There is also the fact that, well, we're talking about a variant Zoroark here. Generally trainers looking for a more subserviant relationship would probably look for a pokemon that isn't known for holding grudges and murdering humans over said grudges.
This Weightless Fall (Pokémon SI)
- Thread starter Railyn
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Despite the game mechanics firmly establishing the opposite
. At least in the mainline games. You never have a player character's mon deciding that they're no longer interested, and quitting the team. The fundamental problem is that it's tricky to have the "equal partners" angle coexist with, "I wanna be the very best!", so the games don't really try. Instead they just have the story push the former and the mechanics the latter.That's a pretty big leap to make. Most RPGs don't have party members quit permanently outside of death either. That doesn't imply Barret is somehow subservient to Cloud.Despite the game mechanics firmly establishing the opposite
SilverShadows
Under autumn skies
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The game mechanics actually imply the exact opposite. Friendship and affection are literally both in game mechanics since generation 1 that have only become increasingly more broken over time. Multiple games have had various different kinds of ways to display how your pokemon partners feel about you.Despite the game mechanics firmly establishing the opposite
From varying following pokemon reactions, even going so far as pikachu being visibly anxious about being separated from you by a ledge all the way back in yellow version, to the footprint checkers in gen 4 messages giving direct messages about how strongly the pokemon feels about you.
In the most recent games pokemon display their affection physically when it off their pokeballs too, frequently running circles around their trainer, running up to them to show affection, and even generally choosing to sleep as physically close to the player as they can get if you go afk.
Considering pokemon are mechanically a literally infinite number of randomly generated party members from over a thousand templates rather than defined individually created characters, that's already an astounding amount of characterization put into how they feel about you in the mechanics of the game.
Competitive norms go against the message of pokemon with its emphasis on breeding for "perfect" pokemon and using them as very specific toolset "builds" but Competitive Pokemon is very much NOT how the games are actually intended to be played.
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1. I used quitting as an extreme example to easily get my point across. It does happen in some RPGs, but never in creature battlers.
2. In most RPGs with party systems, you play as all of the characters in the party. In Pokémon you play as one character ordering the others around. If Barret quit the party, players would expect the game to continue telling his story. Have the occasional interlude cutscene from his perspective, plonk him in a town where you can talk to him as an NPC, that sort of thing. But if Pokémon added a mechanic where your mons could quit the party, then when it happened the game would immediately forget that they ever existed.
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There was Black/White 2 where you could catch the various Pokémon N had for his teams after seeing the cutscene "Meeting Friends, Saying Good-Bye".
Every last one has max friendship, set Natures (with the most battle-hungry seeming one being Rash), and lists him as their original trainer, and he did have the ability to understand them.
Really, that's just a limitation of GameFreak's coding ability (and Nintendo's hardware to support it). Gameplay and Story segregation is a fairly typical thing, among many different series. The anime and manga can (and do) easily support it, and even the games have plenty of Pokémon choose to join the Player (whether you want them to or not, I'm looking at you Ogrepon).
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I think that supports my side more than yours. Black and White 1 and 2 are the exception that proves the rule on this subject, and even then, this was the best example you could come up with.
When you trade pokemon, they remember ttheir original trainer, and so does the game.
So, no. The games absolutely COULD set up scenarios where your pokemon leave and also the game remembers, the question is, would that ACTUALLY play into the fantasy?
EDIT: and yes, if you trade a pokemon to someone else and then you two reverse the trade, your pokemon DO in fact, remember that YOU are the original trainer.(not an uncommon way to get trade evo's done).
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You're missing the point.
My argument with the quitting hypothetical is that the game mechanics signal that Pokémon have no value beyond how they can benefit their trainer, and that they have no agency.
The trading mechanics are not a counterexample. When a Pokémon gets traded, they go from bringing value to one trainer to bringing value to another trainer. A trade and reverse-trade is not like them quitting; it's like the trainer firing and then rehiring them. They still don't have any agency.
My argument with the quitting hypothetical is that the game mechanics signal that Pokémon have no value beyond how they can benefit their trainer, and that they have no agency.
The trading mechanics are not a counterexample. When a Pokémon gets traded, they go from bringing value to one trainer to bringing value to another trainer. A trade and reverse-trade is not like them quitting; it's like the trainer firing and then rehiring them. They still don't have any agency.
Railyn
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This whole discussion has been pretty interesting, but at this point I feel like I have to interject because I really have no idea where you're going with this.
...in large part because while I do like talking about how game narrative and mechanics mesh and clash, I don't think it necessarily has a lot of relevance to fanfiction.
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I think it really depends on the personality of the trainer. Most Pokemon are very instinct and emotion driven, so they're not good at making logistical or tactical decisions. With that in mind, a trainer taking that role in the partnership makes sense. So just because trainers make the decisions doesn't mean that they're the owner- just that they're the team leader/planner. Rather than author and artist, I'd liken it to author and editor. Sure, some editors boss around their writers or directly tell them how certain parts should be written, but as someone who's betad before, some writers need that sort of relationship. It doesn't mean a good editor won't be able to adapt to, say, an author who does a lot of their editing themselves (Zoroark).
Basically, I think that the MC won't have a typical relationship, and that will maybe take some adjusting to, but trainers boss around Pokemon because that's what their partner needs. If the MC needs someone more like a friend and consultant than a coach, I think a lot of trainers can make that work.
Of course, none of this applies if we're just talking about an inexperienced kid. Kids aren't the best at empathy, and they get frustrated when things don't go the way they expect. A more experienced trainer will be fine though.
Basically, I think that the MC won't have a typical relationship, and that will maybe take some adjusting to, but trainers boss around Pokemon because that's what their partner needs. If the MC needs someone more like a friend and consultant than a coach, I think a lot of trainers can make that work.
Of course, none of this applies if we're just talking about an inexperienced kid. Kids aren't the best at empathy, and they get frustrated when things don't go the way they expect. A more experienced trainer will be fine though.
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@Young Pyromancer I guess I'll just say I hope this version of the Pokémon world works that way.
