It began as curiosity—perhaps even a tactical decision. After the intense battle with Amber and the disturbing encounter with a Team Rocket grunt, Aster found himself drawn to a piece of information he'd overheard back in Cerulean City. Something about a renowned researcher named Bill, someone rumored to be experimenting with Pokémon communication—particularly, emotional synchronization.
That detail stuck with him. Since awakening his strange ability to sense Pokémon emotions, Aster had only scratched the surface of what it could truly do. He had read pain and hesitation in Amber's team like they were open books. He had predicted each movement, each flicker of doubt. But it wasn't enough. He wanted more.
If someone like Bill had tapped into the same wavelength… then maybe, just maybe, Aster could learn how to turn this gift into something far greater.
He took Route 25 with purpose. The forest stretched like a coiled serpent along the coast, shaded and quiet, broken only by the distant rush of waves and the flutter of Bug-types in the canopy. A few trainers wandered the path, but Aster wasn't interested. His focus was steel-sharp, and none dared challenge him when they felt the cold weight of his aura passing through.
Eventually, the Sea Cottage came into view—perched on the cliff like a forgotten relic. The door creaked open with a dry whine. Inside, lights flickered. Machines hummed with half-dead energy. No sign of the fabled Bill.
Aster stepped forward cautiously.
That's when he saw it.
Slumped in the far corner was what looked like a Cubone—but the moment Aster opened his mind, he flinched. The emotion pouring off the creature wasn't grief. It was pain. A soul in agony—fractured and raw, as if two thoughts were arguing over the same heartbeat.
The creature stirred.
It turned toward him—and the illusion fell apart.
The skull it wore was warped. A faint psychic shimmer danced across its body. Beneath its mask-like face were Abra'seyes—glowing gold, wide and filled with quiet torment.
Aster didn't move. His ability surged.
Fear. Confusion. Pain. Isolation. Anger.
Aster knelt down slowly and extended his hand—not to attack, but to listen. He channeled the sensation through his Healing Touch. The emotions trembled, then began to settle. He could feel the conflict inside the creature easing, its breaths evening out.
"You're in pain," Aster said softly. "But I'm here now."
The Pokémon—the fused consciousness—took one faltering step forward. Aster held steady.
Then came the voice behind him.
"GET AWAY FROM IT!"
Bill burst from a side room, disheveled and wild-eyed, holding a steel rod like a weapon. There was madness in his gaze—guilt, panic, desperation. He looked burned, as though part of him had already been caught in a fire.
"It's unstable!" Bill screamed. "I was trying to separate them—it's too dangerous to be left alive!"
Aster stood and turned on him, cold fury lacing his words. "You did this."
"It wasn't meant to suffer! I—I was studying neural sync, empathy links, trying to deepen the Trainer-Pokémon bond—" Bill's voice cracked. "But they… they weren't supposed to feel each other's pain this way."
The creature screamed—a raw, psychic wail of betrayal.
Then everything collapsed into chaos.
The fused Pokémon suddenly unleashed a burst of Ancient Power—not an attack, not yet, but a desperate reaction to fear and betrayal. Machinery exploded. Sparks lit the air. Aster was thrown back by a telekinetic wave.
Bill lunged forward with the rod, swinging for the Pokémon's skull. "I HAVE TO END THIS!"
CRACK.
The blow never landed.
The Pokémon retaliated with blinding speed—a psychic blast ripped through the room, and Bill was sent hurtling into the control panel. The machines erupted. Flames licked the walls. Aster coughed, trying to rise, reaching out through the fire, but another explosion forced him back.
He saw Bill's silhouette fall, burning.
Then—
Flash.
Psychic energy surged again. The world twisted sideways—
And Aster vanished.
When he came to, the world smelled like moss and pine. Trees swayed overhead. The sky was clearer here, farther away from the smoke.
The fused Pokémon was kneeling beside him, barely standing. Its breaths were shallow. Its aura flickered with instability—but there was no more rage.
Only sorrow.
And hope.
In Aster's presence, the pain dulled. It was clinging to him—not with desperation, but with belief. For the first time, it felt like someone could understand.
"…You saved me too," Aster whispered.
He reached for a Pokéball.
"I don't know how to fix this. But I promise I won't leave you alone."
The creature didn't resist.
Click.
The ball didn't shake once. Just a soft hum. As if it was tired too.
Aster sat there for a long while, staring at the Pokéball. He could still feel the twin souls inside, bound together by tragedy. But something about his presence… made it bearable. Made it survivable.
He named it Cura.
When he finally emerged from the forest—charred, quiet, and different—he returned to Cerulean like a ghost. He said nothing to Lorelei. Nothing to the townsfolk.
The Sea Cottage? Burned.
Bill? Presumed gone.
And Cura?
Cura was resting peacefully.
Some truths, Aster decided, were too dangerous to share.
Aster's Current Status
Name: Aster
Rank: Pokémon Trainer (Silver)
Age: 7
Money: ₱4,997,900 (~$3,348,593 USD)
Pokémon Team
Glaceon (Bond: 100%)
Level: 46
Ability: Snow Cloak
Moveset: Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Blizzard, Quick Attack, Mirror Coat, Hail, Ice Shard, Wish
Gyarados (Bond: 100%)
Level: 40
Ability: Intimidate
Moveset: Bite, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, Twister, Scary Face, Leer
Poliwrath (Bond: 80%)
Level: 32
Ability: Water Absorb
Moveset: Hypnosis, Double Slap, Water Gun, Brick Break
Lapras (Bond: 60%)
Level: 38
Ability: Water Absorb
Moveset: Ice Beam, Surf, Perish Song, Confuse Ray
Cura (Bond: 10%) – Fused Pokémon (Abra/Cubone)
Level: 25
Typing: Psychic/Ground
Ability:Cursed Bond(Custom) – Intensifies emotions during battle, amplifying power and unpredictability
Known Move: Ancient Power (unleashed only in extreme emotional states)
[Fusion of two consciousnesses: Abra's logic and Cubone's sorrow
Emotionally unstable but calms around Aster
Psychic outbursts can cause destruction
Cannot remain stable for long without Aster nearby
Currently recovering inside its Pokéball, stable but not yet ready for standard battle]
Nidoran♂ (Bond: 30%)
Level: 11
Ability: Poison Point
Moveset: Poison Sting, Leer, Double Kick
Inventory
1 Pokéball (for Nidoran♂)
19 Pokéballs
12 Super Potions
3 Full Heals
3 Antidotes
2 Paralyze Heals
1 Moon Stone
1 Map of the Kanto Region