Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Being chased through a forest by a flock of angry birds wasn't how he expected his great adventure in the Pokémon world to start. Call it high expectations, but he figured he would have a more heroic beginning. Luckily there are many trees in the way. So the Spearow had to maneuver around them, or else they would have caught him already.
From what he could hear, it sounded like a few of their friends joined the chase. That is some Ash Ketchum level luck he is experiencing. Jack does not want the luck of an anime protagonist. While they usually come out of these situations stronger, he doesn't have the ridiculous plot armor they do.
"I refuse to be killed by a bunch of rats with wings!" Jack yelled over his shoulder. By the sounds they were making, they didn't appreciate the comment.
Putting some distance between them, Jack weaves between trees, then jumps into a bush and lies still. He holds his breath while listening to the Spearow fly by his hiding place. As they left, Jack released his breath. He hopes they grow bored of looking for him sooner rather than later, as the bush he was in wasn't all that comfortable.
After waiting 10 minutes for the coast to clear, he crawls out of the bush. Sitting on the ground, he looks around to make sure they're gone when he notices a Mankey looking at him from a tree above him.
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Pokémon: Mankey
Type: Fighting
Level: 4
Gender: Male
Ability: Vital Spirit
Potential: Normal
Moves: Covet, Scratch, Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy
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'Please go away. Please go away. Please go away.' He prays to himself. Thankfully, as if it heard him, the Mankey jumps away and disappears into the forest. Relieved, Jack lies back down on the ground. He needs to get out of this forest.
-Sometime Later-
As Jack continues his trip through the forest, he sees more Pokémon. There mostly Pidgey and Rattata with the occasional Mankey or Oddish. They were level 3-6 with Normal potential though one Pidgey was a Bronze level 7. Thankfully they ignored him for the most part and just continued their day.
As he walks, Jack tries to practice with his Aura. Keyword being try. He couldn't sense anything right now and decided to wait until he was not in mortal danger to figure it out.
Suddenly loud sounds of fighting started close by him. As Jack hears the sounds, he jumps behind a tree and crouches down.
'What fresh hell is this?'
Jack hesitantly looks behind the tree and sees two Pokémon in a deathmatch.
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Pokémon: Pidgeotto
Type: Normal/Flying
Level: 20
Gender: Male
Ability: Keen Eye
Potential: Bronze
Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, Whirlwind
(Innate Talent)Gust
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Pokémon: Fearow
Type: Normal/Flying
Level: 22
Gender: Male
Ability: Keen Eye
Potential: Silver
Moves: Peck, Growl, Leer, Pursuit, Drill Run, Fury Attack, Mirror Move
(Innate Talent)Aerial Ace, (Innate Talent)Whirlwind
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As Jack watches, Pidgeotto hits Fearow with a Quick Attack, then follows it with a Gust that knocks Fearow into a tree. Fearow, more angry than hurt, Leers at Pidgeotto, who flinched, intimidated. Fearow then flies back in the air and is engulfed by light and disappears, reappearing behind Pidgeotto after hitting it with a powerful Aerial Ace.
Pidgeotto, now wounded, tries to flee, but Fearow has other plans. It charges at Pidgeotto surrounded by dark energy and hits it with Pursuit. Pidgeotto crashes hard into the ground, severely wounded. Fearow lets out by victorious cry and starts to circle the wounded Pidgeotto.
Not wanting to get Fearow's attention, Jack quickly flees the area. Leaving behind the Pidgeotto to the Fearow's tender mercies.
After traveling far enough and seeing the sunlight start to fade, Jack looks for a place to camp for the night. In a few minutes, Jack finds a spot nestled between a group of trees with a few bushes to hide him from sight.
Opening his backpack, Jack takes some food out to eat while thinking back to the battle he saw.
'Their levels might have only been a few apart, but the battle was anything but close. Pidgeotto's attacks barely fazed that Fearow but Fearow's attack nearly one-shot Pidgeotto.'
Though one was level 20 and one level 22, the big difference between them was their evolution. Fearow was already at his peak, while Pidgeotto still had to evolve one more time. If they had met when Pidgeotto was a Pidgeot, then the outcome would have been much different. However, that doesn't take into account potential though.
'That Fearow's potential was the highest I've seen.'
He's seen Normal, Shallow Bronze, Bronze, Deep Bronze, and Silver. So there must be a Shallow and Deep Silver and probably Gold as well.
Jack finishes eating, and then he takes out his sleeping bag. Sitting on it, he takes out the incubator and checks on the egg inside. Seeing that it hasn't changed from before, Jack sets it on his lap and starts to meditate on his situation.
Meditation was something a friend tried to get him into a few years ago. It was during a time when he went through a bad break-up and was very stressed at work. It was supposed to help him keep calm and stay relaxed, but it never really stuck.
Jack figures being alone at night in a monster-infected forest, he'll need all the help he can get. So meditation it is.
Jack closes his eyes and starts to breathe in and out calmly. As he does, Jack reflects on all that's happened to him.
He clenches his hands tightly as he thinks back on his death. The pain and hopelessness he felt were unimaginable. Words can't describe the horror he felt, knowing in those last seconds that his life was at an end.
It made all the problems he had, feel so insignificant.
When he'd complain about his job and the stress it gave him, but not quitting to find something he would truly enjoy doing instead.
Letting the little insecurities he had, stop him from going out and meeting new people, maybe even falling in love.
Creating excuses for not traveling the world, as he dreamed when he was younger, to witness all the amazing things it had to offer.
Thinking about it now, Jack feels so stupid for hesitating so much and not taking any chances.
