ã€ŠUnbroken Disguiseã€‹


 Chapter 1

    His steps were almost silent. Not quite, but after having spent so much time out in the wilderness he had become adept at not disturbing the locals. If they wanted to be friends, that was great. But to just waltz in and stomp around in their home? That would be terribly rude. This wasn¡¯t a city with their constant noise, or people and pokemon everywhere.

    He couldn¡¯t remember the name of this forest, but he would respect it all the same.

    However, something seemed¡­ off. It was hard to tell exactly what was bothering him about this place, but the feeling wasn¡¯t fleeting. A quick glance around revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Just a Tranquill resting in a tree, a Venipede scurrying across the ground, a Petilil poking out of the tall grass.

    Pokemon always seemed to have sharper senses than he did, perhaps he could ask them? He calmly approached the Tranquill, craning his neck up to properly meet its closed eyes.

    ¡°Excuse me, am I just imagining things, or does something seem strange about this part of the forest?¡±

    The Tranquill¡¯s eyes opened, staring down at the boy on the ground. ¡°This whole forest is strange, but I suppose things have been thrown off by the new guy in the area.¡± A strange sound came out of its throat, as if it wanted to scoff, but couldn¡¯t quite manage it. ¡°What am I doing, acting like a human is going to understand me.¡± It startled to grumble in annoyance, but craned its head off to the side either way, obviously gesturing for him to go in that direction. ¡°Maybe this guy can catch him and get him away from us. That would be nice¡­¡±

    ¡°You wish for me to capture a pokemon not native to this area? Why not just ask him to leave if he¡¯s bothering you?¡±

    The Tranquill squawked, its eyes going wide. ¡°Wait, did you just? No, I must¡¯ve heard wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°My apologies, friend. Perhaps I should have led with the fact that I am able to understand pokemon. I sometimes forget that it is not common among humans.¡±

    Tranquill stared at him, slack-... beaked? It took a moment to compose itself before mumbling something about ¡°this stupid forest, I really need to move out of here¡­¡±

    Adjusting its footing on the branch, Tranquill went back to its explanation. ¡°This forest is weird. Real weird, if you ask me, but if you¡¯re only just picking up on it then it¡¯s more likely that the ¡®strange¡¯ feeling you¡¯re getting is the schmuck who just moved into the area. Terrifying little thing, the sooner he gets out of here the better. Ruining the whole atmosphere with how scared everyone is¡­ Anyway, he¡¯s taken residence in a hollowed out log over that way,¡± Tranquill gestured off to the side again, ¡°and he¡¯s making a real racket over there. You can¡¯t miss him, but if you start to hear the sounds of humans then you¡¯ve gone too far.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see?¡± The human replied. Being asked to relocate a pokemon was certainly a novel request, but if everyone who lived here was scared¡­ ¡°And what sort of pokemon am I looking for, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±

    ¡°No clue what it is, never seen one before it suddenly showed up here. It covers itself though, like you humans do.¡±

    This just kept getting weirder and weirder, but the man¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°It wears clothes? I suppose I¡¯ve seen pokemon with accessories at times¡­¡±

    ¡°No, not like that. You¡¯ve probably heard of Zorua, right? And how they have their illusions?¡± The man nodded in affirmation. ¡°It¡¯s like that, but¡­ low quality. It pretends to be a Pikachu, but the whole thing is off. No technique involved, it¡¯s just got some material over it that resembles a Pikachu. Or at least, I think that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ve not gotten close enough to really investigate.¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­ I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve never heard of a pokemon that matches your description, but I suppose something like that would be hard to miss, wouldn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll see if I can help resolve your issues.¡± He wasn¡¯t about to order a pokemon around, like those awful pokemon trainers, but he could at least talk to it about maybe trying not to bother its new neighbors.

    Tranquill gave a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯d do something about it myself, but¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m happy to help.¡±

    And with that, the man set off in search of this mysterious pokemon. It truly was odd that such a pokemon had wound up in the woods here. Perhaps it was from another region? Someone could have brought it to this area and abandoned it. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time he had seen a case like that, even if the vast majority of those were at least native to some part of Unova.

    It wasn¡¯t long before he was able to hear the noise that Tranquill had complained about. It was like something was tearing chunks out of a tree, the wood splintering and cracking. The noise gradually became louder and louder as he approached the source, but just as he was able to spot the debris flying through the air, it stopped.

    The sound of destruction was replaced by a lone voice. ¡°...didn¡¯ work either. I guess that crosses Hone Claws off the list. This would be a lot easier if I actually understood how any of these moves were supposed to be used¡­¡±

    That was when he saw it. A¡­ Pikachu doll? It seemed pretty worn out, and the tail had been replaced by a stick. The pokemon puppeting it must be quite small if it was able to fit inside.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± He called out.

    The doll jumped, doubling the distance between them in a moment. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s the big idea, sneakin¡¯ up on me like that? Gimme a heart attack, why don¡¯cha¡­¡± The head of the doll bobbed a bit as the pokemon spoke.

    ¡°My apologies. I simply wished to have a discussion with you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m sure you did. Well here¡¯s the deal, bud. You-¡± The pokemon cut itself off abruptly, just standing there, watching him. Was it watching him? Those holes on the base of the doll sort of looked like slits for eyes¡­

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The man asked when it didn¡¯t seem like the pokemon would be continuing that thought.

    ¡°...that shade of green, the get-up, talkin¡¯ ta me like it¡¯s no big deal¡­ What¡¯s yer name?¡±

    ¡°My name?¡± It wasn¡¯t often that a pokemon would ask for his name. And the accent was odd, something he had never heard before. That was far stranger than a species he didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°My friends refer to me as N. May I ask your name? I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ve never seen a pokemon like you before.¡±

    ¡°N? I guess that settles it then.¡± The pokemon slowly closed the distance between them, walking right up to him as it spoke. ¡°Well, I s¡¯pose you can call me Mimikyu. That¡¯s the species name, and I doubt we¡¯re gonna be runnin¡¯ into any others of my kind ¡®round these parts.¡± The head of the doll tilted back as Mimikyu looked up at him. ¡°Now, I wanna make sure somethin¡¯s crystal clear b¡¯fore we continue. If ya value yer life, and the lives of those around ya, this little get-up I¡¯ve got goin¡¯ on? It stays on. No peekin¡¯, got it? That ain¡¯t a threat, that¡¯s just how it is for Mimikyus.¡±

    It certainly sounded like a threat, but N supposed he didn¡¯t know much about this species, and if Mimikyu wanted the doll to stay on, he was happy to oblige. ¡°No peeking, understood. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mimikyu.¡±

    ¡°Likewise. Now, I know we just met an¡¯ all, but I¡¯ve got a request for ya.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°A request? I can¡¯t guarantee anything, but if it¡¯s within my abilities I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±

    ¡°Great! Yer obviously not the trainer type,¡± N was glad to hear that even a pokemon who had just met him wouldn¡¯t confuse him with those awful people, ¡°and that¡¯s fine an¡¯ all, but I find myself in a bit of a pinch. Would ya mind if I tagged along with ya?¡±

    It was shock after shock every step of the way today. He had had wild pokemon ask to travel with him before, but never like this! He had barely known Mimikyu for a handful of minutes, and now the pokemon wanted to travel with him?

    ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to the idea,¡± N replied, ¡°but are you sure? We only just met after all.¡±

    ¡°Look, if you were just about any other human, I¡¯d kick ya from here clear ta the Kanto region. But I can tell that yer different. You got yer goals, I got mine. I just got a¡­ let¡¯s call it a gut feelin¡¯, that if I tag along with ya it¡¯ll make reachin¡¯ my goals a whole lot easier.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t argue with that. I was just planning to explore this forest for a bit longer before I moved on to the next city. You¡¯re free to join me if that¡¯s what you desire.¡±

    ¡°Cool, let¡¯s get a move on then.¡±

    <hr>

    It took quite some time to escape the forest. Mimikyu isn¡¯t exactly a speedy pokemon, and N found himself walking at a sedated pace so that his new friend could keep up. That was fine though. He wasn¡¯t needed anywhere at any specific times, and it gave him an opportunity to learn about his traveling companion.

    ¡°Alola? No wonder nobody recognized you. I doubt there are many people in all of Unova who are very familiar with the region at all, let alone all the different pokemon there.¡± N had only heard bits and pieces of information about the region. He could vaguely remember a few commercials advertising for the region, but that had been long ago.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s sorta surprisin¡¯. Humans travel around a lot, don¡¯ they? A place like Alola should be a vacation hotspot at the very least. The sorta place everyone talks about goin¡¯ to one day, but maybe can¡¯t afford.¡± The more that he and Mimikyu talked, the more signs pointed towards it having once lived amongst humans.

    ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t actually talk to other humans all that much¡­ I prefer pokemon for companions.¡± Not that he was a complete hermit, but talking with pokemon was just so much easier.

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ yer a bit of a loner type, ain¡¯t ya? Or maybe that doesn¡¯ really fit if ya talk to pokemon a lot.¡± Mimikyu said with a contemplative tone.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say. But you know¡­ from what little I do know of Alola, your accent doesn¡¯t really fit it. Are you really from there?¡±

    ¡°Look, partner, let¡¯s not go making assumptions, alright? Ya know what they say about assumptions. Alola is an island chain, right? It stands ta reason that there could be different dialects on each island. Though with the recent advances in technology those dialects would probably be restricted to the older generations who didn¡¯ grow up with mass media¡­¡± The way Mimikyu phrased it seemed as if he had never been to the region at all, but it was easy enough to confirm that.

    ¡°Is it the dialect of a specific island then? I¡¯ll admit that I had not paid enough attention to catch something like that with the little media I¡¯ve seen out of the region.¡±

    ¡°Ya ever heard the phrase ¡®curiosity killed the cat¡¯?¡± Mimikyu replied, annoyance clear in his tone. ¡°Though maybe they replace ¡®cat¡¯ with a specific pokemon from each region. Curiosity killed the Purrloin, maybe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Liepard, actually. Though now that you mention it, that saying probably does vary depending on region.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, the point I¡¯m gettin¡¯ at here is that me goin¡¯ on a little tangent like that is my subtle way of tellin¡¯ ya to drop it. I don¡¯t ask about yer past, you don¡¯ ask ¡®bout mine. I like to focus on the present, the here and now, and maybe a bit o¡¯ the future. No sense dwellin¡¯ on stuff that¡¯s already done and set in stone. Unless you happen to be pals with a Celebi or somethin¡¯?¡± Surprisingly, Mimikyu¡¯s tone seemed hopeful.

    ¡°I apologize, I hadn¡¯t realized it was such a sensitive subject. Also, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not familiar with that pokemon, so no, I¡¯m not friends with any.¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯t a big deal, you didn¡¯ know. But now ya do!¡±

    ¡°I shall endeavor not to make the same mistake. If you prefer to focus on the present¡­¡± N paused for a moment, considering the many questions he still had. ¡°Could you tell me a bit about your species? All I really have to go on is your appearance, and that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°A bit odd, ain¡¯t it? I getcha. Let¡¯s see¡­ Mimikyu are ghost and fairy types, for starters.¡±

    ¡°Fairy types?¡± N had never heard of such a thing, even with his extensive¡­ tutoring.

    ¡°You don¡¯t- really? That¡¯s pretty crazy, for you to not know about fairy types. There were some in that forest even! Though I guess if ya don¡¯ know about ¡®em then cottonee would seem like pure grass types, wouldn¡¯ they?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that Cottonee are dual typed?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah? Just about anywhere else that would be common knowledge. Unless¡­ maybe it¡¯s a regional variance? Is that possible? Two variants of a pokemon that look identical, but don¡¯ share the same typin¡¯¡­ have ya ever seen a Cottonee or Whimsicott get hit by a dragon type move?¡±

    ¡°I- no? Not that I can recall at least, but it¡¯s not very often that you see dragon types fighting at all. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve ever seen a Whimsicott fight a dragon type¡­¡± Had anyone ever challenged Drayden with a Whimsicott? He couldn¡¯t recall. ¡°But why is that important?¡±

    ¡°Fairy types are immune to dragon.¡±

    N¡¯s brain blue screened at that comment. ¡°What? That- that can¡¯t be right! Dragons are¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. I could take a Draco Meteor or an Outrage to the face and not get scratched. Or I think that¡¯s how it works? I don¡¯ actually have much practical experience. Ya probably understand type immunities better than I do, even if yer not a trainer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unbelievable, frankly.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s the truth, so start believin¡¯! Immune ta dragons, resists dark, bug, and fightin¡¯, weak ta poison an¡¯ steel. An¡¯ then on the flip side, fairies aren¡¯t very effective against steel, poison, and fire, but do massive damage to fightin¡¯, dragon, and dark types.¡±

    ¡°Those type match-ups don¡¯t make any sense! Are you telling me that one of the strongest kinds of pokemon in Unova would stand no chance against you?! I¡¯m not very fond of pokemon battles, but I''m at least familiar with how they tend to play out and I¡¯m having a hard time comprehending the mere idea of such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Of course not! If a Hydreigon used a Hyper Voice against me I could probably escape with my life, but that¡¯s all I could hope for. Now a Deino on the other hand¡­ well, that would probably still be a matter of experience. Type advantages ain¡¯t everythin¡¯, even if they do help a lot.¡±

    ¡°Right. You¡¯re right.¡± N took a deep breath. ¡°I think I¡¯m just struggling to comprehend something being immune to dragon type moves¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, whatever. Ya can have yer little breakdown later or somethin¡¯. If we¡¯re gonna be travelin¡¯ together I should focus on the more important matter at hand.¡±

    N looked down at the doll hiding his new friend. ¡°An important matter?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Mimikyu¡¯s voice became a bit downcast. ¡°When we reach the city, yer gonna have ta buy a sewin¡¯ kit or somethin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ sewing kit? Is this related to your¡­ outfit?¡±

    ¡°Yep. All that time I spent in the woods means it¡¯s startin¡¯ to fray at the edges, and that¡¯s no good. Can¡¯t ¡®ave it gettin¡¯ caught on somethin¡¯ and revealin¡¯ me.¡± Mimikyu seemed quite upset at the mere idea of his cloth coming off his body.

    ¡°I know what you said before, but¡­ that outfit is really important to you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Mimikyu sighed. ¡°Look, this ain¡¯t a sentimental sorta deal. Mimikyu are dangerous. Technically speakin¡¯, I could wear just about anythin¡¯ that covers my body and that would be fine. However, the few people in this area that are familiar with my kind would recognize this doll on sight. Anything else is risky. I¡¯m not sure what the deal is exactly, but my kind are real attached to lookin¡¯ like a Pikachu. Somethin¡¯ about everybody likin¡¯ the little rats? It¡¯s just safer this way.¡±

    ¡°Is it really that dangerous to see what you look like?¡± N was concerned at this point. Sure, Mimikyu had asked if he valued his life, but that must have been an exaggeration!

    ¡°People ¡®ave died, N. Everyone who lives around Mimikyu is aware of the danger. There are lots of different accounts of exactly how it happens. Some reports say people are so terrified they die o¡¯ shock. Others say they catch some sort of illness. Some say it¡¯s a curse. But the how don¡¯ really matter when the end result is death.¡± Mimikyu¡¯s voice was gravely serious, stopping their walk towards the city to look up at N and ensure he listened carefully to the warning.

    N was quiet for a moment. ¡°...I suppose we¡¯ll have to do some shopping then, won¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°That we shall.¡± Mimikyu started down the path once more, apparently satisfied that N had taken his words to heart. ¡°Which city are we headin¡¯ to, anyways?¡±

    ¡°Did I not mention it earlier?¡± The sound of wind, rustling leaves, and small pokemon was slowly drowned out as they got closer. Instead, the bustling sounds of the city were starting to pick up.

    ¡°That, Mimikyu, is Nimbasa City.¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°This place is a lot bigger than I thought it¡¯d be.¡± N smiled as Mimikyu looked around Nimbasa in awe. Giant buildings, bigger stadiums, a ferris wheel large enough to be seen even from the entrance to the city. It seemed to stretch on for as far as the eye could see, and N imagined that was even more true for someone whose eyes were only a few inches off the ground. Though it wasn¡¯t all buildings and shining metal, plenty of people and Pokemon could be seen from where they were. A flock of Pidove flying through the air, a few Ducklett swimming around in the water features, and of course all of the various Pokemon accompanying their human partners. That last part put a damper on his good mood.

    ¡°Hey N¡­¡± Mimikyu started.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What are the odds that some kid tries ta catch me as soon as they lay eyes on me? A Pokemon they¡¯ve never seen b¡¯fore, walztin¡¯ around the big city¡­¡± Mimikyu seemed apprehensive, even if his body language was hard to read underneath the cloth.

    N understood that fear all too well. ¡°I won¡¯t allow any harm to come to you, Mimikyu.¡±

    ¡°Harm? I¡¯m not talkin¡¯ about harm, I¡¯m talkin¡¯ about some snot nosed brat not knowin¡¯ any better. I think I could communicate pretty clearly that I ain¡¯t interested in going along with ¡®em, but it¡¯d be a real pain havin¡¯ to watch some kid cry over it.¡± The cloth seemed to shuffle over Mimikyu¡¯s body. ¡°Would ya mind¡­ this is kinda humiliatin¡¯, but I think it might be best if I got a lift from ya. On yer shoulder or hat or somethin¡¯. Make it real clear that you and I are together, even if I¡¯m not technically yers.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind at all. If that¡¯s what you feel comfortable with, then go right ahead.¡± N knelt down and laid his hand out, trying to make it easier for his new friend to climb up. But when Mimikyu stepped on his hand, he had to suppress a shiver. Something about this felt wrong. His instincts screamed out at him, warning him to pull his hand back, to run as fast as he could. When Mimikyu started climbing up his arm, the barrier of his shirt dampened the feeling considerably, but it was still there. It was a struggle not to panic. He had never felt something like this before. It scared him¡­ but the idea of showing his new friend just how touching him felt scared him even more. When the ghost settled on top of his hat, the thicker material did a lot to help. He could barely feel it anymore. But it was still there in a miniscule amount, a sense of unease creeping throughout his body.

    ¡°Ya alright? I can¡¯t weigh that much, can I?¡±

    It seemed he needed to get a grip on himself. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you. It¡¯s just been a while since a Pokemon rode on my head like this.¡± N stood back up, careful not to jostle Mimikyu around.

    The pair began their walk through the city, and as Mimikyu had suspected, many stopped to stare, both people and Pokemon alike. Not as many as there could have been, thanks to the fact that Mimikyu¡¯s disguise was a more familiar Pokemon. Though even then, Pikachu weren¡¯t native to Unova either. Small children pointed, an old man did a double take, a young trainer held up their pokedex, only to be disappointed that Mimikyu¡¯s data wasn''t registered.

    N tried to ignore them as best he could. ¡°So other than finding a spot to purchase a sewing kit, is there anywhere else you¡¯d like to visit while we¡¯re in Nimbasa?¡± He had plenty of time to kill. It¡¯s not like there was a whole lot for him to do back home at the moment.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± the fairy thought for a moment, ¡°If I were lookin¡¯ to browse the web, how would I go about that? Ya got a Rotom phone or somethin¡¯? Maybe there¡¯s computers at a public library?¡±

    ¡°A Rotom phone? I thought Rotom was the name of some Pokemon but perhaps I was mistaken¡­¡± Though the odder part of this was the fact that a Pokemon was requesting access to the internet. ¡°The phone I have does not have internet capabilities. There was talk of me receiving a C-Gear when they get released, but for now I suppose the easiest option would be the Pokemon center.¡± He wasn¡¯t particularly fond of being in a hub for trainers, but Nurse Joys were a polite and thoughtful bunch, always eager to help him in caring for injured Pokemon he came across in his journeys.

    ¡°Let¡¯s add that ta the list of stops then. I¡¯ve gotta few things I need ta look up.¡±

    ¡°You know how to use the internet? I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m a bit surprised.¡± N probed for information.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find that I¡¯m full of surprises. Though I might need ya ta assist me dependin¡¯ on the writin¡¯ system ya use in Unova.¡±

    ¡°Why would the writing system matter?¡± Was he implying that he was able to read certain languages? He had heard of some Psychic lines being able to handle it, but they were extremely intelligent.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it matter? Ya think I¡¯ve gone through the trouble of learnin¡¯ every script there is in the world? I don¡¯t have time for that. I can handle Unown just fine, and maybe one or two more¡­ ah well, guess we¡¯ll see when we get there, won¡¯t we?¡±

    Potentially three different scripts, one of which was almost exclusively seen in ancient ruins? N was starting to regret having agreed to not discuss Mimikyu¡¯s past.

    It was then that someone worked up the courage to speak to them instead of just gawking from the sidelines.

    ¡°Um, excuse me mister!¡± N was surprised to see that it was a preschooler of all people. A tiny girl in a school uniform, bright yellow hat atop her head, and a Solosis floating at her side. ¡°What kind of Pokemon is that? It¡¯s super cute, but I¡¯ve never seen one before!¡±

    ¡°Cute? That¡¯s an odd description for an eldritch horror wearin¡¯ a ratty cloth.¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure what an ¡°eldritch¡± horror was, so he ignored the comment. ¡°This is my friend Mimikyu. They don¡¯t normally live around here.¡±

    ¡°A Mimikyu¡­¡± The little girl looked at the Pokemon atop his head in awe. ¡°Let¡¯s battle! I bet Mimikyu would look super cute in a battle!¡± She struck a pose, seemingly ready to have her Solosis duke it out right there in the middle of the street.

    ¡°A battle? A preschooler¡¯s Solosis can¡¯t be too strong, an¡¯ I do have the type advantage¡­¡± Mimikyu muttered from beneath the cloth, ¡°But I think I¡¯ll have ta refuse. Sorry little girl, maybe some other time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to decline. Mimikyu doesn¡¯t want to fight.¡± N couldn¡¯t stand trainers, but he knew better than to be rude to a little girl.

    ¡°I can speak for myself ya-¡± Mimikyu cut himself off. ¡°Oh. Right¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? Aww¡­¡± The child wasn¡¯t able to pester them further however, as what seemed to be the girl¡¯s mother called out for her. ¡°I have to go. Bye mister! Bye Mimikyu!¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    The girl ran off and they were able to continue down the street.

    ¡°This kinda sucks. I thought I had accepted the fact that people wouldn¡¯t understand me, but then talkin¡¯ to ya made me sorta forget about that¡­¡± It was odd, the way Mimikyu talked about it. As if he was used to humans being able to understand him in the past. It wasn¡¯t impossible, obviously, since N was able to do it, but he was well aware of just how rare his ¡®skill¡¯ was. ¡°Maybe I should look into ways ta communicate with other people. A Rotom phone is probably outta the question¡­ somethin¡¯ I can write on maybe? A notebook or a whiteboard¡­ but I s¡¯pose that depends on whether I know the right script or not.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something to look into. We can probably find some way for you to communicate with the huge number of shops in Nimbasa¡­¡± The city was far too large to have nothing at all being offered. ¡°Though I do wonder¡­¡± N considered what he knew of the Pokemon on his head, ¡°How exactly do you plan to write? Do you have arms hidden under there?¡±

    His question was answered not with words, but with what he could only assume was a limb. Black as night, appearing to be comprised of solidified shadows rather than flesh, the only feature was a set of three¡­ claws? Fingers? It was hard to tell exactly. N watched as the shadowy arm grew in size, stretching out to be in front of his face, until it had to be as big as Mimikyu¡¯s disguise itself. There was no way that whole thing had fit under the cloth, but where had it come from? Was it similar in mechanics to moves like minimize? Or maybe it had more to do with its shadowy, ghostly nature, pulled straight out of the aether and given form as Mimikyu pleased. Mimikyu waved to him, but it didn¡¯t feel like the friendly greeting it should have been. It felt like he was about to be pulled from the mortal world and subjected to unspeakable horrors. Was this what Mimikyu had meant by ¡®eldritch¡¯? He could understand why being called cute had amused the Pokemon.

    But N was better than that. He wasn¡¯t like all of those awful people who treated Pokemon so poorly. So he clamped down on his fear once more, managing to get the words out. ¡°I see. Holding a writing utensil might prove difficult with that shape, but it would be doable.¡±

    The shadowy appendage disappeared from his sight, and the ominous pressure he had felt was lifted from his shoulders. In comparison to that, the feeling he got from touching Mimikyu felt like nothing at all. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinkin¡¯.¡± His companion replied. ¡°Bein¡¯ able to clearly get yer thoughts across is an important skill ta have. Who knows when-¡± Mimikyu gasped. ¡°What is that?¡±

    It was an understandable reaction. The building was quite impressive, even among the rest of the architecture in Nimbasa City. ¡°That would be the Gear Station. It¡¯s the main hub for the Battle Subway, which runs underneath much of the region.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Gear Station? I didn¡¯ think it would be so big, with the important bits bein¡¯ underground an¡¯ all¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re familiar with it? That¡¯s a bit surprising.¡± The Battle Subway was a very trainer centric subject matter, even if it was a subway system. To his knowledge it wasn¡¯t talked about much in other regions, and would be practically unheard of to a Pokemon who hadn¡¯t been on a trainer¡¯s team at some point. This certainly cemented some ideas about what Mimikyu had been up to before they met.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯ say that I¡¯m familiar with it or anythin¡¯, but I know a thing or two. You battle your way through train cars in hopes of facin¡¯ off against Ingo and¡­ Emmet was it?¡±

    ¡°You remember Ingo¡¯s name but not Emmet¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Ingo¡¯s name is a lot weirder, makes it easier to recall.¡± It would seem the mind of a Mimikyu worked in strange ways. ¡°There¡¯s a Gym somewhere around here too, ain¡¯t there? Electric type leader named Elsa or somethin¡¯? Nah, that ain¡¯t right¡­ Elesa! That was it.¡±

    ¡°How do you know the names of the Subway Masters but struggle with the Gym Leader?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, must¡¯ve read somethin¡¯ about them recently? I¡¯m normally pretty trash with names, a lot better with faces. I would recognize her for sure, and that¡¯s the part that matters, ain¡¯t it? Actually¡­¡± Mimikyu paused for a moment in thought as N passed by the Gear Station. ¡°Do ya mind if we hunt her down b¡¯fore we leave Nimbasa? I wanna see her in action an¡¯ she might be able to help me out with somethin¡¯...¡±

    ¡°How do you think a Gym Leader¡± N struggled to keep the bitterness out of his voice, ¡°would be able to help you?¡±

    ¡°Well she¡¯s a supermodel, right? So she¡¯s gotta know stuff about fashion and clothes and whatnot. I figure she could give me some tips on keepin¡¯ my disguise in tip-top shape. Plus she has some connections I might be able ta make use of.¡±

    ¡°...I suppose we could make a stop by her gym.¡± If nothing else he could use it as an opportunity to scope her out, judge her abilities. ¡°But that¡¯s for later. We¡¯re here.¡±

    A sizable building with large glass window panes making up most of the walls. Orange roofing, automatic doors, and the signature white pokeball emblem. The pair entered the Pokemon Center, walking right up to the desk where a smiling Nurse Joy awaited.

    ¡°Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Center. We restore your tired Pokemon to full health. How can I help you?¡± the nurse asked with a smile.

    ¡°I was hoping to get a room for the night and access to your computers.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± She pulled out a form and a pen, setting them in front of N. ¡°I¡¯ll just need you to sign here, here, and here. Here is your room key,¡± she pulled it off a hook beneath the counter and handed it to him, ¡°and the computers are open to the public, right over there.¡± N quickly filled out the form, returning it to her. ¡°Thank you very much, and have a good day!¡±

    N quickly got out of the way so that he didn¡¯t hold anyone else up, walking over to the computers. Three of them next to each other, small dividers between them, but open to the rest of the room so there wasn¡¯t really much privacy. He took a seat at the one in the corner, pulling up the browser as Mimikyu jumped off of his head and onto the desk. ¡°Well, can you read the characters on the keyboard?¡±

    Mimikyu inspected the keys before breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t know how worried I was that I was gonna have ta learn a new script. Had ¡®nough trouble with the last one¡­¡± The Pokemon positioned himself between N and the keyboard, two of the shadowy arms creeping out from beneath the cloth as he began to type away. ¡°You can go an¡¯ get settled into the room or whatever, I¡¯ll probably be here a while.¡±

    N knew when to take a hint. ¡°Alright then. If anyone gives you trouble, Nurse Joy is always eager to help. I¡¯ll come check on you in say¡­ 30 minutes?¡±

    ¡°Works for me. Seeya in a bit.¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure why Mimikyu would be so curious about some place called the Shamouti Islands, but he supposed it wasn¡¯t any of his business.

    <hr>

    N was a nice guy, but it was obvious he had questions that Mimikyu wasn¡¯t about to answer. The Pokemon felt a bit bad about sending him away, but seeing what the ghost was searching for was only going to make the mystery surrounding him even worse.

    Let¡¯s see here¡­ ugh, trying to type with six fingers is awful. Guess I¡¯m back to peck and type and how slow that can be... ¡°Shamouti Islands¡± should give me decent results, right? That looks like a wiki page, that¡¯s a vacation site, the history of Shamouti¡­ there! News reports about strange weather phenomena in the region causing havoc¡­ but I don¡¯t know how the calendar system works here so I¡¯m not sure how long ago this was. At least I¡¯ve confirmed that it¡¯s something that has happened.

    N still has a problem with trainers so it¡¯s before that point¡­ Sinnoh maybe? That would work out in my favor, having the object of my desire come straight to me. What comes up for ¡°Alamos Town¡±¡­ wiki, come see the Space-Time Towers, top 10 things to do in Alamos¡­ nothing of note though¡­ further back then. What would be the halfway point then? I can work from there but I can¡¯t remember the order¡­ Deoxys maybe? I don¡¯t remember the name of that city though. I suppose I can just look up ¡°Deoxys¡±... and nothing. Though maybe they¡¯re keeping that on the low down? Aliens are kind of a big deal I guess. What about ¡°Rayquaza¡±? Historical accounts, ancient legends, spotted above Larousse City! That definitely looks like the place. Why does this look like some blog though? Did this event get censored too? I guess if all of his accomplishments get covered up it would explain why nobody is familiar with him when they meet.

    Wait, what am I doing? If he¡¯s competed in the league there has to be a record of him, right? Maybe I can check where his last official match was. Where are you Ash Ketchum¡­

 Chapter 3

    Just as N had said, half an hour later he wandered into the lobby to retrieve Mimikyu, but what he came across was a peculiar sight. It seemed that while his new friend was indeed still on the computer, he was causing a bit of a scene. Trainers and Pokemon alike were avoiding the area he was in, carefully skirting around the edges of the room. Though it seemed as if the fairy was completely ignorant of the fact that people were acting like he was a Bouffalant in an antique shop. But before he could investigate, Nurse Joy was stepping out from behind the counter and calling out to him, a Chansey taking her place.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought Mimikyu in, right? Are you his trainer?¡± the nurse flipped through a stack of papers, struggling to find whatever she was looking for.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a trainer, Mimikyu and I are just traveling together at the moment.¡± He supposed he should be happy that she didn¡¯t automatically assume that he was like most people would.

    ¡°How long have you known Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°A few hours at most? I only ran into him earlier today and he asked if he could travel with me.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± she looked concerned, but finally stopped searching her paperwork, apparently having found what she was after. ¡°How much do you know about Mimikyu? Or even just Ghost types in general?¡± Her eyes scanned the page in front of her.

    This was a somewhat concerning line of questioning coming from a nurse. ¡°Not much in regards to Mimikyu, I¡¯m afraid. He¡¯s told me a little bit, but like I said, we¡¯ve only known each other for a few hours and he¡¯s the first that I¡¯ve actually seen in person.¡± The second question took a bit more thought. ¡°As for Ghost types in general¡­ I¡¯ve met a few Frillish and Litwick¡­ there was a Golett the one time¡­ what exactly are you asking about?¡±

    ¡°Well, I know people generally don¡¯t like to talk about it, but there are¡­ areas of concern, when it comes to different types. Electric types sometimes have a bad habit of consuming the charge out of electronics, Fire types may accidently set things ablaze¡­ little accidents, you know? A lot of them grow out of it as they age and gain more refined control over their abilities, or sometimes it comes with Evolution. My cousins in the Johto region know better than to leave a Pichu alone near their medical equipment for example.¡± N nodded along with her explanation, wondering when she was going to get to the point. ¡°A lot of the more common types have little quirks that are easy to overlook, so people tend not to consider what problems might pop up with types that aren¡¯t quite so common. I¡¯m afraid I know nothing about the Fairy type because we don¡¯t have any in the region, but when it comes to Ghost types¡­ well¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­?¡± N prompted, hoping she would stop dancing around the subject.

    ¡°Their bad habit is causing terror.¡± She reluctantly shared with him. ¡°That¡¯s why people are so scared of abandoned buildings and graveyards. The concentrated number of Ghost types, many of them young and with a weak hold on what they¡¯re capable of¡­ surely you¡¯ve felt it at some point, even if you¡¯ve only known Mimikyu for a few hours.¡±

    N could only nod along dumbly. Was that what he had been feeling? Mimikyu¡¯s touch, the sight of its arms, every time he glimpsed a bit too much. It would also explain what the Tranquill in the forest had been talking about. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve felt it¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought so. Most people find it unsettling, which is why so few people try to train them, and those that do tend to be a bit on the¡­ strange side. Shauntal of the Elite Four is probably the most well adjusted Ghost type trainer I know of, but even she has a bit of an obsessive personality¡­¡± She seemed lost in thought for a moment before perking back up. ¡°Luckily it¡¯s a relatively easy fix! The more familiar they are with ghostly energy, the less likely they are to leak it out and terrify everyone around them! Use Ghost type moves on a regular basis and he¡¯ll be able to control it in no time.¡±

    This is why he gave Nurse Joys a pass despite their heavy involvement in trainer culture. Always eager to help out struggling Pokemon. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to mention it to him, thank you Nurse Joy.¡±

    ¡°There is just one more thing¡­¡± Joy looked apologetic as she continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about Mimikyu, and due to the time zone difference I can¡¯t get any information on them from my cousins for at least a few more hours, but¡­ some Ghost type Pokemon like causing terror. They see it as a sort of game, something to laugh about, and have a hard time understanding just how unpleasant it is for others. I couldn¡¯t tell you if Mimikyu would fall under that category or not, but¡­ well, it¡¯s something to think about.¡±

    Her Chansey partner called out from the front desk. ¡°That¡¯s my cue to get back to work, sorry that I don¡¯t have more information to give you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done plenty, thank you for the heads up. I would have been totally clueless had you not informed me.¡± N left the nurse to her duties, walking over to the computers.

    He could feel it. It was stronger than before, and he wasn¡¯t even touching Mimikyu this time. The feeling of dread got more and more powerful the closer he got to the Pokemon. ¡°Mimikyu. Could you please stop leaking terror?¡±

    The fairy startled, and the feeling stopped in an instant. ¡°What? I¡¯m leakin¡¯ somethin¡¯?¡± He spun in a circle, looking around for whatever the problem was.

    ¡°Terror. Dread. A general feeling of unease. It seems to have stopped now, but it was coming from you and everyone here was avoiding it as best they could. Nurse Joy says that it¡¯s common among young Ghost types.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I getcha. Yer pullin¡¯ my leg, ain¡¯t ya? Could use some work though, yer delivery¡¯s pretty trash.¡±

    ¡°Do you even have a leg for me to pull?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a figure of speech, pal.¡± Mimikyu grumbled, not actually answering the question. But then he looked around the room, noticing just how far away everyone was, how so many eyes were on the pair. ¡°Wait, you were serious? I¡¯ve never heard of anythin¡¯ like that. People might find Ghost types a bit spooky, just like they would a ghost of any sort, but yer tellin¡¯ me¡­¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    It seemed Mimikyu wasn¡¯t sure how to take this information. ¡°You said you wanted to go see Elesa, right? I¡¯ll explain what Nurse Joy told me on the way there.¡±

    <hr>

    This doesn¡¯t make a lick of sense. The other examples, sure. Pichu had something along the lines of them not being able to control their electricity in a Pokedex entry, didn¡¯t they? But I don¡¯t recall anything about Ghost types just casually leaking out terror. Do I just not remember that? I guess the number of dex entries I can recall off the top of my head isn¡¯t actually that high, but still. Now I have to worry about any assumptions I¡¯ve made being entirely false.

    I guess I can worry about that later, I think I can see Elesa on the other side of the crowd. Seems like they¡¯re here for the park rather than her, so at least we won¡¯t have to worry about waiting to see her.

    ¡°Hey, N. That¡¯s her, ain¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It certainly looks like her. Excuse me, Elesa?¡±

    I hope I can make some progress here. Aimlessly wandering around Unova isn¡¯t really sounding all that appealing.

    <hr>

    Slow days like this were just the worst! Only two challengers at the gym, who hadn¡¯t even put up a real fight. Seriously, who brings a Panpour and a Pidove that look like they were caught ten minutes ago to fight the Electric type gym? Some of these kids were young, but didn¡¯t trainer schools exist to teach them why that was a bad idea? And then on top of that, the modeling gig for the day had been canceled at the last minute and rescheduled for next week.

    Her thoughts on how disappointing the day was turning out to be were interrupted when someone called out her name. When she turned to face them, she saw green hair, an old cap, black-tipped-yellow-ears-with-red-on-the-cheeks?! She almost bolted over to the pair, excited to see a real life Pikachu for the first time in forever- only to stop short when she realized it was just a doll. Actually, was it even a doll? It looked homemade, and not exactly at a high quality. On second glance the face looked¡­ drawn on? And was the tail made of wood? There weren¡¯t even any arms or legs and the bottom was torn apart! If you¡¯re going to make a Pikachu doll you should at least take care of it!

    She brought her eyes back down to the guy who had spoken to her. ¡°That¡¯s me, can I help you with something?¡± Movement made her eyes flick back up. Was that thing moving? She had thought the black slits to be just tears in the fabric cast in shadow, but on second glance they looked like eyes. Was something living underneath the fake Pikachu?

    ¡°I was hoping so. Or rather, my friend here wanted to ask for your help with a few things.¡±

    The sound that came out of its mouth was not what she was expecting. Though maybe she should have? It was halfway between a Pikachu¡¯s cry and something that sent shivers down her spine.

    ¡°Right. Your friend, the¡­ not-Pikachu?¡± Elesa questioned. Goosebumps broke out on her skin when the Pokemon responded.

    ¡°This is Mimikyu, and I¡¯m N. He wants me to inform you that the average Mimikyu would take great offense to that description.¡± It almost sounded like a joke, but the feeling that thing was giving off told her it was no laughing matter.

    ¡°Mimikyu? I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever heard that name before¡­ What exactly does Mimikyu need help with?¡± She might be ready to jump out of her skin, but this could be an excellent way to make up for her lackluster start to the day. Her first interaction with a Pokemon she¡¯d never seen before would mean a learning opportunity, and you could never get enough of those as a Gym Leader.

    The green haired fellow with naught but a letter for a name sighed heavily. ¡°Apparently he wants advice on keeping his¡­ outfit, in ¡®tip-top shape¡¯,¡± air quotes told her all she needed to know on that front, ¡°among other things that he¡¯s yet to inform me of.¡±

    Clothes and a bit of mystery? This was right up her alley! ¡°Well if it¡¯s fashion advice, I¡¯m certainly the girl to go to! Follow me, we can talk more in the gym. Standing around out here is just asking for fans to swarm me.¡±

    <hr>

    It was an odd feeling, to be led into the back rooms of a Gym by the one in charge of the place. But even that didn¡¯t quite compare to watching Mimikyu jump off of his head in excitement at the sight of a whiteboard, using it to have a rather lengthy conversation with said Gym Leader about the intricacies of caring for delicate fabrics and a variety of sewing techniques, all the while the two of them acted like nothing was strange about this. Not having to play the translator for human and Pokemon relations was a nice change, but he didn¡¯t particularly like having to read out everything his new friend was saying when they were perfectly capable of understanding each other.

    ¡°Thank you for the sewing kit.¡± The shaky writing on the board said.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all! Not every day that I have a Pokemon come to me to ask about fashion, this was fun!¡±

    N could believe it. The woman had been all smiles for the entire¡­ what had it been, an hour already? He should have been paying more attention to the time.

    The words on the whiteboard were erased once more, this time replaced by a question. ¡°Do you mind if I ask some unrelated questions?¡±

    ¡°Go right ahead! I¡¯ve got no other plans for today, all the time in the world.¡± While the same was technically true for N, he might go insane if he had to spend another 5 minutes hearing about different stitching techniques.

    Luckily for his sanity, Mimikyu¡¯s strangeness reared its head again.

    ¡°How well do you know Cynthia?¡± the board read.

    ¡°Cynthia? Like, Sinnoh Champ Cynthia?¡± She looked down at the tiny Pokemon in a new light. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly common knowledge that we¡¯ve even met, you know¡­¡±

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t comment on that, simply underlining his question in response.

    ¡°...I know her decently well, I guess? It¡¯s not like we get many opportunities to interact, but I always make sure to stop in when she visits Unova.¡±

    How would some random Mimikyu know that Elesa and Champion Cynthia were acquainted? The fairy had struggled to remember the Gym Leader¡¯s name just an hour ago! Even N hadn¡¯t known that the two blondes knew each other, and he had information rings that ran deeper than most.

    Another erasure. Another message. ¡°Would you happen to have her number? Or perhaps the date of her next visit to Undella Town?¡±

    Elesa¡¯s easy going smile had gone away when this line of questioning started, but now she was frowning, her eyes narrowed. ¡°How do you know that she visits Undella Town?¡± Before N could even blink, she had a pokeball in her hand and at the ready.

    ¡°Sorry Mimikyu, but I think it¡¯s time that you start giving some answers.¡±

 Chapter 4

    Things had escalated quickly, and N was not ready for it.

    Elesa, someone who by all accounts should be considered one of the strongest trainers in the region, was eyeing the two of them with suspicion, her hand on a pokeball that for all he knew contained her ace.

    N didn¡¯t have any friends with him beyond Mimikyu, a strange pokemon he knew little about and whose prowess in battle was up in the air given that he hadn¡¯t seen the little fairy attack anything except a tree. And even then, he hadn¡¯t actually seen the attack, just the destroyed tree left in its wake. Was that the power behind a single move? Or had he simply walked upon the scene at the climax of Mimikyu¡¯s training?

    Though Mimikyu¡¯s strength probably didn¡¯t matter at all. Only a Champion level Pokemon could expect to take on a Gym Leader¡¯s entire team on their own when things were serious. Those Gym Battles weren¡¯t a true show of their strength, no matter what trainers running the circuit wanted to believe.

    Time for de-escalation then.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, why are Mimikyu¡¯s questions getting you so worked up? You seemed like you were about to be best friends just a moment ago.¡±

    That seemed to give the model pause, but she didn¡¯t pull her hand off of the pokeball.

    ¡°I just think it a bit suspicious that a Pokemon I¡¯ve never heard of before shows up, specifically looking for me, and then just so happens to know about what is largely considered private information. The people that live in Undella aren¡¯t the type to go spreading rumors like this, so that leaves the question of just how Mimikyu came across that sort of knowledge.¡±

    Mimikyu had not been idle while the two humans talked. The last message had been erased and replaced with ¡°Does it matter? If I had some sort of nefarious purpose in mind, don¡¯t you think revealing myself to you like this would be a bad move? I just need a way to contact Cynthia and you were the easiest way to make it happen since we were here already.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Elesa thought for a moment, ¡°I suppose you make a good point. My apologies.¡± Her hand came off of the pokeball and she returned to a more neutral stance. ¡°Cynthia¡¯s trips to Caitlin¡¯s home in Undella are supposed to be a retreat from the pressure of her daily life, so when a stranger starts bringing it up¡­ I just don¡¯t want that ruined for her.¡±

    Since when has the Champion of Sinnoh been so entwined with the top trainers of Unova? For N to not have heard anything about this¡­ it seemed there was a major gap in the intelligence network. That would need to be corrected¡­

    ¡°I get that, but I need her help with something. So if you could get me in contact with her¡­?¡± The board now read.

    The blonde hesitated, but ultimately nodded in agreement. ¡°I suppose I could give her a call and let her know that you¡¯re trying to get in contact, but as Champion she¡¯s a very busy woman, so I can¡¯t promise anything for you. What is it exactly that you need her help with? She might be more inclined to agree if I can let her know what you¡¯re after.¡±

    Mimikyu wiped the board clean, but instead of immediately writing once again, the marker came down to its chin, tapping against it while he considered what to write. The sight was made a bit odd by the fact that Mimikyu¡¯s actual chin, if it even really had one, was just above the floor, and the false Pikachu chin went ignored.

    After a moment, the marker met the board once more. ¡°Tell her that¡­ I¡¯d like to collaborate on some research into the Spear Pillar.¡±

    <hr>

    Waves crashed against an idyllic shore, the sun shone high in a sky with little cloud cover, and the Wingull and Pelipper up above squawked just enough to keep beach goers from falling asleep. Undella Town was a quiet place on the outskirts of the Unova region that saw little traffic from those who didn¡¯t live there, which made it the perfect spot for those who spent a bit too much time in the limelight to kick their shoes off and relax.

    Laid back in a chair beneath the shade of an umbrella, the Champion of the Sinnoh region tried to enjoy some time away from home. The Grand Lake Hotel and Sunyshore City back in her home region had beautiful beaches as well, but with how hot those spots were for tourists, she hadn¡¯t been able to truly enjoy them in a long time. She wouldn¡¯t be able to let Milotic swim in the ocean,or Garchomp bury herself in the sand, without hundreds of trainers trying to challenge her to a battle. These trips were as much an opportunity for her team to relax as they were for her. Or rather, most of her team. A lone occupied pokeball was still at her side, the Pokemon inside not exactly being suited for things like this.

    But it seemed that beach time was over.

    Lucario appeared at her side in a blur, his furry paws holding onto her ringing phone.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to use Extreme Speed to get my phone to me before it stops ringing?¡± She chastised her friend, knowing that this would not be the last time it happened.

    Lucario ignored her question, shoving the still ringing phone into her hand before using the move again to disappear from her sight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate you kicking up all this sand!¡± She yelled half-heartedly after him, knowing it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.

    On what was probably the last ring before the call went to her voicemail, she answered the phone, not even bothering to look at the caller ID. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hey Cynthia! Sorry to bother you when you¡¯re vacationing, but I¡¯ve had a little something come up!¡±

    Elesa? Odd that ¡®something coming up¡¯ resulted in a call to her and not that slacker Alder, but that only served to peak her interest. Elesa wasn¡¯t the type to call her over something small. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Elesa. The duties of a Champion wait for no one. What can I help you with?¡±

    ¡°Are you familiar with Mimikyu at all?¡±

    Mimikyu? If memory served they were Pokemon native to Paldea and Alola, which made a Unovan Gym Leader bringing them up all the more strange. Relations between the League and such far flung regions weren¡¯t exactly positive at the moment, so it was unlikely that a trainer had brought one into the Gym. ¡°Vaguely, why do you ask?¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got one in my Gym right now asking for a way to get in touch with you. I¡¯m not entirely sure how, but he knows that you visit Undella Town regularly enough that he asked when you¡¯d be there next¡­¡±

    That was concerning. A Mimikyu, or what was being reported as a Mimikyu, being intelligent enough to communicate that clearly with a human? Cynthia was fairly certain that they weren¡¯t Psychic types, which made that odd. Although misidentification was possible. She didn¡¯t expect a Unovan Gym Leader to be able to identify every Pokemon out of regions that distant, not under Alder¡¯s leadership anyway. And the information they were after¡­ Someone spying on League officials? Or rather, if the Pokemon sought to contact her and gave that information up freely, perhaps a defector? It had been quite some time since there¡¯d been reports of a Pokemon changing allegiances on their own. Best not to jump to conclusions though. ¡°You say that the Mimikyu is asking? Is it alone or with a trainer?¡±

    ¡°Well, it came in with a young man, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be a trainer. No Pokemon on his person, and he seems to be just as confused about the situation. My intuition tells me he¡¯s being used, but it¡¯s hard to be certain without some psychic checks¡­¡±

    ¡°And did Mimikyu tell you what it is that it wants to contact me for?¡±

    ¡°When I asked it said something about collaborating on research into the Spear Pillar, but obviously I don¡¯t trust a word of that. I figured that there¡¯s a probable security risk involved and that it would be best to alert you as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for that, Elesa. Tell them that I can be there in an hour.¡±

    <hr>

    I don¡¯t like small talk. An awkward silence is preferable nine out of ten times. If it weren¡¯t for Elesa promising that Cynthia was somehow going to be meeting us within an hour, I would have come up with some excuse to leave already. How did Cynthia plan to get here within an hour? No idea.

    Well, some ideas.

    I mean, she¡¯s Champion, right? They¡¯re a big deal. And while everything gets painted over in a cutesy light, the world comes close to ending on a regular basis. It would make sense for the strongest trainers in the world to have some sort of system in place to get where they needed to be as soon as possible. The question was how.

    Teleportation pads? The ones that existed in the bases of criminals seemed to only work on short distances, but if a criminal could come up with that much then perhaps the greatest minds on ¡°team good guy¡± had worked out a way to make it work long distance? That would have to be in set locations, sure, but that wasn¡¯t too big of a hindrance. It would be easy to hide something like that away in the back of a Pokemon Center or Gym¡­ maybe even both?

    Although if teleportation is on the table, it would probably make more sense to have it done through Pokemon. To my knowledge that sort of thing was restricted to Psychic types, and not even all of them could manage it. But how did that sort of thing actually work? Weak Pokemon used it to escape from a battle immediately. Having one of your team use it took you back to¡­ the last Pokemon Center you visited? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever actually tried that, so I might be wrong on that one.

    But Cynthia doesn¡¯t have any Psychic types. Or did she? I vaguely remember a few members of her team changing over time, but I don¡¯t think a Psychic was ever in the roster. Maybe the Elite Four guy loaned them out? Lucas¡­ no, that¡¯s not right¡­ Lu¡­ ah, whatever, it¡¯ll come to me eventually.

    What was I on about?

    Psychic types! That was it. The last member of the Sinnoh Elite Four could loan them out as necessary. But was that actually feasible? How many people would be expected to have a Psychic on hand to teleport them at a moment¡¯s notice? Just the Champion? The Elite Four? Gym Leaders? Probably the people in charge of those special battle spots too, like Frontier Brains and Subway Masters¡­ And that¡¯s probably just the minimum, or so I would assume. Did an Elite Four member, or maybe a Gym Leader in other regions, have the time to train that many pokemon just for them to transport important people? I kind of doubt it.

    Of course, all of that speculation assumes that it involves teleportation at all. Maybe she just owns a private jet or something that can get over here that quickly. It¡¯s possible that she¡¯s even in the area already. Saying she would be here in an hour didn¡¯t mean that it would take her an hour to arrive. She could be scoping me out right now, trying to put the puzzle pieces together¡­ or, planning to take me to some underground research lab that will experiment on me horrifically, but I¡¯m hoping that¡¯s not in the cards.

    I¡¯m being stared at. Why are they staring at me?

    Ah. Right. Small talk. That I was completely ignoring¡­ Eh. ¡°I¡¯m just a Pokemon¡± is a decent defense right? I¡¯ll just write that-

    It hurts.

    It hurts it hurts it hurts

    it huRTS MAKE IT STOP-

    <hr>

    N did not sign himself up for this.

    When Mimikyu had mentioned using some of Elesa¡¯s connections, he figured the Pokemon meant something like getting in touch with someone back home, wherever home was for the ghost.

    Finding out he was trying to contact the Champion of Sinnoh was a shock, but with N¡¯s past, it wasn¡¯t that out of the ordinary in comparison. Maybe they had known each other, it¡¯s not like he knew much of anything about either of their histories.

    Elesa¡¯s suspicion was annoying, given the fact that he was as clueless as her, but it was understandable. Getting subtly grilled for information over the course of an hour while they ¡°waited for Cynthia¡±? It made him consider leaving Mimikyu on his own. This wasn¡¯t his problem, really, he had just been a passing acquaintance of everyone involved.

    But trainers hurt Pokemon. He couldn¡¯t just leave Mimikyu in the hands of a Gym Leader, and presumably a Champion if Elesa hadn¡¯t lied, when it was within his power to stay and help protect the fairy.

    He just wished the little terror responsible for this mess would actually pay attention and stop leaving him to flail about trying to respond to Elesa¡¯s ¡°casual small talk¡±.

    ¡°What do you think, Mimikyu?¡±

    No response. Had he been zoned out this entire time?! N was done suffering alone. He would sit here and stare until Mimikyu finally realized he had been called out.

    It took an embarrassingly long time, but luckily Elesa had joined in once she realized what was going on. Mimikyu startled, moving to lift the marker before suddenly-

    All he could see was black. The terror he had felt from Mimikyu¡¯s presence in the past felt like nothing when compared to this. If he moved at all, if he made a noise, if he made it known that he existed, he was certain that he would die.

    ¡°Really?¡± An unfamiliar voice called out as he tried to clamp down on his panic. ¡°This is why we don¡¯t probe the minds of unfamiliar Pokemon. Completely unprofessional.¡±

    The sound of a pokeball opening, and then he could see again.

    Champion Cynthia was in the center of the room, glowering at a Gallade.

    Elesa was standing still, pale as a sheet of paper, eyes wide, and mouth agape. Probably not too dissimilar from how he looked right now.

    And Mimikyu¡­

    Mimikyu¡¯s disguise lay limp on the floor, the Pokemon presumably unconscious within it if the bulge around the bottom was anything to go by. A Lucario knelt over him.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± N was barely able to get it out as a whisper, still trying to recover from the experience.

    ¡°What did you do?!¡±

 Chapter 5

    Cynthia didn¡¯t answer N immediately.

    Instead, she walked over to Mimikyu, kneeling down next to him. With the way she and the Lucario had positioned themselves, N couldn¡¯t make out what they were doing to his friend, but when he moved to approach them the Steel type turned back towards him, glaring in a way which conveyed that coming closer would invite bodily harm.

    To N, it felt like there was a strong tension in the room, but it would seem not everyone thought the same.

    ¡°How was I supposed to know that would happen?¡± Gallade asked. The voice sounded male, though if his memory on Sinnoh Pokemon was correct, only males could become Gallade.

    Now it was the Gallade who faced Lucario¡¯s ire.

    ¡°I know for a fact that League Psychics are taught better than that.¡± His voice was deep and gruff, almost as if he growled every word. ¡°Lady Cynthia asked for transport, not an immediate probing. Perhaps you need some remedial-¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Cynthia cut her Pokemon off before he could go on a tirade against their ride. ¡°His actions will be properly dealt with later. Focus on the situation at hand.¡± The two conscious Pokemon in the room continued their little staring contest, but did not say another word. Apparently finished with her inspection, the Champion stood back up, her gaze falling to N. ¡°I apologize for this. Mimikyu seems to have reacted poorly to Gallade¡¯s probing. Had Lucario not knocked him out immediately, that may not have ended well for us. I think it would be best if we gave him a moment before reviving him, lest he panic again.¡±

    That¡­ was not the explanation he had been expecting. Though with how quickly things had happened he hadn¡¯t really had the time to reach a conclusion other than ¡°they hurt Mimikyu¡±. But that overwhelming, primal fear, the pitch black that had overtaken his vision¡­ it made him think back to what he¡¯d been warned about back in the woods. Mimikyu¡¯s arms were the same pitch black that he¡¯d just experienced. Had Mimikyu been about to end the lives of everyone in this room? Perhaps, in this one instance, he could overlook the Champion using her Pokemon for violence. He couldn¡¯t make the change he wished to see in the world if he died after all.

    ¡°I¡­¡± A shudder ran down his spine merely remembering the horror he had just suffered from. ¡°I suppose letting him rest for a moment would be acceptable.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now,¡± Cynthia continued, ¡°perhaps we should try to figure out the cause of such a reaction? Because it was not a normal one.¡±

    Nothing about his new friend was normal, but after this fiasco he was hesitant to tell the Champion as much. ¡°And what is considered normal then?¡±

    He had been made aware of the basics of mind probing during his many lessons, and a few methods of countering such tactics, but that didn¡¯t help much. The way that a Beheeyem tried to peer into your mind would differ from the methods of a Gothitelle, and the same could be said of any species capable of such a thing. Their minds worked in fundamentally different ways, and this was his first time encountering a Sinnoh Psychic.

    ¡°Normally you wouldn¡¯t even notice it.¡± Elesa finally spoke up. She still seemed shaken. Trying to save face in front of Cynthia? ¡°Not unless you had a lot of training specifically tailored to make you aware of it.¡±

    ¡°For humans and most Pokemon, yes, but that is not always true.¡± Cynthia corrected. ¡°An average human mind, and the vast majority of Pokemon, are not attuned to the minute changes that occur when a Psychic probes their mind. Certain types of Pokemon are more sensitive to it. Psychics, obviously, are well aware of foreign influences in their minds. Certain Ghost types are mildly aware of it, and Dark types are completely immune. I¡¯m not terribly familiar with Mimikyu given their usual distance from anything League related, but based on the reaction we just saw, I assume that they¡¯re Ghosts?¡±

    N nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, Mimikyu is a Ghost and Fairy type.¡±

    Something in the room changed with those words.

    ¡°Gallade.¡± Cynthia called out. The Pokemon didn¡¯t respond verbally, but it was clear that he was listening. ¡°Fetch Alder for me, and then quarantine yourself.¡±

    The Psychic teleported away with a small flash of light.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Luckily for N, it seemed Elesa was just as confused by the sudden turn as him. ¡°Why do we need Alder? What would a quarantine be needed for?¡±

    Cynthia ignored her questions, closing in on N, her Lucario right beside her. ¡°How long has Mimikyu been in Unova?¡±

    ¡°Wha- I- I don¡¯t know? I only met him earlier today. Why does that-¡±

    ¡°Locations then. Where have the two of you been since you met?¡± her voice was commanding. Demanding even.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s any of-¡±

    ¡°Locations. Now.¡± Her hand went to a pokeball.

    Threatening to release another, even with Lucario looking ready to throttle him already?

    ¡°We met in a forest just outside the city, I brought him to the Pokemon Center, and then here.¡± He tried to keep his voice steady, realizing that he had unknowingly stumbled into something much larger than he could have imagined.

    ¡°Which forest?¡±

    Gallade returned with a flash, alongside a man recognizable to everyone in Unova. Champion Alder, with his wild hair, but lacking his usual easygoing smile as Gallade disappeared once more. N didn¡¯t think Cynthia wanted to wait for introductions before she got her answers, so he pressed on.

    ¡°The- I don¡¯t remember the name- it¡¯s just east of the city, to the north of route 16?¡±

    ¡°Lostlorn Forest?¡± Alder replied. ¡°Does someone wanna explain what the sudden summons was for? I don¡¯t see anything on fire.¡±

    ¡°We need a quarantine established. The entire city, the forest, and perhaps more.¡± Cynthia answered.

    ¡°A quaran- why in the world would we do that?¡± Alder asked, clearly bewildered.

    Cynthia pointed to Mimikyu, still collapsed on the ground. ¡°Fairy.¡±

    N didn¡¯t understand why, but that shut the Unova Champion up right away as he rushed out the door, presumably to set up the quarantine.

    ¡°Cynthia, will you slow down for just a minute and explain? What does Mimikyu being a Fairy type have to do with quarantining every location he¡¯s been to?¡± Elesa pleaded.

    ¡°Fairy types are banned from League territory. Or at least, they have been.¡± Cynthia sighed in resignation.

    ¡°What? I¡¯ve only heard of them in passing, why would they be banned? Shouldn¡¯t a ban on an entire Type be something I¡¯m made aware of as a Gym Leader?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s information we keep on a need to know basis. Gym Leaders are only informed once they¡¯ve served in their position for a certain amount of time, and even then their access may not be given depending on League assessment of their personality. Unfortunately, with the two of you at ground zero for this incident, you¡¯ll need to be read into the situation and placed under strict confidentiality measures.¡±

    That set off alarm bells in N¡¯s mind.

    ¡°What sort of confidentiality measures?¡± Given that they had just discussed Psychic probing, he had a feeling that he knew the answer already.

    ¡°You will have two options. The first is to submit to a mental lock, in which a League Psychic will alter your mind in such a way that you become physically unable to share the information specified. If you choose this option, your privacy will be respected and no other probing will be conducted. If you would like another Psychic present and participating in the locking to ensure that the agreed upon terms are followed, that will be allowed so long as their secondary typing would not interfere with the process.¡±

    She wanted N to consent to having his mind altered? Was she insane? Nobody in their right mind would agree to such a thing. He had known that the League was a corrupt organization, that trainers were cruel, but to think it went to this extent? Though if that was the option she led with¡­

    ¡°And the second option?¡± N asked.

    ¡°The second option is to be transported to League headquarters, where you would either live the rest of your days, or stay until the possibility of an information leak is no longer a hazard, whichever comes first.¡±

    ¡°But, wait-¡± Elesa looked flustered. How could someone be such a prominent figure in the League and not realize the depths to which their depravity ran? She seemed as hopelessly naive as the children starting their journeys were. ¡°I thought the League did away with practices like this after the war! What happened to moving on to better times?¡±

    ¡°That is true for everything beyond this one topic. But¡­¡± Cynthia looked down at Mimikyu, still limp on the floor. ¡°This may have been the straw that broke the Machoke¡¯s back.¡± Did that mean the League Headquarters was the better option? If everyone was about to find out anyway then keeping them locked away wouldn¡¯t do the League any good. ¡°Depending on what Pokemon Mimikyu has come into contact with, it may be too late.¡±

    ¡°Too late for what exactly?¡± N asked. ¡°You still haven¡¯t actually told us what the problem was with Fairy types.¡±

    Cynthia leveled him with a serious look. ¡°The short answer? It¡¯s an alien infection. Nothing about it is natural, and we¡¯re afraid of what will happen if the spread becomes too great.¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The room was silent for a moment as N and Elesa processed her words.

    Eventually, N broke it. ¡°Is this a joke?¡±

    Cynthia turned to Elesa. ¡°You said the Mimikyu was asking you questions directly, correct? Perhaps it would be more convincing if you heard from the source.¡±

    <hr>

    I feel like I just had an ice pick driven through my skull. Do I have a skull? Ugh, it¡¯s way too bright in here.

    Mimikyu sat up, taking in his surroundings.

    Huh. That¡¯s Cynthia. Neat.

    Wait, what happened?

    ¡°Uh, N? I don¡¯ s¡¯pose you could tell me why I¡¯m wakin¡¯ up right now? I don¡¯ remember goin¡¯ ta sleep. Did I pass out or somethin¡¯?¡±

    No. Something isn¡¯t right here. What¡¯s with the looks on their faces? I don¡¯t remember¡­ no¡­ there was something in my head, wasn¡¯t there? Something hurt my head¡­ do I have brain damage? Maybe I¡¯m concussed.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°Like trash, but that doesn¡¯ answer my question. What¡¯s goin¡¯ on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to get you some sitrus berries as soon as we¡¯re out of here. Cynthia wanted to talk to us about a few things. Think you can answer some questions?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯ mind, but why are ya- hmmm. Are ya tryin¡¯ ta hide the fact that you can understand me?¡±

    N subtly nodded, not responding verbally to the question.

    ¡°...should I be worried? I wake up an¡¯ I feel like I got hit by a bus an¡¯ yer actin¡¯ all weird an¡¯ secretive.¡±

    N didn¡¯t bother responding at all.

    Welp. I guess no response at all tells me all I need to know. What happened though?

    Grabbing the marker off of the ground from where it had presumably fallen when he collapsed, Mimikyu brought it up to the white board.

    ¡°I¡¯ll answer yours if you answer mine.¡± Mimikyu wrote. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It seems you reacted poorly when my teleporter tried to probe your mind. My apologies. We have a rather urgent matter to discuss though. How long have you been in Unova?¡±

    What is this, customs or something? I think me getting my mind probed is a bit more important than how long I¡¯ve been stuck here!

    Wait.

    Is it actually customs?! Mimikyu aren¡¯t native to Unova. Did I have an invasive plant on me or something?

    ¡°I got here yesterday.¡± He wrote. ¡°Is this a customs check? Did I bring an invasive species? I didn¡¯t have any belongings or plants with me when I got here.¡±

    Cynthia raised a brow at the line of questioning. ¡°I suppose you could frame it that way. Fairy types are banned from League territory. N said that he found you in Lostlorn Forest, where else in Unova did you go before getting there?¡±

    I¡¯m the invasive species?! Or rather, the invasive type. How can an entire type be banned? What counts as League territory?

    Mimikyu erased his last message, replacing it with ¡°Nowhere. That I know of at least. I went to sleep like normal, but when I woke up I was in an unfamiliar forest in a region I¡¯d never been to. Your guess is as good as mine for how that happened. Also, what is your reasoning for banning an entire type from this ¡°league territory¡±?¡±

    ¡°You just woke up here? It¡¯s certainly possible but that leaves the question of who and why¡­ At least the quarantine zone won¡¯t need to be expanded any further. I suppose those answers can come later though. Mimikyu, how much do you know about the Fairy type?¡±

    Mimikyu considered it for a moment. ¡°I guess I know quite a bit, but I don¡¯t think you want me rambling aimlessly. What sort of info are you after?¡±

    ¡°Tell us everything you know, if you would.¡±

    Everything I know? Fine then, she asked for it.

    <hr>

    In much smaller handwriting this time, to ensure that everything would fit on the limited space, Mimikyu began writing. Even then, he had to wipe the board clean several times to get all of the information across because he kept writing, and writing, seemingly endlessly. From how Fairy types stacked up on the type chart, to all of the species he knew of with a fairy typing, even listing off Fairy type moves, before ending with some speculation.

    ¡°...though I¡¯ve heard some conflicting information in a few areas. Back when pokeballs were first being created, and Sinnoh was still called the Hisui region, there were Fairy types present. This included a now presumably extinct/dead legendary Pokemon called Enamorus, which had some relation to what would now be called the Unovan Forces of Nature. N told me that he is entirely unfamiliar with Fairy types though, and I have a suspicion that the same would be said for the average citizen in your ¡°league territory¡± given the look on Elesa¡¯s face. So we have a discrepancy on our hands. There are a few possible solutions, but I have no clue which would be correct.

    The first possibility is that I was lied to. Fairy types have never existed in these regions and the whole ¡°The Fairy type existed in ancient Sinnoh¡± story is a complete fabrication.

    The second possibility is that N and Elesa here are extremely sheltered and just somehow never heard of the Fairy type, despite them being somewhat common around the world. I suppose the only one native to Unova would be the Whimsicott line though, and with what you said about Fairy types being completely banned here, while I think it unlikely, this situation is something to consider.

    A third possibility is that, somehow, the Fairy type used to exist in these regions, but doesn¡¯t anymore. I¡¯m not sure how that would work though.

    My first thought would be a regional difference, like how Alolan Meowth are Dark types instead of Normal. But that doesn¡¯t quite fit. Regional differences seem to happen in one specific region with a considerable geographic separation from where the rest of the species lives, while this would be in however many regions make up your league, which would have to be at least two considering the people in this room. There¡¯s also the issue of there not being a visual difference between the Fairy and non Fairy counterparts for these species. If you¡¯ve ever seen a regional variant, you¡¯ll know that they¡¯re always strikingly different in appearance even with their similarities.

    Of course, I don¡¯t have all of the information, and there¡¯s no telling how reliable any of my sources are. You probably know more about this sort of thing than I do.¡±

    When Mimikyu finally put the marker down and turned to his audience, even Cynthia looked impressed.

    ¡°When things settle down, I might just take you up on that offer for joint research into the Spear Pillar.¡±

    ¡°You actually kept up with all of that?!¡± Elesa asked, her brow furrowed as she tried to catch up in her reading. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready for him to launch into a full dissertation on a type I know basically nothing about.¡±

    ¡°Ancient legends and archeology are a hobby of mine, I read through research papers for fun.¡± Her eyes wandered back to the section on Hisui. ¡°Though quite a bit of what¡¯s been shared about ancient Sinnoh is novel, even to me.¡±

    ¡°That was very enlightening, thank you Mimikyu,¡± N interrupted before the lecture could continue any further, ¡°but I fail to see how this is relevant.¡± He turned his gaze to the Champion in the room. ¡°You have Champion Alder quarantining an entire city right now, and when your joke of an answer as to why that is necessary gets questioned, you allow Mimikyu to give every factoid he knows about the Fairy type. I happened to notice a distinct lack of the ¡°alien infection¡± that you mentioned before he woke up.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so I have.¡± If one were being generous, they might consider the look on Cynthia¡¯s face to be embarrassed. ¡°I have a bad habit of getting wrapped up in academic pursuits. It is strange though¡­ Mimikyu, are your kind not taught about the origins of the Fairy type? You seem to have rather in depth knowledge, even if I can¡¯t verify it all myself.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re on about.¡± Mimikyu replied. ¡°What¡¯s this about an alien infection? Are you talking about how some of them are connected to the moon?¡±

    ¡°So you do know something about it then?¡±

    Mimikyu underlined the first line again before erasing his last message. ¡°I don¡¯t see what you¡¯re trying to point out. I¡¯m not sure how much credit I give to the theory that various Fairy types are alien in nature, and even if it is true, there are multiple Pokemon confirmed to be from space that aren¡¯t Fairy types.¡±

    ¡°The alien part was true?!¡± N exclaimed in astonishment.

    ¡°What other Pokemon are from space?¡± Cynthia asked.

    ¡°Off the top of my head, I¡¯m fairly certain that Minior, a rock and flying type, literally come from meteor showers. I can understand you not knowing that one since they¡¯re typically found in Alola, but shouldn¡¯t you be familiar with Deoxys? I saw that the incident got mostly scrubbed from the internet, but a Champion of all people should know what happened when Rayquaza comes down from the ozone layer to duke it out.¡±

    Where an academic lecture on the Fairy type had gotten Cynthia to relax, bringing up a government cover up made her tense once more.

    ¡°How do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Elesa looked overwhelmed, ¡°Did you just say that Rayquaza, as in the Hoenn legend, fought an alien?¡±

    Elesa went ignored. ¡°You¡¯ve got your secrets, I¡¯ve got mine, and you still haven¡¯t explained your little Fairy alien infection conspiracy theory.¡±

    Cynthia frowned, but seemed to accept Mimikyu¡¯s point. ¡°Before the last war, the Fairy type was restricted to a small number of Pokemon. Not species, but individuals. Xerneas and Diancie in Kalos. Perhaps the Tapus in Alola, though the record keeping is so awful there that we¡¯re not sure if they were Fairy type from the start or if they were simply some of the first to be infected. They were a far away oddity that few from this part of the world had even heard of.

    But then there was a new eeveelution.

    Eevee are well known for their adaptability, their genetics making them ideal for fitting all sorts of new environments. Evolving to share a rare type was unexpected, but perhaps the fact that this particular Eevee lived close to where Xernas is rumored to slumber had something to do with it. Nobody thought it to be anything too crazy, just a new scientific discovery.

    But it didn¡¯t stop there.

    Suddenly Pokemon from all over the area with a cutesy look were found to have Fairy as a secondary typing, or in some cases even replacing their original typing. You¡¯re an Alolan Pokemon, so you probably know of Comfey, right? Originally they were classified as Grass types, but to my knowledge not a single Grass type Comfey still exists. Clefairy in the area had their Normal typing replaced, and now the only Normal type Clefairies still left are the ones in League territory because we stopped the infection from spreading here. We¡¯ve had lots of close calls in the past, but these past few months¡­ I¡¯m afraid that there¡¯s no stopping it at this point. If what you say is true, and someone is dropping unsuspecting Fairy types in the middle of League territory, then for all we know it¡¯s already too late.¡±

    She paused, either for dramatic effect or to give them a moment to digest that information, it was hard to tell which. ¡°You can believe what you will, but the Fairy type is infecting Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Suppose we take everything you just said as true. That the Fairy type is some sort of infection that somehow targets cutesy Pokemon. You¡¯re still missing the part that makes it alien.¡± N rebutted.

    Cynthia cleared her throat and hid her face behind her hand. ¡°Admittedly, that much might be a bit of a stretch, but it¡¯s our best guess at the moment. The Clefairy line were some of the first infected, and many moon and generally space related moves were found to be of the Fairy typing now.¡±

    <hr>

    This is going to be a major setback in my plans.

    It¡¯s interesting to think about though. I guess she has a point with Moonblast, Moonlight, etc¡­

    Though their strong opposition to it seems odd. It sounds just about impossible to stop it from spreading, and she didn¡¯t list any part of it that actually sounded harmful to the Pokemon affected.

    Unless¡­

    Is it politics?

    Did-

    Did I just get an entire city quarantined because a bunch of the top league trainers are Dragon type users who are afraid of getting dethroned by an adorable little Fairy?

 Chapter 6

    ¡°There¡¯s good news and bad news.¡± Alder said as he walked back in on the little backroom meeting. It seemed that the discussion on Fairy types and their origins had run long. That, or Alder was just a very efficient guy.

    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to have any bad news Alder.¡± Cynthia gave him some serious stink eye. ¡°You¡¯re the Champion of Unova, solving problems is your responsibility.¡±

    Something about the way she said it bothered N. When people thought of Champions their minds went to power, leadership, cunning¡­ so why did it almost sound mocking when it came out of her mouth? Perhaps not all was well between the two? Though it was impossible to know if it was a personal matter or if the League was not as unified as they might have the public believe. Something to look into at a later time.

    ¡°Welp, the bad news exists whether we can afford to have it or not.¡± The frown on his face suggested that he wanted to snap back at her, but he stated it matter of factly. ¡°The good news is that I¡¯m pretty sure I just set a record time for initiating a lockdown and quarantine for such a large area! Nimbasa isn¡¯t a small place, and getting Lostlorn as well¡­ of course, then I got the bad news.¡±

    ¡°Will you just spit it out already?¡±

    Alder looked hesitant to do so, but he obliged his fellow Champion¡¯s request. ¡°It would appear that my efforts were pointless. There are reports coming in from all over the League-¡± Cynthia¡¯s phone chimed, as if to prove his point, ¡°-that this isn¡¯t an isolated incident. Fairy types are mysteriously finding themselves scattered throughout League territory. Coincidentally,¡± His finger quotes told just how much he believed that, ¡°A large number of them just so happened to be dropped in areas that contain Pokemon we already know to be susceptible to infection, like this one here ending up in Lostlorn with all the Cottonee. I haven¡¯t heard from the others yet, as they¡¯re no doubt responding to incidents in their own regions-¡± another notification on Cynthia¡¯s phone, ¡°-as you¡¯ll probably be off to deal with in a moment, but I think this is it. We¡¯ve passed the point of no return, whether we like it or not.¡±

    Cynthia very much did not like it. Quickly checking the notifications she had received, and with another three chimes coming in all at once when she opened it, Alder¡¯s analysis seemed to be correct.

    ¡°Damn it all!¡± She threw her phone on the ground, the device bouncing off into a corner, most likely busted after such rough treatment.

    Not particularly caring about the mood of the Champions in the room, N thought it a prudent time to ask a question important to their future. ¡°So¡­ does this mean that the mental lock and possible imprisonment are no longer necessary? We can¡¯t exactly be blamed for the information getting out if people are suddenly going to discover Fairy types all over the place.¡±

    Alder got halfway through nodding his head in agreement before freezing, looking to Cynthia for her input. Or approval perhaps? Though it would be strange for the Champion of the region they were currently in to defer to one from another.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡± It was hard to tell which of the men she meant. ¡°I need time to sort through this mess and convene with the others. You-¡± she pointed towards the two in the room not explicitly affiliated with the League ¡°-are not to leave Nimbasa until you have my approval.¡± Her eyes narrowed before she amended herself. ¡°No. You¡¯re not to leave the Gym. Keep them here, Elesa.¡±

    Walking out the door, she gestured for Alder to follow her. ¡°With me. I need a new phone and a new Psychic.¡±

    He was quick to follow.

    ¡°...what just happened?¡±

    It took N a moment to realize he was the one who had said it. What a day this was turning out to be. A new friend, a new type, government conspiracies, and house- no, Gym arrest? The squeaking of a marker drew his attention.

    ¡°Not sure. Are league officials always like this?¡± Mimikyu asked.

    ¡°Honestly, this is one of the better interactions I¡¯ve seen between those two.¡± Elesa sulked.

    Her two¡­ prisoners? Looked at her in disbelief.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s true!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Hmmm. Not exactly what I would have expected from a trainer who Samuel spoke so highly of. A draw with a trainer so obviously fresh? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we had him in a video call, I would think that the professor gave me the wrong name.¡± Professor Rowan stroked his mustache as he considered the boy who had just left the lab. The performance from the Pikachu in particular was disappointing with how many reports it had been featured in. Had the pair been sandbagging perhaps? Certainly a possibility, but if that were the case then the boy had the ¡°easily riled teenager¡± act down pat. ¡°Only time will tell, I suppose.¡±

    His musings were interrupted by one of his assistants. ¡°Professor, you¡¯re receiving an urgent call!¡±

    Of course. Another urgent call, that just had to go through to the leading professor in the region. It¡¯s not like he had research to conduct, or trainers to assist in the start of their journeys. Why not bother him day in and day out over the most mundane garbage that the growing bureaucracy of the League deemed ¡°urgent¡±? But if he wanted to keep the funding that he was getting, it was necessary to respond to each and every one of them and at least pretend that he gave a Pachirisu¡¯s behind.

    He was singing a different tune when he saw just who was on the call, however.

    ¡°Cynthia! To what do I owe the pleasure? I was under the impression that you were vacationing in Unova.¡±

    ¡°We have a problem.¡±

    ¡°Big enough that you can¡¯t even go through the motions of exchanging pleasantries? Well, let¡¯s hear it then. You¡¯re not in active combat so it can¡¯t be too bad.¡±

    She glared at him for that comment. ¡°The League¡¯s efforts have proven useless. Someone,¡± he hoped their end would be quick with how much hatred she said it with, ¡°has decided it would be a good idea to transport Fairy types all over the League¡¯s territory. I was called in for one such case here in Unova, but it seems to be widespread. I just got out of a call with the others, and it appears that containment is impossible.¡±

    ¡°How dreadful.¡± He responded, pretending to care. It had taken many years, but he had managed to build up a reputation as a gruff man that was oh so helpful for hiding his sarcasm. As if he would be bothered by the spread of this so-called ¡°infection.¡± If they wanted him to be invested in such a thing, they should have given him a sample to study. But noooo, ¡°allowing even a single Fairy type into League territory would be too dangerous,¡± they said. ¡°We don¡¯t care that every professor whose work was at least somewhat respectable wanted proof that it was harmful,¡± they said.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    If that was the game they wanted to play, then why should he care when their doomed efforts failed? They were never going to be able to keep the Fairy type out of the League forever, even if them being dropped off everywhere all at once- if that story was true in the first place- was suspicious. If anything, this would be good for his research! How was he meant to be properly studying Pokemon evolution if the prime subject for the topic matter, Eevee and its many paths, was impossible to research completely? He couldn¡¯t just ignore an entire evolution path! And with how many Porygon the League had monitoring the telecommunications, he couldn¡¯t even discreetly message the professors on the outside for the information he needed. That was a quick way to see your funding vanish and, depending on the severity, perhaps find yourself with much more significant consequences.

    As always, however, Cynthia was none the wiser to his true thoughts.

    ¡°We¡¯re still conducting the investigation at the moment, but it¡¯s likely that the announcement will be made tomorrow. I¡¯m calling to ensure that you¡¯re up to date on the official story.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I make sure to read all of the documents you lot send out. I know my part to play.¡± Nothing quite like pushing out propaganda and lies after all. ¡°Fairy type? Why, I¡¯ve never heard of it! They were only just discovered you see¡­¡± Despite the fact that they had been known about outside of the League since the early days of Pokemon research. But play the part he would¡­ for the most part. If a few promising young trainers who might be able to help his research along just so happened to find out a bit more than they should, then that would be a terrible accident and he would have no idea how they would have come across such things. In fact, had one not left his lab just a short while ago? If Samuel was willing to give such a ringing endorsement of the young man¡­ A bit of investigation was in order.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one with secrets, after all. Such a thing could be ignored, granted it wasn¡¯t anything too dangerous.

    <hr>

    ¡°This kinda sucks, ya know.¡±

    ¡°I am well aware, Mimikyu. Though it would seem to me that my involvement is entirely your fault.¡± N gave a half hearted frown, but only because he was frustrated. It wasn¡¯t actually Mimikyu¡¯s fault. It was the League. To think that even the contempt he had for trainers and their backers before this wasn¡¯t enough.

    The two of them had been left alone in the back rooms of the Gym while Elesa coordinated with her crew to help those affected by the sudden quarantine. There was only one exit, and with Elesa and her team on the other side, it¡¯s not like they had the option to just walk out. Teleportation was an option, but that would require both calling for backup, which he was not keen to do, and drawing the ire of the League down upon him, which was also a bad idea.

    ¡°I don¡¯ understand any of this nonsense. The League are s¡¯posed ta be good guys, all law and order types, ain¡¯t they? Though I s¡¯pose ya¡¯d disagree with that assessment.¡±

    ¡°And why do you think that?¡± It was true, of course, but N didn¡¯t think he¡¯d given Mimikyu any reason to suspect it.

    ¡°...You ain¡¯t as sneaky as ya think.¡± Mimikyu answered after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°I can tell that yer not a fan of the League, or trainers in general.¡±

    Unfortunate. Though was he really so easy to read, or was it simply because of Mimikyu¡¯s nonhuman nature? N didn¡¯t particularly care if Pokemon knew that he didn¡¯t like the thought of them being captured and forced to fight for the pleasure of humans.

    ¡±I thought it a bit silly of ya, based on what I¡¯d seen, but if the top people of the League are like that¡­ I never woulda suspected that outta Cynthia.¡±

    ¡°...Neither would I. It¡¯s far worse than I thought.¡±

    ¡°So ya didn¡¯ know either then? Interestin¡¯...¡± Mimikyu seemed to consider something for a moment, a shadowy¡­ hand? Paw? Set of claws? Reaching for his not-chin again. ¡°I gotta theory for ya, mind if I run it by ya?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve nothing better to do.¡±

    ¡°I told ya about how the big bad Fairy type is immune ta dragons, right?¡±

    ¡°You did, yes.¡±

    ¡°I was thinkin¡¯... how many of the top trainers in the League use, or even specialize in dragons? Cynthia has got ¡®er Garchomp, and without the Fairy type in the mix her Spiritomb has no weaknesses at all. I¡¯m pretty sure Alder had a Dragon type¡­ Druddigon I think? Plus the strongest Unova gym uses dragons as well. Drake over in the Hoenn Elite Four uses dragons, as does Champion Lance and Clair over in Blackthorn¡­ and that¡¯s not even countin¡¯ all the other trainers with Fightin¡¯ and Dark types.

    In my eyes, a very significant portion of the high rankin¡¯ people in the League are afraid of fairies not because they think the spread is some sorta dangerous alien invasion or somethin¡¯. It¡¯s because they¡¯re afraid of what it¡¯ll mean for them in terms of strength. They¡¯re afraid that some Fairy specialist will be able ta sweep through ¡®em like a hot knife through butter.¡±

    N considered the little ghost¡¯s theory. ¡°That¡­ does make a lot of sense. In a society where strength is praised, and battle is the main focus, doing what they can to keep their competitive edge would be a high priority for them.¡±

    ¡°I thought so. Course, that don¡¯ mean it¡¯s necessarily the case. I¡¯m jus¡¯ speculatin¡¯ here. But based on the info we have now, it¡¯s what makes the most sense ta me.¡±

    <hr>

    Hours went by. With the two of them practically, if not literally, locked in a room with just each other for company, small talk could only go on for so long, and speculating on the reasoning for this Fairy panic could only go so far with the information they had gotten. That led to a lot of silence, some of it awkward, some of it not, in which the two had nothing to do but think.

    Mimikyu thought of the future.

    Assuming things go well and we get released, I don¡¯t exactly have high hopes for getting Cynthia to help me with my little plan. I guess that¡¯s fine though, this was just a fortunate, or maybe unfortunate rather, run in with her. Plan A has always been to get to Ash, and if my research is correct then he should be near the start of his Sinnoh journey now. That means I need to get out of here, preferably soon.

    Mimikyu¡¯s eyes roamed over to N through the slits in his disguise.

    I wonder though. Being able to talk properly with N has been great, and if I just ditch him for Ash and co¡­ Well, I suppose Ash is better than most at understanding Pokemon, but it¡¯s not the same as a one to one translation. Can I really leave N without losing my mind? I¡¯ve never traveled abroad like this. A far off land where even the locals with the best understanding of your language have to do a lot of guesswork¡­

    ¡­do I have to leave N though? If Ash is just starting Sinnoh, there should be plenty of time before Plazma¡¯s plans kick into high gear. If he was just wandering around and stumbled into me in Lostlorn then he doesn¡¯t have a specific goal in mind at the moment. And those ninja guys haven¡¯t taken him out of here with a smoke bomb yet, so he¡¯s not under some strict watch. Not yet, at least.

    I guess there¡¯s only one way to find out.

    ¡°Hey N. I was wonderin¡¯... what are yer plans from here?¡±

    ¡°My plans? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean what¡¯re ya doin¡¯ next? Where are ya goin¡¯? Do ya have a plan?¡±

    N thought it over. ¡°...I suppose my plan was just to explore for the moment. See more of the world, get a better understanding of the relationship between people and Pokemon. Why?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s yer plan¡­ I¡¯m not plannin¡¯ ta stick around Unova. That little bit I told the girls about wantin¡¯ to research the Spear Pillar is¡­ I s¡¯pose you might call that a half truth, but either way it means my next destination is Sinnoh. And if ya don¡¯t plan to look into any specific area, and are jus¡¯ lookin¡¯ to see more of the world¡­ what do ya say ya come with me? Explore Sinnoh together? I¡¯m no expert, but if yer goal is to understand the relationship between people and Pokemon, it can¡¯t hurt to get the perspective of another region, can it?¡±

    ¡°You want me to come to Sinnoh with you?¡± N was clearly bewildered and blindsided by the request.

    ¡°If ya want to. I ain¡¯t gonna drag ya with me or anythin¡¯, but yer an¡­ interestin¡¯ guy, and I wouldn¡¯t mind gettin¡¯ ta spend more time with ya.¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Ya ain¡¯t gotta answer right away. We¡¯re locked in here ¡®til Cynthia says otherwise, and even then I gotta work out transport. I don¡¯t know if Cynthia is gonna be up for lettin¡¯ one of her precious Psychics risk gettin¡¯ contaminated by me or whatever.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    That¡¯s all I can ask for, N.

 Chapter 7

    It wasn¡¯t until the sun was setting on the horizon that N and Mimikyu got any news on their fate. Not that they could actually see the sunset, given that they were for all intents and purposes confined to a back room in Elesa¡¯s gym. She had made sure the pair were fed, and all their basic needs taken care of, but it seemed the model took Champion Cynthia¡¯s word as law. With neither windows in the room, nor a clock on the wall, N only knew the time because of his phone which surprisingly hadn¡¯t been confiscated. Though with how reliant the League are on their Pokemon, perhaps it¡¯s not so odd that they would forget technological methods of communication in the heat of the moment.

    Despite Cynthia¡¯s warnings that they were not to leave until she said otherwise, it was Alder who returned to the gym that evening. Champion Alder didn¡¯t see fit to bring Elesa into the conversation as he entered the back room, his face starting to show his exhaustion from the day.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve not figured it out already from my presence here, Cynthia has decided you¡¯re not worth coming back for and left you to me!¡± He tried to play up the boisterous and loud personality that his appearance suggested, but it was half-hearted at best.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with that? I don¡¯ get why Cynthia is leadin¡¯ ya by the nose in yer own region.¡± It had been bugging N as well, but he hadn¡¯t thought of just outright asking the man. That seemed¡­ ill advised.

    ¡°I¡¯m decent at understanding what my team is trying to tell me, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve never even met a Mimikyu before you, so I¡¯m gonna need a little help here.¡± Alder replied with a gentle smile.

    ¡°Ah. Right. I really need ta get used ta that¡­¡± Mimikyu grumbled as he repeated his query on the board.

    Alder lost his smile when he read it. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you two to go getting yourselves wrapped up in all that. You¡¯ve drawn enough of Cynthia¡¯s ire as it is!¡± He tried to laugh it off. ¡°Just know that she and I don¡¯t always see eye to eye. And that may or may not include how we want to deal with you two. She probably said a lot of crazy stuff while I was elsewhere, right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose you could put it that way.¡± N muttered as he recalled the threats made against them.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Cynthia alright. She¡¯s got her heart in the right place about 90% of the time, but¡­ well, let¡¯s just focus on what¡¯s actually going to happen with you two. Seeing as I¡¯ve been left to decide, I hereby sentence you to¡­¡±

    The duo tensed at his phrasing.

    ¡°-being free to go, and with an apology.¡±

    ¡°...that¡¯s it?¡± N asked.

    ¡°Yep! Maybe a few words of advice, too, if you¡¯re into that sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°This reeks of shady, but I s¡¯pose we should take what we can get.¡± Mimikyu suggested.

    ¡°What sort of advice are you offering?¡± N probed.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± the Champion paused, clearly trying to choose his words carefully, ¡°First of all, I think it would be a good idea for you two to avoid League officials if you can, but Cynthia in particular isn¡¯t someone you¡¯re going to want to tango with at the moment. Cynthia had been in a good mood recently, but with all this business with Fairy types now, I have a feeling she¡¯ll be prickly as a Maractus for the foreseeable future. Whether you like it or not, whether you intended to or not, you¡¯re now wrapped up in it, and as the first ones called in, it¡¯ll be your faces that come to mind whenever this is brought up.¡±

    ¡°Is there a way to get ourselves removed from the League¡¯s interest list? I¡¯d really rather not have to watch my back everywhere I go.¡±

    ¡°Not really. I can direct resources within Unova to other things, but as this is League territory, there¡¯s going to be League agents who are looking into you regardless. I think it¡¯s likely that you¡¯ll be monitored, but I¡¯m not sure to what degree. It could be as little as having a Porygon monitoring all of your calls, but it could be as much as having multiple teams actively tracking you, your movements, and the people you interact with. Between you and me¡­¡± Alder leaned in conspiratorially, ¡°I think it would be a good time for you to get out of the League all together.¡±

    ¡°Leave the League?!¡± N was shocked that the Champion of all people would suggest such a thing, and the squeaking of a marker indicated that he was not the only one.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ignore all the indicators that you¡¯d like to leave the League as well, Alder. I assume that you¡¯re unable to tell us any specifics on why we should leave? Where would you even have us go?¡± Mimikyu wrote.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ignore that you wrote that, you would be correct, and¡­ that¡¯s a tricky question. Regions that are explicitly against the League are right out, unless you want Cynthia and the others thinking that you were spies at best, and intentional saboteurs intent on bringing down the League at worst. Alola are technically neutral, and Kukui¡¯s efforts are strengthening the relationship¡­ You¡¯d probably fit in there, since Mimikyu are native to the region. Plus they¡¯re generally open and accepting people¡­¡± Alder paused for a moment, considering the options available to them. ¡°I think your best bet would be Almia. A good people, basically no League influence, and with little chance of that changing any time soon with how things are set up over there. The rangers aren¡¯t too fond of us.¡±

    ¡°All I know about Almia is its name¡­¡± N hesitantly said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good place. Probably about what you¡¯d expect out of Sinnoh if the League didn¡¯t exist. I heard something about some issues popping up, but I don¡¯t think-¡± Alder cut himself off when Mimikyu smacked his marker against the whiteboard with a thud.

    ¡°No,¡± he had written. ¡°I need to go to Sinnoh.¡±

    The Champion sighed. ¡°She had said something about Spear Pillar¡­ are you certain you need to go there? The most powerful person in the region is quite annoyed with you.¡±

    That was certainly downplaying things, but N wasn¡¯t looking to poke a Durant¡¯s nest.

    ¡°I understand that. Going to Sinnoh isn¡¯t something I want to do on a whim. I NEED to go there.¡± The little ghost underlined ¡°need¡± three times to emphasize the point.

    ¡°If that¡¯s how it is¡­ you¡¯re free to decide your own fate. Just don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, alright?¡±

    Mimikyu made his disguise nod in response.

    ¡°And what about you, young man?¡± Alder gestured to N. ¡°Are you going along with him? I was led to believe that Mimikyu here isn¡¯t actually your Pokemon, but I¡¯m not entirely sure of what your relationship is¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Did N want to go to Sinnoh with Mimikyu? The region in and of itself wasn¡¯t that appealing to him, but perhaps that was because he didn¡¯t know much about it. He was meant to be exploring and learning about how the world really worked. What sort of opposition he might be up against. It had been implied that he should be investigating the Unova region. That was where he would rule in the future after all. But¡­ it had never been explicitly stated, had it? If he followed the letter of his instructions rather than the spirit, he could obey the orders given to him while following Mimikyu to Sinnoh.

    But why should he? He had known the little ghost for less than a day. Getting involved with the Pokemon had gotten him into all sorts of trouble with the League, and that¡¯s not exactly something he should be doing at the moment. Surely it would be better for the officials to have no idea who he was when it came time for his coronation. Blindsiding them would mean less resistance. But at the same time¡­

    Mimikyu was¡­ interesting. A Pokemon he had never seen before, mysteriously dropped off in the middle of a forest that he just happened to be exploring. Yes, contact with Mimikyu frightened him. But how could he claim to be on the side of Pokemon if he didn¡¯t explore that which he didn¡¯t understand? This ghostly energy he was unfamiliar with, an entire Type he was unaware existed until today! If the Fairy Type truly was ¡°infecting¡± other Pokemon, wouldn¡¯t it bolster his position if he found himself to be the leading expert in Unova on it?

    And then there was the mystery beyond Mimikyu¡¯s physical form. The strange accent that he couldn¡¯t place, the way the little fairy seemed to know things that he shouldn¡¯t. Perhaps they were just good at hiding it, but N didn¡¯t think that the Champions were often called upon because a Pokemon suspiciously knew too much. How Mimikyu claimed to know multiple scripts, how it was able to use the internet without issue, the strange things Mimikyu had been looking up, and that was only the small bit N had seen!

    But what really did him in was the concern. He had just gotten a taste of what things were like behind the scenes. How was Mimikyu meant to deal with that on his own? N didn¡¯t trust the average trainer, let alone the League. Letting Mimikyu go off without him there to assist¡­ it was as good as throwing Mimikyu to the Krookodiles.

    There was plenty of time between now and when the plans would go into effect. If he wanted to save all Pokemon from such a fate¡­ perhaps just this one would be good practice.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be going with him.¡±

    <hr>

    Not wanting to get them to Sinnoh just before dark, and with N already having a room booked at the Nimbasa Pokemon Center, Alder dismissed the two, telling them to meet him in the lobby bright and early in the morning. Seeing the residents of the city worriedly whisper to each other about the lockdown that had come so quickly and disappeared just as fast was concerning, but there was little they could do about the actions of the highest officials in the League. That was Alder¡¯s problem.

    It made for a night of little sleep, but also little talk. The nerves of what was to come kept the duo distracted with their own thoughts.

    But morning came all the same, and N returned the room key without issue to a cheerful Nurse Joy, despite the early hour. Just a few minutes later, Alder appeared to do just the same before approaching them. He wasn¡¯t alone though. Floating by his side was a Pokemon about three times the size of Mimikyu. A brown body with strange symmetrical black markings on it and a head bigger than the rest of it combined. A Beheeyem.

    ¡°You slept here?¡± N asked the man.

    ¡°Why not? If it¡¯s good enough for you, it¡¯s good enough for me. Besides, it saves our Psychics the effort if I¡¯m not jumping all over the place constantly. You two got everything you need? I can have Beheeyem here teleport you straight to Sinnoh.¡±

    ¡°Greetings.¡± The Beheeyem greeted them.

    ¡°Could ya not speak directly into our minds? After the little incident yesterday, I¡¯m not too keen on havin¡¯ a Psychic in my head for even that much. No offense.¡±

    ¡°Apologies.¡± The Psychic physically spoke this time.

    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± N interrupted. ¡°I was under the impression that no Pokemon native to Unova were capable of using Teleport.¡±

    ¡°Normally, you¡¯d be correct.¡± Alder responded. ¡°The truth of the matter is that no Unova Pokemon naturally learn Teleport. Since our introduction to the League, however, we¡¯ve found that with the right parentage, an Elgyem can know the move straight out of the egg. Pair that with the fact that they¡¯re some of the few Pokemon with the ability Telepathy and you¡¯ll find that they¡¯re the ideal Pokemon when it comes to long distance transportation in the region.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re alright with being used as a living taxi service?¡± N asked the Psychic.

    ¡°It is an acceptable arrangement. We are properly compensated for our services.¡± Beheeyem responded both telepathically and verbally to accommodate his audience.

    N wasn¡¯t so sure about that, but he wasn¡¯t about to argue otherwise with the present company.

    ¡°So where in Sinnoh are you trying to get to? I know you mentioned Spear Pillar, but that area isn¡¯t exactly somewhere I¡¯m allowed to send people straight to. High security and all that.I could do a nearby town? Eterna, Celestic, Hearthome, Oreburgh¡­ maybe even straight into Mt. Coronet if you¡¯re feeling adventurous, though I¡¯d not recommend that since I don¡¯t see any Pokeballs on you.¡±

    The names were all vaguely familiar to N at best, so he turned to his companion.

    ¡°Sandgem, if ya would.¡±

    Beheeyem translated for Alder, who looked confused by the answer. ¡°Sandgem? You know where that is, right? You¡¯d have to travel through Jubilife and then Oreburgh, when I could just get you straight to the latter.¡±

    ¡°If goin¡¯ straight ta Spear Pillar is an issue like ya said, travelin¡¯ a bit means time ta prepare a team ta help up get there.¡±

    A reasonable answer, though N doubted that was the whole truth. When Beheeyem finished translating, Alder seemed to accept it.

    ¡°Good enough for me, I guess!¡±

    A flash of blinding light, and then, the wind on his skin.

    N had never teleported before, and he did not like the feeling. His body seemed to agree with him, seeing as he was almost immediately bent over and losing what little he had eaten for breakfast.

    Alder wrinkled his nose as he turned away, looking out into the small town instead. ¡°Gross. Guess I should have warned you about how disorienting it can be for first timers¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? I¡¯m feelin¡¯ perfectly fine though. Is it ¡®cause I¡¯m a Pokemon?¡± Mimikyu asked while N tried to recover.

    ¡°Human physiology is much more susceptible to ailments such as this one.¡± Beheeyem answered.

    ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to stay and chat,¡± Alder interrupted the conversation he couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°I really don¡¯t need Rowan catching wind of me being here. Do me a favor and don¡¯t mention my name.¡±

    Another flash of light, much less blinding now that they were outdoors, and the Champion and his Psychic transport were gone, leaving N and Mimikyu on their own in a foreign land.

    ¡°Rowan, eh? Good ¡®nough place ta start. Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t find that lab.¡± Having been teleported to just outside the town, Mimikyu started scouring the buildings for one that seemed like it might be their destination.

    Another wave of nausea from N put a delay on that plan.

    ¡°Note ta self. Look into teleportation sickness pills¡­¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Professor, you have some guests who want to speak with you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll be with them in a moment.¡± Rowan responded. It seemed he was quite popular this week. New trainers, Samuel¡¯s trainer starting a new journey, Cynthia and her Fairy nonsense¡­ At this rate none of his research was going to make any progress at all.

    But any reservations he had quickly evaporated when he saw his guests. Not the human, he couldn¡¯t care less about the young man, but the Pokemon¡­ Did his eyes deceive him?

    ¡°Hello there, I¡¯m Professor Rowan. Is there something I can help you with?¡± He tried to keep calm, to play it cool, to not freak out upon the fact that, if his memory on Alolan Pokemon proved accurate, a bonafide Fairy type had just walked into his lab.

    ¡°We were hoping to have a moment of your time.¡± The boy answered, looking to all of his assistants. There was a strong accent to his words, like he wasn¡¯t used to speaking the language. Unovan in origin? ¡°Privately, if possible, and Mimikyu here would appreciate something to write on.¡±

    Rowan didn¡¯t think he had moved so quickly in twenty years. A notebook and pen were snatched off a table, whatever was written inside being torn out and tossed aside. The mediocre research done by his team was nowhere near as important as every second he could get with the first Fairy type he had seen in¡­ well, this might actually be the first he¡¯d seen. The first confirmed case anyway. He was getting ahead of himself though.

    ¡°Come, come! We can talk outside!¡± He tried to be marginally polite to his esteemed guests before shouting out ¡°Nobody is to disturb us!¡± and leading them out the back door to the battlefield used just yesterday.

    ¡°Before we move any further, let me verify just one thing.¡± He said quietly before pointing to Mimikyu. ¡°That right there is a Fairy Type, is it not?¡±

    The two tensed up as if it were an accusation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed! With that reaction I¡¯m assuming some of those imbeciles with the League have already come down on you? Yes, you¡¯re probably one of those that were reported yesterday, that makes the most sense. Let me make myself clear, though. While I do rely on the League for funding, and largely find myself confined to their inane rulings, I am not in agreement with them on many things. If you would allow me, I would be greatly interested in working with you to further my research!¡±

    The boy seemed suspicious and unwilling to discuss such matters, but that mattered not, for the Mimikyu reached out for the notebook and pen. Hmmm. The shadowy hands suggest a duel typing with Ghost. I hope that won¡¯t interfere too much with my research. He was all too happy to let the Pokemon speak for itself, handing off the materials with a smile. The little fairy seemed to struggle writing like this, but after a moment it held up the notebook with a message in basic Sinnohian.

    ¡°Slow, please. Difficult to understand.¡± The script was barely legible, and the grammar was terrible, but it was much more than he had expected! Sinnohian writing was famously difficult to get a solid grasp on, even for those native to places that spoke it. For a Pokemon to have this good of a grasp on it, to be able to write it, even at the level of a child¡­ and if his suspicion was correct¡­

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± It had been a while since he broke out the Unovan. He hoped he wasn¡¯t too rusty, lest he ruin an opportunity for research. ¡°Is this better? I assume you know Unovan better since your traveling companion has the accent.¡±

    The small Pokemon nodded, and in writing that was still shaky, but much easier to make out, replied with ¡°Much better, I will have to renew my efforts to study your language.¡±

    Marvelous! Amazing! To have learned how to write two human languages was quite a feat if a Pokemon wasn¡¯t a Psychic type! Perhaps Mimikyu knew even more, he should really- no, no, he¡¯s getting ahead of himself again.

    ¡±I look forward to it! Now, what can I do for you?¡±

    Mimikyu flipped to the next page before scribbling an answer. ¡°If I understood you correctly, you want help with your research? I would like to propose a trade. I assist with your research, and you help with mine, if only tangentially.¡±

    ¡°Your research?¡± Rowan had heard of a few Psychic types trying to do their own research in the past, but very few had the right temperament to do it in a way that humans could assist with. But this¡­ ¡°What exactly would you need from me?¡±

    ¡°Information. Like the current location of Ash Ketchum. Estimate if you must.¡±

    N, who had seen fit to let the two work things out on their own until now, chose that moment to speak up as he read the name from behind Mimikyu. ¡°Ash Ketchum? Is that a name I should know?¡±

    ¡°I admit that I have met the boy, but I don¡¯t understand why you would want to know his location¡­¡± That was strange, even for him. How did Mimikyu know that Ketchum had been through here yesterday? Or was it perhaps an educated guess? Could he really sell out a young man like this? Who knows what the Pokemon wanted the boy for. Perhaps it was related to Samuel¡¯s strange interest¡­

    ¡°Ketchum is in many redacted files. Do not let the League know you are looking into him.¡± Mimikyu responded.

    ¡°Redacted files? Whatever for? I know Professor Oak has a strong interest in him that I found strange, but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable giving you this sort of information if I don¡¯t know why you want it.¡±

    ¡°He is simply the guide to what I seek. Shamouti, Greenfield, Alto Mare, Larousse-¡± Weren¡¯t those¡­ no, what would a boy have to do with¡­ ¡°-I could go on, but he is always in the right place at the right time. I need what he will find in Sinnoh.¡±

    The green haired boy seemed to not understand the significance of those names. But Rowan knew. Or rather, he had a vague idea because of how much information got redacted, even from him.

    ¡°Are you suggesting that¡­ but the destruction that could cause¡­¡± No. There was no way. It was simply a misunderstanding on Mimikyu¡¯s part. Rowan could send the pair in front of him after Ketchum and nothing would come of it, he was sure. And in exchange¡­ all of the information he could obtain¡­

    ¡°Mimikyu,¡± He held a hand out for the tiny fairy to shake. ¡°I accept your offer.¡±

 Chapter 8

    It was a picturesque day. Only a handful of clouds filled the blue sky, the temperature was warm, but not quite hot, and while the local flora weren¡¯t quite what N was used to, they were still beautiful. What really drew his attention though, was all the Pokemon. Spending your whole life in one region made you¡­ desensitized to how wondrous they could be. He had probably seen thousands of Pidove over the course of his life, and while he still appreciated them, wanted the best for them, he had reached a point where they had become¡­ normal. Not the type, they had been Normal all along, but¡­ average, everyday. But Sinnoh and Unova weren¡¯t exactly close to each other. Oceans away from each other, he wondered if he would see any Pokemon he was familiar with while exploring here. With his amazement so apparent, Mimikyu had been kind enough to tell him a bit about each new Pokemon they encountered. The Starly which seemed to be just as common as the small birds he had grown used to back home. The Bidoof which were apparently very helpful when it came to traversing the region thanks to their ability to learn most Hidden Moves once they evolved.

    It was interesting that Mimikyu would use such terminology. He had met plenty of Pokemon capable of using Cut or Fly in the past, but none of them had ever referred to the moves as ¡°hidden¡± in any way. They were simply moves. Even among those who had used the term more frequently in the past, mostly those involved with the League, the category was falling out of favor. Though perhaps that was due to the little use they received in Unova, and it was different in other regions.

    But Mimikyu using an odd term here or there was probably at the bottom of a large and constantly growing list of things that confused him about the little fairy. If Mimikyu had seen fit to bring him along on this adventure across Sinnoh, then surely he deserved some answers.

    ¡°Mimikyu.¡± N called for his attention as they walked down the route.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You asked me to come with you for this, and I agreed.¡±

    ¡°That ya did.¡±

    ¡°I can understand being hesitant to give real answers to people affiliated with the League, but if we¡¯re to be traveling companions¡­¡± With how cagey Mimikyu was, he didn¡¯t want to push too hard. Trust came with time¡­ even if he had all but blindly followed the Pokemon into what seemed to be a growing web of half truths and lies. ¡°Could I ask for a bit of honesty?¡±

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t respond immediately, and N didn¡¯t rush him. He was coming to learn that the ghost liked to seriously consider questions before answering them. Jumping off of his shoulder, Mimikyu turned to look up at him before he spoke.

    ¡°Ya gotta point, I s¡¯pose. But look ¡®ere. If ya want some honesty from me, yer gonna ¡®ave ta give some in return.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I told ya before that yer not as sneaky as ya think, didn¡¯ I? That wasn¡¯ just in regards ta yer feelin¡¯s on the League and trainers. I meant it more generally. Yer an intelligent fella, ain¡¯t ya? Ya should know better than ta try an¡¯ pull the wool over my eyes. I don¡¯t exactly see the point in carryin¡¯ aroun¡¯ that fractal cube lookin¡¯ thing on yer waist, but it doesn¡¯ seem like the type of accessory yer average person would like. Yer capable of walkin¡¯ around areas filled with Pokemon on yer own with no problem. Off the top of yer head you knew that Alder¡¯s Beheeyem knowin¡¯ Teleport wasn¡¯ normal. An¡¯ yet the way you talk ta people¡­ there¡¯s somethin¡¯ off about it. I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but somethin¡¯s¡­ not Natural.¡±

    N barely bit back a gasp. The way Mimikyu had emphasized it¡­ but how would the Pokemon know his name? He could count the number of people who knew his actual name on one hand! No, it¡­ it had to be a coincidence. Even without that¡­ ¡°If you aren¡¯t certain about what¡¯s wrong, how can you be sure that you aren¡¯t imagining it? Nobody else has said anything about it.¡±

    ¡°Not ta be rude or anythin¡¯, but nobody else cared. Elesa, Cynthia, Alder, Rowan, each of ¡®em were interested in me. Not you. Though maybe Alder was more focused on himself¡­ but anyways, I wouldn¡¯ beat yerself up over it or anythin¡¯, they all had a reason to focus their attention on me. But that meant yer little oddities were overlooked. There¡¯s somethin¡¯ off about ya.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a rather convenient excuse, if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not askin¡¯ ya. I¡¯m tellin¡¯ ya. I¡¯m not exactly¡­ well adapted ta what ya might consider ¡®normal behavior¡¯ for humans, so I¡¯m havin¡¯ trouble articulatin¡¯ what the problem is, but it¡¯s like¡­ yer wearin¡¯ a mask. Not literally like me,¡± A shadowy appendage poked out from under the cloth to gesture to his disguise, ¡°but in a figurative sense. Like yer tryna hide somethin¡¯, so yer puttin¡¯ up a front, a¡­ facade of sorts, ¡®cept ya don¡¯t know how normal people act either. The mask doesn¡¯ fit quite right.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you. Since multiple people have recognized you as a Mimikyu, it¡¯s probably safe to assume you were telling the truth about your entire species hiding beneath a disguise, but your appearance isn¡¯t the only lie.¡± N started to talk faster as he continued, his frustrations with the last 24 hours bubbling up to the surface. ¡°Maybe not direct lies, but lies of omission at the very least. Is saying that you don¡¯t want to talk about the past supposed to just brush that all away? Am I meant to follow you around and just accept everything that happens without wondering why we¡¯re doing it? Nothing about the last day has made any sense! I came here because I was¡­ I am curious about you, and because I care about Pokemon and don¡¯t want to see you get hurt by those bastards in the League, but you have to give me something to work with! I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re going to Spear Pillar beyond you ¡®wanting to do some research¡¯! I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re looking for this Ash Ketchum guy beyond him ¡®being in the right place at the right time¡¯! What does that even mean?! You say he¡¯s in redacted files and then list off a bunch of names and apparently that¡¯s all Rowan needs to catch on, but I¡¯m left in the dark while you two continue on having a conversation like I¡¯m not even there!¡±

    By the end of his rant, N had gotten so loud that the Pokemon in the area had run away, leaving a heavy silence without the chirping of the Starly and the music of the Kricketot hiding in the tall grass. The blood rushing through his veins and the pounding of his heart was all he could hear. ¡°I apologize.¡± He tried to calm himself down. ¡°It would appear I let myself get a little worked up.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Mimikyu denied his apology. ¡°That seemed real. Like ya took the mask off. It¡¯s better this way. And¡­ I s¡¯pose you got a point or two. I haven¡¯ been real considerate of ya. When ya agreed ta come along I thought¡­¡± the ghost trailed off. ¡°Look. Why don¡¯t we start over or somethin¡¯? Things got a bit hectic, probably not the best first impression for either of us when we got the most important people around breathin¡¯ down our necks.¡±

    A ghostly hand reached up for N¡¯s, waiting for his response. ¡°Howdy. I¡¯m Mimikyu. Nice ta meetcha.¡±

    N stared at the solid shadow. Just start over? It wasn¡¯t that simple. But¡­ it was more of a gesture than anything, wasn¡¯t it? Hesitantly, N grabbed it, trying to hide his shivers from the contact while they shook hands. ¡°N. Nice to meet you as well.¡±

    The shadow disappeared under the cloth once more. ¡°Eh. We¡¯ll work on it. But in the interest of startin¡¯ out on the right foot this time¡­ How much do ya know about Spear Pillar?¡±

    N thought back to all the lessons he had on foreign regions and the books he might have read in the past. ¡°That it¡¯s an important location in Sinnoh. There¡¯s not much written on it in Unovan, and my understanding of the League language is¡­ questionable at best.¡±

    ¡°The League language? What do ya mean?¡± The false head of Mimikyu¡¯s disguise tilted in confusion.

    ¡°What? You were just speaking and writing it earlier today, how can you possibly deny knowing what it is?¡± N frowned at how quickly their ¡°do-over¡± was falling apart.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hold on a minute. I need ya to clarify for me, ¡®cuz I¡¯m lost. What¡¯s the name of the language we¡¯re speakin¡¯ right now?¡±

    N raised a brow at that. ¡°Unovan. Well, I suppose it¡¯s technically Unovan Galarish, but it gets shortened to just Unovan because nobody really wants to discuss the relationship that suggests now that we¡¯re a member region of the League.¡±

    ¡°Unovan. Alright, that makes sense. But the ¡®League Language¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the language the League uses. Every region you go to will claim it as their own. Sinnohian, Kantonian, etc¡­ but everyone else just refers to it as League language to skip all the confusion. I¡¯m not sure anyone actually knows which region it originates from anymore. How do you not know this if you can not only speak some, but write it as well?¡± Based on his own poor understanding, and how Professor Rowan had switched to Unovan, Mimikyu¡¯s League wasn¡¯t great, but it was somewhat passable.

    ¡°I guess I just knew it under a differen¡¯ name¡­¡± Mimikyu¡¯s voice trailed off as he tried to work it out for himself, but it was just loud enough for N to hear still. ¡°Wait, why does Unova speak this when it uses a script so close to the Unown which are in Johto? Wouldn¡¯ it have to¡­ what does¡­ ugh, I¡¯ll figure it out later.¡± The Pokemon shook himself, as if to shake the thoughts clear from his head.

    ¡°Language tangent aside, yes it¡¯s an importan¡¯ place in Sinnoh. More specifically, it¡¯s the peak of that moun¡¯ain over there.¡± A hand appeared once more to gesture to the tallest mountain N had ever seen, far in the distance. ¡°It¡¯s an important place for the legends of Sinnoh. I have business with said legends, so I need ta get there.¡± Before N could question the fact that Mimikyu had so casually said that he had business with legends, the fairy was already continuing. ¡°As for Ash, well, this one has apparently been removed from all records since tryna search up the events online doesn¡¯ give ya any results ¡®cept one page from a blog that looks ta be on the conspiracy theory side of things. I don¡¯t think it needs ta be said that ya shouldn¡¯ go spreadin¡¯ this around, especially not ta League officials.¡± Mimikyu waited for N to nod in agreement before continuing. ¡°The long and short of it is basically that the kid is a legendary magnet. I don¡¯ know how, and I don¡¯ know why, but it seems that jus¡¯ about every time a legend pops up and there¡¯s trouble afoot, whether that be caused by or done to the legend itself, one Ash Ketchem finds himself at the eye of the storm, so ta speak. I don¡¯ really understand the mechanics behind summonin¡¯ the legends ta Spear Pillar, so I figure taggin¡¯ along with Ash would be the easier method of meetin¡¯ ¡®em.¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°You wanted to come to Sinnoh¡­ and plan on following some random guy around¡­ so that you can meet some legendary Pokemon?¡± N asked.

    ¡°Basically.¡± Mimikyu agreed like it was nothing special. ¡°I don¡¯ think Cynthia or the others would like me pokin¡¯ my nose into such things, what with the cover ups ¡®n¡¯ all, which is why I wasn¡¯ very open with ¡®em. I told Rowan cuz I I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll do anythin¡¯ I ask so long as he gets his research. Never would ¡®ave thought that a top professor would be the mad scientist type, but he was really givin¡¯ off those vibes¡­¡±

    That was insane. Unbelievable, really. Or rather¡­ it would be for most people. N on the other hand¡­

    Well, either this is a wild goose chase and he spends some time learning about Fairy types and exploring the Sinnoh region, or¡­ he gets an opportunity to get close to someone who could help him with his own search for legends. Their efforts to find the Stones and bring about a new way of life could continue on in the background, but if this Ash Ketchum could streamline the process¡­

    ¡°We good then? ¡®Cuz if we are, we should probably get movin¡¯ again. Still gotta make it to Jubilife and we¡¯re burnin¡¯ daylight.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± N agreed distractedly, offering his hand for Mimikyu to climb back up. He had certainly been given a lot to think about.

    <hr>

    The duo were stopped for a simple meal later that day by a small stream not even deep enough to hold a Magikarp. Starly flitted through the nearby trees, a Bidoof gnawed on some wood in the trickling water, and a Kricketune¡¯s song could be heard in the distance. N always ensured he had some non-perishable food on hand, enough to last him a good while in case he got lost on the road, as well as some berries he could give to wild Pokemon, which Mimikyu was digging into. The little Fairy was apparently a big fan of Cheri berries, and at the rate he was going through them N was sure to run out if he didn¡¯t restock soon.

    ¡°Ya know, I really wasn¡¯ expectin¡¯ dinner and a show.¡± Mimikyu said between bites.

    A good distance from their temporary camp, a pair of Shinx were trading Tackles and Bites. Too far away to hear what they said, it was impossible to know what they were fighting over, but it didn¡¯t seem serious enough for him to step in. Wild Pokemon fighting was just a part of life, and without Trainers forcing them to¡­

    ¡°You find Pokemon battles to be entertaining then?¡± A very trainer-like sentiment, though he had met wild Pokemon in the past that enjoyed fighting itself..

    ¡°Of course they¡¯re entertainin¡¯. Well, I s¡¯pose this one ain¡¯t actually all that excitin¡¯, but still.¡± Mimikyu stopped emptying his supply of berries to look at his shadowy hands. ¡°I know yer not a trainer, but you know a thing or two about Pokemon, right?¡±

    Considering he had grown up surrounded by Pokemon, that was probably a fair assessment.

    ¡°I would say so, why?¡±

    ¡°How do moves work?¡± the ghost turned towards him as he asked.

    ¡°..what?¡±

    ¡°Moves! How do they work? Pokemon moves, attacks¡­? Like Scratch an¡¯ stuff.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know actually. Shouldn¡¯t you be the one who knows? You¡¯re the one that can actually use them.¡±

    ¡°Theoretically, yes, I should. However, I don¡¯. I mean, I can do this-¡± Mimikyu grabbed an Aspear berry, tossing it in the air before slicing it into pieces with his claws. ¡°-but is that actually a move? I don¡¯ think it is. That¡¯s jus¡¯ cuttin¡¯ up a berry. You might say it was Cut, but Mimikyu can¡¯t actually learn the move. Maybe it was just a deep Scratch? That is a move I should be able ta learn, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what happened.¡± The fairy ate one of the Aspear slices as he contemplated the question before tossing the rest out into the woods, apparently dissatisfied with the flavor.

    ¡°You¡­ are you telling me that you don¡¯t know how to use any moves?¡± N asked.

    ¡°I thought I made that clear, but yeah.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Pokemon are born knowing how to use moves out of the egg. I¡¯ve never seen a case where that wasn¡¯t true¡­¡± Had he? He couldn¡¯t recall any off the top of his head. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s not a move you just used?¡±

    ¡°Well, look. Any Pokemon could jump outta the tall grass and spook ya, right? Ya might even say that yer astonished when that happens. But that¡¯s not the move Astonish, is it? Yer not actually takin¡¯ damage there. What¡¯s the difference? If all there is to it is spookin¡¯ ya, then why is it a Ghost type move? That would imply Normal type Pokemon ain¡¯t affected, wouldn¡¯ it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a good question¡­¡± Pokemon just knew moves. It was a fact of life, and not something that warranted investigation unless you were a Pokemon Professor specifically looking into the topic.

    ¡°Beyond that, I know for a fact that Mimikyu hatch with plenty of egg moves. I should know¡­ what were the egg moves¡­ Wood Hammer! That¡¯s a Mimikyu egg move. If not that, then at least something, but I jus¡¯... I dunno. I¡¯ve got nothin¡¯ ¡®sides using these claws and hittin¡¯ stuff real hard. You could do that if ya grew yer fingernails out. That don¡¯ seem like a move to me.¡±

    Was it really possible? For a Pokemon to not know any moves¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ve never considered it. I don¡¯t know what to tell you if you have no idea¡­ perhaps we could ask some of the wild Pokemon?¡±

    ¡°I s¡¯pose that¡¯s not a bad idea, but what¡¯s stoppin¡¯ ¡®em from givin¡¯ me a demonstration ta the face?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t attack you just for asking a question.¡± N assured him.

    ¡°Right¡­ s¡¯pose if I find a weak enough Bidoof it¡¯ll only know Normal type moves¡­¡± Mimikyu sighed in acceptance. ¡°Lemme know if you see one of ¡®em around, I guess.¡±

    ¡°There was one in the stream earlier. Want to check if it¡¯s still there?¡±

    The pair cleaned up their lunch, leaving the area as they had found it before approaching the stream. Sure enough, the Bidoof they had seen earlier was still gnawing at some wood.

    ¡°I s¡¯pose even if it knows Rollout my disguise¡¯ll save me from a surprise attack¡­¡± Mimikyu grumbled before mustering the courage to approach the wild Pokemon. ¡°Excuse me! Do ya have a moment ta talk? I got some questions for ya.¡± N followed behind, but at a bit of a distance.

    The Bidoof stopped gnawing on its wood, turning toward Mimikyu, but not saying anything.

    ¡°Er, is that a yes?¡± Mimikyu asked.

    The wild Pokemon stared at him blankly for a moment before a sound halfway between a grunt and a whine came out of its mouth. Its piece apparently said, it turned back to the wood, gnawing at it once more.

    ¡°Uh¡­ N? A little help here?¡± Mimikyu hesitantly turned his back on the Bidoof to look back to him for guidance.

    A sigh escaped N¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing I can do. Not all Pokemon are¡­ equally intelligent. Psychic types are often geniuses, and a lot of Pokemon you see with trainers will be somewhere around a human¡¯s level¡­ but there are many cases in which Pokemon aren¡¯t intelligent enough to hold a proper conversation. I¡¯m not entirely sure of what determines it, but I have seen cases like this before.¡± It was¡­ significantly harder to become friends with Pokemon like this, though they often seemed happy enough just living their lives in the wild.

    ¡°They can¡¯t understand language? Then how do they follow a trainer¡¯s orders?¡±

    ¡°Something about being around people seems to¡­ change Pokemon. A considerable amount of time around a trainer will usually mean that their intelligence increases enough to be a functioning member of a team.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Not what I expected. Does it have something to do with their Abilities?¡±

    N quirked a brow at the question. ¡°Abilities? You¡¯d have to tell me what a Bidoof might have.¡±

    ¡°If I recall correctly, a Bidoof can have either Simple or Unaware. I don¡¯t wanna be makin¡¯ assumptions based off of just that, but¡­¡± Mimikyu turned back towards the Bidoof, ¡°...kinda hard not ta, ya know?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ may have something to do with it? I suppose the Woobat line isn¡¯t exactly known for its intelligence despite being a Psychic type¡­¡±

    ¡°Interestin¡¯. Also not very helpful. S¡¯pose I¡¯ll just have ta wait till we hit Jubilife an¡¯ see if I can get some trained Pokemon to help me out.¡±

    ¡°We could call Professor Rowan and see if he knows anything?¡± N suggested as he allowed Mimikyu to climb up to his shoulder.

    ¡°Nah, phone calls are a no-go. Alder said yer calls would be monitored at a minimum, and I don¡¯ need the League gettin¡¯ any more interest in me. Although¡­ if I recall correctly, ya¡¯d never heard of a Rotom-phone, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s not the name of a Pokemon?¡± N double checked. ¡°I can¡¯t remember what region it¡¯s from, but I swear that was a¡­ Ghost type?¡±

    ¡°Ghost and Electric, actually. Well, most of the time.¡±

    ¡°It is a Pokemon? What does a Pokemon have to do with a phone?¡± N seemed bewildered.

    ¡°They possess things. Fans, lawnmowers, freezers, etc. I¡¯ve heard of Rotom-phones, but I¡¯ve never seen one in person so I¡¯m not sure how well it¡¯d work. I¡¯m wonderin¡¯ if a phone being possessed by a Rotom would grant it some level of immunity to the Porygon monitorin¡¯. Course, it¡¯s jus¡¯ speculation on my part, but I think it¡¯s worth lookin¡¯ into.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea how that would work, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask a Rotom.¡± N walked silently for a moment as he considered it. ¡°I¡¯m assuming they can be found in Sinnoh if you¡¯re bringing it up now?¡±

    ¡°Haunted house in Eterna Forest. It¡¯ll be a bit before we can get there, but it¡¯s on this side of the moun¡¯ains at least.¡±

    ¡°And you think this Ash person will have no problem stopping there for us to check?¡± There wasn¡¯t much point in planning for it if they¡¯d end up nowhere near it.

    ¡°I¡¯m confident. Ash will solve all sorts of problems. Not all of ¡®em, but still¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure how much he believed that, but if he really was only a day or so away like Professor Rowan had told them, he¡¯d soon be finding out for himself.

    And if it turned out to be true¡­

    The League wouldn¡¯t know what hit them.

 Chapter 9

    It turns out that route 202, despite being one of the shortest in the region and equal to the size of the smallest cities on every map available, is long. Much longer than the maps made it seem, at least, though maybe that was more to do with how the path seemed to wind back and forth instead of allowing for a straight path through. Long enough that Mimikyu and N had been forced to camp out in the wilderness last night, surrounded by what sounded like hundreds of Kricketot. Mimikyu had sworn up and down that he saw the eyes of a Luxray reflect the firelight at one point, but N hadn¡¯t caught sight of them. Nonetheless, they were able to make it through the woods and into the outskirts of Jubilife city by noon the next day.

    Towering buildings stood before them. Compared to Castelia City, it wasn¡¯t that impressive, but that wasn¡¯t really a fair comparison. Castelia was one of, if not the biggest city in the world. Still though, going from sleepy little Sandgem Town to this was quite a difference. The crowds on the ground weren¡¯t as jam packed as Castelia¡¯s might be, but honestly that would be an improvement. This seemed¡­ calmer. Older, in some sense, more used to handling so many people. Like the town had had the time to grow into itself, unlike Castelia which had grown into the behemoth that it was in a relatively short time frame. A few vendors were selling their wares out of carts parked on the sides of the road, but nothing being sold was familiar to him. He doubted that he¡¯d be able to find a Casteliacone here¡­

    He brushed off the short bout of homesickness. It wouldn¡¯t do to be missing Unova like that when he¡¯d only just arrived in Sinnoh yesterday.

    ¡°So this is Jubilife? It¡¯s bigger than I expected. How exactly do you plan to find this Ash guy in a city of this size?¡± N asked the little fairy on his shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ an excellent question. My plan sorta ended at ¡®Find ¡®em in Jubilife¡¯. I might¡¯ve maybe forgotten ta account for the size of this place. The largest city in the region¡­¡±

    N sighed before continuing over the border between the route and the city proper, walking down the stone path. ¡°I suppose the place to start would be the Pokemon Center. He¡¯s a trainer, right? Assuming he didn¡¯t pass straight through, he probably has a room there.¡±

    ¡°Ya might be onta somethin¡¯. Might be able ta catch him, or even ask Nurse Joy for a bit of assistance.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where the Pokemon Center is, then?¡±

    Mimikyu¡¯s silence was damning.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why I even asked¡­¡± N remarked, looking around the entrance of the city for any sign of the orange roof. The design here may not be identical to the one in Unova, but to his knowledge the basics of the Pokemon Center design were universal, consistent even outside of the League.

    Unfortunately, with how tall the buildings were in this gigantic city, it was impossible to see beyond their immediate surroundings outside of a few small gaps between buildings.

    ¡°Maybe we could ask someone for directions? It¡¯s a Pokemon Center, someone¡¯s gotta know the way.¡± Mimikyu suggested.

    N considered his options. The many people in professional looking outfits probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate being interrupted on what might be their lunch breaks. The children running around, laughing and chasing after a playful Shinx would likely be distracted by the Pokemon on his shoulder. The old man sat on the bench however¡­

    Weaving through the people rushing every which way, N approached the old timer tossing seeds to the local Starly with a content smile on his face. Balding and wrinkled, his eyes were barely visible for how hard he was squinting.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir. Could you tell me where the Pokemon Center is?¡±

    The old man slowly craned his neck up to meet N¡¯s eyes. ¡°Come again?¡± he shouted. ¡°Oh! A Pikachu! I haven¡¯t seen one of them in a long time you know, not since I visited the Trophy Garden back in¡­ ah.. What year was that¡­¡±

    It seemed the old man needed both his hearing and vision checked. Maybe N¡¯s accent was too strong? Professor Rowan didn¡¯t seem to have trouble understanding him, but maybe it was thicker than he thought¡­

    ¡°The Pokemon Center? Could you tell me where it is?¡± N repeated, a bit louder this time, making sure to enunciate as clearly as he could.

    ¡°Oh! The Pokemon Center! Why, that¡¯s just down the main road here. You¡¯ll want to hang a right once you hit the trainer school. Ah, the trainer school¡­ why, I used to attend the trainer school, you know! Back in the day, when I was a spry young thing¡­ The teacher had a Pikachu, just like you! Hmmmm, yours isn¡¯t looking very healthy though. Might want to get down to the Pokemon Center! They¡¯ll fix your Pikachu right up. It¡¯s over by the trainer school. I used to attend the trainer school, you know!¡±

    Answer received, and worried that he¡¯d be here forever if he let the old man keep repeating himself, N backed away with a ¡°Thank you!¡±

    But the old man had been quite loud. Children who had previously been preoccupied chasing the Shinx around had all turned towards them when they heard the name Pikachu. However, their eyesight was much better than the old man¡¯s.

    ¡°WOAH! What is that?!¡± A young boy with glasses exclaimed. In an instant N found himself surrounded, children crowding around him and asking too many questions at once to make out what any of them had actually said.

    ¡°What kind of-¡±

    ¡°Is that your-¡±

    ¡°How many-¡±

    ¡°Look at-¡±

    ¡°Excuse me!¡± N shouted out, trying to be heard over the horde of excitable children. While their wonder in the face of unfamiliar Pokemon was to be expected, this was not the way to express it. ¡°Would you all back away, please? I need to-¡± One of the children stumbled into him, having been pushed forward by the crowd. N was perfectly fine, but the sudden jolt had launched an unprepared Mimikyu from his shoulder and onto the ground.

    The children¡¯s shouts suddenly changed, ¡°Catch it!¡± and ¡°Dibs!¡± being the loudest among them.

    Normally that wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but Mimikyu seemed to defy all expectations of normality and posed an actual danger if the children got too grabby with his disguise. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t get too close, Mimikyu doesn¡¯t-¡±

    N and Mimikyu saw it at the same time.

    One of the children had a Pokeball, and was winding up to throw it.

    Why a child obviously too young to be a trainer was carrying around an empty Pokeball was a question for another time. Far more important was that they not be allowed to capture Mimikyu. N sought to deflect the ball, smack it out of the way, reaching for the child in hopes that he could stop it.

    Mimikyu decided to run.

    Mimikyu was apparently much faster than N had previously thought. He won¡¯t be winning a race against an Accelgor any time soon, but at this rate it won¡¯t only be the children who lose him!

    N couldn¡¯t keep track of him in the crowd, the little ghost weaving between people¡¯s feet, trying to put as much distance between himself and the group of children chasing after him as he could. But the children were apparently used to chasing Pokemon, and probably each other, through the busy streets, allowing him to follow along. The problem was that this forced him to follow with them instead of getting ahead and away from them.

    With every block they chased Mimikyu down, some of the children dropped out, too tired to continue, only to be replaced by others who seemed to think this was a game of some sort. The word would quickly spread between them, and they would gain a fire in their eyes, determined to capture the ¡°weird Pokemon¡± for themselves, even if he only saw one or two Pokeballs in the crowd.

    The skyscrapers gave way to open fields and a large circular building, if only for a single block. Trainers and their Pokemon looked to be practicing for something, but none appeared to be actively battling. Whatever they were doing was relaxed enough that just about every head in the area turned towards the group running into the field, chasing after Mimikyu.

    This meant that N could finally see his partner again, with the heavy foot traffic having been left behind. He pulled ahead of the group of school children, breaking into a sprint so that he could grab Mimikyu and get them out of the situation¡­ but Mimikyu had other plans.

    A group of trainers had caught the little fairy¡¯s eye, and N watched as he ran up to them, not pausing for a moment as he scurried up a stranger¡¯s clothes. Baffled, N tried to get a read on the trainers that Mimikyu apparently trusted enough to get that close to them. A short girl with long blue hair, an older teen with a darker complexion, two Pokemon on the ground he didn¡¯t recognize. But the one Mimikyu had latched onto was interesting. While Mimikyu had startled the boy by suddenly perching himself on an unoccupied shoulder, the other shoulder was taken up by a strikingly similar figure. A real Pikachu.

    The group of trainers caught on to the situation, the Pikachu jumping down between them and the incoming horde of children, cheeks sparking menacingly.

    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on here?¡± The Pikachu¡¯s trainer yelled. Not the local accent¡­ Kanto maybe? Or maybe it was Johto, he had trouble telling them apart sometimes. Either way, the children behind him, as well as N himself, slowed to a stop. N promptly bent double, gasping for air. I¡¯m used to long treks, not sprinting halfway across a city.

    The children had no such problems. ¡°We¡¯re trying to catch that weird looking Pokemon!¡± One of the few who had a Pokeball on hand raised it in the air, and Mimikyu forced himself closer to the trainer¡¯s head, making himself as small as possible.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°And you chased him all this way? This Pokemon obviously doesn¡¯t want to be caught!¡± He looked genuinely angry as he declared it.

    A trainer telling people not to catch Pokemon? How strange.

    Having finally caught his breath, N stepped towards the trainers. Too tired to bother figuring out the sentence structure in League, he spoke to his friend in Unovan. ¡°Did you really have to run so fast Mimikyu? And halfway across the city as well¡­¡±

    ¡°What was I s¡¯posed to do? Let some snot-nosed brat catch me? It all worked out in the end, didn¡¯ it?¡± Mimikyu jumped down from the trainer¡¯s shoulder, running past a confused Pikachu, and taking up his spot on N¡¯s shoulder once more.

    ¡°Are you this Pokemon¡¯s trainer?¡± the older teen asked, glancing between the two. He spoke slowly, probably assuming that N didn¡¯t know the language very well, if at all.

    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ friends.¡± N answered in League. The answer was an obvious no, but saying that now would lead to some problems. They could just clarify once things settled down.

    The teen nodded, making his way over to the group of children, starting up a lecture that N didn¡¯t care to listen to and probably wouldn¡¯t understand anyway.

    N turned towards the boy with the Pikachu, which had taken its place up on the boy¡¯s shoulder once more, the four of them mirroring each other to a startling degree. ¡°Thank you very much. When those children pulled out a Pokeball, Mimikyu panicked and I struggled to keep track of him in the crowds¡­¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu? I¡¯ve never met that Pokemon before.¡± He pulled out a Pokedex, only to be disappointed when no information came up. ¡°Huh. Well it¡¯s nice to meet you! I¡¯m Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu!¡± He introduced himself with a smile.

    N paused. Wasn¡¯t that the name of¡­

    ¡°Yes, this is the guy.¡± Mimikyu whispered to him.

    N looked at the trainer before him in a new light. Always in the right place at the right time? Seems that¡¯s more true than Mimikyu implied.

    Ash Ketchum somehow looked nothing like he expected, but seeing him now, something about him felt right. It was a dubious feeling, one he was unsure of, but it was there all the same.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well. This is Mimikyu,¡± he gestured to the ghost on his shoulder, ¡°and I¡¯m N.¡±

    <hr>

    Introductions were made, and the horde of children were sent on their way. Though explaining that N¡¯s grasp on the League Language was poor led to an argument between the two youngest humans over whether the proper name was ¡°Kantonian¡± or ¡°Sinnohian¡±. And even worse, nobody in the group understood Unovan. N and Mimikyu would have to fill the gaps in their knowledge quickly.

    ¡°B¡¯fore anythin¡¯ else, I think that little escapade makes it clear that we gotta take care of somethin¡¯. If you don¡¯t ¡®ave a Pokeball, ask Ash for one, cuz I need ta be registered to one.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± N asked. He could understand the reasoning, but catching Pokemon¡­

    ¡°I am not about ta deal with all that again.¡± Mimikyu deadpanned, ¡°I trust ya, just catch me already b¡¯fore someone else goes and gets int¡¯rested in me.¡±

    N paused for a moment, searching Mimikyu¡¯s eyes for any trace of doubt. Apparently satisfied, he turned toward Ash. ¡°Would you happen to have a Pokeball I could use? I¡¯ll be sure to pay you back.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I think so, let me check¡­¡± The backpack came off, and he began to rummage around through it, digging out a Pokeball that he tossed to N. ¡°So Mimikyu decided that he wants you to be his trainer then? That¡¯s awesome!¡±

    N caught the ball, staring into the button at its center. ¡°Not awesome. A necessity. Too many people have taken an interest, and it would be dangerous to allow them the opportunity to take it any further than that.¡± What sort of awful people might try to snatch his friend up? Not having the courage to toss the ball himself, he simply held it out, allowing Mimikyu to tap it himself. The little ghost disappeared within the ball, and it shook once in his hand before signifying a successful capture. Not a moment later, Mimikyu appeared once more in a flash of light.

    For once, it was not N who shuddered. ¡°Ugh, that is freaky stuff. I think I¡¯ll avoid bein¡¯ inside that thing.¡±

    ¡°Finally! Someone who gets it! It¡¯s a bit weird looking at a doll of myself, but you¡¯re alright, Mimikyu!¡±

    Interacting with foreign Pokemon was strange. The way that they physically spoke didn¡¯t actually change between regions, so his understanding of their words didn¡¯t suffer. ¡°Pika Pika¡± sounded the same in Sinnoh as it would in Unova after all. But a Pokemon born and raised in Sinnoh wouldn¡¯t understand Unovan, not unless it was taught to them. Back when he had only just started to learn the League Language, he had met a trainer from the Hoenn region, and found that he couldn¡¯t understand the trainer, but could understand the Pokemon. The Pokemon could understand the trainer, but not him. The trainer, however, couldn¡¯t understand either of them. It had led to a very confusing conversation.

    But while he could understand the words of the Pikachu in front of him, he was still left puzzled.

    While at a glance, their relationships seemed to mirror each other, it seemed that Pikachu was much closer to Ash than Mimikyu was to him. It was strange to see. For a Pokemon forced into battle on a regular basis, he was surprisingly fond of Ash. The Electric type was sat on top of the boy¡¯s head, leaning forward and pushing the brim over his trainer¡¯s eyes. Ash just laughed and grabbed him, picking him up and moving the mouse to his shoulder.

    ¡°Pikachu¡¯s not a fan of Pokeballs either. I think I can count the number of times he¡¯s been in one on a single hand!¡±

    ¡°That number should be zero! I don¡¯t know how everyone else does it without going crazy!¡± Pikachu rebutted.

    ¡°Is it always like that then?¡± Mimikyu inquired.

    ¡°Well, like he said, I haven¡¯t spent much time inside them, but every experience has been awful!¡±

    ¡°What is it like?¡± N knew it had to be awful, but since so many of the previously captured Pokemon he knew had been abused, he¡¯d never had an opportunity to ask that might not be considered rude.

    But his answers would have to wait.

    ¡°Can you understand Pokemon or something? The way that you talk to them, it¡¯s like you understand what they say!¡± Dawn asked him. An excitable girl, but also loud mouthed and rude. N wasn¡¯t very impressed by what he had seen of her so far, but that was true of all trainers.

    If he was going to be traveling with the group like Mimikyu wanted, there was no use in trying to hide it though. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m able to understand Pokemon. Better than most, at least.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Ash exclaimed. ¡°I like to think I¡¯m pretty good myself, but I¡¯ve still got a lot to learn!¡±

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, your understanding is much more literal, where Ash is more¡­¡± Pikachu paused, trying to find the right word, ¡°he gets the gist of it? Still a lot better than most humans, though.¡± He explained with a smirk, as if proud of his trainer.

    ¡°If you can understand Pokemon, that would be really useful for figuring out what¡¯s wrong when they¡¯re injured or sick¡­¡± Brock appeared to be lost in thought, writing in a notebook as he spoke.

    ¡°When they¡¯re injured or sick?¡± That was a strange line of thought to have upon hearing about his ability.

    ¡°Ah, right, I¡¯m interested in keeping Pokemon in tip-top shape! I¡¯ve studied a lot on Pokemon diets, grooming, health¡­ anything that might contribute to their overall well being. I used to be a Gym Leader back in Pewter City, but¡­ right now I¡¯m traveling with Ash and getting some real world experience in helping to care for Pokemon.¡±

    N hadn¡¯t understood every word that Brock used, but it sounded like an ex Gym Leader turned Pokemon Doctor in training then? N could respect that he had seen the error of his ways and sought to make up for his mistakes, but he wondered how traveling with Ash and Dawn contributed to that goal.

    ¡°Speakin¡¯ of injured and or sick Pokemon, what¡¯s wrong with me, doc?¡± Mimikyu marched up to Brock, staring up at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know how ta use any moves!¡±

    ¡°You what?¡± Pikachu was flabbergasted by the claim.

    ¡°Could I get a translation over here?¡± Brock looked to N and Ash.

    N sighed, taking a moment to remember the correct words to use. ¡°It has recently come to light that Mimikyu, somehow, does not understand how to use any moves. He¡¯s hoping that someone among your group could explain to them how they¡¯re supposed to work.¡±

    Then, switching back to Unovan, he asked Mimikyu ¡°Why am I translating? What happened to the notebook Rowan gave you?¡±

    ¡°I might¡¯ve dropped it in the chase...¡± the little ghost replied sheepishly.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy!¡± Ash exclaimed. ¡°You just let it build up inside of you and then BAM!¡± he smacked his hands together with a clap.

    ¡°...does anyone have any useful information?¡± Mimikyu asked the rest of the group.

    ¡°You have no idea at all? Not even any egg moves?¡± Brock raised a brow, digging through his things to pull out a rather hefty notebook filled to the brim with miniscule text that N had no hope of ever understanding. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡±

    ¡°That was my reaction.¡± N could sympathize with Brock¡¯s befuddlement. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to start¡­ maybe Pikachu or Piplup could help?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about time someone asked the expert.¡± Piplup put himself front and center. N wasn¡¯t sure if he had always been like this, or if Dawn had already rubbed off on him in all the worst ways.

    ¡°When I use Bubblebeam, I focus the energy inside of me, let it build up in my beak, and then WHAM! I shoot it all out at my enemy!¡± His flippers were waved around dramatically with just about every word.

    ¡°...isn¡¯ that the same explanation that Ash gave?¡± Mimikyu hesitantly asked.

    ¡°What?! It is not! My explanation was much better than his!¡± Piplup stomped his foot, giving Mimikyu the dirtiest look he could manage.

    ¡°What are you trying to do, exactly?¡± Pikachu interrupted.

    ¡°Use a move? What do ya mean?¡± Mimikyu tilted his disguise¡¯s head to the side.

    ¡°What move are you trying to use? Ash and Piplup¡¯s explanations weren¡¯t wrong, they were just¡­ too broad. If we can get into the specifics, maybe that will help you.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯ know. How do I know which moves I know if I¡¯ve never used them?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hmmm¡­ well what moves do a Mimikyu normally learn? What are they known for?¡±

    ¡°I guess Play Rough and Shadow Claw, but those typically don¡¯ come ¡®til later¡­ Shadow Sneak maybe? Wood Hammer is s¡¯posedly an egg move¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, right, that¡¯s great and all, but let¡¯s not try to run before we can walk, shall we?¡± Pikachu tried to lower his expectations. ¡°What about the basics? You know, Tackle or something.¡±

    ¡°Does Scratch work for ya?¡±

    ¡°Perfect! A simple Normal type move, nice and easy. I can¡¯t use it myself, but a lot of these Normal type moves are basically the same thing used in slightly different ways. Tackle, Pound, and Scratch are just focused in different parts of your body. The closest I¡¯ve got is Quick Attack, but that¡¯s slightly more advanced. I hope you¡¯re ready to learn, because I¡¯m not sure how easy this will be to teach someone with no clue about the basics.¡±

    ¡°The alternative is bein¡¯ completely helpless. Teach away.¡±

    N just hoped they would make some progress rather quickly. He didn¡¯t want to interrupt, but all that running around, and not having eaten yet¡­

    His stomach rumbled, and everyone looked his way.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll cook up some lunch while they try to figure things out.¡± Brock began to set up what looked to be a rather large meal¡­

    Someone who can actually cook? Perhaps traveling with them won¡¯t be so bad after all¡­

 Chapter 10

    N stared at the Pokeball in his hand.

    It belonged to him now. It was Mimikyu¡¯s Pokeball.

    Those two thoughts made him queasy. Or maybe that was his hunger catching up to him¡­

    Either way, he didn¡¯t like it. He longed for a world in which Pokemon could be free. Free from being forced to fight for the amusement of humans. Free from the confines of these disgusting little balls. Free from humanity entirely, if he could manage it. Humans were vile, and the sooner his friends could escape them the better.

    His Ideals were noble, he knew that much. It was simply the Truth. Yet he knew that it would be impossible to see his dream come to fruition by simply proclaiming that he was just and good. This was a world that respected power. The League was in control because they were the strongest. Gym Leaders practically ran the towns they resided in because they were the strongest. The Champions were held in regard above all others because they were the strongest.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t really their strength, was it? It was the strength of their Pokemon. Forced to fight over and over and over again, growing stronger with each battle until they had subjugated all in the region. Regardless of their own feelings on the matter.

    In a world such as this, how was he to get Champions to comply? Alder was perhaps the weakest of the League Champions. That would make subduing him easy compared to someone like Lance. But he was still strong.

    N would simply have to be stronger. He hated it. The mere idea made his skin itch. How hypocritical of him, to ask his friends to battle for him. To commit the same terrible action that he so reviled trainers for.

    Yet he had no choice. He hadn¡¯t done it yet, had not crossed that line. But he would have to. If there was a way to simply wish his dreams into existence, he would take that option in a heartbeat. But things didn¡¯t work that way.

    Today had been the first step. He had, with his own hands, caught a Pokemon for the first time. Mimikyu had asked him to do it. Had asked N to save him from the clutches of another, crueler master. But he hadn¡¯t said no. He had gone along with it, asked for a Pokeball from Ash, and promised to pay him back for it. Like it was some simple favor, and not a heinous act that he was committing.

    His hands¡­ no, his very soul was stained now. He would have to think back on his deathbed, however far off that might be, and consider this day.

    Why did others struggle to see it as such? Ash had congratulated him. Said it was awesome for him to become Mimikyu¡¯s trainer. Dawn and Brock had looked on as if it were nothing, just an everyday occurrence.

    Though, it really was for them, wasn¡¯t it? If they had interacted with Professor Rowan so recently that he knew their current location, they could not have started their journeys long ago, and yet each of them had more than a single Pokeball on their belts. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t fair though. If Brock used to be a Gym Leader, then he has probably had a full team for some time now. If Ash has a history of running into Legends of all things, then it is unlikely he came to Sinnoh with just his closest friend.

    But what if they had? What if they had full teams, but came here with but a single Pokemon, cursing their previous captures to lay dormant in Pokeballs back home for who knows how long?

    N didn¡¯t think he could forgive that. But he would have to endure, for now at least. If Ash truly was as apt to encounter Legends as he had been led to believe¡­

    Then no matter how dirty it made him feel, he would have to continue down this path until his Ideal had been reached, and the world acknowledged the Truth.

    <hr>

    A Bubblebeam went off in the background as Dawn and Piplup got back to preparing their contest routine, the trainer and her Pokemon much more interested in securing a win than learning more about the newcomers. With the field being as large as it was, it was easy to ignore their many failed attempts.

    ¡°So. I guess the first thing to do is find your source.¡± Pikachu explained as he took a seat next to Mimikyu on the ground.

    ¡°Never ¡®eard of it.¡±

    ¡°Right. Should have expected that. Your source is¡­ what the name implies, really. It¡¯s the source of all your power. I mean, some Pokemon might be able to do certain things based purely on biology, but if you¡¯re trying to use a move, then you need to fuel it with power from your Source.¡±

    ¡°An¡¯ how do I go abou¡¯ findin¡¯ this source? Is it in a cer¡¯ain spot or somethin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Not a certain spot, no, Pokemon vary too much for that to be the case. I¡¯ve never really talked much on the subject to anyone who would be well versed in this sort of thing¡­¡± Pikachu trailed off for a moment, clearly thinking of how to explain it best. ¡°I¡¯ll use myself as an example. I¡¯m guessing you know a thing or two about Pikachu, since you¡¯ve got the whole¡­¡± he gestured vaguely at Mimikyu¡¯s disguise, receiving an affirmative nod in return. ¡°Good. For me, my Source is like a ball of electricity. I can always feel it inside of me, but overuse can wear it out, making it¡­ shrink, for lack of a better term. Use too much, and you¡¯ll be unable to use a move at all until you¡¯ve got some proper rest and let it recover. Does that make sense?¡±

    ¡°I s¡¯pose it does so far, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Cool. Now, because my Source is a ball of electricity, using an Electric type move like Thunderbolt,¡± he effortlessly let one out, the electricity arcing towards the ground and scaring some nearby trainers, ¡°is as easy as releasing that energy in a controlled manner. A Thundershock would use considerably less output, a Thunder a whole lot more. Obviously I¡¯m simplifying the whole thing a bit, but that¡¯s the basics of it. You, not being an Electric type, obviously aren¡¯t going to feel that ball of electricity inside of you. I¡¯m not sure what you would feel, but there should be something. Anything stick out to you?¡±

    ¡°Somethin¡¯ inside of me, eh? I don¡¯ know how that¡¯s s¡¯posed ta work, Mimikyu biology is kinda¡­¡± the little ghost trailed off uncomfortably. ¡°If there¡¯s somethin¡¯ like that inside me, I can¡¯t tell it apart from the rest.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ could pose a problem. Keep searching for it? There has to be one inside you. I can continue my explanation, maybe that¡¯ll help¡­¡± Pikachu didn¡¯t seem very confident that it would, but what else was he supposed to do? ¡°Obviously I know more than just Electric type moves, so the next question would be how to use those when my Source is pure electricity. The solution to this problem is converting a small portion of it when you want to use a move.¡±

    ¡°Conversion? Like, the move that Porygon learn?¡± Mimikyu¡¯s confusion showed in his voice.

    ¡°My experience with Porygon is limited, so I couldn¡¯t really tell you.¡± Pikachu answered before moving on. ¡°Now, converting your Source to another type isn¡¯t an exact science or anything, so you lose a bit of power when you do it. You might notice that moves seem to do more damage when used by a Pokemon whose Source matches the type of the move, and that¡¯s because they¡¯re not having to convert their Source to do it. Luckily, converting your Source is instinctual so you won¡¯t need to¡­¡± Pikachu paused, considering who he was talking to, ¡°Actually, you might have to convert it yourself if you¡¯re having this much trouble with the rest of it. Don¡¯t know how to help you there.¡±

    ¡°Is that how STAB works¡­?¡± Mimikyu muttered.

    ¡°Stab? I¡¯ve never heard of that move, but I would assume it follows the same rules. Unfortunately,¡± Pikachu sighed, ¡°that¡¯s as far as my knowledge goes. All you can really do is try to find your Source and expel it from your body. If you focus on scratching at stuff, maybe your body will figure it out on its own and use Scratch? Sorry I couldn¡¯t be of more help.¡±

    ¡°Ya were a lot more helpful than the rest of ¡®em, I ¡®preciate yer attempt.¡± Mimikyu replied before getting to work, tearing at the ground with his shadowy claws.

    <hr>

    I guess the explanation Pikachu told me gives me something to work off of, but I don¡¯t remember anything about a ¡°source¡± from¡­ well, anything! I hope the number of little surprises like this isn¡¯t too high or I¡¯m going to be screwed.

    Mimikyu¡¯s claws gouged dirt out of a slowly growing hole in front of him.

    So a Source is like.. What, your total PP or something? Pikachu said you could run out, and it could be replenished with rest, and that sort of fits what I know¡­ but then how would that have anything to do with a same type attack bonus?

    And it¡¯s weird that they would call it ¡°converting¡± your Source, when the Porygon line¡¯s Conversion and Conversion 2 change their type. Unless¡­ maybe the people who made Porygon and its evolutions actually have a solid understanding of this¡­ natural type conversion? They could have reverse engineered the process and named the moves after it.

    The hole became deeper and deeper, the dirt removed from it forming a pile around Mimikyu.

    Find my Source and expel it from my body¡­ find my Source¡­ my body¡­

    What the hell am I supposed to find?! There¡¯s nothing there! Everything under the cloth is the same garbage! I don¡¯t even know where those berries that I ate went, let alone what the rest of my insides look like!

    Focusing on the differences between now and before makes me¡­

    His vision blurred, and he lost focus of what he was doing, but his body kept moving.

    But now I¡¯m told I¡¯ll have to specifically focus on that if I want to ever use a proper move?! That¡¯s bullshit!

    Am I just¡­ never going to be able to fight properly? I¡¯m a Pokemon, fighting is all they do! At this rate a level one Bidoof is probably enough to take me out since I can¡¯t fight back properly, how am I going to get anywhere near a Legend, let alone close enough to talk to one?

    I¡¯m¡­ what am I supposed to do?!

    For a brief moment, the world went dark.

    <hr>

    Pikachu saw Mimikyu disappear before suddenly getting the feeling of something wrong crawling on his skin. An experienced battler, he tried to jump out of the way, but found that he wasn¡¯t fast enough. A shadow darted across the ground, moving behind him in the blink of an eye before he felt what was definitely Ghost type energy slam into his back. He tumbled face first across the ground, but found that the move hadn¡¯t been too terribly damaging, picking himself back up as Mimikyu reappeared, shock evident even through the¡­ flattering? Creepy? The disguise he wore.

    ¡°Woah! Was that Shadow Sneak?! I can see why it might be named that!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ was it?¡± Mimikyu was just as unsure. His gaze found the spot that he¡¯d been in previously, and the distance was pretty sizable. Pikachu could probably fit four or five of himself, ears to tail-tip, between the start and end point and Mimikyu had crossed it even faster than he would be able to with a Quick Attack. The power behind it was a bit lacking, but that was true of most moves that gave you extra speed.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Mimikyu¡¯s gaze turned to Pikachu, finally seeing the scrapes he had incurred on the mouse. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯ mean ta hit ya or nothin¡¯, it just sorta¡­¡±

    ¡°I think I can forgive you for accidentally hitting me.¡± Pikachu replied good naturedly. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I was the victim of a training accident, and those never compare to what happens in a real battle. That said, I¡¯m impressed! You skipped straight past Scratch and managed a move that you were hoping for! Did you finally find your Source then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure of what happened ta be honest with ya. I was frustrated with mah lack of progress ¡®n¡¯ suddenly everythin¡¯ was dark an¡¯ I was slammin¡¯ into ya. I don¡¯ think I found this source thing ya were tellin¡¯ me about.¡±

    ¡°Strange¡­ but progress is progress! Think you could manage it again? Practice makes perfect and all.¡± Pikachu dropped into a battle stance, preparing to take another hit.

    ¡°I s¡¯pose I could giver ¡®er a try¡­¡± Mimikyu paused for a moment, focusing on replicating the move when Pikachu felt it. Mimikyu disappeared and that weird tingling, crawling sensation of something wrong that had warned him before returned. Knowing he wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge, this time he tried to parry it, an Iron Tail flaring to life behind him and swinging down.

    Pikachu was not the one sent flying. With the Iron Tail smacking against the disguise¡¯s face, Mimikyu flew backwards with a yelp, eventually rolling to a stop.

    ¡°You okay? I didn¡¯t think I hit you that hard!¡± Pikachu darted over to his new student, checking him over for injury and finding it difficult with the cloth over him.

    ¡°Y-yep!¡± Mimikyu got back up, but Pikachu recoiled. The disguise¡¯s neck had snapped, presenting a rather gruesome image. ¡°I wasn¡¯ expectin¡¯ that¡­¡± Two of his shadowy appendages appeared from under the cloth, reaching up to set the head back straight, only to find that it was too busted to do so. ¡°Mimikyu are weak ta Steel types, but single hit moves ain¡¯ too much of a worry. I guess it¡¯s time ta break out the sewin¡¯ kit though¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? If that was a super effective hit and you¡¯ve never been in a battle before¡­ I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but aren¡¯t you walking that off a little too easily?¡± Pikachu had been holding back against the novice, but not by that much.

    Mimikyu started walking over to N as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s mah ability. Where Pikachu have Static, or in a few cases Lightnin¡¯ Rod, all Mimikyu have Disguise. So long as it¡¯s a damagin¡¯ attack, I¡¯ll be saved from the first strike.¡±

    ¡°That sounds really handy! A free pass for the first attack of a match? That might¡¯ve saved me in a few battles¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useful, but it¡¯s not fit for every situation. Entry hazards, weather, secondary effects, et cetera¡­ all of them bypass it.¡± Having reached his destination, he reached up towards N, holding out his¡­ palm? ¡°Yo, N. I need the sewin¡¯ kit.¡±

    <hr>

    N pulled the sewing kit out of his belongings, handing it off to Mimikyu. ¡°Let me know if you need help, I¡¯m probably a bit more dexterous than you are.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you have to sew it back together?¡± he heard Pikachu ask as the pair started to walk away.

    ¡°Well, yeah? It¡¯s not actually part of my body ya know¡­¡±

    As they got too far away to hear over the sounds of Brock¡¯s cooking, he forced himself to relax. Seeing Mimikyu and Pikachu practice was not good for his blood pressure, but he would have to grow used to it if they were going to try and travel with a group of trainers like this. He needed to distract himself.

    Luckily, it seemed their chef could multitask.

    ¡°So how long have you two been travelling together?¡± Brock asked.

    It took N a minute to realize he was being spoken to, and yet another to translate the words in his head. ¡°If you can believe it, only a few days.¡± N replied.

    ¡°Really? The two of you seem pretty close already.¡±

    ¡°I am a friend of all Pokemon. Understanding them helps.¡± Not that trainers ever cared to try¡­

    ¡°A friend of all Pokemon, eh? I think you¡¯ll get along great with Ash then.¡±

    How typical. As if they could be anything alike¡­ But it would be best to humor the man.

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Ash¡­¡± He slowed the stirring of the pot he was working at. ¡°He has a bad habit of acting first and thinking later. I think I¡¯ve lost track of how many times he¡¯s thrown himself into a dangerous situation to save a Pokemon from even a slight injury.¡±

    Now that got N¡¯s attention. Either Brock had just admitted Ash often injured Pokemon, or he had spoken quite favorably of him. N was willing to assume the latter, given his lacking vocabulary.

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s not often you see a trainer like that.¡± Because they didn¡¯t exist. Though if he really was all he was cracked up to be, maybe¡­

    ¡°Stick around for a day or two and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see it happen yourself!¡± Brock joked. ¡°He says he wants to be a Pokemon Master, but I don¡¯t think he actually knows what that means. Every time he tries to explain it, the definition changes, though it seems to trend more towards becoming friends with every Pokemon in the world with each attempt.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± The subject of their conversation seemed to have overheard them. ¡°Just you wait, Brock, I¡¯ll become a Pokemon Master and then you¡¯ll see!¡±

    ¡°See what?¡± Dawn asked, confused as to what point he was trying to make.

    ¡°That I¡¯m the Pokemon Master, of course! It¡¯s only a matter of time now!¡± The bluenette and capped trainer descended into squabbling.

    ¡°Are they always like this?¡± N asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s looking that way. I¡¯ve probably known Dawn for less time than you¡¯ve known Mimikyu, but Ash and I go way back. He wears his heart on his sleeve, always quick to step into things whether it¡¯s a wise move or not. He¡¯s actually the one who got me out of being a Gym Leader and out on the road. His very first Gym battle and he was like that already¡­¡± His tone turned reminiscent, but the stew wasn¡¯t going to wait, forcing him to focus once more as he added more ingredients.

    He had missed a bit of that, but N thought he got the gist. A love of Pokemon and a will strong enough to show a Gym Leader the error of their ways? It almost sounded like he could be¡­

    No. Jumping to conclusions and getting his hopes up would only end in disaster. He would need to see what sort of person Ash was for himself.

    ¡°Food¡¯s ready! Come get it while it¡¯s hot!¡±

    But that could wait until after lunch.

    <hr>

    As Brock finished handing out food for all the people and Pokemon present, he considered the situation.

    Spending so much time around Ash had taught him to see the best in people.

    But it also meant constantly running into horrible people as well.

    N¡­ he didn¡¯t seem like a bad person, but something about him was concerning. Nothing he said was out of the ordinary, though maybe that had more to do with the language barrier than intention, and he seemed to be treating Mimikyu well if its behavior was anything to go by. The disguise it wore made the more obvious signs like the sheen of a Pokemon¡¯s fur impossible to judge, but he¡¯d been at this sort of thing long enough to be able to tell with this much information.

    Still though, he felt¡­ familiar¡­ and not in a good way. Definitely not the Team Rocket type, but maybe something similar to Aqua or Magma¡­

    Perhaps not an immediate concern, but something to keep an eye on if they stuck around too long.

    And then the Mimikyu¡­

    Not certain of the Pokemon¡¯s dietary needs and preferred flavors yet, he had opted to give the little thing an assortment of berries. Wanting to find out which ones it might like gave him the perfect excuse to watch Mimikyu¡¯s behavior.

    Because something was up with this Pokemon. He had learned from some of the greatest Professors in the world, read dozens, perhaps hundreds of textbooks and research papers on Pokemon development, and this was the first time he had heard a story anything like this.

    A Magikarp may only know Splash for a long time, but when Tackle became available it didn¡¯t need to ask how to use a move. Pokemon just knew these things. Moves were a part of them, just as much as their Type was. Maybe one of his mentors would have a clue, but until he could contact them all he could do was watch and wait.

    Ash had been through too much for him to sit idly by if danger was afoot.

    <hr>

    Having scarfed down his meal as quickly as he could, Ash couldn¡¯t contain himself anymore.

    N and Mimikyu looked like the skittish type, even if they tried to hide it, and having run into those before, Ash knew that it was best to let them take things at their own pace. Plus there was N¡¯s accent! If he was having this much trouble talking to them, then he must be from far away, and that meant he would know all sorts of interesting Pokemon that Ash had never met before! Sure, he had only just started his Sinnoh journey, but it never hurt to keep an open mind on where to go next!

    ¡°Hey N!¡±

    N swallowed his food, turning towards him before responding. ¡°Yes, Ash?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not from around here, right?¡±

    ¡°Ash, that¡¯s rude.¡± Brock interrupted.

    ¡°What! It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? And if he¡¯s from far away he¡¯s gotta know about lots of Pokemon I don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m from the Unova region.¡± N responded before Brock could rebuke him further.

    ¡°The Unova region¡­ never heard of it! What are you doing here in Sinnoh then?¡±

    N froze up for a moment, but recovered quickly. Was it supposed to be a secret?

    ¡°Mimikyu and I are... how do you say¡­ helping Professor Rowan with research.¡±

    Ah, having to talk in a language you didn¡¯t think in must be hard. He¡¯d just have to be patient with N.

    ¡°What are you doing in Sinnoh, Ash? Your accent reminds me of Kanto.¡± N followed up before Ash could question him further.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to collect Gym Badges and take on the League! Plus I¡¯ll get to meet all sorts of cool Pokemon along the way!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ perhaps you could help us with our research then.¡±

    ¡°Help with your research? Sure! What are you trying to learn?¡±

    ¡°Professor Rowan researches Pokemon evolution, so it must be that!¡± Dawn interjected. She¡¯d confided in him that she was having trouble understanding N¡¯s accent, but it was strange that she was talking so little¡­ she was usually a real loud mouth!

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much I should say¡­ but yes, it is related to evolution.¡± N hesitantly agreed.

    ¡°I see Pokemon evolve all the time! Hey, why don¡¯t you travel with us? You¡¯ll be sure to see evolution if you watch my Gym battles!¡± Ash offered.

    N paused for a moment, thinking it over. ¡°What do you think, Mimikyu?¡±

    A strange mixture of Pikachu¡¯s cry and something¡­ otherworldly, along with a nod of the partially fixed Pikachu head sealed the deal.

    ¡°I think that settles it then. We¡¯d be happy to join you.¡±

    <hr>

    Walking through the streets of Jubilife, a young man palmed the two Pokeballs on his belt.

    Route 202 had seemed to end as soon as it started, but he had managed to get a Bidoof out of it. He just wished that he had left for his journey a bit earlier. First he finds out that the Piplup he had been hoping for was taken before he¡¯d even left town, and now Barry had taken Chimchar and run off ahead! He was sure that the next time he saw the blond, there¡¯d be some more nonsense about fining him some ludacris amount.

    But this was no time to be lamenting those issues. He was happy with the partner he had gotten, his first Pokemon. Together the two of them, and any other friends he might make along the way, were going to reach the very top!

    That was a ways off, though. First he had to make it through Jubilife City. The crowds were unlike anything he¡¯d experienced before, and he couldn¡¯t seem to find the Gym. Was there even a Gym here? It would be odd for a city so big to be lacking one, wouldn¡¯t it?

    With his gaze on the buildings around him, searching for his first real challenge, he failed to notice the debris on the floor, tripping over it and falling flat on his face. Looking back to what had caught his foot, he found¡­ a notebook? Someone must have dropped it.

    The young man picked it up, stepping off to the side of the path so he could try to glean the owner¡¯s identity. With the cover lacking any markings, he flipped to the first page. Or at least, the first page that was still there? A few seemed to have been torn out. ¡°¤æ¤Ã¤¯¤ê¡¢¤¯¤À¤µ¤¤¡£¤ï¤«¤ê¤Ïëy¤·¤¤¡£¡±

    Hmm. Asking someone to slow down because they were difficult to understand? Not exactly a lot to work with there. It seemed more like a response to something than a complete thought. Maybe the earlier pages would have helped, but he had nothing to go off of here. The scribblings at the bottom of the page didn¡¯t help either. He could recognize that they were words, sure, but it wasn¡¯t a language that he recognized. The following pages seemed to be filled with more of the same.

    Hadn¡¯t he heard something about a trainer school in Jubilife? Maybe one of the teachers would be able to help him decipher the notebook and get it back to its owner.

