章 2: Reclaiming emotions
A soft sigh of exhaustion escaped the lips of a woman in Ecruteak City, located in the Johto region, as she awoke from her slumber. The woman, named Umeko, was a close relative of the Kimono Sisters, who were known for their entertaining performances in Johto.
She had given birth to a son just 5 years ago, and she had hoped it would be the most beautiful time of her life. However, it quickly turned out to be different because of the same son she had given birth to.
He wasn't a misbehaving child; in fact, one could say he was a model child. However, the problem stemmed from his inability to express himself or experience emotions. Every action he did felt so cold and detached even something like a hug somehow just felt off, it was exhausting for a parent especially a mother to deal with a child like that.
Umeko however wasn't someone to shy away from trouble, she even participated in the League circuit and although she didn't make the Silver Conference she did manage to collect 6 badges in Johto for her efforts.
Collecting the badges from the various gyms around the region wasn't an easy task, the gym leaders were formidable opponents and although they would match their strength with yours their tactics and training methods were top notch.
Not everyone could make it to the Silver Conference, getting 6 badges was seen as above average as the average was only 4 badges. It should also be said that not only were the gym leaders a problem, even the road to the gyms themselves were troubling. The journey was fraught with peril, from territorial wild Pokémon to dangerous criminals lurking in the wild.
Umeko returned home from her journey, and her family celebrated her commendable achievements. She then devoted her time to improving her skills as a shamisen player and assisting her relatives and sisters in managing the entertainment hall.
As she reflected on her thoughts like she did many times in these past few years she could feel something stirring on the other side of the bed. She looked over with a warm smile at the figure that was sleeping next to her, it was her husband Enki.
Enki embarked on his own journey the same time as her, and unlike Umeko, he reached the Silver Conference. It was during this journey that they first met. On one stormy night, lightning bolts flashing across the dark sky, Umeko found shelter in a cave on Route 45.
Enki also reached the same cave a little while later and they hit it off pretty well, together they weathered out the storm and together they went on their way. Even after Umeko's badge collection journey concluded, they continued to travel together and support each other.
Due to his achievement of getting to the silver conference Enki was allowed to become a police officer, he always had a strong sense of justice and didn't like how criminals prowled on the outskirts of towns in order to hide from the law.
In his years of active duty the routes to and from Ecruteak have seen a decrease in criminal activity, this was met with compliments from the Jenny clan and they decided to gift him with a puppy like Pokémon, It has bright orange fur with black stripes; a Growlithe.
Growlithe and their evolved form Arcanine were seen as a police symbol of the Jenny clan so although he was a male he was basically an honoured member due to his previously stated achievements.
Enki woke from his sleep to see his wife looking at him warmly, he smiled back and said in return. "Good morning honey, ready for another day?" As the new day began Umeko let out a small sigh "I hope so." She said a little somberly.
Enki understood why his wife had been feeling down lately. "Don't give up hope dear, one day we'll find out why our son is like that." their son wasn't doing this on purpose that much they knew, however when they ask him what's wrong all he will say is 'I just don't feel anything', it was a harrowing thought that their son was broken like this.
They had taken him to many psychic-type Pokémon specialists who all told them there was a mental block in the way of him and his emotions and if they forcefully removed it he would likely die or go insane.
The only one who could remove the mental block without causing damage was himself but he was just a 5 year old child, there was no way he could understand something as vague as emotions and his own mental landscape.
Even the gym leader Morty who specialised in the ghost-type couldn't help their son, his Gengar tried to see if their son's dreams were any help however even Gengar was powerless in front of the block. Even Umeko's sisters tried to get their son to feel any kind of emotion with their plays and music; however it was all for naught.
Umeko got out of bed and got dressed for the day, she went downstairs to prepare breakfast for everyone. Soon many creatures would gather around her, some even bigger than she herself, however she greeted them all with a warm smile
"Good morning, did you all sleep well?" The creatures all made different groans and sounds. Now would be a good time to introduce the Pokémon teams of Umeko and Enki.
Starting with Umeko herself, her starter was a green quadruped mammalian with leaves; a Leafeon. The Kimono Sisters and family members all started with an Eevee, as per tradition.
She also had a ferret with dark brown/tan fur and 7 rings on its body; a Furret. an Azumarill that was more of an oval shape and had two large, floppy ears and was blue on the upper half, and white on the lower half and a zigzag tail with a blue ball.
