with that sneering smirk of his. "Heh, I came back to this pissant wasteland because I'd heard about a new type of Pokémon that was being made available to a special class of people. Now, though?"
He shouts, brandishing a Pokéball "Now, I think I'm gonna beat the snark out of you with the help of the Pokémon I just bought!"
Adrenalin began to surge through me. This was it, my first Pokémon battle, the thing I've waited all these years for. And who better to be my first opponent then my old enemy Dan. "Oh? Do you really think that you can take on me and Blaze? From what you've said, whatever Pokémon you've got there is one you've never fought beside. Blaze hasn't fought in any battles, but we've been living together, working together, hell, we've spent the last 7 years thinking each other's thoughts! Can you really beat that with a Pokémon you didn't even catch yourself?!"
"I don't need 'friendship' or 'teamwork'! With my new shadow-type Pokémon, I'm gonna kick the crap out of that stupid bird of yours, and then I'm gonna kick the crap out of you! Come on out, Chespin!"
"The hell are you talking about dumbass? Chespin is a gra-" *CLICK-bloosh* "Gah!? W-what?!"
PAIN GRIEF SADNESS LONELY HATE RAGE HURT DIE KILL FEAR SCARED
"Th-the hell? Blaze, do you feel that?"
'Y-yeah, I feel it too. Wh-what is that Zach?!'
That feeling. The feeling of condensed pain and negativity. It was definitely coming from that Chespin, but how or why I couldn't tell. It seemed to look normal at first, but there was something wrong… as I closed my eyes and tapped into my Aura, I saw it.
PAIN! GRIEF! SADNESS! LONELY! HATE! RAGE! HURT! DIE! KILL! FEAR! SCARED!
It was like a bonfire of pain and hurt. A pyre of negative emotion made of flames in shades of purple, silver, and black, sharply outlining the shape and form of a Chespin.
"Not so hot now, huh Loser?"
Dan's smug voice broke me out of my trance. However this Pokémon ended up like this, whoever did it to them, I would make them pay. Starting with this jackass.
"C'mon, Blaze let's do this."
"Ha! You think you can win with your stupid bird, I'm gonna kick-"
Ignoring Dan's grandstanding I began sending my orders to Blaze through our telepathic link 'Ok, first, let's hit him with an Ember. Even messed up as he is, he's still a grass-type'
When Blaze jumped off my head and moved forward at speed, Dan finally began to take this seriously.
"Shit! Fast! Don't just stand there, attack! Tackle or punch it or vine whip! Something!"
Ok, maybe he's still being an idiot.
As Chespin stood confused by its Trainer, Blaze ran in and hit him with an Ember at close range, scorching him badly and sending him back toward Dan.
"What the hell!? You're supposed to be some ultimate Pokémon, with moves that are effective against anything!"
"As I was saying before, you're at a type disadvantage. Even then, a strong Pokémon can't fight to its fullest if its paired with a weak Trainer."
"I'll show you weak! Chespin! Use a Shadow Move!"
As Dan shouted that, Chespin became almost completely shrouded in a dark aura, before charging forward and shoulder bashing Blaze while she was stunned by the unexpected move.
'Shit, Blaze, are you alright!'
'I'm alright, I can do this. But that hurt, what the hell kind of move is he using?'
'I'm not sure, but I think I know how we can win this. When he was building up that shadow stuff, I could feel when he was ready to attack. If I use my Aura sense, I should be able to warn you when to dodge.'
Plan set, we moved to end this fight. Somehow, both of us had moves that were Super Effective against each other's Pokémon, and with Blaze and Chespin's levels being so close, this would likely end on the next solid hit.
'Ok… now! And again! Once more!'
Closing my eyes and focusing on Chespin's shadow energy, I guided Blaze around his increasingly clumsy attacks, while Dan continued to shout abuse at me, Blaze, and even his own Pokémon.
"You damn Cheater! You're using your freaky Aura powers to win aren't you!?"
"Says the guy who shows up with a Pokémon using Moves that shouldn't even exist. And whether or not I am is irrelevant, because this battle is OVER! Now Blaze, finish him with another Ember!"
Having dodged into Chespin's blind spot, Blaze was free and clear to let lose an Ember straight into Chespin's backside. As the chestnut Pokémon fell, it dissolved into red light as it was sucked back into its Pokéball.
"Stupid damn rat. When I'm done with you, you'll never embarrass me like that again."
No. He is NOT going to leave with that Pokémon, not if I have anything to say.
Using one of the few Aura tricks that I'd learned in the month I'd had to practice, I glided toward Dan, sliding forward using incredibly thin sheets of Aura between me and the ground. Throwing a punch up and into his gut, I knock the air clean out of him, while reaching for the Pokéball with my other hand. Wrenching it from his grip, I leave him to sag down as I head back to the Pokémon center.
"Hey, HEY! You can't do this it's against the law!"
I stop and look at him from the corner of my eye. "Oh? Then maybe we should go find a police officer, and give the ball to her? I'm sure she won't find any signs of abuse, or give me an award for taking this Pokémon out of the hands of a monster that would abuse it like that."
As I turn away, I can hear him break down behind me "Damnit, damnit, damnit! You, this is your fault! I'm gonna- I'm gonna find that guy that I got that Pokémon from, and invest everything I've got in him! You hear me! I'm gonna send him after you, to mess you up!"
"Go ahead and try. There's just one of you, and one of them. I'll take you on, kick your ass again, and then we'll be doing this same song and dance. Hell, we can turn this into a regular thing, like a bonding experience between men! Hah!"
"gonna make him pay. He'll see, no one gets to make fun of me…"
Who am I? Really? Am I some random kid from Orre who had his mind twisted and his future destroyed by one of the most powerful wizards to ever exist, just for the lulz? It would be just his style. And what's the alternative? That he manipulated the fabric of reality to reincarnate me here, and I only got my memories of my past life back now?
…Damn it. With the power he has, that's just as plausible. There's no real way to know unless I ask him, and I'm not going anywhere near that monster if I can help it.
Ok, so who I am isn't as important right now, since I just have to live with it. What's important is what I do next. I/He/Xyzarach never paid much attention to the plot of the Pokémon games, and he/we/I stopped watching the anime a long time ago. He didn't even know where Orre is, and I sure as hell don't know who the major crime groups that Ash would have fought here are. Probably for the best, I don't have foot thick plot armor to protect me. Like I'd ever be able to take on some huge criminal syndicate on my own. Guess I should just catch a ship to one of the regions I'm familiar with danger wise, even if I don't know the geography as well as I do in my homeland…
…
"What do you mean passenger shipping is shut down? I want to go challenge one of the Pokémon leagues, and I can't do that if I'm stuck here!"