    It might be important after all.

 Chapter 11

    Mimikyu scared Dawn.

    And that didn¡¯t make any sense! Did it?

    Dressing up like Pikachu was a super cute thing to do! It was like wearing a costume for a contest, just¡­ all the time? Except¡­ the costume was kind of poorly put together, wasn¡¯t it? Wearing something like that might even mean the contestant would lose points, depending on the judge¡­ or at least she thought so. She only had what her mother had told her in the past to go off of, since her debut on the stage was yet to come.

    That¡¯s not to say Mimikyu wasn¡¯t cute though! It wasn¡¯t a professional looking costume, but it had its charm. Like a little kid had made it. Or a Pokemon in this case? She wasn¡¯t sure if Mimikyu had made the costume himself, but she didn¡¯t exactly feel confident enough to ask either. Maybe her mom would know¡­

    But even if Mimikyu was cute, it wasn¡¯t cute enough to not be scary. She just didn¡¯t know why it was scary. That move it had used against Pikachu was sort of creepy, but not enough to make her this afraid of it. No, it was more¡­ looking at it made her break out in goosebumps. The closer it was to her, the worse the feeling was, so she had been trying to avoid the little thing. Staying off to the side, preparing for the upcoming contest while Pikachu tried to teach it how to battle.

    She tried telling Ash that N¡¯s accent was hard for her to understand as an excuse for distancing herself, but he and Brock were talking to him just fine, so obviously that wasn¡¯t going to last without her being called out. And just avoiding Mimikyu the whole time it was here would be super rude!

    Beyond the rudeness of avoiding the newcomers, she was worried someone might have noticed how scared it made her. She was not a little kid anymore, she couldn¡¯t be letting everyone know that a tiny little thing like Mimikyu sent shivers down her spine! They might think that she¡¯s not mature enough to travel with or something like that, and then she¡¯d be all alone¡­ which was fine! Totally fine! She could travel on her own and become a top coordinator no problem!

    Although¡­ Ash and Brock had been pretty helpful so far¡­ and she would really miss Brock¡¯s cooking¡­

    No, she was just letting herself get all worked up! Everything was going to be fine. N was just a trainer passing by, and soon enough he and Mimikyu would be on their way. There was no need to worry!

    And then Ash opened his big mouth and invited them to travel along with the group. N accepted the offer.

    Maybe there was one reason to worry.

    <hr>

    A young man walked into the trainer school with a notebook in his hand.

    With how young some of the students were, it didn¡¯t take long to figure out where the teacher was. Standing in front of a blackboard, watching the students as they studied, it would be easy to approach her. However, someone else caught his eye.

    He walked up to his blond neighbor, but was noticed before he could get a word out.

    ¡°Hey, Lucas! Did you come to study, too? I went ahead and memorized everything that was up on the blackboard. After all, it¡¯s the Trainer¡¯s job to avoid having their precious Pokemon hurt in battle, right? So, Lucas, what brings you? ¡±

    What a coincidence to run into him here. Actually, wasn¡¯t he meant to deliver a parcel to him? He better take care of that before he forgets about it. He took his backpack off, pulling out the item he¡¯d been asked to pass on.

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯ve got something for me?¡±

    Lucas wasn¡¯t even given time to answer before Barry was speeding through the conversation, as usual.

    ¡°So, what is this¡­?¡± Barry asked as he opened the package. ¡°Score! It¡¯s a Town Map!¡± But as he removed the map from the packaging, it almost looked like¡­ ¡°Huh?! Why are there two in here? I like it a lot, but I don¡¯t need two. Here, Lucas, you take one!¡± The second map was shoved into his hands before he could respond, but Lucas wasn¡¯t exactly opposed to getting a free map. He needed to save as much money as he could for supplies. He stowed it away in the pocket of his bag that he reserved for important items while Barry examined his own.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, according to the Town Map, I guess Oreburgh City is where I should be going next. There¡¯s a Gym, so it¡¯d be perfect for raising the Pokemon I just caught. Well, I¡¯m on the road to becoming the greatest Trainer of all time! See you around!¡±

    And just like that, Barry was running out the door, not having heard a single word out of Lucas¡¯ mouth.

    ¡°That boy really is just like a Whirlwind, isn¡¯t he?¡± The teacher giggled, having only been a few feet away from the whole exchange.

    Lucas didn¡¯t respond vocally. Having grown up with Barry, he had long grown used to other people talking enough to carry a conversation all on their own. After enough years of it, he had decided to just stop talking entirely. What was the point of it? It¡¯s not like he needed to talk. With all the time he would be spending on the road, the need to communicate would actually be decreasing compared to his time growing up in Twinleaf.

    Instead, he handed the teacher the notebook he had found, pointing to the foreign language written on it.

    ¡°Oh? Well, this is certainly interesting. Were you hoping to get this translated?¡±

    Lucas nodded in affirmation, and the teacher started flipping through the pages, her brow furrowing as she attempted to make sense of the unfamiliar script.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ unfortunately I can¡¯t really help you there. Galarian isn¡¯t one of the subjects I teach here. If you¡¯re set on finding out what it means, your best bet is probably the Pokemon Center!¡±

    Lucas must have let his confusion show, because the teacher giggled again before explaining.

    ¡°Nurse Joys and the Pokemon Centers they run can be found everywhere. My understanding is that they¡¯re typically assigned one location, and they might have to cover for other family members in the region if something happens, but in rare circumstances they might have to transfer to a whole new region really suddenly. That, along with the fact that trainers and Pokemon could be visiting from anywhere in the world, means that most of them know at least a handful of other languages. I can¡¯t guarantee that the local Nurse Joy knows Galarian, but it¡¯s worth a shot!¡±

    He had never really considered that before, but it did make sense. He took his notebook back, nodding to the teacher in appreciation, before walking back out the door.

    Rounding the doorway, he upped his pace, putting his running shoes to work. Hopefully he could make it out of here before the teacher noticed that he had snagged an X Attack out of the corner while she was trying to read the notebook.

    The exorbitant costs of being a trainer and Lucas¡¯ kleptomania really were a bad combination for staying in people¡¯s good graces.

    <hr>

    When lunch was taken care of, and Mimikyu¡¯s disguise was repaired, it was back to work for the little ghost.

    But things weren¡¯t working out.

    He¡¯d tried, and tried, and tried to get something working. But Shadow Sneak was all he could manage. The practice with his new move had been nice, and he felt a lot more comfortable using it now, but a single priority move wasn¡¯t going to win many battles. Priority moves traded power for speed, so even if he wasn¡¯t losing strength to conversion, it wasn¡¯t exactly a heavy hitting move. Add the fact that Normal type Pokemon would be completely immune to it and his prospects as a battle Pokemon weren¡¯t looking too hot.

    However, his growing frustration had been tempered by just how tired he was. With each successful Shadow Sneak, it felt like his disguise was getting harder to carry. Heavier maybe? He knew that couldn¡¯t actually be the case, but it sure seemed that way. Eventually it had gotten so bad that he¡¯d had to call for a break, too exhausted to go on.

    ¡°Is it meant ta be this intensive? I haven¡¯ even actually battled an¡¯ I feel ready ta keel over.¡± Mimikyu asked his trainer. Or, no, N was his trainer now, wasn¡¯t he? Pikachu would have to settle for¡­ mentor? That worked well enough.

    ¡°That¡¯s not normal, but I guess nothing about you is.¡± Pikachu scratched at the side of his head as he looked over Mimikyu¡¯s form. ¡°You¡¯ve used Shadow Sneak enough that your Source might be pretty depleted, but it shouldn¡¯t be this bad.¡± Pikachu didn¡¯t have a great frame of reference for what might be considered normal for a Mimikyu, but this just didn¡¯t seem right. ¡°Maybe you should take a trip to the Pokemon Center, have them check you out.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Yer probably right¡­ Thanks for yer help, Pikachu. It wasn¡¯ much, but progress is progress.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! Don¡¯t worry about it too much, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be making large strides in no time. If you figured out how to use Shadow Sneak, then we know you¡¯re capable of using moves at least. It¡¯s just a matter of figuring them out, and Ash and I are basically experts in that field!¡± Pikachu slapped a paw down on Mimikyu¡¯s¡­ shoulder? Head? He wasn¡¯t quite sure, but either way the amount of give beneath the cloth surprised him. He quickly drew his paw back, suppressing the urge to let his hair raise. It had been a while since he¡¯d dealt with a Ghost type, but even then this reaction seemed extreme¡­

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    But Mimikyu, none the wiser to Pikachu¡¯s thoughts, shuffled over to N and crawled up on his shoulder.

    <hr>

    ¡°...but I don¡¯t really have a lot of experience with Ghost types.¡± Ash said while rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Never caught one, and you don¡¯t see them very often out in the wild. I¡¯ve fought a few really strong trainers that specialized in them, but that wasn¡¯t really enough for me to learn too much about them.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m in the same boat. Lavender town always gave me the creeps and Agatha of the Kanto Elite Four is¡­¡± Brock didn¡¯t finish the thought, but his expression said enough. If N ever travelled to Kanto, he would remember to avoid her. ¡°We did travel with a Haunter for a little while, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to give you advice on an entire type based on a single example.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, Unova actually has more variety in Ghost types than most League Regions, doesn¡¯t it? Perhaps I should have studied them more in the past, but I suppose we¡¯ll have to learn about them together while we¡¯re here.¡± N had managed to get the pair of them to slow down a bit while they spoke so he could understand them better, but he was still missing words here and there. Perhaps he and Mimikyu should do some studying with a Unovan to Sinnohian textbook¡­

    But think of the ghost, and he shall appear. He broke out into a cold sweat as Mimikyu crawled up onto his shoulder.

    ¡°Sup.¡± The little fairy said into his ear, ¡°I think it might be a good idea to visit the Pokemon Center. I could use a check up, we need ta figure out lodgin¡¯, and at some point I need ta find a new communication method, since I uh¡­ lost the last one¡­¡±

    N sighed at the reminder. ¡°Right. Have you guys gotten a room for the night?¡± he asked the boys in front of him.

    ¡°Not yet, no. We were planning to head that way once Dawn had finished her training for the day.¡± Brock answered. The group¡¯s eyes found the bluenette and her Piplup at a safe distance, Bubblebeam flying through the air.

    ¡°Mimikyu and I will secure a room for the four of us then. No need to interrupt her preparation for the contest.¡± While he very much would like to interrupt it, perhaps even get the contest cancelled in its entirety, this would serve as a good time to talk to Mimikyu alone. ¡°With how many trainers are in just this park, I worry about the availability the Pokemon Center will have. If you¡¯re alright with it, that is?¡±

    ¡°Really? Thanks N!¡± Ash said with a smile. ¡°In that case, Pikachu and I should do some training of our own. Come on, buddy!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± Brock answered, although his tone seemed¡­ off.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then, Mimikyu. Hopefully without a wild chase through the city this time.¡±

    <hr>

    With Mimikyu now registered to a Pokeball, N wasn¡¯t quite as worried about a potential horde of children, but he still had his eyes peeled as he walked through the streets of Jubilife.

    ¡°So your plan is to just tag along with that group until they stumble into the Sinnoh Legends?¡± N asked, quiet enough that only Mimikyu would hear over the sounds of the city.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°...are they really the right group? They¡¯re an¡­ interesting bunch.¡± N said diplomatically.

    ¡°Interestin¡¯ how?¡± Mimikyu questioned. ¡°Ya don¡¯ gotta pretend ta like ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s conducive to us being able to get along as travel companions.¡±

    ¡°Well, then don¡¯ tell ¡®em the truth or whatever. I don¡¯ really care. Way I see it, only one of ya who isn¡¯ gonna change a bit while travellin¡¯ together is Brock. Used ta be a Rock type Gym Leader. Man¡¯s solid and reliable, like the stone he likes ta train. Though I don¡¯ know how you¡¯ll take ta his little quirks¡­¡±

    That was an awfully insightful take on someone that they had only just met today.

    ¡°Just how familiar with him are you? You said that Ash was your target, didn¡¯t you? I can understand having done research on him, but the ex Gym Leader?¡±

    ¡°Familiar ¡®nough. Brock has travelled with Ash for basically his whole journey. Only makes sense ta look into his travellin¡¯ companions, I would think. And Dawn is easy ¡®nough to read, even without that. She¡¯s a fresh trainer, and those types tend ta think alike. The good ones shine through after bein¡¯ polished out in the real world.¡±

    ¡°The good ones?¡± N inquired, skepticism thick in his words. He supposed that the explanation for the little fairy¡¯s insight on their new companions was reasonable enough, but something about it was nagging at him.

    ¡°I know ya might not think so, but there are good trainers, N. Like Ash.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to take your word for it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get ya ta see past that black and white thinkin¡¯ of yers one day, mark my words.¡±

    It was then that the Pokemon Center came into view. The thing was huge, the biggest Pokemon Center that N had seen for sure. The building may not be as big as the one housing the Pokemon Center in Castelia City, but where that building was other businesses housed on top of a fairly standard sized Pokemon Center, this one looked to serve a single purpose.

    ¡°Why would they need a Pokemon Center this big? Do these contests really draw that big of a crowd?¡± N asked, looking at the gleaming tower.

    ¡°How should I know?¡±

    ¡°It was mostly rhetorical.¡±

    ¡°You keep tellin¡¯ yerself that, whatever helps ya sleep at night.¡± Mimikyu teased as they entered through the front doors.

    It was as they walked up to the counter that N noticed something strange. Talking to Nurse Joy, a young man was holding¡­

    ¡°Mimikyu¡­ isn¡¯t that your notebook?¡± He pointed at the object.

    ¡°My notebook? No way, it can¡¯t¡­¡± but Mimikyu didn¡¯t finish his thought.

    ¡°It can¡¯t what?¡± N turned to face his friend, but the little ghost seemed confused.

    ¡°It definitely is, I can see the Unovan written in it from here.¡± N continued, but Mimikyu seemed transfixed, not saying a word.

    ¡°Fine. Be that way.¡± he rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± N tapped the young man on the shoulder, ¡°I believe that notebook belongs to my friend here, would you mind returning it?¡±

    <hr>

    What the hell?

    Mimikyu couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of the trainer in front of them.

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s perfect!¡± Nurse Joy responded instead of the trainer. ¡°I love when things can work out so well!¡±

    The young man turned towards them, notebook still in hand.

    That¡¯s¡­ but that doesn¡¯t make any sense! Ash is here, I just had his Pikachu teaching me how to use moves!

    But the reality of the situation was staring at him. His face framed by a red cap with a Pokeball logo on the side, along with a white scarf wrapped around his neck.

    That outfit¡­ that¡¯s the Platinum outfit, isn¡¯t it? What was¡­ I don¡¯t remember the name¡­

    Mimikyu manifested his shadowy hands as quickly as he could, exhaustion be damned. One snagged the notebook from the trainer and flipped to a fresh page, while the other reached for his pen.

    Ugh, how do you write the kanji for this?! I really should have practiced with a pen and paper instead of just typing everything. I think I remember nani, but for namae the hiragana will have to do¡­

    Hastily scribbled out, Mimikyu hoped that it was legible as he turned the page back to the trainer. ¡°¤Ê¤Þ¤¨¤ÏºÎ¤Ç¤¹¤«£¿"

    The fact that the trainer took the pen from him, writing out his response, was a pretty clear indicator, even before Mimikyu read it.

    ¡°¥ë¥«¥¹¡±

    Lucas.

    Shit.

    Assumably mute kid named Lucas, who looks like this, and sees no problem with a one word answer. I mean, I guess it¡¯s technically a valid response, but still.

    Shit.

    Is this gonna clash with Ash and his journey? The weirdness of the League and Fairy stuff was a pretty big deviation already, but now I have to deal with the Platinum protagonist on top of it?

    Maybe if I just thank him and send the kid on his way I can forget about this and act like it never happened.

    Mimikyu took the pen back, writing out his thanks. ¡°¤«¤¨¤·¤Æ¤¯¤ì¤Æ¤¢¤ê¤¬¤È¤¦¡£¡±

    Did I use the right grammar there? Ugh, I really need to get a textbook or something and practice. Not knowing the kanji is going to make me look stupid.

    But Lucas, apparently satisfied, just nodded before walking away and leaving the Pokemon Center entirely.

    It¡¯s just one thing after another. I need a nap¡­

    <hr>

    ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with? Your Pokemon looks pretty worn out.¡± N was broken out of his confusion as Nurse Joy spoke up.

    Figure out whatever that was later, focus on being a functional human being right now.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking to get a room for four, please.¡± It felt odd to have her skip the usual script, but he couldn¡¯t blame her since they had just watched that unusual interaction together.

    ¡°Of course!¡± She pulled out a form and a pen, setting them in front of N. ¡°I¡¯ll just need you to sign here, here, and here. Here is your room key,¡± she pulled it off a hook beneath the counter and handed it to him. N quickly filled out the form, returning it to her. ¡°Thank you very much! Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±

    N looked at Mimikyu. ¡°Well? Are you going to get checked out?¡±

    Mimikyu took a moment to think, before jumping off of his shoulder and onto the counter, taking his notebook with him.

    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll have your Pokemon healed up good as new!¡±

    Nurse Joy took Mimikyu away, but N knew his friend was in good hands. He found an empty seat in the waiting area, mulling over the strangeness he had just witnessed.

    Someone had found Mimikyu¡¯s notebook and been kind enough to take it to the local Pokemon Center, presumably for their lost and found system. However, Mimikyu had seemed more concerned with who had done it, rather than what had been done. Were they someone important? His spoken League was far better than his written, but he was fairly certain he¡¯d seen a name in there. ¡°¥ë¥«¥¹¡± would be Lukasu if he read it directly¡­ but it was probably meant to be Lucas. That would follow the strange trend in recent years of League children being given non-league names.

    What was it with his luck the last few days?

    He didn¡¯t know how, but in some way, this Lucas kid was going to turn into a future headache.

    He was certain of it.

 Chapter 12

    Letting a Chansey take her place at the counter, Nurse Joy wheeled Mimikyu into the part of the Pokemon Center not open to the public. The tiny Pokemon looked so cute in its little outfit! She just wanted to squeeze it like a plushie all day! The two of them passed by a whole team of Chansey working on other patients as she brought him to an open spot, and she took the opportunity to check over their progress.

    A Growlithe is in for a nasty case of poison after reportedly fighting with a Nidoran, though with how he was looking as they passed by, she had high hopes for a quick recovery. The Pecha solution seemed to be doing its job.

    A Cherubi is in after being ¡°mistaken¡± for food by the trainer¡¯s Munchlax. That was going to be a tough one. Getting the grass type healed up from the bite marks would be a piece of cake, but explaining the situation to the trainer¡­ Younger trainers were often naive to the realities of the world, and she hated being the one to break that worldview for them. As things stood though, the poor kid was going to be down a teammate, whether that meant Munchlax getting its way and a meal, or the Normal type being traded off or even released.

    There was a spot open next to the Kirlia. The electrical burns left behind by ¡°some brute¡¯s Elekid¡± weren¡¯t looking great, but it was only a matter of time and a few more rounds of healing from the Chansey would see her out of the Pokemon Center good as new. She took a step towards the open bed when a shadowy hand reached out in front of her. She was experienced enough that it didn¡¯t make her jump, but if Mimikyu wanted her attention, it certainly had it now.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± She asked. She had been shocked by the cute little display by the counter, but she wasn¡¯t going to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. Even if what she had seen was at the level of an adorable child, being able to communicate directly through writing would make her job much easier. And without the potential invasions of privacy that came with talking to Psychic types! Though she was going to have to pull up some resources on the little thing, she¡¯d never had to treat one before. Mimikyu were found under the Alolan notes, weren¡¯t they¡­?

    ¡°¥­¥ë¥ê¥¢¤Î¤È¤Ê¤ê¤¬¤ï¤ë¤¤¤Ç¤¹¡£¥Õ¥¡¥¤ ¥Õ¥§¥¢¥ê©`¥¿¥¤¥×¤Ç¤¹¤è¤Í¡£¡± the cute little thing wrote. Having to strike through the incorrect spelling was so adorable! The way that it didn¡¯t use any Kanji sent her heart fluttering as well, even if it made reading it a bit harder. She better read it aloud to make sure that there wasn¡¯t any miscommunication. Children sometimes had a bad habit of using words incorrectly, after all.

    ¡°Next to Kirlia is bad. I¡¯m a Fairy type, you know. Did I read that right?¡± she said with a smile. But then the words actually registered, and she quickly pulled the cart as far away from the Kirlia as she could.

    Moving into an entirely different room, this one much smaller and designed for ¡°problem¡± Pokemon, she reached for the Pokeball that the League had just sent her yesterday. With a flash of light, a Bronzor appeared in front of them.

    Directive? The little Steel type queried in her mind.

    ¡°Bronzor, Fairy influence protocol, please. Level 1.¡±

    Acknowledged.

    The strange, but not completely unfamiliar, feeling of having a Psychic type in her mind overtook her, and her thoughts became more clear. Bronzor turned towards Mimikyu, not making any threats, but ready to act if things got out of control.

    ¡°Mimikyu, I¡¯m going to ask that you not do that here. I can¡¯t do my job effectively if you¡¯re influencing me.¡± She told it politely, yet firmly.

    The false Pikachu head tilted, and she got a new line from it. ¡°ºÎ£¿¤ï¤«¤ë¤Ê¤¤¡£Also, can you understand this? My Sinnohian is not very good."

    That took her aback.

    ¡°You know Galarian better than Sinnohian?¡± It had been a while since she¡¯d had to speak it outside of practicing with her family, hopefully she still had it in her. ¡°I suppose the Alolan dialect makes sense¡­ but what is this about not understanding? You must have known.¡±

    ¡°Trying to communicate with humans here has been taxing, and in my case it¡¯s actually the Unovan dialect. But in any case, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m not sure if the problem is due to my poor vocabulary or if you¡¯re actually discussing a concept I¡¯m unfamiliar with.¡±

    In either case, that was a problem, bringing a frown to her face. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your Fairy influence, buster. You were enchanting me! I know we were warned, but feeling it for the first time is really something else¡­ that could have been really bad though! What am I supposed to do when a trainer comes to pick up their Kirlia and discovers its type match ups have changed? Shoot, was that even the only one susceptible?¡± She bit her lip in worry.

    Current patients known to be susceptible to Fairy infection include:

    Kirlia.

    Mr. Mime.

    Mr. Mime is currently in stasis and thus was not exposed.

    Kirlia was exposed at a minimum distance of three point zero one four meters for one point two seconds and lesser exposure for a total duration of fifteen point eight seconds. Infection is highly unlikely, though due to the limited information on the subject, such an outcome can not be ruled out.

    Mimikyu spoke to Bronzor, its cry sounding a bit like a Pikachu, but also sending a shiver down her spine. Bronzor¡¯s deep, bell-like voice answered back.

    Mimikyu has requested minimal psychic contact.

    Some sort of past trauma with Psychic types? As she pondered the implications, Mimikyu had written something else out. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact mechanics behind this so-called infection, but that¡¯s why I warned you. I genuinely don¡¯t know what you mean about this influence and enchantment stuff you¡¯re talking about though.¡±

    She supposed that Mimikyu had warned her quickly enough to be reasonable¡­

    ¡°You¡¯ve never noticed the enchantment before? It was pretty strong on me, it seems unlikely that you wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±

    ¡°Well what is it, exactly?¡± the little fairy wrote back.

    ¡°Admittedly you¡¯re the first case I¡¯ve seen in person, but according to the documents the League sent out¡­ hmm, I think I have them somewhere in here¡­¡± Digging through her paperwork, she pulled out the memo sent to her by the League. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ due to recent events¡­ containment untenable¡­Unova¡­ ah! Here it is.¡± Bronzor¡¯s eyes glowed. She cleared her throat before reading it off.

    ¡°It has been found that, similar to other types such as Ghost and Dark, Fairy type Pokemon with little control and/or ill intent may exude some of their energy into their surroundings.This may result in the so called ¡®enchantment¡¯ of people and Pokemon around them.

    Victims of enchantment/Fairy type influence may find themselves holding powerful feelings towards the source of the energy. Many report finding the source ¡®extremely cute¡¯, ¡®overwhelmingly adorable¡¯, and other such similar things. This is believed to be a method of forcing others to lower their guard, whether that be in hunting situations, trying to escape predators, or attempting to spread the infection.

    It should be noted that this effect is wholly separate from the status condition known as Infatuation, and in fact the effects can stack.

    If you find yourself under enchantment, it is advised that you¡­¡±

    Bronzor¡¯s eyes glowed. The rest of the info on the memo probably wasn¡¯t meant to be shared with outsiders, so she cut herself off there. ¡°You¡¯ve really never enchanted someone before?¡± she asked once more.

    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve had one or two people call me cute,¡± Mimikyu wrote for her, ¡°but I think that says more about them than me. The consensus seems to be that I¡¯m very creepy if the way everyone shudders and has their hair stand on end is any indication. I guess my Ghost typing overrides the Fairy typing in that regard? You said Dark types are similar right? How does it work in a Spiritomb? Does one type overpower the other?¡±

    Just reading the name Spiritomb was enough to make her break out in a cold sweat, even with Bronzor having some influence over her. Though as a Psychic she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it felt similarly. She had had the displeasure of being within Cynthia¡¯s Spiritomb¡¯s radius of influence once¡­

    Shaking herself out of it, she responded with ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve seen a Sableye or two and from what I¡¯ve seen their types are pretty balanced. Of course, with those types being what they are, the whole experience is pretty unpleasant, so maybe it¡¯s just harder to tell them apart than with Ghost and Fairy.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess the question is why my Fairy type is suddenly overpowering the Ghost. Any ideas?¡±

    ¡°Not off the top of my head. We could run a few tests I suppose¡­¡± She flipped through the notes on reported Fairy types within the League attached to the memo, stopping once she found the entry for Mimikyu. Looking underneath the disguise has been reported to result in the deaths of researchers? Bronzor¡¯s eyes glowed. ¡°Or maybe not. Let¡¯s just do a routine checkup and healing. How does that sound?¡±

    Mimikyu took a moment to respond, just staring at her for a moment before writing ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Great, great, if you could step on this scale for me?¡± She pulled out the scale intended for small Pokemon, recording his weight as it settled before comparing it to the data on Mimikyu she was sent. ¡°Weight seems to be perfectly average.¡± She noted it down before pulling out a ruler. ¡°Hmmm. How exactly is your height meant to be measured? I¡¯m not sure how far up your body goes underneath there¡­¡± She consulted the data, holding the ruler up next to Mimikyu and comparing the numbers. ¡°Looks like they only count up to the neck of the disguise¡­ and you¡¯re shorter than average. You¡¯re not slouching are you? Standing up as straight as you can?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Mimikyu wrote out. ¡°But I was practicing Shadow Sneak earlier, and since then I¡¯ve felt¡­ smaller? I was told this level of exhaustion isn¡¯t normal either, that¡¯s why I came.¡±

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You think using a move made you physically shrink? I suppose that¡¯s possible in some cases, but Shadow Sneak isn¡¯t exactly the same as Minimize¡­¡± She flipped through the notes again, looking for any indication that the League was familiar with such a thing, because she certainly hadn¡¯t heard of anything like it. Mimikyu¡¯s trainer had gotten a room for the night, so maybe she could contact some of her family outside of the League and find out-

    Bronzor¡¯s eyes glowed.

    ¡°Strange. I¡¯ll have a Chansey come in to give you some Heal Pulse treatment, hopefully that will set things straight for you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    <hr>

    Once Mimikyu had been returned to him, the duo made their way up to their room for the night, N claiming a bottom bunk for himself. Mimikyu seemed¡­ off, still.

    ¡°If it¡¯s bothering you that much, maybe you should tell me about this Lucas guy. Is he going to be a problem?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Lucas? I mean he might be someone ta watch out for, but I don¡¯... I was probably jus¡¯ mistakin¡¯ ¡®im for someone else. Nah, I¡¯m worried about somethin¡¯ else right now. Did anythin¡¯ seem off about Nurse Joy? When she returned me to ya, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Nurse Joy? Not that I had noticed, why?¡±

    ¡°Well, I learned a bit more abou¡¯ the Fairy type while I was back there, an¡¯ well¡­ I think she¡¯s got a League Psychic controllin¡¯ ¡®er. Not completely or anythin, but like¡­ stoppin¡¯ her from talkin¡¯ about certain things, maybe even from thinkin¡¯ ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain? For them to go so far with the Joy family would be¡­¡± While he had many problems with the League, nobody messed with the Joy family. They were prominent throughout the world for a reason, and if the League thought they could just control one of them with a Psychic¡­

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t be cer¡¯ain about it, no. She didn¡¯ up an¡¯ say ¡®I got this Bronzor from the League¡¯ or nothin¡¯ like that. But apparen¡¯ly I was leakin¡¯ Fairy whatsit like I do with the Ghost stuff sometimes, an¡¯ she released it an¡¯ said somethin¡¯ about a Level 1 Fairy protocol or somethin¡¯ of the sort. I s¡¯pose that could be somethin¡¯ that Nurse Joys just came up with on their own, but based on what I¡¯ve seen so far, I¡¯m more inclined ta think it¡¯s a Pokemon the League gave ¡®er. She kep¡¯ ¡®avin¡¯ ta look at documents about Fairy types the whole time, I don¡¯ think that¡¯s the behavior of someone who has a whole protocol for dealin¡¯ with ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°Leaking Fairy¡­¡± A whole other thing to worry about on top of everything and Mimikyu was just brushing over it. The little ghost had a bad habit of doing that¡­ ¡°We¡¯re coming back to that part later. If they¡¯re distributing League Psychics¡­ You said it was a Bronzor?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Creepy little thing. Was more like a robot than somethin¡¯ with a personality.¡±

    ¡°Why would they send a Bronzor¡­ could they be stretched thin? I suppose they must be, otherwise they¡¯d have sent at least a Bronzong.¡±

    ¡°Does it matter? I get that a Bronzong would be stronger an¡¯ all, but if they ain¡¯ battlin¡¯ then wouldn¡¯ just about any Psychic be able ta influence people?¡±

    ¡°They all can, yes, as you¡¯ve just seen, but the effect is stronger in Pokemon that have further developed Psychic abilities, and that typically comes with evolution if they¡¯re capable of it. A Gothita would probably be able to hold influence over a child for a long duration of time, but it might struggle with an adult who has dealt with mind probes before. Shorter durations might be doable, depending on the individual. But a Gothitelle? If you don¡¯t have a Pokemon on your side helping you fight it, you¡¯re doomed.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ an¡¯ if the League are the ones responsible then we need ta worry about it ourselves¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably. They did release us, so I doubt they care enough to do anything too overt, and you being a Ghost type probably helps, but around unfamiliar Psychic types¡­ well, I would ask that you help me fight off their influence once you notice.¡±

    ¡°You think I know how ta do that?¡±

    ¡°You said Nurse Joy released the Bronzor because your influence on her was too strong, didn¡¯t you? Just do what you normally do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fair.¡±

    Travelling with Mimikyu was going to send him to an early grave, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Let¡¯s go. If Ash is as much of a Legend magnet as you say he is, he might run into one while we¡¯re away.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, ya might be right.¡±

    <hr>

    Days went by without much incident, and slowly N and Mimikyu had ¡°integrated¡± themselves into the group. Given the fact that outside of Pikachu, Ash, Brock, and some of Brock¡¯s Pokemon, the whole group had only known the others for a few days at most, one might think that merging the two groups together would be a rather simple task. But that wasn¡¯t quite the case. Ash, as they were all quickly finding out, was very¡­ well, Ash. He got along well enough with everyone, even if being a Trainer doing the League circuit made him the type of person N had a predisposition to dislike, if not hate.

    The others though¡­ while nobody had said anything thus far, there was a very clear divide in the group. Brock seemed to be getting along swimmingly with Dawn, having no problem with taking on a sort of parental/mentor role with her. The girl was calling up her mother every day and clearly having some issues with being away from home for the first time, but Brock was apparently experienced enough with children to comfort her properly.

    N and Mimikyu, though? They were still being treated like outsiders. Nothing overt, and it¡¯s not like anyone was being rude about it, but still¡­ Of course, the blame wasn¡¯t entirely on Brock and Dawn. While the two of them clearly held reservations about the Unovan duo being in their midst, N was apparently ¡°not helping the situation.¡±

    He had thought he did a good job of hiding it, but Mimikyu called him out. ¡°They can tell that you¡¯re not being true to yourself,¡± he said. ¡°They can tell you hate trainers even if you don¡¯t say it,¡± he said. ¡°Stop glaring at anyone who holds a Pokeball,¡± he said.

    What did Mimikyu know? N had spent years being instructed on how to hide his true intentions. If Plasma wasn¡¯t capable of that, then how were they still being allowed to scurry around under everyone¡¯s noses? As their king, he was clearly one of the best they had to offer, so it stood to reason that he would be excellent at hiding his true intentions. So long as he and Mimikyu were¡­ reasonably honest with each other, because he knew that the little ghost was definitely still hiding things from him, then what did these other people matter?

    Nonetheless, Mimikyu had somehow convinced him to give a ¡°show of good faith¡±, which was why today he was going to, somewhat willingly, subject himself to something he personally found abhorrent.

    N tried very hard not to look like he had just bitten into a lemon as the opening ceremony wrapped up. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Ash is participating in this. We don¡¯t really have a contest crowd in Unova, but I¡¯m told that there¡¯s very little overlap between the people who normally participate in them and those who challenge the League circuit.¡± N pointed out to Brock.

    ¡°That¡¯s generally true,¡± the ex Gym Leader answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think Ash would have participated in this one if Aipom hadn¡¯t shown interest. But he has won a contest before.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Well, technically it was a tie for first, but he got half the ribbon. Ash isn¡¯t your typical Gym junkie.¡±

    It would take more than empty words and promises to truly convince him of that, and N had yet to see what the boy was really like once things got serious.

    ¡°Pay attention, N.¡± Mimikyu said from his lap. ¡°If there¡¯s one performance ya should watch, it¡¯s this one.¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure how Mimikyu could sound so confident when it was the first performance of the day, and from a girl they didn¡¯t know at that, but if he was going to suffer through this he might as well see what the cream of the crop looked like.

    The smoke that came out alongside the Pokemon was eye-catching at least. Something like that could work well in more tactical situations if applied correctly. ¡°I¡¯m unfamiliar with Misdreavus, anything I should know?¡±

    ¡°Pure Ghost type with the Levitate ability that evolves with a Dusk Stone.¡± Mimikyu answered.

    ¡°A Dusk Stone? That¡¯s pretty rare.¡± Both in the number of Pokemon that used them and how difficult they were to find. He had once known a Lampent that had been searching for a Dusk Stone for years to no avail. He wondered how she was doing now¡­

    But the Misdreavus and four doubles emerged from the smoke using Confuse Ray, drawing his attention back to the show. ¡°Use Shock Wave!¡± he heard the ginger trainer shout, and then the world was bathed in yellow light.

    ¡°Impressive!¡± Brock remarked. ¡°Flashy and a good way to show how powerful her Pokemon is.¡±

    ¡°Cer¡¯ainly has more flare to it than the stuff Pikachu ¡®as been showin¡¯ off, though I doubt the power is anywhere close.¡±

    N could admit that even he was drawn in. The Misdreavus seemed to be enjoying itself, and at least it wasn¡¯t a battle¡­ but then the audience started to cheer and the announcer took back over.

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Brock answered. ¡°This is only the first stage, they have to save their energy for the rest of the contest. Plus there¡¯s the fact that it¡¯s so early in the season. Lots of trainers will give it a try and realize contests aren¡¯t for them, while those who plan to go far aren¡¯t going to show off the very best they have so early on. The judges like to see improvement between contests from repeat performers, so some of them will try sandbagging.¡±

    It would figure that the one time a trainer had shown him something he could maybe respect, it had been over as soon as it started.

    Oh well, maybe the other performances will make up for it.

    <hr>

    The other performances had not made up for it.

    Mimikyu had been right about that first performance being the one he should watch. Though how had he known¡­

    The rest of them had been mediocre at best, though he would never say so to Dawn and Ash. And even worse, they had quickly switched it into a tournament of battles. Yes, it was more performative than it was a real fight, but he didn¡¯t understand why they had to go and ruin it like that. He supposed it only made sense that the rot which permeated trainer culture would reach everywhere it could get its filthy tendrils.

    He tried to keep his grumbling to a minimum as the group saw Zoey off. Apparently the rest of them had befriended her at some point? He didn¡¯t know her at all, so he just congratulated her on her victory and spoke with Mimikyu at a respectable distance.

    ¡°So what did ya think of that? It was yer first time watchin¡¯ a contest, right?¡± the little ghost asked him.

    ¡°For the most part, I found it unbearable,¡± he said dryly.

    ¡°For the most part? That there sounds like progress!¡±

    ¡°Progress towards what?¡±

    ¡°Eh, you¡¯ll see.¡±

    N let out a tired sigh. ¡°I just don¡¯t see why they had to add the battle portion. Sure it wasn¡¯t nearly as brutal as a Gym Battle, but still.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯ ya think callin¡¯ ¡®em brutal is a bit much?¡± Mimikyu questioned.

    ¡°Have you ever seen a Gym battle in person, Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°Well, no?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Oreburgh is supposedly the first Gym most trainers go to, and it isn¡¯t far from here according to the map. We¡¯ll see if you feel the same way after you¡¯ve watched one for yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m jus¡¯ sayin¡¯, ya seem ta be exaggeratin¡¯ a tad.¡±

    If only that were true. But Mimikyu would see. According to the guide he had found, Oreburgh housed a Rock type gym, and based on his past experiences¡­

    It wasn¡¯t going to be pretty.

 Chapter 13

    With all of the excitement that had been going on recently, N found it relaxing to explore the forests of route 203 on his own. Of course, he wasn¡¯t really on his own. Mimikyu and the rest of his current travelling companions were in a clearing nearby, practicing their moves. Ash had said something about teaching Starly to use Aerial Ace and Mimikyu had managed to rope Pikachu into more lessons. Hopefully things would work out better for his friend this time, but the only certainty you could have when it came to the little fairy was that you were in for a surprise.

    But now wasn¡¯t the time to be worrying about them. This was his element, almost a home away from home, and he would not squander the opportunity to be with the sounds of nature instead of a language as confusing as the League¡¯s. He thought he was picking up on it rather quickly, but it still caused many headaches¡­

    Quietly making his way through the underbrush, he tried to keep both an eye and an ear out for Pokemon that were slowly becoming familiar to him. Hanging from various tree branches, teal pokemon with piercing red eyes stared down at him. Pineco, he had learned from Brock, was a Bug type Pokemon with a penchant for using the moves Self-Destruct and Explosion. The extra shine he spotted on a particularly large specimen was apparently a good indicator of a fast approaching evolution into the Bug and Steel type Forretress. As much as he wanted to befriend one, or even all of them, accidentally setting one off and causing an explosion would only serve to scare off any other potential friends in the area. He would have to save them for after he had scouted out the blast radius.

    N carefully avoided the trees that he could see them hanging from, wandering a bit further away from his group. He could faintly hear the splintering of trees in the distance, no doubt a result of their training, and knew that wild Pokemon who weren¡¯t keen on battling would be avoiding the area. He passed by plenty of Bidoof scurrying around on the forest floor, but his experience with Mimikyu had proven to be a good sample of the rest of the population. They just didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to hold proper conversations, and he wasn¡¯t looking to become a trainer who could bring them up to that level.

    What did catch his attention was when he stumbled into a swarm of unfamiliar brown Pokemon carrying bones around. He stayed just outside of the clearing to observe them, the foliage hiding him from the group for now. One stood out from the others, standing at more than double the height of the rest and the shape of the head differing by quite a bit. It looked older too, much older, and covered in battle scars. Likely a higher stage in the evolution line, but making assumptions like that could be dangerous. He wondered how similar they were to the bone related Pokemon back home. Vullaby and Mandibuzz would wear the bones of their prey, even going so far as to construct their entire nests out of bones.

    The way that the smaller Pokemon were all quietly sobbing made him disregard the comparison. The Dark types he was familiar with took pleasure in what they did, while this group seemed distraught. A sudden rhythmic thwack thwack thwack drew his attention, and he watched as the disorganized group moved. The smaller Pokemon formed a circle around the larger one, which was the source of the noise, banging its bone against a rock.

    ¡°Weak. All of you.¡± A surprisingly deep voice echoed out from beneath the skull that the larger one wore. Or maybe it was actually fused to its head upon evolution? It certainly seemed much more snug at least. ¡°Standing here sobbing, wallowing in your loneliness, thinking of naught but your fallen families.¡±

    The tears started to come down harder, the wails from the smaller Pokemon growing in volume until the larger threw a bone at one of them. It bounced right off, and back into the hand of the leader, the loud thwack of the impact silencing them once more.

    ¡°Will pitying yourselves bring those taken from us back? Will wasting the days away, staining their skulls with your tears allow them to embrace you once more?¡± When it looked like the cries of despair might start up again, he smacked the rock another time, the sound ringing out.

    ¡°It will not! The only path forward is to hone that pain, that sorrow, and turn it into righteous fury! Into viciousness and ferocity! To decide that while the past may be one filled with regrets, the future is your own to make, and that you will use the future to claim vengeance!¡±

    The smaller Pokemon were listening raptly, some of them squeezing their bones so hard that they audibly cracked.

    ¡°Do you know what the humans call your kind? How they refer to Cubones everywhere? The Lonely Pokemon. That is all that they think of you, and they¡¯re right!¡±

    Cubone? Learning the name was certainly helpful, but now he was worried. This other Pokemon was clearly one that had experience in the human world, and he¡¯d seen cases in the past of released, or sometimes even escaped, Pokemon tainting their wild brethren with the cruelties of humanity. Too much time spent as mere tools for a human warped their minds, turning them into mere extensions of the problem.

    ¡°But I have cast that aside. I am not Marowak, the lonely little loser. I am Marowak, the Bone Keeper Pokemon. I trained, gathered my strength, and slew the beast who thought my mother to be easy pickings.¡±

    N had to hold back the urge to interrupt. He felt certain that humanity was to blame for the Marowak¡¯s woes, but¡­ These Pokemon were free. Liberated from their human captors, or perhaps not even caught at all in the case of the Cubone. Who was he, as a human, to judge what decisions they came to on their own? If he achieved his dream, and humans and Pokemon lived separately¡­ would scenarios like this not play out all over the Pokemon world? How many times had he encountered Pokemon left with permanent scars, whether they be physical, psychological, or both, that were left by humans? Escaping the cruelness of humanity would take time. They would have to unlearn the abuse forced onto them.

    ¡°Who among you will join me?!¡± Marowak shouted out. ¡°Who will accept the past as the past, and fight for a better tomorrow?¡±

    His question was answered not with words, but with a battle cry. A single Cubone left the circle, charging at him while its bone glowed with power. A thwack sounded out when it met Marowak¡¯s face.

    That hit seemed to be the start of an all out free for all. The Cubones all charged in, swinging wildly, hitting anything they could in frustration. N watched, both slightly disturbed, but also intrigued, as these unfamiliar Pokemon engaged in an all out brawl, until a bright glow overtook the area. Cubone after Cubone, evolving all at once. So entranced in this strange ceremony, he barely noticed a lone Cubone fleeing the fight, running straight into his leg and surely bruising it with that hard skull.

    When it looked up and saw him, the tears from before only doubled in quantity and size, but its cries could not be heard over the constant hits of bone on bone just a stone''s throw away.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± N asked as he knelt down. Even like this, he towered over the little Pokemon, but the difference wasn¡¯t quite so great anymore.

    The Cubone clung to him, wrapping its arms around his leg in a desperate hug as it cried.

    ¡°It will be alright.¡± He ran his hand over the skull, wondering if Cubone could feel his touch through it. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to stop Marowak and the others if that was the path that they had chosen for themselves¡­ but if one rejected that path, then perhaps¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only way to become strong, you know. I have many friends like you, who disliked the violence, and yet they were able to evolve in time.¡±

    The tears slowed to an unsteady drip instead of the stream they had been. In a shy, soft, warbling voice that echoed from within the skull, the Cubone whispered out ¡°...really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡± His eyes drifted towards the group once more, now filled with more Marowak than Cubone, yet more glowing with the power of evolution. ¡°What do you say we get out of here? This doesn¡¯t really seem like your sort of crowd.¡±

    The little Cubone nodded up at him, and he genty led it away.

    It was a hard Truth to swallow, but creating an Ideal world was difficult. Until he obtained the power necessary to make changes from the top¡­ he would have to settle for helping where he could, one Lonely Pokemon at a time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go find some more friends, shall we? I thought I saw a few Starly over this way¡­¡±

    <hr>

    It was odd seeing Mimikyu away from N like this. The tiny ghost was trying to get some more training in with Pikachu at the moment, with his trainer nowhere to be seen. He understood that not everyone was as close to their Pokemon as he was, but¡­ seeing those two together was like him being with Pikachu! It just felt¡­ right in a way that was hard to describe.

    But everyone goes about their journey differently, and N ¡°isn¡¯t really a trainer¡±, whatever that was supposed to mean. N could deny it all he wanted, but he¡¯d said that he was friends with all Pokemon! Sure, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it was close enough to his own dream that N was basically a Pokemon Master in the making as well. Even now, his new green haired companion was out becoming friends with the local Pokemon. Ash could respect that.

    He should really save those worries for later though. Training required focus, even if he wasn¡¯t the one doing the work.

    Starly was struggling a bit, but Ash was certain that the little bird would be able to learn Aerial Ace soon! ¡°Give it one more shot, Starly! You¡¯ve got this!¡±

    The bird came towards the tree at high speeds once more, the unstable Flying type energy visibly pouring off and blending together with the air being forced out of Starly¡¯s path, creating a glow that followed behind his friend. Even if it was slightly unstable, Ash had a good feeling about this one. The lack of turbulence was a good sign, maybe this would be their first success?

    But he had gotten his hopes up too soon. In just a moment, the whole thing destabilized and the move collapsed, sending Starly tumbling to the ground with an obvious injury to the leg.

    ¡°Starly, are you okay?!¡± Ash shouted out.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Dawn cried.

    ¡°Mimikyu-kyu?¡±

    ¡°Pika-pi!¡±

    Brock was quick to check it out and assess the damage. ¡°I think Starly should be alright with just a potion and some bandages, give me just a moment.¡±

    ¡°What a relief!¡± Ash liked to think that he had grown a lot in his time as a trainer, but truthfully he wasn¡¯t sure what he would do if he lacked Brock¡¯s expertise for an extended period of time. The Orange Islands had been kind of rough, and compared to a full on region¡­

    It was as Brock was finishing Starly¡¯s bandages that two bushes on opposite sides of the clearing started to rustle.

    The one that Ash turned to first revealed a familiar hat capping off some green hair as N stepped out, rejoining the group. ¡°Welcome back, N!¡± He greeted the older teen with a smile, but his eyes lit up in recognition as he realized N wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°Woah, a Cubone! It¡¯s been a while since I last saw one of those. Did you catch it?¡±

    N frowned, and the little ground type huddled closer to his leg as Mimikyu climbed up onto his shoulder. ¡°No. Cubone is just a new friend I made, I¡¯m not sure how long he might stick around.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Ash was a bit surprised, but it¡¯s not like it''s the first time he¡¯d seen such a thing. Really, he did it pretty often himself now that he thought about it. ¡°That¡¯s cool too! It¡¯s nice to meet you Cubone, I¡¯m Ash!¡±

    But getting to know the Kantonian Pokemon would have to wait, because a complete stranger had popped out of the other bush. With purple hair, clothes fit for a children¡¯s camp, and a pair of binoculars in her hand, the stranger waved to them.

    ¡°Oh! Well, hi there! I didn¡¯t expect to run into anyone in this part of the woods.¡±

    Because his mother had raised him right, Ash led off the introductions for the group, and learned that the stranger¡¯s name was Rosebay.

    Unfortunately, N was subjected to his first instance of Brock¡¯s¡­ whatever you called this. Down on one knee in an instant, he had taken Rosebay¡¯s hand and was professing his love to her as soon as he had gotten her name. He had long learned to just accept it as a part of the man, but the confused look on N¡¯s face said that there would be questions later.

    Crogunk released itself, taking care of the issue like Ash had come to expect of Brock¡¯s Pokemon, and Rosebay continued on with a nonchalance that he could only respect.

    ¡°I¡¯m out here observing and keeping track of the Pokemon living in the forest.¡± she explained to them.

    That sounded like a blast in Ash¡¯s book, and he made sure to tell her.

    ¡°I hope us being here isn¡¯t getting in your way!¡± Dawn squeaked out, worried over nothing. For a girl who liked to say ¡°no need to worry¡±, she sure did it an awful lot.

    ¡°Not at all! In fact¡­¡± Rosebay gave the group a once over, ¡°if you¡¯re interested, you could join me! I was just about to investigate some of the colonies in the area.¡±

    ¡°We would love to!¡± he and Dawn agreed.

    <hr>

    N wasn¡¯t sure why they¡¯d agreed to shadow a random Pokemon¡­ conservationist? Researcher? Out in the middle of a forest, but she at least seemed like a decent person. He didn¡¯t see a single Pokeball on her belt, and ensuring that the local wild Pokemon was healthy gave her a good grade in his books.

    He was definitely getting an explanation on Brock and Crogunk after she was gone though. How was he even standing? Wasn¡¯t that a Poison Jab he took directly to the gut? He asked Mimikyu, who seemed to have taken it in stride.

    ¡°How should I know? I can barely use a single one of my own moves, I¡¯m not the expert ya might think I am. For all I know, spendin¡¯ all that time around Rock types has given ¡®im a resistance to Poison types.¡±

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Not the answer he was looking for, but fair enough.

    His thoughts were taken off of that mystery and onto another as the group failed to locate a colony of Swablu. Searching the area pulled up no sign of them, and what Rosebay revealed to them next had dread pooling in his gut.

    ¡°Recently the number of Pokemon living in this area has dropped by a huge number. All sorts of colonies seem to have just vanished.¡±

    ¡°And you have no idea what¡¯s going on?¡± Dawn asked.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I¡¯m out here trying to learn. But with the forest being as big as it is, and me being a single person, it¡¯s been slow going.¡±

    ¡°Then you should let all of us help out as well! If Pokemon need our help, we wanna be there!¡± Ash proclaimed.

    Oh? Was Ash finally going to put some evidence behind all the claims he had been hearing about the boy? An attitude like that¡­ if he could do more than talk the talk, then perhaps¡­

    ¡°Starly, why don¡¯t you get a look from the air?¡± Ash continued.

    ¡°Woah there!¡± Mimikyu interrupted, waving his shadowy arms to draw their attention. He saw Rosebay and Dawn shudder out of the corner of his eye, but he couldn¡¯t exactly blame them.

    ¡°Yer tellin¡¯ me that the bird Pokemon in the area are all disappearin¡¯, an¡¯ ya wanna send yer own out ta find ¡®em? Seems like an unnecessary risk ta me.¡±

    That was a good point.

    ¡°Instead of sending your Starly to vanish with the others, why don¡¯t we use some logical reasoning instead?¡± N suggested.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Ash seemed a bit embarrassed once he caught on to the flaw in his plan, but N could respect his drive. ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s specifically the bird Pokemon that are disappearing, then we should consider the problems that they might run into that other Pokemon wouldn¡¯t. Something that could snatch them out of the air, maybe?¡± It seemed like a long shot, but he couldn¡¯t understand why it would only be the birds¡­

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Rosebay started before pulling up her binoculars. ¡°The valley path might be an area of interest.¡± She pointed out the gap between two cliff faces for them. ¡°Because of the air currents at higher elevations, most of the bird Pokemon fly through there if they¡¯re coming into or out of the area.¡±

    ¡°So if the disappearances are all being caused by one thing, that would be the ideal location for it with the high amount of traffic it would get.¡± Brock added on.

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± Dawn piped up. ¡°Let¡¯s check it out!¡±

    And so the group trekked through the forest with Rosebay leading the way.

    Mimikyu on his shoulder, a new friend tugging at his pant leg, working to investigate potential Pokemon in distress¡­ this wasn¡¯t so bad. Well, the Pokemon being in trouble was bad, but he enjoyed helping them. He wasn''t looking forward to the upcoming Gym battle in Oreburgh, but if the rest of journeying with Ash¡¯s group was like this¡­

    But his good mood could never seem to last.

    Exploring the valley had revealed¡­ a strange building? Right in the middle of the valley, alongside a large hole with netting overtop it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember that being here,¡± Rosebay told them, ¡°and I went through the valley just a month ago! Something about this is off¡­¡±

    ¡°Keep yer guard up N. Appearances can be deceivin¡¯ an¡¯ all.¡± Mimikyu warned him.

    The group clambered up to a higher ledge on the cliffside to get a better view of the new construction. But when the binoculars were pulled out, they were met with a strange sight.

    ¡°Are they¡­ sunbathing?¡± Rosebay asked before handing the binoculars to Ash.

    When Ash took a look, he saw the boy frown for the first time since they¡¯d met. ¡°Team Rocket.¡±

    Brock and Dawn joined in his displeasure, but it seemed Rosebay was just as lost. Actually¡­ hadn¡¯t he heard that name before? It was on the tip of his tongue¡­

    ¡°Who is Team Rocket?¡± Rosebay questioned as Ash handed the binoculars off to him. Taking a gander himself, he spied a vaguely familiar red R¡­ printed on some swimwear? Some very revealing swimwear actually¡­

    ¡°Team Rocket are a bunch of crooks who like to steal Pokemon.¡± Dawn explained.

    ¡°If they¡¯re here, and that net is there¡­ I have a feeling I know where all the missing Pokemon have gone.¡± Ash added on.

    N¡¯s first thought was to question why a criminal organization would provide their members with skimpy Team Rocket branded swimsuits. Very¡­ distracting bikinis¡­

    His second thought, after he forced himself to offer the binoculars back and chastised himself for letting his mind wander, was that he finally knew why the name sounded familiar.

    He had been warned about Team Rocket. Largely successful in Kanto and Johto in the past, they had run almost every illegal activity that happened under Champion Lance¡¯s nose. Until their work suddenly dried up, anyway. None of their investigators had been able to determine why the group suddenly went dark, but if they were in Sinnoh then it looked like they were simply trying to relocate rather than disbanding as some had suggested. This was valuable intel.

    It also meant that a pair of the worst scum of humanity were right in front of him.

    He had heard tales of what sort of things that Rockets got up to. From straight up abusing their stolen Pokemon, to running experiments on them, if a method existed to harm his friends then the Rockets had done it.

    His thoughts went to a dark place as he considered this opportunity.

    He could enact justice.

    Perhaps he and Mimikyu could arrange for a little ¡°accident¡± where they saw under his friend''s disguise¡­

    ¡°Ya alright, N? Ya seem a bit out of it, there.¡± Mimikyu asked from his shoulder.

    He was letting his mind wander too much. He could never ask Mimikyu to do such a thing, not really, even if these Rockets deserved it.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mimikyu.¡±

    N took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Ash and his friends seemed familiar with the group. They must have experience with them, especially with the two boys being from Kanto. He would let them take the lead.

    This time.

    <hr>

    Dawn didn¡¯t like the fact that this was happening again. And with the looks on Ash and Brock¡¯s faces¡­ it was probably going to happen all the time. What was with these Rocket weirdos and chasing after Ash specifically?

    The fact that her Pokemon were safe in their Pokeballs right now reassured her a bit¡­ but then it made her feel guilty. She shouldn¡¯t be happy just because something bad happened to someone else instead of her.

    She watched as Pikachu saved a Pidgeot from getting captured, and then Ash suggested that the two Pokemon go back to the forest and gather all the Pokemon they could to help destroy the netting.

    ¡°Actually,¡± N spoke up, making her flinch. She wasn¡¯t afraid of him! Sure, he was much bigger than her, and he didn¡¯t seem to like her very much¡­. But she wasn¡¯t afraid! Really! ¡°My new friend might be able to help with that.¡± He continued, gesturing to the Pokemon at his feet.

    ¡°The rocks here are pretty similar to what Marowak was using, aren¡¯t they? Will they work, Cubone?¡±

    The poor little thing teared up at the extra attention, but nodded yes. ¡°Cu-cubone.¡± That was all the warning they got before it thwacked its bone against a boulder, the deep sound echoing out through the valley and probably far beyond it. Over and over, it smacked out that noise in a pattern, until they heard a similar, but definitely off by a bit, noise echo back.

    ¡°Mimikyu-kyu?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand Mimikyu, not really, but she got the feeling that the creepy little thing was as confused as she was.

    Was causing a racket and drawing attention to them supposed to help somehow?!

    ¡°I see,¡± Brock spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea! I thought the distance would be too much, but if you use the acoustics of the valley in your favor¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what are they doing?¡± She asked Rosebay quietly, not wanting to look stupid in front of the group.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Marowak supposedly sending messages to each other like this, but I¡¯ve never seen it in person¡­¡±

    Sending messages? ¡°But if Cubone is talking to the other Cubones in the forest, will that really be enough to help us out?¡±

    N just smirked at her, apparently having heard her question. ¡°I was gone for that long and you think I only made friends with a single Pokemon? This is just the one that became most attached to me.¡± He knelt down, affectionately stroking Cubone¡¯s skull.

    A glance down at Team Rocket showed that they were catching on as they stood up from their sunbathing, looking at the mouth of the valley. The echoing thwacks got louder and louder¡­ but Cubone had already stopped. Where was the noise coming from then?

    That was when she saw it. Dozens of bird Pokemon flying towards them all at once, each of them seemingly carrying another Pokemon with them.

    That was admittedly an impressive number of Pokemon for N to have befriended while he was exploring on his own, but Dawn didn¡¯t think it quite compared to Ash¡¯s plan of gathering all the Pokemon they could.

    ¡°Wait¡­ is that?¡± Brock spoke with a tone of disbelief.

    Was she missing something again?

    <hr>

    That Marowak must have been even older than he originally thought. For a war vet to be on their own out in the wild¡­ it was strange, but not completely unheard of. Perhaps he had outlived his trainer. And Marowak must have been a war vet. None of the other Pokemon were old enough to have seen this sort of thing in action, and he highly doubted that any had read historical accounts of the war. He had never seen this strategy before in person, but his tactics lessons made it all too familiar, even if the Pokemon at play were different from the historical examples he was provided.

    The Mistralton Air Bombers were a thing of legend among the vets back home. Flying types had been trained specifically to carry heavy loads from the day they hatched, and with how much a Gigalith or Ferrothorn weighed, they needed every bit of that training. The Pokemon earlier in those evolutionary lines worked as well, but they weren¡¯t quite as¡­ effective.

    The idea behind it was simple. Have a Braviary, or whatever Flying type was available really, fly a Gigalith over enemy lines. Drop it over a strategic position. The Gigalith would use Explosion, wiping that location off the map if they couldn¡¯t get it shielded in time. The success rate of the initial Explosion wasn¡¯t really anything to write home about, but when a Gigalith, which is covered in quite a few smaller rocks, or a Ferrothorn, covered in its many spikes, used the move¡­ well, the shrapnel often made up for it. A Gigalith¡¯s crest moving at explosive propelled speed was enough to shatter a Protect from most Pokemon.

    The Pokemon coming into the valley weren¡¯t nearly as impressive, and wouldn¡¯t do anywhere near the same level of damage, but it wasn¡¯t going to be pretty for these Rockets either. A few Starly he had befriended at the front of the formation had Pineco in their grip. The group watched as most of the bugs were dropped on top of the netting, utterly obliterating it in the resulting explosion.

    The Rockets quickly scrambled inside of their base as the remaining Pineco were dropping on top of them. The damage to the building wasn¡¯t very impressive, but it made a statement. Perhaps the criminals would be sensible and turn themselves in before another show of force was necessary.

    He almost hoped that they wouldn¡¯t.

    And his unspoken desire was granted almost immediately as the ground around the building cracked and fractured, and then¡­

    ¡°...what?¡± was all N could get out, completely bewildered.

    Out of the ground, from beneath the building, a giant wooden mech appeared. The hole that it stepped out of looked to be filled with cages packed with bird Pokemon, but they would have to wait a moment until the threat was neutralized. Large nets jetted out from the wrists as it tried to capture his friends straight out of the air, but the contraption was too slow to do so effectively. He heard a voice come out from a speaker, but he was too flabbergasted to pay attention to the words.

    Pikachu used Thunderbolt on it at Ash¡¯s command, but to little effect.

    What in the world was going on?

    How could Team Rocket afford to build a mech like this, especially if all they were using it for was capturing wild bird Pokemon? Who would think to do something like this? And perhaps most concerningly, why were the rest of his group acting like this was completely normal? Even Mimikyu was taking it in stride!

    ¡°Did those Pokemon just do a bombing run? What sorta friends did ya make out there, N?¡±

    Mimikyu was definitely concerned about the wrong thing here!

    Well, no, he was concerned about that as well. He had been concerned about Marowak passing on the cruelties of humanity onto the wild Pokemon before, but seeing them deploy war tactics was on a whole other level! Maybe they need to look into relocating him somewhere else when this was all said and done¡­

    But as if he were summoned by N¡¯s thoughts, the battle hardened Marowak dropped down between their group and the Rockets, dust and dirt sent flying as he impacted the ground.

    ¡°Thanks for the lift.¡± He said to the bird who had dropped him before taking in the situation before him.

    ¡°Rockets, eh? I don¡¯t take kindly to your group.¡±

    The ground shook¡­ but only beneath the Rocket¡¯s mech.

    ¡°That¡¯s-!¡± Brock gasped. ¡°That has to be the most impressive control of Earthquake I¡¯ve seen since-¡±

    Whatever else he had meant to say was cut off by the sound of the mech splintering into pieces in front of them. Team Rocket, apparently having changed into their uniforms, crawled out of the rubble alongside their personal Pokemon, and N prepared himself to deal with some truly monstrous people.

    ¡°Man, what was I thinkin¡¯! I guess now we can make ourselves a big campfire!¡± the bipedal feline with them said. Something about it was wrong though. N had understood what the Pokemon said, yes, but hadn¡¯t that been different from normal?

    ¡°And, it¡¯s biodegradable!¡± The man added on.

    ¡°Will you two shut it?!¡± The women rebuked them.

    ¡­hold on a moment.

    ¡°Mimikyu, did they just understand that Pokemon?¡± He looked at his friend. Surely he was mistaken. There was no way that Rockets of all people had managed to understand Pokemon where so many Plasma members had failed.

    ¡°In a way. Can ya not tell the diff¡¯rence ¡®tween that and what you do though? It¡¯s not that they speak Pokemon, it¡¯s that Meowth is speakin¡¯ League.¡± the ghost answered matter of factly.

    N was too surprised to question it any further.

    But then things got weirder.

    The Rockets and their Meowth began to¡­ recite poetry while posing?

    Were these people really part of Team Rocket? Surely they had to be some freaks just using the name or something.

    A battle broke out between N¡¯s group and the ¡°Rockets¡±, but every part of it just led to further confusion on N¡¯s part.

    First of all, if these people were criminals working to capture all of these bird Pokemon, then why did their Pokemon seem so supportive of them? It looked like the man had Grass types with him, and the woman¡¯s Pokemon looked to be Poison types at first glance. He wasn¡¯t sure about the blue one with them though¡­ But regardless of that, they obeyed every order without question, charging at N¡¯s group alongside their trainers. Marowak wasn¡¯t involving himself in it, but N thought he had seen the Pokemon going into the hole full of cages, most likely to release all of the captured Pokemon.

    And then Ash¡¯s Starly evolved in the middle of the fight, using Aerial Ace to¡­ send the entire criminal group flying off into the distance?

    How was that possible? Forget the questions of how strange this group was, it shouldn¡¯t be physically possible for a Pokemon as weak as Staravia to send them flying so far, especially with the lack of visible damage on the group.

    It was then that he noticed a soft glow around the criminals as they flew off, and it was strongest around the eyes of the blue Pokemon¡­

    Were they using a Psychic type to launch themselves away? A barrier just around their bodies would explain the lack of serious wounds, and the ability to fly off like that, but what was the point? If they had a Psychic type powerful enough and with the control necessary to pull that off, shouldn¡¯t dealing with the Pokemon on N¡¯s side of the field be a piece of cake?

    ¡°See, I told ya N!¡± Ash called out to him. N had no idea what the boy was referring to, and he really hoped that it would be some sort of explanation for¡­ for¡­ that mess.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days and you¡¯ve already seen an evolution! Travelling with us is going to be great for your research with Professor Rowan!¡± the boy said with a wide smile.

    ¡°Mimikyu,¡± N whispered to the Pokemon on his shoulder, ¡°has somebody drugged me? Am I under the spell of some unknown Pokemon? None of this makes any sense.¡±

    ¡°Yer right. None of it makes sense. Maybe that¡¯s why all the documents on ¡®im are classified. Must be like this all the time.¡±

    All the time? This?

    Travelling with Ash was either going to kill him or drive him insane.

 Chapter 14

    N was frustrated.

    Which, granted, was probably to be expected from someone with his views while travelling with a group of trainers.

    But it wasn¡¯t for the reasons he had gone into this expecting.

    When he had learned that Mimikyu wanted to do this, he had been expecting situations that would make him want to throttle the trainers at a minimum. Treating what should be their friends as little more than tools. Forcing Pokemon away from their families because it would better their odds against the next Gym Leader. Causing them pain, hurting them again and again because that would make them stronger in the long run.

    He still found himself in situations that made him want to throttle the trainers. It just wasn¡¯t any of those at the moment.

    ¡°Brock, please, you have to help me out here. Surely you can understand the problem with the whole situation?¡±

    The dark skinned teen hummed in thought as they walked through the forest. ¡°I think if you had asked me that question before I met Ash, I might agree with you to a degree. Maybe I¡¯ve just become desensitized to it all¡­ but as much as I dislike that it happens, that was an average day in my book.¡±

    ¡°Is it really not normal?¡± Dawn asked. ¡°It¡¯s been happening since the first day of my journey, so I just sort of assumed¡­¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t see what the big deal is.¡± Ash sighed. ¡°Some bad guys cause trouble, we stop them, rinse and repeat! It¡¯s been like that everywhere I¡¯ve gone, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s not how it is for everyone!¡±

    ¡°Honestly, if I don¡¯t get to send them blasting off every so often, I start to get antsy. It¡¯s part of our routine at this point.¡± Pikachu chimed in, not that most of the party would understand him.

    ¡°I don¡¯ think yer gonna win this one, N.¡± Mimikyu tried to console him. ¡°If it makes ya feel any better, I¡¯m well aware that it¡¯s strange. If I get the chance, I might even do somethin¡¯ about it¡­ Ya gotta remember though, Ash and Brock ¡®ave been dealin¡¯ with this nonsense on an almost daily basis for three whole League runs now. From their point of view, it¡¯d prob¡¯ly be weirder ta not ¡®ave it happen in Sinnoh.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± N sighed, finally accepting that he wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere with it. If they wanted to live in some fantasy world where the Team Rocket situation was normal, he wasn¡¯t going to be able to pull them out of it.

    It wasn¡¯t too different from normal, really. He had long grown used to trainers not listening when he told them they were wrong. At least there was no serious harm involved this time.

    ¡°Can we at least agree that the Marowak situation was strange?¡± he hedged.

    ¡°What¡¯s strange about Marowak?¡± the little Ground type at his feet sniffled. Cubone had seen fit to travel with them a little while longer, though N wasn¡¯t sure how long it would last.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about Marowak in general,¡± N reassured his friend, ¡°It¡¯s just that his methods were a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°They definitely weren¡¯t something I was expecting,¡± Brock agreed.

    ¡°I think it was awesome to see Pokemon working together like that!¡± Ash exclaimed. ¡°It gave me all sorts of ideas I could use for future battles!¡±

    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t do that Ash¡­¡± Brock hesitated.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because war tactics are banned from the League. Using them is a good way to end up in a lot of trouble.¡±

    ¡°War tactics?¡± Dawn questioned.

    ¡°Strategies that were used in war rather than normal battles.¡± N answered. ¡°They tend to be on the more¡­ brutal and destructive side of things.¡± N may hate the League and want the whole system torn down, but he could at least respect that they were trying to keep that part of history from rearing its ugly head again.

    ¡°Not everyone agreed with the decision¡­¡± Brock continued the explanation, and N thought he heard Ash grumble something about a ¡°surge¡±, ¡°...but a lot of changes were made after the last war. That Marowak must have fought in it. The poor thing looked old and scarred enough for it¡­¡±

    ¡°Wild Pokemon fought in the war?¡± The blue haired trainer followed up with confusion evident on her face.

    ¡°In a few cases, if their territory was threatened, but I think it¡¯s much more likely Marowak simply¡­ outlived their trainer.¡±

    ¡°Marowak doesn¡¯t like to talk about it¡­¡± Cubone¡¯s tears ran down his face a little more heavily.

    That put a damper on the mood of the group after N translated, but Mimikyu broke the contemplative silence that had followed.

    ¡°How long ago was this war, exactly, if ya got Pokemon outlivin¡¯ their trainers?¡± Mimikyu asked.

    ¡°I want to say 15, maybe 20 years ago?¡± N replied. ¡°Unova was actually neutral during the last war so it doesn¡¯t get focused on much back home¡­¡±

    N noticed Brock scowl at that, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure why.

    ¡°It was 20 years ago.¡± the ex Gym Leader confirmed. It looked like he wanted to say more on the subject, but their conversation was interrupted by a large gust of wind sending leaves into the air from not too far away. ¡°I wonder what that was?¡±

    ¡°Shall we have a look?¡± N suggested.

    The group diverted off the path, eager to investigate.

    <hr>

    This brown dye was going to be a pain to get out of his fur.

    But it would all be worth it in the end!

    Meowth couldn¡¯t decide if it was good or bad luck that they had stumbled upon Nurse Joy and the lost Nuzleaf at the same time as the twerps.

    On the one hand, that meant more people that they had to trick.

    On the other hand¡­ Well, it was the twerps! They weren¡¯t exactly the brightest bunch at the best of times, and the blue haired one was turning out to be no different.

    The new guy with the green hair might be a bit of a concern, but Meowth swore that he¡¯d been there for the last time the twerps interrupted their work, and he¡¯d just stood there slack jawed. Probably not anything to worry about. And hey! His Cubone and¡­ well, whatever that other Pokemon was¡­ they were just out in the open! Ripe for the picking, as soon as the Nuzleaf was in their paws.

    Although¡­ something did feel off about that Pikachu looking one¡­

    ¡°They¡¯re coming this way! Get out there Meowth!¡± Jessie demanded, pushing him from out of the brush.

    Stumbling, he considered dropping the act just to get back at her for that, but they were so close to greatness! Things would definitely work out this time, and the boss would love them! Meowth scrambled to the top of the rock, Shiftry disguise in place as he called out to the twerps. ¡°Shiftry!¡±

    ¡°Wow, a Shiftry!¡± Twerp number one called out.

    ¡°Maybe Shiftry is one of Nuzleaf¡¯s friends!¡± Blue twerp suggested.

    Hook, line, and sinker. Their stupidity always astounded him, especially since the twerps had only recently gotten out of Hoenn. They should really know what a Shiftry looked like¡­

    ¡°Dawn I can forgive, but are ya blind, Ash?¡± Meowth couldn¡¯t see any mouths moving so it must have been the Pikachu looking one. ¡°That definitely ain¡¯ no Shiftry, jus¡¯ look at it!¡±

    The nerve! Meowth¡¯s Shiftry disguise was clearly leagues better than that punk¡¯s Pikachu cosplay!

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The green haired one questioned. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Shiftry before so I guess I¡¯m not sure what to look for. Though just saying its name is a bit odd, I suppose¡­¡±

    Before they could question it further, Jessie and James came up behind him.

    ¡°There you are, you shifty Shiftry!¡± Jessie called out to him as she approached.

    ¡°Who are you guys?¡± the twerpette asked.

    ¡°Oh, just your typical mountain climbers!¡± James replied in a sing-song voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m a girl, though.¡± Jessie butted in.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of this garbage.¡± the Pikachu wannabe declared as he jumped off the new twerp¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡­dang it Jessie, they were doing so well!

    ¡°Mimikyu? What¡¯s wrong?¡± the mature twerp inquired.

    But the little guy, apparently a Mimikyu, ignored him, marching right up to Meowth and his crew. Or, well, Meowth couldn¡¯t really see what his feet were doing under there, but he assumed it was a march.

    Maybe this was their chance? Sure they¡¯d likely lose out on the Nuzleaf, but this Pokemon seems even rarer! Never seen one of them before¡­

    Stopping right in front of the rock they were standing on, the unfamiliar Pokemon spoke up once more. ¡°Look ¡®ere. I got things ta do, places ta be. I ain¡¯ about ta waste my time every few days dealin¡¯ with a bunch of Rockets.¡±

    ¡°Wait, those are Rockets?¡± Pikachu gasped from the main twerp¡¯s shoulder.

    If Meowth could sweat, he¡¯d be breaking out into a cold one right now. What had given them up? They¡¯d only just started! Was it Jessie¡¯s stupid ¡°I¡¯m a girl¡± line?!

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m feelin¡¯ generous, so I¡¯ll give ya the opportunity ta walk away right now ¡®n¡¯ not bother us again, at least for a good while. If ya feel like tryin¡¯ yer luck though¡­ well, let¡¯s jus¡¯ say yer gonna have a bad time. Maybe even die? Not sure, I haven¡¯ exactly tested it on anythin¡¯ livin¡¯ yet.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it saying?¡± he heard Jessie whisper.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never seen that Pokemon before!¡± James hissed back.

    The green haired twerp walked up to the group cautiously.

    ¡°Now, Mimikyu, this sort of reaction is very¡­ out of character for you¡­ why are you accusing these people of such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Even if they are Rockets, that sort of threat is kind of harsh, isn¡¯t it?¡± Pikachu chimed in, hopping down to join its poorly constructed double. ¡°What are you even thinking of doing to them? We could just send them blasting off again, no problem¡­ assuming you¡¯re right about them being Rockets, of course.¡± The doubt was clear in the Electric type¡¯s voice. So this knock off was the only one that could tell?

    ¡°Pikachu, are ya blind? How can ya not recognize them?!¡±

    Meowth really didn¡¯t like where this was going.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Pitch black tendrils snaked out from under Mimikyu¡¯s disguise.

    Meowth really didn¡¯t like where this was going! What is that thing?!

    Claws formed on the ends of the tendrils as they reached out and shook Pikachu.

    The rat jolted as soon as contact was made.

    ¡°Wha- Team Rocket! I should have known!¡±

    ¡°Now ya see it?!¡± Mimikyu sighed before turning back to Meowth, those creepy arms reaching for the hem of the Pikachu cosplay. ¡°I¡¯m already sick of this. Last warnin¡¯, get goin¡¯ before ya see somethin¡¯ that¡¯ll haunt ya.¡±

    Heart pounding in his chest, Meowth whispered back to the morons he was with, hoping the twerps didn¡¯t overhear. ¡°I think it might be time to scram!¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Jessie hissed back. ¡°They¡¯re right there! Let¡¯s just grab them!¡±

    Meowth watched as Mimikyu lifted the hem just a tad.

    <hr>

    Pikachu watched as Meowth collapsed, the sense of unease he felt around Mimikyu suddenly increasing by at least tenfold. This sort of feeling¡­ it had been a while since he¡¯d last felt something like it. He almost wondered if¡­

    ¡­no, surely not. And if that was the case, it would be revealed in time. Of more immediate importance was the Rockets in front of them.

    ¡°Meowth?¡± James whispered.

    Jessie scooped him up, shaking the feline as she panicked. ¡°Meowth? Wake up! Meowth!¡±

    ¡°Meowth? Woah, wait a minute, that¡¯s Team Rocket!¡± Ash called out as the rest of the group finally caught on.

    But what had happened? Pikachu didn¡¯t see Mimikyu do anything and Meowth just collapsed on his own?

    ¡°Uh, Mimikyu? What just-¡±

    Meowth sprang to life, screaming in fear and jumping out of Jessie¡¯s hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m too young to die!¡± he yowled as his fur stood on end. He looked around in a panic, all out of sorts until his eyes landed on Mimikyu again.

    ¡°It¡¯s not worth it!¡± was the last thing he said before running away as fast as he could.

    The other Rockets looked confused by the sudden turn of events, but were smart enough to join their friend, running out of sight and leaving Pikachu and company behind.

    ¡°Hopefully we won¡¯ ¡®ave ta deal with ¡®em again any time soon. I ¡®ave a feelin¡¯ they¡¯ll be back eventually though¡­¡±

    Pikachu turned to Mimikyu as he spoke, watching the shadowy tendrils disappear beneath the cloth once more as the Ghost type turned back towards the group.

    ¡°Well? We ¡®ave a Nuzleaf to get back home, don¡¯ we?¡±

    The rest of the group was just as shocked as Pikachu, not moving an inch, frozen in place save for Cubone whose tears were raining down heavier than ever.

    ¡°Right¡­ guess I¡¯ll ¡®ave to explain as we walk.¡±

    <hr>

    Brock wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the situation.

    With Bonsly and a Nuzleaf far from home in his sights, he ought to have been focused on them. The Cubone that N had befriended had joined the two of them, a fast friendship seemingly forming in front of his eyes. He should have expected it really, with the three of them being on the¡­ perhaps the polite way to phrase it would be the sensitive side, they had more in common than one might think. But even if he wasn¡¯t focused on the trio, then maybe he should have been focused on their surroundings as they trekked through the forest towards the ancient tree that was supposedly Nuzleaf¡¯s home.

    But his eyes wouldn¡¯t leave the tiny ghost in the group.

    It had been a hot minute since he¡¯d last felt that sort of primal fear. To think he would experience it again with what he¡¯d been told was only a Pokemon of middling rarity¡­ that was concerning. But he would at least hear the two mysterious tagalongs out. He just wasn¡¯t sure how to start the conversation, and N seemed to be hemming and hawing over something or other.

    Luckily, Ash¡¯s understanding of social norms was flawed at best.

    ¡°So what was that back there?¡± He asked, scratching under Pikachu¡¯s chin. ¡°Was it a move or something? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it!¡±

    That was a lie. Only Pikachu and Brock would be able to call him out on it, but Brock doubted that the boy¡¯s best friend was any more eager than him to remind Ash of the last time.

    There was a lull as N tried to find the words to answer Ash, but Mimikyu saw fit to help him out. Or at least, Brock assumed as much.

    ¡°Kyu-kyu.¡±

    ¡°...it wasn¡¯t a move.¡± N started. ¡°It was more¡­ how would you say it¡­¡±

    With the improvements that N¡¯s Kantonian had seen recently, he thought it more likely that the delay was to formulate his thoughts rather than struggling with the vocabulary.

    ¡°Mimi-mi.¡± Mimikyu supplied.

    ¡°...a quirk of Mimikyu¡¯s biology.¡±

    ¡°Huh? How¡¯s that work?¡± Ash questioned.

    ¡°I¡¯ve not had the opportunity to look into it myself,¡± N hedged, ¡°but from what I¡¯ve been told, Mimikyu wear disguises out of necessity rather than as a fashion statement or something.¡±

    Was he trying to imply that it wasn¡¯t a part of Mimikyu¡¯s physical body? Brock had just assumed that it was a situation similar to Jynx or Gardevoir, where the ¡°outfit¡± was made up of flesh or some other biological product. He had heard tales of a Bug type that wore outfits made of the scraps around them in Sinnoh, but they¡¯d yet to come across one yet and the name escaped him.

    ¡°It seems that seeing what is hidden beneath the disguise is¡­ not for the faint of heart. There are unsubstantiated rumors that those who see Mimikyu¡¯s true form quickly meet their end.¡±

    Brock could see Dawn shaking in terror out of the corner of his eye, and Cubone was barely holding it together, even if Brock couldn¡¯t see the Ground type¡¯s face.

    ¡°Mimikyu-kyu.¡±

    ¡°Right. It¡¯s likely that those rumors are just nonsense, similar to the ones about Absol.¡± N tried to reassure them.

    ¡°Brock,¡± Dawn whispered to him, ¡°What¡¯s an Absol?¡±

    ¡°Dawn probably doesn¡¯t know much about those rumors.¡± Brock spoke up. ¡°Are you talking about how people think that they cause disasters wherever they go, when in reality they¡¯re able to sense them beforehand and try to warn people?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± N confirmed, ¡°Many people aren¡¯t aware of their precognitive abilities, and thus reverse the cause and effect. It¡¯s understandable, given the nature of it, but it¡¯s still wrong and I would assume that it causes many Absol grief.¡±

    Dawn relaxed slightly at that. Hopefully she wouldn''t get too wound up about it.

    Though something about that explanation still irked him.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you know about Absol, N. With how surprised you are about all the new Pokemon you see, and what I¡¯ve heard about the ones native to Unova¡­¡± It didn¡¯t add up. Had he been lying to them? No¡­ the amazement would be hard to fake¡­

    ¡°Ah, I know of Absol because I grew up around some¡­ paranoid people who considered employing the services of one or two. It never happened, so I¡¯ve not met one yet, but I did get the opportunity to learn about them.¡± The nervousness in his voice didn¡¯t do much to comfort Brock, but that was a reasonable enough explanation. Pushing harder on the point would only draw suspicion.

    ¡°Kyu.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, back to what I was saying.¡± N latched onto the save. ¡°While the rumors about it killing you are likely false, there¡¯s no doubting the fact that seeing a bare Mimikyu is quite terrifying. Even without directly seeing it, we all felt as much, right?¡± He didn¡¯t give them a moment to respond before continuing. ¡°Mimikyu gave Meowth a glimpse, and well¡­ you saw how that went.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Pokemon sure are amazing, aren¡¯t they?¡± Ash said after a moment to digest the information.

    That seemed to catch N off guard, but he smiled and answered in kind. ¡°Yes, Ash. They really are¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still confused though,¡± Ash continued. ¡°How did Mimikyu know it was Team Rocket? We all thought it was a Shiftry and some mountain climbers!¡±

    ¡°KYU! Mimikyu-kyu¡­¡± the little ghost growled out.

    ¡°It would seem the better question is how we were fooled. I¡¯m not familiar with Shiftry, but Mimikyu says it was a rather poor attempt at a disguise, and that the other Rockets were only wearing new outfits.¡± N thought for a moment. ¡°Now that I think about it, weren¡¯t they the same group who were trying to kidnap all the bird Pokemon?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, it¡¯s almost always Jessie, James, and Meowth who come after Pikachu and other Pokemon.¡± Ash agreed. ¡°Actually I¡¯m not sure I could tell you the last time we saw any other Team Rocket members¡­ but they¡¯re masters of disguise! So they always get the drop on us.¡±

    ¡°Masters of disguise? They didn¡¯t even bother to dye their hair! Other than the Meowth I guess¡­¡± N rebutted. ¡°I know I¡¯m not exactly one to talk, but those hair colors aren¡¯t subtle by any stretch of the imagination. If it¡¯s always the same people coming after your Pokemon, shouldn¡¯t you recognize them on sight?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Ash yelled. ¡°You didn¡¯t recognize them either! You were there for their last attempt, so what¡¯s your excuse?!¡±

    Ash really needed to get a better hold of his temper one of these days¡­ there was quite a difference between seeing them once and¡­ what had it been now? Hundreds of attempts that he and Ash had fought off?

    But N seemed to take it seriously. ¡°What is my excuse?¡± A hand went to his chin as he thought. ¡°Why would I not have¡­¡±

    ¡°Kyu?¡±

    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be that.¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    Inspiration seemed to strike. ¡°Do you know if Team Rocket has any Psychic type Pokemon?¡±

    ¡°Psychic types?¡± Brock questioned. A strange question to ask, but he was curious to see his line of reasoning. ¡°They¡¯ve got Wobbuffet with them at a minimum, the big blue Pokemon you saw last time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a Wobbuffet¡¯s specialty? I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡±

    That was¡­ a good question actually. While Psychic types were all renowned for their intellect, most specialized into certain fields. If you wanted computing power, Metagross were the way to go with their four cored brains. Hypno were the best at exerting their control over others. Wobbuffet¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure, actually.¡± Brock realized. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard any academics discuss them in that manner. Their movepool is pretty limited, with not a single attack in it. Their damage output comes entirely from Counter or Mirror Coat¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± N hummed. ¡°Something to consider then.¡±

    Something to consider? What was he on about? Not recognizing Team Rocket, Psychic types, Wobbuffet¡­ What was the link¡­

    ¡°...are you suggesting that Wobbuffet is behind us not recognizing them?¡± Brock hesitantly asked.

    ¡°Among other things.¡± N confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s only a theory though, I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much.¡±

    Ha. That was almost funny. Wobbuffet, influencing their minds enough for that¡­ what a joke¡­ there was no way¡­

    ¡­right?

    <hr>

    When they eventually reached Nuzleaf¡¯s home, N was amazed.

    The ancient tree was huge. He should have assumed as much, knowing that it was reportedly over a millennium old, but seeing it in person was a whole different thing.

    And the Pokemon¡­ Ash and Mimikyu were kind enough to name the unfamiliar ones for him. Dozens of Seedot covered the tree, and a few Vileplume were scattered around the roots and forest floor around it. Nuzleaf were everywhere, and he got to see what a real Shiftry looked like. How Meowth and the Rockets had thought their disguise was a good representation of that he¡¯d never know¡­

    The whole lot of them were excited to see their friend returned to them safe and sound, and Nuzleaf was eager to introduce them to his ¡°saviors¡±.

    ¡°These guys are amazing! That one there can use a leaf whistle almost as well as I can, and that one can understand what we say, and that one is really strong...¡± the Grass type lowered his voice for the next part, ¡°the one over there is really scary, I would avoid him.¡±

    N wished that all of his friends could get along, but he couldn¡¯t really blame Nuzleaf for being afraid of Mimikyu after the ghost¡¯s little display earlier.

    ¡°And these are my new best friends!¡± He exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Cubone and Bonsly. ¡°Cubone isn¡¯t a Grass type, but he¡¯s still cool.¡±

    Cubone teared up at that, but for once N didn¡¯t think it was out of sadness.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Grass type either.¡± Bonsly corrected.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not?!¡± Nuzleaf seemed shocked, and N left them to have their moment together.

    The other humans in the group were watching over the reunion with a smile as the sun set in the distance.

    ¡°It¡¯s not much farther to Oreburgh, you know. Just a single mountain between us and the city.¡± N mentioned.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ash beamed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get my first badge in the Sinnoh League!¡±

    ¡°Confident, are we?¡±

    ¡°He might not get it on the first shot, but he won¡¯t leave the city without a badge.¡± Brock said with a proud smile.

    N didn¡¯t understand them. Couldn¡¯t understand them. Though perhaps seeing Ash in a Gym battle would change that. He¡¯d heard that people¡¯s true colors showed when they were in a fight. Actions speak louder than words, after all.

    ¡°We should probably be on our way.¡± Brock shielded his eyes as he looked towards the setting sun. ¡°We still have some ground to catch if we want to make it in the Gym before it closes tomorrow. Bonsly! Wrap it up, we need to leave!¡±

    N turned back towards the tree, watching as Bonsly ran up to his trainer without hesitation¡­ and Cubone nervously made his way up to him.

    ¡°Is something wrong, Cubone?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I want to stay here, with Nuzleaf!¡± The Ground type shook like a leaf as he made the declaration.

    ¡°Then do it.¡± N said with a smile. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you. If you¡¯ll be happy here, then this is where you should be.¡±

    ¡°R-really? You¡¯re not mad that I don¡¯t want to come with you?¡±

    ¡°Cubone,¡± N knelt down so he could stroke the skull on its head, ¡°I¡¯m not a trainer. I¡¯m just your friend. I¡¯m okay with us separating, though I hope we can see each other again someday.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Cubone said through the tears. ¡°I¡¯ll become a big, strong Marowak¡­ you won¡¯t even recognize me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it then.¡± He said with a laugh. ¡°See you later Cubone.¡±

    The group gave their final goodbyes and made their way towards the mountain, thinking of the future and leaving new friends behind. The setting sun gave the illusion that the horizon was on fire as they walked away from it.

    And with a single chill down his spine, he could have sworn those illusory flames flickered green for just a moment.

 Chapter 15

    As the group exited the Oreburgh Gate, N found himself wondering how any of the people who explored the caverns kept themselves from going insane.

    The map of Sinnoh he was using showed it as one of the shortest paths through the caves of the Coronet Mountain range, but even that short trek through the darkness had seen them swarmed with Zubat flying overhead and tripping over all the Geodude.

    One might think that, with as well explored as he was, he¡¯d be used to such a thing. There was quite a big difference between the caverns of Unova and those in the rest of the League regions, however.

    For one, the Roggenrola line was much more obvious against the background of its normal surroundings. Where a Geodude could easily be mistaken for any other rock on the cave floor while it rested, a Boldore or Gigalith was blue and covered in orange-ish red. Even Roggenrola at least had a yellow core.

    But the tripping hazards could probably be ignored if not for the Zubats. Sure, a Woobat is just as lacking when it comes to the vision department. But Woobats also had giant noses that came with a strong sense of smell, as well as their secondary typing. A Poison typing might be great for weakening any prey they came across, though Brock had confusingly informed him that a Zubat was likely to evolve long before it learned a single Poison type move, but would that help them get around? Of course not. Woobat on the other hand was a Psychic type, able to form a mental image of their surroundings by either idly scanning the minds of those who did have vision, or by simply using their sixth sense as a discount form of vision. Not that any of them would ever refer to it that way.

    But a Zubat? He had just learned that their only method for sensing obstacles in their surroundings was to use ultrasonic waves.

    Supersonic after Supersonic had bombarded them, and much to N¡¯s displeasure, he had found that both species of cavern denizens lacked the mental capacity to have a conversation. Where he could have asked a polite Woobat to leave him be as he traversed its territory, there had been no such luck here.

    He loved nature, and he loved Pokemon, but perhaps this one a situation in which they would be perfectly capable of keeping humans away from them without his help.

    To his relief, the other side of the mountain was much more pleasant than its insides. As he and his companions waited for the ringing in their ears to stop and their eyes to adjust to the new level of brightness, he took in the fresh air and the sights before them.

    Nestled up against the towering cliff face was Oreburgh City. The buildings were a collection of light brown and grey, towering smoke stacks dotted throughout the area, and a faint scent that said industrial, even from this distance, all working to build a picture of what life was like here.

    He didn¡¯t think he was a fan, and he hadn¡¯t even seen the Gym yet.

    Not wanting to face the music quite yet, he allowed Ash and his friends to get swept up in a discussion about the city and his upcoming battle, taking the time to converse with his closest companion at the moment.

    ¡°If I never ¡®ave ta see another Zubat again, it¡¯ll be too soon,¡± the little ghost complained.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be quite some time until we need to again. Maybe we can even take some routes that avoid the caves?¡± N suggested, feeling a little guilty about agreeing with Mimikyu on this one.

    ¡°Nope. Soon as we¡¯re done ¡®ere, we¡¯ll be right back in there.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, no?¡± N asked, pulling out his map. ¡°The next Gym is in Eterna City, if I¡¯m understanding this correctly, and we can just take this road here straight from Oreburgh to our destination. Cut through a bit of route 207, and then straight up 206.¡±

    ¡°Right. Slight problem with that idea. Ya see this bit, right ¡®ere?¡± A shadowy hand reached down from his shoulder, gesturing to a strange marking on route 206.

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°Ya know what this says?¡± Mimikyu pointed to a bit of text next to it.

    ¡°Saiku¡­ cycling road? So it has a bike path, why is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°N, this isn¡¯ just a bike path. Cycling Road is a full on raised road that ya must have a bike ta cross. There isn¡¯ a way to get ta Eterna from the south side without one, and even then it¡¯s so heavily sloped that yer bike is gonna wanna go south on its own just ¡®cuz of gravity. Goin¡¯ underneath is how ya get to Wayward Cave, which I¡¯ll admit is a destination of int¡¯rest, but that¡¯s really only ¡®cuz it¡¯s where the Garchomp line have their breedin¡¯ grounds.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are you telling me¡­¡± N gaped, not wanting to believe it as he considered the map with this new information.

    ¡°Yep. Ya wanna get ta Eterna? Yer gonna go all the way over ta Floaroma, through that there forest, and then ya can reach Eterna.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! Who came up with this route?!¡±

    ¡°N, I hate ta break it to ya, but Unova is prob¡¯ly the most straightforward pathin¡¯ there is in a gym run. Ta my knowledge, anyway. Sinnoh is full of backtrackin¡¯, though I¡¯m hopin¡¯ we¡¯ll get what we¡¯re after without ¡®avin¡¯ ta run around the whole region.¡±

    N clung to that one hope desperately. ¡°Right! Of course!¡± he laughed nervously. ¡°We just need to accomplish our goals before dealing with all of that¡­¡±

    ¡°Aww, cheer up, N! It ain¡¯ that bad. Jus¡¯ means ya get ta make all sortsa friends along the way.¡±

    N glanced over to their supposed friends, the lot of them excitedly chattering about the upcoming blood sport, before turning back to Mimikyu.

    ¡°I meant more along the lines of that Cubone ya were hangin¡¯ out with¡­¡± Mimikyu tried to defend himself.

    N sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±

    <hr>

    As they approached the Gym itself, N resigned himself to the horrors he was about to witness. It was for the greater good. He just needed to get through a few of these and then he would have the key to ending it all¡­

    But his mental preparation was interrupted by a kid who looked to be about Ash¡¯s age walking out of the front door. Purple hair and a frown made him stand out.

    ¡°Woah, it¡¯s Paul!¡± Ash exclaimed.

    Knowing Ash also made the boy stand out, and N wasn¡¯t sure if it was in a good or bad way yet.

    ¡°Do I know you?¡± Paul scowled at Ash.

    It was a bad way then.

    A man walked out from behind Paul, the Gym doors closing behind him. Olive green hair, a bit of stubble, and some garish yellow clothes. Could this be the Gym Leader?

    ¡°Paul, are these friends of yours?¡± The man asked.

    ¡°No way!¡±

    A rude little brat then, enough that it immediately stood out even among all these trainers.

    ¡°You must have just fought a battle, did you get a badge?¡± Ash inquired.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ash seemed shocked by that answer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you¡¯re here for a battle too!¡± The unnamed man spoke up.

    ¡°Yeah, my name is Ash and I¡¯m from Pallet Town! This will be my first battle in Sinnoh, it¡¯s great to be here!¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready to eat dirt!¡± Pikachu chimed in with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Damn, did not expect that outta the guy.¡± Mimikyu whispered to him. ¡°More competitive than I thought, I guess.¡±

    N couldn¡¯t help but agree. Pikachu had been so kind and helpful to Mimikyu that he had started to forget that he was a trainer¡¯s ace. All of those hours spent trying to teach the fairy the basics had made him lower his guard, but he supposed it was to be expected that going through so many Gym runs would leave him with warped views¡­

    ¡°Say, that¡¯s quite a long trip all the way from Kanto. Welcome to the temple for Rock Pokemon, the Oreburgh Gym.¡±

    ¡°You mean this Gym is for Rock Pokemon?¡±

    Paul looked just as dumbfounded as N felt. Did Ash really not know? Sure, they hadn¡¯t exactly discussed it beforehand, but that information was in every guide of Sinnoh N had looked at since arriving! Why would a trainer like Ash not research that sort of thing before coming here?

    ¡°You got it, and our Gym Leader¡¯s name is Roark.¡±

    ¡°Wait, then that means you must not be the Gym Leader!¡±

    ¡­Ash was a little slow on the uptake, wasn¡¯t he?

    ¡°I take care of the Pokemon here, the name¡¯s Ian, and Roark¡¯s not here at the moment. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to have a battle as soon as Paul is finished with his.¡±

    ¡°Sounds great, thanks!¡±

    ¡°So until Roark gets back, I¡¯ll be at the Pokemon Center.¡± Paul informed Ian before walking away.

    ¡°Hey Paul, let¡¯s both give it all we¡¯ve got!¡± Ash shouted after him, but the other boy made a point of ignoring him. ¡°What is with that guy¡­¡±

    ¡°Jerk.¡± Pikachu muttered from his shoulder.

    As Ian led the group inside and guided Ash through the process of registering for all the trainer stuff N couldn¡¯t care less about, N found himself considering the purple haired boy. Someone with that sort of attitude taking on the Gyms? He¡¯d seen it all too many times before. The details differed from case to case, but he was adept at recognizing the signs by now. The bastard was probably abusing his Pokemon right now.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    N could go after him. Demand that he stop and release his Pokemon. Do everything he could to stop their suffering.

    But it wouldn¡¯t matter in the end. Not with the League in charge. Paul could simply report him to an Officer Jenny, fudge the details, and get him locked up for whatever false charges they preferred around here. Probably some garbage that compared him to Team Rocket. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, he came up to me and demanded that I give up my Pokemon like some common Rocket thug!¡±

    Going to Officer Jenny himself wouldn¡¯t do much better. He might get the boy investigated for Pokemon abuse, but those cases rarely went anywhere. Normal people couldn¡¯t understand the truth. Couldn¡¯t see the victims of abuse going right back to their tormentor, convinced that they deserved it, that it was all to make them stronger.

    The whole system disgusted him.

    Paul¡¯s time would come. N would make sure of it. It just wouldn¡¯t be right now.

    Hopefully the bastard¡¯s team could hold on until then.

    ¡°Hey, you coming N? We have to go find Roark and his hidden treasure!¡± Ash called out to him as the group walked out the door.

    He had gotten lost in his thoughts again.

    ¡°What¡¯s yet opinion on revivin¡¯ fossils, N?¡± Mimikyu asked as he followed behind the group.

    A bit of a non sequitur¡­

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­ jus¡¯ wonderin¡¯...¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Sure was lucky that they had a shovel in my size!¡± Meowth said, waving the tool through the air as they walked through the dig site.

    Jessie didn¡¯t think it all that surprising, not with the number of Pokemon employed here. Even if most of them looked to be large Fighting types¡­

    ¡°Waaaahhhhba!¡± the blue buffoon cried out.

    ¡°Hmmm, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± James replied, a gloved hand on his chin. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing any other Pokemon your size around here, I wonder why they were keeping it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, how lucky that we might be able to make up for your failures!¡± she glared at the Normal type. ¡°You two might be happy to dress up like this¡± she pointed to the absolutely hideous rags she had been forced to wear to blend in as a typical mine worker, ¡°but I am not meant to be working for a living! If you hadn¡¯t had your little incident when we had the twerps cornered, we could be living the big life right now instead of preparing to go dig through some dirt!¡±

    Her precious hair was going to be absolutely ruined by this! Did these morons not understand how long it took to make it look this good? She had a lot of hair to work with! And that wasn¡¯t even getting into all the makeup she had on right now! Her products weren¡¯t exactly cheap, and sure, maybe that money would be better spent on food when they¡¯d all but starved on the last route, but she was a woman! She had to look good, no matter the cost! James just wouldn¡¯t get it, and that went double for Meowth!

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you itching to take a peek under the disguise!¡± Meowth defended.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t see much of anything since you passed out and then ran away!¡±

    ¡°The guy threatened to kill me! I saw the other side, Jessie! If I didn¡¯t have nine lives¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still here, aren¡¯t you?!¡±

    ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s settle down!¡± James interjected, side-eying all the people who had stopped to stare at the side show. ¡°The past is the past, and it¡¯s not like that was our first time getting bested by the twerps. Besides, I did a bit of research on that Mimikyu fellow since we last saw them!¡±

    ¡°You did? Well, spit it out then, what was that?!¡± Meowth cried out while Jessie glared at the actual miners so they¡¯d move on with their day and stop gawking. She knew that she was beautiful, but still, have some shame!

    ¡°Well, for some reason it was a lot harder to track down information on it than I¡¯ve ever had outside of¡­ well, you know what.¡±

    A chill ran down Jessie¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Are you telling me that-¡±

    ¡°No! No, not at all!¡± He chuckled nervously. ¡°Perfectly common in a few regions outside of the League, apparently.¡±

    The trio breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°However¡­¡± James continued, making her and Meowth tense back up again, ¡°...it would seem that taking a look underneath the disguise really is a bad idea. I couldn¡¯t find any reports backing up the claims, but there¡¯s rumors that seeing what¡¯s beneath could end¡­ poorly.¡±

    ¡°...do you think Mimikyu and the green haired ones are going to be long lasting twerps?¡± Jessie hesitantly asked, suddenly a lot more worried about encountering them again.

    ¡°Well, you never know with them,¡± Meowth started. ¡°They¡¯re always travelling with weirdos for days at a time, so it¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Excuse me!¡± An all too familiar voice shouted from behind Jessie.

    Team Rocket turned to find the subject of their discussion only a few feet away from them.

    Mimikyu was on the ground, and though Jessie couldn¡¯t really see its eyes, she was certain that the thing was glaring at them. Luckily nobody else had recognized them yet, so the group quickly turned around, hoping they wouldn¡¯t be recognizable from behind in these outfits.

    ¡°We heard that Roark was here, could you tell us where to find him?¡±

    Roark? The name sounded familiar, but she couldn¡¯t place it. Should she just blurt out something, anything at all to get them to go away?

    Luckily one of the miners called out this Roark guy¡¯s name, taking the twerps¡¯ attention off of them as they walked over to the guy.

    As she dared to take a peek at them, Mimikyu turned around, a terrifying shadowy tendril pointing to its¡­ eyes? Nostrils? It was hard to tell under that Pikachu cosplay, but pointing to them afterwards made the message clear enough.

    ¡°What do you guys say we ditch Oreburgh and try our luck elsewhere?¡± Meowth suggested, his voice shaking.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s the smartest thing you said all week!¡± James answered.

    ¡°Wahhhhhbah!¡±

    Jessie was all too happy to leave. There had to be easier targets, ones that weren¡¯t infested with twerps and their creepy new Pokemon.

    <hr>

    ¡°Welcome, from your century to mine.¡± The man who Ash assumed to be Gym Leader Roark said as he rubbed the rock in front of him.

    ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Roark?¡± Ash tried to get his attention.

    ¡°Just a moment, I¡¯m having a talk with this fossil right now.¡±

    ¡°You talk to fossils?¡± That was pretty impressive! He¡¯d seen talking Pokemon, and people who could understand Pokemon, but this was the first time he¡¯d seen someone who could talk to a rock! ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool! It¡¯s sort of like-¡±

    A hand on his shoulder stopped him, and when he turned to look, N was making a shushing motion. Did he not want the whole talking to Pokemon thing getting out? Ash thought it was something to brag about, but to each their own.

    Luckily, Roark seemed too enthralled by the fossil to have caught that last part.

    ¡°I sure do, and right now it¡¯s telling me all about the good ol¡¯ days. I can still feel its warmth, its breath.¡±

    Ash turned to Brock, wondering if that sounded as weird to his companion as it did to him. They were both Rock type Gym Leaders, or, well, ex Rock type Gym Leader in Brock¡¯s case, but maybe it was just something that came with the territory? Though he didn¡¯t remember Roxanne being like this¡­

    Brock looked just as confused as he felt, though.

    Rubbing the fossil, Roark continued. ¡°One day I know you¡¯ll come back to life, you can be sure of it.¡± Finally, he took a step back. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get it to the museum!¡±

    His employees pushed the cart away, leaving them alone with the Gym Leader.

    ¡°Now, what were you saying?¡± he finally turned towards Ash.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come to the Oreburgh Gym for a battle!¡± He answered with a smile on his face.

    ¡°But someone¡¯s ahead of us!¡± Dawn added.

    Ah. Right¡­ waiting was never fun, but at least he could see a decent battle and learn some of Roark¡¯s strategies! Paul may be a jerk, but he wasn¡¯t half bad when it came to Pokemon battles. He would make Roark put on a show.

    ¡°Well what do you know, I¡¯ve got two challengers waiting for me!¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Brock spoke up, ¡°Ian told us when you¡¯re digging for coal, you¡¯re looking for treasure, too.¡±

    ¡°Treasure, huh?¡± The Gym Leader turned towards where the cart had been pushed to. A crane was lifting the fossil out of it and onto the back of a truck. ¡°A lot of Pokemon fossils turn up while coal mining. I really enjoy my work as a foreman for the miners.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the foreman?¡± Ash asked, impressed by that fact.

    Being a Pokemon trainer kept him busy enough! He didn¡¯t understand how so many Gym Leaders managed to balance keeping their teams at the necessary skill level to test trainers while also keeping up a second job.

    ¡°Sure am! But enough about that, if I¡¯ve got two challengers waiting then we should probably make our way over to the Gym!¡±

    Excited to get to his first big battle of the region, Ash followed behind Roark with a grin.

    ¡°While we¡¯re walking¡­¡± Roark trailed off, looking towards N and Mimikyu as the little guy climbed up onto his shoulder, ¡°I have to say, it¡¯s a surprise to see you two here.¡±

    N tensed up, but Mimikyu didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°You know N and Mimikyu?¡± Brock asked, looking strangely interested in the conversation all of a sudden.

    Roark laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know them, no, but it¡¯s kind of hard to not know of them with how up in arms Cynthia has been lately. I swear, I¡¯ve had to read through an extra 50 reports in the last week because of you two.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like that bothered the man too much, but that didn¡¯t sound like a good thing to Ash. Reports were what he had to fill out when Officer Jenny got involved, and he always messed them up and had to redo them with Brock¡­

    ¡°Who is Cynthia?¡± Dawn asked. It didn¡¯t ring a bell to him either, but he hadn¡¯t exactly gotten to know all of the important people in Sinnoh yet.

    ¡°Cynthia is the Champion of the Sinnoh region.¡± Roark answered, as if that wasn¡¯t an absolute bombshell.

    ¡°You guys know the Champion?!¡± He turned to N and Mimikyu. ¡°Is she strong?!¡±

    Steven was insanely strong, and he¡¯d dreamed of beating Lance for a long time, so surely this Cynthia person must be on the same level!

    N only grimaced, and Mimikyu shivered. Mimikyu! One of the scariest Pokemon he knew shivered at just the mention of her! Cynthia must be terrifyingly strong!

    Ash couldn¡¯t wait to battle her.

    ¡°...I wouldn¡¯t say that we know her¡­¡± N eventually settled on. ¡°But we¡¯ve¡­ met.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve met, he says!¡± Roark barked out another laugh. ¡°You must be a real wild guy!¡±

    But his smile turned contemplative, and then a bit worried. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve read the reports and I think I¡¯m in the clear, but none of my team are gonna¡­ you know¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a Rock type Gym leader, right?¡± N asked as he pulled out Mimikyu¡¯s pen and notebook.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Mimikyu scribbled out an answer. It was pretty impressive what Mimikyu was able to do. He wondered if he could teach his own Pokemon how to write¡­

    ¡±´óÕÉ·ò¤Ç¤¹¡£¤â¤ó¤À¤¤¤Ê¤¤¡£¡± The notebook read when he turned it around for Roark.

    ¡°Huh. I guess you being able to write was in the reports, but seeing it is something else¡­ Thanks for clearing that up for me though. I wouldn¡¯t particularly mind if it was possible, but with Cynthia the way she¡¯s been¡­ might be best to wait on that.¡± He laughed again, apparently at ease.

    ¡°Mind filling the rest of us in?¡± Brock asked.

    It looked like Roark was going to answer, but N cut him off. ¡°We should wait until after Ash gets his badge. It can wait, and he needs to stay focused.¡±

    ¡°I guess you have a point there.¡± Roark agreed before turning to Ash. ¡°I want you at your best when you battle me, really give it your all!¡±

    ¡°Of course! I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way!¡± Ash easily agreed.

    He would always give it his best in a Gym battle. But for the two of them to agree that it was something that might distract him from it¡­ well, that worried him a bit.

    But N was his friend now. He¡¯d get to know whatever this secret was when it was time for it. If that meant waiting, then so be it.

    He had a battle to win.

 Chapter 16

    As the battle began, N didn¡¯t bother to hide his grimace. Knowing that he¡¯d have to watch Ash¡¯s battle was bad enough, but they¡¯d been suckered into watching this Paul kid battle as well.

    Tactically, it was a good decision on Ash¡¯s part. Watching this would give him useful information not only on the Gym Leader he was about to face, but also on this Paul kid. It sounded like the two of them were following a similar pathing through the region so far, and it wasn¡¯t uncommon for two people attempting a League run to encounter each other again and again.

    But being here made his skin crawl. Roark¡¯s excitement as he sent out a Geodude. Paul¡¯s cold indifference as he fielded an Azumarill. And while he understood why Ash wanted to watch, it didn¡¯t make it any easier to accept the level of interest he and Dawn held.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    Eager to distract himself from the suffering that was about to unfold, N looked to the Pokemon in his lap. ¡°Is something wrong, Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ maybe. Azumarill is on the list, and I dunno what the range of this stuff is.¡±

    The list? What did he mean by¡­ Shit.

    ¡°List? What sort of list?¡± Pikachu asked from Ash¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°We¡¯ll tell ya later,¡± Mimikyu dismissed. ¡°In the meantime, might be best if we weren¡¯ ¡®ere for this match.¡±

    That was a good point, and a wonderful excuse not to watch this.

    ¡°Hey, now wait a minute-¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Mimikyu cut the Electric type off. ¡°We¡¯ll be back to watch yer attempt against Roark, but the explanations will ¡®ave ta wait.¡± The little ghost climbed up onto his shoulder so that he could stand, drawing the attention of their human companions.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up N?¡± Ash inquired, one eye still on the field as the battle began in earnest.

    ¡°Mimikyu just realized that we need to take care of some things. We¡¯ll be back for your match.¡±

    That clearly confused the trainer and his friends, but N walked away before his lacking explanation could be questioned further. Quickly slipping out of the Gym, the duo found themselves alone, walking down the streets of Oreburgh, but still within sight of the Gym¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°So that blue Pokemon, Azumarill I think you called it, has the potential to become a Fairy type then?¡± N probed for an explanation.

    ¡°Yeah, the whole line is. Which is a bit odd ta me, now that I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ about it. I mean, Azurill, the first in the line, should be a pure Normal type ¡®ere, and then that switches ta Water type once it evolves inta Marill. Which, sure I guess, it¡¯s not unheard of for that sorta thing ta happen, even if ya could count the number of similar cases on one hand. Or maybe two if ya count all the eeveelutions sep¡¯rately. But, an¡¯ I mean I¡¯m no expert or anythin¡¯, if the evolution causes such a strange type change, I don¡¯ see why the Fairy typin¡¯ can s¡¯posedly infect the whole line jus¡¯ as easily.¡±

    Knowing nothing about the Pokemon in question, N could only shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to tell you on that front. We could ask Professor Rowan, I suppose. You did agree to help him with his research, and we haven¡¯t exactly checked in with him at all.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I s¡¯pose ya gotta point there. But I¡¯m not sure how safe it would be ta talk about it at all ¡®till we ¡®ave a method of keepin¡¯ the Porygons outta our conversations.¡±

    True. Not much they could do about it for the moment. Instead, N¡¯s thoughts drifted back to the Gym they had just left. With the attitude he has seen from Paul¡­ ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t stray too far. I doubt Paul¡¯s battle will last very long, and then Ash will be up next.¡±

    ¡°Yer not wrong, but I ¡®ave a feelin¡¯ Ash¡¯s attempt ain¡¯ gonna happen for a bit. Paul is prob¡¯bly gonna take a bit of a toll on Roark¡¯s team, and then Ash will ¡®ave ta wait for them to rest up. Might not even get ta battle today.¡±

    That was probably true. Paul certainly acted like a brute, for the handful of sentences he had heard from the boy, and his past experience with Gym Battles would indicate a similar outcome. Roark might underestimate him, with this being so early into the League route, and see his team in worse shape than usual at the end of it.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but we might as well wait here, and just rejoin them once Paul leaves.¡±

    ¡°If ya say so. Should prob¡¯bly practice our League if we¡¯re just waitin¡¯ aroun¡¯, then. Ya got that textbook we picked up in Jubilife, or did Ash still ¡®ave it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure what Ash thinks he¡¯s going to accomplish with it. The instructions are all written in Unovan, and he¡¯s barely picked up a few words from us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts, I guess? He¡¯s puttin¡¯ the effort in at least, an¡¯ he¡¯ll wanna get a decent grasp on it while we¡¯re travellin¡¯ together, since he¡¯ll likely go to Unova next. You an¡¯ I at least had some comprehension of League when we came ¡®ere. I don¡¯ wanna know what it¡¯d be like if ya went and had no clue.¡±

    With a sigh, the duo found a bench to sit on, pulled out Sinnohian and You! A Beginner¡¯s Guide for Galarian Speakers and opened to their bookmark.

    ¡°Chapter five, a trip to Sunyshore City. Let¡¯s see¡­ what is this kanji? I don¡¯t recognize it. Did they even introduce that one yet?¡± N pointed to the offending line.

    ¡°That¡¯s airplane.¡± Mimikyu answered without hesitation.

    ¡°How do you remember that one? How often are you writing the kanji for airplane?!¡±

    ¡°Never. I don¡¯ think I could write it if I tried, but I¡¯ve got enough pattern recognition ta be able ta read it.¡±

    N sighed, his head drooping. ¡°This language is so stupid.¡±

    ¡°Hang in there, N,¡± the little ghost reassured him in a patronizing tone. ¡°Ya only ¡®ave a few thousand more to memorize!¡±

    <hr>

    Dawn had found herself getting more and more confused lately.

    Travelling like this, something every kid dreamed of as soon as they understood what Pokemon were, well, obviously it had been her dream! How could it not be? She was glad to get some independence from her mom, even if that was scary at times, and having Pokemon of her own was everything she thought it would be! Then she had participated in her first contest, and maybe she hadn¡¯t won, but it was still a great time!

    But not everything was sunshine and Roselias.

    She was¡­ slowly getting used to N and Mimikyu. Mimikyu was a little bit¡­ well, super scary! The thing that happened with Team Rocket¡¯s Meowth hadn¡¯t exactly improved his reputation on that front, no matter the explanation they¡¯d been given afterwards by N. And N¡­ N seemed like a good guy, and he really cared about Pokemon, which she could appreciate! She just didn¡¯t like all the nasty looks she got, and the days leading up to the Gym battle had been worse than usual. And that hadn¡¯t made sense to her! It was a Gym battle! Everyone loved those. Ash was super excited for his, Brock used to be a Gym Leader, and sure, this was the first time she¡¯d actually gotten to watch one herself, but she had been certain that she¡¯d love it too!

    But she hadn¡¯t.

    She tried to put on a brave face for the others, knowing how important it was to them. But watching Paul fight Roark¡­ it wasn¡¯t what she thought it would be.

    Had that been why N and Mimikyu had left before it started? N said he¡¯d come back to watch Ash¡¯s match, but then hadn¡¯t actually come back at all¡­ which, okay, that maybe looked bad on his part, but it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d actually missed the match, since it had been postponed to the next day.

    But that left her a whole day to think about things, with little to distract her. She didn¡¯t talk to anyone about it. What would she say? ¡°Hey, that Gym battle was way different from what I expected, are they all like that?¡±

    Simply put, it had been brutal.

    She knew that Pokemon got hurt in battles. Her own team had experienced that, both in the Jubilife contest and out on the road while training. Sure, she didn¡¯t exactly like seeing them get hurt, but they could get healed up really quick, so it wasn¡¯t something to really worry about.

    The match hadn¡¯t been like that. Not like anything she¡¯d ever seen. With the way things had turned out, she was surprised Roark was agreeing to have his match with Ash the next day. If that had been her team, she¡¯d have given them a week off at least!

    Ash and Brock had at least seemed angry at the way Paul treated his Pokemon, but there hadn¡¯t been a word about Roark.

    They just went about their day like normal. Found N and Mimikyu outside the gym, explored Oreburgh for a bit, did a bit of training, and stayed the night at the Pokemon Center.

    And now Ash was standing in the challenger¡¯s box, looking more excited than she¡¯d ever seen him. She could see N frowning beside her. Did he feel the same way? Did he glare at them¡­ because he hated this? Did he think she was like this? She considered asking him, but his very apparent bad mood, and the Ghost type on his lap were, in her mind, a good reason not to.

    Besides¡­ N didn¡¯t fit in. Ash got along with him, but Ash seemed to get along with everyone who wasn¡¯t Paul. Brock didn¡¯t seem to like him. She¡­ well, she wouldn¡¯t say that she didn¡¯t like him, that felt like a bit much, she just found him¡­ intimidating? It was hard to describe how she felt, really. And whatever the case, it wasn¡¯t hard to see that there was a divide between them. They were getting better at pretending it wasn¡¯t there, for Ash¡¯s sake if nothing else, but it was still there.

    She thought she was coming to understand N a little bit more¡­ but she didn¡¯t want to be like him. She wanted to fit in. Wanted to be someone Brock could accept. He was an ex Gym Leader after all, right? Surely if there was a rift forming, his side was the one she should be on. So she pushed her wary feelings about the whole thing down, forced a smile to her face, and acted as excited as she could when Brock spoke to her.

    This was her first journey. She was her mother¡¯s daughter. This had to go well.

    Even if it was starting to feel a bit wrong.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    <hr>

    ¡°Aipom, use Focus Punch!¡± They heard Ash call out before the Normal type leapt into the air, Roark countering the command with his own ¡°Headbutt!¡±

    Mimikyu was on his lap once more, watching the field with rapt attention. Brock was providing some commentary for Dawn, who was sitting between them, and she was nodding along¡­ Something seemed a bit off about her, but he didn¡¯t care enough to investigate.

    Neither Pokemon said a word. When the stakes were this high, speaking was often a distraction that you couldn¡¯t afford. The Cranidos, who he had been informed was a pure Rock type Pokemon revived from a fossil, sprinted across the field at a surprising speed. When Aipom¡¯s tail, glowing with bright light, began to come down towards the ancient Pokemon, Cranidos all but erupted from the ground with a kick of its powerful legs, forcing the thick plate of its skull right into Aipom¡¯s face and torso.

    Even from this distance, N could hear the crack of bone.

    Mimikyu¡¯s false head tilted, as if he was pondering what he had just heard, but the action didn¡¯t stop for him to take his time and consider it.

    With a quick twist of its neck, Cranidos sent Aipom crashing to the ground, carving up a trough of dirt as Ash¡¯s Pokemon skidded to a stop.

    ¡°Aipom, get up! You can do it!¡± Ash cried out, but even after just one hit it looked like the poor thing was struggling. Its limbs shook, and it had to use its tail to force itself back on two feet.

    ¡°Cranidos, use Flamethrower, now!¡± Roark demanded, and bright, hot flames suddenly engulfed the fossil¡¯s maw, the heat warping the air around its face and distorting their view of it before the fire shot out towards its opponent.

    ¡°Double Team!¡± In the blink of an eye, there were suddenly seven copies of the Normal type, each of them jumping out of the Flamethrower¡¯s path, their edges blurring. It mattered little though, because the spout of fire swept through them all, dispersing each one with a small burst of light. All except the last, who at Ash¡¯s command sent out a Swift to disrupt the incoming move. The glowing stars tore the stream apart, and with so many it was hard to tell how much of the flames had gotten through, sailing through the air and towards Roark¡¯s Pokemon.

    ¡°Dodge it!¡± The Gym Leader ordered, but the move changed direction, homing in on the Rock type and peppering him with damage until their numbers ran dry.

    ¡°Did he just tell ¡®is Pokemon ta dodge Swift? How is this guy a Gym Leader?¡± Mimikyu complained. ¡°The whole point of usin¡¯ Swift is that it has perfect accuracy!¡±

    That was¡­ a good point actually. He was well aware that Gym Leaders sandbagged against newer trainers, focused more on making sure their skills were progressing nicely throughout their League run rather than ensuring that trainers were stronger than them. Roark¡¯s actual team probably hadn¡¯t seen a Gym battle in a long time.

    But this? Telling his Cranidos to dodge a Swift? How awful of a trainer did he think Ash was? There was no way that the League, as paranoid as it was, didn¡¯t give Gym Leaders information on all their challengers. That was, presumably, the whole point of making trainers register. So they could be properly tracked.

    Unless¡­ He wasn¡¯t entirely sure of how Mimikyu knew, or even if it was true, but hadn¡¯t the little ghost told Professor Rowan that Ash was in many redacted files? It was a bit of a stretch, given that League matches were public record and all, but perhaps the League, in their ever abundant ¡°caution¡±, had over censored his files, leading Roark to believe Ash a much worse trainer than he actually was.

    ¡°Focus Punch!¡±

    He would have to look into it later. With his attention no longer being drawn by the Gym Leader and his Pokemon, he got a good look at the challenger. It didn¡¯t look as bad as it could have been, but parts of the Normal type''s fur were singed, black marks dotting the purple and cream coating. Aipom¡¯s tail glowed once more as it launched itself towards Roark¡¯s Pokemon.

    ¡°Zen Headbutt, go!¡±

    A Psychic type move? The type coverage on this Cranidos was actually turning out to be rather impressive. Its plated skull glowed blue, the area around its head distorting once more, if by different causes.

    When the two moves collided, an explosion blinded them, shaking the building as the battlers were launched apart. The concussive noise covered up anything quieter, but the results were clearly visible. Cranidos, having taken almost all the damage against its thick skull, barely had a few scratches on it. Aipom on the other hand¡­

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Mimikyu tensed up in his lap, all of his attention on Ash and his Pokemon.

    The Normal type was a mess. One eye barely kept open, blood dripping from its lips, though thankfully its teeth still looked to be intact. The healing that Pokemon could get from berries or treatment at a Pokemon Center wasn¡¯t able to properly restore those, and seasoned battlers often found their smiles full of gaps. One arm was bent the wrong way, its tail hung limp, and its entire body was covered in cuts and burns.

    ¡°What¡­ what just happened?¡± The little fairy asked him in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s jus¡¯ a Gym battle, why¡­?¡±

    Speaking in Unovan, so as to not be understood by those sharing the stands with him, N explained. ¡°This is why I hate trainers, Mimikyu. Look at the state Aipom is in. And for what? A badge? The League runs a blood sport, and it¡¯s disgusting.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯¡­ none of the other fights ¡®ave been like this¡­ Aipom looks¡­¡±

    ¡°Most battles you see are spars. I¡¯m not a fan of those either, but they¡¯re generally kept at a friendly level. That¡¯s what they call it anyway. This?¡± He gestured to bruised, broken, and battered Pokemon. ¡°This is what a real battle looks like. League matches are official,¡± he mocked, ¡°and require that the Pokemon put their all into it. They fight as if their life is on the line, and all for the amusement of humans.¡±

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t have a response for that. N had tried to warn him in the past, but seeing it for yourself was always different.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brock giving him a strange look. Probably for speaking in a language they couldn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Turtwig, I choose you!¡± Ash¡¯s Grass type was released onto the field.

    Ash started out with a Razor Leaf, dozens of sharp edged leaves appearing in flashes of green light, cutting through the air like throwing stars as they made their way towards Cranidos. Another Flamethrower from Cranidos turned them all into nothing more than ashes, scattered to the wind, but the move didn¡¯t hit Turtwig at all. Somehow the Grass type dodged under it completely, sprinting towards his opponent and chomping down on Cranidos¡¯ arm with a Bite.

    They all heard the bone crack, and with Mimikyu more aware of the reality of League battles, the ghost flinched at the noise.

    With Turtwig latched onto his arm, retaliating with a Zen Headbutt was easy. Turtwig cried out in pain and was launched away as he gave up his hold, but there wasn¡¯t any visible damage.

    He must have been in quite a bit of pain though, because he didn¡¯t attempt to dodge the incoming Flamethrower at all. Even through the flames, it was easy to see the green leaves sprouting from his head brown and dry out. A desperate cry from his trainer saw Turtwig leaping into the air and launching another Razor Leaf, but the damage was obvious. The poor thing was now more brown than green, and he was almost surprised that its body hadn¡¯t caught fire. There was no way it could take another one of those.

    Luckily for Turtwig, it seemed that the move known for its high critical hit rate had pulled through. Cranidos, who until this point had seemed to shrug off most attacks, was littered with nasty cuts, blood dripping to the ground and staining the dirt. The Rock type was breathing heavily, its eyes lidded as it tried to take a step.

    Instead it collapsed, landing on its good arm, the other hanging limply.

    Roark recalled his Pokemon, giving it some comforting words.

    But were words enough? Was a ¡°thank you¡± and a ¡°good job¡± worth a Pokemon being put in that state? N didn¡¯t think so, and he hoped that Mimikyu¡¯s contemplative silence meant that he felt the same.

    Ash called something out to Paul, who N had been pointedly trying to ignore the presence of, and Roark sent out an Onix. Brock had mentioned having raised one of his own, so he¡¯d been given a bit of information on them last night when he was regaled with the tale of Paul¡¯s battle.

    It was clear that Turtwig wasn¡¯t going to win. That Flamethrower had taken too much out of it. Shaking with exhaustion, and the leaves atop its head looking ready to fall at any moment, N could only hope that the Pokemon¡¯s defeat would be swift.

    A flurry of Razor Leaf pelted the giant, chipping its stone covered body. The Onix cried out in pain, rearing back, but quickly recovered. The familiar white glow of Normal type energy overtook it as Onix launched itself at Turtwig in a Double Edge.

    Rock and dust obscured the impact, but Turtwig quickly rolled into view, its shell visibly cracked and only a single leaf remaining on its browned head. A single hit was all it had taken.

    Ash recalled his Pokemon, and Pikachu leapt off his shoulder, running onto the field as Ash¡¯s final Pokemon.

    ¡°This should be interesting if nothing else,¡± N tried to ease Mimikyu¡¯s shock. ¡°Pikachu has been Ash¡¯s friend since the start, so if he¡¯s as accomplished as you say then he has to be pretty strong.¡±

    ¡°...maybe.¡± Mimikyu didn¡¯t sound so sure of it.

    ¡°Look here you overgrown pile of Stantler shit!¡± Pikachu yelled.

    N blinked.

    ¡°Did Pikachu just¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I think he did?¡± Mimikyu sounded just as shocked.

    ¡°I told your receptionist already, but just in case he didn¡¯t pass on the message, I hope you¡¯re ready to eat dirt!¡±

    Onix glared at his comparatively tiny opponent, and responded in a deep, gravelly voice. ¡°Don¡¯t come crying to me when you have to spend a week at the Pokemon Center after I¡¯m through with you.¡±

    Pikachu having a competitive streak had been surprising, but not completely unexpected of a Pokemon who had competed in three regions.

    Pikachu being a trash talker? It shocked him enough to momentarily forget the rest of the battle, but the blood stains and scorch marks brought him back to reality.

    The Electric type was either very stupid, or very strong. The only times N had seen trash talking in the competitive scene before were haughty Pokemon on teams at the level of Gym Leaders. When you were completely sure of your victory, bragging and insulting your opponent was something you could get away with. Most knew better though.

    Onix¡¯s tail came crashing down into the field with a Slam, sending rocks and dust out with the impact. A Quick Attack saw Pikachu moving at speeds his eyes could barely follow, a trail of Normal type energy left in his wake as he used the move to¡­ climb up his opponent?

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be the one spending a week in the Pokemon Center!¡± Pikachu called out as his tail took on the metallic sheen of an Iron Tail, swinging down into the Onix¡¯s skull.

    A sound not too dissimilar to a pot crashing to the ground rang out, and it looked as if the stone protecting Onix¡¯s head had been dented. Pikachu jumped to safety as the giant fell to the ground and the Gym rumbled beneath its weight.

    The Electric type looked far too smug.

    N was¡­ surprisingly okay with that. He would take trash talking over serious bodily harm any day of the week, and while the Rock type had been knocked out, the damage didn¡¯t look very serious. Though he had to wonder if that was the full extent of his power¡­ or if he had intentionally done only just enough to finish the job.

    A Geodude came out next. Roark¡¯s final Pokemon, though Ash was in the same boat.

    ¡°You ready to get trounced like your friend?¡± Pikachu taunted his opponent.

    Geodude wisely stayed silent, eyes narrowing as he prepared himself.

    ¡°Geodude, use Rollout!¡±

    Spinning towards Pikachu like a bowling ball down a lane, Geodude¡¯s features became a blur. The Electric type looked calm though, not even bothering to dodge out of the way. Instead, he let the Ground type come towards him, his tail once again taking on the metallic sheen of an Iron Tail.

    Timing it just right, Pikachu swung his tail like a baseball bat, a loud crack sounding out as Geodude was launched towards the side of the field.

    But it didn¡¯t stop. Geodude found itself embedded in the wall, its craggily body covered in cracks and fractures.

    N wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it as everyone started to celebrate Ash¡¯s victory. On the one hand, Pikachu¡¯s fight against Onix was potentially the first time he¡¯d seen mercy shown in a League match. Pikachu was clearly strong, and had held back against weaker opponents. The type disadvantage had meant nothing to him.

    On the other hand¡­

    If Pikachu was strong enough to end the fight without causing extensive suffering, though maybe the state Geodude was in pushed the limits of that, then why hadn¡¯t Ash led with him?

    N was by no means an expert on Pokemon battles, but it seemed to him as if Pikachu could have handled the whole match on his own.

    What was the point in letting the rest of them suffer?

    Aipom would surely need to spend an entire day at the Pokemon Center at a minimum. A grass type with injuries like Turtwigs would probably be out of commission for a week.

    He would have to ask the boy himself.

    And the future¡­ whether Ash was or wasn¡¯t what N had thought he might have the potential to be¡­ that would depend on his answer.

    He let his thoughts drift among the possibilities as Ash received his first Sinnoh badge.

 Chapter 17

    As the group walked out of the Pokemon Center, N found himself wondering how to start such a difficult conversation. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of calling out the abuse of Pokemon, but that he was unsure of how to do it without alienating the trainers he was with. With any other group, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but¡­

    They had agreed to travel with Ash and company for a reason, and their goals had not been achieved yet. Perhaps after that had passed, he would be able to get some catharsis in really going off on them, but doing it now seemed counterproductive.

    Brock forced him to put those thoughts on the back burner for now.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s Ash¡¯s Gym battle done and over with. I believe you owe us an explanation for why the Champion of the Sinnoh region is bringing you up to her Gym Leaders.¡±

    He said it with a casual tone, but N could feel the undercurrent of impatience. There would be no getting out of this one.

    ¡°I think they deserve ta know, since they¡¯re travellin¡¯ with us an¡¯ all, but maybe this ain¡¯ the sorta discussion ta have in the middle of an area with high foot traffic.¡± Mimikyu said from the ghost¡¯s spot on his shoulder.

    That was a good point. With the League releasing them the way that they had, they weren¡¯t exactly sworn to secrecy on the matter, but if Cynthia was already talking about them enough for Roark to comment on it, he wasn¡¯t keen on drawing more of her attention by causing an uproar.

    He turned to Ash. ¡°Have you found any good out of the way spots for training in the area? It might be best if we talk about it there.¡±

    The boy was clearly surprised by the request, but agreed easily enough, leading them to an outcropping of coal ore not too far from the city¡¯s mines.

    ¡°I figured this might be a good spot for some training if I had lost against Roark, since there¡¯s so many different types of rocks in this area!¡± he happily shared with them. ¡°Though with the performance we gave¡­ I might use it anyway, once my team is all rested up.¡±

    So he didn¡¯t think their showing in the Gym was as it should have been? The real question was whether he was referring to his newer Pokemon losing their bouts, or the injuries they had sustained. But that would have to wait a bit longer.

    ¡°The way that different Champions handle confidential matters with their Gym Leaders varies from region to region, so it¡¯s possible that you already know what this is about, Brock.¡±

    The stony look he received in reply didn¡¯t indicate whether there was any truth to that or not, but he supposed that context clues would indicate that Lance wasn¡¯t exactly forthcoming with this sort of thing.

    ¡°The long and short of it is that according to the League, a new type has just been discovered.¡±

    That clearly threw Brock off, but Ash was excited.

    ¡°A new type?! No way! I haven¡¯t heard of anything like that since going to Johto!¡±

    Since Johto? What was he on about?

    He must have made a face, because Brock thought to explain.

    ¡°For people who live in Kanto, Dark and Steel types basically don¡¯t exist. I mean, they¡¯re there, but dark types are so few and far between that most people go their whole lives without seeing one in person, and Steel types¡­ well, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing, but back home it¡¯s a common misconception that the Magnemite line are pure Electric types. Add the fact that Johto wouldn¡¯t export any Metal Coats until Lance cracked down on them¡­¡±

    ¡°Ya know, I ain¡¯ sure if I should consider that a stupid reason or a reasonable one.¡± Mimikyu muttered into his ear.

    That was¡­ a very strange regional quirk, but in a way it would make this easier for him as far as the Kanto natives went. Dawn¡­ well, she seemed accepting and naive enough that she¡¯d believe anything he told her.

    ¡°Right, well, there are currently 18 officially recognized types, with the newest being the Fairy type.¡± Mimikyu gave them a wave as N, with occasional input from his fairy friend, told the group a very abridged version of what he knew about the Fairy type, and why things were on the down low.

    ¡°...so Champion Cynthia isn¡¯t exactly happy with us, through no fault of our own.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense though, Pokemon don¡¯t just randomly change types like that.¡± Brock denied, though thankfully it was less accusatory and more disbelief.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how true it is myself,¡± N agreed, ¡°I¡¯m just taking the word of the Champions at face value for now. With how limited communication is between the League and regions outside of it, it¡¯s not like we can easily get information from people who have been studying the Fairy type for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Studying the Fairy type¡­¡± Dawn repeated, looking like she was trying to piece together a puzzle in her mind. ¡°Is this why you¡¯re helping Professor Rowan with his research on Pokemon evolution?¡±

    Maybe she was a bit brighter than he had initially thought. ¡°Yes, though I¡¯m not sure he wants that known right now. A few Pokemon gain the Fairy type upon evolution, and he¡¯s hoping that we¡¯ll see that first hand and be able to give him some data on it.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Ash agreed. ¡°Professor Oak is always complaining about how the League is ¡®stifling his research¡¯ and how ¡®things were better when the League wasn¡¯t so bureaucratic¡¯.¡± His attempt to mimic the Professor¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t very good, but it got the point across.

    ¡°Professor Oak complains about that?¡± Dawn asked, shock evident on her face.

    ¡°Sometimes. Mostly when a research grant gets denied.¡±

    Tucking away the knowledge that Professor Oak of all people could be a potential ally against the League in the future, however unlikely it might be in reality, N wasn¡¯t ready for Ash to suddenly get in his personal space.

    ¡°Wait! I forgot about the most important part! Will any of my Pokemon become Fairy types?!¡±

    Unsure of that himself, he turned to the resident expert on the subject, and Mimikyu was able to answer with a simple thumbs down.

    Ash quickly devolved into ramblings about how this would affect future battle plans, and N¡­

    N thought that had gone over¡­ surprisingly well, given the fact that he¡¯d just openly put himself at odds with the League, if only through circumstance. He just hoped the same would be true of the next important conversation.

    <hr>

    Today was turning out to be pretty exciting! He¡¯d won a badge, learned about a new type, and his Pokemon, the two who were still in fighting condition anyway, were having a good time getting some more training in.

    He worried about how Aipom and Turtwig were holding up in the Pokemon Center, but he¡¯d see them soon enough, even if Nurse Joy had said Turtwig would have to get some time off from battling after his release. That was just how things worked though. Gym battles were serious business, and you had to bring out your A game.

    Dawn had said something about practicing for her next contest and ran off a little while ago, and Brock mentioned doing a bit of research and had gone to use the Pokemon Center computers, which left Ash and his team with N and Mimikyu.

    Mimikyu the Ghost and Fairy type¡­ how cool was that! An immunity to Dragon sounded pretty useful, even if you didn¡¯t see them all too often. Of course, he and Pikachu had shown that type immunities weren¡¯t everything, and something strong or smart enough would probably be able to work past it. Though that depended on the strength of Mimikyu as well. And frankly, he wasn¡¯t sure how to judge the little guy.

    On the one hand, Mimikyu only knew how to use Shadow Sneak. A single Iron Tail from Pikachu had sent him flying, and there wasn¡¯t much power behind his moves. His ability might save him in a pinch, but at first glance he seemed rather weak. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with that, everyone had to start somewhere after all, but that was the reality of the situation.

    On the other hand¡­ being near Mimikyu unsettled him in a familiar way. He and N had played it off, and supposedly Mimikyu were reasonably common in some far off regions, but¡­ well, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time he¡¯d heard some sort of cover story. He thought they were pretty cool, and he¡¯d support them if they needed help, but everything about them screamed that there was more than meets the eye.

    He just hoped that the familiarity he felt didn¡¯t end the way it usually did. He had more than enough experiences giving him nightmares, and adding another to the list wasn¡¯t something he was looking forward to, even if he knew it would come for him eventually.

    His idle thoughts about the duo were interrupted when they stopped quietly talking on the sidelines, instead walking up to him.

    ¡°Hey guys! Are you thinking of getting in on the training? The more the merrier!¡±

    N smiled in response, but it was strained. Mimikyu¡­ well, unless that horrifying aura was leaking out, it felt pretty impossible to read the little ghost due to the disguise he wore.

    ¡°Not quite. I was hoping to talk to you about your Gym battle.¡±

    ¡°Really? Sure, I guess. What about it?¡± It wasn¡¯t often that people wanted to talk about Gym battles with him after they had happened beyond a ¡°congrats¡± or ¡°you¡¯ll get ¡®em next time¡±.

    N took a moment to respond, which was perfectly fine with Ash. He was more than aware that his big mouth talking before he could think properly often landed him in trouble.

    ¡°I¡¯m not heavily involved in League matches, so maybe I just don¡¯t understand something, but¡­ it seemed like Pikachu could have taken the whole Gym on by himself. Why did you have Aipom and Turtwig fight before him?¡±

    ¡°Well, so they could get stronger! You have to really challenge yourself if you want to make progress, you know. If you only go into battles that you know you¡¯ll win, that¡¯s¡­ well, it¡¯s kind of boring, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ash thought that much was obvious, but he couldn¡¯t assume that everyone would understand the ways of a trainer.

    That didn¡¯t seem to be the answer N was looking for though.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that you have a point there, but that¡¯s not quite what I meant.¡± He hesitated, trying to find the words.

    ¡°Mimikyu-kyu,¡± his partner chimed in, not that Ash could understand him properly yet. He thought it was something reassuring, though.

    N turned away from him, watching Pikachu and Staravia practice their moves on the coal ore. ¡°Gym battles¡­ they¡¯re rather intense, aren¡¯t they?¡± he hedged his words. ¡°The state that both teams were left in¡­ If Pikachu was able to take out his opponents with such ease, and with so little damage to Roark¡¯s Pokemon physically, then why put the others through what you did? If you¡¯ve been a trainer for as long as you say you have, then you know that a Grass type should never end up like Turtwig is right now.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Ah.

    It was one of those conversations.

    Though given his suspicions about Mimikyu¡­ maybe it was for the best that they had it.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough training for now, guys!¡± he called out to his Pokemon, recalling Staravia, and letting a confused and concerned Pikachu climb up onto his shoulder, mirroring N and Mimikyu. ¡°Good job out there today.¡± He scratched under Pikachu¡¯s chin just the way the little mouse liked it as he tried to formulate his thoughts into something that made sense.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get it for a long time either, you know. When I first started my journey¡­¡± he found a nice rock for the two humans to sit on side by side, preferring to have an excuse not to look into N¡¯s eyes as he recalled his past. ¡°It was a rough start. I grew up in Pallet Town, with Professor Oak right down the road. Pokemon were everything to me, and the way that he talked about battles¡­ I thought they were amazing. Still do, in a way, but it¡¯s not quite the same anymore.¡±

    Pikachu crawled down into his lap, and Ash started rubbing between his ears. ¡°Pikachu and I didn¡¯t get along very well. We had a run in with a real nasty flock of Spearow on the way to our first Gym. And then we get there, and we find out that Brock¡¯s Pokemon are Rock and Ground types. You can probably imagine how that went.¡± He laughed dryly. ¡°All throughout my Kanto League run, I was thinking to myself that the way they did things was stupid. All those Pokemon getting so hurt all the time¡­ but I wanted to be strong. The very best, even, like no one ever was. And since I was travelling with two Gym Leaders at the time¡­ well, if that was what it took to become a Pokemon Master, then that¡¯s what I would do. I tried to be as kind about it as I could, but¡­¡± Even if he had been a bit of an arrogant little shit back then, he liked to think that he was the nicest little shit that his Pokemon could have been caught by. He loved them all. Still loves them, even if he doesn¡¯t see all of them very often.

    ¡°What changed, then?¡± N interrupted him. ¡°If at the start of your journey you understood how awful all of it was, why keep doing it for so long? I can¡­ begrudgingly accept that the arrogance of youth makes people do stupid things, but this is your fourth League run, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    N really was a nice guy, wasn¡¯t he? Just glancing at his face revealed the truth. N couldn¡¯t accept it at all. He would have hated Ash as he was back then. Might still hate him now, having seen what it meant to be a Gym challenger. But he was trying to make an effort to understand. The world needed more people like him.

    ¡°What changed? Well¡­ N, do you know why Gym battles are the way that they are? Normal battles aren¡¯t like this, and wild Pokemon are generally pretty friendly so long as you don¡¯t do something stupid, so to a lot of people it must look like it¡¯s just cruelty on the League¡¯s part.¡±

    The silence that followed was pretty telling. It¡¯s not like he could blame N for thinking it was just the League being unnecessarily cruel. It was like he¡¯d told him, he¡¯d thought something similar back in Kanto. Sensing that he wasn¡¯t going to actually get an answer, Ash continued.

    ¡°It¡¯s because the League needs strong trainers. Trainers that know how to handle real consequences. You, me, and plenty of normal people might realize that the right thing to do is to be kind to Pokemon. They¡¯re our friends, our family. But not everyone can see that. Think of groups like Rocket, Aqua, and Magma. Criminals. Scum. They don¡¯t play nice. They torture and abuse Pokemon, steal them from the wild or loving homes¡­¡± he tried not to let the bitterness creep too deeply into his voice. ¡°If all trainers did was friendly battles with no real consequences¡­ Well, I don¡¯t know what the situation is like in Unova, but I think everyone knows what happens when a group like that rolls into a town that can¡¯t defend itself properly or when they set their eyes on a wild Pokemon.¡± Saffron, Alto Mare, Samiya¡­

    ¡°They make Gym battles like this so that if push comes to shove and you find yourself as the only thing between people like that and their victims, you can do something about it. People and Pokemon who don¡¯t have this kind of experience have a tendency to freeze up or panic when some Rocket thug does something nasty. If a Pokemon has experience in Gym battles, understands that while a broken bone might hurt, they can still get up and fight, then they¡¯re that much better equipped to stand against evil people. And even outside of groups like that, there are occasionally incidents with a rampaging Tyranitar, or a Salamence terrorizing people over small territorial disputes¡­¡± Or living legends threatening to destroy the world. But he still hoped that those days were behind him, and thus didn¡¯t mention them.

    If he didn¡¯t think about how similar Mimikyu felt to some particularly rare Pokemon, then nothing would happen, right?

    <hr>

    In a way, N could empathize with what Ash was saying.

    At a basic level, they weren¡¯t too different. While he found Ash¡¯s admittance of his attitude in his younger years to be barbaric at best, it sounded like he went through these things now in order to protect those weaker than him. A small bit of suffering on his team¡¯s part in order to stop the cruelties of those far worse.

    N had captured Mimikyu in a pokeball. He fully intended to use the power he sought to force the League into compliance so that he could free Pokemon the world over from the cruelties of humanity. Through a certain lens, one might say that he and Ash had similar goals, if at different scales.

    But that didn¡¯t make what was being done just.

    Ash had framed it as if this was the rationale of the League itself. And perhaps it was. Ash had probably interacted with people within the League a lot more than N had, so it stood to reason that he would understand them better. Yet at the same time, that would also make him more open to any propaganda they exposed him to. At the end of the day, what he¡¯d just been told boiled down to ¡°Good men must abuse their Pokemon in order to stop Pokemon abuse.¡±

    Was convincing their foot soldiers, the thousands of trainers within the league, that they were morally justified in their actions just a tool used to spread their control? It was hard to tell.

    ¡°Wait, if thugs like that¡¯re sucha big concern, then how does anyone survive¡­¡± he heard Mimikyu mumble.

    ¡°Survive what?¡± Pikachu asked.

    Mimikyu jolted, apparently not having intended to spark a conversation with that.

    ¡°Uh, just, ya know¡­ Ya hear rumors sometimes, about Pokemon that are¡­ larger than life.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say it, but if what he¡¯d been told about Ash was true, both Pikachu and N knew exactly what he was referring to.

    Legends were portrayed as being extremely powerful. Something that a normal Pokemon had no chance of standing against. If that truly was the case, then Mimikyu had a good point.

    If groups like Team Rocket were such a concern, then how were people meant to make it out alive after an encounter with something infinitely stronger? The group that Mimikyu had frightened off hadn¡¯t seemed very impressive, even if Wobbuffet''s psychic abilities were potentially cause for concern. What were they next to beings like Zekrom or Reshiram?

    N had been pursuing the stone expressly because of that vast power. It would be what allowed him to reign as king, and change the world as he saw fit. Team Plasma, or at least those high ranking enough to be in the know, were fully convinced that the League would stand no chance against such an opponent.

    And yet Ash had somehow survived multiple encounters if Mimikyu was correct.

    ¡°I think I know what you mean.¡± Pikachu answered, as if saying their names, or even just the word ¡°legend¡± would anger them and be cause for the group to be struck down where they sat. ¡°Ash and I¡­ have more experience than most when it comes to that sort of thing. You want to know how people survive that?¡±

    Mimikyu nodded.

    ¡°Luck, mostly.¡±

    ¡°Luck?¡± N found himself repeating back, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s either that or divine providence, and I¡¯m not too sure that I want to find out that we keep finding ourselves in those sorts of situations because it was planned that way.¡±

    Keep finding ourselves in those sorts of situations? Well, that was practically direct confirmation that Mimikyu¡¯s intel was accurate. Part of him was relieved to know he was on the right path. The rest of him grew worried.

    Being told that only luck would get you out of meeting a legend alive was not exactly welcome news for someone with goals like his.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be honest with you,¡± Pikachu continued. ¡°It¡¯s been a bit since our last run in, and if you two keep travelling with us, odds are that you¡¯ll get dragged into the next one relatively soon. Nobody really likes to talk about it, since it¡¯s¡­ intense, let¡¯s say. But, as much as it might hurt at times, that is what really makes the Gym battles necessary. If you can¡¯t put everything into something like a Gym battle, where the pain is real, but the stakes are actually pretty low, then wandering into a situation like that is a good way to wind up dead.¡±

    ¡°You call that low stakes?¡± N found himself saying. ¡°You saw the state Turtwig was left in, how could that be low stakes?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s still alive.¡± Pikachu said as if that were a simple thing. ¡°Gym fights are brutal, and they¡¯re not for everyone. But at the end of the day, Gym Leaders and their teams are professionals. They know how to really mess you up without taking you out for good. They know how to pick apart your weaknesses, how to force you to grow. When Ash and I get someone new on the team, a Gym battle is a good way to test them. Are they going to crack under pressure? Is this too much for them? If either of those is true, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll still welcome them with open arms, because a team is a family. But we know that we can¡¯t rely on them when it comes down to a life or death situation. Ash is an idiot-¡± he saw the boy frown, as if he fully understood the insult, ¡°-and he¡¯s self sacrificial. If he sees someone in danger, he¡¯s going to involve himself, no matter the situation.¡±

    Even if there are legends at play.

    ¡°He¡¯ll throw himself headfirst into danger if it means he can help someone out, but he at least has the brains to know that if he¡¯s going to be doing stuff like that on a semi regular basis, he needs to have Pokemon with him that can handle his brand of insanity. That¡¯s why I¡¯m always with him.¡±

    The little Electric type let out a sigh, a tenseness leaving him that N hadn¡¯t even realized was present. ¡°And even with all of that, it comes down to luck at the end of the day. You wanna know why we deal with Gym battles and how much they can suck? It¡¯s because we know that every little bit we can learn from each ordeal gives us a fractionally better chance of making it out of the next one alive. With how often we survive that shit, I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re blessed or cursed, and I fully intend to do everything I can to improve our odds.¡±

    ¡°...thanks for explainin¡¯.¡± Mimikyu said softly.

    Ash had a bitter smile on his face. ¡°I may not understand Pokemon as well as you do, N, but I have a feeling that Pikachu just said what I needed to much better than I ever could.¡±

    N looked between Ash and Pikachu, thinking for a moment, before coming up with a pathetic ¡°You might be right on that. You two have given us a lot to think about. Excuse us.¡±

    ¡°If you have any other questions¡­ well, I can¡¯t promise my answers will be the best, but I¡¯ll certainly try.¡±

    N let Mimikyu secure himself a bit more properly to his shoulder before standing. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ keep that in mind.¡± As he walked away, he heard the sound of a Pokeball opening, and Ash¡¯s team diving right back into training.

    Perhaps he and Mimikyu needed some of their own.

    <hr>

    N and Mimikyu found themselves in the Oreburgh Museum, hoping that seeing remnants of the past would make the future clearer. Giant slabs of coal, ancient fossils, and shining gemstones were on display. The crowds parted around them as they stood there, unmoving, lost between the sights before them and their own thoughts.

    ¡°What do you think of all of that, Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°The claw fossil? It¡¯s nice enough I s¡¯pose, but I dunno how well ya¡¯d do with an Anorith.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean-¡±

    ¡°I know what ya mean. Just¡­ tryna lighten the mood or somethin¡¯, I dunno.¡±

    ¡°...right.¡±

    A commotion from the counter drew their attention, but it was just some obnoxiously loud blonde kid and¡­ that Lucas guy from Jubilife? N almost thought to walk up to him, if only for a distraction, but there was no point. They didn¡¯t really know each other. The boy had just done them a favor. He heard the blonde yell something about a fine before running out, leaving Lucus to hand over what looked like a fossil to the employee. Interesting, but not relevant to him.

    Just a distraction from the problem right now.

    ¡°I s¡¯pose ya saw what my initial reaction was.¡± Mimikyu tried again.

    ¡°I did.¡± Mimikyu had seemed to share his shock at the very least.

    ¡°I think¡­ that Ash and Pikachu are too genuine for them ta ¡®ave been lyin¡¯ to us.¡±

    ¡°They told us what they perceive to be the truth.¡±

    ¡°Ya don¡¯t think it¡¯s the actual truth?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I wanna say uncalled for, but with what I¡¯ve seen outta the League, I ain¡¯ sure I can.¡±

    A beat of silence between them, but the background noise of the museum¡¯s visitors kept their minds from drifting too far.

    ¡°Do ya think that goin¡¯ after legends is a fool''s errand? Knowin¡¯ what we do now?¡±

    ¡°No. It can¡¯t be. I must do it.¡± The safety and happiness of Pokemon everywhere was riding on him becoming a hero.

    ¡°Right. Right¡­¡± Mimikyu seemed to decompress at his reassurance. ¡°Gotta do what ya gotta do.¡±

    There was more uncertainty now. The dangers involved were more¡­ not quite tangible, as they¡¯d not yet seen it firsthand, but they were approaching that threshold. The two of them were now knowingly approaching danger that they had not quite comprehended before. That they still did not fully comprehend.

    But it was like they had agreed.

    No matter what potential dangers awaited, they had to keep going.

 Chapter 18

    The group ended up staying in Oreburgh for about a week in total. Ash¡¯s Pokemon needed the time to heal up properly, and N was glad to see that Aipom had fully recovered and Turtwig was looking much better. While the crack in his shell couldn¡¯t be completely fixed until he evolved, it was barely noticeable after Nurse Joy and her team of healers had had a go at it. The browning had been replaced by fresh green, and the missing leaf on his head had grown back.

    That¡¯s not to say that he wasn¡¯t still upset about the fact that the Pokemon had sustained those injuries at all, but he didn¡¯t think he was going to convince all trainers to give up their way of life so easily. Ash¡¯s reasoning, and supposedly the League¡¯s, did have some sort of logic behind it, even if he found it disturbing. Even if he found his own future plans disturbing¡­

    But his discontent with the state of the world was pushed out of his mind when he was reminded of another unpleasant truth that had been revealed to him.

    The utterly ridiculous way that Sinnoh had their Gyms set up.

    They had travelled through the Oreburgh Gate once more, and he found his second trip in the caverns to be just as unpleasant as the first. Now making their way down route 203 in reverse, he could at least busy himself with the scenery. He wasn¡¯t quite sure of the details, but Brock, who was apparently the only one that could be trusted with a map out of the other humans in their group, had said something about people taking different paths depending on which direction they were heading in.

    It seemed a bit odd to him, but he supposed that even the routes in Unova had their oddities.

    While this meant that he unfortunately didn¡¯t get the chance to see his Cubone friend once more, at least for now, he could at least content himself with the fact that he was getting to see new Pokemon that apparently didn¡¯t frequent the areas he had already been to.

    Case in point, the Pachirisu that Dawn was keeping herself occupied with. A small white thing with blue stripes and a tail bigger than its body, the one feature that stuck out was the yellow cheek pouches. With how much Pokemon of other types differed, he found it odd that so many Electric types shared that feature. Emolga, Pikachu, Pachirisu¡­ at this rate he wouldn¡¯t be surprised to learn that it was even more common than that.

    Although¡­ perhaps ¡°keeping herself occupied¡± was a bit of an overstatement. The blue haired girl had been sitting down a few feet away from it for a while now, just staring at it. Even if she couldn¡¯t understand the Pokemon¡¯s replies, you would think that she¡¯d at least try talking to it. Staring at a Pokemon like some sort of creep wasn¡¯t exactly a great way to make new friends.

    And then she tried to catch it.

    How disappointing.

    Especially since she was doing such a poor job of it. Pachirisu was practically running circles arou- actually, make that literally running circles around her team. It was far too fast for Piplup or Buneary to catch up with.

    ¡°Uh, N?¡± Mimikyu spoke up from his shoulder.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I think ya might wanna back off a bit.¡±

    Taking his friend¡¯s word for it, he started backing away, leaving his travelling companions to their fate. ¡°Would you mind telling me why I¡¯m doing this?¡±

    ¡°Well, if memory serves, then Pachirisu learn-¡±

    The little ghost¡¯s words were cut off by giant arcs of electricity sprouting off in all directions from the small Electric type. And since they were currently in an empty field¡­ his group found themselves serving as lightning rods.

    Luckily for them, Pachirisu seemed to be treating this whole scenario as a game, and they were only lightly shocked.

    ¡°...Discharge¡­ Are they gonna be alright?¡± Mimikyu asked with a bit of concern in his voice.

    The humans hit by the attack probably weren¡¯t at any risk of dying, seeing as Pachirisu had held back massively, but that sort of shock probably wasn¡¯t good for their hearts.

    ¡°We should probably have them get checked out when we reach Jubilife, just to be safe.¡±

    The duo watched on as the group recovered, and Dawn managed to catch the tired out Pokemon.

    ¡°Ash mentioned that he didn¡¯t get along with Pikachu when they first met, right? Surely he and Brock are familiar with the dangers associated with Electric types.¡±

    ¡°...I cer¡¯ainly hope so.¡±

    <hr>

    Was she really cut out for this whole coordinator thing?

    Ever since she started, which, admittedly wasn¡¯t actually that long ago, she¡¯d kept reassuring herself that things would work out because she needed them to. She couldn¡¯t be a failure. Not with the reputation her mom had. What would people think if a woman like that raised a loser?

    But moments like this really made her doubt her capabilities. Saying ¡°no need to worry¡± didn¡¯t actually make her worries go away.

    Pachirisu was a perfect Pokemon for contests. Small, cute, flashy attacks, what more could a girl ask for?

    Compatibility, apparently.

    Ash and Brock seemed convinced that things were working out well between them, but it definitely didn¡¯t feel that way. Just the capture had been a struggle, and then training had been a disaster! Somehow training Pachirisu to use its moves in a way more fitting for contests had turned into a chase across the entire field involving not only the rest of her team, but also all of Ash¡¯s team as well! And even with his help, they¡¯d only reigned the Electric type in because it had exhausted itself.

    All the while, N watched on with disapproving eyes.

    Maybe she needed to release Pachirisu. Dragging it along on a journey with her wouldn¡¯t really be fair to either of them if this is all either of them would get out of it.

    But was she ready to accept that?

    Not really, but what was she meant to do! She was out of her depth here, and she didn¡¯t know who to turn to.

    Ash was super nice, but the way he thought just didn¡¯t make sense to her. He¡¯d try to reassure her, but probably just say something about ¡°being Pachirisu¡¯s friend¡± that didn¡¯t actually help her at all.

    Brock was more experienced, and could probably give her more practical advice, but he had such a¡­ he reminded her of her mother. In the way that he acted at least. Always trying to mother hen her¡­ she was supposed to be on her journey! Striking out on her own! ¡­even if she was travelling with a group¡­ but still! She didn¡¯t need a constant play by play of every battle! She had eyes and a Pokedex! She didn¡¯t think he meant for it to come off like he thought she was some stupid kid, but it felt that way.

    And if she struck those two off of the list¡­

    Well, that only left N, didn¡¯t it? The scary guy¡­ who could talk to Pokemon.

    That sort of made it obvious, didn¡¯t it? And he didn¡¯t seem to like her, so he wouldn¡¯t lie and tell her it would all work out just to spare her feelings¡­

    She didn¡¯t feel prepared for this at all. But she needed to do it.

    <hr>

    ¡°...and I still don¡¯t understand the difference between ¡®wa¡¯ and ¡®ga¡¯.¡± N lamented.

    ¡°¡®Wa¡¯ is used for emphasis.¡± Mimikyu replied.

    ¡°But what about this sentence right here!¡± N rebutted, pointing to a line in their textbook. ¡°Aren¡¯t they using ¡®ga¡¯ for emphasis in this line?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well, you see¡­¡± Mimikyu let out a sigh of defeat. ¡°I mean, I typically use ¡®wa¡¯ after whatever subject would go at the start of the sen¡¯ance, like ¡®watashi wa¡¯, ¡®kare wa¡¯, or whatever. Then I use ¡®ga¡¯ at the next point where one of ¡®em is necessary¡­I dunno, man. They seem ta use ¡®em interchangeably sometimes, I dunno how they expect people ta learn their stupid-¡±

    ¡°Hey, N? Could we talk?¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    It seemed Dawn wanted to interrupt their study time, and given the fact that her dumb language was giving him a headache, he seriously considered just telling her no and ignoring her. But¡­ this would give him more practical experience with it, maybe even clarify it for him since he was paying attention to it now.

    ¡°...sure. What do you want to talk about?¡± Now that he thought about it, it was strange for her to be approaching him. It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t talk to each other at all, kind of hard to manage that with so few people in the group, but she seemed troubled and he fully expected to be the last person she went to with any problems she might have.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well¡­ it¡¯s about Pachirisu.¡± She held a pokeball up between them, presumably the one containing the Electric type.

    Assuming she was just struggling to find the words rather than playing some stupid game where he was supposed to guess the problem, he gave her a moment.

    ¡°I¡­¡± even after thinking, she stumbled over her words. ¡°Do you think I should just release it?¡±

    Now that was a good way to get his attention. ¡°Release it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. I only just started my journey, and things have worked out pretty well with Piplup and Buneary so far, but Pachirisu just¡­ I feel totally clueless when dealing with it. You saw what happened. I get that problems pop up from time to time, but if that¡¯s how a simple training session turns out¡­ am I really fit to be Pachirisu¡¯s trainer? Pachirisu seems like it would be happy to just run around all day, and if it were to travel with me¡­¡±

    Well color him surprised. Perhaps he was making a positive impact on the world already! To think that a young trainer was considering voluntarily giving up their Pokemon¡­

    ¡°¡®Ave ya asked for Pachirisu¡¯s opinion?¡± Mimikyu chimed in.

    Dawn just blinked at the little fairy. ¡°Sorry, are you talking to me? I can¡¯t understand you.¡±

    Mimikyu sighed, reaching for a pen, but N stopped him. He did raise a good point after all, the least N could do was translate.

    ¡°He was wondering if you¡¯d asked what Pachirisu thought of the matter.¡±

    ¡°I, well¡­¡± her stuttering made the answer rather obvious. ¡°I was sort of hoping you might help me with that, since you can understand Pokemon¡­¡±

    Sometimes he wondered if certain people saw him as anything other than a translator. But good behavior should be rewarded.

    ¡°I suppose I can do that. But Dawn¡­¡± he paused to consider how to phrase it for a naive child, ¡°I want you to know¡­ that it¡¯s a very kind thing for you to do, considering what¡¯s best for your Pokemon like this. There are a lot of trainers who consider what they themselves want, and go no further than that. They ignore the desires of the Pokemon with them¡­sometimes even their pain and suffering¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean like that jerk, Paul?¡± Dawn interrupted, a frown on her face.

    ¡°...I can¡¯t say that I know the specifics of his situation, but that¡¯s probably a safe assumption. In any case, regardless of what Pachirisu has to say, you should know that thinking about things like this, seriously considering letting a Pokemon go back into the wild just because it might be better for them¡­ if all trainers were like that, I think the world would be a better place.¡± Perhaps if all trainers had a similar mindset, his goals would not be necessary. One could only dream.

    Dawn blushed at the praise and let Pachirisu out of its ball.

    With a yawn and a stretch, it only took a moment for the Pokemon to start scurrying around them.

    ¡°Are we playing again?! Last time was fun! I got to run and zap and run and dodge and run-¡± on and on the Electric type went, apparently quite the chatterbox. The high pitched, feminine voice was almost to the point of being grating, but not quite.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ interestin¡¯.¡± Mimikyu commented. ¡°I s¡¯pose that sorta personality fits, in a way¡­ but doesn¡¯ she know Discharge? That should be a high level move an¡¯ this seems a bit¡­ childish¡­¡±

    ¡°Childish?!¡± The Pokemon stopped in front of N and Mimikyu. ¡°Who are you calling childish? I¡¯m probably older than you!¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Mimikyu replied, more confused than anything.

    ¡°I can understand why you¡¯d be confused, what with my youthful appearance and beautiful, well maintained fur, but I¡¯m actually¡­ you know what, nevermind. Call me childish all you¡¯d like. Your insults mean nothing to me. I¡¯ll just have to show you up in the next game! I¡¯ll run and dodge and run and-¡± off she went again, descending into a word salad that contained ¡°run¡± far more than it should.

    With Pachirisu¡¯s appearance and demeanor, he struggled to tell if she was young and trying to put up an act of maturity, or old and trying to appear more youthful. In either case, she was failing at some level, and that just made sorting out the truth of the matter all the more confusing.

    ¡°Pachirisu.¡± N tried to rein her back in.

    The Pokemon stopped in front of him. ¡°Yes? Oh! You¡¯re the human that understands Pokemon! Hey, how do-¡±

    ¡°Pachirisu.¡± He stopped her before she could get going again.¡±Dawn wants to have a serious talk with you.¡±

    ¡°A serious talk? So we¡¯re not playing?¡± Her mood seemed to dampen at that realization, but she plopped down making herself comfortable on top of her tail. ¡°Alright. What are we talking about?¡±

    N nodded to Dawn, hoping that she would take the lead.

    ¡°Pachirisu¡­ I¡¯m thinking about releasing you.¡±

    ¡°Releasing me? Didn¡¯t you already do that? I¡¯m out of the ball right now?¡±

    ¡°Permanently.¡± N interrupted. ¡°She means letting you go back into the wild. Not letting you out of your ball temporarily.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Pachirisu turned towards Dawn, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Why?¡± N repeated the question for her in League language.

    ¡°Pachirisu¡­ you like to run and run¡­ but I¡¯m trying to be a coordinator. That means performing, and practicing acts, and some battling¡­ and when I tried to get you to train with me, well, you caused some problems. I just¡­ don¡¯t think we have the same goals, and it might be better if we went our separate ways.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You mean we weren¡¯t playing? Why didn¡¯t you just say so?¡±

    N, Dawn, and Mimikyu were left a bit confused by that.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Her trainer asked. ¡°I let you out so we could do some training and-¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t say that! You just let me out! I thought we were playing! You never said anything about training!¡±

    Mimikyu let out a deep sigh that N felt on a spiritual level, before turning back to their textbook, apparently done with the conversation. N translated for Dawn.

    ¡°Wait, you mean¡­ but¡­¡± the young trainer stumbled over herself.

    ¡°Pachirisu.¡± N decided to get to the heart of the matter. ¡°Am I correct in concluding that you¡¯re perfectly fine with Dawn as a trainer, and that the incident earlier was caused by her not clarifying that you were training instead of¡­ playing?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ yep! That sounds about right!¡±

    Dawn¡¯s blush returned, and she quickly returned Pachirisu. She looked caught between relief that she wouldn¡¯t have to release her Pokemon, and immense embarrassment over the situation. ¡°I¡­ um¡­ thank you?¡± She cringed.

    ¡°Dawn.¡± N sighed. ¡°Just¡­ let¡¯s forget this happened.¡±

    All too eager to take that offer, she quickly ran off, presumably to actually get some training in with her new Pokemon.

    ¡°That was stupid.¡± N replayed the conversation in his head. ¡°...and I still don¡¯t know the difference between ¡®wa¡¯ and ¡®ga¡¯.¡± N sighed.

    ¡°Look, maybe there¡¯s an example somewhere in ¡®ere. Go to the glossary or somethin¡¯.¡± Mimikyu began flipping through the pages.

    Their question would go unanswered.

    <hr>

    Jubilife shouldn¡¯t be too much further away. N found himself wondering if the path they were on would converge with the one they¡¯d taken eastward, or if it led to a different gate into the city that he hadn¡¯t noticed during his first time there.

    There wasn¡¯t much else to focus on, walking down the trail like this. Or was it up the trail, since they were on the incline of a hill? The lack of Pokemon in the area had left him bored enough to be seriously considering such things.

    As they began to approach the crest of the hill, the lush green grass started to give way to flowers, and they found themselves approaching a house. People living outside of established settlements wasn¡¯t exactly common, but it wasn¡¯t so rare that he found himself surprised to see it either.

    What was surprising was the shadow that passed over them.

    When the group looked up, they saw the underbelly of a huge blue Pokemon with four legs, a long tail, and great red wings. One of the few Pokemon that weren¡¯t native to Unova, and yet N was familiar with all the same.

