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Pokemon: Way of Life - Chapter 1
🕑 Added 2022-09-20 08:44:58 +0000 UTC+ My first post. Formatting might be rough, posted on my phone. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1
"Well, this is it, ladies and gentlemen—the final round between the two prodigies. Nigel is waiting for his opponent to reveal his last Pokémon. Who could it possibly be?"
Lucas stood on the stage under the dazzling lights and the roar of the massive crowd sitting in the stands. Sweat trickled down his brow as he clutched his final pokeball.
His opponent's final Pokémon was already out, a colossal Scyther with wicked gleaming appendages that could easily cut through steel. The Bug-Type Pokémon was a beast and had made short work of his last competitor, a Vileplume. It was still fresh and had taken away Lucas's slight advantage until now.
The 6v6 Pokémon battle had been one of attrition, with no one gaining ascendancy. It made for a great spectacle for a finals match, as no one could predict who would be the victor. The crowd in the stands were in a frenzy, fans screaming themselves hoarse as they waved their flags, supporting their favourite trainer. Fireworks were exploding in the sky and an upbeat music beat reverberated around the stadium. It was truly electric.
Lucas was pumped despite his fatigue. All his hard work and sacrifices had led to this moment, and now he was one win away from taking the title in his first year as a trainer. It would be a feat that had not been achieved in over half a century.
Lucas gripped the pokeball in his hand. "Are you prepared, Ryuu?" He chucked the ball in front of him, "Dragonite, I choose you…."
Lucas woke up suddenly and fell off the couch, face-planting into an empty pizza box lying on the floor. "Dammit."
Lucas wiped his face off some leftover pizza residue and took a moment to reflect on his life. He didn't know what was more embarrassing, falling on his face into a pizza box or a grown adult dreaming about a kid's video game. No, definitely the former. Pokémon was ageless. Except for the anime series.
Someone pounded on his front door, reminding him of what had woken him. Lucas stood up and groaned. He stumbled to the door.
"Who the fuck woke me from... Well, hello, Mrs Bullard. How are you this morning?"
Mrs Bullard, his landlord, stood on the other side of the open door. In her arms, she held Bruno, her little fox terrier. Mrs Bullard had the stereotypical appearance of a kind old lady; grey hair in a perm, large spectacles perched on her nose and a giant handbag slung over her shoulders. She wore one of her pink cardigans that she spent many hours knitting while sitting in front of the television, avidly watching one of her drama shows.
"Lucas, you damn wastrel. Where is my rent?" Mrs Bullard dispelled her kind old lady status with the first words out of her mouth.
Lucas rubbed the sleep from his face. "Mrs Bullard, we have already had this discussion. I don't get paid until Wednesday. I just finished a commission, but the client is taking their time paying the bill."
"Tsk….that's why you should have a stable job instead of being self-employed." Mrs Bullard harrumphed. "You don't have the discipline to be your own boss. Instead, you spend your time playing those silly video games and watching anime."
"Yes, I regret my life choices," Lucas said obediently. He had figured out long ago that if he didn't argue, she would leave sooner.
"Hmph, I came here for another reason. I'm going to visit my daughter for a few days. I need you to look after Bruno."
"Can't you take him with you?" There was no way he wanted to look after the little beast. The dog was a fox terrier crossed with a demon, in his opinion. A fading scar on his left wrist could attest to that statement. Thankfully, it did give him some bargaining power when Mrs Trudy wanted to increase his rent.
"Bruno doesn't like to travel in the car," Mrs Bullard sniffed. Bruno shifted in his owner's arms and gave Lucas a menacing grin with canines exposed. Charming.
"I'll do it for half rent this week," Lucas smirked.
"Why, you miserable bastard. Taking advantage of this kind old woman."
"Call it hazard pay. If you cannot accept the deal, I'm sure other tenants would love to look after Bruno for you."
Mrs Bullard glared at me, but it was without any heat. She knew no one else would look after Bruno.
"Deal," she answered, pushing Bruno into my arms. She then took out various items from her seemingly bottomless bag and lectured him on Bruno's diet and care needs. Lucas placed Bruno in his apartment and then grabbed the things, nodding obediently and not hearing a word she said.
