Pokémon Salvage

[Dragonfree]

Spoiler: Chapter 59

Very tangibly anxious opening. I enjoyed bits like the child refusing to look at the clock because then they'd know it's been longer than the time they'd promised themselves they'd leave.

Hypno's preparing tea. Not like you she did last time, with the kettle and all. She seems intently focused on getting everything together and into the microwave, as though even this is some difficult chore. "We talked," she says, and it sounds like a curse.

Enjoy this, Hypno getting her mind off things by making tea in a more busy sort of way.

"Did Mewtwo tell you, then? About all the people he's killed?" Hypno doesn't look at you, instead taking a sip of her steaming tea. Isn't it still too hot? "Because if he didn't, he's lying," you plow on, unable to stop yourself. That must be it. He lied and made it all your fault somehow, and now Hypno's acting like this because she's mad at you, and she's never going to believe you over him. "I'm telling the truth. You can tell, can't you? You know! It was hi—"

Oh, child. I enjoy Hypno in this scene generally, all the tangible details of her agitation and how it's mostly going over the child's head, because of course.

Her trainer fled at the crack of dawn, citing "class" like she did the last time.

"Does she really go to school?" you ask Hypno.

She gives you a troubled look. "Yes, of course." So maybe her trainer really is that weird and excited for learning.

Love this child logic. Obviously if the trainer keeps leaving early and saying she's going to class, and she really does have school, it's just because she's that psyched about learning. Definitely not because of the creepy shapeshifter in her apartment and her Pokémon partner giving off every sign she needs space.

Yes, real danger. What's he going to do without you waiting on him and bringing him food all the time? He couldn't possibly survive.

You think again about the great Nathaniel Morgan, and how he likes to talk in opposites, and feel like you might understand him a little bit.

Amazing.

I feel like I do get now why you offscreened the meeting with Mewtwo - it gives a lot of opportunity for the child to just be here being anxious and uncomprehending about exactly how this conversation went, why Mewtwo would have agreed to see Professor Krane, whether he was lying or manipulating them, and leaves a lot of tension there for the reader, too. Even though the child's view of Mewtwo is far too simplistic and black-and-white, I still do find myself apprehensive, precisely because I didn't see how the conversation actually went either - no proper basis to infer exactly what Mewtwo's state of mind is, which is pretty nerve-wracking.

Hypno's pendant flashes carelessly in the sun, and you avert your eyes.

Her pendant keeps getting brought up...

Hypno waits in the lobby, seated in a cubey soft chair of the kind found in lobbies everywhere. She's put earbuds in; no doubt they've been riding in the fanny pack right beside the master ball. What is she listening to? Maybe a book or a radio show, but if you had to guess you'd say she's reviewing something for one of her classes. That's it, isn't it? Sometimes Hypno acts so hardworking and responsible that you want to scream. Look at her, sitting there thinking she's right about everything, and also getting work done instead of playing with the other pokémon in the lab or something normal like that.

How dare she

"I bet he was really surprised to see Mewtwo! You should have told the professor who you were bringing ahead of time."

Hypno gives you an odd look. "I tried," she says. "I drew a picture for him. I don't know if he thought I was joking or if it just wasn't very good. Now, I've got to get a few things ready before the others get here. Would you like to help? Or would you like to rest some more?"

Totally not giving away that the child was watching It is the best at hiding things

The thought creeps up on you slowly. There is one person you know they want to find. It's someone you know pretty well, actually. You could be him, no problem, and Team Rocket would never even suspect you were anyone else. Easy.

Hahahaaha, Nate's evil twin returns

You don't know how he should sound, either. Can't quite catch the shape of his voice in your memories. A lot of the time it was scratchy or mucusy anyway. It's strange to think about it now, but you've never really known the great Nathaniel Morgan when he's been well.

Awww, look at the child actually reflecting and caring a bit.

Deep breath. You can do this. Now you look the bartender straight in the eye and say, "Hey, fuck. I fucking want one of your goddamn fucking shitty fuck drinks, right the fuck fucking now."

The man behind the counter, so immense he has to hunch down to avoid the old train car's ceiling, stares back at you. After a long and poisonous second, he finally responds with, "What?"

"I said I fucking fuck want a fuck... goddamn... Oh, forget it. Just get me a drink already."

Glorious.

Deeply anxious chapter! Hard to be totally sure where Mewtwo's head is at, though it's not as impossible as the child thinks it is that he would make a somewhat legit effort if the Musketeers managed to approach him right. I enjoyed the Musketeers a lot here - Hypno upset and agitated but doing what she can, Noctowl just sympathetic, Heracross being very Heracross about it. Very tickled by the plan to impersonate Nate, and how differently the child goes about impersonating him than back in the early days - clearly a legit effort to actually sound like him, as questionable as the result is!

I think my top prediction is actually that Team Rocket already has Nate, will know exactly what the child is, and capture it, and then they'll have to escape Rocket together by their powers combined. That'd be fun and also I've been eagerly anticipating the return of Nate and one way or another I think we're leading up to that here.

Congratulations on getting this one out! Looking forward to chapter 60.

Spoiler: Typos, etc.

The bedding Hypno gave you is disheveled, rucked by your restless shifting, bunched and sweaty where you hands have clutched it.

Not like you she did last time, with the kettle and all.

You won't be able to get it out of your heaad otherwise.

Of course your enhanced vision means you see Hypo coming ages out

You flop across the couch, deep in thouht, understanding nothing more than you did before.

 

[Dragonfree]

Spoiler: Chapter 60

Interesting to see the contrast as Hypno and Noctowl are excited about the stakeout and the child thinks about how once upon a time it would've felt the same and been less careful, but things have become so serious now and it's become so intensely aware of the dangers involved.

"Yes," Noctowl says. "I'm sorry we gave you the impression that we don't appreciate the danger here. We're taking it seriously, I promise you. Sometimes people can act a bit silly when they're trying to forget how dangerous something is."

They're so gentle trying to explain things to this socially oblivious child.

The child deciding Heracross must be the one who killed someone, oof. Of course it doesn't have the maturity to figure it's definitely Noctowl.

"Okay, well, let's take her with us," Heracross says.

"No!" That's you.

"And do what, Heracross?" Noctowl asks, soft and gentle as ever.

"You know, interview her. See what she knows."

"You mean like torture?" you ask.

"What? Why the hell is your head going there?"

"We're not torturing anyone." There's an unusual steel beneath Noctowl's words.

Oooof

Your fingers twitch. One shadow ball is all it would take. You could bring Hypno back with you unconscious. As many of the other Musketeers as necessary, too. And the kidnapped woman, well...

Don't want Team Rocket to have her. Can't let her go.

You know what the answer has to be. No witnesses.

It's like Mewtwo's right there with you, standing in the dark behind the headlights, a shadow with purple-glowing eyes. His voice echoes in your head, words without sound.

You have to turn away from Hypno, stomach clenching, and reach out to catch yourself against a wall. "Do what you want," you say, and then you leave it there, all of it, the blood and the Musketeers and the ruined cycles and everything, and the whole time Mewtwo's words follow you. They're a part of you now. You're never going to escape him, not really.

Ooooooof.

Noctowl tips his head back, staring into the ceiling rather than at you. "Whatever way I can. I tell myself that it wasn't really me who did it. I was made to. I do my best to be better. I remember kindness. I remember patience, for myself as well as others. I try to have no expectations." He bows his head. "At the least I can know that it won't happen again."

It wasn't really him and he was made to - both things easy for the child to latch onto, aren't they.

"Ah." Noctowl's eyes go wide, his feathers sucking in. "I forgot. I'm sorry—of course I forgot." He reaches a wing out towards you, though he can only gently brush you with its tip. "I should have realized what would have brought you to ask that. I apologize. That sort of self-deprecation helps no one."

Yeah, I would imagine it's easy to forget that someone so childish committed multiple murders.

So the Shadowfication process really is pretty much just weaponized trauma/learned helplessness. Being able to beam fear/pain into Pokémon's heads sure does sound pretty psychic - both Mew and Mewtwo do this thing of psychically making others feel what they're feeling. So now I'm wondering if what they did with Mew is torture her in order to make these other Pokémon feel her pain? Given the whole multiple discrete machines and red light thing, that doesn't quite seem to rhyme with it being about Mew literally being there causing it in real time, but possibly they were able to like, capture the psychic signal of her torture/death and then just broadcast it blaring through these machines, constantly?

In any case, it makes sense then that Mewtwo isn't a Shadow Pokémon, and Red and his Pokémon aren't quite either, though they're something in that direction. Mewtwo has issues but it's not quite that he's traumatized. Red and his Pokémon were pretty traumatized by Mewtwo, but not in quite the same way. The child is likewise fairly traumatized, and definitely has had some learned helplessness going on, but not to the degree that a true Shadow Pokémon would.

Interesting that Noctowl describes the signs of Shadow Pokémon in terms of behaviour first. Red's Blastoise made a pretty strong impression with his aura like an overripe fruit that the child detected through Giga Drain (not even a special aura-sensing thing per se), so I'd always figured something very obvious and very specific and unusual had to have been done to their auras - but then again, Blastoise's weird behaviour was definitely noticeable before they got a look at his aura! Then there's of course how the other proprties of Shadow Pokémon come into it, like Shadow moves and such; unsure precisely how that connects, if it's all about beaming torture at them, but it may either be sort of a natural consequence or a special additional thing.

You're graceful about it. Hypno will bring you something to eat, and you won't even complain much about whatever it is. Your comments about how awful Mewtwo is will not exceed three. Usually. Mostly you let the Musketeers know how much you don't care about the fact that they're going off to visit a mass-murderer like it's a harmless hobby.

Professor Krane's lab is quiet inside. That's nothing new. It's a big place with not a lot of people in it, and the climate control drowns out all the little sounds of life.

You wouldn't even find the receptionist's absence weird, under ordinary circumstances. Probably she takes breaks. If the lab's not busy, who cares?

It's the sableye perched on the edge of her desk that's wrong. She leans back on her foreclaws, kicking her legs idly. Her crystal smile gleams deadly white. "Hello, Amethyst-eyes. And friends," she says to Mewtwo, who stands glaring, thin fur on end. "Do you have an appointment?"

Oh no. Guessing Eskar has been making plans since recognizing the child at the start. Is Hypno there? There's no mention of Hypno, aaagh. Mewtwo isn't mentioned either until Eskar is speaking to him, so I'm going to assume Hypno is there too, but I am paranoid.

Slower chapter, but some good character insight and development going on - I particularly enjoyed the progression on killing and the child processing its trauma a bit. Noctowl is so very good. The Musketeers trying to include them and help them, from this patient, more mature adult perspective, with mixed success, is always heartbreaking.

