The world of Pokémon, a world that I had looked on as a fiction, but now inhabit. I have no idea how I got here, if I died, or was whisked away, and the memories of my life before feel distant. I cannot remember my family, my friends, my coworkers, or anyone else, but I can remember almost everything else.
It's an odd feeling, the mind of an adult in the body of a now 7 year-old child. I have the emotional capacity, rashness, curiosity, and immaturity of a child, but the logic and intelligence of an adult. But does that matter? I cannot remember much of my past childhood, but I do remember never feeling like I got to live as a child. Too mature for my age, and the modern world and internet forcing me into experiences too soon. And now? I can finally let myself go, in a world full of kindness, cute Pokémon, and people that actually care about the others around them.
I smile as I look on at my parents' flower shop, one of several in Floaroma Town, a rather quaint town in Sinnoh. I've just been on my way back from home, along with my friend Drew who lives next door. We split off, and I open up the door to the shop, the scent of hundreds of flowers hitting me. I'm so glad I don't have allergies in this life, it would be miserable.
"I'm home!" I happily shout out, my momma's Bellossom being the first to greet me. "Aw hi Bellossom!"
"Bell bell!" Bellossom happily sings as it attaches itself to my legs. I give her a pat on her petals, their smoothness causing them to flow against my hand. I hear a chuckle from my mom, who's behind the counter watering some new plants she's growing. She readjusts her deep blue hair into a bun, having slipped out after getting it stuck to a bush.
"Riley, want to help me with these?" She asks, holding up a second watering pail.
"Yes mom!" I walk up to her, taking the pail as I start working from the other end. "What are these?"
"Ah, they're a species from Johto that take a very long time to grow. I heard that a boy from Johto recently moved here, so I wanted to sell something that might remind his family of home. They took a long time to get here too, I ordered these two months ago!"
My momma's an incredibly thoughtful person, always doing what she can to bring joy to others, usually through her flowers. I've never seen her angry or upset; she always has a smile on her face. She's the breadwinner of the house, her flowers being some of the highest quality of Sinnoh. Her services are often requested for large events, and that's where she makes the majority of the money.
"Oh, hey Riles," my dad says with an almost constipated expression as he carries a massive bag of soil through the front door, "Maria honey, I've got that bag of... Urgh, soil you wanted. Where do you want me to put it?"
"Just by the gate entrance on the side, I'll open it up after I'm done with this. Thank you Ben." She says as she blows a kiss to him. Ugh, right in front of your son?
"I've got the door for you," I say as he struggles to get the bag back out. I close the door behind him, then join my momma again as we finish watering the Johto plants.
A few minutes later, my dad returns. He's quite tall and burly, the opposite of my short and petite mom. While I'm glad I inherited momma's blue hair, he has rather lustrous brown hair and a short beard that I hope I can grow in the future. He lets out a few gasps of air as he cools off, sweat glistening from his brow. My momma puts her pail down and dabs a towel over his head.
"Why... Did you need soil... From Jubilife?" His breath finally starts coming back to him. Apparently she made him walk all the way to Jubilife and back. Usually he'd have his Staravia help, but that bag was way too bulky for him.
"Oh honey, you know it's the best! Imported straight from Hoenn, rich with wonderful nutrients for my little plants!"
Her smile energizes him, and he gives a hearty chuckle as he bends and stretches, "Anything for my wife's plants." We all share a little laugh and begin waiting for Daisy, my little gremlin of a sister, to come home. She loves to stop by the Combee nests after school.
While we wait, I go outside to take in the view. Truly a different place entirely from my last life, and I love it. Nature is beautiful, and sometimes, I just want to take it all in. As my eyes go between the fields of flowers, I notice a young trainer just starting his journey, a boy a few years older than me with an adorable Wurmple. What a cutie! I approach the boy and startle him by accident, "Could I pet your Wurmple?"
"Ah! Oh, uh sure. Jeez, you scared me," he says as he lets off a nervous laugh. As I approach the Wurmple, it tilts its head curiously at me. Ah! My heart! I reach my hand out, and it cautiously puts its head on it. No, this is dangerous. I can't. If I had less self-control, I'd be dying from cuteness overload! I give him little chin scritches as his owner pipes up, "I'm hoping he evolves into a cool Dustox!"
"Oh, I think he's going to evolve into a Beautifly."
My hands continues to pet the Wurmple as it makes cute, almost purring noises.
