ã€ŠIn the Ranger&#x2019;s Shadow (Pokemon)ã€‹


 Chapter 1

    "Fucking government rush jobs and their lazy motherfuckers." I say to the empty room. Not that I don''t understand or even think the people who put the buildings together were lazy. Just rushing to meet a time frame, probably so someone could get bonus pay of some kind. I don''t like having to fix it afterward, though.

    I¡¯m finally home for the day, after one of the most annoying work days in recent memory, I can relax now. Two days to the weekend. Just have to make it through.

    I briefly consider cooking something, before deciding to just toss an instant meal in the microwave. Sitting down to eat, I glance at my phone to see if I missed anything. My eyes linger on the top contact, untouched for more than a year now. For the thousandth time, I consider calling her brother and then dismiss the thought.

    As I return my attention to my food, my phone buzzes. It¡¯s Roxx, saying she and Sam are grabbing drinks on Saturday, and asking if I want to join. That sounds nice, and I¡¯d like to, but¡­ I don¡¯t feel like it.

    Cold water feels so nice after the one-o-six-degree Colorado summer sun. A stinging along my hand tells me how tired I am. I clearly cut myself on something today, it''s not deep, and it isn''t bleeding at all so I just clean it and move on.

    I get messaged back, Roxx sent a frowny face at my denial.

    I consider the half-assembled metal on my desk a moment before deciding I¡¯m just too tired to bother. As nice as it would be to finish the damn thing, I just haven¡¯t had the energy or the drive recently.

    Just Two days to go.

    Sleep takes me for the night and I prepare to continue the cycle again.

    ***

    Thursday. Wake up at six, eat, work, skip lunch, go home. And find my outside lamp busted.

    ¡°Why today?¡± I ask the world as I stare at the broken light above my door. I know it¡¯s turned on, but even waving my hand in front of it does nothing. Taking a closer look at the bulbs I can tell I don¡¯t have replacements anywhere, though given that neither are turning on I¡¯m guessing they didn¡¯t burn out. That¡¯s assuming a bit on the wiring, but this house isn¡¯t that old.

    Whatever, I¡¯ll fix it this weekend. Not like I had much else planned anyway.

    I spend a minute making two cold-cut sandwiches¡ªand realize I need to restock soon¡ªbefore sitting down in front of my TV. Idly surfing the channels. I don¡¯t find anything interesting to watch by the time my meal is gone, saves me the trouble of pulling myself away I guess.

    Looking in the mirror after I¡¯ve undressed, my left shoulder¡¯s got a pretty big bruise where I got whacked earlier today, it¡¯s not too dark though, and will probably be gone by next week. It does sting a bit when water starts hitting it, that¡¯s fun. ha.

    One more day.

    A sudden loneliness hits me as I climb into bed, and now I know I won¡¯t be able to sleep well tonight. Maybe I will call James on the weekend then, to see how Abby''s doing. I hope she¡¯s better, at least. I¡¯d love to be able to talk to her again, though perhaps without any sharp objects present.

    ***

    Friday. Wake up at six-thirty, eat¡ªvery¡ªquickly, work, skip lunch, go home.

    And now I¡¯m convinced that the universe is fucking with me. Someone took my welcome mat, which is just weird. ¡­Although more concerning is the small hidden compartment under the eaves I made is broken open. Fine, whatever, I¡¯ll replace the locks tomorrow.

    I ready an instant meal and get a text from Sam as I sit down. Apparently, someone just came looking for me at the current site, as in, literally just now. Leaving aside what the hell Sam is still doing there, why would someone be looking for me? And why at the site? I ask if he can get a name, but he just responds that she already left.

    Eh, I¡¯ll deal with it tomorrow as well, so there¡¯s half my weekend up in smoke now. Great.

    I knew I was forgetting something, I need to remember to buy more soap tomorrow, too. Eh, it¡¯s one day, I¡¯ll live. My shoulder is still a bit more yellow than it should be, and it still stings in the shower, but it does look like it¡¯ll vanish by Sunday.

    I take a moment to look over my bedroom desk, the unfinished fountain still sitting there. I haven¡¯t had the desire to work on it for two months now which¡­ is starting to eat at me. The thing had started as metal art, a hobby I thought I might¡ªand I did, at first¡ªenjoy after a neighbor brought it up, and then I started getting ideas. Now, it''s a fountain with a layer of clear acrylic protecting¡­ some of it, little metal stick figures sit on brass logs around the edges, and a little campfire sits in the middle with flickering LEDs wound inside and a low-pressure spout right in the center. I really need to try to work on that at some point.

    Settling in, I¡¯m exhausted enough to black out quickly. I can even sleep in somewhat.

    ***

    Fuck! I wake up with pain shooting through my stomach. What!? Why!? Wait, Abby?

    Abby¡¯s here and she¡¯s¡­ Shit, she¡¯s swinging a knife, again. How did she get in? Fuck, that¡¯s where my spare key went!

    Her face is slack but her eyes are wild, she¡¯s clearly having another episode. How did she even get here? Does James know she¡¯s here? Why did-

    That doesn¡¯t matter, I need to stop her, to get some help! But I¡¯m so tired, so drained.

    I try to move, but I can hardly gather any strength and she stabs me again. I can''t move anymore, it hurts too much, and I don¡¯t have any energy.

    She stabs again.

    And again. It hurts.

    And again.

    And again. I''m so tired.

    And again.

    Finally, I pass out.

    ***

    Why is¡­ it so hard to¡­ think? Wasn¡¯t there something¡­ important happening? Why¡­ Why can¡¯t I¡­ feel myself? Where am¡­ I?

    Does¡­ it matter? It¡¯s so¡­ comfortable right now¡­

    So peaceful.

    So weightless.

    So¡­ so¡­ tired¡­

    No¡­ I need¡­ need to stay awake¡­ Why?

    What¡­ what¡¯s that feeling¡­?

    Ohgodwhatintheshittingchris-

    ***

    I snap awake. Jesus, was that all a nightmare?

    No, I¡¯m not in bed, that wasn¡¯t waking up, and It¡¯s too clear, too vivid. The memories aren¡¯t fading like they should.

    Am I in the afterlife? ¡­No, I¡¯m pretty sure I passed that on the way here.

    Okay, so, I remember dying¡­ I was in pain and too tired to do anything. Then I was just hanging there, wherever that had been. And then something YANKED on me and it felt like I was flying through space. It was all blurry and heat and light and way too much all at once. And now I¡¯m¡­ here.

    I think I might be alive again? Except for the fact that I¡¯m currently in the air, that¡¯s a little hard to acknowledge and still think, ¡®Gee, guess I¡¯m not dead anymore¡¯. I look down and see¡­ Nothing there. Great! Maybe I am still dead.

    Except that, I''m¡­ mostly certain I¡¯m not out there anymore.