Miho Chan
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This is explicitly wrong in canon. Remember, all information we have on the subject states that people who treat their Pokemon as tools aren't people society regards all that well. Every truly powerful trainer we encounter in Pokemon with the sole exception of Ghetsis utilizes positive expressions of the bond between a Pokemon and trainer. The anime drives this point even further home, and Horizons (The new anime) drives this point home even further. Nevermind all of the more obscure lore that outright states that Pokemon and Humans used to get married, some other lore I'm probably forgetting in the moment, and the fact that there's several examples of Pokemon who were abused by other trainers overcoming the shackles of that abuse and becoming more as a result under the caring hands of a friend.
There's a reason friendship mechanics are utterly busted, and have been since Gen VI. Mind, Gen VI required actual investment into a side game to gain the benefit of those mechanics, but they have been there for almost ten years now. Heck, SwSh and ScarVi require outright that you interact with the Picnic and Camping minigames to get max friendship, afaik.
Competitive Pokemon should not be taken as an example of how Pokemon would actually work within the world either, nor should the mechanics of the game. Sure, you can draw some educated guesses on what things might look like in the Pokemon world from the games, but why would you do that when you have several years worth of Anime and Manga who do it, frankly, far better. If you want Nobledark, go read Adventures. If you want something that's mostly just Noblebright but occasionally slips into Nobledark, go watch any of the anime.
Sorry for the block of replies and post. It irritates me to see people posting that "People who treat their Pokemon like actual partners are the exception not the norm" when literally every data point we have refutes this.
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SilverShadows
Under autumn skies
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- US
Yes? I agree? My point was that Competetive Pokemon is the only aspect of the games that actually mechanically supports that argument and it's so far beyond what you actually need or are expected to do playing the game itself to completion it doesn't even represent how one is expected to treat or bond with their pokemon in the games mechanics, never mind the lore or anime.
Miho Chan
One with too many ideas
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My bad, I was mostly refuting the initial post (not yours) and forgot to make that clear
ScreamyBirb
Here is Screaming
A better, more direct comparison is of a team and their a coach. There's also the mentality of pokemon to consider, most are far more simple-minded than humans are, outside of a few rare examples, and would never be able to navigate human society alone even without the language barrier. Sure, a trainer's pokemon may be not much more than glorified pets a lot of the time, but just like pets in reality the trade of autonomy for a massive jump in quality of life (and for pokemon a greatly increased power ceiling) isn't a bad deal at all.
Just imagination
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You can blame @egoo for this one. He put the idea in my head and then it wouldn't leave until I typed it out.
If you want to chat about my writing, or about anything else that catches your fancy, I've got a Discord server here.
If you like my writing enough to tip me some money, I've got a Ko-fi page set up here.
If you want to chat about my writing, or about anything else that catches your fancy, I've got a Discord server here.
If you like my writing enough to tip me some money, I've got a Ko-fi page set up here.
"...and then I play a PokéStop, which removes your Area Zero Underdepths from play." Tyler looked up from the game to meet his opponent's eyes.
"Alright. I'll discard a Gengar and a Fan Rotom from my Bench," she said, moving both of the named cards and her negated Stadium to her discard pile delicately.
Tyler's opponent had a faint smile on her pale face despite the setback, which worried him. He'd been playing the Pokémon Battles card game for long enough to know when he was on the back foot, and his opponent had definitely put him on the back foot with her Variant Zoroark VSTAR deck. When that card had been printed a little while ago, he'd thought it was interesting, but the hard limit on its damage had kept it from getting a foothold in the metagame.
Not for the first time, he was berating himself internally for not realizing that the Tera Pokémon support in the new set would make Variant Zoroark VSTAR an actual threat. He'd left his Charizard ex vulnerable, thinking that its high HP stat would keep it from getting KO'd by Zoroark's attack before he could strike back, but then that stupid Area Zero Underdepths had expanded his opponent's Bench.
A few self-damaging Pokémon cards and a Damage Pump later, and he'd seen his Charizard get taken out in one hit, leaving him scrambling as the other player just kept taking prize cards.
"I'll activate the PokéStop Stadium ability to discard three cards from the top of my deck," Tyler announced. Anxiously, he flipped three cards into his discard pile—Rare Candy, Charmeleon, and Professor's Research. He pulled the Rare Candy off of the pile, showing it to his opponent who simply inclined her head, before putting the card in his hand.
Tyler looked down at the few cards he had available. He might not be in the ideal position, but maybe he could still make this work after all. He just had to keep her from getting set back up before those last two prize cards were gone.
He looked back at the girl across the table, who just continued to smile back at him from behind her long white hair. What was her name again? He'd have to ask later so he could stay in contact; he could definitely use someone to help him practice this matchup.
"I'll play a Capturing Aroma," he decided, placing the card on the table in front of him. The outcome of the game would probably come down to this coin flip. Tyler let out a breath, then picked up the coin and sent it spinning into the air. Both players' eyes followed its path closely as it came down—heads!
Riffling through his deck, Tyler put a card from it on the table between the players. "I'll put a Charizard ex into my hand." Before replacing his deck, he put the Rare Candy card he'd gotten earlier onto the table as well. "Rare Candy, evolve my active Charmander into Charizard ex, which will activate Charizard's Infernal Reign ability. I'll grab two basic Fire energy from my deck to attach to it before shuffling," he finished, putting actions to words.
As he shuffled his deck, Tyler took another look at his opponent. That same satisfied smile was still on her face. Well, he thought, we'll see if I can't wipe that off her face with my next card. A smirk started to play across his lips as he set his newly-shuffled deck back in place.
"Boss's Orders," he declared simply, flipping his last card around to show her. "Switching out to your Dedenne ex."
Once again, the girl delicately picked up her cards, her face now shadowed behind her hair as she looked down. The Dedenne hit the table where the Variant Zoroark VStar had been.
The girl looked back up as she placed the Zoroark on her Bench. That smile, that smile, it was still there, and it was even wider! Did she know something? Did she have a plan?
A chill ran down Tyler's spine. Was it just him, or did those teeth look a little too sharp? No, no, he had to be seeing things. He was just getting caught up in the moment, that was all. He'd turned things completely around off of some incredible luck, of course he was getting excited!
"I'll use Charizard's Burning Darkness to deal three hundred damage to your Dedenne. That'll get me two prize cards and end my turn."