And finally a moderately large, bipedal creature with a rather large head and six small limbs. It also has star patterns on its back; a Ledian. Even with this less than spectacular team, she managed to obtain 6 badges, which was a testament to her skill as a trainer.
Enki's team, however, was quite different. He had a Sandslash that looked like a tall, yellow, porcupine-like creature with brown quills on its back along with two very long claws on each "hand" as his starter.
The aforementioned Growlithe is now a Arcanine that looked pretty much the same except for being much bigger, An Ursaring that was a bear-like Pokémon that stood on its hind legs with a loop on its abdomen, a Kingler that looked like a crab, It has a 5 spiked crest on top of its head and has two pincers with different sizes.
A Fearow that looked like a large, mostly brown bird Pokémon with a vulturine neck and broad, powerful wings and a thin sharp long beak. and, last but not least, a very plain Pokémon. It is a simple, pinkish-purple, amorphous blob, with two small dots as eyes and a long, curved mouth; a Ditto.
Ditto was a far more intriguing team member than one might expect. The ability to transform into any other Pokémon or even a human was something Enki took advantage of to make his police work more effective. Ditto was also no slouch in combat.
Enki managed to get Ditto's Transform to a point where it could mimic other members of his team, albeit at a slightly weaker state than the originals. This meant that Ditto had the most versatility of any Pokémon.
After preparing breakfast, Umeko went up to her son's room. After taking a small breath to prepare herself, she knocked on his door. "Shuichi, dear, are you up already?" She opened the door only to find her son sitting on his bed in a spotless room.
The level of cleanliness was uncanny for a five-year-old, but her son maintained it. "Yes, mother, I'm awake," he told her with the same monotone voice she couldn't get used to.
She tried her best to keep her facial expressions in check as she responded, "Breakfast is ready. Come down and eat."
Kristoph looked at Umeko with his nearly trademarked soulless eyes. It had been five years since he was reborn in the world of Pokémon, and in that time, he had learned a lot of things.
Firstly, he learned about the tradition of ten-year-old children going on a journey. Ten years old was the absolute minimum, but in order to reach that minimum, they needed permission from the region's professor, who would take full responsibility in case anything went wrong.
The professors were very stringent in their choices, and some regions even increased the minimum age requirement. Kristoph's favourite region, Sinnoh, for example, had a minimum age of 13 years required to take on the gyms.
Some other regions, like Unova, had even higher standards, with a minimum age of 14 required. Completing kindergarten and trainer school was also a requirement for taking on the league circuit, where children learned essential skills such as spotting dangerous territories and how to set up camp, among other things.
Another thing Kristoph learned was that legendary Pokémon were more or less seen as urban legends with no concrete proof.
There were many children's stories about legendary Pokémon, such as the creation trio of Sinnoh, and the stories of the Brass and Bell Towers in Ecruteak where he lived. Kristoph had visited them with his new parents once, but despite their significance, he still couldn't feel anything.
Even being transported and reborn in a completely new world couldn't heal Kristoph's emotions. He didn't fault his new parents for not trying, as they did everything in their power to help him.
They did a lot more than anyone in his previous world had done for him. Walking downstairs, Kristoph could see his new parents and their Pokémon already eating. Kristoph himself didn't have a Pokémon, as he hadn't even finished kindergarten yet.
It wasn't that he had trouble with it, but rather, he had trouble making friends and not scaring others away.
"Good morning everyone," Kristoph said in a monotone voice. Everyone responded with either a grunt or a simple "Good morning." The Pokémon in the house also tried to cheer Kristoph up in their spare time, but it was soon discovered that even that effort failed.
Gradually, they tried to get used to Kristoph, the same as their trainers did. However, sometimes their instincts told them that there was something dangerous about Kristoph, which caused them to retreat instinctively. Pokémon were far more sensitive than humans, and Kristoph's behaviour scared them off.
Sitting at the table, eating breakfast, Kristoph thought about the date and concluded that it was about time to try his final plan to recover his emotions. If this didn't work, nothing else would.
"Dad, are you planning to take another vacation soon?" Kristoph asked his father for his attention. His father looked at him in thought and said, "That was the plan, indeed. However, your mother and I haven't decided where we should go yet." His father informed him of their plans.
"Can I choose where to go?" Kristoph showed a rare interest in this vacation, one could even mistake it for a rare case of emotions had it not been coupled with the monotone voice.