    However, looking around, it just looks like some burnt-out old cabin. There¡¯s what had to have been a couch of some kind, in pieces and set away against one wall. A fireplace that definitely had a fire go out of control at some point on the wall opposite the ¡®couch¡¯ in the far corner. A Burnt wooden table sits next to what has to be the door to a kitchen hanging open on the other side of the small room. A door that seems to lead outside. A shattered sliding glass door to a balcony. Oh, and the vine-y plants covering absolutely everything in the room.

    I look around again, trying to figure it all out.

    And possibly now the meaning of life, fuck.

    Actually, shouldn¡¯t I be panicking? Am I in shock? Can I be in shock? I¡¯m just going to think of something else now. Like where am I? Or¡­ Well shit, maybe the meaning of life is relevant right now.

    Not that where or why I am answers the bodiless mystery. I look down again and still see nothing. Great, again. Maybe I should see if there¡¯s a mirror in here somewhere. Looking around, the only door that doesn¡¯t lead outside seems to be a kitchen door. So I try moving and¡­ Float? Neat, another point in the ¡®still dead¡¯ column. Anyway, I float through the doorway.

    The doorway that seems way too large to be normal. I¡¯m going to ignore the fact that this place looks like it was built for giants unless¡ªand hopefully not until¡ªit becomes relevant.

    The room gets brighter and slightly redder as I enter, strange. And I was right, this is a small kitchen space. Stove-top, check¡ªthough it¡¯s of the wood-burning variety. Empty pantry, check. Counter-space and hooks for hanging cookware, check and check. No fridge, and no space for one either, interesting, although the lack of outlets neatly explains it. So this might be some camping or vacation cabin of some kind.

    Everything is dirty and beaten down by time and disuse. And on the other side of the room from the door I just entered through is another door. Which, if this is just a small cabin like it seems to be, should lead to a bedroom. I¡¯m hoping there will be a mirror somewhere, either in the bedroom or a bathroom.

    As I go to open the door though I realize something that I really should have earlier. I have no arms.

    I swear to Christ that if bringing a guy back disembodied is someone''s idea of a funny joke I''ll find them and make them kill me again. Although now thinking about not actually having a body, my next course of action becomes clear: Float through the door.

    So I start pushing myself into it, and that kind of works. I actually do go through the door after a bit of trying. Except the door also moves once I do, since it apparently wasn¡¯t latched well. So it sort of sticks to me as I also pass through it.

    I¡¯m getting a distinct poltergeist feel from all this.

    This room was definitely a bedroom at some point, the lack of windows is odd but there are even the remains of a wooden bed-frame piled against a wall, though it''s all just as dilapidated as the rest of this place. And there, in a corner and leaning against one wall, a full-length mirror.

    The mirror is cracked and corrosion has started eating away under the glass, but it¡¯s still reflective enough to see myself.

    Not disembodied at least.

    I look almost like a small, blue-gray balloon surrounded by a cloud of darkness, with some kind of mantle coming off the bottom of my¡­ Head? I think that¡¯s my head, it¡¯s roundish with bright, glowing, fiery red and yellow eyes, what looks like a ring of perfectly round, crimson gems of diminishing sizes floating above where it meets the mantle, and¡­ two hair things? They look more like tendrils or tentacles made of hair than actual hair, and as they get further from my body the color changes from the dark blue-gray of the rest of me to the same color as my eyes.

    I know exactly what I¡¯m looking at.

    Holy shit it¡¯s been years since I last had time to actually enjoy the series but no one forgets something that made up that much of their childhood.

    I¡¯m staring at a misdreavus.

    ¡­How the hell?

    Not ¡®How the hell am I here?¡¯ Or ¡®How the hell do pokemon exist?¡¯ Those are now very easy to answer.

    The afterlife clearly exists, therefore magic, therefore pokemon, therefore¡­ Here, I guess.

    But how the hell did we know about them? No, wait, the answer is probably some variation on the previous one.

    So then, am I alive or dead? Eh, ghost-type, so I doubt it¡¯s that simple.

    Secondly, how much did our world get right about this one? I don¡¯t have a real answer to that one yet either, as I don¡¯t look exactly like a misdreavus from the games, and I highly doubt a whole world of knowledge could be conveyed through mysterious means.

    And thirdly, am I on fire? I ask because of the smoky cloud around me.

    Looking closer at myself, there are some clear differences from what I remember. Then again, I''m pretty sure that this isn''t some game or cartoon with limitations on visuals. Reality has randomness, variations, and a ''real'' clarity that¡ªI really, really hope¡ªcan¡¯t be replicated. How much can I trust my memories of pokemon? Jesus, how much can I even trust my own senses?

    I¡¯m going to hope it¡¯s enough that I¡¯m not completely fucked.

    I look away from my reflection, trying to feel out my body now that I have a sense of what should be there.

    The slow crawl of sensation along my body is certainly an experience. Going from nothing to something makes me wonder why I didn¡¯t notice not feeling my body when I woke up. Maybe I¡¯d just been too shocked?

    Oh, I can feel those.

    My ¡®hair¡¯ tendril things definitely aren¡¯t just hair, I- Um¡­ Anyway, I can move them, and even rearrange them? That¡¯s neat. And weird, really, really goddamned weird. It¡¯s like I can merge them into just being hair, or split them into¡­ Seven? Seven tendrils I can use almost like arms. Not hands though, I think if I wanted to pick up anything with them I¡¯d need to wrap the tendril around whatever it is I want to grab. Can¡¯t really extend them at all either, the farthest they can reach is just a bit past my ¡®dress¡¯.

    I guess I should call it what it is, a dress. Or maybe a skirt?

    Oh shit, am I still a guy? I have no idea how to check, because how the hell is any of this happening? Although, does it matter all that much¡­? No¡­? Yes¡­? Maybe, I decide, though not immediately at least. And I honestly don¡¯t care about how feminine I look, I¡¯m a pokemon now, I can rock this.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Oh. I¡­ Uh¡­ fuck.

    It¡¯s all hitting me now.

    I¡¯m about to start panicking.

    I got stabbed to death and now I¡¯m here and I¡¯m this and I just- Shit, shit, shit!

    No! Calm down. Deep breaths.

    I can¡¯t breathe. Oh fuck, I¡¯m not breathing!

    Don¡¯t think about it! I just need to stay calm! Don¡¯t pani-

    ***

    Okay, I think I¡¯m a bit more calm now. I don¡¯t exactly feel any better, but I choose to believe that I will be able to stay calm. Now what? Do I just set up shop right here and start haunting the place? Or¡­ keep haunting it?

    Nope, ignoring that thought. And all the implications thereof.

    I should look outside, I suppose.

    It¡¯s dark out, but I can see the sunrise not far off. The sky growing ever so slightly lighter at the horizon. I don¡¯t recognize anything beyond the basics, which isn¡¯t surprising. The cabin is in a small dirt clearing, there are trees, an overgrown path, a small twenty-foot cliff that the cabin''s balcony hangs over, and mountains way, way off in the distance.