The Dedenne was moved to his opponent's discard pile, and Tyler finally, finally managed to take his first prize cards of the game. That was the second Tera Pokémon that had hit his opponent's discard pile, the other one having been discarded to a Professor's Research a few turns prior. Odds were good that she wouldn't have any more in her deck given how little its attacks did for her strategy, so even if she did have another Area Zero Underdepths to play back out, she wouldn't be able to take advantage of its effect. Tyler breathed a subtle sigh of relief, looking at the two new cards in his hand. Another Boss's Orders would help speed things along if needed, but it seemed like this would be his game even without it.
His opponent finally spoke. "Zoroark will go back to the active spot, and it's my turn," she said calmly. Did nothing faze this girl?
The girl drew a card and looked down at her hand, then glanced back up at Tyler. Her lips were barely visible behind the fan of cards, but he could see they were twisted in a vicious smirk. For a moment, he thought her eyes flashed yellow. When he looked more closely, they were the same ice-blue they'd been this whole time.
"Let's start things off with an Ultra Ball," she announced, setting three cards on the field. One Ultra Ball, of course, and two more Gengar getting discarded? That would have been a huge problem if Tyler hadn't gotten rid of her Tera Pokémon. Those three cards were swiftly moved to the discard pile before the girl flipped through her dwindling deck nonchalantly. "I'll just grab another Doduo, I suppose."
Tyler couldn't help but hold his breath. Did she have something up her sleeve? Was she bluffing?
"I'll play out another Area Zero Underdepths," his opponent continued. "But that doesn't do much, does it?" she asked as Tyler dutifully shifted his own Stadium to the discard pile. "So I'll continue with a Night Stretcher. My Dedenne ex will return from the grave," she announced, "and when I play it to my Bench, I will once more have three open slots. Just enough space for all three of my Gengar to rise with three damage counters each."
Each card was carefully placed onto the field. The girl's grin had turned savage, and…no, he wasn't seeing things. Her eyes were turning yellow, her hair beginning to rise in wisping patterns. When she spoke again, her teeth were razor sharp. "Their malice will fuel my revenge," she said in an echoing voice as the whole room began to go dark.
Tyler couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
"And now, your final Pokémon will fall to my Ticking Curse. Leaving you…as my next victim."
The girl stood up. A grinning, ghostly fox took her place, just like the one on the card that had defeated him. Tyler's vision went dark.
- - - -
"—leave you alone for two hours. You just couldn't resist getting into trouble, huh?"
Tyler's eyes flickered open to the sound of an unfamiliar voice, and he registered that he was unharmed. What had happened…?
"Oh, he's awake!" someone else said, and a jolt of adrenaline sent him shooting upright. That was her voice.
"No, no, it's okay," reassured the first voice, which proved to belong to another young girl who was dressed for the road. Most likely a trainer, then. She looked a little familiar; had Tyler seen her somewhere before? "I'm sorry about her," the probably-trainer continued, making placating gestures with her hands. "She's—"
"Naomi, I can apologize for myself."
The newly named Naomi cut herself off mid-sentence and threw her hands up at the interruption. "Alright, alright. I'll let you handle it. But be nice, okay?"
The…girl? Ghost? that had been Tyler's opponent in the card game took a step forward, though she kept a respectful distance from him. "I'm sorry about that," she said. "I didn't mean to scare you that much. I was having a lot of fun playing against you, and I guess I got a little too into it."
Tyler blinked. He opened his mouth, then thought better of it and closed his mouth again. He blinked some more. Finally, he asked, "Wait, so are you…?"
"I'm a variant Zoroark," she confirmed.
"And a handful," Naomi grumbled, though with more than a little fondness in her voice.
A few more moments passed as Tyler processed this. He'd lost to a variant Zoroark who was hamming it up while playing a Variant Zoroark deck? That was…
"Okay, that was a little funny," he decided.
"See?" The disguised Zoroark turned to Naomi, sticking her tongue out. "Buzzkill."
Naomi lowered her head into her hands as she let out an explosive sigh. Tyler couldn't help but snicker, and after a few moments all three of them were laughing together.
Railyn
fluffy
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Yeah, but figuring out how I wanted to write that would have taken longer than a day. So I went with this instead.
If this is a blip into the future then I'm all for it
8 - A place I wanna take you
Railyn
fluffy
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- She/Her
After a morning sparring session with Leafeon, I've elected to break away from the rest of the family to relax by the lake. It's not really anything out of the ordinary; sometimes I just need some quiet alone time to recharge. Some days, I wind up relaxing enough to fall asleep. Today is one of those days.
Today is also the day that I'm awoken by a new, extremely unpleasant scent. Blinking the sleep out of my eyes, I instinctively start to stumble in the opposite direction of that horrid stench even before I consciously register it. As I manage to come to my senses, I can't help but notice that this odor is distinctly unlike anything I've ever personally smelled before—every awful scent I remember from both of my lives, from rotting meat to acrid chemicals, none of them quite match.
Despite my immediate revulsion, my curiosity is officially piqued. I want to find out what the source of this scent is. I figure that as long as I'm cautious, the worst that can happen is that I find out why I should avoid it beyond just that automatic aversion.
I'm not confident enough in my illusions to simply hide in plain sight—if I get a particularly strong whiff, I'm worried I might lose focus and drop them. So I elect to hide in the foliage, away from the source of the smell, of course. It's not ideal, given that my fur isn't exactly the right color for blending into a lush temperate forest, but it's good enough. My illusions can do the rest of the work. If I do lose hold of them, I should at least have enough concealment to retreat quietly.
Following through on this plan doesn't take long, which is good because the scent is getting stronger by the moment. Right after I finish weaving my illusions, the source emerges from the treeline not far from where I'd been when I woke up. It's a human. That's…strange. I know humans don't normally smell like this.
Something about this human looks familiar. I can't quite figure out why, so in spite of my hindbrain telling me to leave immediately to get away from that scent I stay right where I am and take a closer look.
Ah. That's Naomi.
She looks around the lakeside, hanging her head once she's given the area a once-over. Dejected, she trudges towards the water, wading right into the shallows. Is it a hot day today? I've noticed as summer has settled in that I don't really feel the temperature anymore, not beyond a distant awareness. Mostly, I just feel cold.
Naomi bends down to splash water into her face. I expect that to be the end of it, but she takes the time to wet the rest of her exposed skin, as though she's washing something off of herself. When she finally straightens, her posture is noticeably more relaxed than before. That seems like one question answered, then.