Eventually, Mrs Bullard left, and Lucas closed the door in relief. Turning around, he saw Bruno had made himself home on the couch. Shaking his head, Lucas walked into his bedroom. Because the city he lived in was stuck in the middle of a heat wave, his bedroom was already unnaturally warm. Lucas opened the window to let the room breathe. Grabbing some clothes, he headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
He decided to leave it cold because it was already too damn hot. It revitalised him, and he could think about his plans for the day. Because he worked at home as an independent computer programmer, his schedule was usually very flexible. That left him plenty of time for his hobbies of video games, anime and reading fiction.
To be honest, his social life was not very healthy. His last relationship had been two years ago, and it fizzled out like soda left out for too long. There had been some drama, with his girlfriend accusing him of not being able to grow up and having issues that he refused to face. There was some truth in what she said, but Lucas had stubbornly denied it, which was the end of that relationship.
Lucas could interact with others easily enough, but he preferred his own company. Going through the effort of making friends and making connections was a waste of time. Ever since he was a small kid in the orphanage, he always felt uncomfortable in his own skin. As if the real world he lived in was lacking. He found himself finding solitude in fantasy settings in video games, anime and fiction. They seemed more real to him than anything else in his life.
Of course, even though he didn't want to deal with reality, he had to be pragmatic. He needed money to live, so he got a mandatory education and a job. A computer programmer was perfect because he didn't have to interact with others often. Okay, maybe he was a bit anti-social.
Lucas dressed in a pair of blue shorts and a white singlet and walked out of the bathroom. Bruno was still where he had left him but was now tearing a hole in his couch. Bruno looked at Lucas with his head tilted and a bit of stuffing dangling from his mouth.
Lucas stood there for a second in silence. Smiling eerily, he slowly stepped towards the couch with his hands raised. Bruno showed that he had some intelligence by jumping off the couch and running into the bedroom.
“Come back here, you bastard." Lucas ran into the bedroom to see Bruno jump out the window onto the fire escape.
Suddenly, he had a brief vision of Mrs Trudy stepping onto the sidewalk when Bruno came dropping out of the sky and splattering her shoes with blood and guts. Lucas shuddered at the imagery and hurried to the window.
Bruno stood on the steps leading to the next floor. "Hey, buddy. Why don't you come down from there." Lucas spoke in the most unthreatening baby voice he could imagine. It was insincere, and Bruno noticed because he growled and retreated further up the steps.
Lucas cursed and climbed out of the window. He never did like climbing on this thing; it felt like it was going to fall apart at any moment. A severe violation of safety compliance, he was sure. Lucas followed Bruno up to the next flight of steps, and the dog was sitting on the platform beneath his neighbour's window.
"Bruno, come here, boy. I got a nice juicy steak with your name on it," Lucas coaxed. Bruno did not move, and Lucas slowly made his way up the steps. When he was in the range of the dog, he lunged forward and grabbed him.
"See, that was not so bad," Lucas began when Bruno struck.
"Bastard, let go!" Panicking and shaking the dog to try and get the dog to release his arm, Lucas didn't realise how close he was to the edge. The railing that should have stopped him was no longer there, and Lucas fell over the side just as Bruno let go of his arm. The last thing he saw before his body struck something and succumbed to darkness, was a grinning Bruno peering out over the edge.
Faint beeping noises pulled Lucas from slumber. The smell of antiseptic tickled his nose, and he instantly realised that he was in a hospital.
It felt like sand was weighing down his eyelids due to the effort to open his eyes. Lucas winced when the light pierced them, blinking rapidly to help him adjust to the brightness. A few moments later, he tried lifting his head, but it took too much effort.
Lucas opened his mouth and tried to speak, but nothing came out but a croak. He coughed and grimaced at the dryness of his mouth.
[Welcome to the Pokemon World, intrepid traveller. Arceus greets you.]
A blue screen floated in front of his eyes, with a message written in black. Lucas blinked in confusion. He must be seriously hurt if he was imagining floating screens, or was he dreaming? It certainly did not feel like a dream. The message made even less sense. The Pokemon World? He was ashamed to admit that he was guilty of frequent fantasies of what it would be like to live as a Pokemon Trainer. Blame that on too many hours playing the games and reading fanfiction.
Then it all came rushing back. The fall from the fire escape. That absolute homicidal dog, Bruno. How did he survive a fall from the seventh floor? Did he survive? Lucas looked at the screen again, and more writing appeared.
