Pokémon: Nemesis [PG-13]

[Kentucky Fried Torchic]

Pokemon Nemesis

For Jaye, a better friend than I deserved,

Chapter One
Silently, I snuck through the streets of the city, keeping my eyes peeled for both opportunities to fill my stomach and obstacles to that goal. However, as I darted through bushes and behind trashcans, I found neither. My patience was wearing thin and soon people would be waking up. I had to either find a suitable target in the next fifteen minutes or start foraging for berries. Suddenly, two aromas wafted into my nose: the smell of fresh produce, and of humans. I focused on the former, following it into a nearby alley. I saw a trashcan nearly overflowing with refuse, but that wasn’t the source of these delicious smells, which were growing fainter by the moment. Besides, it was going to be a dark day if I started digging through dumpsters for my meals. My eyes caught sight of a steel door closing and my other sense told me that the food was beyond it.

Well, I was not about to miss out on this bounty. I poured all of my energy into dashing towards the closing door. With each sound of my paws hitting the ground, I felt my window of opportunity shrink. But I was only going to get one shot at this and it had to work. When I felt the distance was just right, I leaped at the shrinking opening between door and frame, putting every ounce of stamina that remained into my hind legs and made the jump. I doubted I would make it, but as I sped through the air, I felt no abrupt stop or rush of pain that one would associate with hitting a metal door at high speed. Instead, my paws hit a tiled floor and I scrambled to gain purchase on the slick, freshly mopped surface. I was wholly impressed with my feat and took a second to bask in my pride, that is, until the door closed on my tail.

I bit my tongue and grimaced to prevent myself from crying out in pain. Any sound could alert any humans in here to my presence. So slowly I pushed back against the door, grunting until it opened just a crack more and my tail could be pulled free. After I retrieved my appendage, I waited until I heard the click that meant that the door had been secured. The sound was painfully loud to my nervous ears, but no alarm was raised and no human came to investigate. I gave a sigh of relief and decided to take a look around and see if there was any food ripe for the picking.

The room I was currently in was nothing more than a hallway leading to the alley I had entered from. No, there was nothing of interest in here to me. But beyond this room, the smell of food was overpowering and I knew at once that my hunger would be satisfied. Cautiously, I stepped into a large, brightly lit area. Aisles full of food stretched from one end to the other, and I guessed that I must be in a supermarket or a fallout shelter. Either way, the owners probably wouldn’t miss a couple of apples, or a few boxes of crackers, or a jar of peanut butter. My stomach growled. It had been awhile since I had such a variety of choices. The key, I had to remind myself, was not to get too greedy. I would eat my fill and take some extra food for later. With any luck, I could keep coming back over the next few days until they discovered me or ran out of food, whichever came first.

There wasn’t much time though, so I hastily made my way over to the rows of fresh fruit and dived headfirst into a pile of juicy red apples. I grasped the first one in both of my paws and sank my teeth into the fruit, resulting in a loud crunch that was both satisfying and the loudest noise in the whole store. With the delicious taste of apple in my mouth, any worries about being discovered were pushed from my mind, and I finished the fruit and shoved its core deep into the pile, hiding the evidence of my theft. Then, wiping away the juice that had leaked onto my face, I started in on the next piece of fruit. I continued my feast, finishing off at least half a dozen more apples and bloating myself on sweet fruit.

After I had eaten my fill, I hopped onto the floor of the store. My stomach may have been full, but I was willing to keep an open mind about dessert and see what I had to choose from. Besides, I could always take it with me as a back-up plan if the restaurants and few tourists weren’t feeling very generous. So, I perked up my ears and listened for any signs of life besides myself. From what I gathered, there were very few people in the store, but none of them were close enough to provide any real danger of discovery. Satisfied, I wandered from aisle to aisle, looking for something to treat my sweet tooth with. There was a row of shelves that claimed to specialize in Pokémon toys, food, and treats, but one whiff and I was onto the next aisle.

