Tsaimath

WO, Ch 25 - First Gym-Battle

The suggested talk with Cliff didn’t happen, as he wasn’t around when we returned to the Centre after dinner. There was a note waiting for us, scheduling our test at the Gym for the next morning, prompting us to get an early night. To battle against another trainer, not just wild Pokémon, fo...

WO, Ch 24- Back to Sandgem Town

There was little more talk with Cliff, either during the night or in the morning. He seemed to glare at me from time to time, but frankly, the moment Prince Charming recovered enough to leave his Pokéball, my partner took priority. For a good while during my night-watch, I had been cuddling with...

WO, Ch. 23 - A wild Rival appears

“Ho, the camp.” A voice called out, as Claire and I were just about done setting our camp for the night. We had pushed hard, getting back to higher, solid ground, using the same camp-site we had used the day before and during our journey towards Sandgem-Town and by now, there was a certain fa...

Chapter 547

For a moment, I froze, possible ways to proceed flickering through my mind. The sheer power emanating from the being in the cleft made it relatively easy to track it’s movement along the cleft, away from me and towards the exit on its other side. From there, it would be able to attack either of...

WO, Ch 22 - Bibaflight

After running for what felt like hours, trying to get away, Claire finally couldn’t continue. Stumbling to a halt, she leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath. With quickly flapping wings, Myna landed nearby, chirping in greeting. Her feathers looked a little ruffled, reminding me of ...

WO, Ch 21 - Eager Bidoof

Somehow, making our way down the swamp for a second time, was even more miserable than it had been the first time. It might have been because this time, we didn’t just follow the path but instead, we had to move through the swamp, keeping our ears open for the noises made by Bidoof.

We ha...

WO, Ch 20 - Startling Starly

By the time we had left Sandgem-Town, Claire had sworn repeatedly to never drink again. Getting her going had taken more time than I would have liked, but ultimately, we managed to replenish our supplies and get out of town before noon, so I counted that as a win.

“Did you really have to ...

WO, Ch 19 - WAKE UP!

A heavy, suffocating weight on my chest caused me to wake up and for a moment, I was wondering where I was. There was only darkness around me and it took a moment to put the memories of the last night together.

Claire and I had been having dinner and happily toasting with the local wine, un...

WO, Ch 18 - Professor Rowan

It didn’t take long for the Professor to join us. The moment he entered, Lucas moved to the door, excusing himself. After preparing himself a cup of his own, he sat down across from me, his eyes studying me.

“Cynthia’s letter only told me that you’ve got an interesting story and I s...

WO, Ch 17 - Sandgem Town II

“Good afternoon, welcome to SandgemGym.” a friendly voice greeted us, as we stepped up to the counter in the Gym. The room was quite wide and open, the ceiling high and painted in a soft, sky-blue, giving the place an airy feeling. Despite knowing that we were in a massive concrete-structure,...

WO, Ch 16 - Sandgem Town

“I see the edge of the forest!” Claire happily announced, a sudden bounce in her step.

After almost three days of wandering through the forest, with a bit of marshy bog in between, I shared her enthusiasm. According to the map I had studied, we should be almost in Sandgem-Town, the fiel...

WO, Ch 15 - A Night in the Forest

By the time we decided to make camp, neither of us looked all that fresh. Throughout the day, we had been faced with aggressive Pokémon again and again, all but one of them either Starly or Bidoof. That single outlier had been a Kicketot, the Bug-typing making it easy prey for my Prince Charming...

Chapter 546

Standing atop the Wall of Ice I had conjured, I looked down at the three people with me. Ulchia, the Cleric, was getting ready to perform the ritual, while Mibo and Gilo stood at the opening in the wall, looking nervous. They fingered their weapons and I could see them look up from time to time. ...

WO Ch 14 - First Battle

It was interesting to observe Claire, as she went from exuberant and chatty to quiet, with the sudden realisation that we were now in the wilderness. Not that the wilderness was really wild that close to town, but I noticed her flinching and fingering the Pokéball at her hip with each rustle in ...

WO, Ch 13 - Setting Out

The next morning came bright and early. I was used to the early mornings, thanks to a certain Champion who liked to have one of her partners kick me out of bed for training, but judging by the grumbling noises Claire was making she was not. The bleary eyes that seemed to fall shut whenever she st...