    I have no idea where I am and the last game I played was Pok¨¦mon White almost twelve years ago, so I¡¯m lost. Completely, utterly, lost. My best bet on navigation is that the mountains I can see are to the north¡ªassuming the sun rises in the east here¡ªwhich doesn¡¯t really help me at all.

    Ow.

    What?

    Ow!

    It feels like pins and needles across half of me all of a sudden. Why? ¡­Wait, that half of me is in the sunlight. Really!? The fucking sun? It might not be any kind of real pain, but it is across a lot of my¡­ surface? Yeah, I¡¯m just going to float back inside now.

    Returning inside and back to what is now my mirror, I begin looking at myself again. The feeling vanished as soon as I was out of the sun, which is good. Although now that I¡¯m looking for it¡­ Was my body what was hurting? I brush a tendril over my head to confirm. Hmm, yeah, not there. So where was- Wait, was the pain in the cloud around me?

    Oh, that¡¯s strange. So I can feel that cloud too¡­ Can I move it? Maybe? I¡¯m definitely getting¡­ some kind of feeling from it when I focus. I try, I don¡¯t know, pushing on it?

    And the cloud expands to fill half the room. Which is odd because I can¡¯t see it directly, only through the mirror. I try pulling it back instead, and it shrinks until it¡¯s not there anymore.

    My skin looks strange now that I can see it clearly in the mirror, it¡¯s like fuzzy, semi-translucent cloth with a deep, flowing darkness underneath. I- That¡¯s just weird.

    I¡¯m getting distracted. So, if the cloud around me is what hurts in the sunlight. Was that to protect me, or was that just the cloud reacting with the sunlight? Hmm, I think I can test that fairly easily.

    I float into the main room and over to the sliding door, and¡­ Should I be doing this? Eh, Fuck it. I stick a tendril out- You know what, I¡¯m just going to start thinking of them as arms. I stick an arm out and¡­

    It doesn¡¯t hurt. so I guess I can go out during the day, that helps. Though, I¡¯m fairly certain I don¡¯t know enough about anything out there to be comfortable wandering around just yet.

    Now that I think of it, how strong am I? What can I even do? I know I can float through things¡ªsort of at least. Back to the mirror I go.

    As I return through the one-and-a-half rooms of what I am now calling my cabin¡ªbecause clearly, no one else cares about it¡ªsomething starts to feel off. I stop halfway through the kitchen and try to figure out what''s different.

    I¡¯m col- No, I feel cold air. I wasn¡¯t feeling the cold earlier. I¡­ wasn¡¯t feeling much of anything, really. Now I do though. I feel the temperature and the breeze. I can smell the world around me, rich earth, plants, and rot.

    It only takes a moment to make a theory and test it. I pull on some of that same feeling I shoved around earlier and it all stops. No breeze, no cold, no smell, and as I keep pulling even the world itself sort of fades. Not entirely, but it¡¯s less there. Except it still is? The cabin is mostly gone from my view, but I can still see some of the trees around me, although I can only make out the ones near all the lights.

    "That''s a lot of bugs," I say, realizing it''s the first time I''ve actually spoken since I got here. My voice isn''t what I''m used to. It''s much higher and¡­ resonant? It sounds like something out of an old fable, the kind meant to teach kids not to follow strangers into the woods.

    I don¡¯t want to think about that, back to the bugs.

    They¡¯re bright, but that¡¯s the only part I really have words for. Literally, I¡¯ve never seen these colors before, what the hell am I looking at?

    Well, uh¡­ Mostly they¡¯re a very light ____ with a few other colors mixed in. I see some with a very bright ____, some with darker ____, a few with searing ____, and even some ____ patches farther away.

    ¡­I¡¯m really not going to think about that too hard. Ever.

    I can tell my sight drops off after a distance, but there is still so much I can see.

    All of the bright points in my sight are clearly pokemon. And for a moment I think it''s aura, like in that one movie, what was its name¡­ Lucario And something? But that had a much longer range and a lot less color. And this is definitely ''sight'', I need to be looking at something to see it.

    Then again, how much can I trust any of what I ¡®know¡¯ to be accurate to the real thing? Especially from a kid''s movie.

    I''m not sure how long I just watch the world like this, maybe ten minutes, maybe an hour. Eventually, I push back on myself and I see the world normally again as I drift into the bedroom once more.

    I look in the mirror and I¡¯m not there. Only my eyes are visible.

    Right, ghost. I did something when I was moving myself around and now I¡¯m mostly invisible.

    Great! But actually great, this time, I did want to find out what I could do and this is something useful. Now I just need to feel around myself¡ªgoddammit me¡ªsome more to figure it out. Time to get to it.

    ***

    I think I¡¯ve figured some things out.

    My cloud is a whole lot of weird something that I can just let out and pull in at will, and it does some strange things if I try. Mostly smokey swirls so far, which I can see but they don¡¯t look right in the mirror.

    The invisibility isn¡¯t so much ''invisibility'' as it is ''phasing¡¯ out, and I¡¯m pretty sure I was doing it unconsciously when I was moving the cloud around earlier. The more I phase out the less of the world around me I feel, right up until I start seeing the world as a bunch of colors again, I can even move through things without any issues at that point. And when I¡¯m phased out I can actually see my cloud directly, which is strange, because I can still see through it without issue, too.

    I think I can also fly pretty fast if I try, and faster if I¡¯m phased out. Hmm, is that a lack of air resistance?

    And I can get loud, wall-shaking loud. Honestly, that speaks well of whoever built this place that it held up to a fire, a clearly long abandonment, and then something so loud shaking it from the inside.

    Now, I know I should try to figure out some Moves¡ªif those are a thing here¡ªbut I don¡¯t really want to go out there and fight. Granted, I don¡¯t know what I need to survive. So It¡¯s still a good idea, just in case.

    Now, I don¡¯t really want to go out there and find myself in a fight. Granted, I also don¡¯t know what I need to survive, so I might need to anyway. And, if I can trust anything from the games and the few bits of the shows and movies I remember, I should have a way to defend myself.

    So, Moves.

    Do they exist? I want to think so. While I was working out how to control my new ghost-self I did feel¡­ is power a good word? I felt Power trying to do something. But it felt incomplete somehow like I was missing an important piece. Nothing for it but to keep trying I suppose, and I¡¯m suddenly very glad I have a mirror.

    Returning again to my bedroom, I begin trying to move that power around once more.

    ***

    This is getting me nowhere. I¡¯ve been at it all day and nothing, no Moves whatsoever. And I can feel something while I¡¯m trying, but it¡¯s not doing anything and it makes me want to scream.

    Whatever, I need a break. The sun is setting now, Time to head outside. Worst case? I go invisible and fly my way back here.

    No, don¡¯t think like that. I¡¯m a ghost. I probably can¡¯t die again, but there are definitely other dangers out there. Maybe, I don¡¯t know. I really don¡¯t want to get in a fight or possibly caught, but I also think I¡¯m starting to lose it and it hasn¡¯t even been a full day yet.

