ã€ŠA Ballad of Winter - A Pokemon Fanfictionã€‹


 Prologue - Overture

    Stella Hiatt

    It was quiet. So, so quiet. It always was. She hated it. The quiet led to her mind wandering astray. And if there was one thing she hated more than this stupid town, it was her own mind. That and other people. Fortunately she lived in Postwick, which had a population of about 500 people. Unfortunately, other people seemed to pity her, and pity makes them want to talk to her, and she would rather kill herself than talk to any of them. But why? Why does she hate them? They never did anything to her. In fact they¡¯ve been nothing but kind. Introvertedness, shyness, quiet, reserved, whatever bullshit word you used to describe it, she hated being it.

    She had her Scorbunny in his ball. He meant well, but his attempts at cheering her up only served to annoy her. The scenery on this hill alone made her angry. How could a place be so damn boring? Endless fields of Grass that got much to tall in the summer. Evidently, summer had gone early. Very early. It was August for Arceus sake, why is it so cold? She could see a storm in the distance beyond the not very tall mountains that surrounded southern Galar. She was supposed to go see Professor Magnolia later. But lady luck wasn¡¯t on her side today, she never was. The rangers had closed off route 1 because of the storm, making the trip from Postwick to Wedgehurst over 2 hours long. She was certain that a trip that long would cause her to collapse and die.

    To make matters worse, the signal was god awful so she couldn¡¯t even call her to let her know. One week before the circuit began, only one week. Memories of Turfield flooded her mind. She clenched her fists as hard as she could. Her green Tam o'' Shanter slid down her face, a tear did as well. Luckily she wouldn¡¯t have to repress the tears, the sky certainly didn¡¯t. With a boom of thunder, they both unburdened themselves.

    Hazel Wilkins

    ¡°Do I¡­ have to wear this?¡±

    She stared at the purple dress. It was nice, pretty even, but she wasn¡¯t one to wear dresses.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to change the color.¡± Her ¡®father¡¯ said.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that, its just-¡° She considered her next words carefully, ¡°It¡¯s a little short, couldn¡¯t I just wear one of those other dresses that Emily used to wear? I mean, it''s not like she''s wearing them-¡°

    His gaze was enough to make her stop speaking. She didn¡¯t even have to look at him to know the look on his face.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wear it.¡± She said defeatedly.

    ¡°Good,¡± He made his way to the door, ¡°Oh, and try not to embarrass me, okay?¡±

    He shut the door.

    Asshole

    She kicked the leg of her bed, and immediately regretted it. She stifled her pain and instead let out a series of obscene, but quiet, curses. An Applin peaked out from under her bed.

    ¡°You know you don¡¯t need to hide from him right?¡± She let herself fall on her bed as he jumped onto it.

    Applin¡¯s eyes drooped as he got a better look at her.

    ¡°Nothings wrong,¡± She lied, and he could tell, ¡°Alright well, it¡¯s just¡­ whatever happened to ¡®Dress Modestly¡¯?¡± She tried to imitate her ¡®fathers¡¯ voice, but she wasn¡¯t very good at it.

    Harry Wilkins was a loose cannon, as much as his public image would say otherwise. She hated politicians, especially ones like him. Neglecting their own family in favor of their career. She wondered what the point of adoption was if he was just going to ignore her half the time, and give her vague instructions on how to act the other half. Her eyes wandered to the same place they always did. The windows. It was an unusual day. The clouds were as grey as the paint on her walls and it was as cold as the walk-in-freezer downstairs. Just yesterday it had been sunny, not warm by any means, but sunny. As far as Galars weather went, it was fairly normal, albeit an unusual sudden change from yesterday. She wouldn¡¯t complain though, she reveled in cold weather. Luckily Galar rarely ever dipped into the extreme heat unless you lived in Hulbury. In fact, even the summer months rarely got very hot.

    It would rain soon, or so she hoped. Rain was one of the few things that could make you almost mistake Motostoke for being beautiful. Almost. As the mayors daughter she tried her best to make herself think that it wasn¡¯t all that bad. But she couldn¡¯t. She wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say she loathed it, but there were very few things she liked about it. It was a week before the league circuit started. She hated the first week. Every trainer from the south, and even some from up north, flocked to Motostoke like birds to train in the wild area. Of course there was the Hammerlocke wild area as well, but most were to scared to face Raihan as their first gym, so Kabu was the second best option. They were always so hopeful, walking into Kabu''s gym with a Wooloo and A Blipbug. Sure, southern Galar didn''t have many options to choose from, But Rookidee and Nickit exist. And they would be a thousand times better than a damn Wooloo. Arceus, she could do so much better if only Harry would let her. She felt her nails digging into the palms of her hands-

    She snapped out of her anger trance as Applin chirped loudly into her ear, he always did when she fell into these bouts of misery.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, still clutching her foot, ¡°I think I need some ice.¡±

    Seymour Grover

    ¡°Come on! Just a little bit?¡± Carnivine whined

    ¡°I already told you no,¡± Seymour said, ¡°Besides, you think I could afford to buy you meat every day? I can barely afford to pay the bus driver.¡±

    Carnivine groaned and floated over to the windows and opened them aggressively, ¡°You could at least let me hunt!¡± She said, ¡°I could do it myself¡­¡±

    Seymour ignored her whining, ¡°Close the window, it stinks out there.¡±

    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want some fresh air?¡± She faked fainting and put one of her arms over her chest, ¡°You¡¯re killing me over here!¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°You¡¯ll live.¡± He said, deciding to just close the windows himself.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. You know I need meat to live right?¡± She said,

    He sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some eventually, I just don¡¯t have enough with what Mr. Cohen pays me.¡±

    She flared up at that, ¡°Fuck that guy!¡± She yelled, ¡°You can talk to Pokemon! He should be paying you double, triple even!¡±

    He put a finger up, ¡°Grass types, I can talk to grass types. And besides, I don¡¯t think he has the money to pay me anymore than he already does.¡±

    She laughed, ¡°You know people pay to have you talk to their pokemon right? You think he does that out of the kindness of his heart?¡±

    ¡°Well- It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He struggled to come up with an excuse, ¡°I can¡¯t just leave him! Who would sweep the floors? Who would-

    ¡°He¡¯d find someone else, Morey.¡± She said, ¡°You could make a killing if you didn¡¯t work for that asshole, get out of this dump and find somewhere else. You¡¯re always talking about going to Wyndon-

    ¡°That¡¯s just a pipe dream,¡± He interrupted, ¡°I mean Wyndon-¡° He chuckled, ¡°Cmon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious Seymour!¡± She insisted, ¡°Ooh, you know what else you could buy with all that money?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He deadpanned.

    ¡°Some real fucking food-

    He unclipped her Pokeball from his belt.

    ¡°Nonono, I was just kidding-

    He recalled her, ¡°That¡¯s enough of that.¡±

    He adjusted his glasses and stared at the photo on his worn out desk. It depicted a man and a woman taking a selfie in front of the Wyndon Stadium, the biggest in the region. They were as happy as could be, not a care in the world.

    He sighed, as he heard thunder boom in the distance, ¡°One day.¡±

    Clover Noozy?

    Why was it so gloomy today? Why was she at the beach? Why are there still people at the beach in this terrible weather? Why are there people swimming in the ocean when there is clearly an incoming storm? Do they have a death wish?

    All these questions and more ran rampant in her mind like a never ending storm, much like the one that would kill her if she didn¡¯t leave soon. Luckily she managed to find a spot away from people, where it was only her and the ocean. She didn¡¯t know what had led her here, or why she¡¯d felt compelled to come. She¡¯d lived in Hulbury all her life and still never found an appreciation for the ocean, that took commitment. But there was something strangely beautiful about a beach on a gloomy day. Everything that a beach is, the sun beaming down on you, a salty breeze washing over and caressing your face, sunscreen that she never bothered to use, and some asshole kids knocking over your sand castle. Her mother had given those two quite the talking to, all of that¡­ just wasn¡¯t. Of course there were still people, but it was nowhere near the usual crowds that the Hulbury Beach attracted every day.

    The palm trees were swaying violently in the wind, the nice breeze was now threatening to throw her hoodie off, and those asshole kids weren¡¯t kids anymore. She hated getting sand in her hair, she hated the scorching hot sand on hot days, and most of all she hated what her mind drifted to whenever she came here. It¡¯s why she avoided this place like the plague. But her mother loved it, that was the only reason she ever came.

    She had no reason now.

    But she¡¯d make an exception for today. Today was nice.

    At least it was nice until her phone vibrated in her pocket. She jumped and moved her hands to grab her phone. She ran one hand through her hair, forgetting that same hand had been planted in sand moments earlier. She groaned as she remembered why she hated this place and picked up the phone without bothering to look at who it was.

    ¡°What?¡± She said,

    ¡°Woah, what¡¯s got you upset?¡± The man on the other side asked.

    ¡°You calling, now what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Alright alright I¡¯ll cut to the chase.¡± The man said, ¡°Some guy came by the office today looking for you.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I dunno, I didn¡¯t get a good look at him. He was wearing this big ass trench coat and a hat. He did have red hair though, kind of like yours.¡± He explained.

    Her heart skipped a beat, ¡°What did he want?¡±

    ¡°Just told me to pass along a number so you could call him.¡± He said.

    ¡°Did¡­ did he say his name?¡± She asked hesitantly.

    ¡°No, just said that you knew him.¡±

    That didn¡¯t matter. She already knew his name. She couldn¡¯t forget.

    Christopher Tanega

    He¡¯d be at Hulbury in a few hours. The boat ride from the Isle to Galar¡¯s mainland wasn¡¯t as long as he thought it would be. His plan was to take the train from Hulbury to Motostoke. Sure he had the advantage against Nessa with an electric type, but only an idiot would go into a gym battle without having trained first. And what better place to train than the wild area?

    ¡°Tox!¡± Toxel nagged at his feet as the boat swayed.

    ¡°Want to go in?¡± He waved his Pokeball around, the last thing we wanted was for him to get seasick and throw up everywhere.

    Toxel instantly started nodding yes. He pressed the button and the lizard disappeared in a flash of red.

    He could still see the Isle in the distance. Leaving felt bittersweet. He loved his homeland, but ever since the earthquake it hadn¡¯t been the same, and even three years later they hadn¡¯t fully recovered. His old house was still a pile of rubble, the league had deemed the area not a priority, instead working on fixing up the richer neighborhoods and the tower of waters. It made him angry just thinking about it. Although last he heard, Mustard was trying to get the league to focus on the still destroyed areas, so at least there was that.

    After the quake his life became unstable to say the least. As rude as it sounds, his mother was better as a housewife than she was a single mother. A lot of people lost loved ones during the disaster, he was one of the lucky few to only lose one. Also like many people after the disaster, they struggled the most with money. Jobs were few and far between, and they didn¡¯t pay much. The league tried to compensate everyone affected by the tragedy, but if they weren¡¯t helpful now, than they sure as hell weren¡¯t three years ago. His mother managed to secure a job at the local daycare, and it paid decently, but not enough, never enough.

    He¡¯d grown sick of all their financial issues and-

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    His train of thought was interrupted by what he assumed to be an employee of the ferry.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± He asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a storm coming, didn''t you hear? We¡¯ve been broadcasting it for twenty minutes. Everyone needs to get inside, now.¡± He said.

    It was unusually gloomy outside now that he mentioned it. He could make out strikes of thunder in the storm clouds ahead.

    ¡°Yeah alright.¡± He said.

    The rooms on the Ferry were nice. Not at all luxurious, but at the very least he didn¡¯t have to share a room. For 200 Pok¨¨, it was the best thing he could afford. Airports had been open for about a year now, but he¡¯d rather swim to Galar than fly there.

    Over the next few hours the sun went down rather fast, as if it was Winter. The boat was battered and rocked by winds that never got this strong on the Isle. By the time he made it to Hulbury it was 7:34 PM and still pouring rain. Thankfully he had brought a jacket with him. A cotton one, but it would keep him semi-dry until he made it to the Pokemon center.

    He gave the Harbor one last glance before leaving. There was a girl sitting at the edge of one of the docks arguing with someone over the phone. She had short red hair and a rain jacket that he was very jealous of.

    What¡¯s her story?

    The thought only crossed his mind for a moment. And then it was back to business. The only story that mattered right now, was his.

 Chapter 1 - Well Meet Again

    Bell Benson, that is your name. Remember it, and never forget it. This is one of the few things you will remember when you wake up. I''m sure you will have many questions when you awake. But it is in your best interest that I don''t answer them. But what I can tell you is this. I saved you from a situation that would have meant certain death and brought you here. To a place you have never been, with people you have never met. It is a fine place, and the people are kind. But they are not the ones I worry about. I wish only the best for you, child. You could lead a peaceful life devoid of any danger if you so wanted. But I feel it wouldn''t be enough, not for you. So instead, I offer you another option. There is a song that hinges in the back of my mind but will never fully form. I have spent centuries searching for it, and I am strong enough to admit that I am at the end of my rope. You are my final hope. Please, find the song for me child. Find the song, and perhaps those sepia-toned memories will be yours again. Find it, and you will find me. Now wake up.

    ----

    Act 1 - Prelude to Winter

    Chapter 1 - We''ll Meet Again

    Is this what it feels like to have your life flash before your eyes? Only, instead of dying, it''s like I''m being rebirthed. Images of smoky Kalosian cafes and bustling jazz bars flashed in my mind. A million different things were running through my head. And they all had one thing in common. A girl. She had jet-black hair and a different hat and hairstyle every time I saw her. And boy, did I see her a lot. Always surrounded by other people of course, but she was always the focal point. One second we were posing for a selfie in front of the Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa, and the next we were driving at criminally rapid speeds away from something; I couldn''t tell what. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and there I was, in the middle of a caf¨¦.

    It made me realize something: I think I like jazz.

    The caf¨¦ was bustling with people. Just about every table was filled with people and Pok¨¦mon. It was illuminated only by a few hanging lanterns that worked surprisingly well for looking so old. There was also a singular Lampent floating around the caf¨¦, greeting those who entered, and thanking those who were leaving. I couldn''t focus with everything going on in the background, but somehow I managed. My mind refocused on the girl. We were the only two on the dance floor. She smiled and grabbed me by the hands, pulling me closer to her.

    "Wanna dance?" She asked.

    I shook my head. "No, not really."

    She frowned, "That''s a bummer."

    She hummed a simple tune as she stared at something playing on the TV in the distance. It was hard to make out through the jazz, but I could swear I recognized that song. She refocused on me and said,

    "I guess this is goodbye then."

    "Goodbye? I don''t even know who you are." I said, somewhat unfeelingly.

    Somehow that felt... untrue.

    She winced. "I guess it''s working already." She said somberly, "I''d hoped you still had a little more of... you, left inside."

    I am me. Aren''t I? The music in the background paused momentarily as a man walked up to the microphone to introduce a Kricketune who would be playing next. It took a bow.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    She sighed, "That''s alright; you don''t have to. It''s only goodbye for now after all. We''ll meet again, somewhere, someday."

    The sentiment felt hollow like she didn''t believe it. She looked so familiar. Like that nostalgic feeling you get when you smell something from your childhood, but it seems so far away, that you can''t even remember why it made you nostalgic in the first place. Even if in the grand scheme of things, it was not that long ago.

    "I hope we do," I said. I really did hope it was true, for some strange, unknown reason.

    She smiled sweetly and pulled out a rugged and worn Pok¨¦mon from her pocket. It looked hazardous. I wasn''t even holding it, and I could tell it was about to fall apart. She pressed it into my arms and said, "Take this; you''ll need it."

    "What''s in it?" I asked.

    "You''ll see." She giggled.

    I held the Pok¨¦ball to my chest. It felt warm. Everything felt warm. You know how some people who''ve had heart attacks say they had a sense of impending doom right before it happened? Well, I think that''s what I''m feeling. My legs felt wobbly; I could barely stand straight. Then, they gave out. She caught me before I could hit the floor. My fingers twitched uncontrollably.

    "What''s about to happen?" I asked.

    She looked into my eyes, "I don''t know, but-." She cut herself off. "Wherever you go next, whoever they say you are... just know I''m rooting for you, okay?"

    I shivered, "Okay."

    I agreed, but it didn''t feel true. She smiled again, but it was different this time. It wasn''t happy or sad. It was longing. Longing for something that was, but will never be again. I can''t put a word to this feeling. It''s also like longing, only I don''t know what for. I wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as I could, but alas, it wasn''t meant to be. I felt my body go limp as she whispered one final thing into my ear.

    "I love you, Ja-

    She was gone. So was the caf¨¦, but the music remained. It''s a strange feeling to not remember anything about yourself. It''s like floating in a black void, where you can make out objects, places, and people in the distance, but they''ll never fully come into view. Actually, that''s the exact situation I''m in right now. Only, I wasn''t floating, just standing there on no perceivable ground. I held the Pok¨¦ball to my chest as if my life depended on it. I called out for anyone, anything. But to no avail. There wasn''t even an echo to keep me company. Was I alone here? I hate silence; I hate it so much. I''d surely go insane in this place. I closed my eyes, waiting for something to happen. That''s when I heard her. The woman''s voice cut through the chaos in my mind like a soothing melody in the middle of a war zone. Her voice was crystal clear; my mission was crystal clear. My eyes fluttered open at her command. I took a breath; it felt unnatural.

    My mind went black, and then-

    Above me was a grey sky. I wasn''t in Kansas anymore, whatever that means. The sudden change in atmosphere startled me immediately. I shivered; it was so cold. What kind of manic wears a t-shirt in weather like this? Me. I am the maniac. I felt... broken. As if something about me wasn''t right. That woman, she said my name was Bell. But that doesn''t feel true. Not at all. Everything feels wrong. This place, this feeling. Whatever, problems for later. I attempted to shake off these feelings of confusion and focus instead on my surroundings. In front of me was an altar. Both I and it were surrounded by a creek on all sides except directly behind me. It looked old, like really old. Parts of the stone arch had broken off and fallen into the creek or onto the surrounding area. Vines grew through the cracks in the stone and drooped down onto the shrine below it, or was it a tomb? I don''t know the difference.

    There were two, what I assumed to be names, inscribed onto it. But the stone was so worn out I couldn''t understand it. There was, however, one part of the altar that seemed virtually untouched by time. The pedestal directly below the shrine was made of smooth, unbroken stone. It looked very out of place. Upon further inspection, which I was doing for some reason, there were two depressions in the stone, one in the shape of a sword, and the other a shield. Part of my mind wanted to keep looking. But the other, more rational, and frankly less fun, part of my brain was telling me to get the hell out of this forest. Unfortunately, I had to agree with the angel on my right shoulder, who wasn''t there because I''m not crazy. At least, I don''t think I am. Anyway, I stopped associating with that creepy altar and took the path behind me, hoping I wasn''t just going deeper into the forest.

    The best word I could use to describe this forest was... sleepy. Well, that and cold, but I don''t think that''s exclusive to the forest. Yeah, it''s not an adjective you would usually give to a collection of trees and rivers, but it''s honestly the most accurate thing I could think of. It was just so... quiet. Besides the sound of the creek, it was dead silent. I hadn''t seen a single Pok¨¦mon. And speaking of Pok¨¦mon, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize there was a Pok¨¦ball in my pocket, along with what appeared to be an alien space rock. I promise you that is exactly what it looked like. Alien space rock aside, I examined the Pok¨¦ball. It was rugged and worn; it felt like it was about to fall apart just from holding it. I silently prayed that it was both a fire type and friendly. I could use some warmth right now. Figurative or literal, but literal would be much preferred.

    The button in the middle of the ball was hanging on by a tenuous thread, and by that, I mean a spring. Admittedly, it was much harder to get the damn thing to work than I''d like to admit. Eventually, after some finnagling, I managed to get the button to press down. The Pok¨¦ball was reduced to a pile of mechanical junk as it disintegrated in my hands. The Pok¨¦mon inside was released in front of me in a flash of crimson red that blinded me for a moment. When I looked back it was... a Dwebble.

    "Ugh," I said.

    Oops, I probably should not have said that. But come on, this was my one chance to find warmth, and it''s a Dwebble. He didn''t take kindly to my reaction. He rolled his eyes, and raised a small rock from the earth and threw it at me. It hit me right in the stomach, and it hurt. More so than I thought it would.

    "Ow¡ªWhat the fuck?" I said, throwing the rock back at him. It bounced off his shell harmlessly.

    He snickered and shrugged at me.

    "Alright, fine, maybe I was being a dick." I conceded. "I''m sorry."

    He nodded his head, accepting my apology. Or I hope he did; I''m not very well-versed in the language of Dwebble. Unfortunately, he was, and proceeded to talk non-stop for what I assumed to be a few hours. I think he thought I could understand him. And I think I was accidentally enabling him by nodding along and agreeing with everything he said. Eventually, he shut up, and I could finally get a few words in. I explained to him my current situation, and by association, his as well. I told him about that woman who spoke to me before I woke up and how I couldn''t remember anything.

    He did not care. All he did was look at me like I was crazy and kept talking.

    So, back to the alien space rock. It had sharp edges and pieces of stone sticking out. The pieces sticking out were shaped like pentagons, and the spaces in between them were triangles. A dim red light emanated from inside of it. The only thing I could tell you for certain was that it was not a normal rock, which is an assumption anyone could make. Unless, of course, this particular person was blind and couldn''t feel anything. Then they might think that it was a completely normal rock. Although, I would think they would have bigger problems than a silly-looking rock. Anyway, enough about the stupid rock. Let''s talk about the stupid forest.

    As much as I tried to ignore it, the shifting atmosphere was really fucking with me. I think it needs therapy, it''s having some pretty bad mood swings. When I first arrived, the air was freezing, and the sunlight struggled to make it through the clouds, not to mention the trees. Since then, it''s gone from foggy to dim to straight-up darkness, to the brightest lights imaginable beaming right down onto me and Dwebbles faces. Thankfully those lights also happened to be fairly warm, so I was rid of the cold; that was until the forest decided I was having it too nice and decided to dim the lights and turn the AC way up. I also had my fair share of accidents along the way, mostly due to a few stray tree branches and once to my poor shoe-tying skills. So on top of freezing my ass off, I also have a gash on my elbow. Although, it''s so cold that the pain is getting more manageable with every passing minute.

    If you decide to factor in what a shitty companion Dwebble is, you can start to imagine how torturous this walk is. To distract myself from this hell of a hike, I asked Dwebble,

    "Can I name you?"

    It feels weird just calling him Dwebble, It would be much better if I could call him by a name.

    He stopped yapping for a moment and shrugged, which I took as a yes. Alright, the first thing that comes to mind...

    "What about Rocky?"

    I''ll admit, it''s not very original, or creative, or interesting, or literally anything other than bland. But- look at a Dwebble and tell me Rocky isn''t a fitting name. He deadpanned, probably because of my lackluster naming skills, but then shrugged. So, maybe my name isn''t bad after all?

    ---

    I was starting to think I would never get out of that hellhole of a forest. Thankfully, I would soon be put out of my misery. I was starting to see signs of life. I couldn''t exactly see the Pok¨¦mon, but I could hear them. That''s got to mean something right? Sure enough, I found the exit a little while later. Relief washed over me as I spotted the sprawling grass fields in the distance. My relief soon turned to terror, however, when I realized it was much colder out here than in the forest. Also, the sky was as overcast as it could get, so what the hell was all that shit going on in the forest? Whatever, I won''t get much out of thinking about this right now.

    Like I said, the forest led me into what looked to be endless fields of grass. I could see a town in the distance, but man, is it far. Unluckily, I had Rocky to keep me company. He thought the sound my chattering teeth made was the funniest thing he''d ever heard, so much so that he decided to imitate it himself. How is he not cold? It''s probably pretty warm inside that rock.

    "Y-you think this is f-funny?"

    I shouldn''t have said anything. Now he''s making fun of my stutter. I could not have asked for a more annoying Pok¨¦mon as a starter. To make matters worse, he hated grass, for some fucking reason. He refused to walk on it, and since his Pokeball was currently a pile of junk a few miles back, my shoulder had unwillingly become his designated seat. If it were any other Pokemon, I would''ve thought it was cute, but he''s got to weigh at least ten pounds. So I continued this grueling hike with a ten-pound rock on my shoulder. The more I think about it, it probably weighs a lot more than that. But who am I to complain? I''m just the one freezing his ass off. On the way to the town, I came across a few farms. They always had these adorable sheep-looking Pokemon that bayed at me as I passed by. I had to physically restrain myself from petting them. It''s probably best not to touch a species I know nothing about.

    Eventually, we reached a path paved with gravel, and I swiftly kicked Rocky off my shoulder. It looked like the path would take us to the town. Also, I still have not put any thought into where the hell I am. It''s not Unova, that place is a never-ending heatwave. That also rules out Alola, in which you are never more than a few feet away from a Yungoos. I guess it could be Kanto or Johto, which are more on the foresty side of things, but something in my gut tells me that''s not it. I''m leaning towards either Sinnoh or Galar, both of which are at least semi-cold all year round.

    Man, my amnesia is oddly selective. I can remember random geography facts, but not my life before today. Whatever, more problems for later. If the last few hours have taught me anything, it is that the cold is not conducive to a productive thinking session. The two thoughts currently vying for control over my mind are ''I''m cold'' and ''Is it getting warmer? Or am I going numb?''

    Eventually, I made it to the town. Upon getting there, I wondered if I had somehow traveled through time and space a few hundred years back because this place looked medieval. The houses were made of stone, not stone bricks, just stones. The roofs were painted red, and all of the roads were paved with dirt, and not well-maintained dirt. Arceus, that sounds silly, but it''s true. It was bumpy and uneven to walk on. Can you even drive on this? Well, I guess you can, but it''s not going to be very pleasant. Come to think of it, I haven''t seen any cars around here. Also, not a single person was out and about. Is it still morning? I was in that forest for hours. So either I had woken up much earlier than I thought, or that place doesn''t care about the laws of time, and spit me out in the damn 1800s. Which is just as likely considering my current situation. My suspicions were furthered by my discovery of an ancient-looking newspaper machine in front of an old rustic building that looked important. Do people even read these anymore?

    I can''t buy a newspaper, broke as a joke as they say. But the machine was kind enough to let me read the first page without needing to pay. I was grateful, even if it was probably just a tactic to get people to actually buy the thing. It told me a few things. One, I wasn''t in the 1800s; this town was just old. Two, this town''s name is Postwick, which was in Galar. I subconsciously let out a groan. It''s not that I hate Galar; it just wouldn''t be my first choice for an all-expenses-paid vacation. Plus, they aren''t exactly known for having the tastiest cuisine, especially to foreigners, which I very much am. Three, Wedgehurst was the name of the neighboring town, and much to my delight, it was home to a Pokemon professor. Maybe they can tell me what''s going on with me. I bid the newspaper machine adieu; yes, I spoke to a newspaper machine. It''s been much more helpful than Rocky, who had been pretending to understand the words on the paper and nodding along as I was reading it.

    "Oh, so you can understand this?" I asked.

    He nodded.

    "Okay, so can you tell me what the Professor''s name is?"

    He stayed silent. "Yeah, that''s what I thought."

    Then he started throwing a big fit, and I once again wished I hadn''t said anything. I ignored him and went on my way.

    Postwick was a tiny little town. I was only walking for about 30 minutes, and I had already reached the ''You are leaving Postiwick'' sign. There was another dirt road leading out of the town; hopefully, it''ll lead me to Wedgehurst. The terrain was so flat, so it was surprising that I wouldn''t be able to see it from this distance, which had me a little worried if I was being honest. I was also starting to get hungry, which I''m surprised didn''t happen earlier. I ignored all of these worries and kept trudging. I mean, what else could I do?

    The road eventually led us to a sign that said ''Route 1 Ahead.'' I''m not sure about Galar, but I know other regions don''t allow you to go on routes without at least one Pok¨¦mon, so, I guess Rocky is good for something. I followed the sign that pointed towards the aforementioned route. Hopefully, it''s not too long or filled with Pok¨¦mon that want to kill me. I had anticipated both of these things. What I hadn''t anticipated, however, was the yellow tape blocking the entrance to the route. I also didn''t anticipate the girl staring down the route as if she''d just been locked out of a concert she''d paid to go to. My very specific analogy aside, I called out.

