Within Me

A Team Crusader Story

Chapter 3: Dav

There’s a calming feeling to sitting alone at a bar, just being away from it all, not having to worry about what lies outside of the colored drink within your glass. At least, from what he can remember.

These thoughts permeate Dav’s head as he stares at the Gummi Drink in his claws. The makeshift reed straw floats around the glass as Dav ponders taking another sip of his drink. He looks around the makeshift tavern, the other Pokémon sitting at tables and sharing stories of adventure, comradery, and challenge. Furthermore, not a single straw in sight.

He knows he sticks out like a sore thumb, not that he doesn’t mind being alone, but flying under the radar is more his thing. It’s been a couple days since he woke up here, outside of his old human body. His memories fragmented, though slowly coming back to him. Luckily, being a Blaziken isn’t all that different from being human, save a couple missing fingers, and the beak. He’s still getting used to eating and drinking with it, the straw is proof of that.

He hears a voice call out to him, looking up he sees a Gardevoir on the other side of the bar, eyeing him being lost in thought.
“What’s buggin’ you?” Her voice carries a weight of elegance, though her speech is more casual than Dav would’ve expected. Somehow, despite never being to the human world, she’s speaking with a soft southern drawl.

“Nothin’ really. Just out of it I guess.” Dav shrugs off her question, He’s never told anyone about his predicament. “Stay under the radar” has been his motto for the last couple days; he doesn’t want to attempt opening up to some barmaid, let alone a Pokémon who probably isn’t going to understand, or even accept a former human. He can imagine himself being thrown out of the tavern just for not being like them. It’s easier to swallow than her being able to sympathize.

“I’ve seen plenty of faces in my time,” the Gardevoir muses. “I can tell when it’s more than just bein’ out of it. Call it a, hidden ability.”
She gives him a slight, but tender grin, finding a cup and rag to make herself look busy as she talks to the stranger in front of her.
Being the first real conversation he’s had since he got here, and not just pleasantries while he attempts to figure out the quickest route to a populated area, he can feel his façade of stoicism slipping.

“Sure, you got me.” He replies, finally getting the courage to take a sip from his drink, he holds the straw to the side of his beak, drawing in the sweet liquid from the cup. It’s a tart, bitter taste, one he’s registers as an equivalent to human alcohol, though he already knew that’s what’d it’d be when he sat down. It’s a tavern, they’re going to sell stiff drinks, no matter what world he’s in.

“Just a bit confused as all, been walking a couple days.” He continues.

“Trying to get to Capim Town, I reckon?” The Gardevoir flashes another grin.

Dav looks up from his drink, his expression is a bit shocked, how much does she really know? It’s true he’s trying to make his way to Capim Town, he heard that there’s a group of Pokémon there that could possibly be in the same situation as him. But she can’t possibly know that.

“Your face says it all.” She laughs. “And the reed sticking out of your cup. Not a lot of Pokémon drink from reeds. But the ones who do, normally come from Capim Town, or are going there.”

She pauses, looking around to see if anyone is listening in, before leaning close to Dav.

“I’ve heard some stories.” She continues. “Some Pokémon just randomly appear here every now and then. Apparently, they come from a world where we don’t exist, but they wake up here as one of us…”

Dav freezes, holding his breath as she eyes him again. Before she smiles, giving him a wink.

“Don’t worry Blaziken, your secret is safe with me. Though I’d recommend not using a reed to down your Gummi Drink.”

Dav responds by slowly taking the reed out of his cup, placing it on the counter, Gardevior responds by taking the reed from him, hiding it away.

“There ya go. Y’know… personally, I’m always a fan of fresh faces.” She smiles again.

“T…thanks?” Dav responds.

“No worries.” She looks around the bar, before looking past him, to the back of the tavern.

“Ope, looks like duty calls! Don’t be a stranger now.” She says, putting her “busy work” down and heading away from the bar.

Dav gives a nod, as she walks away. His sotic façade returning to him.

His thoughts begin to populate his mind again. She read him like a book, dammit. He got lucky this time, seems like some are more forgiving than others. But who’s to say what some of the other, tougher looking Pokémon think of someone like him.

He hears the door open to the bar, two Pokémon enter, as they talk to one another, Dav catches the end of their conversation.

“I’m telling you; I honestly don’t mind having paws.” One says.

Another voice responds.

“And I’m telling you that’s stupid. I need my hands to do things.”

Dav turns around to see who these two voices belong to, they sound… familiar to him. Two Pokémon step into the bar, A Munchlax wearing a satchel, and an Espeon.