    Anything¡¯s better than sitting here and thinking too hard about my former life, death, and new maybe-life.

    Floating outside I take stock of the clearing again. There¡¯s a rustling in the trees and- I taste something? What is¡­

    It tastes like anxiety? Why does it taste like- Wait, no, fucking how does it taste like- How the shit do I know what anxiety even tastes like? And why is it taste and not something else? I- Oh.

    I¡¯ve just made a horrifying discovery about what I eat now, haven¡¯t I?

    What in the actual, literal hell. It¡¯s gone now, the taste vanished almost as soon as it came. But where did it even come from? I don¡¯t see anything around me¡­ but I know what will let me see through the trees easily.

    A bit of pulling on something and the world around me goes all strange colored and dark. And no sooner have I started looking around when I see some of what I¡¯m going to call not-light¡ªbecause it isn¡¯t light¡ªspinning off another mass of not-light¡­ a pokemon very close by that looks like a massive, chubby mouse that¡¯s now running away. The flare of not-light just hangs there for a moment, then it starts slowly moving towards me.

    Um, is- is that an attack? Should I dodge it? Yeah, I probably should. Dodging out of the flare''s path, I keep watching to see what it''s- Oh, and of course, it''s tracking me and getting faster. God I hope it doesn''t hurt too much-

    What the fuck? What is that amazing- Fear.

    I uh¡­ No, that¡¯s not creepy at all. Why would eating that kind of thing be frightening on a fundamental level? I just- Why? And how? How do you eat emotions? This is next-level weird, what the fuck new body? ¡­What the fuck new world?

    Although, on the one hand, I¡¯m not sure if it even hurt whatever just ran away. So, maybe a good thing? On the other, I¡¯m eating emotions. And that¡¯s just a little, absolutely terrifying.

    ¡­Also I¡¯m not hungry?

    Nope! Not going to think about it! I¡¯m just going to float into the trees now and try to ignore any tastes around me.

    ¡­

    It¡¯s¡­ actually really nice out in the woods. Noise and life all around me, wherever this forest is. I¡¯m not even trying to be invisible floating through the trees, and nothing¡¯s bothering me so far.

    Actually, I hope my childhood didn¡¯t lie to me. Most of the noise is from bugs, though I do hear the occasional sound that must be a bird of some kind. But I had thought that pokemon could communicate with each other? Or¡­ maybe they are and I can¡¯t understand it.

    Oh, I don¡¯t like that thought very much, moving swiftly on.

    I know my eyes are giving off light now, I¡¯d thought it was just some kind of night vision at first, and yeah, I definitely have that, but it¡¯s more than just that. Things I¡¯m facing get brighter, and the closer I am the brighter it gets. I¡¯ll need to figure out if I can control that.

    The forest is¡­ Well, the trees are all, uh, trees. They¡¯re leafy and green, but some have odd leaf shapes and bark patterns while others are more recognizable. The plants around the trees are also semi-recognizable to anyone who¡¯s actually been in a forest before, though I also don¡¯t recognize some of them. There isn¡¯t just ¡®grass¡¯ but grasses, sticks, saplings, old leaves, ferns, wildflower buds, and¡­ frost?

    It¡¯s too green to be fall, so I think it¡¯s just coming out of winter here. Hmm, anyway.

    I¡¯ve passed a lot of pokemon at this point, most are sleeping, some glance at me before going back to whatever it is they¡¯re doing, and others watch me until I pass. Most have color or pattern variations I wasn¡¯t expecting, like that red-streaked roserade that didn¡¯t even acknowledge me as I drifted by.

    And there really are a lot of bugs out here. What shocked me most was that there are regular insects here alongside the pokemon, even if that really shouldn¡¯t have, thinking about it. What shocked me the second most, specifically about all the insectile pokemon, was the sheer diversity of size between them. Some are tiny, the size I¡¯m used to from insects. Many others are big, much bigger than I am. Most are somewhere between, not huge, and not small.

    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen that same level of size difference with the other pokemon around. Also, I¡¯m¡­ well, smaller than before. I don''t have a good reference point yet, but I''m definitely somewhere between ''small'' and ''tiny.''

    As for birds, I¡¯ve seen a lot. And I can name them, too! There are starly, taillow, spearow, a single swellow, and a few doduo. Most were asleep up in the trees, except for the doduo and swellow, they all watched me, and the doduo were on the ground. Also, I think doduo only sleep with one head at a time?

    And there¡¯s more.

    I saw three tiny pichu watched over by two pikachu, groups¡ªGardens? Groves?¡ªof roselia and something that looks like a massive flower-bud bunched together every so often, two shinx sleeping on top of a luxray¡ªand holy shit its stare was intense¡ªa river where I learned that buizel are like otters and hold hands while sleeping, a large mound of buneary all piled up together on top of a lopunny, and a purple, overgrown boulder that has to be a pokemon¡­ that I didn¡¯t go near because the leafeon laying on top of it scared me.

    There are also quite a few suspicious-looking plants, but they don''t bother me and I don''t bother them.

    It¡¯s all so beautiful, so magical. I wish I could show this to¡­

    Goddammit, this is just making me feel lost and lonely. Fuck.

    I¡¯m not stupid enough to try and meet the new neighbors in the middle of the night, especially when I¡¯d bet I look scary in the dark. But I¡¯m definitely, definitely going to try once it¡¯s day again.

    I drift upwards, looking for a better view of the woods. It¡¯s a sea of green all around, though I also see lights to what I think is north-east, east, and south-south-east. Those have to be cities of some kind, and I''ll need to check them out at some point.

    To the north, I see far-distant mountains rising so high they disappear above the clouds, consuming the entire northern horizon. It''s wonderful, it reminds me of home, and I want to keep looking at it all, but I know I should get to my cabin soon.

    Home. No, don¡¯t think about it too hard.

    I sigh to myself, and I begin tracking my way back above the trees, it¡¯s easy to see the clearing my cabin is in from here. But not having anything to distract me, my thoughts move to my new state of being again.

    I don¡¯t think I sleep anymore, I haven¡¯t felt the need since I found myself here and I¡¯m not tired now. It has to be coming up on twenty, twenty-two hours since then, but I¡¯m not tired.

    That used to be a dream before, not needing to sleep. So much more time for anything I could want, and I don¡¯t know what to do with it now. I don¡¯t even know what I can do with it now.

    I don¡¯t think I need to worry about food, I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t need to sleep, and I don¡¯t even breathe anymore.

    I need a hobby. Or a project, or anything really, something to keep my mind occupied so I don¡¯t start losing myself. But I doubt I can find the tools or materials for one of my old hobbies right now.

    Nothing else comes to mind though. ¡­Shit.

 Chapter 2

    It¡¯s been days of trying to use Moves now.

    And staring at a wall.

    And giving in to screaming. ¡­Repeatedly.

