Definitely Not The Shadows

The outside of the building was a depressing streaked gray. A darker brownish color crusted the wall from about the handle downward. Grimacing, I backed away my heels slipping on the slick ground. The door apparently let out into an alleyway. Dark and shadowy as if straight out of movies. I swallowed glancing around nervously. It was dimly lit by lights that flashed and pulsed sporadically. Some lights died and never came back on. I shivered.There was something about those shifting lights that did not seem right.

The vaporeon struggles in my arms wringing her thick slippery body. She slides through my arms and flops to the ground landing with a loud thump. Then, raising her hackles she purrs or maybe growls. "porrreon. vaporrreon"

"Cute. You say your name. Can you say anything else?"

"Vaporeon!" She barks swinging her finned tail.

"Well my name is J-" I paused remembering what I told Oak "Jericho"

"Nice to meet you Jericho!" said a voice from behind me. I jumped startled turning around. Behind me was a man a little older than me. He had a familiar smile, but his dark hair covered his eyes with shadows.. He was wearing fingerless leather gloves. Fingerless. That was odd.

"We normally don't talk to the Pokemon around here. They're dumb as mud. Will only reply with their name y'know." He said fingering something in his pocket.

My eyes involuntarily shifted to Vaporeon who stood in front of me in a protective stance.

"You really aught not wander around here with a freshie. Eevolutions are highly prized. You must have been deemed special."

I backed up the wall pressing against my back.

"Heck when I was released I only got a diglett. Doomed me to a life in the tunnels." I looked up just now noticing his dark stained skin and his torn fingers. His smile and turned malicious the shadows darkening his eyes and stretching the lines on his face.

"I- I'm sorry" I stuttered trying to edge around on the wall.

"Don't leave" He insisted. "You haven't met my pokemon yet". At those words the ground shook slightly and opened up in front of vaporeon. Vaporeons frills flared. A small smooth brown head with a pink oval nose popped up. A laugh bubbled forth with relief at the small harmless looking creature and just as quickly died as his face darkened.

Silence enveloped the alley. The sound of my heavy breathing was loud in my ears. "Do you find my diglett funny?!" he screeched. His face seemed to elongate his mouth gaping open with a bulgy tongue sticking out. 

First charcoal piece of the blog. A bit creepy...

That was definitely not the shadows, the shadows that were now creeping around them in unnatural tendrils. The diglett in a flash striked vaporeon across the face with long hidden claws. I shrieked along with vaporeons cry of pain.

"Stop!!" I screamed half lunging for vaporeon but pulling back as she ferociously pounces on the diglet opening her mouth to let out a torrent of water. The diglett disappeared leaving a hole.

I wish you could see the water spray better.

"Was that funny!!" The man yelled. The diglett popped up behind vaporeon slashing her. "Did you find that funny!!!" he repeated.  I cried out as the voice echoed around me splitting my skull. The darkness flashed ever growing. A sound of thunder rumbled in the back of my mind. A wiff of smoke flitted my eyes open just in time to see flame engulf the man."Was that funn-" The flame was followed by a white horse with a mane and tail of flame pulling a wooden carriage that ran right through where the man was. A great pressure was lifted and the shadows fled. I froze in disbelief staring.

Alot of details... I tried to simplify it.

A man with a balding drove the carriage. "Well what are you waiting for? Get in! Quick before he gets back up" The horse snorted smoke curling from its nose and pawed the ground furiously. I scooped up vaporeon glancing at where the man was. He was twitching on the ground his clothes on fire.

"You... You... ran him over and..."

"Yes, yes. It was either going to be you or him. Hurry! I'll answer questions later" He shoved a door open. With one last glance at the twitching man, I held my breath as I rushed through the thick gray cloud of smoke surrounding the carriage.

