Adam woke up and looked at the soft furs around himself. Living breathing sacrifices for the murder machines that were the family of Dewgong or more specifically Alpha and Saviour.

Sure they fed us, but then in turn they "fed us" to the bears. I watched as day after day more of the bears would roam around the outskirts of our territory, the implied demand for "more food" clearly on the table.

The one thing that I know that Alpha has not yet realised is that this "easy" food for the bears means that they will likely expand their territory and more importantly the Cubchoos who would often die from starvation or get culled due to food shortages will evolve. Why control your numbers when you have a food farm?

Once critical mass is reached and the herd can no longer sustain the voracious appetite of the bears, something will have to give. This life of convenience that exists for Alpha won't last, their days are numbered. Sadly this also includes me.

Alpha is obviously oblivious to this predicament facing the herd but surely even he will soon be able to notice the problem. My only chance will be to try to train my skills so that when the time comes to high 'tail' it out of here I will be ready.

Since we have a steady supply of food provided to us by the Dewgongs and I can’t fight for levels outside, I have nothing better to do with my time except for "play" with the other Seels. Only my version of play involves a lot more skills and strange antics.

Apart from trying to improve my skills which I already have, I know I need more skills. I need to gain more abilities to give me any edge that I can get when it's time to escape. I have no doubt that the fight is going to break out when the bears come for more than is willing or ready to be given.

So I’ve started to work on my land speed. I move like a caterpillar on the land, it's not exactly unexpected but it's freaking awkward and SLOW.

So very slow.

In the time it takes me to shuffle ten metres, a normal human would have walked the same distance in half the time. A running bear would cover that in far less.

I've thought of various techniques to move faster on land, however, none of the more mundane approaches has any significant effect, I'm just not built for normal speed.

Having said that I've made great progress swimming in the water holes surrounding our home and can swim on par with any of the other Seels. That includes the ones above my level.

Funny how the motivation to survive pushes me to work harder than any of my 'family'. Additionally my levels for swim have improved.

AMBUSH has also seen progress as I conceal myself in snowdrifts during play time and spring out to suprise the other Seels. I don't try to hit them as I don't want to score any critical hits, however the system deems my 'attacks' successful even if I don't try to land a hit.

I've had no progress on working on my new passive skill or gaining any others. I'm hoping I will get something like ENDURE in the future however I have no idea what other skills are out there. None of these resistances were in the game that I had ever heard of.

I've also been unable to find any items such as potions or x-attacks around the area. Although on a sheet of ice, I really don't think this is such a great suprise as whatever resources would likely have already been collected by others or are buried under thick layers of ice.

Maybe Alpha has something for his size? or Saviour to keep her coat so clean and shiny?

I think this is unlikely as there is nowhere for them to hold these items. Even if they had something, theres no chance I'm going to be able to fight them for it. If I could I wouldn't be trapped here in the first place.

I have been unable to level Dig at all, the ice is just too hard to break. Certainly not as hard as the ICE WALL skill that I encountered when I was trapped by MAMA CLOYSTER however still not easy enough for me to make enough progress for levels in that particular skill.

I have tried to manipulate the ice to no success, I've tried to learn attacks that are centered around the water but again I just don't have a feel for it. It doesn't seem intuitive at all.

Whatever magic is at play so far that I have seen is out of my reach and there is just something that i'm missing to be able to harness the power of water or ice like Saviour and CLOYSTER have demonstrated.

I need to observe the rest of the group, maybe they know something that I don't?

Maybe they have other skills that I don't?

As I watch the Seels play I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Frolicking, dodging each other's tackles, rolling around.

......

Dodging each other's tackles? I pay more attention to the Seel that I observe dodging and evading the most successfully out of the herd.

She seems to have the uncanny ability to avoid things, even from her blind side.

I'm no genius but I think I've found something I can use. Now it's time to figure out what exactly she is doing.

Time to play.

I set up an AMBUSH and wait for her to come closer. I take a deep breath and as I prepare to leap out at her, I bunch up my muscles watching her like an eagle.

*DING - FOCUS ENERGY learned - The user takes a deep breath and focuses to raise its critical-hit ratio.*

Not what I was hoping for, but still something for me to check out later.

I leap out at her and watch as she gracefully evades my tackle. I do however, hit one of the Seels that was chasing her crumping up into a heap of tangled limbs.

*DING - TACKLE learned a simple tackle does basic attack damage* -2 HP to SEEL

She giggles and dances off, obviously she enjoyed thwarting my attempt at hitting her.