He feels like he knows these two. They sound familiar, and they look familiar too. But he’s unable to really discern anything about them. Maybe everyone looks familiar since he knows what a lot of Pokémon look like?

Dav quickly looks back to his drink, attempting to take a straw free sip of it, he manages to catch most of it, though some spills out onto his feathers, which he quickly brushes off.

He can see the Munchlax pulling a barstool out two down from him, While the Espeon readies himself, trying to gauge his jump onto the stool next to him. Dav can’t help but look now he turns his head a little bit to get a clearer view.

The Espeon is struggling to find the right trajectory, reeling back, and almost jumping, before second guessing himself. This cycle happens a couple times, before he finally decides to put his front paws on the stool and climb up. But he even struggles with that as well; his feet kicking and clawing at the stool to get a foothold to push the rest of his body up.

Finally, he manages to climb up, letting out a heavy sigh.

The Munchlax turns to him.

“You don’t mind paws huh?”

“Shut up.” The Espeon responds.

Dav can’t help but chuckle at their back and forth, which catches the attention of the Espeon.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, laugh it up.” The Espeon says, turning to Dav.

“You gotta admit it was a little funny.” Dav says, finally giving his attention to the Espeon.

But it doesn’t respond, instead, it seems lost in thought, staring at him.

“You… you okay?”

The Espeon snaps back from whatever trance it was in, responding.

“I. Yeah. Do I know you?”

The Munchlax looks to Dav as well, before adding to the conversation.

“You do seem kind of familiar.”

“I was going to say the same thing.” Dav responds.

“What’s your name?” The Munchlax inquires.

“It’s uh… Dav.” He replies.

“Mako.” The Munchlax points to himself.

“I’m Beau.” The Espeon says.

As soon as their replies hit his ears, Dav feels himself remember something, being pulled into his mind, and into a vivid memory.
He’s standing at the end of a dock, the sprawled open water of a lake out in front of him he looks down, seeing a familiar human body, holding what looks like a can in his hand. He looks to his right, seeing two other humans both holding cans, different colors from his, their faces obscured by a haze he can’t seem to see past.

The one in the middle of their group talks.

“So, I went out with a girl last week.”

That voice he recognizes, it’s the Espeon, Beau.

The one at the far end replies.

“You already told me this.” It says. He recognizes that voice as well. That’s Mako.

“Yeah, but Dav hasn’t heard it yet.” Beau responds.

“I haven’t, no.” Dav’s voice becomes intrigued, though in his mind he knows he didn’t say that… At least, he didn’t make himself.

“Anyways…” Beau continues. “Finally, I go out and meet this girl at a coffee shop. I thought it went well!”

“Did it?” Dav asks.

“Guess not.” Beau responds. “Had a good time, and good conversation, but I sent her a text a few days ago, and nothing.”

“That sucks.” Dav responds.

“Eh, I’m bummed sure, but to be honest, I’m having more fun now hanging w/ the boys anyways.”

“Damn right.” Mako responds.

“I’ll drink to that.” Dav responds.

“To family?” Beau’s visage asks, raising his can.

The other two raise their cans as well.

“Family.” They both say.

Dav’s pulled from his mind. Once more, back into the bar, where Beau, the Espeon, and Mako, the Munchlax stare at him.
Dav puts a clawed hand to his head, looking at the other two.

“You saw that right?” He asks as his voice shakes.

The two nod.

“I knew I remembered you from somewhere.” Beau says.

“Same thing happened to me and him earlier today.” Mako replies. “We all must know each other from…”

“From before.” Dav finishes Mako’s sentence.

“Wow.” Beau says, looking out seemingly staring into nothing.

“Looks like we’re all here together.”

“Yeah, guess so.” Dave replies. “Though, I’m happy to see a familiar face.”

“Same.” Mako adds. “Better than being alone.”

Dav nods.

“I’ll drink to that.”

“What is that anyway?” Beau asks.

“It’s uh… A Gummi Drink. Least, that’s what it’s called.”

“Gummi Drink?” Mako asks.

“Yeah.” Dave replies. “It’s not bad.”

“Interesting.” Beau says, leaning towards the bar, looking for whoever’s manning it. Soon enough he catches eyes with the Gardevoir Dav spoke with earlier, who comes to the counter.

“Can I help you boys?” She asks, with a smile.

“Uh… yeah.” Beau replies. “Can I get a Gummi Drink?”

“You wanna start a tab?” She inquires.