    Still nothing. Still feels like I¡¯m missing something so, so obvious. This fucking sucks. Whatever, it¡¯s morning again and I told myself I''d try to meet the neighbors once the sun was up. That was a few days ago, but who¡¯s counting?

    Shortly after I float outside, while trying to figure out what to do next, I¡¯m startled by a booming female voice, "You''re th''one who''s been causing that racket!?"

    I spin for a moment, several arms flailing until I find the source.

    She¡¯s tall, scary tall, eight and a half feet at least with two thick yellow lines going up her sides to- No, a line encircling her neck. Dark orange fur giving way to cream around her stomach, hands, and tail tips, with some kind of crest-fin thing coming off the back of her head.

    Webbed hands on hips with their blue fins out to the sides and squinting at me is a floatzel, her expression changing from annoyed to surprised. Again something looks different from my memories, but I''m¡­ expecting that now. I think?

    One mystery¡ªsort of¡ªsolved though. Even if I can¡¯t place the accent, I can understand her. More questions now.

    What changed? How can I even- Don¡¯t think about it.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a fresh one, aint¡¯cha.¡± She says. Then quietly enough that I struggle to hear her, ¡°So small. You just a kid?¡±

    Am I? Shit, I was¡ªpossibly re¡ªborn less than a week ago.

    Is that why my mood is so unstable? Ha! Fuck no, but I¡¯d bet it isn¡¯t helping.

    Don¡¯t think about it.

    While I¡¯m having another internal crisis, she speaks again, louder this time, ¡°You scared my son half to death with all that noise.¡± I flinch at that. I knew I could be loud, knew I was being loud. But I hadn¡¯t thought of what that would mean for everything¡ªeveryone, I correct myself¡ªaround me.

    "Sorry," I say, genuinely feeling it.

    She sighs, expression softening somewhat before speaking again. ¡°I believe ya kid.¡±

    ¡°No, I-¡± I get out before she interrupts me.

    "Look, I know a spook like you ain''t a normal kid what needs fussin'' over," she says placatingly. And then glaring at me, "But you do need to apologize to my son, come on." And with that said she turns and starts walking.

    Doesn¡¯t need fussing over? No¡­ Just don¡¯t think-

    Oh god.

    This pokemon knows something about ghost-types that I don¡¯t like the implications of. I¡¯ve been trying to put a lot of things out of mind because fuck I don¡¯t want to think anything about that right now, but she has me doing it anyway.

    Where do ghosts come from? Why am I here when I died as a human in a completely different universe?

    Am I just some dead man''s memories inside a pokemon?

    I don¡¯t fucking know, do I? I felt that yank when I was out there, but that''s just a memory, isn''t it. Fuck I don''t like this, but according to the¡ªnow very concerned looking¡ªgiant poke-otter, I don''t think ghosts mature like other pokemon. Do they- Do we all start with memories of past lives?

    "Kid? Are you¡­ naw. You wouldn''t be screechin'' like you was if you were okay." comes a worried, faraway voice. "I''ll be right back."

    I want to disappear, to go back to that all-consuming peace I felt before.

    Can I even die again? I don¡¯t think I want to be immortal.

    I can¡¯t breathe. I don¡¯t breathe, but I wish I could, Just to help calm myself down.

    I don¡¯t know when I start crying¡ªgod, it¡¯s been twenty years since I cried last¡ªbut I¡¯m hanging there and I don¡¯t want to move or cry or stop crying or sit here or- Why can¡¯t I go back to that peace?

    ***

    I''m a hollow shell. I don''t know when I hit the ground but I did. I feel empty, nauseous, and completely exhausted, I want to throw up but I can''t.

    ¡°Here hon, this¡¯ll make ya feel better.¡± Says a gentle voice, right before something is placed in front of me.

    I try to focus on it and see some kind of small frui- No, a berry, and It¡¯s green, that¡¯s all I can bring myself to care about it. I look up and see the floatzel crouching there watching me, she looks a little worried now.

    Can I eat berries? I do have a mouth, even if I don''t seem to normally use it to eat.

    Whatever, why the fuck not at this point. I wrap an arm around the berry and move it to my mouth.

    It tastes like cough syrup without the bitter tang, but I swallow it like she wants me to.

    Looking less worried now, she says, ¡°Good, and here, since you probably didn¡¯t like that one.¡± She sets another berry down, this one pink with lighter blotches on it.

    I look up at her again and it takes me a second to realize that I¡¯m already feeling better.

    Glancing down at the berry I ask, ¡°What is it? What was that?¡±

    Looking back at her I can still see and taste the traces of her earlier worry, but she smiles anyway, ¡°A cure for whatever ails ya. And that there¡¯s a treat, just cuz I think ya need it.¡± She says. And while motioning me to it, ¡°Go on, eat.¡±

    I already trusted her once, though I don¡¯t think I was¡ªor am¡ªin a healthy state of mind. So I eat it.

    Good god it¡¯s sweet. It tastes like someone took the sweetest, ripest strawberry I¡¯ve ever had, and made it twice as sweet, and it¡¯s so fucking good.

    Once I¡¯m done I glance up at her. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Now shaking her head, she replies, ¡°Don¡¯t be. Not for that at least.¡± And then looking straight at me, ¡°What had you twistin¡¯ yourself in knots like that?¡± With how she¡¯s looking at me I don¡¯t think I can make myself lie to her, not that I think she¡¯d believe me if I said I was okay.

    I don¡¯t try to stall myself, I need to say it. ¡°Why am I here? Am I me or am I someone who remembers being them?¡±

    She stares at me a moment before her gaze moves to the ground between us. Then one of her hands moves to her muzzle and starts rubbing it. ¡°Damned,¡± she breathes. ¡°That kind of thing really is normal for you spooky-types huh?¡± Sighing, she looks up now, hand going from her muzzle to her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t know why anyone¡¯s here hun, don¡¯t think anyone knows.¡± She¡¯s silent for a bit after that, and I notice that yellow line of hers swelling up a bit before flattening out again. Finally, and a little uncertainly she asks, ¡°Do ya feel like¡­ you?¡±

    Do I? I guess I do, but I¡¯ve been so busy trying not to think about my last life. All the stress, the job I loved at first, the burnout from years of the same shit over and over again.

    Abby.

    Wonderful, beautiful, smart Abigail. How she stopped being herself, stopped wanting to go out, stopped reading or wanting to eat. The first time she swung a knife at me, The second tim- No, that wasn''t her.

    I still love my parents, but I haven''t- Stop.

    My friends from work- Stop.

    How long was I drifting out there?

    Fuck.

    I can''t go back, can I?

    I¡¯ve been distracting myself as best I can, trying not to think about my situation. I couldn¡¯t keep that up forever, I¡¯ve been on the brink of a meltdown for a while and it finally happened. At least before I died I was doing¡­ I- I wasn¡¯t okay, was I?

    I feel myself start to cry again, maybe I truly did need this to happen. No, Not this, this is too much, but something like it at least.

