Following along behind Twilight and Elaine, Sunset blinked in the bright sunshine as she emerged from the lab’s front door and stepped out into Pallet Town. Looking around, she saw that it was a quaint little place, with a mix of paved roads and dirt paths leading through the buildings. Wide open fields could just about be seen out beyond the limits of the town.
Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Sunset felt herself begin to relax a little. Professor Oak’s tests hadn’t been so bad, She’d still flat out refused to have her internal temperature taken, though. The Professor had warned that a doctor would need to know her standard internal temperature if she got ill, so they could calibrate their oral thermometers to account for her fire, but she couldn’t currently breathe fire, so she figured she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.
“So… um, where do we go from here?” Twilight asked.
Elaine pointed down one of the roads, “This way. We’ll go up Route 1 first and head to Viridian City, to the North.”
“Is it far?” Sunset asked, then slapped a hoof to her face as she remembered that asking a human was pointless.
Fortunately, Twilight seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “How far away is Viridian City?”
“Not far, just a couple of hours’ walk,” Elaine replied, taking the lead down the street, “We just have to head up through Route 1. We can always stop for a break on the way, if you need to.”
“That… will probably be a good idea. I’m not exactly athletically gifted,” Twilight admitted shyly, before looking down at Sunset, “What about you, Sunset, are you going to be alright with walking?”
“I’ll be fine,” Sunset replied with a confident nod. She had to maintain a gentle trot to keep up with their pace, but it was nothing too strenuous.
Twilight didn’t look convinced, but she let it slide, “If you’re sure.”
“If she gets tired, you can always put her in a Pokéball,” Elaine said.
“What’s a Pokéball?” Sunset and Twilight asked in unison.
Elaine stuck a hand in her pocket and pulled out a small object, holding it out for Twilight to see. It was a little orb, around the size of a ping-pong ball, half red and half white, with a little button in the middle. Elaine pressed the little button and, to Twilight and Sunset’s astonishment, the ball suddenly increased in size to around that of a baseball. “This is a Pokéball. We use them for catching and storing Pokémon.”
Sunset cocked her head to the side and stared at it, “How does that work? How would a pony, er, Pokémon, my size fit in something that small?”
Elaine just looked down at her with mild confusion.
“Er… I think Sunset’s trying to ask how it works?” Twilight supplied.
Suppressing a groan, Sunset nodded curtly. She needed to figure out a proper way of communicating, and fast.
Elaine hummed thoughtfully, blissfully unaware of Sunset’s discomfort. “I’m not sure about the details, but essentially it converts any Pokémon it touches into some kind of energy and stores it digitally. Then, when you let them out, it turns them back to normal.”
“That’s incredible!” Twilight cried. “Do you mind if we try it out?”
“Sure!” Elaine replied. “Pikachu doesn’t like being in a Pokéball, but I’d be happy to let your Shimmy use one if you want?”
Sunset stopped dead in the street, “Hey, woah, hold on a second. First up, what the heck is a Shimmy? And second,” she narrowed her eyes at Twilight, “what do you mean, ‘try it out’? Are you seriously expecting me to just let you put me in that thing?” The two humans just stared at her in confusion, prompting Sunset to slap a hoof to her face.
“Do… you want to try the Pokéball?” Twilight asked tentatively.
Sunset heaved a sigh. “You know what? Fine. Whatever.” She stepped towards Elaine and sat on the floor, resigned to her fate for now. “So, how do we do this?”
“I think she’s okay with it,” Elaine said brightly, holding the ball out to Twilight. “Here, all you have to do is touch her with the little button in the middle.”
“That seems easy enough,” Twilight replied. She squatted down and held out the Pokéball, pointing the button at Sunset, “Okay, Sunset. I’ll leave it to you.”
Sunset just stared at it warily, suddenly regretting her irritated rashness. “Uh, what do you think Pikachu?” she asked, trying to buy herself a little more time.
Pikachu glanced down from her perch on Elaine’s shoulder and shrugged, “Eh, its not my kinda thing. I’ve heard that most Pokémon kinda enjoy it though.”