“I got it, get me one as well.” Mako replies, pulling a couple gold coins out of the satchel, and onto the table. He looks to a small menu next to him, grabbing the paper, reading it over, before setting it down. “And uh….”

Mako sets the menu down.

“Whatever you think is good.” He looks to her, hiding the fact he can’t read the menu.

The Gardevoir nods, taking the coins and walking away.

“You don’t have to do that.” Beau replies. “I could’ve paid it off.”

“You don’t have any money dude.” Mako responds, “Sides, we’re travelling together, we can share cash, what else am I going to use it for? I just spent it on food earlier today, and I’m spending it on food now.”

Dav chuckles to himself. The other two look at him.

“What?” Beau asks.

“Nothing.” Dav Replies. “Just feels weird running into you two, can’t believe the both of you are actually here.”

“How long have you been here?” Beau asks.

“Four days, I think?” Dav responds.

“That’s weird.” Beau says, though before he can get his next sentence out, the Gardevoir comes back to the bar, In one hand, she holds a plate of small breaded sticks, in the other, there’s a cup, and floating in front of her, is another cup, enveloped in a purplish aura.

She sets the plate down in font of Mako, and one of the cups, the other hovers in front of Beau.

Dav sees beau look down at his paws, before looking up at her with a confused face. The Gardevoir reminds him of what he’s supposed to be doing.

“You can take it from me, with your PSI dear.” She says, her tender smile unwavering.

“Oh uh…” Beau responds, trying to focus on the glass… before stopping.

“I uh… I must be too tired.” Beau replies, his ears flattening.

The Gardevoir gives him a look, she can tell he’s lying… though she gives him a smile and plays along. Setting the cup down.

“Sure thing hon.” She says. “Just make sure to take a nice rest before straining yourself too hard. Y’know what they say, practice makes perfect.”

“Y-yeah.” Beau replies, pawing the cup closer to him, before putting his mouth over the glass lapping in a couple sips of the Gummi Drink.

He reels back, making a face as if he had just eaten a sour apple, before pausing, and then going back to the drink.

Dav looks over to Mako, who’s gnawing on the strange, breaded strips. They look familiar to him, like he’s had something quite similar before. As Mako bites down on one, and sees him pull the stringy insides out from his mouth, it clicks in his head.

Dav leans over the bar, hushing his voice to the Gardevoir, checking his theory.

“What’s he eating?” he asks.

“Oh, those?” She replies.

“Those’re called Miltank Strips. We make cheese outta a miltanks milk, then we fry it with bread.” She elaborates.

Dav knew that, he just wanted to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating the fact that Pokémon know how to make Mozzarella Sticks.

“Can I order some?” Dav asks, putting a coin out on the table.

“Course, what kinda bartender would I be if I didn’t serve my customers?” She gives him a smile, before walking away.

He turns to Beau, who’s already lapped up half of his drink, side eyeing the conversation.

“You can have some.” Dav says.

“Nice.” Beau replies before turning back to his drink.

The next hour or so is a bit of a blur for Dav, he’s still taken back by the fact that two of his closest friends had somehow made their way here. He was genuinely convinced he would’ve been alone in this whole, strange new world. But… Now that he’s stepping out into the cool night air with Beau and Mako… It feels a lot easier to handle. He thought he was lucky enough already to be turned into a humanoid Pokémon, but now he’s got friends to help him through it all.

The three of them stand in front of the tavern, looking at the road ahead of them in the moonlight; a small glistening speck within the hills shows the destination, Capim Town.

The three start making their way down the road, walking in the same formation that they all sat in at the bar.

Dav looks to both Beau and Mako.

“So, where are you guys going?” he asks.

“Capim Town.” Mako replies. “Heard that there’s a guild there where the signs are in English. If you and Beau are here, maybe there’s more people like us?”

“Maybe we can finally get some answers.” Beau adds.

“That’s where I’m heading, I heard something similar, but nothing about the signs.” Dav replies.

“What’d you hear?” Beau asks.

“Mumurs, from other Pokémon, natives I think. Something about pokemon in Capim being weird, acting differently. I was going to at least check it out, but now that you guys brought up going there, sounds like we should be sticking around.” Dav answers.

“Yeah, if there’s anyone who’s like us, they’d be there.” Mako says. “You are sticking around right?”

“After remembering who you guys are… course.” Dav laughs.

“What’d you remember?” Beau asks. “Mako and I had a similar memory when we met.”

“I remembered us… on a dock, at a lake, drinking something.” Dav recollects.

“Talking about a date Beau went on.” Mako adds.