    "Hey!"

    I didn''t have a plan. I was just hoping she could provide some insight. Maybe she can tell me how to get to Wedgehurst since this path seems to be out of order.

    I don''t think she heard me. She was muttering under her breath just loud enough for me to hear.

    "Stupid storm..." She fidgeted with her fingers. "Close the route... mess up my plans."

    I walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "H-

    I only saw her face for a split second before her fist met my face, and I found myself on the ground. Rocky cackled and lost his footing laughing at my pain. My face felt warm, which was nice. What wasn''t nice, however, was the searing pain in my nose, which began bleeding incessantly. I sat there for a few seconds, processing what had just happened before I spoke up.

    "What the fuck?"

    "You scared me." She said.

    "No shit." I stood up. "You punch everyone who scares you? I called for you."

    "I didn''t hear."

    "Clearly," I said.

    I attempted to stop the bleeding by pinching my nose together. When that proved too painful, I tried using my shirt to stop it from getting everywhere. However, it was already too late for that. I guess she took pity on me, for an injury she inflicted. She tossed me a handkerchief, I guess Galarians still use those.

    "Use it." She said.

    "I was planning on it."

    She was wearing a green hat. I want to call it a beret, but I don''t think it is. She was also wearing a gray hoodie that looked much warmer than this stupid T-shirt.

    "I''ll forgive you if you let me wear that hoodie."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    She laughed. "And get blood over it? Hell no."

    That''s... reasonable actually. Luckily, I don''t think she broke my nose, I think it would hurt a lot more if she had. I spent a moment cleaning all of the blood from my face. It wouldn''t be a good look if I just waltzed into town with my face painted red. Although, I would still be walking into town wearing a blood-stained shirt, so I''m not sure how much this is going to help. I was planning on waiting for Rocky to stop laughing, but apparently, his crab lungs can hold infinite amounts of air. I gave him a good kick. It wasn''t enough force to hurt him, I doubt I could do that even if I tried, but it was enough to get him to shut up.

    "So-

    "Goodbye." She cut me off.

    What?

    "What?"

    She pushed past me and began walking back to Postwick. Very normal interaction I''m having here. Galar sucks.

    "Wait! What the fuck? You can''t just punch me in the face and then leave." I exclaimed.

    "Why not?"

    Why not? Why not?! I can think of a lot of reasons why not. Unfortunately, I am better at thinking than I am at speaking. So instead of standing up for myself, I ended up sounding like a little kid trying to justify to their mother why their brother was at fault. Except in this case, the metaphorical brother actually is at fault.

    "Well, um... well, it really hurt, first of all,"

    That was lame.

    "It was supposed to." She said, still not looking at me.

    "And second, you''re being a real dick- and," I added before she could retort, "I am very lost."

    "Lost?" She turned around. "In this place? With two routes and two towns?"

    I don''t think I could have been more clear. I''m starting to think she doesn''t like me.

    "I''m a little new around here," I said.

    Understatement of the year.

    "Sucks for you." She said. "I''m not helping you. Just use your phone."

    "I don''t have one."

    "I''m still not helping you."

    Man, this girl is cruel. She isn''t doing anything to sway my already negative opinion of Galar. In fact, she''s actively making it worse.

    "I think you owe me," I said before she could turn around and start walking away again.

    "Owe you? I''ve never met you."

    I''m not sure what that has to do with anything, but whatever.

    "You just punched me in the face. This is the only shirt I own, you know." An unfortunate truth that may work in my favor. "I think you can do me one small favor."

    She stared daggers into my soul. I didn''t budge, even if her stare was kind of scary.

    "What do you want?" She yielded.

    That''s what I like to hear. Ew, that sounded creepy.

    "Professor Magnolia, take me to her."

    She looked dejected. "What? Why do you need to see her?"

    Oh great, she knows what I''m talking about. I was afraid she would have no idea who I was talking about, or where to take me. That''s one problem out of the way, unfortunately, a new one has just been created. Why do I need to see her? Do I tell her the truth, or do I lie? It''s a tricky question to be sure. But I''m going to lie.

    "Oh you know, we just need to talk about... tea."

    Great lie. Good lie. Really Amazing lie. I could not have told a better lie if I tried. And I really should have tried.

    "Tea?" Even though it was a question, she didn''t seem all that confused.

    "Yes. tea, can you take me to her or not?"

    With such a convincing lie. I don''t think any human alive could say no.

    She sighed, "You''re lucky I was going to see her today anyway."

    Fuck. Yes.

    "Really? Because it looked like you were going to give up." I jabbed.

    Alright, maybe I was the one being a jerk now. But, I think I''m entitled to a few rude remarks, especially after my masterclass in the art of deception.

    "Shut up." She said. "Route 1 is closed, it''s a long walk."

    "Oh joy, I love walking."

    She groaned. I''m not that annoying, am I?

    ---

    She was right, the walk was long and tiring. But compared to the hike I''ve been on since I woke up, it wasn''t too bad. At least there was gravel for Rocky to walk on. Speaking of him,

    "A Dwebble, where''d you find that?" She asked.

    She hadn''t spoken since we started walking, this was the first thing she said.

    "He was a gift." I lied. Well, it could be a lie. Truth is, I have no idea where the little shitball or his Pok¨¦ball came from.

    "Hm."

    That was the extent of the conversation she was willing to initiate. Unfortunately for both of us, silence, as I am now finding out, makes me uncomfortable.

    "So." Her fingers twitched, but she didn''t say anything. I took that as my cue to continue. "Is it always this cold?"

    She shook her head. "Not this time of year."

    So I just happened to show up on the coldest day of the summer? Coincidence? Probably. But maybe, just maybe, I was somehow responsible for this storm she was talking about. But how? Whatever, add that to the list of problems for later. Right now, I want to know this girl''s name.

    "I''m Bell-" I coughed. "By the way."

    That felt wrong.

    "Bell? That''s your name?"

    I can''t tell if she''s making fun of the name, or genuinely asking if that''s my name.

    "I think so."

    "So it''s a nickname."

    "No, it''s my name."

    She turned to me for the first time since we started walking, "So then why''d you say I think so-

    "It''s complicated."

    She turned back. "If you say so."

    ...

    "And?"

    "And what."

    "You''re not gonna tell me your name?" I asked.

    I thought it was common courtesy to say your name after someone introduces themselves. Granted, it wasn''t much of an introduction, but it was still more information than she was giving me.

    "I don''t have one."

    I involuntarily laughed, "You don''t have one?"

    "Nope!"

    That can''t be true. Unless Galarians have some strange tradition I''ve never heard of, which may very well be the case, considering I''ve never heard of most things, and Galarians are the weirdest people on the planet. Unless you count those people who put ranch on every food imaginable, in which case, those guys take the cake and it''s not even close. Anyway, back to Jane Doe.

    "So can I give you one?"

    She frowned. "No, absolutely not."

    Bummer.

    "So-

    "It''s Stella, Arceus." She said.

    "Nice name."

    "If you say so." She said again.

    ...

    More silence. I should say something stupid.

    "So do you always talk to yourself or-

    "Do you ever shut up?" She asked.

    Maybe I shouldn''t have said that. "Is that a hypothetical question or..." I trailed off.

    "No. It''s me telling you to shut the hell up. You''re lucky I''m even doing this for you. Keep talking and I''ll leave you here and walk back to Postwick without a second thought." She finished.

    "Jeez, tell me how you really feel- alright alright I''m sorry," I added that last part when she began to turn her head at me slowly. That couldn''t possibly end well. "Can I just say one more thing?"

    "Make it quick."

    "I like your hat."

    She tripped. On what, I have no idea. She managed to catch herself before she could fall., which, I gotta say, is a real shame.

    "I hate this hat."

    "Then why wear it?"

    She didn''t respond to that. She only shivered.

    ---

    The walk took a lot longer than both she and I had anticipated. Most of that, however, was due to a rogue Dubwool who had somehow escaped one of the nearby farms. As such, the rangers had taken control of the area and halted any on-foot travel. Stella had some very specifically worded feelings about them. I''ll tell you this much: she really has a way with words. By the way, Wooloo, (those sheep-looking Pok¨¦mon from earlier) feel every bit as fluffy as they look. I had the chance to pet one when the Rangers stopped us in front of one of those farms. I already like them more than Rocky, who has contributed absolutely nothing except a few headaches. Stella''s Scorbunny had been infinitely more helpful. She had released him from a Pok¨¦ball she kept in her hoodie''s pocket after about the tenth time I had asked, ''Are we there yet?''. He didn''t magically remove all of the cold from the air, but it was certainly helping, unlike Rocky, who is proving himself to be more of a yapper than I am. At least he had found someone else to annoy in Scorbunny. He threw small rocks at the little guy in an attempt to provoke him. Unfortunately for him, he seemed to enjoy kicking the rocks back at him with much more force than Rocky had initially thrown them. This evolved into some strange competition where Rocky grew increasingly frustrated at his inability to land a hit on the rabbit. It was both entertaining and intensely gratifying to watch.

    Unfortunately, after the rangers permitted us to keep walking, it became excruciatingly silent again. And you know me; I had to say something. I figured her threat from earlier was null now, considering we''d waited for the rangers to get that Dubwool under control for thirty minutes and had been walking for god knows how long. Also, my legs are begging me to sit down. Apparently, the me before today wasn''t much for staying in shape. Would I change that? Probably not. But at least I had myself to blame it on.

    "So, where''d you get him?" I asked. If she''s allowed to ask where I got Rocky, I''m allowed to ask where she got Scorbunny. Admittedly, I had semi-lied to her. But she doesn''t know that.

    "He was actually a gift."

    Okay, I guess she does know that.

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" I asked.

    "I mean, that Dwebble isn''t yours, is it?"

    Rocky seemed to take offense to this. Don''t ask me why, because I have no idea. He jeered at her, attempting to mock her voice. She ignored him.

    "And how do you figure that?" I asked.

    "Where''s his Pok¨¦ball?"

    Damn, she got me. Kind of, sort of. He is still my Pok¨¦mon, but this is not a good look for me.

    "It''s, well..." I stumbled over my words for a second before realizing it would do me no harm to just tell the truth. "It broke."

    She scoffed, "It broke? How?"

    Just tell the truth.

    "I dropped it." Godamnit. Why did I lie? The truth is arguably more believable than whatever crock of shit just came out of my mouth. It''s fine, I can still fix it. I continued, "Into a lake."

    River! Why didn''t I say river? Then I could just say the stream carried it away. Past me, screw you for carrying around such a shitty Pok¨¦ball.

    "Yeah, that''ll do it." She said.

    Wait, is she serious?

    "Really?-"

    "No!"

    "Oh."

    "Obviously not, those things are waterproof." She said.

    Well. I did not know that. With the gift of hindsight, I guess that makes sense. You wouldn''t want your Pok¨¦ball breaking on you because your asshole sister pushed you into a lake because she thought it would be funny-

    My mind went blank for a moment. What was I thinking?

    "Just admit that Dwebble isn''t yours. You can only find those in the wild area anyway."

    The what?

    "Alright, I lied. But only about the lake thing." I made sure to add, "It just wore out. I pressed the button once and the thing just collapsed in my hands."

    She laughed. "You are so full of shit."

    That''s the first bit of actual emotion she''s shown so far. I''ll take it, even if it is at my expense. Although, why is it so unbelievable? Don''t Pok¨¦balls get worn out?

    "I''m being serious." I insisted.

    "Sure you are." She said. "You know how long it would take for a Pok¨¦ball to wear out that much?"

    I don''t know. A few years?

    "A few years?"

    "Decades more like." She said. "Even the cheapest ones are built like bricks."

    "Uh-huh, and why do you know so much about Pok¨¦balls?" I asked.

    I didn''t think that was an offensive question. And it isn''t, but to her, I guess it is. She followed up my question with a single grunt and went back to not saying a thing. I think I had hurt her feelings with what was probably the most normal question I had asked since I woke up. Besides when I asked about the weather. I didn''t want to leave her feeling bad, so I did what I''d been doing this whole time, and kept talking.

    "So you believe me now?" I asked.

    "No." She hesitantly kept going. "If he really is yours, then where''d you get him?"

    Now that one, I don''t have an answer for. I doubt I could even come up with a convincing lie. Not that I could do that for a different question. We''ve already established I''m a terrible liar. But I can''t exactly tell her the truth.

    Actually, I can. What''s stopping me? The fact that it''s a ridiculous story, and nobody in their right mind would ever entertain it for even a second? Probably. But I think we''ve also established that this girl isn''t in her right mind. My blood-soaked shirt is evidence of that. Plus, has the fear of embarrassment ever stopped me before? Not that I know of.

    I ignored her question and asked, "Can I tell you something that''s going to sound like a huge lie?"

    "I''d prefer it if you didn''t."

    I don''t know what that means.

    "Great! I''m gonna tell you anyway."

    She groaned and recalled Scorbunny, a cruel punishment, but I didn''t mind. Those are the words of a foolish man, a foolish man who could still feel the lingering warmth for a few seconds after she recalled the bunny. I became increasingly cold as I was telling my increasingly ridiculous story. She re-released Scorbunny; I guess she pitied me, or maybe she just couldn''t understand what I was saying through my chattering teeth, although I wouldn''t be surprised to learn she couldn''t understand what I was saying either way. It all sounded like incoherent gibberish to me, and I was the one talking. Her first takeaway was not what I expected it to be.

    "You were in the slumbering weald?"

    "The what?"

    "The forest." She elaborated. "That''s what it''s called."

    "Yeah, it fucking sucked," I said.

    "How''d you get in there?" She sounded bewildered, baffled, or any other words that meant extremely confused/surprised. "The rangers keep that place on lockdown 24/7."

    Did I not just tell her?

    "I just told you."

    "Oh." She said. "You were being serious?"

    "Yes, I was being serious!" I exclaimed.

    "I thought you were just trying to embellish your story about going into the weald." She said.

    "I don''t even know what embellish means."

    It''s true. It sounds like a kind of condiment. Ketchup, relish, and embellish. Sounds good to me.

    "So, none of that was bullshit?" She asked

    "No," I said.

    "Prove it."

    Prove it?

    "Prove it?" I asked. "Prove it how? Are my fashion choices not evidence enough?"

    She shrugged. "I guess."

    She''s right to ask for evidence, as annoying as it might be. Then it dawned on me. The alien space rock. It''s not ''evidence'' per se, but maybe having some strange extraterrestrial object will be enough to convince her that I''m not lying.

    "I have this thing." I yanked the strangely shaped rock out of my pocket. "Any idea what it is?"

    She did a double take on the rock and rushed over to me to get a better look. "Where did you get that?"

    "Woke up with it," I said.

    "Let me see it."

    She yanked it out of my hands.

    "You''re welcome," I said.

    She pulled out a pair of glasses from her inventory and put them on. She examined the rock like one of those pawn shop owners about to give a bar of pure gold a four-dollar valuation.

    "So how much can I get for it?"

    She looked up. "What?"

    Yeah, I didn''t expect her to get that one. "Nothing," I said. "Can you tell me what it is?"

    She handed the rock back. "It''s a wishing star."

    A what now?

    "A what?"

    "Arceus, are you deaf too?" She asked.

    "Nono, I heard you," I said. "What the fuck is a wishing star?"

    Was I supposed to make a wish? Did I miss my chance? Because if so, gosh darn it.

    "Its-" She cut herself off. "Let''s just... get to the professors. She can tell you all about it."

    "Can''t you?" I asked.

    It seemed like she was already about to do so.

    "No, I can''t." She said. "Now let''s go."

    "Yes, ma''am," I saluted.

    She didn''t like that one at all.

    ---

    By the time we arrived in Wedgehurst, it was already dark, even though it was only five in the afternoon, in the middle of summer. Galar sucks, hard. On the bright side, Wedgehurst looked like a normal town with normal-looking buildings, unlike Postwick. It had asphalt roads and sidewalks. Sidewalks! Sidewalks and roads, can you believe it? I was starting to think Galar was just a never-ending field of grass with a singular medieval ghost town smack dab in the middle. According to Stella, Postwick only had a population of about 500. She was included in that number. Wedgehurst was the only big city in southernmost galar. I hadn''t seen any of the houses yet, but I had to imagine they were made of gold and had toilets with bidets because they''re better than toilet paper in every way. Unless you live in Orre, in which case, I imagine using toilet paper is preferable to contracting some awful disease from a bidet spouting water from your local polluted lake. Enough about toilet sprinklers though, let''s talk more about the city.

    Is what I would say if Stella didn''t immediately pull us into some dimly lit, medieval-looking part of town. Seriously, what purpose do these streetlights serve if they''re not going to be on at night? And Just when I thought I had reached real civilization.

    "Where are we?" I asked. "Why is it so damn dark?"

    "Gildtree Avenue," She responded. "The streetlights have been broken for years."

    "Why?"

    "Don''t ask me," She said. "Professors lab is this way."

    "Will she still be there?" I asked.

    "It''s only five," She said. "I don''t know why the weather is being like this, but she''ll be there."

    "If you''re sure," I said.

    "I am."

    The only thing illuminating the street was the moonlight and a few streetlights that still worked, albeit barely. The professor''s laboratory stuck out like a sore thumb, even in the darkness. The place was overgrown to hell but looked much more modern than the buildings surrounding it. There was a very suspicious-looking olive tree in front of one of the windows, even Stella thought it was weird, judging from the look on her face when we walked by it. She didn''t say anything about it though, like she had been doing all day. The lab looked to be about 2 stories tall and had what I assumed to be a greenhouse in the back. Stella used the knocker on the front door to call for the professor. It was shaped like a small round bird with a few tufts of feathers above its eyes.

    It took a moment for her to open the door. Now, I''m not sure what I was expecting her to look like, but I wasn''t expecting an old lady. That''s not a jab at her, It''s just not what I was expecting. I''m sure there are plenty of old professors who do their job just as well as young professors. They probably do it better actually. I wasn''t trying to be rude. I swear. I swear on Rocky''s life.

    "Stella?" She said. "I wasn''t expecting you today."

    "Yeah, I wasn''t either." She responded. "Can we come in?"

    She moved to the side to reveal she wasn''t alone. I gave her an awkward little wave.

    "Oh my goodness." She said, probably noticing my blood-stained clothes. "Yes, come in."

    I pushed past Stella and entered the lab. Words can''t describe the relief I felt when the cold left my body. I''m never wearing a T-shirt in this Arceus awful region again. You can quote me on that, and please do. The lab was brightly lit, so much so that it momentarily blinded me when I rushed in. There was a small kitchen on the left and a library so tall that I''m sure it blocked any natural light coming in through those windows. The professor''s voice went in one ear and out the other for a moment until Stella pulled me back to reality.

    "Bell!"

    Hey, she used my name. I think.

    "Huh?"

    She motioned towards the professor.

    "Oh!" I said. "Sorry, thank you for letting us in ma''am."

    Did that sound polite? I don''t think I''m very good at being polite.

    "It''s my pleasure... Bell was it?" She asked.

    This is only the first time someone has asked for my name, but I can already tell I''m going to hate it.

    "Yup," I exaggerated the ''Y'' a little bit.

    "Do you want some tea?" She asked.

    Tea? Is this is why my tea lie from earlier seemed so convincing? Was she some sort of tea connoisseur? Or was it just a Galarian thing? Both are equally as likely. Arceus, why am I even overthinking this? She''s just offering me tea. Of course I want tea! I haven''t had anything to drink all day.

    "Yes please," I said. "That would be great."

    She walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a kettle from the stove. I thought she was going to start preparing it, but instead, she started pouring it into a small teacup. Is having tea ready at a moment''s notice also a Galarian thing? Anyway, she handed me the cup. I was prepared to down the whole thing in one swing, but it turns out tea is served hot, so I was forced to drink it like a normal person. Pity.

    "So." The professor started. I could tell Stella wanted to talk to her, but it seemed she wanted to talk to me first. "How did... all of this happen? Was it Stella?"

    I swallowed. I didn''t want to snitch on Stella, but she''s put me on the spot. And as we''ve established, I am an awful liar. Plus, this woman is supposed to be smart, she''s not going to be fooled by some twerpy kid. I''m talking about Stella by the way, because I totally folded.

    Stella muttered something under her breath as I admitted to the professor what she had done. She then reprimanded her in a stern voice that I knew old ladies were capable of, but let me tell you, it is much scarier hearing it in person. It was a little satisfying to see her getting scolded, but it''s not the reason I''m here. She shrunk like a little kid being scolded by their parents, as did her Scorbunny despite doing nothing wrong. Amused by this, was Rocky. I think he was still upset at Scorbunny for not letting him pelt him with rocks. She issued me an apology as a result of the professor''s scolding. I accepted since it sounded like she meant it, and wasn''t just issuing a half-assed apology.

    As a sort of peace offering, she gifted me a green sweater. She said she had bought it for her granddaughter, but that it didn''t end up fitting her. I accepted it graciously. This is the kind of benevolence I''m talking about, not tossing a handkerchief to the guy you just assaulted. Once all of that was done with, we finally got down to business. We both sat down at the kitchen table while Stella stood awkwardly to the side with her arms crossed.

    "So why are you here Bell?" She asked. "I''m sure you didn''t come all this way just to tell me about Stella''s temper."

    I sipped on the tea. This stuff is actually pretty good. "You''re right about that..." I trailed off.

    I had come all this way. Walked all day to get here. And yet, I hadn''t prepared any kind of speech. Which, now that I''m on the spot, seems like a pretty big oversight. I let out some strange guttural noise as I struggled to put into words the events of the past few hours. Sure, I had already done it once with Stella, but that was different. It didn''t really matter what I told her because I didn''t expect her to believe me anyway. But this woman? I have to get her on my side or I''ll never figure out what''s going on. On the other hand, old people are wise. Magnolia especially, seemed like she knew what she knew to discern what''s real, and what''s bullshit. I mean, I feel like that''s a pretty essential skill to have as a Professor.

    "Go on," Stella said, "Tell her what you told me."

    "I''m trying," I said.

    And try I did. Just like before, it all sounded like incomprehensible gibberish to me. I knew for a fact that I was telling the truth, and somehow it still sounded like a lie. The professor listened intently, hanging onto my sentences as if I were telling the most compelling story ever. Maybe I was, I can''t imagine Wedehurst and Postwick getting much action. I was out of breath when I finished. She thought. She thought for a long while. Did she believe me? She probably thought I was full of shit. I mean, who would ever think that a story like that could hold any-

    "I believe you." Said the mind reader.

    Most of my worries vanished in an instant. Well, except the one about me being stranded in Galar with no memories. That one was still very much there and constantly reminding me of its presence. She finally spoke again.

    "But." She said. " I do not know how this could have happened."

    Welcome back worries! It''s been a while.

    "Ah," I said.

    "I know you came to me thinking I could answer your questions, but I cannot."

    I''ve heard that one before. Well, there goes my one lead. Where the hell do I go from here?

    "Tell me more about this... ''Music Deity.''" She said.

    I guess that''s one way to describe whoever it was that was speaking to me. I explained to her multiple times what the woman said to me. She also seemed shocked that I had seen that altar. According to her, no one had seen that place in decades. She seemed fascinated by my tale. And who wouldn''t? I suppose that''s a little vain of me, but let''s be honest, I am one interesting guy. Anywho, I ended up telling her the same story three times. It''s not a very long story, but it was the message that intrigued her. She broached the idea that a legendary Pokemon may be responsible, for no other Pokemon can erase memories to this extent. She paced around the lab with her hand to her chin, I''d be lying if I said it didn''t look like something straight out of a TV show. Stella didn''t do much except make snide remarks and mumble to herself and her Scorbunny. I also showed her the wishing star, she told me she could turn it into something called a ''Dynamax Band'' if I wanted. I have no idea what that is, so all I said was ''cool'' and let that be that. She offered two solutions, only one of which sounded appealing to me. The first was to stay here in Wedehurst until she could either find out what was happening to me or find me a place to live if I so wanted to. Which I don''t, by the way. I do not want to live here. I cannot stress that enough. The second, and much more proactive option was to look for this song.

    "And how would I do that?" I asked.

    "Well, you would already have a head start with a Dynamax band, may I suggest the gym challenge?" She said, "Or, whatever it is they''re calling it these days."

    The gym challenge. I might have amnesia, but even I know what that is. I don''t think anyone doesn''t. Unless you live under a rock, or Orre. Putting whatever ''Dynamax'' is aside, that''s not too bad of an idea. Granted, I know absolutely nothing about Galar. That includes gym leaders, towns, native Pokemon, hell, I don''t even know who the champion is. That being said, I''m going with option two. I don''t want to sit here in Wedgehurst twiddling my thumbs when my memories are out there somewhere. I have to start somewhere right? Plus, I think it would do Rocky some good to get into a few fights. On the whole eight badges thing, It might be a secondary goal, but that doesn''t mean I''m going to half-ass it. Hell, maybe I''ll find another Pokemon to balance out Rocky''s... Rockyness.

    "Yes! That!" I said. "I don''t really know anything about this region though."

    "Oh, I''m sure that won''t be a problem." The professor turned to Stella.

    She took her hand out of her palm. "What?"

    The professor didn''t respond, only tiled her head and widened her eyes as if to say ''You know what I mean''

    And, evidently, she did know what she meant.

    "No, Arceus no." She stood up. "I''m leaving."

    I don''t believe her for a second. It''s freezing out there, and the walk back to Postwick is going to take her at least an hour and a half.

    "Stella-

    The door slammed shut. I stand corrected. Scorbunny blew a raspberry at me before following his trainer out the door.

    "What''s her deal?" I asked.

    She sighed. "She just needs time, she''ll come around."

    "If you say so."

    She seems pretty set in not wanting anything to do with me. Although, if that were the case, then why did she lead me here? Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was pity. I''m not sure, but one day I''ll get it out of her. She''ll end up being my friend whether she likes it or not. Even if that means using my irresistable charm that I was undoubtedly known for in my past life.

    My past life, is that what I''m calling it now? It felt wrong. I mean, I estimate at least 15 years of life that I just can''t remember. Maybe more. Can I just disregard all of that? No, I can''t. But I can certainly try. I felt a knot forming in my stomach. I put those thoughts away quickly.

    <hr>

    A/N: Thank you to everyone who read through this whole first chapter. Especially after reading that it takes place in Galar, since I know some people have very strong feelings about those games. But I promise I''ve made the story much more interesting and cohesive than the games, or at least I''ve tried to. If you think there''s anything I could improve on feel free to leave a comment. As for updates, probably one every week or maybe more than that if I''m feeling crazy. Also, what''s everyone''s favorite musical?

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    I had a strange dream last night. If you''re wondering what it was that made it so strange, then you and I are in the same boat. I can''t remember a thing about it, only that it was strange. I guess that''s just par for the course with me. I woke up to the sound of Rocky mumbling something to himself in his sleep. His body was withdrawn into this rock. I certainly wasn''t complaining. After last night, the professor gave me a spare key to the lab so I could use its loft to sleep in. It was a gesture I appreciated since, naturally, my second option was to sleep in a dumpster. It was surprisingly comfortable for just a few blankets stacked on each other as a mattress, and a single blanket that barely covered my whole body. But once again, you won''t find me complaining. I didn''t see what time exactly I fell asleep, but I woke up at 12:34 PM. The day then started with a series of confusing events that I was, honestly, half asleep for. I remember getting down from the loft, greeting the professor, getting some more tea because that stuff is good, and then Stella was there for some reason. She seemed annoyed to see me, that part wasn''t surprising. The surprising part was the Pokedex she was bugging the professor for. As far as I''m aware, only trainers are allowed to have those. Well, that made last night''s interaction make a lot more sense.

    I thought the professor was asking her to drop whatever she had going on in Postwick to come chaperone me around the region, which did seem like a pretty big ask. But as it turns out, she was already planning on entering the gym challenge herself. So why was she against the idea? Maybe she just preferred being a loner, that I can somewhat understand, even if it doesn''t make a whole lot of sense to me. What''s the fun in seeing the world if you had no one to share your stories with? Curious, I asked her about it. She described herself as a ''One woman operation'' and refused to elaborate. I guess it was pretty self-explanatory, if a little unsatisfying as well. In an attempt to build rapport, Magnolia lent me some money and told Stella to help me shop around for what she called ''necessities''. I guess we''ll see what ''necessities'' I end up buying.