“Right, because that doesn’t sound like a euphemism at all,” Sunset muttered sarcastically.
Pikachu smirked, evidently having heard her, “You know, I’ve heard that some Pokémon actually kinda enjoy having their temperature taken with that kind of therm-”
“Okay! Trying out the Pokéball now!” Sunset jabbed the button with a hoof before Pikachu could finish her sentence. The ball snapped open with a pop, and Sunset’s vision flashed red for a brief instant as she felt a tremor run through her entire body, leaving an odd prickling sensation in its wake. When the sensation passed, Sunset found herself curled up into a ball. Fighting the initial urge to try and struggle, she took a deep breathe in and slowly let it out, before trying to get her bearings.
Faint pink light suffused the empty space around her, somehow holding her close and enveloping her in comforting warmth. It felt like being wrapped up in bed on a winter’s day, with a thick blanket covering her entire body. All she could hear was her own heartbeat, strong and steady, and somehow amplified so that it echoed through the floating space. Even the smell was comforting, something warm and homely that she couldn’t quite identify.
‘Woah, that was amazing!’
Sunset’s ears pricked at the sound of Twilight’s voice. Listening closely, she found that she could hear everything that was happening outside, though the noise was faint and slightly muffled. She could even vaguely sense that the Pokéball was moving, though she couldn’t tell how fast or in what direction.
Listening to the rhythmic thumping of her own heart, combined with the sound of carefree voices in the background and the comforting warmth that held her in a gentle embrace, Sunset was put in mind of that moment when you first wake up in the morning, drifting on the border between wakefulness and sleep.
Click.
The sharp sound cut through the soft atmosphere, then the whole world flashed red before the warmth and the tender embrace were both gone, replaced with a hard floor and a cool breeze.
Sunset blinked and looked around, confused by the sudden change in environment. She was lying on a dirt track, with grass verges on either side. Looking back, she saw Twilight and Elaine looking at her with mild concern and, a little further back, a couple of small buildings at what must have been the edge of Pallet Town. “What the…?”
Pikachu giggled at her. “Hold up, did you actually fall asleep in there? Are you a Snorlax or something?”
“I don’t know what that is, but shut up,” Sunset grumbled as she tottered to her feet, still a little addled from her impromptu nap.
Twilight crouched down next to her. “Sunset? Are you okay? How was it” she asked softly.
Sunset sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly and nodded. “Phew! I’m fine, just a little… wow.” She eyed the Pokéball still clutched in Twilight’s hand warily. She quietly resolved never to let herself be put in one of those again. It was hard enough getting herself out of bed in the mornings, getting out of that thing voluntarily would be almost impossible.
Twilight noticed her look. “Do you want to go back in there?” she asked in surprise, clearly misinterpreting.
“Not a chance," Sunset replied with a determined shake of her head.
Seeing that her friend was alright, Twilight’s expression shifted almost instantly from concern to eager curiosity. “So, how was it in there? How did it feel being digitized like that? Was it comfortable? Could you feel anything while you were being stored digitally? What about sight, could you see anything? Hear anything?”
Sunset just gave her a flat look and pointed at her throat. “Try asking that when I can actually reply in a way you’ll understand.”
Twilight sighed heavily, “Awww. We need to find a way for you to communicate, you have to tell me what that was like!”
“Right, sure, that’s the main reason.” With a huff and a roll of her eyes, Sunset turned to face the way ahead. The path stretched on past a set of white picket fencing before it came to an abrupt end amongst a wide thicket of long grass.
“Okay, this is Route 1,” Elaine called out. She threw her arm forward, pointing dramatically, “Next stop, Viridian City!”
Phfffft. That chapter title...
A wild Snu-Snu appeared!
If that's the case, do they briefly become... Digital Monsters?
Jeez! Sounds kind of like the World's Most Comfortable Chair, from The Tick.
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I couldn't resist!
