Story Notes:
Pokemon isn't mine, and will probably never be mine, so any and all characters and settings that are official Pokemon/nintendo proterty are copyright to them. This IS a fan work, and the plot and setting is not intended to be commercial.
Chance encounter
The human sighed as he locked the front door of his house for another night. Monotonous and simple his life had become; weighed down by a boring job and no friends to his name, he rarely left the house for anything other than shopping and even that was a rare occurance. Unlke most humans of his age, he didn't own any Pokémon which only deepened his lonliness. It wasn't that he didn't like them; on the contrary, he quite liked Pokémon of any species. His parents had scoffed at him not owning any Pokémon, throwing him out of the house until he would get his own. In the absence of family, he had hastily gotten a job and an apartment, and from there his 'normal' life had begun, quickly evolving to the point of him owning a modest three bedroom home and a well paying career in -of all things- Pokémon Vetinary sciences. He worked alongside a Nurse Joy at a nearby Pokémon Center, and he had to admit he was good at what he did. He would assist Joy in operations if he was required, which was seldom often; usually he would sit in his office and play chess against himself, a game that he always wound up in stalemate. It was the middle of summer and the sun had taken its toll on more than a few of local trainer's companions. He wearily walked into his kitchen, grabbed a drink from the refrigerator, and then saw the broken glass strewn across the floor. Great, some asshole teenagers have thrown rocks through his window; what else could go wrong? He sighed again and put his drink on the counter, taking a dustpan and broom put and quickly whisking the shards away to a bin. He stopped when he heard movement further in the house. So, not just broken his window, but also crept in? This intruder was going to get one hell of a surprise when they were caught, that was for sure. He crept round the doorframe, rolling pin in hand, and slowly made his way to the bathroom. He could hear heavy breathing, but movements had stopped, and he reached for the door. He slowly opened the door and looked into the room before dropping the rolling pin and racing to his knees beside the intruder huddled on the floor.
He ran his expert eye over the small pink Pokémon lying on the tiles infront of him, he could tell that it was female; but telling something's gender doesn't help you to distinguish a species you've never encountered before. He took his Pokédex out of his pocket, something he'd not done for any real purpose in a long time because after almost ten years in a Pokémon center he knew most every species to the letter. His Pokédex snapped open and scanned the creature infront of him before it started talking.
"Species: Mew. Feline. Age: Six months. Believed by many to be a mirage or just a plain legend, Mew is capable of transforming into any other Pokémon to disguise itself and thusly avoid being distinguished. It is widely believed by scientists that Mew contains the DNA of all species of Pokémon, which is what allows it to transform. As a Psychic type, extreme caution is advised when handling one, however the species is believed to be highly curious of things it does not understand. Current status problems: Subject cannot move due to extreme dehydration. Heightened body temperature may cause termination."
He clicked his Pokédex shut and shoved it back into his pocket before carefully putting a hand on the little pink psychic.
"It's going to be alright." He said. She gave him a scared look. "Don't fear me, little one." He said. "My name is Norris, I work at the local Pokémon Center. I only want to help, I'll be right back, okay?"
She nodded weakly, still breathing heavily, and he stood up. He quickly turned on the bath and sprinted out of the room back to the kitchen. He swung open the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of sports drink before he hesitated and then pulled out several more. He'd always gone for long runs in the morning, and he kept a fair amount of these drinks in the house, but he never thought that he'd be using them to cure a Pokémon's dehydration. He slammed the door shut with his foot and raced back to her, sliding to a stop on the tile floor and wrenching a bottle open. Tenderly he lifted her head and put the bottle to her lips, stopping a moment when she sputtered before continuing. She drank the first one down like it wasn't even there, and he threw the plastic bottle into the corner, opening another and helping her drink it. She finished the second bottle and he put it down.
"Just one second, okay?" He said, holding a finger up. She nodded and he stood up, stepping over to turn the water in the bath off. He stepped into the shower alcove next to the bath and stripped to his boxers and underpants before stepping back out and picking up the next bottle. She gave him a questioning glance when she saw him in less clothing than before, but she shrugged it off as she started to drink. He pulled the bottle from her mouth before it was half empty and lifted her gently from the tiles. She, again, gave him a curious look.
"The drinks will only help so much." He explained, stepping into the bath and sitting down, holding her in the water so that she didn't slip under. "Your skin will absorb the water in the bath and you'll rehydrate faster." She weakly nodded to this. "Your body temperature is also higher than should be, probably owing to your dehydration and the weather, and this is one of the easiest ways to lower it." He reached over and pushed a button on the wall, turning on the ceiling fan. The air circulated and mew's fine fur moved a little. He lifted her from the water, using the air to cool her quickly before letting her sink back down. He held her tightly, making sure she'd not sink, but not tight enough to harm her light frame. Eventually she could move on her own and he scratched her behind her ear.
"Okay, I'm just going to go get my Pokédex off the top over there, hold on to the edge of the bath until I return, okay?" He asked. She nodded, and he let her go, letting her arms hold her in the water as he stepped out and over to the sink. He lifted his Pokédex and pointed it at her. He tapped a button or two before getting the desired result.
"Subject: Mew." It chimed. "Hydration levels: normal, temperature: normal, subject requires sleep and hearty meal." Norris shut the 'dex and put it back on the top.