I stay right where I am as she returns to dry land, settling down in the sun to let herself dry off. My curiosity is piqued. It's been a few days since we first met. Why did Naomi come back here? And why did she come alone? I want to get closer and find out, but the thought of getting any closer with that horrid stench still hanging in the air makes me recoil. Indecision keeps me rooted in place for a few minutes, and I can't help but let out a sigh once I realize what's happening. Bad habits really are a pain and a half to get rid of.
My attention turns back to Naomi. She still hasn't moved from her spot, so hopefully she'll be here for a while. Perhaps long enough for that scent to go away.
…Hold on. Something seems a little different. I take a few careful sniffs, hoping not to get a complete noseful of nastiness. It could just be my imagination, but it seems like the smell is beginning to fade. Maybe Naomi was washing something off after all. Is there such a thing as Pokémon repellent spray? It wouldn't surprise me if there was.
It also wouldn't surprise me if she'd inadvertently annoyed several other Pokémon on the way here by tracking bad smells through the forest. If I hadn't stuck around to satisfy my curiosity, I'd probably be pretty cranky right about now.
Humming softly to myself, I settle to the ground as I let the weave of my illusions unravel. I'll stick around for a while, and see why Naomi's here once the smell has faded enough for me to bear it. Not much sense in going the extra mile to hide right now if I'm planning to approach her openly later anyways.
- - - -
Fortunately, I don't have very long to wait. The sun has just barely reached its zenith when I decide that the scent is faint enough to risk approaching. Naomi hasn't moved much; she's just gone to sit against a tree. Most of the time she's been here, she's just been looking out at the lake. Admittedly, that's become one of my favorite pastimes in recent days, so I can't speak too much on it.
I push my way through the foliage. I half expect Naomi to react to the noise, but she doesn't move. Did she hear me? I wasn't trying to keep quiet. I would have thought that noise would be enough to alert her. Is her sense of hearing worse than I thought?
…Am I already starting to forget what it's like to be a human?
My stride falters for just a moment before I tuck that budding existential crisis into the back of my mind. Once I'm fully out in the open, Naomi seems to notice me, her face brightening. She gives me a friendly wave as I approach. Once I've closed the distance, I press my nose into her hand, eliciting a giggle.
"It's good to see you too," she tells me, running her hand along my muzzle. "I hope it's okay that I came back all of a sudden. I don't know if it's rude to not give any warning or something."
"It's not a problem," I reply softly. I enjoyed spending time with her before, and I'm glad for the chance to get to know her a little better. Besides, the lake isn't really anyone's territory, so it's not like there's a need for any warning anyways.
She seems to get the gist, and a bit of tension fades away. "It's been…it's been hard for me, these last few months. I've felt so alone, every day. Except…that day when Lana brought me here to meet you." Naomi exhales heavily, her eyes flicking off to one side. "You weren't what I expected, you know."
I tilt my head in a wordless question. I think I get a little bit of what she means, given what I remember of how she'd reacted to me that day, but I don't think I have the full picture.
"It…well, it was kind of two things," she begins. "All Lana told me was that she was bringing me to meet a Pokémon who'd also lost their partner, so I think I was expecting a Pokémon that was doing about as well as I was." Her last few words have a wry twist to them, and she nods down at herself. "But there you were, playing with those Eevee instead of just…drying up inside, like me."
She trails off there, hands moving like she doesn't know what to do with them. Hoping to comfort her as she gathers her nerve, I settle to the ground next to her, placing my head on her lap for easy access. One hand moves to cradle my head, while the other comes to rest on top of it. For a moment, her fingers manage to find that spot behind my ears that Lana had sought out on our first meeting, coaxing a rumbling purr from my throat.
Naomi huffs a ghost of a laugh, and that seems like enough for her to continue. "The other part of it was…well, I'm not from around here. My family's lived in Sinnoh forever, and I grew up in the north. My grandma was all about keeping the family history alive. Apparently, a few people back up the family tree were some of the settlers that founded Jubilife City. I got to hear all the stories about them, and she told me lots of stories passed down from those times." Her breath hitches. "A lot of them were…were about Zoroark like you. 'Baneful Foxes', she always called them."
A chill goes down my spine. Naomi must notice my distress, because she holds my head just a little more tightly.
"They weren't good stories," she rasps. "Over and over again, Grandma would tell me about how Baneful Foxes were all cruel killers who hated humans. Hearing all of that when I was little…it stuck with me. When I first saw you, I thought—" her voice cuts off abruptly.
I keep my breathing slow and even, as steady as I can. I deliberately don't look up, and I try to project a sense of calm, like nothing's wrong. Like what she was about to say didn't cause dread to pool in my gut.
Eventually, I can hear Naomi's ragged breathing grow less frantic. Her breaths begin to sync with mine. Her hand caresses my fur gently, perhaps in thanks.
"But that wasn't what happened," she finally says. "I didn't see a Pokémon who wanted nothing more than to trick and trap humans. I just saw a Pokémon who knew what it was like to have to put herself back together after her world ended."
She stops talking there, but I can hear a few more words anyways: Just like me.
A few moments pass in silence as Naomi keeps petting me. A pleasant fog settles over my senses as I enjoy the attention, and I'm dimly aware of my eyes closing. Eventually, I hear a resigned sigh. "Now that I think of it, Grandma didn't like Makoto much either. She wanted me to get a 'traditional Sinnoh starter' for my Journey instead of one of those 'awful foreign Pokémon'." Sarcasm positively dripped from those last three words. "That's why I'm here in Hoenn instead of back home in Sinnoh, you know. Grandma had all these ideas about how my Journey should have gone, and I didn't want anything to do with it. Just because she thinks the Gym Circuit is the only Circuit worth competing in doesn't mean I want to do the Gym Circuit."
"Gym Circuit?" I murmur sleepily. Gyms were in all of the Pokémon stuff I saw as a human, but for all I know they work differently. And what are the other Circuits she's talking about?
"Oh, right. Lana told me that you're a Faller, so you're not from around here. Do you not know what a Circuit is?"
I can absolutely hear the capital C in Circuit, so I can't imagine that any of the meanings of the word I'm familiar with are what she means. I shake my head, which has the side effect of dislodging some of those pleasant cobwebs that have accumulated in my mind.
"There's a few different ways to be a professional Pokémon Trainer, and they're all called Circuits because you usually need to travel around the whole region if you're serious about competing." I can hear the bitterness in Naomi's voice fade away as she launches into an explanation that turns out to take quite a long time.
