Sorry for the late post, I was putting in new parts for my computer yesterday and today one of my graphics card fans died the only part I hadn't replaced, typical really.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than the OCs I create.
Route 208 – Berry Farm
- Souta -
I just finished making a trade with the owner of the berry farm, Cyrus, for the more exotic fruits I had on hand. I could have asked for Pokédollars, but I thought trading for seeds and berries would be better to get started on my own farm in the briefcase, and the rest of the seeds I would pass to Tsubaki.
Cyrus was quite happy to trade the fruits I was offering for seeds and berries; he said he liked the idea of trying to mutate the fruits I gave him with the berries he was currently growing to see if he could get something new out of it. At one point he started rambling about how popular the dragon fruit would be with dragon-type trainers if he could get a decent effect out of it.
I hoped it worked out for him; the older man was clearly passionate about growing berries, with how much he talked about them; he even provided me with a book he wrote. It was called 'Caring for berries and what to expect'. Apparently, I could pick one up at the stores, but since he had spares in the house, it was no bother to give me it.
Cyrus was in his early 60s but also had a child and partner; his partner was called Marlene, who was at least in her early 30s. I'm not sure how he managed it, but clearly Cyrus had charm. Anyway, Marlene dealt with and created this world's version of compost, otherwise known as mulch. It was different from compost since mulch could have its own effects based on the berries used to make it.
Marlene provided me with a few notes of her own on how to create certain mulches with the berry trees I would be growing; she was also looking to create her own book one day but was still testing various berries and mulches before creating one.
I got 6 of each seed for the 10 different berries I picked up, and what I managed to get were Cheri, Chesto, Pecha, Rawst, Aspear, Leppa, Oran, Persim, Lum and finally Sitrus. They were, if I had to say, the standard berries that could be acquired.
"Thanks again. If I pick up any more exotic fruits and I'm nearby, I'll be sure to stop by." I say as I wave goodbye to the family. Dennis was currently in his Poké Ball while I was here since I didn't want him to dig up their berry trees.
"I look forward to it; be careful on your journey, young man. It can be quite dangerous out there, and remember you're welcome to stop by anytime." Cyrus says, smiling next to his wife and daughter, who are both waving and saying goodbye.
"I will, take care." With a final wave, I make my way back towards Hearthome City, but before that, I have plans to go over what Dennis can do now as a Nifflit and what changes might have happened.
Grabbing his Poké Ball, I released him.
He does a quick look around before looking at me and crossing his arms and tapping his tail against the floor.
"I know you wanted to stay out of the Poké Ball, but would you have left the berry trees alone if I did?" I say, raising one eyebrow.
He looks away with a huff and a small "Niff".
Reaching into my jacket pocket, I pull out a berry I kept out of the briefcase for him to eat; I know Pokémon have natures, and those natures tend to affect the type of berry flavour they like more or dislike more, so I took a guess and grabbed a Cheri berry, which is usually spicy.
"Here, this is for you; let me know if you like it." Completely changing tunes, his eyes sparkle at the berry, and he rushes towards me. I crouch down and hold the unexpectedly big berry in the palm of my hand.
Snatching it up, he takes a bite as I wait for his reaction, which turned out to be one of pure delight as he goes in for another bite, quickly finishing the berry.
"Well, at least we know what flavour berries you like. I'll have more for you in the future. For now, bud, what do you say we test out your new abilities?" I say as I stroke the fur on his head.
He nods and climbs onto my palm as I lift him to my shoulder.
"Let's go find a spot we can practise then." He taps on my back with his tail, agreeing with me.
After a while we pass by the pond we first came across and make our way towards the direction of Mount Coronet. Now I wasn't stupid enough to go in there; I was just looking for an area, an area with boulders we could practise against, which we did end up finding in an open area slightly away from the pathway.
Picking Dennis up from my shoulder, I set him down on the floor.
"Right, this is new to us both, so it'll take some trial and error to get started, but I'm sure we can do it."
"First, we should go over the physical changes. Your fur changed to dark brown from black, but the most striking difference is the different fur textures. Your arms are rough like sandpaper, and your stomach is extremely soft, whereas the rest of your fur feels normal, so any ideas on why those specific changes or is it something we should look into?"
