[S][C/Alicia] Back in Time

Quick and to the point. That reply was very much unlike her, as was the frightening demeanor surrounding her when she arrived. Luna was on edge from seeing Alicia's furious-looking Pokémon despite Josh soothing her. Looking like she wanted to get in and out quickly, the young man wouldn't hesitate to get moving to the west. At the speed she seemed to want to go, they would cover six blocks in little time at all.

He wanted to make small talk with Alicia to try to cheer her up. He knew exactly why she was so frustrated. He was frustrated on the inside, but kept his frustrations bottled up. "I'm... so sorry for your loss," Josh attempted to console her, a flurry of level-up messages flying across the top of his HUD. He smiled when he saw two names in particular within:

Granmarg and Ixion.

"I don't think they're dead, though. They're out there somewhere. And if you need help getting them back, just ask. I'll be there."

Tikani's words resonated with Josh, and he repeated them in front of Alicia. "I get it, too. I went through the same thing you did. I love Ixion and Granmarg so much. Granmarg was the very first Pokémon I got to ride here. It was a magical experience... one I'll never forget. You've been in the saddle yourself. You know how awesome it feels."

As the two crossed the final intersection leading to the Identity Parlor, Josh gave Alicia a pat on the shoulder if she allowed it. "But please... I know you want to be a hero, but you won't be able to protect anyone if you die. I know you want to protect your friends, but you have to protect yourself too. Watch your own health. You can be a hero without being a martyr. Because I swear to Arceus, if I see your name in an obituary, I'm following you down to the Everworld and dragging your fucking ass out of there."

A bit insensitive? Yes. Was it necessary to drive home the point? Yes. Such was the nature of the Precision F Strike.

Josh shook as he approached the entrance to the Identity Parlor, reaching for a wallet filled to the brink. He might need to procure a bigger wallet if he was going to hold this much cash regularly! It may have even looked disgusting to the Gardener seeing Josh hold so much cash. The Parlor's bouncer looked down at the contents of Josh's hands, amazed. "Congratulations, member. Right this way."

He followed the doorman inside, Alicia perhaps getting a glance at the inside of the building. It had similar decor to a nightclub. And did he say "member"? Did that mean he could come back at will? Stopping at a cage similar to one at a casino, Josh stated his business. Alicia may have been able to overhear his request:

"I want to make myself younger. Make me... eleven years old."

After an unintelligible exchange (Josh's voice carried, but not the employee's), he was led out of Alicia's sight. He wasn't sure what kind of technology was in the back room, but it had to be pretty wondrous. The young man was presented with shoes and an outfit that were clearly too small for him. Led to a fitting room, he was asked to put on the children's clothes. Nearly ripping the fabric, he got the shirt beyond his head, feeling like he could choke.

All of a sudden, the fitting room erupted in mist. Alicia might have been able to hear the sound of a clock tower's bells ringing rhythmically, as well as a ticking sound synchronized with them. When the mist and sound ceased, Josh comfortably fit in the new shirt and shoes, his old bottoms on the floor. Switching into the ones he was provided was a snap. The real feedback on the transformation was having to reach up instead of down for the doorknob. A squeakier "Thank you so much" as he returned from the back room was the first sign that Josh really had changed.

The second was who walked out of the Identity Parlor.

It certainly wasn't the Josh that Alicia recognized. The young one was as short as an eleven-year-old could be, a true midget even among older children. He stood only a couple inches taller than his Liepard. Climbing onto the cat's saddle with ease, he smiled toward his friend. "How about we wander town for a bit?" the young boy suggested. "Gotta get Luna here used to me!" A purr from the dark-type rattled Josh and made him shiver. Riding a big cat was going to take... some getting used to...

"Hey, hey, that hurts!" the boy squeaked, still not used to his new voice. With a younger body came different... everything. It felt awkward sitting upon a mount, yet being face to face with the now much older Alicia on foot. "It was," he answered his friend's question. "I wanted to be as small as the game would let me." And that he was. That he could fit on a normal-sized Liepard without issue was a sign of just how petite he was. "It's perfect for me, though. Think how many doors this will open!"

Josh tugged on Luna's reins as hard as he would turning one of his horse Pokémon. With a sharp meow, the dark-type performed a U-turn, now heading deeper into the Western District instead of back the way they came. "Whoa, Luna!" the boy yelped. "This is so different! I wanted her to turn a little, and she turned a lot!"

Josh broke out into hysterical laughter at Alicia's joke. It was so true, yet so pointed. He was a scout, and he was indeed a boy now. He couldn't even be mad at the jab. "I'm sorry, but that was so rich!" he huffed, Luna rolling her eyes at her rider. This was the boy that was holding her reins? The Liepard wanted to make a snide remark, but respectfully held her tongue.

Josh had failed to think how each would control, but it made sense. It was like how every character in a racing game had different parameters... much like the Pokémon on the race course all had different capabilities. He did as Alicia instructed, and found the feline much more controllable. "Whoo-hoo!" Josh triumphantly cried as he made much more restrained turns, even staying on the correct side of the road as the feline trotted. "When we get into the fields, we can really let loose. I wonder how fast she can go? That reminds me, I really should spend some Arena Points on a Double Team TM, given that they're permanent and reusable."

Josh wondered about Luna's top speed, too. There was, of course, only one way to find out: saddle up and hold on tight. It came with its dangers, of course, as the amount of stress it would put on his body if he went beyond what he could handle would almost certainly log him out. There were big cats in captivity easily big enough to ride on in the real world; ligers existed. No one rode even a tamed one; their flexing backs were harsh on a would-be rider's spine.

"It's funny you speak of a cheetah," Josh replied as he continued to get used to how Luna controlled. "I was one of those kids that dreamed of riding a cheetah. Without thinking about how small they were, about their lack of strength... and about how harsh their gaits are." It would make going back to Granmarg or Raiden an adjustment... and would test his skill as a rider. To be able to adapt to multiple types of mounts would be difficult, but rewarding.

"But I'd be down. Want to head to the west gate and try?" Luna loudly ran her motor in approval, startling Josh. "Whoa, that felt so weird! I didn't think about them purring, either!"