Chapter 7: A Strange Case

POV – JAKE

Jake stretched out his legs, feeling a wave of relief spread through his tired muscles. The cool, damp grass beneath him probably had a perfect imprint of his butt by now, considering the hours he’d spent just sitting there. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and dusk had settled over the forest. Despite the time that had passed, Jake couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn’t made the progress he’d hoped for.

In hindsight, bonding with Trixie had been almost absurdly easy. One volt tackle to the face, and boom—they were on the path to becoming partners. If only all relationships were so simple, Jake mused, the thought carrying a hint of irony as he considered his current situation.

Sure, Mimikyu had grown attached to him, as anyone would have, had they spent their entire life isolated, in a cold bleak forest such as this. Glancing around, he found Mimikyu’s choice of habitat decidedly odd. There did not appear to be any nest or shelter – just open woods. Jake’s thoughts drifted to the games he used to play, particularly Pokémon Sun & Moon, where Mimikyu was found in a ruined, haunted shop. But here, there was no such structure, no indication of a home. It is, technically, a ghost, right? Jake pondered. Where would a ghost reside out here? In a bush? Did they even need a place to call home? Did they sleep? Did they eat? These were curious questions, but with no clear answers in sight. At this rate, he half-joked to himself, he might end up staying in this forest indefinitely to figure it all out.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jake pulled himself back from his wandering thoughts. "Alright, time to refocus," he murmured to himself, gathering his resolve. He turned back to the Mimikyu, all sets of ‘eyes’ fixated on him. They had not left him all this time. Jake had found this seriously creepy at first, but by now just took it as rote, heck, he even found it kind of cute. "This world is really starting to get to me’ he thought wryly.

"You know, Pikachu, you're a pretty good listener. You ever consider a career in therapy? I’m pretty sure I might need it myself at this rate."

Mimikyu perked up at the sound of his voice, its disguise swaying slightly as if in agreement. “Mimi, kyu!” it chirped, a little more confident in its less-than-convincing act. Jake wasn’t sold.

He smiled, though the wariness in his eyes lingered. "I'm serious! You’ve got some real insight. Maybe I should have my mum write you a reference! I don’t always get what you're saying, but somehow, I feel better after talking to you," he continued lightly.

Mimikyu responded with a series of enthusiastic "Mimi, Kyu!" its movements becoming more animated, seemingly convinced that Jake was fully deceived by its act. Jake watched with mild amusement and contemplation on his face as Mimikyu hopped around in a circle. With each hop, the disguise fluttered awkwardly, revealing small glimpses of its shadowed true self. Jake noted that Mimikyu didn’t react to the mention of 'mum' in the same way as Trixie'. Quite possibly the concept itself was unfamiliar to it.

His mother, who often worked with kids facing similar challenges, always stressed the importance of taking the time to build trust and rapport was a crucial first step in the process. For Mimikyu, it was a good start, but clearly not sufficient. It was time to take this to the next level.

Taking a deep breath, Jake mentally prepared himself. Okay, let’s start slow. This might be dangerous.

Gathering his thoughts, Jake turned to Mimikyu. "Pikachu, you ever get the urge to see more of the world?" he asked casually, "I mean, the forest is great and all, but there's a whole lot out there to explore."

Mimikyu paused mid-hop, turning towards Jake with a curious tilt of its head. "Kyu?"

"New places, new faces. It could be fun, don't you think?" Jake ventured, watching Mimikyu closely.

Mimikyu’s response was not what he expected. The creature stilled. The previous playful chirpiness vanished, replaced by a low, almost growling "Mimi..." The atmosphere around them thickened palpably, the forest, already hushed, became oppressive, the silence deafening.

A shiver of disquiet slithered down his spine. He sensed the cut-out eyes of Mimikyu's costume piercing through him, burning a hollow gaze into his very being. Jake's caution spiked, knowing this could be dangerous ground. Mimikyu, while delusional, was far from foolish; it clearly understood that his ultimate goal was to reunite with Trixie. It remembered. It knew. It was scared. That was the key.

"Pikachu, it’s okay," Jake tried to reassure, words seeming to hang awkwardly in the air, failing to bridge the growing tension.

The Pokémon shifted uneasily, its disguise fluttering. The atmosphere grew taut, the playful innocence that had marked their earlier interactions now overshadowed by the palpable sense of jealousy and possessiveness.