“Yeah, I remember that too.” Beau continues.

“Seems like we all held that memory pretty fondly.” Dav says.

“Well yeah.” Beau replies. “I don’t remember much… but from what I do remember, you guys are my best friends, so…”

He seems to trail off.

“Yeah, you guys are mine too.” Mako says.

“That’s good to hear, we’ve got each other right?” Dav replies, a smile across his face.

“Course, Let’s try to not forget each other again huh?” Beau asks.

“Not on my life man.” Dav replies.

Mako turns his attention to a small field on the side of the road, surrounded by a handful of trees.

“I’m gettin’ kinda tired. You guys wanna set camp up?”

“Sure.” Dav replies. “It’s been a long day hasn’t it?”

“Sure has.” Beau says.

The three step onto the grass, making their way to small clearing made by the trees.

“First thing’s first, fire.” Dav says.

Beau and Mako nod, walking out to the brush while Dav stands in the middle of the clearing. Scanning the area for any would be intruders.

Beau and Mako return, mako carrying a bundle of sticks, and beau holding one in his mouth, they set them down on the ground, and Dav goes to work building a small makeshift firepit.

“Now what?” Mako asks.

“We light it.” Beau says, “But uh…. How?”

Mako turns to his satchel, digging through it.

“I don’t have anything to light it.”

They both turn to Dav.

“What?” Dav asks.

“You’re a fire type, aren’t you?” Mako asks.

“Oh… yeah.” Dav replies, running a hand down the back of his head.

Dav steps back, giving himself enough room to attempt to use a move. He hasn’t done this before. Nobody’s bothered to try anything against him, so he hasn’t had the chance to fight yet. He’s never used a move, let alone knew how to use one anyways. His mind races to think about how Blazikens make fire. It should be easy… right?

It’s all a haze in his head. He can’t remember how to do it.

“Do you not know how to make fire?” Beau asks.

Dav’s pulled from his concentration. He looks at the two, his expression shifting from confidence to a tinge of embarrassment.

“… No.” Dav replies.

Mako taps his finger on his chin, before his expression changes to something akin to an epiphany.

“I remember.” Mako says.

“Remember what?” Dav asks.

“I remember how you make fire. I’ve grown up on these games, it’s all coming back to me.” He says with a grin.

“Okay, let it slip!” Dav says, gesturing to the fire. “How do I light it?”

“Ok, so your wrists and legs.” Mako points to Dav’s extremities. “Those make fire.”

“Okay?” Dav gives him a look, egging him to continue.

“You should be able to just… make fire come out of those.” Mako says.

“That’s it?!” Dav exclaims.

“I don’t know how to actually do moves! I just remembered what I read in the dex!” Mako snaps back.

Dav sighs.

“I thought you had like, a step by step way on how it worked.” Dav says.

Mako shrugs, “I just know you have to like, punch and kick to shoot it.”

Dav shakes his head, taking a breath, before putting himself in a fighting stance. He doesn’t remember why he’s doing this… but it feels more natural, like he’s supposed to do this to get his body to work the way it should. He closes his eyes, and starts to will himself to expel fire from his hands.
He can feel himself being pulled into another memory.

“Jackass!”

Dav opens his eyes into the memory, he sees himself, smaller… laying on the concrete of what looks to be a high school parking lot.

“Don’t even try to talk to me.” The voice says.

He looks to the source of the voice, it’s a teenager, about the same height as him. The figure is donned in a faded blue button up shirt, and slacks. Like all of his memories, he can’t see their face. He remembers this. His first fight with someone. Some douchey kid in a clique that Dav bumped into in the hallway. He was too proud of himself to not say anything to him, the kid carried himself with such bravado that he acted like he owned the place. Dav wasn’t going to give him the time of day, he hated people like that. People who grew up and treated like they were the shit.
Dav’s voice echoes out from him, but he didn’t speak it, he remembered it.

“Fuck you.”

He couldn’t see the kid’s face, but he knew the figure was snarling at him.

Dav feels himself wipe his face with his hand, and take the same fighting stance he did before. It’s all coming back to him, he could feel himself become heated, emotionally, and physically.

The kid reels his arm back, swinging it at full force at Dav. He puts his arms up, the punch hitting him in the forearms, the sting of the punch burning underneath his skin.

Dav reels his own punch back, stepping forward, swinging into the side of the kids head. Right before the punch connects, he’s pulled back into the reality he’s currently in.

He blinks a couple times as his vision unblurs from him being locked in his memory. The dark skin covering his wrists and forearms now flickering in fire. He chuckles to himself.