9848712
Wow, now that was a spelling mistake
9848722 Like you said "I couldn't resist!"
9848719
Well considering some of the critters those things have to contain, I can certainly understand why they would be designed to have a significant tranquilizing effect.
Doesn't make it any less creepy though, durn thing sounded just like the Imperius curse.
This is an enjoyable little sidestep till the next chapter. Though I wonder if Team Rocket will attempt to steal Sunset?
Good thing it wasnt a Luxury Ball.
Things that have been avoided exploring. Bill, Electric Soldier Porygon, Dark Balls.
Giovani getting hold of a Pokeportal Ball? Would he remain as he is, become Lysandre, or Vetinari?
You know, the idea that some individuals could hear and understand complex statements and commands, but not convey anything more complex than simple emotions or yes/no answers was actually an idea that the ancient Greeks used to justify slavery. They said the same things about their slaves, which obviously wasn't true, but I can't help but draw a parallel between this old idea and the communication gap in Pokemon.
I couldn't wipe a goofy grin off my face when I was reading this
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Digimon, digital monsters, Digimon are the champions...
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She's a unique ''Pokemon'' ... ANY villain is going to try to steal her given half the chance <.<
And to top it off, Twilight isn't exactly the most ''Don't mess with me'' looking type of girl xD
9848756
This was even the origin of the term "barbarian", as "bar" was their equivalent of "blah" so it was basically "guy who can't talk, because it's not Greek" (seriously, it's a level of xenophobia that wouldn't be seen again until Imperial Japan, a country that incidentally still just has a one-size-fits-all slur for all foreigners)
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True, but I'm sure Sunset would have none of it. Twi's her bestie, so messing with her is liable to end in a world of hurt. And lets not forget that our dear Sunny has a genius level intellect, so against team Stupid… er Braindead… wait, no… Rocket, she'd run circles around them.
That was fun, and an interesting depiction of what Pokeballs are like. One thing about them that I don't ever see depicted is how they appear to brainwash the animal caught. Because, seriously, you've got something attacking you one moment, you hit them with the capture trap, and instantly, they're completely subservient to your commands. At best, it forces them to regard their trainer positively.
Frazzle, Fraz Fraz Dazzle Fraz! Frazzle Dazzle Fraz Daz Frazzle.
<Nice to see an update! Hope the next one comes out quicker.>
MayvI ask how long you plan to have this story go for before youv reach the end?
Heh. That's certainly a novel reason to never want to go back into a Pokéball. I can only imagine how comfy a Luxury Ball would be.
In any case, they're on the road to Viridian City! (On the road, on the ro-oad...) Time for Twilight to learn to fear tall grass. Or, you know, at least be aware of the hazards thereof.
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She may not look intimidating, but given her track record...
Twilight's Twilite is reacting to the Mega Ring!
Twilight Mega Evolved into Midnight Sparkle!
Midnight used Spacial Rend!
Palkia became confused! And it's not even in this battle!
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I'll be taking a deeper look at Pokéballs in a future chapter, after all, you know Twilight isn't going to let that technology go unstudied. There isn't going to be any brainwashing involved with the Pokéballs (at least in this fic) but the explanation I came up with may actually be more squicky and/or more insidious depending on how you look at it.
Oddly enough, speaking of the Imperius Curse, I am actually (very) slowly working on a Harry Potter fic.
9848756
It almost seems like a pale reflection, doesn't it? Although I get the feeling the Pokémon get far more respect than slaves ever did from their owners.
9848837
I hope so too! I'm currently working on quite a few different fics and I had an irl opportunity pop up that is taking up a large chunk of my time. If all goes well I'll do a blog post about it in the future, but I'm hoping I'll be able to put more time into this fic soon!
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I have no idea how many chapters, but I do have the basic plot outlined and a definite ending planned, with the possibility for a sequel lined up too. It's effectively going to be following the plot of Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu with elements of the other main games and the anime thrown in, along with some extra additions of my own.
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Not a bad guess. Not on the money though...