"Alright, then." He said, walking over and lifting her from the bath, cradling her in his arms like he would a baby. "You heard the 'dex; let's get you some shuteye and then I'll see what I can feed you in the morning; I trust that you're at least omnivorous?" She nodded and opened her mouth, showing him her teeth. Several were razor sharp, but most of them were yellowing. "But first, we brush your teeth." He said, walking to the sink and taking a spare toothbrush from the cabinet. He sat her on the top and put some toothpaste on the brush. "Open." He said, tapping her mouth. She obeyed and he held her jaw, putting the brush in and brushing. She tried to get away from the unpleasent taste, but he held firm and wouldn't let her go. "Put your teeth together, like this." He said, demonstrating. She did as she was told and he continued. Eventually he finished brushing and he filled a cup with one hand, putting it to her mouth. "Don't swallow this, just swish it around in your mouth and spit it into the basin." He said, pouring the water in.
He stood in mild amusement as she swirled the water around in her mouth with a disgusted look on her face before spitting it into the sink. She grabbed the cup and filled her mouth again, determined to get the awful taste of the paste off her tongue. After a few minutes she finished, and was sure she'd gotten over the toothpaste and she shot him an accusing glare.
"Hey, healthy teeth are important." He said. "Without them you'll be unable to chew. If you'd like, I can get you some with a better flavour?" He waved the toothpaste infront of her face. She nodded weakly. "Alright." He said, brushing his own teeth with a different toothbrush. When he was sure he was finished, he washed his mouth out and cleaned his hands before picking her up, yet again cradling her. He grabbed a towel and carefully dried her off, cautious to avoid places he was certain she'd protest if he touched. When she was dry, he put the towel down. "Okay, bedtime." He said, leading her through the house to his room. He gently put her on the bed, resting her on the pillow, before he stepped out of the room and changed out of his wet undergarments into some dry ones. He stepped back into the bedroom, where the young female Mew was resting on his bed, and slipped into the other side. He soon drifted to sleep, happy that he'd done his day's work.
He awoke the next morning as he did every morning, bright and early ready for another day of finding ways to pass the time. Yesterday he had measured what his height to weight was, and found that for a five foot ten twenty year old he was a healthy weight, probably owing to his morning walks. As per usual, he donned his casual working clothes and his walking shoes and walked to the kitchen. Idly he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a drink bottle, noting that he'd gone through more than he thought he had before remembering the night before and rushing back to his room to check on the Mew. She wasn't there, merely an imprint on the pillow where he put her to sleep. His heart drooped a little when he saw this; he'd been hoping that, maybe, she'd stay. He guessed it was a longshot, she did come from a skittish species that didn't like to socialise with humans, maybe she took the toothpaste harder than he thought she would. He sighed and turned, walking back down to the kichen. The window had been repaired, Mew had left her lasting impression by leaving almost no trace of her ever being there. He sighed again and slumped into a chair. This was when he noticed movement above him, and he looked up. There she was, floating up near the roof, holding one of the bottles of drink from last night. She was struggling to get it open, and she gnawed at it with her teeth, making him chuckle and hold out his hand.
"Here, let me." He said, taking the bottle and putting it in the refrigerator. He took a cold one out and opened it with a crack, removed the lid and held it out. "This one's cold, they taste better that way." He said, as she took the bottle and sniffed it. She smiled and took a drink.
'Thanks' She said, her voice echoing in his head.
"Ah, so you do speak English." Norris mused.
'Of course.' Mew retorted, slight anger in her voice now. 'It's not a hard language to learn. What, did you think I was just some stupid animal?'
"Hey, you said it, not me." Norris snapped. "I never thought anything of the sort, I just thought that you'd end up constantly answering yes or no questions with nods or shakes." He leaned against the table as she floated down and sat infront of him. "So what made you stay?" He asked.
She blushed a little and gave him an apologetic look. 'You said something about breakfast.' she said.
"Ah," Norris breathed, "and are you going to leave afterwards?" She didn't answer this question, acting as if he hadn't said anything at all. "Alright, what would you like to eat?" He asked. "I've bacon and eggs?" She looked at him hopefully at the prospect of eggs. "But you've got to eat some bread with it." He said, waving a finger. "I'm cooking the eggs." She huffed at this, but didn't argue. He stood up and took a few eggs from the refrigerator, sloshed some oil into a frying pan and let it heat up before cracking the eggs into the pan. A minute or two passed and Mew floated over to him, her eyes shut as she sniffed the air.
'It smells delicious.' She said, reaching for an egg. She recoiled when her paw burned as she touched the fat, and Norris grabbed her out of the air.
"That was a stupid thing to do!" He snapped, putting her paw under the kitchen sink and turning the cold tap on. He quickly washed the grease off her paw as she wailed in pain and then opened the refrigerator once again, this time taking out a Rawst berry. He shut the door and sliced the berry in half with a knife before squeezing it over her burned paw. She winced at the sharp pain, but it quickly subsided and he put the berry down. "Now, what do we not do when I'm cooking?" He asked.
'Don't touch the food.' She said sadly.
"Hey, don't sound so sad." Norris said. "You didn't know that it'd be that hot, and I should have warned you about it." He massaged her paw with his thumbs. "There, see? All better. Now, I'll go and serve up the eggs, go and sit at the table and I'll bring you yours." She obliged as he turned to the frying pan. She stared at the back of his head before realising how condescending he'd just been.
'Hey, don't treat me like I'm some stupid child!' She snapped.
"Does diddums not want to get fed?" He shot back sarcastically, laughing as a fork clattered noisily against the wall. "Now, now. Don't throw things." He said, picking the fork up and lodging it into her egg. "You could put someone's eye out."
They ate quickly, avoiding one-another's gaze while they did so, and Norris ended up almost tearing her away from the plate because she wouldn't stop licking it.
'But it's tasty!' She wailed, making him laugh.
"The meal is over, Mew, let it go!" He said, holding her in his arms. She eventually stopped flailing and simply let herself relax in his grip. She nuzzled up into his shirt with her eyes closed.