"Sorry kid, but a massive Pokémon was sighted out in the waters beyond the port. The reports we're getting back aren't making a lick of sense, but it sounds like whatever's out there sank one of the biggest ships that have ever left this port. Until we can ensure the safety of our passengers, nothing but the most essential shipments are going to leave for, or from, this port."
Damn. Now how am I supposed to get to the Pokémon League?
Turning away from the main port area, I start heading back toward the Pokémon center. Maybe I could challenge Mt. Battle? But I don't have a full team, and Orre is desolate as far as wild Pokémon go. Even if she's awesome, there's no way me and Blaze could win on our own.
'Hey, Zach! Watch out!'
Head in the clouds, I didn't catch Blaze's warning until it was already too late. Both I and the person I slam into get knocked to the ground. As I'm picking myself up, I hear a whiney voice cry out "Watch where you're going Retard!"
?
Wait, I recognize that gratingly annoying voice and supremely punchable face.
"Dan?! What are you doing here?"
As the expensively dressed boy who used to live near my house picks himself up, he too, realizes who he bumped into. "Well, well, if it isn't the Freak. You gone AWOL, or did your parents finally stop being ashamed of you and let you out of the basement?"
See, one of the things about Aura powers? They can seem really cool. When you're a little kid and one of your friends can tell you exactly how your Pokémon feels, or even talk to his own Pokémon? That's awesome! But some kids, some spoiled bratty rich kids, don't like being told that they can't just buy their way to being able to do cool Aura tricks. So they get bitter, nasty, and punchable, like Dan here.
"Nooo, my parents are the ones who like me; yours are the ones who'd rather have their son on a different continent from them. That said, what the hell are you doing here Dan?"
He almost growled at me at first, but once he got himself under control, he looked at me with that sneering smirk of his. "Heh, I came back to this pissant wasteland because I'd heard about a new type of Pokémon that was being made available to a special class of people. Now, though?"
He shouts, brandishing a Pokéball "Now, I think I'm gonna beat the snark out of you with the help of the Pokémon I just bought!"
Adrenalin began to surge through me. This was it, my first Pokémon battle, the thing I've waited all these years for. And who better to be my first opponent then my old enemy Dan. "Oh? Do you really think that you can take on me and Blaze? From what you've said, whatever Pokémon you've got there is one you've never fought beside. Blaze hasn't fought in any battles, but we've been living together, working together, hell, we've spent the last 7 years thinking each other's thoughts! Can you really beat that with a Pokémon you didn't even catch yourself?!"
"I don't need 'friendship' or 'teamwork'! With my new shadow-type Pokémon, I'm gonna kick the crap out of that stupid bird of yours, and then I'm gonna kick the crap out of you! Come on out, Chespin!"
"The hell are you talking about dumbass? Chespin is a gra-" *CLICK-bloosh* "Gah!? W-what?!"
PAIN GRIEF SADNESS LONELY HATE RAGE HURT DIE KILL FEAR SCARED
"Th-the hell? Blaze, do you feel that?"
'Y-yeah, I feel it too. Wh-what is that Zach?!'
That feeling. The feeling of condensed pain and negativity. It was definitely coming from that Chespin, but how or why I couldn't tell. It seemed to look normal at first, but there was something wrong… as I closed my eyes and tapped into my Aura, I saw it.
PAIN! GRIEF! SADNESS! LONELY! HATE! RAGE! HURT! DIE! KILL! FEAR! SCARED!
It was like a bonfire of pain and hurt. A pyre of negative emotion made of flames in shades of purple, silver, and black, sharply outlining the shape and form of a Chespin.
"Not so hot now, huh Loser?"
Dan's smug voice broke me out of my trance. However this Pokémon ended up like this, whoever did it to them, I would make them pay. Starting with this jackass.
"C'mon, Blaze let's do this."
"Ha! You think you can win with your stupid bird, I'm gonna kick-"
Ignoring Dan's grandstanding I began sending my orders to Blaze through our telepathic link 'Ok, first, let's hit him with an Ember. Even messed up as he is, he's still a grass-type'
When Blaze jumped off my head and moved forward at speed, Dan finally began to take this seriously.
"Shit! Fast! Don't just stand there, attack! Tackle or punch it or vine whip! Something!"
Ok, maybe he's still being an idiot.
As Chespin stood confused by its Trainer, Blaze ran in and hit him with an Ember at close range, scorching him badly and sending him back toward Dan.
"What the hell!? You're supposed to be some ultimate Pokémon, with moves that are effective against anything!"
"As I was saying before, you're at a type disadvantage. Even then, a strong Pokémon can't fight to its fullest if its paired with a weak Trainer."
"I'll show you weak! Chespin! Use a Shadow Move!"
As Dan shouted that, Chespin became almost completely shrouded in a dark aura, before charging forward and shoulder bashing Blaze while she was stunned by the unexpected move.
'Shit, Blaze, are you alright!'
'I'm alright, I can do this. But that hurt, what the hell kind of move is he using?'
'I'm not sure, but I think I know how we can win this. When he was building up that shadow stuff, I could feel when he was ready to attack. If I use my Aura sense, I should be able to warn you when to dodge.'
Plan set, we moved to end this fight. Somehow, both of us had moves that were Super Effective against each other's Pokémon, and with Blaze and Chespin's levels being so close, this would likely end on the next solid hit.
'Ok… now! And again! Once more!'
Closing my eyes and focusing on Chespin's shadow energy, I guided Blaze around his increasingly clumsy attacks, while Dan continued to shout abuse at me, Blaze, and even his own Pokémon.
"You damn Cheater! You're using your freaky Aura powers to win aren't you!?"
"Says the guy who shows up with a Pokémon using Moves that shouldn't even exist. And whether or not I am is irrelevant, because this battle is OVER! Now Blaze, finish him with another Ember!"
Having dodged into Chespin's blind spot, Blaze was free and clear to let lose an Ember straight into Chespin's backside. As the chestnut Pokémon fell, it dissolved into red light as it was sucked back into its Pokéball.
"Stupid damn rat. When I'm done with you, you'll never embarrass me like that again."
No. He is NOT going to leave with that Pokémon, not if I have anything to say.
Using one of the few Aura tricks that I'd learned in the month I'd had to practice, I glided toward Dan, sliding forward using incredibly thin sheets of Aura between me and the ground. Throwing a punch up and into his gut, I knock the air clean out of him, while reaching for the Pokéball with my other hand. Wrenching it from his grip, I leave him to sag down as I head back to the Pokémon center.