"A Beautifly, bah, how would you even know?" He scoffs at my comment, then looks down at it.
"I don't quite know myself, I've just started picking up on it. Besides, Beautifly is really cool!" I say with a smile as my hands occupy themselves with trying not to squeeze the Wurmple because of how cute it is.
"Nah, it's just some stupid bug. Dustox is cooler! Anyways, we need to get going." He returns Wurmple to its ball with a frown then walks off. Sorry kid, but it'll be a Beautifly, I just know it. Oh wait, I'm a kid too.
We don't often get trainers in Floaroma, so it's nice to see them and their Pokémon every once in a while. As I peruse the nearby area for more cute Pokémon to love on, I notice my sister walking home. I make my way back and walk in just half a minute after her.
"Riley!" Daisy says in an adorable voice as she basically tackles me in a hug.
"Haha, hi little Daisy," I say as I pat her head. Despite my height, which is pretty tall for a boy my age, Daisy definitely got our momma's shortness. She doesn't mind at all though. Daisy has a really interesting hair color of an almost black blue, and tends to keep it short since Combee honey always gets stuck in it... Just like it is now. "Daisy, why don't you go take a shower before dinner?"
She hops off me and into the house without a fuss. Our house is connected straight to the shop. While it's incredibly advantageous for its impeccable commute times, sometimes it can get a bit rowdy when it's busy. Thankfully, we're in a bit of a quiet season during the middle of summer.
After dinner, I make my way to Route 205. My parents were hesitant to me going there at first, but eventually caved in since there aren't any strong Pokémon there. However, they explicitly warned me from going near or into the water as there have been rare sightings of Tentacruel. I don't mind though, I'm not terribly fond of water. In my past life I was terrified of the deep ocean, which sometimes extended to rivers, though I don't feel that fear anymore. They're also incredibly adamant on me not staying too long. Once the sun starts setting, I have to start heading home.
However, I can and will look at it from afar. The trees, hills, and mountainous terrain make quite the beautiful sight as the sun slowly moseys to the horizon, the sky slowly turning more and more orange. The sound of wild Pokémon fill the air, slowly getting quieter as the day draws to a close — Bidoofs making dams and chomping on wood, Pachirisu playing and making cute, almost giggle-like sounds of joy as they play, Wingull flying overhead to their resting places, and Hoppips floating over the trees. All of it begins to die down, and I take a breath as I get ready to make my way home.
As I stand up, a cute Buizel walking along the water's edge enters my vision, and I cautiously try to approach. It notices me and stands still for a moment. We just stare at each other, waiting for the other to move before I try to crouch down and offer my hand. At my first movement, it scurries off into the water quite quickly. I sigh and stand up, but my eyes shoot back to the water as I see the Buizel quickly jump out of it and run off. Confused, I take a step forward, and a giant tentacle shoots out of the water, and eventually, the head of the Pokémon. Tentacruel! I've got to run!
As I start to turn around to run, I notice something on the tentacle. A Shellder desperately clamps on for its life, the Tentacruel grunting from the pain as another tentacle reaches to the shell, trying to pry it open to eat it.
As I take a closer look at the Shellder being thrown around wildly by the tentacle, I notice it's severely hurt. Its tough shell is cracked, and it looks like it's been fighting for a hot minute. The body inside is probably severely hurt. I've got to help, but how?
I take a moment to think before coming up with the stupidest plan. "HEY STUPID BLOB!" I shout as I throw a rock at the Tentacruel. It stops fighting the Shellder and turns to me, another rock hitting it in the eye. "oh, shit."
It lets out a loud and booming "TEEEENTA" as a tentacle slams down next to me. These Pokémon are usually tough to coax out of the water, but Tentacruel get mad quite easily. As I take a look to my right at the tentacle that had just missed nearly hitting me by a foot, I notice the Shellder is on the tip. I grab the Shellder and pull.
"Come on Shellder! I've got you, trust meeeeEEE!" I start yelling as the Tentacruel starts lifting up its tentacle, but the Shellder lets go and we fall a few feet to the ground. I shield the Shellder with my body as I get a good look at It. His shell is all cracked and needs emergency treatment. Thankfully, if it's treated soon his shell won't be permanently deformed.
