Unbroken Disguise

N stared at the Pokeball in his hand.

It belonged to him now. It was Mimikyu’s Pokeball.

Those two thoughts made him queasy. Or maybe that was his hunger catching up to him…

Either way, he didn’t like it. He longed for a world in which Pokemon could be free. Free from being forced to fight for the amusement of humans. Free from the confines of these disgusting little balls. Free from humanity entirely, if he could manage it. Humans were vile, and the sooner his friends could escape them the better.

His Ideals were noble, he knew that much. It was simply the Truth. Yet he knew that it would be impossible to see his dream come to fruition by simply proclaiming that he was just and good. This was a world that respected power. The League was in control because they were the strongest. Gym Leaders practically ran the towns they resided in because they were the strongest. The Champions were held in regard above all others because they were the strongest.

Of course, it wasn’t really their strength, was it? It was the strength of their Pokemon. Forced to fight over and over and over again, growing stronger with each battle until they had subjugated all in the region. Regardless of their own feelings on the matter.

In a world such as this, how was he to get Champions to comply? Alder was perhaps the weakest of the League Champions. That would make subduing him easy compared to someone like Lance. But he was still strong.

N would simply have to be stronger. He hated it. The mere idea made his skin itch. How hypocritical of him, to ask his friends to battle for him. To commit the same terrible action that he so reviled trainers for.

Yet he had no choice. He hadn’t done it yet, had not crossed that line. But he would have to. If there was a way to simply wish his dreams into existence, he would take that option in a heartbeat. But things didn’t work that way.

Today had been the first step. He had, with his own hands, caught a Pokemon for the first time. Mimikyu had asked him to do it. Had asked N to save him from the clutches of another, crueler master. But he hadn’t said no. He had gone along with it, asked for a Pokeball from Ash, and promised to pay him back for it. Like it was some simple favor, and not a heinous act that he was committing.

His hands… no, his very soul was stained now. He would have to think back on his deathbed, however far off that might be, and consider this day.

Why did others struggle to see it as such? Ash had congratulated him. Said it was awesome for him to become Mimikyu’s trainer. Dawn and Brock had looked on as if it were nothing, just an everyday occurrence.

Though, it really was for them, wasn’t it? If they had interacted with Professor Rowan so recently that he knew their current location, they could not have started their journeys long ago, and yet each of them had more than a single Pokeball on their belts. Perhaps that wasn’t fair though. If Brock used to be a Gym Leader, then he has probably had a full team for some time now. If Ash has a history of running into Legends of all things, then it is unlikely he came to Sinnoh with just his closest friend.

But what if they had? What if they had full teams, but came here with but a single Pokemon, cursing their previous captures to lay dormant in Pokeballs back home for who knows how long?

N didn’t think he could forgive that. But he would have to endure, for now at least. If Ash truly was as apt to encounter Legends as he had been led to believe…

Then no matter how dirty it made him feel, he would have to continue down this path until his Ideal had been reached, and the world acknowledged the Truth.

A Bubblebeam went off in the background as Dawn and Piplup got back to preparing their contest routine, the trainer and her Pokemon much more interested in securing a win than learning more about the newcomers. With the field being as large as it was, it was easy to ignore their many failed attempts.

“So. I guess the first thing to do is find your source.” Pikachu explained as he took a seat next to Mimikyu on the ground.

“Never ‘eard of it.”

“Right. Should have expected that. Your source is… what the name implies, really. It’s the source of all your power. I mean, some Pokemon might be able to do certain things based purely on biology, but if you’re trying to use a move, then you need to fuel it with power from your Source.”

“An’ how do I go abou’ findin’ this source? Is it in a cer’ain spot or somethin’?”

“Not a certain spot, no, Pokemon vary too much for that to be the case. I’ve never really talked much on the subject to anyone who would be well versed in this sort of thing…” Pikachu trailed off for a moment, clearly thinking of how to explain it best. “I’ll use myself as an example. I’m guessing you know a thing or two about Pikachu, since you’ve got the whole…” he gestured vaguely at Mimikyu’s disguise, receiving an affirmative nod in return. “Good. For me, my Source is like a ball of electricity. I can always feel it inside of me, but overuse can wear it out, making it… shrink, for lack of a better term. Use too much, and you’ll be unable to use a move at all until you’ve got some proper rest and let it recover. Does that make sense?”