'You smell nice.' She said quietly. Norris chuckled.
"Does this mean you're staying with me?" He asked, almost hopefully. She shrugged her shoulders. Truthfully, she wanted to stay with him just like he wanted her to stay, but she knew her mother would never approve, no matter how much she begged.
'My mum'd never...' She mumbled.
"I understand." Norris replied with a sigh. "From such a private species, I can guess why she'd not approve." He walked over and opened the back door, letting her go so that she could float on her own. "It's been nice meeting you, little Mew." He said, turning around and closing the door. He looked up and there she was infront of him again.
'I can teleport, you know.' She said.
"But-"
'Oh, let her be angry.' Mew said, waving a hand. 'It's far more interesting learning about humans from up close.'
Norris nodded, putting a hand up and stroking her fine fur, to which she purred contently. "Well, it'll be difficult for me to keep you without any Poké Balls." He mumbled. "I've no idea where I put the few that I own." And that was true enough; he'd remembered hiding them long ago when he moved in, but he didn't remember where. He'd bought them out of respect to his parents, just in case he one day bothered to be interested in Pokémon as anything other than patients. Mew smiled and closed her eyes. Her body gave off a light blue glow for a moment or two before she vanished and then reappeared with a Deluxe Ball in her little paws.
"Well, I guess that works." Norris said, gently taking the ball from her unresisting grip. "But are you sure about this?"
She nodded and tapped her nose against the activator, and the ball sprung to life, pulling her inside in a bright flash of light. The small sphere rattled once or twice before going silent with a soft clicking sound. Norris tapped the activator and released her, once again in a bright flash of light. She floated uneasily for a moment, facing away from him, before turning her large bright blue eyes to him.
"My parents're never going to believe this." He mumbled to no-one in particular, making her giggle.
'You've not seen anything yet.' She said. 'But you will, I can see the potential there, in your mind; just waiting to be let free. Give me a little time and I can teach you some interesting tricks.'
"Y-you're going to try to teach me to become a psychic?" Norris stammered.
'Oh, yes.' She replied. "Mew live for a very long time, and I might even be able to help you live longer than average with the right training." She placed a paw to her chin and crossed her legs in a thoughtful position. 'Maybe I should start by teaching you how to talk telepathically...' She thought aloud. 'But that might not work... Your mind needs a catalyst to get it started...' Her eyes shone for a second and she folded time around herself, slowing it down, making the few seconds that passed to seem like hours as she thought. Her body glowed blue for the few seconds, quickly returning to normal as she reached her conclusion. She returned her gaze to Norris. 'This may hurt.' She said, before his head suddenly felt as if tonnes of rocks were occupying the same space as his brain. He felt something click, and heard a sound like someone cracking their knuckle really loudly inside his head. Suddenly it was as if the entire world made sense, how things worked and moved, how Pokémon could use powerful attacks like Fire Blast and Giga Impact without harming themselves, why birds flew into windows - everything made sense! But suddenly the intense feeling faded and he fell to his hands and knees panting. He could remember everything that had just bee forced into his mind, somewhere in that mixture something had clicked and given him a gift he knew he could never repay her for.
"I... Wow..." He breathed heavily to the floor.
'Like a Gallade, you're more physical than psychic;' Mew's voice rang in his head, 'all you needed was a little push. I can read your question, think it to me, don't speak.'
His mind flailed at itself for a second before everything fell back into place and he struggled to his feet.
'Don't speak.' She said again. 'Just... try to project your words in my direction without speaking.'
Norris consentrated, and he could hear his voice in his head, but she shook her head.
'Too quiet.' She said. 'Try like this:' His mind gave an odd feeling of being outside his head, and then returned to normal.
Again he consentrated, and this time he felt the odd sensation again, now like he'd been doing it all his life, and Mew giggled as he spoke to her.
'What'd you just do to me?' He asked in her head.
'There we go.' She smugly said. 'The human brain has a sort of barrier to the portion that controls your telekinetic and telepathic capabilities, all I did was break it down with a concentrated push of psychic power. Side effects may include a dizzy feeling and a strange, intense dislike of Dark-Type Pokémon.'
'Well... Alright.' He replied. 'Would you like to come to work with me? It gets so boring there, I'm sure we can find some way to pass the time together.'
She shrugged her shoulders. 'Sure, why not? What would I do here?' She said, floating down and resting in his arms, letting him cradle her once more as she nuzzled into his shirt. 'And you still smell nice.' She admitted. 'Like Cinnamon.' He chuckled.
"Alright." He said aloud. "I'll just get my bag on and we can go." She grumbled lightly into his chest.
'Use your mind, not your mouth.' She scolded. 'You need to keep your practice up, the next trick you learn is levitating objects and that takes a little concentration.'
'Alright then.' He replied. 'Incidentally, would you like a name, or are you content to being called Mew all the time?' She shrugged.
'Whatever you prefer, my master.' she said in his head.
'Don't call me master.' He retorted, his voice more menacing. 'Norris is fine.'
'Then call me Rose.' She said as he slipped his backpack on.
The walk to the Pokémon Center was an awkward one. The entire way Norris felt like he should be hiding the little pink bundle from the public eye, and he got some very curious looks from several trainers as he walked down the street, and he got challanged at one point, but he declined. She was, after all, still just a kitten; Mew may not grow very large, and she may be fully grown, but se wasn't strong enough for full battles yet. He did stop at a small shop along the way and bought some poffins. His Pokédex had told him she liked blue, dry poffins, so he made sure only to buy the best for her while she napped in his arms, put to sleep by the gentle rocking his walking caused. He soon reached the Poké Center and dawdled in, walking past a dumbfounded Nurse Joy and into a little office outside the wards. Carefully he put Rose on the desk, walked back out and clocked in, giving Joy enough time to walk over and chat to him.