[You are a curious entity indeed. Never have I seen such a thing happen in my eons of existence. A soul that crosses dimensions and inhabits the body of this tragic individual. You must have a reason for being here, and I'm curious about what impact you will have on the world. However, you have a long recovery ahead of you, so I shall give you a gift. It is something that I have been tinkering with for a long time. I give you the 'Gamer' ability. Use it well.]
Lucas mouthed the word's as he read along, and he fell into thought after he finished. It was pretty clear what had happened, as incredulous as it sounded. Has he ever been this fortunate? To be reborn in the Pokemon World? With a 'Gamer System' as well? Was he a saint in his previous life and had built up a truckload of karma?
Lucas snorted at the notion. Whatever the reason, he wasn't going to question it too closely. He silently thanked Arceus in his heart for not smiting his soul for his intrusion and the wonderful gift.
He felt terrible for the person that he had replaced, even if it sounded like he didn't have a chance of ever recovering. Lucas promised the guy that he would not waste this opportunity. Speaking of, who exactly was this guy? Lucas searched his memories, but he didn't have any besides his own, so he was completely blind. Was it temporary? What about his family? Did he have a family?
Lucas shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself. Baby steps.
His body was frail. How long has he been here? He tried raising his arm, and it took an incredible effort. His arm was nothing but skin and bones and he was more petite than he remembered. Lucas dropped his arm when it became too painful. It looked like he would have to wait until someone arrived.
In the meantime, he should explore his new ability. He had plenty of knowledge from 'Gamer' fanfiction, so he knew where to start.
'{Status}'
Lucas Walker
Age: 14
Title: Arceus Blessing
Level: 1 [0/100%]
Aura: 50/50
Physique: 2
Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 3
Charisma: 9
AP: 0
Perks
?
Detriments
Feebleness
Ghosts of the Past
Poke dollars: 0
Lucas hummed.
So he kept his first name, but his surname was different. He was surprised that he was so young; it would be weird to be a teenager again. However, if he was going to be a Pokemon trainer, it was better if he was younger. He didn't want to start his journey as a guy in his thirties.
In terms of his {Attributes}, it wasn't exactly what he expected. He thought it would be much more conventional, like in most 'Gamer' fiction. It looked like he didn't have any hitpoints, which made a lot of sense canonically. Here, the Pokemon were the heavy hitters, and humans were more like the leader role.
{Aura} looked like it would be the energy source, which would be used for skills, he assumed. Some of the abilities in the canon were overpowered, like reading minds. It would be awesome if he could do the same.
He wasn't quite sure how the other {Attributes} worked, but he could make a calculated guess. Then he remembered another trick from a 'Gamer' fanfiction he read. He reached out and touched the screen, and it changed.
So he could interact with the screen to bring up further details. It helped to keep the {Status} clean, at least.
Equipped Title
Arceus Blessing (temporary): Choose three skills from memory to learn. Skills too overpowered or not compatible with the Pokemon World will be modified.
Choices Remaining: 3
Arceus was the gift that kept on giving. There were so many skills he could think of that would be helpful to him as a trainer. The most obvious was the {Observation} skill, which may help with reading a Pokemon's parameters and exploiting weaknesses.
Lucas continued browsing his attributes.
Aura: It is a form of spiritual energy found in every living thing. In the player's case, Aura is used as a resource to use skills. The player gains five Aura per level and may spend an Attribute Point (AP) to gain another five Aura.
Aura Regen: (0.1% per minute)
Physique: Determines the overall strength, flexibility and development of the player's body. Helps with all physical endeavours such as running, jumping and throwing. It also affects the player's resistance to damage.
Dexterity: Determines how good the player is with his hands. It affects several crafting professions and other activities, such as playing a musical instrument.
Intelligence: It represents the player's knowledge and memory. The higher it is, the more effective the player is in storing, retrieving and memorising information.
Charisma: Whether it's the player's appearance, voice or presence, all living things are more willing to listen and follow him. The higher it is, the more refined and charismatic the player will become.
Besides {Aura}, nothing stood out as incredibly overpowered.
For example, {Intelligence} didn't exactly make him more intelligent, but it increased his memory efficiency. An apt comparison would be like going from a disc drive to a solid-state drive.
Intelligence was very subjective anyway because it could be argued that memory played a role in determining how smart you were. In any case, he would never have an IQ of two hundred, but he was happy with what he received. There was a lot of information that a trainer had to keep track of, so it would be advantageous at higher levels.