A sizzling hot feeling stretches across my back. Poison. The Tentacruel had whipped me with one of its tentacles as I was distracted. The only thing keeping me from feeling the full intensity of the pain is the adrenaline coursing through me... That's definitely going to leave a mark.
I get up, feet wobbly under me as the poison begins to set in. So soon? I just got hit! I attempt to run but the Tentacruel wraps one of its tendrils around my left leg and pulls me up. In a split-second decision, I yell out "Shellder, Water Gun!" and point the Shellder in my hands at the Tentacruel. I know this Shellder is tired, but I need your power for just a moment!
The Shellder understands and a burst of water hits the Tentacruel in the same eye hit before. As it lets go of us, we fall once again, my body being used as a shield to cushion the Shellder's body. One good hit, and there could be irreparable damage to it.
Tendril after tendril try to hit me, the Tentacruel's depth perception severely hampered by the consecutive hits. However, one seemed to be going straight for Shellder's main body. I raise Shellder up, and the tendril follows, missing and instead slamming me in the head. The world spins as I try to orient myself, the slam and poison together making a dastardly combo.
I get up, my legs wanting to buckle under me, but my mind refusing to drop. Come on legs, move! My will tries to force them, but my run turns into a limping light jog as I dash for the forest entrance. Another slam of the tentacles sends me into a nearby tree.
Time seems to freeze for a moment. I lock eyes with the Shellder as it leaves my grasp, the look of fear and desperation obvious. I have to save It. Bring it home. As I hit the solid trunk, I use all that I can to grab Shellder and keep it from hitting another tree, redirecting the force into my ribs. Ah, that's a bruise almost immediately. I look down and the Shellder seems to have finally passed out. It's probably severely poisoned and hanging on by a mere thread.
However, I've made it to where I needed to. Out of the range of the Tentacruel now, I dash into the underbrush, using them to block its vision. I hear a mighty "TENTACRUUUUUUEL" as it desperately searches for us. Within a minute, it finally gives up. It was probably done for the night, going to go back and rest for its eye to recover. That's perfect.
I move back to the clearing and shamble my way back to town. It felt like an eternity, mostly because of the adrenaline coursing through my body, the only thing keeping me going. The games would make you think these routes are quite short, but in reality they're much longer than in-game. The Pokémon Center is too far away, but my house is... Closer... My mind is fading. I rush as fast as I can, tripping on the final step, just a moment away from the door. I curse myself in my mind as I begin to drift... A creaking noise filling my ears and screams I'm too tired to understand...
"Shellder..." I say with all of my willpower as I push up the Shellder from under my collapsed body, too tired to act as a shield any more. My arms fall to the ground, and more screaming ensues. Am I being lifted up? I don't know... I need to... Rest... So heavy...
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A guttural groan escapes my mouth as my eyes slowly adjust to the blinding light. Where am I? "Ugh..." A sharp pain fills my body as I try to sit up. I feel a slight shift to my side. As my eyes focus, I notice my momma on her knees, bent over my bed, starting to wake up. Further behind her is Daisy, snoring like mad in the only other chair in here. I guess Pokémon Centers don't get human patients very often, makes sense with how resilient humans tend to be in this world. However, a 7 year-old trying to wrestle a Tentacruel was definitely taking it too far.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Riley... RILEY!" My momma instantly shoots awake as she realizes I'm moving. Daisy jolts up from the sudden yelling, but quickly runs over. "I was so, so worried!" She then begins to glare at me, "You are in so much trouble."
"Yeah I know- Wait, Shellder! How is Shellder?" I desperately begin to try to get the sheets off to stand up, gritting through the pain, but my mom stops me.
"She's fine, thanks to you..." She sighs, "I know what you did was for the right reason but you're only 7! You could- You could have died! Tentacruel are dangerous, and deadly! There's only one place that poison could have come from." Tears fill her already red eyes, and seemingly have been the entire time I was asleep. Her face looks puffy, and like a complete mess. I've... Never seen her like this before.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I just wanted to save... Her? She's a girl?" I ask, the sudden realization breaking the somber mood like a sun ray peeking through the clouds.
Momma gives a chuckle, "Yes, yes she is. After Nurse Joy took care of her, Shellder's been trying to get out looking for you. Right now she's being kept in another room... The nurse said that you're going to have a scar on your back. Permanently. You need to learn... Your actions have consequences. You should have called an adult!" She nearly yells at the end there, the tears returning and the mood depressing.