“I s’pose it does so far, yeah.”

“Cool. Now, because my Source is a ball of electricity, using an Electric type move like Thunderbolt,” he effortlessly let one out, the electricity arcing towards the ground and scaring some nearby trainers, “is as easy as releasing that energy in a controlled manner. A Thundershock would use considerably less output, a Thunder a whole lot more. Obviously I’m simplifying the whole thing a bit, but that’s the basics of it. You, not being an Electric type, obviously aren’t going to feel that ball of electricity inside of you. I’m not sure what you would feel, but there should be something. Anything stick out to you?”

“Somethin’ inside of me, eh? I don’ know how that’s s’posed ta work, Mimikyu biology is kinda…” the little ghost trailed off uncomfortably. “If there’s somethin’ like that inside me, I can’t tell it apart from the rest.”

“That… could pose a problem. Keep searching for it? There has to be one inside you. I can continue my explanation, maybe that’ll help…” Pikachu didn’t seem very confident that it would, but what else was he supposed to do? “Obviously I know more than just Electric type moves, so the next question would be how to use those when my Source is pure electricity. The solution to this problem is converting a small portion of it when you want to use a move.”

“Conversion? Like, the move that Porygon learn?” Mimikyu’s confusion showed in his voice.

“My experience with Porygon is limited, so I couldn’t really tell you.” Pikachu answered before moving on. “Now, converting your Source to another type isn’t an exact science or anything, so you lose a bit of power when you do it. You might notice that moves seem to do more damage when used by a Pokemon whose Source matches the type of the move, and that’s because they’re not having to convert their Source to do it. Luckily, converting your Source is instinctual so you won’t need to…” Pikachu paused, considering who he was talking to, “Actually, you might have to convert it yourself if you’re having this much trouble with the rest of it. Don’t know how to help you there.”

“Is that how STAB works…?” Mimikyu muttered.

“Stab? I’ve never heard of that move, but I would assume it follows the same rules. Unfortunately,” Pikachu sighed, “that’s as far as my knowledge goes. All you can really do is try to find your Source and expel it from your body. If you focus on scratching at stuff, maybe your body will figure it out on its own and use Scratch? Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“Ya were a lot more helpful than the rest of ‘em, I ‘preciate yer attempt.” Mimikyu replied before getting to work, tearing at the ground with his shadowy claws.

I guess the explanation Pikachu told me gives me something to work off of, but I don’t remember anything about a “source” from… well, anything! I hope the number of little surprises like this isn’t too high or I’m going to be screwed.

Mimikyu’s claws gouged dirt out of a slowly growing hole in front of him.

So a Source is like.. What, your total PP or something? Pikachu said you could run out, and it could be replenished with rest, and that sort of fits what I know… but then how would that have anything to do with a same type attack bonus?

And it’s weird that they would call it “converting” your Source, when the Porygon line’s Conversion and Conversion 2 change their type. Unless… maybe the people who made Porygon and its evolutions actually have a solid understanding of this… natural type conversion? They could have reverse engineered the process and named the moves after it.

The hole became deeper and deeper, the dirt removed from it forming a pile around Mimikyu.

Find my Source and expel it from my body… find my Source… my body…

What the hell am I supposed to find?! There’s nothing there! Everything under the cloth is the same garbage! I don’t even know where those berries that I ate went, let alone what the rest of my insides look like!

Focusing on the differences between now and before makes me…

His vision blurred, and he lost focus of what he was doing, but his body kept moving.

But now I’m told I’ll have to specifically focus on that if I want to ever use a proper move?! That’s bullshit!

Am I just… never going to be able to fight properly? I’m a Pokemon, fighting is all they do! At this rate a level one Bidoof is probably enough to take me out since I can’t fight back properly, how am I going to get anywhere near a Legend, let alone close enough to talk to one?

I’m… what am I supposed to do?!