"Nif, nif, nifflit." He says, nodding rapidly in response to the question.
"Ok, so you know why. Could you show me, or is it not possible?"
He thinks for a moment before nodding and running around the open area and tapping his tail against the ground every so often before he eventually stops and starts to dig into the earth.
So that happened; he just used the move 'dig' instinctively, and if I'm right, he was using his tail to create vibrations in the ground to search for something.
I started to get slightly worried when he didn't appear after a few minutes, thinking he was in trouble, but it wasn't long until he popped out of the ground next to me, making me sigh in relief, "You scared me there for a moment." I say as I brush away some of the dirt on his head.
He tilts his head before shaking it and reaching for his stomach only to reveal the pouch that nifflers usually have. I honestly thought it disappeared with his new form, but it was just perfectly flush against his stomach until he revealed it.
After reaching into his pouch, he pulls out what appears to be an ore of some type. If I had to make a guess, it looked like iron ore; it still had dirt and rocks attached to it.
"Nifflit, flit." He says, showing me the ore before holding it in his claws and rubbing it against his arms, which made easy work of the dirt and rocks attached to it. Still, eventually he was happy with the shape of the ore before he proceeded to rub the ore against his stomach until it was eventually shiny, and after he was finished, he put it back into his pouch.
"I see, so you collect raw ore and possibly gems to clean with your arms and stomach fur before keeping them, but what about the jewellery or the coins I gave you? Do you still like to collect them?" I asked curiously.
"Flit, nif," shaking his head, he points towards his arm and then his pouch.
"So, you like collecting the raw materials instead and making them shine yourself as opposed to being handed them completed." I say, which gets me a rapid head nod.
Interesting, so the change influenced his craving for shiny objects but in a way that suits his evolution. I wonder if that would change when he does evolve. Does collecting raw materials influence his next evolution, or is it just what his new form desires? The more I know, the more questions I have.
Shaking my head, I snap out of my thoughts and look at Dennis again. "When you were using your tail against the ground, was that to help you look for the ore you found?" I asked, to which he nodded and puffed his chest out proudly, which had me laughing.
"And when you dug into the ground, did you notice using any energy as you did?"
He thinks for a moment but seems unsure on how to answer.
"Do you think you could do it again against that big rock over there, but this time focus on the idea of attacking it as you come out of the ground?" I say, pointing to the rock that's a bit smaller than him.
"NIF." He shouts as he nods and pumps his small arm into the air.
Like before, he digs smoothly into the ground, and after a few seconds, he reappears, launching the rock he was aiming for into the air and cracking it in 2.
He looks wide-eyed between me and the rock in disbelief at what he just did.
Laughing loudly, I say, "That was great. The move you just used is called 'dig'. Did you feel anything when you used it this time now that you were looking for it?"
Shuffling back over to me, he nods at my question.
"Great, that energy is what you need to tap into when using moves. Let's try using a move called scratch now. Try imagining using the energy from before as you scratch the rock." I say, pointing to a larger rock next to us.
Nodding, he walks over to the rock and swipes his claws at the rock, but instead of leaving claw marks like I expect, his claws just bounce off the rock instead, and he looks at me with tears in his eyes.
Rushing over to him, I check on him to make sure there was nothing wrong; after checking him over and making sure his claws were ok, he seemed to calm down. I think the rebound shocked him a bit.
"Right, sorry buddy, that didn't work. I wonder why." Sitting cross-legged on the ground, I think about what could have caused it to not work.
"Did you feel the energy like before when you used to dig?" I ask, getting a nod in return.
Slapping my palm against my face, I realised my mistake; 'dig' is a ground-type move, and 'scratch' is a normal-type. I was asking him to channel 'dig' energy into 'scratch'; of course it wasn't going to work.
"Sorry, that was my fault. The energy you used for scratch would only work for ground-type moves like you did with dig. What you'll need to do is pull on the energy inside you, but don't change it to the energy you used for dig; instead, the energy needs to be neutral." He just tilts his head confused.
"Hmm, the best way I could describe it for you would be with gemstones." I say before looking around in case anyone was nearby and summoning the fire grimoire to a small pocketbook size.