Everyone in the house paused when they heard Kristoph, well aware that he had almost no
interests. "Of course, dear. Where do you think we should go?" His mother jumped at the opportunity of her son actually having a preference. "Can we go to Lake Verity in the Sinnoh region?" Her son, however, surprised her with an unexpected answer.
"Lake Verity? Why would you want to go there?" His father, a veteran police officer, sensed there was more to it than a simple sightseeing tour. Kristoph didn't intend to keep his plan from his parents, as it would only complicate things.
"I've read a story about the guardian that resides in Lake Verity, the legendary Pokémon Mesprit. According to the story, Mesprit introduced emotions to humans. Maybe Mesprit can help me as well." Kristoph's words left everyone in the room stunned.
Even at the age of five, Kristoph was undeniably gifted. He had an uncanny ability to absorb knowledge far quicker than his peers. Speaking fluently before the age of one was already astonishing, yet here he was discussing legends and stories he had come across.
"I see," his mother responded hesitantly, taken aback. She couldn't help but wonder if her son truly believed that Mesprit would come to his aid.
"I know it's just a story, but there could be a small chance," Kristoph asserted. His parents and their Pokémon exchanged glances and thoughts. Some remained sceptical, while others held hope. Eventually, his father decided to trust his son and said, "Fine, we'll go there for a few days of camping." And so, their decision was final.
Over the next couple of weeks, they packed their belongings and set off for Goldenrod City. The journey by car from Ecruteak to Goldenrod took about three hours. This was yet another revelation for Kristoph.
Cars were a common mode of transportation in the Pokémon world, and roads were protected by Rangers to ensure safe travel. While trainers frequently travelled on foot or with their Pokémon, cars were a more practical mode of transportation for other residents.
From Goldenrod, they made their way to the local airport for a flight to Jubilife City in Sinnoh. Planes were indeed a part of this world, making cross-regional travel significantly more accessible.
However, planes primarily flew to the capital cities of each region, as the airspace was shared with various flying Pokémon, and there was concern about overcrowding and safety.
The flight from Goldenrod to Jubilife took just two hours, affording them the opportunity to explore Jubilife before heading to Lake Verity. They strolled through shops, sampled street food, and enjoyed the day before finally making their way to Lake Verity.
The lake, in reality, was relatively small, featuring a central island surrounded by water and grassy shores ideal for camping. With their campsites set up, Kristoph volunteered to prepare dinner, and the rest of the group relaxed. Eventually, his parents and their Pokémon succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.
Staying awake, Kristoph seized the opportunity. He had secretly obtained sleeping medication from one of the stores they visited, given the surprisingly lax security in this world, and he discreetly added it to the food to ensure everyone else slept soundly.
While the others dozed, he refrained from eating anything himself. Having experienced this situation during his time in the bunker, hiding from the war, it felt like nothing new.
Recalling the events from the game, Kristoph remembered that Mesprit resided within a cave but only appeared after Team Galactic forced it into the open. Although he lacked the method of forced entry, he hoped Mesprit could still hear him from its current location.
Standing at the lake's edge, he spoke aloud to the island in the middle, "Mesprit, I beg of you, please heed my call and help me." His entreaties came across as genuine, but the monotone voice made it painful to listen.
For a while, Kristoph waited in the darkness, uncertain whether Mesprit had heard him or chosen to respond. His pleas seemed to be in vain, and he considered heading back to the tent to try again another day.
When he turned around, he came face to face with a floating blue Pokémon with a pink head and two tails – Mesprit itself, gazing directly at him. Mesprit had heard Kristoph's cries across dimensions.
People calling out to it wasn't uncommon, but they usually displayed emotions such as greed or need. Most either wanted to see or capture it. However, when Kristoph reached out, Mesprit couldn't sense any emotions emanating from the young child.
It continued to observe him, looking for any signs of deception or any sign of emotion, and eventually chose to reveal itself. But even that failed to elicit any reaction from Kristoph.
"Please, Mesprit, help me regain my emotions," Kristoph implored Mesprit in his quest to feel emotions once more. Mesprit gazed at Kristoph for a moment, and its eyes shone a brilliant blue. As a result, Kristoph drifted off to sleep in the grass, finding himself standing in a vast, dark void. He wasn't alone; Mesprit was right there beside him.
"I suppose you want to see how I ended up like this?" Kristoph asked, and Mesprit nodded, engaging in telepathic communication. "Yes," echoed the voice in Kristoph's mind.