Scanning the other aisles and searching for something both delicious and easy enough to carry back to the forest where I lived, I was about to settle for some sour cream and onion potato chips when I saw it. My jaw dropped open and my eyes widened. I never thought that I would see it again, not after the class action lawsuit, but there it was. I dropped to all fours and scampered to the object of my affection to gaze upon its glory. My paws extended slowly towards the brown cardboard box that housed my favorite cereal, Double Diglett Bites, with fifteen percent more marshmallows for a limited time only.

I clutched the box close to me, content with my prize, but this moment of tranquility was shattered by the sound of footsteps echoing off of the polished floor. I was in the middle of the cereal aisle with nowhere to hide. Combining the data from my ears with a couple of sniffs of my powerful nose, I discerned that there was a human less than two aisles away and quickly closing the distance. I had no choice but to make a dash for it. Hopefully, I could get away without a trace and with my Double Diglett Bites and survive to pilfer again. I clutched the brown box to my chest with one paw and dropped down on my other three and ran to the far end of the aisle and ducked around the corner, seconds before the human passed my aisle. Relieved, I leaned myself against a two-for-one special on family-sized cereal boxes, panting to catch my breath.

But my respite was cut short as the footsteps abruptly stopped, and then began again, this time drawing nearer instead of fading in volume. I was frozen by nerves until I heard them turn into the aisle I had just left. Discovery was almost inevitable now, unless I could make a very speedy escape. Preparing to risk it, I crouched low and shifted the weight of the Double Diglett Bites only to hear a young woman’s voice shouting. I looked behind me, confused why I had been discovered early and saw my tail was jutting out from behind my cover. The troublesome appendage was beginning to get on my nerves, but self-mutilation would have to be considered another time. Right now, I had to salvage the situation, otherwise I would find myself put in a pound until someone decided I would make the perfect gift to some obnoxious kid with delusions of being a Pokémon trainer.

Well, there was no way I would let the happen, so I stepped into the open space, revealing myself to my opponent, a teenage female who appeared to put more effort into her appearance than anything else, including her job. Our eyes met and narrowed. I had no need to resort to violence, but time was not on my side considering that any commotion would be likely to draw a crowd. Most humans didn’t pose much of a challenge on their own, it was only in numbers that they became an issue. Hopefully she didn’t want a scene any more than I did, but either way I was confident in my ability to escape. I had spent much of my life on the streets, I could take one gangly clerk.

The human made the first move, leaping at me with surprising speed. I guess she was hoping to subdue me with her size and strength, but unfortunately for her, it was just what I had expected. I tucked my cereal to my chest and dived out of the way, recovering with a graceful roll. The female was less elegant and hit the tile with a dull thud and a groan. I grinned at her stunned form and thought about grabbing another piece of food off of the shelf. Then I figured that she had been humiliated enough so I dropped to the ground and rushed to the front door. “Somebody stop that Pikachu!” she cried, but it was too late. The few people near the check-out area were too far away and too stunned to even make an attempt to apprehend me. So, I gave the sprawled-out human a grin and walked to the door, my Double Diglett Bites under my arm.

I pushed on the glass, but it didn’t budge. I pushed a little harder, but still nothing. My ears twitched, picking up the sound of the girl getting to her feet. Sweating, I continued to frantically bang on the door, but to no avail. When I turned to check on the human, I saw her advancing toward me slowly, a smile spreading across her face. I abandoned trying to get the door and instead shrunk up against it, trying to think of a way to get out of the situation I had found myself in. The grocery store’s customers had drawn closer to witness the showdown, cutting off most of my plans of escape. I closed my eyes as the girl took another step closer. My only way out would be to use my electrical attacks. I started to charge up, feeling warmth flood my cheeks as sparks started to dance across their crimson surface. I opened my eyes, ready to launch my attack, but as soon as the clerk stepped onto the carpeted mat I was standing on, I felt a whoosh of air as the door behind me opened up.