Hovering a small fireball on my palm, I say, "Feel the heat and imagine a ruby holds fire within it, and that's why it's red, so when you imagine a ruby, you're trying to use fire-type moves. Are you with me so far?" He nods, still unsure.
Snuffing out the fireball, I put the grimoire away.
"Have you ever had a gemstone the same colour as your fur right now?" He looks at himself, his eyes gleaming, and nods his head.
"Now imagine that brown gemstone you had held had the same type of energy you used for digging, so every time you want to use ground-type energy, you imagine the brown gemstone and pull on the energy from within that, ok?" He nods back.
"For normal-type energy I want you to imagine a colourless diamond; it's neutral and transparent. Imagine pulling at that energy, but you want to make your claws sharper and harder like a diamond, understand?" He seemed a bit unsure but more confident than before.
"Let's try again on that rock, but before you swing, try and imagine it like I said, ok? And when you feel ready, go for it." Nodding, he walks back over to the rock.
After a short moment of concentration, Dennis attempted to use Scratch again; unlike before, his claws swiped the rock, leaving 3 small grooves that stopped halfway into the rock. It seems he managed to tap into the energy needed but wasn't able to complete the move.
"Great job, you almost had it. Try again, but make sure you keep the energy in your claws as you do while imagining them being sharp and tough." He nodded, still facing the rock, but moved to the side where it was still intact to try again.
Again, he swung his claws at the rock, but this time there were 3 deep grooves cutting straight through the rock, which had him looking at his claws in wonder.
"You did it; I knew you could." I said, running to him and lifting him up into the air, which earned me a laugh from him that sounded like he was saying 'nif' extremely fast.
We decided to stay a while to practise more until eventually Dennis got too tired to continue. I gave him another Cheri berry, much to his delight, before letting him rest in his Poké Ball when he agreed.
He managed to get more comfortable with the moves 'dig' and 'scratch' while also learning 'tackle', and we also started on 'sand attack', which he couldn't use 100% of the time, but he still had some good attempts.
[Split]
Hearthome City
- Souta -
Before I head to the Pokémon centre for some lunch, I decided to check out the shopping centre. Unlike the games, the world didn't have a small shop dedicated to selling goods for trainers and their Pokémon unless someone decided to make one of their own; instead, I was heading to a massive 8-storey building with each floor having various shops to purchase from as well as cafes for people and Pokémon to relax.
I wanted to pick up some stuff for Dennis while I was here; no doubt with his new changes, he will need a new diet specifically for ground-type Pokémon. I'll also look into a grooming kit for his fur, gems, claws and beak; I'm sure he'll appreciate looking as shiny as what he collects.
Heading into the store, I headed over to the map I spotted on the wall as I walked in with the layout of the building.
Finding the floor I needed, I headed on over to the elevator, and after a small walk, I found the store I was looking for called Pokécare. Looking around, I noticed a few people shopping about in the store; some had their Pokémon out, seeing what they liked and didn't like. I decided to let Dennis out, but before I could, I froze and realised a mistake I made.
In my excitement of the new fruit and having my own Pokémon, I forgot that Dennis was the first of his kind, and if I brought him out here, people would ask questions. Looking at the Poké Ball, I also remembered Nurse Joy saying once a Poké Ball captures a Pokémon, it's registered to the trainer's profile.
I would be a liar if I said I didn't panic at all, because I was definitely panicking mentally. I don't even know what I'm going to say. "Oh yeah, I picked him up on Route 208; he was just sitting there." That won't work, and not to mention it'll have everyone scrambling to investigate a new Pokémon on the route.
Why don't I think about things before I do them? Sighing, I slot his Poké Ball back into my belt before continuing to look around the shop. I'll have to find a way to explain this to Nurse Joy later.
The items I managed to find were a polishing cloth specifically for gems on Pokémon such as Persian and Espeon, a brush for short and dense fur, a grit block that came in various sizes from handheld to large rocks that you could store at your home (they were used for Pokémon who had the ability 'rough skin'; according to the store assistant, it was quite popular with the Garchomp line and was highly recommended by the champion Cynthia), and I picked up a file for his claws and wax for his beak.