    While I maybe have previously been enamored by Wedgehurst due to it''s absolutely normal-looking sidewalks and only slightly little cracked asphalt roads, I have now come to realize that it''s just your average small town. I suppose ''Big city'' is a subjective term. That isn''t a bad thing though, it had a certain charm to it. Most of which, was lost on Stella. I had unwilling become her outlet to vent about just about anything; Her parents, Postwick, Galar as a whole, I was even catching a few strays for doing absolutely nothing except listen. I had said one word this whole time, and I think it was ''Butter''. I was going to say ''Well butter my biscuit'' after she made her first positive remark about some curry she had the other day, when I was then cut off and ignored. The only thing I could do was sigh and accept my position as her trauma dumpster.

    Anyway, after thirty minutes of word vomit, we made it to the Pokemart, where I am standing now, with a Dusk ball in my hands.

    "I''m buying this." I said.

    She looked my way just long enough to see what I was talking about. "Why? Plan on kidnapping some poor Zubat?"

    "Uh no, I''m not a terrible person." She rolled her eyes. "It just looks cool."

    "it''s gonna cost you at least 500 Pok¨¦." She said.

    "500?" I asked. "No way, the normal ones are only like 50."

    "Read the price tag genius, they''re there for a reason."

    "Where-

    There it is, hidden at the very bottom of Pok¨¦ball. The other ones just have a price tag hanging off. It''s probably a ploy to get you to buy it without thinking, which admittedly, I almost fell victim to. Stella was right, why was it so expensive? I put the ball back in it''s place and decided that I''d buy it if I had any funds left over after buying ''necessities''. These ''necessities'' included a backpack, clothes, a tactical axe (Stella insisted that I would need it), another sweater because apparently jackets are a luxury only the rich can afford, potions, Pok¨¦balls (just in case), a Rotom keychain because my backpack needed some flair, and that Duskball because my financial decisions won''t affect me later in life. Rocky was champing at the bit for it; I''d need to put him down lightly.

    "It''s not for you, you googly eyed asshole." And then I shoved him into a normal Pok¨¦ball and clipped it on my belt. Man that felt good.

    After we were done shopping for me, I had to sit through an hour of Stella spending an ungodly amount of money on clothes because I didn''t know how to get back to the professor''s place on my own. Yet another reason I need her help. I told her she should buy one of those belts that let you keep your Pok¨¦balls on them, so she didn''t have to keep them in her pockets, but she said those were dumb. I didn''t try to sway her, mostly because it would be like trying to foster peace between Zangoose and Seviper, that is to say, it wasn''t going to happen. What she did buy, however, were some flowers. My curiosity was insatiable.

    "What are those for?"

    "None of your business." She spat.

    Oof, that one was more vicious than usual. I should leave it alone. And this time, I actually did. It would a poor decision on my part to keep on angering the girl I''m trying to get to help me. My silence seemed to confuse her.

    "Not gonna pry?" She asked.

    "Nope." I said. "I''ve learned that lesson."

    "Mh." She replied.

    Is that progress? I sure hope it is. She can read maps, and I can''t, which for whatever reason, is an essential skill for navigating the wild area, which I know about now! During the time between Stella''s departure and my falling asleep, the professor explained to me some of the intricacies of the Galar region. Two of which, were the wild area and Dynamaxing. The wild area was pretty simple to understand, all I had to do was look at a map of Galar and look at the huge swaths of untamed land underneath Motostoke and Hammerlocke. Those were the wild areas. I guess ''untamed'' is a bit of an exaggeration. They were tamed just enough for inexperienced trainers like myself to not get themselves killed by pissing off some wild Pok¨¦mon. Dynamaxing was a tad bit more complicated, but not really. It was fairly simple to understand, but my brain was in complete stupid mode after everything it took to make it to Wedgehurst so it took a bit of explaining. Galar has certain power spots, mostly in gyms, where Pok¨¦mon can be supercharged with Dynamax energy and turned gigantic. This was the whole gimmick that battles in Galar were known for, and was the main reason that trainers from other regions came to Galar. And that wishing star that I had in my pocket? Well, she can turn that into a Dynamax band that will let me Dynamax Rocky and any other Pok¨¦mon I catch. The thought of a giant Rocky was giving me a headache just thinking about it. Dynamax was also the primary source of energy on which Galar was powered. This is when I started falling asleep. The only things I remember are someone named Chairman Rose, and something about a bunch of Ice Type-wielding terrorists. I''m sure that won''t ever come up again though.

    After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Stella left me in front of the professors lab and went to go do whatever it is she''s planning to do with those flowers. Professor Magnolia wasn''t in right now, she was out teaching her granddaughter how to drive. She had said her name, but I was zoning out and didn''t quite catch it. Sandra or Sunny or something like that. I''m not sure if someone at the professors age giving driving lessons is a great idea, or a terrible one. That was probably the nicest way I could''ve put that. I''m sure it''s fine though, anyone who even knows the basics of driving already knows more than me.

    She had left a Pokedex on the table for me with a note that read ''Don''t tell Stella''. Sneaky, I like that. It was a little surprising that she didn''t already have one, but then again, I also don''t know when the average trainer is supposed to get one of these. The gym challenge starts in a week, or so Stella says, so I''d imagine most trainers already have one. But I digress, a win is a win. I released Rocky from his Pokeball. I was anticipating a huge tantrum so I made sure to walk to a secluded area first. Southern Wedgehurst was separated from the grasslands by a river which was only crossable by a singular rickety bridge, and Arceus was that bridge hard to find. And beyond the grasslands, were the mountains. Luckily I wouldn''t need to climb the mountains to find an area Rocky wouldn''t complain about. The terrain faded from grass to stone and dirt at the foot of the mountain, this is where I would release him. When I released him, I was happy to see that I had anticipated correctly.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    He was upset I hadn''t put him in the Dusk Ball, and the ground was paying the price. I assumed it was just because he had a big head.

    "Calm down you big baby." I said, that seemed to upset him even more.

    He was like a baby with godlike powers, unaware of the damage he was causing by just being upset. And it was sizeable damage, he had even surprised himself with how easily he''d dislodged a nearby bolder from the nearby mountain. Luckily the most damage it did was scare a nearby Pidove further up the mountain.

    "You done yet?" I asked. "The rangers are gonna be on us like Houndour if you don''t stop."

    He nodded meekly. "Good." I said, "And don''t worry, I''ll get you a cooler looking Pok¨¦ball when I have more money."

    That seemed to be good enough for him. He attempted fixing up the small area around him that he had damaged, but it wasn''t working very well.

    "Just leave it." I said. "It''ll fix itself."

    Probably. I think that''s how nature works.

    :"Anyway, I brought you here because I got this thing." I held the Pokedex in front of it. He eyed it curiously.

    "It''s a Pokedex." I said.

    I turned it on and scanned him. I was jump scared by the robotic voice that came on and started reading Dwebble''s entry.

    Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pok¨¦mon

    Dwebble make their homes in rocks found in their environment. They do this by secreting a highly corrosive substance from it''s mouth into a rock that it finds suitable to live in. Once inside of a rock, Dwebble bond themselves to it , and strengthen it. the longer a Dwebble has a rock, the more powerful it becomes. Trained Dwebble even have the ability to repair their homes after each battle given enough time, the new parts come in stronger than the old. More powerful Dwebble that live in deep caves have been known to make homes inside of metals and gemstones like copper and diamonds. Dwebble without a home will become extremely agitated until they can find a new one. Some Dwebble who cannot find a home, choose to reside in the ports of a Hippowdon. In exchange for this, the Dwebble clean the ports and make sure nothing dangerous enters through them. Dwebble have been known to confuse Rolycoly and Roggenrola for non-living creatures and sometimes attempt to make homes out of them, sparking an intense hatred between the creatures.

    I should turn that off, I would much rather read the entry than have it jump scare me every time I see a new Pok¨¦mon. That aside, that entry is pretty comical. The thought of Rocky confusing a Roggenrola for a suitable rock and then trying to hollow it out was enough to make me chuckle. The Pokedex went on to list details more specific to Rocky. I''m not sure how it got all this from just a scan, but I''ll take it. He had the ability ''Sturdy'', which I think just means his shell is stronger than usual. Although, if I took the Pokedex entry into account, maybe it means that he can strengthen his shell faster than other Dwebble. I should ask the Professor about that later.

    "Wonder how long you''ve had that thing." I said.

    He shrugged and began to poke and prod at his rock. The way the Pokedex described it almost made it seem like a whole other body part, I mean, it practically is. Also, this asshole weighs twenty three pounds, or ten kilograms as Galarians would say, Twenty Three! No wonder my shoulder hurt when I woke up today. I didn''t bring it up though, since there was no need for him to sit on my shoulder now that he had a Pokeball.

    The Pokedex also listed his moves. Of course, moves are only a rough outline of his capabilities, but it''s a start. I''m curious to see what his battle prowess might be, if any.

    "Try smack down." I said.

    With much more ease than I thought, he raised a rock from the earth and sent it flying towards a mountain in the distance. It flew for about five seconds, during which I stared at the rock with an open mouth. It smashed into the side of the mountain with a crash and exploded into a million pieces. That was... awesome.

    "Wow." I said, "You are better than I thought you''d be."

    I guess his little tantrum earlier should have been evidence that he was powerful, but I thought that was just his anger talking. He wasn''t looking at me, but from the way he was just staring, I could tell he had surprised himself as well. After some more testing, we realized that he was much more equipped for battling than either of us thought. Part of me also wants to test the durability of that rock, but I''m not really sure how to do that. I would probably have to get into an actual battle to make that assessment, and that''s sounds like a lot of work. He was also getting tired pretty quickly, so we decided to call it quits for now. He was now begging me for food, I was under the impression that rock types just ate rocks, and I''m pretty sure they do. I guess they can eat other stuff to.

    "You forget I''m broke?" I asked, "The only food I can afford you is a bag of soil. From that gardening place."

    It was meant to be a joke, but clearly he didn''t understand my sarcasm. I begrudgingly agreed, that place isn''t to far from the lab anyway. I only know it because we walked past there on our way to the Pokemart, and Stella had mentioned that the owner used to be an elite level grass type trainer. I don''t know if I''ll get to see that guy, but it''d be pretty cool if I did.

    Once again, the sun was going down. At least this time it was only seven, but still. It''s summer for Arceus sake. I entered the empty gardening store. It was a lot bigger on the inside. The only people that I could see working was a scrawny guy at the counter, and a woman on the ground sweeping restocking something. There were flowers and exotic looking plants everywhere you looked, but I wasn''t here for that. I was here for soil to feed my crab. I thought it would be weird, asking the employee what kind of soil was best for feeding, but apparently this was completely normal. He pointed me towards an isle filled with bags of soil made specifically for Pok¨¦mon consumption. Those were way out of my budget though, so I just settled on normal gardening soil. Rocky wasn''t very happy about that, but he enjoyed it nonetheless, If you''re curious about how one eats soil, I''ll just tell you that it''s very messy.

    ---

    Circhester

    "So what is it?" The man shivered

    Circhester was always cold, but especially so during the winter. Only it wasn''t winter. Even with the hot spring in the middle, the town square was not spared from the cold. Every breath he took materialized in front of him as a quickly dissipating cloud of mist.

    "Dunno." The other man responded, "One of our guys in the isle found it."

    In his hands he held a large glass container with a swirling mass of black mist inside of it. it raged inside the container, smashing against the glass and threatening to throw the man off balance if he didn''t hold it steady.

    "Is it gonna-"

    "It not getting out." He said, "This thing''s made for holding Maryam''s experiments, if those things can''t escape, than nothing can."

    "Is that what it is?" He asked. "One of her experiments?"

    The other man shook his head. "No way, she''d go crazy if one of ''em went missing, and I''m sure we''d a heard about it by now."

    The man bent down to examine the creature. It stopped for a moment, like it was examining the man, and then slammed into the glass at full force in the mans direction. The other man lost his grip on the container as it slammed into the mans face.

    "Gah!" He pulled back immediately and placed a hand on his nose.

    The other man regained control of the container.

    "Shit, Sorry man." He said.

    "it''s cool." He pinched his nostrils together to contain the bleeding, "What is that thing. You said they found it on the isle?"

    "Mhm." The man nodded.

    "Should we show the boss?"

    The other man thought for a moment. He looked at the container and made his decision.

    "No, not yet." He said. "We''ll show it to Prancer first, figure out what it is. Maybe we can get something out of it."

    "Prancer? You mean Maryam''s lapdog?" He loudly whispered, "No. No way. She''ll snitch us out the first chance she gets, and then we''re both dead. We both know how Maryam likes her... anomalies."

    The other man shook his head. "She might, but not if we have something she wants."

    He pulled out a small bag filled with-

    "Rare candies?" He asked, "How is that gonna help?"

    "You kidding? The girl''s a total junkie." The other man said, "You telling me you haven''t noticed her tweakin'' out all week?"

    The man thought for a moment. Rare candies are usually used as performance enhancing drugs for Pok¨¦mon. Normally, a single one would be enough to kill a human if they were to ingest it. However, he knew that Maryam had special, weaker versions of the drug to use on her experiments. He had never considered the possibility of them being used by a person, but It made sense. The poor girl could never catch a break with Maryam breathing down her back, treating her like garbage.

    "I did think that was strange."

    "See?" He said. "I''ve been seeing her leave the lab to go to the bathroom like all day. She comes out looking paler than a Cursola, talking to herself and sweating like a Tepig. Y''know what that means?"

    "She''s withdrawing." He said.

    "Exactly!" He said. "She''s out. Trust me when I tell you that she''ll do anything for her next fix."

    He saw one problem with his story. "Okay but, how is she out?" He asked. "They keep hundreds of those candies in storage, she couldn''t just take them from there?"

    The other man shook his head, "No, they''re movin'' all her experiments to the other bases, only a few of ''em are staying here, and those few aren''t gonna be needing the candies. I think they might have already moved ''em all."

    It''s a good plan.

    "I''m in." He said. "But if Maryam gets wind of this, than I had no part in it."

    "Whatever ya say man." The other man said.

    Whatever that thing in the container is, it must be valuable to someone, somewhere.

 Chapter 3 - Still Hurting

    Chapter 3 - Still Hurting

    "Lulu''s Pie Shop?"

    Those were the words on the pink box in front of me. I woke up about ten minutes ago to the sound of Scorbunny begging Stella for pie, which then had me wanting pie, because that thing looked good. It had a purple jelly filling and was topped with blueberries and bacon. Yes, bacon. Whoever made this pie must have been having a hell of a day to come up with this. But if Stella shoveling it into her mouth and barely chewing it is anything to go off of, they might be on to something.

    "Yes." Stella responded with a mouth full of pie.

    "Where''d you get that?" I asked, "I haven''t seen a pie shop around here."

    Arceus, I wish I had found someplace like that here. No disrespect to Magnolia''s cooking, but even she cannot save Galarian cuisine from being the blandest food you''ve ever tasted. Just the smell of that pie was making me drool, I want.

    "Why are you even here?" She ignored me.

    "I live here." I jingled the keys to the lab in front of her face.

    "Of course you do." She sighed.

    "You gonna answer me or what?" I asked.

    She shoved another spoonful of pie into her mouth, "My parents were in Hammerlocke. This was in the fridge when I woke up."

    "So you stole their pie and walked an hour to eat it here?" I asked.

    "No, I stole their pie and called a cab to eat it here." She said, not waiting to swallow before speaking, but it doesn''t bother me; I don''t think manners are part of Galarian culture.

    Called a cab? She called a cab?

    "You called a cab? Why didn''t we call a¡ª"

    "Storm fucked up all the roads that day." She said.

    She really hates it when I finish my sentences. She tossed a piece of bacon at Scorbunny, who gobbled it up in less than a second. Rocky attempted to grab it midair, but failed horrendously. In his defense, jumping that high is an impressive feet for his weight. That''s the only nice thing I can say about his less than graceful fall.

    "Where''s my piece?" I asked.

    "In Hammerlocke."

    "Please?"

    "No." She said.

    "Stella!" The professor called out from the library in the back. I couldn''t even see her behind all of the bookshelves.

    Stella heaved a sigh and said, "Fine." She slid the box towards my side of the table, "Cut yourself a slice."

    "You have so much trust in me." I commented.

    "I''m watching you." She said, "That''s still my pie."

    I''m not exactly the most graceful person, but I didn''t consider myself clumsy until this moment. It should not be this hard to cut a pie, especially when the inside is just purple goop. Somehow my hands had ended up covered in purple jelly after about a minute of me fumbling around with the butter knife. I guess the only thing it takes to get Stella to talk to you is to be an idiot, then she''ll be so annoyed at you that she has no choice but to speak up.

    "Why are you using a butter knife?" She asked.

    Oh.

    That''s a good point. Why am I using a butter knife? I guess I just thought sharp knives were only for fruits and vegetables. If I said that out loud though, Stella would tear into me like a hungry Poochyena.

    "Why not?"

    "Does that look like butter to you?"

    "No, but I''m sure there was butter involved in it''s creation." I retorted.

    She facepalmed, "Arceus, I''ll just do it."

    She stood up and yanked out a large kitchen knife from the knife holder on the counter so violently that I flinched. She walked back over to the pie and sliced into the opposite side of where I was trying to cut it. It makes sense, it was unsalvageable, even for a professional pie cutter like herself. She placed the slice of pie onto a small glass plate with a fork and placed it in front of me.

    "There."

    "Thank you madam." I joked, she didn''t like it.

    Whatever, not everyone can understand my comedic genius. I tried my best to not eat like a Lechonk, but what can I say, Galarian culture is rubbing off on me. At least there were plenty of napkins. That pie was without a doubt the best thing I''ve had since I got here, thought the sample pool isn''t very big considering the only thing''s I''ve had are toast sandwiches and canned beans with peaches. The latter tastes better than you''d think, but the toast sandwich tastes exactly how you would expect. I''m not sure if peaches and beans is a Galarian dish, it has flavor so I''m leaning towards no, but if it is, I suppose that''s a point in the Galar column. It only took them four days to score a point. Maybe. Sadly, I will have to erase that point. Toast sandwich, really? I almost thought the professor was just playing a joke on me when she made it, honestly I still think she might have been. I asked Stella if that was a real thing people ate, she said yes, but she''s not exactly the most reliable source so I''m still conflicted. At least it was buttered, but that''s not going to help. It gets absolutely no mercy from me. 0/10, would only try again if my life depended on it.

    Anyway, after the pie debacle, I was dismayed by the news that I had work to do today. Magnolia informed me that she was working on getting me an ID to enter the gym challenge. I hadn''t really thought about it, but it makes sense. How am I going to register if I''m not even a real person, in the eyes of the Galarian government that is. That wasn''t the bad part, though; the bad part was the news that apparently what I had bought at the Pokemart wasn''t enough. She handed me a list of items I would need to buy and the money to buy them. Unfortunately, Stella wouldn''t be there to guide my way today. She didn''t tell me where she was going, as usual, but I got the sense that it was important to her so I didn''t pry. At least I now knew how to get there, but man, I need a phone. GPS would be a lifesaver.

    I released Rocky to keep me company, I hoped that maybe his yapping could replace Stella''s yapping. But for some fucking reason, he decided to stay quiet the one time I wanted him to talk.

    "So do you just like pissing me off?" I opened the door to the shop. The smalls bells above the door rang as the employee working at the register greeted me.

    He looked taken aback, as if he didn''t know what he was doing. Instead of retorting like he usually would, he just went back to idly staring in front of him. Little guys got a few screws loose, whatever. I''ll deal with it later. Included on Magnolias list were medicines like burn heals, poison heals, and something called a full heal. She told me that one was for her though. I thought I was shopping for myself, but most of the things on the list were for her. I guess I should have looked at it before I left. I don''t mind though, I might end up needing those medicines, and I would rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them. Not included on her list, however, was a wallet. Now, I don''t currently have much use for a wallet, but I would someday right? Really, the only reason I was even thinking about this was because of the silliest thing I had seen in Galar thus far. Yes, even sillier than Toast Sandwiches. It was a wallet in the shape of the face of a Lickitung sticking out it''s tongue. It was so stupid, I had to buy it. I just had to. Just look at it! It''s making the dumbest face ever. The discovery that part of the tongue was hanging off the bottom of the wallet only solidified my decision on the matter.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Holy shit, when you open it, it looks like the Lickitung is opening its mouth. Oh my god, even the zipper above the ID pouch ID is shaped like a little tongue. This wallet is getting better by the second; whoever made this thing is a genius. People around the store were looking at me weird for laughing at the thing as if they didn''t also think it was hilarious. Whatever, it''s their loss; they don''t have a Lickitung wallet. This was far and away the best purchase I''ve made in Galar, probably ever, I don''t think anything I could''ve bought in my past life could top this. I was still chuckling when I placed all the items on the counter for the cashier to scan. He let out a small exhale when he saw the wallet. At least someone understands. I walked out of the store a new man, a better man, the man with the best wallet in all of Galar. I put it in my front pocket; there was no way I was letting it out of my sight for even a second, lest anyone become jealous and want to steal it. Which, let''s be honest, is so extremely likely.

    Rocky seemed to be confused by my excitement. I think he even went as far as to suggest that it wasn''t as cool as I was making it out to be. And I wasn''t going to entertain any of his antics right now. Yeah, I was complaining that he wasn''t saying anything less than 30 minutes ago, but that was the me before I got this wallet. I put him back into his Pok¨¦ball and started my walk back to the lab. Today wasn''t as cold as it was the past two days, meaning my sweatshirt was actually enough to keep me insulated. Unfortunately, my sweatshirt was not going to save me from the crowd of people running at Mach speeds towards Arceus knows where. Is there some sort of marathon going on? No, I don''t think so, I don''t see any numbers on their chests. That''s about as far as my detective abilities go. I''ve never been downtown, so as far as I know, all of these people are running straight into the void. I had a very brief collision with one of them. They didn''t even offer me an apology. I made sure to let them know how I felt, and by that I mean I shouted a few incoherent curses before returning to my feet. That''s the second time I''ve been knocked on my ass in three days, I don''t like this trend.

    After making sure I still had my wallet, I continued walking towards the lab. Maybe the professor could explain to me what''s going on over there. I could''ve followed them, but I really wanted to show the professor my wallet. There were a lot less people on the walk back then the walk there, they were probably all gone downtown to see whatever it was that was going down. When I got to the lab, the professor was in the back working on my Dynamax band. I placed down all the things she instructed me to buy on the kitchen table before going back there to greet her.

    "Hey Professor, look at my wallet!"

    She turned away from whatever it was she was doing to the wishing star.

    "It''s... funny." She said.

    "I know right?" I said, "Hope you don''t mind I spent some of the money to buy it."

    She turned back to her work, "It''s quite alright dear."

    "I bought the stuff you needed," I said, "What''d you need all that stuff for anyway?"

    "It''s for the Pok¨¦mon in the enclosure." She said, I didn''t even know there were Pok¨¦mon back there. I just sort of assumed it was a greenhouse, "They can get a bit rowdy."

    "Ah."

    I felt a shiver go down my spine. I wondered, for no particular reason, what Stella would be doing in about five hours, probably nothing interesting.

    ---

    She liked this hill. It gave her a nice vantage point of all of Postwick and Wedgehurst. It wasn''t an especially pretty sight though, even when the sky wasn''t completely overcast and the wind wasn''t trying to make you fall. She couldn''t remember a time that she didn''t have this hill to come to, but much like the nuisance that had invaded her life two days ago, she didn''t remember much of anything these days. The last five years were all a blur of dark rooms and sleepless nights. There were many sleepless nights. She only remembered what really mattered.

    Imagine a wilting flower, alone, dying slowly in a vase full of other thriving flowers. It was once a beautiful, imperfect, but beautiful thing. Now its stem is drooping down; it''ll never feel the warmth of the sun bearing down on its face ever again; it''s not like the sun ever shone here anyway. Someone might try to save it, to put color back into it''s petals, but no one will. No one will because no one cares. After all, if the rest are perfect, why wouldn''t you just remove the one causing you trouble? The answer was clear to her, but this wasn''t her; these were the flowers she had purchased yesterday. She could see them sitting on his grave even from all the way up here. Purple tulips, that was his favorite color. She didn''t know if he had a favorite flower. Probably not. She should have asked.

    She could see a singular tulip in the middle of the bouquet wilting, after only a day of sitting there. Why that one? Why were the others sill in pristine condition? She had the thought to go down there and just pluck the damn thing herself, but she wouldn''t. Not only would she have to climb back uphill, but she would also have to go back into the cemetery. She hated that place. Her father told her it wasn''t a place to be afraid of; it was a place to remember, to reflect. Obviously, she thought. She wasn''t afraid of a cemetery, what was there to be afraid of. Ghosts? Yes, ghosts, but cemetery ghosts are friendly for the most part.

    Reflect, what a stupid idea, as if that would make her feel any better. She knew what she needed to do, and it started in Motostoke. Scorbunny''s Pok¨¦ball felt heavy in her hand; it felt wrong, using the bunny to go on a faux journey across the region, but it was what she needed to do; it was the only way to repent, not reflect. His dream was now her dream, and that''s the way it has to be, no matter how much she may dislike the idea. Maybe it didn''t have to be all bad, she told herself. it might be nice to see somewhere that wasn''t Postwick or Wedgehurst. But the last time she had was five years ago, and memories of that time, as few as there may be, made her rip her hair out and scream into her pillow, or at other people in the case that there wasn''t a pillow around. She wondered sometimes what people thought of her, not that it mattered of course.

    Still hurting. Why are you still hurting?

    No one had ever actually asked her that question, maybe because normal people felt empathy. She didn''t, not for the last five years at least. But she asked herself that question every day. Why? Just let go, it would be so much easier, but that wouldn''t change a thing. It wouldn''t change the fact that she woke up every morning wishing it were her, it wouldn''t speed the time, and it wouldn''t change the fact that she was still hurting, and she always would be. Something wonderful died five years ago, and he wouldn''t come back no matter how much she wept. She felt a tear. She blinked once, she blinked twice, it was gone. She had done all the crying she needed to on the day of the storm.

    She felt a raindrop fall on his hat, as if she had conjured it up by just thinking about rain. Maybe it would be a light drizzle, she thought, but she knew better than that. It would be pouring sooner rather than later, and she needed to be inside when it did. The last time she came home soaking wet, her father reprimanded her as her mother attempted to dry her off with a towel. Her mind wasn''t on them, it rarely was. She should call a cab; make it back to the professor''s laboratory before the downpour starts. If she was lucky, it would last all night and she could stay there instead of at her house. Unfortunately, that meant she would have to deal with that pest. She groaned, but accepted it; he was much easier to deal with than her parents were.

    He had been much less annoying then he had been the day she first met him, but didn''t mean she liked him, she merely tolerated him. The thought of travelling with him made her stomach churn, though that could also be because the only thing she had eaten today was a few slices of pie.

    Arceus, she wanted more pie.

    ---

    "Stella!" I shouted.

    Finally, I was so bored. There was nothing to do with all this rain. Granted, I wouldn''t be going outside either way on account of not wanting to freeze to death. The only thing I had to entertain myself was Rocky and a deck of cards that he both didn''t know how to use, and would be to impatient to learn how to play anything. I would have asked the professor, but she was still hard at work on that Dynamax Band. Stella walked through the door with a frown on her face like always and her Scorbunny at her side. Her hoodie was only slightly wet, and her green beret-looking hat was completely dry; she had put on her hood over it to keep it safe.

    "You''re here." She said.

    "Where else would I be?" I asked.

    She shrugged, "I was hoping not here."

    "Mean." I said.

    The professor called out from the back, "Stella? What are you doing here?"

    "My house was too far; figured I''d wait out the rain here." She said.

    Sure, I buy it. Actually, do I? Couldn''t she have just gotten a ride directly to her house? The professor also seemed to be suspicious, based on her response, which was just a simple ''hm''. Whatever; it doesn''t matter to me. She walked directly to the fridge and grabbed the box of what was left of her pie. I was tempted to eat some of it, but she strikes me as the type of person to immediately know when someone has touched their food.