    ¡°A Salamence¡­¡± Mimikyu whispered from his shoulder.

    But what would a Pokemon like that be doing here?

    ¡°Woah! Someone¡¯s riding it!¡± Ash pointed out.

    He was right. It was hard to make them out from where they stood, but there was a figure dressed in all black with their legs around the dragon¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Salamence¡­ Salamence¡­ why does that seem¡­¡± Mimikyu seemed to be struggling to remember something, but that fell to the wayside as they watched the Pokemon land just in front of the house before them, the trainer hoping off to¡­ speak to the owner? There was a Pokemon with her that seemed vaguely familiar, but N didn¡¯t quite recognize it. Green, with a flowing white dress, and a red crest jutting out from the chest.

    The trainer in black released yet another unfamiliar Pokemon. Quite obviously a Bug type, it¡¯s red and black striped body was carried on purple and yellow legs. As soon as it had fully materialized, the bug bound the home owner to a nearby tree with what looked to be a String Shot.

    Not a friendly conversation then.

    ¡°She needs help!¡± Brock shouted out, and the group rushed off ahead of him, Ash in the lead. N made to join them, but an unnatural shiver ran down his spine.

    He felt fear.

    Though their opponent having a Salamence on their side was indeed something that worried him, he had felt this enough times to know it was the work of his friend. This was odd though. It had been quite some time since the little ghost had let the terror leak out this badly, not counting the time he¡¯d purposefully used it against team Rocket. Probably not since Cynthia¡¯s sudden arrival, though this paled in comparison to that occurrence.

    ¡°Mimikyu? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­ it¡¯s nothing¡­ w-we need to catch up to them!¡±

    The little fairy tried to play it off, but there was no hiding that quiver in his voice.

    For some reason, Mimikyu was genuinely afraid.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°I still think this is a bad idea.¡± Meowth reminded them yet again.

    ¡°We heard you the first time! What are we supposed to do? Just give up on catching Pikachu? We¡¯ve been after that little menace for¡­ well, forever! Do you want all of that hard work to just go down the drain?!¡± Jessie berated the Pokemon.

    ¡°That¡¯s just the sunk-cost fallacy!¡± Meowth complained. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna make me deal with that creep again you could at least give some solid reasoning!¡±

    ¡°Would you two be quiet?!¡± James tried to shut them up. ¡°I can¡¯t focus with the two of you talking!¡±

    Reluctantly, if their grumbles were anything to go by, his fellow thieves kept any further complaints to themselves. Focusing on the lips of twerps and company once more, he did his best to read their lips.

    ¡°With the one in black facing away from us, I have to rely on the owner of that Gardevoir¡­¡± Long violet hair done up in a ponytail with an orange ribbon holding it together, a blue dress with white hems, and an off yellow apron didn¡¯t make the woman look like much of a trainer, but looks could be deceiving. ¡°She¡¯s telling Gardevoir to escape. Do either of you recognize the device on the scary one¡¯s wrist?¡± He watched as a flash of light overtook the Psychic Pokemon¡¯s form and it teleported away.

    ¡°Never seen anything like it, must be some in-house gear or something.¡± Meowth answered him, looking through some binoculars of his own. ¡°Wait a minute, just how weak is that Gardevoir?!¡±

    While that was quite rude, James couldn¡¯t blame Meowth when he realized that it had taken several seconds for the Pokemon to Teleport a few meters away at best. Was it that inexperienced at using the move or had it stayed nearby in hopes of protecting its trainer?

    Either way, it didn¡¯t seem to matter. In less time that it had taken Gardevoir to complete the Teleport, the figure in black had used the strange device on her wrist to shoot out a beam that froze Gardevoir into a statue of some sort.

    James started to feel a bit uneasy. ¡°That¡¯s certainly impressive. What do you think it is? A coating of some sort? It looks a bit like chocolate, but that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    They weren¡¯t given time to inspect it very thoroughly. With no warning, a gray vehicle with six wheels that was slightly larger than a minivan sped into view from over the hill. The roof peeled back and a metallic disk flew out, carried in the soft blue glow indicative of some sort of Psychic ability. With remarkable precision, the Gardevoir¡¯s frozen form took on the same glow and was lifted just enough for the disk to slide beneath it. Glass that hadn¡¯t been there before suddenly surrounded the Pokemon, like it was some sort of trophy on display, before the whole thing rose back into the air. The vehicle, which had not slowed down at all throughout the process, waited just long enough for the captured Pokemon to get inside before the roof closed back up. It drove past the house and tied up trainer just as the twerps reached the scene.

    ¡°She¡¯s calling out for her Pokemon¡­ asking the twerps to save it¡­ twerp number one agreed¡­¡± he explained to his friends.

    The vehicle started to make its way down the winding mountain road and towards where they were hiding, twerp and Pikachu right behind it. But they watched as instead of following the road like a normal person, the twerp ran straight down the steep hillside, quickly falling on his face and rolling to a stop at the next patch of road.

    ¡°That moron just never learns, does he?¡± Jessie complained, somewhere between annoyed and exasperated.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be the twerp if he did!¡± Meowth answered her rhetorical question.

    The vehicle rounded the curve, coming straight for the kid. Pikachu leapt into the air, using Thunderbolt on it¡­ but to no effect.

    ¡°No effect at all?¡± Meowth asked in surprise. ¡°If they have it properly insulated against Electric attacks it must have cost a pretty penny!¡±

    Especially if this wasn¡¯t a group focused on catching Electric types in particular. Probably more of a generalized approach¡­ whoever funded them must have deep pockets.

    The twerp and Pikachu jumped out of the way as the vehicle drove right through where they were standing, screeching to a stop shortly after. Before the kid could do anything, he found himself the victim of a pincer maneuver, the figure in black landing her Salamence on the other side of him, her Ariados still at her side. James focused as the two humans started talking.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ you can¡¯t just steal¡­ wait a minute! She¡¯s trying to steal Pikachu!¡±

    ¡°The nerve of some people,¡± Jessie complained. ¡°Can¡¯t she tell that Pikachu is ours to steal?!¡±

    The dirty thief released a Pokemon that he¡¯d never seen before. A large segmented body that alternated between light and dark purple, the Pokemon walked on four legs that ended in single claws, had two arms that ended in pincers, and a tail that might as well be a third arm.

    ¡°What¡¯s that Pokemon?¡± Meowth asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize it, I¡¯d have to check my cards.¡± James lamented the fact that he hadn¡¯t studied the Sinnoh Pokemon quite enough yet.

    It looked like the battle had started though, as Pikachu¡¯s form was overtaken by electricity, charging at the new Pokemon with a Volt Tackle. The lumbering thing was a lot more dexterous than it appeared, however, and it jumped right over the Electric type, dodging with ease. The thief pointed her arm towards Pikachu, looking like she was about to subject it to the same fate that she had Gardevoir¡­ when James suddenly felt a shiver go down his spine.

    ¡°It¡¯s not too late for us to get out of here!¡± Meowth tugged at his pant leg, urging him to leave, and Jessie¡¯s frustrated growl suggested that he was trying to pull her away as well.

    But this was a perfect opportunity! James watched as an unnatural shadow stretched down the side of the mountain. If they knew more about this Mimikyu¡¯s capabilities, working around it while trying to capture Pikachu would be made easier!

    The thief looked like she had noticed the new arrival, but she kept her focus on Pikachu, shooting a beam from the device.

    Black tipped ears, red cheeks, and a yellow body gained that strange chocolatey sheen.

    But it wasn¡¯t Pikachu who had been hit.

    ¡°Mimikyu!¡± Even from the distance they were at, they were able to clearly hear the green haired twerp¡¯s angry shout. The rest of the twerps were actually following the road down with the Gardevoir¡¯s trainer at their side, but their newest member had stopped in his tracks while halfway down the first slope. ¡°How dare you!¡± Apparently not one to sit back and watch, he decided to follow in his friend¡¯s footsteps, though instead of a tumbling freefall he took a slower approach of sliding down the steep hillside feet first.

    The thief frowned before adjusting her aim, firing at Pikachu once more.

    And once more she missed her target.

    ¡°Wait, how is Mimikyu moving?¡± Jessie asked. ¡°That Gardevoir looked rock solid when it got hit!¡±

    James was just as puzzled. Mimikyu had definitely been hit the first time, as made evident by his current appearance, but had somehow taken the second hit for Pikachu as well. He was stiff as a board, not having changed his posture at all since the initial freeze, but it looked as if he was using Shadow Sneak to move around. Could it be that¡­

    ¡°Maybe¡­ her little device only got his disguise?¡± Meowth reached the same conclusion that he had.

    The thief looked to be confused by it as well, though only for a moment. The problem that Mimikyu presented was quickly solved by having her Ariados use String Shot on his frozen disguise, keeping it grounded in one spot. With his living shield no longer able to save him, Pikachu was quickly frozen by the third beam shot at him.

    ¡°Pikachu!¡± Twerp number one echoed his friend¡¯s sentiment. The green haired twerp finally hit the same level of road that the thief was on, but having spent so much time trying to follow the actual path he found himself still a decent distance away from the action.

    ¡°She¡¯s saying something about protecting her investments,¡± James relayed to his fellow Rockets as they watched the twerp get stuck to a rock behind him with yet another String Shot.

    The truck behind Ash opened its roof once more, two Psychic assisted disks floating out to the frozen Pokemon. Pikachu and Mimikyu were scooped up and hauled away, just like the Gardevoir had been before them. The thief returned her Pokemon besides the Salamence, flying after the vehicle as it drove away, leaving the main twerp behind and the green haired one eating her dust just as he was about to reach her.

    With the action over with, the Rockets put their binoculars down.

    ¡°When it comes to slippery fingers, she rules!¡± James remarked, impressed by the fact that she¡¯d managed to nab three Pokemon in one go. The fact that two of those had given his group trouble in the past only widened the divide in their skill levels in his eyes.

    ¡°Unlike the looks department, where I rule.¡± Jessie added, as vain as ever.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not gonna take her trying to take our target right out from under us!¡± Meowth complained. ¡°Let¡¯s take her down a notch!¡±

    ¡°And once we¡¯re through working our magic, she¡¯ll beg to work for us!¡± Jessie tacked on.

    James wasn¡¯t too sure about that last part. Even with the little they¡¯d seen, this thief very obviously had access to better tech, more money, and stronger Pokemon. Team Rocket was a pretty sweet gig in his eyes, but someone like her would likely see it as a downgrade. He knew better than to point that out though. Best to let Jessie¡¯s delusions run wild, if only to motivate her.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    His doubts about Jessie¡¯s idea didn¡¯t change the fact that Meowth was right though. It was time to show that thief who the real thieves were!

    <hr>

    N felt like he was going to be sick.

    A Gardevoir, as the Pokemon¡¯s trainer had called it, had been kidnapped by a criminal right in front of him.

    Ash, living up to the praise he had been given by others, had practically thrown himself head first down a cliff in order to apprehend the criminal. How he hadn¡¯t broken a bone on the way down, N didn¡¯t know. N had continued down the path and waited for a less steep area before attempting to do the same, and on some level that made him feel like a coward. How could he question Ash like he had been when he wasn¡¯t willing to put himself at risk as quickly when Pokemon were in danger?

    Even Mimikyu had thrown himself into danger.

    In his panic, he hadn¡¯t even noticed the little ghost leaving his shoulder until he glanced at the criminal and saw her turn his friend into a statue.

    And now three Pokemon were gone, and he had been left powerless to stop it.

    He had not carried out his plans yet. He did not have the power of a legend on his side. He was a mere human. A worthless human who had allowed such an atrocity to take place and-

    ¡°N!¡± Ash pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts. ¡°I can¡¯t reach my pokeballs! If you can call one of them out they can cut this String Shot and we can go after them!¡±

    Right. Focus right now. He could chastise himself and hate the state of the world once the Pokemon had been freed.

    Kneeling down next to Ash, he tried to reach beneath the String Shot to get at the boy¡¯s pokeballs, but had no luck.

    ¡°It¡¯s too tight, I can¡¯t get my hand deep enough!¡± The panic he had tried to suppress was seeping back up.

    It was then that the Gardevoir¡¯s trainer and his travelling companions caught up.

    ¡°What happened?!¡± Brock asked.

    Before N could snap at him for asking such a stupid question, Ash answered with ¡°They got Gardevoir, Pikachu, and Mimikyu!¡±

    Dawn released her new Pachirisu, who cut Ash free with ease.

    ¡°Uh, not quite, actually.¡± N heard a quiet, but all too familiar voice call out, making his eyes widen in surprise.

    ¡°Mimikyu?! Where are you? I thought she took you away!¡± N quickly glanced around, searching for his friend. The other humans joined him, and he saw Pachirisu go to check behind the rock that Ash had been strapped to.

    ¡°Don¡¯ look for me! Stay away from the rock!¡± Mimikyu called out in a panic. ¡°Stop righ¡¯ now!¡±

    Confused and worried, he and Pachirisu stopped, and he got the others to do the same.

    ¡°Mimikyu, what''s going on? We don¡¯t have time for this, they still have the other Pokemon!¡± N urged him along.

    ¡°They took my disguise with ¡®em! I snuck over ¡®ere in the shadows, but I ain¡¯ got nothin¡¯ on!¡±

    They took his disguise? Why did that matter, they could just get him a new¡­

    Mimikyu was completely exposed.

    Mimikyu, the Ghost type who radiated fear and distress, who had sent the Rocket¡¯s Meowth running away absolutely terrified with just a peak under the disguise, who didn¡¯t know how to properly control his powers, who could potentially kill someone if they saw him exposed, had nothing to shield the rest of the world from him.

    The panic and fear he was feeling right now wasn¡¯t natural. At least, not to the degree that he was feeling it.

    ¡°I¡­ what do we do? I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do, Mimikyu.¡± He tried to breathe in deeply, to calm his racing heart.

    ¡°We need to get moving, what¡¯s the hold up?¡± Brock demanded, a hint of fright laced under his stern tone.

    ¡°Mimikyu is exposed.¡± N tried to explain. ¡°We need to.. We need¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t think straight. Every time he tried to come up with a solution his mind slipped back into the terror he felt, the worries about his failure and the Pokemon who had been taken away.

    ¡°Ask for somethin¡¯ I can hide in!¡± Mimikyu suggested. ¡°A hat, a bag, anythin¡¯!¡±

    When N relayed that information, Ash wasted no time in tearing his backpack off, throwing it behind the rock he¡¯d been strapped to. The sound of a zipper being undone, a bit of shuffling, and then quiet.

    His racing heart started to slow before a shadowy thumbs up reached out from behind the rock. He could feel the weight of the terror being lifted off of his shoulders.

    But while the rest of the group was trying to recover, Ash was already springing back into action. He scooped his bag up, putting it back where it belonged as he ran in the direction that the criminal had gone in.

    ¡°Come on guys! We might still be able to catch them!¡±

    They ran after him.

    How was he able to handle it so easily? Now that he thought about it, had Ash been affected by Mimikyu at all? He¡¯d been focused. The level of worry he showed actually seemed reasonable for the situation.

    His contemplations on the matter were cast aside as they saw a giant airship rise up into the air. His heart started to sink once more, naturally this time, as some sort of cloaking began to hide it from view.

    Ash kept running, so they followed after, passing by¡­ were those the Rockets? The two humans and a Pokemon he¡¯d been told was a Seviper were bound to a boulder with a String Shot. That likely meant that their Meowth had been stolen alongside the other Pokemon¡­

    The squealing of tires drew his attention. In all the commotion, he hadn¡¯t noticed the Officer Jenny pulling up beside him on a motorcycle, a Pokemon bigger than her vehicle at its side. Quadrupedal, with orange fur, black stripes, and big, fluffy tufts of tan-ish yellow fur around its face, neck, and tail, he thought it looked a bit like a cross between a Stoutland and a Darmanitan. The woman herself looked just like all of her relatives. Greenish blue hair, a blue uniform with red hems, and a cap on her head bearing a pin with the local insignia. He wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was meant to represent, looking a bit like an upside down funnel with two mail envelopes in front of the left side.

    ¡°Damn it! She got away again!¡± The officer smacked her bike in frustration. ¡°I came as soon as I could, but too little too late,¡± she admitted with a sigh. ¡°She didn¡¯t get any of your Pokemon, did she?¡±

    ¡°She took my Pikachu!¡±

    ¡°And my Gardevoir¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on, who is she?¡± Brock asked her.

    Pulling a wanted poster out of a compartment on her bike, she held it up for them to see. It certainly looked like her. ¡°Her real name is unknown, but she operates under the name J.¡±

    N frowned at the similarity between them, however small.

    ¡°She¡¯s got a fearsome reputation as a Pokemon hunter,¡± Jenny continued.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Pokemon hunter?¡± Dawn asked, obviously out of her element as a new trainer.

    ¡°They¡¯re scumbags who kidnap Pokemon and sell them for profit,¡± N explained to her. When compared to some of the other evils lurking out there, it wasn¡¯t the worst kind of person that a Pokemon could end up with, but they¡¯d never spend too long in the hands of someone like her, and given the legality of it, it wasn¡¯t a bad guess to assume that the buyers weren¡¯t the sort of people who would treat the purchased Pokemon right.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Officer Jenny agreed. ¡°J has her own method for stealing Pokemon as well, which I¡¯m sure you saw for yourselves. We haven¡¯t been able to figure out the details on it, so trying to fight against it has proven to be all but impossible.¡±

    Now that was surprising. Surely with all the resources the League had, they could figure something like that out with ease. Unless maybe it was a matter of not being able to get their hands on it in the first place? Researching something you only had second hand information on was a difficult thing to do.

    Ash had been strangely quiet beside him, but that stopped when the boy began to practically growl in anger. ¡°She¡¯s not going to steal another Pokemon,¡± he stated as if it were simply a fact. ¡°I¡¯m going to get my Pikachu back, or else.¡±

    This might be the first time he had seen Ash genuinely angry. But his justified anger would do him little good if they had no outlet for it.

    ¡°How are we supposed to track her down? Her ship turned invisible and there¡¯s no telling how far away it is by now.¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°We can¡¯t chase after her, but if we could predict the next place she¡¯ll show up¡­¡± Brock floated the idea.

    ¡°And how do you propose we do that? Last I checked, none of the Pokemon between us can learn Future Sight or anything of the sort.¡± N dismissed the idea.

    ¡°Yer forgettin¡¯ someone, N.¡± Mimikyu spoke up from Ash¡¯s backpack. ¡°She had a Gardevoir, she might ¡®ave another Psychic as well.¡± A shadowy hand reached up out of the bag, pointing at the purple haired woman from over Ash¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I do, actually!¡± The woman corrected him. She seemed a bit confused by the shadowy hand pointing at her as if Mimikyu expected to be understood, as did Officer Jenny, but neither thought to comment on it when time was of the essence. She pulled a pokeball out from behind her apron, releasing a Pokemon that must have been an earlier stage in the evolution line of Gardevoir. Significantly shorter, the Pokemon looked like it was wearing a skirt or maybe a tutu instead of a flowing dress, and had two red crests jutting out of its head rather than one in its chest.

    Dawn pulled out her Pokedex. ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Kirlia, the Emotion Pokemon,¡± the pink device read out in a robotic voice, ¡°Kirlia uses the horns on its head to amplify its psychokinetic power. This Pokemon can create a rip in the dimensions and see into the future.¡±

    ¡°A rip in the dimensions?¡± Kirlia repeated in a soft, feminine voice. ¡°What a horrible way to put it, but I suppose it gets the point across¡­¡±

    Officer Jenny showed Kirlia the wanted poster. ¡°This woman took Gardevoir and some other Pokemon. We need to know where she¡¯ll go next.¡±

    ¡°You all feel afraid and angry¡­¡± The Psychic type seemed quite upset about that, but got to work anyway. The crests jutting out from her head began to glow with psychic power, and the next thing he knew, his vision was distorted.

    A slight migraine began to gnaw away at him as he saw things that weren¡¯t in front of him. A waterfall. A river. A water wheel. J on her Salamence.

    The visions abruptly ended and Kirlia collapsed. Her trainer caught her before she hit the ground, dropping to her knees to hold the Pokemon. ¡°Kirlia! Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I will be fine. I should have known better than to share with one of distortion.¡±

    One of distortion? Did she mean Mimikyu?

    The rest of the group, not having understood the Pokemon¡¯s words, had already moved on.

    ¡°...small water wheel right at the forest¡¯s edge, it looks just like what we saw in the vision.¡± Officer Jenny informed them.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get over there right now!¡± Ash demanded as Jenny pulled out her radio.

    ¡°This is Jenny-¡±

    Weren¡¯t they all Jenny?

    ¡°I have determined the Pokemon hunter¡¯s next strike point. I want the area completely surrounded! Get the whole force down there if you have to! The location is-¡±

    He let her words wash over him as he prepared himself mentally.

    He had no Pokemon that he commanded.

    He wasn¡¯t even very impressive physically.

    But he would make certain that J couldn¡¯t continue stealing Pokemon.

    No matter what it took.

 Chapter 20

    While knowing the location that Hunter J would strike at next was certainly a boon, that didn¡¯t make the trip to the location any more pleasant.

    If they¡¯d had more time available to them, N probably could have convinced one of the local Flying types to assist him with relative ease. But in a moment when time was of the essence¡­ well, sometimes you have to make due with what you have.

    With Officer Jenny¡¯s motorcycle and sidecar available, along with the fact that her Pokemon, apparently called Arcanine, was large enough to ride, the group realistically had four seats between them if there was a passenger riding behind Jenny. The fact that there were six of them was a bit of a problem. Brock and Ash decided to double up on the Arcanine, which meant that the Pokemon would have to keep a slower pace to ensure that neither of them fell off with how precariously they were straddled on its back. N wasn¡¯t about to put himself into the awkwardness of the squad car, so he had hopped on the motorcycle behind Officer Jenny. That left poor Dawn and¡­ he really needed to get the name of the Gardevoir¡¯s trainer at some point¡­ but regardless of that, the last two girls found themselves crammed inside the sidecar, both looking like if the trip didn¡¯t end quickly they¡¯d take their chances on walking and miss all the action.

    The trip to the water wheel probably didn¡¯t actually take very long at all, but it certainly felt that way, and the sight they stumbled upon when Officer Jenny brought her motorcycle to a screeching stop didn¡¯t help in that regard. Hunter J had arrived before them.

    With the way that the forest had been laid out, their exit from it put them on a rather steep hill just a bit away from the water wheel. Down near the entrance of the building, they could plainly see J, her Salamence, and her crew¡¯s six-wheeler. What must have been the water wheel¡¯s operator was laying on the ground, bound up in a String Shot like the criminal had done to them just a bit ago. A quadrupedal Pokemon with deep blue, almost black skin that was covered in white fur stood between the downed trainer and Hunter J. He had never seen one himself, but he believed it matched the description of an Absol. The scythe-like appendage on its head gave it an intimidating appearance, but being good in a fight didn¡¯t mean much when she could just use the device on her wrist to turn Pokemon into statues. As N and Ash hopped off of their respective rides, they saw her capture the Pokemon.

    ¡°Shit! We don¡¯t have them surrounded yet!¡± Officer Jenny lamented.

    But it seemed that he and Ash were of the same mind for the moment, running down the hill and into the action.

    ¡°Wait! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Officer Jenny called after them, but neither of them stopped.

    Upon reaching the bottom of the hill, Ash called out. ¡°J! Give me back Pikachu, now!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± N added on,his fists clenching almost painfully tight in anger.

    Hunter J turned towards them casually, as if their arrival meant nothing to her. ¡°Oh, you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± The boys heard from behind them, Officer Jenny and her Arcanine appearing by their sides. ¡°I¡¯m placing you under arrest!¡±

    ¡°I guess I should commend you for discovering us, but¡­¡± Hunter J began as the Absol was loaded into her vehicle, ¡°Salamence, Hyper Beam!¡±

    Out of the corner of his eye, N saw Ash¡¯s bag stir, but before Mimikyu could do anything Officer Jenny had her Arcanine counter it with a Flamethrower.

    The two attacks clashed.

    But the difference in strength was made apparent in that instant.

    Arcanine¡¯s Flamethrower managed to stop the Hyper Beam from hitting them directly, but an explosion went off right in front of them as it hit the ground instead. The Fire type took the brunt of the damage, having placed itself between the two groups when it launched its attack, but N felt the blast hit him before he went flying, landing harshly on his back. His skin felt raw, and he was sure that he had at least minor burns. Hissing in pain, he stood back up, looking over to see Ash and Officer Jenny in much the same state.

    He saw Hunter J¡¯s lips moving, but the blast had left his ears ringing, so he couldn¡¯t make out a word of it. Her Salamence took off into the air, and he saw the vehicle prepare to leave. The bastards were about to get away!

    But Ash was experienced with this sort of thing. When he saw the boy run towards the vehicle, he followed right behind, hoping that Ash had some sort of plan.

    He was shocked when he watched the boy dive between the tires of a vehicle that was about to speed away, but he found himself doing the same.

    He was even more shocked when he and Ash came face to face with the Rockets. Hanging from the underside of the vehicle, their heads not having much clearance from the ground, the woman made a shushing gesture towards them, and Ash quickly adopted the same position as them. When the vehicle started to move, N realized that it was now or never.

    He latched on to the bottom of the vehicle, just barely pulling himself up before the crooks really started to pick up speed. The rocky terrain didn¡¯t make for a very even ride, but before long they were passing over metal instead. It was probably safe to assume that they had made it onto Hunter J¡¯s giant invisible ship.

    There was a flurry of movement around them as people got out of the vehicle, and taking a glance between the giant wheels revealed that they were currently in some sort of garage or hanger, a decent number of vehicles taking up the space. The four of them remained silent until the sound of boots on the flooring stopped, and they heard the door shut.

    All four of them dropped from the vehicle, rubbing their sore hands after having to hold their body weight up with strange grips for so long. But N wasn¡¯t about to forget who was right in front of him.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He all but growled, his patience gone.

    ¡°They took Meowth!¡± the periwinkle haired man cried out.

    ¡°We¡¯re not about to let that hussy steal our friend from us!¡± The magenta haired woman hissed.

    N¡¯s frown tugged at his burnt skin painfully, and he was ready to launch into a tirade about the irony of that statement coming from a Rocket when Ash stopped him.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this! Team Rocket will help us out, they know whose side to be on when it really counts.¡± He stood up, walking towards the door.

    But then his backpack wriggled, reminding everyone that it was currently occupied.

    ¡°Impor¡¯an¡¯ question b¡¯fore we leave this room!¡± Mimikyu cried out, two shadowy hands peeking out of Ash¡¯s backpack.

    ¡°Wait a moment, Ash.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to wait! She has Pikachu! If you need to wait, Mimikyu, then you can stay with N.¡± He started to slide the straps of the bag off of his shoulders, but Mimikyu continued in a hurry.

    ¡°I jus¡¯ need ta know how the League views lethal force!¡±

    ¡°Lethal force?¡± N repeated with a gasp, his words making Ash pause with his bag hanging by a single strap.

    ¡°That psycho jus¡¯ tried ta Hyper Beam you guys to the face, right? That¡¯s a murder attempt righ¡¯ there, and I wouldn¡¯ be s¡¯prised if she tried it again! I don¡¯ take ¡®er for the type ta come quietly, so if it comes down to it, is lethal force alright in self defense cases? Cynthia already hates us N!¡±

    When N repeated the inquiry, he saw the Rockets shrink back in fear, as they should, but the question gave Ash pause.

    ¡°...only if it¡¯s your only option. If it comes down to it¡­ I¡¯ll back you up during questioning. I know a trick or two for deceiving Psychics, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll mind too much if it¡¯s someone like this.¡±

    Before N could question that any further, Ash had readjusted his backpack and opened the door, walking out into a corridor. From where they were standing, they could see four branching paths.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to split up.¡± Ash declared.

    ¡°Split up? Are you insane? We just got done discussing how this woman is psychotic and tried to kill us!¡± N immediately rebutted. ¡°If one of us runs into her alone, they¡¯re doomed. Besides, spreading out only increases the odds that we¡¯re spotted and they sound the alarm or something.¡±

    ¡°Well then what do you suggest we do?¡± Ash¡¯s temper flared. ¡°This ship is huge! Are we supposed to check each room one by one until we find them, just hoping that nothing happens to Pikachu and the other Pokemon in the meantime?!¡±

    ¡°Those two are career criminals, right?¡± N turned towards the Rockets. ¡°Where would you store stolen Pokemon on a ship like this?¡±

    ¡°Team Rocket operates very differently from a group like this,¡± the male hedged, ¡°but based on what we¡¯ve seen in the past there are a few possibilities. One would be that J keeps her spoils as close to her as possible because she doesn¡¯t trust her men to not do something stupid with them. It¡¯s also possible that they¡¯re stored in the center of the ship to prevent any damage in the event that an outer wall is hit by someone in pursuit. But with an operation of this size¡­ I think the most likely case is that J works at such a large scale that Pokemon will be scattered throughout the ship, organized in some manner that¡¯s impossible for us to know but would make her job easier. It would be impossible to fit them all in one room.¡±

    ¡°Well then what are we supposed to do?!¡± the woman complained. ¡°Split up and that bitch kills us with her stupid dragon, move in a group and we¡¯ll never find Meowth! Are we meant to march right up to someone and politely ask where the newest captures are being held?!¡±

    ¡°Maybe askin¡¯ would work. Jus¡¯, ya know, maybe not so much polite an¡¯ more.. Threa¡¯enin¡¯.¡± Mimikyu spoke up from the backpack.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± N inquired.

    ¡°Well, ya see¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Hiding in a side room filled with wooden crates and various junk items, Ash wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about this plan.

    He would admit that N had a point. Running around the ship aimlessly would put them at risk, especially since N¡¯s only Pokemon was lacking in the battle department. Mimikyu was improving with Shadow Sneak, but with how weak it still was¡­ the little ghost was either completely ineffective, or would have to use the lethal force it had mentioned. So much for the whole ¡°seeing Mimikyu¡¯s true form kills you¡± being a baseless rumor like Absol and disasters¡­

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Unless Mimikyu genuinely didn¡¯t know and just wanted to be safe? He could see how learning that sort of thing about your species would make you hesitant to test it yourself.

    But he could worry about that later. Now was the time to worry about how they were going to get his best friend back. Somewhere on this ship, Pikachu was frozen in place, and every second they sat waiting here ate him up inside.

    But footsteps echoing down the hall meant that the wait was over.

    When J¡¯s lackey was walking past the doorway to the room they were in, Jessie and James leapt out, grabbing the man and dragging him into the room. There was nothing special about him. Short brown hair and a plain face would have pegged him as a random stranger on the street if not for the fact that his outfit indicated he was one of J¡¯s men. That he had thrown away any shred of morals and decided to steal and sell Pokemon for profit.

    Ash stayed put as the next stage of Mimikyu¡¯s plan kicked in. Still trying to fight the Rockets off, the man struggled to little avail as N approached the three of them with a green backpack in hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell us where the newly captured Pokemon are being held.¡± N demanded. There was power in his voice. In a way, that seemed familiar, but Ash was too focused on the grunt to think about what it reminded him of.

    ¡°Why would I tell you morons anything?! Once J gets her hands on you, you¡¯ll be sorry!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then you won¡¯t mind if my little friend here gave it a shot? He¡¯s quite upset that you decided to steal from us.¡± N lowered the backpack to the ground right in front of the man. He looked confused, and a little wary, but he¡¯d likely come to the conclusion that anything small enough to fit in Ash¡¯s bag wasn¡¯t a serious threat to him.

    What a fool.

    The change in the room when those shadowy hands started to pry the bag open from the inside was instant. Where before the room had felt a bit stuffy, the air at a comfortable temperature, now a shiver ran down Ash¡¯s spine. Fear coursed through him, though not to any degree that he was unfamiliar with.

    He watched as the grunt¡¯s eyes widened, but the man stood firm. ¡°You think that scares me? What, you have a little Ghastly hidden away in there or something?¡±

    ¡°...or something,¡± N replied.

    The backpack came further undone, and the Rockets clenched their eyes shut, literally shaking in their boots as they turned their heads away, too terrified to even look in Mimikyu¡¯s general direction. The fear Ash felt deepened from a general unease into a bone deep sense of wrongness. It was like he had just angered a Champion¡¯s Pokemon and his body knew that he was not long for this world.

    ¡°O-Ok, so m-maybe it¡¯s not a Ghastly, but I-I¡¯m sure that the boss will be here any minute now!¡±

    Unfortunately, he might be right. If Mimikyu was releasing this much terror, how far did the effect spread? Could it be felt through the walls of the ship? Hunter J might have noticed them already if that was the case.

    The backpack opened further, and even Ash felt the need to look away. With a feeling like this¡­ the Ghost type tinge on things was unique enough, but it felt all too familiar at the same time. His instincts were screaming at him to run. That he stood no chance against something of this nature. That the entity before him was above a mere mortal. Feeling that sheer, agonizing dread only cemented the theory that had formed in his mind about Mimikyu.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk, just get that t-thing away from me!¡± the grunt shrieked, no longer attempting to fight off the Rockets but instead trying to drag them with him as far away from Mimikyu as he could get. Not that he got more than a step or two. The Rockets were braver than he thought for withstanding this as well as they had. ¡°T-they¡¯re in hanger number three! It¡¯s j-just down the hall to the left and t-then you hang a right, you c-can¡¯t miss the huge doors! Please, make it stop! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± The man was screaming now, the fear for his life clearly genuine.

    Mimikyu closed the backpack back up.

    The grunt, with his wide eyes and adrenaline coursing through him, could only shake and nod in agreement when they tied him up, leaving him alone in the room.

    Ash was the first one to sprint out of the room.

    It took longer than he would have liked, but he had a location. Pikachu wasn¡¯t even that far away!

    He heard footsteps behind him, but he didn¡¯t look back to confirm that it was N and the Rockets. Being separated from Pikachu like this¡­ it was always the worst feeling. His palms felt sweaty and he found himself fighting for breath. He¡¯d been through enough terrifying situations to mostly get a grip on himself, but Pikachu was his anchor. Without his best friend on his shoulder, he didn¡¯t know how much longer he could stay calm.

    Just as he was about to take the right turn as the grunt had directed however, the Drapion from earlier rounded the corner. Ash stopped, allowing N and the others to catch up behind him as the Poison type came further into the hallway, followed by Hunter J and her Salamence. With the two sizable Pokemon present, the hall was getting cramped.

    ¡°So you were foolish enough to follow me here. I¡¯ll admit I was a bit surprised when I felt you from across the ship. What Pokemon was that? I¡¯m sure it would fetch quite a price.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll never take Mimikyu!¡± Ash shouted at her.

    ¡°Mimikyu? You mean the annoyance that I captured alongside your Pikachu? I think you¡¯ll find that it¡¯s already in my collection.¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu-kyu!¡± the little ghost¡¯s voice rang out from behind him as two shadowy arms stretched out towards the woman before him.

    Hunter J jumped back before she could be reached, ordering her Pokemon to intercept. ¡°Salamence, Dragon Claw!¡±

    The mighty blue Dragon reared back, using its tail to support itself as its front right leg took on a brilliant blue-green glow, swiping down towards Mimikyu¡¯s outstretched arms.

    The shadowy appendages were swatted out of the way, but Mimikyu only barely hissed in pain and the glow supporting the Dragon Claw suddenly winked out of existence.

    ¡°What the-¡± Hunter J cut off her own words as her eyes went wide.

    <hr>

    That shouldn¡¯t be possible.

    ¡°Drapion, use Poison Sting!¡± A barrage of needles ensured that the intruders would have to look away to prevent eye damage and give her a moment while she assessed the situation.

    None of this should be possible.

    First, this ¡°Mimikyu¡± Pokemon had moved after being petrified.

    Then, she feels a Ghost type presence on her ship stronger than anything she¡¯d ever felt before.

    And now not only had this Pokemon apparently separated itself from part of its body, allowing it to escape while she had a piece of it in a stasis case, but it had just completely negated Salamence¡¯s Dragon Claw.

    It was a weak move, she would fully admit that. Her partner had long been trained to focus on special attacks, leaving physical attacks as an option for handling weaker targets without damaging the goods in the process. But to negate it?

    She had been hearing rumors lately. Rumors of a particular infection. The rest of the situation was worrying, but that?

    That was bad for business.

    How many Pokemon had been infected already? How many would need to be gotten rid of and recaptured so that she could assure her buyers that her product was pure?

    It was time to cut her losses, but trying to have a full battle here would lead to damaging the ship and a further dip in her profits. Perhaps if they were isolated¡­

    Yes, that would do. Get rid of the intruders and the merchandise they had already infected all in one go.

    Backing away from the intersection, she commanded her team to fall back with her, giving the intruders a chance to slip towards their destination. In their blind desperation to reach the Pokemon she¡¯d acquired from them, they didn¡¯t seem to think a thing of it, taking the first chance they could to reach the holding area of hanger three.

    As soon as they were out of sight, she made her way to the bridge of the ship. ¡°I want hanger three separated from the ship immediately!¡±

    The moron she¡¯d left in charge of such things, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to learn their names when they were so expendable, turned to her in shock. ¡°But Ma¡¯am, we have Pokemon in hanger three!¡±

    ¡°Did I order you to question me? No. I said to separate hanger three immediately!¡± She glared at the coward, smirking as he immediately gave in and input the command.

    The ship jerked slightly as hanger three detached and started plummeting towards the ground.

    ¡°Get a clean up crew ready, and while you¡¯re at it get in contact with someone working outside of League territory. I need information.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Am I crazy, or was that way too easy?¡± Mimikyu asked from the bag N was carrying.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Someone like that shouldn¡¯t have let us escape.¡± N agreed. They hadn¡¯t gotten out unharmed, as made evident by the many tiny needles burrowed into his skin and delivering a slightly poisonous solution, but they¡¯d made it out with their lives and that was more than you could expect in a situation like that.

    ¡°Obviously she was trying not to blow up her own ship! It¡¯s a real pain getting a new hot air balloon made, I don¡¯t even want to imagine the hassle something like this would be!¡± the female Rocket suggested.

    ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± N looked over his shoulder at the Rockets following behind him.

    ¡°We still need to get Meowth! I can understand not liking Team Rocket, but we¡¯re not heartless! Meowth is our teammate, and we¡¯re not leaving until we get him back!¡± her partner reasoned.

    ¡°Jessie ¡®as a point, but I feel like we¡¯re bein¡¯ corralled inta this area on purpose!¡± Mimikyu tried to make him focus.

    ¡°We can worry about that once we free the Pokemon!¡± N replied as they followed Ash into the room that they¡¯d been directed to.

    Right in front of them were the Pokemon they¡¯d been searching for. Still housed in their display cases, the petrified Pokemon were on top of a table in the back of the room. Ash immediately started toying with a slider on the base, his face lighting up with a smile as Pikachu¡¯s color returned to him and the glassy material vanished, freeing the Electric type from his prison. Partners reunited, Pikachu leapt at Ash and they laughed as his trainer hugged him close. Team Rocket did the same with Meowth, leaving N to free Gardevoir, Absol, and Mimikyu¡¯s disguise.

    Absol paused for a moment, looked to N, and calmly stated ¡°We¡¯re all going to die.¡±

    Concerning, but not his immediate priority.

    Gardevoir bowed gracefully as the cloth of Mimikyu¡¯s outfit collapsed into a pile with nothing to support it. ¡°I thank you for freeing me.¡±

    N dropped the Pikachu disguise into Ash¡¯s bag, watching it wriggle before his friend popped out, looking like his usual self. ¡°Not a problem! Happy ta be of service! But uh, we might be relyin¡¯ on you next.¡±

    ¡°Relying on me?¡± The Psychic type questioned.

    ¡°Well we¡¯re curren¡¯ly pretty damn high in the air an¡¯ all, so I was hopin¡¯ tha-¡±

    Mimikyu¡¯s words were cut off when the floor beneath them suddenly tilted.

    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Mimikyu jumped onto N¡¯s shoulder as the room they were in suddenly started to turn over on itself, feeling like it was in freefall.

    ¡°There¡¯s a disaster imminent!¡± The Absol pointed out the obvious.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± Jessie panicked.

    ¡°It feels like we¡¯re falling!¡± James responded.

    ¡°I think that crazy bitch cut us loose or something!¡± Meowth cried out.

    ¡°Hold on tight!¡± Ash clutched Pikachu tight to his chest.

    ¡°Gardevoir!¡± N called out. ¡°You¡¯re a Psychic type, aren¡¯t you?!¡± The boxes around the room tumbled, making a mess and crashing into the free falling room¡¯s passengers. ¡°Teleport us to safety!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡± A soft blue glow overtook her eyes.

    ¡°What do ya mean, you¡¯ll try?! You can either do it or-¡± Mimikyu¡¯s words were cut off once more as, with a flash of light, he disappeared before N¡¯s eyes. Flash after flash took everyone out of the room individually until finally N found himself on a grassy field, Gardevoir appearing right before his eyes, slumping to the ground and panting for breath.

    An explosion rang out behind them.

    Taking just a glance to confirm it was the part of the ship they had been in crashing to the ground, N carefully approached the Psychic type. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I am¡­ simply exhausted¡­ not used¡­ to moving so many at once.¡± The Pokemon slowly managed to get out.

    Looking around him, N confirmed that everyone had made it to the ground in one piece. He and Ash were burned, and all of the humans had taken a direct Poison Sting, but they were in one piece.¡°Take a break, Gardevoir. You deserve it.¡±

    After brushing so close to death, N thought they were all deserving of a little break.

 Chapter 21

    N hissed in pain as yet another needle from Drapion¡¯s Poison Sting was plucked from his skin. A small pile of them sat discarded in a tray while a nurse pulled them out one by one. Not a Nurse Joy, she found her hands full checking over all the Pokemon that had been rescued, but rather a nurse who specialized in treating humans.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you were there to help, but I just feel so awful that you put yourselves through all of this to rescue my Gardevoir!¡± The Pokemon¡¯s trainer lamented. He had finally learned that her name was Maria while the group was on their way to their current location.

    The back rooms of the Jubilife City Pokemon Center found themselves much more crowded than they were designed to be. All of the Pokemon involved in the incident with Hunter J were inside a room he¡¯d been informed was meant for ¡°problem¡± Pokemon for reasons he¡¯d not been informed of yet, but because it was so small all of the humans involved in the incident were in with the general population of injured Pokemon. N wasn¡¯t very pleased with that fact, but it had been Nurse Joy who insisted on it and he trusted that she at least had a valid reason.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t your Gardevoir it would have been another Pokemon. She took Pikachu and tried to take Mimikyu as well. You can¡¯t blame yourself for the actions of a monster like her,¡± N responded. As against the concept of trainers as he was, he knew that the Pokemon being free wouldn¡¯t have helped in this case. Someone like J¡­ she seemed the type to burn down a forest full of Pokemon if it meant securing a high value one.

    His hatred of her grew deeper as another needle was plucked out.

    ¡°I know it hurts, but at least you¡¯re alive, eh?¡± The nurse tried to distract him as she pulled out another. ¡°A Drapion and a Salamence are certainly capable of doing a lot more damage than this. You kids got off lucky.¡±

    He certainly didn¡¯t feel lucky. The removal of the needles was only the second step in his treatment. He¡¯d been told to swallow some sort of foul concoction on the way over that he assumed was meant to counteract the Drapion¡¯s venom, but that was it. He still needed to get all of the needles removed, of which they¡¯d only finished half so far, and get his burns treated as well.

    ¡°Yeah, this is nothing! You¡¯ll be as good as new in no time!¡± Ash chimed in with a smile, looking unreasonably happy as he suffered through the same fate. N wasn¡¯t sure if the boy had been through so much that this paled in comparison, or if he just had an unreasonably impressive pain tolerance.

    ¡°Stop moving so much, if one of these needles snaps in two while I¡¯m trying to remove it, it will only be even more of a pain to get out.¡± The nurse working on Ash chided.

    ¡°Ah, sorry¡­¡±

    Maria sighed. ¡°And on top of your injuries, they won¡¯t let me see Gardevoir! Surely if she¡¯s been freed from that¡­ whatever it was, then it should be okay to take her home, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just checking to make sure that everything is alright, Maria.¡± Ash tried to reassure her.

    And while that wasn¡¯t an unreasonable assumption, N was suspicious as well.

    The backup Officer Jenny had called for arrived at the scene shortly after the group aboard the ship had made their escape. Upon seeing the state that N and Ash were in, they¡¯d all been escorted to Jubilife in the back of some police vehicles so that their wounds could be treated as soon as possible. While Hunter J and her henchmen had escaped, he assumed that some of the officers would be staying to investigate the wreckage, and perhaps look for where those Rockets had run off to.

    In the shock of having survived the ordeal, N hadn¡¯t noticed the trio slipping off into the forest, and apparently nobody else had either.

    He wasn¡¯t sure what to think of them. Before, he had known they were Rockets. That they¡¯d tried to steal Pokemon right before his eyes. He had known that they were scum worth less than the dirt on his shoes.

    But now¡­ the humans had risked their lives to save Meowth. Only he and Ash had been craz- or, devoted enough to risk it in their own group. And then there was what Ash had said¡­

    They know whose side to be on when it really counts.

    What did that mean? Had Ash and the Rockets been in similar situations before? He¡¯d have to ask about it at some point when there weren¡¯t so many prying eyes and ears. And there were a lot of them at the moment. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he saw so many League officials swarming in one place.

    There was the police force of course, who, though they liked to pretend otherwise, acted on behalf of the League. The Jenny family may have the strange genetics of the Joy family, but they didn¡¯t have the same moral backbone. Joys operated worldwide, moving between regions as was necessary to better serve injured Pokemon. Jennys on the other hand¡­ well, he didn¡¯t have any definitive proof of it, but he very strongly suspected that their ties to their respective regions were stronger than those of blood. Perhaps those from outside the League were different, but in Unova at the very least they served at Alder¡¯s command.

    And here in Sinnoh?

    Well, Cynthia¡¯s presence made that quite clear.

    The blonde Champion was currently overseeing the police interview of Dawn and Brock, getting their recounting of events while he and Ash were treated. Maria¡¯s interview had been quite short, and he had his suspicions as to why that was.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± N jolted as another needle was removed.

    ¡°Stop your squirming! You¡¯ve still got another 15 needles in you!¡±

    <hr>

    While that hadn¡¯t been the most pleasant experience, and he wasn¡¯t happy that Ash had recklessly thrown himself headfirst into danger yet again, Pikachu was at least glad that their little run in with the Pokemon Hunter had ended on a relatively positive note. Nobody had died, and all of the Pokemon they were aware of being stolen, himself included, had been freed from J¡¯s grasp.

    He could do without the aftermath though.

    Test after test after test was run on the Pokemon that were petrified by Hunter J¡¯s little wrist gadget. Pikachu had been poked and prodded, had his electrical output measured, given just about every test he could think of and then some so that Nurse Joy could assure herself that there were no lasting effects of the petrification.

    Which, while very much annoying in the moment, he could appreciate the thought of. He had been fighting that Drapion one moment and in Ash¡¯s embrace the next from his point of view. Not the worst he¡¯d been through, but not something that had been a fun time either. Now that he thought about it, they¡¯d skipped over medical exams for a lot of the incidents they¡¯d experienced. Pikachu wasn¡¯t too worried about himself, but Ash¡­

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you?!¡± Mimikyu interrupted his musings. ¡°I don¡¯t know all of the kanji necessary for this sort of thing, damn it! Making me write out all the hiragana is a pain in the ass!¡±

    Nurse Joy of course didn¡¯t understand a word that Mimikyu said.

    ¡°I really think we should do some more testing on you, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry!¡±

    ¡°No, woman! I am fine! Wa-ta-shi-wa-da-i-jo-u-bu!¡± He sounded out the words as wrote them, holding up his notebook for Nurse Joy to see. Pikachu wasn¡¯t sure if the scribbles of ¡°Ë½¤Ï´óÕÉ·ò£¡¡± actually meant anything, but Mimikyu seemed to be getting by with his human writing well enough. A lot better than Pikachu had ever managed, not that he¡¯d tried. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have to learn the word for fucking petrification! This shit is impossible!¡± Beneath the first line, he wrote something else, just as illegible to Pikachu. ¡°No Petrification!¡± Mimikyu pointed at the word with his shadowy hands. ¡°Do you understand? I wasn¡¯t petrified!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mimikyu, but I don¡¯t know that word.¡± Nurse Joy apologized.

    Despite the fact that he was hidden beneath his disguise, Mimikyu looked ready to strangle the poor woman.

    Pikachu had only seen it for a brief moment himself, but Mimikyu had somehow gotten J¡¯s device to freeze his disguise and only his disguise. Nurse Joy was understandably concerned about the mechanics of that, but there was only so much testing that could reasonably be done when leaving Mimikyu exposed could kill them all.

    ¡°You don¡¯t actually care about doing more tests for me, you¡¯re just trying to put off telling her about her Pokemon!¡± Mimikyu complained, writing the message out for Nurse Joy.

    ¡°I sense an imminent disaster outside of the room.¡± The Absol informed them for the fifth time since the start of the check up.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not helping.¡± Pikachu deadpanned. ¡°I¡¯ve met Absol before, and none of them were like¡­ this.¡± He vaguely gestured towards the Dark type.

    ¡°Perhaps he has a point¡­¡± The Kirlia nervously played with her skirt, worry clear in her voice.

    ¡°Relax.¡± The Gardevoir ran a hand through Kirlia¡¯s hair in a soothing motion. ¡°Maria will not care. If the options were a¡­ slight change¡­ or losing me forever, then I know that she would have chosen this outcome every time.¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°For you, perhaps, but I was in her care the entire time, and yet I suffer the same fate.¡± Kirlia¡¯s eyes narrowed at Mimikyu, though the little fairy didn¡¯t seem to notice, still arguing with Nurse Joy. But her eyes softened. ¡°That is unfair of me. I wished to save you as well, and I knew that sharing with one of distortion involved risk.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean, exactly? I¡¯ve never heard that term used before.¡± Pikachu inquired.

    ¡°A risk is a situation involving-¡±

    ¡°Not that!¡± Pikachu interrupted Absol¡¯s explanation. He¡¯d been told that the Pokemon belonged to a human, but it must have been a recent thing because he was struggling to comprehend how an Absol of all Pokemon was like this. The ones he¡¯d met in the past had all been the sort of cool, sort of lame edgy types. ¡°I do what I must for the inhabitants of this world at a cost to myself, because I am unworthy of- blah blah blah.¡± What was the word he¡¯d heard an Alakazam use? Chuuni? Maybe his father was a Psyduck or something, that might explain it¡­

    ¡°I meant the whole one of distortion thing,¡± Pikachu corrected, looking to the now Psychic and Fairy types for an explanation.

    Gardevoir frowned. ¡°It is a rude term that I thought I¡¯d taught Kirlia better than to use.¡± Her stern tone implied a punishment for the younger Pokemon at a later time.

    ¡°Okay, but what does it actually mean?¡± Pikachu prompted.

    Gardevoir sighed. ¡°It means¡­¡± She struggled for the words to continue, though Pikachu suspected it was more a matter of how to phrase it politely if it was such a rude term, ¡°... that your friend has some relation to the King of Distortion.¡±

    It was the first time that Pikachu had heard that name, but the way that she said it told him everything.

    This ¡°King of Distortion¡± was a Pokemon of great power, and not one that was liked in Sinnoh. Or at least, not by these Pokemon. Hoenn had seen much the same treatment of its Legends, though which were praised and which were scorned depended on who you asked. Pokemon in the region had been, understandably, very opinionated when the local legends were trying to flood the land or dry up the sea.

    Given the fact that Mimikyu and Nurse Joy had just given the two Psychics a lesson on the ins and outs of their new Fairy typing, Pikachu thought it fairly obvious that this ¡°King of Distortion¡± was some sort of Ghost type Legend. But what would this supposed ¡°relation¡± be? He and Ash had their suspicions about his little doppelganger, but a relation to a Sinnoh Legend put a bit of a wrench in those ideas¡­

    Unless maybe it was as simple as them both being Ghost types? Though their exact Domains varied, he could attest to the idea that Legends that shared a typing sometimes carried a similar¡­ vibe? A similar feeling. If, like most people and Pokemon, you only ever ran into one at most in your life, he could understand that the similarity would cause confusion. Tell a Kanto native about flames you thought might incinerate your very soul and they would likely think of Moltres, but a Johto native would think of Ho-oh.

    Whatever the case though, the fact that such an idea would even be suggested was worrying.

    ¡°Well just open the door and I¡¯ll tell her then!¡± Mimikyu shouted.

    Pikachu supposed his worries about this distortion could wait a little while longer.

    <hr>

    When Cynthia had ordered all forces within the League to send an alert directly to her if those two had found themselves involved in something serious, she had not expected something like this, and definitely not so soon.

    When she¡¯d first gotten the call about them being involved with a Pokemon Hunter of all things, she¡¯d been ready to introduce them to Spiritomb and show that little puppet what a real Ghost type tantrum was like.

    But thankfully the reporting officer had cleared things up rather quickly. Still though, for them to be involved in attempted apprehension of criminals¡­

    She gave them the courtesy of waiting until the nurses were through with them before she began her questioning. Using an office that the local Nurse Joy had so graciously offered up for them, she found herself face to face, or in Mimikyu¡¯s case face to disguise, with the Fairy type of the hour, his human companion N, and one¡­ Ash Ketchum? That name seemed familiar, she would have to look into it later. And the way that the boy and his Pikachu mirrored N and Mimikyu¡­ it felt like there was something more to it, though she couldn¡¯t put her finger on what.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the Champion of the Sinnoh region?¡± Ash asked her before she could get a word out.

    ¡°I am, yes.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Can we have a battle?!¡±

    Not the sort of reaction she would normally expect in this sort of situation, but she supposed the chance to battle a Champion was a big deal to most trainers. A hint of amusement ran through her as she watched the Pikachu¡¯s cheek sacs give off small sparks.

    ¡°Perhaps another time. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to be wrapped up dealing with this and a few other matters for quite some time. For now, though, I¡¯m going to need you to recount the events of your run in with Hunter J for me.¡±

    And so the boys talked. On and on, they told her a tale, with Mimikyu chiming in with his notebook occasionally, that painted a somewhat heroic picture of themselves. Normally she¡¯d think it nothing more than self aggrandizement, but from what she¡¯d heard from the others it didn¡¯t sound too far from the truth. That said, there were gaps in the story. Question was, were those gaps intentional or not?

    ¡°I see. I have a few questions about your story. Firstly, the way you told it seemed to suggest that the Gardevoir in question used Teleport on the Absol. Do you see the problem with that?¡±

    N blinked, apparently not having realized the flaw until that moment. So it either wasn¡¯t an intentional lie, or he was quite a good actor. ¡°Absols are Dark types¡­¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Ash turned to N. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±

    Mimikyu began writing in his notebook while N continued. ¡°Well, Teleport is a Psychic type move, isn¡¯t it? Shouldn¡¯t that not work on a Dark type?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why everyone is so caught up on type immunities. You can totally work past those!¡±

    ¡°Pika-pi!¡±

    That was¡­ well, it was certainly a statement. Whether it indicated that the boy was some sort of savant or a moron was something she wasn¡¯t quite sure of yet. But her thoughts about the Ketchum boy were interrupted when Mimikyu held up his notebook, filled with scribbled out words and phrases from earlier in the conversation. ¡°¥ß¥é¥¯¥ë¥¢¥¤£¿¡±

    ¡°Miracle Eye?¡± Cynthia read aloud. ¡°Gardevoir can¡¯t learn Miracle Eye though.¡± She easily dismissed the idea.

    More scribbling followed before Mimikyu showed a very shaky ¡°ÂÑ¤ï¤¶£¿¡±

    ¡°No, not even as an egg move. There are no Pokemon in the amorphous egg group that can even learn Miracle Eye to pass it on.¡±

    ¡°ÂÑ¥°¥ë©`¥×¡­ÈË£¿¡±

    ¡°I suppose there are Pokemon in the human-like egg group that can learn it, but why does that matter? The Ralts line isn¡¯t in that egg group.¡±

    ¡°±¾µ±£¿¡±

    ¡°Yes, really-¡± Cynthia cut herself off with a sigh. She can¡¯t be letting a Pokemon get her worked up like this. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to ask what they know about Gardevoir¡¯s heritage. But would someone like to explain to me why Nurse Joy is out there having to explain to Maria that two of her Pokemon suddenly have a new type?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like any of us know how we¡¯re meant to control that,¡± N began. ¡°We¡¯ve been avoiding any Pokemon that we¡­ or rather, that Mimikyu knows are susceptible to it, but that¡¯s not exactly foolproof.¡±

    ¡°Well try harder.¡± Cynthia demanded. ¡°The Shinx is out of the bag with Fairy types now, but just because we can¡¯t completely stop it from spreading means that we want it to suddenly be everywhere overnight!¡±

    ¡°Well what was Mimikyu supposed to do!¡± Ash shouted. ¡°He already said that he doesn¡¯t know how to control it, and I don¡¯t see you coming up with any ideas! Are you saying that Mimikyu should have just stayed back and let all those Pokemon get captured by Hunter J?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I-¡± Cynthia cut herself off and took a deep breath before continuing with a calmer tone. ¡°That¡­ is not what I meant. I can¡­ understand why you felt the need to intervene, and I can¡­ begrudgingly accept that Kirlia and Gardevoir being infected is better than them being sold off by someone who would interact with the likes of J.¡±

    Nobody else in the room seemed to like the way she worded it, but she would take it if they stopped arguing the point. Even Pikachu scoffed and refused to look her in the eyes.

    ¡°J is a¡­ known problem to the League, and we are doing what we can to stop her, but she has proven to be¡­ more resourceful than the average criminal. So I will thank you for acting where the League has been unable to. We both agree that someone like her should not be able to roam free, doing as she pleases.¡±

    That seemed to calm Ash and Pikachu down, though N was still frowning at her and Mimikyu was as unreadable as ever.

    ¡°However, I will strongly encourage you to not try something so reckless against someone so ruthless again. You did not have any Pokemon with you who could have handled a real fight against J¡¯s Pokemon, and I think we all know how poorly that could have ended. I am not happy with how things went, but I prefer this to having Officer Jenny show me two body bags.¡±

    Even N softened his gaze at those words, so she thought her point was made.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re done here. I¡¯ll be in contact with you if I come up with any more questions. You may leave.¡±

    She watched the boys and their Pokemon walk out of the room, giving it a few moments before she addressed its hidden occupant.

    ¡°Well? Did you get anything useful? I know it¡¯s a lot to ask, trying to get information without doing enough to alert them, but I¡¯d rather have them willing to talk to me for the moment, even if that means not getting the full truth.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately not.¡± An Alakazam stepped out of the shadows as it spoke into her mind. ¡°The infected one has become too intertwined with its human for me to properly break the veil, and I would not risk my mind by probing too closely with one of its kind. And the other two¡­¡±

    Cynthia raised a brow. It was unusual for a Psychic of Alakazam¡¯s caliber to find himself lost for words.

    ¡°They are marked. I have not accessed the files myself so I cannot be certain without first consulting, but I believe it likely that we have just encountered the Chosen.¡±

    Ah. So that¡¯s why the name was familiar.

 Chapter 22

    The group ended up staying the night in the Pokemon Center. With all of the Hunter J business, the treatment of their wounds, and the investigation that occurred, it had become far too late in the day for them to make much progress outside of Jubilife. While that was annoying, it¡¯s no different than where they would have ended up if their walk to the city had continued uninterrupted. Getting a ride from the police had really cut out a lot of time on the journey. So while everyone in the group would have very much preferred that the whole situation not happen at all, they could at least look on the bright side of things and understand that they hadn¡¯t lost any time to it.

    Plus, they¡¯d gotten the chance to reunite the kidnapped Pokemon with their trainers. Maria had, understandably, been quite confused about the whole Fairy type business, but at the end of the day she¡¯d been able to thank everyone with a smile on her face and Kirlia and Gardevoir at her side before the trio made their way back to their home on route 203. The Absol had been sent back to his trainer as well, but with the way things had worked out the Dark type ended up just getting a ride from the police, so they¡¯d not had the chance to see the trainer¡¯s gratitude.

    N wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, releasing those Pokemon from Hunter J¡¯s capture was undoubtedly a good thing. On the other hand¡­ was sending those Pokemon back into the hands of trainers much better?

    Maria at least seemed to be a kind person, and with Gardevoir¡¯s poor attempts at defending herself, he could assume that the woman¡¯s team weren¡¯t being forced into battles on a regular basis. That made it sting less when he thought about it.

    But the Absol? He didn¡¯t know anything about the Pokemon¡¯s trainer. The only time he¡¯d seen them was when Hunter J¡¯s Ariados had them all strung up in a String Shot. He couldn¡¯t judge much from that. Were they a good person? Did they treat Absol well? For all N knew, the trainer might abuse Absol as soon as the police left the watermill. There was just no way for him to be sure outside of doing a thorough investigation himself.

    That was the problem with trainers. Very few were near the level of Hunter J, but that didn¡¯t mean that they were a good person who treated their Pokemon well. He would even go so far as to say that there were fewer people who treated their Pokemon as they should than there were who would abuse them like J.

    Someone who stole and sold Pokemon for profit would only do so as long as others were willing to pay for their services after all. Who knows how many trainers had been in contact with her or someone similar, hoping to get their hands on a Pokemon that would give them a competitive edge.

    These were the sorts of thoughts that plagued him as walked around the darkened skies and city lights of Jubilife City at night. The cool night air felt nice as they blew across his bandages. He held up his left hand, inspecting the ones the nurse had left to keep his burn wounds protected.

    ¡°Don¡¯ go messin¡¯ with yer bandages again.¡± Mimikyu chided from his shoulder. ¡°Jus¡¯ ¡®cuz Brock has a bit o¡¯ experience with medicine doesn¡¯ mean ¡®e wants ta constantly fix yer screw ups.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Mimikyu. They¡¯ve finally stopped itching, I was just looking at them.¡± He was just glad that the areas affected by the Poison Sting didn¡¯t need to be wrapped up. He¡¯d been told that the backs of his hands would need to be protected from the elements for a few days, and his face would require some sort of cream applied once daily, but his clothing had protected most of his body. Of course, that had left the problem of his clothes being pretty messed up, but apparently Brock was quite handy when it came to repairing damaged clothes.

    The two settled back into a silence, but not a comfortable one. N could feel Mimikyu squirming around on his shoulder, clearly trying to work up the nerve to say something.

    ¡°Is something bothering you, Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°Pshh, nah¡­ I¡¯m¡­. I jus¡¯...¡± The squirming came to a stop. ¡°What if Gardevoir hadn¡¯ been there, N? Ya heard the sound that room made when it hit the forest. I¡¯ve been tryna keep my mind off of it, but I jus¡¯...¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± And he did. It was one thing to acknowledge the fact that they¡¯d almost died. N had known how close they had come to death on an intellectual level as soon as it had happened. But that wasn¡¯t the same as truly accepting it. Grasping that knowledge and coming to terms with it. It was only now, hours later after all the action and important discussions were long past that he felt a heavy weight press down on his gut, gnawing away at him from the inside.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d been in danger. Pokemon, as much as he loved them, were very dangerous creatures. Any day could mean the end of your life, for any number of reasons.

    But this was the first time he¡¯d truly felt it.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯ really thinkin¡¯ about it at all ¡®til Cynthia mentioned the body bags.¡± Mimikyu said in a soft voice. ¡°And I got ta thinkin¡¯... o¡¯ course you an¡¯ Ash an¡¯ the others wouldn¡¯ have made it. But what about me? My¡­ biology is strange at the best of times. Would I ¡®ave died on impact? Would I ¡®ave barely survived? Maybe it would barely affect me at all an¡¯ I¡¯d just be trapped in the rubble surrounded by-¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu.¡± N interrupted the little ghost when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to stand up.

    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s jus¡¯... a lot.¡±

    Truthfully, N hadn¡¯t even considered those possibilities. He knew that Mimikyu was a bit different from most Pokemon in some rather strange ways, but they hadn¡¯t really explored what really made the Ghost type tick. They¡¯d been travelling together for a decent amount of time now, and so much about the little fairy was still a mystery.

    ¡°I suppose all we can really do is try to move past it.¡±

    ¡°I s¡¯pose ya got a point there¡­¡±

    Suddenly feeling much more drained, N began making his way back towards the Pokemon Center.

    <hr>

    When the group set out for route 204 the next morning, the signs of a poor night''s sleep were visible on just about everyone. Despite her efforts to hide it, they all knew that Dawn had cried herself to sleep, and her eyes were still a bit red and puffy above her big, fake, smile. Ash had bags under his eyes, and N was sure that he was much the same. Brock¡­ he was better at it than the rest of them, but he was a bit slower on the uptake whenever someone asked him a question, clearly a bit too deep in thought.

    But as he had told Mimikyu last night, it was time to try and move past that.

    So he focused instead on what he enjoyed about travelling. The scenery and the Pokemon. As they left the hustle and bustle of the big city behind, he found that water was much more abundant on this route, or at least the area they were in at the moment. Large ponds, small lakes, rushing rivers, and trickling streams were plentiful all around them.

    While many of the Pokemon in this area were becoming quite familiar to him, probably on account of his Sinnoh journey revolving almost entirely around Jubilife up until this point, this difference in the habitat did bring out a few new faces.

    Resting at the water¡¯s edge or on its surface were a group of rather thick yellow Pokemon that were all clutching their heads. The bills on their faces, their webbed feet, and their propensity for the water gave him a pretty solid guess on what their typing was, and Mimikyu confirmed it for him. Psyduck, the little ghost called them.

    One Pokemon stood out from the group closest to him though. Blue in color, standing at more than twice Psyduck¡¯s height and looking much slimmer, Mimikyu informed him that he was looking at a Golduck, the evolution of the Pokemon it was with. The gem on its head reminded him of a story he once heard about a singing Pokemon back home, making him wonder if it might gain a Psychic typing upon evolution, but that theory was quickly shot down.

    Further from the water¡¯s edge, but still out under the light of the sun rather than secluded away within the forest, was a tiny green Pokemon that liked to hide amongst the wildflowers. While shy, they seemed friendly enough, but Mimikyu warned him against trying to get too close. Rumor has it that Budew like to release their pollen on a sunny day, and that the substance might very well contain poison. Not something he was entirely sure he believed, but after experiencing Drapion¡¯s venom, he wasn¡¯t exactly keen on interacting with anything that might be similar. He would have to do some research on them if he wanted to make friends.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    It was as he was observing a tiny blue Pokemon with a lilypad atop its head waddling down a worn path to one of the ponds that Ash made his presence known beside him.

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±

    They were quiet for a moment, only nature¡¯s sounds and the faint discussion of Brock and Dawn somewhere behind them keeping a complete silence from settling in.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m doing alright. The bandages are annoying, but in the grand scheme of things, that¡¯s not too bad of a price to pay.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong on that!¡± Ash laughed, holding up his own bandaged arms. ¡°They¡¯ll be off before you know it though.¡±

    The quiet between them was lighter the second time, some of the tension having been broken.

    ¡°...I¡¯d like to apologize, Ash.¡±

    ¡°Apologize? What for?¡± The boy asked, confusion clear on his face.

    ¡°When you¡­ gave your explanation, after the Gym battle¡­ I doubted your words.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d have to-¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± N interrupted. ¡°Let me finish.¡±

    Ash nodded.

    ¡°I¡­ I asked you a question, you gave me a genuine answer, and I doubted you. I¡­ I still don¡¯t like the way that Gyms work, but after going through that¡­ I think I can more fully appreciate your reasoning. Even when we were in the thick of things, you didn¡¯t risk the lives of your other Pokemon, but you were fully willing to throw yourself into danger.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage that, you moron! He¡¯s bad enough already!¡± Pikachu complained from the boy¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Do ya really think N¡¯s words¡¯ll ¡®ave an effect on whether Ash does somethin¡¯ dangerous in the future?¡±

    Pikachu could only sigh.

    Ash gave a bitter smile, scratching under Pikachu¡¯s chin. ¡°You would have done the same for me, buddy.¡±

    N knew that the way Ash understood Pikachu was nowhere near the level that he had reached with Pokemon, but he was still impressed nonetheless.

    Ash¡¯s attention was only on Pikachu for a moment, though. ¡°I still don¡¯t think you owe me an apology for that, but¡­ I appreciate the sentiment? You shouldn¡¯t sell yourself too short though. You were right there beside me the whole time.¡±

    ¡°I was only able to do it because you were taking the lead. When J was getting away at the waterwheel, I felt frozen, lost on what to do, but then I saw you running and it all just¡­ clicked.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ then I¡¯m glad I was able to help.¡± Ash¡¯s smile became more genuinely happy.

    Nothing else was said for a bit. They simply enjoyed each other¡¯s company. But with unfamiliar Pokemon around, and someone who had travelled through several regions right next to him¡­

    ¡°Ash, do you know what Pokemon that is?¡± He pointed towards the one he had been eyeing before their discussion, the Pokemon now floating on the pond¡¯s surface, a Budew being ferried across atop the lilypad. ¡°Not the Budew, the one below it.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Oh, the Lotad? Yeah, I can tell you all about Lotad! Though if you really want to get into it you should ask Brock, he raised one into a Ludicolo. I guess to start off, they¡¯re Water and Grass types¡­.¡±

    <hr>

    Dawn sighed a breath of relief as they exited the Ravaged Path. Why would you force people to go through a cave when all you needed was to get up a ledge! They could have easily had some Pokemon do some landscaping and created a trail along the length of it¡­ they had done that in the middle of nowhere over on route 203! Surely the traffic between Jubilife and Floaroma was enough of an excuse to have someone do the work!

    At least the trip through the very scarily named cave was short. It only took them a few minutes to get from the entrance to the exit, though that had still been long enough for everyone but Brock to trip over a Geodude and the Zubats to wreck their ears.

    Though as unpleasant as it had been¡­ it had made for a decent distraction.

    Emotions were confusing.

    She hadn¡¯t been one of the people who had their Pokemon stolen from her. She hadn¡¯t been one of the people who went onto Hunter J¡¯s ship. She hadn¡¯t been one of the people who got hit by attacks from those terrifying Pokemon.

    So why did she feel so scared?

    Even after everyone had been safe and received treatment from the nurses, she had found herself shaking in fear. Not enough for anyone to have commented on it, but it was there.

    She had been perfectly safe the entire time, and yet¡­

    And yet she had cried herself to sleep. She tried to keep it down, to not let anyone know and worry them. Her face had been a mess when she woke up, but she had cleaned herself up pretty quickly.

    Brock had tried to have another heart to heart with her, but it just¡­

    She already knew that everyone was safe. Telling her that the best thing they could do was move on and try to be better next time something happened wasn¡¯t exactly helpful.

    For one, the way he said it made it sound like this was going to happen again and again, which isn¡¯t reassuring at all!

    And moving past it¡­ that just made her focus on the growing number of flowers on the route. The further into the distance she looked, the more flowers there seemed to be.

    They were getting close to Floaroma.

    That should be exciting for her! The site of her second Contest! An opportunity for her to come out on top!

    But thinking about it just made her stomach do flips.

    Being a trainer was a lot more stressful than she had thought it would be¡­

    She couldn¡¯t just quit though. She needed to become a top coordinator. One of, if not the best. The group was heading towards Floaroma just so she could participate. Everyone¡¯s expectations were riding on her giving a good performance¡­

    She needed to show Zoey that she had improved since their last run in. She needed to show her travelling companions that she was actually making progress, and not just some deadweight kid they were dragging along with them. She needed to show her mom¡­

    It would turn out okay, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Things didn¡¯t always go her way, but she¡¯d been putting in the effort! At every chance she got, she was spending time with Piplup, Buneary, and Pachirisu to train. Coming up with ideas for making each of them shine under the spotlight, fighting against Ash¡¯s Pokemon to better prepare them for the battle rounds, using Pokemon Center computers to watch old videos of past years performances¡­

    If all of that wasn¡¯t enough to put her at the top then she didn¡¯t know what would.

    She just needed to believe in herself. Believe in her team.

    She was her mother¡¯s daughter after all. Being a coordinator was in her blood.

    She just needed to prove it to the world.

    <hr>

    Professor Rowan read over the report for a third, and then even a fourth time.

    How interesting.

    Not as interesting as evolution, mind you, but interesting nonetheless.

    ¡°Due to an incident involving the individual known colloquially as ¡®Pokemon Hunter J¡¯ (real name unknown), and attempts to thwart her criminal activity, there have been two confirmed cases of the Fairy infection spreading,¡± the professor mumbled to himself. ¡°These cases are both members of the Ralts line, which were already included on our list of known susceptible Pokemon. Both Pokemon are registered- Ah. Damn redactions.¡±

    He could understand why they might redact the name of the trainer the Pokemon were registered to, but that didn¡¯t stop him from growing annoyed at seeing the bold black lines. Though given how long the redaction went on for, it probably included location information as well, which was even more annoying.

    How was he meant to know if this was his little researcher¡¯s doing?

    It was probable that Mimikyu had some sort of involvement in the case. But that did not make it certain. And if his suspicions about the increase in data usage for the lab being related to Porygon investigations was correct, he couldn¡¯t exactly just contact N and ask the boy.

    The lack of communication was annoying, but Rowan was a patient man. Or at least, that¡¯s what he told himself.

    Maybe he should just call and find out where they were at the moment. Fly on over there for a day or two, have an in person discussion where the League wouldn¡¯t be breathing down their necks¡­

    But the lab kept him ever so busy.

    He¡¯d give it a little while longer. The research into Dawn Stones should be wrapping up relatively soon, and he had a bit of free time between that and the start of the next research project.

    Yes, that sounded like quite a good idea¡­

    ¡°Professor! We have a bit of a problem!¡±

    Assuming he wasn¡¯t arrested for murdering his useless assistants before that point, anyway.

 Chapter 23

    Their trip down route 204 had ended up being rather uneventful, but eventually the fields filled with flowers gave way to a small, vibrant town. There didn¡¯t seem to be a set style for the buildings in Floaroma, with each house or business being a different color and shape. A blocky green building with a flat roof, a blue building with brown shingles that resembled a barn, a grand yellow building that wouldn¡¯t look too out of place in much more ancient cities¡­ everywhere N looked, his eyes found something new. It was messy, disorganized, but it felt so alive.

    The one thing that the whole town had in common was the flowers. Hanging from streetlights, sprucing up window sills, and crowding the edges of every path in sight, N was glad to see that the citizens of the town had decided to keep the natural order of things in the area, or at least to a much larger degree than many did back home in Unova. It was a beautiful town, and judging from the looks on his companions¡¯ faces, he figured that they thought much the same.

    ¡°Place is bigger than I thought it¡¯d be¡­¡± Mimikyu muttered from his shoulder.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± N idly asked. Times like this made him wonder about his friend. He seemed so knowledgeable about the region at times, and yet small things like this threw him off.

    ¡°I s¡¯pose it makes sense if they¡¯re botherin¡¯ ta host a contest ¡®ere though¡­¡±

    His thoughts of Mimikyu¡¯s peculiarities were interrupted when Dawn brought the group to a halt.

    ¡°Look guys!¡± She pointed to a small flier hung up on the wall of a brick building. ¡°This says they¡¯re going to have a poffin cooking class today!¡±

    ¡°Poffins? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not familiar with those.¡± N responded.

    ¡°Yeah, me neither!¡± Ash chimed in.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of poffins?!¡± The blue haired girl exclaimed.

    ¡°I don¡¯ get why so many regions insist on havin¡¯ their own style of Pokemon treats an¡¯ then get s¡¯prised when people from other regions don¡¯ know theirs¡­¡± Mimikyu complained.

    ¡°Pokemon treats? You mean like Pokeblocks?¡± Pikachu asked from Ash¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Poffins are a Pokemon snack that¡¯s made from berries,¡± Dawn began explaining, not having understood a word from the Pokemon. ¡°I always helped my mom make poffins growing up, so that makes me something of an expert,¡± she added smugly.

    ¡°So they¡¯re like Pokeblocks from the Hoenn region?¡± Ash questioned, unintentionally repeating his partner.

    ¡°I guess in a certain way,¡± Brock answered, ¡°but I¡¯ve heard that poffins use a different recipe.¡±

    ¡°A snack made from berries?¡± N asked. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you just let them eat the berry? They¡¯re perfectly good as is.¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, Unova is one of the few regions without some sorta regional Pokemon food, ain¡¯ it?¡± Mimikyu supplied. ¡°I don¡¯ know the specifics, but ta my knowledge, stuff like this is good for makin¡¯ yer Pokemon look better for contests and raisin¡¯ their affection towards ya.¡±

    ¡°We have Castelia cones, and Pokemon seem quite fond of those.¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯ the same. Castelia cones are all made the same way by the same people, ain¡¯ they? We¡¯re talkin¡¯ about foods that are custom made by the trainer for their Pokemon specifically.¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± It was a novel idea, at the very least. He worried about people using them maliciously to gain a Pokemon¡¯s trust that they hadn¡¯t truly earned, but you could probably manage a similar effect with nothing more than berries. Catering specifically to their tastes¡­ perhaps this could be a good way to develop further bonds with his friends? ¡°You said this was a class being offered?¡± He turned to Dawn. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind attending.¡±

    ¡°Awesome! What do you say, guys?¡± She turned to the rest of the group, who quickly gave their approval.

    Hopefully this would make for a useful detour.

    <hr>

    It took the group a bit of time to hunt down the cooking class, but a kind stranger had set them on the right path. Their destination turned out to be a building on the outskirts of Floaroma that was slightly larger than the average house in the area, with a section at the front dedicated to various potted plants that were for sale. The building was surrounded on three sides by large fields of flowers that some Pokemon were tending to, and N watched as an unfamiliar Pokemon with a white fluffy head, flower bouquets for hands, and a green leafy body directed a Lotad to water the plants with what looked like a Water Gun.

    There wasn¡¯t a human in sight though.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Ash shouted. ¡°Anybody home?!¡±

    N watched as the unfamiliar Pokemon startled.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s nobody here¡­¡± Ash lamented. ¡°Hello?! We¡¯d really like to take your poffin cooking class, please!¡±

    N frowned, but it seemed Dawn was beating him to the punch. ¡°Ash, keep it down. I think you¡¯re scaring that Roserade out there.¡±

    ¡°K-k-keep it down over there!¡± The Pokemon hesitantly scorned Ash, though it was only barely loud enough for N to hear.

    ¡°Whoops, my bad.¡± Ash had the tact to look guilty after that.

    ¡°Sorry about that! Just because he¡¯s loud now doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s rude all the time!¡± Dawn apologized to Roserade and insulted Ash at the same time.

    ¡°I-i-it¡¯s fine!¡± Roserade reassured them, almost curling in on itself out of¡­ shyness? Or at least, he hoped that was the case. Maybe this cooking class wasn¡¯t such a good idea after all¡­

    It was then that the person in charge of the shop walked out, a watering can shaped like a Psyduck in hand. The forest green hair was normal enough, but N found himself questioning her choice of pairing a cream colored cowl neck sweater with a rather short brown skirt. Those items of clothing were made for very different temperatures¡­

    ¡°Did you say you were here for the poffin cooking class? I made you wait, I¡¯m terribly sorry!¡± She said with an apologetic smile.

    ¡°Apologies are a waste of time.¡± Before N could even blink, Brock was on one knee, the girl¡¯s hand held in his. ¡°I would happily wait until the end of time-¡±

    N drowned out the man¡¯s nonsense. ¡°How does he do that?¡± He turned towards Ash. ¡°I swear that was faster than a quick attack.¡±

    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. I¡¯ve just sort of gotten used to it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe ¡®e uses Brock Polish? He is a Rock type trainer ¡®n¡¯ all.¡± Mimikyu added.

    N frowned. ¡°Was that a pun?¡±

    ¡°...maybe. I mighta been sittin¡¯ on that one for a while¡­¡±

    ¡°A pun?¡± Dawn inquired.

    ¡°It was awful, just forget about it.¡± N dismissed.

    Wanting to forget that, he tuned back in to Brock¡¯s¡­ whatever it was he was doing, learning that the woman¡¯s name was Forsythia in the process before his Crogunk released itself and Poison Jabbed him right in the side.

    ¡°When will you learn¡­¡± The Pokemon croaked out.

    He really needed to look into how Brock handled those so well. This wasn¡¯t the first time, and he doubted it would be the last.

    As the Poison and Fighting type dragged his trainer away, Forsythia looked bewildered before hesitantly asking the rest of them to come inside.

    In no time at all, the woman had given them a short tour of the kitchen, dressed them all in aprons, and was giving them an explanation of how to make the treats they were after. Roserade seemed to be her assistant in this venture as well, setting two trays on top of the counter beside Forsythia. ¡°H-here you go¡­¡±

    One tray looked to be filled with diced Pecha berries, their pink color giving them away, but the orange chunks¡­Pomeg, maybe? By color alone it could be a Tamato, but they tended towards the spicy end of the spectrum and he wasn¡¯t sure that it would mesh well with the sweetness of the Pecha.

    ¡°First, you put your berries in a pot of cold water.¡± Forsythia explained as she did just that with the Pecha chunks. ¡°Then you turn the heat up all the way while stirring non-stop.¡± Setting the pot on the stove top, the blue flames came to life beneath it as she started stirring it with a wooden spoon. ¡°It¡¯s this constant stirring that gives poffins their flavor, you see.¡± Taking a peek over the rim of the pot, N was greeted with a solid pink liquid.

    That didn¡¯t seem right.

    ¡°Is everyone with me so far?¡± she asked the group.

    ¡°Her instructions are simple, but I don¡¯ get how she ended up with that after stirring for¡­ what, a few seconds?¡±

    Just as curious, N relayed Mimikyu¡¯s confusion to the woman, not that she was aware he was translating.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She cocked a brow at N, and surprisingly he found Dawn doing the same.

    ¡°The heat has only been applied for a few seconds at most, you¡¯ve stirred for even less time, and yet the liquid in the pot is now completely uniform. Shouldn¡¯t it take a lot longer to reach¡­ hmmm.¡± Turning to Mimikyu, he whispered in Unovan ¡°Remind me to look up the league word for homogeneity later.¡± Then, back in the Sinnohian familiar to the group, he continued with ¡°It became¡­ the same throughout, way too quickly.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see the problem.¡± She replied with a satisfied smile. ¡°You must be used to working with berries that still have the skin on them. Getting them to mix properly with the skin can be a real pain, so I make sure to peel all of our berries before we start.¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°What in the world is she on about?¡± Mimikyu¡¯s disbelief was obvious.

    It looked like N was going to have to do some research on berries at some point, because his group was starting to give him strange looks. ¡°Ah, yes, that must be it¡­¡± he played along.

    Not thinking anything of it, Forsythia took her spoon out of the pot and removed it from the heat. ¡°Once it¡¯s ready, all that¡¯s left is to pour it into the molds and leave it to solidify!¡± She did just that, filling a small metal pan with a grid of divots with the mixture.

    ¡°So, are you guys ready to try?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Dawn excitedly answered, anticipation clear in her eyes.

    <hr>

    The poffin making did not go as planned.

    Dawn¡¯s looked good. It made sense, given that she had prior experience with them. But while she got full points for presentation, she had her Pokemon in literal tears upon their completion. She claimed that the pink and green pastries were a favorite of her mother¡¯s Glameow, but they weren¡¯t up to standard, apparently.

    Brock¡¯s actually turned out well, though given his cooking skills perhaps that shouldn¡¯t have surprised N. Bonsley and Crogunk had eaten them all up with a smile.

    Ash¡­ well¡­ the only thing to be said about his poffins was that they weren¡¯t fit for consumption. They looked more like charcoal than food, which boggled N¡¯s mind given the process used for creating them. Ash¡¯s Pokemon ended up eating the batch Forsythia made rather than his.

    And N¡¯s poffins¡­

    ¡°Well?¡± He looked down at Mimikyu with a bit of hope.

    A shadowy tendril plucked one of the solid pink poffins off of the plate, bringing it beneath the disguise. ¡°Hmmm. It ain¡¯ bad, but somethin¡¯ is off about it. Kinda like¡­ it¡¯s too sweet maybe? Sickeningly sweet. I¡¯ll still eat ¡®em, but if ya feel like doin¡¯ this again, maybe we should try a differen¡¯ type of berry.¡±

    At least he had done better than Ash and Dawn. He could take solace in that.

    But with the taste testing done, it was time for them to clean up. With five people involved, it didn¡¯t take very long, but Ash still used the opportunity to poke at a pouting Dawn.

    ¡°So your Pokemon didn¡¯t like the poffins, did they?¡± He mentioned as he scrubbed the dirty dishes. What went unsaid was her bragging from earlier, but they were all thinking it.

    ¡°Well, Pokemon all have different tastes.¡± Forsythia tried to defend the younger girl as she put the clean dishes away.

    ¡°Is that true?¡± the blue haired girl clung on to the possibility that it hadn¡¯t been her fault.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true,¡± N interjected. ¡°You and Ash enjoy different things, don¡¯t you? Pokemon are much the same. They have unique tastes and thoughts, it¡¯s all a matter of communication and finding out what they like.¡±

    The pout left her face, replaced by a small smile. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to give it another shot then!¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Figuring out what sort of treats her Pokemon liked wasn¡¯t exactly a pressing matter, but any step he could take to guide her down the right path was one that he would take. He had a bit of hope for the girl, and making her consider the feelings of her team would hopefully serve to make her more compassionate.

    ¡°Is that really true though?¡± Mimikyu pondered next to his head. ¡°I s¡¯pose I ¡®aven¡¯ really looked into it, but I¡¯ve ¡®eard that the flavors Pokemon enjoy is largely dependen¡¯ on their nature. Like jolly Pokemon likin¡¯ sweet stuff ¡®n¡¯ whatnot.¡±

    ¡°A jolly Pokemon?¡± N muttered to his fairy friend. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ an interesting way of describing someone.¡±

    ¡°Eh, like I said, I ¡®aven¡¯ really looked into it. Maybe it¡¯s some pseudoscience garbage.¡±

    Not paying any attention to the whispers between N and Mimikyu, and with the dishes cleaned and put away, Forsythia invited them all to join her at a table in the next room. ¡°You¡¯ve all worked hard today, why don¡¯t we relax a bit with a nice cup of tea?¡±

    N frowned. There was nothing wrong with tea, but he just couldn¡¯t understand the obsession that other regions seemed to have with it. Why drink hot leaf water when you could have coffee instead?

    But turning down the offer would be rude, so he took a seat, accepting a tea cup from Roserade. ¡°P-please enjoy¡­¡± the Pokemon all but whispered before running to hide behind a doorway.

    ¡°Man, Roserade¡¯s really scared of me¡­¡± Ash frowned, concerned that he had messed up somehow.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Forsythia denied. ¡°Roserade has always been like this, ever since I met her as a Budew. She enjoys her time here among the flowers and the other Pokemon that help me out, but when it comes to strangers¡­¡±

    But was that really the case? Or just the lies of someone who would abuse Pokemon? That would explain Roserade¡¯s aversion to people.

    Quickly downing the rest of his tea, N stood up from the table. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± The group gave him some confused looks as he walked out of the room and towards the exit, and conveniently right past Roserade.

    Picking up on his intentions, Mimikyu gestured for the Grass type to follow once they were out of sight from the others, and Roserade hesitantly followed them outside into the flower fields. N took a seat on the grass, gesturing for the Pokemon to do the same as Mimikyu crawled off his shoulder and to the ground.

    It took a moment, but eventually the white tufts of Roserade¡¯s head entered his peripheral vision.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to advertise this to other humans, but I can understand Pokemon,¡± N began.

    The Poison type jolted. ¡°R-really?¡± She looked down to Mimikyu for confirmation, receiving naught but a nod of affirmation.

    ¡°Really. And I have¡­ concerns. Forsythia isn¡¯t¡­¡± He wanted to just come out and say it. Ask if Roserade was being abused. But he¡¯d seen cases in the past where a bruised and beaten Pokemon would defend their trainer up until the very end. Sometimes a more roundabout approach was necessary. ¡°How does Forsythia treat you?¡±

    ¡°Forsythia?¡± With just that word, it was as if all the shyness and hesitation evaporated. ¡°She¡¯s amazing! She¡¯s done so much for me, sometimes I wonder if I¡¯m deserving of it all¡­ Anything I¡¯ve ever needed or wanted, it was only a matter of finding a way to ask. If not for Forsythia¡­¡±

    Hmm. Perhaps not as he originally suspected then. Perhaps Forsythia had saved her from a previous trainer? ¡°If not for Forsythia¡­?¡± He prompted for the Pokemon to continue.

    ¡°When I was just a Budew¡­ I used to think I was hot stuff. At least, until I had my first run in with a Fire type.¡± The Pokemon paused to gather her thoughts. ¡°I would battle all the time, always trying to improve myself, but when I woke up in the Pokemon Center with all of my leaves burned away and my face so horribly burned¡­¡± Roserade shivered at the memory. ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t really been the same since then. The physical wounds were gone within a week, but now every time I think about meeting someone new¡­ I can¡¯t help but wonder if there¡¯s a Fire type on their team, and it¡¯s like a Pachirisu has hit me with Thunder Wave. When it¡¯s just me and Forsythia and Lotad, everything is perfect, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry that happened to you.¡± The details in Roserade¡¯s story were scarce, but he wasn¡¯t about to dredge up even more old memories by poking and prodding at it. Was it just a lone Fire type who had acted on its own? He didn¡¯t know of any in the area, but his knowledge of the locals was limited. Though he thought it much more likely to be a case of a trainer wanting to train against wild Pokemon. This area was ripe with Pokemon that were weak to fire, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to take on plenty of opponents with little rest¡­

    Humans were awful creatures after all.

    ¡°I still train sometimes.¡± The Grass type all but whispered. ¡°When people try to steal our berries, I put on a disguise and it makes me feel brave again. Like if they can¡¯t see my face, they can¡¯t burn it again. You know what that¡¯s like, don¡¯t you?¡± She asked Mimikyu. ¡°You hide just like I do.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­ I can¡¯t say our situations are exactly the same, but¡­ I s¡¯pose we might ¡®ave a bit in common there.¡± His voice slowly shifted from unsure to melancholic. ¡°Hidin¡¯ away from the world is so much easier sometimes¡­ but ya can¡¯t just hide away forever. The mask ¡®as ta come off eventually, Roserade. Er, well, I wish mine would, but I¡¯ve got a whole thing¡­¡± he slowly trailed off as he realized he had ruined the moment. ¡°Look, I ain¡¯ good with the touchy feely stuff. An¡¯ if my memory serves, Roserades don¡¯ exactly ¡®ave great coverage options, so I can¡¯t just poin¡¯ ya at a move to help with Fire types¡­. But ya can¡¯t let that stop ya! One bad experience¡­ I get that it hurts. It¡¯s awful¡­ and maybe my own experiences ain¡¯ exactly analogous ta yers¡­ I¡¯m not realy helpin¡¯ my case ¡®ere, am I? My poin¡¯ is that ya gotta try again. Practice makes perfect an¡¯ all that.¡±

    ¡°I think what my friend here is trying to say,¡± N decided to save the floundering Pokemon, ¡°is that you shouldn¡¯t let a single bad experience define who you are. It¡¯s important to set goals for yourself and to grow along the way. If this happened back when you were a Budew, then you¡¯ve grown physically, but mentally?¡±

    The Poison type leaned back, staring up at the bright blue sky. ¡°Mentally I¡¯m still stuck back there, aren¡¯t I? Maybe you¡¯re right¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the full situation. I don¡¯t know your life. It¡¯s just a bit of advice from someone passing through, and you¡¯re free to ignore it if you¡¯d like.¡±

    As N stood up, and let his little ghost friend make his way back up to his shoulder, he thought he heard a soft ¡°thank you¡±, but he just walked back inside.

    When they left Forsythia¡¯s place later on, he saw Roserade staring intently at a red scarf. Perhaps that was her supposed ¡°disguise¡±, perhaps it wasn¡¯t. He¡¯d done what he could, and hopefully made a Pokemon feel at least a bit better.

    <hr>

    The next day, after a night spent in the local Pokemon Center, the group found themselves preparing Dawn for her contest.

    Or rather, Ash and Brock were helping Dawn. Pikachu was giving Pachirisu some tips on electricity usage, and they seemed to be making some progress with the oversight of the trainers.

    N and Mimikyu were doing a bit of training of their own.

    Focus. You¡¯ve done this plenty of times now, it should be second nature at this point.

    There was no time for a pooling of energy. No time for conscious thoughts.

    Shadow Sneak.

    In the blink of an eye, the scenery in front of him had changed¡­ by a few feet.

    ¡°You¡¯ve definitely improved.¡± N commented.

    ¡°Not ¡®nough, though. I can feel each one of these draining me, ¡®n¡¯ while I¡¯m more consistent with the activation, I don¡¯ think the power ¡®as increased at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, should it be getting more powerful? Moves have a pretty set level of power, don¡¯t they? The only thing that could change is you, and you¡¯re not exactly doing battles to gain experience. Not that that¡¯s a bad thing, of course, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But ya gotta crack a few eggs ta make an omelet, I know. I jus¡¯ don¡¯ like the idea of bein¡¯ the egg when all I¡¯ve got is Shadow Sneak.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re still not having any luck with other moves?¡±

    ¡°No! An¡¯ it don¡¯ make no sense ta me, either! I mean, I¡¯m a Ghost type, so Shadow Sneak bein¡¯ easier for me makes a bit of sense. I can get that. But that shouldn¡¯ be the only move! Baby-Doll Eyes is a simple ¡®nough Fairy type move, I should ¡®ave that down, I would think, but noooo. I jus¡¯ don¡¯ understand what I¡¯m doin¡¯ wrong and it¡¯s so instinctual ta everyone else that they don¡¯ know how ta explain it ta me.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve just been idle all this time. Sure, I might spend more time learning the League language than doing actual training, but I¡¯ve asked just about everyone in the group at this point. And Pikachu has proven to be far more helpful than the rest of them combined¡­

    Maybe Scratch is a no go because it¡¯s a Normal type move. Shadow Claw sounds like it should be the easiest, since it¡¯s just using the same Ghost type I use for Shadow Sneak when I¡¯m slashing at someone, but that requires a pretty high level to learn, doesn¡¯t it? Maybe that has something to do with the crit rate¡­

    Though it¡¯s not like I ever cared about getting to a high level for it before. I always just used a TM¡­

    Maybe¡­ would that work? I don¡¯t even know if TMs exist in this world. I mean yeah, I saw Lucas a couple times, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean anything. And even if they do exist, how expensive must they be? Probably something outrageous, and I can¡¯t just ask N to drop a few grand on me so I can learn some moves more easily when I don¡¯t even know if it would work.

    I could check and see what they have in stock the next time we visit that sort of store though. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to just take a look¡­ Maybe Pikachu would know a thing or two about it.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s frustrating, but I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much, Mimikyu. You¡¯ll figure it out eventually. Why don¡¯t you try-¡±

    N was interrupted by a Discharge on the other side of the field as Pachirisu seemingly lost its patience, and then an unfamiliar voice entered the scene.

    ¡°Hey! Deedee!¡± a young man called out.

    It¡¯s always one thing after another, isn¡¯t it? Doesn¡¯t seem familiar, but the way Dawn¡¯s face just went pale means this guy is some sort of trouble. I just hope it¡¯s young girl trouble and not dangerous criminal trouble this time¡­

 Chapter 24

    Lucas couldn¡¯t help but ponder how fortunate his timing had been as he looked over the ¡°fashion case¡± in his hands.

    He had been letting himself move at whatever pace felt right since he started his journey. Barry always seemed to live life as fast as he could, one thing to the next as quickly as possible, but that¡­ just wasn¡¯t appealing to Lucas.

    Why rush when there was so much to explore? Sunny fields of tall grass, dark, damp caves, alleyways between buildings, the insides of people¡¯s homes¡­

    Well, some people had a bit of a problem with that last one since he had a bad habit of just inviting himself in, but what was he meant to do! So many people were willing to give him items or offer trades if he just ignored a few social norms! Really, it was them who people should be upset at. If they would just go outside and offer those things to him, he wouldn¡¯t feel the urge to barge into every unlocked door hoping to find treasures.

    Like that fisherman! He hadn¡¯t expected to get a free old rod and lessons on how to reel in a Pokemon caught on the hook, but that just went to show how far you could get if you approached everyone you could!

    Still though, to think that he had done all of that and somehow showed up at the perfect moment to save Professor Rowan from a mugging¡­

    Although, the professor was a big deal, right? And he had all those Pokemon at his lab? Now that he thought about it, shouldn¡¯t the old guy have a pretty impressive team of his own? He¡¯d only gotten Turtwig from him a short while ago, and Lucas was pretty certain that both his starter and Bidoof were getting pretty close to evolving.

    He should have a cool fossil Pokemon as well, like Roark¡¯s Cranidos, but the people at the museum had told him the fossil he had found was just a cool looking rock¡­ jerks¡­ Barry was never going to let him live that one down¡­

    Anyway, the point was that Professor Rowan making a new trainer fight his battles for him was strange. Unless it was some sort of test? Maybe he would put a good word in to the next Gym Leader after seeing how well he had done against those weirdos. Roark¡¯s Gym had been a breeze, so he was hoping the one in Eterna would be a bit more challenging. Though maybe that had more to do with the type advantage he¡¯d had against those Rock types¡­

    ¡­nah, it was totally skill! If he could get Bidoof of all Pokemon to listen to his commands, then clearly he was a Champion in the making! He¡¯d yet to lose a match. Not against Barry, not against Gym Leader Roark, and not against those ¡°Team Galactic¡± grunts!

    And what a weird name that was! Who did they think they were? Wearing weird outfits, pretending they were in some sort of exclusive club, and then trying and failing to steal Pokemon just made them seem like they shared an ability with Bidoof.

    Actually, they might be a bit more Simple than even Bidoof. His second Pokemon at least seemed to be getting smarter with time. Not by much, but he¡¯d been getting less blank stares recently.

    He probably didn¡¯t need to worry about this ¡°Team Galactic¡± anymore though, not if they were so weak that Turtwig by himself had been enough to beat them. The professor¡¯s assistant¡¯s Piplup hadn¡¯t done anything but take a Fake Out to the face, so Lucas wasn¡¯t going to give her any credit, even if it was technically a Multi Battle.

    At least the Jubilife TV guy who happened to watch it all play out had been impressed enough to praise him. Though he wasn¡¯t exactly sure of what he was meant to do with this fashion case thing he¡¯d been gifted. Who cares about making Pokemon look pretty? Did he look like a coordinator? Shoving it into the important items pouch of his backpack, if only because he didn¡¯t know where else to put it, he turned his gaze to the route before him. His Town Map suggested that Floaroma was pretty empty, but since he didn¡¯t own a bike, this was the only way to Eterna.

    Oh well. A longer path just meant more opportunities to see his team evolve!

    <hr>

    Dawn realized that she tried to keep calm and collected, or at least make everyone think she was calm and collected, but hearing the name ¡°Deedee¡± made all of that go out of the window in an instant. Only one person had ever called her that.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see ya, kid!¡±

    A lime green undershirt beneath a striped off white and pale green t-shirt. Khaki pants, shoes that matched his shirts, and a Poketch on his wrist. The face under that mop of rusty brown hair was all too familiar to her.

    ¡°Kenny!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t sure if she had shouted his name out of surprise or dread. Hopefully he thought it was excitement¡­ if she was too rude to him, it would surely get back to her mom, but she had¡­ issues with Kenny.

    The first of which being the fact that he called her a kid, despite the fact that they were the same age. Him having a few months on her didn¡¯t mean he got to call her a kid!

    ¡°I¡¯m loving that hairdo!¡±

    It was then that she realized Pachirisu¡¯s Discharge had ruined her hair again, and Kenny reminded her of yet another issue she had with him. But she had to play along.

    ¡°Haha,¡± she hoped her laugh didn¡¯t sound too fake, ¡°we all have bad hair days!¡± She would definitely need to brush it properly later, but her fingers would have to work for now as she desperately tried to get it looking halfway decent.

    So wrapped up in fixing her appearance, she didn¡¯t even notice Pikachu walking up beside her.

    ¡°What do you know? Deedee¡¯s got herself a Pikachu!¡± Kenny placed his hands on his hips as he looked down at the Electric type. ¡°Deedee¡¯s all grown up.¡± When he looked back up at her, there was a smirk on his face.

    That was one too many Deedees. Or, well, all of them were too much, but she couldn¡¯t take it anymore! ¡°Kenny, stop! My name isn¡¯t Deedee, it¡¯s Dawn! And this isn¡¯t my Pikachu!¡±

    ¡°Pika-Pi!¡±

    ¡°My name is Ash!¡± she heard from behind her.

    ¡°And I¡¯m Brock, nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡± Kenny replied.

    She waited for a third voice, but apparently N was too busy to introduce himself¡­

    Turning back to point at her green haired companion, she continued. ¡°That¡¯s N, and we¡¯ve all been travelling together for a long time.¡±

    Had it been a long time? It had seemed like the right thing to say, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it was accurate. It certainly felt like it, but the days sort of blended together out on the road like this¡­

    ¡°What? With them?¡± Kenny looked shocked at that.

    ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± She dared him to say that there was, trying to keep the pout off of her face.

    But before Kenny could respond, Brock had stepped in. ¡°Any friend of Dawn¡¯s is a friend of ours. Why don¡¯t we head over to the cafe and get some drinks together?¡±

    Stupid Brock, always butting in¡­ she could fight her own battles!

    But it wasn¡¯t like she was making much progress with her training anyway, and the whole group quickly agreed without her, so she found herself going to the cafe regardless¡­

    ¡°So how do you two know each other?¡± Brock asked as they made their way to the cafe, N and Mimikyu trailing a bit behind them.

    If there was no getting out of this she might as well do the explaining so Kenny didn¡¯t say anything dumb¡­ ¡°Kenny left Twinleaf Town for his journey before I did. We grew up together.¡±

    ¡°That we did!¡± Kenny spoke up. ¡°Though I wonder if you¡¯ve been keeping tabs on me, little Miss Copycat.¡±

    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± She tried not to glare at him.

    ¡°Well, I saw you using Piplup over at the Jubilife contest, and my partner is a Prinplup. It¡¯s okay to admit that you¡¯re following in my footsteps, I won¡¯t judge you.¡± His stupid voice was so smug!

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ever copy you!¡± Deep breaths. Calm down. Can¡¯t let him win. ¡°Piplup and I were made for each other.¡± She didn¡¯t recognize the name Prinplup, but with how similar it was, and Kenny¡¯s teasing, it was easy enough to assume that it was an evolved form of Piplup.

    As they reached the cafe, there was a lull in the conversation as they made their orders and took a seat.

    ¡°So you were at the Jubilife contest?¡± Dawn tried to start things back up civilly.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there in person, but I watched it on TV. Did you watch my performance?¡±

    Ah¡­ she knew she had forgotten about something¡­

    Wait, no, since when was Kenny a coordinator? ¡°I can¡¯t really see you as a coordinator¡­¡±

    Kenny gave a fake laugh, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°That? Ah¡­ well, unlike you, I¡¯ve already made it to the finals!¡± He quickly moved into bragging. ¡°It was at the contest right before Jubilife City and I thought I had it in the bag¡­ but I guess you¡¯ve seen just how powerful Zoey is for yourself. She knocked both of us out of the running¡­¡±

    He had lost to Zoey in the finals? That must have been where she had won her ribbon¡­

    ¡°Zoey is pretty strong, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ash chimed in.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I was pretty impressed by her techniques.¡± Brock added.

    Kenny turned to Ash. ¡°Are you competing here?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Dawn answered for him, ¡°Ash is aiming for the Sinnoh League, Brock is a Pokemon Breeder, and N is¡­¡± she drew a blank. ¡°What are you aiming for, N?¡± She couldn¡¯t recall him ever saying.

    The group turned to him, forcing him to break his silence. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be the best friend to Pokemon that I can be.¡±

    Huh. That was¡­ an interesting goal, but it didn¡¯t quite fit in with the rest of theirs¡­ oh well, she could ask for details later.

    Kenny didn¡¯t seem to care about N¡¯s response, though. His focus was still on Ash. ¡°You were in the Jubilife contest, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ash nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve had some fun with contests, but Gym battles are where it¡¯s at!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Kenny turned back to Dawn. ¡°So did you guys meet in Jubilife then?¡±

    ¡°Nope! I actually started travelling with them at the beginning of my journey! Well, Ash, anyway. Brock and N got picked up along the way.¡±

    Kenny¡¯s smug grin returned. ¡°I see. So you¡¯ve probably got some good stories then, right Ash? I doubt they hold a candle to mine.¡±

    ¡°Stories? About what?¡± Ash looked lost.

    ¡°We¡¯re all ears for a good story.¡± Brock leaned in.

    Dawn had a sinking feeling that she knew where this was going. ¡°Kenny, do you have to?¡±

    He ignored her. ¡°One time Dawn¡¯s mom made her get a haircut that she couldn¡¯t stand¡­¡±

    This was not the kind of stress she needed right before a contest.

    <hr>

    N held back a frown as the stadium roared.

    He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this Kenny kid.

    However embarrassed she might be, Dawn hadn¡¯t protested against having a chat with Kenny, so it looked like this was shaping up to be some sort of ¡°childhood friends turned rivals¡± drama.

    It was a common enough occurrence, but he¡¯d never understood the mentality himself. Why pit yourselves against each other when you had a strong bond to start with? Though maybe his confusion was due to the fact that he¡¯d had more interaction with Pokemon than potential human friends when he was younger¡­ In any case, he was at least a bit relieved that these two had opted to compete against each other in contests, rather than just have their Pokemon throw themselves at each other in battles every time they met.

    Though that hadn¡¯t stopped them from having a few battles last night.

    Kenny had insisted on fighting against Ash, and the boy had been quick to accept. Ash and Pikachu very clearly held back against him before eventually winning, but N had been loath to watch the match all the same. Even if his eyes had been opened to the necessity of allowing Pokemon to grow and become stronger, that didn¡¯t mean he was suddenly going to like battles between trainers.

    Kenny¡¯s follow up match against Dawn had been¡­ interesting. Most would assume that the boy¡¯s Prinplup, being the evolved form of Dawn¡¯s ace, would mean that he had won before the match even began. That had turned out to not be the case, though it was hard to tell how much of Dawn¡¯s victory had been due to Prinplup¡¯s exhaustion from the prior fight, and how much of it had been due to Piplup suddenly pulling out a new move in Whirlpool.

    If the little Water type had had a big head before, now it was as if his ego was too big for his little body. ¡°Well of course I would win, I¡¯m clearly the superior Pokemon! I don¡¯t see Prinplup pulling out a Whirlpool, do you? It¡¯s only right that you should praise and adore me and¡­.¡± on and on, Dawn''s starter had sung his own virtues.

    Luckily, Piplup was with Dawn right now and not in the stands with the rest of them, so they¡¯d gotten a break from it.

    ¡°...so let¡¯s get this show on the road!¡± he tuned back in to the announcer¡¯s words as the contest began in earnest and a pair of curtains was pulled back.

    ¡°Cool! Dawn¡¯s going first!¡± Ash called out as the blue haired girl made her way onto the stage. In an elegant pink dress and her blue hair curled, she looked much more refined than usual.

    Her performance got off to a good start. Releasing Pachirisu in a giant ribbon formed of the Pokemon¡¯s electricity made for a rather pleasant display, and he found himself thinking that her work had paid off. Seeing Pachirisu be able to show off her skills without having to risk personal injury brought a small smile to his face.

    But as she stuck the landing, Pachirisu froze.

    N didn¡¯t think he¡¯d seen the Electric type stay still for so long. Even in her sleep, she¡¯d toss and turn and twitch, but now she was like a statue.

    ¡°Damn. Who¡¯da thought that she¡¯d be the type ta get stage fright?¡± Mimikyu murmured from his shoulder.

    He watched as Dawn¡¯s wide smile turned tense and fake. ¡°Pachirisu, use Discharge!¡± Her hands clenched, and though he couldn¡¯t see it from this distance, he imagined she was breaking out in a cold sweat.

    There was no response from the Electric type.

    ¡°Pachirisu, use Discharge!¡± she tried again, louder this time, and Pachirisu suddenly jolted in place, as if she had been broken out of a spell.

    Luckily, it seemed that her Pokemon had suppressed the fear, if only for a moment, as a storm of electricity erupted from Pachirisu, lighting up the stage.

    ¡°Now Sweet Kiss!¡± Dawn followed up, and the crowd watched as dozens of pink hearts obscured their view of the Pokemon and her trainer, dispersing only to reveal the two of them in a curtsy.

    He didn¡¯t think that performance boded well for their odds in this contest, but he supposed that he had been surprised the last time, so he couldn¡¯t count her out of the running just yet.

    As the duo made their way off of the stage, he turned to the ghost on his shoulder. ¡°So you think that was stage fright?¡±

    ¡°Dunno what else it¡¯d be. She jus¡¯ locked up once she saw the crowd. Can¡¯t say I blame ¡®er though, this is a lotta people ta be performin¡¯ in fron¡¯ of¡­¡±

    That was a fair assessment, though N had never suffered from stage fright himself. He¡¯d yet to give his speeches out in public, but his practice sessions among his supporters had gone well enough.

    The performances seemed to fly by after that. With Ash and Mimikyu calling out all of the unfamiliar Pokemon to him, they watched a Buizel, Magmar, Seel, Koffing, Kricketune, Magneton, and¡­

    ¡°Mimikyu¡­ isn¡¯t that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± was all the fairy said, and that was enough.

    Jessie, or rather, ¡°Jessilina¡±, was rather obvious to spot despite her¡­. interesting outfit choices. The twintails weren¡¯t a bad look, even if it was quite different from her usual style, but the giant rimmed glasses, the overly puffy orange dress that stopped at an odd spot below her knees, and the thick leather boots weren¡¯t exactly what he would call stylish. Or a good look at all, really. Maybe it was just a part of her disguise so that people wouldn''t recognize her as a Rocket, but N found himself wishing that her look was more in line with when he¡¯d first seen her¡­

    Trying to distract himself from that line of thought, he looked over to Brock and Ash. They seemed none the wiser. Was his hypothesis about the Wobbuffet¡¯s interference in their recognition correct then? Mimikyu had never been fooled, and he hadn¡¯t been fooled while in physical contact with Mimikyu, so maybe the ghostly presence was dampening the effect enough for it to not take its hold on them.

    They were in quite a large crowd, though. Was Wobbuffet exerting its control over everyone present? Was it specifically targeting people who would recognize Jessie as a member of Team Rocket? Either scenario painted the Pokemon as even more powerful than he had originally suspected, and that worried him.

    Perhaps more worryingly, though, was the fact that the Rockets were here at all. Was this some sort of plot? Or did Jessie just happen to enjoy contests?

    ¡°Hey, Ash¡­¡± he drew the boy¡¯s attention. ¡°Does this performer look familiar to you?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ash turned to him. ¡°Well, yeah, she was in the Jubilife City contest, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that must be it.¡±

    So Ash was definitely under the spell. But now that he thought about it, Jessie had been at the Jubilife contest, hadn¡¯t she? And she hadn¡¯t done anything malicious there, either. Perhaps it would be safe to just keep an eye on her¡­

    Her performance involving Seviper constricting around her was also an... Interesting choice, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it.

    Kenny¡¯s performance was next, and N was very surprised to see him release an Alakazam. From the way that he and Dawn had talked, N had been under the impression that Kenny hadn¡¯t been a trainer for that much longer than her, and yet here he was with an Alakazam?

    Light Screen, Shadow Ball, Teleport, Hidden Power¡­ Not exactly the move pool he would have expected form such a powerful Psychic type, but perhaps this was just what they felt like showing off for a contest. He might need to be wary of the boy if the rest of his team was this powerful, and even if it wasn¡¯t, Alakazam were favored by the League for a reason¡­

    He found his interest in the contest waning as they moved into the battle portion. Dawn and Piplup managed to knock out Jessie¡¯s Dustox, a Solrock defeated a Sneasal, Kenny¡¯s Prinplup managed to defeat a Nidoking, which N thought was pretty impressive since it ended in a knockout, even if he hated that he was impressed. On and on, the bracket progressed until at the final round it was Dawn against Kenny.

    Bubblebeam versus Bubblebeam, Peck versus Metal Claw, every attack between the two Water types was met head on and N found himself frowning once more. Ash and Brock had stricken up a conversation about the performance, but N tuned them out. Despite his dislike of battles, he realized that he was actually invested in this one.

    ¡°Looks like Dawn¡¯s gonna ¡®ave ¡®er first ribbon.¡± He heard Mimikyu say as Piplup jumped into its own Whirlpool, swirling around in the water and making it difficult for Prinplup to land any attacks.

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    ¡°Scoreboard.¡± A quick glance showed that she was just barely doing better than Kenny. ¡°Plus the fact that it ain¡¯ over yet. Piplup holdin¡¯ up for this long against ¡®is evolved form makes ¡®im look more impressive.¡±

    The timer hitting zero proved Mimikyu¡¯s thinking to be correct. Dawn jumped up and down, spinning Piplup around in her arms as her face was shown on the screen as the winner.

    N felt¡­ strange¡­ was he proud of her? Sure, they were travelling companions, but she was still a trainer, still someone who had just had her Pokemon compete in battle for the amusement of others, so why¡­

    Perhaps all this time around other people was starting to change him, just a bit¡­

    <hr>

    Dawn was elated. She¡¯d done it! She¡¯d won her very first ribbon! And to think it was only her second contest performance¡­

    Of course, she¡¯d had to call her mom about this. Tell the story of her win, even if she¡¯d likely been watching on TV at home.

    Her mom had a big smile on her face the whole time, obviously proud of her and it felt so good to have proven herself!

    ¡°...just remember though, you can¡¯t be satisfied with just one ribbon. You need to keep working with your Pokemon until you go all the way to the top!¡± Her mom reminded her.

    That was right. One win wasn¡¯t good enough. She felt her smile strain. ¡°Of course, mom. I will.¡±

    She ended the call before her mom could see the tears welling up in her eyes, wiping them away before they could fall.

    She¡¯d known it would be like that. That even a win like this wouldn¡¯t be enough. Her mom had won the Grand Festival back when she was an active coordinator, after all. It was only to be expected that she would do the same.

    She gave herself a moment before going back to her group.

    ¡°Dawn, are you okay? Why are you crying?¡± Ash asked, concern obvious on all of their faces.

    Maybe she should have waited a bit longer.

    ¡°No need to worry! These are tears of joy! I¡¯m just so happy to have won!¡± She lied through her teeth. Or was it lying? She was happy to have won. Ecstatic, even. It had just¡­ been pushed down by the pressure she felt, that was all.

    It was okay. Everything was okay. She got her first ribbon, surely getting a few more would go just as well, right?

    She¡¯d taken a big step in the right direction. Now she just needed to keep walking.

 Chapter 25

    With the contest over, and Dawn¡¯s first ribbon in hand, there was no reason to stay in Floaroma. Route 205 looked much the same as the routes they had explored so far, but seemed to be home to more aquatic Pokemon, likely due to the large river that ran adjacent to the section they were on. A group of orange faced Buizel kept their heads above the water with what appeared to be yellow inflatable tubes around their necks. Bright pink Shellos that stood a bit shorter than Mimikyu, at least with his disguise, slowly oozed their way between patches of tall grass. Two wild Aipom swung from branch to branch at the edge of the treeline, quickly outpacing the group and moving out of sight.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange to me, seeing Aipom out in the wild here. Ash brought his from a different region, didn¡¯t he?¡± N idly asked Mimikyu as the purple Pokemon disappeared into the forest.

    ¡°Yeah? I think Ash¡¯s is probably from the Johto region. Why is that weird? Ain¡¯ like Pokemon are confined to a cer¡¯ain area or nothin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t see any Pokemon native to Unova running around here, do you? I suppose since the other League regions are so close together there are more opportunities for their native populations to intermix, but with how isolated Unova can be¡­¡±

    The ghost on his shoulder hummed a tune of disagreement. ¡°I dunno about all that. You sure that Unova don¡¯ ¡®ave Pokemon from other regions?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I have heard rumors of them being found here or there in small swarms, but I have yet to see any of them for myself. Whether there is any truth to said rumors isn¡¯t something that I could give a definitive answer to. Though since Unova¡¯s joining of the League is relatively recent, I suppose the number of foreign Pokemon in the region is likely to increase going forward. We¡¯ll probably end up with a lot of trainers who just release their Pokemon wherever they please¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe-¡± Mimikyu¡¯s words were cut off by Ash¡¯s rather loud and unnecessary groaning.

    ¡°I¡¯m starving! I say we stop for lunch!¡±

    ¡°I told you that you should have eaten more for breakfast.¡± Brock¡¯s tone was teasing, but he was right. They¡¯d barely made any progress into the route at all. ¡°It¡¯s probably a bit early to be stopping, but the map says that there¡¯s a Pokemon Center a bit off the usual path not too far from here. If we wait until then, we would probably be able to have a better meal.¡±

    ¡°Really? Well, I guess I can wait then. Maybe there will be some interesting Pokemon there!¡± Ash replied with a smile.

    N wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the self satisfied smile that Brock gave in return. He didn¡¯t particularly mind stopping at a Pokemon Center for lunch, they always had better facilities for cooking than what they could manage on the road, and thus often made for a more diverse selection of food. No, his problem was the ease with which Brock was capable of manipulating Ash.

    It was a subtle thing. Rarely used in big decisions, but N had noticed that Brock was always able to steer the younger boy in the direction that he preferred. Perhaps it could be attributed to the fact that the ex Gym Leader had apparently all but raised his siblings on his own, in addition to the time that he and Ash had been travelling together, and many would be happy to chalk it up to knowing how to handle younger children.

    But N was not an average person. His goals, his dreams, they stood in a stark contrast with the average. He knew to look deeper where others would happily turn a blind eye. It was possible that it was completely innocuous, that there was nothing sinister sitting just beneath the surface, but could he be certain of that?

    ¡°Stop it.¡± Mimikyu reprimanded him. ¡°Ya got that look in yer eyes again. Like yer plottin¡¯ yer evil deeds or somethin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I do not plot evil deeds, Mimikyu,¡± N defended himself from the baseless accusation. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking.¡±

    ¡°Riiiiight,¡± Mimikyu¡¯s tone was as sarcastic as could be. ¡°Well, Mr. Just Thinking, maybe try ta think withou¡¯ glarin¡¯ at Brock and I¡¯ll believe ya.¡±

    Glaring? Had he been glaring¡­? Surely Mimikyu was mistaken¡­

    Those thoughts of self reflection filled his mind until they reached the Pokemon Center.

    Or at least, what they assumed was the Pokemon Center? Rather than the typical orange roof, large glass windows, and automatic doors that everyone was used to, this place looked¡­ perhaps rustic would be a polite way to say it?

    The building was styled more like a traditional Johtonian home than any sort of public building. The only thing that denoted it as anything other than that was a large, golden P hanging over the doorway, similar to the ones that you might see at a typical Pokemon Center.

    ¡°Is that really the place?¡± Ash voiced the group''s doubts.

    ¡°I think so¡­¡± Dawn hesitated.

    ¡°It¡¯s got the letter on the front.¡± Brock pointed out.

    The group stood in silence for a moment, wondering what the right course of action was.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out, I guess?¡± Ash walked up to the front door, sliding it out of the way.

    He promptly screamed and jumped back, trying to get out of the way of a group of Ghost type Pokemon that quickly floated off into the forest, laughing and giggling all the way.

    ¡°What¡¯s the big idea?!¡± He shouted after them. ¡°I guess they¡¯re just as I remember them¡­¡± Sighing, he walked into the building, prompting them to follow after him.

    Mimikyu, his ever so helpful friend, gave him some details on the new Pokemon. ¡°Ghastly. Ghost and Poison types with the ability Levitate. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re found just about anywhere¡­¡±

    Anywhere besides Unova, perhaps. Though the Pokemon Sinnoh being unfamiliar was nothing new to him.

    The inside of the building didn¡¯t look like a Pokemon Center either. N felt a bit like they were intruding on someone¡¯s home as they walked down the hall, shuffling and scuttering noises sending the hair on the back of his neck straight up. Was this building abandoned? That would explain those ghosts¡­

    ¡°Mimikyu, you¡¯re not leaking any fear, are you?¡± He whispered to the fairy.

    ¡°Why¡¯s it always gotta be me? I ain¡¯ the only Ghost type around, ya know! Maybe there¡¯s more Ghastly or somethin¡¯.¡±

    When Ash got to the door at the end of the hallway, he opened it without a care in the world, revealing a kitchen and a mouth watering aroma.

    ¡°Something smells really good!¡± The boy exclaimed, walking further inside. ¡°I wonder what they cooked up.¡±

    A sudden shriek had all of them jumping in fright.

    ¡°Stop right there! What are you trying to do with my dinner?!¡± A childish voice cried out. ¡°Are you thieves here to steal my food?!¡±

    When N finally made his way into the kitchen, he found something that he found slightly unsettling.

    Not a ghost, out to haunt them for the misdeed of trespassing. Not a criminal, ready to do them harm with no regard for their lives.

    It was a tiny Nurse Joy.

    Having spent all of his life seeing the Joy family as practical clones of each other, seeing one now that was so small was¡­ unnerving, almost. He¡¯d heard tales of children being surprised to see their teachers outside of the school in larger cities, having assumed that because they only saw them at the school that they must spend all their time there. Perhaps this was something similar? It was like his perception of what a Joy was was fractured in that moment.

    His mini crisis was put on hold when the child Joy smacked Ash in the face with a broom.

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you thieves a lesson!¡± She shouted out as Pikachu jumped off of his trainer¡¯s shoulder.

    Ash landed on his rear, clutching his head and holding his other arm out to defend himself. ¡°I¡¯m not a crook, I¡¯m just hungry!¡±

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± A familiar voice demanded. Having just opened a door on the other side of the room, a Nurse Joy who N couldn¡¯t tell apart from any other he had met walked into the kitchen with a bag full of groceries. Beside her was a girl around Dawn¡¯s age who also appeared to be a young Joy.

    Out of the corner of his eye, N saw Brock¡¯s face light up in excitement. It quickly disappeared when the initial little girl called out ¡°Hi mommy, hi Marnie!¡±

    ¡°...mommy?¡± Brock whimpered.

    Their simple stop for lunch was shaping up to be quite an ordeal.

    <hr>

    They did end up getting their lunch. The Joy family was nice enough to offer each of the humans a plate, and the group were properly introduced to the children. The younger of the two introduced herself as Paige Francis Lynnelle Joy, and the older introduced herself as Marnie Francis Lynnette Joy.

    ¡°Huh. Four names? Or is one of ¡®em s¡¯posed ta be hyphenated? I guess Joy jus¡¯ bein¡¯ their last name makes sense, but it ain¡¯ somethin¡¯ I ever thought about¡­¡± Mimikyu had admitted to him.

    N doubted it was something many considered at all. The average person didn¡¯t do a lot of travelling, so they might know their local Joy, if any at all. But people who got around? He had found that many got over their initial shock of seeing a ¡°twin¡± at their second Pokemon Center rather quickly and then gave up on questioning it.

    Though could he say that he was much better? He had been just as shocked only a short while ago upon seeing the children for the first time. The genetics of the Joy family must be quite dominant for the girls to look so like the rest of their family, even at such a young age. And yet he¡¯d yet to meet any young men with pink hair and blue eyes¡­ did it somehow only happen with the women?

    It felt rude to outright ask that sort of thing though, so he allowed those thoughts to fall to the wayside.

    ¡°N, was it?¡± Nurse Joy asked him between bites.

    ¡°Yes?¡± He slipped another Cheri berry out of his supplies for Mimikyu. His friend said that ¡°Pokemon Food¡±, as it was often marketed, was both gross and degrading. Staying stocked up on berries to feed the picky eater was a bit of a pain, but he couldn¡¯t exactly argue that it wasn¡¯t gross and degrading, so here he was.

    ¡°Would I be correct in saying that you¡¯re from Unova?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from Unova.¡± Why would that matter though? Had Cynthia sent out another report about them or something? They¡¯d not gotten into any trouble since the Hunter J incident, so it couldn¡¯t be anything new¡­ unless it was a report on that incident itself, perhaps?

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Joy¡¯s face lit up with a smile. ¡°As you can probably tell, this Pokemon Center is a bit out of the way, and we don¡¯t exactly get the funding that the main ones do. Us Joys have to ensure that the money we use helps as many Pokemon as possible, so places like this where there are only a handful of visitors a day, if that¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°Anyway, my point is that while we do our best out here, there are a few areas we struggle with. If my family is to be believed, you¡¯re struggling with a few things as well, is that right?¡±

    If her family was to be believed? ¡°What are you getting at, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Well, my cousin over in the Nimbasa City Pokemon Center had sent out a message a little while back. Something about a boy and his Mimikyu who was struggling with a bit of ghostly quirkiness? Then, of course, there¡¯s all the nonsense that Champion Cynthia has been sending out about Fairy types and the ¡®threat they pose to the League¡¯,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°And my cousin in Jubilife said something about fairies and was acting a bit off¡­¡±

    That was¡­ concerning? Was he really that big of a deal among the Joy family? Sure, his appearance and the fact that he travelled with Mimikyu might make him stand out a bit more than the average trainer they might see, but for her to list all of that off¡­

    ¡°Wow, N, you¡¯re a popular guy!¡± Ash remarked, his mouth stuffed full of food.

    ¡°I suppose he is!¡± Nurse Joy giggled. ¡°Now, being that we¡¯re in League territory, I¡¯m not any better than my cousins you¡¯ve met when it comes to knowledge on Fairy types. There wasn¡¯t ever much point in studying them when we¡¯d never have to treat any¡­ I do, however, know a thing or two about Ghost types, as you might have gathered from the Ghastly who roam around here. Outside of the trainers who specialize in them, like Fantina in Hearthome, I¡¯m probably one of the best sources of information around! So¡­¡± she hesitated for a moment. ¡°If I were to spend a bit of time today helping you and Mimikyu out, would you do a teensy little favor for me?¡±

    Mimikyu had largely gotten the fear leaking under control by this point, but it probably wouldn¡¯t hurt to have someone who actually knew what they were talking about take a look at things¡­ Plus, someone like her might have better insight into why Mimikyu was struggling with his moves¡­

    ¡°...what sort of favor are we talking about?¡±

    <hr>

    Though they didn¡¯t have any deals going on, beyond perhaps an attempt to pay the Joy family back for the meal, the rest of the group ended up helping out around the Pokemon Center.

    Ash and Dawn found themselves doing random chores. Hanging towels out to dry, sweeping up leaves and other debris, just about anything that could be done without supervision.

    Brock found himself assisting Nurse Joy with the patients, given that he actually had some medical knowledge.

    And N¡­.

    ¡°I want to go to the store.¡± He repeated for a fifth time, speaking slowly for his audience.

    ¡°A-i wa-n-to tu go tu da suto-ru!¡± Paige mimicked.

    Marnie¡¯s frustration was clear on her face, but she gave it another shot. ¡°I wanto to go to da storu.¡±

    ¡­N was stuck giving lessons on Unovan. Or rather Galarian as their mother had called it, but what did she know¡­

    According to Nurse Joy, being stationed and living outside of an established settlement meant that in addition to the funding problems they faced, there was also an education issue. They could go into Floaroma and get all the lessons that the rest of the local children would get, sure, but if they wanted to have the same job as their mother one day, they¡¯d need a bit more than a standard education.

    Working in the family business meant being able to treat as many Pokemon as possible, and that often required knowing the language of the trainers. He¡¯d seen as much in the Nurse Joys that he had met in the past.

    However, there was only so much time you could dedicate to learning other languages if you were also trying to become a medical professional. ¡°Back in her day¡±, Joy had told him, it was really up to the individual what languages they learned. She had gone with Kalosian and Alolan, despite the very limited number of people who spoke the latter nowadays.

    Unova had joined the League in recent years though, and as N could attest, they weren¡¯t exactly big on teaching the League language in the region. So, to better help the uptick in Unovan travellers they expected, the next generation of Joys really needed to learn their language.

    With her not having studied it herself, and the people of Floaroma not having any interest in the language at all, that left the possibilities for her daughters to learn the language very limited.

    So here he was, acting as a Unovan tutor.

    ¡°Want. Not wanto.¡± N reminded them.

    ¡°This is hard!¡± Paige complained, switching back to League.

    ¡°I want to go to da storu.¡± Marnie tried again, improving just a bit.

    ¡°Want and store migh¡¯ be possible,¡± Mimikyu chimed in, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯ get yer hopes up for anythin¡¯ with a ¡®th¡¯.¡±

    Studying the League language with Mimikyu was bad enough. Trying to teach these kids Unovan was practically torture.

    Nurse Joy better be extremely helpful after putting him through this.

    <hr>

    Just when N was about ready to rip his hair out in frustration, Ash interrupted their lesson.

    ¡°Hey, is this lunch box supposed to be just lying around? It wasn¡¯t in the kitchen, so¡­¡± He held up a grey box with a black shoulder strap.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Paige gasped. ¡°Daddy forgot his lunch again!¡±

    Marnie sighed. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to bring it to him. Again.¡±

    They were still in the middle of their lesson¡­ but frankly, N would take any excuse to stop at this point.

    ¡°Where is your dad?¡± Ash asked, handing the lunch over to Marnie.

    ¡°He works at the Valley Windworks. It¡¯s a power plant further down the river,¡± she explained as she led them outside. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a trip on foot, but luckily I have friends to help me out!¡± Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted out. ¡°Drifloon! I need your help!¡±

    Drifloon? That was an unfamiliar name.

    While they waited for Marnie¡¯s friends, the rest of the people at the Pokemon Center made their way outside.

    ¡°Oh dear, did he forget his lunch again?¡± Nurse Joy sighed. ¡°Make sure you¡¯re careful out there, and that you hold on tight.¡±

    ¡°Hold on tight? What do you mean by that?¡± Dawn asked.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    It was then that Marnie¡¯s friends rounded the corner of the house. Light purple balloons, wispy cloud like hair, a large yellow x on their faces, and string like arms hanging below them. There was more head than body, and N wasn¡¯t certain that if he saw one from behind that he would recognize it as a Pokemon at all.

    ¡°You called?¡± The center one of the three called out, its voice high pitched and squeaky. Or at least, he thought it was the center one that spoke? It was a bit hard to tell with the lack of visible mouths.

    The other two giggled as they floated over to the group, several feet off of the ground.

    ¡°I have to hold on tight so that I don¡¯t fall to the ground.¡± Marnie explained as she put the lunch box¡¯s strap around her shoulder.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Mimikyu sounded bewildered. ¡°Don¡¯ tell me yer¡­ ain¡¯ there some whole thing about Drifloon stealing away children? And she¡¯s suggestin¡¯ that she¡¯s gonna let them carry ¡®er?¡±

    N was familiar with flying Pokemon giving rides to people, but based on their appearance, the logistics of Drifloon flight worried him just a tad.

    Dawn held up her Pokedex. ¡°Drifloon often approaches children, but will run away if they play too roughly with it.¡± The robotic voice read out. ¡°Often called a Signpost for Wandering Spirits, children holding it sometimes vanish. It loves damp, humid weather.¡±

    ¡°Has Professor Rowan still not fixed that?¡± Nurse Joy sounded annoyed. ¡°How many times do I have to tell him to stop spreading rumors like that around?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Dawn asked.

    ¡°I assume it¡¯s a similar case to Absol and Mimikyu. They¡¯re spoken of as if they¡¯re a danger to people, when that¡¯s not really the case.¡± Not any more than any other Pokemon, anyway. Well, in Absol¡¯s case at least. Mimikyu¡¯s effect on people still concerned him, and they hadn¡¯t exactly tested full exposure on anyone yet¡­

    ¡°Pokemon professors can be a bit¡­ sloppy when it comes to certain sections of their Pokedex projects.¡± Brock explained. ¡°If you want to know height, weight, type, and whatever other hard data, they¡¯re the best in the business. But the blurbs that they read off can be¡­ not the best.¡±

    ¡°If by ¡®not the best¡¯ you mean inaccurate on a good day and downright dangerous lies at worst, then sure.¡± Nurse Joy added on. ¡°I mean really, I know Professor Rowan is a busy man, but surely he could just have one of his researchers go through them all and do it properly? You shouldn¡¯t have baseless rumors and theory mixed in among the hard data. It creates a false perception that it¡¯s factual. Especially since he hands them out to 10 year olds! I¡¯ve seen far too many fresh trainers touting their ¡°scientific literature¡± that was written by some geezer telling ghost stories or an enthusiast trying to paint their favorite Pokemon in a more favorable light.¡±

    ¡°Well, a part of it is pressure put on them by the League,¡± Brock hesitantly argued. ¡°When I was working with Professor Ivy I was shocked at how much they tried to interfere with her studies.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Nurse Joy sighed. ¡°But I suppose I shouldn''t be complaining about the League to a group of trainers, now should I?¡± She gave a dry laugh before turning back to her daughter. ¡°Make sure that you fly safely, dear.¡±

    ¡°I heard you the first time, mom.¡± Marnie rolled her eyes as she grabbed two Drifloon arms with each hand.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Paige shouted. ¡°I¡¯m coming too! Come on, Drifloon!¡±

    Sure enough, a fourth Drifloon drifted around the corner of the Pokemon Center, making its way over to them. ¡°Okayyy!¡± It squeaked out, sounding just as childish as Paige.

    ¡°Paige, you¡¯re still too small.¡± Marnie frowned at her younger sister.

    ¡°But I wanna go!¡± Paige stomped her foot.

    ¡°Now, now.¡± Nurse Joy stepped in between them. ¡°There¡¯s no need to argue. Besides, you can¡¯t go with your sister because I have a very important job for you, Paige!¡±

    Being refused again had the girl looking like she was on the verge of a full blown tantrum, but the mention of the job held her off for the moment. ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°I need you to deliver these cookies to the forest Pokemon! They really look forward to getting treats from you, don¡¯t they Paige?¡± She held up a cloth bag.

    ¡°Hmmmm.¡± Paige squirmed, looking between Drifloon and the bag of treats. ¡°Yeah¡­ they¡¯ll be sad if I don¡¯t give them cookies.¡±

    As soon as her sister took the bag, Marnie took off into the air. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later!¡± The trio of Pokemon effortlessly carried her above the treeline.

    ¡°Is that really safe?¡± N found himself muttering.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Nurse Joy assured him. ¡°The Drifloon here at the Pokemon Center have been specially trained for carrying human passengers. They help me get around all the time, even if it takes more than three for me. It¡¯s just a mother¡¯s worry, you know?¡±

    A mother¡¯s worry?

    He didn¡¯t know much about that at all.

    But his thoughts didn¡¯t slow down the rest of the group. Now on a new mission, Paige turned to Ash. ¡°Do you wanna come with me to see the wild Pokemon?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡± The boy easily agreed, following along as the girl led him into the woods.

    N was about ready to follow along with him, eager to meet all the local Pokemon, but Nurse Joy¡¯s words stopped him before he could take the first step.

    ¡°Now, I believe I owe you some assistance?¡± She looked between him and Mimikyu.

    The wild Pokemon would have to wait.

    <hr>

    N didn¡¯t know what Brock and Dawn were getting up to, and frankly, he didn¡¯t care either. He was much more focused on Nurse Joy at the moment, and the gaggle of ghosts she had invited to their discussion.

    The Drifloon that Paige had called out to before loomed behind her, watching over the meeting from near the ceiling of the room. A Ghastly giggled as it slowly swirled around him, amusing itself by occasionally sending a chill down his spine. A Misdreavus stayed over in the corner, smirking at him in an uncomfortable manner.

    He was certain that he heard giggles and laughter from more Pokemon than were present, but those three were the only ones making themselves visible for the moment.

    ¡°Before we begin,¡± Nurse Joy started, ¡°I¡¯d like to remind you that while I do know more than the average person, or even the average Joy, when it comes to Ghost types, I am by no means an expert. I can give you some answers, but if you want something more in depth you would be best served visiting Hearthome.¡±

    ¡°Hearthome¡­ you mentioned it before. Something about a Fantina?¡±

    All of the ghosts in the room, with the exception of Mimikyu, giggled at the name.

    ¡°I like Fantina!¡± The Drifloon announced.

    ¡°Yes, Fantina is the Gym Leader there, and she specializes in Ghost type Pokemon. If you really want to know something, she¡¯d be your best bet, but she¡¯s both a Gym Leader and a big deal in the contest world, so she¡¯s a bit lacking when it comes to free time. You could probably get the assistance of some of the trainers who work at the Gym with her if you have questions that I can¡¯t answer.

    That said, though my cousins have mentioned you, I don¡¯t exactly have time to dig into every little thing that they say. Why don¡¯t you explain to me what problems you¡¯ve been having and I¡¯ll see what I can do for you?¡±

    ¡°I dunno if this¡¯ll really ¡®elp us at all, N. I mean, my issues are more specific ta me, ain¡¯ they? Or at least Mimikyu in general? An¡¯ if she dunno nothin¡¯ about fairies¡­¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re special?¡± The Misdreavus asked with a chuckle. ¡°Distortion is Distortion. Even when you try to hide it, I can feel so much of it from you.¡±

    That was an interesting comment, but N couldn¡¯t exactly mention it without making it obvious that he could understand Pokemon, and he¡¯d been informing too many people about that lately. Luckily, Mimikyu realized that, pulling out his notepad and starting to write.

    N had other questions in the meantime though. ¡°Well, the Nurse Joy in Nimbasa was telling me that Mimikyu was causing terror, and that it¡¯s quite common in young Ghost types. Mimikyu himself was unaware that he was doing so. She informed me that it was often a problem that went away with time, and that learning and using Ghost type moves would help speed up the process, but¡­ well, there have been a few problems with that. He¡¯s a lot better than he was initially, I¡¯m certain of that, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, I see.¡± Nurse Joy replied, but clearly her focus was on Mimikyu attempting to scribble out some League on the notepad. ¡°Well, she¡¯s not wrong about what she said. Drifloon here is still relatively young, and we¡¯re working on it with him at the moment. Isn¡¯t that right, Drifloon?¡± She tilted her head back, looking up at the Flying type.

    ¡°Yep! I practice Astonish every day!¡± The balloon bobbed up and down in the air in a way that might vaguely be considered ¡°happy¡±.

    ¡°Right, and Mimikyu has been trying to use Shadow Sneak on a somewhat regular basis, but it tires him out rather quickly and there¡¯s¡­ something strange about it. It¡¯s like every time he uses the move he gets physically smaller. The first time we noticed I took him to the Jubilife City Pokemon Center, but there weren¡¯t really any conclusive results regarding that issue.¡±

    ¡°Using Shadow Sneak made him smaller?¡± Nurse Joy¡¯s tone made her confusion evident.

    The Ghastly tittered and floated next to Mimikyu. ¡°What a funny prank! Did you use Minimize? I bet they¡¯ve spent hours trying to figure it out!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re ya talkin¡¯ about? It¡¯s the truth! I ain¡¯ no prankster,¡± the fairy tried to defend himself.

    ¡°Mimikyu,¡± Nurse Joy continued, not having understood the Pokemon, ¡°did my cousin do any real testing with your size and the Shadow Sneak?¡±

    Mimikyu shook his head no, and then held up the notepad. ¡°¤ä¤¬¤ß¤ÏºÎ¤Ç¤¹¤«£¿¡±

    ¡°Distortion? I suppose that does sound familiar, but I can¡¯t place it¡­ Why do you want to know?¡±

    Mimikyu started scribbling again, so N continued on. ¡°There¡¯s also another issue that we¡¯ve been having. Have you ever had cases where a Pokemon¡­ can¡¯t use moves? Maybe that¡¯s not the right way to phrase it¡­ where they can¡¯t learn moves?¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t learn moves? I take it that Mimikyu is the one experiencing this?¡± N nodded in response to her question. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hmm¡­ well Pokemon can become too exhausted to use moves, but I think it¡¯s safe to assume that you wouldn¡¯t be coming to me about it if it was that simple. Some Pokemon have very limited movepools, so it could be a case of having already learned all the moves you naturally will, or not having grown enough to reach the next one. Pokemon in that first pool are limited enough that even without knowing much about Mimikyu we can probably rule it out immediately, so I guess that would leave one option. What sort of training do you two do? If you¡¯re struggling to learn new moves, you could try upping how much time you spend on it daily.¡±

    ¡°Well, Mimikyu isn¡¯t really the battling sort of Pokemon, but we don¡¯t think that¡¯s the issue. Or at least, it¡¯s not the whole issue. You see, Shadow Sneak is the only move that Mimikyu knows how to use, and he only used it for the first time shortly before that visit to the Jubilife Gym. I¡¯ve not found any resources on the subject myself, but Mimikyu seems confident that he should have some other egg moves at the very least.¡±

    ¡°Well, only knowing one move isn¡¯t terribly common, but it can happen. A Ditto will only know Transform while in its natural state, there are wild Bug types that only know Harden until they evolve, a young Bidoof can start out with nothing but Tackle¡­ ¡°

    N and Mimikyu¡¯s displeasure with her answer must have been apparent, because she trailed off with a sigh. ¡°Look, it is my professional opinion that if you want that problem to change, you should do more intensive training. Maybe I¡¯m wrong, but if that¡¯s the case then I truly have no idea what the problem is. If you¡¯re against training completely, then your only other option would be technical machines, and I¡¯m certain you know the problem with that.¡±

    Mimikyu perked up at those words, pausing in his writing. ¡°Wait, what problems are there with TMs?¡±

    N sighed, responding to both at once. ¡°The price.¡±

    Nurse Joy nodded. ¡°Exactly. A trainer challenging the Gym circuit could probably afford a few of them, but if you and Mimikyu aren¡¯t even training enough to learn new moves, I get the feeling that you¡¯re not the type to do that.¡±

    N¡¯s defeated sigh was more than enough for an answer.

    Mimikyu held up the notepad once more, apparently finished with his response. ¡°±Ë¤é¤ÏË½¤«¤é¤½¤ì¤ò¤«¤ó¤¸¤ë¤³¤È¤¬¤Ç¤­¤ë¤ÈÑÔ¤¤¤Þ¤¹.¡±

    ¡°They can feel it?¡± Nurse Joy turned towards Misdreavus. ¡°You can feel this distortion stuff coming from Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Misdreavus gave a nod, or at least the closest approximation that she could, given her body type. Now that he thought about it, weren¡¯t all of Nurse Joy¡¯s Ghost type friends basically just heads? It made him wonder if beneath the disguise, Mimikyu might just be a head with those shadowy arms¡­

    ¡°I see¡­¡± she said, thinking on it for a moment. ¡°Is distortion just what you call Ghost type energy?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± the ghost responded before breaking out into a giggling fit, her friends joining in on the laughter.

    ¡°I was afraid of that,¡± Joy sighed. ¡°At least you¡¯re in a jokey mood and not a scary mood.¡±

    N wasn¡¯t so keen to let it go, however. ¡°Could you please give us a straight answer?¡± He pleaded with the ghosts.

    The Ghastly floated up in front of his face, mere inches from touching him. The room grew still and quiet. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.

    ¡°Nope!¡± The Ghost type licked his face and the room broke into a cacophony of laughter. By the type he had wiped his face clean they had all scattered, leaving only Drifloon behind.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that!¡± Joy apologized. ¡°I guess it¡¯s been a while since they had the opportunity to mess with someone new and they couldn¡¯t help themselves¡­¡±

    Drifloon was still laughing at him, even when the rest of the voices had gone quiet.

    All except one other.

    He turned to his ghostly friend, the false Pikachu face shaking as it stared up at him. ¡°Is something funny, Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°Ya gotta admit N, that was pretty good!¡± Mimikyu said as he tried to stop his laughing fit.

    N frowned. ¡°You mentioned some testing earlier, didn¡¯t you Nurse Joy? Perhaps we should start that. Feel free to be as thorough as possible.¡±

    Mimikyu wasn¡¯t laughing after that.

    <hr>

    Though all that N could see of Mimikyu¡¯s true form was what he assumed were the eyes through those tiny slits in his disguise, he was fairly certain that his friend was glaring at him.

    Oh well. Serves the little punk right for laughing at him getting a giant tongue to the face.

    ¡°I hate you, N.¡± The fairy said through panted breaths.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who wants to learn new moves, don¡¯t blame me.¡±

    Before it could develop into a real argument, however, Nurse Joy spoke up.

    ¡°I¡¯m really not sure what to make of these results.¡± She held up two pieces of paper, comparing the data on them. ¡°All of my measurements indicate that you really are getting smaller every time you use Shadow Sneak. The amount seems to vary, but averages to about one percent of your normal body mass going away each time. That¡¯s only 7 grams, but when you¡¯re so small to start with¡­¡±

    ¡°Now you see why we¡¯re concerned. I¡¯m not exactly well versed with Shadow Sneak, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not normal.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, no,¡± Nurse Joy agreed. ¡°Disregard what I said earlier about training more. I¡¯m worried about what it might do to you. What¡¯s your routine right now?¡±

    The duo looked at each other before shrugging. ¡°We don¡¯t quite have a routine? Mimikyu has just been using Shadow Sneak a bit whenever our travelling companions stop for training.¡±

    ¡°Routine is hard when yer on the road.¡± Mimikyu agreed.

    ¡°And you haven¡¯t noticed any lasting effects? Everything goes back to normal eventually?¡±

    ¡°Assumin¡¯ I¡¯m properly rested, yeah. Though I defini¡¯ly feel best after gettin¡¯ treated at a Pokemon Center.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± N answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I suppose if it¡¯s been fine until now there¡¯s no sense in telling you to stop completely¡­ I really don¡¯t know enough about Mimikyu to give any solid answers though¡­¡± She set the papers down, looking over at them.

    ¡°Where are you two headed next? Floaroma or Eterna?¡±

    ¡°Eterna.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I want you to go to the Eterna Pokemon Center as soon as you get to the city. It¡¯ll take some coordinating, what with the different time zones and all, but I¡¯ll make sure that my cousin there gets the information.¡±

    ¡°Uh, what information?¡± Mimikyu questioned, a shadowy hand scratching at the fabric where his head was.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have one of our Alolan cousins send over the information you two need. Nobody around here knows anything about you, but if we go straight to the source we can probably get something in depth. It¡¯s not a guarantee, but I¡¯m hoping that something in there will explain all of the problems you¡¯re experiencing.¡±

    Another delay in their answers then. It was better than no answers at all, though, so he¡¯d take it.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Nurse Joy. We appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Tell ¡®er I said tha-¡± Mimikyu started before suddenly stopping.

    ¡°Mimikyu? Are you okay?¡± N knelt down to examine his friend, but the fairy suddenly started looking around wildly.

    ¡°Do ya feel that?¡±

    Before N could answer, he felt it.

    He hadn¡¯t noticed how congested he had felt before until a breath of fresh air flooded his lungs. His skin felt cleaner, his eyes sharper, all of the aches and pains throughout his body, however dull and faded, suddenly washed away.

    The most noticeable change though, was the breeze. The hair not held down by his cap began to sway. The loose ends of his shirt started to pull away from him. His necklace gently bounced against his chest as the wind tried to take it away. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to risk losing his hat completely, but the fact of the matter was that he suddenly felt the breeze¡­

    ¡­while they were in the middle of the Pokemon Center with no open doors or windows.

    His hair began to stand on end, even in the absence of all the ghosts, sans Mimikyu.

    But he¡¯d long grown used to Mimikyu. He knew what Mimikyu¡¯s fear felt like.

    This was different. More powerful, despite its relatively weak effect. More pronounced, maybe?

    More primal.

    The effect was somehow both minuscule and enormous. Like it was barely affecting him at all, and yet a wrong move would destroy him. Like the small fear that Mimikyu occasionally let off, yet as terrifying as when Cynthia¡¯s Gallade had forced his friend to shroud them in darkness.

    And then, as soon as it began, it stopped.

    It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. The breeze stopped tugging at him. But strangely enough, the sense of cleanliness remained. Like all the sweat and grime built up on his skin had been transformed into pure water.

    There was a tense silence in the room. Neither N nor Mimikyu knew what to say. So instead, he turned back to Nurse Joy.

    She was awfully tense as well. But in a different way than them. Where they were shocked and confused, she looked as if she was hiding something. As if a secret was about to be revealed.

    ¡°Nurse Joy¡­ what was that?¡± N slowly forced the words out.

    ¡°Oh, the breeze?¡± She laughed awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was just one of the wild Pokemon. You know how they can be sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Does she actually think we¡¯re gonna buy that?¡± Mimikyu asked. ¡°That ain¡¯ no Dustox usin¡¯ Gust.¡±

    N knew how these things worked though. If she was going to try hiding the truth, poking and prodding for more information would just pit her against them, and it wasn¡¯t exactly a good idea to do that with the Joy family. Especially not when she¡¯d just offered a tangible lead into Mimikyu¡¯s problems.

    ¡°...I see. Just a wild Pokemon. I suppose I still have a lot to learn about the ones that live here in Sinnoh.¡±

    ¡°Right? There¡¯s always a new one out there to discover!¡± She forced another laugh out. ¡°Why don¡¯t we check up on your friends? I¡¯m sure they¡¯re growing bored!¡±

    <hr>

    Ash was amazed.

    They had so many cool wild Pokemon here!

    He and Paige had given treats to some Teddiursa, Bellossom, Sandshrew, and a Bellsprout at a clearing in the woods. It had been a while since he¡¯d seen some of them!

    Then she took him to an old wooden bridge that went over a creek, and they threw some treats down into the water for some Goldeen, Wooper, Quagsire, and even a Wishcash!

    None of them were new faces to him, which was a bit disappointing since he was in a new region and all, but that hadn¡¯t taken away from his enjoyment in it. New discoveries might be one of the high points of going on journeys like this, but seeing familiar faces was always a blast too! Although, did they count as familiar faces? Sure they all looked the same as Pokemon he had seen before, but now that he thought about it, that phrase normally referred to seeing people you already knew, didn¡¯t it? If you ran into a person, and had only met their twin before that moment, did that count as a familiar face?

    He¡¯d have to ask N and Brock later. They always had interesting things to say about those sorts of questions.

    Paige must have realized he wanted something a bit more though.

    How could he turn down the opportunity to give a treat to her secret friend? He figured it was just a rare Pokemon that the Joy family just didn¡¯t want poachers coming after or something, since apparently Marnie had told her not to share the name with anyone. That was a common enough thing, and after the recent encounter with Hunter J, the consequences of making the location of rare Pokemon known was fresh in his mind.

    So he had followed Paige deeper into the woods with a smile on his face. When they entered a cave, he thought it might be a Larvitar or maybe a Dragon type or something. He was a bit confused when the cave turned out to be a tunnel that led to a lake though. A super rare Pokemon at a remote lake? It could be a Milotic maybe, those were pretty rare¡­

    He never expected Suicune though!

    Seeing it brought back some bad memories of the Celebi incident¡­ but also a lot of good times back during his Johto travels!

    Suicune was one of the rare Legendary Pokemon that hadn¡¯t caused him problems at some point, and he could appreciate the Water type for that.

    If only the rest of them would follow its example¡­

    Oh well, it is what it is.

    At least now he could brag to the rest of his friends about getting Suicune to eat a cookie out of the palm of his hand!

 Chapter 26

    ¡°What do you mean, you fed Suicune a cookie?¡± N somehow found himself asking.

    Ash looked at him like he didn¡¯t understand the question. ¡°I mean I¡­ took a cookie¡­ and gave it to Suicune¡­ and Suicune ate it?¡±

    ¡°I know what feeding means, Ash.¡± N deadpanned.

    Pikachu laughed, though N wasn¡¯t sure who the Electric type was laughing at.

    ¡°It¡¯s jus¡¯ normal for ¡®im, N. An ev¡¯ryday occurrence. This is why I suggested we travel with ¡®im.¡± Mimikyu tried to calm his friend down, low enough that Pikachu wouldn¡¯t overhear.

    ¡°I think N is trying to say that your story sounds fake, Ash.¡± Brock added.

    ¡°Why should it? With how many we run into, everyone must have experiences with Legends at this point! Never seems to stop¡­¡± Pikachu complained, not that most of the group actually understood.

    ¡°Wait, why would it be fake?¡± Dawn looked between the boys. ¡°I don¡¯t know what a Suicune is like, but don¡¯t all Pokemon like sweets?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, some Pokemon dislike sweet foods,¡± Brock corrected, ¡°but N¡¯s problem with it is probably the fact that Suicune is a Legend.¡±

    ¡°A Legend? Like, those old stories about the ancient people of Sinnoh? I think I learned about those in school¡­¡±

    ¡°Not that kind of Legend.¡± N sighed, in disbelief that he was really having to explain this. ¡°Suicune is a Legendary Pokemon. They¡¯re Pokemon with unbelievable power. Capable of things you could never even imagine. People tell stories, pass on traditions, try to make sure that future generations never forget about them, because when Legends roam, it has a tendency of going very poorly for some people.¡±

    The Dragon Pokemon that the twin heroes befriended had created the Unova region in its original form. The power necessary to bring such a large expanse of land under one banner must have been breathtaking¡­

    And once the original Dragon split into Zekrom and Reshiram, their power had destroyed the region, forced to rebuild anew.

    The power necessary to be called a Legend was nothing to scoff at, and Ash was here claiming to have fed one a cookie out of the palm of his hand.

    ¡°The Legends that you hear about growing up are going to depend on where you live,¡± N continued, ¡°so any names that you might be familiar with won¡¯t be as well known to us. I doubt that you three are familiar with the Tao trio, for example.¡±

    ¡°Not yet, anyway¡­¡± Pikachu muttered.

    Ash shivered and looked a slight bit paler when he said that, but N couldn¡¯t fathom why. He hadn¡¯t felt anything from Mimikyu. Or maybe he¡¯d just gotten used to it?

    ¡°But, wait!¡± Dawn¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then why do you guys all know Suicune? If it¡¯s here, it must be a Sinnoh Legend, right?¡±

    ¡°Because while what N said is true, it¡¯s not universal. Suicune is a bit different from the average Legend.¡± Brock answered.

    ¡°Yeah, Suicune is really nice!¡± Ash cheered, his color returned and a smile on his face.

    Brock grimaced, but quickly hid it. ¡°Well, yes, Suicune is nice, but I meant that it¡¯s what some people call a roaming Legend. It doesn¡¯t stay in one place like most Legends. Instead, it constantly wanders from one place to the next.. Suicune is actually native to the Johto region, so you¡¯re most likely to see it there, but I guess it comes at least this far out. Maybe even further! I don¡¯t actually know where all of the sightings have been. It¡¯s hard to keep track of because there are so many false reports¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Mimikyu suddenly jolted. ¡°Was that what we felt? I s¡¯pose the breeze makes sense now¡­¡±

    N¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You must be right. Suicune is known as the North Wind Pokemon, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Actually, Suicune is the Aurora Pokemon, but it¡¯s been said that it dashes away with the North wind.¡± Brock corrected.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Ash cheered. ¡°When Suicune is around it gets all windy, and all the water turns pure! I saw it turn a really nasty lake crystal clear one time!¡±

    Dawn still looked a bit confused about something, but she didn¡¯t comment on it, instead saying ¡°Wow! Suicune sounds really impressive!¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Something was still bothering N. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the breeze and the water purification was Suicune,¡± which, with no other explanation, he found himself begrudgingly believing, ¡°but that still leaves that other feeling. That¡­ I¡¯m not quite sure how to describe it¡­¡± The fear that hadn¡¯t quite been fear. Or maybe it was fear? Just of a different sort than the kind he had started to grow used to?

    ¡°Pressure?¡± Ash suggested.

    ¡°I guess you could call it that¡­¡± N hesitantly agreed. It sounded as good as anything he had come up with.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s something a lot of Legends have. Just being around them tires you out more, and Pokemon might not be able to keep going for as long as they normally would. You just feel this constant pressure pushing down on you, wearing you out¡­¡±

    ¡°...making you afraid?¡± Dawn meekly added.

    Ash and Brock frowned, but replaced those with smiles as fast as they could. ¡°A bit, yeah, but Suicune didn¡¯t mean anything by it! Suicune is super nice, like I said, it¡¯s just something that sort of¡­ happens. Suicune can¡¯t really control it, I don¡¯t think¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± N tried to break the silence that followed. It was certainly something to think about. If he could casually talk about meeting Suicune of all Pokemon so easily, then more and more evidence was weighing up to suggest that there had been no exaggeration about his past. At this rate, he might even be one of the foremost experts in the world when it comes to Legends. If Ash said that a lot of Legends exerted this Pressure, then it was a warning that he would need to take to heart.

    Perhaps it would be something he would have to grow used to. The twin heroes had fought by the side of Reshiram and Zekrom, so it must be possible. He would just need to measure up to their standard.

    His thoughts of the future were interrupted by mumbling though.

    ¡°..what Pressure does? I guess with ¡®is explanation it sorta fits¡­¡±

    ¡°Something on your mind, Mimikyu?¡± he asked the ghost on his shoulder.

    Mimikyu jerked up. ¡°Ah! Uh, no, I¡¯m jus¡¯ uh¡­ thinkin¡¯ aloud is all, don¡¯ mind me.¡±

    How odd. Not Mimikyu getting lost in thought, but rather how familiar the term Pressure seemed to the Pokemon. N had only heard a snippet, but¡­ did his friend already know the term?

    He might need to investigate that.

    <hr>

    The group didn¡¯t run into anything terribly interesting as they made their way north. Every once in a while they would stop for a break or some training, and of course N made sure to observe every wild Pokemon that he could, but for the most part it was merely¡­ peaceful.

    At least, until they saw the trees suddenly get much more dense in the distance.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re coming up on the Eterna Forest,¡± Brock informed them. ¡°We¡¯ll have to pass through it if we want to make it to Eterna City.¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought I heard that there was a path around it?¡± Dawn mentioned.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Are you kidding? If we try to look for shortcuts then think of all the Pokemon we¡¯ll miss! Your future teammates might be hiding in that forest right now, just waiting for you to meet them!¡±

    N still didn¡¯t like the idea of stealing a Pokemon from their home, but¡­ he supposed that he did meet Mimikyu in a forest like this. If he could form a bond as¡­ unconventional as that, then it wasn¡¯t out of the question that it could happen again with one of the others.

    Besides, forests were always teeming with interesting Pokemon. He would surely run into some he hadn''t seen yet if they went through it. Could he truly say that he had explored Sinnoh if he didn¡¯t investigate an area like this?

    ¡°I have to agree with Ash.¡± N made his opinion known.

    Dawn pouted. ¡°Fiiine.¡± N wasn¡¯t sure what reason she would have to want to avoid the forest. Perhaps she was worried that all the foliage would affect her hair? She did worry about it an awful lot.

    ¡°Woah, look at that Pokemon!¡± Ash suddenly called out.

    Ahead of them, scurrying across the forest floor, was a small black Pokemon whose head sort of reminded him of a few ice types back home with the way that it swirled. Covered in leaves and twigs, the rest of its body was obscured.

    It quickly disappeared into the brush, but Ash wasn¡¯t deterred. ¡°Come on guys, lets see if we can catch up to it!¡± He yelled before running off ahead of them, Pikachu hanging tightly onto his shoulder so as not to be bounced right off.

    Brock sighed. ¡°We better chase after him before he gets lost in the woods again.¡±

    <hr>

    Lucas held the Soothe Bell up before his eyes, wondering what exactly it was meant for. Cheryl hadn¡¯t exactly explained herself as she shoved it in his hands and walked off. She was still in sight, he technically had the ability to shout out to her and ask what it was, but¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again somewhere! Bye for now!¡± She shouted back to him before leaving the forest.

    Hm. What a strange lady.

    He gave the old building to his left a once over. It was as he had thought when he and Cheryl had approached this area, the entrance was just too overgrown to get inside. He¡¯d have to come back later when his team was capable of clearing a path for him.

    And he would be coming back. He¡¯d been noticing more and more areas along his journey that were just out of reach for him, but must have all sorts of goodies for him to steal!

    Er- recover! Yeah, that sounded better¡­ If a trainer had left their items out in the elements to rot, then they clearly didn¡¯t want them anymore, right? So it wasn''t stealing, he was just recovering them to¡­ give them new life! It was like recycling! In a way¡­

    He¡¯d work on that. It was only a matter of time before someone started to question why he had so many loose odds and ends, and he needed to have his story straight for when that happened.

    Shoving his new Soothe Bell into the items pouch of his bag, he pulled out his Journal, documenting his journey through Eterna Forest and looking back at his recent logs.

    ¡°½ñÈÕ¤Ï¥½¥Î¥ª¥¿¥¦¥ó¤ËÐÐ¤Ã¤Æ¤­¤Þ¤·¤¿¡£¤ª»¨¤¬¤¿¤¯¤µ¤ó¤¢¤ê¤Þ¤·¤¿£¡¡± He had thought that he knew his flowers, growing up in a backwoods town like Twinleaf, but Floaroma was really something else! The town itself was filled with flowers, the fields around it were filled with flowers, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d seen so many in his life!

    ¡°¥®¥ó¥¬‡â¤¬ ¹Èég¤Î°këŠËù¤Î¥ª¥Ú¥ì©`¥¿©`¤ò¤Ä¤«¤Þ¤¨¤¿¡£¡± He might have had to copy the kanji for the Valley Windworks off of their sign¡­ but nobody reads these things besides him anyway, so they¡¯d never know!

    Beyond that though¡­ Those Team Galactic weirdos had shown up again, and apparently they were a lot more serious than he thought before. Kidnapping a worker? That was some messed up stuff! Who knows how long they might have kept him locked up if not for his daughter running to get some help. And even then, how many people in Floaroma were even trainers? She was lucky that he had gotten to that section of route 205 when he did¡­

    ¡±¥Þ©`¥¹¤ò¤¿¤ª¤·¡£¡± Mars¡­ she was interesting. She called herself one of the three commanders of Team Galactic. Or, no, she said it was four now, didn¡¯t she? And the way she talked to that Charon guy made it seem like he was the fourth, newest member¡­

    Anyway, he had expected one of the leaders of a group that was full of terrible battlers, weird outfits, and apparently really messed up plans to be even more of a weirdo than all of the grunts. But in a way, she almost seemed like the most normal? Sure, having to fight her right after fighting his way to her was annoying, and he wondered if he would have won if Bidoof hadn¡¯t evolved into Bibarel during the fight against the grunt right before her, but beyond that, he could sort of respect her.

    He didn¡¯t really get the whole ¡°creating a new world¡± thing she was going on about, and he didn¡¯t like that she called him an ¡°uppity brat¡±, but she had played things fairly. She offered a battle between the two of them to decide who would have to leave Valley Windworks. She took her loss well, and even told him that she enjoyed the battle. If he was being honest, he had enjoyed it too. It had been pretty close, and Turtwig evolving into Grotle had been what pushed them over the edge to victory.

    How many other trainers had left such a good impression on him? At least, when it came to the actual battling. If she wasn¡¯t a member of some crazy criminal group, he thought that she might make for a good training partner. Someone to push him to grow. Like Barry, but without the constant threats of fines he could never pay off.

    Now that he thought about it, was being a criminal any worse than what he had to deal with when Barry got involved?

    Lucas shook the thoughts out of his head. He couldn¡¯t stand here thinking about Team Galactic all day. The Looker had run after them, they could be his problem!

    Besides, Eterna City and its gym were waiting for him! So he quickly scribbled his latest exploits into his Journal.

    ¡±¥·¥§¥ê¥ë¤µ¤ó¤ÈÒ»¾w¤Ë¥Ï¥¯¥¿¥¤¤ÎÉ­¤òši¤¤¤¿¡£¥·¥§¥ê¥ë¤µ¤ó¤Ï¤ä¤µ¤·¤¤¤Ç¤¹¡£¡± Travelling through Eterna Forest with Cheryl had been¡­ interesting. He hadn¡¯t really travelled with someone else up until this point. Sure, he and Barry met up every once in a while, but that was just running into each other. They didn¡¯t actually walk down the different routes together.

    But there was no way he could turn her down when she asked. She was scared of Team Galactic, he had just sent two of their Commanders running from their latest crime scene. She was willing to heal his Pokemon as much as needed, he was a hoard- er, uh, collector! He was a collector! If she and her Chansey wanted to keep his team¡¯s health in perfect shape while they travelled through a dark forest filled with Pokemon who would inflict status conditions, who was he to stop her? Especially when he ended up getting Bibarel poisoned more times than he had Pecha berries and Antidotes in his supplies¡­

    It was like a match decided by Arceus! She hadn¡¯t even complained when he spent all that time searching the forest floor for items that people had left behind!

    Plus she was kind of cute¡­ er- cooties! She probably had cooties!

    Lucas let out a sigh.

    Why was he trying to justify his thoughts to himself? It¡¯s not like he spoke enough for people to ever pick up on his slip ups.

    Maybe he needed less self reflection and more battles. He slipped the Journal back into the Key Items pouch of his backpack, stepping onto the northern section of route 205. A group of fishermen lined the edges of a small bridge¡­

    Their Magikarp would make for perfect training fodder!

    ¡­after he checked every nook and cranny in the area for loose items.

    <hr>

    N wasn¡¯t sure that he could trust any of the group in a forest again.

    Or perhaps more specifically, Ash.

    The boy had gotten them lost for days, and they were only just making it out now, much later than they should have. If the group didn¡¯t have him and his ability to talk to the wild Pokemon¡­ well, he wonders if they would have made it out at all.

    Dawn was practically growling at the boy as she carefully plucked twigs and leaves out of her hair.

    ¡°Well how was I supposed to know that Combee was leading us back to its nest instead of the way out of the forest?¡± Ash argued, not for the first time.

    ¡°Perhaps you could have waited until I was actually in earshot before running off again?¡± N suggested.

    ¡°But you said that Combee couldn¡¯t even hold a conversation! How would that have helped?!¡±

    Indeed, Combee had been much like the Bidoof he and Mimikyu had met during their first days in Sinnoh. Or perhaps even worse? It had been the first time he¡¯d seen anything like it.