Startled, I fell backward, narrowly dodging the outstretched manicured hands and leaving them grasping empty air. For the moment, I was in relative safety. Now it was time to keep the trend going. First, I heaved my box of cereal into the air, and then I embraced my descent, turning my fall into a somersault and plucking the Diglett Bites out of the air as I recovered. Finally, sinking back down to all fours, I ran from the grocery store and back to my home in the forest to the north. My heart beat a tattoo into my chest as I ducked and swerved between pedestrians, vehicles, and other obstacles. I had almost been caught. Even if I had my prize, that fact still remained. Maybe it was because I was getting sloppy, or, even worse, old. As I mulled this over, I reached the edge of the city limits, marked by an oppressively cheerful sign marked “You Are Now Leaving Viridian City, Please Come Again!” Beyond it lay the vast expanse of forest that I, and many other Pokémon, called home.

Not that I had much dealing with the others. They all seemed to be content to stay within the forest, eat a diet of leaves and berries, and wait for some human to come traipsing along and capture them. Not me. We didn’t see eye-to-eye on more than that, and, after a few scrapes, I moved my home far away from the rest of them. Because they were wary of humans, the farthest I could get from them was just on the edge of the forest, where the pavement and grasses were cut off by a thick cordon of trees. I had found a nice little nook just inside the woods, bordered by thick brambles and a heavy canopy above. I was safe there, no one bothered me, and no one knew of my hidden spot.

At least that’s what I thought until I squeezed past the thorns and saw her floating just a few inches off of the grass that served as my living room. “Oh, hello!” she said, turning to me with a swish of her pink tail. “I’m Mew.”

(Special thanks to Xanthe for betaing.)

[Noblejanobii]

This is already very inth resting and I'm only one chapter in

[Kentucky Fried Torchic]

I'm very glad to hear that. I hope things will keep going that way.

[Suicune's Fire]

Yay, you got it up! :D

Firstly, I like how it took a while to reveal what the main character's species was. I love to write my stories that way too, and drop little hints as you did for the reader to try to form an image with. Before it was revealed that he was a pikachu, I was envisioning a minccino.

It's interesting to see how a pokemon would work in a regular society in a non-trainer role, especially one who has lived there presumably for years and knows nearly everything about the city and how to avoid (or get themselves into) trouble. The little comments that were made in the narration which indicated his knowledge of human life was very believable. I especially liked his craving for human food, such as the Double Diglett Bites. xD So funny. I think the suspense was done really well when the shop worker was closing in on him, too. The whole part at the end has left everyone hanging, I'm sure, and I wonder if the mew was visiting him on purpose or just happened to find him there. xD I guess we'll find out!

Overall it was very well written and engaging, and I look forward to more. :D

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

I really liked the description you used. I could picture it all perfectly! Especially the part where Pikachu was about to be caught and then the door opened behind it! The humour is really great too. This Pikachu sounds like a very interesting character. Look forward to reading more! :)

[Kentucky Fried Torchic]

Yay, you got it up! :D

Firstly, I like how it took a while to reveal what the main character's species was. I love to write my stories that way too, and drop little hints as you did for the reader to try to form an image with. Before it was revealed that he was a pikachu, I was envisioning a minccino.

It's interesting to see how a pokemon would work in a regular society in a non-trainer role, especially one who has lived there presumably for years and knows nearly everything about the city and how to avoid (or get themselves into) trouble. The little comments that were made in the narration which indicated his knowledge of human life was very believable. I especially liked his craving for human food, such as the Double Diglett Bites. xD So funny. I think the suspense was done really well when the shop worker was closing in on him, too. The whole part at the end has left everyone hanging, I'm sure, and I wonder if the mew was visiting him on purpose or just happened to find him there. xD I guess we'll find out!

Overall it was very well written and engaging, and I look forward to more. :D

One of the really fun things about working on this story has been having to put myself in the mindset of a Pokemon. Part of the fun has been taking things that seem to be so ubiquitous in the games and anime, such as Pokemon species, and turn them on their head. Because honestly, when is the last time that you consciously referred to yourself as a human? The need to identify the Pikachu as, well, a Pikachu, is part of what drove the inclusion of a speaking human character capable of identifying him as such.

Another big part of that has been trying to see the world of humans from a Pokemon's viewpoint. A lot of creative works and games that focus on the Pokemon's point of view feel this need to only approach the issue in situations that are completely dearth of humans, whether it's a parallel universe or some sort of post-apocalyptic situation. Pokemon have such an interesting relationship to Homo sapiens and its a shame that the best representation of that that I can call to mind are the scenes when Pokemon get subtitles in Island of the Giant Pokemon.