    I was right.

    She opened the box and examined it''s contents, "You didn''t eat any of it?"

    "Nope."

    She placed the box on the table, "That''s surprising."

    "Do you think so low of me?"

    "Yes." She grumbled.

    I was hoping that maybe my selfless act of basic manners would be enough to convince her to give me some more. I was wrong. I think deep down I already knew that I was wrong, but I can be hopeful right? She devoured the thing in a matter of minutes; I guess she was hungry. She also gave some of the bacon to Scorbunny, and Rocky actually managed to steal some of it this time, kind of. He just gobbled up a stray piece Stella had thrown that Scorbunny hadn''t noticed.

    Off topic, but that olive tree that I saw on my first day here; it was gone now. I tried to ask the professor about it, but she told me that she didn''t know what I was talking about. I also told Stella about it, she told me the same thing, but I know for a fact that she also saw it. Alright, olive tangent over, let''s keep talking about my wallet.

    "What''d you think about my wallet?" I placed it on the table next to her pie.

    She took a look at it and snorted, "That''s the dumbest thing I''ve ever seen."

    That was a genuine reaction, it was different from everything else I''ve heard her say. She smiled, if only for a moment. That''s good right?

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    No one has ever won at a claw machine. No one but her, that is. She stared at the Shedinja plushie sitting on a chair across from her bed; it stared back. She had won it at a carnival in Turfield years ago. Though, she hadn''t touched it in years. Five years to be exact. It sat there collecting dust on a chair she also hadn''t touched in years. She remembered that day like it was yesterday; it was a memory her mind unwillingly drifted to in times like this.

    She remembered the bright lights against the pretty pink sky; that was one thing that Turfield had going for it, the horizon was always a sight to behold. She remembered the food. She had a burger; it was good as far as carnival standards went. But he had cotton candy; she thought it was too sweet and sticky, especially on a hot summer''s day. They don''t get those anymore. She remembered being dragged to go on the Ferris wheel even when she had made it explicitly clear; that was the one ride she didn''t want to go on. She didn''t do well with heights. She hated it at the time, but present her would''ve told her to shut the hell up and enjoy the moment. And finally she remembered the claw machine. They spotted it on their way out of the carnival. She could still hear his voice.

    Stella! Please win it for me?

    He always loved that stupid bug.

    She won it on her first try; she''d never lost a single time since then. Though, she also didn''t use them very often as to keep the streak going hot.

    She shivered; stop fucking thinking.

    Her room was dark. The lightbulb had gone out months ago, and neither she nor her parents had bothered to fix it. The only thing illuminating the room was the small amount of light peering through her window''s curtains; it really did feel like winter. The sound of water pattering against her window kept her sane; she hated silence, despite what you may think. She just didn''t like the sound of other people''s voices. She wondered what Bell was doing; she wished she wasn''t. But he had a way of carving out a place for himself in your mind without your permission, it wasn''t like she had many other people to think about. She had thought about what he wanted from her, but she would never do it. She''s not a babysitter. Arceus knows she doesn''t need more problems, and what was he if not one big, inconvenient, scrawny problem. The only company she needed was herself.

    ...

    She heard her front door open. Her parents voices filtered throughout the house like a dam failing and destroying an entire small city.

    "Fuck." She got up and walked to her closet.

    She threw on a black rain jacket and opened her curtains. It was pouring rain out there, but the last thing she wanted to do was talk to her parents. The sound of the rain hitting the grass beneath her window intensified as she pulled it open. She took one step out. Where would she go? Anywhere but here.

    ---

    Has anyone ever actually won at a claw machine?

    That''s the question I''ve been asking myself for the past thirty minutes while trying to win a Quick Ball out of the claw machine in the Pok¨¦mart. It started as a trip to buy gloves for my frostbitten hands and quickly devolved into a never-ending cycle of ''I''ve got it for sure this time.'' I wouldn''t be in this situation if the weather in Galar wasn''t so awful; this damn rain is keeping me stuck here. The Quick Ball was far and away the best prize, and the people who stocked this thing know it. It was placed neatly above all the other plushies and shitty electronics that stop working before you even take them out of the box. And while you might think that this would make it easier to get, you would be dead wrong. The light from the top of the box shone on the ball as if it were some mystical object; a sword in a stone. And much like a sword in a stone; it was damn near impossible to get out.

    The claw itself was volatile, never having one set strength level. It seemed to change every time I deposited more of my not so hard earned money into the machine. That meant that my attempts ranged from almost there to not even lifting the thing off the ground. But through all of these attempts, I had managed to get it right next to the hole where you were supposed to drop it. it was literally this close, imagine that I''m pinching my fingers together, this close.

    I kept Rocky inside of his Pok¨¦ball because I knew that If I somehow managed to snag it, he wouldn''t stop pestering me until it was his. That was looking like more of a pipe dream with every passing attempt however. But it would all be worth it! I''m not sure how much it would cost to just buy a Quick Ball normally, but if it''s anything compared to the Dusk Ball, it can''t be more than what I''ve spent on this machine. I let out a groan as I deposited more coins into the coin slot. The claw whirred to life as the machine played that annoyingly catchy jingle it plays before each attempt. I gripped the joystick and, skillfully, maneuvered the claw above the Quick Ball. There had been a few times where I''d missed the ball completely, but my depth perception decided to stop fucking around, so that hadn''t happened since the first few attempts. I held my breath¡ª

    The claw lifted the ball up off the ground. My heart is fucking racing. Is this what gambling feels like? I think I see the appeal now. The speed that this stupid claw was going was making me anxious, could it go any slower¡ª I think I might pass out. I gripped onto the sides like a madman staring at the claw when¡ª

    "Fuck!"

    I covered my mouth; I may have said that too loudly, but who gives a fuck? The ball hit the side of the hole with clink and fell back into the sea of plushies. I silently cursed under my breath and prepared to deposit more money from my stupid wallet into this equally stupid, but not nearly as fun, machine.

    "What are you doing?"

    I spun around faster than a Snorlax hearing the words ''free food!'' Though, I don''t think most Snorlax care about price tags.

    To no one''s surprise, it was Stella. When did she get in here, and how? The front door, obviously, but I didn''t see her come in, and I''m right in front of it. Maybe that''s just a testament to how concentrated I am on this dumb game. Her black raincoat was soaking wet and getting water all over the floor. I suppose that''s not her fault, though. That''s another thing; it is pouring rain outside. It was fine when I walked here, freezing sure, but it wasn''t raining. But by the time I was ready to leave, Wedgehurst had been consumed by a monsoon, and it wasn''t like I could just walk back to the lab in nothing but a sweatshirt and jeans, so I started playing the claw machine.

    "What does it look like?"

    "It looks like you''re trying to win at a claw machine. You know those things are rigged right? How much have you spent?"

    Yeah, as if she cares about my financial well-being.

    "Too much," I dug through my wallet to find more coins. I only have a few more, "And yeah I know they''re rigged, but I''m this close."

    I deposited a few coins into the slot, "Sounds like you''re desperate."

    "Well I''ve spent this much time on it already, I''m not giving up now." I put my hand on the joystick, "What are you doing here anyway?"

    "Let me try." She ignored my question.

    "But, I just paid." I said.

    "I''ll pay you back if I lose just let me try."

    For some reason, I don''t believe that. But what the hell, maybe she''s secretly a pro at claw machines, I doubt it though. I stepped away from the machine and let her take a crack at it. There''s no way¡ª

    "Got it." The ball slinked down the chute as I watched in absolute horror.

    She bent down and picked the ball up.

    "How¡ª," I stuttered, "I don''t even¡ª"

    "Take it." She tossed the ball into my arms as I clumsily caught it, "You paid for it."

    I took off my backpack and placed it next to the Dusk Ball in the pocket I had designated for Pok¨¦balls, "How did you do that? I''ve been trying for like forty minutes."

    She shrugged and gave a vague answer like she always did, "I''m a miracle worker."

    Then she walked away, never to be seen again.

    Until thirty minutes later when she came back to leave and I was still waiting for the storm to pass.

    "You''re still here?" She asked.

    "You think I''m gonna walk back in the pouring rain?"

    "Mh," she said, "You know, you could have used all of those coins to call a cab, there''s a phone booth right outside."

    Phone booth?

    "A phone booth? What is this? The 1900''s?" I retorted.

    "Or you could use a phone, oh, you don''t have one," well she got me there, I probably shouldn''t be making stupid remarks, she is right after all.

    "Well, I''m out," I said, "Do you have any¡ª

    The pattering stopped.

    "Would you look at that." Stella opened the front door.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    I followed her out. There was still a light drizzle, but it was manageable. The cold was there as always, but I''ve already complained enough about that; I''ll need to get used to it eventually. We started walking back in the direction of the lab¡ªdid she walk here? No way, not in the rain.

    "You didn''t walk here did you?" I asked.

    She kept her hands in her pockets, "You''ll never know."

    Yeah, I probably should have expected that. She fiddled with Scorbunny''s Pok¨¦ball inside of her pocket. I took a look at our surroundings.

    The Pok¨¦mart was situated in front of a few battle arenas. I had this idea earlier, you can decide if it''s a good one or not; I don''t really care. If my amnesiac charm isn''t enough to coerce Stella into helping me, than maybe I just have to use brute force.

    Alright, I could have phrased that better. What I meant was this: If I can beat her in a battle, than she has to help me. But I don''t think she''s stupid enough to take a one sided deal, so I''ll tell her that I''ll leave her alone if she wins. Am I really going to do that? No, probably not, but it won''t matter if I win!

    "Stella, can I make a proposal?" I asked.

    "To who?"

    What?

    "To who? To you!" I said, "Who else?"

    "I don''t know." She shrugged

    "Well? Can I?" I asked again

    "Are you asking my permission to talk?"

    "Uh," well that makes it sound like I''m a kid asking his parents for permission to speak, "Yes?"

    She deadpanned, "If it will get you to shut up."

    "Oh it definitely won''t."

    "Then don''t¡ª"

    "Let''s battle." I interrupted her for once.

    She turned around, "Battle?"

    "Yeah, battle, you do know what that is right?" The sarcasm in my tone was so palpable you could smell it. Although, the more that I think about it that might just be my breath. I should probably invest in a toothbrush. And toothpaste and deodorant¡ª

    "Have you ever battled before?" She asked.

    No.

    "Uh, have you?" I retorted.

    "Once."

    "Did you win?" I asked.

    "By a landslide," She said confidently.

    Oh. Well, that makes my job a lot harder. Maybe she''s lying?

    "So is that a yes?" I asked.

    "It''s a no."

    She turned back around and started walking. Fuck.

    "Wait, let me sweeten the deal." I said.

    She turned around, "I''m listening."

    "If I win, you have to help me¡ª"

    She started walking again.

    "Arceus Let me finish, but if you win, I''ll leave you alone."

    She stopped, "You''ll leave me alone?"

    "Yup."

    "Are you lying?"

    Yes

    "No."

    She thought for a moment, for a long moment, "Fine."

    I let out a restrained ''Yes!'' under my breath. But that was the easy part, I really have to win this.

    ---

    Stella knelt down and whispered something to her Scorbunny. He could barely contain his excitement; sparks flew out of the pads on his feet every time he hopped off of them. With one word from Stella, he straightened himself out and walked calmly onto the field. A very annoyed-looking Dottler created a thin barrier around the arena. I didn''t think that would be necessary for a battle of this caliber, but better safe than sorry, I guess. I had already released Rocky, though we hadn''t communicated at all except for a brief second of eye contact; it felt like that was all that was needed. The battlefield was still damp from the rain; Scorbunny would be at a disadvantage. Granted, the wet ground would also make it harder for Rocky to use rock-type moves, but I digress.

    Stella adjusted her hat and whispered something to herself. She gave no warning before issuing her first order.

    "Quick Attack!"

    The pads on his feet and nose flared to life, unaffected by the wet ground, as he began charging at Rocky. I barely had time to reac¡ª

    "Sand Attack!"

    Rocky shook his head and braced for the attack instead. He withdrew into his shell and prepared for impact. Scorbunny tackled the rock headfirst, sending it skidding into the barrier. I wanted to berate him for not listening to my order, but then I used the brain that Arceus gave me and thought about it a little harder. Sand attack wouldn''t have done shit with the wet ground; he would''ve ended up just lobbing a ball of partially wet dirt at him, which wouldn''t have had nearly the same effect. I need to focus the fuck up; how is Rocky thinking more clearly than me?

    Rocky appeared out of his shell; luckily, it wasn''t damaged in any way, but he was clearly shaken.

    "Quick Attack!" She yelled again.

    Fuck, she''s way too fast for me. Rocky isn''t nearly fast enough to hope to dodge him.

    "Wait for it and faint attack," I whispered; he was close enough to hear me.

    Scorbunny reached him in only a few seconds. Dwebble withdrew into his shell as Scorbunny rammed into him again, but he was ready this time. He peeked his head out at the moment of impact and bit down on the rabbit''s arm. That wasn''t quite what I had in mind, but I suppose it''ll do. He stood his ground and remained unmoving, unlike last time. Scorbunny squirmed in his mouth but couldn''t manage to free himself.

    "Throw him and Rock Blast!"

    Rocky swung his head forward and sent Scorbunny tumbling towards Stella. The rocks had already been raised before he could even stand up. The first three hit him, knocking him back down each time he tried to get up. but he managed to get back on his feet by the fourth and final one, sending them into the barrier on Stella''s side. Scorbunny wiped his nose.

    "Quick Attack," she said.

    Again? The same trick won''t work again for us at least. I had even less time to prepare for this one.

    "Withdraw!" It was the best move I could come up with on the fly; Rocky seemed to agree.

    Scorbunny slammed into the rock again; Rocky didn''t budge, but I know that must''ve dazed him at the very least. Unfortunately for me, Stella picked up on this.

    "Ember." She ordered.

    Scorbunny picked up the rock and inhaled as he prepared to launch an ember inside. All I could do was yell for Rocky to snap out of it. He exhaled as he unleashed a short but seemingly powerful barrage of flames into his shell. The smug look on Stella''s face disappeared as Scorbunny did possibly the silliest thing he could''ve done: take a peek inside of the rock.

    "Don''t do that!" Stella yelled.

    Too late. Rocky re-emerged from his rock and slashed the bunny in the face; the fire had clearly damaged him, but he was still well enough to fight. His attack sliced right through the pad on Scorbunny''s face; he instinctively reached up to assess the wound, but that shit isn''t going to fly around here.

    "Fury Cutter!" I yelled before they could get their shit together.

    Rocky slashed the bunny in the chest, snapping him out of whatever pain-induced trance he was in and back to reality.

    "Double kick!" She yelled.

    Damn, they are resilient.

    Scorbunny jumped in the air.

    "Withdraw!" I said.

    I may have underestimated the strength in this rabbit''s legs. I winced when the first kick made a surprisingly loud crack and got even more scared when the second caused it to splinter, much to Rocky''s annoyance. He peeked out of his shell and attempted to bite his foot, only to get kicked in the face instead. He slid backward.

    "Smack down!" I yelled before Scorbunny had the chance to get back on the ground.

    He gladly obliged and raised a rock from the earth in only a second. The rock hit Scorbunny out of the air and threw him into Stella''s barrier. He struggled to stand up, but when he did, I could see the flames leaking out of the pad on his nose. But he wasn''t angry; it looked like he was having the most fun he''d had in ages. Something was different, though; fire pulsed out of his pads at a rapid rate. Must be some gimmick I haven''t heard of.

    "You can still fight." Stella said, "We''re not losing to a rock."

    Scorbunny nodded and refocused himself.

    "Quick attack and double kick." She said, "Focus."

    Scorbunny took a deep breath.

    "Withdraw¡ª"

    Too late, he was already there. He jumped up high in the air; the first kick cracked Rocky''s shell and made him slide backwards towards me. He prepared to withdraw as Scorbunny descended rapidly. But that''s not going to work; I''m not sure how much more his shell can take.

    "Attack!"

    The command was vague on purpose. Only he knows what''s best in this situation. Rocky closed his eyes as Scorbunny closed the gap. Right as his foot was going to make contact¡ª

    "NO!"

    A pillar of stone erupted from the earth and smashed into Scorbunny midair. The rabbit broke through the weak wet stone with ease, but it dazed him. He hit the ground, blinded and confused.

    "Rock Blast!"

    "Get out of there!" She yelled.

    Her order was in vain. All five stones hit Scorbunny square in the face. He made one last attempt to stay conscious.

    The flames on his nose and feet went out, and he hit the ground with a soft thud.

    The barrier went down.

    Did I win? Did I fucking win?

    Rocky looked back at me in disbelief.

    "Holy fuck."

    Stella recalled Scorbunny and said something to the Pok¨¦ball before shoving it back into her pocket. This look on her face; it wasn''t anger or annoyance like I thought it would be. She was smiling. She adjusted her hat again and started walking over to me.

    The adrenaline that Rocky was experiencing must have worn off; he was sitting in the middle of the field, withdrawn into his shell and panting so loud that I could hear it from here. I recalled him; I''ll congratulate him on his performance after I get him to a Pok¨¦mon Center. Stella sauntered over to me with her hands in her pockets and an expression on her face that wasn''t mild annoyance, which was her default.

    "That was... fun." She spoke first.

    "Well, isn''t that the point?" I asked.

    She scratched the back of her head. "I guess."

    ...

    "So¡ª"

    "You won." I see she''s still going to keep cutting me off. "I''m a girl of my word; besides, you wouldn''t last a day in the wild area by yourself."

    Let''s. Fucking. Go.

    ---

    Circhester

    Prancer''s lab was a mess; it almost looked worse than she did. Papers upon papers filled with scientific jargon were strewn all over the floor. A foul smell was present everywhere in the room. They couldn''t quite place it, but they were sure it had something to do with that fridge in the corner of the room. It was the kind of fridge used for storing chemicals and other stuff that they weren''t nearly qualified to understand.

    "Get out," she said as they opened the door and entered.

    She was laid out on the floor with her legs straight and her hands placed on her chest. She stared up at the ceiling, her body unmoving.

    "We need your help." The other man said.

    "Well, I''m not in the helping mood." She retorted.

    The first man took a good look at her. She always looked like a mess. Her blue hair was unkempt and much too long; he wondered when was the last time she had a haircut. But other than the bags under her eyes and her messy hair, she looked relatively normal.

    "Dude, are you sure she''s withdrawing?" The first man whispered.

    "Shut up, I''ve got this," the other man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag of rare candies. "Even for these?"

    She looked up. "Is that supposed to change my mind?"

    The first man facepalmed, "Idiot." He muttered.

    "Uh," he was at a loss for words, "Yes?"

    She sat up. "What? You think I''m a junkie just because I''m overworked and paid in jellybeans?"

    Well, that wasn''t entirely accurate. Her real payment was getting to live, but that couldn''t be an easy thing to talk about.

    "Well..." The other man stuttered, "Past few days you was acting weird. I thought¡ª"

    "You thought you could exploit me? Who do you think produces those?" She stood up.

    The other man looked down at his feet like a child who had been caught doing something bad. "So then, what was with all that? You were paler than a Cursola!"

    "I had the flu, asshole. Give me that shit." She extended her arm and opened her hand. The other man abashedly walked over to her and placed the candies in her palm.

    "Now get the fuck out," she said.

    The two men turned their backs, defeated. "Leave that."

    They were now realizing that it was probably a stupid idea to bring the container with the creature inside before getting her to agree. The other man turned to her.

    "Just tell us what it is, yeah? We''ll make it worth your while." He pleaded.

    "Fuck no," she laughed, "You''re lucky I''m not reporting this to Maryam; now get out and never come back. Please."

    The other man muttered something under his breath and left her with one parting insult, "You''re a bitch."

    She chuckled as they shut the door, "Sure..."

    She opened the small plastic bag with the rare candies inside. She popped one inside of her mouth and exhaled in relief, "Fucking idiots."

    She walked over all of the age-old papers on the ground towards the container. Some of these have probably been here for years. She knelt down to get a better look at the thing. It was a mass of swirling black mist, never standing still even for a second. She could spot a pair of glowing red eyes in the center of the storm. It wanted to look angry, but she could tell its true emotions, even if it was just two red dots. It was in pain.

    "Oh, you poor thing." She said

    She couldn''t tell exactly what it was, some sort of mutation if she had to guess. But nothing like Maryam''s experiments. She felt guilty for a moment, but it didn''t last long. The rare candy made sure of that. This was something she had never seen before. A new specimen, maybe something no one had ever seen before. She knew what that meant; it meant she had work to do.

 Hazel Wilkins 1 - Uranium

    Hazel Wilkins 1 - Uranium

    She woke up like she always did: surprised and still tired. Except this time, there was an extra noise in the mix.

    "Your lucky number is seven." The toy squabbled. It had a habit of coming on in the middle of the night, though her room always looked like it was nighttime, courtesy of the blackout curtains. Once it got going, it wouldn''t stop until you shut it up. There were only ever three phrases that it repeated over and over again. The other two are ''Buy more crystals'' and ''Luck is coming your way.''. All things you could find written on a slip of paper inside of a fortune cookie, except for the crystal one. She wasn''t sure what that one meant. It was modeled after one of those carnival fortune tellers. You know the kind; sitting in a box forever unmoving with names like The Marvelous Mystic Maya or Alistair the All-Seeing. It was even wearing one of those stereotypical fortune teller hats with a small jewel embedded into it.

    The toy''s glowing green eyes and jewel in the dark stood out like a Heatmor in a group of Durant. She lazily pulled off her covers and waltzed over to the toy, flicking the small off switch located at the bottom of the box. The name of the fortune teller used to be displayed on the top of the box where he sat. But now, the only thing she could make out was ''The Amazing K-''. Try as she might to find the toy online, no record of it seems to exist. Not even a carnival-sized version of it. She flicked the switch back on. As annoying and as creepy as it might be, there was a sort of charm to it. She thought it might be haunted, and she still hadn''t ruled out that possibility. It was the only thing Harry allowed her to keep as a memento of her old life. And she did mean the only thing. She talked about it so little that she couldn''t even remember anything from that time. Then again, people don''t usually remember the first year of their lives all that well.

    She sleepily walked over to her window and violently pulled her drapes apart. Bad idea; the ugly light of day immediately shone through the window like a monster waiting to strike, and it has been waiting patiently. She winced momentarily and quickly pulled the curtains back together. Daytime already, what a shame. She was having such a nice dream too, nice to her at least. Post-war Kalos isn''t exactly a pretty sight, but Arceus knows it beats Motostoke''s two shades of grey and red. But dreams were only dreams; this was real life. She placed the fortune teller on her nightstand next to Applin and flicked the light switch next to her door. The single lightbulb in her room was so old it could barely stay on for even a second at a time; why did she even try? It was a miracle it even still worked. Daylight wasn''t looking so bad now; trying to get ready for the day with the lights acting up was a safety hazard. She begrudgingly allowed the bare minimum amount of sunlight required to illuminate the room to peer through, which was most of the window.

    Why was it so bright? What happened to the gloomy weather? The thought of a hot summer repulsed her, and it seemed like her wish for a gloomy summer was coming true, at least it was before this morning. Hopefully the weather would be back to her liking soon.

    Applin let out a small chirp from her nightstand as she put on her hat. It was the kind that you could find those newsboys riding their bikes and throwing papers wearing. She did find it strange that it was still children delivering newspapers, and she found it even stranger that people still read those things. She wasn''t a newsie, but she could appreciate the work they do. But mostly, she just liked the hat.

    "About time." She pulled one sock on.

    The small dragon time stretched his tail and blinked a few times; he''d been sleeping for a lot longer than she had been. He perked up when he realized what day it was. He jumped off the nightstand and onto her windowsill, jumping up and down in anticipation.

    "Yes, I know what day it is." She finished putting on her boots. "We won''t miss it, promise."

    She was a bit of a liar. Hopefully Harry wouldn''t bother her today, or else going out into the city was a no-go. Not like Motostoke was much to look at aside from the giant waterwheels. Motostoke''s history was much more interesting than anything it had going on today, save for the gym. It has its origins as a small mining town some 500 years ago, back in the days of King Garth VIII and his however many wives. Galar has only been governed by the league for 83 years; it was a monarchy for far, far longer. But this was a lesson in Motostoke''s history, not Galar as a whole.

    It turns out, when you''re one of the region''s biggest exporters of uranium and coal, your town is bound to grow. Add on top of that the fact that the giant river in front of Motostoke was the only way to cross into the north, and you''ve got yourself the third biggest city in all of Galar. Of course, nowadays there are trains, taxis, and cars. And most mining is now done with heavy machinery instead of sweaty, underpaid miners who worked in near darkness and lost a day off their lifespans with every breath they took. All of this to say, Motostoke was never a good town, just a lucky one. Not luckier than her, though; she had the honor of calling this place her prison.

    She threw on a jacket to protect herself from the cold she hoped was coming, put on her watch, and exited the room with Applin on her shoulder. Harry''s estate was just about as extravagant as you''d expect, if also ancient. She had researched it once; it was built over 300 years ago. It came complete with a ballroom with a chandelier and a huge foyer you could almost confuse for a hotel lobby. He even had a regular set of guards guarding the entrance 24/7. They were all very easy to bribe.

    Even the stairs on the way down to the kitchen, where she was currently headed, were adorned with red carpeting. Instead of finding Harry like she expected, she only found Henry. His ''real'' son. Not like that meant anything; he paid him less attention than he did her, and the only reason he ever spoke to her was to give her instructions.

    "Where do you think you''re going?" He asked with a mouth full of hash browns. Would it kill him to swallow his food before speaking?

    "Well, I thought I was going downstairs." She continued descending.

    "Well I thought I was going downstairs." He mocked.

    "Mature."

    "Answer my question." He demanded.

    She reached the final step, "Where''s Harry?" She ignored him; it was best not to entertain any of his questions, even if they weren''t outlandish.

    "Dad''s out of town," that was certainly good news, "He said you''re not allowed to go out." He stuffed his mouth with what was supposed to be a pancake, but it was so undercooked it just slid off his fork. He resorted to using his hands.

    "That won''t be a problem; the guards like me." She rifled through her wallet for money to bribe the guards. Harry often gave her money to buy things for him that he didn''t want his assistants knowing about. Like just the other day he had her buy a whole bunch of film for an old Polaroid camera. What for? She didn''t really care. He usually gave her more money than the product itself was worth, and from there it was just a matter of pocketing the money and giving him a small amount of change so as not to arouse any suspicion. She found it strange that he was so careless with his money considering his background, but decades as a rich politician will do that to you, she supposed.

    She had 3000 Poke on her. 1500 for each of the guards¡ª

    "Well I don''t." Henry stood up, slamming his hands on the table.

    She looked up, "Okay?" She placed the money in her pocket and closed her wallet. It was probably her favorite thing she owned, unless you counted Applin, but that seemed a little mean. It was in the shape of a Chansey, complete with a small coin pouch where the egg should be. It never got any less amusing to look at. Some people may find it sad, but she called it finding joy in the little things.

    Henry was biting down so hard it looked painful. "Calm down, would you?"

    "Calm Down?" Oh, now she''s gone and made him angry. But that was no trouble; angry Henry was about as intimidating as your average Yamper. He reached for the Pok¨¦ball on his belt¡ª

    That was certainly more intimidating. His Eiscue appeared by his side in a flash of red light. She groaned; he had become even more insufferable ever since Harry had gotten him that sadistic penguin. But she had to admit, they were perfect for each other. They both had the same shit personality and stupid face. The only difference is that Eiscue is actually somewhat strong; the house was always colder whenever he was out and about. She''d seen the penguin''s ice helmet take a full-powered Dragon Claw from Harry''s Flygon without so much as cracking; that would be an impressive feat even for a gym leader''s Pok¨¦mon.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Harry had bought it from some ''breeder'' out in Circhester. As if she believed that. She suspected that he got it from the same black market that operates in Circhester and Spikemuth. They had a name, Team Glacier or something along those lines. They''re already setting themselves up for failure; don''t they know what happened to every other terrorist organization that started with the word ''team''? All defeated, by children no less.