"Was that-" She began.
"A Mew?" Norris finished for her. "Well, yes. Are you honestly that surprised?"
"Surprised that a man I've worked with for over a year who has never owned a single Pokémon shows up one day cradling one as rare as a Mew?" She asked rhetorically. Norris shushed her carefully, eyeing the trainers in the center over her shoulder.
"Are you dense today?" He breathed. "You could get her stolen!"
"Right, sorry." She whispered. "If you were this worried, why'd you bring her along?"
Norris gave her a cold stare. "You know how boring it gets in there every day? I can only play chess against myself so many times before I lose my mind. Maybe at least now I can have something to do while nothing happens."
She shrugged, giving in to his point; Solaceon town rarely -if ever- had an accident serious enough to warrant two surgeons, and was about as backwater as one could get without drowning in redneck's guffaws. She went to speak, but a little pink head floated up between them looking her over.
'She's pretty, for a human.' Rose said. 'Is this some sort of mating ritual?' Joy stammered while Norris slapped a palm to his face.
"No, Rose, this is not." He said. "Is there something you want?"
She gave him a sideways glance before sitting on Joy's shoulder cutely. 'Could I have a drink of that tasty juice?' she asked. Joy gave Norris a curious look as he fished a bottle of sports-drink from his bag.
"I'm not sure if she'll drink anything else." He said by way of an explanation. He opened the lid a fraction and crushed the bottle neck on an angle before slipping a rather long bend-neck straw in and handing it to the little pink fuzzball.
'I'll drink berry juice if it's going.' She said. 'I can drink plain water, too, but that's not so tasty!' She turned her large blue eyes to Joy as she stuck the straw into her mouth. 'By the way, miss, you smell kinda funny. Like a whole bunch of different berries all squashed together. It's... Pleasent.' She cutely said. Joy sighed.
"Trust a Pokémon to notice the perfume I'm wearing before the human." She said. Norris chuckled.
"Sorry." He said. "I've been distracted today by this little fuzzball." He rubbed his hand back and forth between Rose's little ears, making them wobble. "She broke into my house in a search for water I think, and I nursed her back to health. I figured I'd start the day here by giving her a full physical to make sure she's not suffering after-affects from her dehydration."
'Full physical?' Rose asked. 'There are bits that even my father doesn't see.'
"I'm not your father, Rose. I'm your trainer and also your doctor. Trust me, there's nothing you have that I aint seen before. Besides, I know you're breathing alright, so I shouldn't have to worry about your lungs, but I'd like to make sure the rest of you is healthy."
'I'm sure.' She said, blushing. 'Do I have to have this physical?' She asked, taking a breath from her drink.
"Yes, and no buts." Norris retorted. "You'll do it or I won't give you any of the poffins I've bought." The little Mew pouted, making Joy giggle.
"I'd like my shoulder back, Rose." She said. "I have work to do." Rose softly floated up a few inches, giving Joy the space she needed to turn and walk back to the counter, which gave Norris some time alone with his little charge.
'D-did you really mean it?' She hazarded. 'The full physical thing?'
'Sorry if you're uncomfortable with it.' He replied telepathically. 'But I'd like to make sure you're perfectly healthy; severe dehydration can do funny things to the body.' She grumbled at this, he clearly knew alot more about her body than she did, and that peeved her.
'A-alright.' She said, blushing. 'But no funny stuff, I'm warning you!'
'Well, when we get home I'll give you a proper clean, how about that?'
Her eyes flashed in the light, sparkling a little. 'With scented soaps and stuff that make my fur shine?' She asked. He nodded. 'You drive a hard bargain, but alright.' She said, relenting.
'Alright, come with me then. We can do this in my personal examination room. No-one really comes in since the max heal machine was built, and I can lock the door for extra privacy.' He said, picking her out of the air and cradling her as he carried her to the room. He deposited her on the table, closed the door with a click, locked it, and pulled on some examination gloves.
He knew she wasn't dirty or that she had anything on her that could harm him, but he wore the gloves as more habit than protocal, plus he didn't want to offend her by using his bare hands for some of the more... Private places. He walked over and took the drink bottle from her unresisting paws then lay her down on her stomach. He placed a hand on her shoulder as she turned her head to see him.
'Just relax, I'm going to start with your hind paws, then your tail. I'll work my way up your spine and then check your neck and head. tell me if anything hurts.' He said, as he picked up her left foot. She nodded, stifling the instinct to recoil as his hand lightly tickled her toes. He finished with one foot, then the next, and farefully ran his hands along her legs, ever wary of her reaction. 'If you want me to stop, say so; but this gets alot more personal from here.' He said. She shook her head.
'Keep going, let's get this over with.' She said. He nodded and grabbed her swishing tail, running his hands along its length to check for bumps or bruises, stopping only when he found a burr near the base, where her fur was thicker. Slowly he ran his hands up her back, softly massaging her as he went. She purred lightly at his touch. She didn't notice him reach her neck and shoulders, but she did notice when he turned her over and started carefully checking her head and ears, stopping only when he pulled yet another burr from her fur. He checker her large, baby blue eyes, and then tapped her mouth.
'Open.' He said inside her head. He was getting good at that, she had to admit, and she opened her mouth as instructed. He checked her teeth and tongue before holding it down with a little wooden paddle to check her throat and tonsils. Content that her mouth was fine, he threw the wooden stick into a far bin before continuing down her body, her chin, her neck and finally to her chest, where he hesitated. 'I... Uh...'