This post took awhile. Not because of the writing or even the crocheting, but the drawings. Go figure. Now, here's the pattern I picked out for the cute and deadly diglett.
http://nanettecrochet.blogspot.com/2011/07/diglett.html

I have to admit, though I have never bothered training him in the game, they are sooo adorable! Really easy to make as well. I learned how to do the popcorn stitch which is about the hardest part of making diglett and it was easy. I did lose track on that last round, but it wasn't a big deal since the rocks are supposed to appear random. The only brown I had that was dark enough was a really dark brown. I liked how it turned out, though. The eyes were embroidered with yarn. He turned out bigger than I imagined, but a very nice size about 4-5 in tall. His name is Slash.

Slash! Ah ahhhh Savior of the universe!

Next time, Jericho meets the mysterious man with the ponyta. Hmm I wonder what pokemon will be crocheted next time? Spoiler! It will be ponyta. I know, huge surprise. This ones special as it is my first patternless amigurumi. It has a pattern now though! I am done with the pattern part as well as crocheting. All thats left is sewing her together and making the mane and tail, which is going to be a chore (psst it involves brushing out yarn). The good news is this week is the perfect time to finish it, so the next post should be coming soon. 

I was going to just adapt an existing horse pattern, but could not find one I was satisfied with. None of them are very realistic, so I made my own. Plus, its huggable size! Which is always my foremost goal. The great thing about this pattern is it can be adapted into a lot of things like a normal horse (Spirit!!), My Little Pony, animals similar to horses (zebra, donkey, deer, etc), and more pokemon which I do plan on making (Girafarig, Stantler and Zebstrika. Girafarig is guaranteed). 

Heavy Consequences

I was dragged into another room. I dug my heels in the ground wrenching against the tight grips on my arms. "Let me go!" I yelled twisting around, but what I saw escorting me stopped my resisting. They were huge, muscular, burly and... not human. They stood on two legs and held me with massive hands bigger than my head. Their muscles bulged ballooned to unnatural size and they wore a belt like a wrestler, but their skin muted gray and hardened as rock. They had three red ridges on their head and their face was disfigured. Wide mouths pressed closed lipless like a lizard and sharp red eyes stared down at me furiously. They let me go and I wordlessly stumbled backward.

Oh when will we see our heroines face. I decided to color in her jacket thing. Hood worked better this time. Braid not so much. She is also wearing jeans, if you can't tell...

"I see you have met your first  Pokemon." Oak said suddenly appearing at my side. "This, dearie, is called a Machoke. As you can see we like using it as a strong arm. Very handy..."

Oh god no. Not corny endearments and terrible puns. Panic rising, I blurted out the intensifying questions "Where am I? How did I get here? Where is my mom and da-"

"You are in the Kanto region in the world of Pokemon."

"But -"

Oak cut me off and continued on "Now, you are too old to be assigned to a family. We will give you a job  and match you with a Pokemon to assist you and protect you. Every person in Kanto working and living alone is required to be accompanied by a pokemon just as every household is required to have one." He stopped talking suddenly quiet.

In the heavy silence, my first thought rushed out of my mouth "So you can tell my age, but not my gender?" It came out flippantly and exasperated, but my hands were shaking.

His face seemed to darken and he continued his silence as I wilted under his gaze. His ever present smile never went away.

"First, here is a pack to start you off for the first couple days" he gestured to a table that had a messenger type bag sitting on it. It was an awful lurid green and yellow. Flipping it open he started taking out the contents. He pulled out first two pairs of gloves "These are required to be worn at all times. Pokemons skin is poisonous to our touch and ours deadly to them. The leather pair is for working and the other one is for home use"

My hands reflexively gripped my bare arms where the Machoke had curled its fingers around. "Of course, the Machokes hands were treated before we allowed them to touch you. We, here, in Kanto value the safety of the humans." I eyed him my jaw set deeper and took a quick look around. The room was as cluttered as the last one was bare. There were boxes and shelves filled with the skeletons of weathered bags. They looked misplaced and wrong as if they were violently taken away from who they belong. Each one bore memories of a long gone adventure and person. I took a second glance at the bag before me measuring it with new eyes.

