Zam the Hybrid

2. Hybridisation

The good doctor made his way through the forest, searching for something. He wasn't quite sure exactly what he was looking for but he knew that when he found it, he'd know. He straightened both his body and bowler hat, helping both his vision and spinal issues. If he were some ordinary doctor, he wouldn't need to do all of the manual labour himself. Still, Cass knew that this was something he had to do.

Sam Baker's situation had gotten worse. It'd been almost a month since Cass first suggested his crazy idea to the Baker's and their poor son and fallen into a coma-like state, unable to do anything with his body thanks to his useless brain. The boy needed surgery and he needed it now. Cass had to act quickly if he was to save a life.

The major issue with Cass's idea of a brain transplant was a sizeable flaw. Every transplant needs a donor. For the surgery to be a success, he wouldn't need to just remove Sam's current brain without killing the boy, he'd need to replace it with another living one and unsurprisingly, people weren't queuing up outside his office to donate their most vital organ. He needed a donor desperately. He couldn't use the brain of a dead person as the chances of the brain suddenly being brought back to life in another person's head were so slim that even he, the maverick doctor, wouldn't attempt it.

And so here he was, trying to find a solution to the problem. If he couldn't get a human donor, Cass was just going to have to find the next best thing and if the Baker's weren't happy with it then tough. He was saving their son after all. If the surgery was a success. Which was highly unlikely.

It took Cass several hours of virtually meaningless wandering before he realised where he was headed. Nearby, or somewhere not too far away, or perhaps it was a week-long trek away, there was a group of Pokémon that could help him out. Yes, he decided, they were the solution he didn't even know he'd been looking for. Now armed with a true goal and a purpose, he was fuelled by a determination he'd been lacking until just moments ago. He grinned and soldiered on.

The journey was exhausting. It was a relentless trek over rough terrain and through countless trees, a journey full of stumbling over huge tree roots, shielding his eyes from pointy branches and hiding from dangerous Pokémon. His once fancy attire quickly became tatty and torn, splattered by mud and coated in dust. He'd never be able to wear this again. Still, every tiring step brought him closer to the tribe.

When he finally saw what he was looking for he felt overcome with emotion. Cass felt a rush of joy and a sense of accomplishment but he was also extremely weak. His quest to find the tribe had been a success but now he'd need every bit of debating skill he ever had to convince them to help him and he barely had the energy to stand. He dropped to his knees, now feeling defeated.

The thin Pokémon slowly walked by him. Some pausing for a moment, perhaps allowing a moment of rest for their brown joints or perhaps eyeing up the strange newcomer with their wise old eyes, others passing Cass as if he didn't even exist. Cass only saw their three-toed yellow feet trot slowly by, never once witnessing their trademark spoons or facial hair. Eventually, the entire tribe had passed him and he hadn't even spoken a word to them. He'd not only failed himself but Sam Baker and his mother. He felt ashamed.

"Ala... ka..." came a croaky voice not too far away. It sounded like a creature in great pain. Somehow finding the energy to bring himself to his feet, Cass stood up and shuffled towards the direction of the sound. He came to a small clearing and saw the poor monster.

It was an Alakazam, presumably part of the tribe that had just passed by only it looked hurt. It was sprawled on the ground, face firmly placed into the dirt and spoons nowhere to be seen. Whilst it had no visible wounds, they were in the grounds of psychic type Pokémon and their attacks generally didn't leave their opponents with cuts and bruises. Their effects were invisible but often much worse.