'You humans have such preoccupation with such a simple thing as a chest.' She said in his head. 'Keep going, it felt nice down my back.'
Norris chuckled and put his hands on the top of her chest, carefuly tracing his hands down and checking for any imperfections. He reached her stomach and then grabbed her right arm, chcking it carefully, letting it go to do her left...
'You missed my stomach.' she said, still purring at his gentle touch.
He nodded knowingly and released her paw, double-checking to make sure that she had no lasting damage from the burn earlier in the day. 'I know.' He said, returning his hand to her belly and scrtaching his nails along her furred skin, making her writhe a little as he tickled her. He stopped tickling her and flattened his hand, pushing lightly to check her internal organs through her skin. Everything seemed fine, now all that was left was...
He sighed and lowered his hand further down her body, stopping at her hip. 'I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, kiddo.' He said. She nodded, her face a deep crimson as he continued.
He ran his expert eye over the small pink Pokémon lying on the tiles infront of him, he could tell that it was female; but telling something's gender doesn't help you to distinguish a species you've never encountered before. He took his Pokédex out of his pocket, something he'd not done for any real purpose in a long time because after almost ten years in a Pokémon center he knew most every species to the letter. His Pokédex snapped open and scanned the creature infront of him before it started talking.
"Species: Mew. Feline. Age: Six months. Believed by many to be a mirage or just a plain legend, Mew is capable of transforming into any other Pokémon to disguise itself and thusly avoid being distinguished. It is widely believed by scientists that Mew contains the DNA of all species of Pokémon, which is what allows it to transform. As a Psychic type, extreme caution is advised when handling one, however the species is believed to be highly curious of things it does not understand. Current status problems: Subject cannot move due to extreme dehydration. Heightened body temperature may cause termination."
He clicked his Pokédex shut and shoved it back into his pocket before carefully putting a hand on the little pink psychic.
"It's going to be alright." He said. She gave him a scared look. "Don't fear me, little one." He said. "My name is Norris, I work at the local Pokémon Center. I only want to help, I'll be right back, okay?"
She nodded weakly, still breathing heavily, and he stood up. He quickly turned on the bath and sprinted out of the room back to the kitchen. He swung open the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of sports drink before he hesitated and then pulled out several more. He'd always gone for long runs in the morning, and he kept a fair amount of these drinks in the house, but he never thought that he'd be using them to cure a Pokémon's dehydration. He slammed the door shut with his foot and raced back to her, sliding to a stop on the tile floor and wrenching a bottle open. Tenderly he lifted her head and put the bottle to her lips, stopping a moment when she sputtered before continuing. She drank the first one down like it wasn't even there, and he threw the plastic bottle into the corner, opening another and helping her drink it. She finished the second bottle and he put it down.
"Just one second, okay?" He said, holding a finger up. She nodded and he stood up, stepping over to turn the water in the bath off. He stepped into the shower alcove next to the bath and stripped to his boxers and underpants before stepping back out and picking up the next bottle. She gave him a questioning glance when she saw him in less clothing than before, but she shrugged it off as she started to drink. He pulled the bottle from her mouth before it was half empty and lifted her gently from the tiles. She, again, gave him a curious look.
"The drinks will only help so much." He explained, stepping into the bath and sitting down, holding her in the water so that she didn't slip under. "Your skin will absorb the water in the bath and you'll rehydrate faster." She weakly nodded to this. "Your body temperature is also higher than should be, probably owing to your dehydration and the weather, and this is one of the easiest ways to lower it." He reached over and pushed a button on the wall, turning on the ceiling fan. The air circulated and mew's fine fur moved a little. He lifted her from the water, using the air to cool her quickly before letting her sink back down. He held her tightly, making sure she'd not sink, but not tight enough to harm her light frame. Eventually she could move on her own and he scratched her behind her ear.
"Okay, I'm just going to go get my Pokédex off the top over there, hold on to the edge of the bath until I return, okay?" He asked. She nodded, and he let her go, letting her arms hold her in the water as he stepped out and over to the sink. He lifted his Pokédex and pointed it at her. He tapped a button or two before getting the desired result.
"Subject: Mew." It chimed. "Hydration levels: normal, temperature: normal, subject requires sleep and hearty meal." Norris shut the 'dex and put it back on the top.
"Alright, then." He said, walking over and lifting her from the bath, cradling her in his arms like he would a baby. "You heard the 'dex; let's get you some shuteye and then I'll see what I can feed you in the morning; I trust that you're at least omnivorous?" She nodded and opened her mouth, showing him her teeth. Several were razor sharp, but most of them were yellowing. "But first, we brush your teeth." He said, walking to the sink and taking a spare toothbrush from the cabinet. He sat her on the top and put some toothpaste on the brush. "Open." He said, tapping her mouth. She obeyed and he held her jaw, putting the brush in and brushing. She tried to get away from the unpleasent taste, but he held firm and wouldn't let her go. "Put your teeth together, like this." He said, demonstrating. She did as she was told and he continued. Eventually he finished brushing and he filled a cup with one hand, putting it to her mouth. "Don't swallow this, just swish it around in your mouth and spit it into the basin." He said, pouring the water in.
He stood in mild amusement as she swirled the water around in her mouth with a disgusted look on her face before spitting it into the sink. She grabbed the cup and filled her mouth again, determined to get the awful taste of the paste off her tongue. After a few minutes she finished, and was sure she'd gotten over the toothpaste and she shot him an accusing glare.