For a brief moment, the world went dark.

Pikachu saw Mimikyu disappear before suddenly getting the feeling of something wrong crawling on his skin. An experienced battler, he tried to jump out of the way, but found that he wasn’t fast enough. A shadow darted across the ground, moving behind him in the blink of an eye before he felt what was definitely Ghost type energy slam into his back. He tumbled face first across the ground, but found that the move hadn’t been too terribly damaging, picking himself back up as Mimikyu reappeared, shock evident even through the… flattering? Creepy? The disguise he wore.

“Woah! Was that Shadow Sneak?! I can see why it might be named that!”

“I… was it?” Mimikyu was just as unsure. His gaze found the spot that he’d been in previously, and the distance was pretty sizable. Pikachu could probably fit four or five of himself, ears to tail-tip, between the start and end point and Mimikyu had crossed it even faster than he would be able to with a Quick Attack. The power behind it was a bit lacking, but that was true of most moves that gave you extra speed.

Mimikyu’s gaze turned to Pikachu, finally seeing the scrapes he had incurred on the mouse. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’ mean ta hit ya or nothin’, it just sorta…”

“I think I can forgive you for accidentally hitting me.” Pikachu replied good naturedly. “It wouldn’t be the first time I was the victim of a training accident, and those never compare to what happens in a real battle. That said, I’m impressed! You skipped straight past Scratch and managed a move that you were hoping for! Did you finally find your Source then?”

“I’m not entirely sure of what happened ta be honest with ya. I was frustrated with mah lack of progress ‘n’ suddenly everythin’ was dark an’ I was slammin’ into ya. I don’ think I found this source thing ya were tellin’ me about.”

“Strange… but progress is progress! Think you could manage it again? Practice makes perfect and all.” Pikachu dropped into a battle stance, preparing to take another hit.

“I s’pose I could giver ‘er a try…” Mimikyu paused for a moment, focusing on replicating the move when Pikachu felt it. Mimikyu disappeared and that weird tingling, crawling sensation of something wrong that had warned him before returned. Knowing he wasn’t fast enough to dodge, this time he tried to parry it, an Iron Tail flaring to life behind him and swinging down.

Pikachu was not the one sent flying. With the Iron Tail smacking against the disguise’s face, Mimikyu flew backwards with a yelp, eventually rolling to a stop.

“You okay? I didn’t think I hit you that hard!” Pikachu darted over to his new student, checking him over for injury and finding it difficult with the cloth over him.

“Y-yep!” Mimikyu got back up, but Pikachu recoiled. The disguise’s neck had snapped, presenting a rather gruesome image. “I wasn’ expectin’ that…” Two of his shadowy appendages appeared from under the cloth, reaching up to set the head back straight, only to find that it was too busted to do so. “Mimikyu are weak ta Steel types, but single hit moves ain’ too much of a worry. I guess it’s time ta break out the sewin’ kit though…”

“What do you mean? If that was a super effective hit and you’ve never been in a battle before… I don’t mean to be rude, but aren’t you walking that off a little too easily?” Pikachu had been holding back against the novice, but not by that much.

Mimikyu started walking over to N as he spoke. “It’s mah ability. Where Pikachu have Static, or in a few cases Lightnin’ Rod, all Mimikyu have Disguise. So long as it’s a damagin’ attack, I’ll be saved from the first strike.”

“That sounds really handy! A free pass for the first attack of a match? That might’ve saved me in a few battles…”

“It’s useful, but it’s not fit for every situation. Entry hazards, weather, secondary effects, et cetera… all of them bypass it.” Having reached his destination, he reached up towards N, holding out his… palm? “Yo, N. I need the sewin’ kit.”

N pulled the sewing kit out of his belongings, handing it off to Mimikyu. “Let me know if you need help, I’m probably a bit more dexterous than you are.”

“Will do.”

“Wait, you have to sew it back together?” he heard Pikachu ask as the pair started to walk away.

“Well, yeah? It’s not actually part of my body ya know…”

As they got too far away to hear over the sounds of Brock’s cooking, he forced himself to relax. Seeing Mimikyu and Pikachu practice was not good for his blood pressure, but he would have to grow used to it if they were going to try and travel with a group of trainers like this. He needed to distract himself.