"Then brace yourself because even I have trouble believing it," Kristoph warned, and the scene swiftly transitioned to his birth, his original birth.
"I was born in a world without Pokémon, in a simple world free from danger," Kristoph narrated as the scenes unfolded. Mesprit appeared to regard Kristoph with disbelief at this claim. How had he come to this world?
The scenes then shifted to a time when he received a Nintendo DS and his favourite game. Emotions were clear and tangible in these scenes, the child showing happiness and excitement.
"For the first ten years of my life, everything was normal and happy. I could feel emotions, and nothing seemed amiss. My favourite game was 'Pokémon Platinum,' a story set in Sinnoh where you played as a trainer on a journey to become the champion. It was my all-time favourite game," Kristoph shared.
As he recounted his joyous memories, Mesprit sensed the emotions emanating from these scenes but still struggled to grasp the entirety of Kristoph's story.
"Then tragedy struck," Kristoph stated as the scenes transitioned once more. He, too, changed to resemble his ten-year-old self, and the scenes proceeded with sounds from Kristoph's own memories.
They unfolded from the moment his parents discovered the war and the evacuation order to Kristoph's weeks spent hiding. During this period, Mesprit observed Kristoph's sanity deteriorating due to loneliness and the anguish of fear. Witnessing this happen to a child was a harrowing experience and Mesprit could see Kristoph slowly closing off emotions in order to remain sane.
"I somehow kept hoping that one day my parents would open up the bunker and come to get me. However, I eventually discovered the truth," Kristoph confessed as the scene transitioned to him leaving the bunker and entering his parents' room, where he found them deceased.
Mesprit perceived more than Kristoph did; it saw his final emotions being locked away at this exact moment, the final shred of hope a young child clung to being crushed before his eyes.
"Outdoors, I saw more bodies, and eventually, I grew accustomed to it," Kristoph continued, leading Mesprit through the scenes. He described his time in the orphanage, as well as his days in the military, until his ultimate demise at the hands of the men.
"In hindsight, if I had coped with my trauma in the same way as the children from the orphanage, I probably wouldn't have ended up like this," Kristoph concluded, omitting any scenes that held no relevance to his current situation.
The scenes ended, and Kristoph faced Mesprit again, reiterating his previous request. "Please, Mesprit, I want to feel emotions again. I won't cast them away anymore, and I will cherish them forever," he vowed. He didn't want to lose his emotions once more.
Mesprit observed Kristoph for a moment and then conveyed a telepathic message. "Promise? I won't help you again if you lose them again." Kristoph nodded and conveyed his promise with as much emotion as he could muster, which was still none.
Mesprit nodded and allowed its eyes to glow blue once more, rendering Kristoph unconscious. It peered at Kristoph and pondered his situation. Something about the story didn't add up.
Why had he reached for that old device after so many years, and why hadn't he noticed a group of five men following him, especially considering his war training? The pieces of the story were inconsistent and suspicious, and Mesprit wondered if someone or something had actively interfered with Kristoph at a certain point.
Arceus was the only being that came to mind, but the reason for such interference remained unclear. Regardless, Mesprit couldn't turn Kristoph away. After all, it was the embodiment of emotions, and observing someone incapable of feeling emotions was profoundly unsettling.
Kristoph woke up in his ten-year-old body. As he gazed out of the window, the sun shone brightly, and everything appeared peaceful. Had everything been just a dream?
Walking out of his room he noticed his parents bedroom door was open, inside the bedroom everything seemed perfectly fine. A wave of pain suddenly assaulted Kristoph as he felt all sorts of different things.
Taking a moment to calm himself down, Kristoph realised what had happened which caused another wave, this one however wasn't painful but felt more pleasant. He had his emotions again and they were uncontrollable and wild due to not experiencing them for over 40 years.
Something deep within him slowly awakened as he considered the prospect of reuniting with his parents, and tears welled up in his eyes. He ran downstairs to see his parents once more, who were surprised to discover that he was crying.
The sight of his parents sitting in front of the television, watching the news, overwhelmed him, and he ran towards them, catching them off guard.
"K-Kristoph? What's wrong?" His mother asked, attempting to soothe the hysterical child before her. "I had a bad dream," Kristoph managed to say.
He wished it was all just a dream, but somewhere deep within him, he knew it was more than that. After calming down, he attempted to ask his parents about the war, but he found himself choking on the words. It seemed he couldn't change the events too much. He continued with his day and eventually fell asleep, only to progress to the next scene.