The tackled Seel untangles himself and then proceeds to ignore me, he continues his chase of the evasive female Seel.

I take a second to think about the two new skills. Tackle seems garbage.

Focus Energy however.... there's something there that I'm just not getting. I feel like there is more to this skill then just increasing my critical hit likelihood.

I don't need that part anyway as a successful AMBUSH is already a guaranteed critical hit and most of my attacks don't have the time for me to use an extra skill inbetween.

I'd be a sitting target if I try to use FOCUS ENERGY mid battle and I'm just not strong enough to take too many hits for the cheap increase to my critical hit chance.

What is it that I’m missing. I try to think back to the game, the first thing I can recall is that Seel usually doesn't learn this skill naturally. That's not too helpful as I have already learnt skills that are not even in the game.

I try to use FOCUS ENERGY again as I watch the female Seel play. I can see that when she evades, it feels like there is a boost in her movement speed and a very subtle glow around her body.

..... WAIT! If there is a boost of speed and a glow around her body....

... nope, no clue.

Let's just keep using FOCUS ENERGY and continue to observe her.

It's obviously giving me the ability to see more than I normally could. That glow just makes me feel like she is harnessing some sort of internal energy, something like MP but not quite the same.

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As I continue to use FOCUS ENERGY and keep levelling up the skill, her glow becomes more visible each time she uses her evasion.

I finally realise the obvious piece of the puzzle that I'm missing.

It's not just her that glows. Whenever I use FOCUS ENERGY, I also glow light blue. I can see it from the corner of my eyes as I look towards my own body.

....This means that whatever energy she's using I also have. I think that all Pokémon have this energy and it's how they use skills that aren't physical.

No that's wrong, I've seen a physical move that uses energy, I use it all the time.

ROCK BULLET enhances my tail to use more power to boost the speed of the projectiles that I'm hitting.

I'm out of MP so I can't continue to test this out. But I feel like I've made significant progress. This was a productive few days and today bore some fruit. Low hanging fruit they may be but I feel like I'm starting to understand something more about the system which will pay massive dividends in the future.

=======================

I wake up each morning after using REST expecting something terrible to happen.

However, so far nothing has happened. Day in and day out I work on my skills as the herd thins out more and more.

I know new Seels are being born although I haven't seen this happen and I haven't noticed any eggs around the area, but it is still not enough.

Do we just spawn from nothing? Do we hatch from eggs? Since Seels are Mammals, do they just give live birth?

I just don't know. There is so much I still need to learn. If only I could find a decent teacher then so many of my simple questions could be solved with little trouble.

For now I just need to again focus on the low hanging fruit and use my smarts to figure out what I can about this new world, piece by gradual piece.

Back to this power I can view. I think It’s time to use human ingenuity.

So by process of deduction this is a power that all Pokémon uses. I rarely see any Pokémon using elemental abilities such as those used by CLOYSTER and Saviour.

I do however see plenty of abilities that require normal physics to enact. Im sure the bear that murdered that Seel used FURY SWIPES and CRUNCH. Therefore, elemental abilities must be harder to learn and require either talent or experience or knowledge to use.

Finally the ONLY thing that I have found that requires great effort to use or harness is this glow around me. So I need to focus inwards and try to get a feel for this power.

With that, I close my eyes and try to focus on understanding my new body.

I can feel my body, my flippers, my tail. I run my large tongue along my teeth. All seems normal to me after more than a week in the world. I guess I adapt fast.

Onto some breathing excercises. I focus on my breath coming in and out of my body. Feeling the flow of cold air coming to and from my lungs. Refreshing.

Now time to focus on that warmth inside me. Towards where I imagine my beating heart to be located.

I imagine a latticework of threads as if I’m some character from Naruto. I can feel a sensation moving around my body now.

I quickly open my eyes and use FOCUS ENERGY and stare at myself. I’m practically glowing with white light.

I also notice I’ve somehow overcharged my FOCUS ENERGY as I've used far more MP than I usually would.

I feel like this is a skill

*Ding - You have learned Mirror Coat. - Reflect special attacks back against a target*

Okay progress, that was unexpected.

I repeat the same steps of focusing inwards seeing what else I can achieve.

I imagine pulling the power around my body again and again, faster and faster.

I then push it out of myself in a quick rush

*Ding - You have learned Psywave- Do a random amount between 1-1.5 times your level in damage.*

Cool, but …. Why is it a psychic ability? Oh well wateverrrrr. Progress is progress right?