    Apparently, while the evolved form, Vespiquen, had enough intelligence to hold a conversation, Combee were not at that level. They didn¡¯t do much thinking on their own at all, it would seem, instead living their lives as their queen ordered. If Vespiquen said to defend the hive, they would defend it. If she said to attack, they would do so. If she said to gather pollen for their honey, that is all that they would do. It was all that they could do.

    It was like they had no will of their own, just blindly following her Attack Orders or Defend Orders.

    Or rather, most of them did. He had noticed a small portion of the swarm had a special red marking on them, and they seemed to have a bit of independence, but they¡¯d not run into any of them until Ash had blindly led them to the hive. Maybe Vespiquen kept them there for protection, deeming them more valuable¡­

    ¡°Because if they couldn¡¯t hold a conversation with N, then they definitely hadn¡¯t understood your request to lead us out of the forest.¡± Brock answered when it was clear N was too annoyed to do so himself.

    It seemed it was only then that Ash realized his error.

    ¡°...oh.¡±

    Mimikyu was annoyed with someone else though. ¡°Why didn¡¯ you stop ¡®im? Ya coulda saved us so much hassle!¡± He demanded from Pikachu.

    The Electric typed turned to Mimikyu, looking at him from one shoulder to another with a deadpan expression. ¡°I used to try that. I gave up a long time ago. The qualities that make him such a good person are also¡­ very bad for situations like this. His trust in Pokemon lets him make friends with new teammates easily. It also lets him blindly follow them into danger. After a while you just learn to accept it.¡±

    ¡°...maybe we need ta rethink this whole travellin¡¯ with Ash thing, N.¡±

    It was probably a sign of his mood that N didn¡¯t immediately disagree with that, knowing how helpful the boy could be to his future plans.

 Chapter 27

    After escaping the Eterna Forest, N had been looking forward to a good night¡¯s sleep in a Pokemon Center bed. With the way that Eterna City and the forest shared a name, and the way that they were laid out on the map, he had given himself the false hope that they would be directly adjacent to each other. Reality was a harsh slap in the face when he realized that they were on route 205 once more.

    ¡°I dunno why yer surprised. Nobody ever said the alternative path went straight to the city, jus¡¯ that it let ya avoid the forest.¡±

    ¡°I just think the map is a bit misleading is all.¡± N definitely didn¡¯t pout. ¡°The maps in Unova mark all special locations like forests completely separately from the routes themselves so that there isn¡¯t any confusion.¡± Though now that he thought about it, the complete lack of those markers probably should have been a good indicator of what he was getting into¡­

    ¡°Relax!¡± Ash called back to them as he led the group, a smile obvious in his voice. ¡°Sure, maybe Eterna Forest didn¡¯t go exactly the way we hoped,¡± though curiously he neglected to mention whose fault that was, ¡°but you can think of this as a second chance! Sure, the Pokemon here might be different, but there could still be a new friend right around the corner!¡±

    It was as Ash finished his thought that a concerning sight approached them. A man in a fisherman¡¯s outfit was carrying an unfamiliar Pokemon in his arms as he ran towards them. Smaller than the man¡¯s torso, the creature was incredibly fluffy. Dark brown fur was interrupted by tan stripes, and it looked like there was a black mask over its face.

    ¡°Everything is gonna be alright, Zigzagoon. Just hang in there.¡± The man reassured his friend as he ran towards them. The closer they got, the more obvious it was that the Pokemon had just been on the losing side of a battle. It didn¡¯t appear to be anything serious, but the Pokemon¡¯s fur was matted down and dripping water, and the way that it was clutching a paw to its chest, teeth clenched, made it obvious that there was some sort of injury there.

    ¡°Excuse me sir, what happened?¡± Ash called out before the man could pass them.

    The fisherman stopped in front of them, panic clear on his face. ¡°I was just fishing on the river when this Buizel showed up out of nowhere and attacked us! It dragged away my fishing rod and Zigzagoon¡­¡± he looked down at the Pokemon in his arms. ¡°Well, you can see how that went.¡±

    A Buizel? If he recalled correctly, those were the orange Pokemon with the yellow tubes around their necks that they had seen in the southern section of the route. The ones he had seen before had looked so peaceful¡­. He found himself doubting the accuracy of the man¡¯s story. It just showed up out of nowhere and attacked? He¡¯d heard that one before.

    ¡°Where are you going now?¡± Brock asked as he stepped closer to inspect the Zigzagoon.

    ¡°I gotta get to the Pokemon Center of course!¡± The fisherman answered with no hesitation.

    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t the closest Pokemon Center be the one in Eterna City?¡± Ash questioned, his ever present smile now strained.

    ¡°Yeah? Look I don¡¯t have time for¡­¡± the man paused, looking around their surroundings. ¡°I¡¯m heading the wrong way, aren¡¯t I? I must¡¯ve gotten all turned around in my panic!¡±

    ¡°Just calm down,¡± Brock ordered as he put a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I have some supplies on me, we can see about getting Zigzagoon fixed up right now.¡±

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re a lifesaver!¡±

    <hr>

    It wasn¡¯t too long after that that the group found themselves fishing at the water¡¯s edge. The man and his Zigzagoon had been sent on their way, the Pokemon looking much better than before, and Ash had managed to get a vague location of where the Buizel had been from the man under the pretense that he was interested in battling it himself.

    Though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Ash and Dawn were fishing, as the only ones in the group with rods.

    There was an uneasy silence among them, one that Dawn didn¡¯t quite seem to understand. She set her rod up so that it would stay upright among some rocks before working up the courage to speak. ¡°Is something wrong? You guys have been really quiet ever since that man started talking about the Buizel¡­¡±

    ¡°That man wasn¡¯t a very good trainer.¡± Ash responded with his ever present enthusiasm nowhere to be found. ¡°You should always have a way to take care of your Pokemon if they get hurt, and if you run out then you definitely need to know where the nearest Pokemon Center is. He said that he just got turned around, but what was he going to do? Just run all the way back to Floaroma? I doubt he would have found the one by the Valley Windworks.¡±

    ¡°And beyond that,¡± Brock continued, ¡°his story is¡­ suspect. There certainly have been cases where a wild Pokemon will attack unprovoked, but those are few and far between.¡±

    Dawn frowned. ¡°What do you think happened, then?¡±

    ¡°It could be any number of things,¡± N took over. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re here to find out. Maybe we¡¯re being overly cautious and this Buizel is just the type who likes to pick fights, but if it¡¯s something else then it might need help.¡±

    ¡°What has you guys looking so glum?¡± a familiar voice suddenly called out to them.

    The group turned away from the river to spot a head of orange hair they hadn¡¯t seen in a little while.

    ¡°Zoey!¡± Dawn called out, the previous mood forgotten in an instant. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you since the Jubilife contest! Oh, there¡¯s something I need to show you!¡± The girl started digging through her things as Zoey walked up to them, quickly digging out her ribbon case. ¡°Number one!¡± She said with a smile as she showed off her single ribbon.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! I knew you had it in you, Dawn.¡±

    ¡°What about you? What have you been up to?¡±

    Zoey blushed a bit. ¡°Well, my last contest didn¡¯t go so great, so I¡¯m still at two ribbons for now. I¡¯m hoping to get my third at the Hearthome contest! You¡¯re gonna be there, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course I will! I¡¯m glad you told me, or I wouldn¡¯t have known that¡¯s where the next one is!¡± Dawn admitted.

    ¡°Well, technically there¡¯s another one between now and then, but I have some other things to take care of, so I¡¯ll have to miss it myself. If you want to hit the next one, you¡¯ll have to stop by Alamos Town.¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure he had ever felt Mimikyu snap to attention so quickly. The little ghost jolted on his shoulder hard enough that he thought his friend might fall off.

    ¡°Alamos Town? Where is that?¡± Ash asked as he pulled out a map.

    It¡¯s just northwest of Oreburgh.¡± Zoey answered, pointing out a spot for the group. Or rather, that¡¯s what N thought she was trying to do, but when he looked all he saw was a lake.

    ¡°Are you sure about that¡­?¡± Ash hesitantly prompted her.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s right there. For some reason the biggest map maker in the region excludes them though. I think I heard it was something about the city trying to run its own government separate from the League? I don¡¯t keep up with all that junk though.¡± The girl shrugged.

    ¡°A place so controversial that it¡¯s excluded from maps, but they host a contest there?¡± It didn¡¯t make much sense to N.

    ¡°Seems weird to me, but if there¡¯s a contest then I have to go!¡± Dawn exclaimed. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be able to get my second ribbon too, and then we¡¯ll be tied going into Hearthome!¡±

    ¡°Heh, you wish!¡± Zoey teased before her eyes widened. ¡°Oh! Somebody has a bite!¡±

    The group turned back to the river to see Dawn¡¯s rod shaking, threatening to pull straight out of the rocks she had stuck it in and fall into the river.

    ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± Dawn excitedly ran over to it, giving it a tug and trying to reel in whatever she had hooked.

    Except she hadn¡¯t hooked anything. Instead, an orange paw had grabbed the line just above the hook. A Buizel propelled itself out of the water and onto dry land, tossing the line aside and taking up a stance that screamed fight me!

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Which one of you punks is looking for a fight?¡± The Water type asked, his voice youthful and¡­ deep in a way that sounded off? Like he was a kid who had just gotten past voice cracks and was trying to sound a bit more mature than he actually was.

    N let out a sigh of relief. He was still unhappy with how the fisherman had handled an injured Pokemon, but if Buizel was like this right from the start¡­ it definitely supported the man¡¯s story about the Pokemon randomly attacking.

    ¡°Looks like Buizel is ready for a battle.¡± Zoey pointed out the obvious.

    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re up! Let¡¯s do it Piplup!¡± Dawn cried out as she released her starter.

    When the red flash of light faded away and Piplup saw his opponent, he puffed himself up, standing on the tips of his webbed feet to appear larger than he actually was.

    Buizel laughed. ¡°That¡¯s it? A pipsqueak like that won¡¯t make me stronger at all!¡± As if to prove his point, the wild Pokemon coated himself in a veil of rushing water that trailed behind him as he went rocketing straight towards Piplup and sent Dawn¡¯s Pokemon flying before it could react at all. N could barely turn his head fast enough to watch as Piplup tumbled head over webbed feet, over and over, eventually slowing to a stop. He didn¡¯t look to be in great condition though. Scrapes and cuts littered his body, and he struggled to stand back up.

    ¡°As if-¡± Piplup¡¯s voice hitched as it struggled to get the words out, ¡°-that would be enough to beat me!¡± As he finally got himself upright, it was obvious that he was favoring his left foot.

    Buizel tutted. ¡°Not a bad attitude, but you¡¯re still weak.¡± He spat the word like it was the worst insult he could think of before following it up with spit of a different sort. His mouth opened wide, a jet of water shooting out and striking Piplup right in the face, obscuring the smaller Pokemon¡¯s body in an explosion of mist.

    When it finally cleared up, Piplup was out cold, collapsed on the ground.

    ¡°Oh no, Piplup!¡± Dawn¡¯s eyes teared up as she rushed over to her partner.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some potions we can use.¡± Brock reassured as he followed after her.

    ¡°Pathetic. Anyone else feel like losing?¡± Buizel¡¯s eyes fell to the rest of them.

    Mimikyu nervously laughed. ¡°Ah, Pikachu? Ya feelin¡¯ up to it?¡± Though he phrased it as a question, it was more of a desperate pleading as N felt his friend trying to hide behind his head.

    Pikachu didn¡¯t respond with words as he leapt down from Ash¡¯s shoulder, landing on all four paws with his cheeks sparking.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s our turn then!¡± Ash proclaimed, a competitive spark clear in his eyes.

    The watery veil flowed over Buizel once more, and now that he got a second look at it, N was fairly certain it was an Aqua Jet. Buizel launched himself at Pikachu, apparently intending to finish things the same way that he had with Piplup.

    ¡°Dodge it with Quick Attack and then use Iron Tail!¡± Ash called out.

    Iron tail? N found himself confused over the command as Pikachu flashed out of Buizel¡¯s path in a trail of white light. ¡°Why would he use that instead of an Electric type move?¡± He found himself asking.

    ¡°Prob¡¯bly testin¡¯ out a potential recruit,¡± Mimikyu answered as the Iron Tail connected with Buizel¡¯s side, sending him flying out into the river. Unlike Piplup, however, Buizel took the hit well, jumping back onto land and eyeing Pikachu up once more with a bit more focus on his face. ¡°Buizel is a lot stronger than Piplup, but that don¡¯ exactly mean much. Dawn trains ¡®er Pokemon ta look nice, not be strong. He doesn¡¯ know how strong Buizel actually is. If he ¡®as Pikachu use Thunderbolt an¡¯ it knocks Buizel out in one hit, that don¡¯ tell ¡®im much either, ¡®cept that it¡¯s weaker than Pikachu. But since Water types resist Steel types¡­¡±

    ¡°It acts as a better gauge of power,¡± N finished the thought. ¡°Or at least how well Buizel can take a hit¡­¡± It made sense, when laid out like that. It just wasn¡¯t something he had ever really thought about before. The previous captures he¡¯s witnessed with this group hadn¡¯t been for Pokemon quite so¡­ focused on fighting.

    Buizel flicked his tails, and a shockwave followed the movement, quickly colliding with Pikachu before the Electric type could dodge, though it didn¡¯t seem to have much effect beyond pushing Ash¡¯s partner back a bit.

    Ash smirked. ¡°Alright, Pikachu! Finish this with Thunderbolt!¡±

    Buizel reacted to the command in an instant, Aqua Jet overtaking his form as he tried to move out of the way¡­ but it was futile. A harsh light blinded N for a second as Pikachu followed the order, and when his vision had cleared up Buizel lay on the ground, still and with a few electrical burns clear on his body.

    ¡°Great job buddy!¡± Ash cheered for his friend. He reached into his bag, and N frowned. He knew this is how things worked. That defeating a wild Pokemon in battle like this would lead to its capture. Buizel definitely seemed better suited to Ash¡¯s lifestyle than most, if this brief meeting was any indication, but it still left a sour feeling in his stomach as he waited for Ash to throw the Pokeball.

    But it wasn¡¯t a Pokeball in Ash¡¯s hand. It was a bulbous yellow berry. Zoey looked shocked as Ash walked over to the downed Buizel and gently fed him the Sitrus.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to catch it?¡± The coordinator asked.

    ¡°I might!¡± Ash said with a smile. But then his voice became softer, gentler, to the point that N couldn¡¯t hear him. He watched as Buizel slowly stirred, the electrical burns still present, but not debilitating. They talked for a moment, even if Ash couldn¡¯t understand the Pokemon¡¯s words directly, and it was only afterwards that Ash pulled out a Pokeball.

    Buizel tapped the button with his paw, disappearing in a flash of red light.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Zoey¡¯s eyes were still wide. ¡°That¡¯s one way to go about it¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep! We should probably get to a Pokemon Center though. Piplup and Buizel need to get checked out!¡± Ash held out the freshly filled Pokeball as Pikachu climbed back up to his shoulder.

    ¡°Ash sure is an interestin¡¯ guy, ain¡¯ he?¡± Mimikyu spoke up.

    Yes. Yes, he was.

    <hr>

    It turned out that the next Pokemon Center was not in Eterna City, but rather right on the route, not too far from where they had picked up Buizel. Unlike the one on the other end of route 205, however, this one looked just as modern as the ones in the cities.

    ¡°They really need to get better maps here,¡± N complained. ¡°This one isn¡¯t even marked!¡±

    ¡°Well, this one looks pretty new,¡± Brock pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s possible that it was put here after the map was made.¡±

    N wasn¡¯t too keen to believe that, but he had no evidence to the contrary, so he conceded the point.

    As they walked inside the building, they saw the local Nurse Joy talking to someone in a red suit with wavy purple hair.

    ¡°...and I said no.¡± Joy frowned at the stranger.

    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± A deep, refined voice conceded as the stranger held up their hands in defeat. ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel then I won¡¯t push.¡± Stepping away from the counter, they walked off into a side room without ever giving N the chance to see their face.

    That¡¯s when Joy spotted them, a smile clearing away her previous frustration. ¡°Hello and welcome to the Pokemon Center, how can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Would you mind helping out my Buizel?¡± Ash requested.

    ¡°And my Piplup?¡± Dawn added.

    ¡°And my lonely heart?!¡± Brock rushed ahead, a dopey grin on his face.

    Joy took a step back, confusion clear on her face. ¡°...your lonely heart?¡±

    A flash of red light indicated Croagunk¡¯s self release, and Brock quickly crumpled to the floor as he took a Poison Jab to the gut.

    ¡°I keep forgetting to ask about that¡­¡± N remembered.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best if ya jus¡¯ don¡¯ know.¡± Mimikyu suggested.

    Nurse Joy quickly moved past it, the smile returning to her face once more. ¡°Of course I can help out your Pokemon, it¡¯s what I do!¡± But her smile turned brittle. ¡°Although¡­ could I trouble you with doing something for me in return?¡±

    Despite having just been downed, Brock leapt back up. ¡°Anything for you Nurse Joy!¡±

    The woman hesitated for a moment, but then steeled herself. ¡°Do any of you have experience raising Pokemon eggs?¡±

    ¡°Pokemon eggs?¡± Dawn repeated, surprised by the question.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Brock quickly agreed. ¡°I¡¯m currently training to become a Pokemon Breeder, and I¡¯ve spent time working with several professors, and I¡¯ve helped to raise a Togepi, Phanpy, Larvitar, and an Eevee from eggs!¡±

    Nurse Joy¡¯s eyebrows rose, and she looked to the rest of them for confirmation.

    Ash paused for a moment as he thought it over. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s all true. You did help raise them all.¡±

    Nurse Joy sighed a breath of relief. ¡°Then please, take this!¡± Quickly running into the back room, she came back out with a pink egg with a white stripe.

    ¡°Wait, you want me to just take an egg? How is that a favor to you?¡± Brock¡¯s lovestruck expression faded away as he realized that Nurse Joy was serious.

    ¡°I just want to make sure this Pokemon ends up in good care. I¡¯ve got too many little ones running around here as it is, and some people,¡± she glared in the direction the person from earlier had wandered off to, ¡°are a bit too insistent that it should be going to them.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Brock carefully accepted the egg from her, hugging it close to his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of it then.¡±

    Joy¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°Thank you. Now, you kids had some Pokemon that needed healing?¡±

    N tuned the rest of the conversation out, his eyes wandering to the same direction that Joy¡¯s had.

    What sort of person would try to pressure a Joy into giving up an egg? And for her to push it off onto the first people she saw afterward¡­

    They must either be a maniac¡­

    Or powerful.

 Chapter 28

    N let his curiosity get the better of him. Was it a wise decision to investigate the stranger who had Nurse Joy on edge? Definitely not.

    But he felt compelled to do so anyway.

    Nurse Joy had been concerned about this person, to the degree that she had foisted an egg off on Brock. N didn¡¯t exactly spend a lot of time around Pokemon Centers, but this was the first time that he had heard of such a thing, and he felt fairly confident that it was far from standard.

    Could they be a criminal? She could be scared that they would steal the egg and sell it off like the other crooks he had run into recently. Even if they didn¡¯t know what was inside, he was certain that some horrible person would be perfectly fine with purchasing an egg like that. Or, if the potential thief knew what sort of egg it was, and it would become a Pokemon that was on the rare end of the spectrum, they could wait until it hatched and get an even better profit out of it.

    The issue with that line of thinking was the fact that she hadn¡¯t called the police. The Joy family was more than happy to turn over what abusers they were aware of to the authorities, so she would have no reason not to at least have them escorted off the premises¡­ unless they couldn¡¯t be. Or had no reason to, at least.

    So who would that leave?

    The only thing N could come up with was some League official. The people running the region had little reason to fear the law, after all. Their abuse of Pokemon, their promotion of competitive battles, their might makes right approach¡­ The Joy family may have enough sway to establish Pokemon Centers world wide and run their organization the way they pleased, and he doubted that most of the League officials would be foolish enough to just brazenly start a conflict between them, but that didn¡¯t account for those who were particularly greedy or arrogant.

    Of course, this individual had backed off once Nurse Joy put her foot down on the subject, but was that truly them throwing in the towel, or had they simply retreated temporarily to come up with a better approach?

    As he walked into the side room, hoping to follow after them, he wondered which of his suspicions would be confirmed.

    The room was rather bare, with a few small tables giving weary trainers a spot to rest, and a handful of fake shrubs adorning the edges of the space to give it color. His target was standing on the other side of the room, watching a Pokemon battle on the television. Now that he was getting a better look, their clothes matched the refined voice he had heard. Black dress shoes and a suit somewhere between maroon and magenta that looked like it cost more than the average person might make in a month. They held a book under their left arm, though N couldn¡¯t make out what it was.

    Mimikyu nervously shuffled on his shoulder. ¡°Uh, N? I gonna recommend that you maybe reconsider before ya go an¡¯ start up a not-so-friendly conversation with an Elite Four member.¡±

    ¡­an Elite Four member? N wasn¡¯t quite as brushed up on who filled the current seats across the League as he should have been, so it was a possibility¡­ but it was also very odd for Mimikyu to be better versed on a subject like that than he was. Though his knowledge so far has proven to be accurate¡­

    N paused, turning his head to let the ghost know that he held his full attention.

    ¡°I migh¡¯ be misrememberin¡¯, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s Lucian. Fourth member of the Sinnoh Elite Four, specializes in Psychic types. His ace is a Bronzong, but I couldn¡¯ tell ya the rest of ¡®is team.¡±

    Wonderful. So not only did he specialize in the type that could cause the most problems for N, but he was good enough to be the highest ranking Elite Four member in the region. Maybe it would be best to wait on this matter¡­ N didn¡¯t have the power needed to stand up to the likes of the average trainer yet, let alone an Elite Four member. And if Cynthia already disliked him, he didn¡¯t need to draw the attention of any other high ranking League officials either¡­

    He didn¡¯t like this bastard trying to coerce Nurse Joy into giving up an egg, but when you aren¡¯t at the top, you have to choose your battles wisely. He¡¯d just have to remember this when he finally was at the top. That day couldn¡¯t come soon enough, but he was certain that it was only a matter of time. Turning around, he made to rejoin Ash and the others.

    ¡°Leaving so soon?¡± That refined voice called out to him.

    Shit.

    ¡°I was just exploring the Pokemon Center a bit, I didn¡¯t want to bother you,¡± N lied, hoping to escape the situation as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t turn around to face the man, keeping his eyes trained on the door, but struggling to keep his body from tensing.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lucian probed. ¡°I was informed of what happened with the Gallade in Nimbasa. You have my apologies for that. The Pokemon who come up under my care are normally much better behaved, but he always did have a bit of a problem with acting independently.¡±

    N had a sinking feeling that he wasn¡¯t going to be able to just walk away. ¡°You know who I am?¡± He asked, finally giving in and turning around. Lucian was looking into his eyes. His wavy lavender hair matched his glasses. Tinted glasses? An accessory and not a necessity, then. Probably to play into the ¡°elegant and educated¡± look he seemed to be going for.

    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ve been rather busy after the little incident that you and your friend were a part of. Though my work has been hampered by how susceptible my preferred Pokemon Type seems to be to the infection.¡± Though his words were skittering the line of accusatory, Lucian kept his tone relaxed.

    ¡°Sounds rough.¡± N tried to keep his words cordial. ¡°If you¡¯re aware of what happened with Gallade, then I hope you¡¯re wise enough not to go probing through our minds? I would prefer not to have a repeat of the last time.¡±

    Lucian smirked. ¡°Of course. It would be rather rude of me to do something like that. We¡¯ve only just met, after all.¡±

    But could N trust his words? Lucian had known that he and Mimikyu were behind him without even turning around. Did he hear Mimikyu and immediately conclude that it must be them? It was possible, but with how close the man was to the television, he¡¯d have to have rather impressive hearing to make out Mimikyu¡¯s cries over the battle commentary.

    N feared that the more likely conclusion was a forewarning from the man¡¯s Pokemon. He¡¯d seen what powerful Psychic Types could do. A team on the level of the Elite Four though¡­

    It would depend on the specific Pokemon the man had. What sort of specialties they held. But only knowing a single team member, and not even knowing much about Bronzong at that, N could only guess at their skills. Was Lucian the type who liked to focus on one specific subject? Someone able to reach that high of a position couldn¡¯t afford to slack when it came to combat. If N was lucky, Lucian would be a battle junkie, focused on nothing other than training Psychic types who could crush any opponent in battle. A Psychic team had to spend a considerable amount of time working on counters to Dark types, after all.

    But Lucian had spoken of the Gallade as if he had personally raised it. If the Pokemon was doing Teleports between regions, it must have dedicated a significant amount of time into the subject. Maria¡¯s Gardevoir had struggled to Teleport just a short distance, and N could only assume that Cynthia had Gallade Teleport her from Sinnoh to Unova. Even just the Teleport from Undella to Nimbasa should have taken a lot out of the Pokemon, but he hadn¡¯t looked winded at all¡­

    If Lucian had the time to raise a Pokemon like that just to move Cynthia around, N would have to assume that the man¡¯s team had a varied skill set. One that might even allow the man to peer into their minds in a less obvious way.

    ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ve been rather rude regardless of that,¡± Lucian continued, finally breaking eye contact with N. ¡°I apologize for ignoring you up until now, Mimikyu. I¡¯m told that you¡¯re quite clever. Something about a rather interesting conversation with Cynthia?¡±

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t say anything as he pulled out his notepad.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we really must be getting back to our companions,¡± N tried, not liking how relaxed Lucian was about all of this. How in control he looked. Did he have a Psychic probing their minds right now? Trying to peel all of their secrets away? N could only hope that the same principle which had protected him from Team Rocket¡¯s disguises while in contact with Mimikyu would also protect him from any subtle Psychic touches Lucian¡¯s team might be attempting.

    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you for long, I only want to see your friend in action myself,¡± Lucian replied, a smirk on his face that bordered between easy-going and confident.

    Mimikyu held up his scribbled words for Lucian to read, and N took a glance as well. ¡°¥¨¥¹¥Ñ©`¤¬ºÃ¤­¤¸¤ã¤Ê¤¤¤Ç¤¹¤è¤Í¡£¡±

    Well then. Not the approach he was going for, but N supposed that telling the Psychic Type trainer that you don¡¯t like Psychics was one way to go about this.

    Lucian¡¯s eyebrow raised, but the smirk didn¡¯t leave his face. ¡°Is that so? Unfortunate, but understandable, given what happened.¡± He started walking towards them, but to N¡¯s relief, he moved out of the way, walking past them instead. But he paused when he was within arms reach. ¡°I can respect having a fear like that, so I¡¯ll leave you two alone. But¡­ I would advise that you work on that. It¡¯s unlikely that this will be the last time we meet.¡±

    N stood still as Lucian walked out of the room, doing his best to interpret that line in a way that wasn¡¯t a threat and failing.

    ¡°Is it jus¡¯ me, or did that guy manage ta come off as a prick withou¡¯ directly insultin¡¯ us at all?¡± Mimikyu asked after Lucian was well and gone.

    ¡°His team might still be able to hear us.¡± N pointed out, even if he couldn¡¯t be certain that any were out of their balls at all.

    ¡°If he wants ta listen in on this, then he deserves ta hear it. Eavesdroppin¡¯ ain¡¯ exactly polite.¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    That was true, but with the immediate dangers gone, N found himself thinking back to what had led him here in the first place, trying to piece the new information into the puzzle.

    Why would an Elite Four member be trying to get Pokemon Eggs from Nurse Joy? He knew for a fact that the League had personal breeders, and relationships that involved quite a bit of funding to all the breeders within League territory that were still ¡°privately owned¡±.

    Something wasn¡¯t adding up here.

    <hr>

    With the injuries that Piplup and Buizel sustained being relatively minor, the group hadn¡¯t stayed at the Pokemon Center for long, continuing down route 205 and making their way towards Eterna City.

    In fact, the rooftops of a few buildings could be seen over the horizon, making N wonder why a Pokemon Center would be out on the route, but still so close to it. Surely they were close enough that there was no need for a second, right? Eterna looked big enough that it would definitely have its own, especially since Ash was apparently doing a Gym battle here. Though now that he thought about it, the Pokemon Center near the Valley windworks hadn¡¯t been very far from Floaroma either¡­ maybe it was a precaution to help out trainers fleeing the Eterna forest?

    Something to look into.

    But there were other mysteries that probably needed solving with a bit more urgency. ¡°So did Nurse Joy end up telling you the details in regards to the egg?¡±

    Brock frowned, looking down at the egg in his arms. ¡°All she would say is that there¡¯s a rare Pokemon inside, and that I should be on the lookout for anyone trying to get their hands on it.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t even tell you what was in it?¡± If she knew that it was a rare Pokemon, then she should be certain of what kind of Pokemon it was. What point was there in hiding that information?

    ¡°Well it¡¯s a Happiny egg, ain¡¯ it?¡± Mimikyu chimed in.

    ¡°Happiny?¡± N repeated. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that Pokemon.¡±

    Brock stopped walking.

    ¡°Did you say Happiny?¡± He asked, doubt in his voice.

    ¡°Sure looks like one ta me.¡± Mimikyu affirmed, his disguise nodding towards Brock.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Happiny, is there something special about it?¡± Dawn asked, looking between Mimikyu and Brock.

    Brock started walking again, carefully observing the egg before he responded. ¡°Happiny evolves into Chansey.¡±

    ¡°Well I guess Nurse Joy having an egg like that makes sense!¡± Ash pointed out. ¡°All Nurse Joys have Chanseys that work with them, of course they¡¯d get eggs from time to time!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± N was confused by Ash¡¯s assertion. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Maybe here in Sinnoh, but in Unova their assistants are Audino.¡±

    ¡°No way! Every Nurse Joy I¡¯ve ever met has had a Chansey partner! I¡¯ve never even heard of Audino!¡± Ash insisted.

    ¡°Well, from what I know, Chansey is only the standard within the League.¡± Brock interrupted.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Unova part of the League too?¡± Dawn pointed out.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Brock agreed, ¡°but Unova joined the League relatively recently and they¡¯re physically isolated, so while they are a part of the League, it makes sense that they would do things differently there. I¡¯ve heard that Nurse Joys use different Pokemon in every region outside of the League. That said¡­ I¡¯m surprised that she was willing to give the egg to me, even in those circumstances.¡±

    While N very much appreciated the respect Brock was giving to the egg, he was a bit lost. ¡°Are they really that rare? The Audino that the Joy family uses back home are actually pretty common.¡±

    ¡°Incredibly rare,¡± Brock reassured. ¡°They¡¯re practically nonexistent out in the wild. You can find them in certain areas if you really try, but even someone dedicated to the task would struggle to find one. They keep some in safari zones, just to make sure that there¡¯s always a population that lives somewhat naturally, but¡­¡± He hesitated. ¡°Honestly, the Joy family has a near monopoly on the Chansey line. With their healing abilities, it makes sense that they would work together, but if somebody was trying to get that sort of work done without the Joy family¡­ maybe that¡¯s what they were after¡­¡±

    Trying to undercut the Joy family? To call that ¡°daring¡± would perhaps be an understatement. Though if anyone could do it, the League would probably be the most likely¡­ Had they finally grown tired of the Joy family doing things their own way? Trying to gain control over the few things they hadn¡¯t already dipped their fingers in? It wasn¡¯t like the League didn¡¯t have some influence over the Joys already.

    It seemed that he had gained yet another reason not to trust the League¡­

    ¡°Woah, what is that building?¡± Dawn asked the group, pointing to where the route started to morph into Eterna City proper.

    There was a large, two story building before them, its lawn and shrubbery looking pristine, its solid concrete walls broken up by large windows. Two statues stood guard to the sides of the entrance, visages of unfamiliar yet intimidating Pokemon. Even if they were carved out of stone, there was something about them that seemed.. more.

    ¡°Looks like a museum to me.¡± Brock looked over the place with an appraising eye. ¡°I know we just got to Eterna City, but do you mind if your Gym battle waits a bit Ash?¡±

    Ash and Pikachu sighed, but didn¡¯t say no. ¡°You want to check out the museum? It¡¯s probably a bit late for the Gym battle anyway. Who knows if they¡¯re even at the Gym right now, and if we have to hunt them down¡­¡±

    N thought it odd to assume that, but Roark had been at the mines instead of his Gym. Was it a recurring theme with Gym leaders or something?

    Regardless, they found themselves walking up to the museum.

    ¡°These are some pretty impressive Pokemon,¡± Ash remarked as they passed the statues, ¡°I wonder what they are¡­¡±

    ¡°Palkia and Dialga...¡± Mimikyu said almost reverently. ¡°The Legendary Pokemon of space and time.¡±

    N turned to Dawn as they walked into the museum. ¡°Do you know anything about Palkia and Dialga? This is your region.¡±

    Dawn blushed. ¡°Ah, well, you see-¡±

    Her words were cut off by the sound of shattering glass and then an ear piercing alarm.

    ¡°That sounds like trouble, we should check it out!¡± Ash exclaimed, barely audible over the alarm as he ran off ahead of them, Pikachu¡¯s cheeks sparking on his shoulder.

    The rest of the group gave each other a single look before chasing after him, not wanting a repeat of the Eterna Forest.

    When Ash finally came to a stop, and they caught up to him, it was before an empty display and a field of broken glass. Up on the balcony above were¡­

    ¡°Seriously?! Stealing Pokemon isn¡¯t enough for you, you have to do this as well?!¡± N found himself angrily shouting at Team Rocket. Their usual uniforms were nowhere to be seen this time. Instead, James was dressed in a strange green jumpsuit with a small mask tied to his face. Meowth was in a rather impressive outfit that he could only assume was meant to be a grass type he was unfamiliar with. Yellow flower petals surrounded his head, obscuring his ears from sight, and his arms were encased in giant leaves. And Jessie¡­ she was in an outfit that somehow matched James'', but was skintight and a shade of purple that went well with her hair. She held a large crystalline orb in one hand, holding it up as if she were displaying it.

    Once he tore his eyes from her, he noticed their Wobbuffet standing in the background, a simple purple mask that was similar to James¡¯ wrapped around his head.

    Even with their masks hiding half of their faces, he could see the way that Jessie and James paled when they saw Mimikyu on his shoulder.

    ¡°How is it you twerps manage to cause us problems when we¡¯re not even going after your Pokemon?!¡± Jessie shouted down at them.

    ¡°Stealing the Adamant Orb was supposed to be an easy gig!¡± Meowth complained.

    ¡°I had to trade in my precious bottle caps for these outfits and you saw right through them!¡± James whined, sounding like he was on the verge of tears.

    N didn¡¯t quite understand that last complaint, but he couldn¡¯t allow these thieves to escape this time.

    That was when the alarm stopped blaring.

    ¡°Stop right there, you crooks!¡± A familiar voice yelled out.

    When N turned to see the newcomer, he spotted an Officer Jenny, though he doubted it was one he knew. The gold star emblem on her cap was unfamiliar at the very least.

    ¡°Stunky, ten hut!¡± Jenny commanded, and that was when N noticed an unknown Pokemon with her. A furry quadruped, the Pokemon had a large bushy tail and a set of whiskers poking out of its cheeks. With most of its fur being a deep purple color, it was only broken up by a white stripe straight from its forehead to the tip of its tail.

    He watched as the Pokemon stood up on its forelimbs, waving its rear into the air.

    ¡°Do you think one measly Pokemon will be enough to stop us?!¡± Jessie demanded. ¡°Wobbuffet, you¡¯re up!¡± The blue Psychic took its place at the front of their formation, ready to protect them from attacks.

    ¡°Go!¡± Jenny ordered, and the Stunky¡­ the Stunky¡­

    His nose burned. He fought to keep himself from gagging as he was subjected to a stench that was arguably worse than a Garbodor coming out of a dumpster. He heard the rest of his group coughing and gagging, trying to protect themselves from it. He felt Mimikyu squirming around and was forced to move his friend to his arms so that the ghost wouldn¡¯t fall to the ground. With a better view on what Mimikyu was doing, it looked like he was trying to seal up all the gaps in his disguise. With how thin the material was, N wasn¡¯t sure that it would make a difference¡­

    But as bad as they had it, the Rockets had taken whatever that was head on. The whole room was suffering, but it must have been concentrated where Stunky aimed. Jessie tossed the orb down at them as the Rockets ran off, desperately trying to find fresh air.

    Luckily, Ash managed to catch it, and they made their way out of the room, gasping for every breath of clean air they could get.

    ¡°I think-¡± Jenny coughed, ¡°-you might have overdone it, Stunky!¡±

    The Pokemon at least looked a bit embarrassed, but N was worried about how long this smell would linger.

    But while that was definitely a more pressing concern, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    Why would Pokemon thieves start trying to steal museum displays?

    <hr>

    The only thing that could even remotely be looked at in a positive light about this heist was the fact that the Stunky spray was so foul that none of the police tried to stop them as they escaped on foot, too worried that the smell would wind up on them.

    ¡°That was such a waste of time! All that effort and all we got out of it was this stench!¡± Jessie complained, her eyes watering.

    ¡°At least we didn¡¯t blast off this time!¡± James pointed out.

    ¡°This is definitely worse than being blasted off!¡± Meowth scolded him. ¡°I never want to work with those Galactic punks again! Not if their requests are gonna end like this!¡±

    If those Team Rocket wannabes needed something done from this point on, they¡¯d need to do it themselves! See how they like getting blasted by a Stunky! No good criminal organizations these days¡­ couldn¡¯t even do their own dirty work!

    ¡°Ugh, we can worry about those losers later. James, how do we get this smell out?!¡± Jessie demanded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Tamato berries can help¡­¡±

    ¡°Perfect! We¡¯ve got a few of those, right?¡±

    ¡°You have to wash anything affected with the juice¡­¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯re selling the rest of your bottle caps to buy some more!¡± Meowth declared.

    Jessie and Meowth ignored the way that James¡¯ eyes teared up even more.

 Chapter 29

    Mimikyu was not a fan of Stunky. N was fairly certain that even those who couldn¡¯t understand the Pokemon¡¯s constant grumbling were aware of that fact.

    N had made friends with several Trubbish and Garbodor over the course of his life, so he wasn¡¯t quite as sensitive to the smell, but something about the stench that Stunky had covered them with clung to their skin and clothing. The Officer Jenny involved in the incident informed them that despite what they may have heard, Tamato berries did not get rid of the stench, and that if they simply visited a Pokemon Center, the local Nurse Joy would have the necessary cleaning materials on hand.

    While that was helpful information, it didn¡¯t help the fact that Mimikyu¡¯s disguise was draped directly over his face at all times. It would be pressed up against his nose¡­ did Mimikyu have a nose? He must if he had been complaining about the smell¡­

    Regardless, that¡¯s how the group found themselves in the Eterna City Pokemon Center, freshly showered and with spare clothes on while their outfits went through an industrial grade washing machine.

    Or at least, most of them had spare clothes.

    ¡°If I ever ¡®ave ta deal with one of ¡®em again I¡¯m gonna lose it.¡± Mimikyu complained from beneath a pillowcase that Nurse Joy had given them. Given his predicament, N and Mimikyu had chosen to stay behind at the Pokemon Center until everything was clean while the others explored the city proper for a bit.

    ¡°I understand that it¡¯s unpleasant, Mimikyu. I¡¯m not particularly thrilled about getting sprayed either, but staying upset about it won¡¯t change anything.¡± N reminded him as he sorted through a small book¡¯s worth of papers.

    He had almost forgotten about it with all of the distractions, but luckily the local Nurse Joy had recognized them. Or, she recognized Mimikyu anyway.

    The Nurse Joy near the Valley Windworks had pulled through. N had been handed page after page of information on Mimikyu as a species. In Unovan as well! He really was glad that Alola was slowly adopting his own language instead of the madness that was the League Language, because he really didn¡¯t want to go through something this thick and technical in a script he was still learning.

    There was data regarding average height and weight, how difficult it was to catch them, which egg group they belonged to, Disguised and Busted forms, how long it took their eggs to hatch, which moves they learned through growing stronger and which they should have upon hatching¡­

    To Mimikyu¡¯s credit, there were several egg moves listed that his friend should theoretically be capable of. It seemed that Shadow Sneak, the one move that his friend was able to use, was regarded as the first move that his species should learn through experience¡­ according to the researchers in some place called Paldea? Galar seemed to agree, but strangely enough, what should be Mimikyu¡¯s home region of Alola claimed that Double Team and Baby-Doll Eyes should come first.

    Mimikyu had claimed to be from Alola, hadn¡¯t he? He felt fairly certain that it had come up in one of their first conversations, but perhaps his memory was off¡­

    But as interesting as that all was, it wasn¡¯t what they had been after.

    N kept flipping through pages, settling upon the Pokedex entries. Sure, Brock and Nurse Joy had attested to the fact that these entries weren¡¯t exactly hard data, nor even accurate in some cases, but it was something at least.

    ¡°Its actual appearance is unknown. A scholar who saw what was under its rag was overwhelmed by terror and died from the shock,¡± N read off the first entry he saw.

    ¡°I don¡¯ think yer gonna get anythin¡¯ new outta those Pokedex entries, N,¡± Mimikyu continued to grumble.

    N frowned as he read another. ¡°Although it¡¯s a quiet, lonely Pokemon, if you try to look at what¡¯s under its rag, it will become agitated and resist violently.¡±

    He looked down at the tiny ghost covered in a pillowcase. That one didn¡¯t seem accurate at all. Or maybe his friend¡¯s temperament was unusual for his species?

    ¡°Next,¡± Mimikyu urged him.

    N scanned through them. Mysterious disease¡­ Pikachu costume to look less scary¡­ lives in dark places¡­ the more he read, the more apparent it became that he wasn¡¯t going to get anything useful.

    Though the very last entry worried him.

    ¡°Mimikyu was only recently identified as a Pokemon. Previously, people thought it was just a ghost wearing a cloth.¡±

    ¡°Is that s¡¯posed ta be their excuse for not ¡®avin¡¯ any useful information?¡± Mimikyu asked.

    ¡°Well, they have some information. Plus there are still a few more pages to go through,¡± N tried to hold onto hope.

    But it vanished in an instant when he saw the next page.

    ¡®Mimikyu are rather interesting Pokemon. As far as we are aware, they are the only Pokemon who have ¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€ and are ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ of ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€. ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€, to be precise. Of course, there is a theory that they ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ with ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€, but these claims are wild speculation. The terror that they produce is correlation at best.¡¯

    The rest of the document was like that. Every single bit of useful information was blacked out.

    But why? What was the point? The Joy family had gone out of their way to compile this information for them, and for that he was immensely grateful, but the last few pages were all but useless like this. If they were going to censor it all, what was the point of including it in the first place?

    He found the answer to that question at the very end.

    ¡®THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN CENSORED BY ALOLAN AUTHORITIES. FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO COMMUNICATE RESTRICTED INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN NOTIFICATION OF LEAGUE PERSONNEL.¡¯

    N stared at the document.

    The first thing he felt was anger. They had finally gotten an opportunity to get answers from someone who actually knew what they were talking about, and it had been ripped out from under them. These Alolan bastards were really going to do not only that, but threaten to report them to the League if they tried again?

    But the anger faded as his mind raced with questions. Who were these supposed Alolan authorities? His understanding of the region led him to believe that things were much more decentralized there, with different leaders for every island. Was this a decision made by all of them? Or had one in particular gotten it in their head that this was acceptable?

    Then there was the question of how they had done this. Presumably the message had gone from one Pokemon Center to another, and with the speed at which it had arrived he assumed it was done electronically. Did these people peer at every message sent or received in the region? Was it only interregional messaging? Was it a Pokemon interfering, or were they in control of the actual electronics?

    This venture had landed them with more questions than answers, and when he showed Mimikyu the pages, his friend¡¯s annoyance only worsened.

    ¡°Is this some sorta joke?¡± Mimikyu ranted. ¡°It¡¯s not like this is a letter bein¡¯ sent home durin¡¯ war time! We¡¯re not tryin¡¯ ta get locations and troop numbers b¡¯fore a big battle! Who do these Alolan authorities,¡± he said with a sneer in his voice, ¡°think they are! I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re the Kahunas, the Tapus, or even those Aether fucks! When I get my hands on them, I¡¯m gonna-¡±

    He was cut off by a knock on the door to their room.

    N gave Mimikyu a moment to calm down before he opened the door to find Nurse Joy.

    ¡°Hello! Sorry to interrupt,¡± her nervous smile made it obvious that Mimikyu¡¯s angry shouts had been audible from the other side of the door, ¡°but your clothes are clean, and Stunky free!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Nurse Joy.¡±

    Now that Mimikyu could wear his disguise once more, maybe some fresh air would clear their minds.

    <hr>

    He¡¯d informed Nurse Joy of the censorship before he and Mimikyu left, and she had not been happy about it, but she¡¯d been as confused as them. She told him that she¡¯d look into it, and with the look on her face he believed her, but at this point he figured that source of information was probably going to be a bust as well.

    ¡°Maybe we should just give up on it.¡± Mimikyu said morosely. ¡°Seems like ev¡¯ry time we get even an inklin¡¯ of information it slips through our grasp. The one Joy did say I could prob¡¯bly get somewhere with TMs, didn¡¯ she?¡±

    ¡°Just because we¡¯ve hit yet another snag in our path doesn¡¯t mean that you should throw in the towel, Mimikyu. Goals that are worth attaining are often achieved after a long journey of strife.¡± It wasn¡¯t like he was going to be able to get Unova under his control with just a few conversations, after all. ¡°And while TMs are an option, I do not have the funds necessary.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ who says we ¡®ave ta buy ¡®em?¡±

    N frowned. ¡°Mimikyu, are you suggesting that we steal them?¡± He might have his problems with the law, but he still had morals.

    ¡°No, not stealin¡¯ ¡®em, but what if we jus¡¯ find ¡®em lyin¡¯ around?¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu, TMs are extremely expensive. They¡¯re not the sort of thing someone would discard like trash.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. I haven¡¯ seen Lucas in a while¡­¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure what the boy had to do with their conversation, and he didn¡¯t get a chance to ask, as that¡¯s when they ran into the rest of their group.

    ¡°Oh, hey! Everything has been cleaned?¡± Dawn asked upon seeing Mimikyu.

    ¡°Yes, your clothes are in our room.¡± N reassured her.

    ¡°Great!¡± Brock smiled. ¡°That means you guys can come watch Ash¡¯s Gym battle in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you guys can watch me kick ass!¡± Pikachu exclaimed from Ash¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I bet they think they¡¯ll make quick work of me with their stupid resistance to Electric type attacks, but I¡¯m gonna turn those Grass types into kindling!¡±

    Ash didn¡¯t seem quite as excited though. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come if you don¡¯t want to, I know you guys like to do your own thing sometimes¡­¡±

    Brock looked at the boy like he had grown a second head.

    But that was¡­ very considerate of him. Their talk after Ash¡¯s last Gym battle must have made the boy realize just how uncomfortable N was with them.

    But N hadn¡¯t come out into the world to hide away from the parts of it that revolted him. He needed to understand the relationship between people and Pokemon. Seeing how the Eterna City Gym Leader commanded her team would be an important part of that, even if he might hate every second of it.

    ¡°No, Ash. I¡¯ll be there.¡± He wouldn¡¯t cheer for Pokemon being brutally attacked. He wouldn¡¯t congratulate the boy on winning a badge for it. But he¡¯d be present.

    He needed a comprehensive understanding of the enemy, and their home turf was the ideal place to get that.

    <hr>

    The next morning, N found himself walking into a rather strange building. One of the few areas within the city proper to be surrounded by greenery, the Eterna City Gym was large. Bigger than the Oreburgh Gym for sure.

    Though if Pikachu hadn¡¯t reminded him that it was a Grass type Gym, he would have been worried. The Gym had a pink roof and silver side panels that looked modern, but the entire thing was covered in overgrown vines, somehow blending the looks of a building that had just been put together and one that had long been abandoned and left for nature to take over.

    When they walked into the lobby, they found a strangely dressed woman. A black crop top with long sleeves, baggy orange pants that were ripped at the knees into shorts, boots that looked fit for hiking, and a green shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair threw him off a bit as well. How did she manage to get only the outer layer orange while the rest of it was black? There¡¯s no way that was natural.

    ¡°Hey there!¡± She called out to them with an upbeat attitude. ¡°I¡¯m Gardenia, the Eterna City Gym Leader! Which one of you is here for a battle?¡±

    ¡°My name is Ash,¡± the boy stepped forward, ¡°and I¡¯m here to win!¡±

    ¡°You look like a chump!¡± Pikachu added on, cheeks sparking.

    ¡°I like your attitude! Come on then, we can get started right away!¡± She turned away from them, walking out a door opposite the entrance.

    As they walked out into the arena proper, N was surprised to see that the pink he had seen from the outside could hardly be called a roof at all. The sun was shining down on them, with nothing obstructing the bright blue sky. Given that the field before him consisted of a small open field and a patchwork of trees, he supposed it would be necessary to keep the plants alive, but it was still odd to walk into a building just to be outside once more.

    ¡°The stairs to the audience seating can be found in the corners,¡± Gardenia pointed out to them. ¡°Come with me Ash, and we can get started!¡±

    N followed behind Brock and Dawn, taking a seat as a referee joined the trainers in the arena.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be interesting to see how Ash tackles this one,¡± Brock started as Ash and Gardenia got into position. ¡°Staravia has a type advantage, but a Gym Leader like Gardenia probably has counters ready for any weaknesses.¡±

    N grimaced as the referee explained the rules of the challenge and Mimikyu settled into his lap.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    He really hoped that this one would be less intense than the last.

    <hr>

    ¡°Alright Cherubi, let¡¯s go!¡± Gardenia released her Pokemon, an adorable thing that looked about the same size as Piplup. It almost looked like a berry had turned into a Pokemon! Its round, pink body was pretty plain, with just a face and two little nubs for feet. A pair of leaves and stems were sprouting out of its head, and a smaller version of it was hanging from the second stem¡­ was this actually just two Pokemon stuck together?

    ¡°Turtwig, I choose you!¡± Ash shouted out as the starter Pokemon came out of its ball.

    ¡°Grass type against Grass type, huh? It''ll be tough to predict how this will go since they both resist each other.¡± Brock commentated.

    Did he think that she didn¡¯t know this stuff? She had studied her type chart! Sure, she didn¡¯t recognize Gardenia¡¯s Pokemon, but it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that it was a Grass type in the Grass type Gym¡­

    ¡°Turtwig, use Tackle!¡± Dawn watched as Ash¡¯s Pokemon ran towards his opponent, but before he could get anywhere near Cherubi the pink Pokemon had already moved out of the way and gotten behind it.

    ¡°Razor Leaf!¡± Ash ordered before dozens of sharp leaves sliced through the air towards Cherubi. Like before, though, Cherubi dodged out of the way easily, putting itself behind Turtwig again.

    ¡°Are Cherubi normally that fast?¡± N asked from beside her.

    ¡°Mimikyu-kyu,¡± the ghost in his lap answered.

    ¡°I suppose that explains the reason for this Gym design.¡±

    Dawn must have made her curiosity obvious, because N turned towards her to explain. ¡°Mimikyu says Cherubi have the ability Chlorophyll, which makes them faster on sunny days.¡±

    She looked up to the sky and saw only a handful of clouds. ¡°Does that mean it would slow down if the sun was blocked out?¡±

    ¡°It does,¡± Brock joined in, ¡°but Turtwig doesn¡¯t know any weather changing moves, so it¡¯s up to chance whether that will happen or not.¡±

    A weather changing move? She¡¯d seen one or two of those while watching contests. Maybe Piplup could learn Rain Dance at some point, they could probably come up with a routine that used it¡­

    Her attention was brought back to the battle when Gardenia cried out ¡°Solar Beam!¡±

    Suddenly a bright light blinded her, and by the time she could see again Turtwig was in a different spot and there was a bunch of dirt and dust in the air where he had been before. He didn¡¯t look hurt at all, so he must have dodged it.

    Turtwig went to attack with a Razor Leaf again, and this time Cherubi didn¡¯t dodge. Instead, Dawn was blinded again, but when she could see the field again, Turtwig didn¡¯t look too good. There were no serious injuries like when he had fought against Roark¡¯s Cranidos, but his skin was looking raw and he had tumbled back until he was just in front of Ash.

    ¡°Keep it up with Magical Leaf!¡± Gardenia ordered, and this time Dawn chose to stop watching. She didn¡¯t want to see it land.

    But there was no cry of pain. She heard N let out a breath, and when she dared peek through her fingers, Ash had a Pokeball in his hand. Had he returned Turtwig?

    That was a close one¡­

    Her stomach churned as she tried to mentally prepare herself for the next matchup.

    <hr>

    ¡°Staravia, let¡¯s go!¡± Ash released the one Pokemon he had with a type advantage.

    ¡°Solar Beam!¡±

    N closed his eyes, but even through his eyelids the harsh light still stung.

    ¡°Does she really need ta keep spammin¡¯ that? How is she not blind if she ¡®as ¡®er Pokemon usin¡¯ such a bright move all the time?¡±

    N was curious about that himself, but the battle was moving too quickly for him to keep up with it and consider the possibilities at the same time. Staravia¡¯s wings began to glow as the Flying type swooped in for a Wing Attack, but Cherubi effortlessly dodged yet again. But then the arena got darker.

    For a moment, N wondered if Ash had somehow set up a counter to the sunlight while distracting them all with a bit of misdirection, but a quick glance to the sky revealed that it was just a cloud passing overhead.

    That was all the boy needed though. Without Chlorophyll boosting its speed and instantly charging Solar Beam, Cherubi was just a sitting Ducklett. A single Wing Attack landed, sending Cherubi tumbling and slicing open the smaller body hanging from it. Though curiously Cherubi didn¡¯t seem all too bothered by it bleeding¡­ or actually¡­ was it bleeding? N focused, leaning in a bit closer, not that it did him much good. It almost looked like it was leaking some sort of sap or fruit juice rather than bleeding. The shade of red and the viscosity didn¡¯t seem correct for blood at all.

    But that was something to think about later. Staravia wasn¡¯t about to let this opportunity slip away, and followed up the Wing Attack immediately with an Aerial Ace, this time slicing open the Cherubi¡¯s main body and sending it tumbling back until it stopped with a groan. It was definitely blood that leaked from that wound before Gardenia recalled it.

    ¡°I get that it¡¯s weak ta Flyin¡¯ type moves, but two hits doesn¡¯ seem like much. Is ¡®er Cherubi really that relian¡¯ on strong sunlight ta perform well?¡±

    ¡°It would seem so.¡± Perhaps it was intentional? Based on the official League messaging, and the way that Ash had explained things in the past, these were meant to be a test of skill. A brutal, barbaric test of skill, but a test nonetheless.

    Many Grass types were able to learn Sunny Day. It would be trivial for Gardenia to keep up her ideal weather condition indefinitely, so long as her opponent wasn¡¯t trying to manipulate the weather as well. And yet she had accepted the natural conditions, using it to her advantage, but not pushing it. A Pokemon would only be successful against her Cherubi if they were able to withstand the initial onslaught and capitalize on a momentary weakness. It was a¡­ practical way to hammer some tactics into trainers¡¯ heads, even if he didn¡¯t approve of it.

    ¡°Turtwig, you¡¯re next!¡±

    Well that was odd. He hadn¡¯t heard of a Gym Leader using the region¡¯s starter Pokemon before.

    Ash didn¡¯t give the opposing Turtwig any time to think before he was sending Staravia into action. ¡°Wing Attack!¡±

    Where Cherubi¡¯s battle style had focused on being so fast that opponents couldn¡¯t keep up, Gardenia¡¯s Turtwig stood still, looking like he was just going to tank the hit. But just before the attack connected, Gardenia shouted ¡°Reflect!¡± and a barrier sprung to life between them. It was as if a plane of glass were floating in the air, shimmering with the faint purple light that signified Psychic type moves.

    N hadn¡¯t seen it used in battle more than once or twice, and he certainly hadn¡¯t expected to see it in a Grass type Gym. Ash and Staravia seemed to be just as surprised, because the Normal type didn¡¯t have a chance to pull out of the way, instead smacking beak first into the barrier with a painful thud that rang out through the arena. Feathers flew into the air, and as the Reflect dissipated, Staravia fell to the ground, dazed.

    Just as Ash and Staravia had gone in for a finishing blow when Cherubi showed a moment of weakness, Gardenia¡¯s Turtwig jumped at the opportunity. Tilting its head forward, N was too far away to make out what it was doing, but the leafy vines that grew over Staravia made it obvious. Staravia¡¯s wings were bound, made useless for flight as the Leech Seed began to drain its energy. It struggled and flapped its wings, trying to tear the plant off, but it was futile. Turtwig jumped at it in a Tackle, and with a loud snap of what N could only assume was a hollow bone, Ash¡¯s Pokemon stopped struggling.

    Brock winced in sympathy. ¡°Who could have expected Reflect from Gardenia¡¯s Turtwig? That¡¯s tough luck right there.¡±

    ¡°Wait, that was Reflect?¡± Mimikyu questioned. ¡°But it completely blocked the attack. I thought it was jus¡¯ a Protect that looked sorta funny. Ain¡¯ Reflect jus¡¯ s¡¯posed ta reduce the damage from physical attacks?¡±

    With how little he had seen the move, N wasn¡¯t entirely sure of the details himself. They did have someone with a bit of expertise with them¡­

    ¡°Brock,¡± N begrudgingly began, ¡°How does Reflect differ from Protect?¡±

    ¡°Well, beyond the fact that Reflect requires some Psychic manipulation, I suppose you could say that the difference is the¡­ solidity of it? Protect is a move that will block incoming attacks with a barrier no matter how strong they are or what the opponent is trying to do to you. Reflect is more¡­ I guess you could say it¡¯s softer? A lot of it goes over my head because I haven¡¯t researched Psychic types in depth, but from what I¡¯ve gathered, the move allows a Pokemon to completely negate physical damage in small amounts, can dampen average physical damage by stretching and warping to slow down the impact, but will do little to hold up against strong physical attacks. Brick Break, for example, will instantly shatter it. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot more to it, but it¡¯s not a very common technique so my knowledge is pretty limited. I couldn¡¯t tell you anything about why there are two separate moves for physical and special attacks, you¡¯d have to ask someone who has researched it more.¡±

    Not a complete answer, but it was better than nothing. His attention was drawn back to the field when Ash released his own Turtwig.

    ¡°Turtwig against Turtwig, but Ash¡¯s has already taken damage¡­¡± Dawn worriedly pointed out.

    Her fears about an unequal start were eased when Ash started out with a command of ¡°Synthesis!¡±

    ¡°Not a bad call,¡± Mimikyu muttered, ¡° ¡®n¡¯ if the sun is ¡®nough ta trigger Chlorophyll, then Synthesis should be boosted ¡®nough ta fully heal ¡®im¡­¡±

    Sure enough, they watched as Turtwig¡¯s wounds went away. A green glow overtook his body, and they could see the splotches where his green skin went from raw and worn from Cherubi¡¯s Solar Beam to a healthy green once more.

    Gardenia wasn¡¯t going to just sit around and let it happen though.

    ¡°Leaf Storm!¡± Hundreds of glowing leaves appeared out of thin air, and with a flick of Turtwig¡¯s head, they were propelled towards Ash¡¯s end of the arena in a focused cone of effect by strong winds. While that was probably intended to focus more damage on the target, it also allowed Ash¡¯s Turtwig to slip out of the way more easily, dodging the attack and closing in on his foe.

    Gardenia¡¯s Turtwig looked to be breathing heavily after unleashing such a powerful move, and it wasn¡¯t fast enough to move out of the way as Ash¡¯s launched a Razor Leaf at it, the blade-like leaves bouncing harmlessly off its shell, but slicing deep into its skin and leaving a myriad of cuts behind.

    Her Turtwig fought through the pain though, charging at Ash¡¯s in a Tackle. Seeing this, Ash ordered the same, and the two Pokemon clashed together head first, a loud thunk ringing out as they staggered away from each other.

    The grass around them erupted into a field of what he thought might be Grass Knots, but that move required a moving target to do any damage and they were both just staring at each other, stilted and dazed. Gardenia¡¯s Turtwig must have hit its head pretty hard for it to be trying something like that, concussed perhaps, or maybe it was due to the blood loss as it started to stain the grass red.

    Ash¡¯s Turtwig was marginally more alert, attacking with another Razor Leaf instead. With the two Pokemon so close together, aiming wasn¡¯t difficult. The leaves cut away at his opponent¡¯s legs and face, leaving open wounds, trails of blood that overtook the green with red, and-

    Oh. Maybe it wasn¡¯t all blood. Turtwig¡¯s entire form was overcome with red as it was drawn back into Gardenia¡¯s Pokeball, done with the battle.

    Gardenia was grimacing, her eyes locked on the red grass left behind by her Pokemon. ¡°Not bad, but don¡¯t think that this is over yet!¡± She challenged Ash in an upbeat tone.

    The next Pokemon she released was familiar to him as well.

    ¡°Roserade, use Weather Ball!¡± As soon as Roserade had fully materialized, a ball of flames was forming between its bouquets, singeing the red and blue petals. It launched the attack at Turtwig with astonishing speed, and N closed his eyes, not wanting to see a repeat of Turtwig¡¯s condition after fighting Roark¡¯s Cranidos. He¡¯d had enough of Grass types being burned away.

    ¡°Return, Turtwig!¡±

    N hesitantly looked at the field once more. The Weather Ball had formed a ring of scorched grass where Turtwig had stood, but the Pokemon was no longer there.

    Instead, Pikachu jumped off of Ash¡¯s shoulder, cheeks sparking. ¡°Finally my turn! Listen up you overgrown weed! You might have thought you were getting off easy by cooking my friend, but you¡¯re gonna end up as fertilizer for all these plants when I¡¯m done with you!¡±

    Roserade didn¡¯t respond to the taunt, her eyes narrowing into slits.

    ¡°Nothing to say, huh? What¡¯s the matter? You scared or something? Well you should be!¡± Pikachu started the fight off with a Quick Attack, appearing in front of Roserade¡¯s face in an instant. Before the Grass type could even jump back in surprise, she was taking an Iron Tail to the face that had her flying back, crashing into one of the trees in the battlefield. She seemed to come to her senses after a moment, the field erupting in Grass Knots and her bouquets launching a hail of Poison Stings at the same time, but Pikachu¡¯s Thunderbolt fried the needles in mid-air, striking Roserade and the tree. The tree cracked, Roserade seized, and by the time N¡¯s vision had cleared from the flash of light, she lay slumped at the base of the trunk.

    ¡°Challenger Ash Ketchum is the victor!¡± The referee called out as Gardenia recalled her Pokemon.

    Brock yelled and cheered, Dawn clapped politely, but N just stared down at the field. At the damaged tree, the blood stained grass, the scorch marks and the Trainer and partner, smiling at each other.

    Would he smile like that when he achieved his goals?

    <hr>

    With the Forest badge in Ash¡¯s possession, the group didn¡¯t have any reason to hang around Eterna City any longer. A good night¡¯s rest at the Pokemon Center had left them refreshed, the only lasting injury on Ash¡¯s team being a fractured wing for Staravia that the Flying type would have to avoid using for a few days, and now they were travelling down the Cycling Road on some rented bikes.

    N had been happy to see that the bikes had baskets attached to the front of them, which allowed each of them to have their partner ride along without weighing more heavily on one shoulder. Mimikyu seemed hesitant to trust his bike riding skills, carefully holding onto the basket with his shadowy appendages, but if Brock trusted the basket to hold an egg, then he was fairly certain Mimikyu would be perfectly fine.

    ¡°Would you relax already? This is supposed to be fun! Don¡¯t you like feeling the wind rushing past you?¡± Pikachu teased from Ash¡¯s basket.

    ¡°These bikes are goin¡¯ pretty dang fast!¡± Mimikyu shouted back. ¡°Tease me all ya like, ya won¡¯t be laughin¡¯ when Brock¡¯s egg ends up an omelette on the road!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t even as fast as you move when you use Shadow Sneak!¡± Piplup yelled to be heard over the wind. ¡°I realize you¡¯re not as amazing as I am, but you¡¯re making me look bad by association!¡±

    Meanwhile, the humans were having their own conversation.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve got your new badge, it¡¯s time for Dawn¡¯s contest!¡± Brock informed Ash.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± The boy agreed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until we get to Hearthome! A Gym and a contest hall, both in one place! Let¡¯s ride straight there!¡±

    ¡°Uh, Ash?¡± Dawn spoke up from the opposite end of the group as N. ¡°The Cycling Road stops a bit north of Oreburgh! Besides, there¡¯s a different contest that I have to do before Hearthome, remember?¡±

    ¡°Did you figure out how to get there?¡± N asked the girl. ¡°It will be hard to find our way since it¡¯s not on the map.¡±

    ¡°No need to worry! While we were exploring Eterna City I found a different map of Route 206 and the area around it! Once we get to the end of the Cycling Road we just need to follow a short path that goes alongside the river!¡±

    N wanted to ask for more details, but Brock suddenly gasped. ¡°Woah, the egg is starting to glow! It¡¯s going to hatch soon!¡±

    Sure enough, when N looked into Brock¡¯s basket, the egg was occasionally pulsating with light.

    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t just let it hatch in the middle of Cycling Road! How much longer until we hit the end?¡± Ash looked off into the distance, trying to find the gate at the southern end.

    ¡°It should only be a few more minutes! If we move a little faster we should reach the end in no time at all!¡± Dawn informed them.

    The group started to pedal harder, trying to reach the gate as quickly as possible.

    <hr>

    I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m feeling excited or if I¡¯m going to be sick.

    After reaching the end of Cycling Road, Mimikyu had slipped away from the group while they worked themselves up over the imminent hatching of the egg under the pretense of ¡°searching for something important.¡±

    Happiny will need a rock when it hatches. When she hatches? I think they¡¯re 100% female¡­

    But Mimikyu wasn¡¯t focused on the rocks.

    Alamos Town is just downstream. This will be my chance.

    Control over space and time has to be what I¡¯m looking for, right? I just need to convince them¡­

    I mean, there will be other opportunities, like the Spear Pillar and maybe a few other spots, but¡­

    How long have I been here already? It¡¯s been what¡­ weeks? A couple months? I really should have tried keeping track of time better, but when every day is either magical or disturbing I guess the date sort of falls to the wayside as the days blend together¡­ N would probably know if I asked him, but do I want to know? Do I want that certainty?

    It¡¯s not like it will matter anyway. I just need to convince them¡­

    The next opportunity won¡¯t be for a long while¡­

    I should prepare for the worst though. Expect things to go poorly. I need to go into this acting like it won¡¯t be the end, because if I do and it isn¡¯t¡­

    Yeah¡­ yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll just plan for this to go horribly. Gotta start thinking about the Spear Pillar, and Arceus, and¡­ what other possibilities are there¡­ Hoopa maybe? The Aether Foundation? I really don¡¯t want to get wrapped up in more than I have to, but¡­

    ¡°Mimikyu?¡±

    The Pokemon jolted, looking towards the voice.

    Oh. It¡¯s just N. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You were right. It¡¯s a Happiny. Apparently they need a rock to look after, so I thought I¡¯d come search for one. What are you up to?¡±

    ¡°Same thing,¡± Mimikyu replied as he started to look through the rocks more seriously.

    ¡°You were really that confident that you went searching for one before it even hatched? I don¡¯t think many people can tell eggs apart that easily.¡± N replied as he started inspecting the ground.

    ¡°Eh, call it a gut feelin¡¯.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what else to call it after all.

    For just a moment, Mimikyu¡¯s gaze fell on N fondly.

    You might be a pain in the ass¡­ but if this works out¡­

    I¡¯m gonna miss you.

 Chapter 30

    "Aren¡¯t you just the cutest little thing?¡± Brock cooed as he bounced his new Happiny in his arms.

    Ash was happy for him. It¡¯d been a little while since he¡¯d had the chance to raise a Pokemon, and it always seemed like those times were when Brock felt the best. Maybe it reminded him of the time he spent raising his siblings? Ash had never asked, and he didn¡¯t think he ever would. Talking about deep stuff like that¡­ it would just bring up memories they¡¯d rather forget.

    But Brock¡¯s affection for his newest teammate could only keep Ash¡¯s mind occupied for so long. Especially when they were on their way to somewhere new.

    Ash couldn¡¯t see the river from where they were on the path as he led the way, but he could still hear the rushing water and the Water types splashing around in it. Actually, it might even have gotten louder. A small waterfall maybe? Or it could be some rapids¡­ The river must be getting lower.

    A few Flying types soared overhead, too far up in the bright blue sky to make out clearly. He could just barely make out the chittering of Bug types in the bushes on either side of the path. So many friends in the making all around him, and hopefully ones that he¡¯d never seen before once they hit their destination!

    ¡°Are you sure that map is correct?¡± N asked from behind him. ¡°We¡¯ve been following the river for a while. At this rate we must not be terribly far from the Valley Windworks.¡±

    There was a pause and a shuffling of paper, probably Dawn double checking the map. ¡°We should be close¡­¡±

    That¡¯s when he saw it. ¡°Guys, check it out!¡± He got their attention as he pointed ahead to the giant towers poking above the horizon. ¡°That must be Alamos town!¡± He felt Pikachu shift his weight on his shoulder, having travelled together long enough to know what was coming next. Ash gave his partner a moment to settle, and then took off, running towards their destination.

    More and more of the city came into view. ¡°There may not be a Gym, but I bet we can find all sorts of great battles. Isn¡¯t that right, Pikachu?¡±

    ¡°Pika-Pika!¡± His starter shouted out in agreement.

    But then he had to slow to a stop. The rest of the group caught up to him without problem, and he heard Dawn gasp when she saw what was in their way.

    When he had first spotted the towers, Alamos town didn¡¯t look that far away. He figured he might be able to run there in maybe 5 minutes or so. But now? Realizing that the path suddenly went down, leading back to the river¡­ or really it was more of a lake, wasn¡¯t it?

    Alamos town was apparently on an island surrounded on all sides by cliffs, jutting out from a lake that the river must feed into. The only way he could see to reach it was a huge bridge¡­ on the other side of the lake. That was going to add at least another hour or so to their trip.

    His spirits damped slightly, and Ash could only sigh. ¡°You know, I thought Zoey said that Alamos town was by the lake, not in it.¡±

    ¡°Pika-pi¡­¡±

    ¡°Kyu!¡± Mimikyu shouted out.

    ¡°An air balloon¡­?¡± N muttered.

    ¡°Would you all like a lift?¡± An unfamiliar voice shouted down from above.

    When Ash looked up, it was just as N had said. A hot air balloon was sinking down towards them, and he heard Brock get all giggly when its occupants came into view. A Chimchar was hanging tightly onto it, probably the source of the balloon¡¯s heat, and there was a woman in the basket. Long blonde hair led into a blue scarf over a red¡­ hmm¡­ Ash swore there was a name for those, but he¡¯d never paid enough attention to what any of the women in his life said about fashion. They¡¯d probably get mad about him calling it a red sweater, but that¡¯s what it looked like to him.

    The woman waved to them as the balloon touched down nearby. ¡°Feel free to hop in! We were just about to go back to Alamos town ourselves!¡±

    Ash wasn¡¯t one to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth, so he ran right on over and hopped into the basket. ¡°Come on guys! This will save us tons of time!¡± And less time spent walking around the shoreline meant more time he could find opponents to battle! Sure, Staravia might not be in tip top shape, still recovering from the battle with Gardenia, but his new buddy Buizel was definitely raring to go!

    Brock couldn¡¯t get himself into a confined space with a pretty lady fast enough, and while N and Dawn hesitated, they joined in all the same. In no time at all, the Chimchar was heating up the balloon and sending them up into the air over the water.

    ¡°We can''t thank you enough for your kindness!¡± Brock began showering the stranger with praise. ¡°My name is Brock! Would you do me, I mean us, the honor of telling us your name?¡±

    ¡°My name is Alice,¡± the blonde answered, though Ash found his attention drifting to the space outside the balloon rather than in it. He could see a few other hot air balloons floating through the air, ranging from a simple tan orb to ones that had Pokemon designs on them. There were a couple of Pelliper swooping down to the water below, a Gyarados making waves from just beneath the surface, and there were some Drifloon off in the distance. Maybe they were friends with the ones from Valley Windworks? N hadn¡¯t been wrong when he said they were nearby.

    ¡°A beautiful name for a beautiful woman! The romantic atmosphere of a hot air balloon ride has been dampened a bit by my friends here, what do you say you and I go on a date once we-¡±

    Ash didn¡¯t even need to turn around to know that Croagunk had taken care of his trainer.

    ¡°Croa-gunk.¡±

    Dawn giggled nervously, still not used to Brock¡¯s¡­ Brock-ness. ¡°My name is Dawn, I¡¯m here for the Alamos town Pokemon contest!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m N, and this is Mimikyu.¡±

    ¡°Kyu.¡±

    Ash turned around, ignoring the sight of his collapsed friend on the floor of the basket. ¡°And I¡¯m Ash! This is my buddy Pikachu!¡±

    ¡°Pika!¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Ash continued, ¡°we¡¯re moving pretty quick! Do you do this sort of thing often?¡±

    ¡°You could say that,¡± Alice replied with a smile. ¡°I actually work part time as a hot air balloon tour guide, though most of my time is spent as a music student.¡±

    Before anyone could ask a follow up question she pulled a¡­ leaf out of her pocket? Holding it up to her lips, she started to blow, and an unfamiliar melody began. It was a nice enough song, and the local Pokemon seemed to enjoy it if the way that a flock of Pidgey flew next to them was any indication. When the short song ended, the Flying types took off, and Ash saw Chimchar adjust his flames.

    ¡°The Pokemon are nice enough to show me the best air currents to follow if I play them a song,¡± Alice explained.

    ¡°That was beautiful!¡± Brock exclaimed as he got back up on his feet. ¡°It¡¯s not often you meet someone who uses a leaf as an instrument! Did you learn from a Nuzleaf, perhaps? Or is your talent a gift from the heavens?!¡±

    Alice blushed a bit. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no big deal, really. I¡¯ve had a few different teachers over the years.¡±

    ¡°A positive relationship with Pokemon like that is nothing to scoff at,¡± N praised.

    As the balloon went above the cliff walls of the island, Ash got a better look at Alamos town. The two towers he had seen before looked to be part of a bigger building, by far the largest one in the town. A forest surrounded it on all sides besides the front, which led into the streets and other buildings. None of them stood out all that much, at least in comparison to the tower building. Just simple white walls and brown roofs going off towards the bridge on the other side of the island.

    ¡°Those towers are beautiful!¡± Dawn commented.

    ¡°Mi-kyu.¡±

    ¡°The Space-Time Towers are Alamos town¡¯s pride and joy! A brilliant architect built them one hundred years ago. It¡¯s actually where we hold our Pokemon contests, Dawn.¡±

    ¡°Wow, really? I-¡±

    Ash stopped listening as he felt Pikachu tense on his shoulder. He turned to see those pointed ears twitch, and then he felt it.

    The basket they were in shook, forcing them all to grab onto something to stay upright. It was like wave after wave of something as solid as a wall was battering into him. A pressure pushing down on them¡­ or¡­ was this a Pressure with a capital ¡®P¡¯?

    It wasn¡¯t one that felt familiar. There wasn¡¯t a cool refreshing wind, the sun didn¡¯t brighten and threaten him with heat stroke, the sky stayed clear of any adverse weather¡­

    He needed to focus. What was different in this moment? What sort of clues did he have?

    As the basket kept rocking, he adjusted his grip on the lip of it, trying not to fall down.

    That gave him his first clue. His movements felt slow, like he was moving through jelly. His fingers looked stretched, warped somehow, until he stopped moving and they suddenly seemed normal again.

    What could that be? His eyes darted all over, searching for the source of the Pressure, but nothing was obvious to him. Was it something based on his perception? What had those Legends at the museum controlled? He couldn¡¯t recall if he had ever gotten a straight answer.

    But then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

    Ash couldn¡¯t bring himself to let go of the basket. His chest felt tight, his breathing too fast, his body too alert.

    A glance at Brock showed that he wasn¡¯t alone in his concern. The adoration for Alice had been replaced by a grim expression.

    ¡°Is everybody okay?¡± Alice worriedly asked.

    ¡°What was that?¡± N asked.

    ¡°I suppose it could have been the air currents, but¡­¡± Alice trailed off for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, that must have been my fault. Why don¡¯t I make up for it by giving you all the grand tour?¡±

    ¡°That sounds great!¡± Ash quickly agreed with a strained smile.

    It wasn¡¯t like they could just leave after experiencing that. The pattern had gone on long enough that he had gotten the memo. It was time to investigate, and hopefully fix the problem before things got too bad.

    Though he didn¡¯t have high hopes if that was how bad it was when the source wasn¡¯t even present. It had been strong. Far too strong. Almost as if there was more than one¡­

    Having to deal with multiple at once was always the worst.

    <hr>

    ¡°Who do those twerps think they are?! Balloons are our thing!¡± Jessie growled.

    ¡°Calm down Jessie, this could be a great sign!¡± James reassured her. ¡°With the number that we get made, I¡¯m sure we could work out a deal with our supplier. Just think of the possibilities! The twerps would surely pop their balloons as often as they do ours, and then we could get a kickback for each of them! Or maybe we could even go into the balloon business ourselves, skip being middlemen and become entrepreneurs!¡±

    ¡°Ya know, that¡¯s not a bad idea!¡± Meowth chimed in. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re practically experts already!¡±

    ¡°Waaaabah!¡±

    Jessie lowered her binoculars, putting a pause on her twerp watching to instead inspect their current ride. The Carnivine shaped balloon might not be the most cost effective of choices, what with the long ¡°vines¡± of dark green material hanging down for decoration, or the intricate detail work to make sure the mouth was properly outlined, but she would prioritize style over cost any day of the week! They had a brand, and if she didn¡¯t ensure that they stuck to it, they would be no better than any lowly grunts in Team Rocket! You didn¡¯t become the boss¡¯ favorites by being boring!

    ¡°But, ah¡­¡± Meowth continued, ¡°shouldn¡¯t we be thinking about future balloon sales after we discuss what just happened? That was no Gust from one of these Drifloons, ya know.¡±

    ¡°Well, I was hoping we could just ignore it and hope it went away.¡± James replied. ¡°We don¡¯t always need to be involved do we? We could just let the twerps handle it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a moron!¡± Jessie rebuked him. ¡°The twerps are twerps, we can¡¯t leave everything up to them! What if they fail and the world gets destroyed? The boss would kill us!¡±

    ¡°If it came down to that, I don¡¯t think the boss¡¯ reaction would be our top priority¡­¡± James sighed.

    ¡°Either way, we gotta do something!¡± Meowth interjected. ¡°Though I suppose we don¡¯t have a lot of information to work with¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just do what we always do then!¡± Jessie smirked. ¡°Follow the twerps, wait for something to happen, and then save the day!¡±

    ¡°Waaaah!¡±

    ¡°Shut your trap! We¡¯ll get credit for our hard work this time, right guys?!¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Jessie and James agreed halfheartedly.

    They all knew it wasn¡¯t true.

    <hr>

    N was confident that the disturbance they had felt in the balloon had been no mere air current. Alice herself hadn¡¯t seemed to believe her own explanation, and the reactions he had seen around him had been confirmation enough that something was going on.

    He just didn¡¯t know what. It had been an intense feeling, but it differed from what he felt when Mimikyu was leaking fear, or what they had felt when Ash was supposedly meeting Suicune. But Ash had brushed it off, or at least given off the impression that he was doing so, which N took to mean that the boy wasn¡¯t interested in investigating.

    Not that N would even know where to start if he chose to do so on his own. What was he meant to do? Walk up to random people and Pokemon and ask about the strange feeling? He had been so disoriented that he hadn¡¯t even thought to check if those outside of the balloon were being affected. For all he knew, the town proper hadn¡¯t felt a thing, and asking about it would just make him look crazy.

    He got enough strange looks from being able to talk to Pokemon.

    So, at least for the moment, N found himself on the guided tour of Alamos that Alice had offered.

    ¡°Things aren¡¯t normally quite so vibrant around here, but with the contest coming up we¡¯ve gone all out!¡± Alice explained as they passed beneath a series of colorful paper lanterns that were strung up between the buildings.

    While the city had looked rather dull from the sky, at least compared to the Space-Time Towers, walking through the streets gave a different impression. Even without the paper lanterns, there was quite a bit of color with all of the flowers hanging from window sills. It wasn¡¯t nearly to the level that Floaroma had been at, but it was enough to draw the eye. The structures themselves had an artisanal look to them, something you couldn¡¯t really find in Unova with how modernized the region was, and yet the style was definitely distinct from anything he¡¯d seen in Sinnoh so far. Wavy roofing, highly detailed window designs, carefully laid brick roads that left little in the way of greenery on ground level outside of a few carefully maintained trees. In a way, it felt like its own little cultural bubble, the kind of place that was proud of its heritage, enough so to try and stand out from the rest of the region.

    Of course, what really drew his attention were all the Pokemon. A yellow ball with a red and white striped scarf poking out of the top of its head was hanging from one of the flower-filled window sills, a bell-like laugh ringing out as it swung back and forth. ¡°Chingling, Psychic type with Levitate.¡± Mimikyu said without prompting.

    His attention was drawn away from the small Pokemon when another flew in front of it. A stubby grey and black body was carried through the air by four brilliantly colorful wings. Black outlines held the shape for deep reds, vibrant baby blues, and eye-catching yellow-oranges. ¡°Beautifly, Bug and Flyin¡¯ type.¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± N commented quietly as he walked with the rest of the group, ¡°you don¡¯t need to act like a Pokedex every time I see an unfamiliar Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯ I? Yer lookin¡¯ at ¡®em with all sortsa curiosity. If I didn¡¯ just tell ya, you¡¯d be askin¡¯ ¡®bout ¡®em for sure.¡±

    Well, N was rather curious about all the new Pokemon he was seeing. It was only natural! Pokemon were amazing creatures, and to not be in awe every time he met a potential new friend¡­ well, he couldn¡¯t imagine a scenario where that wouldn¡¯t be the case. Still, though¡­ ¡°I can restrain myself.¡±

    ¡°Uhuh,¡± Mimikyu agreed, though his tone was full of disbelief, ¡°so ya don¡¯ wanna know what those two are?¡±

    A shadowy appendage slithered out in front of his face, directing him towards a sight he could do without. On one side was a metallic, plate-like Pokemon that fit the description for Bronzor that Mimikyu had given him a while back. On the other side was an obvious Dragon, with how ferocious the little thing was, but he definitely hadn¡¯t seen its kind before. The little thing looked like 80% of its body was just a head, stubby limbs and a tail keeping it upright. The fin and oddly shaped protrusions from its head drew his attention, but the Pokemon didn¡¯t seem to use them for much, putting all of its focus into its bright red jaw, trying to bite down on the Bronzor or spit something out at it.

    An explosion overtook the two, obscuring them from vision as the crowd around them cheered.

    ¡°Is it really necessary to draw my attention to a battle?¡± How unsightly. He knew that battles were part and parcel of life under the League, but to do it in the middle of a random street was a bit much, even by a normal person¡¯s standards, surely!

    Although he did find himself wondering about the unfamiliar Pokemon. It tickled something in the back of his mind, like he should recognize it. Or maybe one of its evolutions? There weren¡¯t that many Dragon types in the world after all¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯ act like the cogs in yer head ain¡¯ turnin¡¯ righ¡¯ now. Gible, first in the Garchomp line.¡±

    So that¡¯s why it seemed familiar! He hadn¡¯t actually seen a Garchomp in person, but as Champion Cynthia¡¯s ace, of course he¡¯d been aware of it. He really should have noticed the similarities sooner¡­

    But he wouldn¡¯t give Mimikyu the satisfaction of knowing he had been right, so he remained silent, taking his attention off of the battle and to his group once more.

    ¡­only to see Ash bump into a giant Pokemon as he made his way out of the street they were on and into a large, open square. A quadruped, its brown limbs supported a green shell. Sharpened boulders jutted out from the far side, and what a lucky thing that was, realizing that if Ash had collided with the other end he would have gone head first into one of them. The other side of the shell supported what looked to be a tree of all things. Was that part of the Pokemon? Did it just happen to have a tree growing on it? Looking more closely, the green of its shell looked like moss, or even grass. Was this Pokemon able to support a full ecosystem on its back? It looked familiar, too. Like it could be an evolved form of-

    ¡°Torterra, final form of Turtwig.¡±

    N turned his head to scowl at the ghost on his shoulder.

    ¡°Woah! Sorry about that!¡± Ash apologized, both to the Torterra and its trainer.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± a short, brown haired boy replied. ¡°It¡¯ll take a lot more than that to put a dent in Torterra!¡±

    ¡°Barely even felt it,¡± Torterra grumbled out in a deep, bassy voice.

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Ash¡¯s stance changed into something a bit standoffish. ¡°That sounds like a challenge! Let¡¯s battle!¡±

    ¡°Barely felt it?¡± Pikachu scowled. ¡°You¡¯ll barely feel anything at all once I¡¯m done with you!¡±

    N could only sigh as the opposing trainer¡¯s friends approached, revealing their own Pokemon, which Mimikyu quickly identified as Empoleon and Infernape, and the square that they had entered turned into a large battleground. Pikachu faced off against Torterra, Brock¡¯s Croagunk went head to head against the Infernape, and Dawn¡¯s Piplup¡­ hmm¡­

    That wasn¡¯t really a battle, even if Piplup might claim so later on. Empoleon looked down, unimpressed as Dawn¡¯s Pokemon puffed himself up, trying to look big in front of a more experienced member of its kind. ¡°I can take you, no problem!¡± The little Water type asserted, though neither of them made any move to attack.

    Even if it was strange, he was glad that Dawn hadn¡¯t let herself be dragged into the senseless violence.

    With his normal travelling companions occupied, that left N with Mimikyu for company as usual, but also Alice and her Chimchar.

    The blond gave him a considerate look. ¡°Not going to join in on the fun? I¡¯m sure someone else here would be up for a battle.¡±

    Mimikyu snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid battles aren¡¯t¡­¡± pleasant, good, acceptable at all, ¡°-our thing,¡± N settled on.

    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement¡­¡± Mimikyu muttered.

    ¡°Fair enough!¡± Alice replied with a smile. ¡°We can have a seat and chat, then! You haven¡¯t been very talkative, I don¡¯t know anything about you yet!¡±

    The woman didn¡¯t wait for an answer, grabbing his hand and leading him to a table at the edge of the square, shielded from the sun by a large, yellow umbrella.

    The two humans took a seat, with Mimikyu remaining on his shoulder and Chimchar trying to make a chair that was far too large for him work in a way that allowed him to see over the table top. Everyone else in the square seemed engrossed by the battles his companions were engaged in, but Alice focused solely on him. ¡°So battles aren¡¯t your thing, but you¡¯re travelling with a coordinator, a trainer in the gym circuit, and¡­¡± she hesitated.

    ¡°Brock is working on becoming a breeder, though I doubt he said much of that between his attempts to flirt with you. Sorry about that, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Ouch, harsh¡­¡± Mimikyu winced, but N could only shrug. It was true, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Ah, haha¡­¡± Alice blushed. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m used to that sort of thing. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll run into my more persistent admirer at some point¡­¡±

    ¡°Stupid Baron¡­¡± Chimchar complained in a boyish voice.

    N didn¡¯t like the way they said it, but he wasn¡¯t about to pry into what sounded like a mess that was, frankly speaking, not his business. ¡°But I wanted to talk about you,¡± Alice continued. There was a pause. ¡°And Mimikyu, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I think that ¡®urt more than ¡®er jus¡¯ forgettin¡¯ ¡®bout me¡­¡±

    Drama queen. ¡°What about us?¡±

    ¡°Well, why you¡¯re travelling with them, for one. Your goals?¡± Alice shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make conversation.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t fault her there. Awkwardly sitting here silently didn¡¯t sound pleasant, especially when the only distraction around was a series of battles of all things. That said, he couldn¡¯t exactly give honest answers to those questions. He didn¡¯t think ¡°I want to overthrow the League, save Pokemon from people, and I¡¯m travelling with Ash because apparently he can bring me to the Legendary necessary to make that happen¡± would go over well with a complete stranger.

    Instead, he settled with ¡°Happenstance, mostly. We ran into them at Jubilife, and things just sort of worked out this way.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Alice quirked a brow. ¡°Your Sinnohian isn¡¯t half bad, but you¡¯ve still got a strong Unovan accent. Why¡¯d you come here?¡±

    What a¡­ curious person Alice was turning out to be. ¡°I wanted to see more of the world.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    N nodded.

    It was a short explanation lacking in details, but he¡¯d said it and now he¡¯d stick by it. He didn¡¯t know Alice. She seemed like a well meaning person, but that didn¡¯t actually mean anything. She could be an agent of the League, or part of a Pokemon trafficking group interested in rare or foreign Pokemon like Mimikyu. Of course, he didn¡¯t have any evidence to support either of those ideas, but her questioning had him wary.

    ¡°Ya know givin¡¯ short answers like that is only gonna make people more curious, don¡¯cha?¡± Mimikyu pointed out.

    He seemed to get Alice¡¯s attention, even if she couldn¡¯t understand his words. She moved her gaze from human to Pokemon, stroking her Chimchar¡¯s fur in a distracted manner as the little Fire type crawled up onto the table.

    ¡°Well, what about Mimikyu then? How did you two meet?¡± Her eyes shone in a strange way when she looked at his friend. Her face showed a blend of familiarity and a deep, burning curiosity.

    N didn¡¯t like it. Mimikyu wasn¡¯t leaking terror at the moment, even if he was a bit more fidgety than normal, but even those who had an active interest in the Pokemon didn¡¯t look at him quite like this. Professor Rowan had lacked the familiarity, being all in on a scientific curiosity. The little girl they¡¯d run into in Nimbasa had just been a doe-eyed girl interested in a new Pokemon. Elesa¡¯s familiarity had quickly faded away once she realized he wasn¡¯t a Pikachu.

    This was something new to him, and he didn¡¯t like it.

    Luckily, she didn¡¯t get much time to interrogate him. A loud crashing sound drew their attention back to the portion of the square turned into a battle arena, just in time to see a shocked trainer recalling his Torterra.

    ¡°Hell yeah! You can take your stupid immunity and shove it up your-¡±

    ¡°Great job, Pikachu!¡± Ash cut off his Pokemon.

    A glance to the side revealed that the Infernape and Brock¡¯s Croagunk had already been recalled, though the trainers¡¯ expressions didn¡¯t give away who had won.

    And Dawn¡­ looked to be consoling Piplup. Things must not have gone in the Water type¡¯s favor.

    Taking the escape from questioning as quickly as he could, N stood up. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time to move on with the tour.¡±

    Alice side eyed him, likely catching on to his attempt to evade questioning, but she didn¡¯t comment on it. Instead she stood with him as his companions regrouped.

    ¡°Pikachu must be really strong to take on a Torterra like that!¡± She politely complimented.

    ¡°You know it!¡± Pikachu smirked.

    ¡°Thanks! That battle was a lot of fun!¡±

    Brock patted the shoulder that Pikachu wasn¡¯t resting on. ¡°A good battle is always fun, but we¡¯ve interrupted your tour! Sorry about that.¡±

    It was odd to see the man interacting with a woman in a normal manner, and it served as a reminder that something was amiss in Alamos. N was certain that he¡¯d still be all over her if it hadn¡¯t been for the oddity earlier.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that!¡± Dawn looked a bit embarrassed to have been caught up in Ash¡¯s excitement, even if she hadn¡¯t actually battled.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine! Really, there¡¯s only one place left that we need to check out. Follow me!¡±

    <hr>

    Ash couldn¡¯t help the smile on his face as he followed Alice.

    Sure, the weird stuff earlier in the balloon was weighing on the back of his mind, and he still had a ball of anxiety churning in his gut, but an awesome battle like the one with Torterra had done a lot to improve his mood! Maury, the Torterra¡¯s trainer, had told him it was the final form of Turtwig! He would never push his Pokemon to evolve if they didn¡¯t want to, but that conversation hadn¡¯t really come up with Turtwig yet, and he couldn¡¯t help but imagine what a powerhouse Turtwig would become if he evolved into that!

    Potential strategies ran through his mind as they entered a beautiful garden centered around an artificial pond. A water fountain at the center of it kept water flowing at all times, lily pads on the surface made for quiet escapes the aquatic Pokemon could use to hide away for a while, and everything outside of the pond was so vibrant. Shades of green were everywhere, from the bushes, to leaves of flowering plants, to creeping vines and moss on the pottery around the edges of the pond. Flowers of every color dotted the garden, not letting his eyes stay in one spot for long.

    And then there were the Pokemon themselves! He recognized the group of Yanma flying through the air, and the larger, green Pokemon with them must be an evolution he¡¯d never seen before! They dove and weaved between a group of Combee, and a Beautifly was fluttering near the water¡¯s edge!

    Pokemon under the water¡¯s surface were harder to make out, and he didn¡¯t quite recognize them, but he knew Water types when he saw them!

    And then, to top things off, a group of Pokemon came straight to them! Well, they came to Alice, but he was with her, so close enough! An Azurill, Marill, and Azumarill walked together, probably all from the same family. Right alongside them were a Shinx and what he had to assume was its evolved form, given the only differences were the size and the amount of fur on it.

    ¡°Kyu, kyu!¡±

    He turned to see what Mimikyu wanted, and watched N put a healthy distance between the two of them and the new Pokemon. That was odd. Why would they¡­ could some of these Pokemon become the Fairy type, maybe? He wondered which. Would an Electric Fairy or a Water Fairy Pokemon be more advantageous in battles¡­

    Alice didn¡¯t seem to have noticed though, and with how secretive that stuff was, maybe it was for the best. ¡°This whole Garden was designed by Godey, the same architect who designed the Space-Time Towers! He wanted to have a place where he could show off the harmony between humans and Pokemon.¡±

    Ash thought he heard N scoff, but he must have imagined it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been playing in this garden since I was a little girl, so everyone here is my friend!¡± Alice explained.

    A garden focused on Pokemon harmony where they were all Alice¡¯s friends? Ash didn¡¯t need any more info than that. Grabbing the balls off of his belt, he quickly released all of his Pokemon. ¡°Come on out and have some fun, guys!¡±

    Brock and Dawn quickly did the same, and soon they found themselves surrounded by Pokemon. The locals darted off and Pikachu wasn¡¯t far behind them, leaving the rest of their friends to follow after, running deeper into the garden.

    ¡°I guess they want to show off the playground. Come on, we should follow after them!¡± Alice explained as she led the way. Ash kept his eyes on the Pokemon, watching as Bonsly and Happiny trailed behind, Aipom and Pachirisu jumped between stepping stones in the pond, and Buizel and Piplup joined a Quagsire in the water.

    So distracted by them, he didn¡¯t notice that the pergola he was walking under was occupied until a Wormadam dropped right in front of his face. Rearing back in surprise, he looked up into the vine covered lattice, only then noticing the dozens of leaf covered Burmy bouncing on String Shots suspended from the top.

    Brock laughed. ¡°Guess they wanted to welcome us, too!¡±

    Dawn clenched her fists, and Ash feared she might be thinking about his misadventures through the Eterna forest again¡­

    Not wanting to bring up that mess again, he weaved around the hanging Bug types and pushed on to the end of the path, finding that it went all the way to the edge of the island. He could see that the Pokemon had stopped at a small playground. A set of swings, a seesaw, and various other play equipment was keeping them occupied. As for the humans, an overlook that went a bit over the cliff face gave them a great view of the lake and all the Pokemon swimming in or flying over it.

    He felt someone stop next to him, and when he turned, N was there, with Mimikyu on the opposite shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± N asked without looking at him.

    Looking back out onto the lake, Ash agreed. ¡°Of course! Nature is amazing. That¡¯s part of why I love travelling so much! Everywhere I go, I get to see all sorts of awesome places, cool Pokemon, friendly people¡­¡±

    ¡°Kyu.¡±

    ¡°You have a point,¡± N agreed.

    Ash wasn¡¯t sure what Mimikyu had said, but it brought a smile to his face anyway. Moments like this were hard to come by, and he tried to enjoy them while he could.

    And as expected, it was short lived. The tell-tale sound of Pachirisu¡¯s Discharge drew his attention, and when he and the rest of the group turned to look at the Pokemon, they were in a standoff.

    He wished he could say he was surprised that Piplup was at the head of it, but Dawn really seemed to have a knack for picking up troublesome Pokemon¡­

    He took a step towards them, intent on breaking it up before things could get out of hand, but he was beaten to the punch. Alice had pulled out her leaf again, and started up a new song. Like before, it was a beautiful, if simple song¡­ but it felt different.

    It felt powerful.

    He could feel himself becoming calmer, unnaturally so, especially given the thoughts racing through his mind.

    He¡¯d felt a song like this in the past. Back on Shamouti, when he¡¯d had to deal with that stupid prophecy and those dumb, bickering Legends¡­

    A quick glance to Brock confirmed that he had realized the same thing. Alice was a nice woman, but they¡¯d have to stick around her longer than she had probably intended. She could very well be their ticket to solving the issue with their mystery Legend.

    As the tune of the leaf whistle came to a close, there was silence for a moment. No Kricketot chirping, no Combee buzzing, he couldn¡¯t even hear the waves lapping at the island or the wind rustling the leaves.

    ¡°What a beautiful song!¡± With Dawn¡¯s words, the silence broke, and the low hum of background noise returned.

    Dawn hadn¡¯t noticed it then. Not that he could blame her, he certainly hadn¡¯t noticed the power behind the last Song he had heard. Not the first time, at least.

    ¡°My grandmother taught it to me,¡± Alice replied with a smile.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Brock interjected, trying to fish for information. ¡°Did she tell you the song¡¯s-¡±

    Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a Pokemon arriving.The white legs and flared waist supporting a green top with a red spike through the center brought the Ralts line to mind, but that was a complete set, wasn¡¯t it? Unless maybe it was a branching evolution path¡­

    ¡°Gallade!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ash turned to N and saw a confused look on his face. A bit odd for him to be the confused one, given that he was the one with the best understanding of what Pokemon were saying. Though even odder was Mimikyu¡¯s reaction. It almost looked like the little ghost was trying to hide away from the Pokemon in N¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Is something wrong, Gallade?¡± Alice seemed concerned.

    ¡°Gal-gal-gallade!¡± The Pokemon frantically said, gesturing back the way it came from before darting off.

    N darted after Gallade, Mimikyu bouncing on his shoulder, and the rest of them followed behind, returning their Pokemon.

    When Gallade stopped, and they caught up to N, they found a very¡­ weird sight. One portion of the pond was bordered by a series of columns, but two of them were warped. The bases were twisted and mangled, stretched and deformed so much that the columns, made of solid stone, had wilted like dying flowers.

    Ash¡¯s mind went back to the disturbance in the balloon. This was definitely a step up from his fingers seeming a bit stretched, but maybe this is what happens if you were exposed to it for a long time? Or maybe it was a more direct exposure, like getting hit directly by an attack. Either way, they¡¯d need to be careful¡­

    ¡°This is terrible!¡± Alice exclaimed. ¡°Who could have done this?¡±

    ¡°It was Darkrai!¡± A deep, unfamiliar voice had Ash tensing in an instant and Pikachu¡¯s cheeks sparking dangerously.

    Walking out of the shrubs was a strangely dressed man. White pants and long, matching boots met a red shirt decorated in all sorts of yellow detailing that looked like it belonged in a royal court. Pink, finely cared for hair framed a very smug face. Ash was all for making friends with anyone he could, but this guy reeked of trouble.

    ¡°Alberto?¡± Alice called out.

    ¡°It appears there have been recent sightings in town¡­¡± the man, apparently Alberto, continued without acknowledging her.

    Though there were more important things to worry about than this guy¡¯s manners. There was a Legend out and about, and the way this guy was talking made it seem like he was in the know. ¡°Uh, excuse me?¡± Ash tried to be extra polite. Guys like this liked that sort of thing. ¡°Who¡¯s Darkrai?¡±

    ¡°Darkrai is the Pokemon who wrecked all this havoc, of course!¡± Alberta gestured grandly, placing one foot on a warped column like he was posing for a picture. ¡°It¡¯s a terrible Pokemon, one who goes around causing nightmares!¡±

    ¡°Nightmares?¡± That was a new one. He¡¯d heard of moves like Dream Eater before, but he was pretty sure having your dreams eaten meant you didn¡¯t get them at all, not that they¡¯d become nightmares.

    There was a rustling in the shrubs nearby, drawing all of their attention.

    ¡°Did you hear that? It must be that fiend, Darkrai!¡± Alberto posed dramatically again, drawing a Pokeball from his belt and releasing an unfamiliar Pokemon. Tall, fat, and pink, it looked like someone had mixed together a Snorlax and a Lickitung.

    ¡°Lickilicky, Hyper Beam!¡± Alberto ordered.

    Ash¡¯s eyes widened, and he jumped back. Was this guy insane?!

    Nobody could get a word out before Lickilicky opened its mouth, a blindingly bright ball of light forming. Ash desperately tried to cover his eyes in time, but was too slow, his vision going white as the heat seared his skin and a booming explosion rang out, deafening him for a bit. It hadn¡¯t been a direct hit, but even just being this close to the source was going to do a bit of damage from a move like Hyper Beam of all things!

    When his vision finally cleared and his ears stopped ringing, he saw N right up in the guy¡¯s face. ¡°What is wrong with you?! You don¡¯t know what was back there and you¡¯re just going to fire off a Hyper Beam?!¡± N¡¯s face was red with anger, and his hand was clenched so tightly around Alberto¡¯s collar that it was white knuckled.

    ¡°Kyu-kyu!¡± Mimikyu added on, though Ash wasn¡¯t sure which of the men the Pokemon was scolding.

    Alberto didn¡¯t look like he felt bad about it. Really, he looked like he was getting as angry as N. ¡°Get your hands off of me, you peasant! I am Alamosian royalty and I will not allow such disrespect! I haven¡¯t a clue why my future wife would associate with the likes of you, but I will not show you such kindness!¡±

    Future wife?

    ¡°We are not getting married, Alberto!¡± Alice shouted at the man.

    Ah. So it was like Brock¡¯s¡­ Brockness, but turned up even further. That probably wasn¡¯t good.

    ¡°You¡¯ll come to your senses in time!¡± Alberto assured, but Alice looked like she had sucked on a lemon.

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for that!¡± N shouted. ¡°How many Pokemon did you just injure?!¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine!¡± Yet another unknown voice called out. A man who looked about Alice¡¯s age walked out of the shrubs, his face as pale as his dress shirt. The white shirt was worn under a green sweater vest, and the brown dress pants and thick framed glasses gave him a bit of a nerdy look. It didn¡¯t help that he had a satchel hanging from his shoulder and a laptop in his hands. ¡°Y-you didn¡¯t hit anything besides some bushes, Baron Alberto! But, um, I¡¯m also not Darkrai!¡± The man slowly started to regain some color as he made his way towards them on shaky legs.

    ¡°Tonio! Are you okay?!¡± Alice ran towards him inspecting him for injuries.

    ¡°You make me sick.¡± N drew attention back to his confrontation as he pushed Alberto away from him, but the apparent Baron only scoffed and fixed his collar.

    N stormed off into the burnt, blackened, and smoking greenery, probably to double check that no Pokemon had been harmed, and everyone else turned their attention to this Tonio guy.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Alice asked once more when she finished checking him out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! It¡¯s just some mild sunburn, nothing to worry about! Baron Alberto didn¡¯t mean it! Besides, I don''t have time to worry about that, I¡¯m investigating a matter of utmost importance!¡±

    ¡°Tonio, was it?¡± Brock moved in. ¡°I can understand your investigation being important to you, but I think you almost taking a direct Hyper Beam sort of takes the cake when it comes to importance. I have medical experience, why don¡¯t you let me take a look at you, just to be safe?¡±

    ¡°We can do that later, look at this!¡± Tonio showed them the screen to his laptop.

    Ash had never been a technology guy. He knew how to use his Pokedex, he knew how to use his Pokeballs. That was enough for him. So when he looked at the screen and saw a bunch of numbers and a moving graph, he didn¡¯t have a clue what he was looking at.

    Tonio seemed to pick up on that. ¡°You see, I was investigating a Space-Time abnormality that I had detected! I traced the strongest point to this spot, and it looks like my equipment is working!¡± He quickly rushed past them, kneeling down next to the warped columns. Tapping away at his computer, feeling the bends and twists, he mumbling a bunch of science jargon that Ash couldn¡¯t follow if he tried.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m sure your little doodads and whatzits are doing all sorts of things,¡± Alberto mocked. ¡°We all know that Darkrai is responsible. If we can take care of Darkrai, the problem is solved!¡±

    That didn¡¯t make any sense, though. If Tonio was right about it being a Space-Time thing, and Alamos had the Space-Time Towers¡­ well, a Pokemon that was all about Nightmares didn¡¯t really fit in there, did it? Though he didn¡¯t quite get what outer space had to do with these columns warping like this¡­

    N came back out of the greenery at that point, still looking super mad, but not mad enough that Ash thought he¡¯d found an injured Pokemon. ¡°And what exactly do you mean by taking care of Darkrai?¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Alberto smugly answered. ¡°I mean we-¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Tonio suddenly shouted. ¡°Here comes another one!¡±

    Alberto frowned and looked ready to start something, but Ash felt Pikachu tense on his shoulders, and then it hit him again. A wall of Pressure slammed into him, and it felt like things had slowed down. Tonio¡¯s computer started going off like crazy, alerts ringing out constantly.

    But this one didn¡¯t end as quickly as the first. Ash turned, trying to search their surroundings for the source, and everything looked off. Lickilicky had turned, and now looked even wider than before. Tonio stood back up, and he had suddenly gained quite a bit of height, now being the tallest one in the group by a considerable, but not outlandish amount. N had turned his head, and it looked like he suddenly had a lot more hair hanging down his back.

    But Ash didn¡¯t get a chance to look for any other changes, because Gallade suddenly took up a combative stance.

    ¡°Gallade!¡±

    Following the Pokemon¡¯s line of sight, the group watched as a large pot was suddenly sheared in two uneven parts by a purplish glow, a grinding sound assaulting their ears as the top end fell to the ground.

    And then, the Pressure suddenly vanished.

    A quick glance showed that everyone present had gone back to normal, and he no longer felt like he was trying to move through water in heavy clothing.

    But they weren¡¯t alone, either.

    The sky darkened unnaturally, and a completely different feeling crawled over his skin. It wasn¡¯t anywhere near as oppressive as what he¡¯d come to associate with Pressure, but there was still some uncertain power behind it. He felt drowsy, but he could also feel his nerves turned up to eleven. Like he was about to fall asleep at any moment, but that he was being watched in the shadows. Like something was waiting for him to lower his guard.

    This level of intensity¡­ it was familiar. It was a different¡­ flavor than he had experienced in the past, but something he was comfortable enough with that he could think rationally.

    Enough that he could notice the strange shadows swirling around on the ground.

    ¡°Something¡¯s there!¡± He tried to warn the others, stepping forward with Pikachu ready to fight at his side.

    The shadows stopped swirling, coalescing into a pool of darkness that got denser and darker until at the very center, the blackness became a white hood cast in shadow. The hood rose and rose, revealing itself to have a smokey appearance, donned over a face of pure black, pierced only by bright blue eyes that shone as brightly as the full moon. As the figure rose out of the shadow, a red ring that might be a scarf or a necklace encased its neck, and after that was nothing but the deepest, purest black that Ash had ever seen. No light reflected off of it. So deep was the darkness that its body looked flat, as if drawn on a sheet of paper rather than something physical, tangible, with depth. He had thought that Mimikyu¡¯s shadowy arms were dark, but they practically shone with light when compared to what was before him. Wispy shoulder pads held arms that were not too dissimilar from his ghostly friend¡¯s to the Pokemon¡¯s body. A broad chest slimmed down to a thin waist, and then widened again before cutting off abruptly. There were no legs, or at least none that he could see, and the frayed edges of what might be a dress of some sort floated off the ground. As the last of its form materialized from the inky shadows, a pulse of darkness flowed out, as if its body was the epicenter of a Dark Pulse that washed away the unnatural darkness in its wake. Though even as the normal daytime lighting returned, shining through the gaps in the trees and bushes, Darkrai¡¯s form got no lighter, keeping its disorientingly dark form.

    ¡°Do not come here.¡± A deep voice called out to them. It didn¡¯t come from Darkrai though. It was as if the voice was coming from every dark spot around them at once, the Pokemon¡¯s thoughts made manifest on the world in a way they could understand.

    ¡°Kyu-Mimikyu!¡± Mimikyu broke the spell that left them entranced. N looked confused by whatever his partner had said, but Alberto quickly butt in to gloat.

    ¡°It seems I was right after all! Lickilicky, Hyper Beam!¡±

    The light of the Hyper Beam washed away the darkness of the shadows around Darkrai and blinded them for a moment, but there was no cry of pain and the explosion of contact was too far away for it to have been a hit. When Ash¡¯s vision cleared, Darkrai was gone and the swirling shadows were back, darting towards them. It almost looked a bit like Mimikyu¡¯s Shadow Sneak¡­

    This was no time to get caught up in analyzing its moves though. The shadows passed right under their feet, the drowsy feeling growing stronger as it touched him, and then Darkrai was behind them. Materializing out of the shadows once more, Darkrai showed off amazing speed, launching an orb as black as its body at them as soon as its form was whole.

    It looked like it was coming straight for Lickilicky, probably in retaliation for the Hyper Beam, but the Pokemon was surprisingly nimble for its size, dodging out of the way and leaving the orb on a crash course¡­

    ¡­straight for him.

    Well, that wasn¡¯t good.

    <hr>

    N watched as the attack collided head on with Ash, expanding rapidly to encase his entire body before just as suddenly collapsing into nothingness, and the boy instantly fell to the ground, limp.

    His heart leapt into his throat, fearing the worst.

    ¡°Ash?!¡± Pikachu cried out, more worried than he had ever heard the Electric type before.

    ¡°The Moonless Night has afflicted this human, we must get him to safety immediately!¡± The Gallade called out, kneeling down to pick up Ash¡¯s limp form.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, he¡¯s jus¡¯ asleep!¡± Mimikyu hurriedly assured his lookalike.

    Not understanding a word of what the three Pokemon said, the humans quickly gathered around Ash in a panic. Even despite Mimikyu¡¯s words, N felt the need to join them, taking a step towards Ash¡¯s supposedly sleeping form.

    ¡°No ya don¡¯! Get back ¡®ere ¡®n¡¯ talk ta me!¡± N¡¯s shoulder suddenly felt lighter as Mimikyu jumped off towards Darkrai.

    The pitch-black Pokemon had already sunk halfway back into the shadows, but Mimikyu was determined to chase after it for whatever reason. Both sank into the darkness, but there was a marked difference in their capabilities. Darkrai, or the swirling mass that represented him at the moment, smoothly moved away, slinking off towards the center of the island at a speed N¡¯s eyes struggled to keep up with. Mimikyu, on the other hand, managed to move himself to where Darkrai had been just a moment ago before materializing once more, forced into the light.

    ¡°You moron!¡± The little ghost shouted. ¡°How am I s¡¯posed ta ¡®elp ya if ya run away?!¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu! What are you-¡± But before N could question what his friend was doing, he had disappeared once more, popping out of the shadows even further away.

    N was torn. On the one hand, one of the few humans he got along with and held some amount of respect for had just been put to sleep by an unknown attack. On the other hand, his¡­ well¡­ his closest friend had just run off in pursuit of some extremely powerful Pokemon he knew nothing about.

    But each moment he hesitated gave Mimikyu more time to create distance between them, and Ash had other people looking after him.

    ¡°I have to chase after Mimikyu!¡± N shouted as he bolted off towards the last spot he¡¯d seen Mimikyu in, hoping he wasn¡¯t too late. ¡°I¡¯ll find you all at the Pokemon Center after!¡±

    Several of them shouted something back, but he couldn¡¯t hear them over his pounding heart and attempts to keep his breathing even.

    He¡¯d thought that chasing after Mimikyu and the horde of children back in Jubilife had been difficult, but this was on a whole other level. With how far apart they were, it was impossible for his eyes to track the shadows themselves, so his only indication of where his friend had gone was the short spans of time where he was ejected back into three dimensions. He rushed through the garden, along the outside of the Space-Time Towers, and into the bustling streets. People and Pokemon alike jumped back in surprise every time Mimikyu popped into existence, already on edge from the effects of Darkrai¡¯s proximity. Those that managed to escape the shock of his friend¡¯s sudden appearances were forced out of the way as N tried to shove his way through, shouting apologies but not able to slow down and be sincere about it if he wanted to keep track of the chase.

    His worry for his friend started to morph into shock as he realized how many consecutive Shadow Sneaks Mimikyu was pulling off. They¡¯d never really pushed his friend to his true limits, but even in this relatively short chase the Fairy type had already surpassed his record.

    But then, through his gasps for oxygen as he desperately tried to keep up, he realized that he was catching up. Not because Darkrai had stopped and Mimikyu had finally confronted him, but because the distances Mimikyu¡¯s Shadow Sneak were crossing were shrinking. Mimikyu was shrinking. Normally he could pass for a Pikachu at this distance, but he¡¯d gotten to a point where the head of his disguise was barely off the ground, and the wooden tail was dragging limply behind.

    Mimikyu¡¯s disguise appeared out of the shadows one last time before it collapsed into a pile.

    ¡°Mimikyu!¡± N shouted out in worry, falling to his knees next to what to any passerby would look like a damaged, though still cute, children¡¯s toy..

    He didn¡¯t know what to do. They¡¯d noticed the shrinking before, but they¡¯d never let it progress this far before. He¡¯d always rebounded with time and rest, but this¡­

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Mimikyu, are you okay?!¡± He hesitantly patted the bottom part of the disguise, hoping to feel something solid beneath it, to get some reassurance that there was anything left of his friend at all.

    ¡°Ughh¡­¡± He heard a delightful low groan from beneath the cloth. ¡°That sucked¡­¡±

    N could only sigh in relief as his hand found something. Far too small to be considered normal, or even safe, but Mimikyu was still there.

    ¡°You¡­ what was that? Why did you run off?¡±

    There was a pause for a moment, and it was only then that N noticed all the people and Pokemon staring at him. Not that he could blame them, he had just run down the street like a maniac, and with Darkrai and Mimikyu as well¡­

    ¡°I thought¡­¡± Mimikyu sighed. ¡°Don¡¯ worry ¡®bout it. Let¡¯s jus¡¯ get to the Pokemon Center.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it?¡± N repeatedly numbly. ¡°How can I possibly not worry about it?¡± The thought crossed his mind that he shouldn¡¯t be talking to Mimikyu so brazenly in front of all these eyes, but he didn¡¯t care at the moment.

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t answer though.

    With nothing left to do and worry eating away at him, he gently scooped up Mimikyu''s endearingly deflated form in his arms, and started looking for the familiar orange roof. He thought he¡¯d seen one on the way here¡­

    <hr>

    Ash woke up with a start, swallowing a scream and drenched in sweat.

    The world had ended.

    First he¡¯d failed to rouse Lugia in Shamouti. The troublesome trio of Legends had caused a storm so strong that all had been destroyed, swept away by the heavy rains or turned to ash.

    The world had been destroyed.

    Before he could come to terms with his failure, it had all been reset, and he¡¯d been in Greenfield once more, the Hale mansion covered in crystal that constantly grew. He failed to make Molly see reason, and the Unknown used their power to turn everything into her fantasy, wiping away reality as he became little more than a doll, forced to play to her childish whims for eternity.

    All of his efforts had been in vain.

    Over and over and over again, he let everyone down, failed to live up to expectations and watched as it all crumbled.

    As his friends died.

    This was nothing new, of course. He¡¯d had all of those nightmares before, especially for the weeks directly after the events they sprang from. Though he¡¯d never had them all back to back before. And that last one¡­

    The last one had been new. A nightmare of events that were entirely unfamiliar.

    It was just him and Darkrai, no people or Pokemon around them. He¡¯d been engulfed by darkness, but the drowsiness and unnatural adrenaline were nowhere to be found. He¡¯d still been afraid, sure, but no more than any normal nightmare. The darkness had given way to a vague purple glow, and there was a powerful cry that he had never heard before¡­

    And then he had woken up.

    Catching his breath, he tried to gain his bearings. He was¡­ in a bed?

    ¡°Pika!¡±

    Pikachu pounced on his face, shocking him a bit when his best friend¡¯s cheek pouches met his skin. He felt his eyes tear up, but he didn¡¯t cry.

    ¡°He¡¯s waking up!¡± A voice that might have been Dawn¡¯s called out, but he ignored it.

    ¡°Pikachu, you¡¯re okay!¡± It was reassuring to see his partner in one piece after all those nightmares.

    ¡°Pikachu¡¯s okay? You¡¯re the one we¡¯re worried about, Ash.¡± He turned to see Brock sitting at his bedside. They weren¡¯t alone, though. It looked like everyone who had been present for Darkrai¡¯s attack was here¡­ although Alberto and his Lickilicky had been replaced by a Nurse Joy and her Chansey. And¡­ was N holding a Pokeball instead of Mimikyu?

    His green haired friend was staring intently at the ball, as if it would give him answers if he thought hard enough.

    What had happened while he was out?

    When he voiced his question, the local Nurse Joy was the one to answer him, worry on her face. ¡°It would seem you had a nasty run in with Darkrai. You¡¯ve been hit by a Dark Void, and have been suffering from nightmares for hours. You''re in the Alamos Pokemon Center right now. Are you feeling alright? Are there any strange sensations, any confusion?¡±

    He definitely wasn¡¯t alright, but given the circumstances he was doing pretty well, in his opinion. ¡°I¡¯m feeling fine, thanks, but¡­ Dark Void? What happened to Darkrai and Mimikyu?¡±

    Tonio spoke up from next to a concerned Alice. ¡°Well, Dark Void is what we¡¯ve taken to calling the move Darkrai used on you. Functionally, it seems to be a much more potent version of Hypnosis, but mechanically I¡¯m still going through various-¡± He grunted as Alice elbowed him. ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s not the time for that¡­¡±

    N took over from there, not looking up from the Pokeball in his hands. ¡°Darkrai ran off, and Mimikyu chased after it. He used Shadow Sneak a few too many times¡­¡±

    It took Ash a moment, but eventually he remembered what that meant for the Fairy type.

    But before any more questions could be answered, a frantic pounding on the door drew their attention.

    Alice stepped over to open it up. ¡°A Chansey?¡±

    ¡°Chansey! Chansey! Chansey!¡± The Normal type exclaimed as it squeezed its way past her.

    ¡°Oh dear, is something wrong?¡± Nurse Joy asked as she turned to the second Chansey in the room.

    ¡°Something is very wrong, and we¡¯re conducting an investigation to get to the bottom of it. We need to talk, Nurse Joy.¡± A familiar voice called out from the hall.

    Alice stepped out of the way, her mouth agape as the newcomer walked inside. Long blonde hair covered one eye, and a sleek black outfit completed with an overcoat made her instantly recognizable.

    It seemed she was expecting them as much as they were expecting her, because she paused before eventually turning to N.

    ¡°Why do you always seem to be involved in my problems?¡±

    <hr>

    Maybe this Legendary Pokemon stuff wasn¡¯t all that he had cracked it up to be.

    Well, Darkrai being a Legend was really just an assumption on his part, but with the way that bastard Alberto and the others had talked about it, the term seemed to fit. Just that short encounter with Darkrai had left Ash in a Pokemon induced nightmare that lasted hours, had left Mimikyu so exhausted that even after two Soft-Boileds from Nurse Joy¡¯s Chansey he still asked to rest in his Pokeball, and now Cynthia had shown up.

    And she wasn¡¯t alone.

    That smug prick Lucian had slunk into the room behind her, smirking at him as if to say ¡°I told you so¡± while not saying anything he could actually be called out on.

    N didn¡¯t feel safe with them around, especially knowing that Lucian was a Psychic specialist. Were all of his secrets already being pried out of his mind?

    It felt mean to do, but N released Mimikyu much earlier than planned, hoping that the few hours of rest would be enough for now. The interference from his friend against Psychic abilities might be his only defense.

    Mimikyu groaned in the cutest way when he materialized on the ground in a flash of red light, still looking a fair bit smaller than usual, but definitely a huge improvement from where he had been after the chase.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s been¡­ oh.¡± Mimikyu paused as his false head tilted back, giving him a view of the newcomers. ¡°What are they doin¡¯ ¡®ere?¡±

    Cynthia¡¯s eyes went glassy before suddenly clearing up and narrowing. Lucian simply smiled upon Mimikyu¡¯s release

    ¡°Ch-ch-champion Cynthia!¡± Tonio stuttered. ¡°And Elite Four Lucian, of course,¡± he quickly added on, widening the purple haired bastard¡¯s creepy smile, ¡°I-it¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is ours.¡± Lucian replied smoothly.

    Nurse Joy was having none of it though. ¡°I am trying to see to my patients at the moment, Champion Cynthia. What exactly is so urgent that you thought it was necessary to barge in here?¡±

    The two Chansey took a defensive position between the two women, clearly intent on backing up their boss.

    Cynthia still hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off of him though. ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know the reason. I¡¯m trying to be proactive before things get out of hand.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Dawn smiled. ¡°You must be here to stop Darkrai!¡±

    Alice frowned. ¡°Darkrai didn¡¯t do anything wrong! It only defended itself after Alberto attacked it!¡±

    Tonio nodded. ¡°Alice is right, Champion Cynthia is clearly here to investigate the Space-Time anomalies!¡±

    Cynthia held up a hand. ¡°Hold on for a moment. What¡¯s this about Darkrai being attacked?¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°And did you say Alberto? As in Baron Alberto?¡±

    Brock spoke up hesitantly. ¡°He did call himself that¡­ and he seemed certain that Darkrai was behind the anomalies, so he ordered his Lickilicky to use Hyper Beam on it. The attacks didn¡¯t land, but I could see why it might upset Darkrai¡­¡±

    Cynthia sighed, palming her face. ¡°Lucian.¡±

    The Elite Four member¡¯s smile turned brittle. ¡°Yes, Champion Cynthia?¡±

    ¡°You get to deal with the idiot this time.¡±

    The man¡¯s expression became plastic, as if he was very much not okay with that decision, but knew there was nothing he could do about it. Cynthia was one of the handful of people he couldn¡¯t refuse after all. ¡°I shall see it done.¡± With stiff steps, he made his way out of the room.

    N couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. Those smug bastards were perfect for each other. Hopefully they¡¯d keep each other occupied until this whole debacle was over.

    Cynthia composed herself. ¡°Now, seeing as I¡¯ve apparently stumbled into the room of experts on recent happenings, why don¡¯t you get me up to date on what you¡¯ve discovered so far? Both in regards to Darkrai and these¡­ anomalies you¡¯ve discovered.¡±

    <hr>

    It took a while. Nurse Joy and the Chanseys had left the room early on, excusing themselves with the fact that they still had a Pokemon Center to run. N wished he could go with her, but while N didn¡¯t exactly like involving the League like this, it would probably be considered strange to voice those objections, and the others were all too happy to divulge all the information they could.

    By the time the explanation was finished, Cynthia had taken a seat, idly palming her Pokeballs with one hand and resting her chin on the other. ¡°I see¡­¡± He tracked her eyes slowly making their way to Mimikyu, who had taken up residence on his lap. ¡°And what are your thoughts on this? You proved to be rather¡­ insightful at our first meeting.¡±

    Mimikyu grumbled something about the Champion ¡°makin¡¯ me figure out everythin¡¯¡±, but held out an adorable shadowy hand, waiting for N to hand over the notepad and pen.

    Alice looked very confused by this turn of events. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re asking Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Cynthia replied tersely.

    When Mimikyu finished scribbling, he flipped the notebook around for her to see while charmingly asserting ¡°If ya wanna make me do this then yer gonna be the one doin¡¯ translations.¡±

    A glance over the top of the notebook revealed that he had written in Unovan. ¡°Darkrai is innocent, Palkia and Dialga are at fault.¡±

    ¡°Wait, is that Galarian?!¡± Tonia abruptly stood up in shock. ¡°This is amazing! I¡¯ve never even heard of Pokemon that can write before! I need to study this!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll thank you to study this once the matter of the anomalies is settled and I can return to my other duties,¡± Cynthia side eyed the man.

    ¡°Ah, u-um, right!¡± Tonio promptly sat back down, his face red in embarrassment. Probably to console him, Alice started whispering to him, careful to keep it at a level that wouldn¡¯t distract the rest of them.

    He could see Ash trying to sound out the words and read the note on his own, but it was slow going. Their language exchange had always been rather one sided, so Ash hadn¡¯t gotten much practice in Unovan.

    Dawn, on the other hand, took one look at it and gave up. ¡°Um, what does it say?¡±

    Cynthia rolled her eyes, but accepted this arrangement, translating it for the blue haired girl before she continued her questioning. ¡°What¡¯s your reasoning for this assessment?¡±

    His loveable friend Mimikyu flipped to the next page before answering. ¡°Darkrai¡¯s only actions have been a warning, even if it was vague, and retaliation to an unprompted attack. Meanwhile the anomalies are in Space-Time, we¡¯re a stone¡¯s throw away from the Space-Time Towers, and two of Sinnoh¡¯s major Legends just so happen to revolve around Space and Time.¡±

    Cynthia translated for the group once more, before Brock chimed in. ¡°I suppose that does make sense. I don¡¯t know a lot about Sinnoh Legends, but the anomalies don¡¯t really fit into what we¡¯ve seen of Darkrai so far¡­¡±

    The Champion¡¯s eyes were boring into Mimikyu¡¯s disguise though, searching for something, although he had no idea what it could be. ¡°And how do you think we should go about stopping it?¡±

    N suppressed a shudder as he felt a sliver of fear leak out. Did Mimikyu look less cute now?

    ¡°What makes you think I know that?¡± Mimikyu wrote.

    Cynthia paused for a moment, not bothering to translate this time as she switched to an accented Unovan, leaving most of the room in the dark about their conversation. ¡°When we first met, you mentioned joint research into Spear Pillar. Was it wrong for me to assume that you have some knowledge of our Legends?¡±

    N felt like there was some sort of subtext to this conversation that he was missing, especially with how tense Mimikyu was getting. It felt like the rest of the room had fallen away to these two, and they were wholly focused on each other.

    ¡°I think¡­¡± N watched Mimikyu hesitate to continue the sentence. ¡°It would be wise to investigate the towers tomorrow.¡±

    Cynthia blinked. ¡°Tomorrow? But it¡¯s only¡­¡± When she looked to the window, she realized that daylight was fading, the sun setting behind the nearby buildings. ¡°Ah. It seems I¡¯ve lost track of time.¡± She paused for a moment, a contemplative look on her face. ¡°Fair enough, then. We shall investigate the Space-Time Towers tomorrow for answers. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± she stood up, ¡°I need to go make sure Lucian and the baron,¡± she mocked,¡± haven¡¯t killed each other.¡±

    They watched her go as she left the room.

    ¡°Wow¡­ so that was the Champion¡­¡± Alice seemed in disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ and she wants to visit the towers¡­¡± Tonio continued, before suddenly tensing up. ¡°Wait, she wants to visit the towers?! I need to clean up! It¡¯s not nearly in a state good enough to present to the Champion!¡± The excitable man ran out of the room, leaving the rest of them to look to Alice for answers.

    She sighed. ¡°Godey, the architect of the towers, was Tonio¡¯s great grandfather. His lab is in the basement, and he practically lives there. I should probably make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything crazy¡­ I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°You people have no authority here!¡± Alberto asserted. ¡°Alamos is its own, sovereign city-state, and as Baron Alberto, it is I who has authority over you!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Quite.¡± Lucian answered, his face buried in the book he carried around. ¡°If I may, I¡¯ve noticed several flaws in your logic. Firstly, The League recognizes no such city-state, nor any related claim of sovereignty. Alamos is simply a city in the Sinnoh region, and that is unlikely to change any time soon. In fact, your little tantrums on the matter are becoming quite vexing. Would you be willing to share what exorbitant amount you bribed the Sinnoh Map Company with?¡±

    Alberto looked aghast. ¡°Bribery?! You dare accuse me of such things? And without any proof!¡±

    Lucian didn¡¯t even bother to roll his eyes. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure that they just so happened to exclude you from their official map of the Sinnoh region for no reason whatsoever, despite the fact that it¡¯s going to cost them their contract with the League.¡±

    ¡°That is proof of nothing!¡±

    ¡°Quite. Now, the second matter I wished to bring forth was your supposed title of baron.¡±

    ¡°There is nothing supposed about it!¡± Alberto indignantly stomped his foot. ¡°I am Baron Alberto of Alamos! That is my official position!¡±

    ¡°Of course. Any why, pray tell, is it that a baron of all things is the one causing such a fuss about the issue? My knowledge of such political systems may be a bit rusty, but if I recall correctly, it would make you a low ranking member of nobility. I could understand a king or even a prince trying to start something, but a baron?¡±

    Jessie, James, and Meowth slowly backed away from the door they¡¯d been listening in from.

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about this plan anymore,¡± James whispered. ¡°Tricking Alberto was one thing, but now the Elite Four is involved?¡±

    ¡°These costumes weren¡¯t that good anyway, let¡¯s scram!¡± Meowth hissed, readying to remove his part of their ¡°TV crew¡± disguise.

    ¡°No way!¡± Jessie quietly argued. ¡°I look great in this outfit, and we¡¯re already here! We can trick some stupid Elite Four member!¡±

    ¡°WAHHHHBAH!¡± Wobbuffet released himself with a shout.

    ¡°Eavesdropping is considered rude, you know.¡±

    The Rockets whipped around, finding themselves face to face with the Champion of Sinnoh.

    ¡°So what are you all doing here?¡± Cynthia asked.

    ¡°W-w-we¡¯re here to get the big scoop!¡± James hurriedly answered. ¡°The people of Sinnoh want to know about what went down with Baron Alberto and Darkrai!¡±

    Jessie and Meowth nodded along, with Wobbuffet just sitting there in a salute.

    ¡°The media? Interesting¡­¡±

    The Rockets swallowed nervously, hoping that somehow the Champion would fall for it.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come inside then? You can hardly get the information you want without a proper interview.¡± Walking past them, she opened the door all the way, interrupting the meeting between Lucian and Alberto.

    The Rockets looked at each other, sweat dripping down their backs.

    Hopefully all the time they¡¯d spent in disguise over the years would be enough to pull this off.

    <hr>

    Bright and early the next morning, N found himself approaching the Space-Time Towers, taking in how truly massive they are for the first time. Normally he¡¯d be idly chatting with his darling friend Mimikyu, but the presence of Cynthia and Lucian had him more quiet than usual.

    Alice and Tonio waved them down from the entrance. ¡°Come on in, everyone!¡± Alice called out. ¡°We¡¯ll give you the grand tour!¡±

    Walking up the front steps and into the first room only worked to reinforce just how small he felt in comparison to the building. The doorways were so large that small panels had been cut out of the bottom of them, going no more than a fifth of the way up, and those cutouts were easily three times his own height. Intricate tiling left the reflective floor a myriad of colors, the walls were covered in carved murals of Pokemon gathered around human musicians peacefully, and in the center of the giant room was a spire that shot straight through the roof. Each and every detail looked like it was painstakingly crafted by a master artisan, and he couldn¡¯t imagine how much time and effort went into making it.

    So lost in the beauty of it, he almost managed to forget who was accompanying him. At least until she spoke.

    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Cynthia commented as she did a slow spin, taking in every detail she could. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve never made the time to visit before¡­¡±

    Lucian stayed silent, but his eyes brimmed with curiosity behind his stupid tinted glasses.

    ¡°I can hardly believe it myself, and I practically live here!¡± Tonio agreed. ¡°Over here is the Space Tower,¡± he pointed through an archway towards the inside of the tower, which housed a large contraption he wasn¡¯t quite sure of the purpose of. Large pink orbs were moving around in orbits, but he couldn¡¯t glean any information from it. ¡°And over here is the Time Tower,¡± Tonio continued, pointing in the opposite direction. The set up seemed the same, but the orbital contraption was replaced by a few giant pendulums capped off with blue metal.

    ¡°And in the center here¡­¡± Dawn started, ¡°Is this a staircase?¡±

    N hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but the central spire did indeed appear to be a staircase with a patterned wall encasing it.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Tonio agreed. ¡°There has to be a way to the control station after all!¡±

    ¡°Control station?¡± Ash prompted.

    ¡°Well, the Space-Time Towers are actually the world¡¯s largest instrument! The staircase leads to the machinery that makes it all work, and it¡¯s where you insert the music disks!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Cynthia hummed. ¡°This is very interesting, but¡­¡± She turned her gaze to Mimikyu. ¡°Nothing is jumping out to me as the solution to our problem.¡±

    N handed Mimikyu his notepad and pen, and the Fairy type enchantingly scribbled out some League language before showing it to... Alice? ¡±¤¢¤Ê¤¿¤ÎÇú¤òŽ¤¯¤Æ¤¯¤À¤µ¤¤¡£¡±

    ¡°Play my song?¡±

    A quick glance around the group showed that most of them looked just as confused by that sudden suggestion as he did. Everyone except Brock, Ash, and Pikachu, that was¡­

    After a cute nod from Mimikyu, Alice could only shrug and pull out her leaf, moving it to her lips.

    N felt his anxiety and frustration fade away as the beautiful notes echoed in the large chamber. For just a few moments, as the song reached deep inside of him, he felt¡­ at peace.

    As the song ended, Cynthia and Lucian shared a look with each other, before Cynthia spoke up. ¡°Tonio, do you happen to have a music disk with that Song on it?¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Tonio hedged. ¡°I¡¯ve never played a disk with that song, but I also haven¡¯t played every disk we have! Lots of them are parts of the main mural, so I¡¯ve never touched them¡­¡± He gestured to a carving of a girl in a tree, surrounded by Pokemon focused on her as she played a leaf whistle. Beneath the mural was a series of multicolored disks, inlaid with even smaller disks that must be the music disks he had spoken of. There must have been close to a hundred music disks in total.

    Cynthia sighed before pulling out a Pokeball, and in a flash of red light, her Lucario appeared. Taking a knee before her, Lucario said ¡°Lady Cynthia, how may I be of service?¡±

    ¡°Start collecting these music disks. One of them is of the utmost importance, and we don¡¯t know which.¡±

    Lucario looked to the mural, and upon seeing the huge number of them, simply nodded. ¡°I shall see it done at once.¡±

    ¡°Wait, are you serious?¡± Alice looked at the Champion in shock. ¡°I don¡¯t really get why you want to play Oraci¨®n on the towers, but surely there¡¯s a better way to go about it than just trying every disk available!¡±

    ¡°You know the name of the Song? Good. Maybe one of these disks is labeled, that would certainly make things easier. Would you mind helping me search? I¡¯ll need you to show me how to work the machine, as well.¡±

    Confused, but not willing to deny a request from their region¡¯s Champion, Tonio and Alice joined Cynthia and her Pokemon, removing the disks from the mural one by one.

    But when N and his companions made to join them, Lucian stepped in front of them, blocking the path. ¡°I think they can handle it between the three of them. Why don¡¯t the rest of us step outside? Enjoy some of this beautiful weather?¡±

    Dawn frowned. ¡°Aw, but I wanted to see the music machine too!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that can be arranged later, but there¡¯s something I wanted to discuss with you all.¡± He walked directly through their group, forcing them to move out of the way with a smug smile on his face all the while. N exchanged a nervous look with his friends before they followed after.

    If Lucian was making a big deal out of it, it was probably important. Or maybe he was just being a prick. N wouldn¡¯t really be surprised if it was the latter.

    And so they stepped back outside, their tour cut short. The people and Pokemon of Alamos bustled around them, probably used to tourists, especially with the contest coming up.

    Now that he thought about it, Dawn¡¯s contest had really fallen to the wayside with all of this going on, hadn¡¯t it?

    ¡°I have it on good authority that you all are familiar with Team Rocket,¡± Lucian began. ¡°Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Team Rocket?¡± Dawn repeated. ¡°Well, yeah, we know them! They¡¯re a bunch of no good Pokemon thieves!¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Lucian adjusted his glasses. ¡°Team Rocket is not known to operate in Sinnoh. Up until recently, they operated exclusively in Lance¡¯s territory. Do you have any guesses as to why they¡¯ve suddenly taken an interest in Sinnoh?¡±

    N shared a look with Mimikyu. This was odd.

    Why now of all times to bring up Team Rocket? Cynthia had been aware of their movements in Sinnoh since at least the Hunter J incident. They¡¯d been brought up in the reports made to her. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the League was aware of their presence before that point as well, but that was just speculation.

    For Lucian to pull them aside for this when they were trying to figure out the problem with the Space-Time anomalies¡­

    Had he run into them in Alamos?

    It was the only thing he could think of, unless this was all just a distraction to pull their attention away from his real goals.

    But what could they do besides talk? Ash did the heavy lifting in the conversation anyway, freely giving up lots of information about them that ranged from what he thought their current Pokemon teams consisted of, to their strange obsession with his Pikachu.

    N didn¡¯t care all that much. Even if their interaction on Hunter J¡¯s ship had given him¡­ mixed feelings, they were Rockets at the end of the day, so if two of the groups he hated the most wanted to throw themselves at each other, all the better. Instead, he tuned most of the conversation out, listening to the start of song after song playing from the Space-Time Towers. The people of Alamos around them looked quite confused by the constant starts and stops, but ultimately just went about their day.

    Eventually though, Cynthia came out of the building alone, an annoyed look on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve left Lucario at the top of the tower with Tonio and Alice. Hopefully they can find the correct disk, but we should discuss other strategies as well.¡±

    As if to mock her, it was as soon as she finished her thought that the Space-Time anomaly made its third appearance.

    <hr>

    Could it really be as easy as having someone else play a Song?

    Part of Ash felt immensely relieved by the Champion¡¯s presence. So many times now, all of the responsibility had been placed on his shoulders to save everyone, but now¡­ she was here and she had a plan and she wanted to come up with backups and¡­

    ¡­and he couldn¡¯t help the sinking feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    The way that the sky erupted with purple light only made his stomach do another flip. The wall of Pressure slammed into him harder than it had before, its presence stronger in one sense but also slightly different from before. He watched the people and Pokemon around him warp and stretch every time they moved, but there was no slowness, no feeling of trying to move through jelly.

    It took only a moment for the purple light to fade away, though the bright blue sky from only a moment ago did not return. Instead it had been replaced by roiling storm clouds, constantly churning, just as affected by the Pressure as they were.

    The songs of the towers had stopped.

    ¡°Go away.¡±

    Though the voice had no singular source, emanating from the dark corners all around them, Ash turned around, feeling his body stretch in unnatural ways as he did. The brick roads looked normal except in one spot, where the shadows were abnormally dark. They swirled and coalesced, just as they had yesterday, and Darkrai¡¯s pitch-black form rose out of them. It was only then that he felt the drowsiness and anxiety associated with the Pokemon¡¯s presence, but this time it was muted, held back by the overwhelming Pressure pushing down on them all.

    In an instant, Cynthia released a Roserade, Milotic, and a Pokemon that had all the markings of a Dragon. Sharp claws, a sleek, but muscular body covered in blue scales, and a jaw that looked like it could snap a Beldum in half drew his attention.

    Not to be outdone, Lucian had also released some of his team. A Gallade took the lead, with an Alakazam right beside it, which was followed by another Pokemon he hadn¡¯t seen before. Shaped like a giant bell, its metallic blue body seemed pretty rigid, with not even the pupils of its red eyes moving.

    But the split second it took for the strongest trainers in the region to release their Pokemon gave someone else enough time to get the initiative.

    <hr>

    ¡°Darkrai, wait up! We can ¡®elp ya!¡± N watched Mimikyu jump off of his shoulder and run towards the intimidating Pokemon, his disguise warping and stretching behind him as he went.

    Darkrai paused, its glowing blue eyes falling upon the little doll in front of him. ¡°Your charms will not affect me, little Duality.¡±

    N had no clue what that was supposed to mean, but he was fairly certain that a Pokemon like Darkrai having a nickname for Mimikyu was a bad thing.

    ¡°I¡¯m not tryna-¡± Mimikyu shook his false head, ¡°-look, yer tryna stop Palkia, righ¡¯? An¡¯ I¡¯m tryna ¡®ave a word with ¡®em, so why don¡¯ we work together?¡±

    ¡­Mimikyu was trying to have a word with Palkia? N tucked that tidbit of information away for later as Darkrai shook his head in denial.

    ¡°This battle is beyond you. Even with my capabilities....¡± the pitch-black Pokemon shook its head. ¡°I will do what I can.¡±

    ¡°No ya stupid-¡± Mimikyu¡¯s protests were cut short as Darkrai took off at speed, and if not for the bright red cowl around its neck and the white hood on its head, it would have been impossible to track its form against the dark sky. Up and up it went, soaring up to the point between the peaks of the Space-Time Towers.

    And then it bounced off of nothing, launched back to the ground at an even greater speed, the bricks around its impact erupting in a plume of dust and debris, small bits of broken up stone flying everywhere and shattering a few shop windows. The people of Alamos who were still in the square panicked at that point, running off towards the bridge. He watched Darkrai pull itself out of the small crater it had dug, flying up again with fury in those glowing eyes.

    ¡°Leave this place!¡± The darkness shouted in Darkrai¡¯s facsimile of a voice as the Pokemon launched a Dark Pulse at its target, the inky blackness of the attack flying through the air until it collided with the same empty spot that Darkrai had hit before.

    But it made no sense for nothing to be there. It must have been an illusion of some kind, one that broke when the Dark type energy disturbed it. From the empty sky spawned a being that sent a shiver down his spine at just the sight of it, beyond the effects of the Pressure weighing down on him, for he knew with just a glance that this was what the word ¡°awesome¡± was originally intended to describe.

    Lustrous, light pink skin was stretched over corded muscle. What little light was reaching it through the cloud cover made it shine with iridescence, sparkling with every subtle movement. Its form was almost serpentine in nature, with a thick, rounded form flowing from tail tip to its face. But its curved body was separated roughly into thirds, with joints merged into the intersections that attached bulky limbs. Thick, powerful thighs were supported by monstrously large feet that ended in angular claws. Circular shoulder pads housed the most radiant pearls he had ever seen, and from them hung its gauntlet covered arms. Upon its face was a mask of shining metal, two short tusks jutting out from it and a protrusion running from its forehead down its spine to the shoulders before it split off into two segmented wings. Glowing purple accents were spread across its body, pulsing and swirling as if the cosmos were trapped in its veins.

    With its presence revealed, what could only be Palkia let out a cry from the heavens that grated on his ears. The cloud cover over the city dispersed at its roar, revealing not a blue sky, but a swirling mass of the cosmos. There was no sun shining down on them, but instead what looked to be thousands of stars like one might experience on a cloudless night.

    But he didn¡¯t recognize a single star in this sky.

    ¡°Shit,¡± the Champion cursed. ¡°We need to get everyone out of here, the city won''t be able to hold up if they¡¯re about to battle! Lucian, start setting up mass teleportations and-¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he interrupted morosely.

    That made Cynthia pause. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t? There are thousands of people in the immediate area, we need to get them out of here!¡±

    He means it is not possible. An old, wizened voice spoke directly into their heads. A quick glance around showed that Lucian¡¯s Alakazam had blazing blue eyes, marking it as the speaker. The presence of the Moonless Night and Mythical Pearl is dampening our abilities greatly, and beyond that, I fear that Teleport, at least as we know it, is not capable of moving between dimensions.

    Lucian¡¯s eyes closed in defeat, and Cynthia¡¯s widened in horror.

    The Mythical Pearl has transported the entirety of Alamos to a place unknown. We are trapped.

    ¡°W-what do you mean we¡¯re trapped?!¡± Dawn yelled out. ¡°We- there has to be-¡± Her breaths became shorter and quicker as she started hyperventilating.

    Brock held her steady, trying to get her to correct her breathing. N barely noticed the feeling of Mimikyu tugging at his pant leg.

    ¡°Get her out of here,¡± Cynthia ordered. ¡°This place is about to become a warzone. Lucian, if you can¡¯t teleport then-¡±

    MOVE!

    N didn¡¯t know who the mental command had come from, nor did he have time to listen to it. A series of psychic barriers were suddenly erected above them, giving everything a purplish tint. There was a flash of light, the sound of shattering glass, and a large explosion. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, dazed.

    <hr>

    Dawn tried to keep herself together as Brock roughly scooped her off the ground, half carrying and half dragging her away.

    This was too much for her.

    She had come to Alamos expecting a contest. Thinking that the worst that could happen would be embarrassing herself in front of an audience and having that broadcast for all to see. It would be mortifying, and her mother would be so disappointed in her she¡¯d cry herself to sleep, but she hadn¡¯t been afraid of dying.

    But then they¡¯d gone to that stupid garden and everything started to spiral. Darkrai¡¯s first appearance had been like something out of a nightmare, and she hadn¡¯t even been the one hit by its attack. She couldn¡¯t even imagine what it had been like for Ash.

    Ash woke up, though. She¡¯d so stupidly believed that that would be the end of it. The Sinnoh Champion was there after all, surely someone as amazing as that could cover all the scary stuff, right? No need to worry!

    Now the sky was dark in the middle of the day, they were trapped in Alamos town, she felt like she was going to be sick and pass out at the same time, and a Legend was destroying the city.

    Maybe she was the one who got hit by Dark Void. This was all just a nightmare, and soon she¡¯d wake up in bed, perfectly fine.

    ¡°Dawn you need to focus,¡± Brock calmly called out to her.

    He¡¯d led her into the Pokemon Center, looking perfectly calm while she tried not to break down and cry. She barely took in her surroundings, half aware as she took step after step, distracting herself by counting the floor tiles so she wouldn¡¯t be thinking about what was happening. The explosions and shouting she could hear.

    She felt padding beneath her, and found that she was sitting in a chair with Brock¡¯s hands on her shoulders. She tried to focus on him.

    ¡°Dawn, listen to me.¡±

    She nodded blankly.

    ¡°I need to take a look at your injuries, and once I¡¯m done helping you I need to start helping Nurse Joy.¡±

    Her injuries?

    ¡°Do you feel any pain?¡±

    She shook her head no, and watched as he knelt down, checking out her leg.

    That was a lot of blood.

    Was it her blood?

    He started to move it around and suddenly it hurt. It hadn¡¯t hurt before, why did it hurt now? She wanted it to stop hurting.

    There was a flash of red light, and she felt something soft pressing against her.

    She looked away from her leg, away from Brock and the blood and found her team cuddling up against her with worry clear on their faces. She picked up Piplup, holding him tightly against her as she let the tears spill over.

    It was all too much.

    <hr>

    Ash grimaced, dusting off his clothes as he stood back up after the explosion. He should be more aware of attacks heading straight for him, getting caught off guard like that was a rookie mistake.

    He took stock of his surroundings. Whatever that attack had been, they¡¯d been spared the brunt of most of it thanks to the quick thinking of Lucian¡¯s team. The brick beneath them was damaged by few pock marks from the debris that had been sent flying, but that was nothing compared to the ring around them where deep craters had been dug up by the impact, the attack having been deflected by the psychic barriers. Light Screen, Reflect, he wasn¡¯t sure and didn¡¯t really care since it had done the job.

    Most of them had, anyway. The shattering glass sound that he¡¯d heard was undoubtedly several of them failing to stand up against an attack from a Legend. He couldn¡¯t fault them for that though. Even Pokemon just shy of Champion level were nothing next to a Legend. It was like comparing a school of Magikarp to a Gyarados.

    Through his ringing ears, he heard shouting from his right. Cynthia and Lucian were either arguing with each other, or giving commands to their teams. He hoped it was the latter.

    Looking to his left, he saw Brock helping Dawn up, trying to lead her away. There was a gash on his forehead, blood dripping down his face, but it was probably superficial. A lot of blood, but not a lot of damage. Dawn though¡­ her leg wasn¡¯t looking too hot. Her right leg was bleeding even more than Brock¡¯s face, and she looked out of it as well. Shock or head trauma? He hoped it was nothing serious, but that was Brock¡¯s wheelhouse, so he left his friend to it.

    N and Mimikyu¡­ where were N and Mimikyu?

    He did a double take. There was no way they could have gotten far.

    ¡°Pika-Pika!¡±

    ¡°I know, buddy.¡± Ash carefully scratched between his best friend''s ears, a bit of relief flowing through him when he found the other duo. Somehow, N and Mimikyu were on the other side of the square, but at least they looked safe.

    ¡°Ash!¡± Cynthia shouted.

    When he turned to look at her, he saw Lucian running off, his team going with him. Cynthia had a hand hovering over two Pokeballs, but left them on her belt with a quick glance towards N.

    ¡°Are the records Lance and Steven gave me accurate?¡± She finally asked.

    ¡°What records?¡± Honestly he hadn¡¯t interacted with the other Champions much. Much more than the average trainer, sure, but he didn¡¯t know them all that well.

    Up in the starry sky, Darkrai had used Double Team, eight of the pitch-black Pokemon ducking and weaving around Palkia, drawing its attention every which way and firing off Dark Pulses into its back every chance there was.

    It didn¡¯t seem to have much effect beyond pissing Palkia off.

    ¡°The ones about you and the Legends,¡± Cynthia clarified. ¡°I need to know if it¡¯s safe to keep you out here.¡±

    Palkia lashed out in anger, a ball of orange light forming in its mouth that fired off with impressive speed. It passed right through one of Darkrai¡¯s doubles, making it vanish in an instant, but the attack kept coming, veering down towards them. That hadn¡¯t been the original course though¡­ some sort of tracking attack then, like Swift? They¡¯d need to do something about it. He saw Cynthia¡¯s Dragon type tense up, preparing to take care of it, but if Cynthia was questioning his abilities¡­.

    ¡°Pikachu, intercept it with Iron Tail!¡±

    His partner leapt off of his shoulder with a burst of speed from Quick Attack, gaining considerable height and meeting the incoming attack in midair. His tail shone with a metallic sheen as he spun around, smacking the orb and deflecting it into the ground a considerable distance away. The resulting explosion carved quite a hole into the ground, and debris went flying, but he¡¯d take it.

    Legends were strong, terrifyingly so, and he knew better than to just accept their attacks head on. But deflecting them? Giving them just enough of a nudge that they would veer off course? Time and time again, it had proven effective.

    Cynthia gave him an appreciative nod. ¡°I¡¯ve sent Lucian to try and limit the damage in the more populated areas. Any ideas on how to-¡±

    A beam of light tore through the sky, striking Alamos and utterly obliterating a building that was in its path. Ash felt his heart sink, thinking about how many could have been inside still, wiped out in just a moment by what he thought was a Hyper Beam.

    ¡°Roserade, go check for survivors!¡± Cynthia ordered. The Grass type quickly ran off towards the remnants of the building, disappearing from sight.

    Palkia¡¯s cry rang out once more as Darkrai continued to be a nuisance, but the nightmare inducing Pokemon wasn¡¯t making much headway, and there was nothing it could do as Palkia suddenly dove down to ground level, cramming itself into a street to reduce the number of angles Darkrai could come from.

    But the lustrous Pokemon was too large to fit, its arms and wings carving gouges into the buildings on either side of the street, ripping walls apart.

    As Darkrai chased after it, Palkia reared its right arm back, letting loose a roar as power built up. The street took on a pinkish glow before Palkia flung its arm forward, a wave of energy flying out towards its opponent. Every part of the building that was touched by the attack vanished in an instant, and as Darkrai dodged out of the way, it flew off into the space above harmlessly.

    ¡°Milotic, destroy the building!¡±

    Ash looked at the Champion like she had just gone insane. ¡°What do you mean, destroy the building?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s spreading! If we don¡¯t cut it off somehow, who knows when it will stop?¡± Cynthia ran towards Palkia, her Milotic slithering alongside her.

    ¡°Pika!¡±

    Ash chased after her, certain that the constant Pressure had driven her mad, but when he looked at the building, he saw what had alarmed her. The attack that Palkia had just used at first glance made anything in its path vanish. But there was no denying the sight before him. The gouges left behind had taken on a purple glow, the energy slowly spreading, eating away at the building like an acid and leaving nothing behind but motes of light.

    And like all things when Legends were involved, there was frightening power behind it. The corrosiveness of a Muk or a Victreebel would slowly dissolve any material tainted by them. Placing a brick in their acids would see it reduced to nothing over the course of hours. But whatever Palkia had just done to this building? It was eating away at it like a hungry Munchlax at a buffet.

    Palkia took off into the air again just before they reached the building, meeting Darkrai for another midair clash. With the immediate risk lessened, there was nothing stopping Milotic from carving the affected portion of the building off with a concentrated Dragon Pulse, the beam cutting straight through the walls. When the final connection point was cut, the dissolving portion of the building fell to the ground with a crash, and they watched with bated breath as it vanished into nothingness, with not even dust left behind.

    Ash swallowed heavily. ¡°This is bad, if that hits someone¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Cynthia finished, her voice clipped. ¡°If someone gets hit by that attack, they¡¯re gone. But if it keeps hitting the island and there¡¯s too much spread for us to stop it¡­¡± her gaze turned to the Space-Time Towers, ¡°if it reaches the towers, we¡¯re done for. You were at Shamouti, right? How quickly did the Song take effect there?¡±

    Ash really didn¡¯t like to talk about the fact that it had happened at all, but there was no escaping it here. ¡°Pretty fast. By the time the song ended everything was fixed except for the mess.¡± That had been some trashed shrines, a crashed airship, and mild damage from the extreme weather. Here, though¡­

    No, he couldn¡¯t be thinking like that. Not until they were actually out of this mess. ¡°They haven¡¯t tried a new song in a while, do you think they¡¯re okay? Should we check on them?¡±

    Cynthia hesitated. ¡°I trust Lucario, but maybe-¡± she cut herself off mid sentence, staring off into the distance. When Ash followed her gaze, he felt his stomach sink even further.

    Darkrai looked like it was barely holding on. Evading the attacks that Palkia was throwing at it was all it seemed able to do. But every time it evaded that terrifying wave of energy, it sailed through the air and hit the island.

    The forest was tinted pink, several of the tallest treetops disappearing before their eyes. Buildings on the other side of the square were fading away, the rot spreading far too quickly. If Palkia was dishing out that attack more often, they would never be able to keep up with separating the infection from the rest of the island.

    It still felt like it was too soon. Like his team wasn¡¯t ready to take on something like this. But it was like he had tried to explain to N back in Oreburgh¡­ sometimes there was no choice.

    Ash released his team, sans one. Aipom, Turtwig and Buizel shuddered as the Pressure suddenly weighed on them. Staravia¡­ well, he¡¯d had too many situations where someone had a sudden fall to let his one flier get too far out of reach. And with Staravia¡¯s wing still recovering from the Eterna Gym¡­

    With his team looking up at him with unease and fear clear in their expressions, he needed to step up. He was used to this, even if he hated that fact. He couldn¡¯t crack under the Pressure. ¡°Listen up guys, we need your help!¡±

    <hr>

    N was confused. He¡¯d just been right next to Ash, hadn¡¯t he? How was he so far away now? This distance must be¡­ what, twenty yards, at least?

    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Mimikyu cursed. ¡°Did I jus¡¯ Shadow Sneak with you?¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure that such a thing was possible, but he also wasn¡¯t in his right mind at the moment. His ears were still ringing from the explosion and he felt¡­ lost.

    ¡°N? Bud? Ya a¡¯ight?¡± Mimikyu¡¯s shadowy hands gently shook his leg.

    Something exploded, and he jolted into alertness, tracing the sound to a plume of dust and debris not far from Ash and Cynthia.

    Wait, Ash and Cynthia? What had happened to the others? He wasn¡¯t particularly fond of Brock, but he didn¡¯t want the fool to get caught up in this mess. And Dawn¡­

    He jolted again as a Hyper Beam destroyed a building in the distance.

    ¡°Focus, N!¡± For just a moment, the overwhelming Pressure bearing down on him was washed away by fear, and as strange as it might seem if recalled this moment later, that fear calmed him down. Mimikyu¡¯s unnatural terror was something he was growing used to with time. There was a familiarity to it.

    ¡°Mimikyu¡­ this is¡­¡±

    It was a lot. Was this the true power of a Legend? Or perhaps, what they could be? As he looked into the sky and saw Darkrai struggling to fight Palkia, he couldn¡¯t help but idly wonder if they were truly comparable. They were both Legends, weren¡¯t they? He had assumed as much. And yet the gap between them was so large¡­ How would the Legend of the Stone compare? Did he dare awaken something like Palkia in his home?

    ¡°Ah shit, are ya goin¡¯ inta shock or somethin¡¯? I don¡¯ ¡®ave any medical trainin¡¯, I need ya to pull yerself together! Stand up, we shouldn¡¯ be sittin¡¯ out in the open like this!¡±

    The shadowy appendages grabbed him by the armpits, stretching more than he had ever seen to force him to stand. He tried to get a hold of himself, to listen properly to Mimikyu¡¯s words instead of just staring off at the battle.

    And yet he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of it. Double Team, Dark Pulse, Shock Wave¡­ no matter what Darkrai threw at Palkia, all those actions accomplished was drawing its attention somewhere else momentarily. It changed where Palkia¡¯s attacks landed. Hyper Beam and two unfamiliar attacks went off into the distance time and time again, slamming into the forest or the city with huge explosions.

    There had been so many Pokemon in Alamos. How many of them were getting caught up in this?

    ¡°Mimikyu, we have to stop this.¡± He adjusted his stance, supporting himself on his own two feet, allowing Mimikyu to retract his shadows.

    ¡°Alice and Tonio are on it. This stops with the Song, and I dunno if ya noticed, but we can¡¯t exactly do anythin¡¯ ¡®bout that from ¡®ere.¡±

    ¡°Then what, we just sit back and watch as they destroy everything?¡± Despite his words, he didn¡¯t actually know what they could do. Not against something like that.

    As if to prove his point, a stray one of those pink wave attacks struck the building behind them, rubble falling to the ground as what remained standing started to glow. That was strange. Was it some sort of Poison type move?

    ¡°Well I think it migh¡¯ be a bad idea ta try killin¡¯ a Legend through fright,¡± Mimikyu remarked, and wasn¡¯t that a visual. Would it work? N had a feeling that even if a glance of Mimikyu¡¯s true form was lethal, it wouldn¡¯t do much against a Legend. ¡°-but I¡¯ve gotta idea or two,¡± his friend finished.

    Before Mimikyu could expand on what exactly those ideas were, the Pressure pushing down on him increased.

    He fell to one knee, finding it difficult to stand, and when he looked up to see what had caused the change, he felt pale.

    He had seen this move only once before in person. Dragon types were quite rare, after all. And while his previous reference had been impressive, it was nothing compared to this.

    Giant, glowing rocks rained down from the sky as a Draco Meteor came straight for them. The Deino he¡¯d interacted with in the past had managed eight of the rocks at once, but the number before him now? It was like trying to count rain drops as they fell from a cloud.

    ¡°Ah, shit. Really hope this works a secon¡¯ time, eh?¡±

    N¡¯s mind was moving too slowly to piece together what Mimikyu meant by that, and before he could question it, the world went dark.

    He couldn¡¯t breathe. He couldn¡¯t see. He couldn¡¯t hear. The only sensation present was the familiar shiver of fear he sometimes got from Mimikyu, but turned up to eleven. In a way, it reminded him of their first encounter with Cynthia. And yet, it was different in a way that he couldn¡¯t quite pin down through the terror cloying at his mind.

    When he could see again, he was at the foot of the Space-Time Towers, his back against one of the building¡¯s walls.

    The square in front of him exploded.

    <hr>

    This wasn¡¯t working.

    Cynthia desperately tried to guide her team to prevent the worst hit areas from spreading. She had a responsibility, a duty to the people here to keep them safe. That is what it meant to be the Champion.

    But this was far too much for her to handle.

    When the League personnel had informed her about the disturbances detected in Alamos, she had been quick to grab Lucian and come marching, or, well, teleporting, down here, totally prepared to blow off some steam by putting a rowdy Pokemon in its place. That¡¯s what it normally turned out to be when she had to see to things herself.

    So she had been a bit surprised to find out that she would be dealing with Darkrai, Palkia, and, if the mysterious Mimikyu was to be believed, Dialga as well.

    When those names came up in her daily life, it typically meant delving deep into some ruins, inspecting old clay tablets, and trying to interpret ancient writings. Fun, relaxing things. Trying to hold back what she thought might be the aftereffects of Palkia¡¯s fabled Spacial Rend was not what she had planned for in her research into old Sinnoh Legends.

    Though perhaps if she knew this was coming, and how difficult it would be, she would have looked into that sort of thing.

    Garchomp grunted as she used Dragon Rush to collapse yet another decaying building. Roserade and Milotic were doing their best to help, but they didn¡¯t hold the same destructive potential. She really wished the rest of her team were able to help, but with Lucario in the tower trying to fix this mess, that wasn¡¯t really an option. She loved Spiritomb, she really did, but the conglomerate of souls was better suited to spreading despair than preventing decay. And Togekiss¡­ she kept telling herself that Togekiss wasn¡¯t suited for this sort of thing, but deep down she knew that wasn¡¯t the real reason.

    Togekiss was on the list of Pokemon susceptible to Fairy infection, and though she wasn¡¯t sure of where Mimikyu was at the moment, she was terrified of exposing her family to something like that. Perhaps it was an irrational fear. Something spawned by old wives¡¯ tales growing up in a place like Celestic. Her home had a strong connection with dragons, and while she could understand on an intellectual level that there had yet to be any conclusive proof that the Fairy infection was harmful, that didn¡¯t stop her from being afraid. What if it changed Togekiss? What if he hated her for doing that to him?

    She was drawn out of those thoughts as the Pressure increased, and her movements seemed to slow, if only by a marginal amount.

    It would seem Dialga really had arrived.

    She looked to the sky as her team worked, trying to pinpoint where the newcomer was. But instead of the Diamond of Creation, as some of her texts called it, she found a veritable shower of Draco Meteor.

    Unlike the concentrated cone that most dragons went for, trying to hit a particular target as much as possible, this was thinly spread over a wide area. It meant that anyone caught up in it would only have to deal with one of the meteors, maybe two at most, but that it would be all but impossible to escape.

    Her thoughts went to Ash. She¡¯d sent him to take care of the spread in the forest, thinking that his weaker Pokemon would have an easier time destroying trees and dirt rather than the stone of the city.

    Those trees wouldn¡¯t do anything to slow the descent of this attack.

    But there was nothing she could do about it. She¡¯d just have to hope that he was okay, and focus on protecting herself. Her eyes fell to Milotic. This was a lot more than they had trained for, but she hoped that a Champion level Pokemon would stand a chance.

    ¡°Milotic, Mirror Coat!¡±

    As her Water type took on a sheen of Psychic power, her eyes spotted movement through the hail of draconic power.

    Dialga was slender in comparison to Palkia. Its deep blue quadrupedal form seemed more sleek and elegant. Its feet ended in metal capped claws, there was a fanned out metallic frill where the tail met the torso, and it wore a metal mask reminiscent of the one Palkia wore, but instead of trailing down the spine to form wings, this one quickly tapered off into two horns that followed its elongated head. The crowning jewel through, literally in this case, was the glimmering blue diamond encased in its angular chestplate. Glowing blue lines that flowed over its extremities pulsated in a regular pattern, drawing her in with an almost hypnotic power.

    Its form was obscured by a falling meteor, and then the world exploded.

    The Draco Meteor pelted the city, digging furrows into the ground and leveling buildings. The rocks infused with draconic energy exploded on impact, showering the surrounding areas with shrapnel. Garchomp, eternally loyal, shielded Cynthia with her body, crying out in pain as her back was eviscerated by one of her few weaknesses.

    Though with the staggered descent of the meteors, they still had to contend with the rock heading closest to them. Milotic coiled and braced herself, calming waters rushing over her as she activated an Aqua Ring on top of the Mirror Coat. Shining with the absolute limits of her Psychic power, she sprung up into the air with all the muscle she could muster.

    With a heavy flick of her tail, the massive meteor was sent back at its origin, flying off into the starry sky above.

    The brief moment of contact had ruined her. The Aqua Ring had evaporated in the split second that it had come up against the heat of the meteor. Her beautiful scales were burnt black in a ring around exposed muscle where she had taken the brunt of it. Milotic collapsed to the ground, seizing in a fit of pain as the draconic energy ate away at her.

    With a flash of red light, Cynthia returned her. It¡¯s not like she¡¯d be able to contribute much in that state, and there was no point keeping her out just to suffer.

    ¡°Roserade,¡± her friend called out. The Grass type was a mess. Her leaves and petals were covered in black burns and cut in odd places.

    Garchomp¡¯s heavy breathing was a constant in her ears. Her starter was struggling to stand, even if she tried her best to hide that fact.

    She looked out across Alamos. A surprising amount of the city had been spared any major damage so far, standing in stark contrast to the ruins and rubble made of the area immediately in front of the towers. The towers themselves looked untouched, oddly enough, though she didn¡¯t know if she should chalk that up to luck or something more. N and Mimikyu were backed up against it, though at this distance she wasn¡¯t sure what they were doing.

    Cry after cry rang out from above as Palkia and Dialga began to clash in earnest. A look at the action revealed that Darkrai was flagging, unable to keep up with the two of them.

    And on top of it all, the city was still being eaten away by Palkia¡¯s power.

    Cynthia returned Milotic¡¯s Pokeball to its place on her belt, grabbing another in its stead. In a flash of red light, Togekiss appeared, though his usual smile was nowhere to be seen once he took in the state of the town and his team.

    ¡°Togekiss, Lucario is at the top of the tower.¡± She pointed to its peak. ¡°I need you to figure out what the hold up is and fix it. We need that Song now.¡±

    He vanished from sight with an Extreme Speed.

    <hr>

    His Lady had given him a mission.

    He was a Lucario of a noble lineage, not some simple minded creature like Gastrodon, try as she might to reach a level of cognizance comparable to a human. Nay, the gift of Aura, passed on from his forefathers, put him in the position of being most comparable to his team¡¯s shared Liege in terms of intelligence and understanding of the natural world. He fully understood just how important being the Champion of a region was. How the duties and obligations faced by his Lady were of the utmost importance. Yet his Lady oft made light of these duties, calling them ¡°wasteful bureaucracy¡± and other such dismissive terms.