Honestly, it's pretty interesting stuff. I've always loved listening to people talk about their passions, and Naomi's certainly got a lot of passion for competition.
She starts with a general overview of Hoenn's various Circuits—the Battle Circuits are all about battling, and the Contest Circuits are about showmanship. Contest Circuits are divided based on what kind of show they want competitors to put on: for example, the Cute Circuit wants adorable contestants, while the Clever Circuit wants their competitors to show off innovative ways of using moves or abilities.
Most of the time that Naomi speaks, however, is dedicated to gushing about the Battle Circuits. Most regions, she tells me, have four main Battle Circuits: the Ace Circuit, the Gym Circuit, the Doubles Circuit, and the Singles Circuit. Battle Circuits are divided by battle format, with each providing a different challenge to both Trainers and Pokémon.
The Gym Circuit works more or less how I expected it to work from the games I'd played as a human. Competitors are expected to defeat eight Gyms, with each Gym they face getting progressively more difficult. It works that way, Naomi explains, because the primary challenge of the Gym Circuit is in actually building a strong roster over time rather than walking in with one. Trainers can only start the Circuit season with one or two Pokémon in their roster, and all other Pokémon they use to compete have to be caught or traded for in-region over the course of the season. The actual battle rules of the Gym Circuit are the ones I'm familiar with from those games: one Pokémon on the field at a time, and a maximum of six per battle.
Naomi uses the Gym Circuit to segue into an explanation of the Ace Circuit, telling me that a lot of Ace Circuit trainers are former GC competitors that wanted to face harder challenges with the Pokémon they caught during their GC season. The Ace Circuit doesn't have any restrictions on where Trainers' Pokémon can come from, but it also doesn't have any ramping up of the challenge. Veteran Ace Circuit Trainers have a reputation of being some of the strongest in their regions. The AC battle format is like the competitive format I was starting to learn before my death: two Pokémon on the field at once with a maximum of six per battle.
After some chatter about the differences between roster building for GC and AC, Naomi moves on to the Doubles Circuit. Like the Ace Circuit, there's no limit on where Pokémon can come from, but the Doubles Circuit limits each Trainer to just two Pokémon per battle, and both are on the field at once. "As cool as roster building for GC and AC is," Naomi confides, "I think DC and SC are even cooler because they're all about working hard with just one or two partners and making sure you're ready for anything!"
Of course, she admits, not every competitor sticks to just one or two Pokémon partners. In Singles and Doubles Circuit tournaments, Trainers have to use the same Pokémon for the whole event, but there are no restrictions on using different Pokémon for different tournaments. Singles battles, unsurprisingly, are limited to a single Pokémon per side. Bad type matchups in either are just something that have to be overcome, unlike in GC and AC where Trainers can swap out of them. Some Trainers have a few different Pokémon they swap out depending on the expected field of competitors, while others just stick to their primary partners and focus on getting those partners as strong as possible. Apparently, neither approach is definitively superior, with both kinds of Trainers winning tournaments all the time.
Naomi's a Singles Circuit competitor. "Or, at least, I was, until Makoto died," she mutters. A heavy silence hangs over us for a few seconds, but Naomi shoves it aside so she can tell me about some of the opponents she's faced.
One in particular that sticks with me is a story from one of her earliest tournament runs, when she and Makoto were still finding their footing in competition.
"We made it through the first few rounds just fine," Naomi begins, gesturing wildly with her hands, "probably because even back then Makoto was super focused on his training. I'm still not sure whether that's a Fighting type thing or specifically a Mienfoo thing, but it really paid off. Then we ran into a Lairon. It's a Steel and Rock type, so it's super weak to Fighting type moves. I'd heard that you can't rely entirely on type advantage in SC tournaments, but seeing it in person was incredible. We couldn't land a single solid hit. Somehow, that Lairon would always manage to avoid Makoto's attacks. It'd make obstacles out of the ground, or use a Substitute, or even just get barely out of the way. Then, right at the very end of the fight, he got past everything with a Force Palm! I thought it was over, and it was—but it was over for us. The Lairon managed to Endure the hit, and then it completely blew Makoto away."
The whole thing lasts for long enough that we wind up moving a few times in the middle, partly to keep muscles from cramping and partly because we realize belatedly that we're both hungry and thirsty. Naomi proves to have brought her own water, but apparently either forgot or didn't bother with food. It's not really a problem, though. The local berry supply can handle feeding her for today.
Around when Naomi finishes a tangent about the merits of different type combinations in the Singles Circuit, I glance at the sun to see that it's crawled more than halfway to the horizon.
"Hey," I cut in before she can get on a different topic. "It might be a good idea to wrap up." I nod up at the sun.
Naomi glances up briefly, then double takes. Pulling a folding device out of her pocket, she grimaces before flipping it open. Whatever she sees on the screen must not be what she was hoping to see, because her mood immediately drops. "I…I should get back," she says reluctantly, snapping the device closed. "I don't want anyone to think I went missing and start looking for me. I'd get in so much trouble for wandering off-Route alone…" She trails off with a sigh. "I really don't like Repel," she mutters to herself as she reaches into her bag.
Oh no. I leap back with an alarmed bark and just barely restrain myself from pouncing on the human to stop her. "Not here, you aren't!" I snap, hackles raised. Smelling that once in a day was more than enough, thank you very much.
Naomi jumps at the sudden movement. She raises her hands, palms outward. "Okay, okay. I won't do anything here." She takes a steadying breath. "Only, I am going to have to spray on some Repel eventually. I don't…I know there are some Pokémon around here that might attack trespassing humans, and I want to get home safely."
"Sure, but that stuff's probably just gonna annoy them enough that they'll start looking for a scrap. I do not want to risk having to deal with a pissed-off Mightyena," I grumble. Fighting Umbreon is bad enough when he's keeping things friendly. No way the Mightyena around here would do me the same courtesy.
She has a good point, though. I'd be surprised if Naomi knows the local territories; I honestly don't know them all that well myself past this little corner of the forest. Just wandering without that knowledge is a good way to find yourself trespassing on those Pokémon that have a dim view of uninvited guests, so it'd be up to chance whether she'd make it out without angering anyone. Given that she currently doesn't have a Pokémon partner, I don't think that'd end well for her without that Repel.