"I'm sorry... But if I had waited, Shellder could have died! I wanted to save her. She's more than just a snack."
"But what you did was undeniably dangerous," she snaps back, "You were filled to the brim with poison, and looked like you were whipped around like a cheap Poké Doll! I- I could have lost my baby..."
Those words stung... Deep. I guess, despite 7 years of living here, this world almost doesn't feel real. Like I'm a viewer in another fiction, but her pain grounded me, and for once, I cried. Usually the mature side of my mind stops me, but for once, I realize I'm just a child. I may have more knowledge, but deep down, I know I'm immature. I don't think things through. I put myself in danger just because I think I could take it. Honestly, the thoughts of those tentacles are terrifying; the oozing, mucous poison along its membrane, and the pain of being thrown around like it was nothing.
I cried, momma cried, and eventually Daisy joined in the crying, too. After a few minutes my dad walked in, a little startled, but he quietly put some papers down, probably reports from the nurse. Afterwards, he got on his knees next to my mom and brought us together in one big hug.
We sat like that for probably 10 or so minutes, time ticking by slowly. I hadn't even noticed Nurse Joy standing awkwardly by the doorway. My hand pats dad's grizzly-like arm and he slowly lets go. As we collect ourselves, all of our attention is drawn to the nurse.
"While I can't agree with the method, Shellder is perfectly healthy. You brought her back just in time. Any longer, and the damage may have been irreparable. Her shell will take a few days to form back properly, but she shouldn't have any long-term damage." Nurse Joy gives a smile, attempting to defuse the mood slightly. "Since she is a wild Pokémon, it's your choice on whether you wish to catch her or release her, after she's fully recovered of course. However, you still need a few more days of rest. If you wish, I could move her inside of here so the two of you can socialize."
"That... That would be nice. Thank you, nurse." I say with a happy sigh. While it's not common, children below 10 can have their own Pokémon, with parental consent of course. They just cannot fight with it outside of school-sponsored battles.
After a few minutes, Nurse Joy brings in a rough-looking Shellder. The shell still has some chips and cracks, but definitely looks a lot better than before. After Shellder notices me, she perks up, her massive tongue flopping up and down as it lets out a happy "Shell shell!"
I hold my arms out, and Shellder hops from Nurse Joy's arms into mine. I pull her in for a hug, and her giant tongue begins licking me in the face.
"Puh, pah, puah!" I try to breathe as I'm being assaulted. I hear a giggle from Daisy... Help, damnit!
After a few moments, Shellder calms down and sits in my lap like a loyal puppy. I take a hand to pet her shell as her tongue slowly moves up and down, almost like breathing. How do Shellder breathe...? Well, this is essentially a fantasy world anyways. I guess everything doesn't have to make sense. Water Pokémon can seemingly float in the air if they want, after all, so I assume breathing for water Pokémon just... Works differently?
"Well Riles, it's your choice. Do you want to keep Shellder?" My dad asks, a stern look on his face. "We're still mad, very mad, but we're not going to force you to give up the Pokémon you risked your life to save."
I turn around Shellder to look her in the eyes as they glisten with excitement. It makes sense, as Pokémon can understand human speech. A smile fills my face from ear to ear, and I nod, "Yes, I want to keep her." In my past life, I loved Cloyster. No matter what the internet said about them, a massive shelled tank of a Pokémon that hits like a machine gun is awesome and I love them. And Shellder? They're absolute cuties. Their silly, cute designs fill my heart with joy. Seeing one before me is like a total cuteness bomb!
My dad pulls something out of his belt pack. A Pokéball! "Here, son."
I almost shake a little as I grab it. A Pokéball! My very first one! I'm going to have my very first Pokémon! I look down at Shellder, whose gaze watches it intensely, eyes shining brightly with joy as her tongue extends, pressing against the front of the ball. In a flash of red light, Shellder disappears, and a click reverberates through the room.
Daisy cheers me on, while my parents look on with melancholic smiles; a mix of pride, but also anger and sadness. Don't worry, I know I'm in trouble, and I'm truly upset that I caused you both so much grief... But for now, I'm going to enjoy this moment, and reflect later.
I let Shellder out of her ball, and she lets out a happy "Shell shellder!" I bring my hand down and pet her. I notice she hates hands going anywhere near her face, but loves her shell being pet. My parents tell me that we'll talk about my punishments when I can go back home, but for now, to focus on recovering. Several minutes after they and Daisy leave, Shellder falls asleep in my arms, the petting soothing her to blissful dreams.