    I¡¯ve been silent for almost a full minute, the floatzel is looking worried again. ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, not wanting to keep putting it off, ¡°Yeah I think I do.¡±

    She puts a hand gently on my head. "Okay then. Let''s get you apologizin'' to my boy, then see if we can''t have you feelin'' better tomorrow too." She moves her hand to one of my arms and starts to stand, pulling me with her. Christ, I''m tiny compared to her, maybe that¡¯s why she pegged me as a kid.

    ¡°um¡­ do you have a name?¡± I ask, tears drying and feeling extremely awkward as we leave the cabin clearing, presumably in the direction of her home.

    She scratches her neck with the hand she¡¯s not using to guide me, ¡°Some o¡¯ the humans around here started calling me Marshal¡­¡± She hums, looking back over her shoulder, ¡°Years ago now, it¡¯s stuck with everyone so far.¡± She¡¯s looking around now, seeming to want to avoid looking at me. After some awkward silence, she finally asks, "Did- Sorry, do you?"

    Don¡¯t think about it. She brought up a good point earlier. Just don¡¯t think about it right now.

    ¡°Charlie.¡± I manage to say. Her expression shifts, looking like something just fell into place.

    She was right, I still feel like me. Don¡¯t think about it.

    ¡°Right, sorry. That¡¯s gotta be hard on you, and I¡¯d hate to think if I made it worse.¡± She says. I can see it on her face, hear it in her tone, and taste it in the air, she means that.

    Just don¡¯t focus on it right now.

    My honest response comes without thinking, ¡°I think it would have been worse if you hadn¡¯t been there.¡±

    Stay calm.

    She looks at me, then back behind us thoughtfully before nodding to herself, ¡°Okay.¡± Is all she says.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    I need to ask, I need the reassurance. ¡°I¡¯m still me, aren¡¯t I?¡± I speak the words quietly, wanting to make them heard and afraid of them at the same time.

    She¡¯s silent again, then, ¡°You remember a name right? Probably a bit more I reckon, th¡¯rest is up ta you.¡±

    Ah, shit, direct confirmation, and a choice.

    She was right though, I remember being me, not someone else. I just need to focus on that.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the first ghost you¡¯ve met, Am I?¡± I ask her. She seems to know enough about them¡ªus¡ªthat I can¡¯t be.

    My guide shakes her head, ¡°Naw. But I only met four others I didn¡¯t have to chase off, you¡¯re th¡¯fifth now.¡± She says before we descend into silence.

    We¡¯re still walking, neither of us has said anything for a bit, and she¡¯s still slowly leading me by the arm. She¡¯s still treating me like a kid.

    Do I tell her? What does she already think of me?

    Does she think I¡¯m only getting flashes of memory, moments of being someone else?

    Does she think I was some trainer¡¯s pokemon, maybe some pet?

    I don¡¯t want her to start treating me differently. But would she, if she knew?

    I''m not even sure how much it all matters. I don''t think my old life means much here, aside from my own thoughts, and I can only remember so much about Pokemon.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m not a kid, right?¡± I say. I don¡¯t want her to keep treating me like a child.

    Not even bothering to look at me she responds, tone frighteningly even and unyielding, ¡°I know. But y¡¯are compared to me, and just lookin¡¯ at ya I can tell you were sheltered.¡±

    That makes us lapse into silence, because firstly: Wow, stern mom treatment. Secondly: How old does she think I am? Or¡­ I was? And thirdly: Ow, my pride. Even if I know that that''s not entirely inaccurate to say about me here. At least now I have an idea of what she thinks I was, a pet. I briefly consider correcting her but choose to remain silent.

    With the conversational lull a thought I¡¯d pushed down resurfaces: How can I even understand her?

    Her voice is strange, the more I focus on it the less I hear her words. I go from hearing words to barking noises that sound a bit like variations on ¡®floatzel.¡¯ And oh my god the weird accent is still there, but the meaning in her words doesn¡¯t change. That¡¯s a little creepy, but I want to put that down to ¡®Pokemon can understand each other.''

    Except I haven¡¯t understood the others I¡¯ve heard talking, so it¡¯s back to weird.

    And then another thought surfaces: Can I trust her?

    I¡¯ve had a strange feeling in her direction ever since she got close to me, and I don¡¯t know how to describe it, it¡¯s just¡­ something.

    But I¡¯ve also been able to taste the emotions coming off her¡ªgod that sounds creepy¡ªa lot more clearly since she started holding my arm. She''s concerned about me, but it''s mostly an undercurrent of self-assuredness with simple joy running through it. It¡¯s making me feel¡­

    Goddammit, what I eat affects my mood, doesn''t it?

    Or maybe I haven¡¯t been eating enough. I thought her joy was making me happy, but that¡¯s not it. I don¡¯t feel so empty anymore. I actually feel kind of full? I don¡¯t think it was the berries, it¡¯s not the same feeling as when I was human, I feel¡­ whole? It¡¯s definitely an interesting feeling, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single word that can describe it. But I¡¯m also feeling significantly better than I have the last two days, which¡­

    I¡¯ve been trying not to think of what I eat, and I was starving myself without realizing it. Shit.

    Ignoring my thoughts was obviously a bad idea in hindsight. Why didn''t I realize what I was doing, fuck! And now that I know I¡¯m going to have another breakdown at some point if I keep putting this off, what do I need to do?

    I need to really think about my situation without ignoring everything I find too uncomfortable or disturbing.

    Christ, okay, Marshal will probably help if it gets too bad. Let''s start with-

    ¡°And here we are! Buizel, out of the berries, I know you¡¯re in there!¡± My guide all but yells, voice blasting out over the small lake we¡¯re now at, cracking a few scattered sheets of ice.

    We were in the middle of something, right.

    I look out over the lake and it¡¯s as beautiful as the rest of this place, startlingly clear water spreads out at least half a mile in front of us, some sheets of ice drifting around the edges, and waves fading from when Marshal called out a moment ago. I can see a small pier on the other side of the lake, so people¡ªhumans. I need to break that habit¡ªhave been here.

    And about forty feet to our left on a more southern stretch of the shore, I see a small, fuzzy, orange otter poke its head out of the bushes. Face red and eyes downcast it slips into the water, I can taste the shame from here, though not literally, this time.

    No, wait¡­ Why can''t I? Come to think of it, Marshal had to get pretty close before I could taste¡­ No, fee- Nope that¡¯s just as bad. Before I could Sense her.

    I almost phase out before I realize Marshal might not take that well. She somehow notices, however, but instead of getting angry she just smiles at me.

    ¡°You nervous about saying sorry to my son but not me?¡± She asks, genuinely enjoying the teasing question.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± I say, trying to pull my thoughts together. ¡°I¡¯ve had a few realizations since you found me.¡±

    She nods thoughtfully, ¡°How long have you been there?¡± She asks. Then looks back to what has to be her son, as the small otter, only about twenty-five feet away now, practically boils himself alive with his blush.

    I wonder how I can see that through the fur?