A thought enters my mind and I blink a few times as I consider it. I give Naomi another look. She's pulled that device out of her pocket again. She's staring intently at the screen, as though committing something to memory.
I could guide her around the territories of the Pokémon that would attack trespassers. Even outside of the part of the forest I actually know, I'd notice signals that a human would miss. And if worst comes to worst, she'd still be better off with me than alone.
I look away as I realize that I'm trying to convince myself. I guess some part of me really wants to go with her, huh? I just…don't quite know why.
Well. I don't really have much of a reason not to, I suppose.
Mind made up, I approach Naomi once more. What is she looking at on that thing, anyways? I get close enough to catch a glimpse of what looks like a map before she snaps it shut. Then, with a nod, she looks up only to yelp and jump at the sight of me. Whoops. I guess I snuck up on her a little bit.
"Don't do that!" she huffs, holding a hand to her chest.
I draw back while her breathing evens out. "Sorry," I offer, ears folding back in contrition. I really didn't mean to scare her. I'm just used to moving quietly.
"It's alright," Naomi reassures. She takes a few quick steps to close the distance and caresses the fur on the side of my face. "I really do have to get going now, though. I need to get back before dark."
"Alright," I say. "Where to?"
"Yes, I'm sure I can't stay longer. I'll see you later, hopefully," she replies, the seeming non sequitur freezing me in place as she begins to walk off. Then my brain catches up and I remember that she can't actually understand what I'm saying.
Oh well. She'll figure it out soon enough. I bound forward to catch up, and almost before I know it I'm right back at Naomi's side again.
- - - -
Between Naomi making sure we keep moving in the correct general direction and me ensuring that we don't cross over into any hostile territories, we make good time.
"Well, there it is," Naomi says not long after we reach a clearly human-made path. "Rustboro City."
We've crested a hill, and below us sprawls a city that meets none of my expectations. All of the cities I was familiar with had been built in defiance of nature, but this one seems more as though it's built for coexistence. From this distance, there's no clearly defined boundary where nature ends and the city begins. Each encroaches on the other seemingly at random, and the urban sprawl I'm more familiar with is continually interrupted by patches of green.
"Oh, it's your first time seeing the city, huh?" Naomi's voice cuts in, and I realize that I'd been so focused on taking in the view I'd all but forgotten why I'm here.
I nod. "It seems like a nice place," I muse to myself. It's a far cry from the inconvenient, alienating cityscapes that I'd been so accustomed to. In my old life, I think I would have been happy living somewhere like this.
We stand there in silence for a few moments more as I continue to drink in the sight. The setting sun glitters off of the ocean as I finally tear my eyes away.
"So…" Naomi begins uncertainly, "this is where we part ways and both go home, right?"
Originally, that was going to be the case. But now that I've seen what the city looks like? Now I'm curious.
"Nope!" I proclaim with a smile and a jovial shake of the head. Before Naomi can respond, I weave a pattern I've been refining for weeks. My shape melts into an indistinct blur before resolving into something firmly different as the illusion takes hold. I spent a lot of time by the lake tweaking the fine details. I wanted to make sure that when I disguise myself as a human, I have an appearance all my own.
The guise I've chosen is that of a young woman, appearing just a little older than Naomi. I kept it a little on the shorter side of average height, matching the height of my true self. My illusion's face is pale, with equally pale blue eyes peering out from behind a curtain of straight white hair. I brush the hair out of my face as I give Naomi a cocky grin. I still can't speak in a way that she'll understand, but from the look on her face, that grin says all it needs to.
"I'll be coming with you!" I say anyways. Shock flashes across Naomi's face at the sound of a Zoroark's voice coming from a human mouth, and I barely stifle a laugh. Rather than speak any further, I make a few gestures. A finger presses against my lips, then taps my throat.
"Alright, alright, I can play along," Naomi groans. "I guess that if anyone asks I can just…pretend you're a mute friend until we get to Ranger HQ. That's where I've been staying; they keep a bunch of rooms there for staff and, I guess, for people they rescue who don't have anywhere else to go. I'm not lying to the Rangers, though."
I give her a cheery nod. Fine by me. I don't think I mind the Rangers knowing this disguise is me. Worst comes to worst, I can always come up with a new one, even if I've already gotten attached to this appearance. It's a little bit stereotypically ghost-like, sure, but that just makes it more amusing.
With a resigned sigh, Naomi leads the way. It doesn't take long for us to cross the city limits, and once we do we pass all sorts of pedestrians. Most of them seem like they have somewhere to be, which is understandable given how late it is. Some seem intrigued by me, though never enough to interrupt themselves to stop and talk. To everyone whose eyes follow me, I give a smile and a wave, and they all wave back.
It's nice. I'm so used to everyone focusing on themselves and paying no mind to those around them that this is a pleasant change of pace. Admittedly, I was one of those people. Anxiety made sure of that. By the time I was willing and able to push past that anxiety, it was just habit.
We don't have far to go before we reach the Ranger HQ, denoted by a distinctive logo that I think I remember seeing on Lana's uniform. It does make sense that it's fairly close to the city's edge, given that Lana had talked about Rangers helping wild Pokémon. Why waste time traveling through the city when you're usually leaving it?
Naomi approaches the front doors, which slide open to let her through. With only a little hesitation, I follow after. The space just inside is fairly open, with various utilitarian furnishings scattered around. I can't quite discern the purpose of some of the things in this room, but it looks more like it was designed as a final stop for professionals to get ready to leave than a public reception area. It reminds me a little bit of a fire station interior in an old movie I saw once. A few hallways lead deeper into the building, with only one blocked off by what looks a lot like a hospital door. Maybe they have medical facilities on site.
"Oh, Naomi! I was just about to send someone to go looking for you! Where have you been?" I hear a voice call out from across the room.
"Hey, Lana," Naomi greets the rapidly-approaching Ranger with an extreme lack of enthusiasm.
"Seriously, I was starting to get worried," Lana continues, stopping just short of us before putting her hands on her hips. "You vanished without a word, and then you didn't respond to any of our messages. Are you alright? Is something wrong?" She looks past Naomi to lock eyes with me. "Who is that?"
I smile back at Lana, gesturing for her to continue with Naomi. I want to see where this is going before I risk dominating the conversation by…well, being here. Naomi shoots me a pleading glance. I shake my head minutely. You made your choices, friend. You got yourself into this, and I'm more than happy to sit back and watch what happens.