I really liked the description you used. I could picture it all perfectly! Especially the part where Pikachu was about to be caught and then the door opened behind it! The humour is really great too. This Pikachu sounds like a very interesting character. Look forward to reading more! :)

I'm very glad to hear that the humor is hitting its mark! There's nothing harder than trying to write something funny, so I tried to just let the humor flow naturally from situations, with maybe a good prod here or there. The Pikachu is a little bit of a Howard the Duck type, trapped in a world he never made, so he makes for a good sarcastic eye when it comes to those things. As the story picks up and there start to be other voices that compete with his, I hope that I can keep the dialogue from overpowering the description and humor.

[Suicune's Fire]

One of the really fun things about working on this story has been having to put myself in the mindset of a Pokemon. Part of the fun has been taking things that seem to be so ubiquitous in the games and anime, such as Pokemon species, and turn them on their head. Because honestly, when is the last time that you consciously referred to yourself as a human? The need to identify the Pikachu as, well, a Pikachu, is part of what drove the inclusion of a speaking human character capable of identifying him as such.

Another big part of that has been trying to see the world of humans from a Pokemon's viewpoint. A lot of creative works and games that focus on the Pokemon's point of view feel this need to only approach the issue in situations that are completely dearth of humans, whether it's a parallel universe or some sort of post-apocalyptic situation. Pokemon have such an interesting relationship to Homo sapiens and its a shame that the best representation of that that I can call to mind are the scenes when Pokemon get subtitles in Island of the Giant Pokemon.

That's really cool. :] Personally my pokemon stories tend more commonly to be from a pokemon's point of view, and I know that I certainly enjoy getting behind the mind of a pokemon. It's very interesting. And haha, I actually refer to myself as a human quite frequently. xD Probably a weird me thing, but anyway. I understand what you mean.

That's a good point. And yeah, I agree. I constantly think up random scenarios involving pokemon and/or humans in the context of a story, wondering how they would work. I need to get back into writiiiinnngggg. Ah, one of my all-time favourite episodes of the pokémon anime. C: As well as the episode before it. Oh, the anime used to be so good... *cries silently*

[Kentucky Fried Torchic]

Chapter Two
I made no effort to hide my disbelief, opting instead to fix this intruder with a withering stare. “You’re telling me that you’re Mew.”

“That’s right!” she chirped.

“Mew, the Legendary Pokémon, one of the gods in Arceus’s pantheon?”

The pink creature giggled at that. “Well, technically a goddess.” I was not fazed and she finally seemed to pick up on this. “Don’t you believe me?” she asked, cocking her head to one side.

I scoffed as I moved to put my hard-won cereal into a small cellar fashioned underneath the rock I used as a table. “Frankly, no. You’re just confused, and most likely lost. Maybe you hit your head on one of those branches and woke up with delusions of grandeur.”

“Have you ever seen a Pokémon like me before?” she argued, doing a brief circle around my head as if to accentuate her point.

“No,” I conceded, “but there are regions and countries that I can’t name with Pokémon I can’t even begin to imagine.” She continued to lazily loop around me, so I took an angry swat, missing her pink tail by inches. “It’s a lot easier to believe that you’re some insane foreigner than a god.”

“Goddess,” she said absent-mindedly, as her focus, and soaring, had ceased. Instead, she hovered in front of me, studying me with her big blue eyes. Finally, she said, “You’re not like them, are you?”

“You mean there are other Pokémon whose homes you’ve broken into?”

She ignored my retort. “You don’t talk like them.” Then she paused before speaking again. “And you don’t think like them either.”

“Who?” I asked, my anger starting to ebb in favor of curiosity.