"Hey, healthy teeth are important." He said. "Without them you'll be unable to chew. If you'd like, I can get you some with a better flavour?" He waved the toothpaste infront of her face. She nodded weakly. "Alright." He said, brushing his own teeth with a different toothbrush. When he was sure he was finished, he washed his mouth out and cleaned his hands before picking her up, yet again cradling her. He grabbed a towel and carefully dried her off, cautious to avoid places he was certain she'd protest if he touched. When she was dry, he put the towel down. "Okay, bedtime." He said, leading her through the house to his room. He gently put her on the bed, resting her on the pillow, before he stepped out of the room and changed out of his wet undergarments into some dry ones. He stepped back into the bedroom, where the young female Mew was resting on his bed, and slipped into the other side. He soon drifted to sleep, happy that he'd done his day's work.
He awoke the next morning as he did every morning, bright and early ready for another day of finding ways to pass the time. Yesterday he had measured what his height to weight was, and found that for a five foot ten twenty year old he was a healthy weight, probably owing to his morning walks. As per usual, he donned his casual working clothes and his walking shoes and walked to the kitchen. Idly he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a drink bottle, noting that he'd gone through more than he thought he had before remembering the night before and rushing back to his room to check on the Mew. She wasn't there, merely an imprint on the pillow where he put her to sleep. His heart drooped a little when he saw this; he'd been hoping that, maybe, she'd stay. He guessed it was a longshot, she did come from a skittish species that didn't like to socialise with humans, maybe she took the toothpaste harder than he thought she would. He sighed and turned, walking back down to the kichen. The window had been repaired, Mew had left her lasting impression by leaving almost no trace of her ever being there. He sighed again and slumped into a chair. This was when he noticed movement above him, and he looked up. There she was, floating up near the roof, holding one of the bottles of drink from last night. She was struggling to get it open, and she gnawed at it with her teeth, making him chuckle and hold out his hand.
"Here, let me." He said, taking the bottle and putting it in the refrigerator. He took a cold one out and opened it with a crack, removed the lid and held it out. "This one's cold, they taste better that way." He said, as she took the bottle and sniffed it. She smiled and took a drink.
'Thanks' She said, her voice echoing in his head.
"Ah, so you do speak English." Norris mused.
'Of course.' Mew retorted, slight anger in her voice now. 'It's not a hard language to learn. What, did you think I was just some stupid animal?'
"Hey, you said it, not me." Norris snapped. "I never thought anything of the sort, I just thought that you'd end up constantly answering yes or no questions with nods or shakes." He leaned against the table as she floated down and sat infront of him. "So what made you stay?" He asked.
She blushed a little and gave him an apologetic look. 'You said something about breakfast.' she said.
"Ah," Norris breathed, "and are you going to leave afterwards?" She didn't answer this question, acting as if he hadn't said anything at all. "Alright, what would you like to eat?" He asked. "I've bacon and eggs?" She looked at him hopefully at the prospect of eggs. "But you've got to eat some bread with it." He said, waving a finger. "I'm cooking the eggs." She huffed at this, but didn't argue. He stood up and took a few eggs from the refrigerator, sloshed some oil into a frying pan and let it heat up before cracking the eggs into the pan. A minute or two passed and Mew floated over to him, her eyes shut as she sniffed the air.
'It smells delicious.' She said, reaching for an egg. She recoiled when her paw burned as she touched the fat, and Norris grabbed her out of the air.
"That was a stupid thing to do!" He snapped, putting her paw under the kitchen sink and turning the cold tap on. He quickly washed the grease off her paw as she wailed in pain and then opened the refrigerator once again, this time taking out a Rawst berry. He shut the door and sliced the berry in half with a knife before squeezing it over her burned paw. She winced at the sharp pain, but it quickly subsided and he put the berry down. "Now, what do we not do when I'm cooking?" He asked.
'Don't touch the food.' She said sadly.
"Hey, don't sound so sad." Norris said. "You didn't know that it'd be that hot, and I should have warned you about it." He massaged her paw with his thumbs. "There, see? All better. Now, I'll go and serve up the eggs, go and sit at the table and I'll bring you yours." She obliged as he turned to the frying pan. She stared at the back of his head before realising how condescending he'd just been.
'Hey, don't treat me like I'm some stupid child!' She snapped.
"Does diddums not want to get fed?" He shot back sarcastically, laughing as a fork clattered noisily against the wall. "Now, now. Don't throw things." He said, picking the fork up and lodging it into her egg. "You could put someone's eye out."
They ate quickly, avoiding one-another's gaze while they did so, and Norris ended up almost tearing her away from the plate because she wouldn't stop licking it.
'But it's tasty!' She wailed, making him laugh.
"The meal is over, Mew, let it go!" He said, holding her in his arms. She eventually stopped flailing and simply let herself relax in his grip. She nuzzled up into his shirt with her eyes closed.
'You smell nice.' She said quietly. Norris chuckled.
"Does this mean you're staying with me?" He asked, almost hopefully. She shrugged her shoulders. Truthfully, she wanted to stay with him just like he wanted her to stay, but she knew her mother would never approve, no matter how much she begged.
'My mum'd never...' She mumbled.
"I understand." Norris replied with a sigh. "From such a private species, I can guess why she'd not approve." He walked over and opened the back door, letting her go so that she could float on her own. "It's been nice meeting you, little Mew." He said, turning around and closing the door. He looked up and there she was infront of him again.
'I can teleport, you know.' She said.
"But-"
'Oh, let her be angry.' Mew said, waving a hand. 'It's far more interesting learning about humans from up close.'