    And so, when his Lady specifically claimed that the duty assigned to him was, as she would say, ¡°life or death¡±...

    ¡­he felt that it was understandable to be quite upset with the turn of events unfolding before him. The presence of the Mythical Pearl was driving his heightened senses mad, there were still dozens of disks which could contain the Song they sought, and to top it all off, the contraption controlling the instrument was no longer functioning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Why would there be no power?¡± The man contemplated aloud as he inspected the machine. Though he was a reliable knight in many manners, the intricacies of human devices had always eluded him, and so Lucario could do naught to assist in that matter. There was quite a difference between fetching his Lady¡¯s phone and adjusting the mechanisms of what the man claimed was the largest instrument in the world, after all.

    And so that left the task of finding the correct disk. However, without the ability to test them, he had little idea of how to accomplish his goal. Evaluating the Aura of the girl before him did not help in that matter either. Knowing what the Song sounded like was of minimal value when they could not be played. And yet, she was their only hope. The man was seemingly incompetent when it came to matters of music, and Lucario had never heard the Song in question. Perhaps, as a student of music, as she had called herself, she might hold some secret wisdom which would aid them.

    But if that were the case, she had not yet shown such prowess.

    Lucario watched as she reached into a pocket, pulling out a worn and faded photograph. Though he failed to see the point in looking at the side which was traditionally blank¡­ unless, perhaps, it was similar to Lady Cynthia¡¯s research? His Lady occasionally would make notes to herself on the back of photographs, to help her memory of the subject at later dates.

    He thought his suspicions might ring true as the woman began inspecting the disks more carefully, sorting through them with a keen eye before suddenly gasping in shock. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± She grabbed one from the unchecked pile, comparing it carefully to the back of the photograph. Curious, Lucario investigated for himself. He looked over her shoulder, finding that among the scribbles of humans long past was a design that indeed matched the one on the disk she held.

    Lucario would see that the woman was properly reprimanded for not realizing the connection sooner. But they had not time to waste.

    The Pressure upon them doubled, and he could feel the passage of time shift around them, the Aura he sensed at all times warping in strange ways he had only experienced with time related oddities like Future Sight. The Diamond of Creation must have arrived.

    The woman faltered, and so he took the disk himself, inserting it into the proper slot. Quickly moving the man out of the way, he pulled on the lever which activated the machinery, but to no avail. He tried again, and again, but the power necessary for its operation was not there.

    It was then, as he struggled with which step to take next, that one of his allies arrived through a window with a burst of wind as he exited Extreme Speed.

    ¡°We need that Song now, the town is being destroyed!¡± His normally serene friend demanded.

    ¡°The machine has no power, it cannot play any song at all!¡± Lucario rebutted. ¡°We have discovered the correct disk as Lady Cynthia requested, but I have not the means to play the instrument!¡±

    The man spoke up then. ¡°Togekiss! We need your help! Could you bring an Electric type Pokemon here? If we direct the electricity to the right spots, we should be able to get the tower working!¡± He pointed to two horns sticking out of the top.

    Not wanting to waste any time, Togekiss blasted the infernal thing with an altered Shock Wave, drawing out the duration of the single Electric type move known between them. Lucario pulled the lever, relief rushing through him as the machine started to move¡­

    Only for it to slow back down to a halt.

    ¡°We need more power, that¡¯s not enough!¡± The man pointed out the obvious.

    ¡°The Pikachu!¡± Lucario shouted to his comrade. ¡°Cynthia speaks of its exploits! Bring it here!¡±

    Without a single acknowledgement, Togekiss used Extreme Speed to vanish from sight in search of his target.

    Lucario could only hope they would make it in time.

    <hr>

    Ash felt dread eating away at him. Not from the Pressure or presence of the Legends around him, but from the failure that felt unavoidable at this point. From his spot in the forest, he couldn¡¯t see much of Alamos, but he felt certain that the spread of the decay was too far gone.

    How many had been lost already? Between the Hyper Beams and various Dragon type moves that were being flung every which way, he didn¡¯t know if any spot in Alamos was safe.

    His team had put up a decent fight, keeping the decay at bay for as long as they could, but when those giant rocks had fallen, it hadn¡¯t gone well. None of them took a direct hit, so he could take solace in that, but the shrapnel from the splintering trees and the shards of the rocks themselves had left deep cuts in even Turtwig¡¯s shell, let alone the squishy flesh of Buizel and Aipom. Pikachu was the only member of his team still out and fighting. Part of him wanted to just hug Pikachu close and accept their loss, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t stop fighting until the end. So many scenarios in the past had seemed hopeless as well, but he¡¯d scraped by, if only just barely. Surely this would turn out the same, right?

    Through the explosions and shouts and Space-Time distortions he barely noticed anymore, a new noise drew his attention. Some sort of whistling? Pikachu had noticed as well, if the twitching ears were anything to go by.

    Dropping out of what he could only assume was an Extreme Speed, an unfamiliar Pokemon stopped right in front of Pikachu, its form blurred by the distortions, shouting at his best friend. ¡°Toge-toge!¡±

    Ash didn¡¯t understand a word of it, but he could tell it was important. ¡°Go, Pikachu!¡±

    His best friend hopped onto the Pokemon¡¯s back, and he shared just a nod before they flew off at unbelievable speeds towards¡­ the Space-Time Towers?

    He ignored a nearby explosion, even as shrapnel and debris rained down on him, bruising and burning and cutting his skin. Those injuries just blended together with the others in his mind. He was watching, hoping, wishing that Pikachu would make it in time to whatever he was needed for. That it would all be okay. That this would be the last disaster he had to wade through.

    Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Thirty.

    Finally, a single note rang out from the towers, and the whole building started to glow.

    <hr>

    The dim lighting from the starry sky above them was quickly drowned out as the tower behind them began to glow with a golden hue. Heavy notes rang out from far above, and yet he could feel each one resonate inside him. The heavy Pressure that had worn down on him since Palkia¡¯s arrival abated, not vanishing completely but scaling back to a level that was barely noticeable. The panic and shock that had been swallowing him whole faded away, and he felt at peace.

    The roars and shouts and explosions that had been assaulting his ears came to a halt. When he looked up into the sky, he saw the trio of Legends staring at the tower, their battle having ended. Palkia and Dialga reflected the light of the towers brilliantly, and Darkrai ate away at it like he did all light.

    Was this really all it took? A song? N felt immensely relieved, and yet he failed to comprehend how music could quell titans like that.

    ¡°Damn. How am I gonna get their attention from ¡®ere?¡± Mimikyu muttered from beside him. ¡°I normally can¡¯t get very far horizontally, but if I try vertical¡­¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu?¡± N probed.

    ¡°Ain¡¯ the brightes¡¯ lights s¡¯posed ta cast the darkest shadows? Or was that jus¡¯ a metaphor?¡± Mimikyu frantically looked around the base of the towers before darting inside the building.

    ¡°Mimikyu!¡± N shouted as he followed his friend inside. What had gotten into him? Someone managed to stop the destruction and suddenly he was worried about his shadow?

    The little Fairy type ran right up to the staircase in the middle of the room, still ignoring him. Trying to get his attention, N reached out, grabbing at the disguise-

    And the bright light vanished. He was trapped in darkness once more, for just a moment. Was this Shadow Sneak? He thought that was what Mimikyu had said after the initial attack, but he¡¯d been a bit out of it at the time.

    Blinding light suddenly assaulted him, and he fell to the ground in shock.

    ¡°N?¡± A surprised voice called out. When his vision cleared, he saw Tonio in front of him. ¡°Where did you come from?¡± The bespectacled man looked bewildered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± N started. Wasn¡¯t Tonio supposed to be at the top of the tower? There was no way that Mimikyu had taken them that far in a single Shadow Sneak! He¡¯d still been worn out from his chase of Darkrai yesterday, and he couldn¡¯t imagine that bringing him along for the ride three times now was a simple task. The Ghost type should have exhausted himself and shrunk down to nothingness far before reaching the top!

    And while he was thinking about the little terror, where was he?

    A deep voice shouting drew his attention, and he followed it out onto a balcony.

    ¡°-at once! The people and Pokemon you have brought to harm have done nothing to deserve this!¡± Cynthia¡¯s Lucario yelled out to the sky.

    N almost stumbled when he realized that all three Legends were staring down at the Champion¡¯s Pokemon, floating in the air just a stone¡¯s throw away.

    ¡°Please, you have to help!¡± Alice pleaded.

    Darkrai nodded. ¡°They shall see it done.¡±

    Palkia raised its right arm, glowing with immense power.

    ¡°Wait!¡± A familiar voice called out.

    N finally spotted Mimikyu. He looked¡­ perfectly fine? How? Even if he had lasted long enough to get them up here, that trip alone should have exhausted him.

    ¡°I need yer help ta-¡±

    Whatever Mimikyu had been about to say was cut off as Palkia¡¯s arm swung down. N¡¯s stomach tossed and turned as his vision was filled with purple-ish pink light and the Pressure hit him like it was trying to crush him into a paste. He heard several cries, but the voices blended together and were drowned out by ear piercing roars as he tried to hold his breakfast down.

    When everything settled, and he found himself on his knees, everything was different.

    The towers were no longer glowing.

    The sky was back to its natural bright blue, rather than the starry space from just a moment ago.

    The Legends were gone.

 Chapter 31

    N was worried.

    Which, given what they had just gone through, he felt was a reasonable thing, but the largest source of his worry wasn¡¯t one that he would have expected.

    Mimikyu¡­ wasn¡¯t doing very well.

    Physically he seemed fine. N hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to have his friend checked out by Nurse Joy yet, not with how backed up the Pokemon Center was at the moment, but Mimikyu¡¯s physical health seemed as good as he had ever seen it. He didn¡¯t seem smaller or lighter, which still didn¡¯t make sense to him, given the excessive use of Shadow Sneak he¡¯d both seen and experienced for himself.

    No, Mimikyu¡¯s problem seemed to be a mental one. Once the Legends had left, and the little ghost failed to get their help for¡­ well, whatever it was he was after, he had fallen silent. No matter what N or anyone else said or asked, Mimikyu wouldn¡¯t say a word. He wasn¡¯t completely shut down, though. He¡¯d still ride on N¡¯s shoulder or follow along beside him, he¡¯d move out of the way if necessary, but in a manner that was¡­ sluggish.

    N could understand being upset about missing out on some goal he was striving for. Well, Mimikyu had never really expressly laid out his goals, but¡­ what else could it have been? It made sense. N was travelling with Ash to get into contact with a Legend, and Mimikyu had been the one to set him on that path, so his reaction to the Legends here¡­ Surely his friend was after something similar at least?

    Thinking about it like this made him realize how little he knew about his friend. Sure, he knew lots of little odds and ends, like his strange accent, and what berries the little fairy liked, and that he was basically a living Pokedex with how many factoids he could spit out about any wild Pokemon they ran into¡­ He knew more than Dawn, and she lived in this region! But he¡¯d never learned what Mimikyu¡¯s goals in life were. He had never learned where Mimikyu was from. And sure, part of that had to do with the little spats they¡¯d had early on and their agreement to leave some things be, but¡­ it still irked him. They¡¯d have to be more open with each other eventually, wouldn¡¯t they? He might not have been very open with Mimikyu on certain subjects either, but it felt like his friend could read him like a book anyway despite that¡­

    As he stared off into space and contemplated these things, part of him waited for Mimikyu to interrupt his thoughts with a joke or a detail about a nearby Pokemon or to chastise him or¡­ well, anything, really.

    But it never came.

    Though maybe his interest in Mimikyu¡¯s silence was a mere distraction from what was around him.

    When the Legends had brought Alamos back to where it belonged, situated on an island a bit to the east of the Valley Windworks, some changes had been made. Where before, large portions of the city had been leveled by stray attacks or were being eaten away by those purple motes of light, now Alamos looked pristine. It looked just as good as it had when he had arrived in town, perhaps even better. It had been odd, to look down from the balcony atop the Space-Time Towers, and see all of the destruction just wiped away, as if it had never happened, but he supposed it made sense. With Palkia and Dialga controlling space and time, it was within their power to literally undo the destruction. Or at least, that was the running theory at the moment. None of them were keen on looking a gift Blitzle in the mouth, and not having to worry about the destruction of a city this large was quite the gift.

    But the generosity shown to them with the instant reconstruction of the city did not extend to a sudden fixing of all of their problems. The most pressing of which was the medical issues. He didn¡¯t know if the Legends had been incapable of helping, or simply unwilling, but every injury sustained in the last day was still there. The Pokemon Center was currently overrun with patients, both human and Pokemon alike, as they tried to treat everyone.

    Luckily, having the Champion of the region present alongside the foremost expert on Psychics meant that they weren¡¯t lacking in manpower. With Alamos returned to its usual location, and the Legends no longer interfering, Lucian had been able to organize the League¡¯s Psychics to set up a rather impressive number of Teleports, bringing in every spare healer they could find on short notice.

    But even those efforts couldn¡¯t help everyone. He¡¯d done what he could himself, but with no medical training that had been limited to handing out all the berries he could to the wild Pokemon who had gotten caught up in things. He hadn¡¯t been important enough to be involved in the discussions of the medical teams. To learn the number of people and Pokemon who would be stuck with certain injuries for life, or in a handful of cases, a fate worse than that.

    All of this pain and suffering and¡­ and death, and they didn¡¯t even know why Palkia and Dialga had done it. Darkrai had tried to help stop them, but it hadn¡¯t been enough and now he had vanished alongside them¡­

    He had been warned about this though, hadn¡¯t he? Ash and Pikachu had warned him that what got them out safely when this sort of thing happened was mere luck. Seeing was believing, he supposed, and now he had seen first hand what happened when Legends showed up.

    Mimikyu, for reasons unknown, had wanted to meet at least one of these Legends, and in a way, he had gotten his wish.

    Something like this¡­ for the first time in quite a long time, N had experienced something that made his conviction waver. Not in his end goal, but perhaps in his planned methodology. To use the Stone¡­ To risk a fate like this in Unova¡­ The stories passed down told of The Twin Heroes being assisted by Truth and Ideal, so maybe it was different, but¡­

    Perhaps N needed to think. To spend some time away from all of this and return to his roots. Ground himself. But could he truly do that if Ash was running into nonsense left and right? Maybe¡­

    His gaze fell to the despondent Pokemon on his shoulder.

    Maybe they needed a change of pace.

    <hr>

    A booming, powerful voice came out a little tinny as it was replicated by her phone. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need some help? I could be there in no time at all, just say the word!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Cynthia responded, her throat sore and the day¡¯s events weighing down on her. She¡¯d been yelling out orders to be heard over the panicked crowds for hours, and only just managed to slip away to make this call. Lucario was at her side with a glass of water, repeatedly trying to insist that she drink it, but she waved him off again. ¡°There¡¯s not much work to be done at this point.¡±

    A calm, collected, reassuring voice spoke up this time. ¡°Even if there¡¯s not much work to be done, we could still take over the organizational tasks and give you a chance to rest. I¡¯m sure you''re exhausted, and you no doubt want to be with your team right now. If Metagross and I-¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m sure, Steven,¡± Cynthia barked out, acid in her tone. Lucario gave her a disapproving look and she sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just¡­ stressed. But there¡¯s really no need for anyone to come here. Lucian and I have it handled.¡±

    They gave her a moment to calm down. ¡°Alright, Cynthia. Lance and I just want to support you where we can. We know better than most the stress that comes with these things.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± Lance chimed in once more, ¡°How is the kid holding up?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cynthia admitted. ¡°Between trying to settle everyone down, keeping information from leaking, and every other little thing¡­¡± She paused for a moment, waiting to see if they¡¯d try to butt in once again, but they seemed to have accepted her words, ¡°I haven¡¯t really had a chance to check in on him. I only saw him once after it all ended and he looked pretty torn up himself, but him and that Pikachu of his looked¡­ satisfied, maybe? No, that¡¯s not quite right¡­¡±

    ¡°Glad that it¡¯s over, saddened by what it took to get there, and resigned to the fact that they¡¯ll have to do it again,¡± Steven suggested.

    There was a brief silence as they tried to digest that.

    ¡°Did I¡­¡± Cynthia hesitated. ¡°Did I mess everything up?¡±

    ¡°Cynthia, there¡¯s no need to-¡± Lance started, but Cynthia doubled down.

    ¡°No, Lance. I need you to be honest with me. Did I mess everything up?¡±

    Steven hummed. ¡°I suppose that depends on how you define it. On the one hand, you were made aware of a threat, moved quickly to counteract it, used what resources were available to you at the time in a reasonable manner, and rationally made decisions that lead to the neutralization of said threat. In those terms, you did exactly what is expected of you as Champion. You minimized the loss of life and protected your region.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°And on the other hand?¡± Cynthia prompted.

    ¡°On the other hand¡­¡± Lance took over, ¡°It sounds like you treated Ash like he¡¯s some normal trainer his age. Were it just about anyone else, it¡¯s like Steven said, you made rational decisions, but¡­ in these situations, rationality is not the end all, be all. Legends take the status quo and flip it like a Hitmontop. Things operate on principles that we struggle to comprehend, and while it may not make sense to us, the correct course of action is to let things play out as they would without our interference.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m supposed to let a teenager who hasn¡¯t even broken the top eight at a League Conference take on Legends on his own?¡± Cynthia wasn¡¯t sure if she was arguing the point or just trying to understand. ¡°I get that he has a track record, but I just¡­¡±

    ¡°Ash isn¡¯t a normal trainer,¡± Steven tried to explain gently. ¡°He was mentioned by name in the prophecy on Shamouti. Every time one of these events crops up, he just so happens to be there. Psychics call him the Chosen for a reason.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just biased because you spend every waking moment interfacing with Metagross. Those names they use are a bunch of garbage¡­¡± Cynthia grumbled halfheartedly.

    Ash was just a kid with a Pikachu. She¡¯d seen the rest of his team, and they weren¡¯t impressive. That would change with time, if his records were to be believed, but even then it had been hard to look at him and match what she saw with what she¡¯d been told.

    She was the Champion. She was supposed to be the one looking out for trainers like him.

    Cynthia finally accepted the water that Lucario kept trying to force on her.

    ¡°Maybe we should move on,¡± Lance suggested. ¡°We don¡¯t want to keep you too long, and we still need to cover the Rockets. You¡¯re sure it was just the group with the Meowth?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± Cynthia agreed. ¡°Obviously I was concerned about Rockets in my region given what you¡¯ve gone through with them, but these three were flagged in the system, so I figured¡­¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that worked!¡± James exclaimed as they sorted through the footage.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you,¡± Jessie answered, pride clear in her voice, ¡°I¡¯m an amazing actress, so good that they didn¡¯t even pick up on the fact that you two are amateurs!¡±

    ¡°Less yapping and more sorting!¡± Meowth ordered. ¡°We may have gotten through that stage undetected, but now they¡¯re expecting a fluff piece to go out on air! Something tells me that Lucian guy is the type to double check these sorts of things, so we need to make sure Jubilife TV actually airs this thing!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will,¡± Jessie waved off Meowth¡¯s concern. ¡°Have you seen the garbage they put out? Our segment will be a hit! They might even try to hire us for real!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± James worried. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s a media blackout! No information about what went down is going anywhere. Will they really allow us to air this?¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Meowth asked. ¡°We got express permission from the Sinnoh Champion, of course they¡¯ll let us air this! Besides, it looks like the blackout is on everything that happened today, so if we just cut all of that footage out and only air the stuff from last night¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Jessie frantically looked between them. ¡°But the lighting in Alberto¡¯s mansion was awful! We can¡¯t possibly air that when we got footage of Palkia and Dialga fighting! I looked so good with that starry sky and the glowing towers in the background!¡±

    ¡°You have a point, Meowth¡­¡± James idly said as he scrolled through the news websites. ¡°I wonder what their angle is this time. Maybe they¡¯ll try to say that the panic was all just nightmares from Darkrai? They seem to let that sort of thing out on a regular basis, so people might overlook it as gossip.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what they use as a cover story!¡± Meowth yelled. ¡°We told them we¡¯d shoot a story on what went down between Alberto and Darkrai, and that¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna give them! Even if it¡¯s just Alberto talking about it like he¡¯s some big shot, the masses will eat that slop up like it''s fine dining! This could even be our in for getting insider knowledge on the League, and what will the Boss think of that?¡±

    Jessie¡¯s eyes shone with delight. ¡°We¡¯ll be his favorites for sure! Oh, this is going to be great! James, do you know how to edit this so my eyes really pop?¡±

    <hr>

    Dawn looked at herself in a full body mirror, twisting and turning and doing all sorts of poses as her team nervously looked on behind her.

    No matter which way she looked at it, the bandages that covered her leg were not cute at all. She¡¯d definitely lose points in the next contest because of them.

    Or maybe she wouldn¡¯t? The Alamos Town Contest had been cancelled for obvious reasons, and she wasn¡¯t quite sure of when the next one was. Hearthome didn¡¯t look that far away on a map, but she¡¯d always been bad at keeping track of dates. Maybe she¡¯d be free of the bandages by the time it rolled around.

    Though that could just leave her with a nasty scar instead.

    She frowned as she stepped away from the mirror, sitting down on a chair in one of the few spaces of the Pokemon Center that weren¡¯t occupied at the moment.

    In a way, she felt guilty for feeling so bad about it. She¡¯d seen lots of hurt people and Pokemon out there, and lots of them were more hurt than she was.

    But at the same time¡­

    She couldn¡¯t do this anymore. It seemed like there was never a break. If it wasn¡¯t Team Rocket then it was Hunter J. If it wasn¡¯t having to sit through one of Ash¡¯s Gym battles then it was trying to keep up as he got them lost in a forest. The Alamos Contest was supposed to be her time and yet here she was having just gone through.. That.

    Maybe¡­

    Maybe she shouldn¡¯t travel with them anymore.

    They were all super nice people, even if they really annoyed her at times, and she really appreciated everything they¡¯d done to help her as a fresh trainer. But Zoey travelled alone. None of the other coordinators she could think of travelled with a group.

    That¡­ well, it was kind of a scary thought, being all alone with everything she¡¯d seen. She loved her Pokemon but she wasn¡¯t sure they could really protect her if things got as serious as they had been.

    But she could always ask to travel with Zoey! Or, well, anyone really. It¡¯s not like she had planned to travel with Ash and Brock. She¡¯d just stumbled into them on that first day. And N had just sort of shown up one day! She could do the same with a different group, she was sure.

    It would be different. Really different.

    But as she looked down at her leg, as she thought about the nightmares she was going to have about today¡­

    Maybe something really different was exactly what she needed.

    <hr>

    Ash barely even winced as the nurse started to wrap his wounds, having finished up his treatment.

    No broken bones this time, so that was a plus. Burns and cuts were pretty standard, as far as he was concerned. A few days of keeping those areas clean and he¡¯d be as good as new.

    Of course, being used to the physical pain didn¡¯t do much to help his brain. He still hated that he¡¯d had to go through this again. That so many of his Pokemon were getting treated by one of the dozens of Nurse Joys here.

    That something was off, in a way that didn¡¯t feel familiar.

    ¡°Pika?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know buddy, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all fine.¡±

    None of his friends were here.

    Brock being busy made sense. He knew doctor stuff, so he was helping the injured Pokemon. That had become a normal thing after the¡­ second time? Third? He couldn¡¯t quite remember.

    But he was rarely alone. Sure, he would always have Pikachu at his side, but he was so used to having more two-sided conversations with people after this sort of thing. Misty telling him she¡¯d strangle him if he did something so stupid again. Teaming up with May to reassure Max that everything was going to be okay, even if he could tell that May wasn¡¯t doing much better.

    He¡¯d only seen Dawn and N for a short minute before they¡¯d disappeared, off to do other things. He wasn¡¯t sure what, with how chaotic everything still was, but this was their first time handling Legends, so he couldn¡¯t really blame them for needing a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re all set, young man,¡± the nurse politely informed him. ¡°Now, to make sure this all heals properly-¡± Ash zoned out as she gave him instructions he knew quite well. It wasn¡¯t his first time doing this after all. When she gave him a smile and moved on to the next patient, he stood, letting Pikachu jump up on his shoulder.

    ¡°Come on, Pikachu. Let¡¯s see if we can find the others.¡±

    Getting through the crowds was kind of a pain, but he weaved through them and eventually made his way outside, looking out at the untouched streets of Alamos. He had never really stuck around long enough to help with the clean up of damaged areas before, but he was glad to see that he wouldn¡¯t be leaving that work for someone else this time.

    ¡°Ash!¡±

    He turned around, smiling when he saw N. Luckily his green haired friend didn¡¯t look hurt at all, but it was possible he had injuries hidden under his clothing¡­

    ¡°Pika!¡±

    ¡°Hey, N! Are you and Mimikyu alright?¡±

    N nodded, but something seemed wrong.

    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ holding up. Do you know where the others are? I think we need to talk.¡±

    It took Ash a moment, but eventually he recognized the look on N¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t one he liked to see, but he¡¯d had to accept it a handful of times now.

    But he couldn¡¯t make this about him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where Dawn is right now. Let¡¯s find her together.¡±

    If not for him, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been dragged into this.

    He couldn¡¯t fault them for not liking that fact.

 Chapter 32

    The Pokemon Center had started to empty out by the time they¡¯d gathered everyone up. They found themselves in a relatively quiet area just outside of it, under the light of the sun and out of the way of the remaining medical professionals and injured. There was still a sense of unease in the city, having been only a scant few hours since the departure of the Legends, but it looked like Alamos would bounce back without too much delay.

    The strangeness of the situation extended to their group. N took a good look at them, assessing their state properly for the first time. It felt a bit rude, to only be paying attention to them when they were about to have this conversation, but he wanted to really take them in.

    Dawn was a fidgety mess. She looked like she desperately wanted to bring something up, but also like she couldn¡¯t work up the nerve to do so. So unsure of herself. It hadn¡¯t been the first time he¡¯d seen her in this state, but the way that her leg was covered in bandages made it seem worse than normal. It wasn¡¯t bad enough that she needed a crutch to support herself, but to see such a young girl in that sort of state¡­

    Brock looked exhausted. He¡¯d been helping out with the medical team for hours now, and he¡¯d been caught up in the nonsense with the Legends before that, so his weariness wasn¡¯t out of place. Though despite his exhaustion, he stood firm before them, acting as an anchor, or perhaps more aptly, as a rock that could support the younger trainers.

    Ash¡­ Ash looked like he was putting on a strong face. Like he somehow knew what was coming. Like he was upset about what was to come, but didn¡¯t want to appear that way.

    But then again, he hadn¡¯t known Ash all that long. Who was he to assign motivations to the boy like that? Ash was a good kid. He was probably just trying to get over the day¡¯s ordeal, even if he was apparently the most experienced in dealing with Legends by far. N couldn¡¯t imagine that repeat performances made it any easier.

    Pikachu, atop Ash¡¯s shoulder like always, seemed irritable, his tail flicking to and fro, but he didn¡¯t make any idle chatter.

    ¡°So what did you want to talk about, N?¡± Ash asked with a forced smile. It was a good act. With the state that Dawn was in, she probably wouldn¡¯t even notice. But his lips were a little too strained, his eyes a bit dull.

    N knew what he needed to say, but the words still fought him. That was alright, though. He¡¯d trained for this sort of thing. Grand speeches were more fitting for the other high ranking members, but he could handle something of this scale.

    ¡°I appreciate that you all welcomed Mimikyu and I into your group so readily, back when we met in Jubilife,¡± he told them in a calm, measured tone, ¡°And despite the¡­ bumps in the road along the way¡­¡± it almost felt like an insult to call their brushes with death mere bumps in the road, but he didn¡¯t think calling them anything more serious would accomplish anything but bringing the mood down further, ¡°...I¡¯ve enjoyed our time together. But I¡¯m afraid this is where our paths diverge, at least for now.¡±

    The reactions were mixed. Brock let out a deep sigh. Dawn seemed to jolt in place, her eyes widening. Pikachu clicked his tongue, but Ash quickly adjusted his shoulder and shot the Electric type a dirty look before he could say anything.

    Mimikyu moved suddenly on his shoulder, turning to face him rather than the rest of the group. ¡°Ya really¡­?¡±

    Perhaps he should have discussed things properly with the little ghost beforehand. Sure, N held the Pokeball that Mimikyu was registered to, but he would release him in a heartbeat if his friend requested it. Mimikyu had been the one to lead him in this direction, and things hadn¡¯t exactly gone to plan if N was interpreting the fairy¡¯s reactions correctly, but maybe he would want to stay with the trainers before them rather than him¡­

    N held his breath, a sudden bout of nervousness eating away at him.

    ¡°...I see.¡± Those were the only words Mimikyu uttered before settling back into a comfortable position once more, apparently accepting N¡¯s decision. Accepting him.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ash asked. ¡°I know things got kind of¡­¡± he trailed off, not keen on speaking of the day¡¯s events. ¡°You can stay with us, if you want. We¡¯d be happy to keep you by our side.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± N smiled, trying to reassure the boy. ¡°I know the timing isn¡¯t great, but this was never intended to be a permanent arrangement.¡± He had only planned to stay long enough to sate his curiosity about Mimikyu and get some help with the Stone. He hadn¡¯t accomplished either of those goals, but sometimes plans needed to change.

    ¡°If that¡¯s really what you want¡­¡± Brock took over, ¡°Then at least stick around long enough for me to whip up a meal. We can have a little¡­ going away picnic. And if you ever change your mind¡­ well, we¡¯ll probably be near a Gym.¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. He and Brock had never spoken all that much, some unspoken mutual suspicion between them, but the offer just now felt¡­ strangely genuine. Had N misjudged the situation? Had the suspicion been one sided? Or perhaps recent events had changed something¡­

    His musings on Brock¡¯s motives were interrupted by Dawn.

    ¡°U-um!¡± The girl stuttered. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m leaving too!¡±

    N hadn¡¯t been expecting that one. And judging by the looks on the others¡¯ faces, they were in the same boat.

    ¡°Now, Dawn-¡± Brock started.

    ¡°No!¡± She cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t try to talk me out of it. I¡¯ve already decided.¡± Her limbs trembled ever so slightly, but she stood before them with fire behind her moist eyes.

    Brock looked hurt by that, but he dropped it.

    ¡°...Dawn?¡± Mimikyu whispered. The little ghost seemed even more shocked than N felt.

    Nobody was sure of what to say. N figured leaving the group would be tough on its own, but for Dawn to suddenly jump in and do the same¡­

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s it then,¡± Ash finally broke the silence. ¡°Let¡¯s start on that meal, right Brock? Gotta make sure we all have a full stomach before we go our separate ways!¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure how much he¡¯d be able to stomach with the way his gut was roiling.

    <hr>

    The food had been good, what he¡¯d managed to eat, anyway. The company was better. For a moment, N had questioned if this was truly the right decision, but it was like Brock had said. If he ever changed his mind, he could probably find them at a Gym. So instead, N focused on trying to make their last meal as a group a happy one, forcing himself to hide his true thoughts a little less for just that short duration. Ash deserved at least that much.

    Mimikyu had apparently thought to do the same, slipping off to talk with the other Pokemon for a little while as he snacked on some Cheri berries.

    Now, though, he was leaving Alamos behind. It had been a little while, but things were back to just him and Mimikyu.

    Or at least, that had been the plan.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, N,¡± Dawn nervously apologized once more. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about getting to Hearthome on my own, and I-¡±

    ¡°Dawn. You¡¯re fine,¡± he reassured her.

    He and Mimikyu hadn¡¯t gotten more than ten steps away from the group before Dawn suddenly asked if she could tag along for just a bit.

    When he agreed, he didn¡¯t realize that he was accepting a trip to Hearthome, but it¡¯s not like he had actually planned for where he wanted to go next. And beyond that¡­

    Dawn¡¯s eyes kept darting around wildly. Her hand rarely went far from her pokeballs. The girl was a nervous wreck, waiting for something to jump out at her.

    While Dawn was a trainer, and such a thing was quite unfavorable to N¡¯s values, he couldn¡¯t deny that he held a soft spot for her. She cared about her Pokemon far more than the average trainer. And so he found himself trying to comfort her, even if he didn¡¯t really know how.

    Growing up as he did didn¡¯t exactly lead to a conducive environment for helping other humans.

    Luckily for him, though, everyone understood Pokemon, even if they didn¡¯t understand them like he did.

    ¡°What do you know about that Pokemon, Dawn? I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡± He pointed off into the distance, into a grassy field where the trees had yet to encroach. The fine details were hard to make out at this distance, but the cream colored fur and the fire erupting from it were hopefully enough to make it recognizable. It reminded him a bit of a Blitzle, if the colors were changed and the Electric typing swapped for Fire.

    It took her a moment to follow his gaze, but once her vision locked onto the Pokemon, she seemed to calm slightly. ¡°That? I think it¡¯s a Ponyta.¡±

    ¡°Yer right,¡± Mimikyu approved, not that she would understand him.

    ¡°Do you know anything about them?¡± N encouraged her, hoping to get her thinking about something other than whatever was bothering her.

    ¡°Um¡­ They were really popular in contests for a while, though you don¡¯t see them too much anymore. Or, not in the ones I¡¯ve seen on TV, anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡±

    ¡°I think my mom said it was because Fire types are rare in Sinnoh? Or, they used to be. So coordinators that wanted to perform with a Fire type didn¡¯t really have many options until now, if they started out here. You used to see foreign coordinators with other Fire types, or sometimes a really strong trainer would bring one back from the Battle Zone, but the only other options were a Chimchar or Magmar, really, and those can both be hard to find.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    N quietly tucked away the name Battle Zone into the corner of his mind he never wanted to look at again. He was certain that with a name like that, the place must be awful.

    ¡°So Sinnoh recently started to get a lot more variety in Fire types?¡± he asked, trying to steer the conversation back towards more pleasant things.

    ¡°Yeah. We started to get Growlithe near my house a few years ago!¡± Dawn answered, her nervousness fading completely, replaced by a smile. ¡°My mom would never let me get too close to them, but I¡¯d watch them from the window for hours! They¡¯re just so cute!¡±

    ¡°Growlithe?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Dawn blushed, apparently having forgotten his lack of knowledge concerning local Pokemon. ¡°You remember Officer Jenny¡¯s Arcanine, right?¡± Once N nodded in affirmation, she continued. ¡°Growlithe evolves into Arcanine! They¡¯re like little mini Arcanine!¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­ What other Fire types can you find in Sinnoh?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s Chimchar, obviously¡­¡±

    The two of them fell into a comfortable back and forth, with Mimikyu chiming in with a word or two every now and then, and the destruction from that morning was temporarily forgotten as they progressed down route 207.

    <hr>

    It was as they approached the foot of Mt. Coronet and the sky became a blazing orange while the sun set on the horizon that they decided to set up camp for the night. With how rugged and rocky this area was, N knew that they were in for a rough night. There was no grassy clearing nearby for them to rest in, and the best they could find was an area that at least had worn down stones from regular use instead of the sharp, pointy areas off to the sides of the route. Dawn had released her Pokemon and was preparing dinner for them while got to work on a meal for the two of them. It wasn¡¯t going to compare very well to Brock¡¯s cooking, but he was at least a serviceable chef.

    As he was mixing a salad, Mimikyu shuffled over to him, yet another Cheri berry in hand. Maybe he needed to watch how many of those the little fairy was consuming¡­

    ¡°N.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± N raised a brow, wondering if his friend was getting back to his normal self now. Even if he¡¯d spoken some on the way here, it hadn¡¯t been to the usual level.

    ¡°Do ya¡­¡± the ghost looked around, ¡°maybe I¡¯m jus¡¯ imaginin¡¯ things, but don¡¯ it feel like we¡¯re bein¡¯ watched?¡±

    N tensed up. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but after the events in Alamos, any strange feelings were something he was prepared to take very seriously. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s somethin¡¯ crawlin¡¯ on my skin¡­ do I ¡®ave skin?¡± The Pokemon shook his head, the disguise bobbing along with the motion. ¡°Nevermin¡¯ that. Ya know that feelin¡¯ some people get when somethin¡¯ jus¡¯ ain¡¯ right? Not like¡­ not like Alamos, mind ya, jus¡¯ a¡­ well, honestly I don¡¯ know if it¡¯s jus¡¯ a normal feelin¡¯ of bein¡¯ watched either¡­¡±

    That was concerning, but N didn¡¯t know what to make of it. ¡°Do you mean like when a territorial Bouffalant is eyeing you up?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯ know much about Bouffalant, but I jus¡¯ can¡¯ shake this feelin¡¯. It¡¯s been eatin¡¯ away at me for a few minutes now and it¡¯s drivin¡¯ me mad!¡±

    N looked around the area they had set up in, and found nothing. There were no trees or bushes for a wild Pokemon to be hiding in, and there were no Flying types up above. Perhaps a Geodude was watching them? It would blend in with the surroundings pretty easily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything, but if we¡¯re being watched then maybe we should move further down the route before camping for the night.¡±

    ¡°As expected from our new lord.¡±

    N about jumped out of his skin when those words were said not a foot behind him.

    Dawn shrieked, and her Pokemon got between her and whoever was behind him. Mimikyu cursed, and N whirled around, trying to get his eyes on the intruder into their camp.

    Black and white. The man before him had a very monochromatic color scheme, broken only by his blue eyes. His skin wasn''t pure white, but he was pasty, and his hair was as white as paper. A black headband held a mane of hair even more wild than his own out of the stranger¡¯s face. Not that he could see much of the face even with that. A black mask hung over the man¡¯s nose, fitting tightly to his body as it trailed down his neck and disappeared into his sleeveless top. The garment only covered the man¡¯s chest, transitioning into a thin bodysuit that showed off a rather impressive build, before a thick leather belt held up baggy pants and a strange¡­ overcoat? It was like the man had taken a short cape and wrapped it around his waist instead of his shoulders. Thick gloves and boots hid his extremities from sight.

    N had never seen this man before in his life.

    ¡°You- who are you? What are you doing in our camp?¡± The man¡¯s words finally registered. ¡°What do you mean by your new lord?¡±

    ¡°Apologies, lord N.¡± The same voice responded.

    But it hadn¡¯t been from the man in front of him.

    He and Dawn jumped in shock again, as what must be the first man¡¯s twin revealed himself from next to Dawn.

    Where had they come from? He could understand the one having snuck up behind him, but the second definitely hadn¡¯t been next to Dawn just a moment ago.

    ¡°Our orders were to make contact as quickly as possible.¡±

    The voice came from behind him, despite the fact that he had both of the twins in sight.

    ¡°How many of you are there?!¡± He shouted as his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest.

    He didn¡¯t know these people. Didn¡¯t know their intentions. Part of him was worried that they were here for a fight, but beyond scaring him half to death, they didn¡¯t seem hostile so far.

    And a glance at Mimikyu showed that he had perked up at their arrival¡­

    ¡°We are the Shadow Triad,¡± the first man informed him, both introducing himself and answering his question at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a Shadow Triad!¡±

    ¡°N, what¡¯s going on?!¡± Dawn cried out.

    When he looked to the girl, she seemed terrified, shaking in her boots with her Pokemon trying to form a defensive ring around her. Buneary nervously shuffled on her feet, Pachirisu had small sparks flying off of her, and Piplup had puffed up his chest, ready to go toe to webbed toe with the strangers. It was only after she questioned him that he realized that the conversation up until now had been in Unovan.

    These men weren¡¯t from Sinnoh. They knew his name. They called him lord.

    As N put the puzzle pieces together, his heart rate started to slow. In a quick burst of League Language, he reassured Dawn. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Dawn. These guys¡­ seem to know me, somehow. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll hurt us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve learned the local tongue already? Impressive, lord N. We were told that you¡¯ve only been in these lands for a short time,¡± the one next to Dawn said.

    ¡°So they know ya, but ya don¡¯ know them? Interestin¡¯...¡± Mimikyu chimed in. The triad looked to the little ghost, but did not respond. He doubted that they understood him.

    ¡°You seem puzzled, lord N,¡± the third said, walking near his¡­ brothers? So N could keep all of them in his line of sight at once, ¡°Allow us to explain.¡±

    ¡°And your impressive detection skills forced us to interrupt your meal preparation. We shall remedy this.¡±

    N didn¡¯t think he was going to enjoy this.

    <hr>

    It was bizarre, sitting next to Dawn, their Pokemon friends gathered around them, as they watched one of these ¡°shadows¡± prepare the salad he had been working on, while another started up a stew, and the third sat cross legged before them, his focus solely on his ¡°lord¡±.

    The stew smelled delicious, and reminded him of home. The rice that he had been eating so often in Sinnoh was good, but had also been foreign. Some familiarity eased his nerves around these strangers.

    With the Shadow Triad only speaking Unovan, and Dawn only speaking the League Language, N was the only person in a position to translate.

    But given what this was about¡­ he opted to leave Dawn in the dark, sat next to him if only to provide some comfort to herself.

    ¡°Before we begin, is she to be trusted?¡± The Shadow before him asked.

    There was only one girl here, so he must mean Dawn. N thought for a moment.

    ¡°I trust her, and she doesn¡¯t understand Unovan anyway.¡±

    The Shadow nodded, taking his words at face value. ¡°Then let us begin with a proper introduction. As we said before, we are the Shadow Triad. Ghetsis saved us, and to repay our debt to him, we have sworn him our loyalty. Given your position, that loyalty extends to you, lord N.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see¡­¡± He really didn¡¯t. Someone who had been saved would become just a member of Team Plasma, would they not? The only exceptions for as long as he had known had been the Sages, his fa- Ghetsis, and himself. What made this Shadow Triad special?

    ¡°Ghetsis was¡­ quite vexed when he discovered that you had left the Unova region without informing him first.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Mimikyu quietly hummed, but N paid little attention to it. It wasn¡¯t like he knew who Ghetsis was, or Team Plasma for that matter, so he would likely get lost in this conversation.

    But now that he was thinking about his current excursion, he supposed that he had been rather rash about the whole thing. He¡¯d followed Mimikyu to Sinnoh on little more than a whim. ¡°I¡¯ll have to apologize to him, then. Things have been¡­ hectic lately for me.¡±

    ¡°I am certain that he would appreciate that, lord N. You can do so in the morning.¡±

    That got his attention. ¡°What do you mean, I can do it in the morning? He¡¯s in Unova, and we¡¯re in Sinnoh. And I¡¯m fairly certain the League is spying on me due to recent events, so digital communication is¡­ ill advised.¡±

    ¡°That is not a problem at all, lord N. We have been sent to retrieve you, and bring you back to Unova. We can get you there shortly.¡±

    Mimikyu bristled, and N felt a sliver of fear leak out. He had long been desensitized to such small amounts, Dawn barely shivered after experiencing what she had this morning, but the Shadow Triad all had their eyes on his friend in an instant, pausing their activities.

    It seemed that Mimikyu was still intent on finishing his business here.

    ¡°...Ghetsis wants me to return?¡±

    ¡°Yes, lord N.¡± The Shadow Triad went back to working on dinner like nothing had happened.

    Part of him wanted to agree. Sinnoh had been full of interesting Pokemon and people, but it had also been full of danger and battles and fear and confusion. What better way to get away from it all, like he had told the others he wanted to, than to go back to Unova?

    But another part of him wanted to stay with Mimikyu, and if his friend had bristled like that, he wasn¡¯t sure that the ghost would follow. He hadn¡¯t been the one who decided to step away from Ash¡¯s group. He still had business with Sinnoh¡¯s Legends. There was nothing stopping him from parting ways with N.

    N was silent for a bit, thinking it over, and the Shadow Triad did not rush him at all. Dawn looked between them, antsy as could be given that she didn¡¯t understand any of this, but she didn¡¯t prod him for answers he wasn¡¯t freely giving. Though he could expect a grilling once this was over.

    Once this was over¡­ he was already assuming that he¡¯d stay.

    ¡°...I apologize, but I¡¯m afraid I have unfinished business here, and I don¡¯t know how long it might take me to see it through. I will be back in Unova before our plans move forward, but until then, I intend to continue my exploration, even if it has taken me to a foreign land.¡±

    The Shadow Triad looked between each other, clearly not having expected that answer.

    Eventually, though no words passed between them, they seemed to reach a consensus. ¡°Very well, lord N. May we request a detailing of your activities since you last checked in, so that we may inform Ghetsis?¡±

    ¡°I suppose he would want that, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± And if Ghetsis had trusted them with something like this, then they could be trusted with what he¡¯d learned so far. ¡°Where to begin though¡­¡±

    Mimikyu hummed. ¡°Ya could probably start with meetin¡¯ me, I s¡¯pose.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I was exploring the Lostlorn Forest when¡­¡±

 Chapter 33

    By the time that N had finished his explanation for the triplets, they had served dinner, and he was surprised to learn that they were actually pretty good at cooking. Or at least, the one who made the stew was. Salad wasn¡¯t exactly complex, and the other had abstained, but the stew was better than he thought he could make himself.

    The Shadow Triad hadn¡¯t said much though, and with Dawn left out due to the language barrier, N¡¯s throat was starting to get sore from having to carry the conversation.

    The one sat before him nodded his head once N sat his spoon down. ¡°Thank you for enlightening us, lord N. We will inform Ghetsis of the¡­ change in plans as soon as possible.¡±

    He stood up, and the others converged on him, like they were preparing to leave.

    ¡°Uh, N? Shouldn¡¯ ya ask ¡®em some questions of yer own?¡± Mimikyu suggested.

    Ah. That was a good point. N had grown too used to Plasma members taking orders and then leaving his sight immediately. These Shadows were definitely more than typical grunts, and he needed to treat them differently¡­

    ¡°Wait a moment, if you would.¡±

    N didn¡¯t demand that they stay, but the trio paused, and turned to him once more. ¡°Yes, lord N?¡±

    ¡°You got your answers, I would like some of my own.¡±

    The trio said nothing for a moment, communicating silently once again. He wondered how they were doing that. Did they have a psychic hidden somewhere, bridging their thoughts together? Or maybe they just knew each other so well that words weren¡¯t necessary to reach a consensus¡­

    ¡°Of course, lord N. What is it that you wish to know? We will be of service if we are able within the time available to us.¡±

    ¡°Well, first of all¡­you call yourselves the Shadow Triad, but that wasn¡¯t a position that existed last I checked. Where exactly do you fall within Plasma?¡±

    He assumed that they ranked above the average grunt, but below the Sages. Confirmation on that wouldn¡¯t hurt though.

    ¡°We serve Ghetsis directly, and by extension, you. We were told that orders from the Sages were to be¡­ of secondary concern.¡±

    Secondary concern? It was the first he¡¯d ever heard¡­ well, anyone dare to say that about the Sages, but he supposed if the Shadow Triad were meant to serve Ghetsis and himself directly¡­

    ¡°Ya know, I was thinkin¡¯ stuff a bit more pressin¡¯,¡± Mimikyu chimed in. ¡°Like, I dunno, how they found us?¡±

    That was¡­ a very good point. Something he should have considered earlier. He thought that all the nonsense he had gotten up to with Ash¡¯s group would have forced him to work better under stressful conditions, but the shock of three strangers suddenly appearing in his camp, and then revealing themselves to work for his fa- Ghetsis had put him on the backfoot. How could they have found him?

    He hadn¡¯t checked in with any member of Plasma since¡­ what would it have been, maybe a week or so before running into Mimikyu? And yet here they were, having somehow found him in the middle of a route in a region they were presumably unfamiliar with. Knowing that he was in Sinnoh would have been one thing, the League weren¡¯t the only ones who had ears in lots of places and the situation in Elesa¡¯s Gym hadn¡¯t exactly been a quiet affair. Someone could have overheard him talking to Alder about going to Sinnoh and reported back to the Plasma intelligence sector.

    But this specific spot on the route? You¡¯d be lucky to run into someone on a route if you told them in advance that you would be there with how large they could be. Something wasn¡¯t adding up.

    ¡°How did you find us?¡± He asked his new Shadows.

    ¡°Information about your last known locations was intercepted by Plasma.¡± Intercepted? Was the League really spying on him that heavily? Though maybe they meant his involvement in the Alamos disaster¡­ ¡°We were also informed that you have been seen consistently travelling with your¡­ companion,¡± the Shadow on the left looked down toward Mimikyu, ¡°and that made tracking you much easier.¡±

    That got the attention of both him and Mimikyu. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± If it was truly so easy to track him down¡­

    ¡°Do not be¡­ too alarmed,¡± one of the Shadows assured him. ¡°The method we utilized is not available to most. One must be sufficiently trained in the ways of the Shadow to understand it at all, let alone put any sort of practical application to it.¡±

    The Shadow¡¯s shadow grew a smile and giggled, making N startle once again. A Ghost type?

    Mimikyu groaned. ¡°What¡¯s with you guys and hidin¡¯ away like that all the time? Sneakin¡¯ up on me left ¡®n¡¯ right while I¡¯m out ¡®ere wearin¡¯ a damn Pikachu costume¡­¡±

    Whatever the Pokemon was, it didn¡¯t respond to Mimikyu¡¯s inquiry, the smile vanishing from sight.

    ¡°The number of known individuals who are capable of utilizing the Shadows within League territory¡­ even if you were to be generous, you could count them on your fingers.¡±

    Another Shadow continued the thought. ¡°And those who are capable, are responsible for much. It is highly unlikely that they would consider wasting their resources on searching for someone as important as they believe you to be. The league seems to be¡­ annoyed with you at most. They know not what is before them, the fools.¡±

    That was¡­ slightly reassuring, but it still meant that there were people to look out for. If this shadow stuff they were talking about was related to Ghost types, then that list probably included people like Shauntal and¡­ wasn¡¯t he told that the Gym Leader in Hearthome used Ghost types?

    The very city he was heading to?

    That might be troublesome¡­

    ¡°I apologize lord N, but we really must be going now. If we delay any longer, we will risk being tardy for our report to Ghetsis.¡±

    ¡°Worry not though, for any questions that remain shall still be answered.¡±

    ¡°Given the situation, we believe it likely that we will be tasked with monitoring you and reporting back occasionally. We will not always be nearby, but our presence is likely to become a cloak that you will adapt to with time.¡±

    ¡°Farewell for now, lord N. Expect us soon.¡±

    They suddenly vanished from sight. He was a bit glad for it, because not being able to tell which of them was saying what was starting to drive him slightly mad.

    A moment later, Mimikyu muttered ¡°They¡¯re gone. An¡¯ so is the weird feelin¡¯...¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the situation, now that it was seemingly over. It sounded like he was getting¡­handlers. Part of him was glad that he would have some connection to Plasma while abroad, but another part of him worried that it meant Ghetsis didn¡¯t trust him on his own.

    He knew that he was not yet fit to be King. He had not yet used the Stone. But that day was not that far off, so surely more trust should be placed in his abilities¡­

    ¡­just as surely as Dawn was currently glaring at him, demanding an explanation without words.

    ¡°So¡­ Do you want to explain the ninjas?¡±

    Or perhaps with words.

    N sighed and quickly tried to spin up a believable lie. He liked Dawn. Trusted her, to a degree.

    But she didn¡¯t need to know about Plasma.

    Or maybe¡­ not yet.

    <hr>

    Travelling through the caves of Mount Coronet had been awful, and Dawn was really glad that she had asked N if they could travel to Hearthome together. Coming out the other end to see super steep cliffs and valleys that ran down into rushing waters on route 208 hadn¡¯t been great, either, but at least at that point she could see Hearthome in the distance and was able to reassure herself that it wasn¡¯t that much further. There was no need to worry.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Her leg was aching, and she winced every time she took a step with it, the bandages digging into her skin. She would need to get them changed at the Pokemon Center when she got into the city¡­ at least N was nice enough to let her lean on him for the last portion of the journey.

    Her thoughts around N were jumbled.

    He and Mimikyu scared her a bit, even after she¡¯d had all this time to grow used to them. There was just something about the duo that was so¡­ intense, in a way she didn¡¯t really understand.

    But he was also really nice, both to her and her Pokemon. He¡¯d taken the time to help her sort out her issues with Pachirisu. She¡¯d seen him smiling at her contests, even though he hated battles. He didn¡¯t treat her like some stupid kid. He was helping her get to Hearthome, even after he told Ash and Brock that he was leaving¡­

    And now there was some weird stuff going on with his family?

    She¡¯d been shaking like a leaf when three strangers suddenly appeared in their camp, looking like they belonged to some¡­ some group of bad guys or something! She thought she remembered something about ninjas being Gym Leaders in Kanto on some TV show, but¡­ maybe there were good ninjas and bad ninjas?

    Except these ninjas had to be good ninjas too, didn¡¯t they? Because they knew N, and he explained that his dad had sent them¡­ But he didn¡¯t seem to know them¡­ What if they had just lied? She didn¡¯t like to assume that people she didn¡¯t know would lie, but she¡¯d run into all sorts of¡­ what was the word¡­. unsavory people lately!

    They hadn¡¯t done anything bad to them, the ninjas had even cooked their dinner for them, as weird as that was¡­ but they still scared her.

    Having to sit through that conversation without understanding it had been terrible! She had picked up a few words in Unovan from being around N for so long, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to get more than a few words here and there.

    She thought they were talking about Mimikyu quite a bit, and she got a few other names out of it like Ghetsis, though why would N use his dad¡¯s name instead of calling him dad?

    N had explained the whole thing by saying his dad was worried about him, and wanted him to come home, but¡­ something about it felt off to Dawn.

    She didn¡¯t think that N had lied to her, but¡­ maybe he hadn¡¯t given her the whole truth.

    But then again, did he owe her the truth at all? They were just going to Hearthome together, and they¡¯d be arriving soon. And then they¡¯d go down separate paths.

    They might run into each other and have awkward conversations now and then, like how her mom would run into other old people she knew at the grocery store sometimes, but it wouldn¡¯t be the same as what they¡¯d had between them until now.

    Before she knew what was happening, she and N had stepped into the gate that marked the border between route 208 and Hearthome City.

    She paused, forcing N to pause too with how she was using him for support. She forced herself to stand on her own, to bite back the hiss of pain she wanted to let out, to look confident, like she was about to perform at a contest. She let her hand rest on Piplup¡¯s Pokeball for comfort.

    ¡°I¡­ guess this is it, then,¡± she awkwardly mumbled.

    They¡¯d already said their goodbyes. That had been what the picnic in Alamos was for. This had just been¡­ a little something more.

    ¡°Kyu.¡±

    N smiled softly down at her. ¡°I guess it is.¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to be alone.

    But she would go crazy if she stayed with the friends she¡¯d had until now.

    ¡°Will you¡­ the contest isn¡¯t for a little while, if I have the dates right, and I don¡¯t know what your plans are after this¡­¡±

    N hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Mimi?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± he answered a question she didn¡¯t know. ¡°But I guess¡­ we¡¯ll see how things play out. If I¡¯m still in Hearthome, maybe I¡¯ll come see you perform.¡±

    Dawn smiled back. ¡°I¡­ I would like that.¡±

    ¡°Good luck Dawn. And if you ever need a bit of help, or just some advice¡­¡± his smile faltered. ¡°Well, I¡¯m still trying to figure out the communication thing, actually, but once I figure that out, I¡¯ll find a way to get ahold of you.¡±

    ¡°Mi-kyu¡­¡± Even if she didn¡¯t get the words, she could tell that was sarcastic.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± N frowned at his friend. At their friend? She hadn¡¯t actually interacted with Mimikyu directly that much, had she¡­

    She shook her head. ¡°No need to worry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure something out. You know where to find me when you do. Goodbye, N, Mimikyu.¡±

    She turned and walked away, hobbling on her injured leg into the busy streets of Hearthome City.

    Despite the thousands of people around her, and the Pokeballs at her side¡­

    She felt alone.

    <hr>

    N gave Dawn a moment to find her way, and then walked out of the gate and into Hearthome himself. She was out of sight.

    He felt a bit melancholic.

    ¡°Welp. We¡¯re alone again. Fer now. ¡®Til those Shadows show up again, anyway. Ya got a plan? Or are we jus¡¯ wingin¡¯ it?¡±

    ¡°My plan ended at getting some time away from all the craziness for a while.¡±

    ¡°Yer not big on this whole plannin¡¯ thing, are ya?¡±

    N sighed. ¡°Do you have a plan, then? We¡¯re in Sinnoh for your plan, remember¡­¡± He started to blindly walk the streets, not getting too close to any pedestrians that might take interest in a man talking to his foreign Pokemon.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± N wondered if Mimikyu would finally explain what his deal had been at Alamos. It had been a few days now, and he¡¯d revealed nothing so far. ¡°Hmmm¡­. Maybe Lucas¡­¡±

    No luck on that front.

    Wait a minute.

    ¡°Lucas? As in, the boy who found your notebook in Jubilife? Now that I think about it, you¡¯ve mentioned him once or twice since then as well¡­¡± And that was after N had been told that Mimikyu was probably mistaken about the boy¡¯s identity. So much for that.

    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m jus¡¯ thinkin¡¯ aloud, is all,¡± Mimikyu waved off his concerns. ¡°Migh¡¯ be nothin¡¯, but he also migh¡¯ be worth investigatin¡¯ a bit if we ¡®appen ta run into ¡®im¡­ Not a pressin¡¯ concern or anythin¡¯.¡±

    Not a pressing concern, and yet this was the third or fourth time the seemingly innocuous boy had been brought to his attention. There was definitely something else there.

    But Mimikyu had only just returned to his somewhat talkative normalcy, and N didn¡¯t want his now only friend to quiet down again.

    ¡°If you say so¡­ but if that¡¯s not a pressing concern, then what should we do in the meantime? I don¡¯t see any reason to rush out of Hearthome since we just got here, but I¡¯m not really sure what to do here beyond¡­¡±

    He thought it over. Staying for Dawn¡¯s contest was a possibility, but he didn¡¯t want to commit to that. There was also the Ghost Gym to consider. He didn¡¯t know much else about Hearthome though¡­

    ¡°Beyond Fantina?¡± Mimikyu suggested. Had that been the Gym Leader¡¯s name? He couldn¡¯t quite recall. ¡°She migh¡¯ be able ta help with our ghostly issues, but what the Shadows were sayin¡¯ probably includes ¡®er, so I dunno if that¡¯s a meetin¡¯ we wanna rush into. Contest ain¡¯ for a bit longer yet¡­ What else is in Hearthome¡­ oh! We could go to that fancy park they ¡®ave!¡±

    ¡°Fancy park?¡± N probed, having no clue what his friend was on about.

    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s uh¡­ Pal Park? No, that ain¡¯ right, that¡¯s the one down by¡­ what was it¡­ somethin¡¯ square, maybe? I don¡¯ remember, but it¡¯s on the north end of the city!¡±

    If Mimikyu couldn¡¯t remember the name of this park, N wasn¡¯t sure that it could be all that special, but it wasn¡¯t like they had much else to do¡­ or at least much else that didn¡¯t make him a bit nervous, so N started heading north.

    Who knows, maybe it really would be interesting.

    <hr>

    It took them a minute to find their destination, having started on the other side of the city. Hearthome wasn¡¯t quite at the level of Jubilife, but N wouldn¡¯t be surprised to find out that it was one of the largest cities within League territory. The buildings were rather plain, at least by the standards he had seen from the rest of Sinnoh so far, and there was a serious lack of color. It was like being in Oreburgh again, but without the excuse of dust from the mines and plethora of smoke stacks making all the color fade.

    He supposed not all cities could be eye-catching, though, and it¡¯s not like the city being drab made it any harder to find Amity Square.

    It seemed Mimikyu had gotten at least part of the name right.

    As they approached the gate into the park, decorated with a large sign featuring a stylized Psyduck, Drifloon, and¡­ he wasn¡¯t sure what that last Pokemon was. Something orange with a rather large head. He thought about asking Mimikyu, but something else caught his attention first.

    What were the odds that they would run into Lucas now of all times? Sure, they seemed to be following the same general path since they¡¯d run into each other for a third time now, but still¡­

    ¡°Is that who I think it is?¡± His little fairy friend asked.

    ¡°Lucas! Wait a moment!¡± N called out to the boy.

    There was no doubting it when Lucas turned toward them, recognition flashing across his face.

    Remembering how communication with him had gone the last time, N pulled out Mimikyu¡¯s notebook.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last saw you. Are you going into Amity Square as well?¡±

    Lucas nodded, grinning up at him with a Pokeball in his hand, and a few more hanging on his belt.

    ¡°I wonder what sorta team he ¡®as¡­¡± Mimikyu mumbled as N approached the boy.

    ¡°Would you care to join us then?¡±

    Lucas nodded once more, leading the way into the gate.

    N wasn¡¯t sure how a boy who had to be Dawn¡¯s age could help them, but if Mimikyu thought there was a chance¡­

    Well, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to investigate a bit. Walking through a park together wasn¡¯t a commitment to travel with him, after all.

 Chapter 34

    Lucas tampered down on the pout he could feel his lips trying to form.

    That Ralts may have managed to Teleport away from him five times now, but he would capture it! He just needed to buy some more Pokeballs. Or a lot of them¡­

    Or maybe he was trying to do it the wrong way? Sure, he¡¯d captured Bibarel as a Bidoof just fine, but Bibarel¡­ Well, as much as he loved the fuzzy guy, he wasn¡¯t the brightest.

    Yeah, that could be it¡­ he¡¯d just have to look into how people normally catch a Pokemon like Ralts! The salesman at the last Pokemart he¡¯d visited had tried selling him some strange Pokeballs, maybe one of them could help¡­

    Before that, though, he could use a trip to the Pokemon Center. His team would appreciate some healing, and he really needed to organize his bag. It was beginning to fill up a lot more than he expected it might, especially with the weird rock thing that black belt had given him taking up so much space.

    It wasn¡¯t anywhere near being full, not with the way it was so much bigger on the inside, but he¡¯d started haphazardly tossing stuff in it after a certain point and that was starting to take its toll. Reaching inside, he brushed the pickaxe and Vs Seeker out of the way, digging his Journal out of the mess and quickly zipping it back up.

    If his belongings started to spill out, he was afraid that he¡¯d be buried alive.

    As he slung his bag back over his shoulders, he started flipping through the pages, wondering just where he had started to go wrong with his item management.

    ¡°¥¨¥Æ¥ë¥Ê¥·¥Æ¥£¤«¤éÊ¼¤Þ¤Ã¤¿¡£"

    Ah. Right. Eterna City. That was probably it.

    <hr>

    As Lucas left the ¡°Underground Man¡±¡¯s house, he found himself wondering if he¡¯d ever explore the Sinnoh Underground again. It had been cool, yes. Finding out that there was a vast network of manmade caverns under every inch of the region was like finding out he¡¯d get to explore two regions at once. And to top it off, there was all sorts of treasure down there! Evolution stones, precious gems, Heart Scales, even fossils that he could get revived in Oreburgh!

    Though he might not make use of that last one. He¡¯d been embarrassed enough by his last visit there¡­

    But even with the promise of adventure and goodies, the experience had been dampened when he discovered that the whole tunnel system was littered with traps. The Underground Man hadn¡¯t thought to warn him, so his introduction to the stupid things was stepping on a ¡°hurl trap¡±, as the old man had later called it, and suddenly finding himself launched into a tunnel wall. His ribs felt sore, it hurt to breathe, and his nose had only just stopped bleeding. And that was on top of the danger of mining, which was the whole point of exploring the Underground! He had spent a few hours digging around the bulges in the tunnel walls, but even once he had gained some experience they collapsed a majority of the time. Seeing the partially unearthed treasures get buried under a fresh pile of dirt and rocks hurt his soul, and the dust and debris flying everywhere made his eyes burn.

    That was alright, though. It¡¯s not like he needed to explore the Underground. Maybe he could revisit it later in his journey, have his team stop the many injuries waiting to happen once it was more filled out and stronger.

    For now, he still had the rest of Eterna City to explore!

    He had been glad to discover that Gardenia put up more of a challenge than Roark, though he still managed to take on her whole team with just Grotle. And he really needed to stock up on some more supplies for curing status conditions while he was thinking about that match¡­ stupid Grass types¡­ it was Eterna Forest all over again, but he didn¡¯t have Cheryl to bail him out!

    And of course he had spent his time thoroughly investigating any unlocked buildings in the surrounding area for trea- er, trash that he could recycle. That had been how he discovered the Underground Man, actually.

    But that left the north end of the city and this so-called ¡°Galactic building¡± that he kept hearing whispers about.

    The team Galactic members he had run into since starting his journey had been weak jerks who ran away as soon as he stomped their teams, barring Mars of course, but this definitely felt different. Setting up shop in the middle of a city like Eterna? They were crooks! The ones he¡¯d run into at least, but if the rumors about stolen Pokemon had any truth to them, then it was the same here.

    Part of him wondered what Gardenia was doing about it. Gym Leaders were supposed to take out the bad guys, right? That¡¯s what happened in the TV shows he used to watch with Barry. But if they were feeling bold enough to openly have a building here¡­

    ¡­maybe she was just busy with other stuff. Gym Leaders had a lot to do, after all. And if he¡¯d taken care of Mars, one of their commanders¡­ Well, he could help Gardenia out! He was certain that she¡¯d appreciate him taking care of the problem for her!

    Filled with determination, Lucas set his sights on the Galactic building, ignoring the filth and blood that covered him as he stepped-

    ¡°Oof!¡±

    ¡­face first into the ground as an all too familiar body crashed into him.

    ¡°Woah, are you okay Lucas? You really need to watch where you¡¯re going!¡± his ever annoying neighbor chastised him.

    Lucas would remember this. He¡¯d put it in his Journal for sure.

    ¡°No, wait, that¡¯s not important right now!¡± Barry continued on, ignoring the way that Lucas¡¯ nose had started bleeding again. ¡°You came to see the Pokemon statue, right? I¡¯ll take you there!¡±

    Quickly grabbing his hand, Barry dragged him through the streets of Eterna City, past the Galactic building and to a huge statue on an even bigger pedestal. Lucas didn¡¯t bother fighting against it, having long ago learned better than to even try.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Barry started, suddenly stopping in place a few yards from the statue.

    Lucas was pretty certain that Barry wouldn¡¯t be shocked by a statue of all things, so he looked around, wondering what had caused his fr- rival to suddenly freeze up.

    ¡°...So, this is Eterna¡¯s Pokemon statue¡­¡± a cold voice rang out.

    There were a handful of people in the area, but Lucas¡¯ eyes honed in on a finely dressed man. His suit was an odd color, if a bit familiar, but what caught the boy¡¯s attention was his tone.

    Normally he¡¯d think a man with spiky blue hair would be chill and relaxed like a Water type, or maybe a bit cold, like an Ice type, but¡­

    It was like there was an emptiness behind the man¡¯s eyes. They seemed beyond cold. Like there was nothing beyond them.

    It matched his unbelievably monotone voice.

    Something was really familiar about him though. Lucas had been caught up on the suit, so he looked it over once more, wondering if he could jog his-

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the guy from Lake Verity?¡± Barry whispered to him.

    Ah. That would explain it. Barry always had been better at remembering faces than him. What had the man¡¯s name been¡­ Claytus¡­ Kyrus¡­ Cyrus! It was Cyrus. He remembered writing it down now¡­

    But apparently the weirdo who liked to talk to lakes and statues was done for the day, and was now walking towards them.

    ¡°Pardon me. Step aside.¡±

    Lucas and Berry looked at each other, and then the wide swathes of empty grass around them. There was no reason to ask them to move.

    But, with this Cyrus guy being as weird as he was, Lucas obediently stepped aside, letting the man walk between them and go off on his way. Though he didn¡¯t appreciate the old man telling him how ¡°unsightly¡± his appearance was before leaving. He just hadn¡¯t had a chance to clean up yet! Maybe his next stop should be the Pokemon Center to rent a room for the night..

    Barry, never one to get caught up on anything for more than a few seconds, was moving the conversation along as soon as Cyrus had disappeared into the crowds of the city as if nothing had happened at all.

    ¡°Oh, hey! When we smacked together, a brilliant flash of inspiration came to me! An easy way to become a great trainer!¡±

    Lucas didn¡¯t hold much confidence in it being anything of the sort, but it would probably be entertaining to hear at least, so he leaned in, showing that he was interested.

    ¡°All right, listen close¡­¡± Barry leaned in, whispering into his ear as if it was some grand secret. ¡°Make certain all your attacks hit! Avoid enemy attacks for sure! You do that, you¡¯d never lose! You¡¯d be the invincible Trainer!¡±

    Lucas resisted the urge to throttle his rival, if only because that advice was technically correct, if completely useless.

    ¡°Anyway, go check out the Pokemon statue. See you around!¡±

    And with that, Barry ran off into the crowds.

    If only he would take the time to slow down a bit, really take in his surroundings¡­ he could join Lucas in discovering all sorts of treasure! Though that would mean having to split it, so maybe Barry rushing was for the best¡­

    Alone once again, he of course scoured the surrounding park, and perhaps the buildings, though he wouldn¡¯t admit that if asked, but not much came up besides some useless information about the statue and Sinnoh¡¯s myths.

    It was as he was searching through his Pokedex for anything that might be the Pokemon the statue was made for that he was next interrupted.

    ¡°Oh, that device you have¡­¡±

    When he heard the voice behind him, he turned around to see a tall blonde woman. Something about her seemed¡­ special, in a way he couldn¡¯t quite pin down.

    It was probably cooties, like Cheryl.

    <hr>

    Lucas was brought out of his memories of the beau- er, black clad woman when something ran into his legs.

    For once, it wasn¡¯t his rival slamming into him with a Thud!

    Lifting his Journal, so he could look down at his feet, he found that it was a Buneary, though it was on the smaller side of the ones he had seen. A younger one, maybe? They were sort of neat, but he figured he had enough Normal types on his team with Bibarel and Togepi.

    Although, hadn¡¯t he just crossed into Hearthome? It probably wasn¡¯t a wild Pokemon at all, but where¡­

    ¡°Oh, thank goodness that you happened to be there!¡±

    Looking above his Journal, he saw a woman running towards him. But she seemed to be struggling, since she was in high heels and a pink dress¡­

    She paused for a moment when she reached him, swiping her long brown hair out of her face and adjusting it beneath the headband she wore.

    With a smile, she continued. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, who knows how far away my Buneary could have run¡­ Baby Buneary, back into the Pokeball you go!¡±

    With a flash of red light, the Pokemon returned into its ball.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I¡¯m Keira!¡± She paused, waiting for him to return an introduction.

    He nodded.

    Her smile grew a bit stiff as he threw her off her game, but she continued on anyway. ¡°I¡¯m a Pokemon Contest judge. Be sure to drop by the Contest Hall so I can thank you properly!¡±

    Thank him properly?

    Maybe she wanted to add to his hoa- trash collection! That he was planning to recycle. Yes. Definitely what he planned.

    He nodded once more, already looking forward to it.

    She took that as an awkward dismissal, which, in a way it was, and he returned to reading over his Journal.

    Where had he been? Let¡¯s see¡­ Cynthia gave him the HM for Cut¡­ he got himself cleaned up and explored the city a bit more¡­

    There¡¯s what he had been looking for.

    ¡°¥¸¥å¥Ô¥¿©`¤ò¤¿¤ª¤·¡£¡±

    His defeat of a second Team Galactic Commander.

    <hr>

    Where was the Looker?!

    A member of the International Police would have been super useful right about now!

    Lucas really hoped that he hadn¡¯t just stood by the doorway in that Team Galactic disguise and left this whole mess to him¡­ but he had called Lucas a ¡°first-rate trainer¡± and allowed him to clear the building on his own so far, so maybe he really had¡­

    He looked down at the Pokeball in his hand nervously. Bibarel had fainted, and Grotle was poisoned and not doing too hot.

    Maybe going to every floor to clear out all the grunts and ste- reclaim all the loose items had been a bad idea. But, in his defense, he hadn¡¯t expected a Commander even stronger than Mars to be here! She was even stronger than Gardenia had been!

    Or, more specifically, her Skuntank had been stronger. The Zubat had been as much of a joke as the rest of the Pokemon in the building, but her stupid ace just wouldn¡¯t go down!

    If Jupiter had one more Pokemon, or worse, someone else showed up, he would be screwed! He¡¯d already eaten through all of his healing items, and it¡¯s not like he could accept defeat like a reasonable trainer in any other battle.

    It would be his first loss! Which, you know, would be unacceptable to anyone other than the Champion, but probably wasn¡¯t as important as the fact that Jupiter had a couple of kidnapped Pokemon cowering behind her!

    But Jupiter scoffed. ¡°Losing to a child¡­ Being careless cost me too much.¡±

    She returned Skuntank¡¯s Pokeball to her belt, before scowling at him. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you tough¡­? It¡¯s okay, though. Our official Pokemon statue investigation is finished. Mars has collected energy from the Valley Windworks. We¡¯re pretty much finished here. I¡¯ll let you in on one little thing.¡±

    She smirked, as if she knew he¡¯d be unable to do anything with what she was about to tell him. ¡°Our boss is researching the myths of ancient Pokemon. With the power of mythical Pokemon, he will become the ruler of Sinnoh. I suggest you keep out of Team Galactic¡¯s affairs from now on.¡±

    She pulled her hand back, as if readying to throw another Pokeball.

    But she had said it was her loss?! How could she still have more?!

    ¡°This will be your last warning!¡±

    His questions were answered as she threw what must have been a smoke bomb instead, leaving the room in the confusion.

    Lucas coughed and tried to keep it out of his eyes. With how much had been getting in them lately, maybe he should invest in some goggles or something¡­

    ¡°I got my Clefairy back, and it¡¯s all thanks to you!¡± A voice shouted out from right behind him.

    He jumped in fright, before sighing in relief. In the heat of the battle, he had sort of forgotten about the old guy who was watching¡­

    ¡°But that Team Galactic¡­¡± the old man looked down the corridor, as if he was waiting for another one of the weirdos to pop up. ¡°They said ¡®Clefairy came from space. Hand it over!¡¯¡± He repeated their words in a mocking tone before scoffing. ¡°Their logic baffles me still. It¡¯s like they¡¯re from space!¡±

    The old man collected himself. ¡°Anyway, they seem to be gone now. Thank you very much, young man!¡±

    He suddenly grabbed Lucas¡¯ hand, ignoring the Pokeball in it, which made things awkward as he tried for a shake. The two of them grimaced, but the old man powered through it. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough right now, but cruise by my Cycle Shop, okay?¡±

    The man gathered the stolen Pokemon and left. Lucas did the same¡­ after double checking that he had looted the entire building.

    Somehow, there wasn¡¯t a trace of any of the Galactic thugs or the Looker!

    Had he chased after them? Maybe he arrested Jupiter on her way out. Can¡¯t stay to chat if you¡¯re doing important stuff like that. Yeah, that makes sense¡­

    When he went to the Pokemon Center afterwards to get his team checked out, he was greeted by a surprise visitor.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± Cynthia called out as she spotted him in the lobby. ¡°I¡¯ve got something nice.¡±

    Lucas thought that nice was a weird way to describe a Pokemon egg, but he didn¡¯t really have much room to judge. He¡¯d seen a few eggs in his lifetime, growing up near Professor Rowan¡¯s lab, but the one that Cynthia held didn¡¯t look like one he¡¯d seen before. Blue and red triangles covered the white surface.

    ¡°I wanted you to have this Pokemon egg. Will you accept it?¡±

    Lucas¡¯ jaw dropped. Even if he spoke, he wouldn¡¯t know what to say.

    Pokemon eggs were a big deal! You don¡¯t just- just give them away to people! That was crazy talk!

    But¡­ At the same time, he would be crazy to say no!

    And so, hesitantly, he accepted the egg.

    <hr>

    As he handed over his three Pokeballs to Nurse Joy, he found himself wondering just what had come over Cynthia to make her give up a Togepi egg like that. These things were super rare! Or, that¡¯s what his Pokedex told him, anyway.

    But it had been acting up lately, so he wasn¡¯t sure how much he could trust it¡­ stupid ghosts¡­

    ¡°We¡¯ll restore your Pokemon to full health in no time at all! Please just wait nearby so we can call for you when they¡¯re done!¡± Nurse Joy told him with a smile.

    It kind of creeped him out, how they all looked the same. Were they a type of Pokemon or something?

    Not particularly interested in answering that question, and having nothing better to do, Lucas wandered the lobby, looking at the posters and flyers they had hung up.

    Hmmm. Hearthome City Gym was definitely on his list of things to do, but his team could probably use a break before diving right into the next one. Plus he wanted to see if he could catch that Ralts first¡­

    And then there were those contests that Keira girl had mentioned¡­ but it looked like the next one was still a little ways out¡­

    Only one other poster stood out to him. ¡°Amity Square,¡± it read, ¡°the perfect place to stroll with your Pokemon! Develop a deeper bond with your adorable friends!¡±

    A park specifically designed for Pokemon? That sounded like a good way to help them relax. It might be a good idea to visit the place before he went into any more battles¡­

    But he doubted his team would be healed any time soon, so to pass the time he opened his Journal back up, trying to tune out whatever garbage was on the TV.

    ¡°The Pokemon League is still investigating the incident at Alamos Town that happened yesterday morning, and details are sparse. Luckily, an independent news crew managed to capture footage-¡±

    Got a bicycle from the old man¡­ tried travelling east only to discover that portion of Mt. Coronet is filled with boulders too heavy for his team to move out of the way¡­

    He frowned as he read the next entry.

    ¡°É­¤ÎÑóð^¤Ç¤Ï¥Ó©`¥À¥ë¤Ï¤¤¤¢¤¤¤®¤ê¤ò¤Ä¤«¤Ã¤¿¡£"

    That stupid mansion¡­

    <hr>

    He couldn¡¯t believe Gardenia was such a scaredy-Glameow.

    It was just an old building in the woods! It¡¯s not like it would actually be haunted.

    Had she not taken care of Team Galactic because she was too afraid? Heh. Maybe he should ask for a reward for taking care of that mess for her¡­

    He released Bibarel in a beam of red light. The simple minded Pokemon stared at him blankly, but waited for a command instead of wandering off blindly.

    Progress was slow, but it was still progress.

    Lucas snapped his fingers, and pointed at the overgrown plants blocking the way.

    Bibarel¡¯s teeth took on a shine, and he quickly gnawed a path through for them.

    Cut was so useful! He¡¯d already backtracked a bit and collected things that had been out of his reach before, with this spooky place being the last on his list. So many goodies that had been tantalizingly close before were now in his hands!

    Which is to say, he had a bunch of new berries and TMs stuffed in his bag now.

    And that stash would only grow with this! A ¡°haunted¡± house, the path inside overgrown with plants¡­ nobody had been here in ages, he was sure! And that meant nobody could have taken any treats left behind!

    He noisily stepped through the tall grass, wanting any wild Pokemon inside to have a chance to scram before he made his way through the building.

    Not seeing any reason to return him, Bibarel stayed at his side, his dull eyes looking back and forth as he waddled along.

    The door creaked open, the hinges still working, if a bit rusty, when he entered the Old Chateau.

    The place was pretty gross. Dust everywhere, cobwebs hanging all over, the wallpaper was peeling and the place looked like it wasn¡¯t far from falling apart.

    But he wouldn¡¯t let that stop his treasure hunt!

    He patted Bibarel on the back as he led the way, poking into room after room. There wasn¡¯t a Pokemon in sight, and there was all sorts of neat stuff! Some sort of¡­ well, he wasn''t sure what it was, but Bibarel tried to eat it, so it was probably food!

    He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the weird stone plate that had some nonsense about being a shard on the universe on the back of it, but he stuffed it in his bag all the same.

    He also found another TM, some weird notebook that was falling apart and illegible, some other sort of candy¡­

    More and more items were stuffed into his bag with every section of the Old Chateau he explored. He had been right about it being ripe for the picking!

    It had all been going well¡­ until he explored one room in particular.

    There was a TV in it, which was powered on, but showed nothing but static. He didn¡¯t think too much about it being on, what with the lights in the building still working just fine. His mom would be mad if he constantly kept the lights on in his room, but somehow keeping this whole place on was fine? Someone was probably really mad about that¡­

    But the TV hadn¡¯t been the important thing. It was the way that he felt like he was being watched. He and Bibarel looked around, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything in the room with them¡­

    Until a Ghastly suddenly appeared out of nowhere and licked his face.

    He didn¡¯t scream! He definitely didn¡¯t scream! He definitely didn¡¯t run out of the stupid haunted mansion as fast as he could, dodging and weaving around all the Ghastly and Haunter that were suddenly everywhere laughing and jeering at him.

    But he definitely did do something to his Pokedex. Or maybe one of the ghosts did it? Either way, the thing was acting funny now. The screen would show static occasionally, or the data would be obviously wrong¡­

    He just hoped whatever it was, that it wasn¡¯t permanent. Professor Rowan didn¡¯t just hand these things out left and right, and if he found out that Lucas had busted his after only two Gyms¡­

    Well, Lucas just wouldn¡¯t let him find out.

    <hr>

    ¡°Thank you for waiting, we¡¯ve restored your Pokemon to full health!¡± Nurse Joy told him as she returned his Pokeballs. ¡°We hope to see you again!¡±

    He nodded his thanks before walking out of the Pokemon Center and pulling out a pencil so he could update his Journal to the present.

    After the run in with all those Ghost types, he¡¯d gone down Cycling Road, where he happened to run into one of Professor Rowan¡¯s assistants. The man had given him this fancy gizmo he called an Experience Share, but Lucas wasn¡¯t so sure about using it. Not yet, at least. Of course, running into another of Rowan¡¯s assistants just before entering Mt. Coronet and receiving the Vs Seeker and Dowsing Machine had been a bit weird. Why not just send all of this stuff with one person? They were only a route apart!

    Then he had explored the route beneath Cycling Road for a bit yesterday¡­ he briefly considered exploring the caves at the back of it, but thought better of it when he felt a weird¡­ presence. He wasn¡¯t sure of how to describe it, really. It was like¡­ like something was weighing down on him. If he could feel it from outside the cave, even if it was faint, he figured it must be really powerful. Not something he really wanted to risk with an egg he had to protect.

    Of course, the egg had hatched into Togepi once he came out from beneath the underpass, but even then he didn¡¯t feel safe taking a newly hatched teammate into a place like that. The stretch of Mt. Coronet that led from route 207 to route 208 was at least somewhat well travelled and comparatively safe.

    It was probably extra safe since that weirdo Cyrus had been in there, scaring off all the wild Pokemon. He didn¡¯t have any proof, but he was convinced that his encounter rate had been lower because of the man! All his stupid ranting and raving about a ¡°weak human spirit¡± and how ¡°strife has spread¡±... he could complain about this ¡°deplorable state of affairs¡± all he wanted, so long as he did it away from Lucas!

    Grumbling, Lucas finished penciling in the changes and shoved his Journal back in his bag, vowing that he would eventually organize it¡­. Probably.

    Looking up, he noticed a large sign that he assumed was for Amity Square. Hopefully this place was-

    ¡°Lucas! Wait a moment!¡± someone called out to him.

    He turned around, wondering who in the world had actually picked up his name. It¡¯s not like he was giving it out, so maybe Barry had shared it with someone?

    Oh. Maybe he was the one to give it out. The green haired guy and his¡­ not Pikachu. He hadn¡¯t been able to find it later when he checked his Pokedex, so he was still at a loss for what exactly it was.

    Hmm. If this guy had a rare Pokemon like that¡­. Maybe he had some tips for catching Ralts!

 Chapter 35

    As the trio walked through the entry gate, N found himself wondering just what sort of park this was. There seemed to be a good number of people milling about, and what looked to be an employee of the park standing near the exit, if her blue uniform and customer service smile were anything to go by.

    But why would so many people be hanging around the entrance to the park, rather than actually going inside?

    ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll notice¡­¡± Mimikyu muttered from his shoulder, but a glance at the Fairy type didn¡¯t prompt any further details.

    Looking away from his friend revealed that Lucas had suddenly vanished.

    That couldn¡¯t be right.

    ¡°Lucas? Where did you-¡±

    Ah. Despite the younger boy having shorter legs than N, it seemed that he was a bit quicker on his feet. N found him halfway across the gate already, talking to a man in some sort of karate outfit. Was there a dojo nearby, or did this guy just wear the thing everywhere? Curious, he made his way closer.

    ¡°...my poor Gyarados and Steelix! This is discrimination!¡± The man turned to glare at the employee, but she ignored him.

    Interesting. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He asked as he stood next to Lucas.

    The martial artist turned to him, a frown still on his face, but obviously eager to share his plight with another. ¡°Yes! I came here because I heard it was a good place to unwind and take a stroll with your Pokemon, but they turned me away! Apparently they only allow cute Pokemon in the park, and even then the list is extremely limited! I¡¯ll have you know that my Steelix won a Great Rank Cute Contest! She¡¯s the cutest Steelix you¡¯ll ever meet!¡±

    N didn¡¯t know what a Steelix was, but given the face that Lucas was making, he assumed that it wasn¡¯t what one might consider traditionally cute. And he had no idea what a ¡°great rank cute contest¡± was. It didn¡¯t sound at all like what Dawn had been doing¡­

    But even then, that didn¡¯t excuse what he was hearing.

    ¡°Excuse me!¡± He called out to the park employee. ¡°Is this true? You only let specific Pokemon into your park?¡± Lucas started walking over to her, and N joined the boy.

    Her customer service smile strained. ¡°Hello there! In Amity Square, you may go for a stroll with a cute Pokemon. The permitted Pokemon include Pikachu, Clefairy, Pachirisu, Psyduck, Drifloon, Buneary, Happiny, Jigglypuff, Torchic, Shroomish, Skitty, and recently, due to popular demand, the owner of Amity Square has decided to allow the starter Pokemon that Professor Rowan hands out along with their evolutions.¡±

    Owner? So it wasn¡¯t a League funded park then, but rather some single fool who would implement such a rule. ¡°And what¡¯s the reasoning for allowing only those Pokemon within the park?¡±

    ¡°Various structures within Amity Square could be easily damaged, so the owner of the park has limited the Pokemon allowed to wander within it to limit such a possibility.¡± She recited the obviously scripted response. ¡°Not to worry though, sir. As I said, Pikachu are allowed within Amity Square, so your partner will be just fine.¡±

    ¡­was this woman really so blind that she couldn¡¯t tell the difference between Mimikyu and a Pikachu at this distance? Or maybe she was trying to zone them out and hope that they went away.

    Complaining to her probably wouldn¡¯t be of any help. ¡°Where can I find this owner you keep mentioning? I think I¡¯d like to have a word with him.¡±

    Her plastic smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°He can sometimes be found on the grounds, but I couldn¡¯t tell you with certainty at the moment. He¡¯s a very busy man.¡±

    A noncommittal answer. Figures¡­

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t hunt him down then,¡± N informed her with a smile just as fake as her own. ¡°Would you care to join me Lucas?¡±

    The boy nodded, following him out of the gate. A second employee eyed them up as they walked out onto the grass path, her body tense like she was ready for a fight. She relaxed a bit upon seeing Mimikyu, likely confusing him for a Pikachu like her coworker had, but then turned her eyes to Lucas.

    The boy released his Pokemon in a flash of red light.

    ¡°A Grotle? So ¡®e picked Turtwig then¡­¡± Mimikyu muttered.

    N had never seen this Pokemon before, but he could definitely see the resemblance. He thought back to Ash¡¯s Turtwig, comparing the differences in his head. Where before, the Grass type¡¯s head had seemed too large for the rest of its small form, now its body seemed to have grown to match that size, roughly tripling its height in the process. The shell had grown, extending out to cover its head and tail, taking on a more sandy coloration rather than the deep, earthy brown it had been before. Though perhaps the most noticeable difference was the stem and leaves that had been on the forehead being replaced by two small shrubs growing on its shell. Or perhaps they were small trees? That would make more sense given what he¡¯d seen of the Torterra in Alamos¡­

    Lucas¡¯ Pokemon slowly eyed up him and Mimikyu, before ever so slightly tilting his head towards Lucas. ¡°We fighting?¡± A gravelly, baritone voice asked.

    Lucas responded by patting his Pokemon on the head.

    ¡°Right.¡± Grotle turned away from them and began pawing at the ground.

    N was curious, but he had other things to think about at the moment, like how the park employee relaxed, smiling at them and waving them along.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe these people,¡± N immediately took to complaining once they were out of earshot. ¡°They¡¯re going to restrict the kinds of Pokemon that can enter the park, and then fail to notice that the one on my shoulder isn¡¯t a Pikachu?¡±

    ¡°I mean, they ain¡¯ the first ta make that mistake. Even Elesa mistook me fer one when she first saw us.¡±

    ¡°She was only confused at a distance, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to tell once they see the wooden tail!¡± N countered. ¡°Wait a minute, is this what you meant when you were muttering about whether or not someone would notice?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah.¡±

    ¡°So you knew about this ridiculous policy?¡± They walked up a set of steps, making their way out of the grass and onto a rocky outcropping. It seemed that the park was built into the base of a mountain, and the stone housed a few¡­ well, he wasn¡¯t quite sure what they were. Rudimentary houses carved from stone? They were far more basic than even the ruins of the Unovan Desert, and those things were ancient. How odd¡­

    ¡°I¡¯d ¡®eard a thing or two, but I figured my odds of gettin¡¯ in were 50/50. I¡¯m plenty cute, ain¡¯ I?¡± His friend asked in a teasing tone.

    N stopped, looking at Mimikyu. ¡°...you¡¯re not exhausted enough to be cute.¡±

    ¡°Rude!¡± the little ghost responded with mock anger. ¡°Are ya tryna say I ain¡¯ cute unless the Fairy influence outweighs the Ghost?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡± N responded as he resumed his angry walk through the park.

    Except Lucas had disappeared again.

    ¡°Seriously? How does he keep doing that? I take my eyes off him for one second and-¡±

    ¡°Over there.¡± A shadowy appendage pointed over to the crude rock house closest to them, where Lucas was waving at him from the entrance. Grotle was still hidden somewhere. Deeper in the house maybe?

    N sighed as he made his way over. ¡°Is there something interesting about this place?¡±

    Lucas nodded before grabbing his hand and pulling him into the dark interior. For just a moment, something felt off¡­ and then Lucas just as suddenly pulled him back outside.

    ¡°What was the point of that?¡± He asked as his eyes tried to readjust to the light. ¡°It¡¯s just dark in there.¡±

    He felt Mimikyu shift on his shoulder. ¡°Ya might wanna look again.¡±

    When his vision finally adjusted properly, he found himself in front of Lucas¡¯ Grotle¡­ and a completely different part of the park.

    ¡°Weird, right?¡± The Grass type looked up at Mimikyu.

    ¡°A bit, yeah.¡± Mimikyu responded.

    ¡°What the¡­ did we Teleport?¡± N looked around, realizing that he was now higher up into the mountain with the gate far off in the distance. An older woman was sitting with a Happiny at a nearby bench.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Sure seems that way, don¡¯ it?¡±

    Grotle lumbered past them, and as N scanned the landscape he realized that Lucas and Grotle were now further down the mountain, having just walked out of a third stone building.

    ¡°How¡­¡± N warily stepped back towards the dark room he had exited from, peering inside. After a moment, he noticed a soft yellow glow in various parts of the flooring. ¡°...could it be warp tiles?¡±

    Warp tiles were rare and insanely expensive. This was the first one he¡¯d seen in Sinnoh, and back home in Unova¡­ the only locations he could think of that had any were the Big Stadium and Small Court, but those places were such big money makers that the show of wealth wasn¡¯t a big deal. There had been talk about getting a few for Plasma, but¡­

    What sort of person could afford so many? This wasn¡¯t just one or two. There were three in this structure alone, and if that was true for every structure in the park¡­ the owner of Amity Square must be absurdly rich and also insane.

    Mimikyu brought him out of his thoughts. ¡°Ya mean like those little pads that Teleport ya to a fixed location?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly¡­¡± Though once again, Mimikyu¡¯s knowledge confused him. Were warp tiles common in¡­ wherever he came from?

    ¡°Maybe one of ¡®em leads to the owner yer lookin¡¯ for then.¡±

    That¡­ was a possibility. He¡¯d heard of eccentric rich people before, spending their fortunes on silly things like games and riddles. A ¡°find the right path, and I¡¯ll reward you¡± sort of thing that only someone with nothing to fill their days would find amusing.

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to test it.¡±

    N stepped on another tile.

    <hr>

    Lucas may have agreed to join the green haired guy and his Mimikyu, but why would he stand there and listen to him complain about this park when he could explore it and pick up treasures?

    Sure, the rule about what Pokemon could be roaming around was sort of annoying and didn¡¯t make much sense. Togepi was cute, right? And he wasn¡¯t allowed based on the list that lady gave them. So, dumb rule. But, he sort of understood. The doorways to the Teleport things weren¡¯t super wide, after all. Grotle barely fit through them. So if that guy in the karategi was trying to bring a Steelix through here¡­ well, it probably wouldn¡¯t end well.

    Although, if the Mimikyu¡¯s trainer wanted to complain to a guy who owned a huge park like this¡­ maybe that could mean a visit to his house. No¡­ his mansion. The Old Chateau had been full of goodies, and that place had been abandoned for years. Imagine what a mansion actually in use might have!

    But for now, he was content with raiding the guy¡¯s park. A couple of TMs, some weird coin thing, another one of those weird plates¡­ he wondered if they were part of a set or something. Each one had something different etched into it so far, so maybe they were like parts of a puzzle that would lead him to a really big treasure! Buuut, on the other hand, some nonsense about ¡°beings of time and space¡± made him think more of the plaque for the statue he saw in Eterna.

    He would hold out hope for the treasure idea, though.

    As he stuffed the weird plate into his bag, a heavier guy walked up to him. ¡°Hello, how do you do!¡±

    Lucas stared at him blankly as he zipped his bag back up.

    ¡°I love this park, which is why I try to keep it neat and tidy. I don¡¯t mind cleaning at all.¡±

    Lucas couldn¡¯t help but think that he very much did mind it, given the fact that he was pointing it out to him. Why say that though¡­ had Lucas littered? Had he dropped one of his treasures when he opened his bag?! He frantically started looking around, giving Grotle a look that begged for his assistance. His partner rolled his eyes, but began digging around for whatever it might have been.

    The tubby man ignored his plight. ¡°I find all sorts of items doing so. It¡¯s quite fun, even exciting!¡±

    Lucas paused.

    Could it be? Had he met someone else who truly understood?

    ¡°Oh, I know. Do you know what Durin berries are? I found some. Would you like them?¡± The man pulled out a large sack, filled to the brim with goodies. Potions, berries, Pokeballs and more¡­ it was true! He couldn¡¯t decide if he should be excited to find another of his kind, or jealous that this man had cleared out so much of the park before he could! The man pulled out a handful of berries, offering them up.

    Lucas had never seen these spiky green berries in his life, but who was he to say no to free berries? He eagerly nodded in agreement.

    The man handed them over with a smile, and Lucas stuffed them in his berry pouch. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll see you again tomorrow!¡±

    He definitely would, if this is the treatment that Lucas could expect.

    But for today¡­ well, he should probably find that green haired guy. He had agreed to explore this place with him.

    <hr>

    ¡°He ditched us, didn¡¯t he?¡± N asked after he grew tired of exploring the warp tiles.

    ¡°I dunno about that. He jus¡¯ ¡®as an¡­ air of adventure abou¡¯ ¡®im.¡± Mimikyu replied.

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°I dunno ¡®ow else ta explain it.¡±

    N sighed, giving Amity Square another look over. He hadn¡¯t had any luck in finding the owner of the place, though he would be investigating so he could give the bastard a piece of his mind. Rich or not, the way he was running this place was unacceptable and N wasn¡¯t afraid to speak his mind.

    He hadn¡¯t gotten many chances to do that lately, what with the constant conversations with people who could see him imprisoned if he didn¡¯t toe the line¡­

    ¡°Found them.¡±

    N turned toward the voice and found Lucas walking out of the nearby structure with Grotle at his side. ¡°There you are. I was beginning to think you had ditched us.¡±

    Lucas frowned, shaking his head no.

    ¡°Did ya really jus¡¯ say that to ¡®is face?¡± Mimikyu chided.

    N ignored him, looking up to the sky to see where the sun was at. ¡°We¡¯ve been here a while, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s really anything left to explore¡­ would you like to have some lunch with us? I¡¯ll buy.¡±

    Lucas¡¯ eager nodding led to them exiting Amity Square and exploring Hearthome properly, looking for a spot to eat after his Grotle had been returned. Sure, he was fully capable of cooking a meal for himself, and yes, it was cheaper to do it that way, but if you didn¡¯t indulge and get a good meal prepared for you every once in a while, were you really living?

    ¡­he was already missing Brock¡¯s cooking.

    And on the topic of Brock¡¯s cooking, it had meant that he hadn¡¯t seen the need to learn the kanji one might see at a restaurant. ¡°So, Lucas¡­ my Lea- er, my spoken Sinnohian is passable, but reading and writing¡­ not so much. Can you find us a decent place to eat?¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn¡­ we¡¯ll ¡®ave ta work on that¡­ stupid language¡­.¡± Mimikyu complained.

    Lucas gave him an odd look, one he couldn¡¯t quite decipher, but nodded and took the lead.

    As he followed behind the young boy, N couldn¡¯t help but notice that there was something¡­ peculiar about him. His head was on a constant swivel, looking between buildings, Pokemon, and people. Normally one might contribute this to some sort of nervousness or anxiety, on constant lookout for where the attack might come from. He¡¯d seen it enough in a variety of the Pokemon he had grown up with. Escaping the abuse of a trainer didn¡¯t mean that you suddenly stopped fearing it.

    This though¡­ wasn¡¯t quite the same. There was less flinching and more¡­ restraint? Lucas¡¯ hands were clenching periodically, as if he were trying to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing something.

    How odd.

    Eventually Lucas brought them into a simple looking ramen shop, the two of them finding an empty table. The boy didn¡¯t break his silence to order, instead pointing at the item he wanted, and N got through with his limited reading abilities by just telling the waitress ¡°The same for me.¡±

    He and Mimikyu were going to have to knuckle down on those lessons¡­ but he did have perfect practical experience right in front of him. He handed over Mimikyu¡¯s writing materials.

    ¡°So, Lucas¡­¡± he began, but floundered when it came to what to talk about.

    The boy solved that problem for him, writing something out on his own.

    ¡°¥Ý¥±¥â¥ó¤ò·Ö¤«¤ê¤Þ¤¹¤«£¿¡±

    ¡°I guess ya were a bit too obvious with it. Not like ¡®e¡¯ll be tellin¡¯ anyone though.¡±

    N made sure to give Mimikyu a harsh look for what he thought might have been a joke. His friend was right, though. Normally he¡¯s better about hiding his ability to talk to Pokemon, but if Lucas was straight up asking him, he must have slipped up a few too many times to brush off.

    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±

    Lucas¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°¤¹¤´¤¤¤Ç¤¹¤è¤Í£¡"

    N smiled. It was pretty amazing¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯ go gettin¡¯ a big head cuz a kid told ya yer cool.¡±

    N rolled his eyes. His amazing skill had helped Mimikyu out a lot, and here he was trying to downplay it¡­

    Though, the topic of communication did bring one question to mind for Lucas.

    ¡°Thank you. That reminds me though¡­ if you¡¯re¡­. quiet like this,¡± N carefully tiptoed around why exactly that might be, ¡°and I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re a trainer based on the belt full of Pokeballs, how exactly do you give out orders in battle?¡±

    ¡°¥¸¥§¥¹¥Á¥ã©`¤òÊ¹¤¤¤Þ¤¹¡£¥¹¥Ê¥Ã¥×¡¢ÊÖ¤òßµ¤¯¤Ê¤É¡£"

    ¡°Jesucha would be¡­ gesture, use, snap¡­uh¡­ what¡¯s this last bit¡­ that¡¯s the kanji for hand, ain¡¯ it? But that bit after it¡­¡± Mimikyu asked as he tried to make sense of the writing.

    N pointed to it, not understanding it either. ¡°You use gestures like snapping, but we don¡¯t understand this kanji.¡±

    Instead of writing it out, Lucas gave them a demonstration by clapping his hands together.

    ¡°Ah. We shoulda guessed.¡± Mimikyu sounded a bit disappointed in himself, and N could relate. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that nado at the end there means et cetera, so that¡¯s that sorted.¡±

    Except it wasn¡¯t quite sorted. He understood what the boy was trying to say, but he was struggling to visualize it.

    The battles he had seen sometimes involved complex orders. How could Lucas accomplish these things with just snaps and claps?

    It¡¯s not that he was particularly interested in the battling itself, but¡­ well, he very much doubted that people were going to start gaining the ability he had to communicate with Pokemon. And something simple like gesturing.. Most Pokemon were capable of that. Maybe this could be a way to help bridge the gap¡­ a good stop gap until he was able to fulfill his goals properly.

    He couldn¡¯t believe he was asking this, but¡­

    ¡°When we¡¯re done here¡­ could you give me a demonstration?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure he liked the gleam in Lucas¡¯ eyes.

 Chapter 36

    N followed Lucas just outside of the city, stepping into a field of route 208 that was bordered by forest on two sides. To his right, just at the forest¡¯s edge, was a building surrounded by small berry fields. Not too far in the distance, the Coronet Mountain range loomed over them. A rushing river fed by the melting snow caps and glaciers near the peak created a dull roar in the background, but it wasn¡¯t so loud as to drown out the sound of wild Pokemon around them.

    Lucas stopped just before the tall grass, releasing his Grotle. When the red light faded, the Grass type looked around and promptly rolled his eyes. ¡°Really? Again?¡±

    ¡°Somethin¡¯ wrong?¡± Mimikyu asked from his ever present spot on N¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Wants a Ralts¡­¡± Grotle grumbled out, running his front right foot back and forth through the grass idly.

    A Ralts? N had yet to see any of the evolutionary line living in the wild so far, but with how many of their kind he¡¯d seen with trainers so far, they must be somewhat common in Sinnoh. Maria with her Kirlia and Gardevoir, and he¡¯d seen a Gallade with Alice, Lucian, and Cynthia each¡­ really, with how many he had seen in the hands of humans, he was shocked that he¡¯d yet to run into any free Pokemon from the line yet..

    He didn¡¯t say as much to the boy, but if Lucas was seeking to capture one, N hoped that he failed. Even beyond his general dislike of the capture of Pokemon, Mimikyu had infected enough of them to annoy the League already. Leaving Ash and the others behind was meant to be a respite from all the nonsense, there was no point in inviting more of it upon themselves.

    ¡°After a Psychic, eh?¡± Mimikyu muttered. ¡°Is ¡®e tryna round out ¡®is team coverage wise? Or is it more a matter of practicality? If he could train it right he migh¡¯ be able ta use Telepathy to communicate with ¡®is team better¡­ though I s¡¯pose we ¡®aven¡¯t seen how good it is yet. Though goin¡¯ after a Ralts specifically is interestin¡¯ when Psychic types aren¡¯ exactly rare in Sinnoh.¡±

    N didn¡¯t have the answers to those questions, though they fell to the back of his mind when Lucas began his demonstration.

    He pointed to a tree in the distance and nodded.

    Grotle looked between them and his trainer, tilting his head. ¡°Oh. Training?¡± He settled his feet into a more proper stance, facing toward the tree in question. N focused in on Lucas¡¯ hands as the boy rapidly clapped a few times with a snap somewhere in the middle. Before he could process the string of commands himself, Grotle was already in action, a Razor Leaf forming and shooting off towards the tree with commendable precision. Several of the sharpened leaves embedded themselves into the bark before going limp as the energy faded from them.

    ¡°That was¡­ faster than I was expectin¡¯...¡± Mimikyu commented.

    ¡°Indeed it was¡­¡± N agreed. While the sounds had been spaced far enough apart that they could be heard distinctly, it was only just enough to not be considered a complete jumbled mess. The smile on Lucas¡¯ face indicated that Grotle had followed the order correctly as well.

    ¡°Could you do that again, but perhaps slower this time?¡± N requested of the boy and what he assumed was his starter.

    Lucas nodded, though at this point N wasn¡¯t sure if that was an acknowledgement of his request or part of the order for Grotle. He had done the same just a moment ago, after all.

    At a much slower pace, he repeated the series of movements. First was a clap. Then, in a move he hadn¡¯t picked up the first time, he paused to hold up three fingers. He followed that with a snap, and then two more claps.

    Grotle acknowledged the command with another Razor Leaf, assaulting the same poor tree.

    ¡°Obviously it works, but I dunno ¡®ow he got Razor Leaf out of that¡­¡± Mimikyu jumped down off of N¡¯s shoulder, scurrying over to the much larger Pokemon. ¡°Ya mind explanin¡¯?¡±

    Grotle looked down, staring Mimikyu in the eyes. His false eyes, anyway, seemingly not having caught on to the truth of the disguise yet. ¡°Yes. I mind.¡±

    Mimikyu faltered, clearly not having expected that response.

    ¡°Might fight later,¡± Grotle explained.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Mimikyu¡¯s false head nodded along, ¡°Ya don¡¯ gotta worry about that with me, I ain¡¯ really a fighter at all.¡±

    Grotle grunted, but didn¡¯t seem to budge on the subject at all.

    Dejected, Mimikyu retreated back to N¡¯s side.

    Grotle¡¯s rejection didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t figure it out themselves, though. They just needed more data to analyze. ¡°Could you demonstrate another move for us?¡±

    Lucas didn¡¯t hesitate to agree, nodding to Grotle once more, who took up his stance again.

    This time, Lucas started with the slower variant from the beginning. A clap, a¡­ a peace sign? What a strange thing to include¡­ but N couldn¡¯t think on it too long, because Lucas didn¡¯t stop, following it up with a snap and another clap.

    Grotle responded by drawing his limbs in towards his body, curling in on himself as much as he could before a thin sheen of water formed a protective shell over him.

    ¡°Is that s¡¯posed ta be Withdraw maybe?¡± Mimikyu hummed from near his feet, and they watched Grotle dispel the technique, the water running off of his body and falling to the grass below.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Grotle answered tersely. A trend, it would seem. Part of him wondered the cause of that behavior, but he didn¡¯t want to assume when it could be as simple as the Pokemon not liking him or Mimikyu.

    Besides, he was distracting himself from the reason for this outing.

    ¡°Some sort of code, and the gesture after the first clap seems particularly important¡­¡± N found himself muttering as he went over the possibilities.

    Lucas nodded along, presumably affirming that he was on the right path.

    ¡°Yeah, but I dunno what three fingers an¡¯ then two are supposed ta signify.¡±

    ¡°Could their moves have been numbered?¡±

    ¡°But then what¡¯d be tha poin¡¯ of all the other stuff?¡±

    ¡°A distraction maybe?¡±

    Lucas looked like he was holding back laughter at their confusion, but instead of offering to write out an actual explanation, which they¡¯d have questionable luck understanding anyway, he grabbed the other pokeballs on his belt, releasing another member of his team.

    It was familiar enough that he was certain he¡¯d seen a pre-evolution. Those buck teeth and the fuzzy brown fur around the face were pretty distinct after all.

    ¡°Biiiii.¡± the Pokemon chittered.

    Grotle sighed.

    ¡°Uh, N?¡± Mimikyu looked at him incredulously. ¡°Didn¡¯ ya say somethin¡¯ about Pokemon like this gainin¡¯ intelligence over time with a trainer?¡±

    ¡°He has.¡± Grotle rolled his eyes.

    Far be it from N to think poorly of Pokemon, but he couldn¡¯t help but doubt Grotle¡¯s claim. ¡°Are you certain? I¡¯m not sure how long he¡¯s been with you, but¡­¡± That sounded much closer to the nonsense that most humans claimed to hear than the understanding he was used to.

    Lucas watched on with curiosity in his eyes as Grotle turned towards his teammate. ¡°Bibarel.¡±

    The Pokemon¡¯s dull eyes focused on the Grass type as it recognized its name.

    ¡°Water Gun.¡±

    A jet of water shot between Bibarel¡¯s buck teeth and straight into Grotle¡¯s face, leaving him sputtering. ¡°Not at me!¡±

    When the stream stopped, Bibarel was looking blankly at the agitated Pokemon before him, but Grotle just let out a defeated sigh before giving his body a shake to rid himself of the water.

    Lucas was smiling at the two of them, but instead of launching into a demonstration with Bibarel, he followed up by releasing the other Pokemon he had.

    At first, N was confused as to how the boy had managed to get a pokeball to accept an unhatched egg as an occupant. But then, the top of it unfolded like a flower, and two beady eyes opened. ¡°Toge-priii!¡±

    Unintelligible. However, in this case N thought it safe to assume that rather than the Pokemon being too simple minded to understand language properly throughout its development, that it was simply too young. Humans took years to develop language, and while Pokemon matured at a much faster rate, this one was still partially in its egg?

    So wrapped up in his inspection of the newcomer, he hadn¡¯t noticed that Mimikyu had left his side until he heard his friend¡¯s voice far behind him.

    ¡°Togepi is on the Fairy list!¡±

    Lucas was looking back towards Mimikyu with concern, but Grotle was the one to speak up, for obvious reasons. ¡°Fairy list?¡± He took a spot between Togepi and the two of them, intent on defending his teammate even if he didn¡¯t quite understand.

    ¡°Um, Lucas? I would suggest you recall Togepi,¡± N hurriedly urged the boy. ¡°There are¡­ some things we need to talk about, and Mimikyu¡¯s proximity might have unwanted effects.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Lucas frowned, but obliged.

    N cursed his luck. Lucas hadn¡¯t even needed to manage a fresh capture to get tangled up in this mess.

    But¡­ was he really? It was just a brief moment. Surely the Fairy typing couldn¡¯t have spread that quickly, and if they weren¡¯t travel partners¡­ Perhaps it wasn¡¯t necessary to explain. They could just part ways.

    But Mimikyu seemed to think the confused boy before him was of some importance. Even if N didn¡¯t understand how Mimikyu knew these things, he had successfully managed to line up an interaction with several Legends in Alamos. The things he mentioned, even offhand, were not to be so easily dismissed.

    Grotle glared at them. ¡°Explain.¡±

    N wiped his hand over his face, not really wanting to do this, but accepting that it was happening anyway.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve heard any whisperings about the Fairy type?¡±

    <hr>

    The discussion on Fairy types had gone on long enough that the sun was setting and people were heading home for the day, Lucas and N among them. Or, well, the Pokemon Center, not home, but still! Home base? Eh, close enough.

    Lucas¡¯ thoughts weren¡¯t going to get any more clear, not with the way that his mind was racing with this new information.

    He knew his type chart. Even Barry knew his type chart, and you could barely get Barry to stop for long enough to look at one, let alone memorize it. Type charts were important though, if you planned on making any serious progress as a trainer. Super effective moves made a big difference! And sure, there were a few odd exceptions to the normal chart, like if a Pokemon had Levitate or Water Absorb¡­. He hadn¡¯t seen those in the field yet, but he¡¯d done his studying before venturing out into the world¡­ but they were just that!

    Exceptions!

    There wasn¡¯t supposed to be some hidden eighteenth type that he had never even heard rumors of getting sprung on him in the middle of his journey!

    Is it the middle of his journey? He only has two badges out of eight, so maybe it should still count as the beginning¡­

    His eye caught on a potion sitting on the ground outside the Pokemart. He hadn¡¯t really spent much time investigating Hearthome yet, there were probably all sorts of goodies around here still! He took a step toward the Pokemart, but his heart fell when a hiker picked it up before him.

    The hiker frowned, as if he was disappointed with the potion. The nerve! Taking Lucas¡¯ potential potion and not even being happy with it! Though it might have been the hiker¡¯s in the first place, now that he thought about it¡­

    But Fairy types! That was more important right now. An immunity to Dragon type moves would be¡­ well, probably not all that useful, honestly. Not anytime soon, anyway. Dragons were way too powerful to be hanging around the areas he¡¯d been to so far, and trainers strong enough to handle them would probably have better things to do than hang around the edges of western routes and taking money from chumps with only a badge or two.

    Not that he was a chump! He was gonna be the best!

    But that was¡­ still a long way off.

    And was it really his decision to make, anyway?

    Togepi was the one who would be changing types. Might be changing types. Lucas had never had a type, but if he did and there was a chance it could suddenly change, he would want to have some say in the matter!

    But Togepi was also a baby. Togepi could barely keep from tripping over his own feet with how much he hustled everywhere. And on top of that, his Pokedex said that he would learn Metronome soon, and that would be a mess of its own¡­ assuming he could still trust his Pokedex.

    He glanced over to his walking buddies, N saying something to Mimikyu in Galarian that he couldn¡¯t understand.

    He still couldn¡¯t get over the fact that N could talk to Pokemon. How cool was that?! Lucas couldn¡¯t even handle talking to people, let alone Pokemon!

    Where was he? Oh, Mimikyu! A Ghost and Fairy type. The Fairy type stuff was a big deal, but if he was a Ghost too, then maybe he could get some help with his definitely not broken Pokedex. If a Ghost had broken it, then a Ghost should be able to fix it, right?

    He really didn¡¯t want Professor Rowan to find out what had happened to it.

    A blonde girl in some workout gear stole his attention. N-not the girl, that is, but the Pokemon next to her! It looked like a Fire type, but he didn¡¯t recognize it. He pulled out his Pokedex, but the stupid thing just gave him static again, so he shoved it back in his bag with a frown.

    Togepi. Fairy types. Focus, Lucas!

    Togepi was a baby, the little guy couldn¡¯t do anything on his own besides get into trouble. It would be a bit much to spring a question like ¡°Do you want to change your type¡± and expect a well thought out answer.

    As Togepi¡¯s trainer¡­ that sort of fell on his shoulders, didn¡¯t it?

    It was his responsibility to decide whether or not it should happen. That made him feel¡­ uneasy.

    He supposed he would have to do what he always did in situations like this. Put it off for later! He could just make sure Togepi and Mimikyu didn¡¯t spend time together until he was sure about the answer one way or the other.

    Yeah, that sounded good. Barry won¡¯t let him get a word out? Just stop talking! Don¡¯t know whether Togepi should become a Fairy type? Just stop all interaction with a potential new friend!

    What was the point about worrying about things like that when he could be focused on collecting more items for his hoa- er, recycling project! That was always a good distraction.

    As he and N approached the Pokemon Center, he glanced at the open door of the building next to it. Most places that welcomed strangers had signs out front, but that wasn¡¯t always true!

    Probably.

    He hadn¡¯t run into any serious problems yet, so it might as well be true!

    Peeking inside the gap of the door frame, his eyes fell on all sorts of technology that was far beyond his understanding. A science lab, then? Maybe they had some goodies laying around¡­ or, um, maybe they needed help with their experiments! Yeah, that was a good cover¡­

    He walked up to the building without a hint of hesitation, making his presence known before the door could be closed.

    ¡°Wha- Lucas? What are you doing, that¡¯s just a house!¡± N called out from behind him, but Lucas ignored his cries. N clearly didn¡¯t know the joy of recycling!

    The woman just inside the building jumped a bit in surprise when she noticed him. Long blonde hair was tied back messily, a sleeveless orange top hugged her body, and some jean shorts ended mid thigh. Lucas¡¯ definitely focused on her face, he didn¡¯t want to get cooties. ¡°Oh! Sorry, I didn¡¯t notice you there. Hiya!¡± Her eyes roamed him with a calculating look. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a trainer! That means you¡¯re using Pokemon Boxes! I love meeting end users!¡±

    N had caught up to him by that point, looking ready to reprimand him, but paused upon hearing those words. ¡°End users?¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu-kyu.¡±

    Lucas was just as confused. He hadn¡¯t actually used the Pokemon Boxes himself yet, not with how small his team was, but he knew what they were and how they worked. They were the system that allowed Pokeballs to be sent large distances almost instantly. If he really needed to, he could get his Pokemon sent back to Sandgem so Professor Rowan could take a look at them, or vice versa. There was also some sort of long term storage mixed in there, but he had never been interested in that aspect of it, so he didn¡¯t know the details.

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s up?¡± The woman took N¡¯s joining them in stride. ¡°What¡¯s with the astonishment?¡± She focused back on Lucas before her eyes widened.

    ¡°Oh! Right, sorry! There I go running my mouth again!¡± She smiled and stepped out of the doorway, gesturing for them to enter. ¡°My name¡¯s Bebe! You know the PC Pokemon Boxes? I¡¯m the system admin!¡±

    Lucas followed her inside without missing a beat, hoping that this would be a situation similar to the Underground Man¡¯s house.

    Well, the getting free stuff part, not so much the getting hurl trapped and barely escaping multiple cave ins after trying to use said free stuff.

    N hemmed and hawed at the door, but after a moment, and some encouragement from Mimikyu, he stepped inside as well, looking around the building they had entered. ¡°You¡¯re the system admin for the Pokemon Boxes?¡± The green haired man had a frown on his face, but didn¡¯t voice whatever was bothering him about that, too busy taking in the giant computer shoved into the corner. There was lots of techy stuff all over, but that one was obviously the most important.

    ¡°Kyu.¡± It sounded like Mimikyu was judging his trainer.

    ¡°Yep! That¡¯s me!¡± Bebe agreed. While he and N had been looking around her¡­ office? House? She had been looking at him. Squinting, judging, evaluating. ¡°I know this is out of the blue¡­¡± she started, stepping a bit too close into Lucas¡¯ personal space to stare into his eyes, ¡°but do you want a Pokemon named Eevee?¡±

    Eevee? That sounded familiar¡­ hadn¡¯t that been a name in a book about rare Pokemon that Barry had showed him?

    ¡°What is that supposed to-¡± N started, but Lucas wasn¡¯t one to waste an opportunity like this, quickly nodding in agreement with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Here you go!¡± Bebe cut N off, shoving a Pokeball into Lucas¡¯ hand. ¡°That Eevee, I got it from a good friend in Johto who has a whole lot of them. Who knows how many Eevee he¡¯s raised over the years.¡±

    He heard a sound of disgust from behind him, and a chastisement from Mimikyu.

    ¡°Sorry, that probably doesn¡¯t mean anything to you,¡± Bebe continued. ¡°Please be good to it!¡±

    Eager to meet his new teammate, Lucas released Eevee in front of him. It was a cute little thing, with fluffy brown fur and a lighter patch around its neck. Big eyes, big ears, and a huge fluffy tail that was about the size of the rest of its body. He pulled out his Pokedex to learn more about his new friend. Hopefully it would work this time.

    Kneeling down, he held a hand out to Eevee, letting it sniff his hand with a smile as he activated the device.

    A synthetic voice rang out from the speaker. ¡°Eevee, the Evolution Pokemon. Because its genetic makeup is ir-ir-ir-ir-ir-ir-ir-¡±

    Eevee started to growl at his Pokedex. Just a normal growl, not the move, but it was still weird¡­

    Bebe frowned down at him. ¡°Well that doesn¡¯t seem right. That¡¯s one of Professor Rowan¡¯s, right?¡±

    Lucas nodded, but at the same time desperately tried to think up ways to get Bebe not to inform the professor about this!

    ¡°...Mi-kyu?¡±

    ¡°Who cares about the Pokedex, Mimikyu? Shouldn¡¯t we be more concerned about what sounds like a breeder-¡±

    Whatever N had been trying to say went in one ear and out the other as the Pokedex in Lucas¡¯ hand suddenly grew eyes and a smile, the whole thing buzzing with electricity that had him tossing it in the air from the surprise of the shock.

    It crashed to the ground, and to Lucas¡¯ relief it didn''t break apart on impact, but the weirdness hadn¡¯t ended either. Eevee took up a spot between him and the Pokedex, as if trying to protect him from it.

    ¡°Bzzrt! T-t-testing!¡± The synthetic voice of the Pokedex came out distorted, a crackly static overlaying it.

    ¡°Mimi-kyu!¡±

    ¡°T-t-the whole time, of c-c-course!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what a Rotom is?¡± N asked the ghost on his shoulder.

    Bebe squealed. ¡°You have a Rotom and you didn¡¯t tell me?!¡±

    Lucas looked between Bebe and his Pokedex.

    What in the world is a Rotom?

 Chapter 37

    It was a strange thing to look at. He¡¯d seen Pokedexes before, even the models specifically used by Professor Rowan thanks to travelling with Ash¡¯s group. He knew what they were meant to look like. And by and large, it was still mostly the same, but¡­ now there was a sort of aura around it. It was faint, and it didn¡¯t project very far from the plastic surface of the Pokedex, no more than a centimeter or two, but it gave the device an eerie, blueish-grey glow. Whatever was meant to be displayed on the top screen was hidden behind a large pair of eyes with deep blue irises, and the bottom screen had been covered up by a small mouth. But these new parts didn¡¯t seem to be a part of the Pokedex. Instead, they seemed¡­ flat? Like they were little more than stickers, floating over the surface of the device. Maybe that eerie aura was holding them in place?

    Bebe scooped the Pokedex off the ground excitedly, holding it up in the air like it was a winning lottery ticket. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you found a Rotom! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find one?!¡±

    Even if Lucas were able to respond, she didn¡¯t pause for an answer, holding the Pokedex close, inspecting the new eyes on it.

    ¡°I heard rumors that there had been sightings in recent years, researchers kept getting called in to investigate malfunctioning electronics, but the leading theory was that the Sinnoh population had gone extinct! They were originally native to the Coronet Mountain range, you know, probably drawn to all of the lodestones like Probopass and Magnezone. There¡¯s definitely strong evidence that they were still present in small numbers in the time period where Jubilife was still just a small village¡­ but to find one now?!¡± N¡¯s ears rang as the woman got overexcited. ¡°This could revolutionize so many things for us! The only other confirmed specimen I¡¯ve heard of was a few years back in Alola, but those jerks wouldn¡¯t share any data on it once word started to spread! All we¡¯ve had to work with has been a few grainy images of the one they had possessing a television! Ohoho, the Porygon system has been great, but if we could get a decent population going and start producing Rotom based electronics first-!¡±

    N cleared his throat as he removed the poor Pokemon from the woman¡¯s grasp. His skin tingled as he touched it, traces of electricity shocking him. To ensure that she didn¡¯t snatch it up again, he held it behind him, intending for Lucas to take it back. Ideally he could just leave it free to wander, but if the initial reveal had shown him anything, it was that Rotom didn¡¯t exactly have control over its¡­ housing?

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± He demanded of the blonde.

    ¡°Uh, N?¡± Mimikyu spoke up from his shoulder, but N was too busy trying to contain his anger to pay much attention.

    First she hands a random trainer who just barged into her¡­ house? Office? And he would be having a conversation with Lucas about that later¡­ but she just handed him an Eevee! One that it sounds like came from some sort of awful breeder situation, and he¡¯d heard enough horror stories for that to set off all sorts of red flags.

    But now she follows that up with seeing a new Pokemon, and instead of seeing to its care after it falls to the ground, she immediately launches into a spiel about how she could use it?

    That was not something that N could allow.

    But instead of trying to explain herself, which he was sure would go poorly, Bebe stared behind him with wide eyes. ¡°No, no, no, wait! Not the PC system!¡± She reached out desperately, and so N turned to follow her gaze.

    In his hand was Lucas¡¯ Pokedex. Notably, it looked completely normal. Floating in the air beside it was an orange orb, a bit shorter than Mimikyu, with a spike sticking out of the top and a small bulb hanging beneath it. It was surrounded by that same eerie aura, which projected out even further near the base of the orange form, forming into two limbs that resembled the symbol often used to represent Electric types.

    N assumed this was Rotom¡¯s true form. It shot through the air, away from him and the Pokedex, and towards the giant computer in the corner of the room.

    ¡°Look at all of that sweet, sweet power!¡± Free from the Pokedex, there was still a sort of crackly quality to the Pokemon¡¯s androgynous voice, but it no longer sounded synthetic or like static.

    N wasn¡¯t entirely sure of what the problem was, but Mimikyu was apparently on the same page as Bebe.

    He leapt off of N¡¯s shoulder, the small rag doll that covered him flying through the air until the two Ghost types collided, sending them crashing to the ground.

    ¡°Get off of Rotom! Rotom just wants a little taste!¡± Rotom wiggled and squirmed, trying to free itself from where it had been trapped beneath the disguise.

    ¡°No, ya lunatic!¡± Mimikyu kept the Pokemon pinned. ¡°Ya can¡¯t jus¡¯ go messin¡¯ with stuff ya don¡¯ understand!¡±

    ¡°Get away from Miss Bebe¡¯s stuff!¡± A boyish voice yipped, and Lucas¡¯ new Eevee jumped into the fray, his body taking on the familiar white glow of a Normal type move¡­ only for what N thought was a Tackle to be completely ineffective, managing nothing more than to add himself on top of the growing pile of Pokemon.

    Bebe threw herself between the large computer and the Pokepile, her arms outstretched and panic on her face. ¡°Do something! If a Rotom takes over the PC system-¡± She cut herself off, though he wasn''t sure if it was because the consequences would be dire, or because she genuinely didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°You can¡¯t stop true love!¡± The Rotom called out, still struggling, but making even less progress now that there was more weighing down on it.

    ¡°Knock it off already!¡± Mimikyu demanded. ¡°We¡¯ll get ya yer damn electronics, but ya can¡¯t ¡®ave these ones! They¡¯re too impor¡¯ant!¡±

    ¡°Bebe says stop!¡± Eevee yowled, trying to bite and scratch the pinned Pokemon, even with Mimikyu sandwiched between them, but apparently not having gained the control over the Dark type for a proper Bite.

    N saw Lucas pull out a Pokeball from the corner of his eye, but he quickly put a stop to that, grabbing it and forcing the hand down to the boy¡¯s side when he tried to toss it. Trainers always were quick to resort to such horrible methods of conflict resolution.

    A stern glare kept a confused Lucas from acting on his own, and N stepped in to solve the problem.

    Kneeling down between Bebe and the Pokepile, N pulled out his flip phone. It wasn¡¯t like he ever used the thing for something other than contacting Plasma or Ghetsis, and he hadn¡¯t exactly done that much recently. He didn¡¯t think he had used the old thing since he¡¯d run into Mimikyu, actually¡­

    It wouldn¡¯t be missed, if a sacrifice had to be made.

    ¡°Rotom.¡± He held the device in front of its face, causing the Ghost to stop squirming for a moment. ¡°You like electronics?¡±

    The frown on its face was replaced by a bright smile. ¡°Of course! But there¡¯s no way Rotom is giving up something like that for some dumb old flip phone!¡± Its eyes narrowed with suspicion.

    Of course it couldn¡¯t be that easy. But there had to be a way to satisfy Rotom¡¯s desires in a way that wasn¡¯t destructive, and if that computer really was involved in the horrid PC system¡­

    ¡°What if it was a temporary sorta thing?¡± Mimikyu chimed in once Eevee stopped trying to attack Rotom through him. ¡°What if we could get ya somethin¡¯ better, if only ya held off?¡±

    Rotom seemed to think it over as the rest of them watched on. Bebe and Lucas were probably quite lost, given they only understood one participant in the conversation.

    And now that he was thinking about it, he should be careful not to reveal his understanding to Bebe. Hopefully Mimikyu could handle things from here.

    ¡°...something better? Like what?¡± Rotom eventually asked.

    ¡°Like¡­¡± Mimikyu hesitated, apparently not having fully thought it through before he opened his mouth. ¡°A washin¡¯ machine, or a lawn mower, or-¡±

    ¡°Rotom has already had those things! No deal!¡± It started to squirm again.

    ¡°Then what abou¡¯ fancy new tech?¡± Mimikyu hurriedly added on.

    ¡°...new tech?¡±

    Mimikyu looked up to him. Or, tried to anyway. It was a little hard when his eye slits were cut into the disguise¡¯s torso, which was holding Rotom down, but N got the message when the false eyes tried, and only failed a bit, to meet his own.

    ¡°N here is gonna get ¡®is ¡®ands on a neat lil¡¯ thing called a C-Gear, and luck would ¡®ave it, we were actually in¡¯erested in ¡®avin one of yer kind inhabit it!¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    That was¡­ stretching the truth a bit. N was surprised that Mimikyu had remembered his offhand mention of plans to get a C-Gear once they were released. Though, even if that was his plan, they hadn¡¯t been released yet. He didn¡¯t know when they would be released, let alone when he could personally get his hands on one. And while Mimikyu had suggested that a Rotom might help them fight the League¡¯s Porygon surveillance measures, he hadn¡¯t realized that meant offering up a brand new, top of the line piece of tech to the Pokemon.

    But they didn¡¯t exactly have a lot of options at the moment, so he didn¡¯t argue the point.

    ¡°Hmmmm¡­.¡± Rotom sounded more like the hum of an old radio rather than the hum that he might make himself. ¡°Fine. Rotom accepts, but if this C-gear isn¡¯t as full of power as this computer, then Rotom will come back here!¡± The little Ghost type asserted.

    Hopefully all of the advertising claims he¡¯d heard about the product were accurate, because it would take a lot to hold a candle to a machine like this.

    But for now¡­ N gently pressed his old flip phone against Rotom¡¯s forehead, watching as with a brief flash and spark, Rotom disappeared from beneath Mimikyu and his phone took on the same eerie glow that Lucas¡¯ Pokedex had.

    Mimikyu fell to the ground, trapped between Eevee and the floor now.

    As N stood back up from his kneeling position, Bebe sighed a breath of relief behind him, and Lucas¡¯ grabbed Eevee by the scruff of the neck, pulling him off of Mimikyu.

    Now, where had he been? Ah, that¡¯s right.

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± he demanded.

    <hr>

    Bebe frowned as the boys left her place, making sure to lock the door behind them.

    She could see where the N kid was coming from, and she thought he had his heart in the right place, but was the lecture really necessary?

    Yes, breeding mills were gross and awful, but Bill didn¡¯t run a breeding mill! He was a respected researcher and inventor, he had class! Him sending one Eevee to a friend of his wasn¡¯t a big deal! She would have appreciated being asked about whether she had the time to take care of the little guy, but still. Her inability to give Eevee the proper care it needed was a problem easily solved by passing him off to a responsible trainer. And what trainers could she trust more than one who was working with Professor Rowan?

    She¡¯d seen the Lucas kid in one or two of Rowan¡¯s reports, he had to be a good kid. Although¡­ perhaps she should have paid more attention to his friend before she had handed off Eevee.

    The reports Cynthia had been sending out didn¡¯t make N sound like a bad guy, but he definitely got into more than his fair share of trouble. Though hadn¡¯t the last report stated that he was in a larger group? Maybe she should send an email to update everyone on the new development¡­

    But that could wait! She had more important things to worry about. Namely, that Rotom and what she was going to do about it.

    Yes, it seemed like neither of the boys had captured the Pokemon, so technically it had been up for grabs¡­ but snatching it out from under them would have made her feel slimy. Still though, there had to be something she could do to get access!

    That smug, handsome bastard Kukui had dared to taunt the rest of the scientific community with his Rotom discovery and then cut them off! How long had it been now? Two, maybe three years since then? His focus was on Pokemon attacks, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t making all sorts of progress in secret! He could have handed the R&D off to Alola¡¯s Silph competitor. Aether could claim to be an alternative to the Joy family all they wanted, nobody outside their stupid island region believed it!

    She had quietly accepted N¡¯s complaints about her ¡°horrible treatment¡± of the little Electric type, if only because he had saved her ass by keeping Rotom out of the PC system. That would have been an absolute nightmare, both in the sense that she didn¡¯t know what having a non-Porygon entity playing with it might do to the Pokemon stored inside, and in that it would have been a bureaucratic nightmare typing up all the reports afterwords telling everyone that she had screwed up so badly¡­

    But surely N would come to see the scientific importance of breeding more Rotom! Well, assuming they bred? So little was known about them, so she couldn¡¯t go off of assumptions like that. Maybe they reproduced asexually? That little bulb on the bottom could be the initial stages of budding, or maybe it was one giant cell that would go through fission¡­

    Hmm. Well, if N wasn¡¯t going to be helpful, maybe she could go to Rowan about it. He would undoubtedly pick up a thing or two since it had been hiding in one of his Pokedexes.

    She laid down in front of her laptop, pulling up her League email. ¡°Hey, Porygon2.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Bebe? How may I be of assistance?¡± Her laptop¡¯s speakers responded.

    ¡°I need to send some private emails. Could you do me a favor and isolate me from the League¡¯s Porygon network?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Bebe.¡±

    <hr>

    Lucas let out a deep breath, relief rushing through him.

    His Pokedex was just fine. Professor Rowan wasn¡¯t going to kill him.

    He glared at the phone Rotom was in from across the shared Pokemon Center room that he and N were using for the night. If N wanted to take care of the annoying thing, that was fine by him. Saved him the trouble.

    Besides¡­ his team was getting big, fast. Togepi had only just hatched recently, and now he had the Eevee that Bebe gifted him. That meant his team had doubled from two to four Pokemon. He was going to have his hands full training them, so he didn¡¯t really think that he could take on Rotom on top of that, even if he had wanted the Ghost type. Which he didn¡¯t!

    Although, this was contributing to a strange pattern. N now had two Ghost types, even if he hadn¡¯t caught Rotom yet, and Lucas himself was now on his third Normal type. How was the only non Normal type on his team his starter?!

    It would probably cause some problems with this city¡¯s Gym leader, given that they used Ghost types like N.

    But it¡¯s not like this was a permanent situation. Or, it didn¡¯t have to be. The possibility of Togepi trading out his Normal type for Fairy was always there with Mimikyu around, and Eevee¡­

    ¡°Because its genetic makeup is irregular, it quickly changes its form due to a variety of causes. It may mutate if it is exposed to radiation from elemental stones, changes in its environment, and perhaps yet unknown reasons.¡± The robotic voice of his Pokedex read out to him.

    Yet unknown reasons¡­.

    He looked over to his roommates. N and Mimikyu were talking in Galarian again, focused on Rotom if their constant glances to the phone were any indication.

    He made his way over to them, holding his Pokedex up for the two of them to see before pointing at Mimikyu.

    He figured his question was clear enough with just that.

    ¡°Kyu, Mi-kyu.¡±

    N frowned.

    ¡°He says yes, there¡¯s a Fairy type evolution for Eevee. We¡¯ll have to be careful about that, like with Togepi.¡±

    Lucas pouted, but nodded, leaving them alone for now. They certainly would have to be careful about that. Togepi potentially becoming a Fairy was one thing, but Eevee as well?

    No, thank you.

    There would be no point in leaving behind an over focus on Normal types just to replace it with Fairy! He would just be switching which types his team would have serious trouble with¡­ Actually, it would be even worse than that! He¡¯d be trading one weakness for two!

    Not happening. Especially when there were so many possibilities! He scrolled through Pokedex entries, looking over the options. There probably wasn¡¯t much point in going with Leafeon or Vaporeon, given that Grotle covered the Grass type and Bibarel covered the Water type. And with the Fairy type eeveelution out of the running, that left five more¡­

    Hmm¡­ Route 217? If he really wanted an Ice type, he could probably catch one there instead of waiting to evolve Eevee that long. Snowpoint had that name for a reason, right? There had to be all sorts of Ice types around it. Although having a Glaceon could be very¡­ cool.

    He was glad that he never spoke, because he¡¯d die of shame if N heard him say that.

    He could go in the opposite temperature direction? Fire types were supposed to have a really good offense, right? Grotle and Bibarel seemed to be shaping up to lean towards the tanky side, so a Flareon could really help balance things out¡­

    But it was also true that his team was focused on physical attacks right now. If he went with Jolteon then he could have a Pokemon capable of running laps around the rest of his team, plus it would be his first special attacker.

    And then there were Espeon and Umbreon. While he wasn¡¯t quite sure of how they¡¯d stack up with the rest of his team, he had to consider that they offered the most unique advantages, at least in his mind.

    Espeon was a Psychic type. Given that the only wild Abra he¡¯d seen had teleported away instantly, and his attempts to catch a Ralts had gone the same way repeatedly, it might be a good way to get one on his team. He could always go with a Bronzor, but that would just add another slow, bulky Pokemon to the team, and a Meditite seemed a lot more¡­ punchy than ¡°mind powers¡± to him.

    But he really wanted a Psychic type. Psychic types were so cool! Telepathy, Telekinesis, absolutely demolishing those stupid Poison types who ate through his Pecha berry supplies¡­.

    And Umbreon¡­ well, any advantage that an Espeon could grant him, an Umbreon could shut down for opposing trainers.

    He grabbed Eevee¡¯s Pokeball, looking into the button on the front like that could somehow tell him which path to go down.

    Except, it wasn¡¯t really ¡°his¡± path. It was like the Fairy stuff with Togepi. At the end of the day, it should be Eevee¡¯s decision, and this time there wasn¡¯t the whole ¡°this baby just hatched¡± thing to put a damper on that.

    Oh well. It¡¯s not like he was expecting Eevee to evolve anytime soon. He should be focused on things in the here and now instead.

    Like his game plan for challenging the Hearthome Gym.

 Chapter 38

    The next morning, N found himself staring up at the ceiling of his room as he laid in bed. Lucas had left just a short while ago, giving some vague explanation that he wanted to walk around the city or something.

    Something about that worried him. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the way that the boy had just barged into a random person¡¯s home, the way he had so quickly accepted a breeder mill Pokemon from said random person, or simply the look in his eyes before he had left.

    Lucas was a strange kid.

    Though whatever had him feeling uneasy about the boy, there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it at the moment. He would just have to wait and see if Lucas had gotten up to any nonsense when they met back up later in the day.

    He knew not to expect much from a Pokemon trainer.

    ¡°Are ya jus¡¯ gonna laze aroun¡¯ all day?¡±

    ¡°You should be figuring out how to get Rotom a C-gear instead!¡± Rotom chimed in, and N¡¯s vision of the ceiling was obscured by his possessed flip phone.

    Right. The C-gear.

    While advertisements for the devices had started being plastered all over Castelia a good few months ago, Plasma had known about them for much longer than that. From what he¡¯d heard, they had initially been created by some no name scientist in order to organize reports from field work, but had somehow ballooned in scope to become the go to device for communication. The data collection features were still there, but that wasn¡¯t exactly something marketable to the masses.

    Part of him wondered what exactly had jump started that change. He very much doubted that a scientist would have pushed so hard to commercialize some clunky piece of research tech on their own, but if someone else had offered some serious funding in exchange for a change in direction for the device¡¯s development¡­

    Though that left the questions of who and why.

    Silph or Devon might have jumped at the chance if they heard something early on. An opportunity to make loads of money not only on the device itself, but by being the first major company in the League to branch out into Unova. Well, successfully branch out to Unova. Obviously they¡¯d done something in his home region if he could name them so easily, but all he really knew them as were ¡°big Kanto corporation¡± and ¡°big Hoenn corporation¡± respectively. They seemed fond of plastering their logos all over posters and whatnot, but seemed to think that somehow constituted proper advertising when he couldn¡¯t even name a single product that either of them sold.

    There was also the possibility of the League itself. They would most likely frame it as some nebulous nonsense like ¡°improving the lives of trainers¡±, while behind the scenes they infected each and every last one of them with a League Porygon that would report information back to a horde of Psychics to parse through the data at their headquarters¡­

    It would be impossible to know for sure until he got his hands on one for himself, and for that¡­ Well, maybe when those Shadow Triad weirdos showed up again they might be able to give him an update on when they¡¯d go public.

    For now though¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you the C-gear as soon as I can, Rotom. Until that happens, you¡¯re welcome to inhabit my flip phone and travel with us.¡±

    Truthfully, he¡¯d probably allow Rotom to stay for as long as the Electric type wanted. It was a deal he¡¯d offered to plenty of Pokemon before, Mimikyu included. But something stopped him from phrasing it that way. Something about Rotom¡­ something had him on edge. At first, when he¡¯d gotten confirmation about the Pokemon¡¯s typing, he had assumed it was just Rotom¡¯s Ghost type influence leaking out. That had been a problem with Mimikyu for a long while, and occasionally his friend would still slip up.

    But after a night of thinking about that possibility, as well as their conversation last night while Lucas tinkered with his ¡°fixed¡± Pokedex, he had a feeling that it was something else.

    ¡°Speakin¡¯ of the phone, now that Lucas is gone, why don¡¯ we put yer claims to the test, Rotom? We need ta call Rowan without the League listenin¡¯ in on us.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but make it quick! And Rotom expects some sort of bribe for wasting Rotom¡¯s time with this!¡±

    Now that they had finally become acquainted with a Rotom like his friend had wanted to all this time, Mimikyu had been eager to inquire about whether or not Rotom would be able to get around the League¡¯s Porygons. Rotom had assured them that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all. That Rotom was actually quite experienced in that sort of thing.

    Why would that be?

    N would be the last one to think it a bad thing that a wild Pokemon was actively resisting the League¡¯s ever creeping influence on their lives. He actively promoted that they do so and was working on ending that influence once and for all. But there was something about the way that Rotom spoke about its experience. Something about the way Rotom had turned down Mimikyu¡¯s suggestions of various appliances the Ghost might possess.

    Rotom hadn¡¯t said anything concrete, there was no final piece to the puzzle that would give N certainty on the matter.

    But he had a suspicion that Rotom had a past that the Pokemon wasn¡¯t talking about. Not too dissimilar from Mimikyu, in a way, except that something about it seemed familiar where Mimikyu had not.

    N sat up as Rotom flipped his phone open, carefully grabbing it out of the air and pulling up the contact he had saved after pulling the number from the help section of Lucas¡¯ Pokedex.

    As the call tried to connect, he considered adding a question onto the list that he and Mimikyu had prepared in advance.

    He discarded that thought when the connection went through.

    ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± Professor Rowan¡¯s voice echoed out though the speaker, loud enough for Mimikyu to hear.

    It would be way too suspicious for him to ask the professor if there was some sort of Plasma equivalent hiding out in Sinnoh.

    ¡°This is N, Professor Rowan. Mimikyu and I had a few questions we wanted to ask you¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Professor Rowan let out a tired sigh as he sorted through his notes and emails whilst ignoring all the problems his team had caused throughout the lab.

    Was it really too much to ask that he be able to do some field research in peace every once in a while?

    Truthfully, his outing had started as an attempt to run into his most recent ¡°research partners¡± and exchange information with them, but once he got out on the road¡­

    He had been a young man, once upon a time. He had travelled across Sinnoh with a team of Pokemon, the same as every trainer he sent out into the world with one of his starters. The adventure, the thrills¡­

    Perhaps he should have expected that he¡¯d get caught up in such sentimentality and stay out in the field for far longer than initially planned for.

    Of course, his assistant hadn¡¯t appreciated being dragged every which way that caught his fancy, but what did he pay these fools for if not to cater to his whims? Certainly not to do quality research, if the state of his lab was any indication.

    Although, perhaps her attitude had come more from those buffoons who had accosted them at the northern end of Jubilife, rather than his meanderings. They caused him a bit of concern as well, of course. People who thought they could just up and steal from strangers, someone like him no less, were obviously delusional. And delusional meant dangerous.

    Normally, anyway. His concerns about the group had been washed away when they were trounced by his assistant and that boy, Lucas.

    If he had rid himself of concern for them, then she should have too.

    Perhaps it had been the week or so they spent in the Eterna forest that had her in a tizzy? He¡¯d been told that most people didn¡¯t have the same appreciation for observing wild Burmy evolutions that he did. He couldn¡¯t understand why that might be, though. Sexual dimorphism that broadened into entirely different Pokemon upon evolution! How was that not exciting?! And on top of that, the female Burmy would keep whatever Cloak they were adorned in permanently when they evolved! The current theory was that, while a Wormadam appeared to just be wearing a Cloak like its pre-evolution, the Cloak actually became part of its body. He had made sure to include it in the Pokedex entry, even if he didn¡¯t quite have conclusive evidence yet.

    Now, there were many fools who took such a statement as a pure, unadulterated fact. Those who wouldn¡¯t know how to do proper research if he sat them through an entire semester long lecture series. But it had not been proven! Until the day he died, he would continue to swear that¡­ oh, what was it now, some forty odd years ago? He had seen a Wormadam without its Cloak! Nobody believed him, and he¡¯d been unable to observe the phenomena again in the forty years since, but he knew what his eyes had seen!

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    His silent rambling was cut off when his phone began to ring.

    Biting back his annoyance with the interruption, he answered it. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡±

    His voice echoed on the other end. They must have him on speaker. There was also¡­ some odd quality to the audio. Some sort of background hum that wasn¡¯t quite right.

    ¡°This is N, Professor Rowan. Mimikyu and I had a few questions we wanted to ask you¡­¡±

    N? Where did he¡­ ah, the boy that travelled with Mimikyu, wasn¡¯t it? But how¡­

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pleasure to hear from you, but may I ask how you got my number? I don¡¯t recall us exchanging contact information when we last spoke.¡±

    And it truly was good to hear from him. Well, it was Mimikyu he wanted to speak to, but since this call was audio only the boy would have to act as an interpreter for them.

    ¡°I got it out of the help section in Lucas¡¯ Pokedex, but-¡±

    ¡°Lucas, you say?¡± Rowan interrupted the boy. ¡°I thought you were travelling with that¡­ oh what was his name, Samuel¡¯s boy¡­¡± He frantically dug through his notes, trying to find the name that was stuck on the tip of his tongue.

    ¡°Ash?¡± N suggested, some odd tinge to his voice.

    ¡°Yes! That was it. Weren¡¯t you¡­¡± trying to get him to lead you to Sinnoh¡¯s Legends? He still didn¡¯t believe such a thing was possible, but even the thought of uttering such a thing when the League¡¯s Porygons would be listening in had him reconsidering his words. ¡°Well, perhaps I shouldn¡¯t say¡­¡±

    The odd background hum intensified. ¡°Not to worry!¡± An unfamiliar voice called out, but it was somehow¡­ more crisp, cleaner than N¡¯s voice. ¡°All Porygon with access to this line have been temporarily disabled or redirected!¡±

    ¡°Mi-kyu?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Rotom is a professional!¡±

    Rowan¡¯s thoughts paused.

    ¡°Hold on a moment, I must have misheard you. Did you say Rotom?¡±

    He heard N sigh on the other end. ¡°Yes. I seem to have picked up another¡­ interesting friend.¡±

    ¡°Rotom can tell you mean that in a rude way. Rotom will remember this!¡±

    ¡°Wha- No, Rotom, I don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Kyu-mi!¡±

    Rowan zoned out as the trio started to argue.

    Could it really be? A real, genuine Rotom? He¡¯d seen them in person before, but not in Sinnoh, and not since before¡­

    No, he could get lost in the fact that a Rotom had been discovered in Sinnoh later. One thing at a time, before he got lost in so many tangents that the original conversation was lost completely.

    ¡°Why are you with Lucas and not Ash? Or did Lucas join your little band?¡±

    The argument on the other end went quiet.

    ¡°Ash¡¯s group fragmented after the events in Alamos.¡± N finally answered.

    ¡°Alamos? You mean that quaint little town that fancies itself a kingdom or some such nonsense? What happened there?¡± It¡¯d been a while since he last heard the League whining and moaning about them, but the town rarely crossed his mind.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± N asked, a hint of shock in his voice. ¡°I thought Cynthia would have told you, given how much gossiping seems to go on in the League¡­¡±

    Perhaps she had. It¡¯s not like he¡¯d had the time to go through his emails yet. Keeping the phone to his ear, he used his free hand to search for emails from the Champion.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve been a bit disconnected lately. I¡¯ve just spent a week or so deep in Eterna forest doing some research, so I¡¯m a bit out of the loop.¡± He started skimming through his inbox. New protocols, something from Bebe¡­. Ah, there it was. Regarding the Alamos Incident the subject line read. ¡°What could have possibly set you off from your goal? I highly doubt that-¡±

    The words caught in his throat.

    Access to the entire document will require a Porygon2 level encryption.

    Summary: The trend has continued, and Alamos town became the site of Sinnoh¡¯s first major ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ event in recent history. Although damage to the city is no longer an issue, it should be noted¡­

    ¡°Professor?¡± N called out to him.

    Rowan startled. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts.

    ¡°N¡­ what exactly did you call me for?¡±

    ¡°Kyu-kyu!¡±

    ¡°Well, we had a few different questions that have come up during our travels, but this is the first time we¡¯ve had a secure way to ask them. I also figured you would want some updates on your research request.¡±

    Right. The Fairy research¡­ That was important wasn¡¯t it? More importantly, it was something to take his mind off of the email in front of him.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I suppose I can make some time for that. What did-¡±

    ¡°Rotom is amazing, but Rotom can not do this forever.¡± N¡¯s newest ¡°friend¡± interrupted. ¡°There are a lot of Porygon trying to monitor you. Did you upset the League?¡±

    Rowan didn¡¯t know nearly enough about Rotom to tell whether the amount of time the Ghost had managed was impressive or abysmal. He hadn¡¯t even been aware that they could be utilized in this capacity! He¡¯d been spending lots of time trying to get his hands on a Porygon2, but¡­

    There was too much to consider right now. Too much information, too many questions, and not enough time.

    ¡°Where are you right now?¡± He asked the trio on the other end.

    ¡°We¡¯re in Hearthome? Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll Teleport in tomorrow to talk with you. It seems that we have much to discuss. I would do it right now, but¡­¡± His eyes fell on the mess his assistants had made of the lab. ¡°I have a few things to take care of. Expect me at noon.¡±

    ¡°Kyu?!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Professor Rowan what do you-¡±

    Rowan hung up the call.

    Fairy type infection, discovery of a Rotom, and, if his interpretation of the email was right, an encounter with Legends.

    N and Mimikyu were either turning out to be the best source of data he had ever worked with, or the cause of his first heart attack.

    Maybe both, at this rate.

    <hr>

    Lucas felt at peace, having explored most of Hearthome.

    He still hadn¡¯t stepped into the Contest Hall, but¡­ well, even if that Keira girl had asked him to go there so she could ¡°thank him properly¡±, whatever that meant, he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to enter the building.

    It was for contests! He wasn¡¯t a coordinator! He was a Gym challenger, not some artsy showman. He¡¯d check the place out still, just¡­ later.

    For now, he had more important matters to attend to. Like these poffin things? Apparently one of the buildings he had stumbled into was some sort of poffin hotspot, and they¡¯d insisted that he join in on making some.

    It had gone¡­ well, it had gone.

    He had lots of berries to choose from for ingredients, what with the whole emptying every berry bush he passed, but so many of them were useful and he couldn¡¯t justify using them on some sort of treat. So he¡¯d gone with the Durin berries he¡¯d been gifted by his fellow collector in Amity Square.

    A lot of frantic yelling from the person running the place had guided him through the baking process, but he¡¯d still burned them for a bit, and spilled some of the mix over the side of the bowl twice. Now he was left with¡­

    Hmm. Were these edible? They were some sort of toxic green color, and his instructor told him to put the yellow sprinkles on top.

    If they weren¡¯t good enough to eat, they would have told him to throw the poffins away instead of putting sprinkles on top, right? These weren¡¯t going to make his Pokemon sick?

    With a bit of trepidation, Lucas released Grotle and offered up the treats. Grotle seemed happy to eat just about anything, so as long as these poffins weren¡¯t absolutely awful it should be fine.

    His starter sniffed at them, gave him a curious look, and promptly ate the entire batch at once.

    He really hoped that they wouldn¡¯t make him sick.

    When Grotle didn¡¯t promptly keel over in pain, he took that as a good sign, and started leading the Grass type out of the city, back towards the area he¡¯d been hunting Ralts in. Trying to catch one after his team had just grown was probably not a good idea, but it was still a good place to train.

    And he definitely needed to train. Grotle and Bibarel were holding up well enough, and if his battle history was anything to go by, they might just be enough to take on the gym by themselves.

    But, if he just let his other Pokemon sit around on the sidelines, they wouldn¡¯t grow stronger. Or at least, Eevee wouldn¡¯t.

    Togepi¡­ hmm. Maybe he should try using that crazy thing Professor Rowan¡¯s assistant had given him. What did he call it? An Experience Share? It still seemed a little sketchy to him, but if it had come from the professor¡­

    When he and Grotle got to the clearing, he released the rest of his team.

    Bibarel stared at him with a blank expression. It wasn¡¯t quite what he wanted, but it was a vast improvement from when she would wander around and completely ignore him.

    Eevee looked up at him with big, curious eyes. Lucas really hoped that teaching him the command system would go more easily than it had with Bibarel.

    Togepi cheered upon release. ¡°Toge-priiii!¡± The little egg bound Pokemon waddled over to him with a smile on his face.

    Lucas kneeled down, smiling at his youngest friend, before digging into his bag. When the Experience Share came out, he held it up to Togepi¡­

    The contraption, which he was told was meant to go on the Pokemon¡¯s head, was bigger than Togepi¡¯s entire body.

    He thought it over for a moment, and the rest of his team, sans Bibarel, gave him odd looks as he strapped up the young Normal type.

    It was a gift from the professor. Nothing would go wrong. This would just make Togepi stronger, get him up to speed faster.

    Lucas switched the device on.

 Chapter 39

    Being alone was hard.

    Well, not alone alone, she still had her team with her all the time, but she missed having someone to talk to who could actually respond in a way she could fully understand.

    And she hadn¡¯t even left Hearthome yet.

    The Hearthome City Pokemon Contest that Zoey had told her about was still a couple days away, so Dawn had been spending her time preparing routines with her team, trying to get into the best shape that they could before the real thing¡­ but there was only so much practice you could do before it started driving you crazy.

    So today, instead of going over her routine yet again, she found herself exploring the city. The park had been interesting, though she thought it was kind of weird that the workers wanted to inspect her Pokemon before letting them in. And then she had found a place that gave lessons on cooking poffins, so of course she had given that another try!

    And she was glad that she did, because one of the instructors had shared a super interesting bit of information.

    Super Contests.

    She wasn¡¯t sure how this was the first time she was hearing about them! With how crazy her mom was about contests, she would have thought¡­ well, maybe the scale was just that different. Contests like the Wallace Cup or the Grand Festival were broadcasted on television, they were a big deal. These Super Contests though¡­ she would have to investigate, since she didn¡¯t know anything about them, but they couldn¡¯t have been a thing since not even her mom had mentioned them before.

    Supposedly they ran these Super Contests in the same Contest Hall that the Contest that she was familiar with was going to be held in, and so she entered the huge building expecting¡­ hmmm¡­ maybe a smaller crowd of coordinators? But not too small, otherwise why would they be called ¡°Super¡± Contests? Honestly, if these ones were smaller, shouldn¡¯t the ¡°normal" Contests be the ones considered ¡°Super¡±?

    Her thoughts on the weird naming conventions vanished from her mind when she saw who was already there.

    ¡°...you can still talk a big game! But let me just remind you of how things turned out the last time, Ayako.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Johanna, are you sure that you¡¯re not past your prime and trying to hold on to past glory? I¡¯d challenge you right now, but I wouldn¡¯t want you to throw your hip out¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh! Yes, please! I¡¯d give anything to see the two of you go head to head in person!¡±

    It took Dawn¡¯s brain a moment to reboot.

    ¡°...mom?¡± she barely got the word out.

    The trio of women turned to her, two of them lighting up with bright smiles while the third cocked her head, her eyes darting between mother and daughter.

    ¡°Dawn! I was hoping I¡¯d run into you at some point! How are you doing, sweetie?¡± Her mother was on her in an instant, moving to wrap her in a hug, but stopping halfway there, frozen.

    ¡°Johanna, what are you doing?¡± Ayako chided, moving in to give her a hug as well. She also froze, her hands shooting to her mouth as she gasped. ¡°Oh dear¡­¡±

    Dawn fought back the grimace, plastering on a smile.

    Their eyes were on her leg. On her bandages. She¡¯d been told they would be able to come off tomorrow, just in time for the Contest. She hadn¡¯t expected to run into anyone she knew. Or at least, nobody who wasn¡¯t there when she was injured.

    ¡°Hey mom, hello Mrs. Platinum,¡± Dawn greeted the two familiar women. ¡°No need to worry! It¡¯s basically healed already, so¡­¡±

    Her mom ignored her words. She figured that would happen. Telling her that there was no need to worry was when she worried most, or so she liked to say. She very carefully pulled Dawn into a hug before starting her inspection for more wounds that she didn¡¯t know about.

    Luckily, the rest had healed already. There was nothing else to find anymore.

    It did seem to work on Mrs. Platinum, though. Ayako was a very nice woman who lived near them in Twinleaf Town. Her neighbor let out a sigh of relief, relaxing a bit at Dawn¡¯s reassurance.

    Mrs. Platinum and her mom had an awful lot in common, so they were good friends, and Dawn had seen a lot of the women while growing up.

    Though, maybe they had a bit too much in common, even if there were still plenty of differences. While the two of them had both gone on Pokemon journeys when they were young, nowadays her mom taught a coordinator class out of their home, while Mrs. Platinum was a stay-at-home mom. While they often got mistaken for twins, her mom had more of a dusty blue hue to her hair with nile blue eyes, often dressing in shades of orange, and Mrs. Platinum had more of a light navy blue hue to her hair with dusky blue eyes, often dressing in shades of pink. While they were both respected coordinators with strong teams, her mom had Glameow and Umbreon, while Ayako had¡­ now that she thought about it, did Mrs. Platinum really only have Jumpy the Kangaskhan? That was the only Pokemon she remembered seeing at the Platinum house¡­

    No, she needed to focus. She was only distracting herself from how awkward she felt, not her mom from the bandages.

    Panicked, she turned to the stranger who was still standing off to the side, looking just as awkward as Dawn felt. ¡°Um, I¡¯m Dawn, and you are¡­?¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± The woman perked right up. ¡°I¡¯m Keira! I¡¯m a Contest Judge for the Super Contests here. Are you¡­.¡± the woman trailed off as her eyes focused on something behind Dawn. ¡°Oh! My hero!¡±

    When Dawn turned to see who Keira was talking about, she was surprised to see yet another familiar face. ¡°Lucas?¡±

    The boy waved in response, looking a bit distracted¡­ and maybe a little bit damp? Strange.

    ¡°Oh, hi Lucas!¡± Ayako called out to her son. ¡°Isn¡¯t this something? Who would have thought we¡¯d end up having a little Twinleaf get together all the way in Hearthome! Say, you wouldn¡¯t happen to know where Barry is, would you, honey? It¡¯s not quite the same without him causing a ruckus!¡±

    Lucas shrugged, still not really paying attention.

    ¡°Wait! No! Really?!¡± Keira looked between the four Twinleaf residents, her eyes wide in astonishment. ¡°Ayako is your mom? And if you¡¯re Johanna¡¯s daughter¡­ am I looking at two contest stars right now?!¡±

    Dawn felt like her blood went cold at those words, but she kept the smile plastered on her face. Luckily, her mom seemed to finally recompose herself at that point, but the look in her eyes said that there would be words about the injury later. ¡°My little Dawn is turning out to be quite the coordinator! She¡¯s only just started her journey, and she already managed to get a ribbon! I have high hopes for her.¡±

    Dawn fought back the urge to wither under the expectations clear in the eyes of everyone there.

    Just what she needed. More expectations. More pressure. More people to let down when she inevitably failed.

    ¡°Well, Dawn might have a bright future as a coordinator, but I¡¯ve never really spoken to Lucas about contests,¡± Ayako chimed him. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you two know each other though¡­¡±

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Keira¡¯s eyes lit up again, and Dawn sagged a bit as all the attention was taken off of her. ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s right! I need to thank you for earlier. Please, take this accessory!¡± Dawn couldn¡¯t make out what the woman shoved into Lucas¡¯ hands. ¡°Put that accessory on your Pokemon before a Super Contest, it will lend a nice touch of sophistication and glamour. I¡¯m a Super Contest Judge, so come join us for a different kind of fun if that sounds interesting to you!¡±

    Keira looked like she had more to say, and Lucas like he was never going to say anything, but Dawn couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, especially after her last chance to ask about the topic had been cut off by Lucas¡¯ arrival. ¡°You¡¯re a Super Contest Judge? Um, what exactly is a Super Contest?¡±

    Mrs. Platinum rolled her eyes good-naturedly. ¡°Oh boy, now you¡¯ve done it¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right! I can explain to both of you!¡± Keira all but shouted. ¡°This is so exciting!¡±

    Her mom sighed. ¡°Super Contests are what happens when someone decides that the seasonal normal Contests aren¡¯t enough.¡±

    Keira pouted. ¡°Why do you make it sound like I¡¯m responsible? Though if they didn¡¯t already exist, I probably would have made them a thing¡­¡± She giggled before moving on. ¡°So! You¡¯re doing the normal Contests, right Dawn? You get a pass to participate for the season, travel the region to collect ribbons from various cities and towns, and if you collect five of them, you can participate in the next Grand Festival!¡±

    Dawn nodded along, with all of that information matching what she knew of contests.

    ¡°And that¡¯s great!¡± Keira continued, ¡°but it means a lot of travel, and that there aren¡¯t many Contests in a year. Super Contests are the solution to that, designed to better fit the needs of the layman, though that¡¯s not to say that there aren¡¯t heights to reach for! Every Super Contest, at least here in the Sinnoh region, is held right here in Hearthome City! And they run daily! You could participate in one within the hour, if you wanted to! We try to make them as accessible to as many people as possible, so there¡¯s a lot of variety, too! There are Super Contests focused on Cuteness, ones focused on Coolness, if there¡¯s an area your Pokemon excels, they can probably do well in a Super Contest! And you may be thinking to yourself, but Keira, with normal Contests there¡¯s a goal, the Grand Festival! But that¡¯s not a problem! You see, Super Contests have ranks! Each time you place first in a Super Contest, you then gain the option to participate in the next rank for that category!¡±

    The girl finally ran out of air, and gasped for breath. Lucas looked ready to fall asleep, or really just not be present for this, but Dawn found herself interested.

    ¡°The best of the best have reached the Master rank,¡± Ayako cut in before Keira could continue. ¡°Johanna is too good for this sort of thing, but I¡¯ve been regularly competing in Master rank Cool, Cute, and Tough Contests.¡±

    Her mom rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, please. I could still wipe the floor with you if I wanted to. I¡¯ve just been busy teaching new coordinators!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it.¡± Ayako sniped back. Her gaze fell to her son, then, and she didn¡¯t seem impressed by his lack of attention. ¡°And even if all of that didn¡¯t get your attention¡­ there happens to be a few other high profile Master rank coordinators. One of whom is the Hearthome City Gym Leader.¡±

    Lucas¡¯ eyes snapped to his mother.

    She sighed. ¡°I should have known that¡¯s what it would take. Why don¡¯t you and I have a nice chat, Lucas? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, and I can tell you all about your next challenge.¡±

    Mrs. Platinum dragged Lucas away and Keira quickly gave an awkward goodbye.

    That left Dawn alone with her mom.

    ¡°Now¡­ would you care to explain the bandages?¡± Her mom asked as she gave Dawn the look. ¡°And where are all of your friends? Ash seemed like a good kid.¡±

    Dawn tried to clamp down on the feelings of inadequacy welling up inside her. ¡°Well, you see¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Lucas was having¡­ a day. It had started peacefully enough, sure. But then he¡¯d tested out Rowan¡¯s stupid Experience Share and it had quickly become not so peaceful.

    It wasn¡¯t that the thing hadn¡¯t worked. There was no grand explosion, it didn¡¯t injure Togepi somehow, really, it did exactly what he was told it would.

    The problem was who he had used it on.

    Maybe if he had used his now fully functional Pokedex to do some research beforehand this could have been avoided¡­ well, probably not, actually. It was going to happen regardless, if he wanted to train Togepi, and he did.

    But maybe if he had waited longer, had given Togepi a chance to mature before strapping the device to him, the damage would have been¡­ more controlled.

    He hadn¡¯t thought anything of the first use. Defense Curl was a perfectly normal move for a Normal type to learn after all. Bibarel had learned it and used it lots of times with no issue. So when Lucas saw Togepi try to use Defense Curl, he had just continued training Eevee, trying to get the Pokemon used to his command style while getting some battle experience in at the same time.

    The second use, he saw Togepi wagging his fingers. No big deal, babies do all sorts of odd things, right?

    But then the entire clearing went up in smoke and Lucas couldn¡¯t see his own hands if he held them out in front of his face.

    At first he¡¯d thought it an attack, and he¡¯d gotten his more experienced Pokemon ready to defend the team.

    That turned out to be a false alarm, though. A bit embarrassing, but he eventually picked up on the fact that it was Togepi who had used Smokescreen. That had been the first major red flag in his eyes, because while Pokemon could learn some very surprising moves, he didn¡¯t see how Smokescreen fit Togepi at all.

    The third use had been a move he hadn¡¯t seen before. He¡¯d been wrapping up the training with Eevee, preparing to get Togepi back to the Pokemon Center and checked out, when he, and the rest of the team, had suddenly been swept across the field by a huge wave of gross, muddy water.

    At that point very eager to have Togepi checked out, but not thinking that Nurse Joy would appreciate him tracking all the mud inside, he¡¯d ordered Bibarel to use Water Gun to clean them all off. Though Grotle had been quick to clean himself off with Withdraw instead for some reason.

    Togepi apparently thought that the whole thing was funny, giggling to himself as the rest of the group found themselves dripping with water, Eevee¡¯s fur matted down. So funny that he used it a fourth time, suddenly breaking out into a relaxing song.

    When Grotle woke him up in a panic, Lucas realized they¡¯d all fallen victim to Sing and been out long enough to dry off.

    And that Togepi was gone.

    He did get lucky with the fact that all the mud had left a pretty obvious trail for them to follow. One that led them right into the Contest Hall. He returned his team and stepped inside.

    He was much less lucky with the fact that for some reason there was a whole group of girls he knew right inside the door. The Keira girl, his mom, Dawn, and Mrs. Berlitz. At that point he started to wonder if maybe he was still asleep and the whole thing was a nightmare, because he was not about to admit to any of them that he had lost a baby Pokemon.

    And they just would not stop talking. He didn¡¯t care about contests, whether they were super or not! He had a Pokemon to track down, and so he only half listened to their conversation while his eyes roamed the building, looking for where Togepi could have gone. The tiny muddy footprints had ended outside, so he couldn¡¯t track him anymore, but¡­ had the little guy turned around in the doorway and gotten lost somewhere else in Hearthome? Was he in some back room of the Contest Hall?

    His mom¡¯s mention of the Gym Leader got his attention briefly, and she dragged him off to shove a tuxedo in his hands and give him a few tips on Fantina and her beloved Drifblim named Loony.