Luckily, it seemed their chef could multitask.

“So how long have you two been travelling together?” Brock asked.

It took N a minute to realize he was being spoken to, and yet another to translate the words in his head. “If you can believe it, only a few days.” N replied.

“Really? The two of you seem pretty close already.”

“I am a friend of all Pokemon. Understanding them helps.” Not that trainers ever cared to try…

“A friend of all Pokemon, eh? I think you’ll get along great with Ash then.”

How typical. As if they could be anything alike… But it would be best to humor the man.

“Why is that?”

“Ash…” He slowed the stirring of the pot he was working at. “He has a bad habit of acting first and thinking later. I think I’ve lost track of how many times he’s thrown himself into a dangerous situation to save a Pokemon from even a slight injury.”

Now that got N’s attention. Either Brock had just admitted Ash often injured Pokemon, or he had spoken quite favorably of him. N was willing to assume the latter, given his lacking vocabulary.

“Really? It’s not often you see a trainer like that.” Because they didn’t exist. Though if he really was all he was cracked up to be, maybe…

“Stick around for a day or two and I’m sure you’ll see it happen yourself!” Brock joked. “He says he wants to be a Pokemon Master, but I don’t think he actually knows what that means. Every time he tries to explain it, the definition changes, though it seems to trend more towards becoming friends with every Pokemon in the world with each attempt.”

“Hey!” The subject of their conversation seemed to have overheard them. “Just you wait, Brock, I’ll become a Pokemon Master and then you’ll see!”

“See what?” Dawn asked, confused as to what point he was trying to make.

“That I’m the Pokemon Master, of course! It’s only a matter of time now!” The bluenette and capped trainer descended into squabbling.

“Are they always like this?” N asked.

“It’s looking that way. I’ve probably known Dawn for less time than you’ve known Mimikyu, but Ash and I go way back. He wears his heart on his sleeve, always quick to step into things whether it’s a wise move or not. He’s actually the one who got me out of being a Gym Leader and out on the road. His very first Gym battle and he was like that already…” His tone turned reminiscent, but the stew wasn’t going to wait, forcing him to focus once more as he added more ingredients.

He had missed a bit of that, but N thought he got the gist. A love of Pokemon and a will strong enough to show a Gym Leader the error of their ways? It almost sounded like he could be…

No. Jumping to conclusions and getting his hopes up would only end in disaster. He would need to see what sort of person Ash was for himself.

“Food’s ready! Come get it while it’s hot!”

But that could wait until after lunch.

As Brock finished handing out food for all the people and Pokemon present, he considered the situation.

Spending so much time around Ash had taught him to see the best in people.

But it also meant constantly running into horrible people as well.

N… he didn’t seem like a bad person, but something about him was concerning. Nothing he said was out of the ordinary, though maybe that had more to do with the language barrier than intention, and he seemed to be treating Mimikyu well if its behavior was anything to go by. The disguise it wore made the more obvious signs like the sheen of a Pokemon’s fur impossible to judge, but he’d been at this sort of thing long enough to be able to tell with this much information.

Still though, he felt… familiar… and not in a good way. Definitely not the Team Rocket type, but maybe something similar to Aqua or Magma…

Perhaps not an immediate concern, but something to keep an eye on if they stuck around too long.

And then the Mimikyu…

Not certain of the Pokemon’s dietary needs and preferred flavors yet, he had opted to give the little thing an assortment of berries. Wanting to find out which ones it might like gave him the perfect excuse to watch Mimikyu’s behavior.

Because something was up with this Pokemon. He had learned from some of the greatest Professors in the world, read dozens, perhaps hundreds of textbooks and research papers on Pokemon development, and this was the first time he had heard a story anything like this.

A Magikarp may only know Splash for a long time, but when Tackle became available it didn’t need to ask how to use a move. Pokemon just knew these things. Moves were a part of them, just as much as their Type was. Maybe one of his mentors would have a clue, but until he could contact them all he could do was watch and wait.

