My Pokémon Adventure

Pt 17

I rode Coviknight out of Red Canyon, and flew back to Graville. As home came into view, I noticed something at the pond on the outskirts of town. It was Ruby! I wanted to say hello to her and show her how strong my team had become since we left each other. Corviknight landed among the trees, and I approached the edge of the pond. Ruby was too distracted fishing to notice my approach, so feeling devious, I snuck up on her before shouting hello. Ruby screamed, and fell straight into the water, scaring away the collection of Magikarp that had been drawn to her lure. I laughed heartily as Ruby came out of the water soaking wet, and realized my mistake moments later as she grabbed me and threw me headlong into the murky pond. Still, worth it!

Our clothes were hung up to dry, and we laid on the bank to let the sun warm us. The hours whiled away as I told Ruby all about the various islands to the north and the challenges I faced on them. I also brought up that Team Catch’em now rested at the bottom of the sea, bringing an end to that unfortunate chapter of our lives. Ruby had stories to tell as well. She had signed up with the Rangers, and was part of a Pokémon Rescue Squad that would perform search and rescue for lost Pokémon, as well as trainers who may have gotten in over their heads.

It was great that Ruby was still helping people, and on a much larger scale than what we could do in our little town on the edge of the map, but I asked what her plans were for the future of Team Grease. She sadly informed that Team Grease was disbanded. After everything that had happened, it seemed pointless to even pretend the team we made as kids was relevant to the rest of the world. I protested this, dawned my soggy jacket, and declared we would be Team Grease no matter how old we got or wherever we made our base!

Hearing this actually got Ruby to smile. She too slipped on her dripping colors, and then told me that she had been training her team a bunch, “It wouldn’t be a good look if the Team Leader couldn’t take her Grunt in a battle.” Just to show each other how much we had both grown, we had a battle there on the shore.

Ruby had certainly grown stronger. No matter what I tried, my team couldn’t get the upper hand. But I knew I had defeated her before, it was possible for me to win, and I put all of my thought and energy into tasting victory again!

Suddenly, my wrist twinged as there was a spark in my Synchro Band. I looked at the device as it glowed brightly, and I tried to shake my arm to get it to stop whatever it was doing. I couldn’t stop it, and as I went to pull it off, my consciousness was robbed from me and placed in another body.

I shook myself, and looked down at my paws. I had Synchronized with my Absol, but had little time to get over that fact before I felt intense heat and shock as Raichu jolted me with lightning. I fainted quickly, disappointed with my defeat.

I opened my eyes as I heard Ruby calling my name. I looked around to find her, and I saw her shaking my body trying to wake it. Confused, I realized I was still in Absol’s body; my damaged Synchro Band must have prevented my consciousness from returning, and I realized in horror that I was stuck as a Pokémon!

I pulled on Ruby’s sleeve to get her attention, even as she shoved me away to try to revive my body. I was persistent, and did not give up until she finally looked at me and recognized I was my own Pokémon. Once she realized I was still Synchronized, I poked the damaged Synchro Band with my claws to try to explain what went wrong. Terrified, not knowing what to do, I cuddled against Ruby, who gave me a hug to comfort me. She promised she would help me through this, and I felt relief from it.

Granite Town was a short walk through the forest. Ruby carried my limp body all the way until we reached the town’s Poké Center, where I was finally set on the counter. Ruby explained to the nurse what had happened, and I worried that she would tell me I would be stuck like this forever. Fortunately, the nurse was not concerned at all. She removed the damaged band, explaining this sort of thing happened all the time; she just had to make a call to the Pokémon League to have a new band sent, at which point my consciousness could be returned to my original body. The nurse asked me if there was any place I would like to stay and wait? A daycare? A ranch? Ruby said that she was my friend and that she would look after me until this was over. The nurse bowed, and my body was taken to the back. The rest of my team was stored in the PC, though Ruby kept the ball that belonged to Absol, and then she gave my head a pat and asked if I was ready to come home with her. I barked yes; staying with Ruby was certainly a better option than being mistaken for a wild Pokémon and being captured by a local kid.

Ruby brought me home and straight to her room. She set Absol’s ball on her shelf, right next to the one she would always tease catching me with. She acknowledged this irony as she said, “I know I always said you could be one of my Pokémon, but I never thought it would actually happen.” She had a seat on her bed and gave me a pat on the head, “I also didn’t think you’d be this cute!”

Feeling Ruby’s hands on me, petting me, felt so good! I leaned into her palm and smiled as I asked for more, which she happily granted me. Her fingers were so magical that she soon had me laying on my back so she could attack my chest and tummy with her affection. I was overjoyed to hear her call me ‘good girl ’, and that night I slept on her bed with her, both protectively and being protected by my friend.

The next day, Ruby bought a collar and put it around my neck. She said she hoped that it would make me feel more comfortable than being naked all the time. As a Pokémon, I was not concerned with such things, though now I was feeling rather self-conscious about it. Thankfully she took my mind off of that as we played ball in the park together, and when a group of boys tried to spoil our fun by throwing a basket ball at us, I popped it beneath my claws and glared at them with the dark stare that made superstitious people fear the Disaster Pokémon! Once again, Ruby called me a good girl and showered me with cuddles.