    Though, as amoral as Harry is, negotiating with terrorists is still a bit much. She doubted that he would risk the position he takes so much pride in just to satisfy his son.

    Applin growled at the penguin. There was absolutely no way they would win in a fight, but it was cute nonetheless.

    "Like father like son." If nothing else, the two were both extremely hot-tempered. "What? Are you going to stop me?"

    Eisuce looked ready to pounce at a moment''s notice. She knew that it would; it was as bloodthirsty as they came. But she also knew that Henry would never give the order.

    He cursed under his breath and recalled Eiscue before he could badger him about not attacking, "Fuck you."

    "You''re the best." Now it''s time to leave before he changes his mind.

    She heaved a sigh of ice-cold relief as she walked outside and felt the cold pierce her skin. Gone was the sun; hopefully the clouds were here to stay. She greeted both of the guards. One of them she recognized; her name was Penny. She was tall, taller than Harry even. She was pretty and blonde; she didn''t see a lot of those. Natural blondes, that is.

    She didn''t recognize the other guard; she must be new. She was... scary. She was also blonde, but it didn''t look real. Not just the color, the hair itself, like a poorly applied wig. Her eyes looked completely black from this angle; she couldn''t look at her for more than a few seconds without getting unsettled. She scrambled for the bribe money in her wallet. Penny graciously accepted the bribe, even telling her to have fun. She usually gave her a rough estimate of when she thought Harry might be back; no such luck this time.

    The other guard looked at the money, then back at her.

    "Thank you." She snatched the money from her hands.

    She got out of there pretty fast; that new girl gave her more than the creeps. She checked her watch; 9:43. She must''ve been sleeping for longer than she thought.

    "The alley isn''t that far; we''ll make it," she reassured Applin. "You think I''d let us be late?"

    Yes, she could think of quite a few reasons that she would make them late. None of them, however, were within the realm of reason. Except for one, and that was Harry being home and locking her in the house like a prisoner. Which thankfully had not been the case today.

    Today was the calm before the storm. Only three days before the rush Motostoke experiences every summer to coincide with the start of the Gym Challenge. Which meant she only had a few days before this place was bustling with trainers from all over the region. Make the most of it; she probably would not. But at least for today, she would try.

    She always made sure to bring a gift with her to the alley. First it had been a microphone, then some speakers; she seemed to like those. Though she didn''t need them, her voice carried pretty far on its own. She hadn''t had much time to search for a gift this week, but she''d at least look before showing up empty-handed.

    There weren''t many people out today, which made shopping much easier. Whatever connotation ''downtown'' carries in your mind, none of it applies to downtown Motostoke. There wasn''t much of note except for the bakery and a few shops she liked to frequent when she could. Of course, there was the boutique, which she had been in exactly twice despite living in Motostoke all her life. Harry bought all of her clothes. Though she didn''t mind usually, at this point what she wanted to wear was also what he wanted her to wear. Save for that stupid dress he wanted her to wear for his party, words could describe how much she didn''t want to wear it; those words are better unspoken, however.

    Despite this, it may still have some gift-worthy items. The display was always changing; she didn''t know how often, but it never had the same thing twice. Usually she never paid it any mind, but she wasn''t shopping for herself today. One thing on the display caught her eye. It was a hat; it made her strangely nostalgic. It was dark pink, almost red. The brim curved upwards with a black band strapped around the base. Almost like a pork pie hat, though she wouldn''t describe it as one.

    She walked up to the glass. "What do you think?"

    He yipped in agreement, a suitable gift. She walked into the boutique and was immediately taken aback by the warm AC. She supposed people found it comforting; not her; she never felt more out of place. Ignoring the ludicrous price of 700 Poke, she purchased the hat and went on her way.

    "Should''ve brought my backpack." It wouldn''t have fit in there anyway, too big. She really only carried around her wallet.

    Applin chirped as his trainer donned the hat, "Like it?" She chuckled, "Maybe they make one your size."

    He cheered at the statement. Pok¨¦mon hats were a thing, but the thought of a hat small enough to fit him made her laugh. She checked her watch, 10:14. A little less than 50 minutes to get to the alley; that gives her time to pick up some food, donuts specifically. She hadn''t been to the bakery for a while, but Arceus, she had forgotten how nice this place was. It was the only place in Motostoke that actually smelled good. Everywhere else was either unremarkable or very remarkable; never again would she step foot near Motostoke Outskirts.

    The bakery specialized in Caramel pastries, which made sense when took a look at the owners Alcremie. It was the same light shade of brown that her hair was, with white spots on the ends of her hair-shaped blobs of cream. She floated around the bakery applying cream to various pastries; they were much smaller in person, only a little taller than Applin. It released a scent so sweet it made her drool whenever she passed by. Very unbecoming, she knew, Harry would disapprove.

    She quickly sat up straight.

    She took the donuts and left as soon as they were ready, mostly out of fear that she''d never leave if she stayed any longer. Determined not to make any more stops, she arrived at the alley. Despite her best efforts, she was still 10 minutes late. She could hear the singing coming from deeper inside. The singing faded, and the sound of Pok¨¦mon cheering entered her ears. She soon came into view of her destination, an opening in a dimly lit alley between two large buildings whose purpose she was unsure of. It was large enough to house a crowd of 30 or so small Pok¨¦mon, mostly city-dwelling Pok¨¦mon like Nickit and Galarian Zigzagoon, though there were a few outliers. There was a group of Patrat and one Watchog who never failed to show up. The species isn''t exactly known for being polite, but they were surprisingly courteous. A family of Maushold also came, whose children are usually known for being shy; they seemed to come out of their shell here. A few Rookidee watched from the comfort of the few light posts scattered around the alley, and a grumpy-looking Raticate sat in the corner by himself. Considering the notoriously hostile Pok¨¦mon wasn''t attacking anyone, she took it for a sign of amusement. Though the oddest of them all seemed to her to be a group of Poliwag who were very vocal in the front of the crowd. Water-type Pok¨¦mon who don''t belong to trainers are seldom seen in cities. She couldn''t help but wonder where they came from.

    And above them all was Jigglypuff. She sang on a handcrafted stage made of cardboard. And as much as Hazel would like to take credit for it, she had simply broached the idea. Before that, she sang atop a dumpster that didn''t seem to be in use. She had, however, gifted her the microphone and speakers she was using. She had made sure the speakers weren''t too loud; Arceus knows what would happen if Harry found out about this. She wore a small top hat that by all accounts looked like the real thing. But if one paid attention, you could see it was simply made of cardboard with a very convincing paint job. She suspected it was given by the Grafaiai she had seen around. It was a grumpy creature, but Jigglypuff had many friends, and her charms were very hard to resist; she would know.

    She had arrived a little late, barely missing her first song. She made up for it by giving the next three her full attention. Jigglypuff were said to be able to induce sleep in whoever heard their singing. And while she had no doubt that she was capable of that, her songs seemed to have the opposite effect. Not a peep could be heard while she was singing. Even the Patrat and Watchog, who were notorious for being loud and obnoxious. They stood attentive, their eyelids barely moving as they watched her prance around the stage with elegance unbecoming of an environment such as this. There were no instruments, backing vocals, (though Hazel knew she longed for those) or any extra depth besides her voice to be found, and yet she could barely tear her eyes away. She had never been one to find comfort in music, before she stumbled into this alley at least, for she had found it to be one of her only comforts these days.

    Applin cheered loudly on her shoulder as the final song came to a close. She signified the end of her performance with a small bow followed by the sound of thunderous applause and cheering from the quadrupeds. She waited for the crowd of Pok¨¦mon to disperse before approaching. She used to get weird looks from them, but they had grown used to her by now. Jigglypuff talked for a moment with the family of Maushold before bidding them farewell and making her way towards Hazel. Applin eagerly jumped down from her shoulder to greet the balloon Pok¨¦mon. They had a friendly exchange. Rarely did fairies get along with dragons, but Applin weren''t especially hostile, so their friendship was a welcome one. She then turned her attention to Hazel.

    "Great performance." She mustered as much enthusiasm as she could. She really did enjoy it, and though it warranted praise, she was never very good at conveying it. Jigglypuff smiled; it was very contagious. She could barely stop herself from grinning as well, and she tried. She said something akin to ''Thank you.''. Jigglypuff didn''t convey much in terms of body language, but unsurprisingly, their voices carried much more emotion.

    "Those new speakers treating you well?" She asked.

    Obviously she couldn''t understand a word coming out of her mouth, but her enthusiasm combined with the proud look on Applin''s face conveyed her message well enough, "Glad to hear it, here I got you something."

    She took the hat atop her head and handed it to Jigglypuff, "I thought you might want to replace the cardboard hat, but it''s fine if¡ª"

    She had barely glimpsed the hat before she inflated to twice her size and let the top hat fly off her head. It landed near the stage. She turned around and blew a raspberry at the hat before turning around to face Hazel. She grabbed the hat in her small hands and struggled to put it on for a moment. She adjusted it firmly. It covered the top part of the swirl on her forehead and left her ears exposed. She inflated herself again. The hat loosened a bit but stayed firm on her head. She deflated and smiled. Hazel sighed in relief as she came back down to earth. She liked it. She grabbed the box of donuts to her side.

    "Donut?"

    As miserable as Motostoke may be, moments like this almost made her forget. Almost.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    "Who are you?" A voice spoke.

    I was sleeping, or trying to sleep. My body jerked awake, like that feeling when you''re sleeping peacefully and then all of a sudden your body decides it hates you. Although I couldn''t possibly be awake. Unless Magnolia''s lab magically transformed into a Kalosian caf¨¦ overnight, which would be mighty impressive. It was warm, in terms of heat and environment. There was no sunlight, only the warm orange lighting coming from the few hanging lanterns scattered around the caf¨¦. There''s a Lampent greeting people at the door. Of course, what''s a caf¨¦ without people? They seemed to be talking, but if you paid attention, you could tell it was gibberish resembling real speech. The jazz music in the background felt wrong, if that makes any sort of sense. This place wasn''t real. I wasn''t real.

    "Who are you?" But that was. That was very real.

    I listened this time. I turned my head to the source of the question. It was a girl; she looked... annoyed. She had her black hair in pigtails and wore a baseball cap; it was on backwards. She looked familiar; where have I seen her before?

    "What?" I responded.

    "Who are you?" She said, her voice becoming increasingly annoyed.

    "Um," I struggled to come up with a response, "That''s a good question. Do you know who I am?"

    Because if she did, that would be fucking great. One less problem off of my plate.

    "That depends."

    Depends? That seemed like a pretty straightforward question.

    "On what?"

    She smiled.

    "Who are you?"

    My eyes flutter open, for real this time.

    What the fuck was that?

    I rub my eyes as they begin to adjust to the light. Dreams, I fucking hate them. Who was that girl? Why am I only now seeing her after almost a week here? Did I do something to trigger it? She didn''t sound like that woman who spoke to me before I woke up in the slumbering weald, so that begs the question, who the fuck did I just talk to? That caf¨¦ felt so strange. Maybe that''s because it was a dream, but then why do I remember it so vividly? Aren''t you supposed to forget your dreams? So why am I not forgetting? Just fucking forget¡ª

    "You awake?"

    Perfect, a distraction.

    "Unfortunately," I responded.

    "Mh." Stella responded; she was clearly eating something. I peered down from the loft.

    "More pie?"

    "Yup."

    Well, I am hungry¡ª

    "Don''t push your luck."

    Wha¡ªdid she read my mind?

    "I didn''t even say anything." I put my shoes on and climbed down the loft. And in case you were wondering, yes, I slept in what I was already wearing. But that was mostly out of necessity, seeing as I have no other comfortable clothing.

    "Didn''t need to." She is gobbling that thing up. It''s from the same place as last time, Lulu''s Pie Shop. You''d think her parents would learn their lesson about leaving their pies unattended. It wasn''t the same kind, though, which is a shame. The combination of bacon and blueberry was unexpectedly good.

    "So, not even a little bit?" I made it to the kitchen table.

    "No, this one is mine." She tossed a chunk of pie at Scorbunny, who caught it in his mouth. That reminds me, I''ve still got to pick up Rocky from the Pok¨¦mon Center. Speaking of, she was certainly quick to get Scorbunny back. Also, is the professor even here? How did she get in here? Arceus, this is too many questions for one morning.

    "How did you¡ª

    "Professor let me in before she left," she said. "She finished your Dynamax band, by the way; it''s right over there."

    When someone says that, it''s usually accompanied by some sort of gesture to indicate where ''over there'' is. I suppose I should come to expect that she is never going to elaborate.

    "Over where?"

    "I don''t know, in the laboratory somewhere." She said.

    "Could you be any less vague? Isn''t this whole place a laboratory?"

    "Arceus, you are an idiot. No, this whole place is not a laboratory," she continued, "It''s back there, near the entrance to the greenhouse."

    "The what?" Alright, I was bugging her on purpose now; I know the professor has a greenhouse. Though it was to get her to show me where it is, I was certain she wouldn''t show me if I just asked. This is how you get what you want, people.

    She groaned and stood up, "Just follow me."

    I''m so smart.

    I followed her to the back of the building, where there was a door wedged in between a glass door that led to the greenhouse and a bookcase.

    "In there." She went back to her pie.

    I entered the laboratory. It was very bright and white; very bright and very white. My sick rhymes aside, I want to get out of here as soon as possible; these lights are hurting my eyes. How does she get any work done in here? I found the Dynamax band sitting on a desk that was charred and dented; what kind of torture had she put that rock through?

    I took the band out of the room and headed back to the kitchen, where Stella was still shoveling pie into her mouth. "Find it?"

    "Yup." I fiddled with the band before pulling it over my wrist, where it just kind of hung there. "Is it supposed to do that¡ª"

    It quickly shut on my arm, scaring the absolute shit out of me and probably cutting off all blood circulation to my hand.

    "Holy shit, now it''s too tight." I tried taking it off.

    "Calm down, it''ll fix itself; it just needs time to adjust to your arm." She laughed at my desperation.

    "And how do you know that?" I asked, still tugging at it.

    "I like to be informed." She went back to devouring her pie.

    "Alright." I stopped tugging at it, ignoring the numbness in my right hand, "So how does this thing work?"

    "You don''t know how it works?" Did she just forget that I''m not from here?

    "For future reference, just assume I don''t know anything." I said.

    She sighed, "When you''re at a power spot, it''ll swell up with Dynamax energy and then..." She trailed off. "Well, I don''t know actually."

    Hah! She''s a hypocrite!Stolen novel; please report.

    "What do you mean you don''t know?"

    "Does it look like I''ve ever used one? I''ve never even seen one used in person." She said.

    "Hypocrite." I so rudely commented.

    "Shut it."

    Oh, she''s not denying it. That makes it less fun.

    ---

    I hate thinking; why can''t I just not think? I''ve been stuck in my own head ever since Stella left to Arceus knows where. She did leave me a slice of pie, which was very kind of her; I think she said I could have it. Anyway, I can''t get that stupid dream out of my head. I was even researching possible cafes that looked like the one in my dream. Which was stupid; it was a dream; it was all in my head; it''s probably not even a real place. But if there''s even a slight chance that my past self was remembering things that I couldn''t, it was worth checking out. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of thousands of cafes in Galar, not to mention other regions. That was a lost cause.

    I even tried looking for any myths or legends concerning the woman who left me that message when I first woke up. I didn''t have much to go on, only some strange musical connection and some lost song. There was one that I thought could vaguely be related to my situation. The legend of the Winter Songstress. It spoke of a woman who lived in Unova long ago. She sung songs to struggling Unovan settlers and inspired hope in them. It''s said she had beautiful green hair and an angelic voice you couldn''t not stop to listen to. Unfortunately, that was about as much information as I was able to dig up on the Winter Songstress. There was only one thread talking about it on the entire internet, it seemed. It was just some guy asking if anyone had ever heard of the legend since their grandpa had told them about it, and he had never heard it anywhere else. I hadn''t even noticed it was posted over ten years ago; this was about as dead of an end as you could get. I would have commented, but the thread was locked for some reason. Also, I was using one of Magnolia''s computers, and she, unlike me, has a reputation to uphold.

    I shut down the computer and sighed.

    With my mind burning with questions and nothing else to do, I decided to hit the town with 100 Poke in my wallet and a growling stomach. I''ve been putting off picking up Rocky all day; I should probably get off my ass and do it. Maybe I''ll find something cheap to eat on the way. That pie was good, but it was nowhere near enough to fill me up. I put on my sweater and entered the freezing wasteland that is Galar. The clouds are gray, Arceus; it better not start raining again. The last thing I need is to get stranded in some store, also again. I need a jacket, and also a phone. But a jacket would be better. My sense of direction has been enough to guide me so far, so I think I''m good on GPS. It would still be nice to have, though.

    The Pok¨¦mon Center was as empty as it was yesterday when Stella and I came. I doubt this place gets much traction, even during the gym challenge, since there isn''t a gym here. The nurse at the front counter was on her phone, probably bored out of her mind. It was the same nurse that was here yesterday. I walked up to the counter. I had to ring the bell in front of her a few times before she took off her earbuds. She had eye bags under her eyes.

    "Dwebble, right?" She asked before I could even speak.

    "Uh, yeah," I said.

    She opened a drawer in front of her. Based on the lack of the sound of Pok¨¦balls rolling around, I''d say it was only Rocky''s Pok¨¦ball in there. She handed me the Pok¨¦ball and also asked me for 100 Poke.

    Apparently, Pok¨¦mon Centers aren''t free pre-gym challenge. There goes my lunch. I handed her the money and walked out of the center starving and depressed. I released Rocky, who was still riding the high of our win. His shell was back in perfect condition. If his dex entry was true, then it would only get stronger from here. As annoying as it is, I missed his incessant yapping. It kept my mind grounded in the moment, not on my past.

    And since I''m the unluckiest person in all of Galar, it started raining not even one fourth of the way back to the laboratory. I was forced to seek refuge inside of a restaurant whose specialty was Paldean food, where I had to awkwardly stand until the storm passed. I wish I had a phone.

    To make matters worse, I had to watch the waiters bring people their food, and damn, it looked good. I could eat a fucking Mudsdale right now. Yes, the whole horse. I''ll eat a horse''s ass; I don''t care.

    Okay, maybe I care a little. But there''s a first time for everything, right? Has anyone ever eaten horse ass?

    ---

    The answer is yes. At least one person has eaten horse ass. I hate the internet; I don''t want a phone anymore. I deleted the past four searches on Magnolia''s computer. What I couldn''t delete, however, was that man''s description of what a horse''s ass tastes like. I bet he''s Kalosian, those freaks. I don''t even want to know what horse it was, although off the top of my head I can only think of Mudsdale and Mudbray. Oh god, in what way was heating the horse ass¡ª

    Alright, that''s enough weird shit. No more horses and no more asses from here on out. Why am I even using that word? I''m sure there is a more medically accurate word for ''ass.''.

    The door opened. "Here, asshole."

    Some sort of hard piece of plastic smacked me right in the face as Stella opened the door and tossed it at me.

    "What the¡ªwhere do you keep coming from? How did you get here?"

    "Ever heard of walking?"

    Does she just walk all day? Gotta stay in shape somehow, I guess. Though, she also doesn''t have my problem of lack of technology and money. Add on the fact that she actually has clothes for this weather, yeah, I guess it makes a little bit of sense.

    "Funny. And why did you say asshole? Are you reading my mind?"

    She furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

    "Nothing, don''t worry about it." Damn horse asses are ruining my life. "What is this?"

    "Your ID, courtesy of the professor; she called me to get it to you." She explained.

    Where did she even get this picture? I never posed for this. I look like a homeless horse with stupid horse hair and horse ears. I do remember her talking briefly about getting me an ID and a few other papers I would need. I guess she must have used the Galar Express System; is this how long it normally takes to get an ID?

    "Oh, well, tell her I said thanks." I shoved the ID in my wallet; one more reason to love that thing. "Where is she, by the way? I haven''t seen her all day."

    "Out with her granddaughter, she''ll be back tomorrow, I think."

    ---

    And back tomorrow she was. I thought I might have the same dream again, but I didn''t. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Who fucking knows, probably not even Arceus himself.

    Now, this next part is going to seem a bit abrupt. And it was, it was extremely abrupt. Believe me, this was not how I expected to start off the morning before leaving for the wild area. I woke up to the smell of curry. I was so happy I didn''t think about that dream a single time! Except for right now, and now I''m sad. The curry was good, though; it almost makes me forgive Galar for its crimes against my taste buds. But that was just the hunger talking. Anyway, that wasn''t the abrupt part.

    "Bell?" She called out from her laboratory in the back.

    "Yeah?" I yelled back; I probably should have swallowed first.

    "Come here."

    Her wish is my command. The table that my Dynamax band was on was much cleaner now, but I doubt that''s the reason she called me back here.

    "What is it?" I asked, "The curry is great, by the way."

    "Thank you dear," she pressed a small button underneath one of the desks. A podium with a glass lid emerged from the floor slowly, like some mythical object. The glass lid lifted up even slower than the podium, revealing three depressions. Two of them were empty; one had a Pok¨¦ball. She picked it up and handed it to me, "Take it."

    "You¡ªuh¡ªwhat?" I was a bit flabbergasted; please keep count of how many times I use that word.

    "Take it," she said again, "It was meant for whoever Leon chose as his endorsement, but it seems he hasn''t chosen anyone. And I can''t just leave him here."

    I was speechless, to say the least. Obviously, I was going to accept; how could I not?

    "I''m sorry it''s short notice," she said after a few moments of me not talking. "It''s okay if you don''t want¡ª"

    "No, no, I''ll take it." I grabbed the Pok¨¦ball. "What''s in it?"

    "Why don''t you find out?" She smirked.

    I clutched the Pok¨¦ball tightly and pressed the release button. The small blue lizard materialized in front of me. He seemed confused for the first few seconds he was released; his eyes darted all across the room. The yellow fin on his head was on high alert.

    I bent down, "Hi¡ª"

    It seems not even Pok¨¦mon will let me finish my sentences. The little lizard yelped in fear and scurried under the furthest table away from us.

    I looked at Magnolia. "What''s up his horse ass?"

    Fuck.

    "Sobble are naturally skittish; it may take some time for him to warm up to you." She answered my normal question.

    Sobble, huh? I took out my Pokedex and bent down to scan the little guy.

    Sobble, the Water Lizard Pok¨¦mon

    I jumped a little when that robot started talking. How did I forget to turn that off?

    Most Sobble are timid in nature and are difficult to raise without proper care. The smallest disruptions can bring Sobble to tears, which serve as its primary defense mechanism. These tears pack a chemical punch that cause any surrounding people or Pok¨¦mon to start irresistibly weeping. When Sobble come into contact with water or water-adjacent substances, they can turn themselves completely invisible. Sobble possess near-perfect accuracy with blasts of water it shoots from its mouth. They are known to shoot down berries for food and escape enemies with a combination of their evasive tactics.

    Well, that was about the coolest description possible for a Pok¨¦mon that looks like Sobble does. He''s like some sort of secret agent; tell me that''s not badass. He''ll make a great addition to the team, if he''d let me get close to him, that is. If only I had some treats on me, maybe then I could lure him over here. Every attempt to get close to him was met with him running away to another table and hiding behind its legs as if that was going to work. I even got met with a spurt of water to the face once. It didn''t take long for me to realize this was hopeless; I just had to talk to him.

    "Alright, alright, I''ll stay put." I conceded, "Can I just... see you at least?"

    He didn''t budge from behind that table.

    "Please?" The magic word¡ªno one can say no to that.

    I was right, like I usually am (not). He peeked from the side of the table leg; his eyes were tearing up. I''d have to recall him if he started crying, so let''s hope that doesn''t happen.

    "I uh, I read your¡ª" No, that sounds creepy. "So you can turn yourself invisible? That''s pretty cool."

    Compliment him; everyone likes compliments, right?. And again, I was right. His eyes widened. "You, uh, you like berries?"

    He nodded. "Well, I don''t have any," real fucking smooth, "but we can get you some if you''d like."

    It seems I''ve hit the gold mine. He didn''t come any closer to me, but he was very excited at the idea.

    "Okay, I''m gonna recall you know. That cool?" I asked.

    He looked at the Pok¨¦ball and nodded slowly. I sighed in relief and recalled him. I stood up and looked at the professor.

    Did that¡ªdid that go well?

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    Here''s a question, what''s a ''Canada''? I had this drink earlier; it was called Canada Dry. I''m sure there are plenty of drinks with strange names, but this one was especially weird. I''m also not sure how it''s pronounced. Is it can-uh-dah or can-ada? Personally, I think the latter makes more sense, considering how the drink is served in a can. Galar keeps getting weirder and weirder.

    Did you know that Galarians spell gray as ''grey''? Isn''t that weird? Another thing I noticed: people here really like their hats. The only people not wearing one are Professor Magnolia and me. The other day I saw someone wearing the stupidest-looking hat I''ve ever seen; I didn''t even know what it was called. Apparently, they''re called deerstalkers; an appropriately weird name for a weird hat. It had two brims and a ribbon hanging off the top of the hat. Why would you even need two brims? Maybe it''s just a fashion choice, in which case I still hate it. Maybe I''m just projecting my own problems onto Galarian culture, but that''s fine; they deserve it.

    Anyway, that''s enough deerstalking; let''s get down to business. After much deliberation and no consultation, I''ve come up with a name for Sobble. Are you ready?

    It''s Agent!

    If you don''t like it, keep that shit to yourself; I like it. I think it''s cool.

    I got around to buying some berries for him. Sadly, the Pok¨¦mart does not double as a grocery store. The nearest store that sold berries was a forty-minute walk from the laboratory, which reminded me how horribly out of shape I am. I was huffing and puffing only twenty minutes in. But I sucked it up; this is the price of friendship. I don''t know much about berries, so I just bought a few bags of Oran Berries and shoved them in my backpack. Why did no one tell me how fragile Oran Berries are? Walking around with them in my bag was scarier than a mysteriously disappearing olive tree. Luckily, I managed to make it back to the laboratory without incident. So that''s how my day has been.

    I was planning on introducing Rocky to Agent in the lab, but the more I think about it, the more that seems like a terrible idea. With how easily scared he is and Rocky being what he is, I can see that ending up in disaster. You know what that means? More walking for me. The area where Rocky knocked over that boulder should be plenty open enough for this. Luckily, finding the bridge that led out of Wedgehurst was much easier now that I don''t have to look for it. Unlike last time, when I wandered aimlessly for an hour before realizing it was right next to the professor''s laboratory.

    Somehow, someway, the sun gods had received my prayers and blessed me with the sweet sensation of warmth. For a while, I thought that Arceus was smiting Galar for its crimes against humanity; I''m glad I was wrong. If I was lucky, this would last until I got back from my little excursion. But as you probably know by now, I am anything but lucky.

    It seems my previous assumption was wrong; nature does not fix itself, not in a week at least. The rocky terrain was still loose and dislodged, and that boulder was still very much there. Whoopsie. I had explained the situation to Rocky on the way here; I had to remind him several times not to do anything stupid. I''m not sure that will stop him, though. I decided to recall him and release Agent before they met; it''s only fair that he knows what a shithead Rocky is first. I released him a good bit in front of me so as not to startle him. He did his usual survey of the environment before turning to me.

    "Got you some berries." I had already taken them out of my backpack before I released him. "You want?"

    He nodded, "Here."

    I tossed him a few. I guess not even Pok¨¦mon are safe from the curse of Galar; his face was covered in berry juice by the time he was done. He cleaned it all off using his surprisingly long tongue. I explained to him my plan. I told him all about Rocky and what a prick he could be. I promised him he would be on his best behavior, though I can''t really enforce that. Hopefully he has enough decency to not scare off his new teammate. He seemed hesitant, which was fair, but he was ready. I clicked the button on Rocky''s Pok¨¦ball and watched him materialize in front of me.

    "Don''t be a dick." I said.

    He brushed me off and turned his attention to Agent. He was on high alert, like when I first met him a few hours ago. Fin pointed straight at the sky and eyes ready to start bawling. Rocky said something in their strange Pok¨¦mon language; this seemed to put him more at ease. He slowly walked over to the lizard; maybe I judged him too harshly. He did what I think was supposed to be a bow, but it certainly didn''t look like one, and eagerly raised one of his pincers. Agent winced and covered his eyes; oh my god, he''s adorable. He seemed a bit embarrassed once he realized he was just offering a handshake. He accepted, and Rocky was just a little bit too firm with it. But all in all, I''d say that went as well as it could have.