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I don't think so. Having respect for someone isn't the same as being nice to them. It's possible to be kind to someone while still having zero respect for them. Pokemon are still treated mostly the same as children in their society, and rely on their human masters to speak for them. No one really takes the Pokemon's opinions seriously, since they can't really convey those opinions.
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You make a very good point!
Another great chapter. I especially love Sunset and Pikachu's interactions in his slightly perverted comment about some enjoying pokeballs or getting their temperature taken like that or poking fun at Sunset falling asleep in the pokeball (not sure why, but cracking jokes about his friends seems like something Pikachu would do, lol) Also the fact that out of all the reasons she could have to not be in pokeball the reason is it's TOO COMFORTABLE AND SHE WOULDN'T WANT TO GET OUT!
The description of the inside of Pokéball reminded me of the description I gave in a fanfic I wrote, specifically the tiredness and timelessness part, where Pokéballs are undoubtedly a bad thing. (It’s a Fullmetal Alchemist crossover, and Pokéballs are basically the military's way of keeping Pokémon on a leash.)
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I once had an idea for a Pokémon / Digimon crossover, and now it's come back.
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That sounds freaky as hell.
Also, DO IT!!!
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Arceus Damnit.
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The first time I tried writing it, it became a My Little Pony crossover instead because I don't know that much about Digimon. I've since gotten bored of writing Moonkind: The Wayward Butterfly, so I've recently been thinking about having another go at a "Pokémon in the Digital World" fanfic. To binge-reading wikis!
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A Pokemon in the Digital World would need to be a powerful Pokemon or it's going to be a rough trip. Digimon's later digivolutions are far stronger than most Pokemon.
Prior to this fic, I'd heard of three ideas for how Pokeballs work: Mind Control, Prison, and VR Home. This... doesn’t fit into any of those, surprisingly enough. I guess this would be a "Womb" type?
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Very close...
Great chapter keep up the good work
This is going to come back to bite her, probably on the butt.
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As shown in the Death Battle between Charizard and Agumon.
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I should mention, there'd be more than one Pokémon, like A New World, A New Way.
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I think you replied to the wrong person.
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Sorry.
Let's try this again ...
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to be fair it is said that pokeballs simulate comfort. sounds like brain washing
We're on the road to Veridian City!
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A quite interesting parallel indeed...
And this was probably the closest I've ever seen to my own idea of how Pokeballs work.
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That's not true. Lots of the "good" trainers in the anime consider and solicit the opinions of their pokemon, and besides the ones that can talk, pokemon let their opinions be known through their actions.
The problem comes in with "bad" trainers who have too few brain cells to figure it out or who actively disregard their pokemon's feelings or even abuse them and with the society that, on the whole, tolerates that situation. Instead of actual corrective action, the latter kind of trainers are largely ignored while the overstretched police force is more concerned with stopping pokemon thieves in a quest to protect "ownership rights" which leads back to the Greeks and the dark side of the show that comes from putting more thought into things than the creators probably intended.
Thanks to Meowth we know that pokemon CAN learn to talk, but that it occupies one of their move slots.
Time to stock up on heart scales Twi!
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If I remember correctly from one of the Orange Islands episodes it also makes it so they can't learn any other moves ever.
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team rocket's meowth actually knows only one move, fury sweeps, I don't think he ever managed to learn another
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Yes and he essentially used all of his exp to learn the human language and can't learn any other moves. Thank you.
Nice chapter.
Good work.
My only complaint is that I'm reading these amazing chapters much faster than you're writing them
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Not really. There have been Pokemon gym leaders that can understand Pokemon and consider their Pokemon input. It all depends on the time. May I point out Misty. Both her and ash could understand pyshduck. How about the sergeant gym leader? Even though they were training for hard fighting he still understood his Pokemon. And you can’t forget about the gym leader turning people into dolls.
I guess it all depends on the willingness of the friendship between them.
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Do you mean Lieutenant Surge? Because... come to think of it, he has a surprisingly low rank for someone who's notionally supposed to be a "leader"...