34. Milestones in Genetics

"Easy there, lady," I said, trying my best to sound reassuring. "It's just a little Caterpie. Harmless, really." 

The orange-haired woman didn't even flinch. Her eyes were glued to the poor Caterpie, who was now inching slightly away, as if sensing the sheer terror radiating from her. 

"Harmless?!" she shrieked, backing away like I'd just suggested we go wrestle a Gyarados. "It could evolve into a Butterfree! Those things are huge! They swarm and suffocate you with their feathery wings!"

"Okay, first, Butterfree are majestic butterflies," I corrected her. "Second, they don't exactly suffocate people. More like give you a lovely, gentle hug of pollen and fear." 

The lady-in-orange looked like she was about to faint. Misty, still clinging to my back like a terrified koala, let out a subdued "Told you so."

I sighed. This was going to be a much longer day than I'd anticipated. I gently peeled Misty off from me, her face still pale.

"Look," I said, "I understand you're scared, lady. But Caterpie is just a baby Pokémon. It wouldn't hurt a fly. Even a Butterfree, for that matter, is not malicious. They just want to spread pollen and be fabulous."

I gestured towards the Caterpie, who had now completely retreated under a nearby bush, peeking out shyly. "See? It's all scared of you."

The orange-haired lady stammered, "But what if it -"

"Alright, alright, let's just leave it be," I said, holding up my hands in surrender. "We can get you some calming herbs or something. Just try not to have a meltdown over a little caterpillar, okay?" 

She nodded hesitantly, her eyes still darting nervously at the bush. 

"Come on, Misty," I said, clapping her on the shoulder. "Let's get back on the road. We have a long journey ahead of us."

We passed by the bush, the Caterpie peeking out timidly before scurrying back into the foliage. As we walked, I turned to Misty. 

"What's the deal?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't like bugs?" 

Misty threw her hands up in the air. "Like them? I *hate* them! Bug-type Pokémon are the most atrocious things to exist! They're creepy, crawly, and they're always trying to sting you or, worse, wrap you in their sticky webs!" 

"Sticky webs?" I said, picturing Misty tangled up in a giant Silcoon cocoon. 

"Oh yeah," she shuddered. "It's like a horror movie! You're trapped, helpless, and all you can hear is the maddening sound of their clicking mandibles!" 

I stifled a laugh. This was getting ridiculous. Misty was practically foaming at the mouth. 

"Look, Misty," I said, trying to calm her down. "Not all Bug-type Pokémon are out to get you. Some of them are actually quite friendly."

"Friendly?!" she scoffed. "Friendly?! Have you seen a Beedrill? Those things have stingers for arms! And don't even get me started on Parasect and Venomoth. They're basically walking nightmares!"

I shook my head. This girl was going to need a sedative after this trip. "Alright, alright," I conceded

--

As we trudged onwards, the path grew steeper and more treacherous. Rocks jutted out from the earth, and loose boulders threatened to trip us at any moment. It wasn't exactly the scenic Sunday stroll I'd imagined.

Then again, I remembered that Pewter City was told to be a city between rugged mountains in the games, so this was understandable, but still, not enjoyable.

"Oi," I called out to Misty, who was practically tiptoeing along the path, her eyes glued to the ground. 

We'd encountered another Caterpie and, just moments ago, a Weedle that she'd nearly stepped on. It seemed our journey was turning into a minefield of creepy crawlies.

"Yeah?" she replied, her voice strained.

"You know about other regions?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

Misty stopped walking and pondered for a moment, putting her finger to her chin. "I do, but not very much," she admitted. "Even them from TV shows or heard from other trainers."

"Which ones do you know?" I pressed, eager for a distraction from our current bug-infested predicament.

Misty tapped the side of her head thoughtfully. "So our region is Kanto, with Johto right next door. There are some islands, what was it called…oh yeah! The Orange Islands. And there's that Hoenn region, that's pretty much what I remember." 

"Hmm, not much," I said, disappointed.

Misty stopped, her face contorting into a mock-offended expression. "Hey! You're one to talk! You don't even get to act disappointed! I'm a damn trainer, not a walking encyclopedia! I just haven't tried to know about other regions that much, is there even any use for that!

I chuckled. "Okay, okay, I get it," I said with a shrug, holding up my hands defensively. "I was just curious."

"Whatever," she mumbled, but I could see the corner of her lips twitching upwards. 

Gods, women were hard to read sometimes. 

"Look, you should check Poke-net for more information," Misty said, her tone suddenly turning practical. "Honestly, who tries to remember every goddamn region on this planet?"

Knowing better than to argue with a teenage girl in heat, I quickly changed the subject. "So what Pokémon do you have now?" 

"Not many, I left some at home," Misty said, her shoulders slumping slightly. She sighed, "Currently, I only have a Goldeen and a Staryu."

