Seeing Korrina emerge from the stream with Rena and a compliant Elekid in tow, Jason breathed a sigh of relief. He briefly considered leaping over the railing and onto the island, but as he was more likely to get in the way than be of assistance, he turned to Dr. Mari and questioned, "You're aware of my origins, aren't you?"
"If you're referring to you being from a different world than ours, then yes," affirmed Dr. Mari, nodding. Then, tilting her head, she questioned, "Why do you ask...?"
"I wanted to ask if people in this world aren't afraid of electricity," stated Jason, clarifying, "Back in my world, even a small jolt could be fatal as it could interfere with the electrical signals that pump your heart. But when that Elekid unleashed its electric discharge, I noticed that you and Korrina didn't appear concerned."
"Oh? Is that all?" asked Dr. Mari, smiling as she explained, "Electric-type Pokémon tend to be aggressive, so injuries related to them are common. However, unless you're exposed to them for a long time, you will generally only sustain mild burns and temporary paralysis. We have a device called a defibrillator that can help to restore a heart's natural rhythm, but I'm not sure if that's related to what you're describing."
"What if someone touches a transformer or unwittingly sticks the prongs of a fork into a wall socket?" asked Jason. "Are there no electricity-based injuries unrelated to Pokémon?"
"Things like that do happen, on occasion," confirmed Dr. Mari, nodding affirmingly before clarifying, "But, unless something compelled them to stay in contact with the transformer for an extended period, their injuries wouldn't be too severe. And most people, even children, have the sense to remove their hands or move away if something electrocutes them."
Though he was tempted to point out that being electrocuted generally prevented people from taking willful action due to their muscles locking up, Jason turned his attention to the smiling Korrina as she approached with the waterlogged Ren and remarked, "Sorry for beating you to the punch by jumping in first. I know you would have, but since you're still sore from our training sessions, I didn't want to risk you cramping from pushing your body past its limits."
"I really appreciate it..." expressed Jason, presenting a sincere smile as he knelt and accepted Ren from Korrina's hands, pulling her through the gap between the lowest railing and the bridge. Her fur was matted and soaked through, but she didn't appear injured. Rather, she was in high spirits, her eyes wide and tail wagging as she happily chimed, "Riolu~!" as he used a towel presented to him by Audino to dry her off.
"There's a grooming station not far from here," said Dr. Mari, making way as Korrina casually leaped over the railing. Then, gesturing in the direction they had come from, she chimed, "There, you can dry your Riolu properly. And if you've yet to get her vaccinated, we can perform a standard health check-up and take care of it on your behalf."
'Right...since this is the real world and not a game, of course they would have vaccination requirements...' thought Jason, exhaling faintly from his nose as he met Ren's gaze with a pitying look. She tilted her head cutly in response, but her promptly reassured her, cupping and drying the sides of her face as he stated, "Vaccinations can be painful, but they prevent you from getting sick and allow you to become stronger. Do you think you can be brave and accept them without a fuss?"
"Rena~!" responded Ren, flexing her tiny but incredibly dense biceps and clenching her four-digit, paw-like hands into fists. She appeared to have completely forgotten about her battle with the Stufful and her retaliation against the Elekid, who were both being sprayed with angular canisters of green liquid. Jason recognized these as Full Restores, which, in the anime and games, could treat just about any injury and negative status condition a Pokémon might have. This naturally made them costly, late-game items, but the employees of the Aether Foundation showed no reservations with their use...
Discarding unnecessary thoughts, Jason picked up and held Ren like he was supporting a small but very heavy child before following Dr. Mari to the aforementioned grooming area. Ren unsurprisingly yelped in surprise when she received her first injection to her left butt cheek, but once she knew what to expect, she bravely—albeit with tears in her eyes—endured the remaining inoculations without so much as a peep...
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After Ren received her vaccinations and spent a few minutes on a belted machine that shook and massaged her butt to help with blood circulation, Jason surprised Dr. Mari with a proposition. A half hour later, they were in an insulated room with a bunch of obstacles and bridges built along the walls and mostly rubber toys, populated by a bunch of tiny, Electric-type Pokémon.
"Are you sure about this...?" asked Dr. Mari, holding in her hands an adorable, rabbit-eared, mouse-like Pokémon with a bright yellow coat, pastel red, circle-shaped padding on its cheeks, two horizontal brown stripes along its back, and a distinctive, lightning-bolt-shaped tail that was flexible and strong to the point of being prehensile. Anyone familiar with Pokémon would recognize the doll-eyed, house-cat-sized mouse as the franchise's mascot, Pikachu. And since he had to know if the presence of Mana in his body endowed him with the same electrical resistance that residents of the Pokémon world appeared to possess, Jason nodded and affirmed, "I'm ready..." while accepting the Pikachu from Dr. Mari's hands.
[You have been identified as a [Stranger] by the 1-Star Entity, [Unnamed]. Your initial Bond Level is 5. Further increases will be reduced by 50% until your relationship changes.]
As it wasn't entirely sure what Jason expected from it, the Pikachu tilted its head cutly and cutly intoned, "Pikaaaa...?" in confusion. It didn't mind being held, but when Jason began to gently squeeze it at Dr. Mari's calm direction, its brows furrowed, and bright yellow warning sparks began to emit from its cheeks.
[Your Bond Level with [Unnamed] has decreased by 2. Warning: if your Bond Level decreases below 0, the target may become aggressive and attack you.]
'Mmn...I don't want it to hate me...' thought Jason, briefly looking around as everyone gave him and the Pikachu space. Then, meeting its gaze, he weakened his hold on its body and simply asked, "Do you think you could electrocute me? Preferably not too strongly..."
