Boat rides are pretty relaxing. At least if you don´t have bad weather, which we thankfully don´t have. There are just a few clouds otherwise it´s still sunny and judging from the suns position it´s about midday.
Meowth is staring at the sea and salivating at the possible marine animals in the sea I presume. James pulled out a Fishing Rod from who knows where and it seems to be a retractable version otherwise, I have no Idea where he would hide a two-metre-long rod.
Jessie went to the main deck with a chair and a book, I´m guessing she wants to pass the time by reading it.
I think I´m going to get myself a Fire Type at some time in the future. That´d help with being cold-blooded and not in Earia where most places are infernal, to say the least.
I, on the other hand, got myself a Pokéball to research, meaning I broke the casing as carefully as I can to not break the inner circuitry as much as possible. To avoid the same thing that happened when I made the Wheelchair and have it snap into tiny pieces.
After destroying four of them, I finally have enough fragments in a good enough condition to make a caseless version of that ball since I had to break it open at different points. Well, a few of the connections got broken in the process, but that´s easily fixable as a Technomancer.
So... let´s see if I analyzed anything wrong from just the parts I had for the Wheelchair. Fragments can usually cause a Technomancer to misinterpret some things inside a circuit and I finally have the time to investigate whether my suspicion is correct.
The first thing I want to find out is the reason it can expand while still keeping the circuitry intact, though it may just be the unknown material. That might mean the circuit board is also made from an unknown material.
It seems that they have the same insulating property my circuit boards have back at home but are made of different materials altogether. This thing has a grey tint instead of the Oztarel Federations usual red-green tint of Girnat Plastids.
Oh boy, I´m working with an unknown material for the first time in ten years and my only contact in this world is a "Crime Syndicate under new management". This is worse than my three years on Milranos-V. There they at least used Federation normed Materials.
Also, I noticed something pretty important. I analyzed this thing completely wrong after all. Was I still groggy after waking up in that bed or am I that stupid not to realize such a giant Error? Back on Earia Milon would´ve skinned me alive for such a rookie mistake, so I´m never going to tell anyone that I made one in the first place.
Why didn´t I cross-examine this thing with another one when I modified this Wheelchair? Usually, I wouldn´t just overlook something of this magnitude, otherwise, my time would´ve already ended before reaching this place.
Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk at least I know it´s easier to modify then stuff back home, meaning there´s probably no Technomancers in this place. However, it also means I´m working with unknown things that could potentially be lethal, explosive or a mix of the two since people forbid that ever since Technomancers were a thing.
Ok, Mira, from now on carefully analyze the things you work on to the best of your ability. Starting with this peeled Pokéball.
After activating the Ability of a Technomancer to Analyze Circuits and their function I come to the conclusion... that I have no fucking clue how it expands by just pressing a button.
I mean I know it runs on atmospheric Mana in combination with the users Mana, but there´s nothing coded on this thing to expand or contract. It might just be the Material in itself because it seems to send Mana into itself once but the function for it actually expanding is missing.
On the other hand, the catching Mechanism was quite easy to figure out and the thing I was most wrong about. It encases the Pokémon in ambient Mana and the Users mana and then imprints the Users mana into the thing that got caught. So that´s where the Mana Absorbing Function comes into play, It has nothing to do with the expanding of the Ball but the catching mechanism instead.
If the users Mana is weaker then the Pokémon´s, it can break out of the ball if it wishes to do so. They´re basically making it think you´re something like a Pack Leader slash Boss and know better what to do in a certain situation.
So it wasn´t mind-control after all... That´s good, otherwise, this place would get destroyed as soon as somebody from the Federations Technology Inspection Team sets foot on here and sees this thing.
It also means I can use it without concern myself since our location gets catalogued and it´d be bad to have found you with a Mind Control enabling device, especially if you´re a Technomancer. Well, the Alakazam would´ve already been a grey zone and depending on the person I´d probably be found guilty and either sent to a meat farm or get my mind wiped and work at a factory for the rest of my life.
And finally, the Storing mechanism is a different beast altogether. That thing spans about eighty per cent of the entire Balls Circuit and is more complicated than I previously presumed probably because I only had about fifty per cent of the ball in mendable condition. It might take me about half a year of nonstop analyzing this thing to get how it works correctly.
At least I know it uses Sub-Dimensions but that´s the easiest part to figure out. It´s literally the only thing that people would use Space-Type converted Mana for in this case.
After finding out that I won´t be able to find out the secrets of this machine without at least half a year of actual hard work I do what every other person would do in this situation and that is to enjoy this boat trip and have some nice free time.
After putting the ball away I notice a huge Bridge coming up on the horizon. I´m guessing that´s the highway the three mentioned. At least they know how to build bridges high enough for anything to get past under it.