    ¡°Two- No, three days.¡±

    I can feel her focus whip back to me. Glancing up to her, I see an appraising gaze looking back. After a moment she says, ¡°Well, you¡¯re somethin¡¯ special then, aren¡¯t ya?¡±

    What''s that supposed to mean?

    My confusion has to be all over my face because the giant just smiles knowingly and looks back to the comparatively tiny pokemon now only ten feet from us.

    But I can taste the¡­ victory? No, there''s some of that in there but I think she''s more satisfied about something.

    What the hell lady? I need to ask her what she means by that, but I think we¡¯re about to start the protective mother section of the proceedings.

    As the buizel starts to leave the water he wastes no time in addressing his own transgression, eyes downcast, ¡°Sorry momma.¡± I can taste the shame now.

    After that, Marshal just raises an eyebrow, seemingly waiting for more. A full minute passes in silence.

    At least I know what she wants from me beforehand now.

    The little guy practically starts glowing red, eyes trying to look anywhere but at his mother, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for eating your berries when you said not to, cause you want to save them to plant more.¡±

    That makes Marshal give what I can only call a motherly smile to the small weasel, ¡°Good, and I know you feel bad about it. So let''s just leave it at that.¡± Then she moves her eyes to me. ¡°And this is Charlie, they¡¯ve got somethin¡¯ they need ta say to ya.¡±

    God how I wish I could say I haven''t been here before, but both my parents did the exact same thing when I was younger. And the longer I wait the more awkward it''s going to be because she''s not going to push for it. She''s going to watch and wait, letting her sheer presence and my own shame do the work, even if I do have enough experience to not fall into that particular parental trap.

    Steeling myself in an attempt to stave off some of the awkwardness, I turn to the buizel. And, in as steady a tone as I can, say "I''m sorry for scaring you, I knew I was being extremely loud, but I didn''t consider what it meant for everyone else." ¡­Nope, still feels pretty much the same as when I was a kid.

    Marshal nods approvingly at me, even if I can see the ghost of a smirk on her face, but the buiz- Buizel, I need to start correcting myself. Buizel just looks a bit scared now. ¡°You¡¯re the shrieker we all heard?¡±

    Before I can answer, His mother steps in. "They''re just a ghost, you''ll see them occasionally. Most aren''t all that friendly though, they don''t got what it takes to stop and accept help. Too busy ignoring their problems."

    Oh, is that what she meant about me being special? She thinks I hadn''t been trying to do exactly that. Or maybe she knows and was happy she put a stop to it, and the ''special'' part was because I let her help me.

    ¡°And on that thought,¡± She says, turning to me. Oh yeah, definitely that second one. ¡°You think you¡¯ll be okay on yer own now?¡±

    I almost say yes, the response ingrained from decades in human society, but stop myself. And actually try to think about the question.

    As much as it pains me to admit: No, hell no I won¡¯t be okay on my own just yet. I have too many questions about¡­ Everything. Even if I don¡¯t ask her any of them, I know that I¡¯ll need the support, if she¡¯s offering.

    "Probably not," I say. And that makes her smile.

    Goddammit, she¡¯s been two steps ahead this whole time hasn¡¯t she, leading me to the answers she thin- she knows I need.

    How smart is she?

    I realize I need to stop letting my thoughts show on my face when her smile gets even wider, ¡°I have been around a while hun.¡± is all she says before picking her son up by the scruff and walking into the lake.

    Once she¡¯s in the water I see that yellow line of hers swell until she looks like a life raft. Then she turns around and falls back with a large splash, before setting her son down on her stomach and beckoning me to follow. I can¡¯t think of a good reason not to at this point, so I float after them.

    As I move up to them, Marshal speaks, soft and low, "I know this might sound like empty talk to you boy," She says while looking at Buizel, then she looks at me, "Maybe not to you though, kid, and it''s a lesson we all learn the painful way eventually." Now looking back at her son, "The hard things in life don''t get easier if you wait for them. I learned that the painful way, and I don''t want you to learn it that way, but I don''t know if you can otherwise. So just promise me that you''ll listen to what I teach ya and do your best with all th''rest."

    I know that the last part isn''t aimed at me, even if I suspect I''m the cause. So I do my best to remain out of the moment as Buizel says, "I promise, momma."

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a good boy now.¡± She says while stroking his head. ¡°Now go catch yourself somethin¡¯ meaty to eat, I¡¯ve got to talk to Charlie for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Okay, love you mom.¡± He says, sliding off the larger otter''s belly and disappearing under the water.

    Marshal watches her son leave with a sigh. Then she looks at me again, ¡°I asked if you¡¯d be okay on yer own, but do ya think you¡¯ll be okay at all?¡± The worry I¡¯ve been tasting hasn¡¯t gone away, it hasn¡¯t grown either.

    ¡°Probably¡­¡± I say. And realizing that¡¯s not enough, continue, ¡°I¡¯m going to need help, I mean¡­¡±

    Oh god, how do I explain what I need and what happened to me? Should I explain what happened to me? How much can I tell her without sounding like I''m making it up?

    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna ask.¡± She interrupts my thoughts, proving again how she can read me. ¡°And don¡¯t feel like you gotta tell me if you don¡¯t want to, just watchin¡¯ you think on it I can tell it¡¯s painful. If ya need help, ask. I¡¯ll be happy ta give ya an ear, a hand, and advice.¡± She smiles warmly again, ¡°I¡¯m just glad I got ya out of that funk. You seem alright, for a spook.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what to say to that, it kind of makes me want to tell her more, but, with the way she''s been steering me around¡­ I shouldn''t think like that, though I''m not going to tell her much just yet.

    There is something I need to get off my chest, however, even if I''ll need to hold¡ªquite¡ªa bit back.

    ¡°I was killed by someone I¡­ loved? Used to love?¡± I tell her, not feeling any better, and also now extremely anxious. Though my words also get a reaction.

    Her face falls, first into disbelief, then horror. Finally, I see the wheels turning in her head and her expression shifts to something softer. And then I''m slammed by the emotions coming off her, I can''t even make any of them out before I don''t taste them anymore. Jesus, that made me dizzy.

    ¡°Honestly can¡¯t say I expected that.¡± She says in a low voice. ¡°You remember that? No, don- Don¡¯t answer that.¡± The words come in a breath as she looks away. Then, after a moment, her eyes move back to me again. Voice steadier this time she asks, ¡°You been carryin¡¯ that around fer three days alone?¡± I can only nod. ¡°Are ya carryin¡¯ any worse?¡±

    I- Am I? I don¡¯t think so, secrets of worlds beyond or not I¡¯m pretty sure Abby was the worst of it.

    Even if I miss my friends and family. And Abby, back when she was still herself.

    ¡°I miss her. I¡­¡± I¡¯ve missed her for a while now, I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d see her again after her brother gained the power of attorney over her. I wasn¡¯t expecting her when I did.