"Hey, HEY! You can't do this it's against the law!"
I stop and look at him from the corner of my eye. "Oh? Then maybe we should go find a police officer, and give the ball to her? I'm sure she won't find any signs of abuse, or give me an award for taking this Pokémon out of the hands of a monster that would abuse it like that."
As I turn away, I can hear him break down behind me "Damnit, damnit, damnit! You, this is your fault! I'm gonna- I'm gonna find that guy that I got that Pokémon from, and invest everything I've got in him! You hear me! I'm gonna send him after you, to mess you up!"
"Go ahead and try. There's just one of you, and one of them. I'll take you on, kick your ass again, and then we'll be doing this same song and dance. Hell, we can turn this into a regular thing, like a bonding experience between men! Hah!"
"gonna make him pay. He'll see, no one gets to make fun of me…"
Last edited:
Chapter 3 – Pokémon: Failure to communicate, and the will to keep trying
- Location
- Canada
In an abandoned lot, not far from the Pokémon center, I tried again, for the third time that night.
Throwing the Pokéball, I prepared myself while calling out my pleas of comfort and understanding.
"Please Chespin, we don't have to do this. I know how you feel, if you just open up to me, I can be your friend, and help lessen the pain."
And predictably, the response was the same as the last two attempts.
"Chess-PIN!" screamed the enraged Pokémon, as it surged forward surrounded by a cloak of palpable HATE, forcing me to dodge to the side or risk getting killed by the out of control grass Starter.
"Please! I just want to help you! Don't do this!" I kept trying to get through to him, even as my own despair began to echo his. I'm beginning to fear I might never find a way…
Several hours before…
As the Nurse working the Center's front desk came back with Chespin's Pokéball, I let out a sigh of relief.
"So, he's going to be alright then?"
Unfortunately, she didn't have good news.
"He's perfectly fine physically, but at present there's nothing we can do about his… emotional issues."
"What? But, this is a Pokémon Center, you guy's specialize in healing Pokémon!"
A stern voice called out from behind me "It's not that simple."
Turning around, I came face-to-face with a member of the Orre Regional Police Force.
"Sorry for startling you, but I came as soon as we got the report sent from the Center. What we're dealing with here, is something we've seen before."
"Ah? It is? Sorry, but do to a… 'medical condition', my parents had a habit of keeping me uninformed of events that might stress me. What can you tell me about Chespin's condition?"
"They're called Shadow Pokémon. A criminal group called Cipher developed a process to turn Pokémon into weapons of war and conquest by forcefully closing off their ability to feel positive emotion, resulting in them being in a state of constant emotional pain and rage."
This- this was terrible. How could they let something like this happen?
"What?! But, the police- the government- there's no way anyone would let a group like that get away with something like that!"
"As I said, it's not that simple. As long as a Shadow Pokémon's Trainer keeps it under control, there's almost no way to detect them without specialized Aura sensing technology. And even if we can find them, there's not much we can do for the Pokémon themselves without their Trainer's help."
Their Trainer's help? "What do you mean by that? If this happened before, there must be something you can do."
"As you probably know, Pokémon can only be tamed because of the invention of Pokéballs. This is because Pokéballs are designed to let the Pokémon imprint on their Trainer, forming an emotional bond. While not always perfect, this bond is the key to Training Pokémon, and also to rehabilitating Shadow Pokémon. Only the Trainer that has such a bond with the Shadow Pokémon will be able to help it."
And that's Dan… but…
"But if that's true… how did you fix things last time?"
"We didn't."
What?!
"It pains me to say, but the police force was completely unable to handle the previous outbreak of Shadow Pokémon. Instead, a pair of teens, not much younger than you, solved the problem. A girl who was sensitive to Aura, to determine who had the Shadow Pokémon, and a boy with a device called a 'Snag Machine', that was able to remove the normal Trainer-Pokémon imprint, and replace it with the boy's own bond. Unfortunately, the technology was destroyed to prevent its abuse, although rumors persist of a secure lab that is studying how to use it safely. Without any way to help the Shadow Pokémon that we do recover, the current policy is to put them in stasis, locked up until we can develop a way to reverse the process that made them like this."
"No."
"I'm sorry?"
"No, I can't allow that. I don't care if they're dangerous, or if no one thinks I can do anything, I will help these Pokémon, even if I have to find this Cipher group, kick every one of their asses, and then beat the way to reverse this out of them, I will! I will find a way to help Chespin! And if you think you can stop me, that I'm just going to let you lock him up when he's the victim here, you've got another thing coming!"
As I shouted my oath, my Aura, agitated by my emotions, flared up around me.
"Whoa… That really is Aura… Well, I'm not sure if you've got what it takes to be the Hero this time round kid, but you talk the good fight, and if you have an Aura that strong, you might just pull it off. I'm going to let you keep that Chespin. With the other Pokémon you already have, you should be able to keep it under control, and if anyone can find a way to help it, it'll be an Aura user like you."
Back to the fight with Zach and the Chespin…
Distracted by my thoughts, I almost miss it as Chespin lunges at me again. Barely dodging in time, I stumble as I move out of the way, falling to the ground. As Chespin begins to charge me in my helpless state, I pull out his Pokéball and use it to force him to return.
Staring down at the ball in my hand, I know that no matter how much I despair over my inability to get Chespin to listen, it's nothing compared to the despair that I can feel radiating off him even while he's safely hidden away.
I'm sorry Chespin. I haven't been able to reach you yet. But I will, no matter how many times I have to try, I will do it.
Heading back over to Blaze, who'd been standing on the sidelines in case she needed to step in, I thought about how I was going to save Chespin. Maybe if I find Dan, and get him to tell me who he got Chespin from…
*Doo-doo-doot-doot-doot-doo-doo-doot-doot-doot-CLICK*
Damn I hate that ring-tone, but it's the least evil out of all the ones I had to choose from.
"Who is i- Ma?!"
Throwing the Pokéball, I prepared myself while calling out my pleas of comfort and understanding.
"Please Chespin, we don't have to do this. I know how you feel, if you just open up to me, I can be your friend, and help lessen the pain."
And predictably, the response was the same as the last two attempts.
"Chess-PIN!" screamed the enraged Pokémon, as it surged forward surrounded by a cloak of palpable HATE, forcing me to dodge to the side or risk getting killed by the out of control grass Starter.