Norris nodded, putting a hand up and stroking her fine fur, to which she purred contently. "Well, it'll be difficult for me to keep you without any Poké Balls." He mumbled. "I've no idea where I put the few that I own." And that was true enough; he'd remembered hiding them long ago when he moved in, but he didn't remember where. He'd bought them out of respect to his parents, just in case he one day bothered to be interested in Pokémon as anything other than patients. Mew smiled and closed her eyes. Her body gave off a light blue glow for a moment or two before she vanished and then reappeared with a Deluxe Ball in her little paws.
"Well, I guess that works." Norris said, gently taking the ball from her unresisting grip. "But are you sure about this?"
She nodded and tapped her nose against the activator, and the ball sprung to life, pulling her inside in a bright flash of light. The small sphere rattled once or twice before going silent with a soft clicking sound. Norris tapped the activator and released her, once again in a bright flash of light. She floated uneasily for a moment, facing away from him, before turning her large bright blue eyes to him.
"My parents're never going to believe this." He mumbled to no-one in particular, making her giggle.
'You've not seen anything yet.' She said. 'But you will, I can see the potential there, in your mind; just waiting to be let free. Give me a little time and I can teach you some interesting tricks.'
"Y-you're going to try to teach me to become a psychic?" Norris stammered.
'Oh, yes.' She replied. "Mew live for a very long time, and I might even be able to help you live longer than average with the right training." She placed a paw to her chin and crossed her legs in a thoughtful position. 'Maybe I should start by teaching you how to talk telepathically...' She thought aloud. 'But that might not work... Your mind needs a catalyst to get it started...' Her eyes shone for a second and she folded time around herself, slowing it down, making the few seconds that passed to seem like hours as she thought. Her body glowed blue for the few seconds, quickly returning to normal as she reached her conclusion. She returned her gaze to Norris. 'This may hurt.' She said, before his head suddenly felt as if tonnes of rocks were occupying the same space as his brain. He felt something click, and heard a sound like someone cracking their knuckle really loudly inside his head. Suddenly it was as if the entire world made sense, how things worked and moved, how Pokémon could use powerful attacks like Fire Blast and Giga Impact without harming themselves, why birds flew into windows - everything made sense! But suddenly the intense feeling faded and he fell to his hands and knees panting. He could remember everything that had just bee forced into his mind, somewhere in that mixture something had clicked and given him a gift he knew he could never repay her for.
"I... Wow..." He breathed heavily to the floor.
'Like a Gallade, you're more physical than psychic;' Mew's voice rang in his head, 'all you needed was a little push. I can read your question, think it to me, don't speak.'
His mind flailed at itself for a second before everything fell back into place and he struggled to his feet.
'Don't speak.' She said again. 'Just... try to project your words in my direction without speaking.'
Norris consentrated, and he could hear his voice in his head, but she shook her head.
'Too quiet.' She said. 'Try like this:' His mind gave an odd feeling of being outside his head, and then returned to normal.
Again he consentrated, and this time he felt the odd sensation again, now like he'd been doing it all his life, and Mew giggled as he spoke to her.
'What'd you just do to me?' He asked in her head.
'There we go.' She smugly said. 'The human brain has a sort of barrier to the portion that controls your telekinetic and telepathic capabilities, all I did was break it down with a concentrated push of psychic power. Side effects may include a dizzy feeling and a strange, intense dislike of Dark-Type Pokémon.'
'Well... Alright.' He replied. 'Would you like to come to work with me? It gets so boring there, I'm sure we can find some way to pass the time together.'
She shrugged her shoulders. 'Sure, why not? What would I do here?' She said, floating down and resting in his arms, letting him cradle her once more as she nuzzled into his shirt. 'And you still smell nice.' She admitted. 'Like Cinnamon.' He chuckled.
"Alright." He said aloud. "I'll just get my bag on and we can go." She grumbled lightly into his chest.
'Use your mind, not your mouth.' She scolded. 'You need to keep your practice up, the next trick you learn is levitating objects and that takes a little concentration.'
'Alright then.' He replied. 'Incidentally, would you like a name, or are you content to being called Mew all the time?' She shrugged.
'Whatever you prefer, my master.' she said in his head.
'Don't call me master.' He retorted, his voice more menacing. 'Norris is fine.'
'Then call me Rose.' She said as he slipped his backpack on.
The walk to the Pokémon Center was an awkward one. The entire way Norris felt like he should be hiding the little pink bundle from the public eye, and he got some very curious looks from several trainers as he walked down the street, and he got challanged at one point, but he declined. She was, after all, still just a kitten; Mew may not grow very large, and she may be fully grown, but se wasn't strong enough for full battles yet. He did stop at a small shop along the way and bought some poffins. His Pokédex had told him she liked blue, dry poffins, so he made sure only to buy the best for her while she napped in his arms, put to sleep by the gentle rocking his walking caused. He soon reached the Poké Center and dawdled in, walking past a dumbfounded Nurse Joy and into a little office outside the wards. Carefully he put Rose on the desk, walked back out and clocked in, giving Joy enough time to walk over and chat to him.
"Was that-" She began.
"A Mew?" Norris finished for her. "Well, yes. Are you honestly that surprised?"
"Surprised that a man I've worked with for over a year who has never owned a single Pokémon shows up one day cradling one as rare as a Mew?" She asked rhetorically. Norris shushed her carefully, eyeing the trainers in the center over her shoulder.
"Are you dense today?" He breathed. "You could get her stolen!"
"Right, sorry." She whispered. "If you were this worried, why'd you bring her along?"
Norris gave her a cold stare. "You know how boring it gets in there every day? I can only play chess against myself so many times before I lose my mind. Maybe at least now I can have something to do while nothing happens."
