The Wild Man Of Pokemon

I know a secret.

Its a grand secret.

Perhaps one of the most important secrets in the entire universe.

Want to know what it is?

It's the reason why shadows are always considered dark.

The answer to the age old question, it's simple, they don't listen regardless of what I do.

I swear to Arceus, I tell it to go right, it goes backwards and disappears. Molding it by hand does nothing, and willing it just makes it shiver like its laughing.

My "companions" aren't doing anything to help, just giggling at my plight.

Here I was, five days after remastering walking; floating in my void attempting to create a bubble so anything that goes in my shadow doesn't get lost in my shadow. Traveling was a piece of cake, just needed to work on my speed, no the goal I d.e.s.i.r.e was the fabled storage system. To have anything I needed at my fingertips.

Begrudgingly, manipulating the shadow void was comparable to asking an orange tree to grow peaches. I will prevail; I shall not lose!

Maybe I am going about this wrong.

Staring up into the physical world, I expand my reception field. Focusing it around my body, I attempt to feel out the nature of intangibility and darkness.

Immediately noticeable was the silence. Empty, hungry. I could clap my hands and there would never be an echo.

The next was the lack of gravity. So long as I don't move, I will remain stationary.

On a different note, how am I breathing? Endeavoring a breath, I find myself incapable. Bizarre. The only way a lung could not inhale would be the lack of gasses to inhale. I.E. a vacuum. My lungs should by exploding while my blood boiling. Yet I'm at peace. I don't even react to the knowledge that I am not breathing. Has my baser instinct been changed? Do I no longer fear death? Or has my body adapted and evolved to the point it knows I won't die. I mean, a fish is not afraid of the water it breathes, so has my subconscious been altered to accept this as safe?

Why am I not dead? Last I checked, a body without oxygen was a dead body. What's sustaining me?

Closing my eyes, I focus my reception field on my body specifically. It was a discovery I made in the last year, my reception field can see into and through solid matter. That was not to say that I have x-ray vision, moving through dense matter was hard at best, impossible after.

But I could look into something an inch or two.

Gazing at the blood in my veins, I looked for the reason of my survival. Only to freeze. Rather, my blood was. It did not flow. It was stagnant, but that still doesn't make sense. How do I move? How do I think?

Panicking, I began a full diagnosis of my body. Putting two fingers to my wrist, I looked for my pulse. Not finding it, I move to my neck. Nothing.

Swallowing, I slide my hand to my c.h.e.s.t. . . Silence.

I had no heartbeat.

Nearly entering a panic attack, I mentally inhale as best as possible. Counting to ten, I calm myself enough to think.

Shadows have no need to breathe. Shadows were stagnant. Shadows needed no heartbeat.

Swimming to the surface, I inhale the precious air like a dying man. Considering my condition moments prior, I might as well be.

Banette was staring at me concerned.

'You alright there? You look like you seen someone die.'

I snorted at the absurdity.

'I did. Did you know I don't breathe in my shadow? No heartbeat either. Technically, I was dead.'

She quirked a brow.

'How weird. I never thought about the effects shadows have on the living. Ghost types generally lack the need for such things.'

'But you can smell?'

'Only because we choose to. I am fairly certain we don't even have lungs.'

Not going to ask.

'So is there a health risk I should be concerned about?' I asked.

'No, by this point in time if a problem hasn't arisen, then you should be safe.' I sighed in relief.

'Oliver.' Croagunk pulled my sleeve interrupting, 'Can you train with me? It's been a while.'

Smiling, I replied, 'Of course. Lets go work on your stances.'

The rest of the afternoon was spent bonding.

...............…..

'I want to try an experiment.' I announced.

Everyone looked up from their Sentret stew. Grabbing a fresh bowl of stew, I fall into my shadow. Gazing up, I see everything. The sun had set and the stars were out. It was like staring into the world behind glass.

Turning back to my stew, I was shocked by its behavior. Little globs of broth bubbled then froze in the 'air'. Floating away from the bubbles, I watched in awe as they froze midair. Coming back and touching the orb of food, it jiggled to my touch.

Smiling, I flipped through the void, only to realize my mistake. Trails of Sentret meat and balloons of liquid floated in my space. Sighing, I gathered all the little bits back into my bowl and resurfaced.

The stew sloshed in the bowl and I was back in reality.

'What were you doing?' Honedge inquired.

'I was testing what happened to food in shadow space.' I smirked.

'And.'

Deflating, I continued, 'It was weird, the broth bunched up into spheres and stopped moving when they were a distance away from me. And my stew's cold now.'

'It floated?' Croagunk asked.

'Yeah, like it would if it were in space.'

'It is a void so I'm not surprised.' Banette added, 'Though your stew losing all heat is weird. It was steaming hot before you went in.'

'Yeah, I have a theory.'

'Go on.' She chided.

'The last day or so, I have been thinking about the properties of shadows and shadow spaces.' I started, 'Gravity has no effect, "living" is unnecessary, and the fact my soup is now lukewarm, I would say shadows are stagnation.'

The raised eyebrows did nothing to help my confidence.

'Look, I think you may have been swimming in your shadow to long and you've lost it.' Honedge said matter-of-factly.

'I'm not crazy, just think about it for a second. Shadows are inherently a part of ghost types. They access a space set apart from the normal world, and anything with high energy naturally slow down. Wanting to be in a place of rest. The only reason we can move around in it is because we have the energy to do it. I bet if we were to leave something in there, it would freeze over time.'

'True, but you forget ghost Pokemon can live there. Why don't they freeze over and die?' Banette questioned.

'Proposal. Ghost types are already adapted to it. You don't breathe, you don't generate heat, you aren't even fully on this plane of existence. Halfway between life and death. It couldn't kill you even if it tried.' I explained.