"Please! I just want to help you! Don't do this!" I kept trying to get through to him, even as my own despair began to echo his. I'm beginning to fear I might never find a way…
Several hours before…
As the Nurse working the Center's front desk came back with Chespin's Pokéball, I let out a sigh of relief.
"So, he's going to be alright then?"
Unfortunately, she didn't have good news.
"He's perfectly fine physically, but at present there's nothing we can do about his… emotional issues."
"What? But, this is a Pokémon Center, you guy's specialize in healing Pokémon!"
A stern voice called out from behind me "It's not that simple."
Turning around, I came face-to-face with a member of the Orre Regional Police Force.
"Sorry for startling you, but I came as soon as we got the report sent from the Center. What we're dealing with here, is something we've seen before."
"Ah? It is? Sorry, but do to a… 'medical condition', my parents had a habit of keeping me uninformed of events that might stress me. What can you tell me about Chespin's condition?"
"They're called Shadow Pokémon. A criminal group called Cipher developed a process to turn Pokémon into weapons of war and conquest by forcefully closing off their ability to feel positive emotion, resulting in them being in a state of constant emotional pain and rage."
This- this was terrible. How could they let something like this happen?
"What?! But, the police- the government- there's no way anyone would let a group like that get away with something like that!"
"As I said, it's not that simple. As long as a Shadow Pokémon's Trainer keeps it under control, there's almost no way to detect them without specialized Aura sensing technology. And even if we can find them, there's not much we can do for the Pokémon themselves without their Trainer's help."
Their Trainer's help? "What do you mean by that? If this happened before, there must be something you can do."
"As you probably know, Pokémon can only be tamed because of the invention of Pokéballs. This is because Pokéballs are designed to let the Pokémon imprint on their Trainer, forming an emotional bond. While not always perfect, this bond is the key to Training Pokémon, and also to rehabilitating Shadow Pokémon. Only the Trainer that has such a bond with the Shadow Pokémon will be able to help it."
And that's Dan… but…
"But if that's true… how did you fix things last time?"
"We didn't."
What?!
"It pains me to say, but the police force was completely unable to handle the previous outbreak of Shadow Pokémon. Instead, a pair of teens, not much younger than you, solved the problem. A girl who was sensitive to Aura, to determine who had the Shadow Pokémon, and a boy with a device called a 'Snag Machine', that was able to remove the normal Trainer-Pokémon imprint, and replace it with the boy's own bond. Unfortunately, the technology was destroyed to prevent its abuse, although rumors persist of a secure lab that is studying how to use it safely. Without any way to help the Shadow Pokémon that we do recover, the current policy is to put them in stasis, locked up until we can develop a way to reverse the process that made them like this."
"No."
"I'm sorry?"
"No, I can't allow that. I don't care if they're dangerous, or if no one thinks I can do anything, I will help these Pokémon, even if I have to find this Cipher group, kick every one of their asses, and then beat the way to reverse this out of them, I will! I will find a way to help Chespin! And if you think you can stop me, that I'm just going to let you lock him up when he's the victim here, you've got another thing coming!"
As I shouted my oath, my Aura, agitated by my emotions, flared up around me.
"Whoa… That really is Aura… Well, I'm not sure if you've got what it takes to be the Hero this time round kid, but you talk the good fight, and if you have an Aura that strong, you might just pull it off. I'm going to let you keep that Chespin. With the other Pokémon you already have, you should be able to keep it under control, and if anyone can find a way to help it, it'll be an Aura user like you."
Back to the fight with Zach and the Chespin…
Distracted by my thoughts, I almost miss it as Chespin lunges at me again. Barely dodging in time, I stumble as I move out of the way, falling to the ground. As Chespin begins to charge me in my helpless state, I pull out his Pokéball and use it to force him to return.
Staring down at the ball in my hand, I know that no matter how much I despair over my inability to get Chespin to listen, it's nothing compared to the despair that I can feel radiating off him even while he's safely hidden away.
I'm sorry Chespin. I haven't been able to reach you yet. But I will, no matter how many times I have to try, I will do it.
Heading back over to Blaze, who'd been standing on the sidelines in case she needed to step in, I thought about how I was going to save Chespin. Maybe if I find Dan, and get him to tell me who he got Chespin from…
*Doo-doo-doot-doot-doot-doo-doo-doot-doot-doot-CLICK*
Damn I hate that ring-tone, but it's the least evil out of all the ones I had to choose from.
"Who is i- Ma?!"
Last edited:
- Location
- Attempting to cast animate object on a black hole.
You can release a pokemon from their ball permanently. Just weaken Chespin, put it in the ball, heal Blaze to full health, release Chespin "into the wild," and catch it with a new ball.
- Location
- Canada
One of the problems with that is that released Pokémon tend to run away immediately, and that my SI is worried that if he even tried that, that A) he won't be able to find Chespin again, and B) Orre is really not the kind of region that just any random Pokémon can survive in.
Its actually Canon that Trainers in Orre have to import their Pokémon from other regions because of the local ecosystem being crap, hence why Dan had a Kalos Starter.
Also, it seems a bit dickish. beat the hell out of a Pokémon that can't defend itself -> release said Pokémon -> easily catch the now weakened Pokémon -> everything is fine now.
yeah, no. SI want's to help Chespin by being his friend. beating the hell out of him when he doesn't want to be friends, to force him to be my Pokémon, probably won't work. I take the anime with a grain of salt when I do watch it, but the part in first season where ash's Charmander couldn't be caught despite his old owner having abandoned him is somewhat compelling as to why this plan could backfire.
And if you're worried about me ever getting Chespin on my side...
Don't be. it'll take another chapter or two, but SI will find a way to Bond with Chespin. if I made it easy, there wouldn't be any drama or conflict, and that would be boring.
...and being boring is bad for my SI's life expectancy...
...and being boring is bad for my SI's life expectancy...
Last edited:
Chapter 4 – Pokémon: Parental Guidance
- Location
- Canada
"Young man, do you have any idea how worried I was!?"
"I- but Ma-"
"I had half a mind to hunt you down and drag you back home myself. If your father hadn't talked me out of it, you'd have been grounded for life mister!"
"C'mon Ma, I'm 17."
"Your father said the same thing. That you're old enough to handle yourself and that if I tried to force you into staying safe, you'd probably try to run away and do this without our support."
"I- I'm sorry I ran off like that Ma."
"What else were you supposed to do? I was your age once; I know what it's like to have your parents telling you what to do, restricting your freedom. We kept you boxed in for years to keep you safe, all the while your friends all went away on their own adventures, and I almost tried to stop you leaving when it was your time to go. Apologies out of the way, how are you doing so far honey? "
"Ah, well… I saw Dan…and… ah, tell me, have you heard of Shadow Pokémon?"