I imagine using this power which somehow FEELS like it has a purple tint. I can’t quite describe why but I can feel it, not see it.

I cycle this power around my body slowly noticing the blue light that was there previously fade away. I cycle it faster this time and push as hard as I can.

*Whoosh*

Air is pushed out around myself in a tangible blast. The other Seels look at me confused and stunned. The Dewgongs on duty don’t look impressed either… whoops.

*Ding - You have learned Physic. Deal physical damage in a blast and has a 10% chance of lowering special defence of a target.*

WOAH THATS HUGE!

Man am I buggered, I really am exhausted both physically and mentally.

Time to get ready to sleep.

*Error, Error, Error*

Seel species knows too many psychic moves and not enough water moves.

*Ding - congratulations you have changed your species type to Black Zone Variant Seel.*

Ummmm... why are all the other Seels around me growing larger!!!

*Ding - congratulations you have changed your primary type from Water attribute to Psychic attribute*

*Ding - Black Seel - levels from lvl 5 > 10 with excess energy/fat removed from decreased body size - Additionally EXCESS HP and MP have been awarded for such a massive achievement.

I doubled in LEVEL!!!!

Ahhh shit, I think I broke myself….. Farkkkkkk.

The Dewgongs are coming over to inspect me, Fuckkkkk what did I do??

I look at myself and notice that I'm still a Seel but I’m now purple and white in colour and not pure white.

Fuckfuckfuck, do they think I’m a shiny now. I know clearly what happens to something different and viewed as a threat to the Alpha.

The only beneficial thing is that I seem to have shrunk in size, I’m like a baby Seel again. Isn't that cute.

The Dewgongs call across Alpha who just laughs in my face once he sees what all the commotion is about. He sees how little I am as I curl up in a defensive ball.

*Ding - Defense curl learned - Curl into a defenseless ball* shut up SYSTEM! I need to look harmless.

Clearly to him I’m no major threat. He turns and leaves.

Saviour, who was behind him stares at me for an uncomfortably long time. I feel she knows more than shes letting on. She can use ICE so maybe she can feel the change around me in a less physical sense. She eventually decides to join Alpha who is calling her.

With that it’s time to REST

STATUS

[SEEL - LVL 10]

[PSYCHIC/???]

[HP 200/200 MP 0/200]

Lvl Move Use Cost 8 SWIM ... to swim.. idiot Uses 0 MP, requires some energy to use 3 Bite Om nom nom Empowered required 2 mp, unempowered 0 1 Struggle Fight for your lifeee, wiggle like a epileptic Uses 0 MP however causes recoil damage 3 Headbutt Now that's using your head! Uses 0 MP however causes recoil damage 5 Propel Use your primary appendage to give yourself forward momentum 1 MP per use 1 Tourniquet Apply pressure to a site to cut off circulation No Mp per use however loss of use of the limb bound until tourniquet is removed 1 EVIL EYE Glare at a creature had enough and lowers the target's crit rate, whilst making them more suscetible to critical hits. 1 MP per use 4 REST Recover HP at the expense of giving yourself the condition ASLEEP Uses fat reserves/energy 5 AMBUSH Sneak up on unsuspecting foes - if ambush is successful you will attack first and always score a critical hit. Uses 0 MP however requires skill, patience and practice to successfully pull off 5 DIG Use watever is at your disposal to .. dig Uses 0 MP, requires some energy to use 1 ROCK BULLET Fire projectiles at great speed at a target to do damage, types of damage dealt depends on the medium used to attack the target 10 MP per use, Recoil damage to anatomy used depending on object hit and velocity used. 1 Tackle A simple tackle does basic attack damage Uses 0 MP, requires some energy to use 1 Defense Curl Curl into a 'defenseless' ball 1 MP per use, can't move during the skill 5 FOCUS ENERGY The user takes a deep breath and focuses to raise its critical-hit ratio Uses 0 MP, must stand still and actually have focus to use 1 PHYSIC Deal physical damage in a blast and has a 10% chance of lowering special defence of a target Uses 20 MP, has a chance to fail 1 PSYWAVE Do a random amount between 1-1.5 times your level in damage Uses 5 mp per use 1 MIRROR COAT Reflect special attacks back against a target Uses 5 mp per use, each use per fight reduces it's chance of working by 50%

Level PASSIVE Description 1 Poison tolerance A skill for those dumb enough to be hurt by poison but smart enough to survive being hurt by poison