pssssshaka-klnkfuwaaaa
Following the sound of releasing pressure and a heavy bolt shifting, the door to Jason's sterile, hospital-like room slid open, followed by Professor Sycamore and presumably the same Audino as before entering.
"It's good to see that you're awake. How are you feeling...?" asked the Professor, approaching Jason's bedside and taking a seat atop a short, blue-topped, rounded chair with wheels.
"I'll feel better once I'm able to move around freely and leave this place..." answered Jason, using a cabled remote to change the angle of his bed so that he was lying at a 130-degree angle.
"Well, I have some promising news in that regard," said the Professor, the smile on his face broadening as he revealed, "We discovered that you had a bacterial infection in your lungs, but we were able to treat it without any serious complications. As far as your tests are concerned, we ascertained that you're definitely human. More accurately, your DNA matches samples we discovered from twenty thousand years ago. That fact has quite a few paleolithic specialists eager to meet you."
"I can't blame them..." muttered Jason, closing his eyes as he remarked, "If those from my world learned we shared a common ancestor with the people of this one, it would be a substantial find..."
"Then it appears our two peoples share a desire to learn more about the world as a whole and our place within it," affirmed the Professor, nodding approvingly.
"What's next on the agenda...?" asked Jason, opening his weary eyes and meeting the Professor's gaze as he noted, "If I have any say in the matter, it would be to have this catheter removed..."
"Ah...yes...I can imagine how uncomfortable that must be..." remarked the Professor, his smile softening empathetically as he explained, "We weren't certain how the bacteria in your lungs would respond to treatment, so we had you placed in a medically-induced coma and connected to a machine that breathed for you these past three days. Once I leave here, I'll have a member of the medical team drop by to assist you."
"I would appreciate it..." affirmed Jason, closing his eyes and leaning his head back.
"As for when you might be able to leave here, we have Professor Burnet on site to ask you some questions and conduct a spectrum analysis of the energy contained in your body," explained the Professor, stoking Jason's curiosity. Instead of interrupting, however, he remained silent as the man continued, stating, "Presuming it's nothing dangerous, we've spoken with the steward of the Tower of Mastery and his granddaughter, Gym Leader Korrina, and they've agreed to let you return and take up residence there as you acquire the knowledge and skills essential to navigate and survive in our world."
"I've yet to meet Korrina's grandfather, but I imagine he's an incredible person, just like she is. If you're able to, please pass along my gratitude for everything they've done and will continue to do for me..." expressed Jason, feeling a faint warmth permeate his chest knowing that Korrina and her grandfather were willing to take him in despite his dubious origins and knowing next to nothing about him.
"I'll see to it immediately after I leave here," affirmed the Professor, rising to his feet as he added, "On that note, I will leave you to recover and pass along your request to the medical team. If you need anything: food, drink, or entertainment, you can ask Audino. That's the species of this Pokémon here."
"Auwaa~" chimed the Audino, making a cutsey, double-peace-sign pose and smiling radiantly with closed eyes. Jason was still a little taken aback by her increased anatomical fidelity, but he managed a tired smile, offered a curt nod, and affirmed, "I'll be in your hands..."
"And with that, I bid you, Mr. Springfield, adieu~" hummed the Professor, performing an over-the-top bow that left Jason staring at him with what he imagined to be a deadpan expression. Fortunately, the man didn't stick around, allowing Jason to exhale a weary sigh, close his eyes, and entrust his head to his pillow. At the same time, the Audino perched itself atop the rounded, stool-like chair, its gem-like, sky-blue eyes watching him almost unblinkingly as if it were patiently awaiting its next order...
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[Four Hours Later]
Though the process of having his catheter removed was a memory Jason would prefer to forget, his strength recovered to the point he was able to get up, walk around his hospital room, and relieve himself in the attached lavatory. He could have done without the belly-high Audino following him like his shadow, but since it was simply doing its job, he didn't complain or ask why it was following him.
'I hope the numbness goes away soon...' thought Jason, emerging from the lavatory after washing and drying his hands rather thoroughly at the Audino's insistence. When he subsequently sat down on the edge of his bed, the pink and cream-colored Pokémon surprised him by struggling to climb onto it. Then, after positioning itself behind him, the Audino happily chimed, "Dino, dinn~" before proceeding to give him a shoulder massage with its tiny but surprisingly powerful hands.
"Thank you..." offered Jason, resisting the urge to tell the Audino it didn't need to push itself. Instead, he opened his System interface, now hidden to all but himself after he toggled an option that made it private.
'I've lost three kilograms in three days...' noted Jason, attributing the loss to his all-liquid nutrient diet. More importantly, his [Laying the Foundation] Quest was listed as completed, allowing him to claim the 7,000 AP reward and triggering a near-identical Quest in response.
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Quest: [Laying the Foundation 2]
Rank: E~D [Linked]
Description: Consistent training is the foundation upon which an entity's physicality, mentality, and spirituality are built. Train hard, study hard, eat well, and rest when you must. The broader and stronger your foundation, the higher you can build atop it.
Objective(s): Complete: 100 Push-Ups(0/100), 100 Sit-Ups(0/100), 100 Squats(0/100), and 60 Minutes of High-Intensity Interval Training(0/60) at least once a day for seven days.
Optional Objective(s): Finish eight complete sets per day for the duration of the Quest(0/7), Complete a total of 100 sets in seven days(0/100).
Reward: 7,000 AP
Optional Rewards: 20,000/100,000 AP
Notice: Failure to complete this Quest will result in the chain being broken and no additional Quests related to the chain being issued.