Jake attempted to brush off the escalating tension, adopting a light-hearted tone. "Hey, no pressure, just thought it might be a nice change, you know?" he said, striving for casualness. Yet, even to himself, his words rang somewhat hollow, failing to truly alleviate the mounting strain.

Mimikyu's response maintained the silent, seething stare, body language speaking volumes. Jake could sense the creature's deep-seated fear of abandonment, its desperate clinging to the what may gave been only positive connection it had ever known, tenuous as it may be.

Instead of fear, a wave of irritation started to wash over Jake. He needed to move forward, to get out of these oppressive woods, and the thought of spending another night here was becoming unbearable. His sympathy for Mimikyu's sad, delusional existence was real, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the only way to truly help it was to break this cycle of isolation.

Despite the Pokémon’s almost cute, misguided attempts at mimicry, which had grown on him, Jake understood that Mimikyu needed more than the sheltered existence it had in this forest. He needed to convince Mimikyu that there was a world beyond these, where it could form real bonds, with both him, others and perhaps heal from its deep-seated insecurities.

"Pikachu, listen,” Jake said firmly, rising to one knee, deciding to take a risk. “Staying here won't change things. There is more to life, more to you, than a lonely existence out here."

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Mimikyu's response was almost immediate, no longer unsettlingly still, The creature, which had been eerily still, now recoiled as if struck, more animated and agitated than Jake had ever seen. "Mimi... Kyu!" it protested with hostility and unease. True nature again coming to the fore. It did not like his words.

Jake watched Mimikyu's reactions intently, finding it difficult to fully understand the body language beneath its disguise. The deepening night draped eerie shadows across the Pokémon, the atmosphere felt charged around them, the tension hanging heavy in the air.

‘I'm not sure how long you've been here. Alone in these woods, Pikachu,” Jake started slowly, eyes tracking each subtle movement and twitch beneath Mimikyu's disguise. A watchful gaze on its shadowed figure. “But in all this time, I haven't seen any other Pokémon around. It looks like you’ve been alone here. This... this isolation, it's a prison. You have a real chance now to break free from it.”

"K-Kyu?" Mimikyu uttered. A soft sound, barely a whisper, almost lost in the stillness of the forest.

He gestured expansively towards the forest's edge, where the silhouettes of trees marked the boundary of Mimikyu's small, lonely world. “Out there, beyond these woods, there’s a whole world waiting – a world filled with real adventures, genuine connections. Connections that go beyond this...” His voice trailed off for a moment.

"M-Mimi..." Soft. Uncertain. The ominous aura beginning to fade.

Jake stepped forward, his expression filled with sincerity, an urgency in his tone. “You don’t have to stay hidden, confined in these shadows,” he said gently. “Out there, Pikachu, there's a place for you where you can find your true self, more than just...” He paused again.

His words hung in the air, giving Mimikyu a moment to absorb the gravity of what he was proposing. Jake's eyes conveying a silent message.

“M-mimi, K-kyu?” it ventured softly. Shyly. Hopefully.

“And you won’t be alone,” Jake continued, a promise in his words. “I'll be there, every step of the way. We'll explore together, discover new things, meet new friends. It's a big world, Pikachu, full of wonders and surprises. And it's waiting for us, waiting for you to be a part of it.”

Taking another step, he closed the distance between them, the Mimikyu now right in front of him. “So, what do you say, Pikachu? Ready to leave these shadows behind and see what's out there? With me?”

Silence. Mimikyu froze.

Jake, still on one knee, waited patiently, hand extended.

Minutes passed. Mimikyu absolutely still. Jake continued to wait, kneeling position beginning to feel a little uncomfortable.

Well, this is awkward, Jake thought, suppressing a nervous chuckle.

He waved a hand in front of Mimikyu's face. Nothing.

“HA!” he suddenly shouted, but there was no reaction.

Is it okay? Jake wondered; a bit confused now. I knew my words were sharp, but I didn’t think they were super-effective against ghost Pokémon.

Jake felt a sudden tension. Until now, he hadn't touched Mimikyu in all their interactions; the Pokémon had been too shy, never presenting an opportunity. Besides, he was unsure how it would react to contact.

"Time to roll the dice," Jake said out loud, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

He reached out tentatively, his fingers aiming for Mimikyu’s head, carefully avoiding the 'eyes'. He was nervous but also curious. What does a ghost even feel like?

Fabric. Surprisingly soft fabric in fact.

“A little like one of those beanie toys my sister loves’ Jake mused to himself. "Quite warm, actually; I thought it would be cold."

