(With some Friends by your Side)


    <hr>


    There''s a certain humbleness to watching someone more skilled then you at a craft work alongside you. Their confidence, their smoothness, their dexterity.


    Linh watched Christie draw her Tag with a sort of envy. And a realisation.


    It''s a simple task, really. Just rubbing the ink stones together, just soaking the brush, just smoothing the paper and drawing lines straight and curved. But Christie had this confidence—easy—to her. A simple pleased smile as she makes perfect characters in thick-brushed ink.


    It seemed like impossible magic. But, to her, it was a simple task she''s done a thousand times before.


    Linh didn''t know where he''s going with this. He looked back down at his own paper—Casket sitting up on his lap so her chin can rest on the table.


    The lines he drew were not smooth. The brush split at the ends—it came out in thin lines. There was a waviness to his straight lines, and a jaggedness to his curves. The ink was just a bit too dark or just a bit too wet.


    What he did know is that someday, if he''s persistent enough in this art. He''ll match the same skill as Christie. And maybe someday, someone he''ll be teaching will have these exact same thoughts.


    Maybe that was where Linh was going with his thoughts.


    "Okay." Christie set down her brush, "Let''s stop for now—it''s been some time. Snack break?"


    "Sure—could do with a cup." Linh pushed his chair back, and followed Christie out of the room.


    At the kitchen Christie beelined to the stove. Her hand flicking towards the other side without looking—"Fridge has sitrus juice, coffee beans on top, and there''s cookies in the cupboard next over. There''s dark chocolate and whole milk—get it out for me?"


    "Hm. What are you making?" Linh watched as she chopped up the chocolate bar into chunks, and swept it all into a saucepan—that she then poured the milk into.


    "Hot cocao. Want some?"


    "Nah, tea. If you have it."


    "Ah—I don''t have any of that—" Christie stopped as Linh set an open box on the table. Tea leaves next to a smiling Cherrim.


    "Well. You''re free to make it. Should have an extra pot some—" Linh reached behind him, and out of his shadow a paw clutching a kettle extended. He thumped it against the stove.


    Christie blinked at the kettle—the kind you put on top of a heat source. She giggled at the sight of a man who thought a kettle was appropriate to just carry around.


    Linh fussed with his cup instead of responding. Standing close by but facing away, at the wall. A simple wall with panels—set just far apart that there were gaps. Gaps for the darkness inside the walls to be seen. And for the soft grass-green liquid to flow out of.


    He ran that statement through his head again, and he jerked back as the liquid surged out of the wall. Floating in the air and forming into a Pokémon. "Uh?"


    "Oh, that''s Mitosis! Hello Mitosis," Christie sidled over—her cup steaming. "Where have you been?"


    Mitosis—Duosion—A small brain-shaped Pokémon. Bulbous head with a cleft in between, perched on a small conical body, with two stubby arms reaching out. All surrounded in a green gelatin.


    Mito explained himself to Christie, arms swinging around to gesticulate, and sound muffled with the gel. She somehow understood him, and drew him close—hands cupping him, cooing.


    Linh watched them interact, he interjected. "So, how''d you two meet?"


    Christie pushed Mito away and coughed. "Yes! Meeting. We did that, yes." She stepped away from Mitosis, and fluttered around the kitchen, hands busy. "Well. Mitosis may not look it—but he''s a late capture. In fact, he joined me well after I stopped going for Badges!"


    She tucked two plates under her arm—the ceramic clinking together as she stretched up to a cupboard. "I actually found him near Levincia. There''s a cliff west of there with a great view of the skyline, the ''Million Volt Skyline''. I found Mito there and we hit it off. A bit ironic, because I originally spent most of my journey looking for a Solosis. They would have been good on my team while I was still battling."


    "A Trick Room team, yes?"


    Christie came back with a box of brownies—she set it down between her and Linh, and started piling the chocolate on her plate. Two layers thick. "Correct! It''s... a fun team. Effective too. Everyone''s so focused on hitting first that they train to be as fast as possible. But I always hit first under Trick Room. If I had Mito back in Kalos—he would have been a wall breaker. Ah. A wall breaker is—"


    "I know." Linh picked up the brownie box, reading the label. He set down a few pieces, before putting it back. To the side, as he faced Christie. "Slow, bulky and hits very very hard. Very hard to avoid losing a Pokémon whenever they get to act. But, isn''t your entire team very Special slanted? Cofagrigus, Bronzong, and Reuniclus all prefer Special Attacks."


