Unbroken Disguise

His steps were almost silent. Not quite, but after having spent so much time out in the wilderness he had become adept at not disturbing the locals. If they wanted to be friends, that was great. But to just waltz in and stomp around in their home? That would be terribly rude. This wasn’t a city with their constant noise, or people and pokemon everywhere.

He couldn’t remember the name of this forest, but he would respect it all the same.

However, something seemed… off. It was hard to tell exactly what was bothering him about this place, but the feeling wasn’t fleeting. A quick glance around revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Just a Tranquill resting in a tree, a Venipede scurrying across the ground, a Petilil poking out of the tall grass.

Pokemon always seemed to have sharper senses than he did, perhaps he could ask them? He calmly approached the Tranquill, craning his neck up to properly meet its closed eyes.

“Excuse me, am I just imagining things, or does something seem strange about this part of the forest?”

The Tranquill’s eyes opened, staring down at the boy on the ground. “This whole forest is strange, but I suppose things have been thrown off by the new guy in the area.” A strange sound came out of its throat, as if it wanted to scoff, but couldn’t quite manage it. “What am I doing, acting like a human is going to understand me.” It startled to grumble in annoyance, but craned its head off to the side either way, obviously gesturing for him to go in that direction. “Maybe this guy can catch him and get him away from us. That would be nice…”

“You wish for me to capture a pokemon not native to this area? Why not just ask him to leave if he’s bothering you?”

The Tranquill squawked, its eyes going wide. “Wait, did you just? No, I must’ve heard wrong…”

“My apologies, friend. Perhaps I should have led with the fact that I am able to understand pokemon. I sometimes forget that it is not common among humans.”

Tranquill stared at him, slack-... beaked? It took a moment to compose itself before mumbling something about “this stupid forest, I really need to move out of here…”

Adjusting its footing on the branch, Tranquill went back to its explanation. “This forest is weird. Real weird, if you ask me, but if you’re only just picking up on it then it’s more likely that the ‘strange’ feeling you’re getting is the schmuck who just moved into the area. Terrifying little thing, the sooner he gets out of here the better. Ruining the whole atmosphere with how scared everyone is… Anyway, he’s taken residence in a hollowed out log over that way,” Tranquill gestured off to the side again, “and he’s making a real racket over there. You can’t miss him, but if you start to hear the sounds of humans then you’ve gone too far.”

“I… see?” The human replied. Being asked to relocate a pokemon was certainly a novel request, but if everyone who lived here was scared… “And what sort of pokemon am I looking for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“No clue what it is, never seen one before it suddenly showed up here. It covers itself though, like you humans do.”

This just kept getting weirder and weirder, but the man’s curiosity was piqued. “It wears clothes? I suppose I’ve seen pokemon with accessories at times…”

“No, not like that. You’ve probably heard of Zorua, right? And how they have their illusions?” The man nodded in affirmation. “It’s like that, but… low quality. It pretends to be a Pikachu, but the whole thing is off. No technique involved, it’s just got some material over it that resembles a Pikachu. Or at least, I think that’s the case, I’ve not gotten close enough to really investigate.”

“Interesting… I’m afraid I’ve never heard of a pokemon that matches your description, but I suppose something like that would be hard to miss, wouldn’t it? I’ll see if I can help resolve your issues.” He wasn’t about to order a pokemon around, like those awful pokemon trainers, but he could at least talk to it about maybe trying not to bother its new neighbors.

Tranquill gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I’d do something about it myself, but…”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m happy to help.”

And with that, the man set off in search of this mysterious pokemon. It truly was odd that such a pokemon had wound up in the woods here. Perhaps it was from another region? Someone could have brought it to this area and abandoned it. It wouldn’t be the first time he had seen a case like that, even if the vast majority of those were at least native to some part of Unova.

It wasn’t long before he was able to hear the noise that Tranquill had complained about. It was like something was tearing chunks out of a tree, the wood splintering and cracking. The noise gradually became louder and louder as he approached the source, but just as he was able to spot the debris flying through the air, it stopped.

The sound of destruction was replaced by a lone voice. “...didn’ work either. I guess that crosses Hone Claws off the list. This would be a lot easier if I actually understood how any of these moves were supposed to be used…”

That was when he saw it. A… Pikachu doll? It seemed pretty worn out, and the tail had been replaced by a stick. The pokemon puppeting it must be quite small if it was able to fit inside.

“Excuse me?” He called out.

The doll jumped, doubling the distance between them in a moment. “Hey! What’s the big idea, sneakin’ up on me like that? Gimme a heart attack, why don’cha…” The head of the doll bobbed a bit as the pokemon spoke.

“My apologies. I simply wished to have a discussion with you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure you did. Well here’s the deal, bud. You-” The pokemon cut itself off abruptly, just standing there, watching him. Was it watching him? Those holes on the base of the doll sort of looked like slits for eyes…

“Is there a problem?” The man asked when it didn’t seem like the pokemon would be continuing that thought.