    But once she finally left him alone, he realized that it had been a really long time since he¡¯d seen Togepi, and maybe he should start to panic a bit. Was N still at the hotel? If he could talk to Pokemon then maybe they could get a whole team of them helping in the search and¡ª

    ¡°Excusez-moi? Monsieur? I am thinking you are not here for Contests, no? Perhaps, how do you say¡­ this is belonging to you?¡± A feminine voice with a very strange accent called out from behind him.

    When Lucas turned toward the voice, he almost collapsed in relief.

    A woman who really liked the color purple had his Metronome abusing Togepi in her arms, and the little guy was fast asleep, the Experience Share still all over him.

    ¡°You are looking tr¨¨s paniqu¨¦, having lost something, non? And I have found something tr¨¨s fantastique!¡±

    Lucas eagerly nodded, carefully removing the Experience Share before returning the troublesome Pokemon.

    ¡°Merveilleux! Now that I am seeing you though¡­ you seem to be tr¨¨s strong. Enfin, so it shall be. Fantina will wait for you at the Gym!¡±

    It was only then that Lucas pieced together what his mother had just told him of the Hearthome Gym Leader and the appearance of the woman before him.

    Togepi had been found by the Ghost type Gym Leader.

 Chapter 40

    N hummed. ¡°If Rowan isn¡¯t coming until tomorrow, and Lucas has wandered off on his own¡­ how do you suppose we should spend our time today?¡±

    ¡°Rotom thinks we should visit Bebe and investigate her electronics!¡± His flip phone chimed in.

    ¡°Denied.¡±

    ¡°Rotom thinks you are no fun!¡±

    ¡°I seem ta recall that we were searchin¡¯ fer answers on Ghosts and whatnot. We could hunt down Fantina ¡®n¡¯ see what she ¡®as ta say.¡± Mimikyu suggested, before the false head¡¯s gaze fell on Rotom. ¡°Although¡­ I s¡¯pose we do got a pretty solid info source in our party now, don¡¯ we?¡±

    ¡°Bzzz!¡± Rotom played into his staticky voice, imitating the sound of a buzzer on a game show. ¡°Denied! If Rotom gets nothing, then you get nothing! Besides, Rotom is not like other Ghost types! Rotom is rarely a Ghost at all!¡±

    ¡°Rude, but I s¡¯pose ya got a point with you bein¡¯ different¡­¡±

    N did not see the point being made. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean by that? You are a dual Ghost and Electric type, are you not?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes!¡± His flip phone cheerily replied. ¡°But when Rotom possesses something, Rotom¡¯s type and movepool changes!¡±

    N thought over the list of Pokemon he knew in his head. ¡°Do you mean like a form change? A Darmanitan can gain the Psychic type once it goes into Zen Mode¡­ but that¡¯s just temporarily gaining a type, not full on replacing one.¡±

    ¡°Exactly like a form change,¡± Mimikyu agreed. ¡°Possessin¡¯ a washin¡¯ machine would make Rotom a Water ¡®n¡¯ Electric type, and able ta use Hydro Pump. A refrigerator would make Rotom an Ice type able ta use Blizzard, an¡¯ so on ¡®n¡¯ so forth.¡±

    Intriguing. N could see how something like that might make explaining the intricacies of the Ghost type difficult for Rotom. It did make him wonder, though. ¡°So what type replaced Ghost when you entered my phone?¡±

    ¡°Rotom doesn¡¯t know yet! Probably Normal type with how boring a flip phone is!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± N was surprised. A Pokemon¡¯s type was an intrinsic part of them, even for Pokemon like the Darmanitan he had mentioned before. To not be aware of it¡­

    ¡°Discovering Rotom¡¯s type is a matter of trial and error! Rotom will figure out flip phone typing eventually,¡± his new Electric type friend explained.

    Eventually? So Rotom didn¡¯t really care then. Well, he supposed if that was how the Pokemon felt about it¡­ ¡°Then I guess that leaves Fantina. Though I am a bit concerned about that meeting.¡±

    He stood up and walked to the door of their room.

    ¡°Why? ¡®Cuz of what the Shadows said?¡±

    ¡°Shadows?¡± Rotom probed.

    N opened the door.

    ¡°The Shadow Triad, lord N¡¯s faithful servants.¡±

    N jumped back. ¡°You have got to stop doing that!¡± He leveled a glare at the trio on the other side of the doorway.

    ¡°Apologies, lord N. We will endeavor to make our presence known to your associates in advance in the future,¡± the one in front assured him before they all stepped inside, shutting the door behind them.

    ¡°You guys again? Wait, why didn¡¯ I feel ¡®em this time?¡±

    ¡°Servants? Feel them? Rotom is confused¡­¡±

    The Shadow on the right spoke up this time. ¡°A Rotom? You truly are as impressive as we were told, lord N.¡±

    Rotom¡¯s speakers crackled angrily. ¡°Bzz! Rotom is the impressive one! Now explain so Rotom can understand!¡±

    The Shadow on the left continued. ¡°As was explained in our last meeting, we are able to track you thanks to the presence of Mimikyu. Your new Rotom friend surprised us, so we had held off on reconvening with you until now¡­¡±

    The first took over at that point. ¡°And beyond that, we deemed the risk too high to use our usual methods of evasion and movement. Travelling with conventional means is slower, but with your travels bringing you to Hearthome¡­ just as we can track you, Fantina is one of the very few who could track us. We would not risk being exposed in her home.¡±

    This was a lot to take in all at once.

    N held up his hands. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s back up just a minute. First of all, what¡¯s the deal with you suddenly appearing on the other side of our door? Hadn¡¯t you mentioned having to report back to fa- Ghetsis?¡± N had only met them¡­ what was it, two nights ago now? Based on the way they spoke about it, their method of travel didn¡¯t include Teleport, and even if it did, being back so soon was¡­ concerning.

    ¡°Correct,¡± The second Shadow answered. ¡°We have relayed what we learned to lord Ghetsis. He¡­ ¡° the man hesitated, ¡°was understanding of your position, but still displeased about you dropping off the radar, so to speak. Our suspicions about being assigned to you were confirmed, and so we have returned to your side. It was our assumption that you would wish to be informed of this fact.¡±

    As opposed to what? The trio silently following him without him ever finding out? ¡°You would be correct. Thank you for letting me know¡­¡±

    ¡°Weird, but well meanin¡¯ types? I wouldn¡¯ of guessed that¡­¡±

    ¡°They seem shady to Rotom!¡± The Electric type thankfully did not use the flip phone speaker to announce that, keeping this thoughts on the matter to those who could understand Pokemon speech. It was good to know the Pokemon understood the importance of discretion.

    N agreed that they were strange, but if Ghetsis himself had assigned them to watching him, there was little he could do about it. He would simply have to accept their presence¡­ and perhaps make use of them.

    ¡°All of the things you¡¯re hinting at in regards to movement and tracking¡­ is it something that Mimikyu would be able to learn as a Ghost type?¡± It was possible that his hunch was wrong, but perhaps the things they were saying were exactly the sort of thing that he and Mimikyu were after. Mimikyu had dragged him through the Shadow Sneak to the top of the Space-Time Towers. The trio had had a Ghost who laughed at N from the shadows last he saw them. He didn¡¯t think it was too much of a stretch to put those pieces together.

    The Shadow Triad looked to each other, having another of their silent conversations. Eventually, the third spoke up. ¡°Perhaps. It is hard to say at this stage. Theoretically, it should be a possibility, but Pokemon are varied, and not all have the same potential in that regard. Just as one Snivy might be faster than another, so too might one Ghost be more adept with those sorts of abilities. And to reach the heights of which you speak¡­¡±

    The first took over. ¡°As we said in our last meeting, the number of trainers within League territory with teammates capable of such a thing can be counted on your fingers. It is not a trivial matter.¡±

    Or maybe they wouldn¡¯t be so helpful.

    ¡°However¡­¡± the second chimed in, apparently unexpectedly if the way his brothers¡¯ heads snapped towards him was any indication, ¡°The path might be easier if you had someone to guide you. We may be able to fill that role for you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the first shot him down immediately, before immediately bowing towards N in apology. ¡°It is not that we would be unwilling to serve you however possible, it is just¡­¡±

    ¡°It would raise questions,¡± the third continued. ¡°If Mimikyu were to suddenly grow leaps and bounds in that regard, you would go from a minor annoyance in the League¡¯s eyes to someone of serious note. They would wonder who was teaching you.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt! What if it wasn¡¯t you who did the teaching?¡± Rotom suggested. ¡°N was just about to visit Fantina, and she¡¯s the foremost expert on Ghosts in Sinnoh! Suspicion won¡¯t be raised in the League if the League is the group responsible, right?¡±

    ¡°I think yer all sorta jumpin¡¯ the gun ¡®ere..¡± Mimikyu muttered, but went ignored.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± one of the Shadows answered, ¡°but that leaves the matter of how he would know to ask for instruction in the first place. If not for our presence, he would not know of the existence of these techniques, which would still lead to questions about us.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t N just say that he saw something similar at Alamos? Bzzzt!¡±

    N¡¯s eyes narrowed and he turned on his possessed flip phone. ¡°What exactly do you know about what happened at Alamos? Only the name has been mentioned around you, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    The smile on his phone widened into a full on grin. ¡°Rotom thinks you are underestimating Rotom! Bzz! Porygon 2 level encryption is nothing to Rotom, and the League is too scared to update to Porygon-Z encryption!¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    One of the Shadows raised an eyebrow. ¡°Porygon-Z level encryption? This is the first I¡¯ve heard of it¡­¡±

    ¡°Whoops! Bzzrt! Rotom wasn¡¯t supposed to mention that. Please ignore the fact that Rotom snooped through Rowan¡¯s files!¡±

    ¡°Ya went through Rowan¡¯s files?¡± Mimikyu sounded surprised. ¡°But I thought ya said ya were strugglin¡¯ to ¡®old off all the Porygon as it was jus¡¯ keepin¡¯ the call free of ¡®em?¡±

    N¡¯s phone bobbed up and down in a mock nod. ¡°Of course! Rowan¡¯s electronics are under heavy scrutiny and Rotom cannot hold off so many Porygon indefinitely! But you should remember that Rotom is also amazing! Rotom may not have multi-core processors like some Pokemon, but Rotom is still good at multitasking!¡±

    N was less concerned about Rotom¡¯s abilities and more concerned about the Pokemon¡¯s thought process. He had simply asked for a secure connection to call Rowan on, and Rotom had thought to dig through the professor¡¯s files, pulling up classified League documents without a thought.

    Just what sort of life had Rotom lived before Lucas unknowingly picked the Electric type up?

    One of the Shadows hummed. ¡°We shall have to investigate this new encryption level.¡±

    ¡°That can wait,¡± a brother waved the thought off, ¡°expand on your suggestion, Rotom. Based on what lord N has told us of the incident, I do not see how the truth could be hidden in such a way.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Bzzt! You guys are really bad at subterfuge! When deceiving those around you, your lies should work not with the information that you have, but with the information that they have! Fantina was not present in Alamos, so all she has to work with is secondary retellings of the event. While it is possible that she was given a detailed recounting, it is far more likely that the only information she has at the moment is what went out in the same report Rowan received! The Mythical Pearl and the Diamond of Creation are well documented, so they would be poor Smokescreens, but little information is known about the Moonless Night! Or, if you are feeling bold, you could go so far as to say that the King of Distortion was present and simply left out of the reports in the chaos!¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Rotom telling them that they were bad at subterfuge. The Shadow Triad were new, but they obviously had some level of skill. And more personally, he was a King in the making of Team Plasma. He could not think of a position more rife with subterfuge than that.

    And yet, Rotom did seem experienced¡­

    But beyond Rotom¡¯s oddities, those titles¡­ if he remembered correctly, he had heard Mythical Pearl and Moonless Night during the battle between Palkia and Darkrai. In that context, it was fairly obvious which Legend the titles belonged to. With Diamond of Creation, this was his first time hearing it, but he could see how a title like that would fit Dialga. Far more so than the last one, anyway.

    That did leave a problem though. Only three Legends had been present, and yet Rotom was listing off four names.

    ¡°I can figure out the others easily enough, but who is this King of Distortion?¡±

    Mimikyu hummed disapprovingly. ¡°Are ya tellin¡¯ me ya expect Fantina ta buy that I saw Giratina pull some nonsense, and it looked cool ¡®nough that I wanna try it out myself? I don¡¯t think anyone is gonna accept that Giratina was there without proof, ¡®specially a Ghost trainer. The best lies are the ones shrouded in truth, not stuff bla¡¯antly made up.¡±

    Giratina? N hadn¡¯t heard of that one before. Something to look into in the future.

    ¡°That is why Rotom said it would be bold! But Rotom thinks if N is a coward, N can say it was the Moonless Night instead!¡±

    ¡°Watch your words.¡± A Shadow demanded. ¡°It would be unwise of you to insinuate cowardice on our lord¡¯s part in the future.¡±

    Rotom only let out a staticky giggle in response.

    ¡°Enough.¡± N settled things before they could get out of hand. The Shadow Triad¡¯s defensiveness against him was most likely their duty now, by the sound of things, but that didn¡¯t mean he would accept them coming to blows with a Pokemon over such a petty conflict. He turned to the Triad. ¡°You three¡­ just stay out of sight for now, I suppose. I may have picked up a new travelling companion, but that is not a sure thing yet, and I¡¯d hate to have to explain your presence to him if it¡¯s unnecessary. I expect to be in Hearthome for... perhaps two or three more days? We can discuss how things will move forward at that point.¡±

    They didn¡¯t emote enough for him to tell what they thought of that. Regardless, they accepted it. ¡°As you say, lord N.¡±

    The door opened, they walked out, and as he peered into the hallway, they were already gone.

    N let out a sigh. Wasn¡¯t leaving Ash¡¯s group behind supposed to give him a break from all the oddness?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, you two. Even if we don¡¯t go quite so far as to lie, Fantina is still our best lead for answers.¡±

    <hr>

    When N approached the Hearthome City Gym with Mimikyu on his shoulder and Rotom levitating next to him, he was greeted with the sight of a rather¡­ flamboyant woman.

    Her slim figure was hidden beneath a sparkling purple dress, her arms were wrapped in white, satin gloves that didn¡¯t cut off until well past her elbows, and from what little he could see of them under the dress, it seemed she had some purple stilettos. Her hair, which was also purple, was in some sort of intricate binding that separated it into four¡­ bundles? It was certainly a unique hairstyle, if nothing else.

    It was as he was taking in her perfectly applied makeup that he realized that she was looking right at him.

    ¡°Oh? What is this? I return to the Gym and find a fellow Ghost enthusiast? Merveilleux! C¡¯est fantastique! That I should meet someone like you, c''¨¦tait le destin!¡±

    The trio paused.

    ¡°Uh, would either of ya happen to know¡­ Kalosian? ¡®Cuz I sure don¡¯t. I s¡¯pose some of the words are similar ¡®nough ta Unovan, but¡­¡±

    ¡°That language is not supported by Rotom!¡±

    N had never met a Kalosian in his life. ¡°Excuse me, but I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡­¡±

    The woman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah, je suis d¨¦sol¨¦e! No probl¨¨me at all, I just am getting very excited! No matter how much time I am spending in Sinnoh, my Kalosian roots insist on showing themselves! I sense it is the same for you, no? Your accent¡­ Galar, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Unova, actually.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful! It is a very beautiful region, is it not? Ah, but I am moving quick, what can Fantina do for you? Are you here to challenge my Gym, Ghost against Ghost?¡± She quickly unlocked the Gym door and gestured for them to follow her inside.

    She was the Gym Leader? Well, that certainly made things easier. ¡°Not quite. We were actually hoping for your expertise on Ghost types to help my friend here.¡± As soon as they stepped through the door, N felt a shiver down his spine. Some of her team must be wandering around the Gym¡­

    When she looked back over her shoulder, Mimikyu slid out a shadowy hand and waved to her. ¡°I am seeing! The little Fairy that is the talk of the League! Well, until recent events¡­ but you are also being involved in that, if memory serves?¡±

    N grimaced. ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡±

    ¡°I had not heard that you are travelling with another Ghost, though! How fantastique!¡± Instead of leading them into the battle arena, she led them into a back room, much like Elesa had in her Gym, only this one was much more¡­ full. One wall was filled with different outfits, one had a giant full body mirror on it, another had plush couches and chairs. ¡°What about you, my little friend? Are you needing guidance as well?¡±

    ¡°Negative! Bzzrt! Rotom is fully capable!¡±

    ¡°Oh, what I would not be giving to have a Rotom join my family¡­¡± She looked at his flip phone longingly. ¡°But that can be an issue of the future!¡± She took a seat on the largest couch, just as purple as the rest of her things, and patted the cushion next to her, gesturing for him to join her. ¡°Come, tell me what is troubling you!¡±

    N took a seat, and Mimikyu jumped off of his shoulder, placing his small form between the two of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna waste my time writin¡¯ when I¡¯ve got two translators on hand.¡± Mimikyu looked at Rotom hopefully.

    ¡°Bzzrt! Lazy! You will owe Rotom!¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure, whatever,¡± Mimikyu waved off the Electric type''s demand.

    Fantina looked very interested in their conversation, even if she could only understand half of it, but her eyes met his when he began explaining. ¡°You see¡­ we¡¯ve been trying to hunt down some answers for a good while now, and haven¡¯t turned up much in terms of results. Initially¡­¡±

    It took N a good while, and Mimikyu had to help him remember some details here and there, but eventually they reached a point where Fantina understood the issue. Although, he had excluded the Shadow Triad¡¯s techniques, at least for now. Best to take this one step at a time.

    Fantina took a few minutes to process the information, thinking it over and asking for a few clarifications. ¡°I am seeing¡­ this is a problem I have not encountered before, but I am having a few ideas. If Mimikyu is only using Shadow Sneak, and each use is shrinking him¡­¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Show me. Use Shadow Sneak.¡±

    Mimikyu did just that, fading into the shadows and quickly reappearing a short distance away.

    ¡°And back?¡± Fantina requested.

    Mimikyu popped up right where he had been, looking just a tiny bit smaller than he had before.

    ¡°How strange¡­¡± Fantina leaned in, inspecting Mimikyu closely.

    Rotom got up in Mimikyu¡¯s face as well. ¡°Bzzrt! Wait, that was Shadow Sneak? Rotom cannot use that move, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You are seeing it as well?¡± Fantina asked, not taking her eyes off of Mimikyu. ¡°What about you, Mismagius?¡±

    N was proud of himself for not jumping when the new Ghost suddenly appeared beside him, joining in on the inspection. Maybe all the sudden appearances in his life lately was desensitizing him.

    He did shudder, though. The wide brimmed hat hid the Pokemon¡¯s face from him, but he could feel the Ghost type energy wafting off of Mismagius in much the same way Mimikyu used to.

    He doubted that it wasn¡¯t intentional, though.

    ¡°It¡¯s not right¡­¡± a haunting, feminine voice called out softly. ¡°Too much distortion, not enough control¡­¡±

    That was concerning. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He looked to Fantina, remembering that he wasn¡¯t meant to understand Pokemon¡¯s words. ¡°We demonstrated Shadow Sneak for the Nurse Joy I mentioned a good number of times, and her only concern was the size change¡­¡±

    Fantina hummed. ¡°I am not surprised. Joys are healers, not battlers, though Casey is quite a good coordinator¡­¡± She pulled back, sitting properly and ladylike once more with a slight frown on her face. ¡°That others did not pick up on it¡­ I can not blame them. But your ombre port¨¦e¡­ Ah, pardon, your shadow sneak¡­ it is not Shadow Sneak as I am knowing it.¡±

    ¡°What is that s¡¯posed ta mean?!¡± Mimikyu puffed up defensively. ¡°Are ya sayin¡¯ I still don¡¯ know any moves?! If it ain¡¯ Shadow Sneak then what is it?!¡±

    ¡°Do not be so upset¡­¡± the Mismagius tried to calm his friend down. Her hat tilted back, and the look in her eyes¡­ N didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Fantina, what are you saying, exactly?¡± He looked to Rotom for a moment, but his new friend seemed just as confused.

    A strange flow of emotion crossed the Gym Leader¡¯s face. ¡°I am thinking¡­ that I can be solving your problem of no moves. However¡­ what we have just seen¡­¡±

    ¡°Some of the purest Distortion I have ever witnessed,¡± the Mismagius continued where her trainer could not. She peered into Mimikyu¡¯s eye slits, a burning curiosity, a hunger obvious on her face.

    ¡°Just what are you, little Distortion?¡±

 Chapter 41

    A shadowy tendril quickly slid out from beneath Mimikyu¡¯s disguise, pushing Mismagius away from him. ¡°Alright, none of that, yer gettin¡¯ a bit too close ¡®n¡¯ too weird for comfort.¡±

    Mismagius giggled, but backed off just a bit. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Never had someone so interested in you?¡± Gone was the haunting quality of her voice, now replaced by a more teasing tone. The hunger in her eyes only seemed to grow at the brief contact, though.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if ya wanna eat me, dissect me, or¡­ well,¡± Mimikyu trailed off awkwardly. ¡°Look, no matter where yer interests might lay, I ain¡¯ in¡¯erested. Ya seem like a real nice, if a bit crazy, sorta gal, but uh¡­¡±

    N stepped in before Fantina could pick up on his reactions to the awkward conversation. ¡°We¡¯ve grown frustrated with our lack of progress, Fantina. Please, whatever it is that you¡¯ve noticed, just tell us.¡±

    Though her promise of finally fixing Mimikyu¡¯s lack of moves was wonderful to hear, the reactions that Mimikyu¡¯s demonstration was getting were concerning. He didn¡¯t think she was about to share good news with them.

    Fantina hesitated, watching as her Mismagius started to float around his friend, the two of them never taking their eyes off of each other, though for very different reasons. ¡°Well¡­ I am not knowing how to explain¡­ I am not knowing if I can explain¡­¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! Why not?¡± Rotom questioned her. ¡°With how thick your accent still is, you cannot have been in Sinnoh for too long. You have spent most of your life in Kalos, outside of the information restrictions of the League. Rotom cannot be certain, but it would not be unreasonable to conclude that the only person in the League who knows more about the oddities concerning Ghost types than you would be Kanto Elite Four member Agatha. Even then, she is only an exception due to her age. In addition to this, your understanding of the Fairy type is no doubt the best in the entirety of the League. You are in a unique position to be extremely helpful to Mimikyu! Bzzrt!¡±

    That was¡­ a very good point. He had been so caught up in the woman¡¯s strange manner of dress and speech that he hadn¡¯t stopped to consider the implications of her accent.

    Although, that did bring up another important question. How was someone from Kalos allowed to serve as a League Gym Leader at all?

    Kalos had been one of the main antagonists in the last war, at least according to the official League position. Even now, all these years later, relations between the League and Kalos were hostile at best. N could maybe see a scattered few of them being allowed into League territory, but for one to be accepted as Gym Leader?

    Mimikyu had stopped keeping a wary eye on Mismagius as he turned towards Fantina, intrigue obvious in his body language¡­ to N, at least, though that probably had a lot to do with how much time he¡¯d spent with the little Fairy type.

    Fantina bit her lip in a way that somehow seemed classy. ¡°It is¡­ interesting that you are knowing all of this. But you should consider the position that leaves me in. My skills are far above the station I have been given, and yet here I am assigned. I at least am having more freedom than A-¡± She cut herself off, frowning. ¡°Je m''excuse. There are things I am not being able to share with you.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Is this some sorta political garbage?¡± Mimikyu complained.

    ¡°Even Fantina is trapped by foolish human concerns,¡± Mismagius sighed heavily. ¡°There is not much she can do in her situation. Escaping into the wild would mean she could no longer commit herself to her Contests, and we cannot bring ourselves to force her into that. Disobeying orders from the League would mean her being reduced to Alder¡¯s state or cast out of the League entirely, and after what we have done¡­ there is no returning home. What would we do? Run off to some far flung region? No. It is better to accept their terms¡­ for now.¡±

    N really hoped that his poker face was holding. He could understand being in an unfavorable position with the League, but the things he was hearing¡­ She had skills far above the station of Gym Leader? What did ¡°reduced to Alder¡¯s state¡± mean? He was a Champion, surely that would be an upgrade, at least in the eyes of the sort of person who would even consider being something as barbaric as a Gym Leader. And what exactly had Fantina done to warrant not being able to return home?

    He didn¡¯t think he would be getting answers any time soon.

    But he was not going to leave empty handed, either. New questions might go unanswered, but he would get the knowledge he came for at a minimum.

    ¡°Surely you can tell us something as Sinnoh¡¯s Ghost type expert,¡± N pleaded. ¡°Gym Leaders are expected to pass on knowledge to those who seek it.¡± They had to be good for something after all the abuse they put so many Pokemon through.

    Fantina sighed. ¡°That is true¡­¡± She thought it over for a moment. ¡°I am supposing that if I¡­ am wary of my bounds, I might be able to help you. But there would be conditions.¡±

    N didn¡¯t like the sound of that. ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°No speaking of the secondary typing. I am a Ghost type Gym Leader. That is the knowledge I am giving.¡±

    So she did know things about the Fairy type. And given her position in the League¡­ well, he supposed he would have to accept losing a potential well of information there. It¡¯s not like they had come into this expecting to learn about the Fairy type, anyway. N nodded his agreement.

    ¡°Also¡­¡± she continued, ¡°If you are being asked about this, you are telling them that I helped Mimikyu learn moves, and no more.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, fair ¡®nough. Can we get to the actual learnin¡¯, please?¡± Mimikyu urged them along.

    N agreed. That sounded fair enough to him.

    The Gym Leader relaxed a bit after that. ¡°Good. Now¡­ how to be explaining¡­ What do you know of Pokemon moves on a¡­ how do you say¡­ function level? How they are working.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! Using a proper move is the result of expelling a portion of your Source in an acceptable configuration!¡±

    Fantina blinked. ¡°That is a¡­ int¨¦ressante way to put it, but yes. From what I have been told by Olympia and Lucian, Pokemon have a pool of energy inside of them. When they are wanting to use a move, they let some of it out, like turning on a faucet. Turning the faucet a small amount will allow the energy to trickle out and make something like Lick or Astonish, and if a Pokemon lets the energy pour out, they can make something like Shadow Ball. I am making it simple for you, but that is the basic understanding. There is much I could be saying, but if we skip to the part that is importante to you¡­ we must consider differences between types. For an ¨¦lectrique type,¡± she looked towards Rotom, ¡°you might consider this energy in terms of watts. If there are more watts, there is a stronger move. Glace and Feu¡­ ah, pardon, Ice and Fire, they might be considered in terms of temperature. My Froslass will do more damage the colder she can make that pool, and a¡­ a Chandelure will try to make the pool as hot as it can for an Overheat.¡±

    Given his overall displeasure regarding all things Pokemon battles, he had never really sat down and discussed this sort of thing with any of his friends. There was no need to know the intricacies of how moves work if he wasn¡¯t making them participate in bloodsport. But Fantina¡¯s explanation was making sense to him so far, so he nodded along.

    ¡°For most types, these are simple things to understand for us as humaines. We understand temperature and pressure and toughness and toxicity¡­ others though¡­ they are not being so easy to understand. Ghost is one of these types.¡±

    Mismagius giggled.

    ¡°For Ghosts¡­ how to say it¡­ it is a matter of Distortion. This is not something you will ever truly know. C¡¯est impossible ¨¤ comprendre. Even I, a master of Ghost types, have barely scratched the surface of understanding. But you can think of it¡­ as something otherworldly. Not alien like from another planet,¡± she clarified, obviously trying to distinguish it from what he¡¯d been told about the Fairy type, ¡°but more¡­ beyond what we know.¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    That didn¡¯t really help. First he needed to understand the differences between types, but now she was telling him he¡¯d never understand the Ghost type? That was a bit of a problem, wasn¡¯t it?

    His confusion must have been apparent, because Rotom decided to chip in. ¡°Bzzrt! Think of it like another dimension! Or maybe a computer and a server? If Rotom wants to use Distortion, Rotom sends a request to the Distortion server, and then makes use of what is returned!¡±

    ¡°So yer sayin¡¯ a Ghost type Source is like a portal to the Distortion world?¡± Mimikyu asked.

    ¡°Not quite¡­¡± Mismagius disagreed, ¡°but that¡¯s good enough for a working explanation.¡± She paused her hovering, the hunger in her eyes turning to a more simple curiosity. ¡°Do you really not know your Source? How peculiar¡­¡±

    ¡°A strange analogy, but it works,¡± Fantina nodded in response to Rotom¡¯s clarification. ¡°The important thing to be noting is that where other types want more heat or more solidity, for Ghosts it is not a matter of more, but how pure. A Ghost wants their connection to Distortion to be uninterrupted and free of corruption. Their weakness to other Ghosts is due to the overlap of two connections corrupting the¡­ signal, you could say? And Dark types, they sever that connection completely, forcing a Ghost to remake it. So, in order to produce stronger moves like Shadow Ball, a Ghost needs to have a very precise contr?le over their connection in order to ensure it is as stable as possible. Or at least, this is my understanding of it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad for a human,¡± Mismagius assured them. ¡°Fantina has a deeper understanding than most, but it is less of a¡­ academic understanding and more of an instinctual one after submitting herself to Distortion for so long.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! It¡¯s a better explanation than Rotom would have given on Rotom¡¯s own!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great ¡®n¡¯ all, but what does it ¡®ave ta do with my Shadow Sneak not bein¡¯ real or whatever?¡± Mimikyu inquired.

    N relayed the question to Fantina, though he framed it as his own.

    ¡°Well,¡± Fantina hesitated once more, ¡°While Shadow Sneak is a useful move, it is not particularly powerful. It should require a relatively small pull on Distortion, barely more than Astonish, but what Mimikyu showed us¡­ perhaps a comparison would help. Duskull, if you would?¡±

    A skull popped out from behind the couch they were sitting on. Or rather, part of a skull, just enough to make up the face if you discounted the jaw. A grey cloth was draped over the rest of its small, round body¡­ except the Pokemon looked hollow when he looked into the eye sockets. Only a single red orb seemed to comprise its insides.

    The Pokemon, apparently a Duskull, didn¡¯t make a sound as it floated past them so everyone could see properly before abruptly disappearing into the shadows and reappearing a short distance away. Shadow Sneak, just as he knew it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the difference,¡± N admitted.

    ¡°Which is why I am not blaming others for not noticing. To the average observer, they are identique. But when you have seen as many as I¡­ Mimikyu, would you show us again? Let us see them at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure? I ain¡¯ seein¡¯ the difference either, though¡­¡±

    N kept his eyes peeled as the two Ghosts used Shadow Sneak at the same time. It was only then, with the two being compared side by side, that he picked up on the miniscule difference.

    Duskull faded into the natural shadows, an obviously unnatural shadow with the same lighting as its source followed a straight path to its destination, and then Duskull popped out of the shadows.

    With Mimikyu, it was much the same, but the shadow seemed darker, with just a tinge of purple added to it, and the movement was slower, the shadows swirling a tiny bit instead of being a direct path.

    Still though, even having picked up on those small differences, N didn¡¯t see how it could be anything but Shadow Sneak.

    ¡°Bzzrt! You were right, it¡¯s much more obvious with a direct comparison. Mimikyu¡¯s pulls in far too much Distortion for a simple Shadow Sneak, and the control is nowhere near the same level. What could explain this?¡±

    ¡°I almost wonder¡­¡± Fantina began, ¡°I may be¡­ how would you say it in Unova¡­ grasping at straws? But I almost am thinking that instead of releasing the appropri¨¦e amount of energy from his Source and shaping it into a Shadow Sneak, he is turning the valve wide open, letting it pour out, and somehow forcibly making it resemble a Shadow Sneak. That would explain the discrepancies, yet¡­ I am not sure that it is possible.¡±

    ¡°It should not be,¡± Mismagius shook her head to communicate that to Fantina. ¡°Excessive pulling from Distortion should only make a Ghost radiate more fear. There has not been a difference, so it must be going into a move. And yet there is far too much for a simple Shadow Sneak to satisfy it¡­ how vexing¡­¡±

    Fantina shook her head in defeat. ¡°I am afraid I am at a loss. I do not know what it is that Mimikyu has been doing, and if I cannot¡­ well, I am not sure that anyone would know.¡±

    Mimikyu cursed, and N couldn¡¯t blame him. If Fantina was as much of an expert on Ghosts as she had been made out to be and she couldn¡¯t figure it out¡­

    ¡°I will not have you be leaving here empty handed, however. I told you that I can be solving your problem of no moves, non?¡±

    N and Mimikyu perked up at that.

    ¡°I am thinking that you are not understanding the feeling of using a move, little one. You have had things explained to you, and perhaps you have knowledge of it, but that is not the same as understanding. Luckily, in the modern world, there are ways to cheat in this regard.¡±

    N almost wanted to roll his eyes. ¡°You mean technical machines? We already went over this, I don¡¯t have a trainer¡¯s income, I can¡¯t afford to just buy every move Mimikyu might want to learn.¡±

    Fantina laughed. ¡°Do not be so hasty! I am thinking that once Mimikyu understands the feeling of using a move, learning more will come to him naturally.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! So you¡¯re proposing that using a single TM will kickstart the process?¡±

    The Gym Leader smiled. ¡°Indeed! And, it just so happens that as the Hearthome City Gym Leader, I have access to quite a supply of one in particular!¡±

    She looked down, her gaze meeting Mimikyu¡¯s.

    ¡°Tell me, little one. How would you like to learn Shadow Claw, free of charge?¡±

    <hr>

    Brock was worried. The events surrounding Legendary encounters were always taxing, but this was the first time it had fractured the group, and it seemed to be hitting Ash pretty hard.

    Now, he wasn¡¯t particularly upset about N leaving. That might make him a jerk, but even up to the very end, he had had his suspicions about the guy. He maintained that there was something fishy going on there, even if he was lacking any major evidence¡­ or any at all really, outside of his gut feeling.

    Dawn, though¡­ that had been surprising. He understood that Alamos might have been traumatic for her, he¡¯d seen to her injuries first hand. But to just up and leave the way that she did¡­

    Ash was a guy who cared about his friends, perhaps even more than he should. He would never have fought the idea of Dawn leaving, knowing that sometimes people just went their separate ways, but Brock knew it was eating him up inside. This wasn¡¯t like Misty, Tracy, May, or Max. This hadn¡¯t ended on a high note, even if they¡¯d tried to salvage things with that final meal.

    And Brock didn¡¯t know how to get him out of this slump, either. Battles and new Pokemon normally did the trick, in his experience. And maybe if the circumstances for the battles since the separation had been normal, that would have done it. But the next real battle that Ash saw was between Cynthia and that Paul kid. He doubted Ash had anything against Cynthia, even if her appearance was definitely bringing up some unpleasant memories from only the day before, but Paul? Well, he and Ash got along like Seviper and Zangoose. It had been a bit of a disaster.

    They¡¯d managed to help out a few wild Pokemon after that, and Brock had been hopeful that Ash¡¯s spirits would rise like they normally would after a job well done. They¡¯d met an apparent evolution of Misdreavus, and even a completely new Pokemon in Hippopotas.

    It just didn¡¯t seem to be enough, though. Ash would get excited over the new Pokemon while they were around, but once they went their separate ways¡­ Brock suspected that every departure was only reminding him of Dawn and N leaving.

    Even Team Rocket finally going back to their usual Pokemon stealing attempts hadn¡¯t gotten Ash back into the swing of things, and if that wasn¡¯t a return to form, Brock wasn¡¯t sure what was. They must have been avoiding them with Mimikyu around, but now that the Fairy type was gone¡­

    With a heavy sigh, Brock looked up at the towering Mount Coronet. The highest peak in the Sinnoh region. He had heard something about certain evolutions only occurring there. Maybe they¡¯d stumble on one of those, and that would cheer Ash up?

    ¡°Pika?¡±

    ¡°Woah, what is that Pokemon?!¡± Ash shouted before running ahead of him.

    Well, maybe Brock would get lucky and this was it.

    ¡°Wait for me, Ash!¡±

 Chapter 42

    Mimikyu inspected the disk in Fantina¡¯s hand. ¡°So uh, ¡®ow do these things actually work? Never seen one in action.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt!¡± Rotom came in close, eyeing up the disk from right next to the Fairy. ¡°Technical machines were first created by the research team that created the initial Porygon! In their attempts to replicate Pokemon moves, they discovered that it was possible to encode and pass that information on not only to their artificial Pokemon, but to a wide range of natural born Pokemon as well! Obviously Pokemon that are capable of learning the move through experience are capable of using the TM, but, through means that are still being researched, it seems that even a handful of Pokemon outside of that scope are able to use many of them!¡±

    Mismagius rolled her eyes. ¡°While your brief history is appreciated, I believe Mimikyu is questioning the application.¡± Fantina¡¯s Ghost levitated over to them. ¡°You will be returned to your Pokeball, the ball will scan the disk, the ball will implant the data into your mind, and upon your next release you will be capable of using the move.¡±

    While Mimikyu¡¯s introduction to the intricacies of TMs was interesting, N found himself drawn to the disk itself. It didn¡¯t look quite right, in his eyes.

    ¡°Fantina¡­ is it just me, or does this TM look faulty?¡±

    Now, N would never claim to be an expert. He¡¯d never used one of the things himself, having never used a Pokeball before Mimikyu¡¯s, but he¡¯d at least seen plenty of them. They were often sold in the same shops that he would buy his berries and other supplies at, after all. And the one before them now wasn¡¯t quite what he had come to know. The disk looked thinner, more flimsy, and there was a slight discoloration to it.

    Fantina sighed. ¡°If only it were so simple. Non, what you are seeing is a single use technical machine. I was shocked when I first saw this trag¨¦die as well, but it would seem that Silph Co has managed to convince the league to allow such a thing. Though your r¨¦action tells me this has not yet spread to every corner¡­ They are cheaper than the ones you or I might be familiar with, but the data is intentionally corrupted after the first read, so they do not put effort into ensuring the physical disk will last beyond that.¡±

    Single use? That couldn¡¯t be right. In Unova you could use them as many times as you liked, and he had even heard rumors that if one broke that they were under warranty so you could get a new one free of charge. He knew that human greed knew no bounds, but to think¡­

    ¡°Wait,¡± N had a thought, ¡°are you telling me that every time someone tries to teach a Pokemon Cut, they have to buy a new HM? I¡¯ve seen the overgrowth patches!¡±

    Fantina shook her head. ¡°Ah, pardon, the one stipulation with that deal is that hidden moves be the exception. Normal technical machines are still used for those.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m missin¡¯ somethin¡¯ ¡®ere.¡± Mimikyu chimed in. ¡°Overgrowth patches? What makes hidden moves special?¡±

    ¡°Hidden moves are moves that are exceptionally useful for clearing obstacles while out in the wilderness and available to a wide variety of Pokemon! Bzzrt!¡± Rotom answered.

    ¡°Human foolishness is what makes them special¡­¡± Mismagius lamented.

    Having caught on to the topic thanks to Rotom¡¯s translation, Fantina took over from there. ¡°Ah, I am supposing that it would not make sense to a Pokemon, would it? You see¡­ many young trainers, they are thinking that they are exceptionnelle, that because they win a few battles, nothing can stop them. They do not see that the League, or whatever other system is in place, works hard to ensure that the main routes are safe for their travel. But the League cannot be everywhere, oui? We ensure that the main routes between cities are clear for normal travel, but that does not include say¡­ side paths, or dangerous routes though the mountains. And so a system was put in place to give¡­ direction to those who would wander. On a regular schedule, League employees set up various barri¨¨res around the region to keep unprepared trainers away. A petite danger might be blocked off with overgrowth patches, like N mentioned, which can be cleared easily with Cut. A more serious danger might be blocked off with large boulders, which can be moved with Strength. These are not barri¨¨res that are impossible to cross without these moves, but for many trainers these moves are the easiest way to bypass them, and so until you can get your hands on an HM, which are difficult to come by without League approval of your skills, it is an effective way to keep them out of dangerous areas. And then there are also the HMs which are simply good for travel, like Surf and Fly, and the League cannot justify limiting their uses...¡±

    The Kalosian shrugged. ¡°It is a topic of some controversy, so you will find that even outside the League there are differences between regions. My home has this system, but I am told that regions like Galar and Alola do not. Some say it is a matter of freedom of movement, some say that only certain regions are dangerous enough to warrant it. Either way, it is not something that you will likely worry for.¡±

    N nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve not needed any yet, and I doubt that will change any time soon.¡± He pulled out Mimikyu¡¯s Pokeball, leaning down with it so his friend could recall himself. ¡°If you¡¯re certain that you want to do this¡­ then it¡¯s probably best to just get it over with already.¡±

    Mimikyu hesitated for a moment, before tapping the button and disappearing in a red flash.

    <hr>

    Being inside a Pokeball was an unpleasant experience. Or at least, Mimikyu thought so, and Pikachu seemed to agree.

    It was a rest without true sleep. Void of life, and yet it was not death. The goings on of the outside world were vaguely recognizable, but it was¡­ muffled. Distant.

    It was like damping all of your senses, and stopping just short of cutting them off completely.

    Though even through that thick fog over his mind, the whirring of what he assumed was the technical machine being put to use was pretty clear.

    They never did give me a proper explanation beyond ¡°the disk is scanned and the data goes into you¡±, did they? That doesn¡¯t actually tell me much. Is the sound from the disk? Or is it the ball? It might be the disk spinning so the data can be read, but it could also be some sort of fan keeping the ball from overheating¡­

    But even as the data was becoming a part of him, Mimikyu could not tell the difference. Not with how his body felt so far away at the moment.

    The whirring stopped.

    There was a flash of light.

    And suddenly, it clicked.

    When Pikachu explained his Source, he said it was like a ball of electricity inside him, so all this time I¡¯ve been thinking I need to uncover some sort of¡­ core or something. Some small well of energy. When I used Shadow Sneak¡­ or, well, not shadow sneak I guess, I was just focused on that frustration I felt when I first experienced it, and trying to replicate that feeling every time I used it.

    But this¡­ that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t find it. I was thinking too small. If Pikachu¡¯s Source is a ball of electricity inside of him¡­ then I guess my Source is more like¡­ fuck, how do I describe this¡­ a cloak of shadows? It¡¯s like I¡¯m¡­ wearing it, but¡­ it¡¯s also inside me? Like it¡¯s the muscle and flesh and organs draped over my skeleton.

    Do I even have any of those things?

    My body is so weird¡­

    Mimikyu ignored the many eyes on him at that moment. Though his physical form had been returned to him, he was still in his own little world.

    To use Shadow Claw¡­ I need to expel my Source¡­ I need to coat my ¡°hand¡± with my ¡°skin¡±.

    ¡­I need to work on these analogies.

    A shadowy tendril stretched out from beneath his disguise, forming into a makeshift hand in front of his eyes, the ¡°fingers¡± being more like sharp claws. Black as night, appearing to be composed of solidified shadows.

    Mimikyu focused.

    Shadow Claw.

    Mimikyu felt the newly discovered cloak shift inside him, a portion of it rushing towards his hand. It was a bizarre feeling. When thinking of giving his hand a part of the cloak, his initial visualization was like a piece of the ¡°fabric¡± being ripped off and moved elsewhere, but in reality it was more like individual fibers from all over it suddenly shifting on their own, taking away some of the cloak¡¯s mass in a way that was hard to notice as they moved to his hand instead.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The fibers of the cloak took less than a second to weave themselves together in a new shape, extending beyond his shadowy arm, reaching into the outside world with an off-purple glow.

    They were fibers but also muscle and flesh but also energy that radiated from him in a display that made it known to everyone present that it had worked.

    He could feel the raw power behind it. It gave his hand an extra weight, even if not a physical one. Experimenting a bit, he allowed his hand to swipe through the space before him, cutting nothing but air.

    Damn, this is kinda starting to get hard, isn¡¯t it?

    With no target to take the attack, he felt strain begin to build up, and quickly released it, letting the fibers/skin/energy dissipate into the air.

    There was a slight bit of exhaustion now, a tiny bit of him gone, but¡­

    Unlike with Shadow Sneak, I don¡¯t feel like I shrunk. Or if I am, it¡¯s to a much smaller degree at the very least.

    An improvement.

    His very first ¡°real¡± move.

    I understand.

    <hr>

    N, Mimikyu, and Rotom spent a bit of time at the Hearthome City Gym after that, but ultimately they had hit the boundaries of what Fantina could do for them. And with the way Fantina had clammed up earlier in the conversation¡­ N felt it best to avoid the topic of the Shadow Triad¡¯s secret techniques for now. It wasn¡¯t like they needed to be able to cross great distances or detect Ghosts. Not at the moment anyway.

    And it wasn¡¯t like they couldn¡¯t talk to her again later, either. Apparently she was going to be doing some travelling soon, so they might even run into her on the road.

    ¡°You have given me much to be considering,¡± she had told them. ¡°I must stay in Hearthome for one more challenger, but I am thinking some research needs to be done, and I cannot do it all from here.¡±

    Lucas and Ash were probably going to be pissed about that, but it¡¯s not like N was going to pressure the woman into staying for Gym battles of all things. Though he had sat through a few now, he still despised them.

    And if her research happened to turn up something that could help Mimikyu? Well, that was even better than just stopping some Gym battles.

    But with the Gym left behind, they were making their way back to their room for now, walking past the sliding doors of the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy gave them a nod as they entered, and a few people bustled about the lobby area.

    ¡°Finally havin¡¯ a proper move ta use is nice, an¡¯ I guess Fantina¡¯s righ¡¯ abou¡¯ it givin¡¯ me a good startin¡¯ point for learnin¡¯ other moves, but knowin¡¯ that my Shadow Sneak ain¡¯ really a Shadow Sneak is really gonna bother me. How am I s¡¯posed ta figure out what it is?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at Rotom! Rotom already told you that Rotom barely counts as a Ghost! If Fantina does not know¡­ you might have to ask a Legend!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®cuz that went so well the las¡¯ time¡­¡± Mimikyu mumbled.

    N really hoped it didn¡¯t come to that. Their last encounter with Legends had been an absolute mess, and it was likely they¡¯d have to employ the help of a specific Legend for a problem like Mimikyu¡¯s.

    Probably this ¡°King of Distortion¡± that Rotom had mentioned, given the explanation on Ghosts they¡¯d just received. But with a title like that, the Legend sounded as dangerous as Palkia and Dialga.

    Hard pass.

    ¡°Well, Rotom thinks if you really want to know, you could always go back to Mismagius and have her study you! She seemed very interested in getting to know all about you.¡± The electric type let out a strange, staticky giggle.

    Mimikyu replied in a dry tone. ¡°Is that what ya call it? Like I told ¡®er then, I think I¡¯ll pass. There¡¯s no need ta¡­¡±

    Mimikyu trailed off as N opened the door to their room. It seemed that Lucas had returned from his outing as well.

    And he had gotten his hands on an Ice type?

    N wasn¡¯t sure how else to explain all the snow in their room.

    Lucas looked up at him in a panic, his head peeking up over the side of his bed. He looked like he had been trying to get something from beneath it, maybe?

    There was an awkward silence.

    ¡°Rotom likes what you¡¯ve done with the place! Bzzrt! Cool temperatures are ideal for preventing the overheating of electrical components!¡±

    More awkward silence.

    ¡°Sooo¡­.¡± N began as he closed the door behind him. ¡°Would you mind explaining¡­¡± he gestured vaguely to the snowflakes and rapidly forming pools of water everywhere, ¡°...this?¡±

    Lucas hesitated, tossed a Pokeball, and then ducked back behind the side of the bed.

    When Grotle materialized, he immediately turned to glower at his trainer. ¡°Really?¡± The poor Grass type seemed rather fed up with the situation already.

    Lucas didn¡¯t give a response, and Grotle let out a low sigh, trying to avoid the coldest spots on the floor as he meandered over to them.

    N wasn¡¯t thrilled about Lucas creating a mess and then hiding away instead of explaining, but if he was being honest, even this Pokemon of seemingly few words would probably get them caught up faster than Lucas and his writing.

    ¡°So did Lucas catch an Ice type, then?¡± N prompted.

    Grotle shook his head. ¡°No. Brat did it.¡±

    What did that even mean? Was he referring to Togepi? N knew basically nothing about the Pokemon, but a move that could do this would be¡­ surprising to see in its moveset.

    Mimikyu seemed to piece it together first.

    ¡°Togepi learned Metronome, didn¡¯ he? Only thing I can think of ¡®sides a TM. What ¡®appened? Call a Blizzard or somethin? Or maybe it was Hail or Snowscape¡­¡±

    ¡°Snowscape? Rotom has not heard of this move!¡± his flip phone queried, but went ignored.

    ¡°Blizzard.¡± Grotle nodded solemnly. ¡°Problems all day¡­¡±

    ¡°Pri-pri!¡± the tiny shout was damped by the snow, but they heard it all the same as Lucas¡­ fished Togepi out from under the bed? The boy held the Normal type aloft, and then seemed to remember the warning regarding Mimikyu, quickly returning Togepi.

    ¡°Metronome¡­¡± N searched his memory. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know that move. What does it do?¡±

    ¡°Metronome is a normal type move that has the ability to create the effects of almost any other move! The moves it cannot call are typically signature moves or moves that have effects similar to Protect, although given its random nature, it¡¯s possible that these moves are possible to be called by Metronome, and simply have not yet been documented.¡±

    N nodded, and then actually processed that information. ¡°Hold on, you said almost any other move?¡±

    ¡°Yep. I guess I shoulda seen this one comin¡¯, given it¡¯s a Togepi an¡¯ all, but I sorta figured it¡¯d be a hot minute before the little guy learned it¡­¡±

    Mimikyu had a point there. Togepi couldn¡¯t even speak properly yet. There was no way it should be battling at such a young age. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

    ¡°Lucas¡­ how exactly did Togepi learn Metronome?¡±

    Lucas visibly cringed, but tried to keep up a plastic smile as he reached into his bag and dug out¡­ some sort of device. Brushing some of the snow off the bed, he set it down in front of him.

    When he saw Rotom start to approach with clear interest, he snatched his phone out of the air. ¡°Rotom, please stop trying to possess tech that doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±

    ¡°Rotom was only going to look at the new device, Rotom swears!¡±

    ¡°Is that s¡¯posed ta be an EXP share?¡± Mimikyu muttered.

    Of course Mimikyu recognized the strange device. N wasn¡¯t sure what he expected anymore. ¡°What is an EXP share?¡±

    Lucas broke out into a sweat, despite how cold it was in the room at the moment.

    ¡°Gift from Professor,¡± Grotle explained. ¡°Grow fast from watching.¡±

    Grow fast from watching? And a name like EXP share¡­

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­ that this device allows a Pokemon to learn by watching other Pokemon in battle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s ¡®bout right.¡±

    ¡°How interesting! Bzzrt! Rotom has never seen anything like it! It must be experimental technology¡­Did Professor Rowan ask you to test this?¡±

    Experimental technology. Test.

    And Togepi had learned at least one new move.

    N took a deep breath.

    ¡°Lucas¡­ am I correct in saying that you ran an experiment on a Pokemon that has only just recently hatched?¡± He calmly asked.

    Lucas hesitated to answer.

    That was good enough for N.

    ¡°Lucas¡­ I think you and I need to have a little chat. I¡¯ll even help you clean up this mess while we do. Doesn¡¯t that sound nice?¡±

    Lucas¡¯ eyes darted to the door.

    Grotle took up a spot in front of it, blocking his own trainer in.

    ¡°Accept your fate.¡±

 Chapter 43

    Lucas felt a bout of nerves as he walked through Hearthome¡¯s streets.

    For most trainers, that would be understandable. He had a Gym battle today after all.

    But he had an undefeated record. The Eterna Gym had been harder than the Oreburgh Gym, sure, and he fully expected that his battle against Fantina would be more difficult than Gardenia was¡­ but he wasn¡¯t really afraid of losing.

    Right?

    It was all N¡¯s fault, he was certain.

    Who did he think he was, chewing him out over ¡°unethical practices¡± and ¡°endangering his Pokemon¡±? The green haired jerk didn¡¯t even know the words to yell at him properly! It had really taken the wind out of his sails when he¡¯d had to consult with his Pokemon and a Unovan to Sinnohian dictionary in the middle of the rant.

    It wasn¡¯t like anything bad had happened!

    Sure, Metronome was proving to be a¡­ challenging move to deal with,and Togepi was turning out to be a little s- er, he was turning out to be very naughty. But Togepi would have learned Metronome regardless! The EXP Share itself hadn¡¯t caused any problems, as would be expected of a device from a leading Pokemon Professor.

    ¡­or maybe he was nervous because of the other thing that N had said.

    Apparently Fantina was only taking one more challenger before¡­ well, N hadn¡¯t exactly been generous with details on why Fantina was leaving, but she definitely was leaving after one last challenge.

    N apparently didn¡¯t know that challenge was his, and given their little argument, Lucas hadn¡¯t seen fit to inform him of the fact.

    Which meant he was Fantina¡¯s last challenger for the foreseeable future. He only had one chance at this. If he somehow got his first loss here, then there was no telling how long it¡¯d be before he got another chance to try for a rematch.

    He was sure he would win!

    Just¡­ maybe a little nervous. A tiny bit.

    But he was prepared, or at least he thought so. Grotle had learned Bite recently, so he could use a type advantage against Fantina, and from his partner no less. And if Grotle went down then Bibarel could¡­. Water Gun her Ghosts? None of his other moves would land¡­ And if Bibarel went down¡­

    If it came to that, his only hope was Metronome.

    ¡­he wouldn¡¯t let it come to that.

    Taking a deep breath, he let his hand rest on Grotle¡¯s Pokeball to reassure himself.

    The doors of the Hearthome City Gym opened before him, and he took a step inside.

    <hr>

    The residents of Hearthome looked up to the sky as an ear piercing screech came down from on high. A great shadow crossed the streets, and room was quickly made as they realized someone was trying to come down for a landing.

    ¡°Ain¡¯ that Staraptor kinda big?¡± Mimikyu wondered aloud.

    From the name and appearance, N pieced together that this was the evolved form of Staravia, but given that this was his first time seeing one, he couldn¡¯t answer the question himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s very big! Rotom believes him to be in the top percentile in terms of size compared to others of his species!¡±

    Though he had no concept of what the average Staraptor was like, N could at least confirm that the Pokemon was big compared to Unova¡¯s Flying types. The Flying type before him was taller than a Braviary, and bulkier than a Mandibuzz, although he suspected that it was all muscle beneath those feathers. Giant orange-ish talons supported its body, most of which was covered in various shades of gray. There was some white patterning on the underbelly and around the face, and a red plume that almost looked like it was fashioned after some sort of emo hairstyle he¡¯d seen in Virbank City.

    But where the coloration of the feathers might once have been vibrant, the Pokemon before him seemed a bit muted and dull. Probably due to old age, if the number of visible scars were anything to go by. It would also make sense given the age of the rider, who he assumed was the Pokemon¡¯s trainer.

    Wearing a long beige trench coat that seemed to have extra padding to provide warmth at the high altitudes, the man was removing a pair of goggles, pulling them over his graying, almost white hair.

    N was a bit surprised when the man turned around and revealed his bushy mustache.

    ¡°Professor Rowan?¡±

    ¡°Ah, perfect! I don¡¯t need to hunt you down!¡± The man called out to them in stilted Unovan. He gave the Staraptor a pat on the back, and it took off into the air once more.

    ¡°Rotom is confused! Bzzrt! Didn¡¯t you say you were going to Teleport in?¡±

    The professor tucked his goggles away in a pocket and made his way over to them, ignoring the way people pointed and whispered as they started to recognize him. ¡°That was indeed the plan, but it seems that the lab¡¯s Psychic has come down with a nasty case of something or other, so I figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get the old boy out and let him properly stretch his wings like the good old days.¡± He blocked the sun with one hand as he looked up into the sky. ¡°Been with me for¡­ oh, it must be something like 50 years now, that one.¡± He focused his gaze back on them. ¡°But we¡¯re not here to discuss my trusty Staraptor, now are we? Why don¡¯t we find some place more private? I happen to know a lovely little shop that should still have private rooms¡­¡±

    Rowan started to guide them down the street, though N could see the way he kept stealing glances at the two Ghost types.

    ¡°Huh. I guess it makes sense that he¡¯d still ¡®ave a team of ¡®is own. Ya never think abou¡¯ professors as trainers though¡­¡± Mimikyu idly commented.

    In no time at all, the older man guided them to a quaint, traditional shop in the middle of the city, arranging a private room in the back that N assumed was typically saved for wealthy patrons or League officials. He politely accepted a cup of tea that was offered to him, even if the leaf water wasn¡¯t quite his thing.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get into it, shall we?¡± Rowan asked as he set his cup down. ¡°I read through all the reports on your activity last night, but it would seem that even the outlandish things they contain don¡¯t hold everything you¡¯ve been up to.¡± He pointedly looked over to N¡¯s possessed flip phone.

    Rotom let out a strange, staticky giggle. ¡°The League never knows as much as they think they do! Bzzrt!¡±

    ¡°On that we can agree,¡± Rowan chuckled right along with the Pokemon. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to put me ahead of them in the information race on your kind? I¡¯m already dreadfully behind my colleagues outside of League territory¡­¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure he liked the idea of Rowan grilling his new¡­ friend, but he supposed if Rotom was willing¡­

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ no! Not at the moment anyway.¡± Rotom instantly shot him down. ¡°Maybe if you had something to trade, but Rotom has seen your recent technology experiments and Rotom doesn¡¯t think they hold up to what Rotom has heard other regions are working on. Bzzrt! Rotom will keep it in mind though.¡±

    The professor seemed disappointed by that, but ready to accept it for now. He must have expected such an outcome. ¡°Fair enough. Your kind aren¡¯t exactly integral to my research, so it¡¯s no real harm done. Well, assuming that my Pokedex is still fully functional? I¡¯m told that you possessed the one I gave to Lucas for some time¡­¡±

    Rotom gasped. ¡°Are you accusing Rotom of mishandling electronics?! Bzzrt?! Rotom would never!¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    He held up his hands placatingly. ¡°I am not accusing you of anything, I am only concerned for the very expensive piece of equipment full of important data. I¡¯ve never had one get¡­ possessed before, and was simply a bit worried. Though perhaps I¡¯ll hunt Lucas down after this anyway, just to double check that everything is in order. You never know what will happen when you put children in charge of field research¡­¡± He turned back to N and Mimikyu. ¡°But speaking of my research, why don¡¯t you fill me in on what the League doesn¡¯t know in regards to you two, lad?¡±

    And so N talked. He talked, and talked, and talked some more, with Mimikyu helping out every once in a while, getting his points to Rowan through a combination of writing and Rotom translating.

    They didn¡¯t tell him everything, of course, but they did tell him the parts that would be relevant to him. Mainly the Fairy typing and its spread so far.

    At the end of it all, Rowan frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I was expecting more, but I suppose research never moves as fast as you¡¯d like it to.¡±

    ¡°Well, that may be changing, actually,¡± Mimikyu wrote out for the professor. ¡°N mentioned Lucas, right? He has a Togepi and an Eevee. I¡¯m not going to deliberately spread it to them, but if they choose to¡­¡±

    The professor¡¯s eyes lit up at that. ¡°I see! An Eevee being exposed would be perfect for my research! Please, keep me up to date with any developments in that regard!¡±

    N frowned. ¡°Like Mimikyu said, it will be up to the Pokemon in question.¡± Rowan seemed to get a hold of himself at the light chastisement. ¡°But now that we¡¯re caught up on the limited Fairy findings, there were a few other things we were hoping to ask you about, given that you¡¯re one of the leading minds in Sinnoh.¡±

    Rowan took a sip of his tea. ¡°Of course, of course, ask away, please!¡±

    Of course, now that the man was finally in front of them, N struggled to recall all the questions they¡¯d had for the man since their last meeting. Mimikyu saved him by writing out ¡°Simple and Unaware.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Spending so much time around trainers, it hasn¡¯t come up all that much, but Mimikyu and I were wondering if you knew anything about Pokemon with abilities like Simple and Unaware? We had met a Bidoof when the topic of Pokemon intelligence came up¡­¡±

    ¡°Abilities? Hmm. Not exactly my area of expertise¡­ is anyone focused on that right now¡­?¡± The professor thought it over. ¡°I¡¯m afraid if there¡¯s a leading expert, I¡¯m not aware of them, so I can only tell you what I¡¯ve seen in my unrelated research, but as far as I can tell, such abilities do put a damper on the intelligence of the Pokemon that have them. I¡¯ve not researched the mechanics of it, perhaps Professor Kukui could help you more, but it seems that when Pokemon use moves that affect their abilities like Amnesia or Growl, the effectiveness is at least partially based on the perception of the Pokemon involved. For example, I once had a completely deaf Luxray I was dealing with, and when opposing Pokemon used sound based moves on her, they had no effect. The status based ones, anyway, I never got around to testing things like Hyper Voice¡­ where was I? Ah, right, yes, you see, my current hypothesis, and granted this is only just more than baseless conjecture, is that abilities like the ones you¡¯ve brought up act in a similar manner to the deafness. A Simple Pokemon has reduced cognitive abilities, and is more easily influenced, so the boosts to Speed or whatnot are much more radical. An Unaware Pokemon is not capable of comprehending the boost, and so they are not affected by it. It¡¯s possible that I¡¯m way off the mark here, but, like I said, this is only a hypothesis.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! That does seem to line up with what Rotom has observed of Lucas¡¯ Bibarel!¡±

    ¡°I s¡¯pose I could maybe see that¡­¡±

    Pokemon were creatures with strange abilities at times, but N didn¡¯t want to accept that the professor¡¯s theory could be the case. What sense did it make for a Pokemon to develop the ability to be dumb? Was ignoring the changes of so-called ¡°stat changing moves¡± really worth it? The vast majority of Pokemon that he met were able to have full conversations, to have complex relationships with those around them. But the Pokemon who were too simple minded for that¡­

    No. The professor definitely had to be wrong about it. There was some other explanation. And on the topic of the professor being wrong¡­

    ¡°We met a Nurse Joy who had some interesting things to say about your Pokedex, and I happen to agree. Why do you have such awful rumors and lies in the Pokedex?¡±

    Rowan rolled his eyes at that one. ¡°How many times do I-¡± He sighed. ¡°She¡¯s just bitter about¡­ no, I shouldn¡¯t get into that with you. Let me answer your question with a question. What do you think the purpose of the Pokedex is?¡±

    That caught N off guard, if only because of how simple the answer was. ¡°To collect scientific data on Pokemon for research?¡±

    It was one of the few League funded initiatives that he could support to some extent. Knowing more about the Pokemon all around them could lead to new ways that they could help when the creatures were in trouble, even if he would rather that there was no interaction at all. The research done with the Pokedex initiative could help to offset some of the harm done to Pokemon, though it would never be enough.

    Rowan nodded. ¡°That is not incorrect, but it is also an incomplete explanation. If the Pokedex was only to collect data for later, then why would we bother including screens and speakers and whatnot? We could simply have all the data uploaded when field researchers came back to the lab and view it there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also ta help the trainer when they¡¯re out meetin¡¯ new Pokemon¡­¡± Mimikyu mused.

    ¡°Immediate information on unfamiliar Pokemon could be useful to ensure no problems arise! Bzzrt!¡± Rotom added on, and clued Rowan into what Mimikyu said in one go.

    ¡°Correct. You see, part of it is in regard to stipulation on my League funding. It would be a bad look for them if ten year olds ran into a particularly dangerous Pokemon and the encounter ended¡­ poorly, let¡¯s say. So they require that the Pokedex gives information to the trainer immediately upon a scan. Now, you¡¯ve met a handful of trainers who work with the Pokedex initiative, have you not? Tell me, if I met this requirement by having the Pokedex list out all the known details about the target Pokemon, or even just everything that might be considered a noteworthy bullet point, how much attention do you think these trainers would pay to it?¡±

    The trio looked at each other. Rotom hadn¡¯t met Ash or Dawn, but¡­

    ¡°You see what I mean, then. So, if I must give the trainer some information, but detailed and accurate information is too dry for them to pay attention, adrenaline junkies that they tend to be, what middle ground might we take?¡±

    The question was rhetorical.

    ¡°We take half truths and folk tales that contain important information. Yes, Professor Birch is aware that Absol do not cause disasters. But if a trainer stumbles upon one, what¡¯s more important for their safety? That they have a proper understanding of causation and correlation? Or that they are warned, and get out of the area, because if an Absol is present, it¡¯s very likely there¡¯s a disaster in the area.¡±

    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s a lot more reasonable than Brock ¡®n¡¯ Joy made it out ta be, ain¡¯ it?¡±

    N would be borrowing Lucas¡¯ Pokedex to look for entries that contradicted Rowan¡¯s explanation.

    ¡°I see¡­ maybe this one will be more up your alley. When looking at the Azumarill line and the type changes as they evolve¡­.¡±

    <hr>

    Ash kept his eyes peeled as they made their way through Mount Coronet.

    You never know when you might stumble upon a Pokemon in need, after all, and a dark cavern like this might mean he¡¯d walk right past them if he didn¡¯t give his surroundings all of his attention.

    ¡°Pika-chu?¡± His best friend asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Pikachu.¡±

    And he was! He definitely was. Why wouldn¡¯t he be?

    Sure, they¡¯d lost half their group only a quarter of the way through the region. It happens! People do different things. It didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d never see them again! If anything, it just meant a chance to make new friends! When Brock went to work for Professor Ivy for a bit, he had met Tracey! When Misty went back to Cerulean, he¡¯d met May and Max! He¡¯d just need to be aware of potential travelling partners!

    And sure, maybe he was still torn up about Hunter J escaping for a second time. But he¡¯d managed to rescue the Shieldon she was after! That was the important part, wasn¡¯t it?

    It¡¯s not like her getting away was getting to him. Team Rocket got away like¡­ every few days or something! And he¡¯d come to accept that, hadn¡¯t he? Plus Officer Jenny said she¡¯d look into it! The Jenny family was super reliable, they¡¯d solve the case and get that no good crook locked up!

    Plus it had given him an opportunity to see Gary again! Rivals from the start, reunited to take on crime and help some Pokemon! A bit odd that his research had brought him out to Sinnoh, apparently doing something with trying to recreate the habitats of fossil Pokemon, but it just reinforced the idea that it was a small world! Even if he was regions away, he could run into old friends by chance!

    And N and Dawn and all their Pokemon were probably less than a day away.

    Neither of them were doing the Gym challenge, but maybe if he and Brock visited the Contest Hall¡­

    ¡°Ash?¡± A voice echoed from behind him.

    ¡°Yeah, Brock?¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­¡± Brock trailed off. Weird. Normally the only thing that could get him to stop mid sentence was one of his Pokemon dragging him away when he started to flirt with random women. ¡°Are you doing okay?¡±

    Ash focused on their surroundings, looking for Pokemon that needed help.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m okay! We¡¯re close to the next Gym, which means a battle!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­ just, I¡¯m here for you, if you need to talk.¡±

    Pikachu nudged against his cheek, and he almost tripped over a rock.

    ¡°Talk? What¡¯s there to talk about? Oh! Did you want to talk about those Shieldon we saw? I thought you had moved past the whole Rock type thing, you know. When was the last time you even caught one? Plus I don¡¯t think Gary would be okay with¡­¡±

    Just keep talking. Everything is fine if he can just talk like normal, right?

    He was fine.

    He¡¯d been through worse.

 Chapter 44

    As Lucas walked into the Gym, he found that the lobby area was empty.

    But he didn¡¯t think that he was alone.

    His experience with Ghost types may be limited, with only a few scattered encounters outside of that stupid mansion and N¡¯s Pokemon, but it was enough for him to recognize the signs that he was being watched. It was cold in the Gym, and given that this wasn¡¯t an Ice type Gym, he doubted that was being done with air conditioning or anything similar. And then there was the way that the hair on the back of his neck was standing up, and the light giggles he could hear, and the way he kept seeing things in the corner of his eye, only to find nothing when he turned¡­

    Either he was surrounded by Ghosts, or he was going crazy.

    The empty lobby was weird, though. Fantina had said today, hadn¡¯t she? And N had mentioned one last battle¡­

    Perhaps she was just waiting further inside? Lucas made his way through the lobby and entered into the arena proper.

    His first impression was that the Hearthome Gym was certainly different from the ones he had visited before. The overhead lights, if there were any, were turned off. The room wasn¡¯t pitch black though, illuminated instead by the natural light coming in through the stained glass windows. When paired with the thick stone walls, it gave a vibe similar to that big building on the west side of the city. What had it been called? The Foreign Culture Building or something like that? Not that he knew which foreign culture they were talking about. Though Fantina had that weird accent, didn¡¯t she? Maybe it was her home region.

    His thoughts were interrupted when the lights suddenly came on and a laugh pierced through the quiet giggles.

    ¡°Ohohoho!¡± Fantina¡¯s laugh came off as very fake. ¡°Finally, you have arrived! Since I came to this region, always I try to learn new things. They hold contests in this city? I say to myself, enfin. I will excel. That is why I dress this way.¡±

    Had she been hiding in the shadows like some sort of weirdo? Regardless, now that he could see her properly, he found that she was wearing the same purple dress as he had seen her in before as she walked towards the battle arena.

    ¡°C¡¯est une performance! Also, I study Pokemon very much. I have come to be Gym Leader. Ah, uh, so it shall be that you challenge me. But I shall win. That is what a Gym Leader does, non?¡±

    Was it? If that was true, then the two he had faced so far weren¡¯t very good at their jobs.

    Her confidence excited him though. Maybe he would be pushed to his limits this time.

    ¡°Now, challenger! How many badges are in your possession?¡± She asked while striking a pose, jutting her hip out and resting a hand on it. It was a bit off putting, but if she was big into contests then it sort of made sense that presentation would be a big deal for her.

    Lucas pulled out his badge case, the Coal and Forest Badges shining proudly since he had polished them earlier.

    ¡°Roark and Gardenia, is it? In that case, I will begin with Duskull!¡± Instead of pulling out a Pokeball, Fantina snapped. Slowly, an unfamiliar Pokemon floated out from behind her. Had it always been there?

    Lucas shook those thoughts from his head. He needed to focus. The skull-like mask and the robe over its body didn¡¯t reveal much in the way of useful information. It was like Mimikyu, in a sense, hiding away beneath some fabric. The real question was whether or not Duskull had a secondary typing like N¡¯s Pokemon¡­

    Palming one of his pokeballs, Lucas tossed it and released Grotle onto the field. His partner pawed at the dirt on the ground and angled his body so that he could view both his opponent and his trainer. The Grass type knew that he was being relied on heavily for this battle.

    Fantina seemed intrigued by the unusual stance. ¡°A Grotle? Int¨¦ressant. Show me what you can do!¡±

    Lucas took that as the starting signal.

    Just like they had practiced countless times in preparation for this fight, Lucas started out with a clap, bringing his hands together as if eager to get into prayer, and watched as Grotle tensed. As quickly as he could, he followed it up with crossing his index fingers, making sure to keep one of them parallel to the ground, and then transitioning into a snap and louder, cup-palmed clap.

    Grotle focused for a moment, and then shuddered as his body was overtaken with that increasingly familiar, but still unsettling energy.

    ¡°Curse?¡± Fantina half asked, half assumed. ¡°And such an interesting method of communication¡­ but you should be wary of slowing yourself against my friends!¡±

    Lucas frowned at the mention of the move¡¯s drawback. Curse was great for helping a Pokemon bulk up temporarily, but for reasons that were beyond him, it also made them sluggish.

    ¡°Duskull, Future Sight!¡±

    Grotle braced himself for the hit, but nothing seemed to happen. Lucas didn¡¯t see the opposing Pokemon move at all, and had never heard of that attack before¡­ Could it be some sort of status move?

    Whatever it was, he couldn¡¯t let Grotle just stand around and take it. They needed to go on the offensive.

    Clap, point towards his eyes with his left hand, snap, clap.

    Grotle hadn¡¯t waited for the command to come to an end before he was moving. As soon as Lucas had pointed, his starter had taken off, moving noticeably slower than he normally would. The closer that he got to the Duskull, the more clear the buildup of Dark type energy became around his mouth. But Duskull wasn¡¯t moving. Was Fantina just going to let her Pokemon take the hit?

    ¡°Shadow Sneak!¡±

    Moving faster than Lucas¡¯ eyes could follow, the Ghost type disappeared from sight and then popped back up behind Grotle, striking the rear of his shell. Lucas winced at the unexpected attack, but Grotle barely seemed to feel it, managing to move just fast enough to whirl around and snap at Fantina¡¯s Pokemon.

    The Duskull had been completely silent up until that point, but when the Bite came down on it, the thing screeched in pain. Grotle wasn¡¯t gentle with the way he clamped down, and despite the way Duskull tried to sink back into the shadows, he was shaken around like a Growlithe¡¯s chew toy. It only took a moment for the bright red eye behind the Duskull¡¯s mask to dim.

    Grotle spat the Ghost out, and it fell to the ground limply.

    ¡°Downed in one attack? Your Grotle is truly fantastique! But do not think that the rest of my team will be as simple to defeat!¡± Fantina announced as the Duskull was taken off the field by a Drifloon.

    Lucas felt just as surprised as she was. A one hit knockout? Sure, Bite was super effective against Ghost types, and Grotle had been boosted by the Curse earlier, but even then¡­ the Gym Leaders before had put up much more of a fight. Was Fantina¡¯s team somehow weaker? That didn¡¯t seem right.

    The Kalosian didn¡¯t give him time to think on the matter. As soon as the Drifloon had cleared the field of the unconscious Ghost, another Pokemon had taken the Duskull¡¯s place. Gemstones that reminded him of the Underground hung from its neck. Or maybe they were set into the purple cloth of its body? What was with Ghost types and fabric? Mimikyu, that Duskull, whatever this Pokemon was¡­ it seemed like a strange pattern. Though this one changed things up and topped it off with a giant witch¡¯s hat on top of its head.

    But whether he recognized any of her Pokemon or not, Lucas had a plan and needed to stick to it if he had any hope of winning. He clapped, pointed towards his-

    ¡°Confuse Ray, Mismagius!¡± Fantina commanded.

    The Mismagius moved across the field in an instant, nearly as fast as the Duskull¡¯s Shadow Sneak had been. There was no time to give Grotle an order at all before an eerie light appeared between the two Pokemon and crashed into the Grass type¡¯s face.

    Grotle staggered back, and when Lucas got a good look at his partner¡¯s face, it was easy to tell that his eyes were unfocused, even from this distance. The Pokemon looked around the field, obviously confused.

    This wasn¡¯t good. Lucas couldn¡¯t recall if he had ever seen a Pokemon under the effects of confusion before, but he¡¯d at least read up on the subject. Until the affected Pokemon was able to snap out of it, there was no way to tell if they would follow commands properly or if they¡¯d do something that made no sense and hurt themselves in the process. Some Pokemon were immune to it, and supposedly there were kinds of berries that would help a Pokemon focus, but neither of those were options at the moment. All he could do was try to give commands and hope that they got through to Grotle in his disoriented state.

    He clapped, and felt reassured when Grotle tensed up like he normally would in preparation for an attack, but before he could go any further Grotle glowed with a faint white light and leapt towards Mismagius. His face connected with the Ghost¡¯s fabric dress, but the Normal type energy of the attempted Tackle had no effect and all he managed to do was push the cloth out of the way, faceplanting into the ground on the other side.

    Mismagius, as well as all the other Ghosts hidden in the shadows, giggled as Grotle scrambled back to his feet, looking a bit scuffed up from the tumble but otherwise back to normal.

    Snapping out of his confusion didn¡¯t do anything to help against the huge difference in speed, however.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Mismagius started to taunt him, circling around the Grass type faster than he could turn. He couldn¡¯t understand Pokemon like N, but he thought he had a pretty good idea of what was going on with the way that Grotle all but growled at his opponent, who just kept giggling all the while.

    ¡°Are you seeing what I was meaning?¡± Fantina called out to him. ¡°Your Curse may have given you the power to do serious damage to my Ghosts, but all of the strength in the world means nothing if you cannot hit your opponent! Now, Mismagius! Shadow Ball!¡±

    An ominous shadowy orb appeared in front of the Ghost type, quickly growing in size as it moved around, until it was larger than the Duskull from before. Mismagius waited until it was directly behind Grotle to launch it, sending his starter sprawling, topping end over end. Luckily he ended right side up when it was over, but the move had definitely affected him. There was a strange grey-ish tint on Grotle¡¯s leaves now, and they looked like they had started to wilt.

    Lucas clenched his fist as he tried to think of a way to counter their opponent¡¯s speed. It wasn¡¯t like he could make Grotle faster, nor could he make Mismagius slower. Not with the moves Grotle had now, anyway, though he planned on finding a fix for that in the future. Buffing Grotle¡¯s defense with Curse and Withdrawal wouldn¡¯t help, not against a Pokemon that seemed to lean towards special attacks.

    The only thing he could think of was trapping it. But how? The battlefield was barren, and it was a Ghost on top of that. He was pretty sure the thing could phase through any physical barriers that Grotle tried to put up.

    ¡°Do you think I will just sit here and allow you to strategize?¡± Fantina taunted. ¡°You cannot be physically slow and slow to think! You are allowing my Mismagius to run circles around Grotle!¡±

    Lucas grit his teeth as Grotle was subjected to another Shadow Ball, his shrubbery looking lifeless and limp, like the leaves would fall from his back with little more than a strong wind.

    Could they trap it with a move? As long as it wasn¡¯t Tackle the attack should actually affect Mismagius. Razor Leaf wasn¡¯t exactly known for its wide spread, and the system he had set up didn¡¯t lend itself to complex commands, but¡­ clap to get Grotle¡¯s attention, three fingers up, snap, then two claps¡­

    Luckily for Lucas, Grotle was the most intelligent member of his team. As the sharpened leaves formed, Grotle launched them out strategically. Not at Mismagius, but to either side of the Ghost, forcing it to either take the hit or stay on a straight path.

    By the time Fantina¡¯s Pokemon caught on, it was too late. The Bite sunk into it, and after a shrill scream and a very brief attempt to pull away, the levitating hat and robe fell to the ground.

    Lucas let out a sigh of relief, and Fantina gave him an appraising look. ¡°Very impressive! To think that- oh?¡±

    She cut herself off as Grotle started to glow.

    Lucas beamed. Was Grotle seriously evolving right now? That would be perfect! Maybe he¡¯d get some extra speed in his new form that would stop Fantina¡¯s team from running circles around them again.

    The two trainers, and probably a lot of Ghosts, watched as Grotle¡¯s shining form grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Every bit of him widened out, grew sturdier. The bush on his right side seemed to shrink into nothingness, quickly replaced by three large, jutting rocks that erupted out of his shell. The one on the right expanded before rising up to effectively double his partner¡¯s height, turning into more of a small tree than a bush. When the light died down, the colors of his scaly skin turned to more earthy greens and browns, while the lip of his shell along with his spikes and nails took on a rocky grey.

    ¡°Torterra.¡± His friend grumbled out, and Lucas could feel how deep his voice was now. When his friend stomped twice, he had to adjust his footing so that he didn¡¯t fall and he could see Fantina do the same.

    So caught up in the sight of his starter growing stronger, he almost forgot that two stomps were the signal that Gro- Torterra had learned a new move. What could it be? Would it give them a one up in the next match?

    His excitement quickly died when Torterra was suddenly overcome with a harsh blue-ish violet light, cried out in pain, and then collapsed.

    He must have made some sort of face, because Fantina quickly explained.

    ¡°This is your first time seeing Future Sight in action, oui?¡±

    Future Sight? The first move she had called out? But that had been forever ago! How was Duskull doing damage when the stupid thing had been unconscious long enough for the whole next round to have been completed?! Was Fantina cheating?!

    ¡°Future Sight is a move that does damage in the future, as the name implies. It is quite strong, but it is a risky move, given the delay. Easily negated by having a Dark type switch in, but I assumed since you were having your Grotle use Bite¡­¡± she shrugged. ¡°Either way, that is two of my team down, and your ace down. Send out your next Pokemon.¡±

    Lucas recalled Torterra and paused for a moment to look at his friend¡¯s ball. He had been riding high just a moment ago, but having his starter go down like that? Hit by some¡­ some nonsense move after he had taken down his opponent and evolved? It left a sour feeling in him.

    The plan might be ruined, but he wasn¡¯t going to let Fantina get away with that.

    It was going to be tough, but he had no choice but to send out Bibarel. Maybe he¡¯d get lucky and the rest of her Pokemon would only have Ghost type moves¡­

    When Mismagius was cleared off the field, this time by what he thought might be Drifloon¡¯s evolution, Fantina finally sent out a Pokemon he knew. A frightening face on a gaseous cloud that was somehow angular and a bit more solid than a gas should be, paired with a set of tri-clawed hands that floated on their own. A Haunter opposed him.

    Lucas released Bibarel and immediately went into his command. While normally he¡¯d prefer to use Defense Curl to start out with, using a status move had been what allowed Duskull to fire off that Future Sight earlier. Better to get right into the action. Clap, two fingers on the left hand, snap, clap.

    The water formed in Bibarel¡¯s mouth, but before she could fire it at Haunter, Fantina stepped in. ¡°Sucker Punch!¡±

    One of Haunter¡¯s hands disappeared from its side, instantly reappearing at Bibarel¡¯s side and punching her right in the face, cloaked in an insidious darkness.

    Bibarel recoiled, giving the hand time to return to its owner as the Water Gun dissipated.

    So. Not a Ghost type move then. And it was going to be difficult to get hits off. This was a problem.

    Maybe Defense Curl was the way to go then? It would mean less damage from the Sucker Punch. Or maybe¡­

    Clap, make a fist of his left hand, snap, clap.

    As Bibarel curled up, overcome by a dim brown glow, and started towards Haunter in a Rollout, Fantina called for another Sucker Punch. However, while this one probably did a similar amount of damage as it hit her in the side, it didn¡¯t stop her.

    The Haunter didn¡¯t seem to expect that, and took the Rock type move to the face. Not that there was a whole lot else to hit, given that Haunter was mostly face.

    The Ghost didn¡¯t look so good after that. There weren¡¯t any obvious injuries, being a Ghost and all, but it looked a bit¡­ fainter? Like the gas that it was composed of wasn¡¯t holding together quite so well. Rollout was a move that did more damage the more times it was used in succession, so if Bibarel could land one or two more hits then maybe she-

    ¡°Hypnosis!¡± Fantina called out.

    Haunter¡¯s eyes glowed blue for a moment, and Bibarel¡¯s Rollout promptly collapsed as she laid herself out for an induced nap.

    Fantina was really fond of status conditions, wasn¡¯t she? It reminded Lucas of the Eterna Forest, and he didn¡¯t like that.

    What was he supposed to do about his Pokemon falling asleep? He clapped as loudly as he could, hoping that would wake her up. Nothing happened.

    It was a waiting game then. Or maybe Haunter would wake her up with a direct attack on her sleeping form¡­

    He was quickly proven correct when, with a savage glee, the Haunter punched Bibarel in the face. Not with the insidious darkness of the Sucker Punch from before, but with a concerning, oozing purple. Droplets of something splattered when the punch connected.

    ¡°Keep using Poison Jab until it goes down!¡± Fantina commanded.

    That wasn¡¯t good. Could a Pokemon get poisoned while it was asleep? He¡¯d read that they couldn¡¯t in a book somewhere, but he wasn¡¯t so certain now as he watched her brown fur get absolutely drenched in poison.

    It was painful, watching as his Pokemon was attacked in her sleep. But what was he supposed to do? If he recalled Bibarel, then¡­ all he had left¡­

    His stomach churned. He thought of N¡¯s lecture.

    He recalled Bibarel.

    Fantina nodded. ¡°A sage choice. By the time your Bibarel woke up, it would have been too faible to do anything regardless. For future reference, I have heard good things about the move Sleep Talk. That is for later, though. Send out your next Pokemon.¡±

    Eevee¡¯s only damaging move was Tackle. His newest acquisition would be useless in this fight.

    There was only one way for him to win this fight.

    He could always forfeit. Go and train some more before a rematch. But when would Fantina be available again if she was leaving? Weeks from now? Months from now? Who knew if he¡¯d be anywhere near by the time that happened.

    Or he could send out his last¡­ questionably viable Pokemon. He could put a recently hatched Togepi out, have the little guy¡¯s first battle be in a Gym.

    Lucas palmed the ball.

    N could never find out.

    He released Togepi. He wagged his finger. Togepi chirped and then followed along.

    Even from across the field, he could see the way that Fantina¡¯s eyes went wide.

    Haunter¡¯s hands each took on a different attack. One darkened with Sucker Punch, but nothing happened. One dripped with Poison Jab, but the distance was too great. The Ghost rushed towards Togepi, trying to land the hit.

    But before it could, the little Normal type¡¯s eyes lit up with the off-blue glow of Psychic energy, and Togepi screamed.

    Or at least, Lucas thought it was a scream. He was too busy covering his ears, trying to block out the awful noise to analyze it. Fantina was doing the same. And Haunter?

    Haunter was collapsed, a few body lengths away from Togepi.

    When the noise finally stopped, Lucas and Fantina cautiously removed their hands from their ears. Togepi chirped out a ¡°priii!¡± and ran up to him.

    Fantina seemed to regain her composure. ¡°Relying on Metronome? And a move that I do not know¡­ It is an¡­ how you say¡­ unorthodox method, but with that¡­¡± She paused for a moment, and when she spoke up once more it was like she was performing on a stage. ¡°I am dumbfounded! So very, very strong! You, your Pokemon, so strong! Your power is admirable! I shall honor it with this Gym Badge! Also, you can make use of this technical machine, that is what I think. It contains Shadow Claw. A very startling move it is. Its hits turn critical often! Just yesterday I had¡­¡±

    Lucas paid attention to her ramblings with one ear as he returned Togepi. He took a deep breath, and slowly let it out.

    Three badges down. Five more to go.

 Chapter 45

    ¡°...and I¡¯m telling you it doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± N argued. ¡°There are countless other ways that they could present the information, ways that aren¡¯t harmful to the Pokemon, and yet they go with this!¡±

    Mimikyu sighed. ¡°I get that, N, ¡®n¡¯ I agree that it should be changed, but yer gettin¡¯ a bit too worked up over it.¡±

    N and his two creepy friends had just returned to the privacy of their Pokemon Center room, with the Professor having departed just a short while ago. They¡¯d exchanged more information like they wanted, but some of the answers that Rowan had given them were seriously rubbing N the wrong way.

    ¡°You¡¯re not worked up enough! The Absol example is just one I happen to know, I¡¯m sure if we went through Lucas¡¯ Pokedex we could find plenty more. This is beyond negligent, it¡¯s malevolent! It¡¯s like they¡¯re trying to get Pokemon hurt!¡±

    ¡°Ya should never attribute ta malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. Dontcha know Occum¡¯s razor? Or no, that was the other one, wasn¡¯ it? Who said the malice thing¡­¡± Mimikyu trailed off, leaving N confused.

    ¡°Rotom has never heard of this Occum. Is it a Professor? Or maybe a Pokemon¡­ and are you suggesting that the Professors are stupid? Rotom¡¯s understanding is that the title of professor requires a high level of intellect.¡± The Electric type flitted around Mimikyu as it asked questions.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be wrong to suggest so if this is the nonsense they¡¯re spouting¡­¡± N sardonically commented.

    Two shadowy tendrils slithered out from under Mimikyu¡¯s disguise, held up like one would with placating hands. Their unsettling nature took away from the calming effect he likely intended, but N at least understood his meaning. ¡°I ain¡¯ sayin¡¯ they¡¯re stupid, jus¡¯... well, academic types ¡®ave a tendency of havin¡¯ some ¡®holier than thou¡¯ attitudes, ya know?¡± Mimikyu put on a deeper voice and masked his accent as he continued. ¡°Look at me, I¡¯m a professor. Don¡¯t you know I have a degree in some made up nonsense? I look at data all day, and that makes me smart. You¡¯re just common fools who could never understand things like I do, so I¡¯m going to talk to you like your IQ is room temperature.¡±

    Listening to Mimikyu speak without his strange accent was in a weird way deeply unsettling. N shared a look with Rotom, though he failed to decipher whatever emotion was supposed to be conveyed by the two large eyes on his flip phone.

    After a brief moment, they turned back to Mimikyu.

    ¡°Rotom may not have interacted with Professors much, but Rotom has never heard of one acting the way that you¡¯ve described. If anything it sounds more like what Rotom has heard of the scientists working with criminal organizations.¡±

    Now that Rotom mentioned it, that description did remind him of a few of the scientists in Plasma¡­ not that they were a criminal organization. Just¡­ of questionable legality¡­

    But who just ¡°hears of¡± how those sorts of people behave? They aren¡¯t the most social bunch, so the only people who should be talking about them are the people and Pokemon they work with¡­

    ¡°Really?¡± The inflection in Mimikyu¡¯s voice made him seem genuinely surprised by that.

    Were the professors really like that where Mimikyu came from? N had many problems with the ones he was familiar with, this poor justification for spreading harmful rumors being only the latest of them, but he¡¯d never gotten the impression of snobbishness from them. They were only foolish in the same way that most of society was, too blinded by their supposed ¡°love¡± of Pokemon to see all of the harm that humanity was doing to them.

    But before they could expand on that any further, the door to their room opened, and Lucas walked in with a smug look on his face.

    He had probably just won a battle of some sort, which made N frown, but the boy¡¯s arrival was timely. ¡°Lucas, let us borrow your Pokedex for a moment. We wanted to check some things.¡±

    The boy raised an eyebrow, but ultimately shrugged, digging the device out of his bag and handing it over.

    It took N a moment to figure out how to operate it, but he quickly started scrolling through the various entries. Most of them seemed harmless enough, though filled with what he assumed was speculation. A few of them supported his point, however.

    ¡°It is said to be the world¡¯s weakest Pokemon. No one knows why it has managed to survive,¡± he read off. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re singling out Magikarp as trash! No, worse than trash!¡± He doubted that the entry for Trubbish was so cruel.

    Lucas looked a bit confused by his sudden outburst, but seemed content with ignoring the conversation for the most part, having busied himself with organizing his things.

    ¡°While that entry is not flattering, Rotom can understand why it is written that way. Even in the absence of humans they are looked down upon.¡±

    ¡°Magikarp ain¡¯ like the Basculin yer familiar with, N. Imagine a Pokemon like me, er, how I was, out in the wild. All they can do is splash aroun¡¯ until they¡¯re close ta evolvin¡¯, ¡®n¡¯ even then they only learn Tackle. Though now that I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ ¡®bout it how do they get ta that point¡­¡±

    N bit back a groan as Mimikyu lost himself in thought. This was a fellow Pokemon! How could they not care? Was it a matter of relatability? He moved past the entry on Magikarp, trying to find something that was both an example of the cruelty of humans and something they¡¯d have a stronger reaction to. Hadn¡¯t this whole thing started because of the Drifloon entry? That one would be good¡­

    He wasn¡¯t sure if he should be surprised by how much he found.

    ¡°It says that Drifloon steals children, Misdrevous gets nourishment from fear, and Duskull loves making children cry. This is clearly some sort of bias against Ghost types!¡±

    ¡°I could see the Drifloon thing happenin¡¯ on accident ¡®n¡¯ getting blown outta proportion,¡± Mimikyu replied. ¡°I know that Joy told us it was nonsense, but they made a big deal outta the little one¡­ Paige, was it? They made a big ol¡¯ stink outta her tryin¡¯ to get a ride from Drifloon ¡®cuz she was too small. Imagine some kid gets blown away by the wind ¡®n¡¯ is never seen again.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re making it sound as if it¡¯s an intentional thing! Like they¡¯re stealing away children to eat them or some other nonsense!¡±

    ¡°Rotom could understand wanting that entry edited, but the other two are true! There is no need to change those.¡±

    N blinked. ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re true?¡±

    ¡°Surely you¡¯ve heard it before. It¡¯s not true of all Ghost types, but many enjoy spreading fear and scaring people. Rotom has not met many Duskull, but Rotom thinks they are part of this group.¡±

    Now that he thought about it, that Nurse Joy back in Nimbasa had said something to that effect, hadn''t she? He struggled to remember the details of the conversation, but she had been saying something about the quirks of different types¡­

    ¡°And Pokemon aren¡¯t like you humans! Energy can come from all sorts of places, depending on the Pokemon. Rotom doesn¡¯t need to eat food, for example, so long as Rotom regularly consumes electricity! Many Grass types simply need to be out in the sun, like any plant! And Rotom has it on good authority that Misdrevous can feed on feelings. Rotom is not sure whether fear specifically is better for them, but it would definitely be something they consume!¡±

    ¡°Ya don¡¯ need ta eat?¡± Mimikyu asked. ¡°Wait, do I need ta eat? I¡¯ve been ¡®avin¡¯ berries regularly¡­¡±

    Rotom inspected Mimikyu from every angle possible without lifting the disguise. ¡°Rotom does not know! You are the first Mimikyu Rotom has met. It is possible that you could get energy from another source¡­ but berries are fine. All Pokemon can eat berries, and it is probably a good idea regardless since they can provide nutrients that might be hard to come by in other ways. Just because Rotom can subsist off of nothing but electricity doesn¡¯t mean Rotom wants to!¡±

    This was the first that N was hearing of it. He¡¯d only ever heard of Pokemon asking for berries for food¡­ but perhaps that was because he was human? Maybe they¡¯d come to associate humans with a source of berries, and so only asked him for berries. The other food sources would be things that are easily accessible to them in their usual habitats¡­

    ¡°But, wait, if Pokemon can get by on berries then why would Misdrevous need to¡­ consume fear?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what word to use. Was it really eating? How do you eat an emotion?

    ¡°Rotom does not know. Maybe it tastes good?¡±

    N frowned.

    This was more complex than he had assumed¡­ but it still didn¡¯t justify these stupid Pokedex entries.

    <hr>

    Though N had gotten what he wanted out of Hearthome City, having extracted what information he could out of Fantina and Rowan, he couldn¡¯t leave just yet. Dawn¡¯s Contest was going to happen later that night, and he had decided to watch her.

    He wasn¡¯t sure why Lucas was still hanging around, though. With Fantina¡¯s Gym closed, there was no reason for someone on the circuit to be hanging around when they could be making their way to the next Gym.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    But if the boy was going to hang around, N figured they might as well make use of him. His team would be very helpful when it came to getting Mimikyu used to actually using a move.

    Or at least, he had thought so. Actually putting that into practice out in the increasingly familiar field to the west of the city was another thing.

    ¡°Hit me.¡± The newly evolved Torterra¡¯s rumbling voice commanded. It must have happened in the battle that had Lucas looking so smug when he returned, but the boy was strangely tight lipped about it. Did that work when Lucas never talked? Maybe something more like his pen was tightly capped or¡­. Well, he could work on that one.

    The giant had been designated as Mimikyu¡¯s partner for his training, with Lucas and his three Normal types off in the distance doing their own training. Rotom had joined them, apparently to help Lucas understand which moves Togepi was calling with Metronome.

    ¡°Ya jus¡¯ want me ta hit ya?¡± Mimikyu asked, wariness clear in his voice.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Ground type replied.

    ¡°Are ya sure? Shouldn¡¯ I be goin¡¯ against one of the three normal types in yer team so I don¡¯ hurt ¡®em?¡±

    N sighed. ¡°Mimikyu, you can¡¯t be around Togepi or Eevee because we¡¯re worried about the Fairy typing spreading unintentionally, remember?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still Bibarel, ain¡¯ there?¡±

    Torterra grunted. ¡°She¡¯s stupid. Now, hit me.¡±

    That was certainly interesting reasoning, and N wasn¡¯t sure what Mimikyu was so worried about. He might hate the abuse that went on in trainer battles, but Pokemon using their moves on each other was normal. As a Pokemon going through the Gym circuit, Torterra would be used to taking a hit. And besides¡­

    N looked between the two Pokemon. Torterra¡¯s huge, lumbering form. Mimikyu¡¯s tiny, diminutive form which was probably even smaller beneath his disguise. Mimikyu could probably hide in Torterra¡¯s new tree and be completely out of sight.

    N was well aware that when it came to Pokemon, size wasn¡¯t necessarily a good indicator of power, but he didn¡¯t think Mimikyu could do much damage to Lucas¡¯ starter even if he hit him as hard as possible.

    ¡°If ya say so¡­¡±

    Mimikyu¡¯s shadowy hand slithered out from beneath his disguise, and once it was in front of his false face, it began to radiate an off-purple glow. He hesitated for a moment, but stepped forward and quickly swiped at Torterra¡¯s front left leg. Three small gashes appeared, one for each claw, and they began slowly leaking blood, but Torterra didn¡¯t even wince in pain. He merely turned his head to look at Mimikyu.

    ¡°Weak. Try again.¡±

    Mimikyu looked at him like he was crazy. ¡°I dunno if you got less pain receptors or whatever, but ya should feel somethin¡¯, shouldn¡¯ ya?¡±

    Torterra grunted. ¡°I do. Still weak. Try again.¡±

    ¡°But ya-¡±

    Torterra rolled his eyes, obviously tuning out whatever Mimikyu¡¯s complaints were. Then, with a heavy stomp and a twist of his large body, he shook his tree hard enough for a few large seeds to fly out and into the tall grass. Something let out a whine, and Torterra hummed as the damage to his leg healed itself right before their eyes.

    ¡°Did you just drain a random wild Pokemon to heal yourself?¡± N asked, disappointed by the callous attitude the Pokemon had.

    Torterra nodded. ¡°Leech Seed.¡± Then, looking at Mimikyu once more, ¡°Again.¡±

    As Mimikyu continued his questionable training, N ventured into the tall grass, looking for the poor Pokemon that had fallen victim to Torterra¡¯s Leech Seed.

    It didn¡¯t take long, with the whines and rustling drawing his attention. Parting the grass with his hands, he found that a Bidoof was tangled up in the vines that had sprouted from the seeds, thrashing around in a poor attempt to free itself from them.

    ¡°If you hold still, I can help you with that,¡± he offered.

    The Bidoof continued to struggle, not paying attention to a word he said. He found himself wondering if that was due to panic or the low intelligence he was coming to associate with the evolutionary line, but either way he needed to do something. Careful to avoid the buck teeth, N grabbed at a random vine and started pulling.

    The Bidoof struggled harder, squealing like a predator had caught it¡­ and in a way, N could see why it might think that. It made the process of freeing it much more difficult, but eventually he was able to remove the Leech Seed without getting harmed in the process. Instead of thanking him, the little thing hissed and ran off deeper into the tall grass.

    Pokemon were normally much more receptive to his assistance¡­ but he supposed he didn¡¯t do it for the thanks. So long as he knew that he had done the right thing, it was okay.

    When he turned to make his way back, a huge rock embedded itself in the ground just a few feet away. N¡¯s heart leapt into his throat.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± a boyish voice called out. That was¡­ Eevee? When N looked over to Lucas¡¯ group, he found the boy sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, with Eevee seemingly giving Togepi a lecture he doubted the baby understood.

    Right. Perhaps a bit more situational awareness was in order.

    Making his way around the large¡­ Stone Edge maybe? He wandered back over to his friend and Torterra.

    ¡°The move is strong,¡± Torterra was telling him. The giant turned to the side to give Mimikyu a better view of the way his greenery was wilting under the influence of the Ghost type move. ¡°You are weak.¡±

    ¡°I know I¡¯m weak. That¡¯s the poin¡¯ of this! I¡¯m tryin¡¯ here, but jus¡¯ cuz that TM is finally lettin¡¯ me use a proper move doesn¡¯ mean I suddenly have all the power or trainin¡¯ ta back it up.¡±

    Torterra looked confused. ¡°TM?¡±

    ¡°Technical machines,¡± N explained. ¡°They¡¯re disks that teach a Pokemon how to use moves they don¡¯t yet know.¡±

    Torterra¡¯s hum shook the ground beneath him. ¡°Disks¡­ So if you had more¡­¡±

    ¡°Havin¡¯ more TMs would gimme more options for moves, but they ain¡¯ gonna make me any stronger. I¡¯d need some of those fancy vitamins or somethin¡¯ for that¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides,¡± N continued, not entirely sure what Mimikyu meant regarding the vitamins comment, ¡°We only got the one for Shadow Claw through Fantina¡¯s good graces. They¡¯re outside of my budget.¡±

    Torterra didn¡¯t move for a moment, long enough for N to grow concerned, before wordlessly stomping off, back towards his trainer.

    ¡°Did we say something wrong?¡± He asked Mimikyu.

    ¡°How am I s¡¯posed ta know?¡±

    They watched as Torterra spoke to Rotom, and Rotom spoke to Lucas. Then, Torterra and Lucas walked over to them, leaving the Electric type to supervise Lucas¡¯ other Pokemon.

    Lucas gave Torterra a pensive look as he started digging into his bag.

    ¡°We have disks,¡± The Grass type explained.

    ¡°What, you mean you have TMs? I suppose you could afford a few with the winnings from battles, but-¡±

    N¡¯s words died in his throat as Lucas turned his bag over, the opened pouch letting loose what must be almost twenty different TMs.

    This far into the region, with how strong his team seemed to be, N could understand Lucas having purchased one, maybe two TMs. But this many? Even if he spent no money at all on supplies there was no way he¡¯d have enough.

    ¡°Don¡¯t buy. We find them,¡± Torterra added.

    ¡°You find them?¡± N checked that he wasn¡¯t misunderstanding.

    ¡°Jus¡¯ layin¡¯ aroun¡¯...¡± Mimikyu mused.

    Lucas nodded, a proud smile on his face.

    That was¡­ well, frankly, it was unbelievable. But the proof was right there in front of him. But even if he looked past what he was sure were extremely dubious origins, that still left one important question.

    ¡°Why are you showing these to us?¡±

    Lucas shared another look with his partner, before grabbing one of them at random, holding it out towards N.

    ¡°Take one,¡± Torterra told him.

    ¡°You want us to just take one? These things are worth a lot of money, if you won¡¯t want them then you could-¡±

    His protests were cut off when Lucas shoved the one he was holding into his chest.

    ¡°Well I ain¡¯ one ta look a gift¡­ uh¡­ Ponyta in the mouth,¡± Mimikyu said as he reached out for the TM, inspecting it.

    ¡°Stealth Rock? I can¡¯t use this one, sorry. What else do ya ¡®ave?¡±

    N cringed. ¡°Mimikyu, that¡¯s rude.¡±

    ¡°If I can¡¯t use it, then I can¡¯t use it! What do ya wan¡¯ from me?¡± The little ghost started digging through the disks, separating them into two piles.

    When he was done, one was much smaller than the other, and that was the one he was still looking through. ¡°Substitute, Sleep Talk, Thief, Attract, Return, and Taunt¡­¡±

    N knelt down next to him, looking over the disks. ¡°These are the ones that you can learn?¡±

    ¡°Ta my knowledge, yeah. I might be wrong, but¡­ I¡¯m fairly confident.¡±

    Not very reassuring, but Mimikyu would know better than any of them.

    ¡°Substitute seems a bit silly when I already ¡®ave my disguise. Sleep Talk doesn¡¯ make much sense unless ya got Rest ta go with it¡­¡±

    N quietly ignored the way Lucas¡¯ fists clenched when Mimikyu moved Sleep Talk to the side.

    ¡°Thief¡­ ¡®ave we even seen any Pokemon carryin¡¯ items around?¡±

    N had heard of trainers giving their Pokemon scarves or pendants or various other items that were said to increase their combat capabilities, but he¡¯d never seen it himself. He shook his head no.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯ make much sense ta use then, beyond some Dark type coverage maybe? But Shadow Claw would hit those same Pokemon ¡®cept in a small number of edge cases¡­¡±

    That left three. However¡­. ¡°Mimikyu¡­ are you seriously considering a move like Attract?¡±

    His disguise stiffened. ¡°It could be a viable strategy! I¡¯m out ¡®ere lookin¡¯ ta survive, not win the League, ¡®n¡¯ even if it would only ¡®ave an effect on female¡­.¡±

    He slowly trailed off, mumbling something about not caring about Gardevoir anyway.

    ¡°That leaves Return ¡®n¡¯ Taunt then¡­¡±

    ¡°Taunt is the one that prevents the target from using status moves, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Forces ¡®em to attack ya, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Would have been useful¡­¡± Torterra grumbled, but N wasn¡¯t sure what the Ground type was talking about.

    ¡°And Return is the one that¡¯s stronger the more happy a Pokemon is?¡± Not a move he¡¯d ever seen on a wild Pokemon, but it sounded like it could be useful.

    ¡°Return ¡®n¡¯ Frustration are based on the relationship with the trainer,¡± Mimikyu corrected.

    Oh.

    So if Mimikyu used Return¡­ it would show how he really felt¡­

    Mimikyu sighed. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll go with this one.¡±

    He grabbed a disk.

 Chapter 46

    As N found his seat in the Contest Hall, surrounded by an excited crowd and with Mimikyu moving from his shoulder to his lap, he tried to immerse himself in the mood of those around him, attempting to reach a point where he could actually appreciate one of the few enjoyable aspects of trainer culture. He had come here to support Dawn after all, and if she saw him in the crowd without a smile on his face, he didn¡¯t think that would do wonders for her confidence.

    He was struggling, though.

    It¡¯s not like he was upset or angry about anything, or at least no more than he usually was in a world that treated Pokemon the way it did, but he couldn¡¯t stamp down on the lingering feeling of¡­ disappointment, maybe? He wasn¡¯t quite sure what to call it.

    Mimikyu was his own Pokemon, he could make his own decisions. N would never dream of taking that away from him. Just like he had no problem with Rotom sticking around Lucas for the duration of the contest, even if it meant his phone was unavailable. Not like he really used the thing anyway¡­

    But when Lucas was so generous as to offer up a free technical machine, or perhaps it was more accurate to say that Torterra offered one up on his behalf, N had allowed himself to grow a little bit excited over the idea of Mimikyu learning Return. Not that he¡¯d only felt excitement. It had been mixed in with anxiety and self doubt, of course. But with all the secrets between them, he had been hoping that the little specter would allow N to get a glimpse of how he really felt about their relationship. For better or worse. If it had been strong, then that was great! If it had been weak, well, that was something to work on if N was going to keep travelling with him. Not that he thought it would come to that, but¡­

    ¡­but it didn¡¯t matter either way, because Mimikyu hadn¡¯t gone with Return.

    Which was fine! Perfectly fine. Reasonable even, once he had laid out why he¡¯d chosen it. At least with N¡¯s admittedly poor understanding of the intricacies of battle.

    According to the little Fairy in his lap, the Shadow Claw that Fantina had gifted them was one of the strongest moves that he was capable of learning. Once he really got the hang of it, it would probably be his go-to in terms of damage output, even if he learned other moves like they were hoping.

    He¡¯d started using a lot of strange terminology at that point, stuff that neither N nor Torterra understood in the slightest. From what he¡¯d seen, Shadow Claw was more of a slashing motion than a stabbing one, so Mimikyu saying stab over and over just didn¡¯t make sense.

    But the long and short of it was that while Return would realistically only serve as a coverage option when up against a Normal type, Taunt could be useful in a variety of scenarios. More importantly, in a way that didn¡¯t involve Mimikyu getting up close and personal with a Pokemon that actually knew how to battle.

    Mimikyu wanted options, not a moveset that would grant him the power to take on the League.

    ¡°Yer doin¡¯ an awful lot of thinkin¡¯, ain¡¯ ya?¡± The subject of his thoughts spoke up, making N startle.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m just lost in thought, is all.¡±

    ¡°Well ya can get lost when the shows over, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re ¡®bout ta start.¡±

    While he had been ignoring the ramblings of the announcer, the building¡¯s ceiling slowly retracting to allow natural light in was a pretty good indicator that Mimikyu was right. He ignored the introductions given to the judges, but he did take note of the fact that this event was apparently focused on doubles.

    That wasn¡¯t something you saw often in the world of trainers. So often it was just a case of ¡°my Pokemon can hurt yours harder and faster¡±. Doubles would require strategy and teamwork. Not to the same extent that would be necessary for the Triple or Rotation battles that had been cropping up recently back home, but those seemed to be more of a novelty than anything trainers were taking seriously.

    Eventually, the first contestant stepped out onto the stage.

    He looked more like an old-timey minstrel than a Pokemon trainer, especially with the rather sizable harp he had in his hands. A dark green cape covered most of his body, and he had a matching giant hat, stuck with a feather from a¡­ hmmm. He wasn¡¯t sure what that feather was from, but perhaps that shouldn¡¯t surprise him, given how unfamiliar he still is with the Pokemon outside of his home region. The giant golden pauldron hanging from his shoulder was an odd touch, but the man seemed accustomed to its weight as he made his way into the sunlight, throwing two Pokeballs forward.

    ¡°Sunflora and Kricketune, make your mark!¡±

    He must have rigged the balls with something, because as the two Pokemon were released a huge cloud of glitter encapsulated the stage, shiny music notes raining down.

    As the Kricketune materialized, it gave a flourish with its arms that the announcer called out as a Swords Dance, disrupting the air and sending the glitter flying off in a different direction.

    Alongside it was a Pokemon he¡¯d never seen before, yet was vaguely familiar all the same. Those petals¡­ was this the Pokemon that Meowth had been mimicking during Team Rocket¡¯s attempted robbery of the museum near Eterna? He had to give the Pokemon credit, his costume had been fairly accurate now that he knew what the inspiration was.

    The contestant called out for his Pokemon to use Grasswhistle, and N gasped.

    ¡°Is he trying to put all of us to sleep?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t often that he saw a Swadloon use the move, but he at least knew its effects.

    But instead of ruining his performance, when his Pokemon started to make music they instead caused the glitter still in the air to dance, pulsing rhythmically, almost as if¡­

    ¡°Is that s¡¯posed ta be the soundwaves?¡± Mimikyu pondered. ¡°It¡¯s a neat effect, bu¡¯ sound moves way faster than that. Makes ya wonder ¡®ow they¡¯re doin¡¯ it.¡±

    There was some sort of trickery at play. N suspected that the Pokemon weren¡¯t using Grasswhistle at all, and were simply using their musical talents instead. It was beautiful to watch and listen to, but why try to cover that up? Was there some sort of requirement in the rules that so many moves had to be used or something?

    When their song came to an end, the glitter fell to the ground and the three of them gave a bow. N¡¯s questions went unanswered, but the judges seemed to enjoy it, and N got the feeling that this guy would be moving on.

    There were plenty of interesting performances after that. A Solrock and a Lunatone, a Steelix and a Smoochum, a Duskull and a Psyduck¡­

    The pair of Cubone made him think back to the one he had befriended back on route 203. Had it evolved yet, like it wanted to? Was it still good friends with Nuzleaf? He would have to check it out the next time he was in the area.

    Those thoughts were put on the back burner when Dawn came out in the same pink dress she had used in previous performances. His eyes scanned for injuries leftover from the Alamos incident, but there wasn¡¯t a bandage in sight anymore, and if there were any marks left behind then they weren¡¯t visible. She paused for a moment, a Pokeball in each hand, and seemed to take a steadying breath, her eyes roaming the crowd. N made sure to wave, and his friend somehow managed to spot him in the crowd, a wide smile breaking out on her face.

    ¡°Piplup, Pachirisu, spotlight!¡±

    Her Pokemon appeared next to each other in a flurry of red confetti, though it fell to the floor much faster than the glittery music notes that the minstrel from before had used.

    N watched with bated breath as he saw the Electric type emerge, but Pachirisu seemed just fine, filling the air in front of the duo with the pink hearts of a Sweet Kiss.

    ¡°Guess she musta gotten over that stage fright, eh?¡± Mimikyu muttered.

    ¡°So it would seem,¡± N agreed. Pachirisu¡¯s last performance had been concerning, even if Dawn had managed to get the ribbon in the end.

    The Sweet Kiss was followed up by a Bubblebeam from Piplup, each of the hearts being absorbed by a bubble, floating through the air like they were meant to be together.

    It was an impressive move, to N¡¯s eyes at least. He wasn¡¯t sure how they had managed that without the two moves interfering with each other, but it seemed their practice had paid off.

    When Dawn followed it up with a Whirlpool that managed not to draw in a Discharge that surrounded it, it was still a spectacle, but he didn¡¯t think it had the same impact as her opener. It seemed like more of a technical display of skill rather than something that was beautiful.

    But what did he know? Dawn¡¯s participation was the full extent of his contest knowledge, and the judges seemed to approve.

    She gave him another wave as she left the stage, though he caught a concerned look off in a different direction. Did she know someone else in the audience? It would be pretty awkward if Ash and Brock were here too¡­

    He started a halfhearted search of the crowd, but his attention was brought back to the stage when ¡°Jessilina¡± stepped out.

    ¡°Am I the only one who thinks its weird that a Rocket keeps participating in these?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of an odd combination, sure, but it sorta makes sense. The trio after Ash and Pikachu are always putin¡¯ on costumes, pretendin¡¯ ta be things they ain¡¯, focusin¡¯ on their looks more than practicality¡­. What¡¯s a contest compared ta that? ¡®Sides, ain¡¯ like they¡¯re hurtin¡¯ anyone when they¡¯re busy with this.¡±

    ¡°You might have a point there,¡± N admitted. That trio really was an odd bunch, given what he¡¯d heard about their organization. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll outperform Dawn?¡±

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Mimikyu turned around in his lap so they could see eye to eye. ¡°Do ya really think I ¡®ave any idea how these things are judged? If it ain¡¯ a knockout in the battle round, I don¡¯ ¡®ave a clue.¡±

    Huh. With all the answers that Mimikyu seemed to have, he just sort of assumed the fae would know. ¡°Fair enough¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Dawn felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest.

    Sure, her performance was already over. Yes, it had happened exactly how they practiced, with no surprise stage fright to make her look like a joke in front of the crowd. Plus, she¡¯d been cleared as fully healed just that morning. That was all good, right?

    But her mom was watching. In person.

    It was one thing to know that her mom would be watching from home, to know that all sorts of people had their eyes on her as she and her Pokemon performed. The pressure was there, and she definitely felt it, but it wasn¡¯t¡­ as heavy. She could look at herself in a mirror, tell herself there was no need to worry, and hold herself together long enough that eventually the nerves went away, for the most part.

    But with her mom here? And with Mrs. Platinum and their other contest friend too¡­

    Having the person that she was constantly compared to, the standard she was held to, the shining example of what she should be in the stands watching her¡­ it was more than she could take.

    But she¡¯d gotten through it! Piplup and Pachirisu had gotten through it. Everything was going to be just fine, there was no need to worry.

    ¡­

    Her mantra felt hollower than usual.

    So caught up in her insecurities, she didn¡¯t focus on the screen left for the competitors at all, completely missing the performances from Jessilina and Zoey. She felt a bit guilty about that when she realized, but by that point they were already announcing the contestants moving on to the next round, headshots of the coordinators filling eight spots.

    Nando made it. Zoey made it. Neither of those were really a surprise. Spot after spot was quickly filled, and she struggled to match faces to performances, but she had a sinking feeling that she might not need to know which performances had made it through.

    One spot left.

    Had any of the remaining coordinators done better than her? Jessilina wasn¡¯t on the board yet, and if Dawn didn¡¯t watch her performance she couldn¡¯t be certain.

    She¡¯d spent so much time practicing. She had drilled her Pokemon over and over. Maybe it hadn¡¯t been giving their all, not with¡­ not with what had happened looming over them¡­ both the physical injuries and¡­ but she¡¯d really tried!

    Her mom was here. Watching. Waiting, just like her.

    Dawn didn¡¯t want to know what expression her mom was making when Jessilina¡¯s face took the last spot.

    Someone tried to speak to her, but it was like there was static in her ears.

    She had failed. And in the first round at that.

    Dawn ran.

    <hr>

    ¡°How did she lose?!¡± Mimikyu complained, but none of the people N was maneuvering his way around understood a word of it. ¡°The Marowak routine was somethin¡¯ a single one of ¡®em could ¡®ave done! I guarantee ya any Marowak off the street could juggle some bones! If anythin¡¯, ¡®avin¡¯ two of ¡®em there just made it easier! And the Solrock ¡®n¡¯ Lunatone! They only got in because they¡¯re a natural duo, I¡¯m tellin¡¯ ya! I can¡¯t even remember what their act was! Can¡¯t ¡®ave been worth a pass to the battle round if it ain¡¯ memorable! The way this is judged don¡¯ make any sense!¡±

    ¡°While I¡¯m inclined to agree, I would appreciate it if you spent less time complaining about it and more time helping me find Dawn.¡±

    He entered into the waiting area, hoping to find the bluenette there, but to no avail. ¡°Where could she have gone¡­¡±

    ¡°We could ask Zoey? She migh¡¯ know if ya catch her before she ¡®as ta go out.¡±

    Right. She and Dawn were friends of a sort, weren¡¯t they? Or maybe they¡¯d prefer the term rivals¡­ N shook his head. Now wasn¡¯t the time for semantics.

    Approaching the ginger, who was clad in a light blue suit for her performance, he opened his mouth to ask but was preempted by the tomboy.

    ¡°You¡¯re friends with Dawn, right? You¡¯re part of her travelling group?¡± She asked, but continued on without waiting for an answer. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you''re looking for her. I¡¯d have gone after her myself, but,¡± she glanced at the screen which indicated she was in the next match, grimacing. ¡°She ran off that way, but I couldn''t tell you where she went specifically.¡± She pointed down a long corridor.

    That was at least a start. N thanked the girl for the information and started down the hall, peeking into every open door he passed in hopes of finding Dawn. He briefly considered checking the closed ones as well, but given that the coordinators were changing into costumes, he assumed that would end poorly.

    He found her at the very end of the hall, standing outside on a balcony. So far from the action, the announcer''s voice could just barely be heard from the speakers in the stadium, but it wasn¡¯t enough to cover up the sound of her sniffling.

    He¡¯d come here without a second thought, assuming that Dawn would need some cheering up, but¡­

    He didn¡¯t really know what to do.

    Throw him in front of a Pokemon in any mood and he could help, no problem. But a little girl? Sure she was old enough to be out on her journey, but compared to him¡­.

    He wasn¡¯t sure that he had the tact to handle something like this, now that it was right in front of him.

    ¡°Are ya jus¡¯ gonna stand there, or are ya gonna say somethin¡¯ to ¡®er?¡±

    Both N and Dawn jolted at Mimikyu¡¯s prompting. N stepped out onto the balcony, and Dawn quickly wiped away her tears before turning around, trying to pretend that they were never there as she plastered a smile on her face.

    ¡°Hey, N! Glad you made it out to watch me! Um, sorry it ended up being so disappointing though¡­¡± she said with a slight grimace.

    Right. Fix this without making the ten year old cry. He was going to be a king one day, surely he could handle something like this, right?

    He walked to the edge of the balcony, leaning over the railing so that she couldn¡¯t see the uncertainty on his face.

    Mimikyu quickly climbed down to the floor, apparently not happy with being held over the edge.

    ¡°Dawn, I know you¡¯re not happy with the result,¡± he tentatively started, ¡°but I think you did a good job. You¡¯re not going to win every contest you¡¯re in, and this is just one of those times. You¡¯ll just have to do your best the next time as well.¡±

    ¡°If I did a good job, then why did I lose?¡± she asked in a bitter tone.

    ¡°¡®Cuz those judges are blind or somethin¡¯, I dunno. Maybe it¡¯s all rigged. Ya think that Marowak guy bribed ¡®em?¡±

    N sighed. ¡°Mimikyu, perhaps we should avoid accusing people of bribery without evidence.¡± It wasn¡¯t completely unthinkable, but N did think it unlikely, and if word got back to those Marowak¡­ he¡¯d seen the ones on route 203 crack bone with just their hands. He didn¡¯t think that he nor Mimikyu wanted to end up on their bad side.

    He heard Dawn lightly giggle behind him. ¡°You think it took a bribe to make me lose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sayin¡¯ it¡¯s a possibility!¡± Mimikyu exclaimed.

    Dawn leaned over the railing next to him. ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you, but you don¡¯t have to lie to me.¡±

    ¡°Dawn, we¡¯re being serious. Each time I¡¯ve seen you perform has been better than the last. You lost your first contest, right? What¡¯s different about this one that has you so worked up?¡±

    ¡°Worked up? There¡¯s no need to worry, I¡¯m totally fine!¡± Dawn tried.

    N turned his head to look at her. ¡°Dawn.¡± He tried his best to imitate Anthea when she was at her sternest in his younger years.

    He wished his sisters were here instead. They would surely know how to handle this better than him.

    Dawn hesitated. ¡°I¡­ My mom was in the crowd.¡±

    ¡°Your mom?¡±

    ¡°Her mom is some bigshot coordinator or somethin¡¯ like that, ain¡¯ she?¡± Mimikyu supplied. N couldn¡¯t recall if they had discussed the topic previously or not.

    ¡°Yeah, my mom,¡± she said softly. ¡°She¡­ she was amazing. She is amazing, but she was a great coordinator at my age. The first year of her journey, she managed to win the Grand Festival. My whole life I¡¯ve grown up in her shadow and I just¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mimikyu sounded surprised. ¡°Dawn ¡®as an inferiority complex ¡®cuz of her mom?¡±

    ¡°I see¡­. Growing up in someone else¡¯s shadow is difficult, isn¡¯t it?¡± It wasn¡¯t a one to one comparison, but N could draw some sort of connection with his fa- Ghetsis. The man was one of the Seven Sages after all, and if N was to become King¡­ Granted, that was entirely his own ambition. Plasma was centered around securing N¡¯s goals, and Ghetsis was just one of many who were doing what they could to support him.

    But relatability was good for this sort of thing, wasn¡¯t it? So he could stretch it a bit if it helped.

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡± Dawn struggled. ¡°My mom is great, and supportive, and¡­ I just¡­ it¡¯s a lot of pressure.¡±

    How did he relate to that? Was he under a lot of pressure? Sure he felt the need to save Pokemon as fast as he could, but that wasn¡¯t quite the same¡­

    ¡°Have you ever heard of Volcarona?¡± he asked instead.

    ¡°Is now really the time for non sequiturs, N?¡± Mimikyu asked with a bit of worry.

    But N ignored him.

    Dawn looked at him with clear confusion. ¡°No? Is that a Pokemon?¡±

    N nodded. ¡°It is. Back home, I¡¯ve heard that they were once depicted as the concept of fire given life. The sun, when the sky was darkened. A source of life giving heat in the cold. I¡¯ve never seen one myself, and they¡¯re apparently exceptionally rare. Some people lump them in with Legends.¡±

    He paused for a moment when he heard a quick intake of air. Perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have used that word so lightly around her.

    ¡°But a Volcarona can only exist after a Larvesta evolves. And that takes a very long time. Where Volcarona is like the sun, Larvesta are more like¡­ torches. They¡¯re still amazing in their own right, just as all Pokemon are, but many don¡¯t see their value when compared to a Volcarona. Now, tell me Dawn, how do you think a Larvesta feels when it hears what we think about Volcarona?¡±

    She thought for a moment. ¡°...like that¡¯s a bright spotlight to step under?¡±

    A bit more contest-ish than he would have liked, but whatever analogy worked for her.

    ¡°Maybe. I¡¯ve never gotten the chance to ask one, but I imagine that a lot of Larvesta see that bright spotlight shining over Volcarona and think I want that spot. And so they work at it, day after day, always trying to move towards their evolution. Some of them take decades to accomplish it. They probably run into all sorts of setbacks, but so long as they have their eyes on evolving, they can keep at it.¡±

    His explanation ran out of steam there, and they fell into a somewhat comfortable silence. He could feel Mimikyu fidgeting at his feet, but the little spirit didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°...thank you, N. I think I feel a bit better now.¡± She gave him a quick hug. ¡°I should go change and find my mom, she probably wants to talk to me too.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± N agreed.

    She walked away, and N and Mimikyu were left alone on the balcony.

    ¡°...dude, what was that analogy? I got so lost tryin¡¯ ta follow yer weird Volcarona spotlight nonsense.¡±

    N flushed. ¡°It worked for her, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°We gotta work on that, you¡¯re so rambly.¡±

    The next time N needed to have a moment with someone, he would be leaving Mimikyu behind.

 Chapter 47

    Dawn felt lighter than she had in a while, and that was strange to her. She should still be upset about her loss, still frightened by what she had seen at the last stop on her journey. Or maybe that was childish? She¡¯d heard that going on a journey like this was supposed to help you mature, so maybe¡­

    And, well, what happened in Alamos was still¡­ but it felt more¡­ distant? Like it was a storm cloud in the distance instead of hanging above her head like it had been for the last few days. Present, but not raining down on her.

    Talking with N had really helped a lot, and the conversation with her mom afterwards had gone surprisingly well? Maybe there really was no need to worry.

    But even if she was feeling better, she couldn¡¯t help the knot of anxiety in her stomach as she waited just outside the Contest Hall for everything to wrap up. She idly ran her hands over her pokeballs, hoping that the reminder of her friends'' constant presence would help her keep calm.

    ¡°Dawn? You¡¯re still hanging around here?¡± A voice suddenly called out, spooking her, but she managed to keep herself from jumping out of fright.

    Zoey walked up to her, her hands adjusting the way her sunglasses sat in her bright orange hair. ¡°I would have thought that you¡¯d be with your mom or Ash or that other guy¡­ he did end up finding you, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    Dawn greeted her rival with a soft smile. ¡°Yeah, N found me. But, um, I wanted to talk to you¡­¡±

    Zoey looked a bit surprised by that, and there was something else in her expression, but Dawn couldn¡¯t place it. ¡°Okay, sure. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Do you think-¡± Dawn¡¯s hand squeezed down on Piplup¡¯s ball, ¡°I was wondering¡­¡± she took a deep breath, ¡°...could we maybe travel together?¡±

    The ginger was obviously confused by the request. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how well I¡¯d do in such a large group, Dawn. I¡¯m used to-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Dawn cut her off. ¡°I meant, um, just the two of us.¡±

    That expression that Dawn couldn¡¯t place returned, and Zoey stayed silent for a moment. With each second that passed by, Dawn¡¯s worry increased, and she was on the verge of taking it all back and trying to pretend that this never happened and-

    ¡°Sure. You and me can travel together, Dawn.¡±

    The bluenette felt like she could collapse with relief. ¡°Great! So where are you thinking of going next? I¡¯m not really sure which contest would be best for us to try¡­¡±

    Everything was going to work out just fine. There was no need to worry.

    <hr>

    ¡°...was totally unfair! Don¡¯t you remember what I told you before? Make sure all your attacks hit! Avoid every enemy attack! I thought that was a wicked strategy, and it definitely would have worked if you hadn¡¯t cheated!¡± A beam of light recalled the defeated Buizel, and Lucas stood firm with Torterra waiting unflinchingly before him.

    ¡°Bzrt, is this guy serious?¡± Rotom quietly asked.

    ¡°Ya know, I ain¡¯ entirely sure¡­.¡± Mimikyu answered.

    Lucas gave his opponent a look that clearly questioned the validity of that claim.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look! You¡¯ve got cheerleaders and I don¡¯t! It¡¯s not fair at all! How am I supposed to put my surefire strategy into effect if the whole time you¡¯ve got some people I¡¯ve never seen before backing you up!¡± The blond pointed at N and his friends. ¡°I should fine you a thousand, no, ten million dollars for this!¡±

    N hesitantly spoke up at that point, trying to get a word in before the boy continued at such a rapid pace. ¡°Look, um,¡±

    ¡°Barry!¡± The blond proudly proclaimed.

    ¡°Right, Barry, I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re going on about. We didn¡¯t help Lucas in any way during that battle.¡±

    Barry marched right up to him, holding a pokeball up between them. ¡°Then how was his Bibarel able to hit Staravia through all of those Double Teams? It was my surefire strategy, he was supposed to miss every attack!¡±

    ¡°Bzrt, Double Team doesn¡¯t prevent your opponent from landing a hit, it just makes it more difficult!¡± Rotom chimed in.

    ¡°Waaagh!¡± Barry let out some strange sound between a growl and a whine, rubbing his hands through his wild hair in frustration. ¡°And you¡¯ve got some fancy talking, floating phone too! A billion dollars, I¡¯ll fine you a billion dollars!¡±

    Where did this kid think any of them were going to get a billion dollars from?

    Just as suddenly as he had gotten himself worked up into a frenzy, the boy suddenly calmed down, his rage replaced by determination. ¡°No, I guess I have to grind it out and toughen up the team a bit at a time. Anyway! I¡¯m off for Solaceon Town! See ya, Lucas! You¡¯ll be shocked by my growth the next time we meet!¡±

    The boy ran off, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him as he left without giving Lucas a chance to respond at all.

    ¡°Is he¡­ always like that?¡± N asked.

    Lucas nodded and Torterra sighed. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± the giant groaned.

    ¡°I can see ¡®ow that¡¯d get old real quick¡­¡± Mimikyu commiserated.

    Lucas didn¡¯t seem too bothered, though. He simply released his team and started healing them up with potions and berries from his bag.

    N found himself thinking over his circumstances as he waited to continue down route 209. Travelling with Lucas was¡­ well, while he still felt undecided on whether it was a good idea or not, it was happening. On one hand the boy¡¯s offering of the technical machine had been quite a nice gesture, and on the other N still found himself struggling with all of the trainer¡¯s¡­. eccentricities. The disregard of Togepi¡¯s safety with the experience sharing device, the quick acceptance of a Pokemon from that awful Bebe woman, the fact that he was doing the Gym circuit¡­

    And that was without getting into how he somehow had ¡°found¡± plenty of technical machines laying around. N wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to learn the details of that.

    But he had accepted the boy¡¯s presence regardless, because Mimikyu seemed to think he could help with the little specter¡¯s goal. Whatever that included¡­

    Had N made the wrong choice? Should he have just gone back home with the Shadows? And on the topic of the Shadows, if he recalled correctly he had instructed them to meet back up with him after leaving Hearthome. They should be making contact soon.

    His thoughts of home and strange ninjas were interrupted by Lucas recalling his team, now healed, sans Torterra. However, instead of marching on like N expected, the boy scrambled up on top of his Pokemon, nestling himself up against the tree with his legs sticking between the gaps in the stones on the other side of Torterra¡¯s shell.

    N stared, dumbfounded. ¡°Lucas, what are you doing?¡±

    In lieu of an answer, Lucas pulled out his Pokedex, letting it read the entry for his starter. ¡°Torterra, the Continent Pokemon. Ancient people imagined that beneath the ground dwelt a gigantic Torterra. Small Pokemon occasionally gather on its unmoving back to begin building their nests. Some Pokemon are born on a Torterra¡¯s back and spend their entire life there. Groups of this Pokemon migrating in search of water have been mistaken for moving forests.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! Rotom is certain that you are not a small Pokemon! Or are you? The refusal to speak may be an indication that we¡¯re being deceived by an illusion¡­¡±

    N and Mimikyu gave the Electric type a strange look. ¡°Are ya tryna say that Lucas is a Zorua or somethin¡¯?¡±

    The glowing eyes on his flip phone blinked. ¡°Rotom is not familiar with Zorua! Rotom was thinking of Ditto. But if Zorua is another Pokemon that can change how it looks¡­¡±

    Torterra rolled his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s human. And it¡¯s fine.¡± Apparently deeming the conversation over, the Ground type started lumbering down the trail, leaving large indents in the soft grass with every step.

    Watching a Pokemon get used as a mode of transportation left a sour taste in N¡¯s mouth, but if Torterra was fine with it¡­

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mimikyu jumped down from N¡¯s shoulder, making his way up onto the large Pokemon¡¯s back along with Lucas. ¡°It seems like yer shell is made outta dirt, or at least the top layer. And ya got some moss and grasses growin¡¯ over it¡­ I wonder if ya could turn yer back into a garden? Grow some rare berries on the go¡­¡±

    ¡°Denied.¡± Torterra grumbled, moving along at a slow pace.

    ¡°Why? Bzzrt!¡± Rotom asked. ¡°By Rotom¡¯s calculations, if you were to grow a combination of Sitrus, Leppa, Lum, and perhaps one or two exotic varieties, you could see profits of-¡±

    ¡°Too annoying,¡± Torterra cut Rotom off. ¡°Don¡¯t need pests trying to build nests.¡±

    There was a pause before Mimikyu awkwardly hopped off of Torterra, climbing back up onto N¡¯s shoulder.

    Sensing an opportunity to get Mimikyu back for his teasing earlier, N smirked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Mimikyu? Were you thinking of building a nest?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯ need yer sass, N.¡±

    So the spirit could dish it out but couldn¡¯t handle it himself¡­

    ¡°I see how it is, you think-¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Rotom suddenly called out, quickly flitting about through the air.

    Torterra stopped, and they all gave the Ghost their attention. Was something wrong? Maybe Rotom had picked up on whatever Mimikyu did the last time, and the Shadows had arrived. But when he looked towards the fae on his shoulder, Mimikyu looked confused as well.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Rotom?¡±

    Rotom floated right in front of Torterra¡¯s face. ¡°Where are you taking Rotom? We have left the main path of route 209!¡±

    Had they? N looked around. They¡¯d not gotten far from Hearthome, with the sights and sounds of the city still visible over the tree line. Off in the distance he could see a few winding rivers and small wooden bridges crossing over them. Near the water¡¯s edge were the now increasingly familiar Psyduck, Golduck, and a few Bibarel. Some Staravia flew overhead, and in an open area on the other side of the closest river he could see a few Pokemon that reminded him a bit of Bouffalant without their signature afro.

    But Rotom was right. Instead of making their way towards those wooden bridges, they seemed to be veering off into an area of tall grass. It didn¡¯t seem to let out anywhere, just ending at the forest¡¯s edge.

    The Continent Pokemon let out a groan of annoyance at Rotom¡¯s questioning. ¡°Hunting,¡± he grumbled out.

    Mimikyu snapped to attention. ¡°You¡¯re hunting? Hunting what?¡±

    N wasn¡¯t sure he wanted the answer. He was well aware that not everything that went on in the wild was pretty, but he would have thought a Pokemon being raised by a trainer would be satisfied by the steady meals provided to them¡­

    ¡°Items.¡±

    N almost tripped over himself in surprise.

    ¡°You¡¯re hunting items? What does that even mean?¡± He quickly asked, looking to Lucas for answers.

    But the boy ignored him, playing with the device on his wrist. A Poketch, if N remembered correctly. Lucas tapped the screen occasionally, and it would let out a pinging sound. As Torterra lumbered on, the pinging grew louder, until he suddenly stopped, digging around through the tall grass and dirt.

    Lucas held onto the tree with one arm as he twisted around to lean over the edge of the shell, reaching down to the ground and pulling up-

    ¡°Is that a Great Ball?¡± N asked, dumbfounded.

    Lucas nodded, wiping it clean of dirt and debris before holding it up like a prize.

    ¡°Ya really jus¡¯ find random junk layin¡¯ around? I mean I know what ya said abou¡¯ the TMs, but this is jus¡¯ sorta odd ta see¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Torterra stated plainly, already moving on to find more lost treasures.

    This was¡­ well, it was definitely better than the straight up theft that N had been quietly suspecting, but it was definitely out of left field. ¡°People really leave perfectly good items out in the wild?¡±

    Rotom buzzed angrily. ¡°Rotom refuses to accept this! Great Balls retail at 600 dollars! There is no way someone would just leave a perfectly good one out here! Even if someone were to give up on catching Pokemon, it¡¯s still possible to make a decent amount of that cost back through resale!¡±

    ¡°Accept it.¡± Torterra kept his reply terse.

    ¡°I mean¡­. It was in the tall grass. Could be that they couldn¡¯ find the thing after they missed a Pokemon, right? I wouldn¡¯ wanna give up on somethin¡¯ that expensive, but ya can only search for so long before deemin¡¯ it a los¡¯ cause¡­¡±

    ¡°That cannot be true! Bzzrt! This must be a one off event!¡±

    <hr>

    It was not a one time event.

    Having worked their way to what N figured was about the halfway point of the route, Lucas had proven just how much you could find if you actually put the effort into searching for the stuff. He had found not only another Great Ball in the same field of tall grass, but since then he¡¯d also discovered some Leppa and Chesto berries, a hyper potion, a super repel, and somehow, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, the boy had walked up to a random fisherman, had a one sided conversation for a few minutes, and been gifted a perfectly good fishing rod!

    This couldn¡¯t be normal, could it? Surely there was something else at play here. Did one of his Pokemon have the ability Pickup? He wasn¡¯t sure about the mechanics of it, but he¡¯d heard rumors about Lillipup sometimes being particularly adept at finding lost objects.

    ¡°Rotom, do ya feel that?¡± Mimikyu interrupted his thoughts.

    ¡°Are you referring to the ambient Ghost type energy?¡± Rotom asked.

    ¡°I think so? It¡¯s sorta like¡­ hey N, we were expectin¡¯ a visit, weren¡¯t we?¡±

    N glanced over at Lucas, wondering how the Shadows would take to having to deal with yet another companion, this time one he couldn¡¯t vouch for. ¡°We were.¡± But would they reveal themselves now?

    The rest of the group gave the duo odd looks, even if Lucas was missing far more context than the others.

    ¡°A visit?¡± Rotom notably spoke without the aid of the phone¡¯s speaker. ¡°Rotom is not sure what you are meaning, but the ambient energy Mimikyu and Rotom are sensing is likely because of the Lost Tower, a final resting ground for many Pokemon in Sinnoh. Rotom thinks we should be nearing it soon.¡±

    N frowned. He supposed it was nice that humans would honor their fallen friends, but a gesture like that didn¡¯t do much to counter the negativity of the thought of so many dead Pokemon. Perhaps he should make a visit himself¡­

    ¡°Wait, yer tellin¡¯ me that we¡¯re sensin¡¯ that when we can¡¯t even see the tower yet? If ya think it¡¯s that sorta thing, then wouldn¡¯ the Hallowed Tower be closer?¡±

    ¡°The Hallowed Tower? Why would energy be radiated off of a pile of rocks?¡± Rotom flitted around N and Mimikyu¡¯s faces.

    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± N butted in. ¡°If it¡¯s just a pile of rocks, then why does it have a name like Hallowed Tower? Surely it has to be more than that if they took the effort to name it at all.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s ¡®cuz-¡± Mimikyu abruptly cut himself off, pausing as he focused his attention on Torterra. ¡°Hey big guy¡­ does Lucas happen ta ¡®ave a weird, big ol¡¯ rock in ¡®is bag?¡±

    Torterra¡¯s eyes narrowed as he lumbered along the trail. ¡°Yes¡­.¡± The suspicion was clear in his inflection.

    ¡°...maybe we should steer clear of the Hallowed Tower, then.¡±

    N knew that Mimikyu liked to be secretive, but this was a bit much. ¡°Would you mind explaining why we should avoid this place?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I ain¡¯ exactly sure of the details, but messin¡¯ aroun¡¯ with the tower is probably a good way ta get on the bad side of a really old, really angry Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Clarification needed.¡± Rotom suddenly stopped right in front of Mimikyu, forcing N to stop lest he make the two of them collide. ¡°The details of a really old, really angry Pokemon with a connection to a large rock are an odd combination. The only Pokemon in Rotom¡¯s records that would fit the information you are providing currently resides on the Champion¡¯s team. Are you suggesting that you are aware of how the Champion managed to get her hands on them?¡±

    Torterra turned around, stomping towards them. ¡°What are we avoiding?¡±

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t answer, looking between them all nervously.

    N didn¡¯t really know Cynthia¡¯s team all that well, and with the way they were describing this Pokemon, he didn¡¯t think it was one of the members he had seen at Alamos. Probably a Ghost type of some sort¡­ actually, hadn¡¯t Mimikyu mentioned something of the sort towards the start of their time together? Though that was during the Fairy conversation, wasn¡¯t it? So probably a Dark type instead of a Ghost¡­

    ¡°Spiritomb, bzzrt, the Forbidden Pokemon,¡± Rotom explained. That name did sound vaguely familiar. ¡°According to rumor, the Champion¡¯s is over 500 years old, bound to a stone as punishment for its misdeeds.¡±

    N recoiled. ¡°They bound a Pokemon to a rock for hundreds of years? That¡¯s barbaric!¡±

    Lucas, finally having been clued in to the conversation topic, looked just as concerned.

    ¡°Now, N, let¡¯s not be hasty ¡®ere. I know ya don¡¯ like how it sounds, but we really shouldn¡¯-¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you think some poor Pokemon has been stuck in that tower for hundreds of years and you just want to leave it there?¡± N scowled at his friend.

    ¡°Well no, obviously not, but I¡¯m sayin¡¯ that maybe we shouldn¡¯ be messin¡¯ with the corporeal form of 108 angry spirits when I don¡¯ know any Fairy type moves!¡±

    So Mimikyu was perfectly fine with charging straight at all those Legends in Alamos, but now a Pokemon needed their help and he wanted to avoid it? If Cynthia had one on her team then obviously it wasn¡¯t any more of a threat than her other Pokemon.

    ¡°Rotom. Show us the way to this Hallowed Tower.¡±

    Rotom hesitated. ¡°Rotom isn¡¯t sure that¡¯s a good idea. Rotom isn¡¯t really a battle type of Pokemon, and Torterra has only earned three badges¡­¡±

    N huffed in annoyance. ¡°Why do you two keep talking like a battle is unavoidable? I just want to help it escape its prison! Surely Spiritomb would appreciate that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s possible, bzzrt! However, all information Rotom has on Spiritomb is in regards to the Champion¡¯s, and the things that are said about it are¡­ concerning.¡±

    N didn¡¯t care.

    Humans lied about Pokemon all the time. All those nasty things he had seen in the Pokedex, the lies he¡¯d heard in person back in Unova, the constant mistreatment¡­

    N marched down the trail, ignoring the requests of his friends to think this over.

    What was there to think over? A Pokemon needed help, and he would gladly be the one to give it.

    He was surprised to see that in an odd turn of events, it was Lucas who seemed most supportive of him at the moment. For all his peculiarities and faults, Lucas at least seemed to understand that treatment like Rotom had outlined was unacceptable.

    Luckily, it wasn¡¯t hard to find the tower, even if Rotom and Mimikyu were being uncooperative. The wild Pokemon in the area seemed to avoid it, and once they got close enough, even N and Lucas could feel the oppressive aura radiating off of it.

    But this was just a poor Ghost.

    ¡°N, yer bein¡¯ a moron! I¡¯m perfectly fine with ya helpin¡¯ Spiritomb out, I¡¯m jus¡¯ sayin¡¯ that maybe we should call in an expert before we go ¡®n¡¯ mess with stuff we don¡¯ understand!¡±

    ¡°Rotom cannot condone this! Rotom wants it on record that Rotom thinks this is a bad idea!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this¡­¡± Torterra grumbled, refusing to get within a stone¡¯s throw of the ¡°tower¡±.

    It really was just a pile of rocks. Various colors and shapes, it seemed not one of the stones was sourced from the same place. Stacked haphazardly together, they formed a rough mound that seemed to be missing some central piece at the peak. Or at least, he got the vague impression that something was meant to be there. It was hard to tell for sure with the poor condition it had been left in.

    Lucas dug into his bag, quickly pulling out the ¡°big, weird rock¡± that he had for some reason stuffed in there with the rest of his belongings.

    This one didn¡¯t look like the rest. It was smoother, looking more like a carefully sanded down weight than a random, jagged rock. Well, if you ignored the large crack that ran right through the center, almost splitting the thing in half. Spiderwebs of cracks radiated from the central split, though none seemed to be as compromising to the integrity of the stone.

    ¡°Will you two listen ta me?! Do I need ta Shadow Sneak ya both out of here against yer will or somethin¡¯?!¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± N finally acquiesced. ¡°What exactly do you propose we do? Should we just call Cynthia up? Oh, hey!¡± N put on a mocking tone. ¡°I know you seem to hate us for the whole Fairy thing, and the Alamos incident is probably fresh on your mind, but we decided we want to free a Pokemon from its prison, and you seem to be the expert, given you¡¯ve trapped one of your own. Think you could lend us a hand?"

    ¡°N, I get that yer passionate about helpin¡¯ Pokemon, an¡¯ I can really respect that, but yer not actually listenin¡¯ to a word we¡¯ve been sayin¡¯, ¡®ave ya? What if we got a hold of-¡±

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t get to finish his thought.

    The sound of stone scraping against stone drew their attention.

    Lucas had already put the stone into place.

    The oppressive aura instantly multiplied until it was reminiscent of the pressure he¡¯d felt at Alamos.

    All thought left his mind, his focus entirely collapsing in on the Hallowed Tower.

    And then, after a brief silence, the tower wailed.

 Chapter 48

    ¡°FREEDOM-¡± ¡°IT HURTS-¡± ¡°I¡¯LL KILL-¡± ¡°SO DARK-¡± ¡°RELEASE-¡± ¡°REVENGE-¡±

    On and on the voices went, all speaking over each other as loudly as they could, dozens of voices blending together to create an agonizing cacophony of sound. N couldn¡¯t pick out more than a word or two from a voice before it would be swallowed up, vanishing beneath the growing tide of pained and bloodthirsty cries.

    ¡°CAN SEE-¡± ¡°THE PAIN-¡± LEAVE-¡±

    Suddenly, the stone that Lucas had placed into the tower popped out on its own, jumping down onto the sandy ground and bouncing around like it was alive. The crack in the keystone oozed and frothed with a nauseating purple gas before suddenly erupting like a pot boiling over.

    ¡°END IT-¡± ¡°FIND THEM-¡± ¡°AGONY-¡±

    The Pressure increased once more. Where with the instances N had experienced in the past had been like a sliver of the control that legends had on the world such as the sudden healing breeze from Suicune, this was something else entirely. It didn¡¯t feel like it was influencing the world, but rather his mind. An unrelenting assault of vicious hatred and despair and apathy and suffering pelted his thoughts all at once, overwhelming him with the notion that the Pokemon in front of him was a threat. He could feel his heart rate increasing, his adrenaline spiking, panic setting in.

    That feeling only got worse as the gas swelled up, funneling into an appendage of some sort that tried to escape from the stone as quickly as it could. The end of the gaseous form expanded, swirling about into a disk that quickly began to spin and fill with a series of sickly green orbs that glowed with a yellowish light. The space in the center of the disk was left open though, and the reason was quickly made clear when instead of yet more orbs, a face appeared. Or at least, what might be construed as a face. It was like a child had carved teeth out of the gas with no thought for lips, cruel glaring eyes being cut out with the same strokes of a blade. Left behind was the same green as the orbs, but there was no depth to the carving, nothing beyond the gas, just a crude mockery of humanity that distorted with every swirl of the fumes.

    The left ¡°eye¡± blinked closed, and when it opened once more there was a strange black swirl that quickly tracked everyone present. That must be how it actually saw.

    ¡®YOU¡¯LL PAY-¡± ¡°INNOCENT-¡± ¡°JUSTIFIED-¡±

    The mouth didn¡¯t move with its- their- words, but N did notice that with every voice he could make out, one of the orbs glowed slightly brighter for a moment.

    The gas quickly approached him, as if to devour him, and his panic turned into a sense of doom, like there was no escape from the Spiritomb.

    It stopped mere inches from his face and his knees buckled, setting him on his rear as the Spiritomb looked back, finding that its gas was still inside the keystone, at least partially.

    ¡°NO-¡± ¡°TRAPPED-¡± ¡°PRISON-¡±

    They turned their gaze back to him, and he could feel their hatred growing. He heard the keystone grinding against the ground and the thud of it hopping forward.

    The limit of their reach wouldn¡¯t save him this time.

    As Spiritomb lunged for him once more, he was swallowed up within darkness. He couldn¡¯t breathe, couldn¡¯t see, couldn¡¯t hear. The hatred and despair had vanished, but the fear it had instilled within him still lingered.

    Was that it? Had he died so suddenly?

    Or, wait, wasn¡¯t this more like-

    All at once the Pressure returned, but so did the rest of his senses. He could see Spiritomb some distance away and a more familiar spirit much closer. He could feel the dirt beneath his palms and rear and a soft breeze tugging at his hair. He could hear¡­ well, Spiritomb¡¯s wailing was still too loud to hear much of anything else when compounded with the blood pumping through his ears. He gasped for breath, and forced himself to focus on the tiny ghost in front of him.

    Mimikyu had saved him.

    In a flurry of thought, he finally remembered that he wasn¡¯t alone. Turning towards his companions, he found that Lucas wasn¡¯t doing much better than him, Torterra was trembling so hard that a few leaves were shaking right out of his tree, and Rotom¡­ he couldn''t actually see Rotom, but assumed his phone was around here somewhere.

    ¡°Damn, wasn¡¯ far ¡®nough¡­¡± N somehow managed to hear Mimikyu groan out adorably.

    Not far enough? He had just saved them, why-

    The wailing got even louder, and when N looked towards Spiritomb once more, the face seemed to be dragging the keystone behind it in an awkward series of hops and skids and rolls that was far faster than the bumbling locomotion would suggest.

    It was heading their way.

    ¡°Again! Get us out of here!¡± Torterra demanded of the little fae, but N didn¡¯t think it was going to happen.

    Mimikyu¡¯s cute disguise was close to limp. Not quite as bad as when he had tried chasing down Darkrai, but he was barely holding on. Why, though? This wasn¡¯t that great of a distance, especially compared to what he¡¯d done in the past. Was it because he¡¯d taken all of them with him?

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna ¡®ave ta beat it!¡± Mimikyu shot back, but it was obviously little more than blustering, like a small child proclaiming they would be a Pokemon Master.

    Torterra was their strongest by far, and he was terrified.

    Lucas quickly rattled off a series of claps and snaps that N couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of, and Torterra looked at his trainer like the boy was insane. But Spiritomb was getting closer and they were running low on options, so the giant steeled himself and flung something at them. N watched as the projectile passed clear through Spiritomb¡¯s gaseous form, but when the move hit the keystone it quickly sprouted out into the sapping vines of a Leech Seed, tangling up what little solid form was there.

    Spiritomb stumbled, but was only slowed marginally. Leech Seed would drain it over time, and it didn¡¯t seem like the spirits had any plan to remove it, but N highly doubted they would last long enough for it to have any real effect.

    Mimikyu had finally learned how to use moves, but a cute little thing like his friend going up against a much more experienced Ghost type would only end poorly. How could they delay them? If they could just survive long enough¡­.

    But no matter how hard N thought, no matter how many plans he went over in his head, the only thing that changed was how close Spiritomb was getting.

    ¡°We¡­ we need to run,¡± he finally said. Spiritomb was faster than he thought it¡¯d be with a body like that, but it wasn¡¯t fast. If they just made a run for it, they could probably get away.

    But if they did run, they¡¯d just be leaving Spiritomb behind to attack someone else.

    They clearly weren¡¯t in their right mind, if they even had a right mind with so many of them trying to do things at once. With a bit of distance between them, N was only just capable of thinking past his primitive fear and considering Spiritomb¡¯s awful situation. So many different voices all vying to have their thoughts be heard¡­

    ¡°Maybe yer right,¡± Mimikyu quickly agreed, ¡°if we can lead it back ta Hearthome then maybe Fantina can-¡±

    ¡°Apologies for the delay,¡± a new voice spoke up from right behind him, causing N to jump in fright. ¡°And for that as well, lord N.¡± When N turned towards the voice, he found one of the Shadows was apologizing to him.

    ¡°You- when did-¡± N stumbled over his words as he tried to calm his racing heart.

    ¡°That can wait,¡± the Shadow dismissed. ¡°For now, would we be correct in assuming that you wish for that Pokemon to be dismissed with as little harm done to it as possible?¡±

    All N could manage was a nod of his head before Spiritomb wailed once more.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    This time, though, instead of the hatred and despair that they had started with, they let out a wail of pain as the keystone was struck by a shining blade, launched back towards the Hallowed Tower and away from N and the others.

    A Pokemon familiar to N stood where the blow had been dealt. Thin red limbs sprouted out from its small black body, and its orange eyes were cast in shadow by an oversized helmet. The Pawniard gave Spiritomb a mocking bow, careful not to let the many blades protruding from its body scrape against each other.

    ¡°Will that be enough?¡± Torterra grumbled anxiously as he helped Lucas stand back up, apparently too relieved by the sudden appearance of help to question it.

    Lucas, however, eyed the Shadow warily and the Pawniard with a curiosity N wasn¡¯t sure he liked. Thankfully it only lasted for a moment before another wave of Spiritomb¡¯s Pressure crashed down on them, drawing all eyes back to the collection of spirits.

    ¡°A Pawniard should resist any attacks, but I ain¡¯ sure about the diff¡¯rence in raw power¡­¡± Mimikyu hesitantly answered.

    And it was impossible to tell at a glance. Pawniard were known for taking an absurdly long time to evolve, so being in its first stage didn¡¯t necessarily mean it was on the weaker end of the spectrum. The fact that it had pushed Spiritomb back was a good indicator that there was some muscle in those thin limbs. But at the same time, there were no obvious signs on Spiritomb that they had actually been hurt. It was possible that injuries were present and just not visible from this distance, but given that most of it was made up of gas¡­

    N turned towards the Shadow. ¡°Are you sure your Pawniard can handle this on their own?¡±

    The Shadow only raised an eyebrow in response.

    ¡°We are the Shadow Triad, lord N,¡± another voice spoke from behind him.

    N managed not to jump that time, though it was a close call with the Pressure bearing down on him. The other two Shadows stepped into view before gesturing towards the battle.

    That was¡­ a lot of Pawniard. Quickly counting them up, N could spot six of them now, with the one that had first appeared taking the lead. The Shadows had an entire pack of Pawniard? And if they were obeying one, it must be close to evolving into a Bisharp¡­

    ¡°Ya got a full teams worth of Pawniard and nothin¡¯ else?¡± Mimikyu remarked with a note of confusion in his endearing accent as they watched the pack leap into action. A flurry of blades gleaming with Metal Claw hacked away at Spiritomb¡¯s face and keystone, their work quickly cutting Torterra¡¯s Leech Seed to shreds.

    ¡°RETRIBUTION-¡± ¡°PLEASE STOP-¡± ¡°DIE-¡±

    Though it pained N to see a Pokemon get ganged up on like this, even through the crushing fear that had a cold sweat soaking through his clothes, he couldn¡¯t say that it wasn¡¯t necessary.

    It might not even be enough.

    It was hard to make out details when the spirits were constantly under assault by the pack, but it seemed that for every few shining Metal Claws they suffered, Spiritomb struck back with a mess of dreadful energy. At times it looked like a Dark Pulse, other instances looked more like a Payback or Shadow Ball, but it was never quite recognizable as any particular move.

    Nor would any of those explain how every time they seemed to suffer some sort of critical blow, they would suddenly perk back up as one of the Pawniard suffered an invisible attack.

    ¡°I had heard that you were perceptive, but it would seem that such rumors were faulty.¡± An unfamiliar voice spoke up, a strange combination of muffled and raspy and wet. Next to one of the Shadows an Accelgor had appeared. Taller than the Pawniard, but shorter than the Spiritomb, its head was hidden beneath a hot pink shell with black and green highlights, and whatever portion of its slender body might have been visible outside of the shell was wrapped up in blue strips of cloth that obscured any features beyond its arms. ¡°With a foe such as this,¡± Accelgor continued, ¡°we must not allow our masters to face danger.¡±

    ¡°We¡­?¡± Torterra looked around, eager for a distraction from the hatred.

    ¡°The pack is normally enough to fell any enemies,¡± Accelgor ignored the question, ¡°however¡­¡±

    As the battle wore on, and the pack¡¯s attacks became more vicious, it was becoming clear who the victor would be.

    Spiritomb was still raging on just as strongly as they had upon being partially released from the seal, and the pack was tiring. Having six of them in battle at once was making it a drawn out affair, but they¡¯d only be able to go on for so long. Another wave of Pressure washed over them, but N must have been getting used to it because it didn¡¯t strike quite as much fear into him, though it still sent a shiver down his spine.

    ¡°This is problematic,¡± one of the Shadows commented. ¡°Lord N, do you or your companions know of a way to deal with this Pokemon? I am unfamiliar with it.¡±

    N grimaced. ¡°Mimkyu had suggested trying to get Fantina involved¡­¡±

    The Shadows shared a look. ¡°That will not do. Surely there is some weakness we can exploit?¡±

    ¡°Rotom has found a solution! Bzzzrt!¡± N¡¯s errant phone called out, pushing the speakers as loud as they could go. ¡°Rotom suggests you move out of the way!¡±

    N turned to see what the Electric type was talking about, but halfway through the movement one of the Shadows tackled him to the ground. The tumble wasn¡¯t pleasant, but he was thankful for it when he saw the absolutely giant ball of misty pink energy fly overhead.

    His eyes tracked the attack. The pack of Pawniard jumped away from Spiritomb, and the spirits¡¯ eyes grew wide in fright.

    ¡°ACCURSED-¡± ¡°FOUL-¡± ¡°STAY AWAY-¡±

    They tried to hop out of the way, but it was too little, too late. The blast struck their face as they howled in pain, and N watched as the gas sank back into the keystone, the Pressure vanishing like a weight off of his shoulders as the last of the purple disappeared from sight.

    As the adrenaline began to leave his system, he turned to look at their savior, another chill running down his spine.

    Perhaps he¡¯d been wrong, earlier. Maybe it wasn''t the fear that had him shivering.

    It could very well be the snow that was falling down on them as the sun¡¯s rays were obscured by clouds.

    ¡°Rotom has saved the day! Bzzrt! You may begin praising Rotom!¡±

    N let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d been holding.

    ¡°Good job, Rotom.¡±

    <hr>

    Lucas was confused.

    When N had started talking to the Pokemon about some other Pokemon being stuck inside a rock for hundreds of years, he¡¯d been concerned. A year was a really long time, let alone hundreds! He couldn¡¯t imagine being stuck in some sort of time out for that long.

    And when they¡¯d reached the Hallowed Tower, well, it just sort of made sense that the Odd Keystone he¡¯d been gifted went there.

    But then the Pokemon stuck inside the stone attacked them out of nowhere, and he was in some weird pitch black thing for a minute before being teleported. Since when did Mimikyu know Teleport? That could be so useful!

    And then some weird ninja dudes show up with a bunch of Pokemon he¡¯d never seen before, and apparently they knew N? How could N know ninjas and not tell him! That¡¯s like, one of the first things you should tell people! Lucas would definitely be telling everyone that he knew ninjas now. Well, maybe if he could do it conveniently without talking¡­

    And then the ninja dudes fought the Pokemon in the Odd Keystone, and as they were losing Rotom showed up with a new Pokemon that saved them!

    That was the most confusing part, really.

    He knew that Rotom was a weird Pokemon, but how did Rotom know where to find a Pokemon strong enough to beat the Keystone Pokemon?

    And, well, why did it look so weird?

    He¡¯d never seen a Ninetales in person before, but he¡¯d seen them on TV, and the one that Rotom had brought them did not look right.

    Maybe it was sick?

    A Ninetales was supposed to have yellow, sandy colored fur and be super warm. He had read in a fun fact book that some Ninetales could cause droughts wherever they went!

    This one though¡­ its fur was sort of blue-ish grey-ish white-ish? It sort of shimmered like the snow covered ground when the sun came out. And it was cold, like winter had come early to Sinnoh. Though maybe that was because of the snowstorm and not the Ninetales. Unless the Ninetales was causing the snowstorm?

    Maybe when a Ninetales gets sick instead of causing droughts they cause snow storms.

    That sort of makes sense, right?

    Either way, Torterra didn¡¯t seem to be a fan. Which was fair, given the whole weak to Fire and Ice types thing. The poor guy was shivering even worse than Lucas was.

    Lucas should probably warm him up¡­ but he wasn¡¯t sure leaving himself defenseless around a bunch of ninjas and sharp Pokemon and a sick Ninetales was a good idea. So instead of returning Torterra into his ball, he released his other Pokemon on top of Torterra¡¯s shell, making sure to keep them away from Mimikyu as he climbed on himself.

    ¡°Bi.¡±

    ¡°Vee eevee!¡±

    Bibarel and Eevee are furry, so they should help Torterra keep warm. And Togepi¡­ well, honestly he just didn¡¯t want the little guy to feel left out.

    ¡°Togepriii!¡±

    Lucas smiled as Togepi got excited over the snowfall.

    ¡°Well we have to do something!¡± He heard N angrily shout from over where he and the ninjas were inspecting the Odd Keystone.

    Hmm.

    Probably best to stay out of that.

    Maybe in all the confusion of the clean up they¡¯d forget that he was the one who put the Odd Keystone into the tower.

    Hopefully.

 Chapter 49

    N cautiously walked up to the now seemingly dormant keystone, only feeling a faint whisper of the Pressure that had been all but drowning them mere moments ago.

    ¡°Is it¡­ okay? That looked like a pretty powerful attack, but I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s normal for a Spiritomb¡­¡±

    While the spirits would likely haunt his nightmares for some time to come, they were still a Pokemon and he wanted the best for them. Just¡­ far, far away from him and anyone else they might attack? Perhaps on a remote island they could have all for themselves. Outside of the League.

    Yes, that might be far enough¡­

    ¡°There is no need to worry about the abomination, my Moonblast shall leave it fragmented for some time.¡± Rotom¡¯s¡­ timely assistant informed him, her voice deep and regal.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, I¡¯m asking if they will recover properly. They attacked us, but they still deserve proper-¡± His words were cut off with a sneeze. N shivered, his clothes starting to feel damp from the constant snowfall.

    ¡°Could you please do something about this weather?¡± One of the Shadows asked her. ¡°Our lord is not dressed for it, and the danger has seemingly passed.¡±

    It felt strange, having them ask for things on his behalf, but it wasn¡¯t like he would complain about warming up. Winter was still some time away, and he didn¡¯t have a proper coat available.

    The Pokemon only looked at the Shadow oddly, though, before turning to Mimikyu. ¡°Are these humans trying to talk to me?¡±

    ¡°Is this some sorta snobby class thing or do ya not understan¡¯ what they¡¯re sayin¡¯?¡± Mimikyu adorably asked.

    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°You would dare accuse me of such impropriety?¡±

    ¡°The latter, then. Huh. That¡¯s a new one, ain¡¯ it N?¡± His false head tilted back as the cute little ghost tried to look up at him.

    N hummed. ¡°Not necessarily¡­¡± Testing his hypothesis, N tried speaking to the Pokemon in both League and Unovan, and one of the Shadows surprised him by breaking out a bit of Kalosian upon picking up what he was doing.

    She didn¡¯t react to any of it.

    ¡°Could you ask her what region she¡¯s from?¡± It had been quite some time since he¡¯d experienced a problem like this. Speaking Unovan and League meant that he was able to communicate with just about every Pokemon he came across, even if his League was much weaker. Even Fantina¡¯s Pokemon, who undoubtedly spent a lot of time with their trainer speaking Kalosian, understood him without problem since they were around Sinnohians quite often.

    Mimikyu repeated the question for him, and the Pokemon held her head high. ¡°I have lived for the last 600 years on the islands of Alola.¡±

    That couldn¡¯t be right. He turned towards the Shadows for confirmation. ¡°Alola has spoken Unovan as its common language for quite some time now, has it not?¡±

    They responded affirmatively, but before N could begin puzzling out how a Pokemon from Alola wouldn¡¯t know Unovan, Rotom chimed in.

    ¡°Which island are you from?¡±

    The Pokemon stiffened. ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Mimikyu seemed to catch on. ¡°Ya said yer from Alola, right? Which island are ya from?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡­ that is¡­ the big island, of course.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the name of the island you live on?¡± Rotom pressed.

    ¡°Well, she ain¡¯ exactly wrong,¡± Mimikyu waved the concern aside, ¡°Alolan Ninetales do come from the big island, an¡¯ some people call it that colloquially. But uh¡­ remind me, miss, which guardian deity protects yer island?¡±

    ¡°Deity¡­?¡± She hesitantly repeated. ¡°Ah, you refer to the Moon!¡±

    ¡°The Moon? I see, thank you for reminding me. Now, would you mind telling us where you¡¯re really from?¡±

    The Ninetales growled at him. ¡°Of all the indignities! You pester me for questions after I save you from this foul creature and then have the gall to suggest that I presented a falsehood?!¡±

    ¡°Look, we appreciate ya savin¡¯ us from Spiritomb, thank ya for that. But ya ain¡¯ pullin¡¯ the wool over my eyes ¡®ere. Ya expect me ta believe ya¡¯ve been on Alola for 600 years when ya don¡¯ speak a lick of Unovan, don¡¯ know the name of yer island, and ya try tellin¡¯ me that Lunala is yer guardian deity? I don¡¯ even remember the right answer! I would¡¯ve given it to ya if ya had at least listed off one of the Tapus, but this is just too many things that ain¡¯ addin¡¯ up!¡±

    Mimikyu really was enchanting when he broke down flaws in-

    Hold on, he didn¡¯t know the answer? He had presented the question as if it should be common knowledge, and hadn¡¯t he once said that he was from Alola himself?

    ¡°That is¡­ I¡­¡± Ninetales'' eyes darted around the group, looking for something to latch onto.

    She came up empty.

    ¡°Fine! I lied, alright?! You tripped me up and caught me!¡± She let out a sigh, dropping her attempt at a more regal pose as she started speaking with a hint of an accent he wasn¡¯t familiar with. ¡°I¡¯m from Paldea, alright?¡±

    Rotom hummed with electricity. ¡°But why would you lie about that? Rotom doesn¡¯t understand.¡±

    Ninetales grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Can we just go back to whatever these stupid humans wanted?¡±

    N felt vaguely offended, but if she didn¡¯t want to talk about it¡­

    What followed was a rather unfun game of telephone. N or the Shadows would ask questions, Rotom or Mimikyu would translate for Ninetales, Ninetales would ask a question, Rotom would translate for him and the Shadows, and of course, as usual, Mimikyu seemed to be a bundle of strange and eclectic knowledge.

    By the end of it, they had reached a couple conclusions. First, that Ninetales was incapable of turning off the snowstorm for whatever reason, not that she was very forthcoming with answers. Secondly, that while taking a Moonblast to the face would have been quite unpleasant for Spiritomb, they should be fine given enough time to recover.

    That left the question of what to do with them next, and opinions were¡­ varied.