WO - Ch 12 - Family

Shopping was a weird experience. In some ways, it was perfectly mundane but there were those brief moments during which things got strange, mostly when Claire and Cynthia interacted. During the three hours we spent shopping, Claire never managed to look at Cynthia without either blushing or stamm...

WO, Ch 11 - Leaving the League

For four weeks, Joyce and Cynthia did their best to teach me. Each day, I had lectures or  practical lessons. Either with Joyce, teaching me Pokémon care and tending or with Cynthia, who focused on the aspects of battling and travelling. It was a stark reminder that a real Pokémon Trainer ...

WO, Ch 10 - Consequences

After the world blinked once again, I found myself back in the teleportation-chamber of the League. My first impulse was to check on the small Ralts, still hiding behind my leg, just to make sure it was alright.

“We should visit Joyce.” I told Cynthia, getting a raised eyebrow and an ap...

WO, Chapter 9 - First steps

“Where are we?” I asked, looking around stunned. There was a footpath nearby, leading down-hill and when I turned around, we had a wonderful view across a valley, with some houses visible in the distance. Far closer than any signs of humanity I had seen, other than the League itself, but stil...

WO, Ch 8 - Settling in

• AN: I'm bad with titles and the Bohemian Rhapsody doesn't work any longer

After my walk and talk with Joyce, we returned to the Infirmary to get my backpack, before she handed me a book regarding the care of Pokémon and introduced me to a staffer. Josh, the staffer, gu...

Chapter 545

With the destruction we had caused, and the suggested spike in difficulty of our quest, we decided to remain near the cleft as we made camp. It was time to make camp anyway. It would also give us a bit of an idea how many Undead were in the area and how much trouble we would have to expect, while...

WO, Ch 7 - Look to the skies

“Before we continue, I need to apologise to you.” Joyce began, her words causing a frown on my face. That didn’t sound promising. Instead of answering, I simply waited, letting her move at her pace, both in the conversation and on the path she was taking, away from the large, grey-stone bui...

WO, Ch 6 - Open your eyes

Walking through the building during the day was vastly different from earlier, in the middle of the night. The somewhat creepy, foreboding atmosphere was gone, replaced by the quiet din of a busy office and there were people walking around, dressed in something I wanted to call business-casual. A...

WO, Ch 5 - No escape from reality

The pink marshmallow must have given some signal, or maybe it was a simple coincidence, but within a minute after I had managed to pull myself together, Nurse Joyce and Cynthia returned, a trace of concern in their eyes.

“Now, Dani, first of all, here is your tea.” Cynthia greeted me, h...

WO, Ch 4- Caught in a Worldslide

I heard the door wing closed behind Nurse Joyce, leaving me alone with the pink marshmallow called Lady Bee. Or Blissey, as the Nurse had said. Half-remembered images bubbled up in my mind, coalescing into memories, only the memories made no sense, not in light of the world around me. How could I...

WO, Ch 3 - Is this just fantasy?

It was akin to blinking, only that it wasn't your vision that vanished for the literal blink of an eye, but the world that blinked, before changing in that same time-frame. At least that was what it felt like and the sudden, instantaneous change attested to that feeling.

Instead of standing...

WO - Ch 2, Is this the real life?

“Hey, are you alright?” the voice asked, pushing past the disconnect that seemed to be what my senses told me about my surroundings and what I knew to be real. Or what I thought to know what was real. Forcibly pushing down those thoughts, the fear, the confusion and my desire to start screami...

WO, Ch1: Wakey, Wakey

For a moment, I was simply confused, not sure who, where or when I was. My surroundings were completely dark and my brain felt sluggish, not quite firing on all cylinders. A loud sound, far too close for comfort, caused adrenaline to flood my system, my heart instantly starting to race, making me...

Wandered Off - Prologue III

After three weeks on the road, I hadn’t managed to make any progress on the question I had set out to answer, but I had learned something. Not so much about me, in particular, although there were quite a few realisations, but about life and the world in general. The most important thing might h...

Wandered Off - Prologue II

Convincing our parents to let me go on my journey had been surprisingly easy. When I explained to them about my insecurity and fears, they had simply given me a hug and told me to take as much time as I needed, to find out what I wanted to do with my life, reminding me that it was my life and I w...