“...that shade of green, the get-up, talkin’ ta me like it’s no big deal… What’s yer name?”

“My name?” It wasn’t often that a pokemon would ask for his name. And the accent was odd, something he had never heard before. That was far stranger than a species he didn’t recognize. “My friends refer to me as N. May I ask your name? I’m afraid that I’ve never seen a pokemon like you before.”

“N? I guess that settles it then.” The pokemon slowly closed the distance between them, walking right up to him as it spoke. “Well, I s’pose you can call me Mimikyu. That’s the species name, and I doubt we’re gonna be runnin’ into any others of my kind ‘round these parts.” The head of the doll tilted back as Mimikyu looked up at him. “Now, I wanna make sure somethin’s crystal clear b’fore we continue. If ya value yer life, and the lives of those around ya, this little get-up I’ve got goin’ on? It stays on. No peekin’, got it? That ain’t a threat, that’s just how it is for Mimikyus.”

It certainly sounded like a threat, but N supposed he didn’t know much about this species, and if Mimikyu wanted the doll to stay on, he was happy to oblige. “No peeking, understood. It’s nice to meet you, Mimikyu.”

“Likewise. Now, I know we just met an’ all, but I’ve got a request for ya.”

“A request? I can’t guarantee anything, but if it’s within my abilities I’ll do what I can.”

“Great! Yer obviously not the trainer type,” N was glad to hear that even a pokemon who had just met him wouldn’t confuse him with those awful people, “and that’s fine an’ all, but I find myself in a bit of a pinch. Would ya mind if I tagged along with ya?”

It was shock after shock every step of the way today. He had had wild pokemon ask to travel with him before, but never like this! He had barely known Mimikyu for a handful of minutes, and now the pokemon wanted to travel with him?

“I’m not opposed to the idea,” N replied, “but are you sure? We only just met after all.”

“Look, if you were just about any other human, I’d kick ya from here clear ta the Kanto region. But I can tell that yer different. You got yer goals, I got mine. I just got a… let’s call it a gut feelin’, that if I tag along with ya it’ll make reachin’ my goals a whole lot easier.”

“I suppose I can’t argue with that. I was just planning to explore this forest for a bit longer before I moved on to the next city. You’re free to join me if that’s what you desire.”

“Cool, let’s get a move on then.”

It took quite some time to escape the forest. Mimikyu isn’t exactly a speedy pokemon, and N found himself walking at a sedated pace so that his new friend could keep up. That was fine though. He wasn’t needed anywhere at any specific times, and it gave him an opportunity to learn about his traveling companion.

“Alola? No wonder nobody recognized you. I doubt there are many people in all of Unova who are very familiar with the region at all, let alone all the different pokemon there.” N had only heard bits and pieces of information about the region. He could vaguely remember a few commercials advertising for the region, but that had been long ago.

“Really? That’s sorta surprisin’. Humans travel around a lot, don’ they? A place like Alola should be a vacation hotspot at the very least. The sorta place everyone talks about goin’ to one day, but maybe can’t afford.” The more that he and Mimikyu talked, the more signs pointed towards it having once lived amongst humans.

“Maybe. I don’t actually talk to other humans all that much… I prefer pokemon for companions.” Not that he was a complete hermit, but talking with pokemon was just so much easier.

“Ah, yeah… yer a bit of a loner type, ain’t ya? Or maybe that doesn’ really fit if ya talk to pokemon a lot.” Mimikyu said with a contemplative tone.

“I couldn’t say. But you know… from what little I do know of Alola, your accent doesn’t really fit it. Are you really from there?”

“Look, partner, let’s not go making assumptions, alright? Ya know what they say about assumptions. Alola is an island chain, right? It stands ta reason that there could be different dialects on each island. Though with the recent advances in technology those dialects would probably be restricted to the older generations who didn’ grow up with mass media…” The way Mimikyu phrased it seemed as if he had never been to the region at all, but it was easy enough to confirm that.

“Is it the dialect of a specific island then? I’ll admit that I had not paid enough attention to catch something like that with the little media I’ve seen out of the region.”

“Ya ever heard the phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat’?” Mimikyu replied, annoyance clear in his tone. “Though maybe they replace ‘cat’ with a specific pokemon from each region. Curiosity killed the Purrloin, maybe?”

“It’s Liepard, actually. Though now that you mention it, that saying probably does vary depending on region.”

“Anyways, the point I’m gettin’ at here is that me goin’ on a little tangent like that is my subtle way of tellin’ ya to drop it. I don’t ask about yer past, you don’ ask ‘bout mine. I like to focus on the present, the here and now, and maybe a bit o’ the future. No sense dwellin’ on stuff that’s already done and set in stone. Unless you happen to be pals with a Celebi or somethin’?” Surprisingly, Mimikyu’s tone seemed hopeful.