'But other Pokemon have been taken into shadows before. How do they survive?' Honedge countered.

'I'm not sure, I would assume it has to do with proximity to the user. My soup didn't stop in place until I was a certain distance away so there must be an area of effect. I could test it, but I would need...' Looking at Croagunk, I smiled.

He was trying to finish his soup, but the gleam in my eye made him stop and start to sweat.

'No.'

'Oh come on! It will be fun.'

'Ask someone else.'

'But everyone here is already a ghost type, they would survive there already. You on the other hand are a fighting-poison type.' I pleaded. Flashing my most sad and tearful eyes to date.

'Fine, but I want slippers. My feet get cold at night.'

'Deal.'

Setting aside my bowl, I walked across the camp and placed my hand on Croagunk. Sinking into the ground, I watch him carefully. First sign of danger and I'm bailing him out.

As we were descending, I had to fight to pull him in. He shivered for a moment but was otherwise alright. Pulling him was like moving an anchor.

'You alright?' I asked.

'Yeah. Its very warm here.'

'Really?'

'Yeah, feels like when you hug me.'

'How interesting. Alright, I am going to try another test.' I let go of him and floated away.

He seemed fine until I was around four feet away. His body tensed up and froze like a statue. Swimming back to him, he unfroze and immediately clung to me.

'You okay?'

'Don't do that again. It was really scary.' His voice trembled.

'What happened.'

'I couldn't move. It was like I was paralyzed.'

'Did you feel cold?'

'Not really.'

'Okay, we are leaving now.'

Reaching the surface, I place Croagunk back onto the ground.

'Well?' Banette asked.

'I was right about proximity being a factor. He was fine until I floated a distance away from him. He froze up like a statue.'

'What does this mean?'

'It means I was right in that shadow energy is a stagnant energy. It doesn't like to be moved or have anything moved through it, thus why I feel like I'm always swimming.'

'But Pokemon have used it as a fast attack method.' Honedge said thinking back to when he stole the device.

'It probably has to do with potency. Syrup in water is viscous while pure it is thick. My body produces a pure form of it, while yours only gives you a surface access. Like skipping a rock on a pond except with dimensions.'

'I guess that makes sense.' Shedinja said.

'So how does this affect your training?' Banette asked.

'I'm going to have to find a different method to create a storage system. Shadow energy is too stiff to use and it becomes tricky to organize. I also had plans of using it to carry you guys around when in a town since I don't have Pokeballs and I'm afraid someone will try to catch you otherwise.'

'I see.'

'Maybe you can use a different energy.' Croagunk suddenly spoke up.

'What do you mean?'

'Well from what I heard, your body has other energy to use. Maybe one of those could be your storage system.'

I've never thought of that. The idea has merit as I don't really know how different energies interact. Dark type could be a possibility; sadly, I haven't been able to access that part of me yet.

Psychic seems counter intuitive as its normally weak to ghost, but it could be worth a shot. Focusing my reception field to my shadow, I push it in whilst maintaining hold over it.

A headache washed over as I forced it through with minimal luck. Not giving up, I give a mental heave and something cracked.

Collapsing, my companions rushed over worried. I was drained. A hot liquid dripped into my mouth that I instantly gagged and spat out. Feeling with my hand, I looked to see deep crimson fluid coating the tips.

Blood.

No longer able to stay awake, darkness consumed my mind.

...............…..

The sun was warm, it made my eyes ache.

The ground was cool, it chaffed my spine.

The grass embraced me, it stuck me like hypodermic needles.

Normal morning I guess.

Sitting up, I g.r.o.a.n.e.d at my throbbing head.

'What happened.'

'You used up all the psychic energy you had. Threw it into your shadow.' Banette chided, 'Bet'cha you're experiencing the worst headache of your life right now.'

'Sounds like something I would do.'

She chortled.

'Your friends were worried about you. I had to kick them out so you could recover. They are currently training.'

'How long was I out?'

'You slept till about noon. Surprised you recovered that fast. Most Pokemon that lose all their energy collapse and are out for days. I suspect it has something to do with your life energy. Be glad.'

'Whopee.' I ground out.

Ever so slowly, I get up and wander into the training room. Honedge and Croagunk were sparing while Shedinja had different item floating around it.

'Heyo.' I called.

'Oliver!' They dropped what they were doing and met me at the door.

'How are you feeling?' The ever worried frog asked.

'Okay, my head is killing me.'

'That's pretty normal for you.' Honedge teased.

'Ha ha. Make fun of the hurt guy why don'tcha.'

'If you're offering?'

I was already pulling out a pot and the sac of acid.

'Hey, I was joking! Joking!'

I put everything back.

'So what did you do last night? After Croagunk mentioned using different energies, you looked focused before passing out suddenly.' Honedge questioned.

'I was trying to put my reception field into my shadow. I thought psychic energy could work as a space.'

'Did it?'

Stopping and thinking about it, I really didn't know.

'Let me check.'

Slipping down, I looked around. It wasn't really hard to find considering it was bright pink and at the entrance. Swimming up to it, I poked it. My finger slide through like the wall was nonexistent. Sliding the rest of the way in, I fell. Not expecting the gravity present. Standing up I look around the bubble.

'Trippy.'

I stood what would have been considered upside down. Walking around, I discovered that gravity was always pushing me into the edge of the bubble and I no longer felt like I was swimming through water.

Getting out was a challenge, but a hard enough jump through the other side of the bubble served as a valuable escape. Glancing upwards, there was an experiment I wanted to try. Smirking, I go underneath Croagunk and grab his legs. Pulling him under, I swam to the bubble, ignoring his protests.

Shoving him in, I back away. Surprised by the sudden gravity, he stood up and looked for me. His raised eyebrows was all the indication I needed for a test well done.