Spinning the Wheelchair around halfway to observe James fishing for who knows what. There´s already a bucket beside him with some things already inside. They´re 'things' that looks kind of like an Orange version of the Earian Deep-Snapper just a whole lot smaller, so I use the Pokédex presuming that it is a Pokémon and indeed it is.
Opening the Pokédex and pointing it at the thing in the bucket I get the information I want. Turns out it is called Krabby and it uses those oversized claws it has to keep its balance and they also regrow if cut off.
Also as soon as I got done looking at that Krabby James stands up with the Fishing Rod and starts pulling hard on it. What flies over his head and on the Deck looks like a bulkier version of those Krabbys.
(James) "Nice. A Kingler is a big boon for our pockets. Well, first I gotta Knock it out, go Weezing"
The Pokéball James throws lets out a purple smoking Ball with eyes, craters, a mouth and a skull-like mark on its lower body with another head dangling on its side.
On the other side of this competition, this Kingler is about four times bigger than the Krabbys in the bucket and has a claw of its own size to boot. It also has something that looks like a crown on its head since they´re too dull to be defensively relevant Spikes.
Well, at least that explains the King part of its name. It also looks as inbred as one with that horrible underbite, so the King part fits it even more.
Anyways I should just sit back and enjoy the show at a safe distance so I´m not going to move from here and besides, I´m on the other side of the boat, what´s the worst that could happen.
(James) "Weezing rob its vision with Smog and then hit it with a Tackle."
The Weezing opens its mouth and releases the same brown gas that comes out of its craters and engulfs the Kingler until it flies out moments later face first in my direction. I really shouldn´t tempt fate with my thoughts.
It is however stopped by Alakazam before hitting me. It is instead lifted into the air by it. If Alakazam was Mind controlled he probably wouldn´t have moved, so my first analysis was indeed wrong.
I ask the Alakazam to throw it back over to James who has Weezing Tackle it again and this repeats like a twisted version of a ball game until the Kinglers Big Claw starts glowing during the third round of passing it back and forth and smashes Weezing straight off the ship.
James seems to quickly react by recalling Weezing back into its Pokéball and yells for Meowth to lend a Hand in this battle. That reminds me Meowth was staring at the sea by my side when I began researching Pokéballs but now he´s nowhere to be seen. I soon find him because he jumped off the roof of the Captains Cabinet and onto the Kingler with its claws extended and pokes them into the Kinglers Eyes.
Closing its eyes to avoid being blinded by Meowth's claws, the Kingler tries to hit Meowth with its glowing big claw again only to smash itself in the face when Meowth dodges just in time.
And with that, the Kingler went down and didn´t move again. It also has those strange Swirls in its eyes that were there too when Alakazam, Victreebel and co. got knocked out. I´m guessing this is their way of showing Mana exhaustion or at least what I presume is Mana exhaustion.
Looking over at James he smiles like my little brother when he came home having caught the biggest Desert Tunnelworm he could find.
(Mira) "So... what´s this big ugly thing good for?"
James gleefully takes the Job of explaining what he´s gonna use his catch for. Turns out it´s a delicacy if prepared by a good chef. Of course, the Rich boy would know that, but he also knows the Sale prices and that this one is one seems to be bigger than usual. After he got done explaining every single detail about this giant Kingler the Bridge I saw when I rolled over to him was no longer in sight.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
(Mira) "Well then, what are you gonna do with those Krabby? Are they worth as much too? Or was there a special reason you kept those?"
He simply urges me to look at the number of those two in the Pokédex. I think I know where this will be going since I already know Pokémon can evolve. And Lo and behold they are number 98 and 99 respectively. So this cute thing will turn into that Giant inbred looking piece of ugliness.
Talk about puberty hitting you like a Phase Rifle that overheated and exploded because of it. Well, at least the taste makes it good for one thing. However, he still didn´t tell me what he needs those Krabby for.
After asking him again what he needed the Krabby for he tells me they were just there to bait the Kingler into coming here since it´s basically a boss for those Krabby and Wild Kingler sells for more than farm raised Kingler.
(Mira) "So, what are you gonna do with the Krabby now that you got the Kingler?"
He bends down and grabs the Bucket lifting it up to his chest.
(James) "Well, I was just gonna throw them back, unless you want one for yourself."
Well, I think they are pretty cute. I´d probably have something like this as a pet back on Earia if I wasn´t so busy all the time. However, on second thought, this isn´t Earia and I don´t have to work right now.
(Mira) "Sure, just let me get one of the Balls I haven´t used to experiment and grab the smallest out of the Bucket for me."
While I bend down to get the Ball in the Storing compartment of the Wheelchair James throws one Krabby after the other off of the boat after comparing their sizes.
They don´t seem to fight back though. Every single one of them is looking disheartened. After James throws off the second to last Krabby he lays down the last Krabby on the deck of the boat.