As an aside, I went back to re-skim some bits of previous chapters, which reminded me that originally their only reason to think Mew was in Orre was vague information about possible sightings there, while the child had dreams about Mew being at a lab. Can't recall if they ever got much of anything else actually suggesting where Mew is at this point. Wondering if it would make sense for Mew to just be long dead, killed for experimental purposes; main thing pointing away from that is Absol suggesting they do meet Mew. Or, of course, my favorite pet theory that the child is all that's left, the sightings in Orre were sightings of it, and its memories of all that have just been sealed away.

Spoiler: Typos, etc.

You claws at the air behind her, but it's too late.

 

[StolenMadWolf]

Well, time for the first part of the Review Blitz from my perspective. And turns out I haven't read any of your fanfics yet Negrek, so here I go round to having a closer look at this particular fanfic! I'm going to start with the first three chapters and carry on from there!

Spoiler: Chapter 1-3 Review

So, looking over at the first chapter, I can immediately tell straight away that this is not the usual kind of fanfic. Going for the second person viewpoint approach is something different and striking, especially when compared to the likes of the usual choices of first and third person in whatever format they take. That would be intriguing enough on its own, but then you deliver an absolute killer first line that pretty much immediately catches my initial attention and gets me to push onward to the end.

I tend to provide more of my feedback towards worldbuilding and characters over writing style, so I’ll focus on that in all of these sections. A recurrent theme in all of the chapters, but somewhere I will put a particular bit of attention on here. Like most stories, it’s still early days on the worldbuilding, but it is plainly based on the regular Pokemon world rather than a PMD setting. However, we don’t get much of a view of the wider world in this first chapter, and in fact, there is this vagueness that is pretty much prevalent throughout not just this chapter but also the other chapters. Normally, this would cause some issues, as we don’t get much of an idea about the wider state of the world, or even just the local area, but here, it actually works rather well here, as we can it meshes well with the main viewpoint character. The child. We don’t know who they are, they are anomalous and from what we can tell, amnesiac. Any other character following these traits, or lack of very clear cut ones, would almost certainly be considered generic, but again, in this case, it actually works, because it becomes apparent that the main character is not entirely sure about themselves, or is deliberately hiding key bits of information from the reader. In fact, we don’t entirely know, and this is effective because it makes us interested in working out exactly who this child is and what they are.

The plot for the first chapter also works very well, and ties very centrally with this character as well. A trainer is clearly predicted to die, and the child holds back and lets it happen. Murder by inaction then in that case. Then they are going out of the way to learn as much as they can from the deceased trainer and essentially assimilate their identity to form the foundation of… a new identity? An alias? Again, it’s not entirely clear, and this helps out. The vagueness is what keeps the reader hooked in to the wider story.

The second chapter comes across as a follow up from this one, and only amplifies the vagueness of the story even more. The child is clearly leading some kind of wider team, and yet, it seems like a very… unusual team. Pokemon clearly can communicate with each other, yet the child seems to be some kind of weird… hybrid maybe? We don’t know how that runs, and it seems like in a few ways that they don’t exactly know themselves. Or maybe they do. Again, cryptic, and helps hooks things in further.

Then we get the first really big character interaction and that… is definitely something else. I have no idea what the overall aim was, but it screams of the child effectively attempt to gaslight or at the very least, manipulate another character into joining their team or embracing some kind of alternate identity? Again, the descriptions from the chapter don’t make this entirely clear. Is the child fully embracing the identity of the trainer? Or are they bringing back some… so far unseen character from the past that we don’t know about otherwise? Either way, the events are unclear, confusing and to some extent, a little bit horrifying, as we see the child attempt to break this character and… perhaps succeed? Either way, it’s disturbing, and in the interest of finding answers, it’s enough to have me keep poking my head in to have a closer look.

Chapter 3 is comparison is far more pleasant, but seems to take place more distantly in the future. How far in the future we don’t know, but it is clear quite a bit of time has passed since the first two chapters. The child has ended up picking another identity for a time, and we get a glimpse of some of the recurring human characters, or at least, one of them. An unofficially sort of enemy who is chasing up on the activities of the child – who now at least seems somewhat grown up. It represents an interesting change of pace, and we do get a little bit more of a glimpse into the child’s character, or at least, their more developed self. It’s the first little sliver of answers to the initial questions, and it makes me hope more of those answers will soon start coming through the door, at least in the breadcrumb format.

As for the writing itself, it all looks pretty solid. There are some moments where it becomes difficult to visualise the scenes that are present, but it actually helps things in this case given the ever present vagueness in some of the story, and the rest of the description holds up well. As does the dialogue, I have no issues there.

Either way, this was a fascinating first three chapters to read through, it’s very different from the standard fare of stuff I usually end up reading, and I definitely want to know what on earth the child is and what their mission is. I want my answers dang it!

Excellent start!

 

[StolenMadWolf]

Righto! I know it’s the oneshot week, but I have been meaning to catch up with this particular fan-fic since the last time I read through it. My original disclaimer regarding these fan-fics applies as normal, focusing on worldbuilding, characters and plot over writing and grammar. But this time, I’m going to go ahead and read through and review Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7. That pretty much gets a significant chunk of the fan-fic reviewed here.

Spoiler: Chapter 4-7 Review

So, Chapter 4 essentially follows up Chapter 3. Things seem to be going fairly well across the board. The grown up child is in a pretty happy state of mind. Things are going well, they’ve had a pleasant day, nothing can possibly go wrong – oh crap, the Pokedex has been revoked and… well, the child’s contraband Pokedex has been not only disabled, but basically stuck inside the Pokedex equivalent of a card machine. Their breakdown comes… very much out of nowhere, very much attached and dependent on that item which has become the basis of their identity. Which is why it’s pretty stunning for them to almost completely break their cover and smash the machine open in front of every single person in the Pokemon centre. Well, if you wanted to stay incognito, well, you pretty much blew it completely there. And your maturity too for good measure. So our poor protagonist comes running back home, and sobbing the whole time. They know who’s to blame for this, or at least, they have a solid idea on who exactly they need to blame. But it matters very little, Absol is basically being not only cryptic, but also scolding and supportive at the same time. They are trying to talk down the child from doing anything rash, but nope, the temper tantrum isn’t helping things out. And so the kid is plotting revenge.

Which brings us over to Chapter 5, which I will admit I nearly ended up missing and I’m really glad I didn’t. Here, we get an encounter between the child and Kerrigan, and damn, is it a solid read. It’s tense, with plenty of show and don’t tell moments in there which really makes this whole sequence really hit hard. Especially when a fraction of the truth comes out of the window. Poor Kerrigan is probably going to have more than a few nightmares. But there is also an additional scene which finally brings a cryptic – but still helpful – context to the child’s actions, especially with Absol in the picture. The child was someone who died and had their Pokemon taken away from them, namely the people who had a hand in creating Mewtwo, and now they have to die in order to retrieve said Pokemon. Notably, a trainer at the League is the ultimate goal. The Pokemon are being gathered to enter the League in order to face this trainer huh? Alright, that explains things in more detail. But I still have a feeling that all this ‘fate’ stuff is going to lead to a very sudden change that flips things on their heads.

Chapter 6 and 7 are kinda set in the same location, so I’ll review both of those together. Basically, in order to get to the League, which only a month away mind you, they need to take over the identity of someone else, preferably with a short path to the league. Naturally, this means another inaction or another murder. And so the protagonist watches things from behind the scenes, seeing a rather… ruthless take on Team Rocket when they beat a former member to an inch of his life. Seems fairly trivial so far… until Absol again emerges as the absolute cryptic and insists that this particular trainer needs to live for some unknown reason related to fate. Welp, that is kinda frustrating, but also interesting when it leads to Chapter 7. Or at the very least, should be interesting at a glance.

Unfortunately, Chapter 7 is very much a chapter I didn’t really like. I’m very much of the view that every chapter should serve a purpose, and this much is true here. There is a purpose. The problem is the purpose completely outstays it’s welcome. Like Chapter 2, there is an argument involved with bringing someone to the child’s way of thinking or into their plan. Unlike Chapter 2 though, which was cryptic enough to make the endless argument taking place rather interesting and horrific… Chapter 7 plays very much the same way, except we don’t have that cryptic background and tension from Chapter 2. Instead, it’s just a back and forth argument between the child and this half-dead-half-healed trainer with a crap load of f-bombs and the like. It… just goes round in circles. Nothing happens apart from the argument of the child trying to convince the trainer to assist it. Again, this might have been fine, but this is one of the few occasions where I’d outright urge for the chapter to be cut down so either it ends earlier, or the chapter has something different added into the mix. Whilst the trainer eventually comes round to helping the child, it doesn’t feel satisfying. Sorry, I’ve got to speak my mind out there.

Grammar wise and writing wise, I had no issues. The show don’t tell of it all works very well, combat isn’t the to the point, but it’s not a drag either which is solid in my books. The fights themselves are quick and brutal, and you hold no punches regarding Pokemon’s overall power in the encounters. There is a moment in Chapter 5 where I got a bit confused about the time period, but I’m not entirely sure how best to correct that one. Chapter 4 did really get into the child’s panicking mind extremely well!

My overall opinion on these chapters is interesting. Chapter’s 4 and 5 are easily my favourites so far, with plenty of tension, shock and a bit of action that makes them very appealing. Chapter 5’s revealing of some context is deliciously welcome as well. Chapter 6 is okay, plenty of action taking place and tension with new challenges thrown into the mix. Chapter 7 though kinda threw me through a loop I’m afraid by it’s premise being drawn out into an argument with characters being… kinda like jerks?

I’ll try and get the last three chapters done before the end of the blitz even though they are on the longer end, so hopefully Chapter 7 is just a blip. It’s still an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the outcome!

 

[Starlight Aurate]

Spoiler: Chapter 58

Oho, so if the child starts to take a Team Rocket agent as a prisoner for Mewtwo to question, the other Rockets will kill the one it's capturing? Man, they really ARE cutthroat!

Now that I've played Colosseum and XD, I appreciate how surprising it is to see Team Rocket members in Orre. Feels like nowhere is safe from their grasp.

I was a little lost at the battle in the parking lot otwards the start of the chapter. I take it the child and Mewtwo are there, that the child tried to attack Eskar, but Eskar attacked first? I think it's my difficulty with understanding second-person present-tense, since it's such an unusual POV to see.

but between you and him a solid rank of upright figures stands.

Typo with singular/plural disagreement.

At first, I thought the metal glinting up the Rockets' arms might be guns--but now I think they may be snag machines! Intriguing!

I wondered why Mewtwo was described as running instead of flying, but if there are psychic dampers, then that would explain it.