She shrugged, giving in to his point; Solaceon town rarely -if ever- had an accident serious enough to warrant two surgeons, and was about as backwater as one could get without drowning in redneck's guffaws. She went to speak, but a little pink head floated up between them looking her over.
'She's pretty, for a human.' Rose said. 'Is this some sort of mating ritual?' Joy stammered while Norris slapped a palm to his face.
"No, Rose, this is not." He said. "Is there something you want?"
She gave him a sideways glance before sitting on Joy's shoulder cutely. 'Could I have a drink of that tasty juice?' she asked. Joy gave Norris a curious look as he fished a bottle of sports-drink from his bag.
"I'm not sure if she'll drink anything else." He said by way of an explanation. He opened the lid a fraction and crushed the bottle neck on an angle before slipping a rather long bend-neck straw in and handing it to the little pink fuzzball.
'I'll drink berry juice if it's going.' She said. 'I can drink plain water, too, but that's not so tasty!' She turned her large blue eyes to Joy as she stuck the straw into her mouth. 'By the way, miss, you smell kinda funny. Like a whole bunch of different berries all squashed together. It's... Pleasent.' She cutely said. Joy sighed.
"Trust a Pokémon to notice the perfume I'm wearing before the human." She said. Norris chuckled.
"Sorry." He said. "I've been distracted today by this little fuzzball." He rubbed his hand back and forth between Rose's little ears, making them wobble. "She broke into my house in a search for water I think, and I nursed her back to health. I figured I'd start the day here by giving her a full physical to make sure she's not suffering after-affects from her dehydration."
'Full physical?' Rose asked. 'There are bits that even my father doesn't see.'
"I'm not your father, Rose. I'm your trainer and also your doctor. Trust me, there's nothing you have that I aint seen before. Besides, I know you're breathing alright, so I shouldn't have to worry about your lungs, but I'd like to make sure the rest of you is healthy."
'I'm sure.' She said, blushing. 'Do I have to have this physical?' She asked, taking a breath from her drink.
"Yes, and no buts." Norris retorted. "You'll do it or I won't give you any of the poffins I've bought." The little Mew pouted, making Joy giggle.
"I'd like my shoulder back, Rose." She said. "I have work to do." Rose softly floated up a few inches, giving Joy the space she needed to turn and walk back to the counter, which gave Norris some time alone with his little charge.
'D-did you really mean it?' She hazarded. 'The full physical thing?'
'Sorry if you're uncomfortable with it.' He replied telepathically. 'But I'd like to make sure you're perfectly healthy; severe dehydration can do funny things to the body.' She grumbled at this, he clearly knew alot more about her body than she did, and that peeved her.
'A-alright.' She said, blushing. 'But no funny stuff, I'm warning you!'
'Well, when we get home I'll give you a proper clean, how about that?'
Her eyes flashed in the light, sparkling a little. 'With scented soaps and stuff that make my fur shine?' She asked. He nodded. 'You drive a hard bargain, but alright.' She said, relenting.
'Alright, come with me then. We can do this in my personal examination room. No-one really comes in since the max heal machine was built, and I can lock the door for extra privacy.' He said, picking her out of the air and cradling her as he carried her to the room. He deposited her on the table, closed the door with a click, locked it, and pulled on some examination gloves.
He knew she wasn't dirty or that she had anything on her that could harm him, but he wore the gloves as more habit than protocal, plus he didn't want to offend her by using his bare hands for some of the more... Private places. He walked over and took the drink bottle from her unresisting paws then lay her down on her stomach. He placed a hand on her shoulder as she turned her head to see him.
'Just relax, I'm going to start with your hind paws, then your tail. I'll work my way up your spine and then check your neck and head. tell me if anything hurts.' He said, as he picked up her left foot. She nodded, stifling the instinct to recoil as his hand lightly tickled her toes. He finished with one foot, then the next, and farefully ran his hands along her legs, ever wary of her reaction. 'If you want me to stop, say so; but this gets alot more personal from here.' He said. She shook her head.
'Keep going, let's get this over with.' She said. He nodded and grabbed her swishing tail, running his hands along its length to check for bumps or bruises, stopping only when he found a burr near the base, where her fur was thicker. Slowly he ran his hands up her back, softly massaging her as he went. She purred lightly at his touch. She didn't notice him reach her neck and shoulders, but she did notice when he turned her over and started carefully checking her head and ears, stopping only when he pulled yet another burr from her fur. He checker her large, baby blue eyes, and then tapped her mouth.
'Open.' He said inside her head. He was getting good at that, she had to admit, and she opened her mouth as instructed. He checked her teeth and tongue before holding it down with a little wooden paddle to check her throat and tonsils. Content that her mouth was fine, he threw the wooden stick into a far bin before continuing down her body, her chin, her neck and finally to her chest, where he hesitated. 'I... Uh...'
'You humans have such preoccupation with such a simple thing as a chest.' She said in his head. 'Keep going, it felt nice down my back.'
Norris chuckled and put his hands on the top of her chest, carefuly tracing his hands down and checking for any imperfections. He reached her stomach and then grabbed her right arm, chcking it carefully, letting it go to do her left...
'You missed my stomach.' she said, still purring at his gentle touch.
He nodded knowingly and released her paw, double-checking to make sure that she had no lasting damage from the burn earlier in the day. 'I know.' He said, returning his hand to her belly and scrtaching his nails along her furred skin, making her writhe a little as he tickled her. He stopped tickling her and flattened his hand, pushing lightly to check her internal organs through her skin. Everything seemed fine, now all that was left was...
He sighed and lowered his hand further down her body, stopping at her hip. 'I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, kiddo.' He said. She nodded, her face a deep crimson as he continued.