The following days were slow. Shellder was always by my side, giving me plenty of licks. I taught her how to hug and... It was a mistake. I should have realized. The only way she has to hug is her shell, and when she clamps... It hurts. Nurse Joy told me to stop and threatened to separate us because the bruises from clamping extended my recovery by a whole day. I don't care though, it's cute! Don't worry, I'll build up a resistance! Probably.
My parents and Daisy visited often, and even Drew showed up to see the Pokémon I caught. He'd say things like "I'll catch an even cooler Pokémon! One that could beat up a Tentacruel easy!" His mom gave him a smack on the head and apologized on his behalf. Insensitive? Maybe, but I don't care. I'm on cloud nine because of Shellder right now.
The nurse would come in several times a day to check in on us and to feed both Shellder and me. I felt bad that Shellder was getting essentially kibble... So I snuck some of my food into her bowl, and she loved it! Turns out she really likes food that's salty or sour, but dislikes sweets. That makes sense, after all she's a very relaxed Pokémon, and if I remember correctly they love sour foods and dislike sweet foods. I wonder, is that just based on species and individual preference, or are personalities themselves where they get their palates? I'll have to look into this in the future. There are quite a few things different from the games that I've noticed during these 7 years, so I need to learn more.
"Riley, have you been sneaking your food to Shellder?" Nurse Joy says with an exasperated gasp, just a day before I'm allowed to go.
"No, why would you ever say that?" I say, halfway through the act of doing just that.
"It's not good for Shellder, Pokémon have very different diets from us, and when you give them human food, especially when they're not physically active as she's recovering, it can cause health issues! Not all Pokémon are as adaptable as humans are when it comes to eating. Have you been taking cooking classes at your school? If not, you should consider doing so. Cooking food for your Pokémon is incredibly important." Nurse Joy puts her hands on her hips like an upset grandma.
She's right, though, as much as I hated cooking in my previous life — I never really got the chance to learn it. I really should take school more seriously, for Shellder. She deserves better than me just taking care of her half-assed. I haven't really paid attention in school at all, doing the bare minimum for passing grades. My parents know I'm smart and it frustrates them to no end, but having the memory of an adult made things feel... Like cheating, like I'm being forced to do "baby things". It's an immature way of thinking, truly. There are some things that tripped me up in school simply because I hadn't been bothered to learn it, as there are various parts of this world different enough from my own that you truly need to pay attention to learn. When I get back home, for the first time in my life, I'm going to study.
After another blissful sleep with Shellder by my side, the day has finally come. Nurse Joy helps me off of the bed just as my dad walk in. "Hey Riles, let's get you home, we need to talk."
A sigh escapes my lips, "I know, and I'm sorry."
"I know you are, but let's get going."
I greatly thank Nurse Joy for all of her help. She was truly caring while I was here. I'm glad that human bodies are so resilient in this world, not just because of the fact that those terrifying tentacles should have broken every bone in my body, but also because I recovered extremely quickly.
The walk home was nerve-wracking. I knew my parents were furious with me. Shellder, whom I've been holding in my arms, notices, and tilts up to give me a reassuring lick on the chin. I let out a small chuckle, and she returns to looking around Floaroma Town, eyes darting back and forth between the meadows full of flowers, between the town buildings and roads. Sights that she has never seen before, and fill her with wonder. I'm glad that Floaroma Town is such a walkable town. No cars in sight, just crisp, clean air and the sights of flowers everywhere.
As much as Shellder's presence helped, dread sets in once again as we reach the door to the shop, a "CLOSED" sign draped over it. As we enter, I don't see my mother nor Daisy. My dad leads me to the house door, and I see my mom sitting at the dining table by herself, waiting.
"Please sit down, Riley." She says with a stern tone.
I pull out and take a seat, and my dad sits just next to her.
"What you did was incredibly irresponsible." Her voice wavers slightly, "You could have- No, you got severely hurt! You were put into the Pokémon Center for almost a whole week!"
"I- I'm sorry..." I force out, my throat choking up. I know how much grief I've caused her, and there's not much I can say to make it right.