    I recalled both of them before anything went awry. Quit while you''re ahead, as they say.

    So, now with that out of the way, I have one last event before taking the train to the Wild Area tomorrow, and it''s just about the most terrifying thing you can think of. A Galarian dinner ''party.''. party in quotes because there''s only going to be three of us. Me, Stella, and the professor. Her granddaughter was supposed to attend, but I guess she got caught up with whatever work aspiring professors have. I haven''t met her, but at least I know her name now. It''s Sonia, and I only know two things about her: she''s a horrible driver, and she''s aiming to be a Pok¨¦mon professor like her grandmother. Unfortunately, I probably won''t get the chance to meet her until much, much later; she works in Circhester, all the way up north. Yes, I''ve been familiarizing myself with Galarian Cities. I''m looking forward to visiting Hulbury, apparently it''s supposed to be warm up there, can you imagine? Stow-on-Side and Circhester, not so much. I can''t think of two worse qualities in a city than sand and overly cold weather. Can it really get worse than here? I shudder just thinking about it.

    ----

    "Who are you?"

    Why did I have to fall asleep? I find myself back in the same caf¨¦ from a few nights ago. The same people, the same Pok¨¦mon, the same voice speaking into my ear. This time, I spend no time on the details. I looked straight at the girl. She had her hair down this time, no hat.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Who am I? Who are you?" I demanded.

    "Not important." She said nonchalantly, "Who are you?"

    "How the fuck am I supposed to know?" I raised my voice, but no one seemed to care. This place is artificial; the only real things here are me and her.

    "That is a good question." She backed up, "Take a good look at yourself, whoever you are."

    "I thought¡ªyou don''t know my name?" Maybe she isn''t as real as I thought.

    "Well, that depends."

    No, not again.

    "On. What?" I hesitantly asked.

    "Who are you?"

    My eyes open against my own will. I wake up, drowning in my own sweat. It''s quiet; it almost makes me miss the incoherent ambience of the caf¨¦. It''s earlier than it usually is when I woke up, but I can''t go back to sleep, not after that.

    As opposed to literally every other morning here, this one was fairly uneventful. I woke up, realized I was hungry, checked the fridge, and got depressed when I saw that it was empty. I said it was uneventful, not good. What a start to my last day in Wedgehurst, for now at least. With my luck, I''ll probably end up here again one day. Anyway, I need to eat something, and since this is a day for celebration, I''m going to treat myself. Not with anything fancy, lord knows I can''t afford it, but with something simple.

    I don''t have that much money, but anything sweet will do. There''s this dessert shop next to the Pok¨¦mart that I''ve been eyeballing since the first time I saw it, and I will happily spend whatever is left in my wallet for a chocolate cupcake.

    One 20-minute walk later, and as you can probably guess, I did not end up getting a chocolate cupcake; they were all sold out. Can you believe that shit? Sold out? I mean, can''t they just make more? No, apparently not. I know this because I asked the employee at the register how long it would take for them to make more, and he responded with, "No." That''s not even a real answer! I hate Galarians; am I not even allowed the simple pleasure of a chocolate cupcake here? Absolutely ridiculous, preposterous even.

    See? I''m even using their words now; the word preposterous wasn''t even in my vocabulary a week ago. So, I had to settle for a normal, boring cupcake with white frosting. Honestly, it was still pretty good; I gobbled it down in like a minute flat, which made the walk back to the laboratory all the more depressing. So, that was the cupcake debacle. I hope you''re enjoying my misery. On the subject of misery, waiting. It sucks. You know that thing people say, ''You''ll never miss it until it''s gone''? Yeah, well, I think I get it. I''m bored out of my mind right now; I wish Stella was here, may she rest in peace, fly high sister.

    Seriously though, it is mighty surprising that I haven''t seen her all day. She''s usually here every morning and nighttime too if she has nowhere else to be. I''m not entirely convinced she actually has other places to be, I think she just likes pretending to be busy. I guess we''re similar in that way, except I can''t pretend for shit; I''m just a bum. At least I won''t be bored for much longer; the train for the wild area leaves in a few hours. Then, instead of being bored, I''ll be dying of exhaustion. Actually, being bored doesn''t sound that bad anymore. I do have some sleep to catch up on, but my dream friend can wait another night to see me.

    Who are you?

    Stupid-ass question. Damn it, now I can''t think straight. Maybe I should let Agent out¡ª

    "Bell!"

    Fucking finally. I just about jumped to my feet and made my way towards the door where I heard Stella''s voice. Her voice came from the right, next to the rickety bridge leading out of Wedgehurst.

    "Yeah?" I yelled back.

    "Get the fuck over here!" She curses a lot. Do I do that?

    She could be in the middle of a murder, and I wouldn''t care; anything is better than sitting on my ass for the next... however long it''s going to take that train to get here. No, I''m not irresponsible with time; you are.

    "What''s up?" I asked; it only took me about 30 seconds to get to where she was. She and Scorbunny were staring up at a Rookidee and a Galarian Zigzagoon (those things are ugly, by the way) fighting up on a tree. The ugly black raccoon is a lot bigger than the small bird. The bird, however, is a lot more slippery. But it''s clear that this isn''t a battle of attrition, it''s only a matter of time before the Zigzagoon catches it.

    She spun around. "How''d you get here so fast?"

    "You won''t believe how bored I am."

    "Mh."

    "So, what''s going on?"

    She pointed at the Rookidee. "I can''t stand watching it get killed by that animal, and Scorbunny''s aim isn''t good enough to shoot it out of the sky¡ª"

    He started pouting, "You know it''s true." She turned back to me, "That''s where you come in."

    "Oh, you want Agent to shoot it¡ª"

    "No, I need your Dwebble to make him a stone." She cut me off; I really wish she''d stop doing that.

    "A stone?''

    "Yeah, to kick."

    Oh, that makes sense. Not more sense than just letting Agent do it, though. But whatever, her wish is my command to give to Rocky.

    Rocky tried to gloat our win against Scorbunny in his face, but the rabbit could not give less of a fuck. And honestly, I respect the shit out of that.

    "Just make the rock, asshole." I told him.

    He frowned but obliged. He closed his eyes and summoned a pretty sizable rock from the ground beneath us.

    "Multiple, please; his aim isn''t very good." Scorbunny glared at her. "You know it''s true."

    Rocky hesitantly agreed and raised two other rocks from the earth.

    "Your turn."

    Scorbunny stepped up to the plate with flames emanating from his feet. He took a deep breath and locked onto the Zigzagoon. He dribbled the first rock between his legs, making it catch fire with each successive kick. Why didn''t they do this during our battle? Maybe it''s a technique they just figured out. He kicked the ball of flames at full speed towards the Zigzagoon, sending the other two flying in quick succession as well. The main fireball missed it by an inch, which was a shame, but the other two hit it right in the side. It went limp and tumbled down the tree, getting caught on a branch right before falling to the ground.

    Stella patted her partner on the head, "Good job."

    The Rookidee emerged from a small hole in the tree to get a better look at its saviors. It''s missing a few feathers above its eyes and has a few scratches, but other than that it looks relatively unscathed. It chirped and flew down to us. I recalled Rocky because I don''t like his face.

    You can probably imagine my surprise when the bird landed on Stella''s shoulder instead of, I don''t know, the ground.

    "Oh, I¡ª"

    The bird chirped, cutting her off. How''s it feel, is what I wanted to stay, instead I just stood there awkwardly watching.

    "You''re welcome?" She said, more of a question than a statement.

    It flew down next to Scorbunny and nudged him.

    "What is it doing?" She whispered to me.

    "I think it wants you to catch it."

    "What, no way." She said, "I don''t even have a Pok¨¦ball."

    I reached into my backpack; I probably should have taken it off first, but whatever, you reap what you sow. I struggled with the zipper for a moment before pulling out a red Pok¨¦ball and handing it to her.

    "Go for it."

    "Um," she fiddled with the Pok¨¦ball, "Okay."

    She bent down to the birds level. "Am I reading this right? You want to come with me?"

    Jeez, way to be thorough. The bird let out a small chirp and nodded with it''s whole body.

    "Are you sure? Because I can..." Oh my god, what is she doing?

    Where was this Stella when I wanted to ask for directions? Where did this careful, gentle Stella come from? Tired of waiting, it headbutt the button in the middle of the ball and let itself be captured. It only shook once. She picked up the ball in disbelief; Scorbunny jumped around in excitement.

    So¡ª"

    "Hah!" She shoved it into her pocket. "Now we''re even."

    And she''s back.

    "Are you serious¡ª"

    She turned her back, "Shut up, meet me at the train station in four hours. I''m not waiting for you if you''re late."

    Aaaaaaand she''s gone.

    <hr>

    A/N: Short chapter, I know. The next one won''t take so long, and it also won''t be so short.

 Chapter 7 - Somethings Coming

    Chapter 7 - Something''s Coming

    Something''s coming, something good. I can feel it in my bones. Any day now; I am long overdue for some good luck. I don''t know what it''ll be, I just know it''ll be good. Maybe it''s hiding from me, or maybe it''s right in plain sight. Come on something, where are you?

    The train station was bustling with people when I got there; Stella didn''t tell me it was going to be this crowded. I guess I probably should have assumed that. It''s so loud I could barely hear myself speak, so trying to find Stella by yelling her name wasn''t going to work. Anyway, now that it''s been about ten minutes of pushing through people trying to find her, the crowd has thinned out; probably because they''re on the train while I''m looking for my chaperone who, by the way, really needs to start communicating better if we''re going to do this. Part of the blame is still on me though. I don''t have to get on the train with her, the professor has already generously paid my fare. In fact, she''s probably already in there.

    I shuffle into the metro along with what was left of the people still outside.

    I was right. There, at the very end of train, is Stella. Scorbunny is already fast asleep next to her on the window seat.

    "What the fuck?" I ask as I sat down across from her.

    She looks up from her phone at me and says, "I said four hours, I even waited an extra five minutes."

    Wow, so generous.

    "Well, I was a little distracted."

    That distraction being hunger, I am still very hungry. I hope they have those people that drive by with those carts full of sweets, if anyplace in the world still has those, it''s definitely Galar. I have zero money left after the cupcake incident, no that is not in reference to anything else, but let''s just say I''m not planning on paying, (I''m going to steal). I''m planning on using Agent as an accomplice to my crimes, what better thief than a small little creature who can go invisible? I''ve already notified him of my plan. No, it''s not morally wrong, you''re wrong for criticizing a starving child. Of course, the alternative is asking Stella to throw me a bone, but let''s be honest, that''s not going to happen.

    "You want anything?"

    Well, isn''t that something. Not exactly the something I was hoping for, but I''ll take any win I can get.

    "Huh? What?" As you can tell, I''m confused.

    "Please, I can hear your stomach rumbling, and it''s gross. Do you want anything or not?"

    "Yes! Can I have¡ª"

    "Cheapest thing you''ve got." She says

    "Hey!"

    "I''m not made of money, you get what you get." That''s fair, I suppose.

    "I''ll take a coffee, black, two of those cookies, three Twix, a croissant¡ªactually make that two croissants, and a tuna sandwich, for the rabbit." She added that last part quickly, as if she''d never be caught eating a tuna sandwich, even though I know her Galarian tongue has definitely had worse. I''m with her though, tuna is gross.

    She''s not made of money, but only when it comes to the needy. You want to guess who that includes? Also, I guess black coffee isn''t necessarily a Galarian thing, but it''s still gross. On my list of worst things to eat/drink, I think I can safely place black coffee at a not so solid number 3, right behind toast sandwiches and brain eating amoebas. I think those damn shape-shifting single celled organisms are going to be holding that spot for a long time. Unless of course, Galar is still saving the worst for last.

    If you like black coffee, you are probably a terrible person. Actually, not just black coffee, all coffee. Black coffee just happens to be the worst offender. How does anyone like that stuff? It''s so bitter. You want to know what I think?

    Probably not, but I''m going to tell you anyway. I think people only drink it for the caffeine.

    "You actually like that stuff?" The woman places the cup of coffee on the small table between us.

    "This?" She takes a sip of the coffee, "God no, this shit is disgusting. I don''t know how people like it." She takes another swig.

    "You don''t say."

    "I couldn''t fall asleep until five in the morning, I have to stay awake somehow." She hands the woman the sum total of her gargantuan order, which was a ridiculous 300 Pok¨¦.

    "Well, you know other kinds of coffee also have caffeine."

    ¡°She shakes her head and gulps, "Yes, but, it''s the bitterness, it keeps me sharp."

    "Uhuh, well okay. So where'' my¡ª"

    She tosses me a bag of lightly salted chips, "You owe me."

    I rip open the bag, "For a half full bag of chips?"

    "Yes, you''re welcome, by the way." She says, with an entire full course meal in front of her.

    "Thank you miss."

    ---

    If you want to know how the train ride went, I''ll tell you. Stella spent a majority of the train ride on her phone, doing... something. I''m not entirely sure what, considering there wasn''t any service out there, and there still isn''t at the train station.

    "Today for you." Stella says, placing a few Pok¨¦ into the drummers donation bucket.

    The drummer smiles at her and says something I can''t quite make out through all of the noise, this station is just as crowded as the one in Wedgehurst. Which makes sense, why wouldn''t it be?

    She turns back to me, "Well aren''t you a beacon of generosity."

    "Yes, I am, now lets get going."

    I hate crowds, if Stella wasn''t here I''m certain I would have gotten lost and died already. I made sure to keep my wallet and my ID safe in pocket. Most trainers had the sense to register for the gym challenge weeks or even months in advance, so the line to register consists of only a few other like-minded idiots. Apparently, Stella did so with the professors granddaughter Sonia, and just neglected to tell me I could do that as well. So, as a result, It''s just me in line.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "ID please." You know, between Stella and the professor, I totally forgot that Galarians have accents. I mean, I''ve been hearing it for the past week so ''forgot'' is a bit of a misnomer in the sense that I just used it, but hearing it from this many people is jarring. I don''t like it, I don''t like it one bit. It''s like they''re trying their hardest to sound super fancy, but it''s not working at all. Next thing you know, I''m going to be hitting the pub and going out on a holiday. Actually, this brings me to something I''ve been thinking about; where is Stella''s accent? I mean, she did grow up here, right? I''m pretty sure she''s just hiding it, sometimes when she talks, it''ll slip out unintentionally. This one time, she said ''garage'' in that weird way Galarians do, with an emphasize on the first a, and just pretended like it didn''t happen. I played along, it wasn''t in my best interests to anger her. Now though? Maybe I should ask about it.

    I reach into my pocket and pull out my wallet. I hand the man my ID and prepare the most genuine-looking smile I could muster for my photo. The result of which, is a card verifying my status in the gym challenge. It has a name, but I didn''t hear it, I was too horrified by my photo. It looks worse than I could have ever imagined. I quickly stuff the horrible thing into my wallet and pray it never has to see the light of day again.

    Stella told me she would be waiting for me outside, but if earlier today is anything to go off of, I should get out there sooner rather then later.

    "You waited." I say, stepping outside. The breeze hits me immediately.

    "Only to see your photo, let me see it."

    I shake my head vehemently, "Absolutely not, that thing is not leaving my wallet unless absolutely necessary.

    "Lame."

    I can''t resist the call of the wild. The wild area is... breathtaking, you could even say it''s something. It is a lot larger then the photos would have you believe. I can make out a few ranger outposts in the distance, but other than that, all wilds. The area surrounding the leftmost lake, West Lake Axwell I believe, is covered in forest. Supposedly, that''s the safest route of the four. It''s also the biggest, which isn''t good news for my fat ass. I can barely see the giant gates of Motostoke way out in the distance beyond the lakes.

    "So, uh, how long is this whole journey going to take?" I ask.

    "A week, if we''re fast." She says, "But with you weighing my down, maybe a week and a half."

    Oh god, a week straight of hiking. As if Galar couldn''t get any worse. Come on something, any day now.

    ---

    I want you to image what a place called ''The Rolling Fields'' looks like. If you are imaging a large swath of rising grassy hills going up and down, than you are right, to an extent. This is what I thought the Rolling Fields would be, but unfortunately, I forgot that Galar is the worst place on earth. The hills aren''t rolling, they are rising like the world''s most poorly designed ramp. And with every step, I can feel every one of my limps and organs begging me to stop. Yes even that useless bastard named appendix.

    Panting, I ask, "How much... How much longer?"

    Stella looks down at me from above, "Until what?"

    How is she not tired?

    "What do you think? Until we''re out of here." I struggle to keep climbing.

    "Oh, a lot, a hell of a lot."

    Is she¡ª

    "¡ªFucking with me? Are you fucking with me?" I ask.

    She stops climbing, "Bell, we''ve been walking for forty minutes."

    No fucking way, this place is going to be the death of me. Something, please, I need you.

    ---

    I release Agent to give me motivation about half way there, because I am starting to lose my motivation. I''m also starting to think Stella is some sort of robot made for the sole purpose of walking for... fucking forever, probably. I hate grass, I think I understand Rocky now. For once, Galar''s shitty weather is working in my favor. I cannot imagine making this hike in the heat, I would have passed out hours ago. The only thing keeping me going are Agent''s cheer''s coming from the top of my head. Scorbunny has made it his mission to show me how much more stamina he and Stella had, running up ahead of us, sometimes I can''t even see him because he''s so far ahead.

    And Stella? She still hasn''t broken a sweat. Well, I also haven''t, on account of the cold weather, but you get my point.

    "Stella, please, I need a break." I say as I go limp and slump on the side of the hill.

    "Fine," she says, "Get down here!" She yells to her partner.

    She walks down to my spot on the hill.

    "So... where''s Rookidee?" Just assume that with every word I speak, there''s a four second pause in between each word to account for my hyperventilation.

    "Still in his ball." she explains, "I didn''t have time to bring him to a center so I just sprayed him with a few potions and let him rest, I''ll probably let him out when we get to the Dappled Grove."

    "Speaking of that, when are we going to get¡ª"

    "A few more hours," oh god, "Relax¡ªthe rest of the hike won''t be nearly this bad, no hills."

    Oh, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. I guess that''s something.

    The break only lasted about five minutes. Stella''s insistence on hiking like maniacs was exhausting, I hate it. Though, in the long run, it''ll get us out of here faster and into Motostoke. It''s already working, we''re ahead of most of the other trainers, which is good because having to deal with other people on top of this already excruciatingly painful hike sounds like something out of my worst dreams¡ªactually scratch that, my dreams are a lot worse.

    Arceus, I can''t wait for the day I have enough money to eat whatever the fuck I want. That bag of chips was enough to sustain me, for about 2 hours. After that, I was tired, hungry, and I had a stomachache, and I had a headache. All of which are still true, but now I also need to use the bathroom. And I refuse to pee in public, that''s almost as gross as using a public bathroom, although I will have to do that once we make it to the ranger station at the end of the Rolling Fields. Stella had explained to me that at the end of every designated section was a small ranger station complete with an inn and a Pok¨¦mon center, how very kind of the league to do.

    Also, I quickly realized how unprepared I was for this. I brought three water bottles with me from Wedgehurst, I thought that would be enough. I was so very wrong, so wrong in fact that I was resorting to having Agent refill my water bottle for me. I''m sure that''s all kinds of unsanitary, but frankly I don''t give a fuck. I mean, it just tastes like water. Then again, Rocky just looks like innocent crab, but he''s actually a serial killer who murders his victims by talking for so long that they die waiting for him to shut up. Luckily, I have this magical device called a Pok¨¦ball that let''s me shut him up with the press of a button, so I have been spared from his cruelty so far. I almost succumbed on that first horrible day.

    Anyway, back to me being wildly unprepared. I can''t help but notice that Stella has a small tent strapped onto her backpack. Am I supposed to have one of those? If I am, why did nobody tell me? Stella, I understand, she doesn''t tell me shit. But the professor? She didn''t tell me a thing. She probably I assumed I would do my own research. What does she think I am? Responsible? She knows better than that.

    I heave a groan as we reach the top of yet another hill. I practically collapse. Just a little bit longer and I''ll be free of this awful place.

    ---

    The air is humming¡ªwait, no, that''s just me.

    I was in a merry mood after we reached the end of the Rolling Fields. You know when people say they get a ''runners high'' after they run a marathon? Yeah, that was me. I was on top of the fucking world, figurately of course. In reality, I was collapsed at the foot of the final hill we had to cross. I took a mandatory thirty minute break, Stella did to. She didn''t show it, but she was just as tired as me. Well, maybe a little less tired.

    I could see the grass fields transform into huge forest just beyond the ranger station. It was dark, and frankly pretty scary. But the best part? No hills, and no grass.

    We were the first wave of trainers to make it here. Even so, it was already dark out. Most other trainers who hadn''t already arrived probably decided to wait it out until morning came. But not me! I''d be sleeping good.

    Out here in the wild, you could actually see the stars in the sky. The violent winds and gray skies had dissipated; replaced instead by a pleasant breeze and a beautiful starry night.

    Anywho, that''s enough of the past tense. Back to the present!

    "I''m taking Jet¡ª" That''s Stella''s Rookidee, she decided to name it for some reason, "¡ªTo the Pok¨¦mon center just in case. You should probably sleep, and shower, you smell."

    Well, I have to agree with her on that, "Okay, but I don''t have any money. How am I supposed to get a room?"

    "The Budew Inn''s are free for trainers. Pok¨¦mon Centers to, but, these ones don''t have any rooms." She says, "Now shoo."

    I can never get the final word in. She''s already gone. Well, I guess I''m on my own now.

    Somethings coming, something good. I know it is. Just... not today.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    I forgot to brush my teeth this morning, but that''s fine; you''ll remind me, right?

    ...

    Oh, I forgot, you''re in my head. I guess I''ll have to remind myself, which, if you think about it, is pretty much the same thing.

    Anyway, let''s talk about how my morning went. First off, I slept like a baby. The inn''s beds aren''t exactly the epitome of comfort, but what do you expect from a free room in the wild area? Then, after my morning routine of forgetting to brush my teeth and other activities that I guess you can call ''basic hygiene,'' I left the room key at the front desk and got me some chow. Was that cool? Do people say chow? Turns out, food is also free at these inns. It''s not very good food, and I know I''m not one to talk about not being picky about food, but I''ll take what I can get. Rocky and Agent aren''t picky either; well, actually, Rocky is picky; he just doesn''t show it. I can tell whenever he hates a food; he spits some strange acidic liquid on it to dissolve it before eating. I''m not sure if that''s dangerous in any way, but I haven''t brought it up because if it gets him to eat what I give him, then I''m not complaining.

    Without dream girl harassing me in my sleep, I actually woke up pretty early today. Early enough that the dark morning sky was still out and Stella was still asleep. It was a peaceful morning, the kind that really makes you appreciate the silence. It was just me and Agent; I didn''t have Rocky out for obvious reasons. Of course, it didn''t remain a peaceful morning. As soon as the clock struck eight, the sun rose, and hundreds of trainers flooded into the outpost.

    So that was my almost-perfect morning. Let me tell you, this place is definitely not equipped to accommodate this many trainers. It makes me wonder, does the gym challenge get this many trainers every year? I''ll have to ask Stella about it later. As nice as this morning was, I don''t want to spend another minute here. However, finding Stella is going to be easier said than done. Unfortunately, I was so tired from the hike yesterday that I fell asleep the instant my body made contact with the bed. As such, I never got the chance to learn what room she was staying in. I mean, this place isn''t very big; all I have to do is wait at the entrance to the Dappled Grove until she shows up. It''s very obviously marked by a large arch labeled ''Dappled Grove.''.

    So I wait, and since my ideas are always good, she shows up after about 30 minutes. Keep in mind, all these times are very roughly estimated since I don''t have a phone, and I also can''t read clocks. Once I have a phone or a watch or something, you best believe I''ll be mentioning the time left and right.

    "You''re awake." She says.

    "Did you think I was asleep?" I stop leaning against the arch.

    "Yes, I couldn''t find you in the cafeteria." She pushes past me.

    I follow, "Oh? You looked for me?"

    "Don''t flatter yourself." She says, "I had every intention of leaving without you."

    "Meanie." I really need to work on expanding my vocabulary. Although, maybe not in Galar.

    "Wait." I say before we can go any further. She turns to me.

    "Yes?"

    "Do I, uh, was I supposed to bring a tent or a sleeping bag or... something?" She looks at me dumbfounded, "Because I didn''t."

    She starts walking back towards the outpost, "I should have expected as much."

    "Where are we going?"

    "Well, you''re not going to get very far sleeping on the forest floor." She says.

    Where on earth am I going to get a tent? Is there a building I missed? In case you''re wondering, the answer is yes. There''s a small supplies store tucked away in a small corner of the outpost. "I don''t have any money."

    "Then I guess you''re going to owe me."

    Aw, isn''t that nice?

    At least, I thought it was. Turns out, tents are expensive. Not to mention the sleeping bag; that one costs substantially less, though. So now, not only am I broke, but I also owe Stella 1,000 Pok¨¦ with interest. You can call me stupid for not knowing what interest is; I probably am. I don''t bother to ask; it probably just means that I should be actively working towards paying her back. She isn''t very happy about it, though, especially since the line is really long and delays our departure by about half an hour.

    Anyway, now that that''s dealt with, let''s get walking. The Dappled Grove is like a forest that''s trying its best to be scary but fails in just about every way. The only Pok¨¦mon around are Caterpie, Weedle, and the occasional Skwovet. The Slumbering Weald is way more daunting than this. For one, the trees aren''t nearly thick enough to block out all of the sunlight. It''s more like an awkward canopy of thin branches that allows most of the light to pass through and form ugly splotches on the ground. If the weather were as awful as it was yesterday, it might actually be a little intimidating. Fortunately, it''s not. At first, the forest is one big path. Over time, though, it becomes just that, a forest with no clear path forward. Even with the sun illuminating the grove, the thought of getting lost in here is still a little scary. I ask Stella if there are any dangerous Pok¨¦mon we have to worry about. She responds with this:

    "Here? No, not really. The Pok¨¦mon here are used to people. They''ll leave us alone if we leave them alone." She goes on to explain that the only really ''dangerous'' Pok¨¦mon in the wild area are in the middle and east sections, which we are bypassing entirely. Is it wrong to be a little disappointed at that news? Maybe I''ll go there one day when Agent and Rocky are stronger.

    To make some small talk, I ask Stella how her day was. It''s honestly not that interesting of a story, but I''ll tell it to you anyway. The first thing she did was pick up her Rookidee from the Pok¨¦mon Center, since he was being treated for his injuries after she dropped him off last night. After that, she looked for me at the Inn and then decided to leave since she couldn''t find me. See, not that interesting of a story. Now, do you want to hear an actually interesting story? Of course you do!

    Galarian history isn''t something I thought I would care about, but it''s actually a little crazy how insane it is considering how much of a nothing burger it is now. Is that too mean? It might be, whatever; who cares? Back to history. The subject comes up when I ask her about the strange stone structures protruding out of the ground that I keep seeing. They sort of look like the wishing star that I woke up with, and it turns out, there is a correlation between the two. You learn new things every day, like just now, I''m learning that Stella is something of a history buff.

    She explains to me about the single biggest event in Galarian history. The Darkest Day; badass name, right? She says that no one really knows how long it was; I think it''s pretty self-explanatory. It''s literally in the name. Anyway, this one event is singlehandedly responsible for all of the Dynamax Energy in Galar. According to Stella, the story goes something like this: Long ago, before toast sandwiches had a name, there lived two unnamed kings of Galar. This is where I ask my first question: Were they gay? Why were there two kings? She ignores my question and continues. This was a time of peace, until a meteorite struck Galar. Inside was a beast named after the event that it caused, The Darkest Day. That''s kind of lame, don''t you think? A monster of this caliber deserves a cool name, I bet I could come up with one. Anyway, The Darkest Day (the Pok¨¦mon, not the event) released thousands of particles of Dynamax Energy into the environment. And while it might be eco-friendly and all that, it definitely wasn''t Pok¨¦mon-friendly. Not at the time at least.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    These particles were unwillingly absorbed by wild Pok¨¦mon, making them go berserk. As you can guess, this didn''t bode well for any nearby cities. Especially before the time of Ditto medicine, shout out to those guys, by the way. So, for some unspecified reason, this caused the Galar sky to turn black; no sun could get through, hence the name. Honestly, that doesn''t sound too far off from your average Galarian day, at least from what I''ve seen. Eventually, the two kings were able to rally their power, and they, along with some horses that must''ve been introduced when I wasn''t paying attention, managed to defeat the Darkest Day, and the wishing stars scattered around Galar are supposedly parts of the Darkest Day''s body. And to answer my original question, she says that those stone structures contain Dynamax Energy in caverns deep below them. No, I did not need to hear that entire story just for that answer, and you didn''t either, but hey, it was fun right?