Ugh and the child kills two more humans for being in the wrong place at the wrong time... Someone is going to pay for this someday.

Aha, I was right! They WERE snag machines! And so the Snag machines are how the Rockets are trying to get around Mewtwo already belonging to a Master Ball, that would make sense!

Heh, Mewtwo claims to not be scared, but it's apparent that he's acting out of anxiety and fear.

Wow, I didn't realise that Mewtwo wanted to be friends with the Musketeers so badly! Interesting that his jealousy is making him far angrier than anything else thus far.

"Snag machines with mater balls," Noctowl says,

Well, after Metwo's outburst about the Champion, I think that maybe he's not so much jealous for friendship as that the concept of friendship is triggering to him. Seems like a pretty awful ordeal he went through, but it's not nearly enough to make his torture and killing justifiable.

And agh, the child told the truth about Mewtwo! I'm now appreciating how much of this story goes into relationships, and how people/creatures can only be pushed so far before they snap. Sure, Mewtwo was never treated well, but he can't keep torturing and threatening the child and expect it to last. The child spilling the truth to someone at some point was inevitable, although it makes me sad to realise that the Musketeers will be the ones to pay the price.

 

[Dragonfree]

Spoiler: Chapter 61

Noctowl's eyes stretch wide and dark, his breathing shallow, his wings dragging on the tiles to either side of him while he runs. Hypno's still getting her bearings, shaking her head while she tries to pull herself out of your grasp. A spike of irritation cuts through your fear. They said they wanted to help, but here they are, only giving you more people you have to protect. You should have pushed them harder to learn some proper battle skills. You should have never let them get involved in all this from the start.

Should've pushed them harder to learn some proper battle skills! No trauma involved here, nope

Another master ball whizzes at you, and you swat it away with a burst of wind, then sweep your arms wide, conjuring a swirling wall of fire between yourself and the Rockets. Heracross yelps and jumps back as flames lick her face, barely within the fire spin's perimeter. The heat and the swirling air currents it creates should keep any master balls from getting through. And when it dies back, you'll make another one.

I enjoy the understated contrast between how Hypno and Heracross work together in sync and how the child just does not know how to work with anyone else, constantly hitting them or nearly so.

You jerk your head aside, a master ball sailing just past your ear. Then your gut wrenches in realization and you have to snap off a quick vacuum wave to deflect it away from Heracross.

And again. Woof, man.

Is this from Professor Krane's desk? You suppose this must be the remains of his office.

Turn it over!

On the back in sprawling cursive: Summer 1986. Graduation with Lily and Rixor.

Rixor. The bottom drops out of your stomach. That was one of Tyranitar's names, wasn't it? But that's not right. Cipher even kidnapped Professor Krane before. There's no way he has anything to do with them.

Or maybe, at the time they graduated, he was not part of Team Cipher yet, have you considered this

Mewtwo turns, and you flinch, convinced that his returning anger must be meant for you. But he walks right past you, seething but determined, mind all sharp, smooth edges of crystallized purpose.

"Mewtwo, no," you croak. "Where are you going?"

Enjoy how Mewtwo feeling a sense of purpose is already a "Mewtwo, no."

The problem is that it doesn't stay quiet. Slowly you become aware of the sounds of movement within the rubble. Faint cries from people still trapped. You should be helping, shouldn't you? Digging whoever you can out of the debris, healing whatever injured people you find. You won't be able to save everyone, but surely you have to try. Just like you have to try to save the Musketeers. Stop Mewtwo getting captured. Find Mew and fix everything and then solve whatever impossible task rises before you next.

The smell of death surrounds you, suddenly inescapable. Abruptly you can't stand one second more of this. And so you leave.

Oooff. Awful, but understandable from a child.

You appear in the abandoned factory, just behind the half-circle of chairs facing towards the Rocket base. You sit down, hard, at the sight of them, right there on the decaying concrete. Just for a moment. Four chairs and now only one occupant.

Not forever, you have to remind yourself. Getting the Musketeers back is the whole reason you're here. After everything, you can't let Team Rocket have them. There'd be no one left. No one left but Absol, and even she isn't there half the time.

Even if you find them—you'll find them. Even then, one chair's going to stay empty. Forever.

Nice cruel way of bringing back these chairs.

I am sort of confused by the progression on where they think Hypno and Noctowl are. Back at the lab, they seemed to be assuming their balls had still been on the floor and were buried in the rubble. But now they're acting like they actually need to go into the Rocket base to get them back - and while it makes sense that when they're about to enter the base they sort of decide to convince themselves they're definitely in there as justification for it, I'm not quite clear on what is driving them to want to go in there, if they don't really believe they need to go there to find them. It's Mewtwo who insists they need to destroy Team Rocket first, before they find them, because he's bent on revenge, but the child, I would have assumed, would rather find them without having to join Mewtwo in doing another mass murder, right? Even if being at the lab right now feels intolerable, it still seems preferable to that, right, at least if they first take a moment to gain their bearings? So what's really motivating them to insist no, Hypno and Noctowl are definitely at the Rocket base so they need to go in there with Mewtwo? First reading through, I wondered if I'd missed some kind of actual indication that they had been taken away by Team Rocket, but it doesn't look like it...? Mewtwo doesn't even appear to believe they're actually there.

Mewtwo. She saved Mewtwo. You lie where you are, uncomprehending. The only thing Absol's ever cared about is defending you. Defending the child. That was Mew's last wish. The wish of a god. Absol's always saved you. That's what she's there for.

Oh no, was it phrased like that. Mew's actual child is Mewtwo.

You barely notice them, don't even hear what they say, don't know who they're talking to when they speak. All you hear, as cold realization creeps over you, as no Absol reappears, is: defend the child. Defend the child.

All this time you'd assumed the child was you.

Delicious little POV twist, after all this time alternating between calling the protagonist "the child" and "you".

I went back to chapter 11, and of course you don't tell us exactly what Absol actually said there, only that "Mew herself had told her to protect you that day so many years ago, after your death and just before the lab went up in flames." Sneaky sneaky. Unsure if it ever came up anywhere else where we could have guessed it, though I did notice in one of the fifties chapters Absol talks about how she feels like it's her fault that Mewtwo is like this, in a way that in hindsight makes sense if he was the one she was really told to protect.

We also get some Mew info from Professor Krane at last! I kind of wish Rixor were somebody we'd heard about before in a greater capacity than simply as one of Tyranitar's names; I was a bit like "...Who?" (Though maybe we had heard stuff that I just don't recall at all/am not connecting?) Mew already being listless, confused and uncommunicative before getting captured by Rixor is verrry interesting - at the Cinnabar Lab, at least per chapter 11, that's not at all how I'd describe Mew, who there seem to be frantic and very singlemindedly fixed on saving Mewtwo and confused mainly in a circumstantial sort of way because of all the chaos, even if *Sara* doesn't pick up what she's trying to communicate.

Meanwhile, you know who was confused and deeply traumatized? The child, for at least a couple of years after becoming what it is today. Absol explicitly taught them to be a person again; that lines up pretty well with not being able to make themself understood, doesn't it. So the theory that that was the child (who is also Mew) who got sighted in the deserts of Orre is alive and well. That would mean, of course, that eventually they escaped from Cipher (maybe that's where Duskull and Togetic came from), and the lab dreams are memories from Cipher, or from Krane's lab.

The other possibility is that Mew deposited all her memories/soul/etc. into Sara, and the Mew found in Orre later was simply what was left - confused and listless and uncommunicative because she was left as kind of an amnesiac blank slate with no idea what was going on, hoping that her son will eventually manage to help her recover her memories and identity with Absol's help. In this case I'm not totally clear on Mew's motivation for doing this (it sounds unlikely to be about caring for Sara all in all, particularly with the revelation that she never actually asked Absol to protect the child), but maybe she thought somehow it's keep her safer from Team Rocket...?

All in all, intrigue! Not the full-on answers I almost expected based on the chapter description you posted on TR, but illuminating nonetheless! :P

Meanwhile, alas, poor Heracross; RIP best Musketeer. I enjoyed all you did with the Musketeers here - the way they don't immediately jump to fighting, the trauma associated with it especially for Noctowl, the child's oblivious impatience with them and utter lack of any sense of teamwork while still caring, Hypno and Heracross's fluid background team-up like they're an actual pair of friends who've battled together countless times. Hypno and Noctowl getting captured and Heracross's suicidal desperation to bring down the building if that's what it'll take to prevent Team Rocket from getting them hurts just the way it should, and I enjoyed the child's understated reactions too - their inability to say it straight out, the naïve incomprehension that Heracross could have known what would happen, the bit about how one chair will always be unoccupied.

And meanwhile...

Yells and bestial roars filter in from the hallway. Slowly the Cipher agent pulls themself back to their feet, leaning heavily on the wall. Blood smears all down the left side of their armor, and they weave drunkenly as they come to stand over you.

You barely notice them, don't even hear what they say, don't know who they're talking to when they speak.

...Is this Nate?

All in all, a good chapter and worth the wait! Eagerly awaiting the final story arc.

Spoiler: Typos, etc.

Imagine that Hypno's disappointment to learn her hero was so pathetic. So disgusting. This liar. Mewtwo's words are accompanied by horrid wet crunches. Professor Krane's face distorts like he's trying to scream. You can't see what Mewtwo's doing to him, but dark purple-blue creeps across his skin, like he's turning into one giant bruise. What did that Hypno expect, placing her trust in a human?*

The italics here are a bit funky; think you forgot an asterisk after "liar".

Dark smoke drifts from the Rocket compound, a messy, gaping hole where the door once was. So you Mewtwo beat you here.

Extra "you" there in the last sentence.

This is good, isn't it? In movies, the villain monologues until someone can come to the hero's rescue, or until they figure out an escape on their own own.

"own own"

 

[Dragonfree]

Spoiler: Chapter 62

Good whumpy chapter! There's a lot going on here, conveying a long time and a truly grueling character progression without repeating the same beats, and in particular, it benefits and is reinforced by the protagonist's unique nature and the mental place they're at at this stage. They just learned they aren't who they thought they were, don't matter like they thought they did; that's quite a headstart on depersonalization. (Of course, there is some sense that Absol cares about them, but it's hard for them to feel any of that right now.) Of course their attempts to ask to be let out are undermined by forced transformations making them obviously uncanny and inhuman. The fact the forced transformations also force brain changes really reinforces the loss of identity.

And in the meantime...

You lie still, bound in chains too thick for your blaster to cut. Not that you have your blaster anymore. The space pirates thought of everything.

They're coming back now. You listen hard, ready to pounce on any opportunity to escape.