"…What."
A few minutes later, after a recap of what Zach has learned…
"That nasty boy. I knew he wasn't the nicest of people, but to deliberately use and abuse Shadow Pokémon? Zach, I want you to be honest with me, are you alright? I've heard of the state Shadow Pokémon have to live in, and with your Empathy, it must hurt just to be nearby."
"I- haaa, truthfully? It makes me feel like a heel to say, but just being near Chespin, especially when he's out of his ball, makes me feel sick, and I've got this urge to just give up and leave him…. But I don't. Because for all that being near him hurts me, makes me feel sick, I know that he's got it a lot worse, and that if I don't try to help him, then maybe no-one else will."
"That's my boy, always wanting to help people when they're in pain. But since you don't know what to do next, how about you let your parents help you out?"
"What? How?"
"You know that your father works up north, at the Pokémon HQ, right? He works with Professor Krane, who has been researching Shadow Pokémon and a way to help heal them for the past few years. If you head over there, you might be able to talk to him and find a way to help Chespin."
"Wha- That's great! It's a bit late to head over now, so I'll set out first thing in the morning!"
The next day, at the Pokémon HQ…
Pulling up to the HQ, it was like nothing I'd ever seen, in this life or the last. A massive glass faced building covered in Pokéball designs and surrounded by the nature that could only be found near to and north of the river that runs from Agate out to the sea at Gateon. It was like someone had taken a skyscraper, cut it into chunks, and then thrown them on their sides in the middle of a green pasture before adding scenic pathways.
I parked my motorcycle down the country road nearby, and walked up the cobbled path to the HQ, though the automatic doors, and up to the receptionist working the front desk.
"Welcome to Pokémon HQ, the Orre Region's centermost lab for the research of Pokémon and Pokémon related technology. How may I help you?"
"Hi, I'm here to see my dad, Doctor Campbell. Do you know where he is, or if I can see him?"
"Please wait one moment while I che-"
Partway through her response, she's cut off by a loud and boisterous voice from the elevator down the hall behind her.
"Hey! There's my boy! C'mon over here and give your old man a hug!"
And rather than let me come to him (yeah right), he rushed over to me and trapped me in a crushing hug, before subtly whispering into my ear.
"Zach, I love you, but don't scare your mother like that. I want to see you safe just as much as she does, but she never got over the time when she was alone with you and realized that your 'imaginary friend' wasn't so imaginary. You turned out fine, but she always worried, and still does, that you're going to end up hurting yourself because of something we should have noticed, should have prevented. Now smile, there's someone I want you to meet."
After letting go of me and giving me a second to straighten up, he called over the person that had been in the elevator with him.
"Now Zach, I'd like you to meet the daughter of a co-worker of mine. She's only a few years younger than you, and is going to be starting her own Pokémon adventure soon. Michele, this is my son that I've been telling you about, Zach."
She was about the same height as me, wearing a bright yellow shirt with dark pants. Her red hair cut in a short and spikey style and her body language as she scratched at the back of her head in nervous gesture just about screamed 'tomboy'.
"Uh, hi? Nice to… meet you?"
Gah, guess when you're a shut-in in both your lifetimes, physical activity and motorcycle tuning or no, you still end up with crap for social skills.
"Heh, hi, I'm Michele. My mom works here at the Pokémon HQ as an assistant to the Professor."
"Uh, dad… are you…? Ah, that is…"
I begin gesturing vaguely, trying to convey meaning subtly without offending anyone.
I mean, sure, I'm in the body of a 17 year old guy now, and my memories of this life seem a bit more prominent than the old ones, but that doesn't mean I think that dating a 15 year old girl when I remember being 21 isn't creepier than half the ghost Pokémon I know of all put together.
"Hehehah, I told this old block-head that you'd think that, bet him even. Thanks for that, but no. See, I'm in the same boat you are, I grew up here at the HQ, and wasn't able to leave on a Pokémon adventure until now. Your dad figured that we could be friends or rivals or something on our journey, seeing as we're starting from the same place anyway."
Oh, that's a relief.
Before we could continue our conversation though, the elevator beeped, and out stepped a woman with the oddest hair I'd ever seen in real life.
"Ah, Michele, there you are." Said the woman with the beehive-ponytail hair style "your brother has gone off and left the HQ. I think he may be over at old Dr. Kaminko's house. Could you go and get him, and tell him to stop bothering the man?"
"Sure mom. Hey Zach, sorry about this, but I've got to go and get my little brother. Talk later?"
Before I could answer, the beehive-tailed woman, now revealed to be Michele's mother, turned to me.
"Oh, and who's this? Michele made a new friend did she? Well, it's nice to meet you Zach, my name is Lily. But… Did you come all the way here just to see my daughter?"
"Oh! No, no, no. I only just met her now, I actually came here to see my dad," I quickly said, while pointing to my dad as he tried poorly to hide his laughter "and to see if I could get a meeting with Professor Krane."
"Oh, you're Steve's son then. Nice to finally meet you. But as to Professor Krane… well, not long ago he locked himself and one of our head researchers in that lab over there, " she says, while pointing to an imposing looking steel door on the far side of the lobby "saying that he'd finally had a breakthrough, and that the device is nearly finished. From the sound of things, it might be a few hours until he's done."
Hours… Ugh, I was fine with it, having lived out in a rural area meant that sometimes there's just nothing to do but watch nature. On the other hand, the personality traits I got from Xyzarach are telling me that I hate waiting around, and that I do something, ANYTHING, useful to fill the time.
"Hours… maybe… Hey, Michele! Do you mind if I come with you over to this Kaminko's place? The ride there and back should eat up enough time that the Professor should be ready to see me, and we can talk while we're there."
"Well…"
"I- but Ma-"
"I had half a mind to hunt you down and drag you back home myself. If your father hadn't talked me out of it, you'd have been grounded for life mister!"
"C'mon Ma, I'm 17."
"Your father said the same thing. That you're old enough to handle yourself and that if I tried to force you into staying safe, you'd probably try to run away and do this without our support."
"I- I'm sorry I ran off like that Ma."
"What else were you supposed to do? I was your age once; I know what it's like to have your parents telling you what to do, restricting your freedom. We kept you boxed in for years to keep you safe, all the while your friends all went away on their own adventures, and I almost tried to stop you leaving when it was your time to go. Apologies out of the way, how are you doing so far honey? "
"Ah, well… I saw Dan…and… ah, tell me, have you heard of Shadow Pokémon?"