"Pika...?"
Though it was confused by Jason's request, the Pikachu didn't hesitate to wrap its tail around his right wrist and forearm with surprising strength. As it did, Jason's body tensed expectantly as yellow energy emitted from the Pikachu's body, transmitting heat and a high-frequency vibration through his hands. Immediately after, the tension in his body increased drastically, briefly immobilizing him as brilliant yellow light filled his vision like a flash grenade. At the same time, heat and pain permeated his body all at once, giving him the impression he could feel the ends of his hair as a sharp and pungent combination of burnt hair and ozone filled his nostrils.
Expecting the pain to persist for several seconds, Jason experienced a wave of confusion washing over him as the tension in his muscles began to relax almost immediately. There was a potent tingling in his hands and forearms, and he felt like he had just spent several minutes atop a tanning bed. But, other than beating a tad faster, his heart felt fine, and there was surprisingly little pain. Rather, the aching of his muscles from overtraining had abated or, at the very least, felt less apparent.
"Pika pii...?"
Blinking back to awareness at the Pikachu's questioning intonation, Jason smiled and sincerely expressed, "Thank you. And I'm sorry for squeezing you before."
Seeming pleased with Jason's apology, the Pikachu responded with a happy, "Pikaaa~!" as it uncoiled its tail from around his forearm and raised its tiny, five-fingered paws almost celebratorily.
[Your Bond Level with [Unnamed] has increased by 17. Your relationship status has changed to [Unusual Friend]. Future gains will be increased by 10%]
"I take it you were able to confirm what you sought to verify...?" asked Dr. Mari, approaching and casually plucking the Pikachu from Jason's hands, causing it to blink in confusion and stare back at him before it was placed on the ground.
"Oh? And what, exactly, was he trying to verify?" questioned Rotom, its curiosity piqued.
Before Jason could respond, the Pikachu defiantly slipped past Dr. Mari's legs and ran around to the back of his before climbing up to his shoulder and rubbing its soft and squishy cheek against his.
"Pika pii~"
[Your Bond Level with [Unnamed] has increased by 6. Current Bond Level is 27.]
"It appears this Pikachu has taken a liking to you..." remarked Dr. Mari, her smile gaining a hint of awkwardness. It wasn't unusual for the Pokémon in the Foundation's care to imprint on their caretakers. But as their goal was to rehabilitate and return sick or injured Pokémon to their original habitats, they naturally discouraged employees and outsiders alike from reinforcing bonding behaviors.
"Rena...!"
Seeing the Pikachu getting overly familiar with Jason, Ren's pale red eyes gleamed with a mix of jealousy and the desire to battle. Fortunately, while Jason wouldn't mind having a Pikachu amid his roster of Pokémon, he was the type to observe rules and abide by contracts—particularly those with legal remedies attached. He couldn't feign ignorance of the Foundation's prohibitions after he and Korrina had signed written declarations affirming they understood them. Thus, while he was reluctant to do so, he removed the Pikachu from his shoulder and expressed, "Sorry...but I can't take you with me..." while cradling it in his arms.
"Pika...?"
Staring up at Jason with a confused expression and slightly watery eyes, the Pikachu appeared to be asking why it couldn't accompany him when Ren abruptly leaped up to and sat on his shoulders while contracting her body and clinging to his head. When Pikachu saw this, its brows furrowed, and sparks began to emit from its cheek pouches. Before it could think to attack, however, Audino startled it immensely by picking it up from behind and giving it a tight, cheek-rubbing hug.
"P-Pika! Pika pii...!" protested the Pikachu, producing even more sparks from its cheeks. It clearly wasn't willing to give up without a fight, but it didn't have a choice as Audino planted a kiss on its cheek, causing its fur to emit warm and hazy pink light for a split second. After that, it became visibly disoriented, its head listing like a drunkard's and its voice weak as Audino carried it over to a circular bed.
'What the hell did I just witness...?' Jason asked himself, sporting a mildly slack-jawed expression.
"Those were the Pokémon Powers: Play Nice and Sweet Kiss," submitted Korrina, noticing Jason's confusion.
"Indeed!" chimed Rotom, interjecting to enthusiastically explain, "Play Nice lowers a Pokémon's attack and decreases their aggression! Sweet Kiss, on the other hand, causes the confusion status effect and is highly effective against Pokémon of the opposite gender! Since that Pikachu is a boy and the Audino accompanying you is a girl, it simply couldn't resist!"
"Auwadinn~"
Returning from her self-appointed task of de-escalating the situation and compelling the Pikachu to take a nap, Audino briefly presented a radiant smile to Jason before her pale blue eyes abruptly sharpened. As they did, Ren tensed atop Jason's shoulders, as, despite maintaining her smile, the Audino suddenly gave off a frightening aura that was noticed by everyone in the room, including the many Electric Pokémon.
Though Audino had yet to say anything, Dr. Mari smiled and explained, "It would appear she's not very pleased with Ren's possessive behavior. That is common among young Pokémon, but if you allow it to get out of hand, it could lead to a host of problems down the line."
"I'm aware..." affirmed Jason, carefully removing Ren from his shoulders. He didn't want to be too harsh with her as she wasn't even three full days old, but he also didn't want her to develop the habit of picking fights with every Pokémon that took an interest in joining them. Thus, before leaving the playroom, he set her down, took a knee, and carefully explained to her what she had done wrong and how they would need to work with others if they wanted to reach their full potential as both a Trainer and Pokémon...
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