Ruby suggested that we do our best to keep up appearances so that no one grew suspicious or worried about me. I agreed with this, so no matter how degrading it was, I ate Poké chow off the floor and did ‘my business’ in the back yard. She also referred to me only as Absol, even when it was just the two of us so she could keep herself in the habit and avoid a slip around other people.

In the evening, Ruby received a call from the Pokémon Center. I overheard the nurse say that the new Synchro Band had been delivered, and asked that I be brought back at earliest convenience so I could be unbound with my Pokémon. Ruby acknowledged and hung up, and I expected that she would tell me the good news herself. Instead, she looked at me in thought, then went to the living room to watch TV. I was confused, but she just gave my head a pat as she ignored what I couldn’t ask her.

It had been days since I became trapped as a Pokémon, and yet even though escape was an option, Ruby had yet to take me back to the Pokémon Center. Sure, it was a rare opportunity for us to get to play together like this; maybe later she could Synchronize with one of her Pokémon and I could give her pats. But unfortunately, I was on a time crunch, with only a few days left to complete the Gym Challenge! On top of that, I started to experience some terrifying side effects to this prolonged Synchronized state. I realized I couldn’t read anymore. And on top of that, it was becoming difficult to understand what people were saying. Was I losing myself to Absol’s mind? Was I actually Absol and nothing but residual memories put me to the belief that I was ever human?

I became all the more desperate to return to my body. I clawed at the front door of Ruby’s house, but her only response was to tell me to go to the backyard if I had to go out. The backyard wouldn’t do; there was a fence around it! No! I had to leave. As I clawed again, Ruby ordered me to stop putting claw marks in the door. I rounded on her, and barked for her to let me out; her response was to offer me a treat, but I swatted it out of her hand. She demanded I apologize, but I continued to bark for the Poké Center. She’d clearly had enough of my attitude, and she grabbed my Pokeball and told me that I would have to go inside until I stopped being a bad girl.

Fear overcame me. If she put me in my ball, I might not be able to get out again until she let me out. What if she didn’t let me out until it was too late for the Gym Challenge? What if she never let me out at all? When I was freed again, would I even be me anymore? Would I just be an Absol obeying my trainer’s commands, all knowledge that a girl named Eliza ever existed gone forever? I couldn’t take the risk; I lunged forward, and sunk my fangs into Ruby’s arm.

My ball fell to the floor, and I picked it up in my mouth as I resumed my assault on the door. Ruby spouted profanity before she ordered, “Scyther! Get her!” A ball on her belt unleashed the green praying mantis dinosaur, which swung its deadly scythe arms at me. I ducked out of the way as the Pokémon cut the door in half, and then I took my opportunity to run as fast as could.

By some miracle, I encountered neither trainer nor Pokémon until I reached Granite Town. I did not stop running until I had made it into the Pokémon Center and threw myself onto the desk in front of the nurse. The nurse was certainly alarmed, but I couldn’t explain myself. I could only drop my ball onto the desk before I collapsed from exhaustion.

When I opened my eyes again, I was a human again. Absol laid on my lap, pleased to see me wake from my coma. I pet her, and thanked the nurse for returning me to my body. “May I offer you an egg in this trying time?” I thought it was the nurse, but it was actually her Chansey that asked the question of me. Absol replied, “My trainer and I are well enough, thank you.” Oh no, I speak Pokémon now… The nurse noticed my concern, and assured me that there may be residual effects from such a prolonged time Synchronized with my Pokémon, but they should – mostly – vanish within a day or so. “Herrorup!” I thanked her, accidently speaking Absol, but she took my gratitude in the manner I had intended it.

I retrieved my Pokémon from the PC, and then left the Poké Center. As soon as I stepped out the door, I was confronted by Ruby. “I can’t believe you bit me!” She exclaimed as she held her arm up to show me the bandage wrapped around it. I wanted to apologize for hurting her, but she continued, “How could you do that to me? After everything I did for you!”

My sympathy turned to anger. “I had to get away from you! I could have returned to normal days ago, but you left me trapped as a Pokémon!”

“I would have brought you in eventually.”

“When would eventually be? After the Gym Challenge was over? I know you’re not a fan of me being in it, but I still want to compete.”

“ I’m trying to protect you! No matter how good you get, you don’t stand a chance against real Pokémon Trainers, and that’s what awaits you at the end of this. You do not want to compete!”

“It’s my choice Ruby, not yours.”

“It is my choice! I’m your leader!”

“…Not anymore…” With heavy hands, I took off my jacket, and dropped it to the ground. “I am not your minion, and I am not your pet. If you don’t realize that then… then maybe you’re not my friend…”

Ruby was stunned at what I had just said and done, and made no motion to stop me as I brushed past her. I hesitated for only a moment to steel myself, fighting for breath and against tears before I moved on.