“Wild Pokémon,” the stranger said, flashing me a brief smile. “What’s your story?” she queried. I made a motion to respond, rudely, but the words stopped in my throat as I noticed that she was not paying the slightest attention to me. Her eyes were closed and her hovering was now colored by a faint bob, moving her pink body up and down against the green backdrop of the forest. Just as I was about to move away, a harsh pink glow started emanating from her body, creating a stark outline around her gently moving figure. Then, the Pokémon claiming to be Mew opened her eyes, but instead of the blue eyes that she had possessed before, both of her eyes were glowing with the same harsh pink light. They fixed on me, and I suddenly felt a pressure on my head. The pain was emanating from between where my ears jutted out, but somehow underneath the protective layers of fur and skin. I did not know how to describe it then, and even now, the closest thing that I could relate it to was as if someone was attempting to open up my skull with two shovels. I clutched my temples, but the feeling only seemed to intensify before the pressure was accompanied by the feeling of something oozing its way into where the crack in my head would be.

That’s when I realized what this Pokémon was trying to do, and in addition to the pain, I felt a surge of anger. I decided to focus on the latter feeling and felt my fur bristle and my cheeks grow warm as sparks danced over their crimson surfaces. “Get out of my head!” I cried, punctuating the last word with a blast of electricity aimed at my psychic interloper.

“Oh,” she squeaked out as the glow around her expanded into a bubble, meeting my attack and deflecting it to the sky. The bolt of current rose like a beacon, blowing an opening in the canopy of leaves over us. Gazing up at the breach my attack had made, she whispered, “What have you done?”

“I defended myself,” I muttered. Taking a rueful look at the rays off light that were trickling with greater strength with the removal of their obstacle, I added, “And tore a hole in my roof.”

I was surprised when the psychic Pokémon turned to me, her blue eyes wide and fearful. “You don’t understand,” she babbled, “they’ll be coming now.”

“Who?”

She either did not hear me, or ignored me, instead continuing to speak. “I have to go, I have to run. They’ll be coming soon.” She stopped, before picking up again, a note of hysteria creeping into her voice, “They’re already coming. Can’t you hear them?”

Frowning, I tilted my head and tried to tune out the strange Pokémon hovering in my home. I opened my senses to the sounds of the forest, but in addition to the usual chattering and chirping of Pokémon, there was a new sound, a faint whirring coming from the south and growing louder. It sounded like a lawnmower being run on overdrive. Shaking my head, I returned to the hyperventilating and possibly insane creature and asked, “Who are ‘they’ exactly?”

“There’s no time to explain,” she said, and for one brief moment she seemed to be the picture of calm. “I’m sorry,” she said, and then, she was gone, zipping north through the forest as a pink blur, her speed causing grass to be kicked up as she flew.

I was left puzzled by the odd encounter. Briefly, I tried to replay the scene in my mind, until I remembered the whirring noise. It had continued to grow louder, and was now accompanied by a rhythmic thumping that shook the younger branches of the forest’s trees. My instincts told me to run just as my uninvited guest had, but another part of me was more curious than afraid. I shot a glance at my stockpile of food, topped by the newest sugary addition. No, I was not going to open the door for some enterprising thief to take from me what was rightfully mine. I steeled myself as the approaching sounds grew louder and louder.

Then, the sound stopped. Still unsure that the threat had passed, I took a cautious step toward the edge of my clearing. I was rewarded by a large green shape bursting from the brambles, tackling me to the ground before I could even utter a cry. My mind struggled to catch up with the circumstances I had found myself in. I was lying on my back, with a large Pokémon standing over me, holding some kind of blade held to my throat. My eyes came to focus on this latest trespasser's sharp, reptilian face, the angular features of which were contorted into a strange combination of disappointment and a sneer. The oddest thing though was the presence of a small red lens fit over her left eye and secured to the side of her head. “It’s not her,” she said, relaxing her weapon only slightly.

“Well, let it go then,” a male voice said, and I struggled to turn my head to the area of undergrowth from which my attacker had emerged. A Hitmonchan and a Snorlax, each fitted with headpieces similar to that worn by their companion, stood at the end of an incredible swathe torn through the forest. I couldn’t be sure, but the devastation to the vegetation appeared to stretch all the way to the edge of the woods in a straight line. “Falchion, now,” the former commanded.

The green Pokémon growled, but reluctantly stepped back, giving me room to get to my feet. I gave her a once over. I had been attacked by a Scyther, a rare Pokémon for these parts. Come to think of it, all three of them were out of place geographically.