As for food, I picked up a few bags of dense, high-calorie and nutrient-rich poke kibble and some mineral-rich clay dust, which, according to the assistant, ground-type Pokémon need to eat. They need high mineral-based food, which is what the clay dust is for; I just need to sprinkle some in with the food he eats. I did notice Dennis licking his arms after sanding down the ore he picked up, so he must've been snacking on the dust from the ore.
The final item I picked up for Dennis was some spicy snacks.
As for myself, I purchased 5 more Poké Balls, a various selection of clothing I liked the style of, and a bag which had expanded space on the inside that was created by this region's version of Silph Co., called the Pokétch company. Now you're probably thinking I already have the briefcase; why bother? And yeah, I love the briefcase and all its features, but it's not convenient to just open and use in the middle of the street. The bag, on the other hand, will be discreet.
The final item I picked up for myself was a TM. I wanted to test whether the TM would have any effect on my grimoires, seeing as they were basically spells. The TM I chose was Mud-Bomb, and it was my most expensive purchase at 15,000 Pokédollars; at least if it doesn't work, I can teach it to Dennis instead.
Overall, I spent a total of 31,500 Pokédollars of the 100,000 I was given. It was quite a chunk of money, but all the purchases had been necessary apart from the clothing and TM, one of which had been personal and the other a curiosity.
I also checked out the price of evolution stones, and the cheapest I saw was a leaf stone at 45,000 Pokédollars, so it was safe to say if I ever needed one in the future, I would need to start saving for it.
Done with shopping I decided to head back to the Pokémon centre; I wanted to stop by my room first and grab something to eat from the cafe before most likely being pulled aside by Nurse Joy.
[Split]
Hearthome City – Pokémon Centre
- Souta -
Luckily, Nurse Joy was on break when I got back, but the nurse in charge of the desk did say she wanted to speak with me when I was back and that her break would be over soon.
Putting the bag down on the bed with the stuff I collected today, I pulled out everything I bought for Dennis and the Mud Bomb TM.
Summoning the earth grimoire, I begin testing the idea I had in mind. Bringing the grimoire close to myself, I grab the TM and gently push it against the cover. There is a slight resistance, like the grimoire was unsure, until eventually the grimoire seemed to accept that it was a spell, and the TM sunk into the grimoire.
Excited with the discovery, I flip open the grimoire to the page that now had the spell for Mud Bomb. The page's description read: 'Condenses earth and moisture from the ground into a cohesive, viscous orb of hard-packed sludge, launching it at a high speed towards the target.' Upon impact, it explodes, covering the target in blinding, sticky silt.
The page also had images of the various stages of the spell forming to give an idea of what to expect. Now that I knew this worked, TMs were a priority purchase, which meant finding a way to earn PokéDollars. I also needed to find more grimoires on the various TM types, which had me wondering what grimoire would work with normal-type TMs.
Dismissing the grimoire, I instead released Dennis onto the bed, who looked around the room curiously since he hadn't been here before.
"We're at a Pokémon centre; it's a hospital for Pokémon to help them heal but also caters to trainers with lodging, etc. But we have an issue; you're now a Pokémon and the only one of your kind, understand?" I say, getting an unsure nod.
Sighing, I crouch down and stroke his head, saying, "Sorry, I made a mistake, and I'm trying to think of a way to fix it. The nurse Joy here is lovely, and you'll like her, but she will definitely want to do a check-up on you. Are you ok with that?"
Nodding, he points at me and says, "Niffl, Flit, Nifflit."
Understanding what he was trying to say, I reply, "Yes, I'll make sure I'm with you the entire time. When they ask where I caught you, I'm going to have to say you're from my homeland, ok, and that we have a special way of summoning our Pokémon to us, which is the familiar bond we formed. I'll just say it can't be shared and ask her to keep it a secret if I have to show her how summoning you works, ok?"
Nodding and seeming happy that I'll be with him if she wants to do a check-up, he looks around again but this time spots the stuff I bought for him, which had his eyes lighting up as he scuttled closer to them.
Laughing, I explained the items I brought for him, and with each new item I talked about, his eyes would keep getting brighter and his tail wagged while he smiled.