“I apologize, I hadn’t realized it was such a sensitive subject. Also, I’m afraid I’m not familiar with that pokemon, so no, I’m not friends with any.”

“It ain’t a big deal, you didn’ know. But now ya do!”

“I shall endeavor not to make the same mistake. If you prefer to focus on the present…” N paused for a moment, considering the many questions he still had. “Could you tell me a bit about your species? All I really have to go on is your appearance, and that’s…”

“A bit odd, ain’t it? I getcha. Let’s see… Mimikyu are ghost and fairy types, for starters.”

“Fairy types?” N had never heard of such a thing, even with his extensive… tutoring.

“You don’t- really? That’s pretty crazy, for you to not know about fairy types. There were some in that forest even! Though I guess if ya don’ know about ‘em then cottonee would seem like pure grass types, wouldn’ they?”

“So you’re telling me that Cottonee are dual typed?”

“Well, yeah? Just about anywhere else that would be common knowledge. Unless… maybe it’s a regional variance? Is that possible? Two variants of a pokemon that look identical, but don’ share the same typin’… have ya ever seen a Cottonee or Whimsicott get hit by a dragon type move?”

“I- no? Not that I can recall at least, but it’s not very often that you see dragon types fighting at all. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a Whimsicott fight a dragon type…” Had anyone ever challenged Drayden with a Whimsicott? He couldn’t recall. “But why is that important?”

“Fairy types are immune to dragon.”

N’s brain blue screened at that comment. “What? That- that can’t be right! Dragons are…”

“It’s true. I could take a Draco Meteor or an Outrage to the face and not get scratched. Or I think that’s how it works? I don’ actually have much practical experience. Ya probably understand type immunities better than I do, even if yer not a trainer.”

“That’s… unbelievable, frankly.”

“Well it’s the truth, so start believin’! Immune ta dragons, resists dark, bug, and fightin’, weak ta poison an’ steel. An’ then on the flip side, fairies aren’t very effective against steel, poison, and fire, but do massive damage to fightin’, dragon, and dark types.”

“Those type match-ups don’t make any sense! Are you telling me that one of the strongest kinds of pokemon in Unova would stand no chance against you?! I’m not very fond of pokemon battles, but I'm at least familiar with how they tend to play out and I’m having a hard time comprehending the mere idea of such a thing.”

“Of course not! If a Hydreigon used a Hyper Voice against me I could probably escape with my life, but that’s all I could hope for. Now a Deino on the other hand… well, that would probably still be a matter of experience. Type advantages ain’t everythin’, even if they do help a lot.”

“Right. You’re right.” N took a deep breath. “I think I’m just struggling to comprehend something being immune to dragon type moves…”

“Yeah, whatever. Ya can have yer little breakdown later or somethin’. If we’re gonna be travelin’ together I should focus on the more important matter at hand.”

N looked down at the doll hiding his new friend. “An important matter?”

“Yeah.” Mimikyu’s voice became a bit downcast. “When we reach the city, yer gonna have ta buy a sewin’ kit or somethin’.”

“A… sewing kit? Is this related to your… outfit?”

“Yep. All that time I spent in the woods means it’s startin’ to fray at the edges, and that’s no good. Can’t ‘ave it gettin’ caught on somethin’ and revealin’ me.” Mimikyu seemed quite upset at the mere idea of his cloth coming off his body.

“I know what you said before, but… that outfit is really important to you, isn’t it?”

Mimikyu sighed. “Look, this ain’t a sentimental sorta deal. Mimikyu are dangerous. Technically speakin’, I could wear just about anythin’ that covers my body and that would be fine. However, the few people in this area that are familiar with my kind would recognize this doll on sight. Anything else is risky. I’m not sure what the deal is exactly, but my kind are real attached to lookin’ like a Pikachu. Somethin’ about everybody likin’ the little rats? It’s just safer this way.”

“Is it really that dangerous to see what you look like?” N was concerned at this point. Sure, Mimikyu had asked if he valued his life, but that must have been an exaggeration!

“People ‘ave died, N. Everyone who lives around Mimikyu is aware of the danger. There are lots of different accounts of exactly how it happens. Some reports say people are so terrified they die o’ shock. Others say they catch some sort of illness. Some say it’s a curse. But the how don’ really matter when the end result is death.” Mimikyu’s voice was gravely serious, stopping their walk towards the city to look up at N and ensure he listened carefully to the warning.

N was quiet for a moment. “...I suppose we’ll have to do some shopping then, won’t we?”

“That we shall.” Mimikyu started down the path once more, apparently satisfied that N had taken his words to heart. “Which city are we headin’ to, anyways?”

“Did I not mention it earlier?” The sound of wind, rustling leaves, and small pokemon was slowly drowned out as they got closer. Instead, the bustling sounds of the city were starting to pick up.

“That, Mimikyu, is Nimbasa City.”