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Reading the notice, Jason's brows furrowed slightly as he thought, 'So if I take a break, even for one day, I will no longer receive Quested related to shoring my foundation? That's a bit extreme...'
Causing Jason's body to tense, the Audino abruptly hugged him, its tiny yet powerful arms squeezing him, and something soft pressing against his back as it faintly chimed, "Awan~" as if trying to comfort him. Audino were sensitive to changes in emotions and the physical condition of people and Pokémon alike, so in response to Jaon's frustration, the fluffy and squishy pink Pokémon did its best to reassure him.
'I guess I'm going to have to get used to people and Pokémon invading my personal space...' thought Jason, exhaling faintly from his nose as he turned sideways and caused the Audino, who released and backed away from him, to beam happily as he caressed its round and soft head with his right hand.
Ding!
[You have become [Friends] with the 1-Star entity, [Unnamed]. Initial Bond Level: 337]
[You have acquired the F-Rank Achievement: [First Friend]. 1,000 AP has been issued as a reward.]
Not expecting System notifications to appear the moment he stroked the Audino's head, Jason immediately ceased the movement on his hand, his brows perking curiously. As he did, the Audino took the liberty to sway its head and body with closed eyes, rubbing against his palm with a notably happy expression.
"Do you enjoy having your head caressed?" asked Jason, prompting the Audino to cup and push up its notably squishy cheeks as it replied with a happy, "Dino, dinn~!"
[Your Bond with [Unnamed] has increased by 3.]
"I see..." muttered Jason, a faint smile adorning his face as he continued to caress the Audino's head, prompting it to sit, hum happily, and lightly drum its round and soft-looking belly in response. It seemed to know he planned to pet it for a while longer, and since it seemed happy to have its body caressed, Jason spent what felt like several minutes massaging its cheeks, gently tousling the fur on top of its head, and scratching around the base of its ears. It placed its hand on his forearm when he got near its coiled, presumably sensitive lobes, so Jason made sure not to graze them as he cupped the Audino's neck and massaged its soft and pliant cheeks with his thumbs.
'This is surprisingly enjoyable...' thought Jason, watching as his Bond with the Audino increased every four seconds, gradually ticking up two to three points at a time before slowing to 1-2 after the total value exceeded 400.
"Dino..."
Though it retained its smile, the Audino eventually placed its hands on Jason's forearms, withdrawing his hands from its face with a somewhat helpless expression reminiscent of a mother resisting the urge to chide its child as it shook its head and gently chimed, "Audin-din," before bringing his hands together, smiling radiantly, and adding, "Awawaa~"
Ding!
As Jason was wondering what the Pokémon was attempting to convey, a System notification that left him speechless appeared, causing his mouth to open and his jaw to slacken.
[Your relationship with [Unnamed] has been changed to [Friendzoned]. Your current Bond Level is 428. Further increases will be reduced by 70% until your relationship status changes or has surpassed a Bond Level of 1,000.]
[You have acquired the F-Ranked Achievement: [Friendzoned]. 1,000 AP has been awarded.]
Interpreting Jason's reaction as shock in the face of her rejection, the Audino stood up, smiled at him apologetically, and gave him a few soft, comforting pats on his shoulder before positioning herself behind him to continue his shoulder massage. Meanwhile, Jason's mind was racing to make sense of what he had just experienced. He definitely hadn't been trying to appeal to the Audino, so he couldn't decide if the System was simply making fun of him or if the world he was in had more contentious elements than the consumption of Pokémon as food...
...
..
.
While Jason continued to mull over the potential implications of his and the Audino's misunderstanding, the Pokémon in question demonstrated surprisingly refined motor skills as it busied itself knitting what looked like a scarf or a long sock.
pssssshaka-klnkfuwaaaa
Prompting the Audino to hop up from her stool and Jason to look over, the door to his room slid open to reveal a striking woman with angular yellow eyes, bronzed skin with a prominent tan, white hair fashioned to resemble flames, and fringe bangs that somehow zigzagged without coming across as goofy. Her top was a deep-cut grey blouse that invariably drew the eye to the silver wedding band affixed to the silver chain necklace around her neck. Her bottoms were tight, form-fitting black pants with pale blue lines that gave them a modern feel, feeding into laceless black shoes with dark green, rubbery soles. Last, but not least, she had on a long white lab coat, its near ankle-length hem billowing slightly as she entered the room with long, confident strides.
"Yo. Jason Springfield, I presume...?" questioned the woman, preempting Jason's response by appending, "My name's Professor Ellaine Burnet. Is it true that you're from a different world?"
"It is..." confirmed Jason, nodding and following Professor Burnet as she approached and made herself comfortable atop the stool at his bedside. Then, making it clear she wasn't even a little concerned about catching an exotic disease or pathogen, she leaned forward with her arms crossed on the edge of his bed and stated, "Neat," before pulling out a hand recorder and asking, "Do you mind if I record our forthcoming conversation for my personal record and use?"
"Please, go ahead..." responded Jason, shaking his head while thinking that the people in the world of Pokémon lacked the concept of personal space. Pokémon Sun and Moon, which Professor Burnet was from, were the first Pokémon games he had played. He knew the striking woman was married and had a kid, yet, as if she wasn't even remotely concerned with the possibility of his eyes wandering, she clicked on the recorder, leaned forward with her sizeable and shapely breasts resting atop her arms, and hummed, "Let's start with your name..."
...
..
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