Ash had been through too much for him to sit idly by if danger was afoot.

Having scarfed down his meal as quickly as he could, Ash couldn’t contain himself anymore.

N and Mimikyu looked like the skittish type, even if they tried to hide it, and having run into those before, Ash knew that it was best to let them take things at their own pace. Plus there was N’s accent! If he was having this much trouble talking to them, then he must be from far away, and that meant he would know all sorts of interesting Pokemon that Ash had never met before! Sure, he had only just started his Sinnoh journey, but it never hurt to keep an open mind on where to go next!

“Hey N!”

N swallowed his food, turning towards him before responding. “Yes, Ash?”

“You’re not from around here, right?”

“Ash, that’s rude.” Brock interrupted.

“What! It’s obvious, isn’t it? And if he’s from far away he’s gotta know about lots of Pokemon I don’t!”

“It’s fine. I’m from the Unova region.” N responded before Brock could rebuke him further.

“The Unova region… never heard of it! What are you doing here in Sinnoh then?”

N froze up for a moment, but recovered quickly. Was it supposed to be a secret?

“Mimikyu and I are... how do you say… helping Professor Rowan with research.”

Ah, having to talk in a language you didn’t think in must be hard. He’d just have to be patient with N.

“What are you doing in Sinnoh, Ash? Your accent reminds me of Kanto.” N followed up before Ash could question him further.

“I’m going to collect Gym Badges and take on the League! Plus I’ll get to meet all sorts of cool Pokemon along the way!”

“Hmmm… perhaps you could help us with our research then.”

“Help with your research? Sure! What are you trying to learn?”

“Professor Rowan researches Pokemon evolution, so it must be that!” Dawn interjected. She’d confided in him that she was having trouble understanding N’s accent, but it was strange that she was talking so little… she was usually a real loud mouth!

“I don’t know how much I should say… but yes, it is related to evolution.” N hesitantly agreed.

“I see Pokemon evolve all the time! Hey, why don’t you travel with us? You’ll be sure to see evolution if you watch my Gym battles!” Ash offered.

N paused for a moment, thinking it over. “What do you think, Mimikyu?”

A strange mixture of Pikachu’s cry and something… otherworldly, along with a nod of the partially fixed Pikachu head sealed the deal.

“I think that settles it then. We’d be happy to join you.”

Walking through the streets of Jubilife, a young man palmed the two Pokeballs on his belt.

Route 202 had seemed to end as soon as it started, but he had managed to get a Bidoof out of it. He just wished that he had left for his journey a bit earlier. First he finds out that the Piplup he had been hoping for was taken before he’d even left town, and now Barry had taken Chimchar and run off ahead! He was sure that the next time he saw the blond, there’d be some more nonsense about fining him some ludacris amount.

But this was no time to be lamenting those issues. He was happy with the partner he had gotten, his first Pokemon. Together the two of them, and any other friends he might make along the way, were going to reach the very top!

That was a ways off, though. First he had to make it through Jubilife City. The crowds were unlike anything he’d experienced before, and he couldn’t seem to find the Gym. Was there even a Gym here? It would be odd for a city so big to be lacking one, wouldn’t it?

With his gaze on the buildings around him, searching for his first real challenge, he failed to notice the debris on the floor, tripping over it and falling flat on his face. Looking back to what had caught his foot, he found… a notebook? Someone must have dropped it.

The young man picked it up, stepping off to the side of the path so he could try to glean the owner’s identity. With the cover lacking any markings, he flipped to the first page. Or at least, the first page that was still there? A few seemed to have been torn out. “ゆっくり、ください。わかりは難しい。”

Hmm. Asking someone to slow down because they were difficult to understand? Not exactly a lot to work with there. It seemed more like a response to something than a complete thought. Maybe the earlier pages would have helped, but he had nothing to go off of here. The scribblings at the bottom of the page didn’t help either. He could recognize that they were words, sure, but it wasn’t a language that he recognized. The following pages seemed to be filled with more of the same.

Hadn’t he heard something about a trainer school in Jubilife? Maybe one of the teachers would be able to help him decipher the notebook and get it back to its owner.

It might be important after all.