“You did it!” Beau says.

“I… I did.” Dave replies, quickly moving to the fire, lighting it with a soft punch.

Dav shakes his arms, the fire extinguishing from his body. Mako nods.

“Good job dude.”

The three all sit down in front of the fire, the warmth covering the group as they all look up at the stars.

Mako takes the satchel off, using it as a makeshift pillow as the three of them stare into the night sky.

“It’s wild… isn’t it?” Mako says.

“Yeah.” Beau responds.

“I don’t think I’ve seen stars this bright since… I don’t know.” Dav adds.

“Y’know.” Beau continues. “I kind of expected to see the big dipper.”

“Didja?” Mako looks at him.

“Yeah.” Beau adds. “But... I don’t think I recognize anything up there.”

“Why would you?” Dav says. “Look at us.”

“Y…yeah.” Beau says, pausing for a moment, before speaking up once more.

“How’re you guys holding up anyways?” Beau asks.

There’s a small silence between the group as they all ponder Beau’s question.

Dav’s had a little more time to reflect on his current situation, it hasn’t been hard. Hell, this whole experience has felt like one big vacation for him… Though… he just can’t remember why it feels that way. Everything has been so much more colorful, vibrant, and thrilling to him. It’s like he needed this…but there’s a nagging feeling in his head that asks him if it’s what he wanted.

“I’ve been okay, honestly.” Dav says, the first one to speak up.

Mako nods in agreement. “Okay is all I can really say too, personally, I’m not a fan of constantly being hungry all the time.” He says, before realizing something, sitting up a little bit, and reaching into the satchel, pulling out one of the apples he had picked up earlier.

“What about you though?” Mako turns to Beau, “I feel like you got the worst out of all of us.

“Did I?” Beau asks.

“Yeah.” Dav adds on, “We both still have hands.”

“True, I guess.” Beau says. “Honestly, I still don’t know how to feel. This has been a… really weird experience for me….”

He pauses, as if he’s trying to pick his words extremely carefully.

“But I don’t… I don’t feel weird about it?” He continues. “It’s like my brain is telling me everything is wrong… but I feel something in me telling me it’s not?”

“Like… you like being that way?” Mako asks.

Beau expression changes to one of shock.

“Whoa hold on man I didn’t ever say that.” he replies.

“Sounds like that’s what you said.” Dav chuckles.

“No, no…” Beau continues. “I guess… I guess I’m still figuring it out as all. I’ve only been here a day y’know.”

“A Day?” Dav asks.

“Yeah… I woke up this morning.” Beau elaborates. “Like this.”

“Really?” Mako questions. “This’ll be my second night.”

“This’ll be my fourth.” Dav adds.

“That’s… strange.” Beau says. “I was going to mention this at the tavern when you said that; but you’d think I’d remember you guys being missing for a couple days before now.”

“But we don’t remember much at all right now, do we?” Mako says.

“Guess not.” Dav replies.

“It’ll come in time right?” Beau asks, stepping a little close to the flames before sitting himself down again.

“I hope so.” Mako says, with a yawn.

“Seems like I’m remembering more stuff every day.” Dav adds, “Maybe we’ll get to the end of this whole thing if we keep on trucking.”

“Sounds good to me.” Mako replies, though it sounds like he’s starting to drift off.

“Is it okay to be… kind of scared of that?” Beau turns to Dav.

“Why would you be scared?” Dav turns to the Espeon.

“I don’t remember much.” Beau continues. “But, from what I do remember. It feels like the bad is beginning to outweigh the good.”

“Well… you don’t know that for sure right?” Dav says, raising an eyebrow.

“I suppose not.” Beau continues. “Just worries me is all.”

Dav shrugs, flopping himself onto his back, looking up at the stars.

“Nothing you can do about it now right?” Dav replies. “Like we said earlier, it’s all about being able to keep going.”

“That’s true.” Beau replies, dropping down pulling his legs closer to his body, his tail wrapping around himself, covering his paws.

“Maybe we’ll be more clear headed in the morning?” He asks.

Though, he doesn’t get any response from the two of them. It’s clear the day has worn everyone out, and they’re all tired.

Beau looks up from the ball he’s made of himself, the stars sparkle in the sky, the light, warm breeze grazes his fur, and the warmth of the fire, already starting to dwindle, attempting fruitlessly to catch the blades of grass.

Beau can feel himself beginning to drift off himself, his head resting on his front paws as he begins to close his eyes, the soft sounds of the night pulling him into the void of sleep he found himself in this morning.