She looked at me with those crescent eyes, a silent challenge in her gaze. "And also a Ditto if you count yourself," she added with a smirk.

"That's the best Pokémon you could ever hope to see, lady, be happy," I huffed.

Misty just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, more focused on the path ahead than my eloquent commentary.

Honestly, I was getting tired of this uphill slog. My non-existent legs were burning, and my makeshift backpack was digging into my shoulders. I plopped down on the dusty path, letting the bag thump to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Misty asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

I was getting bored walking like this, and boredom breeds creativity. And creativity causes one to do experiments

"Just wait!" I grinned, a mischievous glint in my eye.

My body began to shimmer, the familiar tingling sensation spreading through me. I let go, allowing myself to melt into a puddle of pink goo. Time for an experiment.

In my mind, I replayed every detail of the Pidgeot I'd mimicked twice before. The powerful wings, the sharp beak, the piercing gaze – I tried to capture it all. This was different, though. Transforming without mimicking felt… strange. Like trying to build a house from memory instead of blueprints.

My gooey form started to take shape. Bones emerged, followed by muscles and organs, all coalescing into the majestic form of a Pidgeot.

"Woohoo!" I crowed, flapping my newly formed wings experimentally.

But I wasn't done yet. This Pidgeot was a bit on the small side, about the size of a German Shepherd. Not exactly useful in current scenario.

Misty stared at me, her mouth agape. "Uh… what just happened?"

Ignoring her, I focused on growing. Scaling up my size, I discovered, was surprisingly easy. It was like inflating a balloon – just add more goo.

My wings stretched wider, my body lengthened, and my feathers ruffled in the breeze. I was now a Pidgeot of impressive size, towering over Misty like a feathered behemoth.

Misty's jaw dropped. "What the—how did you get so big?" she stammered, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and disbelief. She'd clearly never seen a Pidgeot this massive.

I offered her a beaky grin, hoping it conveyed my playful intentions.

"Leaving everything aside," she said, shaking her head, "what do you want to do by becoming a giant Pidgeot?"

I extended a talon towards her, gesturing for her to climb aboard.

Misty stared at my outstretched talon, her expression a mix of confusion and apprehension. "You're saying I climb on your back?"

I nodded enthusiastically, puffing out my chest.

"Hell no!" she exclaimed, taking a step back. "I'm not riding a giant bird Pokémon, no matter how cool it looks!"

I tilted my head, trying to figure out why she was resisting such an awesome opportunity. Didn't she want to soar through the skies? Didn't she want to feel the wind in her hair?

Maybe I needed a more persuasive approach. With a dramatic flourish, I spread my wings wide, letting the sunlight catch their iridescent feathers. I let out a loud, triumphant cry, hoping to impress her with my majestic presence.

Come on, Misty, don't be a scaredy-cat! This is going to be epic!

Misty eyed me warily, her arms crossed. "I don't know about this," she muttered, taking another step back. "It seems... dangerous."

I let out a series of insistent "Pidgeot! Pidgeot!" cries, flapping my wings gently to emphasize my point. Come on, Misty, don't you trust me?

She hesitated, her gaze flickering between my expectant eyes and the ground below.

"Pidgeot!" I urged, puffing out my chest and giving her my best charming smile.

Finally, with a sigh of resignation, she approached cautiously. "Fine," she mumbled, "but if I fall and break my neck, I'm blaming you."

She tentatively placed a hand on my back, her fingers sinking into the surprisingly soft feathers. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wow," she breathed, "it's like... a cloud."

She sank down onto my back, melting into the plush feathers like a puddle of warm honey. I could feel her rubbing her face against my back, letting out a contented sigh.

"Soooo soft," she murmured, her voice muffled by my feathers.

I waited patiently, letting her enjoy the luxurious comfort of my plumage. After a moment, I shifted slightly, testing her grip.

"Whoa!" Misty yelped, her arms flailing as she nearly tumbled off. "I'm freaking fall, you dumb bird, be careful!"

She scrambled to grab hold of me, her fingers digging into my feathers. I could feel the two soft mounds pressing against my back, sending a jolt of excitement through me.

Hell yeah! This is life.

Carefully, I scooped up my backpack with my beak, making sure not to drop Misty in the process. No way was I leaving my belongings behind. Adventure awaited!

With a powerful beat of my wings, I launched myself into the air.

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New week starts! 

I have decided to move the Update Schedule to Sunday and Wednesday instead of Monday and Thursday.

Get your power stones ready to throw. Ditto needs them. 

In this week, for every 200 stones this book gets, you get 1 more bonus chapter!

And also, 1 up this if you guys use discord.

I am thinking of making a discord group for discussing future plots and girls, but it depends on how many people are willing to join the group. I already have enough useless servers on discord, so wouldn't wish to increase the count. 

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Link: patreon.com/Abstracto_101