"Just please... Promise me that you won't do that again. And if there is a situation you need to help someone, or a Pokémon, that you and Shellder train well, and you don't do it by yourself. And more importantly, make sure to do it safely." She looks at Shellder in my arms, her voice losing its harshness as she lets out a chuckle at Shellder's face, eyes looking up and massive tongue sticking out. It's silly, but I love that face. Her laugh turns to a cough as her tightened throat attempts to calm itself.
My dad pipes up, "Even though you did a good thing, and it worked out in the end, you still put yourself in harm's way. From now on, you're grounded for 2- No, 3 months. No going out of Floaroma Town, especially with Drew." He lets out an exasperated sigh. Drew causes him a lot of grief with his antics, usually because I, and by extension him, get dragged into them. "And no riding Staraptor around."
That last one was a bummer, but that's alright. I have Shellder to keep me company from now on.
"And finally, you need to get your grades up. We know you're smart, but you don't apply yourself. At all." He continues, "It's important to do well so you're ready for your journey. I bring this up now because you have finally gotten your first Pokémon, and you need to start thinking about the future."
"About that, I want to enroll in the cooking classes. Nurse Joy talked about making meals for Shellder, and I want to do that! Maybe I could even grow some berries for her? I want to do better... For Shellder." I ask, hope filling my voice.
"That's... Great, actually. I didn't expect that." Pride fills his voice as he looks to my mother.
"I think it's a great idea. Since I cook for Bellossom and Staraptor, why don't you help me with that starting tomorrow?" My mother has finally calmed down, the grief and drama having been offset. "We'll get you enrolled. Ben, could you go talk to the teacher? School should still be in session, and I need my work Machop- oh, I mean Riley, to help me take some tools out of the shed and start on making the third garden." She lets out a chuckle and a smile as we all stand up. I begrudgingly follow her to the shed.
There's so many gardening tools here. You'd think my mom was a clean-freak, but no. This is like her hidden mess; it's impossible to find anything in here! I eventually find the right shovel, a smaller one bought just for me. We're going to eventually have to get a new one as it's starting to get a little small for me, but I'll wait to bring that up until the next time my dad leaves for the hardware store.
My mother leads me over to a square patch next to the first garden, then sets up two stakes quite a far distance from the edges of the it. She then begins putting down more stakes, about 10ft apart each, in a line. "You're going to dig a hole in each place I put a stake. Make sure the hole is about 3 feet deep and 2 feet wide! Tomorrow, your father's going to go get some trees that we'll be planting here."
"Why are we getting trees? Aren't we a flower shop?" I ask my momma, curiosity piquing my interest.
"Yes, but somebody said they're going to start cooking for their new Pokémon. Home-grown is the best, after all! Plus, some berry trees can produce beautiful flowers!" She says this with a smile as she continues planting the stakes. I really do appreciate how thoughtful she is. Even though I upset her, and such negative emotions had filled all of us just minutes before, she still does something to help me and bring me joy.
Well, I guess it's time to get to work. I doubt she plans to have me do all of this after all, my dad's only going to be gone for another 20 or so minutes. So, I start digging, Shellder sitting next to me, letting out an encouraging "Shell shell!" every once in a while.
Momma finishes planting all of the spikes and joins over to direct me. She ended up placing several dozen of them... Just how many trees are we planning to plant?! About 15 minutes in, my father returns. "Ah, digging time? Alright."
My father grabs a much larger shovel out from the shed and we begin digging together. We get about three-quarters of the way through them by the time dinner starts being cooked. Sweat dripping from our brows, we head back inside. "Good job champ, we made a lot of progress!" My father says to me as we open the side door to the house. "Now, let's go get washed up for dinner."
Finally, a nice, hot shower. I got to take some at the Pokémon Center, but the hot water ran out really quickly and it felt like trying to cuddle a Glalie! I take my time, enjoying the hot water, then dry off, get dressed, and head back into the dining room. After eating, I head back to bed, now accompanied by an adorable little Shellder in my arms.
I lay down, cuddling Shellder, but she had other plans. She finds my pillow and burrows underneath it, massive tongue hanging out. And... My head elevated several times what it was before. This is my life now. I guess this is what it meant when the PokéDex from the games mentioned it burrowing. It's kind of cute... But also annoying. I'll have to get her another pillow to use and burrow under. Too bad I hadn't figured this out at the Pokémon Center, as Nurse Joy had a separate, smaller bed for Shellder to sleep in.
I fall asleep, a smile on my face, and my neck at an uncomfortable angle.