Chapter Text
An odd noise like the cracking of branches made 10-year-old and soon-to-be Adventurer Extraordinaire Vicky (“no journey for two more years, Vicky, you can be an adventurer or whatever then, for now there’s weeds to pull—” “…yes, Gram-gram…”) pause midstride. The path home from school was rather short, a dusty stretch of gravel and dirt with a few trees dotted to either side. The grass had not grown so tall as to hide any creatures, save only for the smallest or most determined of pokemon, and even then not for long.
The sound rang out again. “KkkuuKKkuk.”
If this is what I think it is…
A small shadow at the base of one of the trees moved. Vicky’s eyes snapped to it as if drawn by a magnemite.
“Oh my goodness!” Vicky breathed, “A mimikyu!” She crouched slowly, keeping her gaze fixed on the tiny trembling figure. “What are you doing here, little buddy?”
The doll drew back, shaking. “kuuUUkkk!”
Vicky froze. “Oh my gosh I’m so sorry!” she whispered, frantically putting her hands up in a universal gesture of peace. “Are you okay, are you hurt? Are—”
As if soothed by her panicked rambling, the mimikyu’s trembles gradually slowed. Vicky stared at it, fascinated. The head of the doll tipped to the side at an unnerving angle, the blank button eyes staring straight ahead. But on the chest area, Vicky could see two more smaller holes, out of which the tiny pokemon peered out tentatively.
Vicky grinned. “You’re so cool!” She mumbled to herself, “I can’t believe I found a Mimkyu–”
“KkKKk!” Mimikyu began to shake again, drawing back.
“... Sorry, I don’t…” Vicky paused.
“Kukk!” The pokemon awkwardly swished its tail, bobbing its ears in an exaggerated motion.
“Your tail…? Oh, a pikachu costume?”
“KkkkuuKKuk!” The mimikyu looked up hopefully.
Vicky was silent for a moment, then her eyes widened. “Oh! Don’t worry!” She beamed at the small doll, “pikachu are great, too, but Mimikyu are better! You’re not just a ghost, you’re a fairy! But I don’t think people know that yet — that makes you extra super special—”
Mimikyu began shaking like a leaf once more.
“— and I can’t believe you’re in Kanto, this isn’t your region – maybe poaching? That would be horrible, I hope you’re okay—”
“KuuukkKKuuKukk!” Mimikyu rocketed into her chest.
“—Oomph!” Vicky wheezed, then stared in shock. Mimikyu immediately took the opportunity to dig its feelers into her shirt, gripping tightly and almost seeming to fuse to the material. After a few seconds of shocked staring from the human and fearful but excited trembling from the pokemon, Vicky’s grin split even wider than before.
A passing pidgey could have sworn there were straight-up cartoon stars in her eyes.
“Oh my gosh yes! I’m going to love you so much! You are the best!” She wrapped mimikyu in a small hug, and the little ghost type immediately whined and gripped tighter. Vicky giggled.
“Hey Mimikyu! My plan is to win the league and show everyone how awesome my pokemon are. Wanna come with me?”
Mimikyu immediately started nodding so fast the costume made a thwacking sound as it flopped. Vicky laughed again, and squeezed mimikyu in a hug.
“Awesome! We’re going to be best buds and take the world by storm, just you wait!”
An hour had passed since Vicky had encountered her partner and platonic pokemon soulmate Mimikyu, and she was still over the moon. A mimikyu! One of her favorites! She always wanted a mimikyu! She was going to give him so much love and hugs and—
She squealed unashamedly as Mimikyu hugged her arm tighter.
It had been long enough, however, that her rationality had begun to return, even despite still being face to face with an adorable creature like Mimikyu.
Her parents… well.
There was a reason they had told her to stay far away from her Aunt Agatha’s ‘mons. Ghost types were known to be vicious , vindictive, playful, and all around dangerous. Not her Mimikyu though, he was the best.
… Her parents wouldn’t see it that way.
And then Vicky had an amazing idea!
“Mimikyu!” she whispered excitedly, “go inside my hat!”
“...KkkuuKkk?” Mimikyu tilted his head.
“My parents will probably not be too happy when I bring you home—and there’s no way I’m leaving you behind, we’re partners now and forever—”
“KKuukkk!” The shadowy tentacles on her arm tightened, and Vicky idly petted the shivering body of the doll.
