Pokemon: Tactician’s Triumph

Caelan watched as the two half-naked men dragged away a third half-naked man in the rain.

When he said 'everything', he wasn't being literal. He didn't expect them to suddenly start taking off their clothes, but it made it easier to check their pockets, so he didn't complain. And they deserved it for trying to rob a child of his only friend.

Plus, as he watched the taller man slip and fall into a puddle, he had to admit something to himself.

It was pretty funny.

Despite finding it quite humorous, he felt oddly satisfied with only expressing his amusement with a small smile instead of a laugh.

That was… mildly concerning, but at least he could still feel the emotion, even if it was dampened.

His thoughts were interrupted when his best friend suddenly hopped onto his shoulder.

"Oof," She was only a few pounds, but he wasn't expecting it. He reached up and scratched under her damp chin as he spoke fondly. "Hey there lil' buddy. You ready to go home?"

Her answer was a weirdly blank stare.

Caelan stared back at her, slightly tilting his head in confusion. Her gaze seemed almost insistent, yet he couldn't for the life of him understand what she–

~Worry. Curiosity. Insistence.~

As he stared into her eyes, he could suddenly feel himself being swept up in a whirlpool of foreign emotions. Somehow, he could tell that they were hers and not his own.

That was… odd.

Though, now that he thought about it, they'd always communicated like this. Despite her being a rodent who didn't speak English, Caleb could always understand what she was trying to convey. For some reason though, it felt more pronounced than normal.

Perhaps it was due to Nolan's memories of a mundane Earth muddling things up? There was no magic understanding between creatures in his last life, so for Nolan, it would be like a blind man seeing for the first time. To Caleb, it was almost unnoticeable and instinctual. But to Caelan, the sensation was far more noticeable.

Was this a universal truth, explaining how trainers and Pokemon effectively communicate? Or was this something unique to him alone?

This required further testing.

…Later.

She would be quite irate if he ignored her feelings like that. Caelan knew what she was getting at, but he was hoping she wouldn't care about his sudden transformation. He wanted a bit more time to come up with an explanation for his changes.

"Fine, I'll explain when we get home, okay?" The intensity of her stare increased a notch. She leaned in uncomfortably close and he almost thought she'd suddenly learned Leer. "...I'm fine, by the way. I might be a bit different, but I'm physically okay at least."

Rattata continued to stare for a few more scant seconds before she nodded and laid down, latching herself firmly to his shoulder with a small humph.

…She wasn't going to willingly go back in the ball for a while. If it weren't so justified, her worried fussing would be quite cute.

Before he walked away from the alleyway, Caelan reached into his pockets and made sure everything he stole was still there. There were 152 Pokedollars in crumbled bills, a cracked Pokegear, and a necklace that sort of resembled an Amulet Coin. As this was not a video game, the Amulet Coin obviously held no special properties, but he figured he could sell it later.

He was now the wealthiest he'd been in his life, but it wasn't anywhere close to being enough to take care of both himself and Rattata.

The most useful thing in that aspect was actually the Pokegear. If Rotom phones were the 'Apple' of this world, and Porygon phones were the 'Samsung', then his Pokegear was the equivalent of a flip phone.

But even while cracked and outdated it was better than nothing for an aspiring Pokemon trainer.

Nodding to himself, he made his way through the streets, passing by others in the rain. He walked until he was at the outskirts of the city, and then he walked some more. Up on a small hill stood a ramshackle cabin in the woods. There were many holes in the walls and even the roof, but a shabby house was better than none at all.

Before he could step inside, Rattata hopped off his shoulder and quickly began scurrying around the hovel, vigorously sniffing every inch of it. He watched her for a few minutes before she stuttered out a certain chittering sound, the signal for 'safe'.

With that security ritual done, he immediately began making a fire while Rattata gathered various clumps of straw and other debris to make a nest.

The two worked seamlessly, as this was a routine they'd gone through countless times before.

At the end of this, Caelan sat with his back against one of the wooden walls and stared into the flickering fire, while Rattata curled herself up on the other side and stared at him expectantly.

Caelan enjoyed the few moments of peace he had with his friend left, before fortifying his resolve and letting out a deep sigh. He was beyond anxious, for if he worded this wrong, then he wouldn't even be surprised if Rattata up and left forever. She had no obligation to stay with him, as while he had the same feelings, he was certainly not the friend she knew anymore.