(James) "Well, now you just press the button to activate the Pokéball and let it drop on the Krabby so it can open up and catch it."
Doing as James said I press the button on the Pokéball making it expand and drop in on top of the Krabby. The Krabby changes into the same familiar red Light I´ve already seen quite a few times when Pokéballs are involved.
Suddenly though the ball starts shaking with a red light flashing on the button which suddenly ends with a 'THUNK' sound. So that´s what a resisting Pokémon sounds like and it seems to get three chances to get out. After the sound comes out of the Ball James grabs it and throws it over to me.
(James) "Congrats, you caught yourself a Krabby. You can give it a Nickname in the first five minutes of catching a Pokémon by the way, but most Trainers don´t get too attached to their Pokémon since they could die if you´re battling in the Wild and an enemy or wild Pokémon poisons your Pokémon when you´re out of Antidotes and about a day away from the next Pokémon Center."
Well, I wasn´t planning on battling again at any time in the future, but I´m not going to nickname this Krabby since I suck at naming things since I usually make them way too complicated.
(Mira) "Nah, I´m good. my naming sense is not the most stellar after all."
James just shrugs and walks over to Captain Smo. Presumably, to store this Kingler somewhere until we dock. Since I lost interest in the Kingler I wheel over to Jessie to see what she´s doing and whether she´s just lying there to relax or continues with reading her book.
Turns out it was prediction Number two.
(Mira) "Heya Jessie, what´re you reading? I´m taking a break right now from researching and James caught a Kingler just now."
At the mention of the word Kingler, she turns over to me. I swear if her retinas could change they would be money symbols at this point.
(Jessie) "Nice, depending on the Kinglers quality, we´d be able to get quite the sum of Poké En. Then we can finally pay back that damn R&D Team and continue onwards debt free."
Wait, the R&D Team of Team Rocket bills its Members? That´s a pretty shitty thing to do. And for Prototypes nonetheless.
(Mira) "What are they billing you for that you have to sell a Kingler just to get rid of the debt?"
Jessie sighs and shows me the book she was reading.
(Jessie) "Those are our groups' finances. You remember that we were tasked with getting that Pikachu? That thing had enough power to blow up one mech after the other. And then it all just spiralled out of control and that Pikachu destroyed about Thirty-Five Mecha and they billed us for about twenty-six Million Poké En in total.
Usually, we´d have to pay this back with our group's salary of 600 thousand Poké En a month meant we were pretty much broke at the start of the month except for the bare minimum of living expenses. But thanks to us escorting you our salary shot up ten times as high and that Kingler will also be a decent sum.
We´re currently still eight million short but after that, we´re debt-free and can enjoy a life that isn´t just saving up money only to have it taken from us."
Wow, their Researchers are pretty greedy. They probably billed them to get more raw Materials to develop more Mechs and kept the quality low on the sent out ones on purpose to skimp on costs and cash in more profit from the people they send them to.
I place a hand on her shoulder before wheeling off and telling her to stay strong. After talking to the two I resume staring out at the open Sea when I see a Cliff coming closer to the left. From the way that Highway/Bikeway was built this is probably my end goal for this trip but not for the rest of this 'vacation'.
Not letting it bother me that it´s likely gonna take a few days to reach there I continue staring out at the wide blue sea and start thinking about what to do during the rest of the year I´m spending with getting used to this world.
Somehow this is calming. No annoying superior telling me to get back to work after I just got done working thirty hours in one sitting, no stupid coworkers who push their work on me and no annoying customers who bitch and moan when something just can´t be implemented.
I don´t know when but I seem to have drifted off into dreamland at some point because when I got shaken awake Jessie told me we already arrived at Vermillion City and James went ahead to sell the Kingler and book two Hotel rooms for us since it´s already getting dark outside.
I´m just hoping that this place doesn´t have annoying people like that Ace Trainer 'what´s his name again' ah well who cares. It´s not like we´re ever going to cross paths again. At least I hope we don´t.
In what feels like half an hour James returned from the selling and booking with a spring in his steps like he came out of a bad cartoon and is about to sing.
(James) "The Kingler was top quality guys. The Restaurant paid me two and a half million Poké En. We´re debt free Jessie and we even have half a million left over for our own purposes once more."
Well, that explains his happy mood. Jessie also seems pretty happy about it and Meowth is smiling from one ear to the other.
(Mira) "Well then, what about the Hotel Rooms? I´m getting cold just sitting here."
James looks over to me and gives me a Key.
(James) "I got two rooms. A double for you two and a Single Room for me."
So I´m gonna have to stay on this thing even longer? Screw that.
(Mira) "So where´s your Key? I only see one Key on this Chain."
He grabs into his shirt pocket and pulls out another Key of the same sort I´m already holding.