"...not responding to commands," the first pirate says. He's outfitted in the gray and blue of the Landover Fleet, their skull and crossbones leering from a shoulder patch. A cool logo wasted on a bunch of disgusting fools.

"I'm not surprised. If Maresha is really as interested in its psychology as she claims, she ought to treat it better than this. A little enrichment at least. What sort of results does she even think she's going to get?" The second pirate is a woman in a red, red jumpsuit. She must be a member of the Bloodrager Fleet. What's she doing working with a Landover pirate?

There's something nefarious afoot. You have to escape and warn the rest of the Transformozords!

Of course it retreats into fiction. This is so loopy and cute in the middle of the awful.

"Well, it's revealing, at least. Some people thought it might actually be generating novel sentences, but clearly there's some deep well of existing phrases it's absorbed," the Landover pirate replies. He's deactivated the energy shield on your cell, and your bonds have fallen away, but the pirates' fiendish chemicals prevent you from doing more than shivering. "Like a chatot, but obviously much more extensive. The real question is how that mixing and matching works on a neurological level, and why pokémon haven't developed true language capabilities..."

Ooof. You hate to see it. One of their most human coping mechanisms just gets interpreted as proof that they're just parroting whatever!

The energy shield disappears. Nobody's bonds release, the cables drawing back into holes in the wall. Nobody lies where it is and waits.

"Oh, shit," someone says outside the cage. "Shit, shit, shit, that wasn't—"

A prick, a spreading cold. Nobody doesn't try to resist. The gurdurr reaches in to pick it up as usual.

Someone's babbling. "I forgot the paralytic before releasing the restraints! I can't believe it, I've done it a thousand times."

"Calm down. Remember to read the instructions, huh? They write out all the steps for a reason."

"That could have been bad. That could have been so bad. I thought it was going to attack me. And then if it got out..."

Boy, that learned helplessness.

The door opens, and this time there are two scientists, one tall and one short. The tall one's wearing a sweater vest. Nobody can tell even though there's a lab coat on over it. He looks gray and weary and says, "This isn't working. I can't believe I'm surrounded by idiot children."

The short one... is the great Nathaniel Morgan. Nobody thinks that's the name. He scowls at a clipboard in his hand. "I hate fucking scientists," he says, and hurls it disdainfully away. The two of them leave after that, and Nobody doesn't remember seeing them again, for however much it's worth.

On-brand Nate (and Leo?) even in a hallucination!

The door opens, and this time it reveals an Absol. Now a hypno, now a charizard, now a very dead heracross, her carapace split open and oozing. Even so, she seems the jolliest of them all, laughing and drinking from her can of soda and goading Nobody for being silent.

On-brand Heracross, too!

And one time when the door opens Nobody doesn't see who comes through, but it can feel them. The wood chips around it shiver and quake as if with fear. Nobody thinks it knows who this is, yes, it does. Pressure builds inside its skull, squeezing its brain like an overripe grape. Nobody presses up against the back of the cage, trying to push itself through the wall, but the wall is still a wall, and it can't change, it can't go.

The person's getting closer.

"Why is it screaming?" someone says.

"I don't know! I can't—up the dosage on the sedative!"

"I didn't even know it could make noise like that. It's always so quiet..." The voice is blurry. Over Nobody a shadow looms, dark except for glowing eyes. Nobody quakes.

Love Mewtwo just looming over everything in such a terrifying way without even being named.

Nobody braces a hand on the floor of its cage and pushes itself up as high as it can go. Its body's heavy, so heavy. "Great Nathaniel Morgan," it says, hopelessly. The words are hardly more than a rasp, and Nobody knows that even if he hears, he won't understand. No one ever does, not since a long time ago.

Oh boy :copyka2: Always fun when they actually address him as "Great Nathaniel Morgan".

"You want to kill me, don't you?" Nobody says. "You always wanted to. You tried to. Well, do it." It sniffs back more tears. "Go ahead. You were right. I never should have come here. I never should have done any of this."

Completely blanking on when (they think?) Nate actually tried to kill them. Makes sense they assume he's not here to help, though - last time they saw each other, after all, Nate was quite adamant that he wants nothing to do with them, ever, and they just saw him look angry, which they just sort of take to be anger at them because why wouldn't they at this point.

In reality, I'm expecting Nate came in there looking for them and initially didn't recognize them, in whatever shape they'd taken and whatever state they'd been left in, until they spoke - at which point, of course, he's furious at what's been done to them, not at them. They've stopped distinguishing when they're actually speaking human or Pokémon because everyone acts like they don't understand either way, but given the last line, it sounds like they are indeed speaking human at least at that point. I do enjoy the idea that Nate actually heard them go "Great Nathaniel Morgan".

I'm curious to hear all that's been going on on Nate's end of things, which I expect is a matter for next chapter. When we last saw him back in chapter 45, he'd just made a promise to Mightyena that he would stop being an asshole, only to be an asshole as usual - though even in the middle of being vicious, he managed to tell the child with some measure of concern that they should drop the mission and forget about going to Orre because this is going to get them killed. My guess is his Pokémon subsequently managed to nudge him and his conscience into following, at least after seeing some news reports about what was going on with Mewtwo or such - even without a translator, he'd already promised to do better, already cared for them in some warped way, and I can picture him basically filling in the blanks when Mightyena acts disappointed in him. Something along those lines.

Either way, love to finally have my favorite problem man back after four years of absence! Excited for the final arc.

Spoiler: Typos, etc.

Nobody know one of these.

knows, presumably?

Sometimes they draw blood or cut nobody open, remove a few pieces for study.

Should that be a capitalized Nobody?

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, ‘tis the week to catch up on stuff that we never finished, and you were one of the authors that I was able to count up in my annual census of “people on TR who bothered to check my stuff out”, so that feels like as good a reason as any to dive back into reviewing a story about a very messed-up case of child’s play:

Chapter 2

Spoiler: Line-by-Line

The first thing you do is stop home. A moment's concentration takes you from cold and dark to the warmth of your living room. Even the dim, leaf-edged light is too much for your eyes after the total darkness of the cave, and you open them slowly, blinking away tears.

Could’ve sworn that this is the living room of that dead trainer, so it admittedly feels a little weird to me for the Child to immediately parse it as “their living room”, but I suppose things are just different for changelings in general in this story.

That gives Rats enough time to hide whatever she was chewing on, so when you turn to her it looks like she's just relaxing in her nest, half burrowed under shredded pieces of newspaper and drifts of insulation. "Uh, hey, Boss. Back early, aren't you?"

"It was easier than I expected," you say. You were smart, this time. You were ready to die. "Come on. I need you to help me with Titan." There will be time to scold her about dismantling furniture later. "Is Absol back?"

Wait, wait, wait. Is that referring to the events of the first chapter, or has there been a bit of a timeskip since then? Since admittedly I did a double-take at this.

"Dunno." Rats is out of her nest in a great rustling of detritus. "I haven't heard her, but you know how she is." Rats stands picking scraps of paper out of her fur while you head deeper into the house. You glance at the couch in passing, but Absol isn't there, just the impression in the cushions where she usually lies. [ ]

"So. Titan, huh?" Rats asks, waddling after you on her hind legs and grooming her whiskers as she goes.

It’s probably a stylistic difference, but a part of me wonders if there should be more of a tee-up to Rats speaking again before her line of dialogue here.

"Yes." You toss her the pokéball and stop at your desk, grabbing your pokédex and flipping it over. You have the back hatch open in a practiced instant and exchange the data card inside for the one you've been clenching in your palm, warm now from the heat of your body. You left Nicholas Garret's pokédex in the cavern, as empty and cold as his corpse. Its soul is yours now, as is everything else that once belonged to him.

… Just how many dead people’s stuff has the Child collected by this point anyways?

"Looks rounder than I remember," Rats says, examining the pokéball between her claws.

"That's just his pokéball, Rats," you say, giving her an incredulous look while the pokédex boots up. You relax when the screen comes to life with your information. It's best for things to be official, for your life to be somewhere it won't get lost, in case you need it. It can be hard to remember who you are, sometimes. You haven't been Nicholas Garret long enough to get the details right.

That actually makes me wonder if social media is a thing at this point in Salvage’s setting. Since if so and the Child is literate, that would’ve been a fast way to get up to speed on Nick’s life story and what she’d need to impersonate him convincingly.

"Joke, Boss," Rats says with a sigh. "Looks like it's the same old pokéball, anyway. Talk about your years of service, huh?"

You dig around for her own ball, just in case, and add it to your belt. Nicholas Garret's pokéballs you pull off and dump in the bottom drawer, making a mental note to release them later.

Not even going to attempt to convince his buddies to join along, huh? I vaguely remember this being a thing when I initially read Salvage years ago, even if I kinda wonder if it’d have been worth giving some sort of a hint from the Child’s perspective of “nope, not dealing with them” such as an implication that they tried it once before, it ended horribly, and they’re not in the mood to try their luck again.

"So, should I?" Rats asks, making as if to throw the ball.

"Not inside. Come on."

You don't want anything flammable around, in case something goes wrong. Not that anything will go wrong. You've pored over your memories of Titan so many times they've grown dull and distorted, as much fantasy as fact. But there's no question that he was always the most loyal of your team. He swore with you, just like the others. He'll come around, and it won't be long before you can finally set out to fulfill your promise together.

I do wonder considering how long the attached paragraph is, if it should’ve been separated off from the attached dialogue to make both stand out more.

You lead the way down to the beach, the jungle crowding at your back. Knot Island lies somewhere to the south, no more than a speck far off across the waves. You nod at Rats, and she lets the pokéball go. All of a sudden Titan's standing in front of you, stretching his wings up to the sky.

Right, we’re in the Sevii Islands right now. Though I still find it a little funny to call a Charizard ‘Titan’ given that canonically the average one is short compared to a human adult.

… Granted, I suppose with size categories now, that there’s Charizard that can get out of manlet territory, so I should judge less.

You forget everything you were going to say. You knew he evolved, of course, but somehow you were still thinking of him as that gawky, earnest charmander. Now he towers over you, arching his long neck and letting out a lazy streamer of smoke like he was never knee-high and afraid of his own shadow.

I see that either this story goes with Charizard being beeg by default or else Titan’s just an XL+ Charizard from the way he’s described there.

Though that makes me wonder what Titan was like as a Charmeleon given that he apparently was quite timid as a Charmander.

"I thought you said we were going to Cinnabar," the charizard says as he looks around, sniffing at the air. "Where are we?"

"Titan," you say, and his head snaps around, his eyes fixing on you.

"Who?"

"We are not going to Cinnabar, Titan."

"Why are you calling me that?" The charizard tucks his wings in close and stares at the beach around you like he's expecting someone else to be there. "I don't like that name."