    ¡°Well we have to do something!¡± N shouted, his anger getting the best of him. ¡°I¡¯m not just going to abandon a Pokemon in need!¡±

    ¡°And if you actually had a plan, we would follow it faithfully, lord N,¡± a Shadow argued, ¡°but as it stands, we cannot accept you endangering yourself any further with the presence of such a violent Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°We could take it back to lord Ghetsis¡­¡± another suggested, not for the first time. Mimikyu and Rotom had been strangely against the idea though, and when they¡¯d brought up the possibility of it wreaking havoc back home if they couldn¡¯t figure out a proper care routine, N had ultimately agreed with them. This was obviously a rather unique case, and they couldn¡¯t just throw ideas at the wall for treatment when a bad mood could result in a repeat of today¡¯s performance. The other Pokemon in Plasma¡¯s care would be put in danger, and N couldn¡¯t allow that.

    ¡°We should just destroy the creature and be done with it, nothing good ever comes out of being near a Spiritomb,¡± Ninetales demanded. ¡°Stupid things always end up ruining my visits to Glaseado¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Mimikyu ordered. ¡°Rotom, tell the Shadows ta leave for now. They ain¡¯ gonna wanna be here in a minute. Then yer gonna get ahold of Cynthia ¡®n¡¯ ¡®ave her come sort this out. She¡¯s the only one in Sinnoh who¡¯s gonna ¡®ave any clue of how ta deal with a Spiritomb.¡±

    N scowled. ¡°Cynthia? Mimikyu, when I said that I-¡±

    ¡°No, N,¡± Mimikyu cut him off. ¡°I tried ta warn ya beforehand, and ya didn¡¯t listen ta me. See where that got us? Nobody ¡®as any better ideas, so we¡¯re doin¡¯ this.¡±

    That made N pause.

    Mimikyu¡­ wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. His and Lucas¡¯ rush to save Spiritomb had gone poorly, and perhaps if he had been¡­ less stubborn, perhaps, this could have been handled in a more proper manner.

    ¡°...fine. How are we going to call Cynthia, though? I don¡¯t exactly have her number.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! Rotom does!¡±

    ¡­he wasn¡¯t even going to ask.

    <hr>

    ¡°...and I just don¡¯t get it! We¡¯ve got enough problems as it is right now, and his little temper tantrum needs to stop already, Flint.¡± Cynthia demanded, having cornered the Elite Four member in his League office.

    ¡°What do you want me to do? Huh, Cynthia?¡± The red haired buffoon asked. His afro bounced as he threw his head back. ¡°I get that he¡¯s my best friend and all, but I can¡¯t just wave a magic wand and get him back into things! You¡¯ve gone through slumps before, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Cynthia sighed, taking a moment to look the man up and down. He always wore yellow collared shirts that were obviously a size too small, quite a contrast with his big, baggy, black pants. And that ridiculous red belt with the stupid hoops and the honest to Arceus sandals he refused to get rid of. Sometimes she wanted to force him into a makeover, but¡­

    ¡°Flint. I respect you as a trainer. Please do not make me doubt that respect by saying such stupid things. When I am in a slump¡­ no, when anyone else is in a slump, you or Bertha or whoever else, we take a bit of time off, reevaluate things, and then get back into it. We don¡¯t shut a Gym down for weeks at a time and decide that instead we should cause rolling blackouts with extensive and unnecessary Gym renovations!¡±

    ¡°He just wants a real challenge! Can you blame him? I mean look at some of the kids who are getting passed along to him these days, they¡¯re jokes!¡±

    ¡°If he wants a challenge then he can be the one investigating everything. Alamos was a real challenge, maybe he-¡±

    She cut herself off when her phone started to ring.

    Deep breath. In, then out.

    Holding a finger up to remind Flint to shut his mouth, she answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ is this Cynthia?¡± a familiar voice responded, but not one that she expected.

    ¡°N? How did you- No, that can wait. Where do I need to be?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question of is there a problem. If he was involved, that was a sure thing. He didn¡¯t sound panicked, so it probably wasn¡¯t something she needed to rush for, but if this was going to end up being another huge mess she swore that she was going to-

    ¡°Do you know where the Hallowed Tower is? East of Hearthome?¡±

    A Pokeball shook on her belt.

    Deep breath. In, then out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡±

    She ended the call.

    That was probably rude, but she was not in the mood right now. She had half a mind to make good on her half complaint, half threat from a moment ago, but if this really was an issue with the Hallowed Tower¡­ well, she wasn¡¯t sure that she trusted anyone other than herself to handle it properly.

    Flint stood patiently before her, an awkward look on his face.

    ¡°You will fix the Volkner situation. This is not a time where we can coddle one of our strongest.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll swing by and see what I can do.¡±

    With a nod, she walked out of his office, finding that the Gallade currently assigned to her was still waiting by the door.

    ¡°I need a Teleport to the Hallowed Tower. Be prepared for hostilities.¡±

    There was no acknowledgement, no warning. One second she was standing in the hall of one of the League¡¯s buildings, the next she was on the sandy ground a short distance from the Hallowed Tower.

    Or at least, it should have been sandy. Instead, her shoes touched down on a thin layer of snow.

    She felt the pokeballs on her belt twitch, each and every one of them ready for action, but there didn¡¯t seem to be a need for it. She quickly took in the situation, assessing possible threats. N and his Mimikyu were present, as was quickly becoming usual for these sorts of things. A boy¡­ no, was that Lucas? It really was a small world. Lucas was sat on the back of his Torterra, his team surrounding him. The egg she gifted him seemed to have hatched, and while Togepi looked healthy at a distance, she had concerns if he was hanging around N and Mimikyu.

    And then there were the more concerning members of the group.

    A keystone was laying on the ground, not active, but judging by the Pressure in the air, not dormant either. That would explain the lack of panic, though managing to subdue a freshly awakened Spiritomb was quite a feat.

    The only way she could explain it was the last Pokemon she could see. At the center of this extremely localized snowstorm was an Alolan Ninetales. This was her first time seeing one in person, and she had questions. But those would have to wait.

    ¡°Stand by, Gallade.¡±

    ¡°Gal,¡± the Psychic type replied.

    Lucas waved at her with a nervous smile, and she acknowledged the boy with a small nod as she walked over to the keystone.

    ¡°How long has Spiritomb been unconscious?¡± she started with, skipping over greetings and pleasantries.

    ¡°Not long? I¡¯m not sure I could give you an accurate estimate, given all the adrenaline¡­¡± N answered.

    Unfortunate, but understandable she supposed. Kneeling down in the snow next to the keystone, she brushed off any snowflakes that had accumulated on top of it.

    She was no geology expert like Steven, but she was very familiar with one other keystone. It looked like this one was roughly cut into the same shape, although there was far less wear on it and the crack was a bit less pronounced. It was a lighter colored stone as well, but she didn¡¯t listen to enough of Steven¡¯s rambles to identify it properly. Where she had grown used to a brush of her fingertips over the crack resulting in the spirits trapped within oozing up around her, there was no reaction here.

    A pokeball on her belt shook rather violently, but she ignored it.

    ¡°Are there any injuries I need to be aware of?¡± she asked as she continued to inspect the keystone.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re fine, I think.¡±

    N was more subdued than usual. Must have been quite the scare when they woke Spiritomb, so she supposed she could skip the lecture that she wanted to give. Being on the receiving end of a Spiritomb¡¯s aggression and Pressure was punishment enough. They wouldn¡¯t do it again.

    ¡°If you called for me, I assume you¡¯re not planning on catching Spiritomb?¡±

    As foolhardy as such an endeavor would be, it wasn¡¯t like she hadn¡¯t done the same exact thing herself. The difference was that she had been a much more experienced trainer when she had caught her own.

    Surprisingly, Lucas¡¯ head perked up when she said that, but he didn¡¯t make any move to catch them. He had the right sort of drive, but something was holding him back. She made the right choice in giving him that egg. Lucas would go far.

    ¡°Mi-kyu.¡±

    ¡°Nine!¡±

    N frowned at the two Pokemon, but answered her question. ¡°No, I¡¯m not really a trainer¡­ I just want to make sure that Spiritomb gets a good outcome, and apparently you¡¯re the only one who knows anything about them, so¡­¡±

    Cynthia found her evaluation of the young man improving. Knowing when he¡¯s out of his depth, contacting an authority that he knows has the relevant experience necessary, trying to ensure proper care for a Pokemon in need¡­

    It didn¡¯t improve by much, not when paired with all the messes he¡¯d been responsible for or involved in, but it was something to remember.

    ¡°You do know how to deal with Spiritomb, right?¡± A hint of suspicion shone through. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you with one, and if you don¡¯t really know¡­¡±

    Cynthia almost laughed. It wasn¡¯t often that she was challenged on anything that wasn¡¯t a Pokemon battle. N had guts. ¡°I¡¯ve had a Spiritomb on my team for¡­ what has it been, eight years maybe? I know how to handle them. I¡¯ll take these guys with me, get them adjusted to living in modernity, and make sure they end up somewhere they¡¯ll be taken care of. I don¡¯t have the time to care for two of them, but maybe an Elite Four member¡­ Karen has expressed interest¡­¡± She brushed those idle thoughts away by pulling out an empty pokeball, capturing the unconscious Spiritomb and ensuring it wouldn¡¯t run amok in an uncontrolled environment.

    Slipping the ball onto her belt, she almost relaxed. This had likely been the extent of what N wanted her for, and for once it was a relatively tame situation. Or rather, it had been tame by the time she showed up.

    But that didn¡¯t mean her little outing was over. An unfamiliar Fairy had taken out a Spiritomb. Even with the type advantage, that was quite the feat.

    N looked uncomfortable with the situation. ¡°If you¡¯re certain that Spiritomb will be cared for properly¡­¡±

    Something seemed off about that. The wariness, how quick he was to make sure he wasn¡¯t labeled as a trainer¡­ maybe something to look into later.

    ¡°I promise you, Spiritomb will get the care they need. Now, with that said¡­ I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve had the pleasure of meeting your other friend.¡±

    Cynthia stood, brushing the snow off of herself, though her pants were still a bit wet from the knee down. ¡°This is my first time seeing an Alolan Ninetales in person, you know.¡±

    <hr>

    Tucked away in N¡¯s pocket, Rotom made sure to keep quiet. It was possible, no, probable that Cynthia already knew about Rotom¡¯s presence in N¡¯s group, but on the off chance that that wasn¡¯t the case, Rotom didn¡¯t want to be the one to inform her.

    The Gallade she¡¯d come with, and any other Psychics that might be hiding, would be unable to detect Rotom¡¯s presence with all of the latent Ghost type energy leftover from the Spiritomb. Or at least, Rotom hoped so. Even if Rotom had done some snooping into League files, Rotom didn¡¯t know everything they had up their sleeves.

    No, Rotom had been sure to use Rotom¡¯s limited time on the important things. Their files pertaining to his current travelling partners, their files on Galactic, their files on any recent major incidents, which had led to the whole Fairy thing¡­

    Rotom probably could have gotten a lot more information out of them that was more directly useful to Rotom, but the Fairy situation had been so interesting that Rotom couldn¡¯t help it!

    The League knew so little about them it was almost sad. But what little they did know¡­

    If the files Rotom had accessed were accurate, there had been forty-two confirmed cases of Fairy types from other regions being teleported randomly into the wilds of League territory. Their current estimates stated that with that number discovered in the relatively short time that had passed, they could be looking at anywhere from a small handful, assuming they¡¯d found most of them, to several dozen, assuming they¡¯d found few of them, still out in the wilds, spreading their so-called ¡°infection¡±.

    Of course, their Psychics and data analysts had put together maps of League territory, marking which areas were most likely to still hold these foreign Fairies. Never one to not sate Rotom¡¯s curiosity, Rotom had been comparing what Rotom expected Rotom¡¯s current group¡¯s routing to be against said maps, fully expecting to slip away from them here or there to do some investigation for Rotom¡¯s self.

    Had Rotom expected for it to be necessary quite so soon? Not at all. But when comparing Rotom¡¯s type chart calculations against what the League knew of the Fairy type, Rotom had quickly reached the conclusion that the only way out of the Spiritomb mess would be to fetch one of these fae hiding nearby.

    With a sixty percent confidence that there was at least one Fairy in the Hearthome Forest according to the map data, cross referenced with reports of unusual weather activity in the area that would be very uncharacteristic of the Snover and Abomasnow of Sinnoh given the distance from the mountain peaks¡­

    Rotom wouldn¡¯t say that Rotom wasn¡¯t lucky in finding the Alolan Ninetales in time, but it was not blind luck. Rotom¡¯s diligent planning had played a big part in it! Not that Rotom was willing to admit to or discuss most of that. N and the others were interesting, but Rotom couldn¡¯t trust them. Not yet, or possibly ever. Especially when N and his Shadows reminded Rotom all too much of Galactic, even if their aesthetic and goals were quite far apart.

    And they thought Rotom would let them take the Spiritomb? What a joke.

    ¡°...first time seeing an Alolan Ninetales in person, you know,¡± Cynthia¡¯s muffled voice reached Rotom through N¡¯s pocket. ¡°Although you¡¯re not from Alola at all, are you? Snow instead of Hail¡­ Paldea maybe?¡±

    Interesting. Cynthia was more clever than Rotom had made her out to be. Rotom hadn¡¯t pieced together that clue, and neither had Mimikyu¡­ though given how hard it is to get information from outside the League, perhaps it was simply a matter of an advantage from the start. This was the first time Rotom was hearing of that sort of difference, not that Rotom knew anything about Paldea at all.

    ¡°That seems to be correct,¡± N agreed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t understand any language I can speak, so communicating has been¡­ trying.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Do you know where in Paldea? We¡¯ve been trying to return all the Teleported Fairies to where they came from, and the more information we have the better.¡±

    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°I am not going back to Paldea.¡± The Ninetales cut N off.

    Cynthia sighed. ¡°Gallade? Translate please? Just be sure to stay out of the Mimikyu¡¯s mind, he doesn¡¯t take kindly to it.¡±

    Stupid Psychics. How was Rotom supposed to secretly gather information if they did it in the one way that Rotom couldn¡¯t listen in to?

    ¡°Is it jus¡¯ me, or is this super awkward? Actin¡¯ like we ain¡¯ even ¡®ere¡­¡± Mimikyu whispered.

    ¡°Be quiet,¡± N whispered back.

    Eventually the awkward silence was broken by the Gallade speaking for the first time, a stern voice making clear that he was annoyed with whatever had been said so far. ¡°You seem to misunderstand. You do not have a choice in the matter. You are a foreign Pokemon, deposited here by unknown forces. Allowing you to stay in the wilds of Sinnoh is not an option. You are to be returned to your place of origin at once. We are giving you the courtesy of allowing you to change your mind and come along willingly because it¡¯s bound to be a tedious process given Paldea¡¯s distance from Sinnoh.¡±

    ¡°And I am telling you,¡± Ninetales growled, ¡°that I am not returning to Paldea.¡±

    ¡°What if she wasn¡¯ wild?¡± Mimikyu suddenly chimed in. ¡°What if she ¡®ad a trainer? Would it matter then? ¡®Cuz, ¡®n¡¯ I know ya don¡¯ like this fact, Fairy types bein¡¯ ¡®round humans ain¡¯ exactly unheard of in Sinnoh anymore.¡±

    There was a silence again, presumably so some translation could occur.

    ¡°And who would be the trainer?¡± Cynthia finally asked. ¡°Unless N is volunteering?¡±

    N stiffened. ¡°I¡­ if Ninetales wanted to travel with us, I wouldn¡¯t mind, but I¡¯m no trainer, and that isn¡¯t going to change any time soon.¡±

    A pause as the translations went through.

    ¡°No,¡± Ninetales instantly shot the idea down. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to travel with you, not if you travel in places like this and hold sympathy for abominations like that Spiritomb.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not exactly flush with options right now,¡± the Gallade reminded her. ¡°I would suggest you accept the¡­ generosity of these fools before they change their minds.¡±

    ¡°First of all, you can get bent,¡± Mimikyu snarked back. ¡°Secondly, there are still other options. Sinnoh ¡®as an Ice type Gym Leader, right? Up in Snowpoint? There ain¡¯ any Pokemon up in that area that can be Fairy types, ¡®n¡¯ I ¡®magin¡¯ she¡¯d like the place. Right?¡±

    Ninetales hummed. ¡°Is it safe to assume that with a name like that, it has a climate more suitable for me?¡±

    ¡°Snowpoint City and the surrounding area sees year round snowfall. Even in the middle of Sinnoh¡¯s summer the temperature of the air does not reach above freezing,¡± Gallade grumbled.

    ¡°Then that would be acceptable,¡± Ninetales agreed. ¡°A Gym Leader¡¯s Pokemon¡­¡±

    N¡¯s hand came into his pocket alongside Rotom, but seemingly only to clench in frustration. He was not a fan of that idea, but did not speak up.

    ¡°Joining Candice¡¯s team?¡± Cynthia thought it over. ¡°Having a Fairy¡­¡± Eventually she sighed. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll see if Candice is willing to take her on, and if not¡­ I suppose the other residents of Snowpoint are also an option.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your assistance,¡± N said through clenched teeth.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m going to suggest you not do anything stupid again, but I have a feeling it will fall on deaf ears with you two.¡± There were a few steps, her shoes crunching the snow. ¡°Lucas! I highly suggest that you get better traveling companions than these two. I have high hopes for you!¡±

    After a moment, N and Mimikyu let out a sigh of relief. Cynthia must have Teleported away.

    ¡°What a mess¡­¡± N complained.

    <hr>

    ¡°That Paul sure is a jerk¡­¡± Ash complained. ¡°But if he wants to give up his Soothe Bell, then that¡¯s more for us!¡±

    ¡°Pika Pika!¡±

    ¡°Chim!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. What are Soothe Bells for, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Rumor has it that they can deepen the bond between trainer and Pokemon, ensuring that they become the best of friends even faster than normal,¡± Brock informed him.

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome! Here, Chimchar, why don¡¯t you carry both then! We¡¯ll be best buddies before Paul sees us again!¡±

    ¡°Char!¡± Chimchar eagerly grabbed the ribbons attached to them, dancing around and causing the bells to jingle with every step.

    Brock quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

    He¡¯d been worried, and that had only gotten worse upon their arrival to Hearthome where they discovered that the Gym was closed until further notice.

    Luckily, Ash¡¯s mood had only improved from there. With a few minor exceptions, but that seemed to come part and parcel with Paul being around.

    The two polar opposites had ended up as partners in a tag battle tournament, and part way through the purple haired boy had abandoned his Fire type. But Ash being Ash¡­

    Well, after that, was there any possible outcome other than his friend adopting the poor thing and using it to win the tournament? Brock didn¡¯t think so.

    He just hoped Charizard wouldn¡¯t get jealous now that Ash had another Pokemon with a similar background.

    ¡°So where to next, Ash?¡± Brock asked, eager to keep the boy in good spirits.

    ¡°To the next Gym!¡± Ash laughed.

    ¡°Pika!¡±

    Brock laughed along with him. ¡°I figured as much, but Sinnoh isn¡¯t exactly very linear. If we head East then the next Gym would be Veilstone which uses Fighting types. If we head South then the next Gym would be Pastoria, which uses Water types.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm¡­ what do you think, Chimchar?¡±

    ¡°Chimchar!¡±

    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll go that way!¡±

    Ash and his Pokemon laughed as they walked down the streets of Hearthome with not a care in the world.

    It was good to have him back.

 Chapter 50

    Mimikyu focused on that strange feeling inside of him. That shadowy cloak, the flesh on his bones, his Source.

    It felt like it was getting easier to pull on it now. The threads of the cloth, the sinews of the muscle, unraveling faster with every attempt, rushing to fall apart and take on a new shape.

    Not so much a distinct shape that anyone could see, but something new. Something dark and ugly and foul that he could feel, wrapping around his mouth, weaving into his lips¡­

    These metaphors really get away from me sometimes. Do I even have a mouth? I mean I shove food inside and can taste it, so I must, right? A sense of taste would require that I have taste buds, a tongue.

    It bothers me that I¡¯m not sure of that.

    The distracted thoughts had caused the move to collapse. The energy flowing back to its natural state.

    Pulling on it once more, this time without the idle thoughts of the mechanics of it all, Mimikyu focused the Dark type energy into his voice.

    ¡°Hey ugly!¡± he called out to a Murkrow perched on the Lost Tower.

    The bird looked at him with a glower, having fallen for the-

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± The Murkrow laughed. ¡°Hey, hey guys! The little weirdo is still at it!¡±

    More mocking laughter filled the air as a few spirits poked their heads out of the walls to look down at him.

    Fuck! I can feel it happening! I know I¡¯m using Taunt! So why won¡¯t it fucking work?!

    ¡°You are very bad at this,¡± a voice laced with electricity informed him from behind.

    ¡°Why thank you, Rotom! I never woulda figured that out on my own, ya know! Here I was thinkin¡¯ that I ¡®ad it all down pat!¡±

    I¡¯m getting too worked up over this. Is being so close to the tower affecting my emotional state? Or maybe it¡¯s just the lack of progress¡­

    Although a considerable amount of time had passed since Cynthia¡¯s departure, they hadn¡¯t covered much ground. Part of that was probably due to their mental states after the events with Spiritomb, but it was mostly because Lucas had convinced everyone to stop by the Lost Tower for a bit for some training and exploration.

    Mimikyu had figured he might as well get some experience with his moves, but¡­ progress was slow.

    ¡°Rotom could give you some pointers if you¡¯d like?¡± The flip phone buzzed, floating in front of him.

    I suppose some pointers wouldn¡¯t hurt. Not like I¡¯m getting anywhere on my own.

    ¡°Ya know Taunt?¡±

    ¡°No, Rotom has never used Taunt. But Rotom was¡­ acquaintances with someone who was fond of it. Rotom thinks Rotom has identified the problem.¡±

    ¡°Lay it on me, then.¡±

    Rotom hummed. ¡°To start with¡­ your taunts are very weak. Perhaps they might work if you were trying to use it against a human who could understand you, like N, but not a Pokemon. You must have spent more time around humans than other Pokemon¡­¡±

    Ha. More than you know¡­

    ¡°Somethin¡¯ like that. What am I doin¡¯ wrong, then? How do ya insult a Pokemon properly?¡±

    ¡°Well, for Pokemon that follow group behaviors, like that Murkrow, you might slight their superior. Something like Your Honchkrow is as cowardly as a Bonsly might work. While Honchkrow aren¡¯t exactly known for being respectable, calling one into question is a sure way to infuriate their murder. You might tell a Lumineon that their scales are as captivating as a Magikarp¡¯s, or a Crobat that they¡¯re as slow as a Snorlax.¡±

    Isn¡¯t that just basic insults like I¡¯ve been doing, though? I¡¯ve already tried calling them ugly cowards and they just laughed. Or is it-

    ¡°Are ya sayin¡¯ that the comparison to another Pokemon is the impor¡¯ant bit?¡±

    ¡°Not in every case, but it certainly helps,¡± Rotom chimed. ¡°If you call a Murkrow ugly, they won¡¯t care because they assume you¡¯re working on Mimikyu standards. But a comparison to something like a Feebas which is widely known to be ugly regardless of species actually means something to them. But beyond the lack of creativity in your insults, there is one other factor you aren¡¯t considering. When you practiced your Shadow Claw against Torterra, how did he react?¡±

    Crazy bastard just kept telling me to hit him again¡­

    ¡°He didn¡¯ react much at all, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Rotom cheered. ¡°Torterra is a bulky Pokemon, he can shrug off weak attacks easily.¡±

    Ouch. Can¡¯t exactly argue with that assessment, though.

    ¡°What does that ¡®ave ta do with Taunt, though? It ain¡¯ a damagin¡¯ move, there¡¯s no defense for it to cut through.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about that? Just because there is no hide for claws to bounce off of does not mean that there is no defense. It just isn¡¯t so obvious. Really, Rotom thinks you might have been successful already if not for your poor targets.¡±

    What¡¯s so special about some Ghastly and a Murkrow?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my targets?¡±

    ¡°Ghost types like you and Rotom, and especially Dark types, practically live for cruelty and taunts. It¡¯s enjoyable. So when someone tries to use it against them, it has to pack more of a punch to have any real effect.¡±

    Huh. So it¡¯s like how Grass types are immune to spore moves and Dark types aren¡¯t affected by Prankster? I wonder if it¡¯s just Taunt or if that extends to other moves like¡­ Embargo or something.

    ¡°You should try it with another Pokemon,¡± Rotom continued, ¡°like that Zubat over there.¡±

    Jerking his body to the left, Rotom indicated toward the treeline, where a single Zubat could be seen hanging from a branch.

    A Zubat? I can probably handle that¡­

    Mimikyu focused once more, pulling the Taunt from his source.

    ¡°Hey Zubat! You know you freaks are just-¡± what¡¯s a rat-like Pokemon they would know ¡°Bidoof with wings, right? You both have stupid teeth and are dumber than a box of rocks!¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have said Rattata with wings? Rotom thinks it fits better.¡±

    ¡°You guys know what Rattata are?¡±

    ¡°You have very strange misconceptions.¡±

    ¡°Well I jus¡¯ thought-¡±

    Mimikyu barely registered the glowing wing coming at him in time to dodge out of the way.

    ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± The Zubat hissed at him, diving in once more.

    ¡°Rotom told you it would work!¡±

    ¡°Not tha time!¡± Mimikyu shouted as he hopped and ran and tripped over himself trying to avoid the infuriated Zubat.

    Okay. Deep breaths. It¡¯s just a Zubat, not like it¡¯ll do serious damage, and besides, I wanted this. It gives me the opportunity to try this out for real.

    A limb as black as night shot out from beneath the disguise, swiping up towards the Poison type with an eerie glow. Zubat whined as its tiny body was carved up by the Shadow Claw, leaving it dripping blood all over the grass below.

    Hell yeah! I did it! I landed a-

    Mimikyu felt the impact, but saw nothing but the blue sky as he landed on his back.

    ¡°You¡¯re not so tough now, are you?!¡± Zubat mocked.

    Right. First real battle. Shit. What was that, another Wing Attack?

    Mimikyu forced himself back up, the disguise¡¯s false head hanging limply, having saved him from harm just this once. Readying another Shadow Claw, his eyes scoured the air, searching for where his opponent had gone¡­ only to see them flying away, back towards the tree line.

    They¡¯re just leaving? Was that a ¡°point proven¡± type of thing?

    ¡°Rotom gave them a little shock.¡±

    Mimikyu turned his gaze to the floating flip phone. ¡°Why? I coulda taken them!¡±

    ¡°No you couldn¡¯t,¡± Rotom instantly denied. ¡°The Wing Attacks were just to knock you down, they were charging up a Brave Bird. Must have been an Egg Move or something.¡±

    Oh. Maybe I couldn¡¯t have taken them¡­

    ¡°Well¡­ thanks then.¡± You never know who exactly you¡¯re taunting when it comes to wild Pokemon, I guess. I can¡¯t let that stop me, though. I¡¯ve just been tagging along without a way to fight back for too long now. I need to actually learn how to fight. ¡°Do ya think I could take on one of the Ghastly?¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can taunt them properly?¡±

    ¡°Well what if I tried ta¡­¡±

    <hr>

    N forced himself to read the names of every gravestone and placard that they walked past as they slowly made their way up the Lost Tower.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Here lies Sparky, the best friend I ever had.

    Rest in Peace, Rapidash.

    E¨Ceon, a tr¨C

    Some of them were more faded than others, though he was unable to tell if it was due to a difference in care or just the passage of time slowly wearing away at the stone.

    Every step they took echoed across the room. With no Lucas, Rotom, or Mimikyu, it was quiet. Fittingly silent for a place where lost souls come for their final rest, but also strange given what they¡¯d been told before making their way up.

    A kind woman near the entrance had warned them that travelling beyond the second floor could be difficult without a Pokemon capable of clearing fog, and that while this was a place for those who had passed, many Pokemon had taken it on as their home.

    Being the lover of Pokemon that he is, he¡¯d instructed the Shadows to stay quiet so as to not disturb the tower¡¯s residents¡­ but there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone around. He couldn¡¯t hear whispered conversations, rustling, flapping wings¡­ there were no signs of life at all, outside of their group.

    He wondered if that had to do with the Ghosts that hid in the Shadows¡¯ shadows.

    Or was it only one Ghost? They had a pack of Pawniard between them, but there might be a single unique Pokemon for each of them. He¡¯d only seen one Accelgor, and there had only been the one Ghost that he¡¯d actually seen. He was sure he¡¯d see the last one eventually.

    Though jumping to that conclusion might be giving the Shadows too much credit. Their ability to track him down was impressive, but he didn¡¯t know them all too well just yet.

    Besides, in his eyes, it was just as likely that Spiritomb¡¯s presence had been stained onto him, turning everyone who had been present into a beacon of that overwhelming negativity. The Pokemon of the Lostlorn Forest had been avoiding Mimikyu when they had first met, so it wasn¡¯t unthinkable that something like Spiritomb would have a similar, if greatly enhanced, effect on the locals.

    He didn¡¯t think he would find the answer.

    That was okay, though. If he really was disturbing the locals with his presence, he¡¯d feel guilty, but¡­ he needed the time to think, and as horrible as it sounded, this would allow it..

    N was meant to be a king. The king. To take his rightful place at the side of one of Unova¡¯s most prominent Legends and turn over this whole, awful system.

    And yet, every time he runs into true power he falters.

    The Alamos incident was less than ideal, but¡­ understandable, he thought.

    But Spiritomb? Far be it from him not to respect any Pokemon, but¡­ for a moment there, he had been more afraid of them than he had Palkia and Dialga, and Spiritomb wasn¡¯t even a Legend.

    It might have felt like one, but if Cynthia had two of them sitting on her belt right now¡­ well, he thought that was a pretty good indicator that it wasn¡¯t nearly to that level.

    How was he meant to bring Unova¡¯s best and brightest to his side if he collapsed from being too close to Spiritomb?

    ¡°You seem troubled, Lord N,¡± a Shadow spoke up, breaking the silence.

    ¡°I am,¡± N replied simply, thinking it over for a moment before deciding to trust them with more. If they had his fa- Ghetsis¡¯ trust, then they should have his. ¡°I sometimes wonder¡­ if I am truly worthy of the respect I am given. I preach the sanctity of Pokemon¡¯s liberation, their freedom, and yet¡­ Mimikyu is registered to a ball in my possession. I have been traveling with trainers partaking in the Gym circuit. And¡­ well, you saw what I allowed Cynthia to do.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t afford to draw more of Cynthia¡¯s attention than necessary. More of the League¡¯s attention. Not when the initialization of their plans was moving from a time frame of decades away, to years, to seasons.

    Keeping their attention elsewhere would save countless Pokemon later.

    But did that excuse him for overlooking examples right in front of his face now?

    It was a question as old as time, really. How many sacrifices are worth it for the greater good?

    ¡°Sometimes in life, there are things that are outside of our control,¡± one of them began. ¡°If you are to question whether or not you are worthy¡­ then you should be looking at how you respond to those events. Most would not bat an eye at the things you list off as if they¡¯re sins, and yet you struggle with their weight. You do not yet have the power to enact the change which you seek, but you recognize the problems and seek to correct them, even if it will be a slow and arduous process. In my eyes, at the very least, that proves your worthiness.¡±

    It felt reassuring, to hear that from someone else.

    He was still worthy. There was no time for self doubt, not when he needed to march onwards toward that better future.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    They carried on in silence for a while longer, paying their respects to all of the fallen Pokemon in the tower. When they completed their exploration of the floor they were on, they made to move up, but discovered that the woman from before had been right. There was a thick fog on the floor above, one that you wouldn¡¯t be able to get through without tripping over something. Not wanting to desecrate the gravesite, N turned back, leading the way back towards the entrance. It was then that a Shadow spoke up once more.

    ¡°While we are alone, there are some things we should discuss, Lord N.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°Your new companions, for one. The Rotom can be worked around, but the boy¡­ he is not someone you have spent considerable time with, like that girl from before. We had wanted to avoid revealing ourselves to him, and yet the regrettable encounter with the Spiritomb forced our hand. Someone who has not yet earned trust knowing of our presence is¡­ troubling.¡±

    That was true. He had trusted Ash and Dawn quite a bit, for humans anyway, and he hadn¡¯t shared any details of Plasma with them. Dawn had met the Shadows, but it hadn¡¯t escalated into anything problematic before they had parted ways.

    Lucas, though, was seemingly going to be a travelling companion going forward. Somehow involved in whatever secrets Mimikyu held.

    ¡°It is troubling, yes,¡± N agreed, ¡°but it is something that has already come to pass. We cannot change that it happened and truthfully I¡¯m not sure what can be done about it. We¡¯ll simply have to watch what is said around him and his Pokemon. Come up with some lies to distract him from the truth. He¡¯s just a boy, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s some League investigator or anything. Should be relatively simple.¡±

    The Shadows shared a look. ¡°If that is your desire, Lord N, then it shall be done.¡±

    ¡°Though on that note,¡± N continued, ¡°I was actually curious to learn more about you myself. If you¡¯re going to be shadowing me for the foreseeable future, then I would like to know just who has managed to gain Ghetsis¡¯ trust. He does not give that out easily, as I¡¯m sure you know.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lord N. Where to begin¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Something was off.

    Maybe he was just a bit on edge after the whole definitely-not-his-fault Spiritomb thing, but this scene just didn¡¯t seem right.

    ¡°Terra!¡± Torterra grunted as he slammed his feet into the ground, the Earthquake destroying the terrain beneath Eevee¡¯s feet and forcing him to get creative with his use of Quick Attack, launching himself up into the air instead of forward across the ground. Lucas was impressed with the quick thinking, as it allowed the Normal type to evade the attack almost completely.

    Less impressive was the complete lack of a landing strategy that saw Eevee slamming face first into the ground.

    With her partner for the training momentarily downed, Bibarel got Torterra¡¯s attention with a Rollout to the face before quickly backing off. It probably wouldn¡¯t last for long, but Lucas had never expected the Duo to win against his ace.

    The problem with the whole situation was that no matter how interesting he found the training, he couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off of Togepi. Every time he let out a little ¡°priii!¡± or clapped along, Lucas found his attention instantly drawn to the adorable little guy.

    He didn¡¯t remember it being like this before.

    Was he just a bit paranoid about the possibilities of Metronome now? Sure, that could be disastrous, but he didn¡¯t think the cute baby would just start spamming the move whenever he felt like it. The Blizzard incident seemed to be a one off thing, at least so far.

    It was like¡­ like Togepi was too cute. Too endearing. And Lucas couldn¡¯t figure out why. The rest of his team hadn¡¯t seemed to pick up on it yet, so maybe he was just imagining it¡­

    But he didn¡¯t think that he was.

    Something to keep an eye on.

    Maybe N would know?

    Oh! Or maybe the ninjas would know! He wondered if the ninjas were going to travel with them now. Wouldn¡¯t that be amazing? Lots of people go on Pokemon journeys, but how many people can say that they¡¯re the best trainer and they travelled with ninjas?

    Neither of those had happened to him yet, but he was confident that they would.

    Barry and Dawn were going to be so jealous.

    <hr>

    Cynthia knew that Snowpoint was cold, but it seemed like her body forgot just how cold it truly was every time she came back here. Even in the back rooms of the Gym, while not exposed to the elements or the artificial ice rink where challenges were held, it was only a few degrees away from being able to see her breath.

    She couldn¡¯t let her discomfort show, though. Not when dealing with Candice. The girl must be part Ice type herself with the clothes she wore while walking around this place. A white button up shirt hugged her torso tightly while somehow hanging loosely around her forearms. A brown skirt left much more of her thighs exposed than Cynthia was comfortable with, but apparently that length was ¡°totally in¡± now. She had a nice blue jacket with her¡­ but instead of wearing it, like one should in the cold, she had it tied around her waist. Blue and white striped socks were slipped into brown loafers that definitely weren¡¯t tall enough to keep the snow out when the girl took a step outside her Gym. Her black hair was bound into pigtails with a series of blue scrunchies, bouncing up and down as she jogged up to Cynthia with a smile.

    ¡°Hey, Cynthia! You didn¡¯t tell me that you were coming! You are looking absolutely fabulous by the way. Are you here for a battle? I¡¯m ready to beat you this time!¡±

    Cynthia wasn¡¯t sure how someone with such an upbeat personality had ended up as an Ice type specialist, but Candice had the skill required so she tried not to question it too much.

    ¡°No battle today, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Cynthia denied with an easy smile, finding it hard to stay stressed when around her. ¡°And I apologize for the sudden arrival, but some unexpected¡­ opportunities arose today, and I figured you¡¯d want to be informed sooner rather than later.¡±

    Somehow, Candice smiled even wider. ¡°Really? Oh, I love surprises! What is it!?¡±

    Cynthia pulled the pokeball from her belt. ¡°A new team member, if you¡¯re willing to take on some extra responsibilities.¡±

    For the first time Cynthia could remember, Candice¡¯s smile turned into a frown. ¡°You¡¯re just going to give me a Pokemon? I mean, I¡¯m sure one of the Gym trainers would love a new friend, but I prefer to hand pick my team¡­¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit unusual, but this is something I can only trust you with, Candice.¡±

    And even with Candice, it was a tenuous thing. Even with the power that Cynthia held, this wasn¡¯t a decision she could make on her own. She¡¯d had to call Lance and Steven, get their input on the matter. Lance had been adamant about shipping Ninetales off regardless of her wishes, wanting to rid the League of any Fairy types they could, but she and Steven had managed to talk him out of it.

    Because Mimikyu was right. As much as she and Lance might hate it, the Fairy type was now a thing in the League whether they liked it or not. Whatever, or more likely whoever, dumped all those fae around their regions had overwhelmed them with a number that simply couldn¡¯t be contained, at least not in a time frame that made a difference.

    So Cynthia had come to the conclusion, and had managed to convince Lance with the help of Steven¡¯s calculated logic, that they should use this particular instance as a learning opportunity.

    They certainly weren¡¯t going to ask any of the other regions for information. N and his Mimikyu were a whole bundle of problems. And so a Fairy dumped in her lap that didn¡¯t want to go home? As strange of an arrangement as it was, Ninetales had the chance to become their main source of information on the Fairy type. Their strengths, weaknesses, peculiarities, and behaviors. It was one thing to know a vague history of the infection and a general understanding of the type. To know of their charms and what to look out for. But first hand accounts of a living, breathing specimen that had been born that way would do far more for their understanding.

    If they couldn¡¯t contain the spread, then the next best thing would be to have an encyclopedic knowledge of how to counter them and treat those unfortunate enough to be infected. Perhaps, though they¡¯d found the possibility to be highly unlikely, they¡¯d eventually even find a cure.

    Of course, once they¡¯d agreed on that course of action it had become an argument of who should be doing such a thing, with Lance pushing for Lorelei and Steven for Glacia, but Cynthia knew that Candice was the best option.

    She was the most isolated in the event that something went wrong. Any Pokemon that could be infected was far, far away, unlike in the case of the Elite Four members.

    ¡°Only me?¡± Candice raised an eyebrow. ¡°What sort of Pokemon is this, then? A crazy strong Abomasnow from the peaks of Coronet?¡±

    ¡°Not quite. How do you feel about working with a language barrier? I¡¯ve triple checked and your Medicham should be fine, but I was thinking that¡­¡±

 Chapter 51 - Interlude

    ¡°Would you run the analysis on the latest data set for me, please?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Professor,¡± his state of the art computer replied.

    Kukui leaned back in his barely held together by duct tape office chair with a sigh as the Rotom got to work.

    Sometimes he wished every day could be action packed. Practice some moves with his Pokemon, maybe put on his mask¡­ just let the adrenaline run through him.

    But he was old now.

    This wasn¡¯t the good ol¡¯ days where he was blazing through the island challenge or testing his mettle against the Indigo League. He had responsibilities now. He had a wife now. Which, while awesome for various reasons, meant that he couldn¡¯t just run off and do crazy stuff anymore.

    Part of him wanted to open up a league of his own. Not joining the League league, but just a league. Give himself a way to recapture his youth while pushing his home to new heights. A chance to do that crazy stuff at the level he craved, but without having to go so far from home that the missus would worry.

    But that just wasn¡¯t in the cards at the moment.

    Alola is a small region, geographically speaking. And while their spirit was mighty, and their Tapus even mightier, they had to tread a very thin line if they wanted to continue their way of life.

    While Kukui personally supported stepping closer to the League, he could fully understand why the others were so hesitant. They¡¯d all seen what had become of Unova after the war ended, even if most of the details were hush-hush. Poor Alder is basically a lap dog for the real Champions, and that was with Unova¡¯s minor support of the League during the war! Staying neutral on paper instead of giving outright vocal support had been enough to leave them in such a state.

    ¡°If that¡¯s how they treat a region that could tenuously be considered on good terms, then how will they treat us?¡± Hala always liked to say.

    Which, given that Alola had assisted with supply lines of the opposite side of the war, wasn¡¯t exactly an unreasonable thing to think about.

    But that was a small hurdle!

    Well. Maybe not so small. But not insurmountable, either!

    Lance was a stand up guy. Kukui was sure of it. You could lie and deceive with your words all you wanted, but battle is where your true nature would shine through. The image that Lance put out to the world with his harsh glares and theatrical cape flares wasn¡¯t enough to hide how much of a genuinely good person he showed himself to be in his battle style.

    Lance didn¡¯t hold all of the power in the League, of course, but if that was one of their heads of state, then surely the League would be understanding about past¡­erm¡­ transgressions?

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He¡¯d have to think more on how to pitch it to them once he convinced the Kahunas that he wasn¡¯t insane for wanting to associate with the League.

    ¡°The analysis is complete, professor!¡±

    Kukui nearly jumped out of his seat as Rotom jolted him from his thoughts.

    ¡°What have you got for me then, buddy?¡±

    ¡°The readings do not appear to have deviated beyond expected levels, Professor. They are elevated when compared to previous months, but that can be accounted for by the reports of citizens having heard Tapu Koko¡¯s cry last week which indicate that the guardian deity has been on the move. The only thing of note would be that the increased levels are not as high as the last time Tapu Koko was heard.¡±

    Kukui frowned. ¡°Ehhh, that¡¯s probably less to do with an actual difference and more to do with where we took our readings. We might have been closer to the actual trail last time. Set a reminder to take readings from more locations next month.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Professor.¡±

    That was the other problem with the possibility of having a stronger relationship with the League.

    The Tapus radiated Fairy energy wherever they went.

    Was that a bad thing? Not as far as he could tell, and he¡¯d been keeping track of it for a good while now. Plus, his correspondence with Sycamore indicated that nothing had happened to the Kalosian Pokemon where they had a¡­ similar situation.

    But this is the League. Kukui was sure that in their heads, the entire damn war was about Fairies. They weren¡¯t going to change their minds about the topic so quickly.

    Though it was starting to look like they might not have a choice in the matter.

    There had been no official communication on the issue, of course. But Kukui had noticed things.

    A comment that didn¡¯t quite make sense here, a lack of information on various topics there¡­

    Though what really sold him on his little pet theory was the incident with the Joy family.

    Did he like having to censor information? Not particularly. But the Joy of Tapu Village sending information to Sinnoh about Mimikyu was a red flag if he¡¯d ever seen one. If that information had gone through as is and Cynthia had found out¡­

    Well, sometimes you have to do things that you don''t enjoy.

    But it had gotten him thinking. Why would a Sinnoh Joy need that information? It¡¯s not like Mimikyu were terribly common outside of Alola, and if one of the islanders had suddenly decided to travel to Sinnoh he would definitely have heard about it through the grapevine. That still left the option of a Mimikyu from outside of Alola of course, or maybe some sort of smuggling operation¡­

    But whatever the case, however it had happened, the only thing that made sense in his head was that somehow a Mimikyu had ended up in Sinnoh, and now the Fairy type was spreading.

    Was he absolutely certain of that? Not at all. But he had a gut feeling that it was true, and he¡¯d learned to trust his gut long ago.

    But perhaps beyond that gut feeling, he wanted it to be true.

    If the League got filled with Fairy types, then there would be no need for caution regarding the Tapus or the other Fairies living in Alola. It would be a major barrier out of the way for bringing Alola closer to the League.

    Assuming that the League didn¡¯t conclude the Mimikyu was from Alola and that he was at fault for ruining their isolation.

    Hmmm. Maybe he should try to clear that up.

    ¡°Rotom, could you send an email to Lance for me? Start it by challenging him to a rematch, like always, but then I need to¡­¡±

 Chapter 52

    Solaceon was a relatively small settlement, probably around the size of Floaroma if N were to guess. The town seemed to be focused along one main road, serving as the connection point between routes 209 and 210, nestled in between the eastern edge of the Coronet range and some smaller cluster of mountains that didn¡¯t have a proper name on the map he¡¯d been using. Much of the western portion of the city looked to be flat and cleared of trees, instead being used as some sort of ranch. The eastern portion of the city rose right up into the unnamed mountains, various buildings standing alone atop cliff faces. He worried about the stability of such structures, but perhaps if they had the assistance of local Ground and Rock types they¡¯d be safe.

    And then there was what looked like the main attraction of the town. Right in the center of it was a large purple building shaped like a keystone, and while all the signage and idle talk of the people they¡¯d passed so far pointed towards it being no more than a contest hall, he couldn¡¯t help the shudder it sent down his spine.

    Having the hall shaped like that while being so close to the Hallowed Tower probably wasn¡¯t a coincidence, and he wasn¡¯t exactly over the encounter just yet.

    And on top of that, it made his mind wander to how Dawn was doing¡­

    He wasn¡¯t able to get lost in those thoughts for long though, as shortly after entering into the town proper, a familiar face came running towards them.

    ¡°Yahoo! Hey, Lucas!¡± Barry smiled as he skidded to a stop in front of them. ¡°...and the cheater,¡± he added with a glare.

    N rolled his eyes and ignored Mimikyu¡¯s quiet chuckle. Hadn¡¯t Lucas been the one accused of cheating? How had he managed to go from being a ¡°cheerleader¡± to a ¡°cheater¡±?

    ¡°Anyways, I got something cool,¡± the boy continued. ¡°I¡¯ll show you as a special favor!¡± Reaching for his belt, he quickly tossed a Pokeball into the air, a Staravia landing on the dirt between them with a flash of light.

    Barry seemed surprised, though. ¡°Huh? What the¡­ What¡¯s this about?¡±

    N shared a look with Lucas as the blond inspected his ball, but neither seemed to have a clue what they were meant to be seeing.

    Barry let out a defeated sigh. ¡°...I got some seals, but I forgot to put them on.¡± But the boy wasn¡¯t one to slow down for anything, perking right back up. ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s because I was at the ruins. The ruins here are cool. You have to check it out. I even found a hidden machine, it was Defog! I¡¯ll battle you another time, see ya!¡±

    Quickly returning the Staravia, Barry sped off down the road from the same direction he came from.

    ¡°...bzzrt. That boy confuses Rotom.¡±

    ¡°I think ¡®e confuses us all. I dunno where ¡®e gets all the energy from¡­¡± Mimikyu agreed.

    ¡°One confusing part in particular stood out to me,¡± N chimed in. ¡°He said that he found the HM for Defog in the town¡¯s ruins? That seems like an odd place for one to be if Fantina¡¯s explanation was true.¡±

    Lucas only shrugged.

    ¡°We could always check it out for ourselves,¡± Mimikyu suggested. ¡°I figure Lucas is gonna wanna check it out even without the promise of a HM hidden in there.¡±

    That was probably correct. A place that was referred to as a ruin was bound to have items left behind in it, though N had a feeling he¡¯d have to stop the boy from picking up any ancient artifacts that they might stumble across. Disturbing archeological sites was a good way to upset the powers that be.

    ¡°You have a point. Though before that, there was one place I wanted to investigate first¡­¡±

    Taking the lead, N let his eyes wander to the shadows up against the buildings and in between the foliage.

    He didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary.

    Yet he knew that something was there.

    Having the Shadow Triad tagging along was going to take some getting used to.

    <hr>

    ¡°We were raising your Pokemon, and my goodness, were we surprised! Your Pokemon was holding an Egg!¡± A bald old man exclaimed. ¡°We don¡¯t know how it got there, but your Pokemon had it. You do want it, don¡¯t you?¡± He asked, offering said egg out to a young trainer.

    The boy looked at him wide-eyed before carefully accepting the egg. With a quick thanks, he started making his way towards the Pokemon Center, if N¡¯s map was accurate.

    ¡°You take good care of it!¡± The old man shouted after him. That¡¯s when he noticed their group. ¡°Ah, hello there! Always good to see new faces,¡± he softly laughed with a smile. ¡°I run the Day-Care with my wife, is there anything I can help you with? Of course, if you actually want to leave your Pokemon with us you¡¯ll have to go inside, but I can answer any burning questions you might have.¡±

    N had been afraid of this. Ranches and farms were one thing. The Moomoo Farm in Johto was renowned worldwide for their milk, and back home the Floccesy Ranch sold wool on a much smaller scale. In the past, N had been worried about their potential for Pokemon exploitation, but he¡¯d quickly learned that the Pokemon at those sorts of places were eager to be involved. They enjoyed sharing what they could with other Pokemon, and with the help of the ranchers they were able to help a lot more Pokemon than they could on their own. In a way, it was really the Pokemon exploiting the humans. The Pokemon got treated like royalty to ensure the best product available would be produced, and most of the profit went right back into giving Pokemon a better life.

    But what N had assumed to be yet another of these locations upon entering the town had something off about it. Instead of the land being filled with one species in particular that had some sort of product to offer, it was instead filled with a wide assortment of different Pokemon, some that were familiar to him, and many that weren¡¯t. Add the scene that he¡¯d just witnessed, and, well¡­

    ¡°Be honest with me. Is this one of those disgusting breeding mills?¡±

    ¡°Even if ¡®e were, do ya think he¡¯d say yes after ya call ¡®em disgustin¡¯?¡± Mimikyu muttered into his ear with clear disapproval. ¡°¡®Ave some tact¡­¡±

    The old man¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°A breeding-? Oh, no, no, I assure you this is just a humble Day-Care! Lots of trainers hit their carry limit and don¡¯t like the idea of having their friends cooped up inside the PC system, so they bring them here so they can run around and make new friends! We charge them a modest rate to cover the upkeep and all the food, but it¡¯s nothing like a mill!¡±

    ¡°Then what was that just now?¡± N pressed further. ¡°If you¡¯re not a mill, then are you just handing off random eggs for free?¡±

    He could picture it now. Away from prying eyes they¡¯d have a mill set up, selling off egg after egg for profit and quickly handing one over to any unsuspecting trainers to keep them distracted.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s just as I told that young man! I don¡¯t know how it got there, but his Pokemon was holding an egg, so I made sure to pass it on to him!¡±

    N gave the man a disbelieving look. ¡°You expect me to believe that you don¡¯t know how it got there?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to say!¡± The old man looked a tad offended. ¡°It doesn¡¯t happen all the time, but occasionally when a trainer leaves two Pokemon with us, one day we¡¯ll wake up and there will be an egg! It¡¯s all very mysterious. I¡¯ve heard a rumor that Professor Elm over in Johto was looking into it, but if there¡¯s been any findings I haven¡¯t a clue¡­¡± Slowly, the old man¡¯s eyes started to widen. ¡°Hold on just a moment. The way you¡¯re talking about it¡­ don¡¯t tell me you know the secret?! You simply must tell me! How exactly are these eggs coming to be in my Day-Care?¡±

    With all offense gone in an instant, the man looked at him with the same wide-eyed wonder that the trainer from before had shown, and Lucas quickly joined him, eager to get the answer as well.

    N squinted. ¡°Is this some sort of a joke?¡±

    Mimikyu laughed. ¡°N, I think ya might ¡®ave ta give ¡®em the¡­ ah, what would ya call it ¡®ere¡­ the Pidgeots and the Beedrills, maybe?¡±

    What was happening? The man before him was ancient. He said he had a wife. How could he possibly not know where these eggs were coming from? This had to be some sort of attempt at deflection.

    ¡°Bzzrt. If you are unwilling to explain, Rotom will!¡± His flip phone hissed out an odd electronic laugh. ¡°You see, when two Pokemon-¡±

    N quickly clamped his hand over Rotom¡¯s speaker.

    He looked into Lucas¡¯ innocent eyes.

    He couldn¡¯t approve of this. Perhaps¡­ Perhaps this old man was telling the truth, and this really was just a place for captured Pokemon to escape the PC system¡­

    ¡°...I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s just as much a mystery to me.¡±

    Mimikyu broke out into loud, obvious laughter.

    <hr>

    ¡°If it makes ya feel any better, he wasn¡¯ lyin¡¯ to ya or anythin¡¯.¡± Mimikyu tried reassuring him. ¡°It really is just a place for Pokemon to stretch their legs.¡±

    ¡°Not. Another. Word.¡± N blushed as Mimikyu brought it up yet again.

    ¡°Bzzrt. Perhaps N really is also lacking in such knowledge! Which would be odd, given that Rotom is the one who-¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°I believe our Lord said that was enough,¡± one of his Shadows spoke up, imperceptible to vision but heard clearly enough.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he quietly showed his appreciation as the Pokemon stopped tag teaming him.

    They had explored Solaceon a fair bit more since the Day-Care incident. Lucas had gotten ahold of some of the seals that Barry had spoken about, though N was a bit surprised to find that it was just the usual contest supplies that he¡¯d grown used to with Dawn. He couldn¡¯t see either of the young boys having an interest in the scene, so the two of them collecting items for contests didn¡¯t make much sense to him. But then again, Lucas did seem to be a bit of a hoarder, so that might explain it¡­

    Though he should probably be less worried about the hoarding and more worried about the fact that Lucas had just barged into that poor woman¡¯s house. How she had gone so quickly from shock at the brat¡¯s sudden intrusion to handing over a seal case, N wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d ever understand.

    After that he¡¯d been more watchful of his travelling companion, but Lucas managed to get around the ¡°no breaking into strangers¡¯ houses¡± rule by finding the one building that actively invited people inside. Though that was less of a house and more of an office of sorts? They¡¯d claimed to run Sinnoh¡¯s biggest newspaper, but they didn¡¯t have a printing press nor even a simple home printer as far as he could see. Perhaps it was only available digitally? Trying to establish market dominance early could be helpful once personal devices with bigger screens like the C-Gear were publicly released¡­ but in any case, Lucas had managed to get some Great Balls and a Heart Scale in exchange for letting them write an article on Torterra.

    Now, though, they found themselves investigating the ruins that Barry had mentioned.

    ¡°Bzzrt!¡± Rotom floated out in front of the group. ¡°The Solaceon Ruins refers to the entire structure, but in actuality it consists of two separate sites! The maze-like cavern system beneath the ground  is said to have existed first, and the temple on top was built much later, but still far into the past. The older caves are full of branching paths and dead ends while being a  home to many Unown, while the temple reportedly has a simple layout and lacks any Pokemon, even if it is much more visually impressive.¡±

    Two ruins? One stacked on top of the other? That was an interesting way to do things, but he couldn¡¯t claim to understand the thinking of ancient civilizations. ¡°I suppose we should explore them both, then. Which should we start with?¡±

    ¡°Can we maybe skip the bit up top?¡± Mimikyu instantly interjected. ¡°All the good stuff is gonna be down below ¡®n¡¯ I ain¡¯ too keen on that temple.¡±

    Not keen on the temple? Why would that be? N let his gaze drift into the distance, towards the entrance of the temple¡­ and spotting two large statues. One for Palkia, and one for Dialga.

    ¡°Perhaps you have a point¡­¡± N eventually agreed. Besides, even without that, it wasn¡¯t like a simple layout with no Pokemon inside was very appealing in the first place. ¡°The caves it is, then.¡±

    Lucas gave them all a questioning look, but eventually shrugged and led the way, following the path to an obviously man made cave entrance.

    As they entered, a chill went down his spine. Was it because the Shadows and their Ghost would be in closer proximity in an enclosed space like this? Or was there something else already in here setting off his nerves?

    The walls of the ruins looked to be made up of brick, and though there were no obvious sources of light, the ruins were bright enough that the whole room could be made out, including three separate stairways leading deeper inside. Against the far wall was some sort of inscription.

    Lucas marched right up to it, tilted his head in confusion, and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°What, you can¡¯t read it?¡± N asked.

    The boy shook his head no.

    ¡°Can you read it?¡± Mimikyu asked.

    Taking a step closer, N took a look for himself. The text looked familiar, yet alien at the same time. Each character had what looked to be an eyeball incorporated into it, and yet it almost seemed like¡­

    ¡°Is this some sort of ancient Unovan? That first word looks like TOP, but after that¡­ maybe that¡¯s a ¡®P¡¯? Then an ¡®I¡¯, but I have no idea what the next one would be¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems to be written in Unown, Lord N,¡± one of the Shadows whispered, though the words still echoed a bit in the cave.

    Unown? Huh. He had been taught that it was the script often found in ancient ruins, but this was the first time he¡¯d actually seen it.

    ¡°Top right, lower left, top right, top left, top left, lower left¡­¡± Mimikyu mumbled. ¡°I think these are instructions? Followin¡¯ ¡®em probably leads to the deepest part.¡±

    N blinked. ¡°You can read this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Mimikyu confirmed as he quickly dug out his notepad and pen from N¡¯s belongings, writing down the instructions. ¡°I told ya that before, didn¡¯ I?¡±

    Now that N thought about it, Mimikyu had claimed such a thing, hadn¡¯t he? Unown, Unovan, and apparently some League¡­ What an odd combination. Though if Unown was really this similar to Unovan, perhaps it wasn¡¯t that hard to learn once you got past a few of the odd ones.

    ¡°These are some odd instructions, though, bzzrt.¡± Rotom chimed in. ¡°What use are top and bottom directions when this level is a flat plane?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ that they make sense if yer lookin¡¯ at each room from a top down view. If ya draw it out like this¡­.¡± Mimikyu quickly sketched out the layout of the entrance, ¡°then the top right would be this stairway.¡±

    N frowned. ¡°A top down view? What, like you¡¯re looking at a map or something? Do people map out caves like that?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, it just makes the most sense ta me,¡± Mimikyu replied, making his way down the staircase he¡¯d decided was the top right.

    The rest of the group followed behind, but once they made it to the next level, they found the little Ghost frozen in place, staring down the surprisingly bright hall.

    Floating through the air all throughout the hall was a group of Unown composed entirely of one letter. It sort of looked like a stick figure, but with a sort of¡­ beak? Coming out of the side of its eye-head.

    Mimikyu sounded tense when he spoke. ¡°Right¡­ just the letter F¡­¡± Turning back towards them, he continued. ¡°Translate for me, will ya? I highly recommend ya don¡¯t touch ¡®em, and you absolutely should not request anythin¡¯. Er, no¡­ they read ¡®er mind or somethin¡¯ didn¡¯t they¡­ shit¡­ I guess if Barry came through it should be fine, shouldn¡¯ it?¡±

    By the end, N wasn¡¯t sure how much of that was a command and how much was Mimikyu muttering to himself. ¡°Did you want me to translate all of that?¡±

    Mimikyu sighed. ¡°Just be careful around these things. Some of the weakest Pokemon out there on their own, but together¡­ scary stuff can ¡®appen.¡±

    Well, wasn¡¯t that ominous. Given what had happened with Mimikyu¡¯s last warning, N saw fit to take this one seriously.

    <hr>

    Travelling with N could be annoying at times.

    Initially he¡¯d been good about speaking in Sinnohian so that Lucas could understand him, but those ninja guys seemed to only speak Galarian and so their mutual travelling companion seemed to be switching between the two sometimes at random.

    And speaking of the ninja guys, they needed to show him how to do their hide-y thing! Lucas had sort of thought they¡¯d left, but they kept speaking from the shadows! Super cool. Maybe a little scary when he wasn¡¯t expecting a random voice, but still, super cool.

    For now, though, Lucas was on his own.

    Well, not really. He still had his Pokemon with him. And he could get back to N any time he wanted! It was just that after figuring out how they were navigating the ruins, Lucas had realized how many paths were going to be left untouched, and¡­ well¡­

    He couldn¡¯t just pass up on potential treasure!

    And what a haul he¡¯d had so far!

    He¡¯d found not one, not two, but three different evolution stones! Eevee would really be spoiled for choice now! He¡¯d initially been worried that he¡¯d have to go out and buy one at the crazy prices they charged in stores, but his treasure hunting had really paid off!

    He only wished this place could pay off in the other way that a trainer would appreciate. These Unown looked pretty weak, maybe even the perfect opponents for Togepi to try out some actual battle on, but after that confusing warning from Mimikyu and N¡­

    Well, Spiritomb had taught him a lesson.

    It¡¯s best to understand things at least a little before you go messing with them.

    He could hold back, right? Just the necessary amount. It¡¯s not like he was Barry. Or actually, Barry had already come through here, hadn¡¯t he? So getting through these ruins without issue was the bare minimum¡­

    ¡°...something anew and alive?¡±

    ¡°Kyu, Mi-kyu!¡±

    The conversation echoed out from the staircase he was approaching.

    Had he caught up with them already? Maybe this place wasn¡¯t as big as he¡¯d thought. Though since this cave was man made, he supposed it made sense. Even with the help of Pokemon, this would have been a huge pain to make, so getting bigger unnecessarily didn¡¯t make much sense.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make much sense to me, either¡­ Oh, hey Lucas. How nice of you to join us again.¡± N shot him a look as he took the last steps down into the final chamber.

    An annoyed N was bad. Best to avoid that by scouring for loot.

    Strangely enough, there seemed to be a small pile of it towards the back of the room. Or was it the front? He¡¯d technically entered from the back¡­

    He pushed those thoughts aside as he picked up a gold nugget and some sort of weird incense. Alongside them was the HM for Defog, just like Barry had said, and¡­ one of those weird plates he kept finding?

    There was an engraving. ¡°The Original One breathed alone before the universe came.¡±

    More nonsense, then. Just like the rest of them.

    Oh well, he¡¯d store it away anyway. Might be somewhat important later.

    ¡°Kyu?¡±

    ¡°How should I know? I didn¡¯t dig through it before he got here.¡±

    ¡°Kyuu¡­¡±

    Lucas shot N a questioning look. The green haired guy sighed. ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing, Mimikyu just didn¡¯t remember the weird plate thing being there before you arrived.¡±

    ¡­so Mimikyu was eyeing up Lucas¡¯ potential loot, and not even doing a good job of it. Lucas would need to keep an eye on the little Fairy.

    ¡°Still though, I wonder how they replace the HM if they intend for people to come get it from here? Such a weird spot for it, especially since Fantina said the League typically has to approve of your skills before letting you get them¡­ but I suppose that¡¯s a question for another time. We¡¯ve reached the end, might as well go back up to the surface.¡±

    Lucas didn¡¯t get how he could say such a thing without having explored the whole place like him. But Lucas supposed that he had explored the whole place now. Might as well.

    And so N led the way back up the stairs, Mimikyu on his shoulder, and Lucas followed behind.

    Except, a flash of light caught his eye before he actually ascended.

    When he looked back, he saw that the goodies had been replaced. Teleported there, maybe? That would explain the flash. Part of him wanted to test his luck and go back for seconds¡­ but he didn¡¯t know how powerful the Psychic responsible was, and he might get in trouble¡­

    Fighting against his instinct to collect, Lucas continued on behind N.

    One thing did bother him though, even beyond the whole leaving items behind.

    He¡¯d seen another nugget, an incense, a HM¡­

    Why hadn¡¯t the plate been replaced as well?

 Chapter 53

    With Solaceon Town being as small as it was, and its main attraction explored, there wasn¡¯t much reason to hang around. So the group found themselves heading north once more, making their way through route 210 and some very tall grass. Taller than N, in many places, which was a bit of an annoyance. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d never seen grass this tall before, but at least Unova¡¯s route 7 had the raised walkways so you could see into the distance and make your way through the route unhindered. This, though¡­

    As he parted two sections of the grass, forcing his way through, he stumbled upon a pair of Ponyta, both of which immediately spooked and ran off deeper into the tall grass.

    ¡°No, wait! I¡¯m not a¡­¡± He let out a sigh, knowing that it was a wasted effort.

    ¡°It ain¡¯t yer fault, N. Ponyta are naturally skittish. They¡¯ve got Run Away as ¡®n ability.¡± Mimikyu reassured him.

    ¡°Even if that is the case, I do not enjoy upsetting Pokemon like that. I¡¯m certain they would have preferred their day not be interrupted by a human trouncing through their home unannounced.¡±

    Though he could not truly see them, N got the sense that Mimikyu was rolling his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯ think anyone can really get through this grass unannounced with how loud it is, but if ya really don¡¯ like it then why ain¡¯ ya using the one clear path through the route? It¡¯s there for a reason, or so I assume.¡±

    N frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not going to scramble up a muddy incline for your amusement.¡±

    For some reason, though Mimikyu was correct in the fact that there was a straight path free of the tall grass through the route, the people of Sinnoh had decided that not only were they going to have the path go over a raised portion of the route instead of around it, but they also decided that instead of adding stairs like they do in so many other places, they¡¯d keep that section as a bike path.

    A wet, muddy, much too steep bike path. He¡¯d seen a few of them on his travels, but they tended to be out of the way, not smack dab in the middle of the most obvious trail. It was madness!

    ¡°Ya don¡¯ ¡®ave ta scramble. Jus¡¯ ask Lucas if ya can borrow ¡®is bike.¡±

    N raised a brow. ¡°Mimikyu, are you aware of the fact that bikes vary in size? Lucas is¡­ what, ten, maybe? Significantly shorter than me, as well. I don¡¯t think any bike that he might have would be one fit for me to ride.¡±

    That made the Ghost pause. ¡°You may ¡®ave a point there. I guess I sorta assumed¡­ hmm¡­¡±

    He decided to let his companion stew in whatever bike assumptions had apparently been proven wrong. What a strange thing for Mimikyu to be thinking about, but he supposed he wasn¡¯t one to judge what counted as a normal thought given his proclivities.

    Pushing through the very tall grass once more, he began his search for Lucas. He could call out for Rotom, and the Electric type would surely guide them together from a levitator¡¯s point of view, but he didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be that hard to get to the boy on his own given the sounds of battle he could hear in the distance.

    And then he tripped on something, sending Mimikyu tumbling to the ground and himself face first into the dirt.

    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± A voice shouted from behind him.

    ¡°Seriously, N?¡± Mimikyu complained about the sudden jostle.

    ¡°My apologies,¡± he replied automatically. Turning towards the offended source, he found that he¡¯d tripped over a Geodude.

    Oh dear. Was this going to be the Oreburgh Gate all over again?

    ¡°I don¡¯ understand why Ponyta and Geodude live ¡®ere of all places. Don¡¯ make a lot of sense ta me. I mean, even with their control ya¡¯d think grass like this would catch fire, and it ain¡¯ exactly a rocky area like a cave.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t judge your home, pal!¡± The Geodude glowered at Mimikyu.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sayin¡¯ it¡¯s bad, I jus¡¯ don¡¯ get it! This route makes no sense!¡±

    As the pair descended into bickering, N sighed once more.

    He didn¡¯t think he was a fan of route 210.

    <hr>

    ¡°Psyyyy¡±

    ¡°Psy¡±

    ¡°Psyyyyy¡±

    On and on the chorus went.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem normal,¡± N commented as he waved a hand in front of one of the Psyduck to no response at all.

    Having escaped the very tall grass at the start of the route, the group now stood in front of a large gathering of the Water types, the whole lot of which were clutching their heads, repeating their names instead of speaking, and blocking the path forward. There must have been dozens of them, perhaps more than a hundred. For all he knew, there were several hundreds, hidden in the fog that lay beyond the sea of yellow.

    Lucas poked one with a stick, so N snatched the stick out of his hand, tossing it off into the woods.

    ¡°Nah, this is pretty normal for Psyduck. They get debilitating headaches ev¡¯ry once in a while. I think there was somethin¡¯ special ¡®bout ¡®em?¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! Psyduck are known to suffer from headaches at all hours of the day! Periodically they may worsen, and this is a matter of interest to researchers! Strange powers seem to manifest during these events, but to Rotom¡¯s knowledge, it has not yet been concluded if this is an unclassified move or just raw psychic power.¡±

    Lucas looked away from the Psyduck with interest at that description, but Rotom just let out a staticky laugh.

    ¡°The powers have not been well documented, Rotom does not know how they are expressed.¡±

    Lucas seemed disappointed, but that quickly turned to determination. Reaching out with his finger to poke at the one before him again-

    ¡°Will you stop that?¡± N smacked his hand away.

    Ignoring Lucas¡¯ pouting, N paid attention to the ones knowledgeable on the matter. ¡°Whether this is considered normal or not, it seems distressing to me. Is there any way we can help them?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s some sorta fancy medicine that¡¯ll cure ¡®em, ain¡¯ there? I don¡¯ quite remember the details, but I¡¯m certain there¡¯s somethin¡¯ for it. I dunno ¡®ow ya¡¯d get yer hands on it, though.¡± Mimikyu explained.

    ¡°Bzzrt. It is rumored that the pharmacy in Cianwood City produces a secret medicine capable of curing any ailment, but Rotom has never been able to confirm its existence.¡±

    N thought back to his Sinnoh map. He didn¡¯t recall there being a Cianwood on it. ¡°Where is this city, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Johto,¡± Mimikyu answered.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Well, there went that avenue.

    ¡°They should get over it eventually on their own, but if ya really wanna do somethin¡¯ ¡®bout it ya could ask Cynthia or some other League schmuck next time we run into ¡®em. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be able ta whip some up real quick.¡±

    N looked at Mimikyu like he had grown a second head. ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you think we¡¯ll just happen to run into them in the middle of the route?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, but we¡¯re bound ta see ¡®em again at some point. Seems ta be a recurrin¡¯ thing for us.¡±

    ¡°Just how long do you think this is going to last?¡± He asked incredulously. ¡°A headache doesn¡¯t last for weeks or months or however long it¡¯ll take us to see some League official, Mimikyu.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt, it might! Situations like this have been known to last for up to six months!¡±

    N was so shocked that he didn¡¯t reach out to stop Lucas¡¯ poking this time when it started up again, barely noticing that the small yellow feathers lit up with a psychic glow, keeping the boy¡¯s finger at bay.

    But, no, that couldn¡¯t be right.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must have misheard you, did you say up to six months?¡±

    ¡°Correct!¡± Rotom confirmed. ¡°They¡¯ll get over it on their own, and there really is nothing you can do without something like Cianwood¡¯s supposed cure all.¡±

    So people and Pokemon alike stumbled upon suffering Pokemon like this and just left them there for months at a time? That was beyond cruel! ¡°Well then¡­¡± his mind raced for a solution, ¡°even if there¡¯s nothing I can do personally then I can at least get them to a Pokemon Center. A Nurse Joy and Chasey will be able to help.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt. Unlikely. And how do you plan to get them there?¡±

    The obvious answer would be Pokeballs, but N wasn¡¯t some barbarian. ¡°I could carry¡­ well, I could gather up some local Pokemon and ask for their assistance in carrying them.¡±

    ¡°I think Rotom is more concerned about that than yer method of transport, N.¡± A shadowy hand slithered out from beneath Mimikyu¡¯s disguise, pointing over at Lucas.

    N had stopped paying attention to the boy, but he was putting on quite a show. With his finger still pressed against the psychic barrier on Psyduck¡¯s feathers, it looked like he was putting his full body weight behind it, but Psyduck didn¡¯t move at all.

    It was like the Water type was frozen in place, just a constantly ¡°Pssyyyyy¡±-ing statue until the headache went away.

    ¡°That¡­ may be an issue,¡± N admitted.

    He shot out idea after idea after that, hoping that he¡¯d be able to get something to stick, to get just one plan to work so he could help these poor Pokemon out.

    But it was like Rotom had said. There was nothing he could do. Not without that supposed ¡°secret medicine¡± at least.

    It pained him to leave them suffering like that. But at the end of the day, he was powerless to help.

    And so, with that weighing heavy on his heart, they began making their way past the Psyduck and deeper into route 210, weaving through the many, many Psyduck and letting their vision be obstructed by the fog.

    Or at least, they tried to.

    ¡°Did we turn around somewhere?¡± N asked. ¡°I know the fog is thick, but I didn¡¯t think it was that thick!¡±

    They must have walked through the Psyduck swarm for roughly ten minutes, just to end up right back where they started.

    ¡°Rotom does not know! Your phone does not come with a built-in compass!¡±

    ¡°I thought we were goin¡¯ straight the whole time, though¡­¡± Mimikyu joined in.

    Lucas pulled out his Pokedex, which apparently did have a compass built into it, and gestured for them to follow behind him.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Something about this situation didn¡¯t sit right with him, but N just nodded and they tried again.

    Keeping his eyes on the compass, they weaved through the maze of Psyducks, going north, north, north, south-

    ¡°Wait a minute. Why did it suddenly switch to the south?¡± N questioned. ¡°If we were just getting turned around then we should have gone east or west first, but it just jumped straight to the opposite direction.¡±

    Mimikyu let out a hum. ¡°I wonder if¡­ let¡¯s test somethin¡¯. Try goin¡¯ north again.¡±

    And so they did, turning around and making it a few steps before suddenly the compass pointed south again.

    ¡°Bzzrt. Perhaps the compass is faulty?¡±

    Testing Rotom¡¯s suggestion, they kept on walking, even though the compass said they were going the wrong way. Eventually, it was confirmed that the compass was accurate.

    They were right back where they started.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± N complained.

    Lucas started digging through the settings of the Pokedex, but N wasn¡¯t sure what the boy was hoping to find.

    ¡°Rotom, ya don¡¯ have any idea ¡®ow those mysterious powers were expressed?¡±

    Rotom buzzed out a note of confusion. ¡°Of the Psyduck? Rotom told you what Rotom knows!¡±

    ¡°Then what if¡­ what if this is the mysterious power?¡±

    ¡°The ¡®mysterious power¡¯ a Psyduck gains from their headache is the ability to turn us around?¡± N asked dubiously.

    ¡°Not turnin¡¯ us around, no, but that does seem to be the ultimate effect. I mean more like¡­ some sorta teleportation, or some other reality bendin¡¯ type deal. It¡¯s like ya said earlier, it¡¯s super odd that the compass went north ta south instantly. What if it¡¯s like a teleport, but instead of movin¡¯ us somewhere else in space, it¡¯s jus¡¯ movin¡¯ us. Literally turnin¡¯ us around instantly, in a way subtle enough ya don¡¯ notice. I mean, with all the fog out there it ain¡¯ like you can see the landmarks and notice it, right? Ya jus¡¯ see more Psyduck.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt, that can¡¯t be right,¡± Rotom quickly denied. ¡°Even if changes in the landscape would be obscured by the fog, the Psyduck themselves are visible at all times. If Rotom were being instantly turned around then Rotom would notice that the Psyducks in Rotom¡¯s field of view had been changed.¡±

    ¡°Then what if the Psyduck are under the effect, too? Maybe not all of ¡®em, but just the ones in yer line of sight. Enough to keep the illusion up.¡±

    ¡°But what would the point be?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the poin¡¯ in turnin¡¯ us aroun¡¯ like this?¡±

    Could that be possible?

    Pokemon were amazing creatures capable of all sorts of things that blew him away, but Mimikyu¡¯s explanation seemed like a bit much. It was like Rotom said, what would the point be? It sounded like it¡¯d be an energy intensive technique, and towards no apparent goal.

    But at the same time, what other explanation was there? N certainly couldn¡¯t come up with anything to explain this phenomenon.

    Lucas snapped to get their attention, gesturing for them to follow.

    Had he figured something out?

    N followed along, the Pokemon at his side, venturing into the foggy field of Psyduck once more, until eventually Lucas gestured for him to stop. ¡°What, you want me to wait here?¡±

    Lucas nodded with a smile, turned towards the north, and then took off in a run. It didn¡¯t take long for his form to be obscured by the fog,

    ¡°Is this some sorta experiment?¡±

    ¡°Bzrt. Perhaps he is using Rotom as an observer. Or an anchor point? Separating the group may help to uncover the mechanics of this strangeness.¡±

    It only took a moment for Lucas to be running back toward them, his eyes widening as he slowed to a stop.

    The testing went on for a while like that. They wondered if getting rid of the fog would allow them to pass, but even with Lucas¡¯ brand new Defog Hidden Machine, no Pokemon in the party could actually learn it, and no wild Pokemon could be taught it without first being captured, something N wasn¡¯t willing to do.  Then they tried going around the swarm entirely by wandering into the adjacent woods and off of the main route, but the trees seemed to loop as well.

    Eventually the Shadows took pity on them. ¡°My Lord¡­¡± and no matter what anyone might say later on, N definitely did not jump in fright this time, ¡°if you so desire, we could bring you directly towards your destination, or at least far enough forward on the route that this hindrance would be behind you.¡±

    A tempting offer. He¡¯d travelled through Mimikyu¡¯s false Shadow Sneak before, and he assumed that the Shadows¡¯ Pokemon would use something that was at least similar for their transport. That said, though¡­ in reality, he and Mimikyu were following along on Lucas¡¯ path. It felt wrong to just decide that sort of thing on his own, so he posed the question to the boy.

    Lucas looked interested at first, but upon realizing that it would mean skipping out on any potential lost items in the area in between, he looked outright offended, and declined the offer.

    Feeling defeated, N pulled out his map. ¡°It says here that if we head east instead we should find ourselves on route 215, which leads towards Veilstone City¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Route 215 was wet.

    Every step that N took had the grass squelching beneath his shoes, the ground giving way more than it should and trying to keep him in place with a small bit of suction. Both he and Lucas had umbrellas packed away in their things, but he wasn¡¯t sure how long they¡¯d hold up when the rain was practically pouring off the sides like a faucet.

    And the sound. The heavy rainfall was so loud that it was practically all he could hear, though Rotom and Mimikyu¡¯s voices could reach his ears if they shouted. Not that Rotom was particularly chatty at the moment, having tucked his flip phone away into the deep crevices of Lucas¡¯ bag to escape all the moisture.

    ¡°You¡¯re certain that we can¡¯t just wait out this storm?!¡± N asked for what must be the fourth time now, not at all enjoying this weather. There had been a cafe at the junction between routes, and though it was filled with trainers, its warmth, and more importantly dryness, seemed very appealing at the moment.

    ¡°It always rains on this route! The storm never ends!¡± Mimikyu shouted back, not for the first time.

    A never ending rainstorm.

    N had thought it to be a mere turn of phrase, some marketing gimmick when he¡¯d first checked out this area of Sinnoh¡¯s map. Routes 212 and 215 were probably more rainy than normal, he assumed, likely because of some oddity the mountain ranges caused with the local weather patterns.

    But no, apparently they really were never ending rainstorms. Or this one was, at a minimum, though he wasn¡¯t looking forward to confirming it with 212.

    It was odd, though. If it literally always rained here, then why was there a lack of rivers or lakes on this route? Surely the aquifers would become oversaturated at some point.

    Though even if it sounded implausible, there wasn¡¯t much to be done about it. While this route was unpleasant, they could at least pass through it unlike when they¡¯d hit the Psyduck roadblock.

    As so on they trudged, their shoes being ruined more with every step, water seeping into their socks.

    He had heard horror stories about what happened to soldiers who went through this sort of thing in the war. League troops found themselves locked in a constant stream of battle in the Laverre swamps, too focused on watching for both the enemy and local Goodra to pay attention to basic hygiene.

    He made a mental note to change his socks out as soon as possible.

    Lucas, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to care at all. He ran through the sodden grass, used the few raised wooden paths as little more than vantage points to spot out places of interest, battled every trainer he could even with the downpour, and collected plenty of soggy items along the way.

    N could admire his enthusiasm, at the very least. And in a way, his scavenging was a good thing. Collecting trash from the wilderness meant that wild Pokemon didn¡¯t have to deal with it, and while he-

    ¡°N, did ya see that?!¡± Mimikyu interrupted his thoughts.

    N couldn¡¯t see much of anything in this heavy rain, having to actively pay attention so he didn¡¯t lose Lucas. ¡°See what?!¡±

    ¡°There, behind those trees! I wanna say it was a bunch of Kadabra, which seems a bit odd ta me¡­ might be worth investigatin¡¯!¡±

    N watched as Lucas released Bibarel, instructing the normal type to use Cut to clear out an overgrowth patch that was likely set up by the League. That would probably keep the boy occupied for a bit, and he was unlikely to get into too much trouble¡­

    Cupping his hands to help project his voice further, he called out ¡°Hey, Lucas!¡± He waited for the boy to turn to him, confirming that he¡¯d been heard. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a look over here, don¡¯t wander too far!¡±

    He got what he thought was a thumbs up in return, and so he and Mimikyu ventured off the beaten path.

    ¡°So what exactly is a Kadabra?! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen that Pokemon yet!¡±

    Stepping under the tree cover muffled the rain a bit, so Mimikyu replied in a normal tone. ¡°They evolve into Alakazam. Uh¡­ honestly I don¡¯ know much about ¡®em specifically, but I figure ya can prob¡¯bly assume they¡¯re like a weaker Alakazam that aren¡¯ quite as prone ta instantly teleportin¡¯ away as Abra are.¡±

    A Pokemon favored by League forces. Lucian¡¯s had seemed quite powerful, and the one he¡¯d watched in a contest had quite a varied movepool. Startling wild Pokemon was never a good idea, but ones like this¡­ well, a bit of extra caution couldn¡¯t hurt.

    That said, though, he wasn''t quite sure of what to do when the duo stumbled upon a group of them standing in a circle.

    Their limbs were jointed like many Bug types, but their hands and feet were clawed, like a Flying type¡¯s talons. Their angular faces featured large triangular ears and hefty mustaches. Large, poofy tails rested behind them. While most of their bodies were yellow, they almost looked to be wearing brown shirts along with some sort of banding around the tail, and there were strange red symbols on their torsos and foreheads.

    Each of them held a spoon in hand, held towards the center of the circle, and their eyes were aglow with the obvious tell of Psychic power. Most of them ignored Mimikyu and himself, but the one closest to them stepped away, turning towards them and letting their eyes return to normal.

    You are not welcome here. Please leave. A soft, feminine voice projected itself into their minds.

    N felt Mimikyu flinch on his shoulder, but the little spirit didn¡¯t speak up about his discomfort with Psychics.

    ¡°My apologies, we didn¡¯t mean to disturb you.¡± N was a bit disappointed that their investigation would end so soon, but unlike most people, he respected the boundaries of Pokemon.

    ¡°What are ya doin¡¯?¡± Mimikyu ignored the warning. ¡°That¡¯s an awful lot of Psychics workin¡¯ at one thing, and I don¡¯ see any obvious effects¡­¡±

    The Kadabra¡¯s mustache twitched. She toyed with the spoon in her grasp.

    What we are doing is none of your concern, one of distortion. You nor your compatriots.

    Compatriots? Ah, right, the Shadows were probably lurking nearby with their Ghost¡­

    We¡¯re focusing Rain Dance on the whole route. Another, distinctively male voice, immediately informed them.

    The one who had broken ranks to speak with them glared at the circle.

    What¡¯s the big deal? I don¡¯t see why it needs to be a secret.

    N shared a look with Mimikyu. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was expecting coming into this, but it definitely wasn¡¯t an encounter like this.

    Well because-

    You¡¯re being-

    Just because you have some comfy League gig lined up doesn¡¯t mean you have to act like you have a stick up your-

    Every line was in the male¡¯s voice. N wasn¡¯t too familiar with how telepathy worked, but it seemed as if the female was directing her thoughts directly at her¡­ friend, while he was openly broadcasting his thoughts to all of them.

    Eventually the female threw her hands up in the air, stepping back into the circle and ignoring them.

    Well, that¡¯s me told, the male voice continued. But I respect curious minds. So, look, you didn¡¯t hear this from me, but the whole eternal rain thing? That¡¯s a team of us working around the clock. At first it was just to keep nosey humans away, but as you can tell from the well developed route straight through our land, that didn¡¯t really work out. But then some moron left a pregnant Houndoom in the area, so now we keep it up to politely encourage that pack to stay away from us and hopefully move to a new route forever. We don¡¯t need Dark types around here, the Bugs are bad enough.

    N gaped. ¡°Wait, you make this route suffer from constant rainfall like this to keep some Pokemon you don¡¯t like away from you?¡±

    Dude! What part of discretion don¡¯t you understand? Now I¡¯m really gonna hear it! And now she¡¯s probably really pissed so she¡¯ll-

    Whatever the Kadabra meant to tell them, the message went unfinished. Not because he had stopped talking, but because he and Mimikyu had suddenly been teleported back out to the route.

    Not on the route, mind you. Instead, they¡¯d been left a foot off the ground, leaving them to fall into a heap on the muddy grass.

    N groaned out in pain.

    ¡°What a bitch!¡± Mimikyu shouted. ¡°Do you have any idea how long it¡¯ll take me to get this out of my disguise?!¡±

    Rubbing everywhere that ached after the sudden drop, and stopping once he realized he was just smearing mud everywhere, N glanced over at Mimikyu. His normally yellow disguise was now a gross, muddy mess, looking more like an abandoned rag than a Pikachu.

    Yeah. That settles it.

    N really doesn¡¯t like this part of Sinnoh.

    A moment later, the Shadows appeared. ¡°Apologies, my Lord.¡± They bowed their heads in shame. ¡°We should have acted sooner. Worry not, though, we shall see that they are repaid for their-¡±

    ¡°No.¡± N shut the idea down before it could be completed.

    ¡°...no?¡± another Shadow questioned.

    ¡°It¡¯s our own fault.¡± Or, really, it was Mimikyu¡¯s fault, with him being the one to poke and prod instead of just leaving immediately like N had intended. ¡°We cannot be hostile with them for protecting their territory.¡± Not from a human like him, anyway. The whole Houndoom thing was concerning, though, even if he was unfamiliar with that name. ¡°Just¡­¡± he sighed, ¡°would you assist us in cleaning up?¡±

    The Shadows shared a look. ¡°Of course, my Lord.¡±

 Chapter 54

    The rain was annoying, but Lucas wasn¡¯t the type to let a little bit of water deter him. Maybe if he had gone with Chimchar back when Professor Rowan offered him a starter, but with Torterra and Bibarel on his team? Maybe he should learn to love this kind of weather.

    He didn¡¯t think that N and Mimikyu would be joining him in that, though. He glanced over his shoulder, back at the rest of his travelling companions, and found that N¡¯s ninja friends were trying to help get all the mud off of the two of them. N wasn¡¯t too bad, though he¡¯d need to wash his clothes at the next Pokemon Center. Mimikyu, though¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight.

    Could they throw Mimikyu in a washing machine?

    ¡­something to look into later.

    Returning his focus to his usual treasure hunt, Lucas kept his eyes peeled. The weather reduced his visibility, but if he missed out on something awesome just because of some stupid rain, it would haunt him.

    Like that revive! It had been hidden away in a little divot in the ground between two bridges, and Lucas had almost walked right past it! His keen eye might end up making a huge difference later on down the line. Not that his Pokemon fainted often or anything, he still had his win streak going and really they only went down to Gym Leaders and during intense training-

    His eye caught on something orange.

    Treasure!

    Lucas ran right up to it, scooping it off the ground before anyone else got any bright ideas¡­ but he wasn¡¯t very impressed with his find. It was just another of those stupid plates. What was this, the fourth, maybe fifth one he¡¯d stumbled across? Each one seemed to be a different color, this one being a sort of rusty looking orange, and had an inscription on it.

    Two make matter and three make spirit, shaping the world.

    Meaningless!

    Not a single one of the inscriptions he¡¯d read so far made any sense at all. It frustrated him to no end. And yet, at the same time, it left him curious. Clearly they were meant to tell you something, otherwise there would be no point in carving the words out at all. Was it something that would only make sense if you had the whole collection? Would he have to bring them to the professor so he could study them? He didn¡¯t really like the idea of letting someone take his treasure, so selling them was out¡­ Maybe N or Mimikyu would know something?

    With a sigh, he found a small bit of cover from the rain and opened up his bag so he could shove the plate inside.

    But, as he was stuffing it into the correct pouch, something felt¡­ odd.

    It was a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite describe. Something hot and yet cold, exciting yet calming, sending a shiver down his spine and yet making him feel powerful.

    It ended as soon as it started, though the feeling of strength lingered just a tad longer than the rest of it.

    ¡°Bzzrt! What was that?!¡±

    Lucas startled as his bag suddenly spoke! Or, no, that was just Rotom wasn¡¯t it? He had forgotten that the annoying Ghost was in his bag again. He had been understanding of not wanting N¡¯s phone to get soaked, but Lucas swore that if Rotom had used this opportunity to sneak back into his Pokedex¡­

    ¡°You felt it too, right?¡± Rotom asked him as the flip phone floated out of his bag, flitting around and inspecting the plate that wasn¡¯t quite submerged into the depths of his bag just yet.

    Curious to see if Rotom might have some of the answers he was after, he nodded in agreement, sliding the plate back out for the Pokemon to see.

    ¡°Bzzrt, some sort of weird rock? But why would-¡± Rotom¡¯s levitation stuttered for a brief moment. ¡°...you collect such a dumb rock? You sure are strange!¡±

    Lucas¡¯ eyes narrowed. Rotom had definitely recognized the plate after a moment, and then lied. Why, though?

    Lucas wasn¡¯t like N. Talking to Pokemon was still new to him, and it was only possible with Rotom since the Electric type did all of the work for him. So knowing why a Pokemon would lie¡­ it was hard to guess at the reasoning.

    Pokemon were all unique, just like humans, sure. They all had their own goals, their likes and dislikes, thoughts and opinions. That was true of his team at the very least, though Bibarel might be lacking in the thoughts and opinions department, and he figured it was true for all Pokemon. Mimikyu seemed to be proof enough of that.

    But he¡¯d never really thought about why a Pokemon might lie before now.

    If Togepi was hungry, he whined and cried. If Eevee wanted to play, he¡¯d dart back and forth. If Torterra was grumpy, he¡¯d give Lucas that look, the one that was practically always on his face.

    ¡­or maybe that was just how his face looked? Or maybe he was always grumpy¡­ hmmm¡­

    But whatever the case, having to communicate through gestures kept things simple. It was hard to deceive someone with your words when there were no words.

    Lucas would need to work on his communication skills¡­ and maybe start looking into these plates.

    Clearly there was something interesting about them, even if he couldn¡¯t for the life of him come up with a guess.

    <hr>

    Veilstone was a large city. Not quite as large as Jubilife had been, but probably around the same size as Hearthome. It was built along the coast, or at least it was if you were being generous. Most people heard ¡°coastal city¡± and thought of sandy beaches, but Veilstone seemed to be built at the bottom portion of a mountain, the buildings slowly sloping down it until they met a cliff edge which dropped off a few hundred feet into the water. Which, if you were being technical about it, made it a coast. Right? Now that N was thinking about it he wasn¡¯t actually too certain on the matter¡­

    The city seemed to feature a warehouse district, large shopping centers around a towering department store, and¡­ well, N assumed that there was plenty more, given the city¡¯s size, but he had sort of been in a rush to get to the Pokemon Center. Route 215 had had plenty of water, but it didn¡¯t compare to a proper warm shower and being able to change into dry, clean clothes. N felt ready to explore the city properly now.

    Though not everyone was on the same page.

    Lucas was sitting on the bed he had claimed, scrolling through his Pokedex with a look of concentration on his face. Rotom was floating around the room inspecting every inch of it. The shadows were out in the open for once, gathered around a certain fae.

    ¡°I fear that your¡­ disguise may be on its last legs, Mimikyu,¡± one of the shadows gently said. ¡°Perhaps it is time to look into a replacement.¡±

    It was easy to forget sometimes, given the fact that Mimikyu never went anywhere without it, but the Pikachu disguise that his friend wore was not part of his body. It was just a clothing article. That was more obvious now, with its current state.

    Mimikyu had managed to remove the mud and dirt and general grime from the cloth, and sewed up any rips and tears he¡¯d accumulated along the way, but there was only so much you could do for cloth that was worn and exposed to the elements day after day. The colors were starting to fade in a few spots, the drawn on face was smeared, and the fibers of the cloth were frayed and falling apart. It was still serviceable, but for how long?

    ¡°Replace it with what?¡± Mimikyu grumbled as stood on a countertop in front of a mirror, his shadowy hands constantly making small adjustments to the disguise, trying to make it look right. ¡°This is what a Mimikyu is, I can¡¯t jus¡¯ go ¡®n¡¯ get somethin¡¯ else ta cover up with!¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt!¡± Rotom chimed, floating up over to Mimikyu to inspect the fabric. ¡°Veilstone Department Store has just about anything that¡¯s for sale in Sinnoh. Rotom recalls that they have a large selection of Pokemon dolls, but whether there is a Pikachu doll specifically¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s at least something we can check out,¡± N agreed. Mimikyu¡¯s current disguise seemed more improvised than an actual doll, but maybe something like that would hold up better? He would have no issue with paying for one if it made Mimikyu happy, though that may require convincing the little ghost that it was necessary to get something new in the first place¡­

    ¡°Rotom wishes you luck in your search, then!¡±

    N frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us?¡±

    Lucas looked up from his Pokedex, stuffing it away into his bag once more.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    N¡¯s flip phone flitted over to him. ¡°Rotom has personal matters to attend to! Rotom will return here by nightfall.¡±

    That was mildly concerning, but far be it from N to deny a Pokemon something so simple. ¡°Alright then, but if you¡¯re taking my phone with you, keep it safe, please?¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! Of course! Will one of you get the door for Rotom?¡±

    N took a step towards it, but Lucas quickly shot past him, opening the door and allowing Rotom to escape. Before N could comment on that, the boy waved to him with a small smile, and slipped out the door as well, shutting it behind him.

    ¡°What is he in such a rush for?¡± N muttered.

    ¡°Prob¡¯bly off ta walk into ev¡¯ry unlocked door in Veilstone and take anythin¡¯ not bolted down,¡± Mimikyu supplied as he continued fussing with his disguise.

    He had better not. If N got word of Lucas doing something stupid again they would be having words.

    Shaking his head, N turned towards the Shadow Triad. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you three suddenly have things to take care of as well?¡±

    The three of them shared a look, before the one on the right spoke up. ¡°Could you repeat that in Unovan for us, please?¡±

    Ah. Right. Language barriers. His brain must have switched to League after Rotom started speaking in it¡­

    ¡°I was simply asking if the three of you had any other matters to attend to, since everyone seems to be doing their own thing today.¡±

    ¡°That ain¡¯ how I remember ya phrasin¡¯ it¡­¡±

    N ignored Mimikyu¡¯s comment as the Triad shared another look. ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ there are a few things we need to look into.¡±

    ¡°We are not as familiar with Sinnoh as we would like to be,¡± another continued, ¡°it would not hurt to use this opportunity to investigate.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured,¡± the final finished, ¡°we will not be far away. Should you need us, we will arrive shortly.¡±

    Before N could even blink, they¡¯d vanished into the shadows.

    ¡°...I suppose it¡¯s just you and I, then, Mimikyu. Shall we?¡±

    It was a bit strange, to just be a duo once more, but it¡¯s not like they needed such a large entourage to go shopping of all things.

    ¡°Jus¡¯ like ol¡¯ times, eh?¡± Mimikyu joked as he clambered up onto N¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Can you really call them old times? We haven¡¯t known each other for that long.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s jus¡¯ a turn of phrase, N, ya need ta¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Lucas¡¯ ever vigilant search for treasure meant that not much got past him.

    So when two Galactic grunts were walking around town in uniform when he and his friends arrived, of course he had noticed them. It also meant he noticed the large building peeking out over the roofs of the warehouse district with the giant G on it.

    That was concerning.

    The only other place he¡¯d seen where Galactic had such a foothold was Eterna City, and they¡¯d had a bunch of kidnapped Pokemon in there!

    He wanted to think that Cynthia and the League were handling Galactic now after that mess, but if their grunts were just strolling around in broad daylight¡­ he might need to check in with the local Gym Leader. He¡¯d gotten through the Eterna building, but this one was much bigger and almost definitely had more, and stronger, members inside. Rushing in seemed like a bad idea.

    So first, he needed to look for clues and gossip around the city. He definitely hadn¡¯t used Rotom slipping out as an excuse to treasure hunt without N supervision. No, this was important recon for his mission!

    Like this building in front of him! Sure, it looked like a normal house. And as he slipped inside, sure, it looked like a normal old couple. But they would definitely have information on Team Galactic¡¯s recent crimes!

    The man noticed him first, his eyes drifting to Lucas¡¯ pokeballs. ¡°You¡¯re a trainer, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked, his tone hopeful. When Lucas nodded, he continued. ¡°You see, there¡¯s this Pokemon I¡¯d like someone to look after. It¡¯s a Pokemon called Porygon, I found it near Team Galactic¡¯s building. I¡¯m no trainer, so can you take it off my hands?¡±

    ¡­so maybe he wouldn¡¯t be getting the latest scoop on Galactic. But there was no way he was turning down a free Pokemon! He excitedly nodded in agreement,

    ¡°Excellent!¡± The old man smiled. ¡°Thanks! That¡¯ll make the Porygon happy, too. I suspect it ran away from those Team Galactic goons.¡±

    ¡­or maybe this was the jackpot! A free Pokemon and info on Galactic!

    The man¡¯s wife scoffed. ¡°That Team Galactic¡­ have you seen their building? Those thorny things on the building¡­ the way it moves meaninglessly¡­ I don¡¯t understand their idea of ¡°awesomely fashionable¡± at all. Still, Team Galactic does seem to have a huge supply of energy.¡±

    Lucas just nodded along as he accepted the pokeball offered to him by the husband, encouraging them to spill everything they knew.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t I know it! That building of theirs bugs me so much, I can¡¯t sleep well¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Draped in shadow and distortion, hidden from sight, they observed. Not within the depths of the building, mind you, they knew not of what might lurk away from the public eye, but in a dark corner where they could see enough.

    ¡°Impressive numbers. Could this be their main base?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely, to operate in the open like this would be foolish, especially when they are a known entity.¡±

    ¡°And yet that would mean that their numbers are even more impressive.¡±

    ¡°The numbers may be impressive, but what of the quality? The boy is impressive for his age, but not of particular note. Yet, if what we heard was true, he was able to defeat more than one of their so-called commanders.¡±

    ¡°We know not of their organizational structure. It is possible that ¡®commander¡¯ is not actually as high ranking as the title suggests.¡±

    ¡°Do you truly believe someone who constructs a base like this so openly in such a large city is capable of strategic thinking like that?¡±

    ¡°I did not say that it was likely, only that it was possible. We must not make assumptions in this matter.¡±

    The distortion around them shuddered.

    The three of them tensed.

    ¡°Is there a problem, Banette?¡±

    Though they did not possess the gift of communication that their Lord held, a trainer could not get very far without having some level of understanding with their Pokemon.

    And yet, before Banette could communicate anything at all, they heard the horrible sound of claws scraping against metal, saw a brief flicker of red, and a feeling of dread poured over them as-

    The feeling abated as Banette transported them to an alleyway between two warehouses.

    ¡°Thank you, Banette,¡± The Pokemon¡¯s trainer acknowledged the timely save.

    ¡°Were we found? Or was that coincidence? It can be difficult to tell with Dark types.¡±

    ¡°I am unsure. Did either of you recognize the Pokemon? Obviously it must be a Dark type, but I did not get a good look.¡±

    ¡°No, it was small and agile. If not for whatever the red was, I doubt I would have seen it at all.¡±

    ¡°We shall look into local Dark types later. The Mimikyu may be of some use in that regard. But for now, we must operate under the assumption that we were found.¡±

    ¡°They are on the League¡¯s radar, and there is a notable Ghost master not too far away. The reasonable conclusion for them to reach is that they are under investigation.

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±

    ¡°Regardless, that means the end of our investigation while we¡¯re here. They will be on high alert.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily, a Dark type might seek to play with us, treat us like prey, rather than report anything it noticed.¡±

    ¡°The Dark type itself being on alert is enough of an issue.¡±

    ¡°True¡­.¡±

    ¡°Enough for now. We should put more distance between us and start drafting our report.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The trio sank back into the fourth¡¯s shadow, vanishing from sight once more.

    <hr>

    Abandoning N¡¯s phone would have been suspicious, but it made things tricky for Rotom. Veilstone was a nice enough city, but Rotom didn¡¯t have enough trust in the residents to just leave the phone laying around, and yet staying in it meant Rotom had to be wary of being caught on camera.

    A cursory check showed that all of the security was just the same as Rotom remembered it, but that was just what was obvious. What if they had added more, better hidden security? It wasn¡¯t out of the realm of possibility, and not even all that unlikely.

    But Rotom couldn¡¯t just call it a day and go back to N without properly investigating, either. Things may not have ended on a high note, but Rotom owed it to an old friend to check in on things like this every once in a while.

    So Rotom avoided the security Rotom knew about, considered the most likely locations for more to have been added, and avoided those as well. If Rotom was spotted, then Rotom was spotted. Hopefully whoever was on the security detail would think nothing of it, or assume their eyes were playing tricks on them.

    Eventually, Rotom slipped in through a carelessly left open window.

    ¡°Did you hear that Kenji lost to some little kid?¡±

    Rotom pressed the phone flush into a corner, hoping the building¡¯s occupants were too caught up in their conversation to notice.

    ¡°Dude, everyone heard about that. Did you hear how they punished him?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t losing to some brat punishment enough? I¡¯d be ashamed to show my face if I were him.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, but he also made us look bad! Image is important, and the higher ups weren¡¯t too happy with him.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, didn¡¯t one of the Commanders recently lose to a brat as well?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different, you see-¡±

    The two grunts walked through a doorway, and it shut automatically behind them.

    It pained Rotom a little bit to see that Team Galactic grunts were still as stupid as when Rotom left.

    But perhaps that would work in Rotom¡¯s favor, this once.

    Now, did they still have the same passwords for administrator access?

 Chapter 55

    It seemed that the place had been expanded quite a bit since Rotom had last visited. Of course, that had been some years ago at this point. Rotom wasn¡¯t sure how exactly they¡¯d managed to get the funds for all the renovations, let alone the sheer number of warp pads scattered around the building, but it certainly made for a confusing mess.

    Rotom couldn¡¯t exactly use the warp pads to get around, that would almost certainly alert them to the presence of an intruder, even if only when they looked back at logs later on. But giving them something like that to notice would have them searching other places, most likely eventually figuring out which files Rotom was going to snoop through. Plus it would be a reason to bump up security in the future, which was best avoided¡­ So instead, Rotom was forced to slip N¡¯s flip phone through air vents and doors that stayed open just long enough for Rotom to make it past without being seen by the grunts walking through them.

    The hall that Rotom initially entered led to a room with nothing but a warp pad, and the ventilation from there led Rotom to a meeting room, which let out into a break area, and then there were sleeping quarters, and more warp pads, and on and on and on it went, eventually culminating in the location Rotom had been after from the start.

    The server room.

    There had been lots of computers that Rotom had passed on the way there, but so long as a competent tech team was in charge, they wouldn¡¯t hold what Rotom was after. Isolating everything you could was important, especially when the League had a veritable army of Porygon running around.

    As Rotom forced Rotom¡¯s way into the computers, Rotom picked up on something odd. There was something moving through the building, something that stood out in a way that made the many walls, and possibly several floors, between them feel like they were paper thin. A hole in Rotom¡¯s senses, seemingly eating away at what made Rotom Rotom. It took a moment for the Electric type to piece together what the anomaly was.

    Interesting. Sneasel must have gotten stronger! Rotom remembers when the little monster was just a hatchling¡­

    But if Sneasel really had grown stronger, and was actively prowling around the building, then it would not be wise for Rotom to waste time thinking back on the old days. Picking up the pace, Rotom started testing out old passwords, hoping that at least one of them would still grant access.

    Cyrus¡­ he¡¯s too logical. He would know better than to keep the passwords the same. Charon, though¡­ did Charon even still work with Cyrus?

    Rotom recalled Charon being too good to work for someone. Always the prideful, money grubbing man who took the path most convenient to him.

    Still, even if he¡¯s no longer involved in anything, it couldn¡¯t hurt to try.

    Charon

    ¡­

    Genius

    ¡­

    Char0n1sAG3n1us

    Access was granted. The man really was a fool. Rotom couldn¡¯t believe that Rotom had suffered through all that experimentation from someone so arrogant¡­

    The old bastard was probably dead by now, though. No sense in worrying about him. Instead, Rotom started searching through Team Galactic¡¯s plethora of files, peeking through them to see what might be useful or interesting.

    ¡­he¡¯s still alive? And he¡¯s a Commander?! Rotom will never understand what Cyrus sees in working with someone like that. Though if he is the lowest ranking, perhaps some humility will be instilled¡­ as unlikely as that is.

    ¡­there don¡¯t seem to be any files on Rotom. How rude! Perhaps all of the research is still on paper, tucked away somewhere¡­

    ¡­hmmm. Reports on energy collection? Rotom wonders¡­. Checks payable¡­. Wait, what? They¡¯re marketing themselves as a futuristic energy company? There¡¯s no way Cyrus came up with that, but it does serve as a suitable cover so long as¡­

    Oh. That is a lot of 0¡¯s. So that¡¯s where all the money came from. And yet, these numbers¡­ they¡¯re collecting so much, but selling so little¡­ where does the rest of it go?

    ¡­¡¯The Creation of Space¡¯...

    ¡­¡¯Mythical Pokemon¡¯...

    ¡­¡¯Red Chain¡¯...

    Cyrus¡­ what have you gotten yourself into? I knew you were upset, but this¡­

    Having seen enough, and not wanting to push Rotom¡¯s luck, Rotom logged out, covered any traces of Rotom¡¯s presence in the system, and moved back into N¡¯s flip phone. Rotom¡¯s mind raced as Rotom traced the route taken to the server room in reverse, careful to avoid the roaming Sneasel and any other prying eyes as Rotom exited the building.

    Rotom is sorry, Cyrus. But Rotom has to stop you.

    Rotom won¡¯t be able to manage it alone, but with how suspicious N and that Shadow Triad are¡­

    Rotom will save you.

    Even from yourself.

    <hr>

    ¡°B1F¡­ a basement maybe? Food and produce. First floor is a Trainer¡¯s Zone,¡± N shuddered in disgust as he realized where he was, ¡°Battle collection, technical machine corner, poke dolls and goods, rooftop plaza¡­ how awful. This place really is centered around trainers, isn''t it?¡±

    He could almost feel Mimikyu rolling his eyes. ¡°Yes, how surprisin¡¯¡­ let¡¯s jus¡¯ get ta the fourth floor and get this over with.¡±

    And so they did, with N forcing himself to take the escalators through every floor instead of the elevator, witnessing just how steeped in barbarism the culture was here. Not that it was much better in Unova, mind you, it was just a bit shocking to see something like this after being told that this building housed practically everything you could buy in the region.

    Of course, upon reaching the floor with the dolls, they encountered a different sort of problem.

    ¡°Of course they don¡¯ ¡®ave any Pikachu¡­ jus¡¯ my luck¡­¡± Mimikyu grumbled.

    In the glass display before them were a variety of dolls resembling Pokemon. There was a Bonsly, as well as a Buizel, along with a good number that N didn¡¯t recognize, but as Mimikyu had pointed out, there was not a Pikachu among them.

    The employee working at the stand waited patiently, a smile on her face and her gaze betraying her fascination with the Pokemon on his shoulder. He supposed it would be fitting for someone who sold dolls to be intrigued by a Pokemon that wore a doll at all times.

    ¡°Mimikyu, I know you¡¯ve told me that disguising yourself as a Pikachu is important to your kind, but is it really necessary?¡±

    ¡°I told ya, N, it makes us recognizable! It¡¯s like¡­ road signs, ya know? Ya can¡¯t just ¡®ave ¡®em be any ol¡¯ shape or color, they¡¯re standardized so that ya don¡¯ ¡®ave ta stop ¡®n¡¯ inspect ¡®em ta know what¡¯s up! A red octagon means stop, ¡®n¡¯ a movin¡¯ Pikachu doll means don¡¯ look at what¡¯s beneath it!¡±

    ¡°That may be true in Alola or wherever else Mimikyu are common, but how many people have actually recognized you since we met?¡±

    That shut Mimikyu up. Shadowy tendrils reached out from under the cloth, making the girl at the counter tense up for a moment, but Mimikyu simply started counting with his claws. N doubted he would get very far.

    ¡°I mean¡­ well¡­ it migh¡¯ not¡¯ve been a whole lot so far, but¨C¡±

    ¡°Mimikyu,¡± N interrupted. ¡°This isn¡¯t a permanent thing. I¡¯m sure we can figure out how to get our hands on a proper Pikachu disguise for you in the future, but the one you¡¯re wearing is falling apart. Wouldn''t an improper disguise be better than no disguise at all?

    The saleswoman lit up at that. ¡°Ah! You¡¯re looking to buy a Pikachu doll? We don¡¯t currently carry it, but I could special order one for you!¡±

    N grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long we¡¯ll be in Veilstone¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine!¡± She waved off his concerns. ¡°I can just have it shipped to the next Pokemon Center you¡¯ll be visiting! Which way are you travelling?¡±

    That¡­ was a good question. It seemed like they¡¯d probably turn south, given that those Psyduck were probably still blocking the route, but there wasn¡¯t exactly an exact¨C

    ¡°We¡¯re ¡®eadin¡¯ towards Lake¡­ which is it¡­ Lake Valor? ¡®N¡¯ then into Pastoria.¡±

    Once again, N had to wonder how Mimikyu was so confident in that answer. Sunnyshore was also a possibility, wasn¡¯t it? Although since they were tagging along with Lucas, perhaps looping back towards the center of Sinnoh made more sense as he¡¯d likely need to visit other gyms in the region before heading out east¡­. Unless people departed to the League headquarters from Snowpoint instead of Sunyshore? He wasn¡¯t quite sure.

    Nevertheless, he repeated Mimikyu¡¯s answer. He hadn¡¯t exactly been wrong so far.

    The employee smiled. ¡°Perfect! I can definitely have a Pikachu doll waiting for you at the Pastoria City Pokemon Center by the time you arrive! Just, ah, maybe don¡¯t let Crasher Wake know?¡± she added nervously.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    N didn¡¯t have a clue who this ¡°Crasher Wake¡± person was, but he nodded in agreement anyway.

    Mimikyu sighed. ¡°I s¡¯pose if it¡¯s only temporary¡­¡± He hopped off of N¡¯s shoulder to get a better look. ¡°Bonsly ¡®n¡¯ Mantyke are out ¡®cuz there¡¯s no head¡­ Munchlax are rare and would attract int¡¯rest¡­ ugh, I¡¯m gonna hate ev¡¯ry second of this, ain¡¯ I? Let¡¯s go with this one.¡±

    A shadowy tendril snaked out once more, pointing towards the doll in question.

    ¡°Right away!¡± The employee clapped. ¡°If you two will step over to the register, I can get you rung up in just a moment! Thank you for choosing the Veilstone Department Store!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Porygon, the virtual Pokemon. The world¡¯s first artificially created Pokemon. It can travel through electronic space.¡±

    Lucas nodded along as his Pokedex read off the entry for his newest teammate, his eyes roaming the very¡­ strange looking Pokemon. He¡¯d heard the name more than a few times on his journey by this point, but this was the first time he¡¯d actually seen one.

    It¡¯s body was angular to the extreme, with not a single curve on it. The torso was sort of box-ish, though it was tapered towards the neck and the rear, where a tail was attached. It had two¡­ legs? Feet? Big¡­ he thought the word was pentagon¡­ maybe he should have paid more attention in his classes¡­ pentagonal prism? That sounded right¡­ maybe¡­ Though despite having the limbs, the Pokemon floated through the air, seemingly not affected by gravity in a way that didn¡¯t quite match what he¡¯d grown used to with Rotom¡¯s Levitate. Similar, for sure, but almost like it was less affected by the world around it. The head was no different, a series of shapes coming together to form what might generously be called a face with a beak, though the only reason he called it a face at all was the presence of two large ¡°eyes¡± that were black and white instead of the pink and light blue the rest of its body was colored with.

    And he meant ¡°colored with¡± quite literally. It was more like someone had painted the design on the Pokemon than it being natural, although with it literally being an artificial Pokemon, he guessed that made sense.

    Were the eyes even real? Or were they just decoration to make it look more alive?

    It didn¡¯t really feel alive. It just floated there, not moving at all, not breathing or following his movements with its eyes. It almost felt wrong to call it a Pokemon when it seemed more like a toy.

    Feeling unnerved, and unsure of how to interact with it, Lucas returned his new Porygon and continued on his way.

    He had been eager to accept a new teammate, just as he had several times in the past when they¡¯d been gifted to him, but this one was going to take some getting used to.

    It was almost funny, though. As strange as Porygon was, it fit right into the team as yet another Normal type. At the rate he was going, Lucas might as well specialize in them¡­.

    Not necessarily a good thing when his upcoming Gym challenge was against a Fighting type specialist.

    But he could worry about strategy later! He still had investigating to do!

    And the building filled with loud noises and bright lights seemed like just the place.

    His mom had always told him that gambling was a fool''s errand, but the Game Corner was certainly enticing. Row after row of slot machines filled his vision, and he found himself slowly wandering up towards the only desk in sight, where an employee patiently waited.

    ¡°Welcome to the Veilstone Game Corner! Did you want some game coins? It¡¯s 1000 dollars for 50 coins. Would you like some?¡±

    Lucas¡¯ eyes went wide. That was craziness! There was no way he was going to give up all of his hard earned cash for some lousy coins! Quickly shaking his head no, he moved on, deeper into the building. He didn¡¯t need to gamble anyway, he was here for information on Galactic!

    It quickly became apparent, however, that going to a den of gambling was maybe not the best spot for that.

    ¡°A friend in my group scored a ton of coins here¡­¡±

    ¡°I want coins, of course, but setting a record¡­¡±

    ¡°When a pokeball appears on screen, it¡¯s a chance to¡­¡±

    Lucas managed to learn a lot about how the slot machines worked, and was even generously gifted several thousand dollars worth of coins, but that didn¡¯t exactly contribute to his goal.

    He was surprised to learn that one of the gambling addicts was the dad of the local Gym Leader, but the man didn¡¯t give any tips that might help in his upcoming battle, so that was ultimately a dead end as well.

    Just when he was about to give up, however, a new sucker walked into the establishment. A familiar sucker.

    The old man in the trench coat made his way to a slot machine towards the center of the building, looking around cautiously before taking a seat. Lucas watched as the man started playing, before approaching.

    What had his name been again? Booker or something like that? It¡¯d been a while since Lucas had run into the Interpol agent. He seemed to recall the man disguising himself as a Team Galactic member in Eterna and then¡­ not really doing much of note while Lucas had handled all the criminals inside.

    The man startled when he noticed Lucas. ¡°Ah!¡± He quickly coughed, trying to cover it up. ¡°It is you, yes. Examine, if you will, the reels.¡± He gestured to the screen, which showcased some gems and Pikachu and an assortment of other icons. ¡°The Team Galactic logo, it is here.¡±

    Lucas leaned in for a closer look. Sure enough, their logo was one of the spinning icons. Why, though? Did they own the Game Corner? Was this whole town run by them or something?

    ¡°Further investigation is needed, and I am just a man to do it. Also, where the masses gather, so too does information.¡±

    They came here with the same intention then. Lucas figured if some bigshot interpol guy was thinking the same way, he was probably on the right track.

    The Booker¡­. No, it was Looker, wasn¡¯t it? He inserted his coins and ran the slots again, and Lucas watched as he came up with nothing.

    ¡°...Ack. My streak is broken¡­¡± The Looker let out a defeated sigh.

    ¡­or maybe the man just had a gambling problem like everyone else here.

    What was the big deal, anyway? It didn¡¯t look fun, not like his Wii back home.

    Curious, he took a seat next to the Looker, and inserted a few of the coins he¡¯d been gifted.

    <hr>

    Ash idly palmed the pokeball holding his newest teammate as they entered Veilstone.

    Gligar was certainly an interesting Pokemon, but given that they¡¯d only recently met, Ash didn¡¯t think the little guy would be participating in the Veilstone Gym¡¯s challenge, even if Brock was right and it would give him a type advantage.

    Still, though, who to use instead¡­ Staravia was a pretty obvious choice, he supposed. Type matchups didn¡¯t matter to him all that much, but the Flying type of his current team had been working hard lately. And maybe Chimchar? After all the abuse Paul had put the Fire type through, a chance to prove himself would probably do wonders for his confidence. Of course, Ash wasn¡¯t even sure of what sort of battle it would be yet, so he didn¡¯t want to get too deep into the planning.

    ¡°Pika?¡±

    His best friend pulled him out of his thoughts.

    ¡°Hey Ash! Over here!¡±

    Ash¡¯s gaze fell to the source of the voice, a smile on his face as his eyes met an old friend. ¡°Hey, Zoey!¡± He waved.

    But then he realized who she was with.

    ¡°Dawn, it¡¯s good to see you!¡± Brock quickly joined in, thankfully covering for Ash¡¯s short lapse, even if unknowingly.

    He couldn¡¯t be like this. Dawn was a friend, too! Sure the way they¡¯d parted was a bit unusual for him, but it¡¯s not like he¡¯d ever be upset with Misty or May or whoever else for leaving!

    Dawn shyly waved back to them. ¡°Hey guys!¡±

    Ash let his eyes trail up and down her, sighing with a bit of relief when he saw that all of the bandages he¡¯d seen her in last were gone.

    ¡°Pika pika!¡± Pikachu shouted as he leapt down from Ash¡¯s shoulder, bounding over to Dawn before climbing up her instead as the two groups approached each other.

    ¡°Fancy meeting you two here!¡± Zoey smiled. ¡°But I guess it¡¯s only natural for you to be visiting with a Gym in town.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m excited for it!¡± Ash cheered, forcing himself to look at Zoey instead of Dawn.

    ¡°R-right!¡± Dawn stuttered. ¡°We¡¯re just passing through, really, so we can get to-¡± She cut herself off with a yelp as a stray attack sailed through the air just a few feet away, striking a tree and exploding. ¡°What was that?!¡±

    Ash¡¯s mood sank even lower. That was a move he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever forget.

    And as another flew past them, and another and yet another¡­. He had a feeling he¡¯d have to get involved.

    Brock put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, having some understanding of what was running through his mind.

    Taking a deep, slow breath to try and calm himself, Ash explained. ¡°Those are Aura Spheres.¡±

    <hr>

    It was displeasurable to have to resort to this.

    But upon realizing that he felt displeased, he stamped down on that feeling, crushing it into nothingness.

    There would be no room for such things in his ideal world. But until that ideal could be realized, there was no reason that he should not strive for getting as close as possible.

    It was only logical to detach himself from his emotions, from his spirit, to ensure that they did not hamper his judgement.

    He picked up the phone, the one he¡¯d set aside solely for this purpose, lest an unwanted guest try to use the connection against him.

    It rang only once before it was answered.

    ¡°Is this line secure?¡± The voice on the other end demanded immediately.

    ¡°So long as you have taken the necessary precautions on your end,¡± he replied.

    His contact was not like the fools who served under him. They would not be so easily swayed by the imitation of emotion, and so he would not bother with the facade.

    ¡°Hm. Quite.¡± If they were annoyed, they did not show it. ¡°And why is it that you¡¯re calling me?¡±

    Even if the line was secure in every manner that could reasonably be achieved, he still did not dare speak plainly.

    ¡°I have reason to believe that some Bidoof have moved into the area. Ones with some amount of training, though I could not tell you how much. They stand to cause problems in the near future, which I¡¯m sure you know cannot be allowed.¡±

    The person on the other end was silent for a moment. ¡°And you believe that they are not within your ability to handle?¡±

    He hated the brief surge of anger that he felt at that insinuation. He would become a god, he was not weak.

    But a god should not be angered by such petty things.

    ¡°It is not that they cannot be handled, it is that regardless of who handles them, they are sure to draw unwanted eyes in the process. Better you than any of mine if that is to be the case.¡±

    There was silence, for a moment, and he did not break it. They both knew how this conversation would end. Being impatient would change nothing.

    ¡°Very well. I cannot move immediately due to other engagements which require my attention, but I will arrive soon and handle things for you.¡±

    As he had known it would be.

    Not bothering with any pleasantries or goodbyes, he simply hung up the call, placing the phone back into the secure container it stayed in most of the time.

    Now he just needed to ensure that nobody did anything truly foolish until his contact could arrive. A draining effort, most definitely, but a necessary one.

    All for a better world.

 Chapter 56

    ¡°This is humiliatin¡¯...¡± Mimikyu groaned.

    N glanced at the fae on his shoulder as they exited the department store. With the worn out Pikachu disguise stuffed away with his things, Mimikyu had torn apart and hollowed out the body of the doll he¡¯d purchased.

    Where before there was a light yellow fabric, now there was pink. The ragged bottom had been replaced by soft curves, with Mimikyu having torn off the legs of the doll. Instead of floppy ears, there was now a floppy dark blue hat with a fuzzy white pom pom on the tip. Similar fuzzy orbs were attached on the nose and chest, only in red. The face, instead of being crudely drawn on, was instead made up of extra materials, with two black buttons for the eyes and a half circle of maroon felt making up the gaping mouth.

    N watched as Mimikyu continued to make alterations, sewing up the small holes where the arms attached before tearing the limbs off with his claws, followed by cutting out familiar holes for him to see out of from within the disguise. With their placement, the red pom pom on the chest looked like a clown nose for Mimikyu¡¯s true face, but N figured it would be best not to mention that and act as if there was nothing amusing about it.

    ¡°I fail to see what¡¯s so different compared to your usual disguise,¡± N commented as he took in his friend¡¯s new form. ¡°Is there a problem with¡­ what did she call it¡­ a Mime Jr.?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There is.¡± Mimikyu despondently agreed as he stuffed the sewing kit and scraps back where they belonged. ¡°It¡¯s a baby Pokemon. Feels¡­ infantilizin¡¯, I s¡¯pose¡­ ¡®n¡¯ there¡¯s also the fact that it¡¯s sorta¡­ punny.¡±

    N was unsure of Mimikyu¡¯s age, but he could see how being made out as younger could be upsetting to some. But on the other matter¡­ ¡°I¡¯m afraid I lack enough context to understand the joke.¡±

    Mimikyu turned his gaze towards him as the Pokemon¡¯s shadowy arms disappeared beneath the new disguise. ¡°Mime Jr. evolves into Mr. Mime when they learn the move Mimic,¡± he explained in a dry tone.

    Ah. That would definitely explain it.

    ¡°Why did you choose that one then, if you have such a problem with it?¡± N inquired.

    Mimikyu sighed, looking back out at the passersby as N walked through the streets of Veilstone. ¡°¡®Cuz it was the best of some bad options. I ¡®splained the others already, but Chatot was out because I¡¯m pretty sure they ¡®ave a¡­ reputation ¡®round here.¡±

    N frowned. ¡°A reputation?¡±

    ¡°Their signature move is Chatter. I don¡¯ know the details, but s¡¯posedly they repeat words they hear, and uh¡­ well, let¡¯s jus¡¯ say they¡¯re known for repeatin¡¯ words they shouldn¡¯, an¡¯ ¡®ave been banned from participatin¡¯ in a lot of stuff ¡®cuz of that¡­¡±

    N blinked. A Pokemon banned from competition because they liked to swear? That was a new one.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Mimikyu continued, ¡°once it came down ta Buizel or this¡­ well, Mime Jr. are among the group that can become a Fairy type, so I figure this¡¯ll deter people a bit more like my usual disguise, even if that only ends up bein¡¯ one more person.¡±

    ¡°A rational decision then, even if you¡¯re not entirely pleased with it.¡±

    ¡°¡®Xactly. I¡¯m jus¡¯ hopin¡¯ it doesn¡¯ take us long ta get ta Pastoria so I can get into somethin¡¯ that isn¡¯ so¡­ this.¡±

    N nodded along. ¡°Well, if that truly is our next destination I don¡¯t imagine it will take long. The path seems straightforward enough, even if the routes are a bit lengthy.¡±

    Mimikyu sighed. ¡°I gotta gut feelin¡¯ that it ain¡¯ gonna be so simple¡­¡±

    That¡­ was probably fair.

    Things rarely seemed to go as planned with the company that Mimikyu liked to keep.

    N just hoped that none of them were getting into too much trouble at the moment.

    <hr>

    Lucas was riding high on the joys of life.

    He wished he had gotten a picture of the Looker¡¯s face when his win streak really started to rack up. That went doubly so when one of the employees gave him a free technical machine for Explosion¡­ in exchange for him politely leaving.

    Lucas was fairly certain that, after having quickly figured out the secret to those slot machines, he could have stayed there for hours winning more and more coins until the Game Corner had run dry, but¡­

    Well, first of all, there was no way he could turn down a free TM.

    Secondly, the look on the Looker¡¯s face as Lucas had promptly shown him up made him feel just the slightest bit guilty.

    Thirdly, he still had a lot to do! He couldn¡¯t become like one of those addicts, just playing away all day, hoping to win big as time passed by!

    ¡­and fourthly, the Game Corner seemingly wasn¡¯t going anywhere, so he could always come back after he dealt with everything else he needed to do in Veilstone.

    Not that he would admit that to anyone. He had a feeling that N wouldn¡¯t approve, even if Lucas was a certified born winner. Though maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt to brag to Looker every once in a while¡­

    But! Putting thoughts of the Veilstone Game Corner behind him, and still riding high on his victories, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that, even if he was no longer spinning the slots, he still wanted to continue his winning streak.

    So of course, he went to the only other place in the city where he could get yet another win that mattered. The Veilstone Gym.

    Unexpectedly, a face that he hadn¡¯t seen in quite a while was waiting outside the building. Her name escaped him at the moment, but she was an assistant to the professor and he occasionally ran into her while she was out doing tasks for the man. She sort of reminded him of Dawn¡­ if Dawn was taller, older, and not a moron. The girl he had grown up with didn¡¯t exactly have a mind suited for research. Still, though, maybe they were related somehow?

    ¡°Lucas!¡± she called out upon spotting him. ¡°Are you going to take the Gym challenge?¡± He nodded. ¡°Gee, you keep getting tougher and tougher, don¡¯t you?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how she could have known anything about that with how little they saw each other, and so he didn¡¯t respond, but that didn¡¯t stop her from continuing. ¡°As for me, well, I went shopping at the department store, and¡­¡± A flash of guilt crossed her face. ¡°I mean, well, of course I¡¯ve been working on my Pokedex, but¡­¡±

    Whatever excuses she had been coming up with were put to the wayside as the doors to the Gym opened up and a boisterous, very much off key voice belted out an unfamiliar song. The two of them let the newcomer steal their attention, and the man that stepped out seemed well suited to such a thing.

    ¡°The r-Ing is my ROI-ling sea! The TOW-ering waves SHA-ped me!¡±

    He was¡­ well, there was no other way to say it other than to just flat out admit that the man was half naked. His legs were bound by teal and black pants that looked to be made of some sort of strange leathery material, a pair of orange boots and a belt sealing them tightly to his skin, but from the waist up his skin was bare.

    ¡°CRASH! CRASH! CRASHER WAKE!¡±

    His torso and arms were quite muscular, but the man was a bit barrel shaped, so it wasn¡¯t the sort of body type that Lucas would expect to be shown off. The man¡¯s black hair was cut extremely short, seemingly to cover up the fact that he was balding, and he had a short trimmed beard as well, but his hair or lack thereof was covered up a bit by the strange thing he wore on his head.

    ¡°CRASH! CRASH! CRASHER WAKE!¡±

    Three blue straps converged over his nose, splitting his face into thirds in a manner that seemed extremely uncomfortable. On top of that, some sort of strange silvery decoration went over his eyebrows and around his head, great spikes sticking out in a way that reminded him a bit of Roark¡¯s Cranidos.

    ¡°I¡¯m the TI-dal wave of POW-er to wash you a-WAY!¡±

    Lucas exchanged a glance with the professor¡¯s assistant, and she seemed just as confused as he felt. What sort of weirdo walks out of a Gym and bursts into song?

    The ear piercing ¡°singing¡± went on for a little while longer before the man suddenly stopped, marching on up to them.

    ¡°Hello, dude and young lady!¡± He bellowed, his volume not coming down in the slightest from his ¡°singing¡±. ¡°You¡¯re challenging the Gym Leader, are you?¡±

    ¡°Well, actually I-¡±

    The man drowned out the assistant¡¯s response. ¡°Let me tell you now, she¡¯s young, but she¡¯s a born genius!¡±

    She frowned but elected to just let him continue uninterrupted. It was odd, seeing it happen to someone else. He had almost thought that he and Barry were the only ones who had a dynamic like this.

    ¡°I tried training with her, and I was stunned by how tough she was!¡± Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he laughed. ¡°Whoops! I¡¯d better tell you who I am!¡± Pointing towards himself with a thumb, he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m the triple-threat Gym Leader in Pokemon, wrestling, and song! I¡¯m Crasher Wake of Pastoria Gym! We¡¯ll meet again!¡±

    Without letting anyone get a word in, the man walked off, returning to his singing.

    ¡°Put out the FI-re, Crasher Wake! Run from elec-TRICITY, Crasher Wake¡­.¡±

    It took longer than it should have for the sounds of the city to drown out his voice, and Lucas found himself in an awkward silence.

    ¡°...triple threat? The only threat here is to my poor ears¡­¡± the assistant mumbled. Shaking her head she turned to address him properly. ¡°So, uh, Lucas. Good luck on your Gym challenge. I¡¯ve got to go, now, but see you around!¡±

    And then he was alone outside the Gym.

    ¡­what a weird day.

    <hr>

    Ash¡¯s reaction to the move had Dawn on edge. Ash was¡­ well, he was Ash, so if he was getting all tense and serious, she figured it would be best to get out of here as fast as possible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go investigate, then!¡± Zoey called out, grabbing onto Dawn¡¯s hand and dragging her along.

    As scared as she was by whatever lay ahead, Dawn was more frightened by the thought of being alone, left to spiral into her own thoughts. So she let herself be dragged.

    With Ash and Brock following behind, it didn¡¯t take long for the group to find the source of these ¡°Aura Spheres¡±. There was a pink haired girl around Dawn¡¯s age¡­ sparring with her Pokemon? Standing opposite of her in an open field was a blue and black furry Pokemon, stood on two legs like a human with a metal spike sticking out of its chest. An Aura Sphere appeared in its hands, but when it launched it at the girl she was able to deflect it with a kick. She must be really strong to do something like that¡­

    ¡°A Lucario¡­¡± Ash muttered before slowly approaching.

    Ash still seemed wary, but this wasn¡¯t the reaction he¡¯d had at Alamos. Dawn forced herself to take steady breaths, trying to calm herself down. This wasn¡¯t going to be a repeat of that.

    ¡°Lucario? That sounds familiar, but I can¡¯t place it¡­¡± Zoey commented as they followed Ash.

    Brock sighed. ¡°Well, you might know of them because¨C¡±

    Whatever explanation he was about to give was cut off as a group of older men wearing karate outfits walked onto the field, interrupting the girl¡¯s spar. ¡°Maylene! You have a challenger!¡±

    The girl, apparently Maylene, faltered. ¡°What?! But Crasher Wake just left, I¡¯m not ready for a challenge already!

    ¡°It is your duty as a Gym Leader to accept challenges, whether you feel ready or not!¡± It was then that one of them noticed Dawn¡¯s group. ¡°Perhaps there is another challenge to be had as well. You there! Have you come to challenge the Veilstone Gym?¡±

    Ash hesitated for a moment. ¡°Yeah! But if there¡¯s another challenger lined up then I can wait until tomorrow, it¡¯s no big deal!¡±

    Dawn blinked. Ash was volunteering to wait for a Gym challenge? That didn¡¯t seem normal at all. Was this Lucario really shaking him up that much?

    ¡°Very well. Come, Maylene! It is rude to keep a challenger waiting!¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Maylene hesitated, her eyes darting between the karate guys and Ash, but the Lucario grunted at her harshly and she snapped into action, running towards what Dawn assumed was the direction of the Gym.

    ¡°Maybe we should go watch this match,¡± Brock suggested as he placed a hand on Ash¡¯s free shoulder.

    ¡°Pika!¡± The Electric type on the other shoulder nodded.

    ¡°Sure, that sounds fun!¡± Zoey agreed for them.

    Dawn¡¯s stomach churned, unable to find the courage to speak up and remove herself from the situation.

    ¡°Right. Fun¡­¡±

    And so the group headed towards the Gym.

    <hr>

    The Veilstone Gym was a bit different than what she expected.

    The outside looked like a traditional Sinnohian mansion, complete with the wall surrounding the grounds, well maintained gardens, and multiple structures with very outdated architecture. Inside, however, was what looked to be a gym. The other kind of gym, with punching bags and boxing rings and the like. They were led through this training area, back outside, and then into another building behind the first that housed the actual battlefield where one of the gym¡¯s trainers was talking to the challenger.

    ¡°Lucas¡­?¡± Dawn found herself muttering. She hadn¡¯t expected to run into him of all people. Their only interaction since the start of their journeys had been back in Hearthome, and really that wasn¡¯t even that long ago.

    Brock apparently heard her. ¡°Do you know him, Dawn?¡± he asked as they were led into the stands to watch.

    She shrunk in on herself. ¡°Ah, yeah, he¡¯s from the same town as me, so¡­.¡±

    ¡°An old friend, then?¡± Zoey suggested. ¡°Can you tell us what to expect? What sort of Pokemon does he have?¡±

    Dawn floundered. ¡°I, um, don¡¯t really know. Lucas is pretty quiet I guess, but I don¡¯t know anything about how he battles¡­¡±

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll just have to wait and see, then!¡± Brock thankfully ended the inquiry as they took their seats.

    Down on the field, the match was starting. Dawn zoned out as the rules were read out, having heard them enough times to know the basic gist of it.

    She didn¡¯t want to be here.

    She didn¡¯t want to be around Ash and Brock, around the reminders of some pretty horrible experiences, but trying to get out of this would have meant explaining to Zoey exactly why she had left the group, something which hadn¡¯t exactly come up yet. She didn¡¯t want to be watching a Gym battle, knowing that it meant she¡¯d have to see Pokemon be brutalized.

    And yet she sat there, watching as the trainers released their Pokemon.

    ¡°A Meditite and an Eevee? Interesting choices. Maylene definitely has the type advantage here¡­¡± Brock commented.

    ¡°Type matchups aren¡¯t everything, though,¡± Zoey countered. ¡°Being a Normal type doesn¡¯t mean that Eevee can¡¯t overcome the odds. He might have a good strategy in mind.¡±

    Lucas¡­ started clapping? She hadn¡¯t been paying close attention, but whatever he did must have been a signal, because his Pokemon was overtaken by a white glow as it rocketed towards Maylene¡¯s.

    ¡°Fake Out!¡± the Gym leader shouted, and just before the Eevee could land its attack, Meditite clapped its hands together with Eevee¡¯s furry face in between them. Even from this distance, she could see that Eevee flinched from the sudden attack, recoiling back and putting a bit of distance between them once more.

    More clapping from Lucas, and Eevee Growled at Meditite, a shiver running down its small frame as it cowered in fear.

    ¡°Confusion!¡±

    At Maylene¡¯s command, Meditite¡¯s eyes glowed with Psychic power and Eevee froze up, held in place. The Normal type cried out as it was lifted into the air, and as it became obvious that Meditite planned to slam it into the ground, Dawn closed her eyes, not wanting to witness such a thing.

    But the cry of pain that followed didn¡¯t come from Eevee.

    ¡°Wait, what was that?¡± Zoey asked as Dawn opened her eyes to see Meditite sprawled out on the ground, Eevee panting a short distance away but notably unhurt.

    Brock hummed. ¡°Eevee broke out of the Confusion somehow and used the moment of surprise to land a Quick Attack, but I¡¯m not sure how that was accomplished.¡±

    ¡°It sort of looked like a Bite, but¡­ not quite.¡± When Ash spoke up for the first time, Dawn almost jumped in her seat. She hadn¡¯t noticed how quiet he¡¯d been so far until that moment.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zoey asked as Meditite and Eevee started trying to trade blows more quickly, the Fighting type¡¯s fist taking on an amber glow and Eevee using Quick Attack repeatedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ when you¡¯re trying to learn a new move and you kind of have an idea of how it goes, but you don¡¯t really understand it. I¡¯ve seen a lot of Pokemon gather the energy up correctly, but fail when it comes to executing the attack when they¡¯re first learning. Right, Pikachu?¡±

    ¡°Pi-ka!¡±

    Meditite failed to land any decisive blows, and while Eevee¡¯s weren¡¯t doing much damage, no obvious cuts or other wounds left behind, it was obvious that Meditite wasn¡¯t built to tank blows like this.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the Dark energy of a Bite attack that didn¡¯t complete was enough to disrupt the Confusion? I suppose that¡¯s possible, but for a Psychic type to have such little control over a move like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Maylene does look pretty young for a Gym Leader,¡± Zoey pointed out. ¡°Maybe Meditite is a relatively new capture.¡±

    Brock nodded. ¡°Now that you mention it, Meditite does look rather young.¡±

    It also looked rather tired, and Dawn watched as a final Quick Attack knocked it out cold on the floor.

    Maylene frowned, her face downcast as she returned her Pokemon, and the Eevee ran back over to Lucas, jumping up into his arms.

    ¡°See, what did I tell you?¡± Zoey remarked.

    ¡°He may have won, but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d attribute it to a well thought out strategy,¡± Brock rebutted. ¡°The non-verbal commands are an interesting touch, but he¡¯s not using them to their fullest potential if he just has his Pokemon use the same move over and over.

    Dawn let herself smile just a bit as she saw the happiness on the trainer and his partner¡¯s faces. This wasn¡¯t so bad, with how tame the fight had been for a Gym Battle.

    The smile didn¡¯t stay for long.

    What followed was a series of rather brutal takedowns that led to Dawn hiding her eyes behind her hands for most of the match.

    Meditite may have been relatively weak, but Maylene¡¯s Machoke made quick work of Eevee, a powerful punch doing critical damage that had the Normal type yelping as it was launched across the room, slamming into a support beam with a sickening thud before falling to the ground unmoving.

    But Lucas had apparently started with one of his less powerful team members just as Maylene had, following up with a fully grown Torterra.

    Machoke tried, but its efforts were in vain as the giant of a Pokemon put it through a painful storm of Razor Leaf. Hundreds, maybe thousands of cuts littered its leathery skin, oozing blood that splattered all over the floor of the arena. That didn¡¯t deter its spirit to fight, but when Lucas instructed Torterra to follow it up with what Brock explained to be a Mega Drain, there was nothing it could do but collapse.

    This time, when Maylene recalled her Pokemon, the doubt and hesitation and fear were much more obvious on her face.

    Or maybe it was just obvious to her, because the conversation went on around her as normal.

    ¡°Man, that Torterra is really strong, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zoey whistled, impressed.

    ¡°Fully evolved Pokemon do tend to have more potential in combat,¡± Brock tentatively agreed, ¡°and Machoke is only a middle stage Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, but this is a Gym Leader¡¯s Pokemon we¡¯re talking about. Aren¡¯t they supposed to be the best of the best?¡±

    Maybe Dawn was just projecting her own insecurities onto the girl, but it felt like she could understand every bit of self-doubt flowing through Maylene in that moment. This battle wasn¡¯t going well for her, and Dawn¡­

    Well, Dawn hadn¡¯t exactly been doing so great in contests since joining up with Zoey. Or even before the events of Alamos had left her shaken. Her mom and N had done their best to reassure her after her utter failure in Hearthome, but even still¡­

    ¡°Not necessarily. I¡¯m sure Maylene has plenty of strong Pokemon, but the goal is to give a surmountable challenge. Something to push the challenger, but still give them a reasonable shot at victory. That said though¡­ Machoke may have won against Eevee, but I don¡¯t think Maylene¡¯s team is giving Lucas a proper fight.¡±

    Zoey nodded. ¡°Yeah, it does seem pretty one-sided if you overlook that one good hit that Machoke got in.¡±

    Dawn didn¡¯t know how Maylene did it, though. Gym battles, that is. When Dawn failed, the shame and embarrassment alone ate at her in her every spare moment. When Maylene failed¡­ well, Dawn imagined it was much the same, but the Gym Leader also had to deal with the fact that her Pokemon ended up horribly injured. Battles like this were truly awful, and Dawn couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe they shouldn¡¯t be done at all, even if that might not be a popular opinion.

    She saw Ash suddenly stiffen out of the corner of her eye as Maylene released her next Pokemon.

    ¡°Ah. The Lucario¡­¡± Brock named the Pokemon once more, something odd in his tone.

    Something about this was wrong.

    Not her¡­ companions¡¯ reaction, and not the fight itself, though she did still have her problems with those.

    Rather, something was wrong with Lucario.

    When it was released, it took one look at Maylene¡¯s unsteady and unsure expression before turning off to the side of the field, its arms crossed and its eyes closed, making a show of ignoring her.

    ¡°Lucario, please. You wanted me to battle, didn¡¯t you?¡± The Gym Leader pleaded with her Pokemon.

    Ash let out a wavering sigh. ¡°It¡¯s just like Charizard, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Brock slowly nodded. ¡°It sure seems that way.¡±

    Dawn didn¡¯t recognize that name, but Zoey beat her to the punch. ¡°Charizard? That¡¯s a Pokemon, right?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Brock agreed. ¡°Charizard is a Fire and Flying type, one of the starters available for people beginning their journey in the Kanto region. Ash has one, and when it first evolved¡­ Long story short, it wasn¡¯t very obedient, even during important battles.¡±

    Ash had another Pokemon? Why hadn¡¯t she ever seen it? Now that she thought about it, it was a little bit strange how Ash only had Pikachu with him when he came to Sinnoh if he had explored other regions.

    A clap brought her out of her thoughts and the others away from their discussion. Lucas launched into a set of instructions for his Grass type, and then the field shattered.

    Whether Maylene and Lucario were ready or not, the fight was continuing. The dirt beneath the field trembled and cracked into smaller pieces, some of them jolting out and sending the unprepared Lucario tumbling.

    When the shaking stopped, Lucario was slowly standing back up, looking sore and battered with its fur coat having lost its luster from all the dirt and dust covering it.

    And despite being worse for wear, Lucario went right back to being defiant, crossing its arms and turning its nose up at Maylene once more.

    ¡°Lucario, please! You¡¯re just going to get hurt like this!¡±

    Lucario didn¡¯t budge as Torterra snagged it with a Leech Seed, the vines quickly unfurling from the seeds and sapping away Lucario¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Is it really just going to stand there and take it?¡± Zoey asked, dumbfounded as another Earthquake tore apart the arena, sending dust into the air and obscuring their view of the battle.

    ¡°It sure seems that way¡­¡± Brock sounded uncomfortable. ¡°I realize that there¡¯s a lot to consider as a Gym Leader, but at this rate Maylene should really consider-¡±

    ¡°I concede!¡± Maylene shouted as a red flash of light recalled Lucario.

    The room went silent, and Dawn could see the shock on Lucas¡¯ face.

    ¡°Congratulations on your victory,¡± Maylene shouted to him as she very clearly tried to hold back tears.

    But that was all she could handle before biting back a sob and running out of the Gym.

    ¡°Maylene, wait!¡± One of the Gym¡¯s trainers shouted after her, but she was already long gone. With a sigh, he approached Lucas, probably to ensure that he got his badge.

    ¡°She just gave up?¡± Zoey looked bewildered.

    ¡°Sometimes you have to put your Pokemon first,¡± Ash explained. ¡°It¡¯s not an ideal end to a Gym battle, but¡­ well, that¡¯s just how it is sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Pika¡­.¡±

    An idea ran through Dawn¡¯s head in that moment. She hesitated, unsure, but ultimately she found herself standing up. ¡°I¡¯m going after her.¡±

    ¡°Now Dawn¨C¡± Brock started, but she didn¡¯t listen, heading in the direction that Maylene had ran off in, hoping that she¡¯d still be able to follow after the girl.

    Maybe she could be for Maylene what she wanted after a failure.

    Or maybe she¡¯d just make things worse.

    But it couldn¡¯t hurt to try! Probably¡­

    <hr>

    With no time set for everyone to meet back up, N had decided to take some time to explore the city, even if Mimikyu was reluctant to let people see him in his new disguise.

    When he asked around for places that he should visit, two places were at the top of the list.

    The first was the Game Corner. Initially, he had been interested. A name like that made him think of some fancy place for fun and games, like what one might find in Nimbasa back home. That idea had promptly gone out the window when he realized that by ¡°game¡± they exclusively meant gambling.

    The other was the site of several meteorites embedded into the ground which apparently were the inspiration to settle at this location in the first place. Space was interesting, even if it wasn¡¯t something he was terribly focused on, so of course he wanted to check it out.

    Mimikyu was being weird about it, though.

    ¡°It should be fine, I think¡­ but if they¡¯re related then¡­ nah, ¡®cuz ya had ta bring ¡®em¡­.¡±

    Eventually N decided to interrupt Mimikyu¡¯s muttering. ¡°Mind filling me in on what has you so worried?¡± The last time the fae¡¯s warning had gone ignored had left them in quite a predicament after all.

    Mimikyu sighed. ¡°I don¡¯ think there¡¯s anything ya really need ta worry about, I¡¯m jus¡¯ a bit nervous is all. These meteorites we¡¯re visitin¡¯... they may or may not be related ta some pretty powerful Pokemon, ¡®n¡¯ while I¡¯m¡­ let¡¯s say pretty close ta certain that nothin¡¯ will come of it, I¡¯m a bit of a worrywart at heart ¡®n¡¯ can¡¯t ¡®elp but consider that we might somehow accidentally awaken one or somethin¡¯...¡±

    N frowned. ¡°That sounds like something I should worry about.¡±

    ¡°Nah, nah, even if¡­ even if they do show up, they¡¯re pretty friendly supposedly, there was only one¨C¡±

    Suddenly, Mimikyu stopped talking.

    ¡°Mimikyu?¡± N turned to look at his friend¡¯s new pink disguise.

    A shadowy hand slithered out, forming claws that pointed off into the distance. ¡°I migh¡¯ jus¡¯ be imaginin¡¯ things, but those helicopters up there. ¡®Aven¡¯t they been hoverin¡¯ above where those meteorites are meant ta be for a good while now?¡±

    N looked up at the helicopters. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I hadn¡¯t been paying attention to them.¡±

    ¡°Right. That logo, though¡­¡±

    N squinted. Apparently Mimikyu¡¯s eyesight was better than his, because he had to really focus to make it out.

    On the side of one of the helicopters was the logo in question.

    A big, yellow G.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Isn¡¯t that just the logo they have on that giant building at the edge of town?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t so unusual for a large corporation to have their own helicopters.

    Mimikyu was silent for a moment. ¡°...you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothin¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 57

    When Dawn finally caught up to Maylene, the Gym Leader was sitting at the edge of a river, staring into the water alone.

    Dawn gasped for air, her face red. All this travelling had put her in pretty good shape, but apparently that was nothing compared to what someone like Maylene went through. She¡¯d had to run as fast as she could to keep the pink haired girl in her sight, and this river wasn¡¯t exactly right next to the gym either.

    The impromptu workout had allowed her to calm down a bit, collect her thoughts, but her stomach was still in knots as she walked up to the water¡¯s edge, taking a seat beside Veilstone¡¯s best.

    Maylene jolted. ¡°Oh! You¡­ you were with that other challenger, weren¡¯t you? What are you doing here?¡±

    Dawn took a moment to examine her before responding. Maylene had seemed pretty torn up before she ran off, but now¡­ now she still looked sad, but there were no tear tracks on her face and her voice was even.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Dawn hesitated. ¡°...don¡¯t know, really.¡±

    Maylene¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What do you-¡±

    ¡°I mean!¡± She panicked, not having intended to come off that way. ¡°I just, um, I guess I can sort of relate to your situation, in a way, and when you ran off I thought that I should try to help you out, but¡­ well, now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m realizing that I don¡¯t really know how to help you out.¡±

    The pinkette only looked more confused. ¡°...thank you? I¡¯m fine though, so you really don¡¯t need to do anything, you can just go back to your friends.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not fine, though, are you?¡± Dawn all but whispered the words. ¡°I¡¯m the same way, you know. Granted I¡¯m just a run of the mill coordinator, not a Gym Leader, but every time I fail I tell people that there¡¯s no need to worry. That I¡¯m fine, and I¡¯ll just do better next time or something. I¡¯m not sure they believe me any more than I do you, right now.¡±

    There was silence, for a beat.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only been the Veilstone Gym Leader for a few months, you know,¡± Maylene suddenly explained. ¡°Before that Lucario and I were just a normal trainer and Pokemon duo, taking on battles when we felt like it. We were pretty good, or at least that¡¯s what everyone told us. They called me a warrior, and all their praise made me so confident¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­¡± Dawn prompted after an awkwardly long pause. ¡°Do you think they were wrong?¡±

    Maylene let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Of course I do. Don¡¯t get me wrong, Lucario is an amazing partner and I¡¯m lucky to have him, but¡­ apparently you can¡¯t be a Gym Leader with only one Pokemon. The League wanted it to be someone else, but everyone supported me so much that I was gifted a Machop on the verge of evolution so that I¡¯d have the minimum to take on official challenges. But in the end¡­¡± Maylene¡¯s tone turned from bitter to defeated, ¡°in the end the League was right. It shouldn¡¯t have been me.¡±

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Dawn asked.

    ¡°Lucario and I won a few battles at first, but¡­ it all went downhill after the first loss, really. And that¡¯s so stupid because Gym Leaders are supposed to lose! Not all the time, but¡­ if I didn¡¯t lose on occasion I¡¯d just end up like Volkner and that¡¯s a whole other problem¡­¡±

    Dawn briefly wondered who this Volkner person was, but Maylene moved on before she could ask about them.

    ¡°I¡¯d been riding high on the rush of becoming a Gym Leader, of winning those first few battles¡­ and when I lost, my confidence wavered. And Lucario¡­ Do you know much about Lucario?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, I don¡¯t really know anything about them,¡± Dawn quickly explained, eager to learn more about what had Ash so on edge.

    ¡°Lucario can use this stuff called aura. It¡¯s like¡­ like a life force, but they can use it for moves, and also to understand people and their feelings and¡­¡±

    Dawn¡¯s confusion at that explanation must have shown on her face, because Maylene sighed and started over.

    ¡°I guess the important part is that it gives Lucario a sense for how other people feel. They¡¯re also extremely loyal Pokemon, one of the few that evolve through a bond with their trainer. And I think¡­ I think the reason Lucario is so upset with me is because I lost that confidence I used to have. And Lucario being upset with me made me lose even more confidence, and losing confidence made Lucario more upset with me¡­¡±

    So she was stuck in a cycle, constantly getting worse until it ended up like Dawn had seen today. Lucario ignoring everything Maylene said and just accepting hits from Torterra.

    ¡°I only recently caught Meditite, and Machoke was given to me a few months ago¡­ that¡¯s not enough to run a Gym with. Gym Leaders are supposed to be strong, but the one Pokemon I could really rely on hates me now. I have no right to be a Gym leader. I think the League is starting to notice, too. They keep sending Crasher Wake over for friendly spars, but I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re just having him test whether or not I should be kicked out of the position. I¡¯ll probably get a call from Cynthia as soon as he makes his report¡­¡±

    That was even worse than Dawn had assumed. Still, though, part of the story nagged at her, reminding her of an interaction from a while back.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve been in quite the kind of situation that you¡¯re in¡­¡± Dawn spoke up, ¡°but I was given some helpful advice by¡­¡± a scary person and terrifying Pokemon. Helpful person and slightly nerve wracking Pokemon? No, that wasn¡¯t quite right either¡­ They weren¡¯t travelling together, and even if being around them brought up bad memories she was trying to avoid, she felt like she owed it to at least N to call them ¡°...some friends.¡±

    She paused, trying to figure out how to convey the same message she¡¯d been given in this situation. ¡°When you feel like giving up because of how you think someone else feels¡­ you should at least talk to them first, and make sure you¡¯re not misunderstanding.¡±

    Contemplating giving up Pachirisu wasn¡¯t exactly the same as Maylene thinking her partner hated her and she was going to lose her job, but the advice still applied, right?

    ¡°Talk to them, huh?¡± Maylene slowly repeated as she palmed a Pokeball. ¡°Maybe you have a point.¡±

    There was silence again, but this time it was more comfortable.

    ¡°You said that you were having problems, too, right?¡± Maylene asked. ¡°Tell me about it.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Dawn wasn¡¯t sure where to start. Her constant failures? How despite the fact that she¡¯d watched Lucas¡¯ battle, her views on them were becoming more like N¡¯s with every Gym match she watched? ¡°I¡¯m a coordinator who keeps losing contests, and no offense, but Gym battles make me feel a bit¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Ash stared down at the empty field, his mind filled with thoughts of the battle, with thoughts of Lucario, with thoughts of-

    ¡°Ash?¡± Brock placed a hand on his free shoulder.

    He jolted, and Pikachu made a concerned noise while adjusting his grip to stay on the other shoulder.

    ¡°Ah, sorry about that Pikachu.¡±

    ¡°Pii-kachu!¡±

    It was nice to have someone so understanding as his best friend.

    He turned to Brock. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Brock had a weird expression on his face. ¡°...are you okay? I know how hard it must be¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Of course I¡¯m fine! It was a Gym battle, how could-¡±

    ¡°Ash,¡± Brock interrupted. ¡°You barely noticed when Zoey left. You¡¯ve just been staring down at the field for a few minutes now. Everyone is gone already.¡±

    ¡°Pi-kaaaa¡­.¡±

    Ash let out a sigh. He couldn¡¯t really cover this one up, could he? Not with a Lucario involved.

    ¡°I just¡­ I¡¯m just thinking, is all.¡±

    His eyes fell from the field to his hands, and for a moment he imagined them donned in blue.

    His fists clenched.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like it was the first time I failed, but¡­ I was right there, you know?¡± Losing Latios had been devastating, but Lucario had been on a whole other level. The bond that they¡¯d shared, however short a time it might have lasted, snatched away when Ash was close enough to touch the Pokemon¡­

    Pikachu rubbed against his cheek reassuringly, but his buddy¡¯s affection wasn¡¯t enough to make the pain go away.

    ¡°Ash, there was nothing you could do. You know that, right? Lucario¡­ Lucario shouldn¡¯t have even been there. If Lucario had lived a normal life, he would have died of old age a long, long, time ago.¡±

    But he hadn¡¯t. He had been there, alive, with them, and he¡¯d needed Ash¡¯s help, and¡­

    It wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d had this conversation, and it probably wouldn¡¯t be the last. Ash knew how it would go. To save them the trouble, he just nodded in agreement.

    They all knew he didn¡¯t mean it.

    <hr>

    ¡°Commander Saturn, I don¡¯t mean to question my superiors, but I¡¯m very confused¡­¡±

    Saturn let out a sigh.

    To be a member of Team Galactic was to strive for perfection. Though their perfect world was not yet within their grasp, that did not mean they could slack before that goal was achieved. He spent every morning ensuring his blue hair was styled perfectly. That his stylish uniform was in perfect condition. That any machinery he would require the use of was in perfect working order.

    He understood that much of what Cyrus said was a matter of manipulation, that the truth of the matter was hidden within his mind, that what he told the general members of Galactic was little more than propaganda, but¡­ even still, Saturn felt that propaganda resonate within him. If asked for the truth of why he held the position he did within Galactic, he would likely say that Cyrus¡¯ ambitions and actions made him curious, but¡­ he couldn¡¯t help but strive for that perfection that Cyrus spoke of.

    Unfortunately, the masses of this world were not perfect, and as a Commander, a position entrusted to him by their glorious leader, it was up to him to cover for the imperfections of the ones currently in their employ.

    Turning his gaze away from the aerial view of Veilstone and onto the grunt who had spoken up, he ensured that his tone of voice, his mannerisms, his very being, were all perfect as he explained. ¡°For reasons that you need not know, we are to be a distraction. Through methods that are perfectly legal, we are to incur the curiosity of those who may wish to cause harm to Galactic. As the meteorites are both a major attraction in the city and a good distance away from the headquarters, they serve as the perfect tool for this task.¡±

    ¡°I-I understand that sir,¡± the grunt replied nervously, ¡°but why aren¡¯t we¡­ you know, doing something more? We¡¯re so far away from the meteorites that I don''t think we¡¯ll really draw any attention¡­¡±

    It was only Team Galactic¡¯s need for manpower that prevented Saturn from pushing the man out of the helicopter. Well, that and the fact that it would be against his orders.

    ¡°Because interacting with the meteorites directly without express permission from the League would be a violation of Sinnoh code 104-2-9. Because private aircraft being within the airspace of the meteorites would be a violation of Sinnoh code 208-4-3. The code only allows for restricted airspace up to a single meter below where we currently are, so as long as we stay precisely where we are at the moment, we will be close enough that law enforcement will be keeping an eye out for infractions, and yet still perfectly within the scope of the law.¡±

    He would prefer to be precisely on the other side of that arbitrary barrier, but with how unpredictable the wind was he could not risk violating the law due to an unexpected dip in altitude. Saving a meter of breathing room would give the pilot enough time to correct if something were to happen.

    ¡°I-I see¡­¡± It was clear that the grunt, in fact, did not see. ¡°Thank you for explaining, Commander, sir!¡±

    The things that he had to put up with in order to reach a new universe¡­

    When he turned back to the view of Veilstone, he saw that they had finally attracted some interest. A couple was pointing up at them, their Pokemon at their feet, and¡­

    ¡°Uh, Commander Saturn?¡± A grunt spoke up from his side.

    ¡°Yes?¡± He replied.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those the morons we hired for the job at the museum?¡±

    For a moment, he had believed his eyes were no longer perfectly functional.

    Perhaps that would have been preferable to reality.

    The crackle of a megaphone was just barely loud enough to be heard within the helicopter.

    ¡°What do you weirdos think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Their Meowth shouted into it. ¡°We¡¯re trying to run a job here, and we don¡¯t need you mucking it up!¡±

    Having their affiliation with a known criminal entity announced was not within the scope of his orders. Picking up the microphone for the helicopter''s own speakers, he vehemently denounced them.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know who you losers are, feel free to do as you wish, away from us.¡±

    Hmm. The insult had slipped out on its own. It hinted at a previous connection. How troublesome¡­

    The woman stole the megaphone from the Meowth. ¡°Your stupid team has much more to lose!¡±

    She shoved it in the man¡¯s face. ¡°Look in the mirror at the haircuts you choose!¡±

    Saturn¡¯s eye twitched. They dare to insult his perfectly styled hair, especially when they went around looking like that?

    But he was reasonable. He had orders to follow. He would not allow petty insults to blow this operation.

    He ignored their little song and dance. He focused instead on the future, on tasks he needed to complete.

    He could not ignore the way that the helicopter suddenly jerked to the side, leaving him unbalanced.

    Before he could turn on his subordinates and grill the pilot for just why he would do such a thing, they began shouting.

    ¡°Are they insane?!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re trying to shoot us down!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s send our Golbats to take them out!¡±

    Peering down at the buffoons on the ground once more, Saturn noticed a very notable change.

    The trio seemed to have pulled some sort of rocket launcher out of the bushes, and were aiming it up at his helicopter.

    Perhaps it was time to reevaluate his estimation of them.

    They were not simple morons.

    They were dangerous morons.

    And if he had his way, they would soon be dead morons.

    ¡°Commander Saturn, sir, what should we do?!¡± One of the grunts finally asked.

    He thought for a moment, considering the possibilities and how they might affect their mission.

    ¡°According to Sinnoh code 62-0-1, in response to the use of deadly force, citizens may respond in kind so long as their lives are in imminent danger.¡±

    ¡°...sir?¡± The grunt looked at him with a foolish expression.

    His hand falling to the pokeballs on his person, Saturn glared at this so-called Team Rocket.

    ¡°Take us down for a landing. We are going to show these losers their place.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! Of course, sir!¡±

    Saturn would not allow this insult to stand.

    <hr>

    Lucas peered at the shiny new Gym badge as he placed it in the case he kept the rest of them in. Part of him felt like he hadn¡¯t truly earned it, what with the way that final bit had gone down, and yet, what was he supposed to do? Go chase after Maylene, tell her that fight wasn¡¯t good enough as he throws the badge down and demands a proper rematch?

    Not exactly a reasonable thing to do.

    Though perhaps more reasonable than what he expects Barry might do, like trying to fine her for a billion dollars or something¡­

    With a sigh, he shoved it all into his backpack and started towards the Pokemon Center. What¡¯s done was done, and he needed to heal his team up. He was a bit concerned about just how intense that blow Eevee took was, but Nurse Joy would have the little guy healed up in no time.

    But his plans were interrupted by the unexpected reappearance of Rowan¡¯s assistant. He should really learn her name at some point¡­

    She looked nervous as she ran up to him. ¡°Oh, thank goodness you¡¯re still here! Please, can you help me?¡±

    Lucas raised a brow and nodded for her to continue. What trouble could she possibly have gotten into in the short time that Gym battle took?

    ¡°Some Team Galactic goons took my Pokedex away from me, and I need your help to get it back. I¡¯ll be waiting in front of the warehouses, so please come!¡±

    With that, she ran off towards the part of the city that he and N had entered from.

    Lucas frowned. She seemed really desperate. Which, given that her Pokedex was on the line, was pretty understandable. Rowan was an intimidating man after all, and he wouldn¡¯t be happy to hear that his research material was in the hands of those crooks. But even then, running off without even confirming that he¡¯d agree to help her was pretty reckless.

    Though he supposed there wasn¡¯t really a question about him helping her at all. What kind of jerk would he have to be to just ignore her in her time of need?

    He just hoped that whoever stole from her was still around. In his experience, Galactic was pretty good at running away. If they ran off with her Pokedex now, there was no telling whether they¡¯d be able to track it down.

    Lucas quickly made to follow behind her, though she had quite a lead on him now. It was a bit risky to go straight into an unknown fight like this directly after a Gym battle, but apart from Eevee his team was in pretty good condition and there was no telling how long Nurse Joy might make him wait. He also briefly considered stopping by the Game Corner to see if he could grab the Looker, but it¡¯s not like the man had been particularly helpful in Eterna and time was of the essence.

    When he and the professor¡¯s assistant reached the warehouse district, he immediately spotted two Galactic grunts leaning against one of the larger warehouses, chatting with each other while one tossed a pokeball up and down.

    ¡°Hey, you jerks!¡± she shouted at them. ¡°Give me back my Pokedex!¡±

    The one tossing the ball laughed. ¡°Or what?¡± His gaze fell on Lucas. ¡°Are you gonna bring more little kids to give us their stuff? Go right ahead!¡±

    Lucas narrowed his eyes, holding up Torterra¡¯s pokeball in a clear challenge. He¡¯d just been in a tough match, but his partner was still in good fighting condition.

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you bad people get away with your dirty deeds!¡± The assistant shouted. ¡°We challenge you to a double battle!¡±

    The grunt turned to his partner, who shrugged before standing up off of the wall and approaching them. ¡°Fine! Have it your way, but don¡¯t start crying when we wipe the floor with you brats!¡±

    What followed was¡­ well, a pretty embarrassing battle if Lucas was being honest. He¡¯d felt bad about how his battle with Maylene had gone, but these guys were just awful. Torterra and the assistant¡¯s Clefairy made short work of their four Poison types, though the constant Metronome use made Lucas wary of his partner the entire time.

    As the cocky grunt recalled his Croagunk, he shouted out. ¡°Done in by two kids?! This isn¡¯t right!¡±

    The other sighed miserably. ¡°I should have kept my head down and just watched our warehouse¡­¡±

    That was an interesting bit of information. So this warehouse belonged to Galactic as well? Add that to the Game Corner and the huge building on the edge of town and it was painting  a pretty poor picture of Veilstone.

    Still upset, the first grunt kicked a rock across the ground. ¡°This sucks! Our Pokemon are total chumps! We should get new ones from the headquarters that can actually put up a fight!¡± He angrily huffed. ¡°Whatever. Who cares about some stupid Pokedex anyway? Team Galactic¡¯s going to own all the Pokemon in the world¡­ no, the universe!¡± He pulled a bright pink box out of his pocket. ¡°There! Take it! Take your stupid Pokedex!¡± Throwing it towards the ground, it was only Torterra¡¯s quick thinking that saved it, a bundle of leaves cushioning the fall before Rowan¡¯s assistant hastily scooped it up.

    He stomped away angrily, all the way to the inside of the warehouse.

    The second grunt looked between the two of them nervously. ¡°Yeah, haha,¡± he awkwardly laughed, ¡°Those things we had in the warehouse¡¯ve already been moved to Pastoria City anyway, so it¡¯s not like this is a real setback or anything! You kids haven¡¯t seen the last of Team Galactic!¡± He proceeded to run off after his¡­ friend? Coworker? Muttering something about how Saturn didn¡¯t need to know about all this.

    Left alone, Rowan¡¯s assistant started thanking him profusely for his help, but Lucas mostly tuned it out, instead thinking of what those grunts had said.

    Pastoria City, was it? That was where his next Gym battle would be as well¡­

    ¡°Have no fear!¡± A voice suddenly called out, interrupting the assistant. ¡°I have come running!¡±

    Looking back towards the voice, Lucas found that they had indeed come running. Wouldn¡¯t you know it, the Looker had shown up once again, and once again he was doing a whole lot of nothing to actually stop the criminals.

    ¡°I heard of children feuding with the Team Galactic. It turns out, of course, to be you!¡±

    Hm. When he put it that way, Lucas supposed it was actually pretty reasonable. He hadn¡¯t stopped to get the man after all, so of course he¡¯d only show up after hearing about the battle¡­

    Rowan¡¯s assistant leaned in towards Lucas, whispering ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this that funny guy from Jubilife?¡±

    Looker frowned. ¡°You insult me to my face? How very uncouth of you.¡±

    Lucas blinked. Looker apparently had very good hearing. That was good to know¡­

    The assistant blushed. ¡°Ah, um, I¡¯m terribly sorry! They stole my- and I was- I just blurted- um¡­¡± With a defeated sigh, she sagged. ¡°...I should be going now. Be wary of Team Galactic.¡±

    Lucas and Looker watched her leave before continuing the conversation. Or, well, Looker continued the conversation. ¡°It is of no matter. Of more interest is the criminal behavior of the Team Galactic. They attempt to steal the belongings of a child?¡± Lucas tilted his head. Child? Rowan¡¯s assistant was old! Well, compared to him at least¡­ ¡°The scale of their criminality, it seems rather miniscule. The triviality of their action makes them more sinister, perhaps. Their warehouse needs investigation. Come with me, and we¡¯ll take a look!¡±

    Without pausing, Looker ran into the warehouse, the door having been left open just a bit by those grunts as they fled.