After whipping up a bowl of kibble with a sprinkle of clay dust, which he ate with gusto, I gave him a quick groom to test the items out, and he loved every one of them. Full, shining, and now sleeping, I placed him back into the Poké Ball before making my way downstairs for my own food.
Finished eating, which was a delicious fruity curry, I made my way over to the counter that now had Nurse Joy behind it; spotting me, she immediately beckoned me over.
"Souta, could I speak with you in private, please?" She says it more as a statement than a question.
"Sure, I kind of figured you would need to when I realised what I did."
"I'll take us to a private room; just let me ask Tracey to cover for me." After a short wait we both entered a room that looked like it was used for check-ups. After shutting the door, she turned to me, looking unsure where to begin.
"Souta, your profile pinged on the Joy clan's internal system for new and unregistered Pokémon. They called me immediately to find out about the unknown Pokémon and where it was caught, and with you saying you realised what you did, it tells me you know this Pokémon wouldn't be in our region. Could you tell me what's going on, please?" She said, looking worried.
"Sorry, I explained to Officer Jenny that we don't use Poké Balls but instead form pacts with our Pokémon, but it's a private matter in our land. I can show you how he came to me, but you can't tell anyone, and I can't show you how to form one." I say, the best way I thought to get through this is by saying it can't be shared. I'm sure the clans all have their own secrets that they don't wish to share; this will be my one.
She frowns slightly before sighing and saying, "I can accept not telling anyone else, but I must inform the Joy clan. You have my word that it will only be spoken internally in the clan and to no one else. Is that ok?"
Troubling, but it's not the worst outcome, I nod and say, "I don't mind if it's just within the Joy clan. From what I've looked up, I know your clan takes their care for Pokémon very seriously, and this is just another way of showing it."
"Thank you. Could you show me, please?" She asks, now smiling again.
Nodding, I release Dennis onto the patient table, who wakes up and rubs his eyes, yawning.
"This is Dennis, and he's a Nifflit; they are a ground-type Pokémon." I say, rubbing his head, which he presses into.
Her eyes sparkle with curiosity at the new Pokémon as she says, "Could you show me how he got to you before I move on with the check-up?"
"Yes, just please keep it within the clan." I say before pulling on the bond I have with Dennis. It took a bit of practice, but I did manage to shrink the spell circle for the summoning slightly; under Dennis, it now just shows a small white glow while he sits on the summoning circle covering it, and the one in my hand is flat against my palm, also glowing but out of her vision.
With Dennis accepting the summons, the glow fades, and he appears in my palm, which has Nurse Joy wide-eyed and shocked at what she just saw.
"Th- that shouldn't be possible." She raises her voice slightly out of shock.
"I'm sorry, but I thought the same for Poké Balls when I got them. It's just how different our cultures are. I can't share with you how it's done, but I hope this clears up any issues." I was slightly amused at her reaction even though I had to show her.
"R – right, we should get his check-up done and make sure everything is ok; at least he is proof of the land you're from. They might push searching for it now that there is some proof," she says, reaching for Dennis after getting his permission.
Ah, they're going to be searching for a long time, I think to myself awkwardly.
I decided to sit down as she began the process for his check-up.
[Split]
Unknown
- ??? -
In a vast, seemingly ever-expanding dimension that had 18 multicoloured nebulae circling around a large being that lay there asleep.
Its eye cracks open slightly as it feels a new connection form to one of the nebulae.
"A child born but not of my creation, and yet a connection formed." Its voice reverberated across the dimension.
Turning to the direction he felt the connection form, he stares before saying, "Interesting," and lying back down.
A human but not truly. I shall have my eldest keep watch; if they mean harm to this world, then my eldest shall know, and they will be dealt with accordingly, but for now I shall see where it leads.
Thank you for reading.
Berries acquired, and a bit of training for Dennis.
I decided to go with the TM idea in the end. I thought it would be a good way to bulk up his own spell selection. I know some people won't like the idea that he told nurse Joy about the bond, so that's why I kept it vague and had her promise to keep it within the Joy clan, who are quite trusted. I hope you look forward to the next chapter.