… Oh, well. Maybe I spoke too soon about the Child not taking anyone from Nick’s team.

"Why not? It is your name. You remember, do you not?"

The charizard snorts out a puff of smoke and returns his gaze to you, the whites starting to show around the edges of his eyes.

"You understood that? You can hear me? How do you know about that?"

Great going there, Child.

"Calm down, Titan. I am your trainer, remember? I know this is confusing, but you do not have to be afraid."

I take it that the Child hasn’t done this too many times given that they haven’t picked up on the whole “pretend you don’t understand them” thing is necessary to sell the sense that you’re the trainer that you’re skinsuiting.

It takes all your self control not to flinch when the charizard's head swings down, stopping inches from your face. He snuffles and sniffs at you, then draws back in confusion. "You smell like Nick. You look like him, too. But you don't sound like him at all. Who are you? What happened to Nick?"

"I am Nicholas Garret," you say. "I am your trainer."

The Child: “(Or at least I am now, anyways.)”

"No you're not!" Titan rears up again, his tail flame leaping and dancing with his agitation. "Who are you? What happened to my trainer?"

"I just told you. I am your trainer," you snap. You are Nicholas Garret. You are Titan's trainer, twice over. "Listen, Titan. Calm down. I will explain everything if you just--"

Just saying, kid, you’d have had more luck pretending that you hit your head and got superpowers and amnesia and if anything’s not adding up, that that was why.

"No! I'm not listening to anything you say until you tell me where my trainer is!"

[ ]


"Here, Boss. Let me handle this," Rats mutters. [ ]

"Go ahead," you say with a scowl, crossing your arms. "Obviously Titan is not going to listen to me. He is completely overreacting."

I mean it doesn’t help that you’re kinda failing at skinsuiting Nick right about now. I do wonder if it’d have made sense to delve a bit more into Titan and Rats’ reactions since I’m sure that the Child is having some opinions right about now about how much more difficult this is than they expected.

Rats pushes past you and cautiously approaches the charizard. He watches her come, dark smoke wreathing his narrowed eyes. "Titan, this is Rats," you say. "I am sure you remember her."

"That's right," Rats says. "Been a long time, hasn't it, big g--whoah." Titan bends down so far his snout nearly presses up against Rats' face, staring at her in utmost suspicion. She starts backing up, then throws herself sideways as a gush of fire shoots from Titan's mouth.

Titan: “Yeah, I don’t remember you, bub!”

"Hey. Hey! Is that any way to treat an old friend?" the raticate grumbles, taking off as another flamethrower rushes her way. "What, don't you remember me, you stupid lizard?"

"I don't know you," Titan says in a low, volcanic rumble, twisting around to keep the raticate in his line of sight. Rats dances from paw to paw, on guard for more fire. "You think I can tell the difference between all the raticate I've ever met? You all look the same, like big, hairy--big, hairy rats!"

The Child: “... Damn it, I should’ve pretended that I got her in a trade.”

"Ooh, so that's how it is, huh? Well, how about this, Titan, would just any raticate remember that time you got beat up by that magikar--oof!" Titan's tail snaps around, catching Rats off guard and knocking her onto her side. The charizard comes at her with teeth and claws and flame, and Rats shrieks disparaging comments about his parentage while struggling to defend herself.

I had a giggle at this moment. It’s a nice bit of levity in an otherwise quite serious situation.

Titan pins the raticate under one foot and stares down at her, smoke streaming warningly from his nostrils. "You say we're old friends?" he growls. "A real friend would tell me what happened to my trainer."

"Well," Rats wheezes, "that's actually a bit of a difficult question. Maybe if you could let a rat breathe a bit here, we could--"

Her voice cuts off in a squeak as Titan leans down on her, and then she glows red. Titan's foot lands heavily in the sand, Rats pulled safely back to her pokéball. You frown down at it for a moment before clipping it back to your belt. Well, that was a big help. You need to get Rats back in battling shape before you start your journey; she's spent too long lazing around at home.

The Child: “Well then, I suppose we’re going to have to do this the hard way…”

"Now tell me," Titan says, and you look up to find him standing with mouth agape, white-hot saliva dripping around his teeth and sizzling in the sand below. "This is your last chance. What happened to my trainer? What happened to Nick?"

You've had enough of this. One hand balls into a fist down at your side, fingernails digging into your palm, longing to shift into claws. "Nicholas Garret is dead," you snap. "He drowned in the Seafoam caverns. Now I am him, and that makes me your trainer. It is as simple as that."

Titan:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNHooTszyW4

“W-What?!”

Titan stares at you, the ominous black smoke pouring from his mouth cutting off to a pathetic wisp. "He's dead? What are you talking about? Why do you look like him?"

"I just told you. I look like him because I am him, now. He does not need his life anymore. Now it is mine. And now I am your trainer again."

Child, I’m pretty sure that this is a masterclass in how not to engage in diplomatic persuasion, just saying.

The charizard sits back on his haunches, staring at you around with wide, white-rimmed eyes. "Again?" He starts to pant, whining slightly with each exhalation. "Again? You, again? You--"

"Titan. Titan, calm down," you say, taking a step forward with one hand raised. "You remember me, do you not? You remember the promise you made with us. Rats was there, too. And War and Thunderstorm. You know all of them."

Titan: “Wh-What are you even talking about right now?! Wh-Why are you talking to me like you know me when you’re not Nick?!”

[ ]

"I don't, I don't--My trainer's dead!" the charizard says tearfully, his too-short arms reaching up like he wants to bury his face in his claws. "How? What happened? I don't understand."

"He drowned. He slipped and fell in the river and then he drowned. Now, as I was saying--"

I kinda feel like it might’ve been worth showing Titan start to break down a bit more here as a description thing.

"How do you know?" The charizard thrusts his face into yours, so close you can smell the sulfurous gases on his breath. "Where's your proof? He can't be dead! You're lying!"

The Child: “(Dammit, I knew that I shouldn’t have cheaped out on getting a phone…)” >_>;

"I am standing right here, am I not?" you snap. "I have your pokéball. I have Nicholas Garret's pokédex. Your trainer is dead, Titan. I was there to see it. And I am your trainer n--"

"You were there?" Titan's smoking again, breathing out dark, suffocating clouds. "You saw it all, is that it? You did it, didn't you? You killed him! Murderer!"

The Child: “... I should’ve just gone with the ‘I hit my head and got superpowers and amnesia’ angle.” >.<

"I did not kill him," you say indignantly. "Why would I do that? It was his time to go. I did not have to do anything at all."

[ ]

"But you were there!" the charizard roars. "You said you were there, but you didn't help him? You didn't even try?"

"I did not do anything. It was not my place to intervene."

Kinda feel like there were some opportunities to dive into the characters’ reactions and the Child’s thought process a bit more than what’s presently happening here. Especially to show off how the Child sees things. Since from their perspective, them not intervening is no more murder than Titan not intervening when some background Pidgeotto is making an unfortunate background Magikarp lunch. It was just their time and that was their appointed fate according to nature.

Titan's roar splits the air, and with a jolt you remember Rats is injured. There's no one to defend you. "Titan," you say slowly. "You would not attack your trainer, Titan."

The charizard answers with flame rather than words, and you fall clear over backwards, a streamer of fire cutting through the air overhead. You grab for Titan's pokéball, then pull your hand back. No. Delaying this isn't going to help anything. He needs to learn to obey you, and the sooner the better.

Uh… yeah, from what I remember of Salvage, the Child was similarly terrible at diplomatic persuasion like 20 chapters after this point, so this is a pretty good character establishing moment here.

"Come on, Titan, let us just talk about this."

"Talk? Talk?! My trainer's dead! And you were there! You know! Stop pretending!"

The Child: “Oh, so when you look the other way on wild Pokémon hunting each other for lunch in the background, it’s just normal. But when I do the same for your trainer for an accident that was always going to kill him I’m the murderer. I see how it is.” >_>;
Titan: “That’s not remotely the same and you know it!”

"I am your trainer! I am not dead!" Another flamethrower sizzles through the air, but this time it washes up against a wall of energy, fire spreading inches from your face before dissipating into thin air.

Titan lets out a snort of surprise as you get back to your feet. "Fine," you say, nursing a ball of blue energy in one hand, water droplets running between your fingers and pattering to the ground. "I wanted to settle this like a human. But if you will not listen to me, we can settle this like pokémon instead."

Titan: “S-Settle this like what now?”

You toss the ball of energy upwards, and Titan's gaze follows it higher, higher, until it explodes in a burst of blue light. The beach turns dark and cool as sudden storm clouds block out the sun, and Titan flinches as one fat droplet splashes on his snout. Dark patches appear in the sand as more raindrops fall, and in seconds the island is gripped by a full-on rainstorm.

Titan: “What. The. Hell.” [wtfuckle]
The Child: “Yes, I can do that. And I can do a lot more than that too if you really need me to drag this out into a slugfest?”

Titan tents his wings over his head and tucks his steaming tail flame tight against his chest. He peers at you with dark, suspicious eyes, but the rain's taken the edge off his fury. "What are you?"

The Child: “Nicholas Garrett. Your trainer-”
Titan: “No, don’t give me that crap! Nick wasn’t able to use Rain Dance or- whatever it is that you just did there!”

"I told you. I am your trainer. That is all that matters now." You shift a little, taking a more solid stance. You're twitching with the old battle restlessness, sizing Titan up without even thinking about it. You like a fight as much as any pokémon, after all. "Now are you going to listen to me, or do you still want to fight?"

Titan lunges, claws rippling with blue dragon flames. The rain is making him sluggish, though, streaming off his scales and dampening his tail flame. His claws dig into your side, but you manage to catch him, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him to the ground.

Titan: “...”

The Child: “Again, I can be your beloved trainer and we can pretend that this all didn’t happen, or else I can make things very blunt and painful right now. So what will it be?” >:|

"Why won't you listen to me?" you ask, trying to hang on despite his thrashing. "Why do you not want to help me? I am your trainer. Do you not want to help your trainer?"

"My trainer's dead!" he chokes, struggling to reach you with another dragon claw. "You said so! You're just someone who looks like him. You're not even a real person! What are you?"

"I am Nicholas Garret!" you insist, feeling hot blood from your wound mix with cooler rain as it rolls down the inside of your shirt. Ugh. You only just bought these clothes.

Surprised that Titan isn’t just noping out and recalling himself to his Pokéball at this rate, since I’m sure that this has to be quite a freaky experience for him.

"You're not! You're not! Liar!" His voice is hoarse now, more rattle than sound. You might be hugging his throat a bit too tight. The thanks you get when you loosen your hold is a flamethrower that rushes past your head, setting your hair on fire and immolating the edge of your ear.