Oak was rummaging through it and took out a pair of clothes holding it out . "Ah. It looks like you will be a fisherman. We have much need for those." I grimaced biting my tongue. The best option right now seemed to be to wait until I get out of this place, then I can figure out what is going on. This Oak intends to set me off on my own and will not help me in any other way than the way he wants. His words and smile are too well rehearsed and his movements mechanical. This must be routine. I can't be the first, so does that me there are others here from... my own world?

As I ruminate these thoughts my mind easily zones out the Professor as he pulls out and explains each object. The Machokes are standing solidly behind both of my shoulders. I focus on Oak again when they scoot in breathing hot breath on the back of my neck. He's waiting expectantly holding a pair of gloves out to me. "From now on you are required to wear these." He said.

Well, there's her lovely face! And the front of her super cool jacket that is definitely not based off of my own... Um yeah, so this is a problem. The picture is sideways... How do I fix that?

I hesitantly took the warm grey gloves pulling them over my hands. They reach up to my elbows and coarsely scratches my bare skin. On the back is a diamond pattern. The previous wearer must have been a girl as well for they fit my slim arms. Before I could finish adjusting them, Oak shoved the bag at me and the Machokes pushed me forward. I fumbled with the bag slinging it over my shoulder. This time the room emptied out into a long hall.

I gagged at the sudden interrupting smell pervading from under the doors. It smelled like animals. Guinea pigs stuck in a dirty cage for weeks. Except there were more smells. One door we passed let out fumes of sulfur and rotten eggs the next was acrid and smokey. We finally stopped at the smell of dead fish. Fisherman, great. Oak opened the door and the odor hit heavily. Prodded through, I stumbled into a long room the walls lined with aquariums and cages.

In the cages were multitudes of creatures, birds, and giant bug like things. One had long thin legs supporting a small horned body. Another was shiny blue and circular with a long skinny black tail that zigzagged and ended in a ball. The birds all had a seagull look with what might have originally been white feathers, but they were so crusted in grime that it was hard to tell. They had bare patches of skin where they must of plucked feathers, leaving flurries of feathers in the air and on the ground. Yellow chubby ducks stared expressionless outside of the cages. Otters with a yellow tube around their necks crowded the next set of cages, swarming over each other. In the tanks, I could see eery twin lights glowing through the murky water. Behind those lights big eyes were illuminated. Other large dull red lights blinked sporadically hinting at more creatures. I shivered looking away.

"These are our available water Pokemon! Look at how the Chinchou and Staryu move through the water. These Wingulls and Surskits are the fastest you will find and the Buizels are just delightful. You otter like them." Oak beamed. All the names passed over my head as my head swam. The odor did feel heavy, heavy and moist pressing against my skin.

"They are all fed the very best Tympole that we breed ourselves in the farthest tank." My eyes involuntarily wandered down to their food buckets. They were filled with fish heads with bulging eyes covered in their own guts. Bile came up my throat and I covered my mouth with a gloved hand looking away forcing myself to swallow.

"I guarantee no better Pokemon to accompany you out in the treacherous waters. For you, though, I have one in  particular in mind." He gestured at cages across from the tanks. Inside were blue sleek cat like creatures with thick long tails and three fins on their head and a white frilled collar. They all laid together in a heap of limbs.  "They are called Vaporeon and are from our prized signature eevee stock. Along with Jolteon and Flareon they are the ideal elemental working companion. Cindy, please take out a Vaporeon for a new citizen" I blinked becoming aware of a woman in a green apron her hair tightly pulled back into a low ponytail also wearing long orange rubber gloves. Her face was lined and weary, but watched the Pokemon impassively.

She opened the cage and pulled out the Vaporeon laying on top by the scruff under the white collar. The Vaporeon hung limply its belly covered in a swirl of brown. Her ear like fins appeared torn and tagged  like a rabbit. The Vaporeon gazed out at me with empty soulless black eyes. Captivated, I lower my hand. Cindy checked the tag in its ear "01892vf"

Argh not again

"Ah a female." Oak declared. Oh so he can tell if a Pokemon is female, I thought bitterly.  I was handed the vaporeon who was surprising heavy and slick even with the gloves. I held her rigidly away from my body. She laid limp in my arms. Oak turned around leaving the room. The machokes pressing me to follow. Oak continued to talk as we walked down the hall.