If I was in Naomi's place, I'd throw myself under the bus immediately, but I guess she doesn't want to be responsible for inviting that chaos into the situation. She stalls for a moment, managing to say, "N-no, nothing's wrong, really." Taking a deep breath, she continues more steadily. "I just felt like I needed some space. I didn't tell anyone because I figured someone would try to follow me, and that would have made things worse."
"I'm just worried about you, Naomi," Lana murmurs. "I don't…nevermind. I get it. I'm sorry."
I don't know if I like the picture that paints. I'm not always the best at reading between the lines, but given the state Naomi was in when we first met and the way Lana reacted to her vanishing, I think I can understand a little better why she felt stifled.
I take pity on Naomi, stepping forward with a small wave. Lana clears her throat and straightens, turning to face me more fully. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you part of this whole thing. What's your name?"
I grin. "Zoroark!"
Lana jumps in surprise, and I don't bother to suppress a snicker as I let the human illusion dissolve. Once she's calmed down, Lana looks between the two of us and sighs. "Is that where you went, Naomi? To visit Zoroark again?"
"I…yes," she admits sheepishly, looking down at her feet.
"And you are well aware you shouldn't have gone off-Route without a partner in an area you don't know intimately?"
"Yes." Naomi's voice gets smaller as she seems to shrink in on herself. "I brought Repel, though," she tries to interject.
"While I'm glad you at least took some precaution, I've told you that you shouldn't rely on Repel outside of an actual emergency, which we both know this wasn't. I can understand why you did it, but still. Going off-Route with Repel is disruptive, and that's the exact opposite of the Ranger Corps' mission statement." I can't help but fold my ears back a little at the memory of Repel's stench, which is enough for me to catch Lana's attention. She continues, "I bet Zoroark figured that much out herself, which would be why she went with you on the way back. Is that right?" That last question is directed at me rather than Naomi.
I nod back. That was definitely part of my reason, though it was more of a selfish concern than anything else.
Lana's expression softens as she turns back to Naomi. "You could go far as a Ranger, Naomi. I enjoy working with you, and I'd hate to see all of that potential go down the drain because you didn't feel like you could trust anyone else here. If visiting Zoroark helps, I'm happy to make time to take you, or to find someone else who does have time when I can't. If you want to be left alone for those visits, that's okay. If Zoroark doesn't mind, she could bring you home, too, so nobody has to wait for you."
I offer up another nod and an affirmative bark. I've enjoyed spending time with Naomi, and I'm more than happy to help. Besides, that'll let me see the city a little more.
Naomi is quiet for the next few moments, and I can't help but worry as I notice her begin to shake. She takes a quivering breath. "I thought…I thought you were just doing all of this because you felt guilty that you couldn't save Makoto, too."
Lana droops. "I…I was, at first. I still feel like I failed you. But I wouldn't have started mentoring you just because of that. I don't know if you were just reaching for anything to do, but when you started helping out with Ranger work, that was the first time after the landslide that I saw you actually take initiative and work towards something. I saw a real spark, a real drive, and I realized that I wanted to help you chase that."
"I do like Ranger work," Naomi quietly replies. "I like the idea of helping people. I just don't know yet if I want to lock myself into that path. I really like the Singles Circuit, too, and there's a part of me that wants to go back to that. But without Makoto…" A gusty sigh punctuates her statement. "I just don't know," she repeats.
"It feels like finding a new partner would be replacing your old one, doesn't it?" Lana offers.
Naomi flinches, but doesn't say anything. That certainly seems like a confirmation to me. Lana opens her mouth to speak again, but I step forward to press myself into Naomi's side before the Ranger can say anything. "That's not how it works," I gently tell her, even though I know neither of the humans will understand.
I'll never see my old friends again. Finding new friends doesn't mean that I'll forget them, though. I'm always going to carry a part of each of them with me, for as long as I'm around. It's not the first time it's happened, and as painful as it is, it won't be the last. That's just part of what it means to move forward.
"Partnering with a new Pokémon doesn't erase the bond you had with your last partner. It just gives you something new alongside the old," Lana says as Naomi clings to me, tangling her fingers into my fur. She reaches out, gently placing a hand on Naomi's shoulder. "My mentor once told me that as long as you're alive, those you love live on with you. It's okay to keep going without him. His memory will stay with you no matter what." She pats Naomi's shoulder once before stepping back. "Let's get you back to your room. Do you want something to eat? I can get something brought in for you." Lana's gaze shifts to me. There's something in her eyes that I can't quite place. "Same goes for you, Zoroark. I can get you some food if you're hungry. And if you want to, you're welcome to stay the night."
I examine Lana for a few seconds, trying to figure out what that look in her eyes means. All I can come up with is that she seems like she knows something I don't. I'm not quite satisfied with that conclusion, but I think it's all I'll get right now, so I nod. "I won't turn down food," I tell her.
The Ranger nods back before turning to walk away. Naomi…well, Naomi seems like she's sort of shut down. Gently, I coax her forward as Lana looks back to check up on us. I glance up in time to see understanding dawn on the woman's face. "I'll show you where to go," she says, and I incline my head in thanks.
Lana leads us down a series of hallways. I probably should be keeping track of the turns we're taking, but I'm a little too preoccupied with making sure that Naomi keeps moving. It isn't long before Lana opens a door and ushers the pair of us inside, flicking on the light. The room that greets us is sparsely decorated, with little more than a bed, a desk, and a closet. A window on the far wall provides a view of the outdoors.
"I'll be right back with something for both of you to eat," Lana promises before shutting the door.
I walk Naomi to the bed, and as we move she stirs. "Zoroark, I…" She trails off, visibly struggling to find the words she wants to speak. I wait patiently as she collects herself. She gets more and more distressed as she tries to say something, and eventually manages to blurt out, "I don't wanna be alone."
I'm not entirely sure how I'm supposed to respond to that, so I tilt my head.
Naomi blinks at me for a few seconds, shifting uncomfortably. "I mean—" she starts abruptly, then takes a deep breath. "Lana said it was okay if you stay. Can you stay with me tonight?"
Oh.