The Child: “Ow! Son of a-!”

You let go with a hiss of pain, landing hard in the wet sand and putting a hand up to the side of your head. "I am not lying," you insist through gritted teeth, and you're not. You are Nicholas Garret now, or all that's left of him, anyway.

The Child: “Look, if I assume his identity, then it’s not really a lie. After all, who else is going to be Nicholas Garrett right now, huh?” >_>;

Titan staggers to his feet, head rearing back and stubby arms reaching for his bruised throat. He takes a couple of deep, panting breaths, then sucks in one great gasp of air and lowers his snout again, spitting a fireball straight at you.

You only have a second to bring your arms up, crossing them in front of your face with palms out towards the charizard. You scream as the fire blast explodes into a sheet of flame, your arms shaking as you try to keep them in place. Then Titan's the one screaming, his roars drowning you out as he tries to shield himself with a wing. A glittering barrier hangs in the air in front of you, brilliant streamers of light peeling away from its surface and arcing towards the charizard, searing his scales and flashing raindrops into steam.

Titan: “Nope nope nope…”

Titan falls to the ground, hiding his face behind his claws as scalding energy roars around him, rippling the sand in molten waves and letting off a hideous stink. You hold the mirror coat in place for a few seconds more, but at last the sheet of light cracks, then crumbles away to nothing as your arms flop down by your sides.

The Child: “You could’ve just accepted me as your trainer and saved me a set of clothes, but nooooo...”

After a couple of minutes you gather your strength and stagger over to where he Titan lies, falling to your knees in front of him. The charizard's breathing harsh and shallow, his eyes unfocused. His tail shudders in the hot muck, burning lower now, but not low enough to be dangerous.

You reach down and lift the charizard's head, and his arms shudder as he tries to raise his body with it. You bring his face to eye level, close enough that he could engulf your entire head in flame with just a breath. You'll have to watch his eyes closely to know when to pull away.

The charizard's scales are feverish to the touch; he's weak enough now that he can't control his inner fire, and it's starting to eat him up from the inside. He's powerful for the moment, but he won't be able to stand it for long. "What... are..." His voice is hardly more than a croak.

I see that Titan’s clearly built up some nerves since he started out (which I suppose he kinda has to in light of the later plot) since I’m sure that most Pokémon would just nope out and bail at this point.

"What do I have to do for you to accept me as your trainer?"

[ ]


"I don't... You're not my trainer. My trainer is dead."

The Child: “... Wrong answer.” >:(

"Enough!" He flinches, something wary in his expression. His gaze is trying to slip away from yours, but you wrench his head around to keep his eyes on you. "What do I have to do?"

"Can't... You can't make me."

"I don't need to 'make' you. I'm your trainer. Stop trying to deny it." You don't even bother trying to speak human now. If Titan notices, he doesn't react.

Ah yes, that’s some quality persuasion™ in action there. You do know what they say about doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results is a sign of, right, Child?

"But you're dead," he says, weak and plaintive.

"That's what you wish, isn't it? You wish I was dead!"

You're screaming now, and Titan's wings flare open in shock, beating wildly as he tries to pull away from you. You see in the tensing of his muscles that the moment is now, and you push his head down even as fire starts to gush out around his teeth. The flamethrower is lost as you force the charizard's face into the sand, and he thrashes harder, gagging as a gasp of shock sucks grit into his mouth. You wrench Titan's head up again and stare into his tearing eyes.

Okay, yeah, now looks like Titan’s had about enough and is ready to bail here.

"Stop pretending! I know you remember. You promised the same as the rest of us. Someone has to save Mew. We failed last time, but we can't give up. I'm your trainer, Titan. I say we're going after her. Are you with me?"

The charizard's eyes show white. "I can't."

You let his head drop back to the ground, and he just leaves it lying there, the rain washing tears off his muzzle. While the charizard tries to control his sobbing, you try to control your temper, digging clawed fingers deep into the sand. You're glad you're human right now. It's hard enough to keep your head when you've been fighting, but as a pokémon, it's even harder.

"What do I need to do?" you ask at last, and it even comes out sounding calm.

Well, for one, you could make your gaslighting of Titan even marginally less blunt and do something along the lines of pretending that Nick was mortally wounded in an accident and that he entrusted you to take care of him in his stead. But I suppose the Child having some skill issues at emotionally manipulating others without getting blunt is quite on-brand from what I can vaguely recall of Salvage from my last reading.

"Please. I don't understand. Who are you?" You almost can't make him out for the hitching in his voice.

"I told you. I'm Nicholas Garret now. I used to be somebody else. I could be someone else tomorrow. But right now I'm Nicholas Garret. What doesn't change is that I'm your trainer, and I need you to help me. What will it take for you to accept that?"

The Child: “This could’ve been a happy and sappy recruitment chapter, but nooooo, you just had to be difficult about this whole ‘you’re not really Nick’ thing!” >.<

Titan takes another one of those great breaths, but you don't bother preparing for an attack. He only chokes on it, turning it into a sob. "Please... You told me you would save her."

You punch him in the snout as hard as you can, hard enough to shatter teeth. "You idiot. I can't do that without you." You push yourself to your feet, woozy and lightheaded, and stagger off towards home. Titan keeps his eyes on the ground, blood leaking from his mouth. It might be a while before he realizes you've left.

It only takes a few seconds for the dragon claw wound to scab over and vanish, the hideous bubbling burns to fade, but you still feel gray and drained as you stumble up to the house. Too much excitement. Too much blood lost. Duskull emerges from under the porch as you trip up the steps, making grumbly noises of concern, but you wave him away. All you need now is sleep.

The Child: “Well, that could’ve gone better. But at least I got through to him… I think?”

Hours later, when the child's resting in bed, it hears the door bang open and something large blunder inside. It smiles and clutches the sheets tighter around itself. It knew Titan wasn't in any real danger, not with how short the rainstorm was, but it's glad he managed to find his way here, where he will be safe.

The kitchen table falls with an incredible crash, and the child imagines the soaked and muddy charizard slipping around on the tiles, searching for somewhere warm to curl up and dry off. That's fine. It doesn't mind the damage. It'll see the charizard in the morning, when it's feeling well enough to walk again. And then, at last, they can truly begin.

Well that got more than a little messed-up there-

The Child: “Oh yeah, and like reflexively turning a Charizard loose into the wilds would’ve been so much better. Seriously, why is everyone acting like I’m the bad guy here?!” >.<

Alright, I think that I’ll leave things off here for now, though boy did that get chilling and uncomfy in short order, which is about what I remembered the general tone of this story being in the first chapters with the Child having teething problems in their newfound identity as Nicholas Garrett. Like the chapter does a good job at balancing showing just enough about the Child to get a grasp on what they’re like as a personality while keeping things surrounding their true nature and properties a mystery. It also acted as a pretty effective character establishing moment as we see the Child try to be clever and slip into the shoes of someone else, and then as they prove to be less clever than they thought, resort to blunter and crueler methods of trying to get what they want that for as chilling as it is, really is quite child-like in both outlook and how it stubbornly responds to getting confronted with things not going as planned.

I don’t really have much in the way of complaints to levy against the chapter. Maybe it’d have merited stopping and smelling the roses a bit to show Titan progressively break down in the chapter or else more of the Child’s thought process as the different twists and turns of attempting to don the mantle of Nicholas Garrett play out in this chapter.

But altogether, I thought that this was a fun refresher for your story @Negrek . I admittedly will likely be a bit too spread thin to really make a lot of progress in it this year, but I hope that the feedback was fun to read over, and even if it might take a while, it won’t be the last review that I leave for Salvage in the future.

 

[Starlight Aurate]

Here for my yearly review! Hopefully I can get back to this before the end of the Blitz, but for now, here's Chapter 59!

Spoiler: Chapter 59

I don't have much to say, since it feels like this chapter is setting up a few things: setting up the interactions of professor Krane and Mewtwo; the start of a plan to take down Team Rocket and Cipher; and the child taking on the guise of the great Nathaniel Morgen in an attempt to get the attention of Team Rocket, figure out their whereabouts, and take them down!

I will say that, now that I've finally played Colosseum and XD, and I've recently replayed FireRed, the thought of Cipher and Team Rocket joining forces is TERRIFYING. I think that either team is formidable and intimidating in their own right, and so the two of them teaming up can wreak some serious havoc!

I do like your prose at the start of the chapter when you describe the child's agony in waiting for time to pass by for Hypno's return. It definitely capture's the ache, and the persistent anxiety of not knowing if things are okay or not. Hypno's attitude here definitely speaks to how dire the situation is. Seeing even her usually gentle self be reticent and abrupt was palpably uncomfortable.

Also, the child seriously needs to learn to keep its nose out of other peoples' business! This is nothing new for it lol and I was completely unexpected to see that he snooped in on Professor Krane's meeting with Mewtwo, although I was mildly impressed that it truly didn't intervene and just let the two of them interact. I am very curious to know what they were talking about, and what sort of things Professor Krane is saying to get even MEWTWO to listen to him!

Excited to see how things shape out! Looks like we're definitely going somewhere, though I don't trust the child to disguise as the great Nathaniel Morgan convincingly enough to get straight to Team Rocket like it's planning. Once we do meet up with Team Rocket and Cipher, that will surely be an interesting conflict!

Just a few line-by-lines that stuck out to me:

Hypno pushes open the front door more than five hours after she left you, eyes shadowed and grave, her tread weary.

Ha, I like how one hour changes to three hours which changes to five hours :P

Absol kneads her claws in Hypno’s sofa.

How very cat-like!

You curl up with Absol on the couch, the blankets drawn over both of you. She stays still and quiet for you, two things she’s very good at. And perhaps you even sleep, in fits and snatches and scant minutes, once or twice in the long night.

Awww. And this is a very good description of a long, restless night. I definitely have had a lot of nights like this, and they are not fun, and you do a good job getting it across with such a short, blunt description.

“I imagine you’re not happy about that,” Hypno says quietly. Wow! It’s almost like she’s psychic!

I admit, this made me laugh out loud :P

If it really happened, if he’s really going to visit Professor Krane for any reason but destruction, then you need to be there. You won’t be able to get it out of your heaad otherwise.

Extra "a" in "head".
And, boy, the child really NEEDS to let go of control and learn to understand that, sometimes, things are better without him!

Hypno waits in the lobby, seated in a cubey soft chair of the kind found in lobbies everywhere. She’s put earbuds in; no doubt they’ve been riding in the fanny pack right beside the master ball. What is she listening to? Maybe a book or a radio show, but if you had to guess you’d say she’s reviewing something for one of her classes.