    Okay, exposition dump over, I''ve got a forest to not be scared of.

    "How long is this going to take?"

    She rolls her eyes and looks at me, "Why are you so impatient?"

    "Because, unlike you, I get tired. So, answer please." I say.

    "Two days, assuming I haven''t already gotten us lost." She examines the map of the Grove; she says they were giving them out for free at the Pok¨¦mon Center last night.

    "I thought you could read those." Arceus, I''m already getting tired.

    "I can; it''s just been a while." She doesn''t take her eyes off the map.

    We haven''t seen another trainer in quite a while. That either means that we are extremely lost or extremely fast, fat in my case. Take your votes; which one is it?

    Both. It''s both. We got extremely lost, extremely fast. And no, I''m not fat; that was a joke. You knew that right?

    Anyway, I have to recall Agent as soon as he learns of this devastating news. The only thing worse than being lost in a forest is being lost in a forest and also crying uncontrollably. Well, there is one more thing that''s worse. It''s Stella refusing to admit that she got us lost.

    "I know where we are." She insists.

    "Mhmh." I cross my arms.

    She looks at me, face red, "I do."

    "And I believe you." We''re only going to get more lost if I infuriate her, intentionally or not. So I stay quiet and let her focus.

    Look at me being sensible. I''ve come such a long way. Not literally; we''ve only been walking for like an hour. But mentally, I''m at least 1% smarter than I was a week ago. Although the me from two weeks ago might have been a genius for all I know. Let''s not get preoccupied with my past; there are more pressing matters for once. Stella recalls Scorbunny. The little guy is full of energy, which would normally be great, but his energetic self isn''t exactly conducive to what she''s trying to do. And what she''s trying to do is, in my opinion, pretty damn important. In some strange stroke of brilliance, Rocky takes the hint and decides to shut up. When has he ever done that? Never.

    Anyway, the day carries on like some sort of strange comedy. I keep asking Stella if she knows where she''s going, to which she always responds with one of three different grunts. And these past three hours, I''ve learned to decipher what each one means. For example. ''Mh'' means ''I''m not annoyed right now, but if you keep asking, I''m going to kill you.''. ''Guh'' means ''You''re getting on my nerves.''. So, I guess what I''m trying to say is, all of them mean ''shut up.''.

    Eventually, she just gives up and has her Rookidee scout the skies to get us back on track. I''m not sure what''s more alarming, the fact that she didn''t do that earlier or the fact that I didn''t even think about that. She doesn''t have that excuse; I know that big brain of hers knew that was a choice the entire time. I suppose she was trying to prove something to... me? To herself? No, definitely not to me. To herself then, I guess that makes sense. Right?

    That was a rhetorical question, so don''t answer. Do I really have to explain to you what a rhetorical question is? No, I don''t; your smart enough to know that. Now, if you are really smart, you''ll notice that I used the wrong form of your just a few sentences ago. On that subject, please chalk up any other grammatical errors to me testing you; I''m not very smart.

    Now, that was bizarre, right? Me talking to you like that, it was weird, right? You''re probably wondering, ''How does he know about me?''. Or maybe you''re wondering, ''What on earth am I reading?'' Do you want to know the answer? Too bad! I''m not going to give it to you. And now, my friends, you know what it feels like to be me: confused and broke and hungry. Those last two either hit hard or are completely incorrect. In which case, good for you. And¡ª

    Arceus, I need to stop thinking; this is what hours of silence does to a man; it makes him go crazy. No more weird analogies, I promise, and I don''t break my promises. At least, I haven''t yet. You know what? I blame this all on Stella. For my own good, I need to start associating with people other than her. Although her voice is kind of like an oasis of normality from everyone else''s horrible accents. Plus, she might be a little rough around the edges, but she''s still helping me. And though I don''t really show it, it''s a greatly appreciated gesture.

    Man, I almost forgot that I''m in a forest! By the time we reach the main ''path'' again, we''re no longer ahead. Which, honestly, I don''t mind at all. The chatter of other trainers is comforting.

    With all of our meandering around, I wrongly assumed that we were at least halfway through the grove. If this were a game show, I would be hearing a loud red buzzer right about now. We''re not even a quarter of the way there. Now, I don''t want to blame Stella, but it''s totally her fault. At the same time, I get it. Carrying the burden of navigating for both of us can''t be easy, so she gets a pass. Hopefully we can make more headway tomorrow. We find a clearing not far from the main path and set up camp. It takes me a lot longer to figure out how to set up the tent than I''d like to admit; why don''t they just come pre-assembled?

    Now, that wasn''t a rhetorical question, but if you answered, then you are stupid because it was obviously a trick question. Come on people! Obviously tents aren''t going to come pre-assembled.

    Anyway, I''ve become something of an insomniac. How am I supposed to get a good night''s sleep when there''s a possibility of getting jumped by a hungry Pok¨¦mon? Or even worse, my own dreams.

    ---

    "Who are you?"

    You know the drill. Same caf¨¦, same jazz, same lights, same girl. Everything is only different enough for me to notice. The Lampent seems to have been replaced by a Chimecho who plays a catchy little jingle every time someone enters or leaves. There''s no Kricketune this time, only a piano-playing Mr. Mime accompanied on vocals by a Chatot. It''s just as odd-sounding as the violin, but somehow I think I prefer it.

    And of course, my best dream friend, girl with black hair. She''s wearing a top hat tonight; it looks ridiculous.

    "What''s with the hat?" I ask.

    She hesitantly replies, "You don''t like it?"

    She''s actually talking to me? This is new. What do I say? Honesty is the policy, I suppose.

    "No, not really." A few of the cafe''s patrons shuffle by us, talking gibberish as always.

    She adjusts the hat. "Yeah, I thought so."

    Arceus, does she have to be so cryptic? She clearly knows something.

    She speaks again before I can say anything else, "Care for a dance?" She extends her arms.

    "I don''t know how." I say. It''s true; is that weird? Do most people know how to dance?

    I thought she would push or encourage me to do so anyway. Instead, she puts her arms down and says, "Shame."

    Well, fuck, I should have taken her up on that. It''s too late now.

    She frowns, "What are you thinking?"

    She interrupts my train of thought like a freight train hitting a poor Tauros, "Huh?"

    "You know," she paces around me like a Mightyena circling around its prey, "We don''t have to keep doing this."

    Oh, then by all means, please tell me how mysterious dream woman.

    "Keep doing what?" I silently shun myself for asking such a stupid question. What do you think, moron? She doesn''t think the question is so stupid, however.

    "This same song and dance every night. You go to sleep, I appear, I ask you the same question, you don''t answer, and then you wake up. It''s already getting old." Yeah, tell me about it.

    "So, how do we stop?" I ask.

    She smiles, "You just have to tell me one thing."

    No, not again, "No, don''t you dare say it¡ª"

    "Where are you?"

    Wait, what?

    "What did you say¡ª"

    I wake up on the hard forest floor. My head is pressed against a stone, and my entire back is covered in dirt now. For a moment I thought, wow, how did Stella disassemble my tent without me noticing? But she''s not that nice or mean, depending on how you think about it. No, I''m not in the clearing anymore. I''m somewhere completely different, albeit still in the Dappled Grove. As if my insomnia couldn''t get worse, now I''m teleporting in my sleep. Or, I guess the more obvious answer would be that I sleepwalked here. Is that how messed up my brain is now? That the first thought I have is that I teleported. Thankfully I still have Rocky''s and Agent''s Pok¨¦balls on me. But since I''m not a maniac and don''t sleep with my backpack on, that shit is gone.

    No food for me! How fun...

 Chapter 9 - No Place Like London

    Chapter 9 - No Place Like London

    I may have been exaggerating about the ''no food'' thing. There is food, a lot of it. Just oodles and oodles of berries. Agent''s Pokedex entry wasn''t lying; he does have good aim. As we''ve already established, I know absolutely nothing about berries. The extent of my knowledge is Oran Berry good; everything else will either taste like shit or kill you. Oran berries taste¡­ decent, but they get old after about the first dozen. At least it''s something; I really shouldn''t be complaining. After all, it''s better to be lost with food and water then... die, I guess. I''ve been exclusively surviving off of the water Agent produces; I''m sure that''s going to have some terrible side effects later. But for right now, it''s working.

    So, I may have treated this forest too harshly. Turns out, the only reason it wasn''t scary before was because I had Stella and her Rookidee to keep us on track. Now I have Rocky and Agent, who, aside from some useful utility from Agent, are pretty useless in this situation. Well, not completely useless; obviously they have the most important job of them all: protecting me. Which, I''m not entirely convinced Agent is ready for yet; the smallest sound or sudden movement is still enough to set him off. Anyway, I''m currently relying on my internal compass and sense of direction to guide me back to safety. You want to guess how that''s going? Not good; I haven''t seen a single other trainer in hours, I think. It''s been at least one hour, but my internal clock is all out of whack, and the sun is still high in the sky.

    I wonder what Stella is thinking right now. Does she think I just up and left without her? Oh god, I hope not. That''s not going to make for a pleasant conversation when I see her again. Then again, she''s always saying that she''s going to leave without me, so I''d say this gets us even.

    "Tired?" I ask Rocky.

    He scoffs, I guess that''s a no.

    "What about you?" I ask Agent.

    Although, it''s a bit of a dumb question. He''s been sitting on my head since we first started walking; the only way he would be tired is if he is secretly doing calf raises. Actually, does he have calves? Do those skinny little legs count?

    He shakes his head no. He might not be physically tired, but mentally, I suspect that he''s wearing himself out. He''s on edge like he always is whenever he''s outside his ball, but more so than usual. His eyes are constantly darting around the environment, tearing up at the slightest sign of another lifeform. Can you blame him though? Being lost in a forest isn''t exactly a fun experience. Side note, I''ve been using the words forest and grove interchangeably even though I know they''re not. I also don''t know the difference, but does it really matter? Like, are ''forests'' and ''woods'' the same thing? No, but people still use them interchangeably.

    If I were to describe this trek, I would say it''s like the hike I took through the Slumbering Weald a week ago, but a thousand times more manageable. For one, I have Agent to balance out the forces of evil; that''s Rocky, if you couldn''t tell. And second, it isn''t freezing cold. The weather in Galar this second week is like a pendulum swinging from ''Requires full winter gear to step outside'' to ''Just wear a sweater.''. But never hot, not even warm, except for that one time on my last day in Wedgehurst. If you want my advice, never ever travel to Galar unless you like everything that sucks. I could list everything that entails, but we''d be here for a long time if I did that.

    But I''m getting off track; let''s get back on it.

    I hear a branch break. Agent tenses up and shoots a spurt of water into a bush before I can even figure out where the sound came from. Rocky, in his usual fashion of not paying attention, throws a stone into the bush long after the Nickit has already revealed itself. It tries to shake off the water that Agent shot at it; he just keeps shooting at it. I don''t know what to do; I didn''t even know Nickit lived in forests. I''ve only ever seen them stealing food from local vendors in Wedgehurst. It was probably trying to rob me before Agent shot it. For what? I''m not sure. It''s not like I have much of value. Unless it wants my wallet, which I can understand. That thing is a hoot.

    The Nickit finds a moment of respite in between Agent''s assault and growls at him. That''s all it took to break him. He bursts into tears almost immediately. I recall him, but not before me, Rocky, and the fox are all pouring tears.

    "Damn it...." I sniffle, clipping his Pok¨¦ball back onto my belt.

    The Nickit seems to have given up on taking whatever it wanted from me and is now just crying on the ground.

    "You want some food?" Rocky gives me a soft punch to the leg when he hears me say that. I get it; offering a notorious thief food is probably a recipe for disaster. But I can''t help it; they were probably just trying to get some food when Agent just started shooting the hell out of them. Which, bravo by the way.

    "No, she doesn''t."

    Oh my, another person. Thank Arceus. He emerges from behind the Nickit looking as if he just ran a marathon.

    "Oh, are you her trainer?" Thankfully, Agent wasn''t crying long enough to impact me for longer than thirty seconds at most.

    He answers my question without even speaking by recalling the Nickit. He answers anyway.

    "Yes, I''m sorry¡ª" I hate the way he pronounces that: ''soree'', "If she inconvenienced you."

    Inconvenienced me? Arceus, why is everyone in Galar so serious? Would it kill them to crack a joke every once in a while? Actually, it might. And also, I take that back. Galarian humor is not something I''m interested in hearing.

    His accent is different from those I''ve heard so far, but it''s definitely Galarian-adjacent. It''s just thicker and a little less ugly to listen to. Well, that''s a little misleading. It actually sounds dumber than a Galarian accent, but somehow leaning into the silliness of their dialect actually helps. I should know; I''m an expert in nitpicking the way people speak.

    He has short, strawberry blonde hair. There aren''t a lot of blondes in Galar, but I''ve seen a fair amount of redheads; I suppose this is what you get when you combine the two. I''ve never seen the color on a guy, though; maybe it''s rarer?

    "No, no inconvenience at all." I say, "By the way, you wouldn''t happen to know where we are?"

    He looks confused. "The Dappled Grove?"

    "Yes, but exactly where? I may have gotten lost." I explain.

    He suddenly seems on edge, "Lost? How lost?"

    "Very lost?"

    What? Was I supposed to say ''a little lost''? I''m going to have a very stern talk with my dream buddy tonight, if I can even fall asleep, that is.

    He thinks for a moment, "Very well then, where is your map?"

    Ah, how do I tell him?

    "I... don''t have one."

    ---

    Good news, I''m not the only idiot in Galar; this guy is just as lost as I am. Bad news, this guy is just as lost as I am. He was hoping I would have a map to lead us out of here, but unfortunately we both have terrible luck. The partnership is turning out to be mutually beneficial, though, since he was running out of food to eat before finding me. His Nickit seems to beg to differ, but he ignores her. As for him? Well, really the only thing he''s bringing to the table is the ability to speak, albeit not very coherently, to me at least.

    It''s a little hard to understand him through the accent, but I''m steadily getting better at it. He''s a lot like Stella, which I''m not sure is a good thing. He refused to admit he was lost until he realized I wasn''t going to stop following him. Is that stalking? Yeah, probably, but I just want some company. Although, in that department, he''s almost as bad as Stella. But unlike Stella, I don''t know what makes this guy tick yet. So, do you want to know the best way to get someone to tell you their name? Annoy them. Annoy them until their only choices are violence or submitting. And since most people are cowards, they will submit.

    "Christopher Tanega." He finally says.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Christopher, okay, I like that.

    "Can I call you Chris?"

    "No."

    "Okay, what about¡ª"

    "Not Topher either."

    Damn, he beat me to it. Christopher it is then.

    "And you?''

    "What?"

    "Your name, what is it?"

    Well, isn''t that the million-dollar question? I can''t just stay silent, and I guess I don''t have to lie to him; it just feels weird telling him a name I''m not sure is actually my name.

    "Bell Benson."

    "Mm." I might just die if I hear another grunt from these people.

    He has another Pok¨¦ball on his belt, an Ultra Ball. That must mean something cool is in there, right?

    "I see you, eying my Pok¨¦ball." He actually says ''Eying me Pok¨¦ball,'' but I''m deciding to spare you from having to understand this guy''s way of speech. You''re welcome; just call me Mr. Translator.

    "It''s a nice ball; what''s in it?" I ask.

    "A Toxel."

    Okay, another Pok¨¦mon I don''t know about. Based on the name, I''m assuming it''s a poison type. But that''s as far as I''m willing to assume. You know the saying.

    "Ah, okay." I pretend to know what he''s talking about, "So, where are you from?"

    He turns around as if he''s been waiting for me to ask that question, "I could ask you that very same question. You''re clearly not from here."

    Someone get this guy a cupcake, or me. Please get me a cupcake.

    Cupcakes aside, why did he have to turn this around on me? I don''t want to tell him my entire life story; it''s way too weird¡ªand frankly a bit of a mess to have to explain.

    "That, I am not." I try to dance around the subject.

    "So. Where are you from?" He asks.

    Arceus, it''s like my dreams all over again.

    "It''s a long story."

    "We''ve got nothing but time."

    Fuck, why does he have to be right? Okay, fine, I''ll tell him. Please don''t be disappointed in me.

    "How about you tell me first, and then I''ll tell you."

    If he really wants to know, then I at least deserve to know a little bit about him. He agrees, almost immediately. That''s a level of curiosity I can respect. The cat can go fuck itself.

    Galar is a lot bigger than I thought. Christopher is from an island directly to the east of the mainland called the Isle of Armor; I guess that''s where the accent comes from. I was hoping for more details, but I''m only able to manage to wrangle a few details from him. One of them, funny enough, is his complete date of birth, down to the minute and everything. It''s August 20th, if you were wondering. No, you''re not getting the year or the time, creep. Anyway, here''s a few more details: His favorite food is some strange Galarian dish called shepherd''s pie, his favorite color is blue, his mother is a breeder, and his father is dead. That last fact is not so fun.

    "Oh, I''m sorry." I say.

    "Don''t be; it wasn''t your fault." Well, I guess we''ll never know.

    I want to ask him how he died, but it''s not my place to pry. Who knows what kind of bad memories that brings up. If Stella has taught me anything, it''s when to keep my mouth shut.

    "Then, I believe it''s your turn."

    Ah shit, alright. I have to handle this delicately.

    "Alright, but you have to promise not to tell anyone." I''m not sure why I''m being so secretive. It''s not like I''m some super-secret agent. Actually, I could be. Arceus, this is so confusing.

    "What?" I stare him down, "Okay, okay, I won''t tell anyone."

    Great. I suppose it''s story time. I don''t want to be too descriptive, so I omit the part about the Songstress speaking to me. That''s what I''m going to call her, by the way, since it feels strange just referring to her as ''the woman.''. But other than that, he gets the full tale. And just like I thought, he looks completely flabbergasted (are you keeping count?).

    "You¡ªare you serious?" He asks.

    "Dead serious, just ask the crab." Rocky says something I can''t understand because, you know, I''m not a Dwebble.

    "So, you don''t know who you are?"

    Oh, he actually believes me? I''ve got to be honest; I didn''t think I''d get this far.

    "Not a clue." I say, "I''m stuck in this hellhole of a region."

    He furrows his eyebrows. Fuck, did I offend him?

    "Hellhole?" He says, "How can you say that?"

    Well, I put myself in this position. And I''m no coward; I''m not backing down.

    "Well, first of all, the food. I mean, how do Galarians even eat that slop? The only decent thing I''ve had to eat here is curry, and that''s because it was being cooked by an old person." Everyone knows old people are the best cooks. I don''t want to try a Galarian Curry made by some shmuck in a tall white hat and apron. I don''t care how good they claim to be.

    He scoffs, "You''ve been here a week; what do you know about good food?"

    Hm, "Nothing, but my taste buds know quite a bit, and they tell me that shit''s nasty."

    "You complain about our country, but tell me, have you ever been to Wyndon?"

    Wyndon, that''s the northernmost city if I remember correctly. Also, why is this guy defending Galar so vehemently? I thought he was from an island or something.

    "No, I can''t say that I have." I say.

    I''m not sure why he would think that I have; I''ve literally been here for a week.

    "It''s a beautiful city. There''s no place like Wyndon." Ugh, why does he have to be such a Galar enthusiast? "It''s the second biggest city in the world, you know? You can''t say you hate Galar till'' you''ve seen it."

    Well, considering my position, I think it''s going to be a while before I see it. But maybe there is a bit of truth to what he''s saying. I guess I am a bit of a complainer; I haven''t even seen half the region yet; I shouldn''t be judging. Not yet, at least.

    "Okay, I''ll hold you to that."

    That is, if I ever see this guy again after leaving this damn forest.

    ---

    More bad news: we have made absolutely no headway in regards to leaving this damn forest. And to make things worse, the sun has gone down. Luckily, Christopher knows how to start a fire using only a few sticks. It took him a while, and it took him even more sticks, but he got it done. We don''t have any tents. At least I have an excuse for not having one; he just says he didn''t think he would need one. I shouldn''t be judging though; we all know the only reason I had one in the first place was because Stella bought it for me. We decide to sleep in shifts so as not to get jumped in the middle of the night. It probably won''t happen either way, but I''d rather be safe than be mauled to death.

    Neither of us are sleepy, though, so we talk for a while. It''s mostly him, since he has quite a few stories to tell, and I am one week old. One of these stories in particular piques my interest. It''s less of a ''real'' story and more of an urban legend, though.

    "There was a doctor and her husband." He says, "She was a Pok¨¦mon doctor, I think. Not for the centers, though; this was before that. She was beautiful, blonde, and just married; they lived by the beach in Hulbury. They had the perfect life."

    Uhuh, I can see where this is going. Something awful is going to happen, that''s how all of these stories go.

    He continues, "One day, the two go out. Some bar, or restaurant, it doesn''t really matter. The important is this: there was another man there, an important man. He saw them, but mostly he saw her. He saw that she was beautiful."

    Okay, so he''s going to kill the husband and try to take her for himself. That seems like the most probable outcome. Certainly not the happiest one though.

    "So, he takes what he wants. He makes an offer to the husband; he can take a sum of money and leave her, no hassle at all. He says no, of course. So the man, in a drunken rage, or maybe it was just normal rage, kills him and hides his body in an abandoned dumpster behind the wife''s house."

    Well that''s a stupid idea.

    "Then he comes to her doorstep acting all contrite, saying he saw a man get mugged and killed near her front door. The woman gets worried; her husband is hours late. So, he leads her to the dumpster where he claims he saw the body dumped."

    This lady is stupid; why would you follow this guy, who is clearly tricking you and probably killed your husband, into a secluded area?

    "They find the body, and she cries and she cries. It wasn''t a perfect crime; the police traced it back to him. But the man was important; it wasn''t anything a few wads of cash couldn''t fix."

    Typical.

    "So he stays with the woman; of course, she refused to do anything more with him so soon after her husband''s death. He could live with that; he assumed a time would come when she would be ready for him. But that time never came, and he grew restless. So one day, he decides, to hell with the long con. He would do this his way. So he organizes a party full of people he knew to be completely loyal to him and invites her. She goes, thinking it would help her get her mind off things. Poor thing, she didn''t know anyone there, and all of the drinks were laced with alcohol. She didn''t know this, of course. She asked around for the man; no one answered; they only drank and laughed."

    Okay, I expected this, but wow, this is fucked up.

    "By the time she finds him, she''s drunk; she can barely walk. So the man helps her up to his room upstairs. You can probably guess what happens next."

    Yeah, I can.

    "God..." I mumble.

    "Come the next morning, the woman is disgusted, rightfully so. She tries to report the man, but no one listens. They''ve been paid to not listen. So she concedes and goes back to living by herself in Hulbury."

    Wow, that was... horrible.

    "Where did you¡ª"

    "I''m not done." oh, okay then, "Two months go by, and she realizes something. She''s pregnant."

    As if it couldn''t get worse, "Oh fuck, did she keep it?"

    He shrugs, "I don''t know."

    "What? What do you mean you don''t know? What happened to her?"

    How can he just get me invested in this story and then just tell me he doesn''t know how it ends.

    "It''s just an old story my mum told me once, she never finished it, even after I asked her to." He says, "I like to imagine she did keep it, and that she never told him. I hope she moved to Alola and lived out a peaceful life."

    That''s certainly a hopeful ending. But, assuming that it''s a story based in truth, I doubt it''s really what happened.

    ---

    "Who are you?"

    I can''t even have one good night''s rest without getting harassed in my dreams. The soft jazz music enters my ears as I turn around to face the girl. She has her hair in pigtails and is wearing a dress suit. It actually doesn''t look bad, but I''ve got a bone to pick with her.

    "How did you do that?" I ask demandingly.

    "Do what?" She takes my hands, I guess she''s not asking this time.

    "Like¡ªyou¡ªteleported me or something. How did you do that?" I clumsily flail around in a pitiful attempt to try and dance.

    She looks around, "I''m afraid I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    "Oh, don''t play dumb with me," I accidently step on her foot, "You know exactly what I''m talking about."

    She leans in closer, "Maybe I do."

    "Then, answer my question." The music doesn''t feel so soft anymore.

    "Who''s to say it was me? I only have one job, and it certainly isn''t making you teleport." That''s the most she''s ever said in one sentence. She even sounds somewhat defensive.

    "So then who was it?" She lets go of my hands.

    "If you can answer me one question, then I''ll answer your question."

    "I can''t answer your fucking question, don''t you know that? I don''t know who I am." I try to explain.

    But it doesn''t matter, I know what''s going to happen the moment she opens her mouth again.

    "Who are you?"

 Rivers Kaguya 1 - All About the Green

    Rivers Kaguya 1 - All About the Green

    "Just an inch off the top." He said, looking at himself in the mirror.

    The barber nodded and got to work. Getting a haircut was such a bother, but he had to look sharp for Hazel. Besides, Raihan personally recommended this barber. He was even able to get a ''family and friends'' discount. He was neither, but the more money he could save, the better. He was constantly checking the clock above him to make sure he wouldn''t be late for his train. Although, even if he was, what was he going to do? Get up and leave with a botched haircut?

    "This gonna take long?" He asked, five minutes in.

    "Patience kid." The barber said, "It''s a virtue."

    Whatever that means. It wasn''t like Motostoke was worth the wait anyway; Hammerlocke was a better city in every way. Better food, better architecture, better parties, and way better people. Except for Hazel, she was still his favorite. Motostoke had two things going for it: her and his father. He wouldn''t be there when he arrived, though; something about last-minute errands for the league before trainers started arriving. He would''ve been there already if Raihan hadn''t insisted on keeping him for another day, for reasons he had yet to find out. Such a shame; he was looking forward to getting his first gym badge before every other trainer. Of course that meant he''d have to beat his father, but that should be no trouble. While every other trainer gets their experience from the wild area, he had already gotten plenty from Raihan. Good thing too; he couldn''t think of anything worse than spending a week hiking through forests and hills and whatnot. He''d beat his father at Motostoke Stadium and head straight for Tuffield. Unfortunately, that meant having to leave Hazel behind, but she wasn''t cut out for the trainer lifestyle anyway. Maybe it was a good thing Harry was the way he was. Rivers loved her, but Arceus, a week of her whining would drive him crazy.

    The barber put the razor down and used a blow dryer to blow away any loose hairs left, but did he have to do it right in his face? He sputtered and took the sheet off himself. He stood up.

    "How much?"

    "500 Pok¨¦."

    Arceus, was this the family and friends discount? He didn''t want to know what the normal price was. He dug through his wallet and paid the man. The man counted the money and nodded at him. What? Did he think he wasn''t going to pay him? He didn''t return the nod and walked out of the shop. He was instantly hit by the cold winds of winter. He shivered. One of the only things Motostoke had against Hammerlocke was the weather. It wasn''t great, not even good, but it was better than Hammerlocke. The farther you went north, the colder and rainier it got. Hulbury seemed to be an exception to this rule, though. His father always went on about how Galar wasn''t always like this and that they used to get actual summers. Even if he was somewhat skeptical of that statement, he had to admit it had been gloomier than usual lately. Not a single sunny sky in the last week.

    His phone went off in his pocket, a message from Raihan.

    How close are you to the battle cafe

    Close enough. He contemplated lying before realizing there was absolutely no reason to do so.

    I can be there in 10

    He watched Raihan''s text bubble move for a few seconds, then stop, then start again.