Jack silently vowed to himself that he wouldn't waste the opportunity he now has and that he'll live this life to the fullest.
'If I ever get out of this forest.' He thinks to himself pessimistically. It would be just his luck to have a new lease on life and get killed by a creature he played with in a video game.
Lost in thought, Jack suddenly senses something near him. It felt like something was watching him, but not in a malicious way. Looking around, he doesn't see anything nearby.
Jack closes his eyes and tries to sense where it's coming from. Understanding then filled him as he looked down at the incubator on his lap.
"It's you, isn't it?" Jack said, surprised. He then feels another wave of energy, confirming his statement.
Jack chuckles to himself, "Well, I think that narrows it down nicely."
Jack knew of only one Pokémon who could use Aura like that while still in its egg.
"We'll see each other soon, buddy, so keep on cooking in there."
Jack then stores the incubator away and gets in his sleeping bag. After the day he had, he was exhausted and fell asleep soon after.
-The Next Morning-
Jack woke up as sunlight streams through the trees. As he lies in his sleeping bag, Jack tries to figure out how to get out of the forest. Walking aimlessly wasn't working, so he tried to think of a way out of this predicament, but Jack knew little about navigating the wilderness.
'I don't think watching Rambo a dozen times would count as having survival skills.'
The good news is Jack doesn't think he's in the Viridian Forest. He hasn't seen any Caterpie, Weedle, or their evolve forms, which is a good thing. He'd take a flock of Spearow over a horde of Beedrill any day, though he'd prefer not to meet either anytime soon. The Spearow from yesterday was enough excitement for him for a while.
His map was no help. Detailed as it is, there are no landmarks around to identify where he is. Jack's only hope is to run into another person, unlikely as it is, or find a trail he could follow.
Getting up, Jack eats some breakfast and sees he has enough food and water to last another day or two. Hopefully, that's enough until he can find a way out of this forest and back to civilization.
Jack then packs up his things but takes a few Poké Ball and places them on the magnetic strip he found on his belt made to hold them. He figures if he runs into any wild Pokémon looking for a fight, he can throw one at them and run away while they escape it.
Checking that the coast is clear, Jack leaves his hiding place and starts walking.
Since he got here yesterday, Jack noticed other animals besides Pokémon in the forest. Which makes sense, as without bugs to pollinate fruits, vegetables, and flower's no one would survive. Jack remembers reading that bees alone are the most important species on Earth. They pollinate a large number of crops in the world.
As Jack walks, he feels like he's being watched. Looking around, he freezes with dread when he sees what's in one of the trees.
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Pokémon: Spearow
Type: Normal/Flying
Level: 7
Gender: Male
Ability: Keen Eye
Potential: Deep Bronze
Moves: Peck, Growl, Leer, (Innate Talent)Quick Attack
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"Oh god, not him again."
Hearing wing's he sees more Spearow gathering on the trees around him. Looking at the Bronze Spearow, which he swears is smirking at him, Jack tries to think of a way out of this situation.
Thinking fast, Jack grabs a Poké Ball from his belt and tosses it through the air, yelling, "go, Pidgeot!".
Hearing the name he called, they all tense up and stare at the ball as it travels through the air and lands on the ground. After a few moments of nothing happening, the Spearow look around in confusion when they notice that Jack was already gone.
"Stupid little shits!" Jack yells while running away.
The Spearow, about to take flight, take a moment to look at each other. They silently agreed that no matter what happened, there killing that human.
As he congratulates himself on his quick thinking, Jack runs as fast as he can. Already he can hear the Spearow start to give chase. Running through some bushes, he sees the trees thin out in favor of fields of grass.
The good news is, he's finally leaving the forest, but the bad news is he feels them start to catch up to him.
'Shit, they're going to catch me at this rate. I didn't get sent to the Pokémon world to be bird food.'
Looking over his shoulder, Jack sees Bronze Spearow start to attack him. Seeing this, Jack quickly dives out of the way, just before Spearow reaches him. He rolls on the ground and looks up to see the Spearow have started to circle him. Jack was surrounded and couldn't see a way out.
Suddenly, just before the Spearow could attack, a stream of fire engulfed the sky, blasting the Spearow to ash.
Shocked, Jack looks over his shoulder and pales.
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Pokémon: Arcanine
Type: Fire
Level: 68
Gender: Male
Ability: Flash Fire
Potential: Deep Gold
Moves: Burn Up, Flame Wheel, Agility[E], Fire Fang, Crunch, Take Down, Flamethrower[M], Fire Spin[E], Iron Tail, Roar, Flare Blitz[E], Hyper Beam[E]
(Innate Talent)Fire Blast[M], (Innate Talent)Extreme Speed[M], (Innate Talent)Overheat[M]
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Seeing this monster behind him, Jack lets out a manly shout (girlish scream) and passes out from exhaustion. (fainted from fear)
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Author Note:
I wanted to explain a little about Jack's aura.
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Stages of Jack's Aura :
1 - Sensing the Aura of others in a small area around him but only when focused.
2 - Larger sensing area. easier to do. starts sensing others emotions.
3 - Larger sensing area. Can do it easily. sense emotions. starts telepathy.
4 - Previous ones but better. Starts projecting his Aura outward but no attacks or barriers yet.
5 - Can use Aura fully.
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That's a rough outline how it will be.
Right now, he's at stage 1. He'll get to stage 3 fairly quickly cause I want him to be about to communicate with his Pokémon, BUT from there, it will take him a lot longer. He won't be at stage 4 until later in the story. Stage 5 won't happen for years.
Let me know what you think in the comments. Writing is hard, so please be gentle : )
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