“—so if you go inside my hat, we can slowly get them used to ghost pokemon before introducing you! And I can carry you around everywhere!” Vicky beamed.
Mimikyu seemed ecstatic at the idea. He immediately leaped into her hat and nestled at the top, the head of the doll contorting until the skull looked caved in, empty eyes pressed up against the tail of the costume. Two tiny ghost eyes peeked out from the dome of the hat. Vicky suppressed another squeal of overflowing cuteness. Vicky promptly put it on her head.
It was an odd sensation, cold and wet like it should be slimy, prickling like insects on her skull—the ghost-sensation of slimy, but when she ran her hand over her hair it came out dry.
“So cool,” Vicky whispered. Mimikyu chattered happily and did a little wiggle before falling silent. “Stealth mode engage!” Vicky murmured, giddy. She bounced along, back onto the gravel path home, rambling picking up speed as she approached the house.
“—we can get Aunt Agatha to mediate, since she has a lot of ghost-types, I’m sure she would love to meet you! And maybe I can get training tips, oh that would be the best! She’ll definitely help out with Mom and Dad, though, just you wait, I’m going to show them how awesome ghost and fairy types can be—”
Vicky fell silent as she reached her front door, pushing it open.
“Hey, mom, dad! I, uh…” Vicky trailed off seeing Growlie and the three training Growlithe in attack position, hackles raised, teeth bared. In the corner, Persian had her claws out, snarling. “Uhh…”
Her dad was glancing around at his pokemon, eyes alert, one hand on the taser holster in his belt. Mom had grabbed the cutlery and was gripping it like a weapon. Not two seconds passed before her parents realized that all the pokemon in the house were staring at Vicky.
Or more specifically, Vicky’s hat.
“Vicky…” Her mother began calmly, but the tone in her voice promised impending doom. “What. Did you do this time?”
Vicky winced.
“Busted,” she whispered. Her hat wiggled sadly.
The Scolding, as the incident was soon termed, was legendary.
Her father’s voice could be heard from across the neighborhood, Vicky was sure, and the screaming from her mother when she revealed her precious partner made a flock of pidgey flee the berry orchard.
Rude.
Despite their best intentions, the family soon discovered that prying Mimikyu away from Vicky was an exercise in futility, and also quite potentially lethal.
Vicky was pretty sure the only reason Mimikyu didn’t immediately claw someone’s hand was her desperate pleading and growlithe-eyed stare at both her parents and the shadow pokemon to oh my Arceus please don’t maul each other, Mom, Dad, he’s fine, Mimikyu loves, me, no I’m not dying, nobody is dying, ghost pokemon are friendly, I promise, just look at Agatha! Mimikyu stop trying to kill Persian—
They… reached an agreement.
Vicky was grounded for life. Both for bringing an unknown pokemon home, for approaching a ghost type, which were well known to be dangerous— no, Vicky, you can’t just say ‘they want to be friends,’ ghost types are well-known to be vengeful! What is something happened to you? The only reason we can even keep your… mimikyu is that we have connections to Arceusdamn Agatha! Why can’t you just understand, so help me Vicky —nearly giving her mother a heart attack, terrorizing a squad of growlithe in training, and ruining her favorite flannel shirt.
She hadn’t even realized there were holes. Whoops.
Well, at least it would only be a couple years before her journey. No trips to the forest without supervision, she was escorted to school, and the chores she was expected to do around the house doubled.
“Worth it,” she whispered to her hat, and it gave her a happy wiggle.
That still didn’t stop her from rescuing a feebas in the school pond.
She could feel her partner cackling from atop her head at her mother’s dead-eyed stare.
Vicky sighed and let herself collapse onto the bed, finally having escaped her reckoning.
She looked outside her window. It was dark out. The Scolding had lasted hours.
Vicky groaned.
Well. It wasn’t like she couldn’t understand where they were coming from. From their perspective, their excitable, overeager, 10-year-old daughter had just brought home one of the most dangerous pokemon types in the world, and was letting it rest on her head. As a hat. They had no knowledge of Mimikyu, no understanding of the bond Vicky and Mimikyu had forged unusually quickly, and no context for why any ghost type would follow a young child other than expected carnage.