"…What."
A few minutes later, after a recap of what Zach has learned…
"That nasty boy. I knew he wasn't the nicest of people, but to deliberately use and abuse Shadow Pokémon? Zach, I want you to be honest with me, are you alright? I've heard of the state Shadow Pokémon have to live in, and with your Empathy, it must hurt just to be nearby."
"I- haaa, truthfully? It makes me feel like a heel to say, but just being near Chespin, especially when he's out of his ball, makes me feel sick, and I've got this urge to just give up and leave him…. But I don't. Because for all that being near him hurts me, makes me feel sick, I know that he's got it a lot worse, and that if I don't try to help him, then maybe no-one else will."
"That's my boy, always wanting to help people when they're in pain. But since you don't know what to do next, how about you let your parents help you out?"
"What? How?"
"You know that your father works up north, at the Pokémon HQ, right? He works with Professor Krane, who has been researching Shadow Pokémon and a way to help heal them for the past few years. If you head over there, you might be able to talk to him and find a way to help Chespin."
"Wha- That's great! It's a bit late to head over now, so I'll set out first thing in the morning!"
The next day, at the Pokémon HQ…
Pulling up to the HQ, it was like nothing I'd ever seen, in this life or the last. A massive glass faced building covered in Pokéball designs and surrounded by the nature that could only be found near to and north of the river that runs from Agate out to the sea at Gateon. It was like someone had taken a skyscraper, cut it into chunks, and then thrown them on their sides in the middle of a green pasture before adding scenic pathways.
I parked my motorcycle down the country road nearby, and walked up the cobbled path to the HQ, though the automatic doors, and up to the receptionist working the front desk.
"Welcome to Pokémon HQ, the Orre Region's centermost lab for the research of Pokémon and Pokémon related technology. How may I help you?"
"Hi, I'm here to see my dad, Doctor Campbell. Do you know where he is, or if I can see him?"
"Please wait one moment while I che-"
Partway through her response, she's cut off by a loud and boisterous voice from the elevator down the hall behind her.
"Hey! There's my boy! C'mon over here and give your old man a hug!"
And rather than let me come to him (yeah right), he rushed over to me and trapped me in a crushing hug, before subtly whispering into my ear.
"Zach, I love you, but don't scare your mother like that. I want to see you safe just as much as she does, but she never got over the time when she was alone with you and realized that your 'imaginary friend' wasn't so imaginary. You turned out fine, but she always worried, and still does, that you're going to end up hurting yourself because of something we should have noticed, should have prevented. Now smile, there's someone I want you to meet."
After letting go of me and giving me a second to straighten up, he called over the person that had been in the elevator with him.
"Now Zach, I'd like you to meet the daughter of a co-worker of mine. She's only a few years younger than you, and is going to be starting her own Pokémon adventure soon. Michele, this is my son that I've been telling you about, Zach."
She was about the same height as me, wearing a bright yellow shirt with dark pants. Her red hair cut in a short and spikey style and her body language as she scratched at the back of her head in nervous gesture just about screamed 'tomboy'.
"Uh, hi? Nice to… meet you?"
Gah, guess when you're a shut-in in both your lifetimes, physical activity and motorcycle tuning or no, you still end up with crap for social skills.
"Heh, hi, I'm Michele. My mom works here at the Pokémon HQ as an assistant to the Professor."
"Uh, dad… are you…? Ah, that is…"
I begin gesturing vaguely, trying to convey meaning subtly without offending anyone.
I mean, sure, I'm in the body of a 17 year old guy now, and my memories of this life seem a bit more prominent than the old ones, but that doesn't mean I think that dating a 15 year old girl when I remember being 21 isn't creepier than half the ghost Pokémon I know of all put together.
"Hehehah, I told this old block-head that you'd think that, bet him even. Thanks for that, but no. See, I'm in the same boat you are, I grew up here at the HQ, and wasn't able to leave on a Pokémon adventure until now. Your dad figured that we could be friends or rivals or something on our journey, seeing as we're starting from the same place anyway."
Oh, that's a relief.
Before we could continue our conversation though, the elevator beeped, and out stepped a woman with the oddest hair I'd ever seen in real life.
"Ah, Michele, there you are." Said the woman with the beehive-ponytail hair style "your brother has gone off and left the HQ. I think he may be over at old Dr. Kaminko's house. Could you go and get him, and tell him to stop bothering the man?"
"Sure mom. Hey Zach, sorry about this, but I've got to go and get my little brother. Talk later?"
Before I could answer, the beehive-tailed woman, now revealed to be Michele's mother, turned to me.
"Oh, and who's this? Michele made a new friend did she? Well, it's nice to meet you Zach, my name is Lily. But… Did you come all the way here just to see my daughter?"
"Oh! No, no, no. I only just met her now, I actually came here to see my dad," I quickly said, while pointing to my dad as he tried poorly to hide his laughter "and to see if I could get a meeting with Professor Krane."
"Oh, you're Steve's son then. Nice to finally meet you. But as to Professor Krane… well, not long ago he locked himself and one of our head researchers in that lab over there, " she says, while pointing to an imposing looking steel door on the far side of the lobby "saying that he'd finally had a breakthrough, and that the device is nearly finished. From the sound of things, it might be a few hours until he's done."
Hours… Ugh, I was fine with it, having lived out in a rural area meant that sometimes there's just nothing to do but watch nature. On the other hand, the personality traits I got from Xyzarach are telling me that I hate waiting around, and that I do something, ANYTHING, useful to fill the time.
"Hours… maybe… Hey, Michele! Do you mind if I come with you over to this Kaminko's place? The ride there and back should eat up enough time that the Professor should be ready to see me, and we can talk while we're there."
"Well…"
Last edited:
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
Well, it's certainly taking longer for your version of Marked to kick in than it did on me.
- Location
- Canada
Eh, rather than go for the "And suddenly, Ninjas" method, I'm going to have cipher want to target me directly because of things that happen on screen. Cipher conflict actually begins in the next chapter/chapter after next, now that I think about it...
Besides, it has already caused at least one fight, and gained me an unconvertible enemy.
EDIT:
Damn, there was supposed to be cipher in the chapter below this, but than I ran over on my word quota and hit a spot that was so perfect for chapter end that I couldn't say no.
Still, chapter after will have the first official cipher fight.
Last edited:
Chapter 5 – Pokémon: Madhouse
- Location
- Canada
"…Ah, heck, Why not?"
"Great! Let's get going then!"