    "Resonance is actually trained for melee—with Heavy Slam and Body Press," Christie said, she waved her cup around. "And Pedio''s entirely physical."


    "That''s clever. Certainly fits you." Linh smiled and nodded. Christie hummed, her eyes flickered away from him—towards the window.


    "Ah—look. Poppy''s out with Gimmighoul." She pointed, and it was true. Outside the window, Poppy was walking with Gimmighoul. Talking about something.


    "Is it about time?"


    "I''d think so—and there''s the Pokéball." They watched through the window as Poppy offered the Pokéball, and Gimmighoul accepted it.


    "I knew she could do it. Girl''s really persuasive when she wants to be." Linh nodded. He then saw Mito get closer to his plate. "Can Duosion eat brownies?"


    "Hm? Sure."


    Linh offered Mito the plate, and he took the lot. Four chocolate cubes floating inside the gel, surfaces slowly fizzling down. Linh head-patted Mito.


    Christie watched, smiling. "You''re the parental sort, aren''t you?"


    Linh thought about what he knew of her. Pretty. Pleasant. Single. He met her gaze, "I''d like to think so." And he kept his gaze on her, until she looked away.


    Mito watched this, and gasped silently—his eyes sparkled, a shininess to the black. Linh held out a fist and Mito fist-bumped back.


    "W-well!" Christie stood straight. She inhaled, "Poppy—and your Journey. How''s that been going so far?"


    "Well." Linh leaned, relaxed. "It was... surprising. At first. Not the actual travel trip—but where we started. I was expecting us to go to Katy first—the closest one to where we started, Mesagoza. Except.


    "Poppy wanted to go to Tulip first—and so we did. Going straight through the caverns for that. So we''ll likely get Katy''s badge last, or near to last."


    "Mmm. Yes. Do make sure your bringing your best when you try for it; Bug specialists become nasty at the higher end of things. They have to be, to keep up with the raw power other Types get." She sighed, wistfully. "I remember going against one—really pushed me to give everything I had back then."


    "That''s a sight I''d like to see."


    Christie paused, half a brownie between her teeth. She broke it in half, and her tongue pulled it inside. She stared at Linh as she chewed—before a decision. "You know. My first Badge was Bug. It was with Viola—a Gym Leader in Kalos. A little known fact is that she actually offers photo sessions to her challengers. Captures them in their best light, with make-up and lighting and everything else. I actually took her up back then."


    "Mm. Prettied all up?"


    "Yes. And I have the albums still. Maybe I''ll show them to you." Christie''s eyes twinkled—the fingerprint swirls turning. "I think I''ll look good in mascara, don''t you?"


    "I''d say—" Linh turned, and saw Christie leaning close enough that he could count her eyelashes. They fluttered, and he looked away. Light tinge on his cheeks. Hand on the table. Christie flashed a grin, placing her on hand down.


    Mitosis bounced in the air, grin wide and loudly acidic. He stared at the hands and his grin only grew.


    "So—the next place we went to was Artazon. With Brassius. It''s such a... green, town. I rather liked it, actually."


    "Grass." Christie made a disgusted noise, "Artazon''s not a good place in summer. Pollen," she spoke that word like it was a curse.


    "Ah, Hayfever hits you hard?"


    "It''s evil."


    Linh leaned forwards on both arms—Mito fell—and spoke. "Flowers are a bad gift, then?"


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Heh. Yes." Mito rose.


    "I''ll keep an eye out for skulls."


    Christie fell still, and stayed still until Linh looked up. "... My displays—what do you think of them?" She gestured towards the wall behind them. Where the living room, and the glass display cases with skulls were.


    Linh gave that some thought. "I''m... not really interested in them." Mito wilted. "But they''re clearly well-cared for. I don''t really mind."


    Christie mulled that over, "That''s fine. I don''t expect others to enjoy my decor."


    Mito rose.


    "Now I didn''t say that—" Linh straightened up sharply. "—not really a big decoration guy, that''s all. M'' shelves are littered with pens and tools."


    Christie didn''t answer that, but she did hum. "So—I already know this, but where are you heading after Artazon?"


    "Levincia, naturally. Poppy''s been hyping it up for a while now. ''The city of skylights''."