The next scene was the one where he was awakened by gunshots and brought to the bunker. Kristoph followed the scene, making only a few changes to the script. He gave his father one last hug and embraced the hug his mother gave him at the last moment.
Kristoph went through the scenes, holding onto his emotions as best as he could. When he reached the scene with his parents' lifeless bodies once more, he projected every emotion he could, screaming and crying. He refused to throw away his feelings any longer.
His emotional outburst drew someone's attention, and it turned out to be the same soldier who had found him the first time. Instead of pointing a gun at Kristoph, she embraced him and whispered into his ear.
"It's alright, just calm down." Her female voice caught Kristoph by surprise, but he continued to release his emotions, screaming and crying until he finally fainted from exhaustion.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself in the medical camp, just as he had been when he was first taken there. He tried to feel his emotions, and the scenes of his parents flashed before his eyes.
This triggered another tantrum, and medical personnel had to restrain him. He realised he still had his emotions, but controlling them was a challenge. After calming down, he felt somewhat embarrassed about the outburst, but the staff quickly reassured him.
Returning to the orphanage this time felt different. Children were still screaming and crying, but Kristoph could now relate to their struggles. They were all trying to control their emotions as the events flashed before their eyes.
Kristoph did his best to keep his emotions in check, and the staff at the orphanage provided assistance when he couldn't control them any longer. It was a completely different experience, and the staff member who had previously taken his own life was alive this time.
Kristoph still attended military school, but this time he wasn't an emotionless shell of a man. He was well on his way to reclaiming his emotions. Various scenes played out differently in Kristoph's vision.
He made friends in the military, rose through the ranks even faster than before, and became a respected commander more quickly. However, a surprising turn of events awaited him.
On his way to the command centre, he was ambushed by the enemy and killed in the line of fire. Instead of making it to his 50s, he only lived into his 30s this time.
Was he upset about it? Perhaps a little, but when he saw the next scene, he quickly changed his mind.
The subsequent scene depicted his own funeral, with many attendees: friends from military school, orphanage staff members, and even some of the children who had grown up. He could see and feel the overwhelming sadness during the funeral as he was laid to rest.
"Thank you, Mesprit," Kristoph said emotionally as he felt the scenes concluding and his consciousness fading. He acknowledged that it wouldn't have been possible without Mesprit's help.
Mesprit chuckled softly, pleased to see Kristoph successfully recover and control his emotions. It decided to grant Kristoph another small gift, one that might be valuable on his journey, particularly if it turned out to be as perilous as Mesprit suspected.
Umeko woke up from her sleep, feeling like she had slept like a log. She hadn't slept so soundly in a long time. Glancing around the tent, she saw her husband still asleep, but her son was nowhere to be found.
Her motherly instincts kicked in instantly. "Shuichi? Shuichi, where are you!?" she yelled, waking up her husband. She rushed out of the tent, her heart pounding, only to find her son sitting on the grass, gazing at the island in the middle of the lake.
"Shuichi, you scared me! I thought you were gone," she said with relief as she approached her son. He turned around and revealed something she had only seen in her dreams – a warm, genuine smile.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw her son's smile, a sight she had longed for. "Good morning, mother. Sorry for scaring you," Shuichi said with a teary smile. His mother couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing.
She rushed to her son and embraced him, feeling his embrace in return. This time, it felt right. Awakened by the commotion, Shuichi's father joined them, and they shared a heartfelt family embrace.
Inside Kristoph had decided to leave the past behind and embrace his new life. Kristoph was gone, and It was Shuichi's time to shine in the world of Pokémon as the trainer he had always dreamt of becoming!
"So, I guess Mesprit paid you a visit then?" Shuichi's father inquired once everything had settled. Shuichi flinched slightly and hesitated. "W-Well, I, uhh... just had a good dream, is all," he tried to lie but realised he was terrible at it due to having never lied before.
His parents found his failed attempt at lying amusing. "Shuichi, dear, you shouldn't attempt to lie like that. We won't tell anyone that you saw Mesprit," his mother scolded him gently.
Shuichi felt guilty for lying and apologised, "Sorry, Mom, I just wanted to protect Mesprit." His mother reassured him, "It's alright, dear. Just don't lie anymore because you're terrible at it."
As they laughed together, they didn't notice a spectral presence on the water, joining in their laughter. Emotions were indeed an amazing thing to have Mesprit thought upon seeing the scene in front of it.
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