(Mira) "Alakazam, bring that Key over here with Telekinesis."
The Key gets a slightly blue glow and flies out of James' hand. With both Keys now in my hand, I hand over the double room Key to Jessie to hold onto.
(Mira) "No way in hell am I sharing a room. I want my peace and quiet and had just about enough of people being in the same room as me as I sleep. You two have been a team for longer than you know me so you should be no stranger to sleeping together. And in interpersonal combat, I can easily hold my own so you don´t have to keep playing lookout for me."
They both begin to blush when I mention them sharing a room. Goddamn Teens.
(Mira) "If you´re both gonna blush like some middle schooler holding his crushes hand for the first time, why not bring that up in the first place that you want the double room? I mean you both clearly like each other so what´s the problem. You don´t have to hold back just because I´m here."
If I had to describe the shade of their faces it would be 'embarrassed to death red' and they just nod shyly. I tell them that I will take Meowth to my room as well so they can spend the evening unperturbed making them blush even harder.
Wheeling behind the two who had been too shy to hold hands in my presence and are now doing so I start snickering about how innocent their love is while we are going to the hotel, making them hit a red in their faces that shouldn´t even be possible.
The Hotel is a four-floor building with what is presumably the word Hotel in Neon Inlaid Letters in front of the Reception room.
The Receptionist greets James as a Mr Baltov and makes the Bellboy call the Elevator for us whilst also grabbing James and Jessies Bags.
Arriving on the second floor our rooms are 213 and 225. They are across from each other and mine is the Single room 225 after snatching the Key from James.
The bellboy opens the room for me since my arms aren´t long enough to reach the Keyhole and I thank him while he´s returning to the elevator and also tease James and Jessie to use a condom since a pregnancy wouldn´t be that good on a one-year 'sightseeing trip'.
Enjoying the last bright red face the two give me I enter the room laughing and petting Meowth while Alakazam closes the door behind me and locks it with the Key.
Rolling through the Room I can see it is pretty wide. Wide enough for me to not bump into anything. It looks almost as if James planned this whole thing to have me take the single room.
(Mira) "Hey Meowth, how good are you at keeping your mouth shut? Because depending on the answer I´m going to drop you off at their room."
Meowth begins laughing like I did when I was teasing them.
(Meowth) "You can be assured not a single word will pass through my lips to anyone. Not even those two. After all the only one I´d answer to in that case would be the boss and I assume the boss knows your secret already."
Sighing to myself in relief I decide to trust Meowth since he wasn´t included in James' or Jessie´s Pokéball lineup. I lift myself off the Wheelchair returning my good old reliable tail in a flash of white and having Meowth jump back about two meters.
(Meowth) "In Arceus name what the Hell is that?!"
I do a few Tail stretches and answer with the simple answer of 'My Tail'.
Meowth does a brilliant retorting hand gesture with an almost yelled out 'you don´t say'.
(Mira) "Well, your boss did say I´m kind of important. I´m from another planet and landed here by accident. Your boss agreed to help me if I worked for him a bit. This trip is to get familiar with this world, its workings and most importantly its Technology."
Meowth now no longer looks as creeped out about the three-meter-long tail but is showing a forcibly composed expression.
(Meowth) "If the boss trusts you I have no reason to care or tell anyone, well I´m going to sleep now so do what you need to do now because tomorrow you´ll probably have to camp outside if we have bad luck."
I don´t know why but I find it reassuring that I can trust Meowth to keep shut about my species. Meowth simply lays down on top of the bed and begins to take another nap. I swear if he slept more he´d be comatose, but that´s feline species in a nutshell I guess.
Meanwhile, I wriggle to the bath to finally get all that grime off of me. I didn´t shower in more than five days and forgot to ask Giovanni if I could take a bath or a shower.
While waiting for the water to get to a nice forty degrees I slip in slowly into the bath. Damn my Scales are all itchy from not showering and I didn´t notice it before because it was in what I presumed to be a sub-dimension and not connected to the nerves of my body.
After about an hour I´m done with scrubbing my scales to their usual shine. Sadly scale Treatments aren´t available in this room, but I guess that´s understandable since I presume this is a Human world. Not surprising, Mono species worlds are the norm after all. Even if these Pokémon come remarkably close to a primitive species themselves.
With my Tail slipping out of the bath I return back to the Bedroom and start to coil my tail on the middle of the bed and lie the rest of my body down to sleep after drying myself off with the towels the hotel provided.
Before drifting off to sleep I tell Alakazam to put a 'do not disturb' sign in front of my door and then lock it again after he´s done with that.
After that, I recall Alakazam into his Ball and drift off to a pleasant sleep with a dream in which the fake Jacko got blown to pieces with the rest of his organization because they trigger the self-destruction every Technomancer puts in their devices accidentally.