    "Beautiful place. Really. Great view at the cliff west—maybe I''ll show you it someday."


    Linh adjusted his position, hand on the table. "The Volt Skyline again."


    "Yes. It''s certainly a romantic spot—teenagers head up there to have affairs behind the bushes." Christie paused, then brought her cup up. "Or so I heard."


    Linh turned an accusing gaze at Mito, "And you were lurking there? Voyeur."


    Mito fizzed happily. The brownies in his gel melting one by one. Christie laughed. Her hand reached down to her plate, and nail clinked against pottery. She frowned.


    Somewhere, somehow, in this conversation—Christie had emptied her plate. Nothing


    but crumbs. "Ah—pass over that box?"


    "That one?" Linh pointed.


    "—Nevermind." Christie reached across the table—her hand coming down to brace against the top. Except. She didn''t touch wood. She, seemingly unaware, placed her hand over Linh''s, and pinned it to the counter-top as she reached across him.


    The movement smacked Linh in the face with her hair, and he smelled the hints of dirt—from lying down in the graveyard.


    She pulled back and Linh shook his head. He tried to shift his hand but Christie ignored him—she was focused on dumping the rest of the box onto her plate.


    Linh looked over to Mito—his eyes were sparkling at the ''handholding''.


    <Moments before the Road></abbr>


    Linh lay against a headstone, stretching across the cool stone from headstone to slab. In his hands was a book—one borrowed.


    In his lap Menace rested, roots down and sprawling over his lap. All the way into the dirt, Gripping just tight enough that Linh''s trousers bunched around the fractal bark.


    Around him, the wild Pokémon played—chasing, chased, and screeching.


    Linh turned a page, then paused as something caught his eye. A purple glow from above.


    There, levitating in the air with slow, steady, movements, was a tiara. A cheap one. Plastic shiny metal and plastic shiny gems.


    Linh watched it gracefully approach him, and somewhat gracefully attach to his brow. The sharpish tips of the band sliding around his head.


    He looked over, to see Mitosis in the same purple glow. He floated there with a steadfast and stern gaze. In his tiny hands—inside the gel around him—were a long stick, and a tiny circle of wood. A circle with the word ''shield'' sloppily painted on.


    Linh snapped the book shut, and set it to his side. He shifted to face Mitosis—Menace rasping all the way. "A new Hero comes to this broken land. Seeking to right its wrongs, and set the Princess free—chasing after his helpless cry:"


    Menace''s eyes twisted, staring up at Linh.


    He continued, in a painful falsetto. "Help me brave Hero; you''re my only hope."


    Mito bubbled—mouth opening and closing silently. Sending out air bubbles that rippled through the gel, and popped on the surface with a hissing spitting reaction. He charged towards Linh, sword raised high—a warcry on his lips.


    Yet, berfore he could make it half-way across. Two Pokémon appeared out of the gravestones. Kaolin and Riolu. Kaolin floated back and away from Riolu, a single Potion in its floating grasp. The liquid inside sloshed with mesmerising sparkles. Sparkles that led Riolu to stumble after Kaolin—arms up and reaching, steps blind and dumb.


    "Two hulking figures intersperse themselves—a fearsome Ghost and a mindless Brute! Dispatch these thugs in brutal fashion, that they may hear of your arrival."


    Riolu tripped on the cobblestones, little paws wrapped around the potion and bringing both to the ground. Riolu lay on top of Kaolin, chest pinning it down, Potion spray-head gnawed on by his teeth.


    Mitosis charged directly at the two—yet, before his tackle could reach, Riolu reacted—springing up by instinct and rolling away. Leaving only Kaolin to suffer the bash of Mito''s shield, and the hit of his stick.


    Not that either of those were effective. The shield wasn''t large enough to push out of the liquid around Mito, only the stick actually poked out of the acidic gelatin around Mitosis. He jabbed ineffectively at Kaolin. It made a confused noise, and then flicked a tiny Shadow Ball at Mitosis—blasting him back.


    "But these foes cannot be beaten by just his trusty sword. And his shield favours him not. He must use his Moves! His secret techniques!"


    Mito hissed and spat angrily, throwing down his stick and his shield—the liquid around him blooping as they are ejected. And his tiny arms reach up with a psychic glow. One that formed shapes above him in translucent hard-light. Linh shifted to get a better look.