As expected, his physique was incredibly low, considering how frail he looked. Lucas was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a gasp. Lucas was so focused on the screen in front of him that he didn't notice the door opening. He quickly dismissed his screen with a thought.
A nurse hurried into the room and stood by his side. "Mr Walker, can you hear me?"
"Water," he managed.
The nurse nodded and hurried to fill a cup with water. She placed a straw in it and brought it to his lips. The first few sips were like ambrosia, but the nurse quickly took it away.
"Can you speak now?"
"Yes."
As the nurse was speaking, she was taking his vitals. He noticed for the first time that her hair was blue. Unusual hair colour. Has that carried over from the anime? He hoped he didn't have some exotic hair colour even though it looked surprisingly good, at least on her. But she was pretty attractive, so he could be biased.
"Mr Walker, do you know where you are?"
"In the hospital," Lucas replied.
"That's right," she smiled. "My name is Amy. I'm the nurse that takes care of you on the day shift. Do you know why you're here?"
Lucas shook his head.
Amy frowned. "Do you know your first name?"
He shook his head again. Despite knowing his name due to the Status menu, his other memories were gone. So it would have looked strange if he knew his name but nothing else. His memory loss may be permanent after all.
"I'm going to retrieve the doctor," she touched his arm. "I won't be a minute."
Amy left the room, and a few minutes later, she returned with a tall man dressed in a white coat. "Hello, Lucas. My name is Dr Potts. I must say, you are certainly a welcome surprise."
"Lucas is my name?"
"That's right. Lucas Walker."
Dr Potts repeated the routine of testing his vitals and then asked him a series of questions that tested his memory and cognitive functions. The latter, he passed with flying colours, but the memory tests were more complicated.
Lucas found it inconvenient not to have any memories of the previous host. Because most of his knowledge from his old life was useless. The only relevant knowledge was general everyday skills and some academics, such as Math, Science and English. Everything else, such as History, Social Studies, and Geography, was completely different. So when the doctor questioned him in these areas, he was very selective in what he answered.
The doctor then asked a lot of questions about Pokemon, which made sense, since it was integrated within all aspects of society. Other than stating that he knew Pokemon existed, he couldn't answer any of the other questions because he wasn't sure how different Pokemon were in a more realistic setting.
So he failed most of the memory tests.
The doctor dragged a chair over and sat down. He looked middle-aged, with dark hair that was going grey at the temples. The sombre expression on his face made him look a little like a basset hound, with his sleepy eyes and droopy jowls.
"Lucas, I'm about to tell you something distressing. I need you to stay calm for me, okay?"
"Okay."
"Three years ago, you were involved in an incident. You suffered a major head wound and have been in a coma. We didn't think you would ever wake up."
Lucas blinked. "Well, glad to see I defied the odds. Having no memory sucks, though."
"Indeed," Mr Potts chuckled. "Amnesia is not the biggest obstacle. It may be only temporary. But so far, you seem to have avoided any other sort of brain damage. But we will need to take further tests to be sure."
"Will my body recover? I feel like even breathing is a chore."
"With time and a lot of effort. You have a long road of rehabilitation ahead of you, but you've already conquered the hardest part."
"Do I have a family?"
The doctor reached over and patted his shoulder. "Yes, you do. They are going to be incredibly happy to see you awake."
"Two parents? Siblings?" Lucas pressed further.
"Two parents and a younger sister. If it wasn't for you, she might not be alive. You got that injury in the process of saving her life."
So he was a little hero, huh? That may explain why {Charisma} was his highest attribute. He assumed his initial attributes were based on the previous owner's life experiences.
"Speaking of which," Mr Potts said. "I should get to calling them so they hear the great news. They usually come every weekend but today is Thursday."
Lucas was in two minds about having a family. On the one hand, he was excited since he was an orphan in his other life. However, it would be incredibly awkward looking into their eyes and knowing their real son had already passed. Getting to know them would take time, but at least he had plenty of it on hand.
Dr Potts stood up, patted his shoulder again and walked out. Amy, who had been hovering in the background, walked over and smiled at him.
"May I ask a question?" Lucas asked.
"Certainly."
"What is the name of this city?"
"This is Pallet Town," Amy replied. "Technically, it is a town, but it has gone through rapid expansions in the last twenty years. It is more like a small city."
"Huh." So he was at the starting point of the original game. He tried to recall the size of Pallet Town and if it was ever considered a small city, but he hadn't watched the first episode since he was a kid. He only ever watched the first season because even then, he thought it was too childish. He was more interested in the games. It may be best to forget that there was ever an anime and deal with things as they come, even though he had read a lot of fanfiction that may negatively influence his perception.