"From now on, Jericho, you are responsible for this Vaporeon. This Pokemon is primarily for working purposes and under no circumstances will be used otherwise. There are heavy consequences for misuse of a Pokemon. If you are deemed inadequate for working, then we will return your Pokemon and you will face heavy consequences. All other Pokemon not accompanied by humans or tagged must be killed on site. Failure to do so will result in heavy consequences. If you attempt to leave your assigned boundaries-"

"Then I get more heavy consequences" I muttered my arms already growing tired.

"Precisely!" Oak exclaimed. We walked through another set of doors. "Your adventure awaits you. Good luck" I was thrust through the doors the the stuffy air letting up into open sky.

Suddenly chilled, I swung back around "Wait! What am I-" Professor Oak and the Machokes were gone. "supposed to do?" I finished quietly shocked by my sudden loneliness.

So, there were plenty of Pokemon this time and I believe I promised some crochet patterns. Well! Here we go. Today's Pokemon featured will be Vaporeon.Yes, I know Machoke would have been awesome, but it's too early for me to be making patterns myself and I am way too busy at the moment. Conveniently, Vaporeon is the only eevolution I have made, so far.

Here is the pattern I used:
https://shedko247.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/vaporeon/
It worked lovely. Everything came out fine and I just love the tail fins. One problem I had was with the white collar. It was flat and did not want to go around the neck, so I weaved string through the bottom and tightened it to make a ring and viola! Actually the biggest problem I had with this pattern was the body which is wolfdreamers Umbreon's body. For some reason my front legs came out super small, though I used a rather large gauge hook. Overall, I am happy with it, though. She is a very nice size and very huggable. If I wasn't lazy and impatient, I would redo the legs or at least position them differently. Also, her top fin I'm going to add a wire or something to help it stand up right. I just haven't yet. After writing todays post I added a tag in her ear. So, here she is.

This cutie needs a name.

Welcome to the world of Pokemon!

(Sorry for the low quality. It's a pic of a sketch straight out of my sketch book. I was not quite sure how to draw a french braid or a hood, but that is what I am doing this blog for to learn! I do like how the glare from the camera almost looks like it could be the light from the light above. :D)

A blinding light penetrated through the darkness of my consciousness shining red through my eyelids. My eyes fluttered open as I jerked awake. Cold steel laid beneath my arms and the air had an oddly sterilized feel like a hospital. My vision only slowly adjusted and I could dimly make out the outline of a man approaching me.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" His voice was loud and harsh in the silence and I could hear the plastered smile before I saw it.  "Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Oak. People affectionately refer to me as the  Pokémon Professor."

Pokemon. That word sounds odd. I could now make out details. He was an older man tanned and almost handsome with a stern square jaw. His hair was completely gray and he had light brown eyes. Oak he said his name was.

"Now, why don't you tell me about yourself? Are you a boy? Or are you a girl? Won't you please tell me?" He stood waiting patiently with the same smile.

It took awhile for me to register what he asked "What? Is it not obvious?"  came my startled reply. My voice came out rough.

"So, you're a boy then?"

"No! I'm a girl" My face flushed hot.

"So, you're a girl then?" I stared sullenly and he went on without waiting long for a reply. "Please tell me your name."

I hesitated, then bit my lip "Jericho". There were vague memories of that name.

"Your name is Jericho?"

"Yes"

"I'd like to tell you a few things you should know about this world! This world is inhabited far and wide by creatures known as Pokémon. We humans live alongside Pokémon as friends. At times we play together, and at other times we work together."

"Jericho! Are you ready? Your very own tale of grand adventure is about to unfold. Fun experiences, difficult experiences, there's so much waiting for you! Dreams! Adventure! Let's go to the world of Pokémon! I'll see you later!" 

I jumped startled at the sudden torrent and suddenly hands grabbed my arms and I was pulled from the chair by a hidden entourage. Oak continued to smile as I was escorted from the room. As the door opened a single phrase raced across my mind "this world". Is it not my own?


No pokemon today, so no pattern!