I…I don't know what answer to give her. I immediately think back to Leafeon, Umbreon, and the pups. I left without telling them anything; they might be worried about me. I hate the thought of leaving them wondering what happened, or if I'm even coming back. But at the same time, I've grown a lot more fond of Naomi than I thought I would in such a short time. I don't want to leave her alone when she clearly needs the company.
"Please?" Naomi begs, her voice cracking as I'm drawn out of my internal debate.
I can't help but whine in empathy. I press my head into her collar, but I guess I'm a little too forceful because I accidentally knock her onto the bed. No, I can't leave Naomi alone when it's hurting her this much, I realize as she wraps her arms around me. I can go back home tomorrow and explain what happened. That can wait. This can't. "I'll stay with you, Naomi," I say into her chest, all but pinning her down onto the bed.
Her grip tightens. She doesn't reply. I'm not sure she needs to.
When the door eventually opens again, I look up to see Lana enter the room bearing a tray with two metal dishes. She gives me a knowing smile, continuing to the desk to set down the tray. "Food's here," she says softly, causing Naomi to stir.
I hop off of the bed to let Naomi up, and walk over to the desk. One of the dishes is filled with curry over rice. The other holds cuts of raw meat along with slices of a few different berries. Well, I know which one's for me.
Naomi walks up behind me as the door shuts behind Lana, leaving the two of us to eat in private. I pick up my dish, sniffing at the food. The meat doesn't quite smell like anything I've eaten since my death, but I smell a few Aspear slices among the berries and my mood immediately brightens. Of all the berries I've tried so far, Aspear is firmly in the top slot. I nudge the Aspear slices off to the side and start eating.
"Do you not like those berries?" Naomi asks around a mouthful of rice.
I lift my muzzle from the dish and try to figure out how to tell her that I'm saving them for last. After a few seconds of contemplation, I mentally shrug and go back to eating. Maybe I could get the idea across eventually, but I figure that it'd be easier to just eat them when I get around to it and let her draw her own conclusions. Sure enough, I can hear a noise of understanding from Naomi once I've bitten into the Aspear slices and let myself savor them.
Not long after I've licked my dish clean of any remaining scraps and juices, I hear a clatter of silverware on metal and a satisfied sigh. Naomi looks a bit less tense now that she's gotten some hot food in her.
She looks a bit hesitant as she sets her empty dish back on the tray, glancing at me as though she can't bear to look for too long. Tentatively, she starts speaking, mostly looking down at her feet. "Would you, um, want to watch a Singles Circuit tournament with me tonight? It's been a while, and talking about all of that earlier today made me get back in the mood, y'know?"
The way she asks that question…it's familiar. I get the sense that she's dancing around the real topic. I'd like to ask what it is she's trying to keep herself from saying, but, well, that's a little hard.
I look her in the eyes, and she flinches away from my gaze. Yeah, she's definitely avoiding something.
I breathe out a small sigh. I suppose I can't really judge her for that. I've done the same too many times to count. "Alright," I say with a nod.
Naomi blinks at me. "O-okay!" she stammers, injecting an obviously faked enthusiasm into her voice. "I've got the video saved on my PokéNav, but the screen's a little small. H-here, I'll set it up on my bed and we can lie down while we watch."
The device she'd checked earlier today comes out of her pocket again. Poking at a few buttons, she sets the PokéNav down at one end of the mattress. The screen stays upright, stuck at the perfect angle for viewing. Minding my claws, I pull myself up onto the bed and settle in. Naomi snatches up the pillow and flops onto the bed next to me, propping up her torso with the pillow.
She reaches up and presses one more button on the PokéNav, causing tinny cheers to erupt from the small device's speakers.
I can't help but focus in as the action begins, eager to see what a fight between Pokémon actually looks like from the outside. I find myself taking mental notes about strategies and gambits I see the Trainers employ, and before long I'm completely caught up in the energy of the tournament.
After a few battles, Naomi carefully reaches out an arm and drapes it over me. In response, I slide myself over so that I'm nestled into her side. She squeaks, but otherwise takes it in stride. Her embrace tightens just a little bit, and when the announcer calls out the next competitors, I understand what it was that had Naomi nervous.
"On one side!" he enthuses, "are the hometown heroes! Trainer Koran and his partner Mathas the Roselia have cut a path through the bracket so far! But will they meet their match here? On the other side, the up-and-coming duo from chilly Sinnoh, Trainer Naomi and her partner Makoto the Mienfoo!"
I'll admit, I don't pay as much attention to this battle as I do Naomi next to me. She shivers and flinches away at first, but as the battle plays out in front of us, the worst passes. When the Naomi on screen calls for a battered Makoto to finish things off with a Reversal, I can see the ghost of a grin play across the present Naomi's face. A sense of satisfaction settles over me. I know how much it can hurt to see photos or video of a lost loved one, and I'm glad Naomi can relive this happy memory without too much pain.
The rest of the tournament plays out on the PokéNav in front of us, but honestly, I'm pretty sure that neither of us pays too much attention after that. It's getting late, and I can feel myself getting more and more tired. Naomi's breathing evens out into sleep as I struggle to keep my eyes open, and I follow not long after, recorded cheers echoing in my ears.
Krazyfan1
Worrying for the future.
- Location
- Australia
great as usual!
i wonder how difficult learning how to write would be?
maybe illusions to showcase things might also help?
also, i wonder if there are some kind of Ranger markings that can be made to create a secret path only her and the rangers know about?
that way she won't need repels?
i wonder how difficult learning how to write would be?
maybe illusions to showcase things might also help?
also, i wonder if there are some kind of Ranger markings that can be made to create a secret path only her and the rangers know about?
that way she won't need repels?
Zoroark can learn to speak human too anyways. I mean I think all pokemon can in theory but zoroark are especially built for that kind of deception work.
Qoheleth
Archivist
- Pronouns
- Any
Even if Remainder's claws turn out to be insufficiently dextrous for pen and paper, they could always go buy a letter board. That's the traditional paraphernalia for communicating with ghosts, after all
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SilverShadows
Under autumn skies
- Location
- US
"I've discovered a surefire way to communicate with Zoroark"Even if Remainder's claws turn out to be insufficiently dextrous for pen and paper, they could always go buy a letter board. That's the traditional paraphernalia for communicating with ghosts, after all
Places a ouija board down in front of her
"...are there any spirits that desire ear skritches among us today?"
Remainder slaps the planchet away
"The spirits are angry today."