    Great, be there

    The battle caf¨¦ in Hammerlocke wasn''t like the one in Motostoke. While Motostoke''s battle caf¨¦ was just a normal caf¨¦ during the off-season, Hammerlocke''s was more of a bar attempting to recreate the vibe of those old-timey Unovan saloons. The ones where the patrons pulled up on horses and played poker until someone got angry, drunk, or both and started a bar fight. He thought it was just a gimmick until Raihan told him otherwise. Turns out, the owner was the son of someone who actually lived through those times and experienced them firsthand. By his estimates, that put him at about a hundred years or older. Apparently, all Battle Cafes used to look like the one in Hammerlocke. That was until big bad Battle Cafe Corporate got their hands all over it and changed them to be more consumer friendly, and the owner was only able to keep the original. Though, it was only a matter of time before he croaked, and Big Battle Cafe changed that one too.

    He wasn''t entirely sure he was even allowed in there, but he was sure Raihan could get him in. He walked to the caf¨¦ shivering with his hands stuffed in his jacket. He''d need to buy a new jacket when he got to Motostoke; this one wasn''t cutting it.

    It was raining by the time he made it to the Battle Cafe. He could see Raihan talking loudly on the phone inside. Arceus, it looked so warm. He eagerly took a step in when¡ª

    "Where do you think you''re going kid?"

    They have a bouncer? He guessed he shouldn''t be surprised; he had anticipated this.

    "I''m with Raihan." He said.

    The bouncer laughed, "You? You''re with Raihan?"

    He gritted his teeth and thought, a few months from now, no one would question who he was friends with.

    "Yeah, you don''t believe me? Go ahead. Go ask him." He said.

    The bouncer furrowed his eyebrows and called out to Raihan hesitantly. It took a few tries for him to actually notice.

    The gym leader swung his head towards the door and yelled something he couldn''t quite make out before going back to talking on his phone.

    The bouncer turned back to him with an annoyed expression on his face; it was very satisfying.

    "Just go," he said.

    "Thank you kindly." He taunted.

    He wanted to turn back and look at his reaction, but he decided against it. He embraced the warmth of the caf¨¦ with open arms as he walked towards Raihan. There was a surprising amount of people here for 12 PM on a Tuesday. There was a pianist playing a familiar tune with a tip jar to his side. It was a pleasant enough tune, and he was feeling generous. But not yet; he still had to talk with Raihan.

    The gym leader put his Rotom phone down for a moment. "One second kid¡ª"

    He put the phone back up to his ear, "Lulu¡ª" The woman on the other side cut him off; he couldn''t tell what she was saying, but he could tell she was angry, "Lulu¡ªLulu Listen to me! It''s not mine. We were careful¡ªwhat? Yes we were!"

    It was like watching a soap opera.

    "Oh yeah, I did say that. Okay, well, what about that guy you told me about? John or Jacob or something stupid like that¡ªyeah, Jeremy! It could be his, right?"

    He couldn''t even hear her, and he could tell that was absolutely the wrong thing to say.

    "What? No, Lulu, c''mon that''s not what I meant. Look, just come down to my place today and we can talk about it more¡ªwait, no don''t¡ª"

    She hung up. He slowly put down the phone.

    "What was that?" He sat down next to him.

    "Huh? Oh, it was nothing. Not the first time some bitch has tried to dupe me into giving them money." He let go of the Rotom Phone and let it fly into his back pocket. "Anyway! Last day in Hammerlocke kid! How you feeling?"

    "Good, better than good actually. My dad won''t stand a chance against all the stuff I learned here." He said.

    Raihan put an arm around him. "See? What''d I tell you? I''ve got so much more to teach than stupid Nessa. So, how about a drink?"

    "Oh, I don''t think I can¡ª"

    "Oh sure you can¡ªhey!" He called to the bartender, "Give us the strongest shit you got."

    Well, there was no getting out of this. Whenever Raihan had his mind set on something, it was going to happen. Although he desperately wanted to refuse, the last thing he needed was to show up to Motostoke drunk. Not for his father, but for Hazel.

    Raihan turned back to him, "So, any plans for your big return?"

    "Only one." He said, "You remember the girl I told you about. Haz¡ª"

    "Yeah, yeah, Hazel, I remember her." He cut him off, "Yeah, she''s cute, but you can do so much better man. Just wait till you get to Wyndon man. The girls there are just¡ªwooh, they are gonna change your life." He emphasized each word, "They sure as hell changed mine."

    Stolen story; please report.

    The bartender arrived with a pitcher of what looked like sparkling water, but he was sure it wasn''t.

    "Thanks man, just add it to the tab." How much had he drunk before he got here? "Anyway, you hear me man?"

    Rivers shook his head. "I''m hearing you. But I''m telling you, no one''s better than her. She''s perfect."

    Raihan rolled his eyes and poured him a drink. "If you say so kid. So, what were you going to say about her?"

    He gave the drink a whiff; it smelled almost sweet. "Well, I''m planning on asking her out. Got any advice?"

    Raihan downed a shot glass full of whatever was in that cup and looked at him. "C''mon kid, you know that''s not how I roll."

    He figured, "I figured, thanks anyway."

    He contemplated taking a shot of this mystery alcohol and wondered if Raihan would notice his hesitance. "Let me tell you something kid. Most girls have never met a real man in their life. You gotta waltz in there like the man you are, a man who takes what he wants. Trust me, it works wonders for me."

    Yes, he was sure it was that and not his immense wealth and power. He wouldn''t need any help with that first part; he was the guy that takes what he wants. Although that last part sounded unethical, actually that''s putting it lightly. Whether he meant it to be or not, he couldn''t be sure, but knowing Raihan, he probably meant it in the most vile way possible.

    "You gonna drink that?" Raihan pointed at the drink in his hands.

    "Well, what is it?" He asked.

    "Vodka." He said, "Trust me, you''re gonna hate it."

    At least he was honest. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, counted down from three in his head, and downed the drink in one go. His body told him to spit it out the instant it made contact with his tongue, but his head was telling him to grow a pair.

    He coughed as Raihan gave him a pat on the back, "Way to grow a pair kid! No more for you though." He pushed the pitcher aside violently. "Probably shouldn''t be drinking that stuff. Plus, you''re gonna wanna be sober for what I''m about to show you."

    Thank God, he thought. One more shot of that and he might have puked all over the counter.

    Raihan stood up and placed a ridiculous amount of money under the pitcher and told the bartender, "Keep the change."

    Interesting way of telling someone you''re giving them a tip.

    "Come on kid, you''re gonna love this."

    He stood up with a mild headache; fuck vodka. He dug through his wallet as he approached the pianist. Just as he reached to place the money in his jar, Raihan grabbed his arm and said,

    "What are you doing?"

    "Tipping?"

    He shook his head, "No no no kid, don''t you remember what I taught you? If you wanna be somebody, it''s all about the green."

    He pushed his arm away from the jar. "You just tipped that guy like 200 Poke!"

    "Yeah, but I''m rich. When you''re at my level, you can afford to splurge a little bit. Don''t you want that girl to like you?"

    More than anything ever. Although he definitely could afford to ''splurge a little bit,'' this is the man people compare to Leon. If his advice isn''t sound, whose is?

    "Sorry." He whispered to the pianist.

    "That''s more like it. Now let''s get out of here."

    ---

    Hammerlocke Stadium was as lavish as they came. Aside from Wyndon Stadium, it was the most impressive one he''d ever had the pleasure to be in. Raihan must have spent a fortune to get it looking how it did. The spire at the very top was even visible all the way from Motostoke''s outskirts. Though he''d never seen anyone actually go up there in his entire time here, even though there was a clear elevator that led to the top.

    Not many first-year trainers had the guts to face Raihan as their first gym battle. He was known as the toughest gym leader to overcome for a reason. So, not many people were out and about the stadium. Only a receptionist at the front desk and a few gym trainers walking around. He had yet to see Raihan''s office, and he doubted he would. As big as his circle was, no one really knew the intricacies of Raihan Gulia''s mind. Except for maybe Leon and whatever family he still had.

    He led them to the very back of the gym, past the stadium, training rooms, and offices, to a room that was clearly still new. There was even yellow caution tape over the door.

    "Uh, can we go in there?" He asked.

    "We can go anywhere we want, I own the damn place."

    Not technically true; the league owned all of the gyms.

    "Why''s the tape there?" Raihan ripped the yellow tape off and opened the door.

    "I dunno, the place has been done for months now; I''ve never actually been though." He said.

    The change in atmosphere hit him like a ton of bricks. The all-too-familiar sound of buzzing fluorescent lights entered his ears.

    It was a massive pool large enough to house a Dondozo, or maybe even a small Wailord. Arceus, he would have killed to have one of these back home. The blue fluorescent lights were the cherry on top; this place was amazing. Clauncher would love to swim in there. It wasn''t like a public pool with a giant lifeguard chair and lane dividers. Instead, it looked to be much deeper than any recreational pool he''d ever seen. It was clearly designed to house something, but what?

    "What is this?" he asked.

    Raihan moved toward the pool. "The breeders next to Turfield hatched a new Horsea, and the league wants me to train it up and use it because people were complaining I don''t have enough variety and only use the same Pok¨¦mon over and over again and blah blah blah. And it turns out the little guy is picky, so no keeping him in his ball all the time." He explained, "They''re also sending me some sushi-looking thing and a few Dratini, as if I don''t have enough of those." He took a better look at the pool. "They told me it was going to have underwater stuff like Coral... I guess it isn''t finished."

    Rivers stepped closer. "You should have showed me this before; Clauncher would have loved it."

    "I''m sure he would''ve, but they told me that no Pok¨¦mon were allowed in there before they were done." He said, "Though, I''m about to break that rule, so feel free to release him, I guess."

    "What do you mean?"

    Raihan grinned and unclipped a Pok¨¦ball from his belt. He handed it to him.

    "For you," he said.

    He was taken aback. "For me?"

    "Yes for you, kid. Are you taking it or not?"

    He grabbed the ball from his hand before he could revoke the offer. "Why?"

    "Well, you''ve been such a good student..." He trailed off, "Figured you''d earned a little something."

    "I don''t know what to say." He said.

    "Nothing, just go ahead and release him. Be careful though; he''s a little... mean."

    Mean? That couldn''t be good. Just like the vodka,

    Close your eyes.

    Take a deep breath.

    3

    2

    1

    He clicked the small button in the middle of the ball and opened his eyes. The flashing light wasn''t red like it normally was; it was a deep, dark blue that he found somewhat scary.

    He had never seen such a Pok¨¦mon. The small purple dolphin surveyed Rivers with eyes much too terrifying for a Pok¨¦mon that looked like it wouldn''t hurt a fly.

    "Um, hi¡ª"

    The dolphin spurted him with a quick blast of water and retreated underwater.

    He recoiled and wiped the water off his face, "What the fuck?"

    "Yeah, they told me he''s a bit of a troublemaker." Raihan said.

    "What even is it? I''ve never seen anything like it."

    Raihan thought for a moment, "I think it was Finizen, native to Paldea. I don''t know how they even got it all the way over here."

    Well, that probably explains the aggressiveness. Getting brought from Paldea to Galar must have been one hell of a shock. The two regions couldn''t be further apart. Not geographically speaking, but culturally and temperature-wise? They were the two most different regions. He wondered who ''they'' is in the context Raihan was using it. Probably some breeders.

    He would need to find some way to communicate with the dolphin. Until then, it was the ball for him.

    ---

    Finizen weren''t normally purple; they were supposed to be blue. He wondered, what made this one so special? He also noticed another strange thing. The fin on a normal Finizen was, well, just a normal fin. But his had a razor-sharp horn instead. Not to mention his teeth; he could probably bite right through someone''s arm with those things. It made him shudder just thinking about it. He tried talking to the creature with his Clauncher present, but he wanted none of it. He would need to come around eventually if he wanted to be part of the team, and the first step to that was learning how to keep himself afloat without needing a body of water using hydrokinesis. Of course, he refused. He even tried attacking Clauncher.

    He kept him in his ball after that.

    His body filled with discomfort as soon as he stepped off the train to Motostoke. The station never smelled good, but today it seemed especially awful. Maybe he just needed to get used to it again.

    There were a few beggars around the station, sleeping on public benches or in some makeshift hut across from the platform. He contemplated placing a few Pok¨¦ in their jars, but then he remembered Raihan''s words.

    If you wanna be somebody, it''s all about the green

    Where did he get that anyway? There''s no way he came up with that on his own.

    He heaved a sigh of relief as he exited the train station and entered the cold, grey streets of Motostoke. The first thing he always looked at was his father''s gym. It wasn''t as awe-inspiring as Hammerlocke Stadium, but the giant clock tower above the stadium was mighty impressive. It chimed every hour, with a sound so grand it often sends chills down tourists spines. Thought for the residents, it was merely a way of keeping yourself on track.

    He was curious what it would be like to be at the very top, standing on the belfry just inches away from the bell and the clock hands that covered it. Could it even be done? Probably, maintenance had to be done somehow.

    The bell chimed as the clock struck five. He had originally planned to see Hazel, but some things had to take priority. He would have to postpone until Harry''s party next week.

    If he was going to do this right, he needed a Dynamax band. It would cost him a pretty penny, but it wasn''t anything his next paycheck from Evolvex couldn''t fix. It used to be called Macros Cosmos Tech until the company changed the names of all its subsidiaries to be more consumer-friendly. He was starting to notice a trend.

    He fought like hell to get a sponsorship from the chairman himself. And he thought he had it too, until Rose changed his mind at the last minute and chose that white-haired idiot. He couldn''t even remember his name.

    So, he settled for Evolvex. They were mostly known for selling Dynamax bands, but they also manufactured most of the items used in the conference at the end of the year. He did think it was a little silly that the company in charge of distributing the bands couldn''t just give their sponsor one, and he did question this. They said the best they could do was give him a discount. And yes, they only distributed them. Only a few people actually knew how to make the bands, which is probably why so few trainers had them. Of course, it would be unfair for the gym challenge to require a band on top of all the expenses of being a trainer, so gym leaders couldn''t Dynamax unless their opponents could. But most trainers who made it through all eight gyms had one. Making a name for yourself without one was practically impossible, which was why he needed one. He just had to hope they still had some in stock. They only sell a few each year, and he was already late to the party.

    He entered the Macros Cosmos Cargo, MC Cargo for short, sitting next to the boutique and flipped his hoodie down. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes after walking around the cold streets. He had to walk past the aisles and aisles of merchandise and general trainer supplies to actually get to the Dynamax Bands.

    He made it there just in time. Only one Dynamax band sat behind a locked glass case. He called out for one of the employees.

    "Yes?"

    He pulled out his trainer ID. "I should be able to get a discounted band with this."

    The employee muttered something under his breath and took his card. He input the information on the ID into some sort of system on the computer and handed it back to him.

    "Which one you want?"

    Did it matter? They were all the same.

    "Any one of them, thank you." He said.

    He input something into the computer, "Your total is 5,000 Pok¨¦."

    5,000? Really? That''s nothing. How much was this discount? He wanted to ask. But he knew better than to question a good thing. He paid the employee. He unlocked the glass casing and handed him the band.

    It felt heavy; it felt good. Maybe Raihan was onto something.

    It''s all about the green.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    People yearn to be trainers their whole lives. Those people know what they want. They''ve chased a goal since they were little. Those people know who they are.

    But me? I don''t know who the hell I am. I''ve been chasing some mysterious song for a week. I guess you could call that a goal, but it''s not a very feasible one.

    My eyes flutter open as she speaks those words, and wouldn''t you know it, I''m somewhere entirely different again. She didn''t even bother warning me this time! Not that it would have mattered, but still. So now, not only am I going to have to explain myself to Stella, I''m also going to have to explain myself to Christopher. That is, assuming I run into him again. I never got the chance to tell him how I got lost in the first place. Hopefully he doesn''t die a horrific death in here. Arceus, that''s a horrible thought.

    At least I''m still in the Dappled¡ª

    "Bell?"

    Stella?

    "Stella?"

    So, was meeting Christopher just some random side quest that I was supposed to go on? Why did she put me back with Stella?

    This part of the forest is actually much thicker and much scarier, so I can''t really tell where she''s coming from. I jump a little when she and Scorbunny appear directly behind me.

    "Explain yourself." She cringes at my girly little scream. I''m a little surprised she''s not more angry at me.

    "I thought you''d be angrier." I say.

    She inches closer, as does her Scorbunny for some reason. "Do you want me to be?"

    I back up, "No, thank you."

    "Then explain why you left in the middle of the night with no warning."

    With something that sounds as bad as that, I''m even more surprised that she''s giving me the benefit of the doubt. Let''s just chalk it up to good karma.

    "Okay, but it''s going to sound ridiculous." I say.

    "That''s like, your whole thing." Huh, I guess it is.

    Do I tell her about dream girl? No, probably not. Also, I should really ask her for a name; ''Dream girl'' sounds a little off-putting.

    "Well, it''s pretty simple actually. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was somewhere completely different." I say, she looks at me with a bewildered look on her face. "What? It''s not like this is out of the realm of possibility for me."

    Her crazy look fades. "I suppose."

    There! There''s the accent slip! I want to make fun of it so badly. You don''t understand how hard I''m restraining myself.

    I can tell she noticed it. Somehow, she thinks I didn''t. How sweet, I''ll let her keep thinking that.

    "So you believe me?" I ask.

    "Well, I already thought something stupid like that happened. It''s not like you would wander off without having a way to find the next outpost."

    "Uhuh, so what was with the crazy look?"

    She looks away. "It''s just... jarring."

    "Yeah, try being me."

    "I''ll pass." She says, "Now let''s go. I''m sick of this place."

    She starts walking. "You figure out the map?"

    I release Rocky, who seems confused about how we ended up here. I whisper to him that I''ll explain it later. Although, if he''s smart, he can probably just figure it out on his own. I also release Agent to let him know what happened, but then I recall him like five minutes later because he''s a huge crybaby.

    "I always had it figured out." She corrects me, "By the way, I took your tent. Take it; I''m tired of lugging it around."

    She takes off her backpack and undoes the straps holding my tent down. I don''t remember how to attach it to mine, so she begrudgingly does it for me. How nice of her, by the way, to take it with her. I guess she did pay for it. Probably figured she could find some use for it if I didn''t show up again. And honestly, who''s to say I would have? Maybe one day I''ll wake up and I''ll be halfway across the world. How am I supposed to sleep now?

    Her Rookidee flies down every once in a while to tell her what the path is looking like, which makes me think she doesn''t actually have the map figured out, but I don''t say anything.

    If you''re hoping for something interesting to happen, I''m sorry to tell you that the rest of the hike to the Watchtower Ruins is duller than ironing while watching paint dry, all while you wait for your friend named John to come pick you up so you can carpool to your banking job. To the best of my knowledge, all of these things are extremely dull. Unless you like watching paint dry. I could see someone liking ironing. The most unbelievable part of that scenario is John. His last name is probably Smith or Williams or something. Probably Smith, though.

    Anyway, that was all a very long-winded way of saying that I am now out of that awful forest.

    Being able to literally see the light at the end of the tunnel for like an hour before we actually got out was agonizing, but at least it''s done and over with now. I''m never going back in there again.

    The Watchtower Ruins are exactly what you would expect: a bunch of old, dilapidated stone structures. I can make out the Watchtower that the region is named after way in the distance. It''s much bigger than anything else around here, even the ranger towers, maybe even Motostoke''s walls. Stella tells me there''s a bunch of ghost types around here, which probably means having Agent out is a no-go. I almost want to ask her about this place''s history, but she''s already left me to go get food before I can even say anything, leaving me only with the instruction to meet back here in an hour to leave.

    There aren''t that many trainers. That either means that we''re somehow still ahead of everyone or we are horribly behind. Take your bets; I''d say the answer is obvious, but who knows? If Christopher got lost in there, who knows how many other trainers did. Speaking of Christopher, I wonder if he''s made out. Probably not; it''s only been a few hours since morning, and he doesn''t have the advantage of sleep-teleportation. I kind of want to wait for him, but I know Stella will never go for it. Arceus forbid we take a break.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    But, I guess I do have an hour to kill; I might as well do something. This outpost isn''t as big as the last one, but the Pok¨¦mon Center still has a cafeteria. And honestly, I am so sick of eating Oran berries. If I never eat another one again, it''ll be too soon. They are yet again serving breakfast burritos hours after breakfast time. I guess I''ll take it; they''re not half bad. I got something for Rocky and Agent too, but I can tell Rocky doesn''t like... whatever it is that they gave me. Honestly, I don''t blame him; it looks like slop. Agent gobbles it up though; I guess he isn''t a picky eater. I give him some of my burrito and tell him to suck it up if he''s still hungry.

    "Go eat some dirt if you''re so picky."

    Again, it was meant to be a joke, but he takes it very seriously. Unfortunately, the Watchtower ruins are mostly grass, and we all know how he feels about grass.

    Anyway, there''s not much of anything to do here when you''re just waiting, so I get around to doing something I''ve been wanting to do since Wedgehurst.

    "Alright, so..." I have to wait for my Pokedex to shut up so I can actually read the thing. "It says you can go invisible, but I haven''t actually seen you do that, so¡ª"

    He makes a smug little face and vanishes into thin air by spurting himself with some water.

    "Holy shit," I chuckle, "That''s awesome." He reappears next to Rocky, actually frightening him a bit. He snickers at the crab as he awkwardly waddles away with an annoyed expression.

    Then I try to test his aim a little bit by throwing some rocks in the air at varying speeds and heights to see if he can hit them. And if he can, how accurately. I only try this a few times before one of his shots breaks through the rock and hits me square in the stomach with enough force to leave a bruise. But that aside, it''s a productive enough session; his aim is pretty good. He''s a little slow, hitting some of the rocks just as they were about to hit the ground, but he didn''t miss at all, so I''d still call it a win.

    I go to meet up with Stella, still a little sad that there hasn''t been any sign of Christopher. That guy was pretty cool.

    ---

    Up close, the Watchtower Ruins are very similar to the altar I saw when I first woke up in the slumbering weald. Maybe they''re the same age? They have a lot of the same characteristics. They''re old stone structures; they''re falling apart; they both have wildlife growing through them; and they both creep the hell out of me. Some of them have ancient symbols reminiscent of what you might find on the inside of an ancient tomb with all sorts of terrible curses inside. Stella points them out and attempts to explain their significance. And, it''s not for lack of trying, but I genuinely do not understand. And I gave up trying to ask questions two towers ago because she seems to hate it when I do that. I''m sorry I''m such a good listener; I guess you can be too good at things.

    I also thought this place would be scarier than it actually is. It''s really just a history site masquerading as a route trainers can take. I guess it''s not really pretending since that is technically what it is, but it feels more like walking through a museum. Some of the towers even have little plinths with tablets explaining their history and significance. It''s a nice change of pace after the hell that was the Dappled Grove. I honestly couldn''t tell you if the Rolling Fields were worse; they were both the most agonizing parts of my life, so far. Let''s be honest, the worst has yet to come.

    I am a little tired, but there aren''t any giant looming hills for us to climb this time, so it''s manageable. I even think we''ll be able to make it out of this place in a timely fashion since there''s no getting lost here. Falling asleep here is a definite no-go from me. It might not be scary right now, but come nighttime? I don''t even want to know what kind of hijinks these ghosts get up to, and I certainly don''t want to be part of them.

    "What is he doing?" Stella asks.

    "Who?"

    "Your Sobble, he''s¡ª"

    "He''s always freaking out."

    Yes, I decided to have the little guy out of his ball. After discovering what this place is really like, I didn''t think it would be such a big deal. It turns out he sees those towers and thinks, Giant scary monster, or something like that, I assume, because he is absolutely terrified of them. He begs me to let him inside of his ball every time we pass by one, but I figure it would do him some good to face his fears. Though, I am only doing this because he seems to have learned to control his tears and isn''t bawling his eyes out at absolutely everything. Rocky and Scorbunny cheer him on while he very vocally expresses his displeasure at being here.

    "Shouldn''t you recall him?"

    "Nah, he''ll be fine."

    I bend down to tie my shoe because I care about my safety. The stupid keychain on my backpack jingles as I bend down¡ªoh damn, I forgot I have Velcro shoes. I guess that makes this easier. I stand back up, and suddenly I feel... electric.

    "Did you feel that?" I ask.

    She takes her eyes off of the sky, probably looking around for her Rookidee. "Hm?"

    "Did you feel that?"

    "Feel what?"

    "Like, a breeze. I dunno, it was weird. Made my hair stand up." I say.

    She shakes her head and goes back to staring at the sun. Not actually, that''s dangerous.

    I ask Rocky if he felt it too; he also shakes his head. I guess I shouldn''t be surprised; most things go over his head. And that''s not just because he''s small. I also try asking Agent, but he''s too preoccupied being scared shitless by stone to care about anything I have to say.

    Arceus, I hate Galar. What on earth was that? Why did I only feel it? What makes me so special?

    ---

    Hours of walking and even running like maniacs, and we are still not there. But we''re close; we''re so fucking close. But I would be lying to you if I told you I could keep going on without sleep. I need to rest, even if it''s just for an hour. I can''t keep going on like this.

    "Stella."

    "Shut up."

    "Stella."

    "Let me be."

    "Stella!"

    "What?" She whips her head around so violently I worry for her neck.

    "We need to sleep," I say.

    "No, we don''t."

    "Yes, we do."

    She sighs, not an annoyed sigh, more of an ''I knew this was coming, but I didn''t want to admit it'' kind of sigh, "But we''re only like an hour away from the outpost."

    "That''s an hour we don''t have. We''ve been walking for like ten hours. My feet hurt, my back hurts, and I want to sleep." Her Scorbunny disagrees; he''s just as energetic as he was when we started.

    She thinks it over for a moment. "Fine, but if we get harassed by ghosts, I''m blaming you."

    "That''s fine."

    This time, I set my tent up at the speed of light itself, maybe faster. I fall asleep the instant I enter it. But, of course, I can never have a good night''s sleep without something happening.

    "You chose quite the spot to sleep today."

    We''re not on the dance floor today. Instead, we''re sitting in a booth against a wall. I recognize this seat; it''s the one with the fancy guy and his Hoothoot. He''s gone now; it''s just us. She has her hair completely down and is wearing glasses that I''m pretty sure are fake. We both have a cup of coffee in front of us. Actually, I think mine is hot chocolate.

    "Why the change?" I sip on the drink. Somehow it''s too hot. I thought this was a dream. Why is it too hot?

    "You never want to dance. And, you kind of suck at it." She takes a sip of her drink; hers is definitely coffee. I can smell it.

    "Hm, you''re right about that." There''s a pianist on stage playing something familiar; I''ve definitely heard this song before. "So, you didn''t start with your catchphrase this time."

    "It wasn''t going anywhere, but I''m still expecting an answer."

    "I still don''t have one."

    She crosses her legs. "That''s fine; we''ll get there."

    What the hell does she mean by that? Does she think she''s going to force an answer out of me? Too bad for her; I genuinely don''t know.

    "Don''t like your drink?"

    "It''s too hot." I say.

    She laughs, "We''re in your mind, just make it not hot."

    "Does that work?"

    "Try it."

    Okay. Drink, don''t be hot. I take a sip.

    "Oh."

    "See what you can when you put your mind to it?"

    "Funny." I put down the drink. "Why are you so friendly today?"

    "Well, I only exist here. I would like to spend at least some of my time enjoying myself." She takes another sip. "But you''re right; we should get down to business."

    "And what business would that be?" I ask.

    "You," she replies, "telling me who you are."

    The dream doesn''t end like I thought it would. "Then I''m afraid we haven''t got much business to discuss, because I have no idea."

    "Sure you do," she leans in closer. "You literally had it spelled out for you."

    Bell Benson, that must be what she''s talking about. My ''name.'' But that can''t be true, can it?

    "But that''s not my name. That''s not who I am."

    She frowns. "Is that what you think? How do you know that?"

    I guess I don''t, not for sure anyway.

    "I don''t, but it just doesn''t feel right, y''know?"

    "I know." She pulls something out of her pockets.

    "Is that a remote?"

    She ignores my question and points the remote at me: "I also know we have a long way to go."

    I try to speak, but I''m silenced by something. She presses the ''off'' button.

    I open my eyes.