We went out the doors of the HQ, and I followed Michele to an outbuilding down the road to get her own ride. Leaving her there, I went a bit farther to grab my motorcycle, and within minutes she came speeding my way on a compact but surprisingly fast electric scooter.
*whistles* "Wow, that's a nice bike you've got, a lot more power than my old scooter. Although… it's a bit big, isn't it? Not over compensating for something, are you?"
D-did she just?!
"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?"
"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?"
"I can neither confirm, nor deny, that I find that flustered look to be hilarious."
Palming my face, I must have ground out something like "Let's go.", because the next moment she took off down the road as a followed along to the house of this "Dr. Kaminko".
Pulling up to the wide open wrought iron gates over an hour later, I couldn't help but notice that the sky had become clouded, the light plunging into a dim overcast, save for frequent bright flashes from farther ahead.
As I passed through the gates, I was once again struck dumb by the scenery, though not in a good way this time. The house looked like something that could only exist in fiction, like some insane fusion of haunted house and mad scientist laboratory. It had Jacobs ladder-Tesla Coils sticking from its roof, damnit!
"Your little brother spends his free time here?" I ask Michele, wondering how anyone would let their kids visit a place like this.
"Well, this is where he said he goes, but I never actually checked up on the place before now. I mean, other than how his house looks, Kaminko is supposed to be a perfectly upstanding person…"
As we traversed the yard we passed by huge statue of Groudon, the legendary drought Pokémon, that was set into a fountain. Seeing that, I wasn't sure if the owner was trying to be ironic, or if he just didn't see the connection. Either way, it didn't help to reassure me to the lucidity of this house's occupant.
As we stepped up to the door, a voice called out from the darkness at the side of the yard.
"Halt trespassers! The great Chobin will not allow thieves to enter the home of the illustrious Dr. Kaminko! Go, my Pokémon! Subdue the intruders!"
Suddenly, with barely any warning, me and Michele were in a Pokémon Battle, and a Double Battle at that.
As Blaze hopped off my head, and Michele sent out her Eevee, I groaned at our opposition.
'Crap. Blaze, be careful, they may look dumb, but they have you at a serious type disadvantage.'
Psyduck and Slowpoke, sometimes called the dopey duo of Kanto. They may have looked silly with matching confused expressions, and a reputation for low intelligence, but unfortunately for me, as dual Water-Psychic Types they had the elemental advantage over Blaze, both now and after she Evolves.
At first we held back, trying to explain ourselves and end this pointless fight before someone got hurt, but the lab coat and glasses wearing teen didn't listen to a word we said, instead repeatedly crowing about the greatness of Dr. Kaminko, and his own greatness for having apprehended the "Vile thieving trespassers", celebrating before he'd even won.
Without the harmful intent of a Shadow Pokémon to read against, I had no way to directly help Blaze, and eventually things turned sour, as Blaze was caught in the crossfire of a double watergun.
"Blaze!" I screamed, feeling her pain through our bond. Rushing over to where she had fallen, I checked to make sure she's alright.
"Zach! Is she ok?!" shouted Michele as her Eevee tried to hold off both Pokémon at once.
"She's just knocked out, she'll be ok once she gets some rest!" I shouted back in relief, while returning Blaze to her Pokéball.
"That's it… We tried to be nice, tried to explain, but I've had it! Eevee! BITE!"
And with those few words, the tables turned instantly. Falling one after the other to Eevee's Dark Type Bite, Chobin's two Pokémon were swiftly beaten, and the teen himself shaking in fear of the "villains".
Walking over to him, I let him know just how angry I was "Damnit! Are you stupid, blind, and deaf! Why wouldn't you listen to us! We're not here to rob you; we're here to pick up Michele's kid brother!"
"You're here to get rid of the annoying blue haired boy? The one who keeps getting in Chobin's way and taking up the valuable time of the Great Dr. Kaminko? Why didn't you just say this? Come, follow Chobin."
What. No, really, What!? He calls us intruders, hurts Blaze, and then just tells us to follow him and get rid of his problem?!
Following after the teen, we eventually end up in a study room, where a short old man with ridiculously tall hair sat behind a desk talking to an old man in a Hawaiian shirt, while a young boy with blue hair stood of to the side poking at anything he could get near.
"Hmmm? Well, hello. I'm Dr. Kaminko, what can I do to help you?"
Stepping forward as spokesman, I said "To start with, we're here to get Michele's brother, but I'd also like to ask to use your Pokéhealer. Your assistant was I bit… rough, on us when he thought we were burglars."
"Hmmm, Pokéhealer you say? Hmmm, yes, we had one of those, but I took it apart to build one of my wonderful inventions, The Effort Reducer!"
Well, I'm all for reducing effort.
"So what does it do?"
"It lowers the Effort Values of any Pokémon put into it!"
That's… less useful… maybe if someone wanted to retrain their Pokémon's EVs…
Not thinking along the same lines as me, Michele asked "But what would you use something like that for?"
"My idea is to run all the Pokémon I can through it, reducing the power of Pokémon in general, thus making the wilderness safer to explore!"
At which I couldn't help but blurt "But wild Pokémon, even ones released by Trainers, don't have Effort Values."
"Yes, I put a lot of effort into making this invention, why do you ask?"
Michele and I shared a look, and she took over.
"Right, that's very nice but I have to get Joey back to our mom. C'mon, Joey, it's time to go home now."
"But Big Sis!"
"NOW."
"…ok."
After that, we made a quick-march out the door and across the yard. As we crossed the gates we looked at each other.
"We're never going back there." "Oh, hell no."
"Great! Let's get going then!"
We went out the doors of the HQ, and I followed Michele to an outbuilding down the road to get her own ride. Leaving her there, I went a bit farther to grab my motorcycle, and within minutes she came speeding my way on a compact but surprisingly fast electric scooter.
*whistles* "Wow, that's a nice bike you've got, a lot more power than my old scooter. Although… it's a bit big, isn't it? Not over compensating for something, are you?"
D-did she just?!
"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?"
"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?"
"I can neither confirm, nor deny, that I find that flustered look to be hilarious."
Palming my face, I must have ground out something like "Let's go.", because the next moment she took off down the road as a followed along to the house of this "Dr. Kaminko".
Pulling up to the wide open wrought iron gates over an hour later, I couldn't help but notice that the sky had become clouded, the light plunging into a dim overcast, save for frequent bright flashes from farther ahead.
As I passed through the gates, I was once again struck dumb by the scenery, though not in a good way this time. The house looked like something that could only exist in fiction, like some insane fusion of haunted house and mad scientist laboratory. It had Jacobs ladder-Tesla Coils sticking from its roof, damnit!