    The inside of the warehouse was pretty barren. A handful of things were scattered here and there, but it seemed the grunt was serious when he said they¡¯d moved their stuff to Pastoria. The grunts themselves, however, were nowhere to be seen.

    Their escape route was rather obvious, though. Against the far wall was another door, one that looked a lot more high tech than the simple one they¡¯d just entered through. Looker approached it, tapping on it, inspecting it closely, trying to make it budge.

    ¡°Hm¡­ A key is necessary for us to go on. For the time being, we cannot give chase to those who run away.¡±

    Lucas didn¡¯t think they¡¯d get much out of those two anyway, so it was no big loss.

    But with the path forward sealed off, that left only one thing left to do.

    Search for treasures!

    Looker seemed to have the same idea, practically turning the room upside down as he ¡°looked for clues¡±.

    In the end, though, there only seemed to be one item of note, which Looker held out for him to take. ¡°Ah, this HM, it is of the hidden move Fly. Lucas, this, you should be keeping. It will not do to leave this item here to be used by the Team Galactic.¡±

    Lucas wasn¡¯t about to argue with that logic! Eagerly stuffing it in his bag, his mind raced with the possibilities. He could¡­ hmm¡­

    Could any of his team even learn that move?

    ¡°We did not learn very much from that exercise¡­¡± Looker continued, ¡°No matter. What concerns me is what I have overheard in the Game Corner. The Team Galactic has transported something to Pastoria. What they are up to, I do not know, but I have bad feelings about it.¡±

    Lucas¡¯ glee at having gotten a new treasure faded.

    Looker wasn¡¯t the only one worried about Galactic.

    <hr>

    N was baffled.

    Upon reaching the field of meteorite craters, he and Mimikyu had discovered that the helicopters which had worried his friend had come down for a landing.

    The sky was instead filled with a veritable swarm of¡­ what was probably an evolution of Zubat? Dozens upon dozens of the presumed Flying types were diving down at an unfortunately familiar trio, the air around them being stirred up into a vicious storm of sharp winds.

    Not a single attack from the many Pokemon assaulting them seemed to do any real damage, however, as the trio was hiding behind a glowing blue Pokemon that looked like it was reflecting all the hits back at their origins.

    ¡°You cowards!¡± Jessie screamed at their opponents. ¡°Who do you think you are, sending so many Golbat after us at once?!¡±

    ¡°You tried to shoot us out of the sky, you crazy bitch!¡± Someone from the other side shouted back.

    James and Meowth cowered even further as Jessie erupted. ¡°WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BITCH?! I WILL DESTROY YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC ORGANIZATION!¡±

    N tuned out her screeching. ¡°Theft of Pokemon and priceless artifacts is bad enough, but now they¡¯ve moved on to attempted murder?¡± He asked incredulously.

    Mimikyu waved off his concern. ¡°I doubt they were tyna¡¯ kill ¡®em.¡±

    N scowled. ¡°We should team up with these other people and capture Team Rocket for the police. If that Wobbuffet¡¯s abilities are based in its Psychic typing, then perhaps you¡¯d be able to disrupt it long enough for the others to make a move.¡±

    ¡°Not so fast, N.¡± Mimikyu held a shadowy claw up in front of him. ¡°I ain¡¯ gonna disagree with ya on the Rockets bein¡¯ bad guys, but what do ya know of this other group?¡±

    ¡°That Team Rocket tried to kill them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± Mimikyu took a deep, frustrated breath. ¡°Beyond that, I mean. A whole lot of nothin¡¯, right?¡±

    N paused. ¡°Well, yes, but even if I don¡¯t know them I can still join with them to-¡±

    ¡°Team Galactic is worse than Team Rocket, N, and by quite a lot at that.¡±

    ¡°Team Galactic?¡± N repeated, unfamiliar with the name.

    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re a¡­ problematic bunch, I s¡¯pose. ¡®N¡¯ if they¡¯re out causin¡¯ a ruckus like this¡­ there¡¯s probably a Jenny on ¡®er way, so we jus¡¯ gotta make sure the battle goes on long enough that they can¡¯t run away b¡¯fore she gets here.¡±

    N frowned, apparently having nowhere near enough information to understand Mimikyu¡¯s line of reasoning. ¡°Mimikyu, what are you talking about, why would-¡±

    ¡°Though at the same time, will interferin¡¯ ¡®ere cause problems later on? If they don¡¯ advance far ¡®nough ta pull that at the peak¡­¡±

    Mimikyu seemed to be in his own little world, completely ignoring N¡¯s words and speaking with such little context that N was even more lost than he had felt a moment ago.

    Mimikyu let out a deep sigh. ¡°Well, I s¡¯pose it¡¯ll work out somehow. Sorry for causin¡¯ so much trouble for ya, N.¡±

    N had a sinking feeling in his gut. ¡°What exactly are you planning to do?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna see if my short bit of practice stands the test in a real situation.¡± Mimikyu took a deep breath, and then shouted. ¡°HEY MORONS! HOW MANY OF YA FLYIN¡¯ RATTATAS DOES IT TAKE TA KNOCK OUT A SINGLE OPPONENT?¡±

    The fighting stopped in an instant as the swarm of Golbat turned in unison towards Mimikyu, thus drawing the attention of all the humans who hadn¡¯t understood a word of that.

    James pointed at him. ¡°Wait, you?! What are you doing here? And you traded out that monster for a Mime Jr.? That¡¯s my thing!¡±

    His indignant shouting acted like a starting signal, as that¡¯s when the swarm descended upon N and Mimikyu.

    ¡°Ah, shit, maybe I shoulda gotten away from ya before I did that¡­¡±

    N wanted to facepalm, but the approaching swarm of pissed off Pokemon was a bit too concerning for theatrics like that.

    He would be having a talk with Mimikyu once they got out of this mess.

 Chapter 58

    The world faded away in an instant, replaced by a pitch black void. N couldn¡¯t help the feeling of disorientation as his senses were stolen from him, but he tempered his panic with a forced calm. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d been subjected to this.

    When light shone in his eyes once more, his position on the field had changed.

    James screeched like a girl, and Team Rocket all jumped back in fright as Mimikyu deposited himself and N right in the middle of their group.

    ¡°How are you doing that without your creepy fake Pikachu?!¡± Jessie demanded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough lives left ta lose another like this, I¡¯ll give ya anything ya want!¡± Meowth pleaded.

    James, however, leaned in closer after his initial fright subsided. ¡°Hey, wait just a moment! That¡¯s not a Mime Jr. at all! This is just a poorly made doll!¡± He scoffed, glaring at the two intruders. ¡°It takes some real nerve to pull that sort of thing on us, you know! We¡¯re masters of disguise and you think you can fool us with that?!¡±

    ¡°...well it worked from a distance, didn¡¯ it? Not that that was the poin¡¯...¡± Mimikyu muttered.

    While N was very much displeased with where Mimikyu had brought them, he was more concerned with the swarm of Golbats that had quickly spotted them once more after some initial confusion and was heading their way again. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have a plan, Mimikyu?¡± He urgently prompted his friend.

    ¡°Wait, this fake Mime Jr. and the fake Pikachu are the same Pokemon?¡± Jessie leaned in closer to take a look.

    ¡°Meowth,¡± Mimikyu looked towards the talking Pokemon, ignoring Jessie, ¡°What do ya say to a temporary truce? I ain¡¯ a fan of Galactic either, ¡®n¡¯ with that many of ¡®em at once I think we¡¯ll need to collaborate ta take ¡®em all down.¡±

    Meowth looked up at him with suspicion. ¡°Ya wanna team up? You¡¯re a psycho, I don¡¯t want anything ta do with ya!¡±

    The swarm of Golbats were quickly closing in, and Mimikyu suggesting that they work with the Rockets wasn¡¯t much of an actual plan. N grimaced. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time, here!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Mimikyu rebutted. ¡°Are ya in or not?¡±

    ¡°Team up with some twerps?¡± Jessie looked disgusted. ¡°I¡¯d rather get blasted off than do that!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like it would be the first time, and we¡¯re kind of in a pinch here!¡± James countered.

    Meowth looked queasy as he said the words, but he said them nonetheless. ¡°Fine! These punks need ta get taken down a peg, so if we have ta work with the likes of youz two ta do it¡­¡±

    Blades of wind started to cut through the air mere feet away from them as the Golbats got within firing range, the many Pokemon yelling angrily at Mimikyu. ¡°YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU LITTLE-¡±

    ¡°Wobbuffet, cut your power for a moment!¡±

    ¡°WAHHH-BAH!¡±

    Darkness consumed him once more.

    When the ground was under his feet again the Rockets were all screaming, Mimikyu looked deflated, and they were all surrounded by the Galactics.

    ¡°WARN A GIRL, WOULD YOU?!¡± Jessie chastised.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need a night light from now on!¡± Meowth cried out.

    James recovered the quickest, his eyes darting to the grunts surrounding them.

    Mimikyu grunted. ¡°Alrigh¡¯, that was rougher than I was expectin¡¯...¡±

    N wanted to strangle the little ghost. ¡°How is bringing us into the middle of their group an improvement?!¡± he whisper-hissed.

    One of the grunts around them laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you must be really dumb to oppose the likes of Team Galactic like this!¡±

    The Golbats shrieked in the distance, their prey having warped away once again, their anger only mounting.

    ¡°Quiet, you fool!¡± A voice rose above the noise. A quick scan of the crowd revealed it to be a Galactic member in a slightly different uniform, his blue hair gelled up into an odd crescent shape. ¡°Return your Pokemon at once!¡±

    The other Galactic members looked at him in shock and confusion, and N almost felt like joining in, before James laughed. ¡°You really are a twerp, aren¡¯t you? A trick like this is just up their alley! Using their own power against them, just like the twerps have done to us so many times!¡±

    Using their power against them? N looked back towards the swarm of Golbat to find that they were hunting Mimikyu down once more¡­ and they didn¡¯t seem to care that their enemy was embedded within the cluster of Galactic grunts.

    The trainers quickly dove out of the way as their own Pokemon attacked them, driven beyond reason by Mimikyu¡¯s Taunt, globs of poison and sharp winds grazing a few of them who cried out in pain. Beams of red light quickly saw the large force returned to their Pokeballs.

    The blue haired Galactic member glared at them all with disdain, before he replaced that look with a smug grin. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re not like the usual rabble, trying to use human shields to protect yourselves. It matters little, though, when you¡¯re up against a superior opponent such as myself.¡± He pulled out a Pokeball.

    Jessie laughed. ¡°You? Superior? Have you looked in a mirror lately?¡±

    ¡°Toxicroak¡­¡±

    With a beam of light, a bipedal Pokemon appeared. Bright yellow eyes seemed to glow, even in the sunlight. Lithe arms ended in three fingered hands with a red claw jutting out of the backs of them. Muscular thighs were supported by three toed feet with hooked heels. Its toxic blue skin was broken up by stripes of black and a huge, swollen red bubble on its throat. The horn on its head was dull, but promised to bring pain all the same.

    With just a glance, N could tell that this Toxicroak was experienced in battle.

    ¡°...Sludge Bomb.¡± The leader commanded.

    Toxicroak¡¯s grinning maw opened wide as it spot out large globs of a murky, noxious liquid.

    Team Rocket instantly fell back on their tried and true method, putting Wobbuffet between them and the incoming attack, and N was quick to follow their example. With an indigo glow of Psychic power, Wobbuffet took the spray head on, rearing back with each glob of sludge before suddenly springing forward and launching it all back towards Toxicroak.

    The sludge exploded on impact this time, kicking up dust and debris. Galactic¡¯s leader didn¡¯t react much to this, however, and his lack of concern was justified when the air cleared up and Toxicroak was revealed to be no more worse for wear.

    While Toxicroak was keeping them busy, the plethora of grunts seemed to wise up, moving away from N and the Rockets to decrease the odds of friendly fire, and N figured it wouldn''t be long before their swarm of Golbat entered the fray once more.

    Something told him that this Toxicroak was a much more pressing concern, though.

    ¡°What do we know about Toxicroak?¡± He reluctantly asked the Rockets.

    He watched as James quickly pulled out a deck of cards, flipping through them frantically before pulling out one with a cartoonish Toxicroak on it. ¡°They¡¯re Poison and Fighting types that store their poison in the sac on their throats! They pack a mean punch, but they¡¯re not terribly fast and are frail, especially against Psychic type moves!¡±

    ¡°And do we have any Psychic moves we can use?¡± N prompted. He knew that Wobbuffet was a Psychic type, but he recalled Brock saying that the species was incapable of actually launching attacks, only reacting like the one before him had been doing until now.

    Jessie glared at him, but answered regardless. ¡°Dustox knows Psybeam¡­¡±

    James squirmed. ¡°Technically Mime Jr. could use Mimic to copy Psybeam, but Mime Jr. isn¡¯t a battle Pokemon!¡±

    ¡°Poison Jab.¡±

    Saturn didn¡¯t give them much time to think before his Pokemon¡¯s right fist started to glow a sickly purple, running towards them and darting around the waiting Wobbuffet. It couldn¡¯t reflect what didn¡¯t hit it, after all.

    N leaned back, worried that the attack might come for him as the Fighting type zeroed in on the group, but a Shadow Claw intercepted it, the two moves struggling against each other for a moment before Toxicroak backed off a few feet.

    ¡°Are ya any good in a fight, Meowth? I ain¡¯ too sure of my odds ¡®ere even if I ¡®ave a good type matchup¡­¡± Mimikyu asked his temporary partner as he raised another Shadow Claw in the air, using both tendril like limbs to keep their foe at bay.

    ¡°I¡¯m a thinker, not a fighter, but if it comes down to it I can show that punk a Fury Swipes!¡± Meowth declared as he extended his claws.

    ¡°Rock Smash.¡±

    Toxicroak¡¯s fist started to glow with an orangish tint this time, lunging in to punch Meowth in the face. Meowth held up his claws with a shriek of fright, but Mimikyu jumped between them, his pink cloth body warping around the Rock Smash and throwing Toxicroak off guard. The confusion the Poison type showed upon its attack not landing a solid hit gave enough of an opening for Mimikyu to slash a Shadow Claw across the Galactic Pokemon¡¯s face.

    ¡°T-thanks for tha save!¡± Meowth whimpered as Toxicroak leapt back, glaring at Mimikyu and massaging the cuts across its skin.

    The Galactic grunts started to release their Pokemon again at that point, the Taunt¡¯s effects likely having worn off by now, and N wasn¡¯t liking their odds. Part of him wanted to just bail and leave the Rockets to deal with this mess, but if Mimikyu would go so far as to insert them into the conflict then N didn¡¯t think it likely that the little fae would back out now. He needed the Rockets to pull their weight though, given that he didn¡¯t have a team of his own. ¡°You lot are criminals, aren¡¯t you? Why are you holding the rest of your teams in reserve when they could be helping us out?¡±

    ¡°My Pokemon are my dear friends, not tools to be used!¡± James barked right back.

    N¡¯s thoughts stuttered for a moment, not having expected that from a group like the Rockets.

    ¡°And I don¡¯t take orders from twerps!¡± Jessie added on before growling. ¡°But I hate losing to stuck up people like them even more!¡±

    In a flash of light, Jessie released her Seviper and Dustox while James released some sort of Grass type he was unfamiliar with and Mime Jr. It was odd seeing a real one now that Mimikyu was dressed up as one.

    The Grass type promptly latched its huge mouth onto James¡¯ head, muffling him as he struggled to get it off, much to N¡¯s confusion.

    The Toxicroak eyed the new participants warily, but ultimately set their eyes back on Mimikyu, obviously noting the differences between him and an actual Mime Jr.

    ¡°You¡¯re not normal.¡± A deep, raspy voice croaked out. ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°Ya think I¡¯m jus¡¯ gonna tell ya?¡± Mimikyu scoffed. Half turning back towards the rest of them, he spoke to the new Pokemon on their side. ¡°If you guys can keep the Golbats off of us, I think Meowth ¡®n¡¯ I can at least keep from gettin¡¯ knocked out ¡®ere.¡±

    ¡°Speak for yourself!¡± Meowth demanded. ¡°Unlike youz I can¡¯t hold up to a Rock Smash like that!¡±

    Seviper and Dustox shared a look before giving simple nods and moving to cover from the Flying types. James finally managed to free himself from the Grass type, and he shoved it along with the two Poison types. ¡°You go too, Carnivine!¡±

    Mime Jr. on the other hand¡­

    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time, Mime Jr.!¡± James pleaded as his Pokemon marched right up to Mimikyu and started trying to copy every pose he made.

    ¡°Ya think I¡¯m jus¡¯ gonna tell ya?¡± She repeated.

    ¡°X-Scissor.¡±

    Toxicroak¡¯s claws glowed a yellowish-green and he lunged for them, crossing his arms and aiming for the real Mime Jr. ¡°I at least know that this will hit you.¡±

    Mimikyu put himself in the line of fire again, though this time he seemed to struggle a lot more with holding back the move with his own Shadow Claws. ¡°Would ya fuck off already? I liked confusin¡¯ the Golbats a whole lot more than dealin¡¯ with this!¡±

    ¡°Would ya fuck off already?¡± Mime Jr. repeated.

    Meowth leveled a glare at both Toxicroak and Mimikyu. ¡°Who do you think you are, teaching the kid ta swear! We¡¯re supposed ta be the bad guys here!¡±

    ¡°You did what?!¡± James squeaked.

    <hr>

    ¡°Thanks for that, Dawn. I really do feel a lot better just having talked about it with someone¡­¡± Maylene told her as they approached the Veilstone Gym.

    ¡°It was the least I could do, really!¡± Dawn reassured her. She felt the same way, even if ¡°a lot better¡± was still leagues away from feeling good about any of her problems. Though she still felt like she was lost at sea, waiting for the waves to pull her under, this had been a nice breath of fresh air before the next wave came crashing down.

    ¡°I have to say, though¡­¡± Maylene sighed. ¡°Knowing that you¡¯re all part of that group doesn¡¯t exactly have me looking forward to a battle with Ash.¡± She opened the door, holding it open for Dawn. ¡°Or, I guess it¡¯s more like¡­ I¡¯m sort of excited for it, but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m going to lose.¡±

    Part of that group? What did she mean by that? And it¡¯s not like they were really a group anymore to begin with¡­ But Dawn pushed those thoughts aside as she walked back into the Gym, spotting Ash and Brock talking quietly with some of the Gym trainers. ¡°You can¡¯t go into it expecting to lose. That¡¯s a sure way to lose a contest, and I¡¯m certain it¡¯s the same with Gym battles. Ash is pretty good, but he¡¯s not unbeatable or anything.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    Maylene gave her a weird look in response to that. ¡°We are talking about Ash Ketchum, right? Because what I heard was that-¡±

    She was interrupted by the squealing of tires, and everyone looked outside as Maylene held the door open.

    ¡°Gym Leader Maylene! We have a situation and need your help!¡± An Officer Jenny shouted from atop her motorcycle.

    That got everyone¡¯s attention in an instant, and Maylene marched right back outside, releasing her Lucario so that he could listen in. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Officer Jenny grimaced. ¡°There¡¯s a disturbance by the meteorite field. We thought it was a simple battle at first, but it¡¯s really getting out of control! There are too many of them for just the force to handle everyone at once¡­¡±

    ¡°Then we can help out!¡± Ash shouted as he ran outside to join them.

    ¡°Pika!¡± His partner agreed, his cheeks sparking.

    ¡°Anything for you, Officer Jenny!¡± Brock proclaimed as he slid down to one knee, grabbing her gloved hand gently.

    He got a lot of weird looks for that, but they didn¡¯t have time to question the man¡¯s antics.

    ¡°Uh, right,¡± she pulled her hand back awkwardly, ¡°anyway, we need to get a move on!¡±

    Dawn¡¯s heart sank.

    She really couldn¡¯t catch a break, could she?

    <hr>

    This entire scenario was becoming rather infuriating.

    The Rockets had been an annoyance at first, but not something that could not be easily dealt with. They weren¡¯t exactly bright, as shown by how easily manipulated they were, and their teams lacked any sort of outstanding firepower. With the sheer numbers that Saturn had at his disposal right now, he should have been able to make quick work of them.

    But then these¡­ newcomers had arrived.

    Saturn didn¡¯t know what they were, and that was a point of major vexation.

    The human didn¡¯t seem all that remarkable on his own. No pokeballs were visible on his person, and as the battle had progressed it appeared that the only Pokemon in his possession was the one already on the field. From what Saturn could hear of their conversations over the din of the battle, he didn¡¯t seem to be particularly adept with strategy either. Rather, it seemed that the Pokemon was the one in charge. He did have some skill at reading the moment to moment flow of battle, having moved or pulled others out of the line of fire on multiple occasions, sometimes before an attack had been launched. Saturn hadn¡¯t yet dissected his methods for doing so, but that was all that there was to him.

    The Pokemon on the other hand¡­

    He stared down the adorable little thing as it battled with Toxicroak.

    Though it was similar in appearance to a Mime Jr., that was very clearly not the case, especially with a genuine article right next to it. The shadowy arms alone were enough of a giveaway, but the movepool was another solid indication.

    Saturn was certain that it had subjected the Golbats to a Taunt earlier, and it seemed to heavily rely on Shadow Claw during battle. There was also the warping ability¡­ Shadow Sneak perhaps? But he¡¯d never seen any reports of a Pokemon being able to move groups around with them like that¡­

    Regardless of what the move was, it proved a hindrance to Toxicroak¡¯s ability to dispatch the Pokemon. If Toxicroak came too close to landing a solid blow, it simply disappeared into the shadows. If Toxicroak¡¯s attack was more manageable, it deflected the move with a Shadow Claw.

    The one saving grace was that the Pokemon was weak. None of its attacks did more than surface level damage to Toxicroak, leaving him covered in small cuts that bled quite a bit, but had no effect on his performance.

    The Meowth was also involved, but¡­

    ¡°Hey, watch it! Do you know how long it takes to get my fur so perfect in the morning?!¡±

    These Rockets were more like a poor comedy routine than any sort of threat.

    Ultimately, this turned the battle into a matter of slowly wearing the foe down over time. He left the matter of the Rockets themselves to his subordinates, and their Golbats were ever so slowly chipping away at that Wobbuffet of theirs, which put them in the same boat as him.

    Saturn didn¡¯t like unknowns, though. Without a perfect understanding of what they were up against, Team Galactic¡¯s plans could come unraveled. He would need to do research after this mission was completed, gather up every scrap of information he could find on this Pokemon, whatever it was.

    ¡°Mimi-mi!¡± it shouted out as it narrowly avoided a Dark Pulse, the rings of darkness colliding harmlessly with the ground beneath it.

    It even went so far as to mimic the cry of the Pokemon it was pretending to be¡­ how curious¡­

    Saturn sighed. If nothing else, this was a rather good distraction, just as he had been asked to provide. Not the one he had intended, but workable nonetheless.

    Toxicroak opened his maw, preparing to launch another Sludge Bomb at the Pokemon when the sound of sirens echoed out over the field.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Saturn commanded, and the battle came to a screeching halt.

    Quickly making their way towards the battle was quite the entourage for the local Officer Jenny. The Gym Leader had accompanied her, as well as a group of random trainers¡­

    ¡°Finally ready to give up?¡± The Rocket woman taunted them. ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t have it in you!¡±

    The man slapped his hand over her mouth. ¡°Jessie, Officer Jenny is here. We need to leave!¡±

    The green haired one let out a sigh of relief. ¡°It worked, then¡­¡±

    Curious. But Saturn was certain that all would work out in his favor.

    Officer Jenny¡¯s bike screeched to a halt before them. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?!¡± She demanded.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s Team Rocket!¡± A boy with a Pikachu proclaimed.

    ¡°N?¡± A blue haired little girl looked towards the green haired fool curiously.

    Was N some sort of codename? Nobody would name their child that, it must be. Perhaps he was some sort of professional and the lack of skill shown was simply a method to gather information¡­

    That could wait, though. Saturn strode forward, meeting the officer of the law head on. ¡°It is good to see you, Officer Jenny. I¡¯m afraid that we were simply minding our own business when these miscreants decided to try and shoot at us. We, of course, responded by sending out our Pokemon, and you can see how that turned out.¡±

    ¡°Just minding your own business?¡± The male Rocket mocked. ¡°Just what sort of business were you up to then?!¡±

    ¡°It looked to me like you were in the middle of stealing all these meteorites!¡± The Meowth added on.

    Officer Jenny narrowed her eyes on all involved, eventually settling on the green haired one. ¡°And you? What¡¯s your side of the story?¡±

    He hesitated as the cute little Not-Mime Jr. climbed up onto his shoulder, looking more like a toy deprived of its stuffing than anything alive. It drew several curious stares from the new arrivals. ¡°When I arrived, the battle was already ongoing. I¡¯ve had run-ins with Team Rocket in the past, so I figured getting involved would allow me to stop some sort of crime¡­¡±

    Now that the battle wasn¡¯t raging around them, Saturn picked up on an obvious accent. This man wasn¡¯t even from the League, was he?

    The Gym Leader pouted at that response. ¡°Then why did it look like you were fighting with these Team Rocket people?¡±

    ¡°Initially I planned on assisting Team Galactic,¡± he explained.

    ¡°HEY!¡± The Rocket woman shouted, but her team quickly shut her up, physically restraining her and keeping her from jumping into a battle herself.

    ¡°But¡­¡± he glanced at the charming thing on his shoulder, ¡°my Pokemon pointed out to me that the Rockets seemed to be defending themselves from a much more brutal Galactic. I decided it would be best to involve myself regardless, and keep things from getting too out of hand until you could arrive.¡±

    Jenny and Maylene seemed to be thinking over their stories critically, but the group behind them seemed very confused. There must be some serious history with them and this ¡°N¡± fellow.

    ¡°I can personally assure you, Officer Jenny, that my compatriots and I have not broken a single law today,¡± Saturn informed them.

    ¡°The story of a well respected company like Galactic holds more weight than the story of criminals in my eyes,¡± a new voice spoke.

    Saturn¡¯s eyes widened as he realized that someone had suddenly appeared in his field of view without him noticing.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me butting in, Officer Jenny, Maylene. I was swinging by in relation to other matters, but¡­ well, it would be remiss of me not to involve myself in this, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Officer Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Of course, Sir! Thank you very much for your assistance!¡±

    Maylene shyly stepped back.

    ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we cut to the chase?¡± Elite Four Lucian stepped forward.

    <hr>

    The explanations went on for a good while, and with every bit of it N felt worse about the fact that he had trusted Mimikyu on the matter. Things weren¡¯t looking very good.

    He didn¡¯t exactly have any sort of respect for Lucian, but the man did hold a lot of authority within the League, and with how much scrutiny N and Mimikyu were under already¡­

    But the Rockets kept switching between blatantly lying to Lucian¡¯s face or flat out admitting to their illegal activities, such as trying to shoot Galactic out of the sky because they assumed that Galactic was also here to steal the meteorites.

    Saturn, on the other hand, who was apparently the ¡°head of the department¡± for this group of Galactic, whatever that was supposed to mean, was able to cite specific laws to the Elite Four member that justified or excused every one of their actions. He wouldn''t be surprised if the man knew the laws better than Officer Jenny.

    Dawn had sidled up next to him at one point, whispering ¡°N, why did you help Team Rocket? They¡¯re bad guys! ¡­and what¡¯s with Mimikyu? That is Mimikyu, right? He¡¯s so cute right now¡­¡±

    N sighed, whispering back ¡°Mimikyu is bad at explaining things beforehand.¡±

    ¡°I resent that remark.¡± His captivating little fae friend deadpanned.

    ¡°Well I think Lucian resents you.¡± It had taken N a while to pick up on it, but Lucian seemed to be actively avoiding them. He was still keeping close enough to talk without shouting, but if N or Mimikyu took a step forward, Lucian took a step back. Keeping a distance between them, only interacting with them if necessary. It made N curious about why he would be doing it, but he wasn¡¯t about to ask.

    And on the topic of Lucian, it seemed that he had come to his decision.

    ¡°Well then. With all of that out of the way, I think it¡¯s safe to say that the actions of Galactic were well within the confines of the law. The actions of N and his adorable friend, while misguided, were not unlawful, though I advise that you consider who you side with in the future. The actions of Team Rocket¡­¡±

    ¡°Think twice before you finish that thought!¡± Jessie threatened as Meowth pulled out a rocket launcher.

    N¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°You morons had that the entire time and didn¡¯t think to use it when we were being attacked?¡±

    ¡°You think it¡¯s a good idea to threaten me?¡± Lucian sounded amused, and a pokeball in his possession released on its own, allowing his Bronzong to float beside him, ready to protect its trainer.

    ¡°It¡¯s always a good idea to have a back up plan!¡± James smugly replied.

    Everyone watched with a morbid curiosity as Meowth leveled the thing at Lucian¡¯s face and fired.

    The rocket launcher promptly exploded in his grasp, hiding them from view as everyone flinched back and covered their faces. Bronzong made that a bit redundant as it put up a psychic barrier to protect them.

    The Rockets, however, were now nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°We¡¯re blasting off agaiiiiiin!¡± was shouted down from the sky.

    ¡°WAH-BAH!¡±

    N barely looked up in time to see them flying up into the air at an incredible speed before they disappeared from sight.

    ¡°...did that really just happen?¡± One of the Galactic grunts asked, dumbfounded.

    ¡°They really are morons¡­¡± another added.

    N wasn¡¯t couldn¡¯t piece together if that had been their escape plan from the start or if they¡¯d just lucked into it. Or maybe it was unlucky, given that they exploded?

    Lucian frowned. ¡°Well that certainly puts a damper on things. We¡¯ll have to track them down¡­ Bronzong, start calculating their trajectory and approximate landing area.¡±

    He brushed his hair out of his face with an annoyed sigh. ¡°I do so hate when things don¡¯t go to plan. Saturn, please do me a favor and inform your superior that they will be handled.¡±

    He quickly released his Alakazam and Gallade, also pulling out a top of the line cell phone.  ¡°We¡¯ll need to wrap things up quickly if we don¡¯t want them to get away¡­ Begin Galactic exposure protocol, please. Level 3. And be wary of the Fairy type, it wouldn¡¯t do for the infection to spread now of all times, even if there is a new victim.¡± He stared pityingly at Mimikyu.

    ¡°Hold on a moment, Galactic exposure protocol?¡± Officer Jenny sounded confused. ¡°Since when is there protocol for specific companies? I don¡¯t recall any training for¡­ for¡­¡±

    Her words trailed off and N¡¯s mind grew foggy as the eyes of the Psychics flashed with power.

    Saturn and the Galactic grunts stared at Lucian wide eyed. ¡°So then you must be¡­¡±

    ¡°Do not speak of it,¡± Lucian interrupted Saturn, ¡°this is a delicate process and adding more now could cause issues.¡±

    Saturn promptly shut up, but the grunts started whispering to each other excitedly.

    N felt¡­ what did N feel¡­ he couldn¡¯t remember something¡­

    ¡°Hey, wait just a¡­ just a minute¡­¡± Ash grumbled as he stumbled forward. ¡°You can¡¯t just¡­ mess with our memories like this! I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll remember and I¡¯ll¡­¡± He fell to his knees, clutching his head.

    Lucian frowned. ¡°Has he already been subjected to memory alteration? It was theorized that repeated usage could cause issues, but who would¡­ well, no matter. Increase the pressure on that one, Chosen One or not he cannot be allowed to remember.¡±

    Their memories? What was Lucian¡­ that smug bastard¡­.

    The power in the eyes of the Psychics pulsed stronger.

    ¡°In fact, perhaps we should step it up a notch over the whole city. Porygon 2, follow up on that exposure protocol with a Trace distribution over the network.¡±

    ¡°Confirmed.¡± His phone chimed.

    The whole city? What was¡­ what was even happening? N couldn¡¯t think clearly¡­

    ¡°That should just about do it, I think.¡± Lucian nodded. Then, turning back to Galactic, ¡°You should clear out of here and return to your base, it will make my job easier.¡±

    Saturn thought it over for a moment before nodding back to him. ¡°Very well. Thank you for your¡­ assistance.¡±

    Lucian smirked. ¡°Think nothing of it. I¡¯m only doing my duty.¡±

    N¡¯s thoughts grew foggier and foggier as the eyes of the Psychic types pulsed.

    <hr>

    Lucas inspected his Porygon.

    Fly came in a Hidden Machine and not a Technical Machine. That meant it had unlimited uses, at least theoretically.

    This meant that he could use it as much as he wanted and keep it in his hoard of treasures!

    He¡¯d heard about the move Fly before. On a TV show that Barry showed him, they said that it made it easier for Pokemon to carry passengers through the air. He¡¯d be able to soar through the skies of Sinnoh if he could teach it to a member of his team. Think of all the treasures he¡¯d be able to find like that!

    So long as he actually had a Pokemon that could use it.

    Torterra was definitely out of the question with how much he weighed, and Bibarel and Eevee¡­ well, they didn¡¯t seem very much like the sort of Pokemon that fly.

    Togepi¡­. Was a maybe? The little guy was still in an egg, so maybe once he got bigger he¡¯d be able to, Lucas wasn¡¯t really sure.

    Porygon though¡­ well, as he¡¯d deduced last time, it was a weird Pokemon. Everything about it was weird. Its design was so simple, and yet¡­

    Well, one of the words that had come to mind when inspecting its face the last time had been ¡°beak¡±, hadn¡¯t it?

    And what had beaks? A lot of Flying types.

    So maybe having a beak meant that Porygon could learn Fly!

    Maybe he should ask the others about it when they all meet back up.

    Or maybe he could find some info about it in his Pokedex? He quickly pulled the device out, scrolling through page after page of information. The short blurbs that the thing would read off weren¡¯t all the information on these things, but finding anything else on them was a bit of a hassle. Rowan sure hadn¡¯t made these things user friendly.

    Then, Porygon twitched.

    Such a small movement normally wouldn¡¯t be something he¡¯d notice, but with how perfectly still Porygon normally was, the movement stood out.

    Lucas watched intently, waiting for something interesting to happen¡­

    And then Porygon flashed brightly, darting for his Pokedex.

    Not again! It had been such a pain dealing with Rotom in his Pokedex, if Lucas let another Pokemon roam around inside the thing, who knows what would happen?!

    But Porygon was faster than he was, and there was nothing he could do.

    His Pokedex started to speak, the robotic voice sounding much more clear than anything he¡¯d heard from Rotom when the Electric type had an electronic possessed.

    ¡°Signal from home unit received. Transmitting data.¡±

    Home unit? What data?

    A high pitched sound blared out of his Pokedex, and Lucas started to feel a little strange.

    ¡°Tracing Synchronize. Tracing Cute Charm. Tracing¡­¡±

    Lucas lost his train of thought.

 Chapter 59

    N felt like he was in a dream.

    The world around him seemed hazy, indistinct. Not in the sense that his vision was impaired, but more that his mind was struggling to perceive it in¡­ a way that was difficult to describe.

    The ground was solid. The sky was blue. The cityscape before him seemed perfectly normal, and yet, when he tried to focus his eyes on a large group of people off to the side, he found that there was a dull throb in his head and his attention drifted right past them.

    Part of him felt that he was missing something, that he was forgetting something important. Like that feeling when you walk into a room only to realize you¡¯re not sure why you entered in the first place. Maybe he would remember eventually. He¡¯d just stop thinking about it for now, wait for it to come to him.

    Instead, he could focus on what was before him. Lucian was here, for some reason. Why would he be dreaming about Lucian? Or, no, this wasn¡¯t a dream, was it? He was just¡­ he just couldn¡¯t remember something, that was all¡­ What had he been thinking about?

    There was a pulse of light.

    N felt like he was in a dream.

    The world around him seemed indistinct, hazy. Not in the sense that it was blurry in any way, but more that he was struggling to¡­ think about things? It was difficult to describe.

    The sky was blue. The ground was solid. The buildings in front of him seemed perfectly normal, and yet, when he tried to focus on some sort of contraption flying into the sky, he felt a migraine coming on and his eyes were drawn elsewhere.

    Part of him felt that there was something important he was missing. Like that feeling in a dream where you were running late to something, only to realize as soon as you walked through the door that you weren¡¯t wearing any pants. He just wished he could wake up, and brush that feeling aside.

    But instead, he should probably focus on what didn¡¯t feel dreamlike. Lucian was here, for some reason. Why had Lucian shown up? He had been¡­ he and Mime Jr. had been checking out the meteorite field, right?

    There was a pulse of light.

    N felt like¨C

    The world seemed darker, for just a moment, and a shiver ran down his spine, snapping him out of his daze.

    It was disorienting, though. Why did he feel so off? Why was Lucian here? His heart was beating pretty quickly, he sort of felt afraid for some reason¡­

    Had he hit his head on something? Was this a concussion? He let his eyes wander, finding it odd that Ash was on the floor, everyone else unmoving except for¨C

    Mime¨C no, Mimikyu fell off of his shoulder, and N barely had his faculties in order enough to catch his friend before he could hit the ground.

    Mimikyu was unconscious, his cute little disguise limp in N¡¯s hands.

    What was going on? He hadn¡¯t seen Mimikyu like this since the incident with the Gallade back in Nimbasa.

    A sigh caught his attention, and he looked up at Lucian. The man had some blend of emotions on his face that N couldn¡¯t decipher. He shared a look with his Gallade, before speaking to N. ¡°Are you feeling alright? It looks like whatever that Team Rocket group did has everyone in quite a daze.¡±

    It hit him all at once.

    Stumbling on the fight between the Rockets and Galactics, getting involved on the wrong side at Mimikyu¡¯s behest, The interruption by everyone here, Lucian questioning them, giving out a command¡­

    Ash had said something about messing with their memories, and then N¡¯s mind had grown fuzzy.

    This was bad.

    He¡¯d been worried about Lucian from the start, knowing what Psychic types were capable of, but for him to go this far? Messing with not only his memories, but the memories of a Gym Leader and Officer Jenny as well? And that was assuming that all they¡¯d done was alter a few memories. If they had gone probing, digging up secrets, then all of Plasma could be at risk! It was too soon, they hadn¡¯t built up a proper base of power, all of their plans would be¨C

    ¡°N?¡± Lucian probed again. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±

    The Elite Four member didn¡¯t appear particularly worried about the fact that N had just been witness to what was no doubt an illegal act. There was some tension in him, though, as if he were waiting for something.

    N quickly tried to piece together the puzzle in his head, before Lucian decided there were better ways to deal with him than polite questioning.

    Nobody else was out of the weird trance-like state yet, Mimikyu was limp in his arms, and Lucian seemed slightly off put, his attention solely on N.

    That must mean¡­ had Mimikyu broken him out of it? But Lucian¡­ he¡¯d been acting weird around Mimikyu this whole time, and now¡­

    Lucian didn¡¯t realize that his memory alteration had failed on N. Though acting on his own to catch Mimikyu must have made him a bit suspicious of something not having gone to plan¡­ Maybe if he played along¡­

    ¡°Just a bit disoriented,¡± N replied. He needed to draw Lucian¡¯s attention off of him, before he could pick up on his failure. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about these two, though, why did they collapse?¡± He gestured to Ash and Mimikyu.

    Lucian paused.

    The eyes of his Psychics pulsed with power.

    Everyone around him started to move and react once more, Dawn stumbling into N¡¯s side.

    ¡°Ugh, my head¡­¡± He heard her mumble as she tried to right herself.

    Before anyone could start questioning their confusion, Lucian spoke up. ¡°It seems that Team Rocket¡¯s attack did more of a number on you all than I thought. Officer Jenny, Maylene, can I trust the two of you to ensure everyone gets looked at by medical professionals? I need to hurry after those criminals if I wish to catch them.¡±

    Maylene looked lost, but snapped to attention in a panic. ¡°Of course, sir! Just leave it to me!¡± She set about helping Ash stand back up.

    ¡°Team Rocket did this..?¡± Ash looked the most confused of the group.

    ¡°Thank you, Maylene,¡± Lucian gave her a small smile before he and his team vanished in a flash of light, Teleported away in an instant.

    Officer Jenny shook her head. ¡°Right, let¡¯s get you kids to the Pokemon Center right away!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°...and you¡¯re certain that none of you know what happened? Even if you could just give me a description of the move used, it would go a long way,¡± Nurse Joy pleaded with them.

    The group shared a concerned look. Try as they might, however, not one of them could recall exactly what had happened.

    None except for N, that is, and he wasn¡¯t about to reveal anything until he could piece it all together himself. Coming out and accusing one of the most powerful people in the League of something like this wasn¡¯t a claim that you could make without substantial evidence. Not if you wanted to be taken seriously.

    Nurse Joy sighed. ¡°Well, apart from your apparent issues recalling the event properly, I can¡¯t find anything of note.¡± She flipped through some documents on a clipboard, her eyes scanning the pages. ¡°As it stands, I can only assume that you were all hit with a Confuse Ray or something similar. There have been many documented cases of trainers getting hit with a stray Confuse Ray and having memory issues¡­¡± Her eyes swept over the group once more, concern clear, ¡°...just not with so many people forgetting the same time frame at once.¡±

    ¡°Did any of their team even know Confuse Ray¡­?¡± Ash muttered, looking deep in thought.

    Given what she was working with, N couldn¡¯t blame Nurse Joy for the unsatisfying answer. But did they really have no way to detect¡­ well, whatever Lucian had done to them? It was clearly a rare technique, given that N had never even heard of such a thing happening, but a Nurse Joy of all people should be able to pick up on something¡­ or so he had thought.

    ¡°What about the Pokemon, though?¡± Maylene asked. ¡°The one that collapsed?¡±

    Nurse Joy nodded to N. ¡°Your Pokemon should be fine, young man. In fact, why don¡¯t we go and check on him together, if the rest of you have no other questions¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you for your help, Nurse Joy.¡± Brock smiled at her, but surprisingly didn¡¯t dive into his usual shenanigans with women he had just met.

    Nurse Joy bid them all a good day, and led him to a room in the back of the Pokemon Center where Mimikyu was still out cold, laying back on a small bed.

    ¡°Am I correct in assuming that you¡¯re the one all of my sisters and cousins have been talking about recently? I¡¯ll admit I was thrown off by your Mimikyu¡¯s appearance when you all arrived, though he¡¯s even more adorable than I imagined.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yes?¡± N wasn¡¯t sure what to make of her suddenly striking up casual conversation like this.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It¡¯s odd, you know,¡± Nurse Joy continued as she inspected his friend¡¯s unaware form. ¡°Even though I know that I¡¯m being enchanted, I can¡¯t help but want to just snuggle up with him, just squishing him between my arms until he pops!¡±

    N blinked. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Maybe he needed to just get Mimikyu out of here. He stepped forward to scoop up his friend, but Nurse Joy held out an arm to stop him.

    ¡°Relax. I can control myself. Rather, it¡¯s odd that you seem to be experiencing the effects of enchantment to a lesser degree. Perhaps you¡¯ve become desensitized after extended exposure? Dark and Ghost type specialists seem to have their bodies adapt to constant corruptive presence, so maybe¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    N wasn¡¯t a fan of her calling the presence of certain Pokemon corruptive, but he trusted the Joys enough to hope that she was going somewhere with this. ¡°And what exactly is wrong with him? He was the only one to have a reaction like this.¡±

    She hummed. ¡°I think a large part of it is simple exhaustion, having pushed himself too hard for too long, but there is one concerning matter.¡± She pressed a few buttons on the monitor to the side of the bed, but N didn¡¯t have the medical nor technical knowledge to have any clue what she had done.

    ¡°Assuming that my equipment isn¡¯t faulty, which, mind you, is a possibility given that it isn¡¯t configured to deal with Fairy types specifically,¡± she explained, ¡°Mimikyu isn¡¯t emitting any sort of Ghost type presence at all.¡±

    She framed that as a bad thing, which only confused N. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that just mean he¡¯s gotten better at controlling it? Your family has told me that Ghost types get better at preventing terror from leaking out as he gets more practice using moves that harness it.¡±

    She nodded along. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct, however there¡¯s a difference between having control over it, preventing it from leaking out, and not having any to leak out at all. Or at least having so little that what does leak out isn¡¯t detectable. A Ghost type shouldn¡¯t be completely devoid of any ghostly energy, even if they¡¯ve used it to the point of collapse.¡±

    N looked over his deflated friend, thinking over the nurse¡¯s words. ¡°What exactly does that mean, then? Going forward, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Well, ideally we¡¯d know what caused this so you could avoid it in the future. Has anything similar to this happened in the past?¡±

    The world had seemed darker, for just a moment, and he¡¯d felt a shiver down his spine as Mimikyu snapped him out of Lucian¡¯s trance.

    N thought back to the first time a Psychic had tried to do something to Mimikyu¡¯s mind. The pitch blackness, the absolutely horrifying terror, the feeling of imminent death. The way that Mimikyu had to be knocked out immediately, at least according to Cynthia and her Lucario. He thought back to the times Mimikyu had overexerted himself, diminishing his size until he couldn¡¯t go on anymore, utterly exhausted. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen something quite like this, but I¡¯ve seen him work himself to exhaustion before, and there was a time he went a bit wild and had to be knocked out¡­¡±

    ¡°When you say he went a bit wild, what exactly do you mean by that?¡± She pressed further.

    It wasn¡¯t like the Joy family was untrustworthy, and the League already knew, so N answered. ¡°It was like¡­ like when he leaks terror, but turned up to 11. Everything went black and I was too scared to even move.¡± N sighed. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s not really relevant, is it? He was knocked out to prevent it from going any further, that time, he didn¡¯t knock himself out, and the small bit of fear I felt this time was nowhere near that level¡­¡± He just couldn¡¯t get the comparison out of his head, seeing his friend in his current state, even if the disguise that Mimikyu donned was now different.

    ¡°...unless it was a matter of available power?¡± Joy seemed to mutter to herself. ¡°It would be undocumented, but a total drainage might¡­ no, but how would it refill¡­¡±

    ¡°Nurse Joy?¡± N interrupted her mumbling.

    Her pink hair went bouncing as she startled. ¡°Oh! Sorry about that, it¡¯s just been a good while since I had to do much theory work. I think Mimikyu should wake up just fine, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be recuperating his Ghost type energy at any rate that I¡¯m able to pick up on. I¡¯ve heard of a case where something analogous happened to an Electric type, they were able to fix it by having other Electric types donate some of their charge, but for a ghost¡­ Which way are you heading when you leave Veilstone?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be taking route 214 next.¡±

    She nodded along, moving over to a desktop computer against the wall and typing away. ¡°Well if that¡¯s the case you¡¯ll miss out on some expertise, but you should be able to get results faster, less travel time¡­.¡± He watched as she pulled up a digital map of Sinnoh, zooming in on the area south of Veilstone. ¡°Are you at all familiar with Sendoff Spring?¡±

    N thought it over for a moment, but came up blank. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of it.¡±

    Pointing to an area of the map to the right of the route proper, she indicated a small blue area that N assumed was meant to represent the spring in question. ¡°The area is rife with wild Ghost types. I would recommend against trying to enter Turnback Cave,¡± N idly wondered what the cave had done to earn a name like that, ¡°but even if you just go past the Spring Path, you should be able to find a good number of Dusclops, especially if you¡¯re up late.¡±

    She turned back to give him a serious look. ¡°Now, it is my hope that Mimikyu will make a full recovery on his own, and I¡¯ll be sure to get him a proper healing treatment and some berries to help his energy reserves, but if by the time you reach this part of route 214 you find that he hasn¡¯t recovered¡­ I would very much recommend that you pay it a visit. The local ghosts should be able to help him out.¡±

    N sighed. This journey really was just full of detours, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°I see. Thank you very much, Nurse Joy.¡±

    Oh well. It¡¯s not like Lucas would mind a chance to explore something off the beaten trail.

    <hr>

    Dawn tried and failed to squash down her nervousness as N walked back into the lobby of the Pokemon Center.

    Talking with Ash and Brock for a short while had been an awkward affair, but luckily Ash seemed too distracted to care for much conversation, and Brock and Pikachu had pulled him away, wishing Dawn good luck with her contests as they left.

    With N, though, she felt like she needed to talk to him.

    Even if she didn¡¯t know what to talk about in the slightest.

    ¡°Dawn?¡± He looked surprised. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡±

    She let out a quick, fake laugh. ¡°Yep! I, um,¡± she quickly thought up a lie. No, a half-truth? ¡°--wanted to make sure Mime Jr. was doing okay¡­.¡±

    ¡­hang on a minute. Since when did N have a Mime Jr.? No, it was¡­ he had a Mimikyu, not a¡­

    N rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t get me started on that. Mimikyu made such a fuss about getting a new disguise, but his old one was getting pretty worn out and gross. He¡¯ll be back to a Pikachu once we hit Pastoria, but for now¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°Anyways, he¡¯s¡­ alright, I guess. Just resting, for now. Nurse Joy doesn''t seem too concerned about his condition.¡±

    Something about the way he said that rang false.

    She smiled. ¡°No need to worry, then?¡±

    So did her own words.

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    An awkward silence ensued.

    ¡°So¡­ how have your contests been going? Or have you not participated in any recently? I haven¡¯t exactly been keeping up with any sort of news lately¡­¡± N tried to salvage the conversation.

    She internally cringed, but kept a smile on her face. ¡°Oh, you know, about the same as it has been. No major developments, but steady progress is what¡¯s important, right?¡±

    But as awkward and stilted as this felt, as much as the small white lies piled up as they continued, something about this felt right.

    It really was too bad that travelling with him was such a scary prospect.

    <hr>

    ¡°...and that concludes our report.¡±

    There was quiet in the room, only soft whispers breaking the silence as the Shadow Triad knelt before the Seven Sages.

    Eventually, someone spoke up. ¡°If this Galactic believes themselves capable of toppling the League, should we not leave them be and see how far they go?¡±

    ¡°Nay, we should crush them silently, before the League starts turning over old logs, wondering what else may be hidden.¡±

    ¡°Impossible, we do not yet have the power to take control of Unova, let alone meddle in the affairs of another region.¡±

    ¡°But if we are discovered, would we not want those who uncover us to tremble? To fear upsetting us?¡±

    ¡°Do not become overconfident. Look at what is left of the Rockets in Indigo after they made too much noise. They¡¯re a shell of their former selves. Not to mention how pathetic Magma and Aqua turned out to be¡­¡±

    ¡°They were able to awaken great things, do not look upon our competition so lightly. Especially considering what lurks in Sinnoh.¡±

    Their voices heard, the rest of the Sages waited patiently for Ghetsis to speak.

    ¡°We must not draw attention to ourselves until we are fully prepared. You are permitted to continue investigating, but only so far as you are able to while accompanying the King. Do not venture so far into enemy territory as you have in this instance.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lord Ghetsis,¡± The Triad said as one.

    ¡°And on the topic of the King¡­ how is he progressing? I trust that he is not totally defenseless, given that you have seen fit to leave him alone right outside of this Galactic base.¡±

    ¡°At the moment, he still only has the Mimikyu registered to him, though some progress has been made in terms of combat capability in that regard.¡±

    ¡°...good. He will need to be able to withstand the might of a Legendary Dragon, and if this¡­ fairy aids him in that, it is all the better. Tell me of this Mimikyu¡¯s capabilities. I want to know everything possible about it.¡±

    ¡°At once, Lord Ghetsis. To begin with, Mimikyu has shown a propensity for¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Cynthia massaged her temple as she sorted through some paperwork. The League had many resources, and she had many people she could outsource her workload to, but there was no escaping this mess when you were involved in any sort of bureaucracy. Especially with all of the problems that had been cropping up lately.

    So when there was a knock at her office door, she was eager to brush the monotonous task off to the side. ¡°Enter.¡¯

    Lucian walked inside, the expression on his face not at all what she had been hoping for after this particular outing.

    ¡°Did it really go that badly? Wake said she was making good progress.¡± Granted, that a Gym Leader needed some assistance in getting up to par at all was an issue, but Cynthia hadn¡¯t seen a problem with giving her some time to get up to snuff. Cynthia really hoped that Lucian hadn¡¯t been too hard on the poor girl, especially when he¡¯d gone out of his way to request that he be the one to appraise her in the first place.

    Lucian frowned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Maylene¡¯s appraisal had to be put on hold. I ran into an issue upon my arrival.¡±

    Cynthia quirked a brow. ¡°What sort of issue prevents you of all people from seeing your duties through?¡±

    ¡°Team Rocket decided to make a nuisance of themselves in Veilstone.¡± She could hear his teeth grinding together. ¡°They managed to escape.¡±

    ¡°The same group that¡¯s been gallivanting around Sinnoh until now?¡± They hadn¡¯t been much of an issue until now, and Cynthia had put the investigation into them on the back burner. In a way, their presence had been a boon, given their help in covering up the mess in Alamos. Letting them think that they had fooled her with those disguises had damaged her ego a bit, but needs must when you¡¯re Champion.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Lucian nodded. ¡°It is my opinion that they should be designated as a priority target going forward.¡±

    Cynthia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A priority target? Them? What exactly did they do?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I can just give you the full report right now¡­ When I arrived in Veilstone for Maylene¡¯s evaluation, I stumbled upon¡­¡±

 Chapter 60

    N breathed a sigh of relief when Mimikyu woke up with a groan. Nurse Joy may have assured him that his friend would be fine, but that didn¡¯t stop him from worrying.

    The King-in-training had brought the adorable little fae into their room, rather than leaving him to sit in the sterile back rooms of the medical ward of the Pokemon Center. She¡¯d given Mimikyu all the healing they could, and had given N a small supply of Sitrus berries, so there wasn¡¯t much point in hanging around back there anyways.

    ¡°Why do I feel like I got hit by a bus or sumthin¡¯...?¡± His cute little friend questioned with a groggy tone.

    N frowned. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± It¡¯s not like he understood what Mimikyu had actually done to break the brainwashing effect. ¡°What do you remember?¡±

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t bother sitting his deflated disguise up, the Mime Jr. doll lying limp on the bed. He hummed for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. ¡°There was¡­ ah, shit, we fought Team Galactic with the Rockets, didn¡¯t we? Crazy bastards¡­¡±

    That was definitely another topic they¡¯d need to discuss, as N still had no information on this Galactic group beyond the fact that they were apparently in cahoots with Elite Four Lucian. But Mimikyu¡¯s health took priority over that, so he stayed silent for now.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Mimikyu seemed to struggle for a moment. ¡°...did Lucian seriously try ¡®n¡¯ mess with our heads?¡± He continued with a tone of disbelief. ¡°I mean I knew the League wasn¡¯ quite what I expected, but that¡¯s¡­ ¡®n¡¯ he was working with Galactic!¡± Mimikyu suddenly shot up¡­ but his deflated form meant that it was really just the head of the disguise rotating into an upright position.

    N grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s certainly how it seems. I was not fully¡­ aware for all of it, but from what I could gather he was using his Psychic types to alter our memories and erase the incident with Team Galactic from our minds. Ash seemed to have a strong reaction to whatever they were doing, but once Lucian was done nobody seemed able to recall what had happened. He planted the idea in their heads that Team Rocket was responsible for their disoriented state before running off.¡±

    ¡°He just straight up tries to brainwash us ¡®n¡¯ then runs away?¡± Mimikyu inquired, doubt in his tone. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯ he stick aroun¡¯ ¡®n¡¯ ensure that he got us? Is he really jus¡¯ a cocky bastard who didn¡¯ think there was any way ta keep our memories?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, but my current theory is that he was tying up loose ends,¡± N explained. ¡°Team Rocket¡­.¡± There was no way he was going to repeat their wording of blasting off. It felt like an insult to his own intelligence. ¡°...escaped, which means that their memories are fully intact. He knows that they interact with Ash¡¯s group on a regular basis, and he wouldn¡¯t want to risk them letting something slip, especially since Ash seemed to have some level of resistance.¡±

    Mimikyu laughed. ¡°So now he¡¯s chasin¡¯ ¡®em down? They¡¯ve avoided capture since Ash started his journey, I doubt he¡¯ll ¡®ave much luck.¡±

    ¡°...perhaps.¡± N wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. No group who stole Pokemon for their own gain could be up to any good, even if he had been surprised by some of James¡¯ remarks during that last battle. Yet at the same time, if this Galactic group was working with an Elite Four member who was going around erasing memories, he might not be able to afford turning away any assistance he could get. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as they say.

    ¡°Still, though¡­¡± Mimikyu sounded worried. ¡°Lucian really¡­ I dunno how else I¡¯m s¡¯posed ta interpret this other than ¡®im bein¡¯ a criminal of some sort. An¡¯ if the top Elite Four member of Sinnoh is out there doin¡¯ stuff like this, ya ¡®ave ta wonder if it¡¯s the whole League. Is it the sorta thing where the League is jus¡¯ the biggest gang? They have the most power so they¡¯re in charge instead of Rocket or Magma or whoever? Or is the League good in an overall sense, with a few bad eggs mixed in? I s¡¯pose it wouldn¡¯ be the first time, given Giovanni was the top Gym Leader in Kanto while runnin¡¯ Team Rocket.¡±

    ¡°...the leader of Team Rocket was a Gym Leader?¡± N repeated. He knew that they were a big deal in their home regions, but that was a bit unbelievable.

    ¡°Yep. Strongest Gym Leader, right at the base of Mount Silver, too¡­¡± Mimikyu explained half-heartedly, as if the leader of a massive criminal organization running the Gym closest to the Indigo headquarters wasn¡¯t a big deal in the slightest, clearly putting more thought into the more recent and important reveal.

    Speaking of which, as much as he hated the League, he could at least ensure that things were set straight. Understanding your enemy properly was important, rather than simply demonizing them at every turn. ¡°As for your worry about how deeply this problem infects the League, I highly doubt that it¡¯s all or even most of them. Lucian put Maylene, Brock, and Officer Jenny under his spell as well, and while I can perhaps see the Jenny family standing against such a thing, there¡¯s no good reason to do that to your Gym Leaders unless they would also be at odds with you.¡±

    Mimikyu breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Good. Dealin¡¯ with some chumps from Galactic was hard enough, I don¡¯ wanna imagine what it¡¯d be like going up against the whole League.¡±

    N kept silent. Certainly it wasn¡¯t possible now, but once he used the stone¡­

    No. Now wasn¡¯t the time for that sort of thinking. ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m more concerned about you, Mimikyu. What did you do? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Ya mean gettin¡¯ knocked out?¡± Mimikyu asked.

    ¡°What do you¨C no! Or¡­ did you get knocked out?¡±

    ¡°Well one minute Lucian¡¯s tryna wipe our memories ¡®n¡¯ the next I¡¯m wakin¡¯ up ¡®ere, so I sorta assumed¡­¡±

    ¡°...you truly don¡¯t remember what you did?¡±

    Mimikyu let out an adorable little frustrated scoff, his false head tilting back. ¡°Why are ya actin¡¯ like I¨C¡±

    His friend stopped moving.

    ¡°...Mimikyu?¡±

    ¡°N.¡± There was a strange softness to his voice. ¡°What happened to me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to ask you! You let out some sort of Ghost type energy when Lucian was messing with my head, and then you suddenly collapsed! When Nurse Joy looked at you, she said that you must have used it all up or something like that, but she seemed only slightly less confused about it than I am to be honest. She mentioned something about visiting¨C¡±

    ¡°N,¡± Mimikyu interrupted him.

    ¡°...I can¡¯t move.¡±

    <hr>

    Lucas hoped N wouldn¡¯t be too annoyed with him.

    After the lackluster battle against Maylene, he¡¯d gone out to treasure hunt some more, and it seemed that he had lost track of time. It was like one second he¡¯d been walking out of the Gym, and then he¡¯d blinked and hours had passed! The sun was close to setting, and he could have sworn it he should have plenty of daylight left.

    Sure he¡¯d gotten lots of good loot out of it, like the HM for Fly he¡¯d found¡­ where had he found that one¡­

    Well, regardless of his failing memory, he¡¯d really gotten lucky with his finds today, but he had a sinking feeling that N wouldn¡¯t feel the same way. The poor guy didn¡¯t even have a Gym battle to keep him entertained, so he was probably bored out of his mind if Lucas had managed to spend so much time treasure hunting. Shopping could only keep him and Mimikyu occupied for so long, after all.

    As he approached the Pokemon Center, he spotted a familiar floating phone waving back and forth in front of the sensor for the automatic doors.

    ¡°Ah! Lucas!¡± The phone crackled. ¡°This stupid door won¡¯t open for Rotom! Rotom would just phase through it, but Rotom doesn¡¯t think N would appreciate Rotom abandoning his phone¡­¡±

    Lucas gave him an understanding nod, knowing that neither wanted to be on the receiving end of N¡¯s anger, and walked up to the door, watching them slide open on their own.

    ¡°Rotom will need to complain to Nurse Joy. Their sensors not picking up on Rotom in this form is unacceptable!¡±

    Lucas, knowing absolutely nothing about how such doors worked, simply nodded along as they made their way back to the room.

    They paused outside the door, however, as the sounds on the other side weren¡¯t promising. N was speaking in Unovan again, so Lucas couldn¡¯t understand the words themselves, but he sounded a bit¡­ frantic?

    Whatever he was saying was apparently enough to have Rotom jolting in surprise, so Lucas very strongly considered just walking away so as to keep it from becoming his problem¡­This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Open the door for Rotom!¡±

    ¡­but it seemed his luck for the day had run out.

    With a sigh, Lucas opened the door, stepping inside as Rotom floated up over his head. N was pacing back and forth in front of his bed, worry etched into his face. Mimikyu¡­

    Lucas blinked at the bundle of pink fabric. That was certainly new. Was this what had N so up in arms?

    N finally stopped his pacing and took notice of their arrival, looking towards Rotom with a pleading face, rapidly spouting out his weird language.

    ¡°What? Rotom has never heard of such a thing.¡± The phone flitted over to the deflated doll. ¡°Nurse Joy really said that there was nothing she could do?¡±

    ¡°Mimi¨C¡±

    N cut the Pokemon off and switched back to Sinnohian at Rotom¡¯s prompting. ¡°I¡±ve had her look over him twice, both before and after he woke up, but¡­ you¡¯re a Ghost type, right? There has to be something you can do!¡± Every word sounded more panicked than the last. Was Mimikyu really in such a bad situation?

    Rotom shook back and forth, mimicking a head shake. ¡°Rotom is mostly electricity, Rotom wouldn¡¯t even know where to start¡­¡±

    N bit his lip. ¡°We need to leave then. Nurse Joy said we could get help in Sendoff Spring, and I¡¯m not about to wait around hoping something happens.¡±

    ¡°Sendoff¨C¡± The word was cut off in a crackle of electricity. ¡°You want to go all the way to Sendoff Spring immediately? It¡¯s almost dusk! Why not just wait for your Shadow people to come back? Rotom knows they have a Banette with them!¡±

    N scowled at the mention of the ninjas. ¡°They said they¡¯d arrive quickly if I needed them, but I haven¡¯t seen them since they left. I have no clue when they might come back, and for all we know Mimikyu¡¯s condition could be getting worse by the second.¡±

    ¡°Kyu! Mimikyu!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I know better than to trust other people to treat Pokemon well!¡± The green haired man suddenly looked up at Lucas with an intensity the boy wasn¡¯t prepared for. ¡°Are you coming with us?¡±

    Lucas nodded dumbly, despite having no clue what he had just walked into. It wasn¡¯t like there was anything left to do in Veilstone, and he wasn¡¯t opposed to travelling at night¡­

    ¡°Good. We¡¯re leaving now.¡± N gently scooped Mimikyu¡¯s new disguise up into his arms before brushing past Lucas and going out the door.

    Lucas shared a look with Rotom, hoping for some sort of actual explanation for what was going on.

    ¡°That fool,¡± Rotom crackled. ¡°Rotom does not trust him to make good judgements as he is. Be ready to step in if it¡¯s needed.¡± That was all the Electric type said before following out the door.

    Lucas sighed. Railroaded again.

    <hr>

    The songs of Kricketune filled the cool night air, spoiled only by the occasional flap of a Zubat¡¯s wings, and of course, the footsteps of Lucas and N. The route was dark, but the moon¡¯s light reflected off of the water¡¯s surface as they walked along the shore of a small lake, and the glow of Rotom¡¯s electricity lit up the path directly around them.

    ¡°Explain to Rotom in more detail what is wrong. What caused this?¡± The flip phone demanded, hovering just within reach of N and the cute little fae in his arms that needed protection, bouncing up and down with each of N¡¯s steps despite the fact that Rotom could stay perfectly level as it floated along.

    N was content to ignore the little distraction, but Mimikyu answered regardless. ¡°After I got my new disguise we were gonna check out the meteors. When we got there, Team Rocket was fightin¡¯ Team Galactic.¡±

    If it were possible for a phone to tense, N was sure that Rotom would have done it. Its bouncy levitation stopped for a moment, and its eyes went wide, but Rotom quickly recovered, acting as if nothing had happened.

    Mimikyu didn¡¯t seem to notice, however. ¡°We¡­ intervened, long ¡®nough for the authorities to arrive and handle things, but¡­ it turns out Elite Four Lucian is workin¡¯ with Galactic. Bastard tried to brainwash ev¡¯ryone there, forget about what happened, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Elite Four Lucian¡­?¡± The phone¡¯s speaker crackled.

    ¡°Yes,¡± N confirmed. He didn¡¯t want Mimikyu pushing himself, even if just to tell the story. ¡°Everyone else that was present fell victim, but Mimikyu expelled some Ghost type energy and shocked me out of the trance. He doesn¡¯t seem to remember doing so, however, and promptly collapsed afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Part of me wonders if it was some sorta subconscious reaction,¡± Mimikyu suggested.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s as ya say, an¡¯ I let out all that Ghost energy¡­ sounds pretty similar ta what happened with that Gallade, ain¡¯ it? Some damn Psychic goes diggin¡¯ inta my mind and then I¡­ well, do somethin¡¯ I ain¡¯ aware of.¡±

    N slowly nodded. ¡°I had similar thoughts, but you didn¡¯t knock yourself out that time, Gallade did.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt. You can¡¯t be certain that that is the case this time either. The Psychics could have done something when the Ghost type energy surged. But Rotom thinks Rotom has a clear enough picture of what led to this. Explain to Rotom what you mean about not being able to move.¡±

    Mimikyu took a moment to gather his thoughts. ¡°...I can¡¯t feel my limbs at all. Can¡¯t feel much of anythin¡¯, really. I can still see jus¡¯ fine, can still look aroun¡¯, but as far as locomotion goes¡­ it¡¯s like ev¡¯rythin¡¯ is jus¡¯... gone. I ain¡¯ lettin¡¯ anyone check under the disguise for obvious reasons, but it¡¯s like I¡¯m¡­ jus¡¯ a torso or somethin¡¯ right now.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t check yourself?¡± Rotom asked.

    ¡°I¡­ well, ya see¡­¡± Mimikyu stumbled over his words in an endearing way. ¡°I don¡¯t really¡­ know what my body looks like.¡±

    N frowned, keeping one eye on a sleeping Psyduck as they passed it on the shore of the lake. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ stuff outside of my disguise, like when I use Shadow Claw or reach for stuff or whatever, I can see that jus¡¯ fine through the slits in my disguise. But stuff on the inside¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you never looked in a mirror?¡± Rotom asked. ¡°Rotom can understand the struggles of not having a neck to look down at yourself with, like humans can, but Rotom has at least looked into reflective surfaces. Did you not think to check the one at the Pokemon Center?¡±

    ¡°No, no, yer not understanding, I ¡®ave a neck¡­. I think¡­¡±

    N was only growing more confused. ¡°How can you think you have a neck? How is it even possible to not be sure? You know that you have hands, and you must have a mouth since you eat, and eyes because you see, and ears of some sort because you can hear. You can either move a neck you have, or you don¡¯t have one.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t always have arms.¡±

    That was enough to make N stumble, but he quickly recovered. Lucas gave him an odd look, but didn¡¯t question it.

    Rotom looked intrigued. ¡°Do you have different forms? Like Rotom? Rotom does not always have doors, so opening them after possessing a refrigerator can be odd.¡±

    ¡°No, not different forms, I don¡¯t think¡­ it¡¯s more like¡­ like I will them into existence? I want to speak, and then I ¡®ave a mouth. I want to reach for something, ¡®n¡¯ then I ¡®ave arms. Like¡­ like I¡¯m some sorta¡­ amorphous blob that only has all that stuff when I actively use it.¡±

    What Mimikyu was describing was so far out of N¡¯s comprehension that he struggled to imagine it at all. Was Mimikyu just a precious little soup of body parts or something?

    ¡°Rotom is only more confused.¡±

    ¡°I dunno how else ta explain it!¡± He let out a captivating sigh. ¡°But as offputtin¡¯ an¡¯ annoyin¡¯ as this all is, I still think it woulda been easier if you had actually listened ta Nurse Joy, N.¡±

    N scowled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to let her stuff you in a pokeball and ship you off to who knows where for some Ghost type contact. I may have some trust for the Joy family specifically, but their contacts? No way.¡±

    ¡°So damn stubborn¡­¡±

    One day, N was sure that Mimikyu would understand. He couldn¡¯t trust his adorable friend¡¯s safety to some awful trainer.

    A howl in the distance cut the conversation to a pause.

    ¡°Call me stubborn all you want, Mimikyu. I¡¯ll be as stubborn as I have to be to keep Pokemon safe.¡±

    What Mimikyu called stubbornness, N considered determination. And if he planned to save all the Pokemon of Unova, he had to ensure that he could save a single friend, first.

    <hr>

    A shadow dispersed, leaving Shadows behind.

    ¡°I wish those old fools wouldn¡¯t waste so much time with their silly meetings.¡± The first remarked.

    ¡°Hearing varying opinions is important when you¡¯re making big decisions.¡± The second responded.

    ¡°They could make their input heard without droning on forever.¡± The third compromised. ¡°What¡¯s done is done, however. We can do nothing about the delay, but we should return to N quickly. Who knows what sort of nonsense he¡¯s gotten himself into now.¡±

    The first nodded. ¡°Banette, can you tell us where they are?¡±

    Banette nodded with his cheshire grin, closing his eyes and expanding his focus over the city of Veilstone. Being able to track their lord was certainly a boon, and almost a necessity with the updates that Lord Ghetsis expected.

    Which meant that when Banette gave them a worried look instead of taking them to N, there was a problem.

    ¡°Can you not find them, Banette?¡±

    The spirit shook his head in the negative.

    The trio shared a look.

    ¡°When I expressed my worry about the lord getting involved in trouble, I didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to split up and try to hunt him down.¡±

    ¡°Do we even know where to start? What reason would there be for him to not be within the city? Could he have been taken away by the League, Plasma¡¯s plans exposed?¡±

    ¡°Or perhaps Galactic, having caught on to his connection to us after our intrusion¡­¡±

    ¡°I will change into civilian clothing and ask the Nurse Joy. One of you start looking around the city with Banette, and the other¡­ perhaps ask at the gates out of the city? We can only hope they were not teleported away¡­¡±

    Serving their lords was turning out to be much more troublesome than they had expected.

 Chapter 61

    Route 214 proved to be a difficult path to traverse as the late hours of the night slowly creeped by. It wasn¡¯t particularly treacherous footing or anything of the sort, at least not on the flat grassy area they were progressing on, but for some reason there were giant fences erected in a maze-like fashion all over the route. N hadn¡¯t taken note of any local businesses or other such stops, so the reason for them being there was both a mystery and a hindrance. Part of him wanted to just let Torterra blow a hole in each of them to create a straight path, but enabling Lucas¡¯ more chaotic and criminal tendencies seemed like a poor choice, even if the situation was rather urgent.

    Part of the difficulty came from the fact that it was so dark out. The moon helped to illuminate the white paint on the fences a bit, but even with Rotom levitating up above the top of the fences, the Pokemon was unable to guide them very well given the limited visibility.

    The late hour did mean that there was a lack of trainers on the route, and their absence was definitely a boon. He hoped that Lucas would have enough sense to turn down their potential requests for battle given the circumstances, but not having to have those sorts of conversations in the first place made things all the easier.

    Still, though, N wished that they could arrive at their destination sooner. Every moment led to more worry about Mimikyu, despite the fact that his adorable fae friend was in his arms for each and every one of those moments.

    It felt as if the darkness was closing in on them, as if the Spring Path was getting further away despite their forward progress, as if he was going to fail his friend. That feeling gnawed away at him.

    ¡°AWOOOOO!¡±

    The howling certainly didn¡¯t help either.

    ¡°Is it just Rotom, or has the howling been getting closer?¡± His flip phone buzzed.

    Lucas nodded, looking around with an expression that was more cautious than nerve-filled.

    ¡°Well that don¡¯ bode well¡­¡± Mimikyu grumbled.

    N marched on. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If some wild Pokemon have an interest in us, I¡¯ll simply convince them to leave us alone.¡±

    ¡°And if they aren¡¯t so easily convinced? Bzzrt.¡± Rotom inquired.

    Frowning, N shook his head. ¡°Pokemon are reasonable, we can talk things out.¡± Some species might be easier to handle than others, but N hadn¡¯t spent all that time out in the wilderness for nothing. ¡°Knowing what the issue might be in advance could smooth things over, however. Does anyone have ideas as to the Pokemon in question?¡±

    Lucas shrugged, Rotom hesitated, but Mimikyu hummed. ¡°This route¡­ ¡®as a bunch of Rock types, I¡¯m pretty sure. ¡®N¡¯ there were Girafarig too¡­ but none of ¡®em should be howlin¡¯, right?¡±

    N looked to Rotom helplessly, not having any clue what a Girafarig was.

    ¡°Uh¡­ no,¡± the Electric type awkwardly replied. ¡°Last Rotom checked, Girafarig do not howl.¡±

    ¡°Righ¡¯, an¡¯ the Rhydon don¡¯ either¡­ oh! There¡¯s uh¡­ oh shoot, which one wassit¡­ A Dark type! Canine for sure, but for the life uh me I can¡¯ remember if it was Poochyena or Houndour¡­¡±

    Rotom lit up at those words. Figuratively speaking, given that he had been acting as a light source the whole time already. ¡°Rotom is unfamiliar with Poochyena, but Houndour are known to be in Sinnoh!¡±

    Houndour? That name seemed familiar, but N couldn¡¯t place it at that moment in time.

    ¡°Yeah, Houndour, that must be it! Dark ¡®n¡¯ Fire type Pokemon with a focus on the special side. S¡¯posedly if ya get bitten by one, the pain ain¡¯ ever gonna go away¡­ or was that jus¡¯ when they evolved? I don¡¯ remember.¡±

    N rolled his eyes. Pain from a bite that never goes away? That sounded like more Pokedex nonsense that was better off ignored. The typing, on the other hand, was a bit concerning. Of course it wasn¡¯t true across the board, but generally speaking both Fire and Dark types had what one might consider ¡°attitude problems¡±. Someone charitable might consider them strong-willed and proud, but¡­ well, N just needed to keep the possibility in mind. A Pokemon that held those dual types might need a more stern approach if and when a confrontation were to occur.

    Hopefully things wouldn¡¯t come to that though. His cute little friend needed help as soon as possible.

    <hr>

    N was starting to flag, exhaustion from the long day catching up to him as he delayed sleep for longer and longer. Lucas seemed even worse off. It was easy to forget sometimes, given that he was a Trainer out on his journey, but the boy was a bit young to be staying up for such an extended period of time.

    N couldn¡¯t just stop now, though. Mimikyu needed him. He had to pull through for his cute little friend.

    N stumbled, but forced himself to regain his footing quickly.

    ¡°Stop here for the night.¡± Rotom phrased it more like a command than a suggestion.

    ¡°Tha¡¯ ain¡¯ a bad idea, I¡¯m barely keepin¡¯ my eyes open,¡± Mimikyu agreed.

    Lucas rubbed a hand over his eyes, nodding along with the Pokemon.

    N shook his head no. ¡°We can keep going, it can¡¯t be that much further.¡±

    Mimikyu groaned. ¡°N, I ain¡¯ exactly pleased ¡®bout my current situation either, but it ain¡¯ a matter that requires ya ta push yerself so hard. I¡¯ll be fine if ya slow down a bit ¡®n¡¯ get some proper rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not pushing myself, I can keep going Mimikyu, we just need to-¡±

    ¡°Lucas.¡± Rotom buzzed.

    Somehow, that was all that needed to be said. In a flash of red light, Lucas¡¯ Torterra was released, and N got the feeling that it wasn¡¯t to go through with his idle musings about tearing through all this stupid fencing.

    There was some gesturing on the boy¡¯s part that N couldn¡¯t follow, and then the giant Ground type was lumbering in front of N, stopping him in his tracks.

    N glared, or at least as well as he was able in his sloppy, sleep deprived state. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Torterra rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re exhausted. Sleep. Or I¡¯ll make you.¡±

    ¡°You know Sleep Powder? I didn¡¯ think ya got that¡­¡± Mimikyu mumbled enchantingly.

    ¡°Nope. Can knock him out, though.¡± The Grass type titled his body in a way that made the tree on his back appear threatening. If N got hit with that he might just end up with a concussion, and who knows how long it would take to get Mimikyu help in that state¡­

    With a sigh, N relented. A short break to rest wasn¡¯t an awful idea.

    ¡°...fine. A short nap.¡±

    The group quickly set up a makeshift camp, falling asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows.

    <hr>

    N woke up to a kick in the gut.

    Groaning, he scrambled to sit up and protect his body. The bright light of the noon sun assaulted his eyes and he struggled to see his assailant. ¡°Wha-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic.¡± Cynthia spat at him, first figuratively and then literally.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± N cursed, wiping it off of his face and trying to assess the situation, but while he was doing that Cynthia kicked him again, sending him into a coughing fit as he doubled over in pain.

    ¡°You really thought we didn¡¯t know? How delusional do you have to be to think you can become a king?¡±

    Dread pooled in his gut. They knew?! How could the League have found him out? Did someone betray them? Did they know from the start? He needed to play dumb, find out exactly how much they were aware of. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re-¡±

    ¡°We know everything, kid. Give it up.¡±

    Whirling his head around to the opposite side of the clearing, N realized that Alder was present as well. The Champion of Unova gave him a disgusted look. ¡°You thought that you could challenge the League? With all the power that they hold?¡±

    Before he could think of any sort of response, there was a laugh. ¡°We¡¯re not going to let you stop our abuse, you fool.¡±

    Lucian was leaning into Cynthia, his arm draped around her. ¡°Pokemon exist for our benefit. We¡¯re not going to let some little upstart and his sycophants come in and stage a coup over a whole region under our control.¡±

    N glared at the man. Trying to brainwash him and his friends was bad enough, but coming here to brag just before they took him away? ¡°You might think yourself high and mighty now, but when I wipe that smirk off your face-¡±

    ¡°And how do you expect to do that?¡±

    N paled.  That voice shouldn¡¯t be here. Hunting down N was one thing when he¡¯d encountered Lucian earlier in the day, but if his father was here then they wouldn¡¯t even need to search Unova! Had he been captured before they came for N? ¡°Father? What are you doing here?¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Ghetsis didn¡¯t answer the question. ¡°You¡¯re a failure, N. I had such high hopes for you, for what you could do for Plasma, for the whole world¡­ but instead of gaining the power of the Dragon, you¡¯ve been out here wandering aimlessly, making friends with filthy Pokemon Trainers.¡±

    That hurt more than the kicks Cynthia had delivered. ¡°No, father, you don¡¯t understand, I just wanted to help Mimi-¡±

    ¡°Help me?¡± Mimikyu questioned.

    The little fae was sitting on his lap. Had he been there this whole time? Wait, no, more importantly- ¡°You¡¯re okay! You- what happened? I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯re back to normal, you really gave me a scare¡­¡±

    Indeed, Mimikyu was back to his terrifying normal self, Pikachu disguise and all. And it was clean? When did they have time to do that?

    ¡°Ya can¡¯t help anyone, N.¡± Mimikyu declared in a cold tone. ¡°Ya don¡¯t know anything. Yer clueless. Foolish. I know more than ya think I know, and ya jus¡¯ let that slide, didn¡¯t ya? I can tell it¡¯s been eatin¡¯ at ya a bit, how many secrets I hold, but ya didn¡¯ wanna stir up any problems with me, didja?¡±

    ¡°Well of course it bothered me, but I wasn¡¯t going to just sit you down for an interrogation, Mimikyu! We¡¯ve been over this before, haven¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°You refuse to seek out the Truth.¡±

    ¡°You refuse to strive for the Ideal.¡±

    Two booming voices spoke out in unison, and N recognized neither. When he frantically looked around, he could find the source of neither. To call it unsettling was a massive understatement.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you, N.¡±

    When N¡¯s eyes landed on Dawn, Mimikyu was no longer in his lap, but on her shoulder.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I ever listened to you,¡± she continued. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to have Mimikyu with you.¡± She turned away from him, walking off into the distance.

    He couldn¡¯t let this happen. Standing up, he brushed past everyone else, though they didn¡¯t put up any resistance. Running after her he shouted out. ¡°Wait! Dawn, hold on!¡± He didn''t understand. ¡°Mimikyu!¡± Despite the fact that he was running after her, that he knew he was faster, the distance between them only seemed to grow.

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, N.¡± She turned to look back at him, blood streaming down from her forehead over her face. ¡°You could have made things better, but you didn¡¯t.¡±

    It felt like the slits in Mimikyu¡¯s disguise were staring into his soul. ¡°I know everything about you, Natural. And I know that you¡¯ll never be king. The suffering in this world, that¡¯s blood on your hands.¡±

    He glanced down, and his hands were soaked in blood, enough to be dripping down onto the ground, staining everything around him.

    They were right. He wasn¡¯t enough. He¡¯d never be enough. Not only would he not make it as king, he¡¯d bring down Plasma with his foolishness, and his friends would abandon him. Hate him.

    Millions of Pokemon cried out in pain, and as he looked up from his blood soaked hands, Mimikyu lifted his disguise.

    Overwhelming fear consumed him.

    The world went dark.

    This is how he dies.

    <hr>

    N woke up with a gasp, cold sweat making his shirt cling to his back. The sun was peeking over the horizon, dawn having just passed.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, scram!¡±

    ¡°We were just having some fun!¡± Another voice barked out.

    ¡°Well we¡¯ve had enough of your so-called fun! Keep it up and we¡¯ll see about some eternal rain on this route as well, see how you like that!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t over!¡± The second voice was quieter now, and as N tried to calm his racing heart, he saw black fur and white bone disappearing into the treeline.

    It was just a dream. All just a bad dream¡­

    ¡°Are you all alright? Us spirits have to stick together you know, especially with these Dark types pulling their nonsense. Having some fun he called it. It¡¯s ridiculous!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Rotom¡­. Rotom will be alright. Thank you for your assistance.¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t think anything of it. Happy to help! Not often we see your kind around here, wouldn¡¯t want you to be scared off.¡±

    N finally turned back to the group, satisfied that whatever Pokemon had been¡­ doing whatever it had done, had run off. Torterra had one eye open, seemingly just having woken up, but alert after noticing the disturbance. Lucas was on top of his starter, half asleep and stretching his limbs. Mimikyu was still a limp Mime Jr. doll, though the head was tilted to look at the ongoing conversation.

    Rotom, however, had left the confines of his flip phone and was in its natural state, having a conversation with an unfamiliar Pokemon.

    The thing was bulky. Thick, stump like legs supported a rounded body. There was no neck, but the head could sort of be made distinct by the fact that there was a sudden tapering where a neck should be, and three¡­ teeth-like protrusions? It was like three incisors were poking out of where its mouth should be, but made of the same thing as its flesh. Only, it wasn¡¯t flesh, was it? It was more of a cloth like substance, wrapped completely around its body like a mummy. Light grey hands that were surprisingly human were held in front of its torso, free of such binding, though N didn¡¯t see any arms to support them. The only other parts of the body that were free of the grey cloth were wispy protrusions where its ears and hair might be, and the single eye in the center of its face. Lacking a pupil, the red iris stared at Rotom as the two spoke.

    ¡°...a Dusclops? Ain¡¯ ya s¡¯posed ta be outside the cave rather than out on this route?¡± Mimikyu inquired.

    The now identified Dusclops did a strange motion of rolling its wrists, and N assumed it was the closest approximation of a shrug possible given its body layout. ¡°That¡¯s where I live, sure, but the Rock and Water types around here get spared the harassment by those Houndour, so they don¡¯t really bother to intervene when they¡¯re the only ones on the route who can really stand up to them¡­¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s where you come in?¡± N prompted.

    The red iris setting its gaze on him sent a shiver down his spine, but he¡¯d long grown used to the presence of Ghost types so it didn¡¯t phase him. ¡°Well, aren''t you interesting? But yeah, that¡¯s where I come in. Well, me and a few others, to be clear.¡±

    ¡°The type matchup seems troublesome,¡± Torterra chimed in to N¡¯s surprise. ¡°Fantina¡¯s Duskull didn¡¯t like my Bite.¡±

    Dusclops let out a hearty laugh. ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong! When Houndoom comes around there isn¡¯t much we can do, but her little Houndour brats? They¡¯re just pups, and my kind are good at taking a hit!¡± He hummed. ¡°Real troublesome brats, though, if they¡¯re going around using Nightmare and Dream Eater on travellers.¡±

    ¡°Dream Eater? I guess that¡¯d explain why¡­¡± Mimikyu trailed off before scoffing. ¡°But seriously, what¡¯s up with these Pokemon knowin¡¯ these moves out in the wild? Are competitive battlers jus¡¯ throwin¡¯ all their hard work out into the woods or somethin¡¯? Or I s¡¯pose more likely it¡¯d be rejects from a breeder or somethin¡¯ with some top tier genetics at play¡­¡±

    N frowned, discomfort rolling through him, and he told himself that it was entirely due to the talk of Pokemon being abandoned like trash, rather than what had been done to them in their sleep.

    Shaking those thoughts from his head, he stood up. ¡°Well, thank you for your assistance, Dusclops, we greatly appreciate it, but we really must be going. Mimikyu needs to be taken to Sendoff Spring immediately so that¡­¡± Hold on a moment. Wasn¡¯t this precisely the Pokemon they were looking for?

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. Ya think ya can fix me up?¡± Mimikyu asked the Ghost. ¡°I seem ta¡¯ve somehow¡­ unghosted myself or somethin¡¯. Was recommended I visit you and yer friends ta see if I could ¡®ave that undone.¡±

    The Dusclops¡¯ lone eye stared at Mimikyu blankly. ¡°You¡­ unghosted yourself? That¡¯s a new one. Your group is full of oddities, isn¡¯t it?¡± Then, turning away from them, he slowly started walking down the route. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that, but if there¡¯s anyone who can help you, it¡¯d be the old man. Come on, I¡¯ll show you the way.¡±

    The group shared a look, and then quickly started packing their things up, Lucas catching on a little late but joining in all the same.

    Hopefully this old man would be able to give Mimikyu the help he needed.

    <hr>

    The rest of their short trip to Sendoff Spring was uneventful, and N couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they were being avoided thanks to their guide.

    That changed once they made their way through the short, and rather claustrophobic path that led to a clearing before a rather steep cliff face, however.

    ¡°He¡¯s back! He¡¯s back!¡± Dozens of voices chimed, a melody of cries ringing out. Chingling bounced into the air, swarming Dusclops before quickly being pulled back by what must be their evolution. The unfamiliar Pokemon looked like if you took a Chingling and changed its braids into a spell tag that hung below it, painted the whole thing white and then splattered some red on top.

    ¡°Children, please, there¡¯s no need to rush him,¡± one of the evolved Pokemon chided.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, Chimecho!¡± Dusclops laughed, spreading his fingers out in a welcoming gesture. ¡°There¡¯s no harm in it. I just need to show these travellers to the old man, so I can¡¯t stick around and play.¡±

    ¡°Travellers! Travellers!¡± The Chingling chimed, and N quickly found his ears ringing as they broke free from the loose grasp of the spell tags and swarmed them instead.

    ¡°Ah, yes, it¡¯s nice to meet you all,¡± he was forced to spit a stray braid out of his mouth, ¡°but we don¡¯t have time to play either!¡±

    ¡°Woah! Did he understand you?!¡±

    ¡°Your friend is cute! What¡¯s your name, little cloth Pokemon? Are you related to Dusclops? They like cloth, too!¡±

    ¡°Look at that Pokemon!¡±

    On and on, the children rang and chimed, drowning out any attempts by their elders to calm them down.

    At least until it was all suddenly silenced at once by an overwhelming aura of fear.

    ¡°Careful, little ones, or misbehaving children will be sent into the cave.¡±

    Dusclops didn¡¯t sound nearly so jolly when he made that threat.

    The Chingling vanished into the tall grass and beyond the treeline in an instant, and the oppressive, unnatural fear dissipated.

    Dusclops laughed again. ¡°Sorry about them! They can be a bit excitable!¡±

    N paused, looking at his companions. Rotom didn¡¯t look very perturbed, but Lucas had a hand on Torterra¡¯s Pokeball, looking a hair¡¯s breadth away from starting a battle.

    Mimikyu¡¯s expression was as hidden as ever, but he was the one to speak up. ¡°...yer a real scary guy when ya wanna be, ain¡¯ ya?¡±

    Dusclops chuckled. ¡°The perks of being a Ghost!¡±

    ¡°What was with what you said, though?¡± N prompted. ¡°Were you referring to Turnback Cave?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you know about that place?¡± Dusclops asked as he continued guiding them towards the cliff. ¡°Terrible, awful place. Perfect for weirdos like us! But for poor little Psychics like them? Dreadful. Bronzor and Bronzong can withstand it, because their minds are so warped already, but outside of them it¡¯s just the usual Golbat you can find in any cave and us Ghosts.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt. Not surprising, given its reputation.¡± Rotom added, having returned to N¡¯s flip-phone.

    ¡°Yeah, Nurse Joy suggested that I avoid entering for some reason, though she didn¡¯t specify why¡­¡±

    ¡°Good advice!¡± Dusclops responded. ¡°Not a place for humans like you. Though I¡¯m not sure the old man will come out, so if you want his help you might not have a choice¡­ I¡¯ll do my best, though!¡±

    N frowned. ¡°Not for humans? What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Well you see¡­¡± Dusclops¡¯ mirthful tone dropped, though he didn¡¯t switch to the fear inducing one either. It was cold. Monotone. Serious.

    ¡°Turnback Cave is where the King resides.¡±

 Chapter 62

    Getting to Turnback Cave proved to be more of a challenge than N had anticipated. Apparently both the body of water that Sendoff Spring was named after and the entrance to the cave were inside a large ring of cliffs, like someone had drawn a circle around the spring and elevated the outline into the sky, requiring that anyone who wanted to visit first climb up the steep cliff face and then descend on the other side.

    The many Staravia and Starly that flew overhead only made him a tiny bit jealous.

    But with flight out of the question, it had turned into a multi hour process of carefully maneuvering up and down the rocks with some guidance from the local Gravellers. He had heard of a move called Rock Climb, which assuredly would have been extremely useful if someone like Torterra were capable of it, but the disk for the technique wasn¡¯t currently in Lucas¡¯ vast collection and none of the locals were familiar with it either.

    Taking his final step onto the solid ground that lined the edge of the spring, N let out a breath he didn¡¯t realize he had been holding.

    ¡°You¡¯re all so inefficient. This is why everyone should levitate like Rotom!¡± His flip phone buzzed.

    ¡°Rotom?¡± N prompted.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°Noted and denied!¡±

    Dusclops laughed. ¡°You lot are a riot! Well, anyways, you just wait here while I try and hunt down the old man for you. Shouldn¡¯t take me too long, I don¡¯t think.¡± With a short wave, the Ghost walked into the entrance of the cave, leaving them behind.

    The group waited quietly for a minute. And then another minute. Eventually, when he realized that it wasn¡¯t just a short trip, N decided to ask some questions that had been gnawing at him for the entire hike.

    ¡°This old man that Dusclops mentioned, what sort of Pokemon do you think it is?¡±

    Rotom buzzed. ¡°The options are limited. Restricting the list to Ghost types, as would make sense in these circumstances, Rotom would think that it is a particularly old Haunter or Dusclops, given the known species in the surrounding area.¡±

    Mimikyu did an adorable approximation of a nod. ¡°That sounds ¡®bout right. I don¡¯ think there are any Shuppet or anythin¡¯ else ¡®round ¡®ere¡­¡±

    ¡­maybe going through Lucas¡¯ Pokedex at some point would be a good idea. Sure the blurbs were more fiction than fact, but he would at least be able to put some faces to unfamiliar names.

    Though one that had been mentioned earlier was a bit more pressing, considering the gravitas surrounding it.

    ¡°And this King that Dusclops mentioned? I seem to recall that title being used some time back. Giratina, I think you said? Or is there another King in Sinnoh that happens to be in an area with a lot of Ghost types?¡±

    Lucas perked up at that mention, stepping away from the water''s edge and putting away¡­ had he been fishing? They were on an important mission to help Mimikyu and the boy was collapsing his simple yellow rod to stuff it back into his bag. That boy really needed a lesson in social norms. There¡¯s a time and place for things!

    ¡°Bzzrt! Correct! The King of Distortion, Giratina, is the third member of Sinnoh¡¯s Legendary trio. Officially referred to as the Pokemon of Myth in scientific circles, but more commonly known as the Creation trio, The Mythical Pearl, Diamond of Creation, and King of Distortion are said to be some of Arceus¡¯ first children after hatching. Rotom has heard that in other regions there¡¯s some debate over that, with claims other Legends actually came first, but¡­ well, in Rotom¡¯s opinion the Sinnoh version makes the most sense. Palkia controls space and Dialga controls time. How would everything else work if those concepts didn¡¯t exist?¡±

    N nodded along. He imagined that most people had heard the story of Arceus creating the universe, but anything beyond that was a bit new to him. It was hard to tell if that was due to differences in Unovan culture or if it was just a matter of his upbringing, however. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that Rotom¡¯s explanation had strayed, though. ¡°How exactly does Giratina fit into that then? Does distortion really sit at the same level as space and time? I realize that it¡¯s important for Ghost types, but it seems a bit odd when the other types don¡¯t get that sort of treatment¡­¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s because¡­ hmmmm¡­.¡± Rotom buzzed, ¡°Rotom¡­ is not sure? Rotom never gave it much thought. Rotom uses distortion, so of course Rotom thought it very important, but now that you frame it like that, Rotom is realizing that it would only make sense if space and time were associated with a type as well, at the very least. You could argue that they both have a relation to the Psychic type, but that just leads to a different oddity¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cuz ya don¡¯ understand Giratina,¡± Mimikyu chimed in. ¡°Distortion is part of it, sure, but if yer lookin¡¯ at it in the way that Palkia does space an¡¯ Dialga does time, what yer really lookin¡¯ for is that Giratina does antimatter. Distortion is¡­ hmm. Does it ¡®ave a relation ta antimatter? I would say it¡¯s jus¡¯ the fact that Giratina¡¯s a Ghost, but Palkia an¡¯ Dialga don¡¯ really ¡®ave any strong connection ta Water ¡®n¡¯ Steel, do they? Or, no, there was that theory that it¡¯s cuz¡¯v the states of matter¡­¡±

    N looked down at the cute Pokemon in his arms with an unsure smile. ¡°That¡¯s very nice to know Mimikyu, thank you, but um¡­ What exactly is antimatter? You lost me pretty early on there.¡±

    ¡°Rotom is also unfamiliar with this term¡­¡± his phone crackled.

    N spared Lucas a glance, but the boy seemed even more confused than they were. He wasn¡¯t sure how much of the conversation Lucas had been able to follow.

    Despite being unable to read any sort of expression through Mimikyu¡¯s disguise, N got the feeling that he¡¯d let the charming little guy down with that response. ¡°...right. How would I even begin ta¡­¡± He let out an adorable little defeated sigh. ¡°Ya know what? Nevermin¡¯ on that front. Whatcha need ta know is that yes, Turnback Cave is technically home ta Giratina, but more likely than not we ain¡¯ gonna need ta worry about that. Giratina lives in the Distortion World, ¡®n¡¯ Turnback Cave is like¡­ I s¡¯pose ya could consider it a natural connection to the Distortion World? It¡¯s where ya get booted out so¡­ ¡®n¡¯ if we¡¯re talkin¡¯ that version¡­¡±

    ¡°Man, you guys really are weird!¡± Dusclops laughed, giving N a bit of a fright as he appeared out of nowhere.

    N frowned. ¡°Did you really have to sneak up on us like that?¡±

    ¡°Sneak up on you?¡± Dusclops sounded surprised. ¡°All I did was walk out of the cave. You must have been really engrossed in your friend''s little story to not notice me at all.¡±

    Had he really been so unaware of his surroundings? That wasn¡¯t good¡­ but before he could devolve into a bout of self depreciation, Lucas stepped up, looking around Dusclops and even into the mouth of the cave. Dusclops let out a defeated sigh at the sight.

    ¡°Yeah¡­. Unfortunately the old man is being pretty obstinate about leaving the cave. If you want help with the whole¡­ reghosting thing or whatever we¡¯re calling this, you¡¯re gonna have to come in with me.¡±

    N frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you specifically warn me that it was a bad place for humans to be? On top of Nurse Joy¡¯s warning against entering?¡±

    Dusclops did another of his little hands-only shrugs. ¡°I could take Mimikyu in myself if you¡¯d prefer? I¡¯m just trying to help out, I don¡¯t know what else I can really do for you.¡±

    Biting his lip, N considered it. Dusclops seemed quite nice, but they¡¯d also just met. Could he really trust Mimikyu in his care when the enchanting little fae couldn¡¯t even defend himself in this state?

    ¡°Rotom could go as well!¡± Rotom chimed in. That would admittedly be a lot better than just Dusclops, but even still, passing off such an important responsibility¡­

    With a sigh, he turned to Lucas. ¡°I¡¯m going in. There¡¯s no need for you to take the risk, so you should stay here.¡±

    Lucas raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if he were insane, before rushing inside Turnback Cave on his own, each footstep echoing.

    Dusclops blinked. ¡°Well, someone is excited! Let¡¯s get going then, I didn¡¯t even get a chance to explain how the caves work yet¡­¡±

    ¡°I really should have expected that.¡± N facepalmed. An area that humans stayed out of? Of course Lucas would be all over that. Less human activity meant less competition for his looting habits.

    Following after Lucas and Dusclops, Rotom¡¯s electricity lit the way in the dark cavern. Except, upon entering, N realized that it was less of the natural cave system he had been imagining, and more of a ruin. Carefully cut brick lined the walls, the floors were even, and on a second level he could see doorways leading deeper into the so-called ¡°cave¡±. Directly in front of them, however, was an inscription written in Unown.

    ¡°Hey, excitable one! You should come back if you don¡¯t want to die a slow and unpleasant death!¡± Dusclops cheerfully called out to Lucas.

    As N marched up to Lucas and grabbed him, half ready to put a leash on the kid, Mimikyu asked a doubt-filled question. ¡°Death? How exactly would the cave kill someone?¡±

    ¡°Starvation!¡± Dusclops happily replied. ¡°Not all of the rooms are occupied at all times, so if someone gets lost or injured or whatever else, there¡¯s no telling how long it might take them to find their way out.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    N¡¯s grip on Lucas¡¯ arm tightened. ¡°Stay with me.¡±

    ¡°Starvation?¡± Rotom buzzed. ¡°How deep does this cave go? If it¡¯s all as neat as this room, getting lost should be difficult.¡±

    ¡°How deep?¡± Dusclops pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d say¡­ infinitely? The cave isn¡¯t made of normal rooms. You could say that it has¡­ oh, I don¡¯t know, around twenty¡­ maybe twenty-five-ish unique rooms, but you could enter each of them countless times. With the exception of the entrance to the cave, none of the doorways are normal. Walking through one links the room you were previously in to the one you¡¯re entering, but once you pass through another, the past link is lost.¡±

    N paled. ¡°So you could just be trapped in here forever?! Constantly entering room after room just to end up in a loop that never ends?¡±

    Mimikyu scoffed. ¡°It ain¡¯ infinite. If ya don¡¯ reach the end of ¡®em by the thirtieth room then it boots ya back ¡®ere the next time ya move on.¡±

    Frowning, N looked down at his cute fae friend. ¡°Why do you sound so sure of that?¡±

    ¡°The inscription. It¡¯s pretty worn out ¡®n¡¯ all, but there¡¯s still ¡®nough ta make out the impor¡¯an¡¯ details. Past three pillars, offer up¡­ uh¡­ somethin¡¯ or other¡­ before thirty is surpassed.¡±

    Dusclops made an iffy gesture with his hands. ¡°In most cases, you would be correct, yes. If you don¡¯t reach the King¡¯s room within that limit, the next doorway will lead you back to this room. But these doorways run on some sorta weird implementation of distortion, and distortion, well¡­ It distorts things! Weird things can happen. The old man has lived here for a long time, and he claims that he¡¯s had to go through over a hundred rooms to get out before, and that it didn¡¯t even lead him back to the entrance!¡±

    ¡°Where did it lead out, then?¡± Rotom buzzed.

    Dusclops hummed. ¡°He didn¡¯t say, actually.¡±

    N let out a sigh of relief. An old man insisting on things that didn¡¯t really have any verifiable evidence? So it was just an old tale, like the garbage in the Pokedex. That was reassuring. ¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine, then. Could you please lead the way to this old man you spoke about?¡±

    That singular eye gave N an evaluating look, but eventually Dusclops did his little hand-shrug thing again. ¡°Sure! He¡¯s set up camp in the third pillar room, so it might be a while¡­¡±

    Of course it would. N just hoped that they could resolve things quickly and get his cute friend back to normal.

    <hr>

    Seventy-four rooms. That was N¡¯s current count, and frankly, he wasn¡¯t sure how accurate it was.

    That wasn¡¯t to say that they¡¯d somehow ended up in the scenario that Dusclops had described, not at all. The unfathomable room layout had merely sent them back to that first room on a couple occasions, setting their progress back to zero once they crossed the thirty-first threshold. They¡¯d become quite familiar with these brick walls over that period, as well as the inhabitants within. Some Golbat screeched at them, some Gastly gave them rude looks, some Bronzor stared at them unblinkingly, but none dared to approach. N assumed it was due at least in part to their guide, but he couldn¡¯t be certain.

    Lucas had long grown bored, once he realized that there was nothing for him to loot from the cave. Dusclops and Rotom were idly chatting about various mundane things as they explored. Mimikyu was still held within his arms, looking like he¡¯d be ready to fall asleep at any moment, were it not for the sense of unease that ran through all of them with every single doorway they passed through.

    It made him curious how it all worked. Yes, they¡¯d gotten the boilerplate ¡°it¡¯s distortion!¡± from Dusclops, but that was beyond vague. Was it a move? Some sort of ability innate to certain Pokemon living here? Did it have to do with the fact that this place was supposedly ¡°naturally connected¡± to the ¡°Distortion World¡±, whatever Mimikyu had meant by that?

    It was as those thoughts went through N¡¯s head that they finally, finally, found the third pillar room.

    ¡°Thou hast kept mineself waiting.¡±

    All eyes fell on the room¡¯s sole occupant. Not a Pokemon that N had ever seen before, but there were enough clues to gather that it was an evolution of Dusclops. The bandages that wrapped around its body had smoothed out into something that looked more like skin. The teeth like protrusions had doubled in number and moved to more resemble a longcoat¡¯s collar. The wispy flesh had disappeared, replaced only by a golden bell on top of the head. The legs were gone, leaving the Pokemon floating in the air, and now the hands were actually attached to thick arms. It wore a dark grey coat with golden detailing and furry cuffs, with a face design on the front of it.

    Towering above everyone present, it floated over to them from the pillar, inspecting the group.

    ¡°This is old man Dusknoir, everyone!¡± Dusclops cheerfully supplied. ¡°He¡¯s a bit rough around the edges, but-¡±

    ¡°Quiet thyself, jester.¡±

    N was a bit taken aback by the fact that the words were spoken from the giant mouth on the coat¡¯s front, revealing that Dusknoir¡¯s insides were a black void, but he knew better than to speak up about it. Lucas was eyeing the Ghost curiously, so N sent him a glare. If Lucas started poking at Dusknoir like he had those Psyduck north of Solaceon, he was going to lose it.

    Dusknoir¡¯s eye landed on Mimikyu, slowly panning up to N¡¯s face. ¡°Thine companion is the being suffering from such afflictions, correct?¡±

    N nodded. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re not quite sure what happened, but-¡±

    Dusknoir held up a hand, silencing him. ¡°There is no need for thee to tell such fanciful tales. Allow mineself to inspect thy companion¡¯s spirit.¡± With no further warning, he grabbed at the torn end of Mimikyu¡¯s Mime Jr. disguise and lifted it up, peering inside.

    ¡°Woah! Are ya fuckin¡¯ crazy?!¡± Mimikyu shouted, and N jerked back. Dusknoir¡¯s grip on the disguise was too strong though, so he couldn¡¯t make much progress if he didn¡¯t want to just drop his friend. The Dusknoir scoffed. ¡°That could¡¯ve killed ya, first of all, and secon¡¯ of all it¡¯s pretty damn rude ta upskirt me!¡±

    Dusknoir¡­ seemed fine, though. The rudeness of that sudden move aside, had they really spent all this time worrying about an unfounded fear? Maybe they could ditch the disguises all together¡­

    Dusknoir¡¯s single eye rolled. ¡°Dost thou think mineself a simple creature? Many centuries have seen the border between Distortion and Normality serve as mine home, and many more before that hast these lands been graced with mine presence. No matter the purity of thy Distortion, what hast been gathered in a mere blip of eternity is a triviality when compared to even the shadow of the King. As for the matter of impropriety¡­ thou art free to suffer on thine own, if thou wisheth to refuse mine services.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt. So you can build up an immunity to it?¡± Rotom asked.

    Dusknoir gave the Electric type a side-eye. ¡°Thou should not expect such an occurrence for a great many years.¡± Then, the eye narrowed. ¡°Thine appearance is not quite as remembered, yet¡­ hast thy kind not roamed these lands before? Mineself seemeth to recall similar creatures for a short time as these lands were first tamed by humanity, though not since then hast mine eyes fallen on such until thyself.¡±

    ¡°No clue!¡± Rotom buzzed. ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong Ghost!¡±

    Dusknoir sighed before turning back to N. ¡°Well? Shall mine inspection continue?¡±

    N frowned. Why ask him instead of Mimikyu? If Dusknoir was able to so easily discuss the times when Sinnoh¡¯s first humans were around, then shouldn¡¯t he know better than to default to a trainer, or at least a human who could be mistaken for one?

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, go ahead,¡± Mimikyu agreed. ¡°Ya jus¡¯ gave me a bit of a frigh¡¯, that¡¯s all.¡±

    With not a further word, Dusknoir lifted the disguise once more, peering into the darkness beneath. ¡°A Fae? To think that such foul creatures have returned to these lands. And yet, Distortion clings to thee so tightly, even in meager amounts¡­¡± Dropping the disguise, Dusknoir brought a hand up to his¡­ collar? Which both made sense and was odd, given that his chin was the bottom of his belly¡­ ¡°The Truth has been made clear to mineself. The cure for thy affliction can be found this way.¡± Floating towards one of the room¡¯s doorways, Dusknoir led the way.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s still some distortion in there? And ya can tell I¡¯m a Fairy just by lookin¡¯?¡± Mimikyu asked, bewildered.

    Dusknoir shrugged. ¡°Thou may be an unfamiliar creature, but mine eyes shan¡¯t fall victim to any chicanery. If any creature is so heavily mingled with distortion, it is no simple feat to rid oneself of it completely. Mineself shall freely admit, however, that thou art definitely one of the most peculiar creatures mineself hast come across in mine many years.¡±

    ¡°...is that s¡¯posed ta be an insult or somethin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Make of it what thou wilt.¡±

    As they entered an unfamiliar room, Dusknoir led them down a set of stairs to what looked to be some sort of altar made up of the same bricks that the walls were. It looked empty, though, save for a large mirror propped up against it.

    Mimikyu seemed to grow a bit nervous as they approached it. ¡°Uh, Dusknoir, not that I don¡¯ appreciate the help ¡®n¡¯ all, but what exactly is the plan for this ¡®cure¡¯ yer talkin¡¯ about? ¡®Cuz I¡¯m startin¡¯ ta get some ideas ¡®n¡¯ I¡¯m not too sure that I like ¡®em¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Dusknoir had an amused tone. ¡°Thou art familiar with the workings of the boundary? Surprising, given how long it hast been since the barrier last rippled. As for the cure to thine ailment, unfortunately a scant amount of exposure to Distortion is unlikely to yield significant change. Thus, thou shalt be cured by a method most direct. Observe.¡±

    As the group followed him up onto the platform before the altar, Dusknoir tapped on the mirror with a fingertip, and to N¡¯s surprise, the surface of it rippled like the Ghost had just touched the surface of a pond. The reflection took on a purple-ish hue for a moment before it settled back down, looking like a normal mirror again.

    Lucas being Lucas, he immediately stepped forward and poked at it, causing another ripple to run across the mirror before N could pull him back with the hand not holding Mimikyu. ¡°Would you stop touching everything you see?!¡±

    The little brat had the nerve to stick his tongue out at him.

    ¡°Neat trick, but what does this have to do with the ¡®direct¡¯ method you mentioned?¡± Rotom asked as N¡¯s flip-phone floated closer to the mirror.

    ¡°Uh, old man, you¡¯re not planning what I think you¡¯re planning, are you?¡± Dusclops hesitantly asked.

    ¡°N, I¡¯m not sure I trust this,¡± Mimikyu whispered, ¡°maybe we should get out of here, find someone else to help.¡±

    Before N could do anything about it though, Dusknoir decided to elaborate. ¡°It is most simple! If thy companion requires a great amount of Distortion, then the source is most ideal!¡±

    With that, instead of the small tap from before, Dusknoir bashed his fist against the mirror before quickly floating out of the way.

    With no time to react, there was little they could do when the mirror first rippled violently, and then opened up completely, showing purple skies, red dirt, and teal water. A sudden gust of wind pulled at them incessantly, strong enough to lift N¡¯s feet off the ground, and the lot of them were violently pulled into the mirror, falling through an unknown sky, hurtling towards the ground.

    ¡°Fare thee well!¡± Dusknoir shouted from behind them before the portal shut.

    N tried to brace for the impact, hoping that they¡¯d only break a few bones in the fall and trying to protect Mimikyu in the process, but as they approached the ground, it was as if an outside force halted their momentum, slowing them to a stop gentle enough that he even managed to right himself, landing on his feet. A quick look around showed that everyone else was much the same.

    Dusclops awkwardly laughed. ¡°Ah, so¡­ sorry about that! I really wasn¡¯t expecting the old man to pull a stunt like this until the last minute there¡­¡±

    N looked around at the unfamiliar landscape. No. Not just unfamiliar, but alien. He looked up at the sky, where the mirror portal had closed.

    ¡°...Fuck.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Red dirt was beneath their feet, and yet there was nothing beneath the dirt. Mere meters away, it suddenly stopped, dropping off a broken edge into eternity. Small scatterings of what might be considered the ¡°ground¡± were all around them. And that was in the most literal sense possible. It wasn¡¯t islands on the surface of a lake, but rather patches of dirt that floated through space that didn¡¯t adhere to the force of gravity, or at the very least, not in any way that was familiar. An alien, vine-y plant grew from the soil on an island perpendicular to theirs, and yet instead of growing upwards or succumbing to normal gravitational forces and falling down, it instead grew straight out, hanging above their heads like a pipe stretching off into nothingness, despite clearly not having enough support for that to make any sort of sense.

    Not that anything in sight made sense.

    A few islands away there was a small pond. The pond was upside down, at least from their perspective, and yet the water stayed there except in one far corner of the pond, where it gushed out in a roaring reverse waterfall. That the pond held a meager amount of water seemed not to matter, as it stretched out into infinity, or at least far enough that the other end of it was not in sight.

    And beyond the infinity of the small red islands, and yet somehow closer still than they were, no matter how contradictory that was, there were fractals. Trees sprung up out of stone that stretched and warped and repeated. A fence that looked similar to the ones on route 214 ran on and on out onto a horizon that never came. In the distance, far enough that they should appear small and yet close enough that they should be looming, buildings radiated from a single point, spiraling and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating no different from the mountains beyond them and closer than them taking up all of their vision and none of it blinding them with how dark the never ending stone was with the lack of light that Mount Coronet let through and surprising them with how small Sinnoh¡¯s biggest mountain appeared against the backdrop of the purple sky and blue fog and white clouds that repeated and repeated and repeated endlessly both blending together into an amorphous blob and being separate enough that their singular identity was obvious with all of it filling their eyes and their minds and their souls and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and¨C

    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna be sick,¡± Mimikyu groaned as N fell to his knees, gasping for air. Lucas looked even worse off, his skin pale and slick with sweat, as if he were deathly ill without hope of recovery as he collapsed onto what might be the ground or the ceiling or a wall of this place.

    No sooner had N cursed their luck than whatever this was started to assault their senses all at once, and now N wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to curse again if he tried with how out of sorts he felt. He tried to focus on his breathing, on his heartbeat, yet they were too fast and too slow and made no sense at all, not unlike the rest of this place.

    ¡°Dusclops, do you know how to fix Rotom¡¯s friends? Rotom can¡¯t afford to have them dying here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s wrong with them. I¡¯ve never been to the Distortion World before,¡± Dusclops admitted.

    ¡°You-¡± N tried not to dry heave, ¡°You don¡¯t feel that?¡±

    ¡°Feel what? Rotom does sense a lot of distortion, but your symptoms don¡¯t match up with previous data.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­¡± Mimikyu sucked in a breath, ¡°fuckin¡¯ VR sickness but turned up ta ¡®n ¡®xtreme¡­¡±

    ¡°VR sickness? I¡¯ve never heard of that. Is it like Pokerus or something?¡± Dusclops asked.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s- ah, damn, I think I¡¯m gettin¡¯ used to it now- it¡¯s uh¡­ when yer eyes ¡®n¡¯ body don¡¯ agree on what¡¯s goin¡¯ on¡­ I guess this mess is similar ¡®nough ta lookin¡¯ at shitty VR ta cause the same problems¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Rotom buzzed. ¡°Maybe Ghost types are resistant to that sort of thing? Or maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s caused by Distortion? Rotom supposes that such theories will be confirmed or denied when you regain your Ghost typing.¡±

    ¡°Speakin¡¯ of which, how is shovin¡¯ us in the Distortion World s¡¯posed ta fix me? Do I jus¡¯ wait aroun¡¯ ¡®n¡¯ suffer ¡®til it fixes itself?¡±

    The feeling was slowly starting to subside in N, and he forced himself to stand, doing his best not to gaze at anything not in his immediate surroundings lest he set off another episode. ¡°That¡¯s a good question, but more importantly, how do we get back? The portal shut behind us.¡±

    ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve heard second hand, there should be other portals?¡± Dusclops hesitantly spoke up. ¡°They won¡¯t spit us out where we entered, but they¡¯ll at least send us out of the Distortion World.¡±

    ¡°And do you know where we can find these other portals?¡±

    ¡°...well¡­.¡±

    N let out a defeated sigh.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Rotom chimed before floating up before N¡¯s face. ¡°So your primary concern is getting out of here? Not fixing Mimikyu?¡±

    He frowned. ¡°Of course it is! Not that I don¡¯t want to help him out, but I think not being trapped here forever is a bit higher on the priority list.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. So the latent Distortion must be overriding¡­¡± Rotom broke off into a distorted electronic giggle, floating off to inspect their surroundings.

    Weird.

    A water bottle was shoved in his face, distracting him from any potential follow up on it. Looking down, he saw Lucas eagerly chugging down one of his own. ¡°Ah, yes, some water might help with the nausea. Thank you, Lucas.¡±

    The boy simply nodded, taking off his hat and pouring the water over his face.

    As he slowly sipped at the water, not quite as desperate for relief as Lucas had been, he cautiously took a look around. There was nothing resembling the portal they¡¯d come in through within his line of sight. So that meant they¡¯d have to travel.

    Except, they were on an island. Floating on nothing.

    ¡°...are we stranded?¡± He nervously pointed out.

    ¡°Hm? Nah, we just gotta hop from island to island,¡± Mimikyu replied, as if that were obvious.

    N looked at the gap from their island to the nearest one on their¡­ plane? There was no way he could make that jump. He looked back to Mimikyu with an eyebrow raised.

    ¡°Relax, yer just thinkin¡¯ ¡®bout it wrong. Look at it more like a puzzle¡­¡± He paused for a moment, looking around. ¡°That island with the plant stickin¡¯ out at us? Walk towards the edge of this one ¡®n¡¯ jump towards it.¡±

    N carefully observed the island in question.

    ¡°You want me to jump towards a wall¡­ with nothing but the void beneath it? I¡¯ll just fall!¡±

    ¡°I think I see what he means¡­¡± Dusclops refuted.

    The rest of them watched on worriedly as the Ghost stepped towards the edge of their island and jumped.

    Instead of falling into the endless expanse, however, Dusclops¡¯ body twisted in midair, falling towards the second island and landing on it.

    He was now standing on the wall.

    ¡°So the direction gravity pulls in is dependent on the nearest island?¡± Rotom questioned. ¡°Though you can¡¯t float like Rotom, so Rotom isn¡¯t sure how much you should trust the extent of that¡­¡±

    ¡°Rotom could ya shut up so ya don¡¯t get these two so scared they refuse ta search for ¡®n exit?¡±

    ¡°Possibly!¡± Rotom giggled robotically.

    N still wasn¡¯t certain that this was a good idea, but Lucas was apparently convinced because the next thing N knew, the boy was sprinting at the wall, jumping up and landing feet first. There was a wide smile on his face as he waved up towards N.

    ¡°Right. We¡¯re walking on walls now. Okay.¡± N tried to let it sink in, but everything about this place just felt extremely wrong.

    ¡°At least ya ain¡¯ gotta jump straight from floor ta cielin¡¯, that sounds unpleasant. Now ¡®elp me figure out a path outta ¡®ere¡­¡±

    <hr>

    As much as N hated to admit it, he was starting to enjoy the weirdness of being able to look up at a ceiling/floor and realize that they¡¯d been standing on it not long ago. It was freeing, in a way, though he wasn¡¯t sure if it was something he could handle long term. Lucas, with the way he was running around and jumping between islands they didn¡¯t need to traverse just for fun, might even be open to living in a place like this.

    Or at least until he let his eyes wander off the immediate, got sucked into the never ending fractals, and had to try and hold down what was in his stomach.

    N was starting to suspect that when Dusclops told them that Turnback Cave wasn¡¯t for humans, it wasn¡¯t so much the cave that was the problem but its proximity to this place.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, this place would almost be picturesque. It was amazing to be able to walk under a giant lake while being above the surface of the water. They¡¯d walked through an unfamiliar city at one point, with the buildings¡¯ roofs and supports acting as starting points for mirror images of each building to repeat on and on, stretching out further than they could see. Mount Coronet¡¯s terrible looming specter in the distance made him wonder if the city was something that existed in the real world as well, but he wasn¡¯t certain he¡¯d be able to recognize an unwarped version of it even with that in mind.

    That was another strange thing about this place. They hadn¡¯t crossed much ground, yet they¡¯d somehow walked over what N assumed must be multiple routes and through a major city. It was like they¡¯d been walking for a mere fifteen minutes, but also that they¡¯d been at this for hours or days or weeks. His sense of time and distance had been completely ruined, and he¡¯d not been the only one to notice it.

    ¡°Incoming cloud,¡± Rotom warned them. The group paused, watching as the so-called ¡°cloud¡± floated in front of their path before drifting out of the way. Unlike the fluffy white water vapor that the name implied, though, this was a dark purple¡­. Something that crackled with an unnatural electricity and had all the makings of a bad time. None of the group had any idea what it was, or what touching it might do to them, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that they were better off avoiding them when they appeared. And they showed up a lot.

    Was that normal here? There was no way of knowing.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    But it passed, just like the others did before it, and so the group moved forward, leaping from island to island, wandering down the path laid before them simply because it was a path and allowed them to progress.

    It left them a lot of time, or perhaps no time, where all they could really do was talk.

    ¡°So this place¡­¡± N gestured vaguely around them, ¡°is where Ghost types get their energy?¡±

    Dusclops hummed. ¡°It definitely feels that way. Being here¡­ it¡¯s like I¡¯m full to the point of bursting!¡± He laughed, waving his hands around in a jovial manner. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt so good before! Wish I could have visited under better circumstances, though¡­¡± he trailed off into a nervous chuckle, peering at N out of the corner of his eye.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, I don¡¯t blame you,¡± N reassured the Pokemon. ¡°I don¡¯t get it, though. If this place is the basis for that power, why is it so different? When Mimikyu has leaked energy in the past, it was like it was pure fear cascading out, but here¡­. I don¡¯t feel any of that. Just a general sort of wrongness, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s even something that can be attributed to the energy or if it¡¯s just our surroundings. If it¡¯s¡­¡± He struggled to think of the proper terminology, ¡°saturating you to that extent, then surely we must be swimming in the stuff, and I can¡¯t even tell.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a sorta overexposure kinda thing?¡± Mimikyu suggested. ¡°Ya got too much of it ¡®n¡¯ so yer body adapted an¡¯ now considers this a base level. Though that does bring up concerns of withdrawal¡­¡±

    Rotom crackled. ¡°Or perhaps drawing it into Normality changes it in some way? Bzzrt! It could be that it¡¯s totally harmless here, but once taken out of a Distortion rich environment it converts into the fear based counterpart.¡±

    ¡°But if that was true then wouldn¡¯ you ¡®n¡¯ Dusclops be able ta tell the diff¡¯rence? I¡¯d ¡®magine that havin¡¯ two diff¡¯rent types of Distortion flowin¡¯ through ya would be noticeable.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily!¡± Rotom refuted. ¡°It could be that the conversion happens instantly upon the energy being pulled into a Pokemon. This would mean that no matter whether Rotom was in Normality or here, as soon as Rotom calls upon the Distortion it converts.¡±

    ¡°An¡¯ so once ya release it, it¡¯s the fear stuff regardless of where ya obtained it¡­ I s¡¯pose that¡¯s possible.¡±

    Dusclops laughed. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine!¡±

    Interesting. This certainly wasn¡¯t how N expected to be learning about Ghost types, even if it was mostly half-baked theories, but he couldn¡¯t deny that being here made for a much more memorable lesson than any sort of dry lecture. He almost wondered if¨C

    With a choked gasp, N collapsed to the ground.

    If he moved he would die. He had to run. He had to hide. Yet if he did more than merely exist in this space, he was certain that his end was near. Terror unimaginable flowed through him.

    An ear piercing screech broke the quiet of the Distortion World.

    N had to reassure himself that everything would be fine. Mimikyu had done this to him a few times now, and he¡¯d made it through all of those, hadn¡¯t he? He just had to fight against the instincts telling him that death approached. That primal fear just needed to be tucked away into a box in the corner of his mind, because freezing up when something was obviously coming was not a good plan.

    Steeling his nerves, N slowly forced himself onto his hands and knees.

    Mimikyu¡¯s Mime Jr. disguise lay crumpled beneath him. He must have crushed his friend in the fall. He¡¯d apologize for that later, but N was more focused on the fact that the terror was growing stronger, that his limbs were quaking, that he needed to remind himself to breathe. Daring to look up, he was met with a shadow.

    No. That didn¡¯t do it justice. He was met with the Shadow.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lucas struggling to push himself off the ground, Rotom hovering nervously, and Dusclops kneeling in a reverent pose.

    ¡°It¡¯s really the King!¡± Dusclops excitedly whispered.

    Ah. That made sense. So this was the King of Distortion.

    Blacker than ink, it was as if all light stopped when it met the King¡¯s form, an absolute darkness that put Mimikyu¡¯s shadows to shame. That said, he could make out a silhouette. A serpentine form was broken up by symmetrical spikes that occasionally jutted out to the sides.There looked to be some sort of spiky headgear at one end, and jutting out of the back along the first third of its body were three pairs of¡­ wings? Legs? It was impossible to tell what they were with no details available.

    The King slithered through the air naturally, curling around various fractals and islands as it observed them. Of course, N only realized they were being observed when two glowing dark red eyes stared him down, that single look almost enough to have his limbs give out again.

    The King¡¯s sights were set on them, and if it was regarded to be on the same level as Palkia and Dialga¡­ Part of the fear coursing through him was natural at that thought.

    Closer and closer it came, not in a straight path, but a twisting and turning one that lasted long enough to be unbearable and yet short enough that he wished he had more time to prepare.

    It wasn¡¯t until the King finally stopped right in front of them that N realized how large it was. The body was likely thicker than N could wrap his arms around if there were two or even three of him, and while it was hard to judge length with the way it never stopped slithering through the air, constantly twisting and turning even if not progressing anywhere, he estimated that it could span the length of several of the islands it had passed on its way to them. Not that such a comparison could truly mean much with how warped the sense of scale was here.

    Nobody said a word as the King inspected them, whether they were too scared to do so or too in awe.

    They watched in silence as one of the King¡¯s wing/leg/tentacle appendages slowly stretched out as if to greet them.

    That was when N noticed that it was tipped with a glowing red blade that was wider than his head at the base.

    His arms trembled beneath him as it became clear that the King was reaching out for him, the blade approaching his face. He was on the verge of hyperventilating, fearing that it was all over for him.

    And then it dipped lower.

    Reaching under him.

    Towards Mimikyu.

    In that moment, his response to the overwhelming fear suddenly changed from freeze to flight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!¡±

    Before he could think, N was shoving himself backward, scooping up Mimikyu and trying to get away. It was only after he had gained a few feet of distance that his mind started to catch up to him. What was he doing? Could he really outrun something like this? Was he going to leave the others behind? Lucas was still flat on the ground, unable to even get to his knees yet. What did it want with Mimikyu? Could he really save his friend? What did¨C

    Peace, issue of humanity.

    The words rattled his bones, coming from both within his head and all around him.

    No harm shall cometh to Mine own spawn.

    The voice was deep but had undertones of something high pitched and piercing beneath it.

    Alloweth Mineself to restore thy Source.

    Restore? N somehow found it within himself to speak up, even in the face of a being that instilled such primordial horror. ¡°Do you mean you¡¯ll heal him?¡±

    Was this why Dusknoir had sent them here?

    ¡°...¡¯n¡¯ ¡®ow exac¡¯ly do ya plan on doin¡¯ that¡­?¡± Mimikyu quietly spoke up.

    In lieu of an answer, the blade pressed forward tentatively, going slowly so as to not startle him, or so N assumed. The very tip of the glowing blade gently pierced through the center of the Mime Jr. disguise, where N knew Mimikyu¡¯s actual body to be, and then retreated, the leg/wing/tentacle moving back to rest with the others.

    And suddenly, Mimikyu could move. His friend shivered in his arms before finally supporting himself with his own strength once more. ¡°That felt so weird¡­¡± Mimikyu muttered in a strange mix of disgust and intrigue.

    Thou shalt not expend Mine own gift again. The King commanded.

    ¡°...yer gift? I don¡¯ understand.¡± Mimikyu shook his false head. ¡°Thank you, though, I really do appreciate yer uh¡­ yer kindness there.¡±

    N breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°But uh, I was wonderin¡¯ if ya could do me a favor.¡±

    N tensed up again. Why couldn¡¯t Mimikyu just take the good ending and be happy with it?!

    ¡°Ya see, yer uh¡­ siblings? Cohorts? I tried gettin¡¯ some ¡®elp from ¡®em since it seems more up their alley, but they sorta ignored me. Not exactly yer wheelhouse, but would ya happen ta know how I can-¡±

    Thou art not meant to be here.

    Mimikyu paused, and N frowned. It was pretty obvious that none of them were meant to be here. It seemed nobody, save the King, was meant to be here.

    ¡°Well, yeah, actually, that¡¯s exactly what I-¡±

    Thou art early. Or twas it late? Time floweth not in Mine own realm.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Mimikyu sounded confused. Not that N could blame him. ¡°Look, I think we¡¯re talkin¡¯ ¡®bout two differen¡¯ things ¡®ere, so if ya could stop in¡¯eruptin¡¯ me so I could finish-¡±

    Not yet. It is too late.

    Mimikyu growled. ¡°What does that even mean?! I¡¯m jus¡¯ tryin¡¯ ta get ya ta send me home ya impatient bastard!¡±

    Dusclops gasped from off to the side, and N could hear the crackle of Rotom¡¯s electricity.

    Though thou art of Mine own spawn, thou art not under Mine own purview. Thou shalt fulfill the role granted unto thee by thine Creator.

    ¡°My role? What fuckin¡¯ role?! I got dumped in the middle of a fuckin¡¯ forest with no-¡±

    Thou shalt receiveth the aid which is sought. Mineself hast seen as such most certainly. Aid cometh when the Time is correct, however. Such Time is not present.

    ¡°Wha- That¡¯s bullshit! So I¡¯m just s¡¯posed ta wait around?!¡±

    The glowing eyes tilted to the side. Mineself exists outside the bounds of Time and Space. Knowledge of ¡°when¡± and ¡°where¡± are not in Mine own scope. Mineself knoweth only what is, because what is not exists here in the reverse.

    ¡°Oh so now ya wanna be a fuckin¡¯ smarta-¡±

    N clamped his hand over the front of Mimikyu¡¯s disguise, where his friend¡¯s mouth might be, silencing him. ¡°I apologize, Mimikyu, but might I suggest you not anger the Pokemon whose home we are currently intruding in?¡±

    The King focused on him. Thou have grown to endure Mine own Distortion? Most promising. The shadowy serpent slithered through the air, creating more distance between them. Mineself might suggest that thine group not dawdle, however. Mine own ability to move between realms hath been restricted, and an exit to the lands of¡­ what dost thou call it? Hisui? It shall close soon.

    N shared a quick look with Dusclops and Rotom, but neither seemed to know what the King was on about, and Lucas was only just managing to get to his feet.

    ¡°The best ya can do is Sinnoh?¡± Mimikyu scoffed through N¡¯s hand, helpfully clarifying. ¡°Do ya ¡®ave any idea how big the place is?!¡±

    The King of Distortion¡­ rolled his eyes? Send thine complaints to such fools who preside over time. Perhaps the lesser shall hear your pleas. Turning away from them, the King slithered a few islands away. Continue down thine path and turneth right at the next tree. Thine portal home lay there.

    The overwhelming fear slowly left N¡¯s body as the King continued on, slithering around the corner of a mountain and then disappearing from sight. The group all shared a look, none of them quite knowing what to say about what they¡¯d just experienced.

    ¡°Why do all the Legends ¡®round ¡®ere gotta be useless bastards¡­¡± Mimikyu grumbled.

    <hr>

    Giratina¡¯s directions had proved useful. They leapt through the portal.

    Upon exiting the Distortion World, they found themselves on the shore of a small pond, the water¡¯s surface serving as the medium for the portal.

    Or at least, most of them did. Lucas didn¡¯t look particularly happy about the fact that he had landed in the water, soaking his clothes through by the time he managed to get his bearings and climb onto dry land.

    Dusclops sighed. ¡°Well this certainly isn¡¯t Turnback Cave.¡±

    N startled as Mimikyu climbed up on top of his hat, but held still, assuming his friend was trying to get a better look of their surroundings.

    ¡°Rotom. Tell me I¡¯m wrong ¡®bout what I¡¯m lookin¡¯ at,¡± Mimikyu said rather dejectedly, as if he already knew what the answer would be.

    Rotom floated up, joining Mimikyu in getting an elevated view. ¡°Bzzrt. That certainly looks like the opposite side of Mount Coronet¡­¡±

    Ah. That might be a problem.

    The Shadows were going to be pissed¡­

 Chapter 64

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s look on tha bright side, I s¡¯pose. Sure, we¡¯re on the opposite side of Sinnoh now. But at leas¡¯ we¡¯re at the right point ¡®n time!¡± Mimikyu said with a bit of cheer as they walked through the dense trees of a forest.

    ¡°Bzzrt. That cannot be confirmed. The clocks of the electronics won¡¯t update until they enter the range of more established territory.¡±

    N frowned. ¡°What do you mean by the right point in time?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like the King said, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dusclops chimed in. ¡°The Distortion World is outside of time and space. If we got sent to the wrong place, there isn¡¯t much to stop us from getting sent to the wrong time as well. And given that the King called Sinnoh Hisui¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Rotom buzzed. ¡°Referring to it as Hisui is a major red flag!¡±

    Lucas frowned, pulling out a notebook and flipping to a fresh page. ¡°¥Ò¥¹¥¤¤ÏºÎ¤Ç¤¹¤«?¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt. Hisui is an archaic name for Sinnoh. Records are sparse regarding exactly when the current name was adopted, but the best estimates put it at around 200 years ago. However, there¡¯s no way of knowing how long this land was referred to as Hisui. The King could have been referring to a period 300 years ago, or 1000 years ago for all we know!¡±

    Lucas paled a bit at that, and N felt it was a reasonable reaction. Going from the Distortion World to stuck in the past would be¡­ well, unfortunate wouldn¡¯t begin to describe it.

    ¡°Mimikyu,¡± he hesitantly began, ¡°is there a reason you think we¡¯re at the right point in time?¡±

    A shadowy tendril reached out from beneath the pink disguise, pointing out into the forest. ¡°Well, I ain¡¯ an expert or anythin¡¯, but I¡¯m pretty sure that form of Voltorb isn¡¯ s¡¯posed ta be in Sinnoh, ¡®n¡¯ the one that is native ain¡¯ aroun¡¯ any more.¡±

    Looking out in that direction, N spotted a far off Pokemon, perfectly round and split in half with red and white. It looked a lot like a pokeball, not dissimilar to the Foongus he was familiar with.

    ¡°There are Voltorb in Sinnoh?¡± Dusclops asked, sounding a little surprised.

    ¡°Rotom is not aware of any, but strange Pokemon being present does lend credence to the theory that the time is correct¡­ an increase of inter-region travel has seen the wilds of Sinnoh housing foreign Pokemon in recent years.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s¡­ good, I guess?¡± N spoke half-heartedly. He wasn¡¯t sure how glad he could be to confirm that they didn¡¯t have a problem he hadn¡¯t even considered a few minutes prior. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope it doesn¡¯t take too long to find our way to a proper route or something, I didn¡¯t really think to restock on supplies before leaving Veilstone with everything that was going on.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°So we¡¯re at a dead end, then?¡± A Shadow spoke.

    ¡°It would seem that way,¡± another agreed.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make much sense, though¡­¡± The third frowned under his mask.

    It had been a struggle, but they¡¯d managed to gather that N and his friends had rushed south in quite a hurry. Leaving them behind without any warning was annoying, but they were there to serve him. They weren¡¯t equals who N might deem necessary to notify of such things. Doubly so when they, from his perspective at least, had tracked him down in the middle of nowhere initially despite having never met him before. That might have given him an overestimation of their abilities.

    Less annoying, and more worrying, was how Banette had managed to pick up on some distortion on the route, giving them hope that it would be a simple sneak away, only to discover that some cave tucked away in the woods was leaking it.

    There was no way that N and his group had managed to get much further than that even if they tried, not with Lucas¡¯ short little legs. Which meant that either they¡¯d missed something, or their charge had somehow up and disappeared. Neither was a good enough excuse to report back to Ghetsis.

    ¡°What is the most surefire way to track them down? Trying for speed over accuracy will only doom us.¡±

    One turned to the trio¡¯s Ghost. ¡°Banette, would you be able to tell the difference between Mimikyu and the other ghosts of Sinnoh?¡±

    The little puppet thought for a moment before eventually giving a not-so-confident nod.

    The Shadow sighed. ¡°Not ideal, but we¡¯ll have to take it. We¡¯ll need to start canvassing Sinnoh.¡±

    Another turned to him. ¡°The whole region? That could take ages!¡±

    ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we literally need to cover the whole region. They¡¯d have no reason to be in the middle of random wilderness. Banette¡¯s range isn¡¯t insignificant, we¡¯ll only need him to search a few times per route and once or twice per city.¡±

    ¡°That could still take days¡­¡±

    ¡°Assuming they¡¯re in the last place we look, perhaps. But again, do you have a better idea?¡±

    The third clapped to get their attention. ¡°As much as I dislike it, he¡¯s right. Better we start now than delay any longer. Sorry to ask so much of you Banette.¡±

    The Ghost gave them a smile, and the Shadows sunk into the shadows once more.

    <hr>

    It wasn¡¯t until dawn the next morning that they finally stumbled upon civilization, having managed to wander their way into a coastal city. The night in the woods hadn¡¯t been too bad, but upon realizing just how close they¡¯d been N regretted not pushing a little further the night before. Street lights were starting to turn off, no longer needed with the rising sun. Brick roads connected fairly standard buildings you could find anywhere in the region. A few Flying types were taking off from rooftops into the air, and in the distance crashing waves could be heard.

    A few people in sailors¡¯ uniforms gave them strange looks as they walked out of the woods before ignoring them and going back to their business.

    ¡°Anyone recognize this place?¡± N asked the group.

    ¡°Well a coastal city west of Coronet¡­ it¡¯s gotta be Canalave, ain¡¯ it?¡± Mimikyu suggested. ¡°We really are on the opposite end of the region¡­¡±

    ¡°Correct!¡± Rotom chimed. ¡°This is indeed Canalave. It¡¯s irritating that they don¡¯t extend the electrical system further. It¡¯s like they cut it off right at the city¡¯s edge! Rotom could have gotten everyone here last night if not for that¡­¡±

    Lucas¡¯ interest was piqued by something mentioned there, as he pulled the map out of his bag, scanning over it.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s cuz Canalave is the western most part of the region, ain¡¯ it? Not much poin¡¯ in settin¡¯ up infrastructure if there ain¡¯ gonna be anyone ta use it, an¡¯ there¡¯s no reason ta head west of Canalave¡­ provided ya don¡¯ get dumped there like we did¡­¡±

    ¡°Canalave, huh? I¡¯ve heard of it, but never visited. How far is this from Sendoff Spring?¡± Dusclops asked.

    N flinched, knowing where this city was on the map. If it wasn¡¯t a Flying or seabound Water type, wild Pokemon rarely ventured terribly far from where they were born. Dusclops may know that they¡¯re on the other side of the mountain range, but his sense of scale probably doesn¡¯t help much for a distance like this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make sure you get home. I just can¡¯t tell you how long that will take¡­¡±

    Dusclops laughed. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry too much about me! I¡¯m not worried about rushing home or anything, just thinking that they might be missing me if I¡¯m gone for too long.¡±

    For some reason, Mimikyu flinched back, nearly falling off N¡¯s shoulder at that remark.

    N didn¡¯t think too much on it, though, because Lucas started walking off with a sense of purpose.

    ¡°Lucas, I swear if the first thing you do is start barging into strangers'' homes again¡­¡±

    The boy picked up his pace in a way that N wasn¡¯t sure to take as reassuring or worrying, leaving him no choice but to follow behind with the others.

    Luckily the trainer¡¯s rampant urge to commit breaking and entering hadn¡¯t been what set him off, though N wasn¡¯t very pleased that it seemed to be his other vice.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    They stood before a towering building. Rough stone jutted up a few meters into the air before giving way to large metal panels welded together haphazardly. A large metal disk that reminded him of UFOs from Pokestar studio movies was resting on top of the monstrosity, held in place by supports that looked like they¡¯d be better served in one of Nimbasa¡¯s roller coasters.

    The large Pokeball above the doorway marked it as the city¡¯s gym.

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± N sighed.

    ¡°I dunno what ya expect, he is a trainer after all.¡±

    ¡°So this is a Gym?¡± Dusclops sounded interested.

    ¡°The Canalave City Gym does not open for another three hours!¡± Rotom announced.

    That took the wind out of Lucas¡¯ sails, leaving him sagging.

    N started walking away. ¡°I have a feeling we¡¯re going to be spending the night here. Let¡¯s see about arranging a room at the Pokemon Center and have a look around.¡±

    <hr>

    Nurse Joy had seemed a little put off by their request to have a wild Pokemon like Dusclops room with them. N wasn¡¯t sure whether that was because there were no wild Dusclops in the area, because he was wild in the first place, or because of his human size requiring a bed given that N wasn¡¯t going to make the poor Pokemon sleep in the treatment area. She went along with it in the end, though, and that was the part that mattered.

    Now, though, they were exploring the city like they would any other.

    ¡°So what is there to do in Canalave?¡± N asked, hoping the Sinnoh natives would know a thing or two.

    He wasn¡¯t very surprised when it was Mimikyu who answered, however.

    ¡°They¡¯ve got a fancy library, if yer inta that sorta thing. Uh¡­ that thing with Cress¨C no, we should probably avoid that, if it¡¯s even happenin¡¯... ¡®n¡¯ if we already ran into ¡®im then he won¡¯ be ¡®ere right? ¡®Cuz then¡­¡±

    ¡°Does he do that a lot?¡± Dusclops chuckled, interrupting Mimikyu¡¯s mumbling and making him snap to attention.

    ¡°Occasionally,¡± N admitted.

    ¡°Ah, sorry ¡®bout that. Other than the library, only thing of real note we migh¡¯ ¡®ave int¡¯rest in isn¡¯ even really part of Canalave. There should be a sailor ¡®round ¡®ere somewhere willin¡¯ ta take us ta Iron Island, which Lucas¡¯ll definitely wanna check out. Though it migh¡¯ int¡¯rest you as well, dependin¡¯ on¡­ well, yeah, I think you¡¯d like it.¡±

    N raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t see how an entirely different island is somehow relevant to this city. Where is this island, anyway? I don¡¯t recall seeing any areas of importance off the coast on this half of the map.¡±

    Lucas helpfully pulled his map up again, pointing to a sizable island northwest of Eterna Forest.

    ¡°Bzzrt! It¡¯s relevant to Canalave because this is the only port with access to the island! Iron Island was once the site of a mine, the vast stretches of iron ore being the source of its name, but once they ran out it was converted into a habitat for wild Pokemon!¡±

    That got his attention. ¡°A habitat for wild Pokemon?¡±

    ¡°Correct! The town on the island was abandoned not long after the mine closed down, and the League decided to turn it into a reserve with restricted access to outsiders. That didn¡¯t pan out, however, for reasons that Rotom is not aware of, and now it¡¯s marked as a place for training, with permanent residence on the island disallowed.¡±

    Not quite as promising as he had dared to hope, but that was better than nothing, he supposed. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to investigate it at some point.¡±

    ¡°Before all that, though, I¡¯m lookin¡¯ ta check out the library.¡±

    Rotom floated up in front of Mimikyu. ¡°Really? Aren¡¯t you and N barely literate?¡±

    ¡°Rude! It ain¡¯ our fault yer dumb language ¡®as such a complex writin¡¯ system. Besides, we¡¯ve gotten by well ¡®nough, ¡®aven¡¯t we?¡±

    N nodded. ¡°Even beyond that, I''m not sure that you can consider us barely literate when we can read and write Unovan just fine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just semantics!¡± Rotom let out an electronic giggle.

    N rolled his eyes. ¡°If you want to investigate the library, I have no problem with it, Mimikyu.¡±

    Lucas frowned, clearly ready to leave the group and check out something else, but N stopped him. ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    Lucas gave him a disbelieving look.

    ¡°After what happened the last time we separated, and especially since we¡¯ve found ourselves on the other side of the region, I¡¯m going to insist that we stay together, at least for now.¡±

    Lucas pouted, but didn¡¯t argue the point.

    The group fell into silence as they walked towards the building.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Dusclops started, ¡°what¡¯s a library?¡±

    <hr>

    It was N¡¯s first time being in a library. There was one in Nacrene City, but that also doubled as a Gym, so N hadn¡¯t exactly been eager to explore it.

    The sheer quantity of books on display was a bit intimidating. Keeping track of them all must be a real challenge¡­ but he hoped they were organized enough that Mimikyu could find what he was after.

    Assuming he was after something in particular.

    ¡°Where are we going, Mimikyu?¡± he asked the Pokemon on his shoulder.

    ¡°I think it was¡­ the top floor¡­.¡±

    He didn¡¯t sound very sure of himself, but with nothing else to act on, N made his way up the stairs and then another set, stopping on the third and final floor of the library.

    At that point Mimikyu stopped using him as a free taxi service, hopping off of his shoulder so the little fae could investigate on his own.

    It brought a smile to N¡¯s face, seeing Mimikyu moving on his own once more. He felt that the two of them had¡­ quite a few things, honestly, that they needed to talk about regarding the events of the last two days, but he would save that for when they had a bit of privacy.

    But Mimikyu¡¯s slow search for whatever books he might be after left the rest of them with little to do, so they began searching out some reading material of their own. Lucas pulled out a book titled ¡°The Original Story¡±, Rotom convinced Dusclops to grab ¡°Veilstone¡¯s Myth¡± and was having the larger ghost turn the pages at a desk as he read it aloud, to the annoyance and surprise of those around them, and N himself picked up ¡°Sinnoh Folk Stories¡±.

    The first story, about eating Pokemon, disgusted him. He almost put the book back halfway through reading it.

    The second story was about a Pokemon hiding among humans. It reminded him of an old friend. He wondered what that friend was up to now¡­

    The third story really got his attention, though.

    Maybe his League really was as bad as Rotom had said, but if he was translating this correctly¡­

    There once were Pokemon that married people.

    There once were people who married Pokemon.

    This was a normal thing because long ago people and Pokemon were the same.

    That was¡­

    He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that.

    He wanted cruelty against Pokemon to stop, but marrying them? The bit about them being the same was confusing as well. Did it mean that humans were a species of Pokemon? That didn¡¯t really make sense, did it? Humans changed gradually over time as they grew up instead of evolving. Plus they didn¡¯t hatch out of an egg, they weren¡¯t able to use moves¡­ All Pokemon seemed able to understand each other, but N was the exception for humanity in being able to do the same. Team Rocket¡¯s Meowth was another sort of exception, he supposed¡­

    ¡°Excuse me, may I have a moment of your time?¡±

    He looked up from the confusing book to find a man standing in front of the stairs, a Lucario at his side. His outfit was a bit strange, with dark pants and a fancy blue coat plus a matching hat. It was as if he was matching his outfit to his Pokemon, in a way.

    ¡°Bzzrt. Who are you talking to?¡±

    The man looked around the room, his eyes lingering on all of them for a moment. He seemed particularly interested in Lucas and Mimikyu, though¡­

    That spelled trouble.

    ¡°All of you? If that¡¯s not too much trouble.¡±

    Mimikyu finally looked up from his book. ¡°What could ya possibly¨C¡±

    The little ghost froze upon seeing the man.

    That definitely spelled trouble. And so soon after the last bout of it¡­

    The Lucario tilted his head. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Its voice was deep and gravelly.

    ¡°Ah, no, no problem, jus¡¯... wasn¡¯ expectin¡¯ a visit is all.¡±

    N didn¡¯t think the Lucario was buying that either, but neither of them said anything about it.

    Quietly accepting his fate, N joined Dusclops at the table he and Rotom were using, with Lucas taking a seat on the other side and Mimikyu hopping up on top of it.

    The man took the remaining chair, giving them all a considering look once more.

    ¡°I suppose introductions are a good place to start. I am Riley, an Aura Guardian in-training, and this is my partner Lucario.¡±

    The Pokemon bowed. It is a pleasure to meet you all.

    Even having experienced telepathy before, it shocked N a bit, and Lucas was clearly a bit frightened. Not that he could be blamed, given that his last experience with telepathy had been the day before with Giratina of all Pokemon.

    ¡°I¡¯m N,¡± he introduced himself before pointing to the others and rattling off their names.

    Riley nodded. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry to bother all of you so early in the day, but you see, Lucario, and to a much lesser extent myself, are able to use a¡­ sixth sense of sorts, which we refer to as aura. When we were passing by the library, we detected some¡­ let¡¯s say anomalies, and decided to investigate.¡±

    N ignored Mimikyu¡¯s mumblings of ¡°fuckin¡¯ bullshit powers not makin¡¯ any damn sense¡±, though Lucario clearly took note, and asked ¡°Am I correct in assuming that by anomalies, you¡¯re referring to us? What exactly is strange about us in your eyes?¡±

    Riley shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Well, it¡¯s more present in some of you than others, and it¡¯s hard to phrase it in a way that would make sense to someone who doesn¡¯t use aura themselves¡­¡±

    Lucario had no such misgivings. Looking straight at Mimikyu, he bluntly stated ¡°Your soul frightens me to look at. What exactly are you?¡±

 Chapter 65

    Riley sighed. ¡°Lucario, what¡¯s the point in me being diplomatic if you¡¯re going to say things like that?¡±

    The Pokemon had notably not spoken with telepathy, forcing N to look at this strange duo in a new light.

    ¡°You understood that?¡± He tentatively asked.

    ¡°In a sense, but perhaps not in the way that you mean,¡± Riley nodded. ¡°When Lucario, or most other Pokemon for that matter, speak in their normal tongue, I am not able to hear the words and extract their meaning like I am able to when speaking to you. Instead, it is more¡­ a combination of reading their thoughts, emotions, and actions, in a way that allows me to intuit their meaning.¡±

    The look that Lucas gave the man¡¯s explanation was comical, though probably insulting.

    Aura is the essence of every living thing, Lucario further explained, To understand Aura is to understand others on the most fundamental level possible.

    N wasn¡¯t quite sure that he understood, but the potential such a thing had was enormous. Understanding Pokemon on a fundamental level¡­

    ¡°So yer gonna tell me that ya understand me on a fundamental level while also tellin¡¯ me I scare ya? Mind ¡®splainin¡¯ ta me how I¡¯m not s¡¯posed ta take that as in insult?¡±

    ¡°Apologies, Mimikyu,¡± Riley tried to salvage, ¡°but that¡¯s why I brought up the anomalous nature of your group before. You specifically¡­ well, quite frankly I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like it. I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯d frame it in the same way that Lucario did, but there is some quality I can¡¯t put my finger on that is¡­ off putting, shall we say? I may still be in training when it comes to mastering Aura, but I¡¯ve observed enough to know that there¡¯s something¡­ special about you.¡±

    ¡°Bzzrt! Who else is anomalous in your eyes?¡± Rotom spoke up. ¡°Are they special too?¡±

    Riley eyed the flip phone curiously before turning his gaze to Lucas. ¡°You have a surprisingly strong Aura signature. Not quite to the level of someone that would be able to wield it on their own, but¡­¡± He hummed, a pensive look on his face. ¡°Later, I would like to discuss an offer with you.¡±

    His eyes drifted past Dusclops without even a moment¡¯s hesitation, briefly considered Rotom before moving on, and stopped once more when settling on N himself. ¡°You¡­ are similar to him, in a sense, and yet¡­ if I were to put it to an analogy, it¡¯s as if you¡¯re two sides to the same size coin. Not the same coin, but coins of equal value.¡±

    ¡°...you¡¯ve lost me, there.¡± Dusclops awkwardly laughed.

    Mimikyu, on the other hand, seemed to have some idea of what that nonsense was meant to relay. ¡°Two sides, huh? Would it really be the same size? I¡¯d have thought Lucas would be¡­¡± he muttered before shaking his disguise. ¡°Could ya explain ta me exactly how I differ from the others? I get that it ain¡¯ easy when I can¡¯t just look at it ¡®n¡¯ see what you see, but ya¡¯ve got me a bit worried now.¡±

    Riley hesitated once more, but Lucario once again put niceties to the side. ¡°This is my first time encountering your kind, but everything about you seems wrong. Putting it into words you may understand¡­ When looking at things through what Riley called our sixth sense, it¡¯s like looking at merely the outlines of my surroundings, the general forms if they were hollow or made of glass, but also what¡¯s beneath the surface. If I look at the Rotom or Dusclops I see a dull blue flowing through them. If I look at the humans here I see a brighter blue radiating off of them like flames, with Riley having a far brighter blue with more intense flames. These sights make sense. It¡¯s how all living things are. You, on the other hand, are some strangely intense pink-ish hue that¡¯s barely visible because it¡¯s buried beneath a sea of shadow. There¡¯s so much of it that I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s obscuring your ¡®outline¡¯ or if you lack one completely.¡±

    Lucario¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t see shadows when I¡¯m sensing Aura. Everything about you is weird. Unnatural. Frightening.¡±

    ¡°Jeez, tell me how ya really feel¡­¡± Mimikyu grumbled.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked.¡±

    N couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of a word that these two were saying. If not for Riley¡¯s at least partial understanding of the Pokemon, he¡¯d have thought it was all being made up on the spot. And yet, he couldn¡¯t just dismiss these things. They had called it a sixth sense. If he were forced to explain to a blind person what it was like to see, would he be able to? He would likely struggle just as much as these two were, if he were able to at all.

    ¡°A sea of shadows, you say?¡± Dusclops probed.

    Lucario tilted his head. ¡°Yes. Do you have an explanation?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about an explanation, I¡¯ve never been a deep thinker or anything like that. But if you¡¯re talking about shadows specifically¡­. I¡¯ve certainly got an idea or two!¡± Dusclops laughed.

    ¡°Are you thinking the same thing that Rotom is thinking?¡± Rotom buzzed.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the King, right?¡± Dusclops suggested.

    ¡°The¡­ King?¡± Riley asked. ¡°Apologies, I¡¯m not sure I understood that correctly.¡±

    Mimikyu ignored the question, the head of his disguise bouncing a bit as he turned to his fellow Ghost types. ¡°Ya tryin¡¯ ta say that Giratina re-ghostin¡¯ me is the reason?¡± He ignored the way that both Riley and Lucario jolted, their eyes widening. ¡°I mean, I can see why ya might say that, what with the shadow connection ¡®n¡¯ all that, but I feel like yer conflatin¡¯ too many things ¡®ere. Giratina wen¡¯ an¡¯ fixed my Source, then Lucario comes in ¡®ere ¡®n¡¯ tells me my soul looks funny ¡®n¡¯ my Aura is all messed up. They can¡¯t all be the same thing, right? What sense does it make for humans and plants ¡®n¡¯ stuff ta ¡®ave a Source if it¡¯s the stuff that lets us use moves? Though I s¡¯pose if ya look at Aura Guardians specifically then ya might be able ta say that humans can tap into the same sorta thing, even if they¡¯re practically lesser Lucario¡­ I¡¯m still sorta hung up on the plant thing though¡­¡±

    As Mimikyu descended into mumbles and muttering once more, the group stared at him a little slack-jawed.

    Rotom eventually let out an electronic giggle. ¡°You know, Rotom can understand keeping many secrets, but don¡¯t you seem a little too well informed? How do you know anything about this Aura stuff?¡±

    Mimikyu froze up for a moment before quickly retorting with ¡°Well, we used to travel with someone who had a lot of Aura stuff going on, so I just picked up a thing or two¡­¡±

    N squinted down at the little fae. ¡°We? Who are you talking about?¡± That seemed like the sort of thing he would have picked up on.

    ¡°Ash.¡±

    N disliked the fact that he couldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility outright. Ash having some strange sixth sense that allowed him to understand Pokemon would explain a lot about him. He didn¡¯t remember it ever being brought up, but Mimikyu did know a lot of details about the boy before they had even met¡­

    Riley looked down at his gloved hands. ¡°I can¡¯t recall the last time I doubted my ability to understand Pokemon so much.¡±

    This sounds just as strange to me, Lucario reassured him.

    Riley shook his head. ¡°Putting aside the¡­ the King for now,¡± though he hesitated to do so, ¡°that name sounds familiar. Is this Ash person a fully trained Aura Guardian?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, if ya recognize the name it¡¯s probably cuz he got caught up in that stuff with Rota ¡®n¡¯ the Tree¡­¡±

    Though Mimikyu was seemingly intentionally vague, Riley and Lucario¡¯s eyes widened even more.

    You mean Sir Ketchem? Lucario asked.

    ¡°I dunno how he¡¯d feel about ya callin¡¯ ¡®im sir, but yeah.¡±

    Riley let out a sigh, rubbing at his forehead. ¡°Anomalous indeed. I can feel the migraine coming on already¡­ but I have so many questions.¡±

    N almost wanted to laugh. Riley could join the club, and also the back of the line.

    The blue haired man gave each of them an appraising look. ¡°We have been imposing on you, and I still have much I¡¯d like to ask, but it feels unfair to take so much and give nothing. How would you feel about a day trip to Iron Island? Access may have opened up quite a bit in recent years, but I can grant you access to areas that are still closed off to the public, if that¡¯s something that interests you.¡±

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Bzzrt. You have the authority to do that?¡± Rotom clearly doubted his words.

    That was a good point. Rotom had been telling them about how the League had been the ones to restrict access to the island, so someone who could do as they pleased must have some power with them. Getting involved with yet another member of League personnel was not something he was keen on.

    Riley smiled in a knowing way. ¡°I may not be officially associated with the League, but when it comes to Iron Island specifically, I have some connections.¡±

    That was less concerning, but still¡­ ¡°What exactly is in these still restricted areas that would be of interest?¡±

    That would ruin the surprise, Lucario snarked.

    N wasn¡¯t sure about all this, but the option to learn more about someone who could understand Pokemon like he could¡­ he couldn¡¯t pass that up.

    <hr>

    N was not a fan of boat rides. A bit too much jostling for his tastes, though apparently that wasn¡¯t as much of a problem if you were on a larger vessel, if Mimikyu was to be believed. Regardless of that, however, he was glad to set his feet back on solid ground after several hours of crashing waves and sea spray hitting him in the face.

    ¡°Thank you again, Captain Eldritch.¡± Riley gave a nod to the small boat¡¯s owner and operator, a portly man who wore a sailor¡¯s uniform.

    ¡°Think nothing of it, lad. Just let me know when you¡¯re ready to leave.¡± Captain Eldritch followed them up the first set of stairs on the island before splitting off to enter a small house.

    ¡°His name is Eldritch?¡± Mimikyu quietly asked Lucario.

    ¡°Yes, why?¡±

    ¡°...no reason.¡±

    N didn¡¯t question it, instead taking a moment to look around. The island was large, far larger than he had expected, with what was basically a mountain peak poking up out of the water. Vegetation clung to the lower parts of the island, but the higher you looked the more barren it became. The tiny dock that the captain had stopped his ship at was at the base of a small path leading up to a cave entrance situated on the southwestern part of the island. It wasn¡¯t visible from here, but on their approach the remnants of a sizable city had been visible on the eastern, flatter side of the island. They¡¯d been rusty and overgrown with vines, some of them collapsed.

    ¡°Is there a reason we didn¡¯t pull into the main port?¡± He idly asked Riley.

    ¡°The old city is off limits these days,¡± the Aura Guardian-in-training replied as he led them up yet more stairs, ¡°partly because the Pokemon have reclaimed it and partly because it¡¯s frankly just too dangerous. Some of the locals have diets that are heavily based in metals, and when more processed ¡®food¡¯ became available, a few developed a taste for it and started to eat the city itself. One wrong nudge could take a building down, and while that¡¯s fine if you¡¯re a Steelix, it¡¯s not so safe for humans. Technically speaking I can access the area if I¡¯d like, but I just don¡¯t see the point in risking it when there¡¯s so much else to explore. Besides, this dock is the only one with a structure that¡¯s currently inhabitable. We make sure to keep it stocked up to keep the sailors happy and any adventuring trainers safe. Speaking of which¡­¡±

    As they reached the entrance to the cave, Riley stopped at a box sitting right beside it, pulling out a flashlight for each of the humans. ¡°The caves should be bright enough without this, but we try to keep everyone well prepared in case of an emergency. Just be sure to return them before you leave the island.¡±

    With that, they stepped inside, finding themselves in a small room carved into the stone with a few barrels and I-beams scattered around. Against the back wall were two stairways leading in opposite directions that went deeper inside. Without pausing, Lucario led them down the one to the right.

    ¡°It¡¯s odd to be in a cave with no residual Distortion¡­¡± Dusclops mused.

    ¡°Residual Distortion?¡± Lucario briefly looked back as he wound his way through rocks and barrels, making the path clear to the rest of them.

    ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m from Turnback Cave, you see¡­¡± Dusclops awkwardly chuckled.

    ¡°Right¡­ and does that have anything to do with the mention of the King?¡±

    The connection between Giratina and Turnback Cave must be pretty well known in Sinnoh if he could put those pieces together so easily.

    ¡°Indeed!¡± Rotom chimed in.

    ¡°...would you care to elaborate?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Rotom giggled.

    Mimikyu switched gears on their guide. ¡°Are Aura an¡¯ Source the same thing?¡±

    Riley had a contemplative look, but Lucario shut that down instantly. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You sound pretty sure of that, but what you described for Mimikyu would make a lot of sense if they were the same thing. A powerful shadow gifted by the King¡­¡± Dusclops still seemed a bit in awe over the whole ordeal.

    Lucario gave them the best approximation of a frown that he could manage with his facial features. ¡°I am certain that they are different. I have and utilize both, I would know.¡±

    ¡°I believe Lucario is correct that they are different things,¡± Riley agreed, ¡°however, I would not rule out the possibility that they can influence each other. I¡¯ll admit that my understanding of the subject is limited, though, so do not take my word on that.¡±

    ¡°There should be a relatively easy way to put the theory to the test,¡± N found himself saying. ¡°Mimikyu has a bad habit of draining his source rather quickly, and it has an odd side effect of making him physically smaller. If he did that, and it had something to do with this Aura stuff, you should be able to notice if you can see it, right?¡±

    Riley and Lucario both snapped their attention to him.

    He frowned. ¡°What, do I need to be an expert to put my two cents in?¡±

    Lucas facepalmed and Rotom giggled.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Riley looked at him in a new light. ¡°You understand Pokemon as well?¡±

    ¡°Rotom was wondering when you would notice! He responded when he shouldn¡¯t have back at the library as well, you know!¡±

    A tinge of embarrassment passed over them all.

    Riley eventually laughed to himself. ¡°I suppose I was so distracted with your odd Auras that I didn¡¯t pick up on something that should have been so much more obvious.¡±

    It is to be expected. With the amount of Aura they have, understanding Pokemon should be simple, Lucario added.

    N frowned once more. ¡°Wait, what? It¡¯s not because of Aura.¡±

    Lucario gave him a dubious look. Are you certain about that?

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve been able to speak to Pokemon for most of my life, and the mere concept of Aura is new to me in case you haven¡¯t noticed.¡±

    Then you¡¯ve been doing it subconsciously. Lucario shrugged. Impressive!

    ¡°Nah, yer wrong on this one. N understands the literal words we¡¯re sayin¡¯. Besides, if that were the case an¡¯ Lucas ¡®as the same amount of Aura, he should be able ta as well, but that kid doesn¡¯ ¡®ave a clue.¡±

    ¡°You understand the literal words?¡± Where Lucario was casting doubt, Riley now looked more impressed.

    ¡°Is that really so odd?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure why he was feeling so defensive about this. ¡°I know a Meowth that can speak League.¡±

    Now you¡¯re definitely lying.

    <hr>

    When the arguments and revelations eventually stopped, the two groups having a reasonably more developed understanding of each other, they found themselves in the depths of the cave.

    N¡¯s old nemeses had reared their heads once more, but with the level of light provided by occasional overhead lights, he had managed to avoid tripping over any of the Geodude and the resident Golbats had been kept away by their constant conversation.

    A few Onix and a single Steelix had tunneled by them, giving those unfamiliar with the island a bit of a fright, but they¡¯d passed by without any issue beyond some rumbling of the cave walls that subsided without any incident.

    Of more note to N were the more elusive pokemon. He swore up and down that he kept seeing the glint of gems in the corner of his eye but they kept disappearing when he tried to bring attention to them. There was also the wet smacking of a mouth that sounded far too hungry, but the source of that noise never revealed itself either.

    For some sort of special Pokemon habitat, it seemed much like any other cave to N so far.

    Now, though, they were seeking some answers.

    Riley and Lucario were observing Mimikyu as he gave some demonstrations. Rotom and Dusclops had giggled before sneaking off somewhere. Lucas¡­

    Well. Hopefully Lucas didn¡¯t get up to too much trouble, wherever he was at the moment. It¡¯s not like there were any homes for him to break into down here in the cave.

    The shadows in front of N rippled as Mimikyu swam through them, displaying his ¡°false¡± Shadow Sneak.

    ¡°This is so strange to observe¡­¡± Riley commented.

    Mimikyu popped back into existence. ¡°What¡¯s strange ¡®bout it?¡±

    As loath as I am to admit it, there seems to be some credence to the idea of one¡¯s Source and Aura having a relation of some sort. Do a normal Shadow Sneak again for us? Lucario requested.

    Mimikyu did so, the Mime Jr. doll appearing a short distance away.

    I feel as if my understanding of Aura has deepened, but my understanding of you has gotten even more shallow.

    ¡°The pink light seems unaffected, but the shadows have definitely receded a bit.¡±

    But you¡¯ve never noticed my Aura depleting after using non-Aura related moves in battle, correct?

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what makes this so weird¡­¡±

    N sighed. ¡°Mimikyu is definitely weird.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Takes one ta know one!¡±

    Is it something to do with the size change? I¡¯ve heard of techniques like Minimize, but I¡¯ve never observed it in person so I¡¯m not sure if the Aura is affected by it.

    ¡°Perhaps, but I feel like there¡¯s more to it than that. His physical size is changing, but¡­ I¡¯m bothered by the fact that there¡¯s no ¡®outline¡¯ to it all, no confining shape. The volume of the shadows themselves goes down, but the pink core remains unaffected by anything despite the lack of a ¡®container¡¯ for it. Why does it seem like there are two parts to his aura? Why is that all there is?¡±

    The distinctness of the constituent parts is confusing, yes. As for the lack of a proper shape to it all¡­

    Lucario hummed, his expression growing more and more pensive until finally he asked¨C

    Mimikyu¡­ beneath that disguise you wear¡­ is there anything to your physical form other than your Source?