“K-kyu?” The sound was so quiet that perhaps only an Audino could have picked it up.

Jake continued to pet the fabric, marvelling at its softness. Did Mimikyu use Lenor?

“M-mimi, kyu?” The sound was louder this time, a touch more certain.

At the heightened cry, Jake instinctively paused, his hand stilling as tension spiked. He braced himself, expecting a reaction—any reaction.

But, contrary to his expectations, Mimikyu’s response seemed uncertain, maybe even embarrassed.

It hesitated before repeating, slightly louder yet still shaky, “M-mimi, kyu?” The attempt at imitating Pikachu seemed even more strained now, awkwardness almost cute.

At Jake's touch, it almost tried to shy away, emitting a squeaky, timid "K-kyu?" The sound was laced with shyness and, perhaps, a hint of fear, as if it worried its disguise would be busted. Its Pikachu imitation, already unconvincing, now carried a note of vulnerability.

Mimikyu inched back, quivering under Jake's gentle strokes. It was a small, almost imperceptible movement, but Jake noticed. It's probably never been touched before, he thought, making a conscious effort to be even more gentle, his hand moving with soft, careful motions to reassure the timid Pokémon.

As Jake continued with the gentle strokes, an idea began to form in his mind. It no longer seemed right to keep calling the Pokémon Pikachu, yet he knew that addressing it directly as a Mimikyu would be a risky move – ‘Or more likely the last move I would make,’ he thought dryly, still more than a little unbelieving of his situation.

He pondered a suitable name, something that could bridge the gap between its Pikachu disguise and its true identity as Mimikyu. A name that could perhaps help it embrace a new identity, one that was closer to its true self but without the shock of being directly called Mimikyu. Jake hoped that in time, the new name would allow Mimikyu to gradually accept and reveal more of who it really was.

"Jekyll," Jake murmured to himself, testing the name on his lips.

“K-Kyu?” Mimikyu tilted its fake head. Still shy. Still somewhat confused. But beginning to relax, embarrassment fading, starting to almost lean into his touch.

"How about that, huh? Jekyll?" he said aloud, smiling at the Pokémon. The name perfectly captured the duality that was Mimikyu, subtly acknowledging its dark side but also appealing to the positive characteristics of its nature. “I can’t just keep calling you Pikachu, you know? You deserve a real name.”

Mimikyu paused again, tensing a bit under Jake's hand still resting on its 'head,' as if contemplating the new name. Jake was charmed by how the Pokémon seemed to overthink anything that might impact its identity.

“Kyu, Kyu... Mimi, Kyu!” After a moment of apparent consideration, Mimikyu chirped affirmatively and began hopping around in delight, seemingly accepting the name. Jake let out a sigh of relief, amused by the thought that, fortunately, Mimikyu wasn’t familiar with Robert Louis Stevenson's work.

As Mimikyu—now Jekyll—hopped about, Jake withdrew his hand from its 'head.' "Alright, Jekyll," he said with a smile. "So, what do you say? Ready to go on an adventure with me?"

Jekyll stopped, once again motionless. A faint suspicion seemed to emanate from its true eyes, hidden beneath the disguise. It was aware of Jake's goal, aware of Trixie. Jake could almost feel the internal battle taking place—insecurities and jealousy warring against a crushing loneliness, all mixed with something new and more tangible: the faint glimmer of hope Jake had noticed during their initial encounter had now grown into something substantial, something real.

After a long silence, a faint “Kyu” broke the tension. Jekyll gave a small, shy nod of acceptance.

Jake took a deep breath, feeling a mix of relief and genuine happiness for Jekyll. His own sense of intimidation had diminished; he was fairly confident now that Jekyll wouldn’t harm him directly. However, he was mindful that this assurance might not extend to others or different situations. Still, this is progress, he reassured himself.

As Jake stood up and offered his arm, Jekyll quickly jumped onto it. The contact brought an unusual sensation—an almost overwhelming surge of raw, unfiltered emotion radiating from its true body beneath the costume. The disguise was more than just a physical cover; it was a barrier that concealed the true emotional essence of Mimikyu.

Jekyll paused momentarily, glancing back at the familiar woods with a hint of hesitation. After a brief, almost contemplative shake of its body, it turned its gaze back to Jake, signalling a readiness to leave. Together, they began to walk away from the dusk-set woods, embarking on a journey into a world unknown to Jekyll but full of possibilities.