    A catapult formed. Balancing on top of Mitosis by one wheel. He tossed it, and it soared wheels-over-arm into Kaolin. Kaolin tried to float away, but the massive contraption collapsed on him to—


    —no effect. A moment later, a psychic light came alight on the catapult''s arm, and the catapult fired. Flinging that light up and up until it—


    —disappeared.


    Psychic looking... Delayed... Maybe—"A Future Sight—a pendulum swung back."


    Kaolin watched the catapult as it disappeared, confused. It turned back to Linh and a gout of steam spilled out of its spout—shaped in a question mark.


    Linh made no effort to guide—he just pointed back to the game. Where Riolu was charging towards Mito—Swift stars spinning in his paws.


    He fired, and they collided with Mito. And set the gel rippling. Mito returned fire with another psychic glow—instead of conjuring a hard-light catapult. A pillar wrapped in rings and topped with a sphere appeared. The sphere was faintly transparent, and inside, yellow lightning arced.


    A Plasma Globe.


    Without hesitation, Mitosis slammed it down on the ground. Where the purple faux-bulb cracked, and a great bolt of lightning arced out.


    "Thunder! Fruminous Thunder." Thunder by an unusual method—Linh wondered at how Christie and Mito managed that.


    It shone bright enough to banish the the shadows behind the tombstones—revealing shocked and startled Shuppets. The lightning arced in one great bolt, up and down to ground at—


    —the ground. Right next to Riolu as he dodged.


    "Yet inaccurate it was—a daring mistake."


    Mitosis made his anger known by the spitting of his acidic gel—so hostile that little bits of it shot out like it was carbonated. He formed another construct with sweeping gestures from his tiny arms: a half-circle, with an arrow pointing from centre to edge. Numbers lining the the edge. One of those antique elevator floor indicators.


    He slammed it into the ground, and with a ding! the arrow shot to the highest number, and Linh felt a jolt. As if the world was rising upwards faster.


    This jolt hit Kaolin and Riolu harder—they slumped downwards and struggled to lift themselves. Paws pushing against the dirt.


    "Oh—a rarity, Gravity well formed." It was a good choice on Mito''s end—easier to hit that which is pinned.


    Again, as Riolu was pinned to the ground, Mitosis made another Plasma Globe, and shattered it mightily.


    This time, the bolt hit. The cracking crackling boom slamming home with dirt-blasting force. Riolu was left spasming on the floor, dizzy eyed.


    "A dazzling blow! And—another; the pendulum swings forth."


    Then the purple light—Future Sight—blinked back into existance. Right in front of a surprised Kaolin. It exploded. And Kaolin was left spiralling down onto Riolu. Tea boiling and steaming away.


    At that impact, Riolu let out a soft bark, and the Potion he had was spat into the air.


    "To the victor, goes the spoils—but a pack laden with loot, is often low on supplies. Best to use your medicines now, before you have to discard them."


    Mito surged forwards, and gleefully sucked the Potion into his gel. He spun it around. Then Mito heard his words—and with a psychic aura conjured two things. A small bottle, and a roll of bandages.


    Mito mimed drinking from the bottle—whatever was inside making his gel ripple and glow purple. Calm Mind. Mito wrapped the bandages around himself, where the hard-light wraps sunk into the gel and melted. Recover.


    "Soothed, sedated."


    Mito continued towards Linh. Linh watched him placidly, deciding whether or not to impose more obstacles in his way. His eyes darted to the Shuppets in the shadows, watching.


    ... Nah.


    He looked down to Menace—already glaring at him for the presumption.


    ... Yeah.


    Linh pushed Menace out of his lap. "The greatest monster approaches. Nightmare made material!"


    Menace bounced down the graveyard slab, and came to a stop before Mitosis. Menace hissed as he shot a brace of seeds at Mito—all missing by inches.


    This did not deter Mito—as he conjured up a Shadow Ball. Misty and black between a set of Psychic tongs. Mito aimed those tongs at Menace and squeezed them together. Shooting that ball out by force!


    Menace took the blow head on, and did not bother to roll back up.


    "Pff—A Singular strike!"


    Jubilated, Mitosis missed Menace''s disolving form as he floated past.


    He, however, did not miss Linh evaporating away—an illuision he tried to touch. Mitosis cried out in shock.


    In Linh''s place was a small, plastic, disc. A TM. For Psychic.