He was not Caleb anymore, and he had no intention of pretending to be him.

"I…" He paused, licking his dry lips as his heart pounded in his chest. "I am not the Caleb you once knew."

Rattata's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing.

Most would interpret what he'd said as a ridiculously over-dramatic metaphor for personal change, especially since it sounded like a child who thought they were dark and mysterious. But the Pokemon world was full of endless possibilities, so she could only interpret the statement as a literal but shocking truth.

Yet, for some reason, she stayed seated. She was willing to listen to him, even if it was outrageous.

That was… good. It gave him the courage to continue.

"Truthfully, I don't know exactly why or how, but I think I understand what happened at least," He looked up at the left corner of the room, trying to recall what started this in the first place. "Caleb was not a… happy person."

Rattata's expression softened, her eyes slowly filling with sympathy.

"When he learned that he was being chased by hoodlums trying to steal his only friend from him, he'd mentally given up. The world was far too harsh, and he couldn't see the point in continuing." Rattata was visibly alarmed but didn't make any sudden movements. "He wasn't actively planning on suicide but in that moment on the muddy ground he closed his eyes and stopped caring about his own survival."

He paused, letting that sink in before he continued, and he could literally feel the sympathy leaking through Rattata's guarded frame.

"Then, something inexplicable happened." Caelan was telling the truth, but it still felt a little bad to frame the story like it was a miracle. It wasn't– He wasn't a miracle. "Somehow, another soul had drifted its way into Caleb's body–"

The moment he said that he froze. A surge of what he could only describe as the 'willingness to kill' emanated from every pore in Rattata's body. She stood up, muscles coiled and fur raised in anger.

Instead of protecting himself, Caelan looked down and continued to speak. Despite how terrifying it was, it was also heartwarming that she cared that much about him, giving him the nerve to carry on.

"Yet although the soul was much older than him, it did not take over his body," Her murderous aura paused, her head tilting in suspicion. "The two souls, after battling over their identity for a while, decided to share. To combine their thoughts, memories, feelings, and personalities into one.

"That is who I am." He lifted his violet eyes up to meet his only friend, fear bubbling in his gut. "I am the culmination of both Nolan and Caleb. I… am Caelan."

He couldn't tell if it had worked, but he tried to latch onto that 'magic understanding' and force her to understand that he was being truthful. That he wasn't making any of this up. That… he was fine with her leaving if she felt it necessary.

Whether it worked or not, she somehow believed him. Any hostility in her body melted away as she slowly sat back down on her haunches. She was staring into his eyes, deep in thought.

Although the interaction was silent on her part, anyone with half a brain would know she understood every word.

"Ah, one last thing," She paused in thought, looking up at him expectantly. "Caleb was beyond tired of living like this, and Nolan wouldn't settle for less than greatness so… I want to be a Pokemon Trainer. One of the best, at least. I'm tired of surviving. I want to live. To have riches, power, and the freedom to go wherever I want and do whatever I want."

"And… I wanna do it with you at my side. I may not be Caleb, but I still consider you my best friend," he says, slumping back onto the wall. "But you don't have to answer right now. I won't be upset if you don't want to. I'd never force you into anything…"

Rattata's eyes narrowed, almost glowing with determination. Evidently, a decision was made as she abruptly hopped over the fire and into his lap.

She lightly thrusted her little paw onto his stomach, growling as she did so.

"Rrrrattata!"

Caelan stared down at her dumbly, his mind empty for a moment. "Huh…?" Finally, it catches up with him what she means, and he can't help but question it. "Are you sure? I mean, you can still think about it a little more…"

Her response was a sharp look, her eyes literally glowing red. With its ethereal beauty, he felt everything she was trying to convey, telling him exactly what she thought of him and his offer.

~Commitment~

~Understanding~

~Trust~

~Determination~

~Acceptance~

The force of that last one was so strong it almost felt like a physical force. It rushed through his body, filling him with a reassurance stronger than anything he'd felt in both lives.

No matter how much Caleb's personality muted his emotions, even he couldn't help the wide smile that blossomed onto his tanned face. With happy tears threatening to spill out of his eyes, he huffed, holding himself back from laughing in elation.

"Glad you're on board. I wouldn't have it any other way, my friend."