Vicky winced.
Yeah, she would probably have scolded herself for life, too. Not your best move, Victoria Ferrous.
Her gaze drifted towards her hat, where Mimikyu was hiding. Or, where she expected Mimikyu to be hiding.
He was not there.
Vicky immediately sat straight up, desperately looking around the room—before letting out an explosive sigh of relief. The Mimikyu-hat was posted in front of the open doors of her closet, clothes haphazardly piled and falling out of drawers. She spied one of her flannels that she had been looking for yesterday—so that’s where it went!—and groaned.
Part of her punishment: double chores. Looks like the ol’ closet would get a deep cleaning sooner rather than later.
Vicky frowned. She glanced back at Mimikyu, who hadn’t moved.
“Mimikyu?” She gently probed, “you doing ok?”
“Kkukkk,” a tiny voice came from under the hat.
Vicky tilted her head, looking closer. Wait were those… stars in Mimikyu’s eyes?
Yes. Cartoonish, sparkly, glittering eyes that were some of the most adorable, effective puppy eyes Vicky had ever seen. Never mind that this was a ghost type, never mind that this was one of the most terrifying pokemon that could kill with a single glimpse at its true body (Vicky had never before been so glad that not much was known about pokemon in this strange new world, since her parents would absolutely never have let Mimikyu stay if they knew that little tidbit), this was her partner. And he was in awe. Of her closet.
Vicky slowly began to grin.
“Oh, Mimikyu, my dear,” she cackled, “I am going to get you so many costumes. ”
Mimikyu looked at her like she was Arceus.
Vicky’s smile grew softer. “Only the best for my partner.”
Vicky promptly found herself tangled in a vice-like cuddle hug the rest of the night.
At least Gram-gram was happy with the whole fiasco. Mostly.
“Hah!” She crowed, “now I finally have something to hold over that biddy Agatha’s head. A new ghost type!” She cackled. “Good work, girl.”
Vicky stared at her from the corner of her eyes. You’re the one who gives me the most chores in punishment, Gram-gram. But she wisely stayed silent.
Gram-gram was teaching her how to sew, after all.
What? Of course she wouldn’t let Mimikyu have some sub-par, generic, store-bought costume! Her partner deserved only the very best! And if that meant Vicky would have to suck it up and suffer through hours upon hours of sewing practice with Gram-gram, then she was going to do it, Arceus-dammit.
Luckily, Mimikyu seemed significantly more fascinated in learning the finer art of clothing creation than Vicky, and watched, enraptured, as Vicky stabbed her finger with a needle for the fifth time in a row.
The Milotic Debacle happened. And then was promptly resolved.
Agatha was absolutely ruthless in eviscerating the League officials that threatened not only her extended family’s Milotic flock, but her precious niece’s rare, never-before-seen ghost type.
Vicky was left with a suitable modicum of awe and terror at the carnage the overenthusiastic Ghost-type Elite left behind her.
“One day,” she murmured at her hat with sparkling eyes, “we’re going to be just as destructive.”
Mimikyu and Arcanine cackled and barked in agreement.
Vicky took stock of her bag as she swung herself on top of Arcanine, eagerly burying herself in the fluff. Pokemon grooming kit? Check. Tent and rations? Check. Pokeballs? Check. Brand new, Gram-gram approved, fully-stocked sewing kit for Mimikyu? Check!
“Who’s a good girl? You’re a good girl! Yes you are!” she mumbled into his fur. Arcanine yipped happily, prancing as Vicky adjusted her balance. Mimikyu wiggled atop her head, claws gently grasping the side of her hat and hair.
It had taken a little while to train Arcanine not to be terrified of Mimikyu. The evolution had helped, Arcanine now being a great deal stronger, and the two had soon become good friends, reaching a common understanding and love of their trainer.
Vicky’s heart turned to mush every time at the thought.
“Alright!” Vicky cheered, pumping a fist into the air, “let’s get this show on the road! Time to show that wimp Lance what we’re made of!”
Arcanine howled, and Mimikyu “kukk”-ed in agreement. She ignored her parents sighs of despair and her Gram-gram’s cackles in the background.
“To Pewter! Wait Arcanine not so faaaaaa—”