    "I''m sorry Hero—it seems your princess is in another castle." Linh''s voice came from nowhere—cast by the winds. "Good luck next time!"


    Mitosis''s face screwed up, and he yelled outrage—bubbling spitting acidic outrage. Matched only by unhinged, rasping laughter.


    <Moments before the Road></abbr>


    The road was long—long to Levincia. And their time was short—short if they wanted to complete the gym challenge in a reasonable time.


    So Linh and Poppy had to repack all of their things—and make sure everyone was there. And make sure they were ready to set out again.


    They set out.


    And then they came back—Mitosis had hidden inside Tinkie''s bag. It turns out Mitosis wants to go with them—


    "It''s fair enough," Christie remarked. "He missed out on my Journey, and its just as important for the Pokémon as the Trainer."


    —so Christie gave Linh his Pokéball, and they left again, with an awkward goodbye.


    And then, twenty minutes later. Mitosis came floating back. Flying at full speeds until he slapped against Christie''s door. And tackled into her stomach as hard as he could.


    "So," Linh said, "Mitosis got homesick. I believe."


    He returned the Pokéball and they left. And—


    —And you can pick up the pattern now. Mitosis hared after Linh, and clung to his arm until he carried him


    home.


    "So. This is a problem," Linh began.


    "Mitosis wants to be with me, but he wants to stay with you," Christie hummed.


    "He can''t have both." Linh crossed his arms, as much authority as he can muster.


    "Not necessarily—you could—"


    They did not know, but Mitosis was also battling this dilemma.


    -</abbr>


    Mitosis spun around and around—body following thoughts. He wanted to stay! He wanted to go! He wanted both! But he could not have both!


    ...


    An idea came to him—could he not have both? He was once a Solosis, one mind. Then he became a Duosion. Two minds, divided. If one could become the other, why could the other not become the one? Touching on the familiar psychic energies within, Mitosis pulls on them with the same ease he has always known.


    He grips himself.


    And he tears.


    Light, white light. Light around his form, that brought attention. Everyone turned to him, confusion and surprise. The light grew larger and larger until...


    ... It shrunk. Diminished. Faded.


    Two Solosis, the first things they saw as they opened their eyes was each other.


    Twin bubbling fizzing cheers, as they realised it worked. Spinning and chasing around each other, they inspected their mirror with fresh eyes. Before they saw Linh, and Christie. Mystified.


    Both darted towards them. One directly at Christie, and the other circled around Linh in excitement.


    "I don''t understand?" he stated. Head turning this way and that.


    Christie hummed as she caught the other. "I... I think I do. Duosion are two minds in one. They''re Psychic powers work best when both work in tandem. When they agree." She hefted her Solosis up. "I guess this is what happens when they''re too different."


    Linh took this in, "So, which one is which?"


    One of the Solosis settled into Christie''s arms. "I think this is my one—Mitosis," she said. That Solosis jerked upwards, and then bubbled and nestled deeper into her arms. Mitosis.


    The other one spun around Linh as he tried to catch them—once, twice. Successfully thrice. Linh held them in cupped hands. "So, you''re the one who wants to go with me?"


    Solosis nodded within their gel. And then with their gel, up and down pressure on his hands.


    "Alright. I''ll be happy to take you, then." Linh brought Solosis into a hug.


    Christie started, "He—"


    The other Solosis made an annoyed noise.


    "She needs a new name."


    Linh nodded, long as he scrambled for an answer. Before it hit him. He pointed at Christie''s Solosis. "Mitosis, Mito."


    He pointed at his Solosis. "Meiosis,


    "Meio."


    Meio took in that name, before she fizzed happily—red mouth curling into a smile.


    "Seems Meio likes it. And," Christie quirked her head, eyes closed. "I think I do, too."


    Linh grinned, "Great!" Then he paused, and scratched his cheek, "This should be the actual goodbye now—right?"


    "Oh," she slouched slightly. "Yes. It is—yes."


    Neither spoke.


    Until Linh spoke up. "Actually—there is one more thing. When we''re going out, to Levincia. You''ll want to see how Meiosis is doing, right?"


    "Right?" Christie asked.


    "So," he continued. "May I have your number? To text back how she''s doing. Naturally."


    She looked in square in the eyes, and a small smile grew. "Right. And I''m sure my number will be used for just that."