My guess is that the earbuds are connected to Professor Krane's helmet and she can hear their conversation? Although that seems duplicitous to me in a way that is very not-like-Hypno, as far as I can tell. So maybe she really IS just listening to a book or podcast?

You flop across the couch, deep in thouht, understanding nothing more than you did before.

Missing a "g" in "thought".

You spend a long time on your face.

Ha, this made me think he was faceplanted at first.

Now you look the bartender straight in the eye and say, “Hey, fuck. I fucking want one of your goddamn fucking shitty fuck drinks, right the fuck fucking now.”

Oh my gosh Does this sound like the great Nathaniel Morgan? Yes. But, child, there is a TIME and a PLACE, and insulting the drinks of the bartender you're talking to is a baaaaad start.

The man behind the counter, so immense he has to hunch down to avoid the old train car’s ceiling, stares back at you. After a long and poisonous second, he finally responds with, “What?"

LOL I can totally imagine him being unfazed and just irritated at being insulted, haha.

 

[Tango]

Hello and welcome to Salvage, my big fic project of many years! In the aftermath of Mewtwo's escape from the Cinnabar lab, Mew was lost, and another creature was born. Neither human nor pokémon but wielding Mew's powers, it's vowed to find its mother and free her from imprisonment, no matter what it takes. This is a dark fanfic, which I'd say would be rated "R" or "Mature." Specific content warnings are under the spoiler below.

So, I usually don't venture into M rated territory, but I've been curious about your long fig for a while now and really wanted to check it out. I might not get a weekly bonus from this, but at least I can cash in a heat bonus!

I also noticed how you did the pro move and made your opening chapter super short! Kind of makes me wonder if I should restructure my opening chapter... The original fic had it at about 10k and it's closer to 4k now, but that is probably still too high...

Spoiler

Content warnings include a large amount of violence, blood, death, and body horror; discussion of suicide and suicidal ideation; depictions of physical and psychological abuse and torture; and a lot (a lot) of strong and at times bigoted language.

Ok these specific kinds of things I might can deal with better than some others, so I'll give it a shot!

This is an old but still-in-progress story, and I appreciate all feedback, whether it's criticism or a quick "I liked it!" All that said, I hope you enjoy the fic.

I appreciate that you accept all feedback, but I would never give only a three word review for a chapter!

Chapter 1​

No special titles. Very well, lets see what you got!

Spoiler: Line by Line Reaction

In the conversation they can't have, the child would apologize for letting him die. "Sorry I can't help you, but this is how it has to happen," it would say. "This is how it's supposed to be. Don't worry. You can still be useful, even if you're dead. I'll take your name and I'll take your face and I'll take your pokémon"--the one that is mine, the one that was stolen from me--"and I'll go and make things right. That's what I'm doing, and you're helping me. It's not all bad."

Opening paragraph is pretty confusing, but it seems intentional and I expect things will become clear or at least less confusing going in. I'm surprised you went with something like this for the first paragraph.

The child can't say anything like that, of course. It can't say anything at all. Absol is very strict about interfering with Fate. She's beside the child now, breath misting white in the chill air of the cavern, watching the human. That's what she does: watches. She watches to be sure that Fate plays out how it's supposed to, and she doesn't interfere.

Usually the child doesn't mind. The dying people are foggy memories at best. It has nothing to say to them. But this one it thinks it remembers. "I know you," it might say. "You used to make little origami sculptures for your desk, didn't you? I always liked those, especially the pokémon ones. They were pretty." He must have been an intern, then. Not someone who was around for very long. He's uncommonly old to still be training, but perhaps he decided to take a break after Cinnabar. Maybe he decided science wasn't for him.

This is a very strange opening that requires me to read it multiple times to try to understand it. I also had to go back to the opening paragraph.

Ok so this POV is a child of sorts that is watching a human die. It is accompanied by a female Absol which prevents the 'child' from communicating with the human because that would interfere with fate somehow, I guess. Not sure how or why that would interfere, but that is what the child is saying. This 'child' intends to assume the identity of this person with their name, appearance, and mon. Not sure what mon the child intends to take or why the child would consider it their property.

Because the child has other memories, too, memories from a different life, and they whisper, "I know you. I remember you. I remember your face as you wrote the numbers down and lined the needles up. I remember your fear, human, and your shame, but I remember too that it did not stay your hand."

Seems like this human was complicit in the things leading to the birth of this... child.

There wouldn't be time to say all that anyway, not even most of it. In movies it seems like there's always time for last words, but here it's all over quickly: the human slips from the edge of the path, down here where everything is glitter-slick from the river's spray. He falls funny on one arm and doesn't even cry out as it snaps, just grabs for an icy rock with the other.

"You don't have to be scared," the child imagines itself telling him as he hangs there for a terrifying second, still thinking he might pull himself back up. "I died once. It wasn't so bad."

Died once? Huh?

His fingers find no purchase on the ice, and the incline keeps him sliding. His hand goes next to the pokéballs on his belt, but it's too late, too late. The river grabs his legs, pulls him down and under, and in no time at all he's gone.

Oh, they are on the edge of a river in winter or in a snowy area, most likely.

Absol goes forward, thick claws splayed wide to steady herself on the ice. She paces at the edge of the water. The child imagines the human being swept along by the rushing current, slammed against submerged boulders and carried over hidden waterfalls. The river will take him to the depths of the cave, where stories say Articuno's nest resides, delicate spires of ice and cast-off feathers among the rocks. The human will never see it, though. He'll be much too dead.

Ok so they are in the Seafoam Islands! I wonder how they all got out there?

Absol stops her pacing, turns back to the child and nods. It scrambles out from behind the boulder and joins her at the water's edge, peering into the dark, racing flow. Its shadow stretches over the water, rippled and frayed on the turbulent surface. There are lights behind it, illuminating the slushy path where it's safe for trainers to walk. Where the child's going there will be no light at all and only the bravest humans tread.

Going to Articuno's nest, perhaps?

The child sits perched on the edge a moment longer, readying scales and gills and webbing. "I will meet you later," says Absol, and the child nods, not really paying attention. Absol probably likes it down here, where it's deathly cold and the shadows lie close at hand. She might stay a while, vacationing, but the child still has work to do. It hesitates, watching how the water froths around the jag of a half-submerged rock, then throws itself in.

This child can transform just like Mew.

Even prepared for the shock, even insulated against the water's bite, the child still feels the cold like a hammer blow. Its gasp pulls in a mouthful of water, which goes sliding over the child's gills like a deep and icy breath. The child lets the current carry it along, clicking and squeaking to conjure a radar map of the riverbed. It makes a game of dodging rocks at the last possible moment, twisting away with lazy kicks of webbed feet. Then the riverbed drops away and it's falling, flailing at air and spray with a whoop of delight. It hits a couple rocks on the way down, jarred but not broken, and plunges back into the river with a thundering splash. It drifts down until the current grabs it again and pulls it along.

Down and down, around tight bends and through surging rapids, over more falls into the heart of the caverns. The child rolls and tumbles along until the current slows and another drop brings it to the final basin, where the river stops and water seeps out through hidden cracks and fissures. The child strokes downwards in the pitch dark, ignoring translucent swimming things, ghostly in its echo-sense, and a few pokémon, wary, staying out of its way. There at the bottom it finds the corpse.

Makes sense. The child needs to gather the Pokeball(s?).

The child grabs it and kicks back to the surface, eyes opening to stare at nothing in the deep-dark. There's a shelf of rock against one wall, it remembers, and it gropes its way over blind until it bumps up against the lip of rock.

There's barely enough room for it to perch out of the water, and it hunches on the edge like a gargoyle, snorting the last of the water out of its nose while its gills close up. The corpse lolls next to it, broken arm tangled in the straps of its backpack. The child ignores the bag for now, and the clothes, and even the pokéballs. Greedy with anticipation, it fishes the trainer's pokédex out of his pocket, working by feel. It flips the machine open and squints into sudden LED brilliance.

The pokedex? That's interesting! I have no idea why!

The child ignores cold and cramping muscles, scrolling through menus, flipping through page on page of data. It learns as much as it can about the trainer's life, then snaps the device shut and in the darkness changes. Crouching there in another's skin, the child tells itself the story of who it is now:

You are Nicholas Garrett. Around eight years ago you were interning at the lab on Cinnabar Island--maybe. Something to do with the lab, or you wouldn't be here now.

Four years ago you began your journey. You're a slow trainer, but a thorough one: four years, five badges. You have a charizard--your starter--nidoqueen, primeape, rhydon, and several others of little consequence.

I wonder if the child will be able to convince the mon of the deceased that they are their original trainer?

Today you came to the Seafoam Islands. Why, you don't know--looking for a seel, maybe, or just out for an adventure, maybe seeking the legendary Articuno. Whatever you were seeking will have to go unfound.

Because you died down here, Nicholas Garrett, in the darkness and the deep. You were twenty-six years old.

What do you do now?

That is the question.

Closing thoughts:
A strange almost alien opening to a fic. Ultimately, everything in the chapter that needed to make sense did. It gave just enough information for me not to feel lost while still laying the groundwork for things to be supposedly revealed later. From the blurb at the start, it sounds like this child is neither human nor Pokemon, which leads me to believe they are a hybrid of sorts, but does it really matter what they are if they can transform? Likely not. There are many directions a fic like this could go from here. Regarding rating, I am undeterred so far. Perhaps I shall return to delve farther in...

 

[Namohysip]

Hello Negrek. Today, my goal is to read a ton of Salvage for this blitz! I'm usually good about blitzing through swaths and giving some commentary broadly, but I tried to read a bunch first, and then in the final days give more specific thoughts per chapter, and then an overall at the end. Hope that helps.

've done a lot of it, making it all the way to completing Chapter 17 since last I'd checked in with you! Though, most of my thoughts will be more on how the arc has led to finally finding Mewtwo, and the Child getting more used to humanity while also refusing to totally understand what's going on.

Much of the early arc of the child exploring the cities and humanity while being in decent-to-poor disguises was fun. It helped frame the child's xenofiction in a way that's relatable, since there's a clear real-world equivalent to WHAT we're looking at. That was a very clever way to frame it after such a weird starting perspective. In some ways, I kinda wish the essence of chapters 5-8 or so were at the front, rather than after the actual intros, but that's more of a nitpick than anything.

The more recent arc--Mewtwo's "prison break" so to speak--has partly been a focus on Mewtwo and the Child, the latter trying to free the former and more or less setting off a Pandora's Box situation by getting Mewtwo out.

There are certainly some differences to how things are usually known about Mewtwo and his relation to Red here. First, Mewtwo was kept alive but contained and otherwise under Red's control and subjugation with no sense of partnership. Mewtwo did not seem convinced of Red's goodness here, but with how easily and readily he is able to kill other humans, I don't see how he wasn't able to just do that to Red is be hates trainers so much? Does the Master Ball also hardwave that, maybe?