"Can you raise the bed, please? I'm getting a crick in my neck from trying to look around."
Amy raised the bed, and he could look around with a bit more freedom. She stuffed an extra pillow behind his back to support his neck.
Now that he saw the room more clearly, he could see the room was decked out in Pokemon memorabilia. The only difference from his old world was that the posters depicted realistic-looking Pokemon, which was a little jarring. Their colour palette wasn't as bright, and some Pokemon looked fiercer. There was a poster of a Charizard and his trainer, in particular, that was stark in realism. Charizard must have been at least 8'0 tall.
"Uh, so I guess I'm a huge Pokemon fan?" Lucas asked.
"That's right. But I don't think I have met a kid who is not one."
"I guess."
"Well, I think it's time to have your daily sponge bath. Except now you're awake to enjoy it."
Lucas groaned.
After being thoroughly humiliated by his nurse, Lucas was alone in his room again, waiting for the arrival of his family. Amy had asked if he wanted to watch the television, but he refused. He was too distracted with thoughts of his impending reunion.
Instead, he returned to perusing his {Status}. He wanted to finish it before possibly learning a skill.
Perks
?: Doubles Aura gains at level up.
Detriments
Feebleness (removable): After lying in a coma for three years, the player's muscles have atrophied, and your growth has been stunted.
-100% to Physique gains.
No experience is gained until it is removed.
Permanently stunted growth if not corrected in the next six months.
Ghosts of the Past (removable): You carry a lot of emotional baggage from your previous life due to childhood trauma. Without resolving these issues, you never will reach your full potential.
Charisma capped at 20.
The perk was beneficial; having more {Aura} to use skills was always valuable, but why was the name hidden? Lucas could feel his 'protagonist's plot' senses tingling.
The {Feebleness} detriment was a significant letdown. It meant that there would be no easy recovery, and he would have to put in the hard work—a small price to pay for what he received overall.
As for the {Ghosts of the Past} detriment, like what the hell? Was the system supposed to be his psychiatrist as well? He was aware that he had some issues, but why did it want to cure him? Were the downsides really that bad? Less charisma meant less attention which meant avoiding a lot of annoying problems.
'Had the protagonist been more self-aware at this moment, he would have realised the irony in his statement.'
"What the hell was that?" Lucas looked around quickly at the sudden voice but soon realised that it had been inside his mind.
[You have gained the Perk: Friendly Narrator]
Friendly Narrator: A voice in your head that occasionally makes observations on your journey. May offer advice if it's feeling charitable.
Was the 'System' trolling him? We're perks removable?
'No'
Lucas shook his head. He returned his attention to the screen only to receive new notifications.
[New Quests Received!]
Detriment Quest 01
Physiotherapy
Description: Due to lying in a coma for three years, the player's muscles have atrophied and his growth is stunted. The player must complete his prescribed physio to correct the damage.
Time Limit: Six months.
Rewards: Removes {Detriment: Feebleness}.
Failure: Permanent stunted growth, confined to wheelchair, constant pain.
Detriment Quest 02
Resolution
Description: To reach his full potential, the player must come to terms with the past. Explore the Resolution Tower in the Mind Palace.
Time Limit: 1 Year.
Rewards: Removes {Detriment: Ghosts of the Past}.
Failure: Permanently restricted Charisma.
Well, removing his detriments was going to be a lot more involved than he expected, but what was a mind palace? And how did it access it?
He thought about his knowledge of 'Gaming' fiction and realised he may have skipped an important step. Why didn't he see if he had a menu which would give him an overview of the available functions? It may also provide important information and he wouldn't be blindly flailing about in the dark.
'{Menu}'
Main Menu
Status
Skills
Inventory
Quests
The functions were pretty standard affair. But not as many as he thought. Surely there must be more, but maybe he had to unlock them?
Lucas checked his {Skills}, but it was completely empty. He would have to see about obtaining some skills from {Arceus Blessing}.
Next he opened his inventory. It was a standard grid with thirty slots. Above the grid were two extra tabs for currency and equipment. What caught his attention was that one of the slots was filled with a gift box. He wasted no time pressing the slot and the box appeared in his hands, seemingly out of nowhere.
He tore the lid off in excitement.
"What the hell!?"