“I apologize for my companion’s overzealous greeting,” the Fighting-type Pokémon said, the words flowing easily from his lips, “but we are on the trail of someone and thought that you might be them.”

“No friend of yours, I’m guessing,” I grumbled, rubbing the back of my head where it had hit the ground.

“No, not quite,” the Hitmonchan smiled. “Please, allow me to introduce us. My name is Blackjack, and these,” he gestured to the others, “are Club and Falchion. And you are?”

“Wondering why you’re still bothering me,” I said.

“He’s snotty,” the Scyther said, “can we just kill him?”

“I haven’t had Pikachu in a long time,” the Snorlax added.

“Enough!” their leader said, losing his professional façade in a flash of anger. “Let’s give him a chance to tell us what he knows.”

“What do you want to know?” I asked gruffly.

“We’re on the trail of the Legendary Pokémon Mew,” the humanoid Pokémon said, his smile returning, “and we tracked her to this location. Where is she?”

I took in the trio before me carefully, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Blackjack’s smile hardened. “So, can you explain that bolt of lightning we saw earlier?” he asked, gesturing to the hole in the leaves above us with a red boxing glove.

“There was a Weedle that was bugging me, so I dealt with it,” I said coolly.

“I think he’s lying,” the Snorlax said.

“Definitely,” agreed Falchion, before adding, “I think we should teach him some manners.”

The larger Pokémon grinned. “I like the sound of that.”

“Now, now,” the Hitmonchan said, “let’s give him one more chance to be honest with us.” He took a step towards me, “Where is Mew? Don’t be difficult now.”

“Come any closer, and I’ll show you how difficult I can be.”

Blackjack grimaced and nodded at me, “Kill him.”

I was not about to give them the chance. While Falchion and Club were preparing to attack, I quickly spun in a circle, letting a shower of stars to erupt from it as it completed its arc. While his followers shielded themselves from the barrage, the Fighting-type decided to counter my attack with one of his own. One of his gloves became engulfed in fire and he shot it forward in a quick jab that disrupted the flow of stars coming at him and also sent sparks flying onto the grass around us. He smiled as he surveyed the few small fires that had started on the grass, dry from the long summer months they had just endured. “That’s actually not a bad idea,” he said. Blackjack then turned to the Snorlax. “Club, we’re burning the forest down.”

The Normal-type Pokémon’s annoyance at my attack evaporated as a confused expression overtook his pudgy face. “Why would we do that?” he asked.

“So we can flush out Mew, you idiot,” Falchion contributed.

“Oh, but what about the Pikachu?”

“Let him go, we can’t lose sight of our goal,” the Hitmonchan said. He lit up his fist again with a fiery aura. “After all, what’s more important: a single Pikachu or the legendary Mew?” He answered his own question by sending his fist into the nearest tree, cracking the trunk in two and causing its insides to erupt in flames. Club did not need any further encouragement and began breathing a large stream of fire onto the surrounding bushes and other plant life. “Run while you can, little Pikachu,” Blackjack said before punching another tree in half.

I watched the flames grow larger and the smoke rise from the dying plants, shocked at the lengths this trio was willing to go through in order to find Mew. I began to run, partially to escape the devastation being inflicted on not only my home, but the Viridian Forest as a whole. I also needed to try and catch up with the stranger I had encountered earlier. Whether or not she really was Mew, these Pokémon seemed to think that she was, and I felt some responsibility to tell her about my encounter with Blackjack, Falchion, and Club. So I ran from the flames, never once looking back. There would be nothing left for me in the ashes.

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

Oooh so much going on! I liked that Pikachu didn't recognise Mew and didn't believe her. xD It makes sense that not every Pokemon would know about each other, especially legends that wouldn't have been seen much. I'm wondering what three seemingly regular Pokemon want with Mew! Looking forward to the next part!

[Ganyu]

Wow, this is quite an interesting plot you have here. I like the part when the protagonist resisted "Mew's" mind-reading attempts; for a gentle-looking goddess, she seems pretty forceful. xD I wonder what the three mercenaries want with her too. I'll be awaiting the next installation. :3