It's admittedly hard to sympathize with Mewtwo or the Child if they're indiscriminately killing humans who even seem innocent or only there by happenstance, and of course Child continues to not care nor really suffer any consequence for it. For Mewtwo and how intelligent he seems to be, he fails at a lot of long term thinking here, which ironically only supports the idea that he ought to be controlled or put down like the beast he's acting as. And it's not like he's immortal either. Even in this ambush, he sustained some noticeable injuries, so I don't know how he would realistically last now that the surprise is gone.

The next arc seems to kind of be a repeat of the original arc with Nate, only now there's also Mewtwo involved, but they're both sort of the same personality but because they're rhe same, they're at odds with each other due to being both people who want to be in charge.

I kinda want to see Titan and the others again tbh, but they're relegated to set pieces here since they are forced to be inert in their Pokeballs the whole time. How does that work if Mewtwo also kills some while still in their ball? Or did I misread that? Either way, zero sympathy points for him at all either. Admittedly not sure why Red kept him alive if he was just like that prior to being captured. Or, if he did have that kind of compassion, why Mewtwo couldn't see it with all his mind reading? I kinda want to hear more about that, but the story seems to go out of its way to show as little of Red as possible.

The next chapter focuses on the interactions and chemistry (volatile or otherwise) between the child and Mewtwo--two people who, in some ways, had similar origins with the same "mother" yet cannot at all get along. Two sociopaths in different ways, one reckless and volatile and far more emotional than they'd want to admit, and another cold and calculating but also far more emotional than they'd want to admit. Sort of a big brother little sister thing going on but with way more blood and much less sympathy for either.

In a way, the past few chapters of this arc in particular have been a bit repetitive, especially when it comes to, again, beating up Nate, who continues to badmouth against his better judgment, while also being strung along because of some political use he holds, since even extracting the information via Mewtwo's mind reading isn't necessarily enough.

The child mentioning Absol echoes my own thoughts. Now that Mewtwo is back in the picture, I do wonder what the perspective shift will be on that, if anything at all, or... what Absol's role in all of this is supposed to be anyway. Who knows, maybe Absol is Mew and this is just one big test to see how Mewtwo and the Child can get along before having to be put in the get-along-shirt of Legendary proportions...

But that's as far as I was able to get this time around! I'm now a solid chunk into the story, and I think I've finally had enough information to give a "proper first impression" of the story's strong points and areas that haven't quite fit.

The strong points include the prose and the uniqueness of perspective. The prose is strong and, while sometimes a bit more flowery than necessary, does paint a good picture when it comes to setting a scene or a city vibe in particular. Injuries and wounds are descriptive enough, and I find that to be very useful in particular when contextualizing the power scaling of the legends. Often, descriptions feel needlessly long, but I find them mechanically very useful here due to the subject matter you're covering.

That flows into the uniqueness of perspective. It's in general been very useful to get into the headspace of the Child most of all, even if I'm sometimes left scratching my head on what it means to "change your brain" to stop worrying about one thing or another, and how easily that could mess up. For example, can the child... accidentally transform into something that forgets about being the child, or about transforming? Or a plate of cookies, no longer thinking at all? If someone jostles the child mid-transformation, is that catastrophic?

The most unique thing about this story by far is how the Legends appear to be high-offense low-defense in terms of typical power scaling. Most gods are bulletproof, but here, they need to be very careful of some arguably mundane things that basic Pokemon in other settings can shrug off, like guns in my own. Meanwhile, injuries seem to be serious and often life-threatening despite how commonplace battle is, and admittedly that leaves me wondering how that works for the setting as a whole without being a dystopian blood sport, yet that doesn't feel like the vibe you're intending for the world to actually "be" so much as just the opinion of twisted Legends like the child and Mewtwo. I had covered that a bit prior, as well.

But that, in tandem, leads to the weak point that makes it hard for me to be truly glued to the story -- your protagonists are awful! Not in that they're badly written, but that it's hard to want to follow them around because they're written effectively for what they're meant to be--mean-spirited, broken, and a solid 25, 40% xenofiction. Some folks love that, but I find it sometimes hard to vibe with when that's just the constant tone. And the characters who are nice -- mostly Titan and his comrades -- I find myself... puzzled? Puzzled, yeah. Puzzled that they just keep vibing with all this so readily, despite seeming to demonstrate a lot of intelligence readily otherwise.

It leads to a strange, maybe even uncomfortable contradiction in the setting being painted here with Mewtwo angsting about ownership and servitude and that Pokemon ought to stand for themselves, while also pointing at Pokemon who, by and large, are either animals, intelligent animals who seem to have no "human drive" to actually be beyond that, or outright dangers to humans if left on their own, so why would humans set them loose if partnership is clearly so much better?

I guess ultimately that's something Mewtwo has to confront, and maybe that's even a grand realization many chapters down. It just puzzles me that being with Red didn't give that answer already.

But that's a bunch of rambling at this point on my overall thoughts at this turning point in the story, with Mewtwo, the Child, and Nate all in one place finally, even if Nate is arguably not completely in one piece for it.

I'm certainly still interested. The mystery keeps me intrigued, and the prose is great to walk through. I only wish there were a few more tender moments so I can get at least an ounce of bloody sympathy from the stony souls of these main characters. But maybe that will one day come.

Anyway, Titan deserves the world, and it's a shame the Child and Mewtwo can't agree to give it to him. I don't expect them to get ANYTHING done until they stop butting heads. Unfortunately, each time they do, it seems to harm everyone but them in the long run... I guess that's poetic of something else, but I'll need to read more to see which dysfunctional relationship in a textbook it's meant to reflect!

Until next time, see you then for more.

 

[Dragonfree]

Not me realizing I never actually read the latest Salvage chapter somehow

Spoiler: Chapter 63

The great Nathaniel Morgan visits eventually. He has his pokéballs with him, close to hand. Nobody thinks he must have gotten attacked here once, or at least something must have made the gouge that goes down the wall and across the floor, wood buckled and peeling black around the edges. It would explain the bandage on the great Nathaniel Morgan's arm, too.

Must have gotten attacked here once, mysteriously, definitely not by them!

Today is one of the days when he talks a lot. "So it's still boring as fuck out here in Desertville," he says. "I thought I saw a wooper hiding out in some bushes today, but then it turned out it was just a plastic bag, and that was pretty much the most fucking exciting thing I've seen in weeks. Made my entire goddamn morning."

Aww, look at him making conversation with them.

The great Nathaniel Morgan glances at the ceiling, the walls, then crosses his arms over his chest and addresses the floor. "Look, I didn't come looking for you or nothing," he says, as if Nobody might somehow think that.

Very tsundere of you, Nate.

"I'm here for Mew. I mean, I'm the only one who... who even knows what the fuck you and Mewtwo are after, right? And ain't like nobody would believe me if I told them because I'm all, like, a gigantic fucking terrorist shithead or whatever." He waves an exasperated hand, still talking to the floorboards. "Ain't like I got much of a shot at rescuing her or whatever, I know, but... but I guess I gotta try. Because I'm the only one who can."

Hmm, so Nate thinks he's the only one who can find Mew, and by that presumably means that Cipher captured the protagonist and Mewtwo is... missing? I guess? After being rescued from Cipher by Absol? I'm really itching to know what happened to Mewtwo exactly (surely both Mewtwo and Absol are also still invested in finding Mew...?) but it sounds like Nate has no idea about any of that and just, I guess, one way or another figures Mewtwo is not around. That or the "I'm the only one who can" is just a hasty justification, but.

Nobody can't stop. It started talking, and now it can't stop, won't be able to stop, not ever. "And the Musketeers. They got Hypno and they got Noctowl and I do not even know if they are with Team Rocket or Cipher or what, and Heracross is dead and Absol took Mewtwo away and, and..."

The great Nathaniel Morgan looks like he's hoping if he presses himself against the wall hard enough he'll sink through it and disappear.

"Everybody is gone," Nobody says, or tries to. It can hardly get words out around its sobs. Who even knows if the noises it makes sound like words anymore. "Everybody. I am... There is no one. It is just me."

The great Nathaniel Morgan watches warily from the corner of his eye, as though expecting Nobody to pounce on him or something. It tries to stop, tries to crush its despair deep down inside where it belongs, but it can't hold in the sobs that wrench their way out of its body like they're trying to escape.

Nate is not prepared to hear this trauma dumping. The protagonist has presumably attacked him before when they get too despair-filled.

Aww, this chapter was sweet. Nate is so genuinely soft as a post-whump caretaker, bless him - a few sarcastic remarks here and there but mostly he's just super kind, trying his absolute hardest to get the kid all the privacy and time they need and some food they're willing to eat and some conversation and even some surprisingly heartfelt attempts to talk through their guilt and give them a healthier perspective on life and identity and destiny. He's so good. Obviously he's always been a good trainer to his Pokémon, and clearly worked through his own issues with them a bit in their time offscreen - talking about fuckups and how you've always got a choice is obviously very relevant to his own emotional journey. Look how he's grown! I'm so proud of him.

I loved how what ultimately gets the kid to come out and join them is Transformozords, the comfort of a familiar episode of their favorite show. Feels very right, and I think you portrayed it beautifully (and the whole gradual healing leading up to it). Sitting under the arm of the sofa instead of with them is a bit sad but it's progress! And Nate of course is very patient about it, lets them stay there while making it clear they can join on the couch and have a say in what they watch. What a good.

Going back to chapter 45, oof, the resonance of how back then their answer to "You're a freak of nature who ought to be dead" was to cling to being special, which they can't anymore - of course Nate was just being a dick when he said it, wincing to even be reminded of that, but it stuck, and it's easy for the collapse of their previous sense of identity and specialness to cause them to return to that statement in particular.

Of course, all this culminates in them finally getting to have a name of their own, very literally reconstructing their identity after that identity loss. They never had their own name before at all, just shifting masks, but they did have a nickname in how Nate addressed them - first Freak, then Kid - and it's a delightful bow on the whole rocky development of their relationship to this point that that ends up being the new identity they can actually rebuild themselves around. Which in turn is just a synonym for "child". A lovely way of bringing things full circle.

I'll be excited to see the final arc play out! Still eager to hear more about what all Nate's been doing with Cipher all this time and what he's learned about Mew. Hopefully for the next one I will not be quite so late, RIP.

Spoiler: Nitpicks

What is even going to do from now on?

What is it even going to do, presumably.

And when they're absorbed in watching the show, then nobody can raise its head and watch, too.

Presumably you want to capitalize Nobody here.