Pokemon
It was just for a moment, barely a flash, but beaming from the television was a peculiar smell. Jared didn’t see what channel it was. In his haste to scroll through them all he’d passed it by three whole spots. He backpedaled one by one until that aura was beaming out of the screen again. He hadn’t imagined it. It wafted out at him like he’d opened a window. The undeniable smell of nature, that of trees, grass, animals, and open fields made his nostrils dilate. An automatic whiff inflated his chiseled chest, filling him with vitality. What the hell is this?
The aroma was real, but what the TV depicted certainly was not. In the opening seconds of the channel being displayed he saw the info bar at the bottom. It read, in bold, capitol letters, POKÉMON. It certainly looked that way. Jared recognized the art style of the anime he used to watch all the time as a kid. It was a static shot of an open field surrounded by woods. The trees swayed with the coming breeze. Bird Pokémon droned past in the background. The humming tune of nature tweeted out of Jared’s speakers. It was the Pokémon anime, alright, but why the hell did it smell real? Why was it just this shot of an open field? Lastly, what the hell was that folded up suit on the floor?
Jared’s stomach twisted. No way. He rose from the pillow and approached the TV on his lion feet, drawing deeper into that pleasant outdoor smell. His eyes were focused on that folded up bit of clothing which settled atop a nice clump of grass. It had been put there deliberately with its perfectly folded shape and frontside facing upwards and towards Jared, the viewer. Jared couldn’t see all of it, but he could recognize the bottom part of a hood which was tucked under one half of the outfit.
Another onesie. There was no mistaking it, but it didn’t make sense. Why in the TV? How is it making a smell? Is Leland doing this? It had to be the magician, but this was weird even for him. Just when Jared thought he was done being surprised, Leland goes and springs this weird shit on him. How am I supposed to get to it? Is this some kind of hint to where it is? Jared stared deeply into the screen. He noticed how crisp the image was when focusing on the animation lines. Looking at the background trees he saw how smoothly they would jostle in the wind. Even the most talented team of animators couldn’t produce something so natural. Is it even animation? What the hell is Leland trying to pull?
The only way to find out was to get to the onesie, but how? Nothing in the shot popped out as a clue to lead Jared to it. There weren’t any letters either. Wait. I should check my mail. Jared was ready to perform an about face and go downstairs, but something kept him glued in front of the TV. No, if he wanted answers, he was going to have to find them right there. The smell of nature was still radiating, slapping him in the face with its allure So rich, so real, he could almost reach out and grab it. Jared’s hand came up slowly and came towards the screen. I’m not actually trying this, am I? But he was, and the moment his fingertips were supposed to touch glass he instead felt the cool kiss of an outdoor breeze.
Written by TheGreatJaceyGee on 02 September 2024