"Your little brother spends his free time here?" I ask Michele, wondering how anyone would let their kids visit a place like this.
"Well, this is where he said he goes, but I never actually checked up on the place before now. I mean, other than how his house looks, Kaminko is supposed to be a perfectly upstanding person…"
As we traversed the yard we passed by huge statue of Groudon, the legendary drought Pokémon, that was set into a fountain. Seeing that, I wasn't sure if the owner was trying to be ironic, or if he just didn't see the connection. Either way, it didn't help to reassure me to the lucidity of this house's occupant.
As we stepped up to the door, a voice called out from the darkness at the side of the yard.
"Halt trespassers! The great Chobin will not allow thieves to enter the home of the illustrious Dr. Kaminko! Go, my Pokémon! Subdue the intruders!"
Suddenly, with barely any warning, me and Michele were in a Pokémon Battle, and a Double Battle at that.
As Blaze hopped off my head, and Michele sent out her Eevee, I groaned at our opposition.
'Crap. Blaze, be careful, they may look dumb, but they have you at a serious type disadvantage.'
Psyduck and Slowpoke, sometimes called the dopey duo of Kanto. They may have looked silly with matching confused expressions, and a reputation for low intelligence, but unfortunately for me, as dual Water-Psychic Types they had the elemental advantage over Blaze, both now and after she Evolves.
At first we held back, trying to explain ourselves and end this pointless fight before someone got hurt, but the lab coat and glasses wearing teen didn't listen to a word we said, instead repeatedly crowing about the greatness of Dr. Kaminko, and his own greatness for having apprehended the "Vile thieving trespassers", celebrating before he'd even won.
Without the harmful intent of a Shadow Pokémon to read against, I had no way to directly help Blaze, and eventually things turned sour, as Blaze was caught in the crossfire of a double watergun.
"Blaze!" I screamed, feeling her pain through our bond. Rushing over to where she had fallen, I checked to make sure she's alright.
"Zach! Is she ok?!" shouted Michele as her Eevee tried to hold off both Pokémon at once.
"She's just knocked out, she'll be ok once she gets some rest!" I shouted back in relief, while returning Blaze to her Pokéball.
"That's it… We tried to be nice, tried to explain, but I've had it! Eevee! BITE!"
And with those few words, the tables turned instantly. Falling one after the other to Eevee's Dark Type Bite, Chobin's two Pokémon were swiftly beaten, and the teen himself shaking in fear of the "villains".
Walking over to him, I let him know just how angry I was "Damnit! Are you stupid, blind, and deaf! Why wouldn't you listen to us! We're not here to rob you; we're here to pick up Michele's kid brother!"
"You're here to get rid of the annoying blue haired boy? The one who keeps getting in Chobin's way and taking up the valuable time of the Great Dr. Kaminko? Why didn't you just say this? Come, follow Chobin."
What. No, really, What!? He calls us intruders, hurts Blaze, and then just tells us to follow him and get rid of his problem?!
Following after the teen, we eventually end up in a study room, where a short old man with ridiculously tall hair sat behind a desk talking to an old man in a Hawaiian shirt, while a young boy with blue hair stood of to the side poking at anything he could get near.
"Hmmm? Well, hello. I'm Dr. Kaminko, what can I do to help you?"
Stepping forward as spokesman, I said "To start with, we're here to get Michele's brother, but I'd also like to ask to use your Pokéhealer. Your assistant was I bit… rough, on us when he thought we were burglars."
"Hmmm, Pokéhealer you say? Hmmm, yes, we had one of those, but I took it apart to build one of my wonderful inventions, The Effort Reducer!"
Well, I'm all for reducing effort.
"So what does it do?"
"It lowers the Effort Values of any Pokémon put into it!"
That's… less useful… maybe if someone wanted to retrain their Pokémon's EVs…
Not thinking along the same lines as me, Michele asked "But what would you use something like that for?"
"My idea is to run all the Pokémon I can through it, reducing the power of Pokémon in general, thus making the wilderness safer to explore!"
At which I couldn't help but blurt "But wild Pokémon, even ones released by Trainers, don't have Effort Values."
"Yes, I put a lot of effort into making this invention, why do you ask?"
Michele and I shared a look, and she took over.
"Right, that's very nice but I have to get Joey back to our mom. C'mon, Joey, it's time to go home now."
"But Big Sis!"
"NOW."
"…ok."
After that, we made a quick-march out the door and across the yard. As we crossed the gates we looked at each other.
"We're never going back there." "Oh, hell no."
Last edited:
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
OMAKE: Crossover? Nah, couldn't be.
I had a day off, which I was spending in Gateon Port. I had just stepped out into the street, when I felt a particularly strong Aura signature nearby. The emotional content attached to it was multilayered, including resignation, determination, hopelessness, and shear unrelenting hatred. Looking in its direction, I soon spotted a teenager slightly younger than myself stepping out of a crack in reality. They sat down as the... warehouse portal (such BS unfairness, why couldn't I have one of those!?) closed behind them. They seemed strangely intent on something that was out in the harbor, and I turned to look in that direction as well.
It happened quickly, a streak of light smashing down from the heavens. There was a nearly blinding flash followed by an exceedingly loud rumbling boom several minutes later, and I was sure I could see a mushroom cloud on the horizon. When I turned back to see that mysterious figure on the rooftops, they had gone, presumably back into that pocket dimension of theirs.
As I helped someone to their feet, I wondered just what the connection was. There was no way this incident wasn't connected to that extremely bitter person, and I was going to find out how.
I had a day off, which I was spending in Gateon Port. I had just stepped out into the street, when I felt a particularly strong Aura signature nearby. The emotional content attached to it was multilayered, including resignation, determination, hopelessness, and shear unrelenting hatred. Looking in its direction, I soon spotted a teenager slightly younger than myself stepping out of a crack in reality. They sat down as the... warehouse portal (such BS unfairness, why couldn't I have one of those!?) closed behind them. They seemed strangely intent on something that was out in the harbor, and I turned to look in that direction as well.
It happened quickly, a streak of light smashing down from the heavens. There was a nearly blinding flash followed by an exceedingly loud rumbling boom several minutes later, and I was sure I could see a mushroom cloud on the horizon. When I turned back to see that mysterious figure on the rooftops, they had gone, presumably back into that pocket dimension of theirs.
As I helped someone to their feet, I wondered just what the connection was. There was no way this incident wasn't connected to that extremely bitter person, and I was going to find out how.