    Marshal looks at me for an eternal second, then just lifts her arms and beckons me closer. It takes me a moment to realize she wants to hug me. And honestly? That seems like the best thing I could do right now.

    As I drift closer, I can taste the sadness and¡­ affection. She genuinely feels sorry for me. That stings my ego a bit once more, but it¡¯s a drop in the bucket at this point.

    Affection?

    Once I¡¯m close enough she gently pulls me in the rest of the way. She¡¯s warm, furry, and wet. It¡¯s not the most comfortable hug, but I¡¯m not complaining. I needed this.

    There are a lot of things I¡¯ll need to figure out. However, at this moment I think I really can put all that off, for now at least.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°-Since we are expecting more traffic from Sinnoh and Galar this year-" The rep from the Sienna Office of Tourism continues droning on. I''m paying attention, but it starts to become white noise after so many meetings.

    At least the meetings are starting to taper off. I get that we need to know what''s going to happen when all the people who''ve never actually met a wild pokemon decide they want to come and see Almia in Springtime, but it won¡¯t change any of our reactions to them.

    Luckily, there are only a few pokemon around here that might kill someone, most will just threaten or rough up anyone that stupid. Except for the alphas, they''re old enough to push back, hard. A lot of people just don¡¯t seem to understand that fact until it¡¯s holding them by the ankles and shaking them hard enough to make all the candy fall out.

    ¡°We would ask that you practice patience in such scenarios-¡± And he¡¯s still going. Yes, we get it, don¡¯t make the country we chose to live in look bad. Or- Not Karlos, but the rest of us did.

    I want to sigh, but I hold it in. It¡¯s politics, they know we won¡¯t put the tourists ahead of the pokemon, and they know we know they know, but they still need to prove it was said.

    At least things have been relatively quiet recently, so it hasn¡¯t been so bad with how few we have left.

    Oh, I shouldn¡¯t have thought that.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Just make sure ya don¡¯t let yourself fall apart now,¡± Marshal says as I continue to float down the path to my cabin. Then more seriously, ¡°Cause I will be checkin¡¯ on you.¡±

    After my small admission, we''d just floated on the lake while she comforted me for a bit. It was nice at first, but it started getting awkward around thirty seconds. By the time two minutes came around I''d had enough.

    Once that was done though, she started asking questions about how well I could take care of myself in earnest. My answers to most of them boiled down to ''I''m not sure, I''ll need to figure it out.'' She was rolling her eyes a lot by the end.

    But, eventually, she let me go so that I could figure out what I needed to do.

    And the biggest one, the one I¡¯d thought was so simple: Food. I¡¯m fairly certain I haven¡¯t been eating enough over the last few days, so I need to solve that mystery ASAP. Actually¡­ Marshal seemed to be giving me enough, so maybe I should take a look at her in ¡®ghost-sight¡¯ to see what¡¯s different about her.

    So I¡¯m already turning around, although I¡¯m invisible now so I should avoid¡­ uh¡­

    Marshal is so bright she¡¯s lighting up the forest where I am from the lake. She¡¯s giving off so much ____ not-light that most of the world around her looks solid. What the fuck? And even though I¡¯m definitely inside the light I don¡¯t taste anything.

    So, I know basically nothing about how I eat then, perfect. And now I feel like a creep for watching her so intently, especially because I¡¯m invisible¡­ At least I hope I¡¯m invisible, but I¡¯m not counting on it anymore.

    Wait, stay focused, there are brighter spots in the air around her. They look sort of like the flares I saw coming off other pokemon, but they¡¯re not flying off the same way, They leave her main light- Main body? Mass? Whatever, they leave her and start orbiting instead, circling the massive light.

    That¡­ makes a kind of sense actually. Well, no, but I can draw parallels to what I know at least. we''re like emotional gravity wells, and Marshal has the mass to keep her cast off-

    Are they cast off? I haven¡¯t been eating her have I? Oh god, this is exactly the kind of thought I¡¯ve been avoiding because it¡¯s terrifying and- I need to stay calm, keep trying to figure it out.

    Don¡¯t panic.

    I continue to watch the massive form as she swims around, then dives so fast I can¡¯t follow her properly. I manage to track her again when I see a brighter flash deep in the lake, Holy shit that lake goes deep and she¡¯s fast. But now she¡¯s ascending slowly, and, while it¡¯s a bit hard to make out between how bright Marshal is and the foggy effect that has on the water, she¡¯s carrying three fish? Wait, I know what those are, three magikarp, larger than I imagined them, and she¡¯s got two in her hands while eating the third.

    I had, of course, figured out that the pokemon here eat each other, but seeing Marshal do it really drove that home. And I¡¯m now hoping that nothing around here eats ghosts, but back to figuring out what and how I eat.

    And continuing to watch Marshal¡¯s ¡®light¡¯ makes me feel better about eating it, those flares are diffusing, growing dimmer and sparser as time passes, while occasionally more leap out of Marshal.

    So I might actually need to go and hun- scavenge, I¡¯m pretty certain eating cast-offs makes me a scavenger¡ªfor food, but that¡¯s not too bad. Though I think Marshal has more than enough to feed me, and I¡¯ll need to ask if she knows what I eat later. I need to make sure she knows because I don¡¯t like the thought of continuing to eat her emotions without her knowledge. I''d go let her know right now, but she''s leveled off about fifteen feet underwater.

    I wonder how well I can swim? Thoughts for later I suppose.

    Got to get back home I guess. Home, fuck, I know I''m not the first person to be suddenly uprooted and need to restart somewhere else, but I think I take the gold for sheer distance, and I''m not sure if the thought that it could be a lot worse is helping or not.

    At least the location is idyllic.

    Phasing back to look around, I can see the plants here are thriving, the water doesn¡¯t seem to have any pollution in it and neither does the air, it smells so fresh and there¡¯s no¡­ Smell, when I can¡¯t breathe.

    I¡¯m certain I was in shock when I first got here, then I was overwhelmed by everything, and then I was in some kind of depressive fugue state the last two days, as they¡¯re mostly a blur with a few very clear moments, which is now something I¡¯ll need to thank Marshal for, but how did I not notice that? Of course, that¡¯s not the strangest thing to happen recently, but it is weird.

    What¡¯s stranger still on top of ghost-sight, tasting emotions, and smelling without a nose, is that I¡¯m becoming increasingly certain I have another new sense, but it¡¯s so faint I hadn¡¯t noticed until Marshal was right next to me. I don''t know what it is or what it''s sensing, and to get anything from it while she''s not here takes way, way, way too much focus. Something else to worry about later then.

    Now let''s see how long it takes to get from here to my cabin.

    Flying, as it turns out, really is faster than walking¡­ or being escorted by someone who¡¯s walking, since it takes me less than a minute to make it back to my new home while flying at nowhere near my top speed.

    As I enter the bedroom and see myself in the mirror again, I stop and stare for a moment. It¡¯s still so surreal, seeing myself in this body. I spread my arms, all seven of them, and yeah, that looks pretty terrifying. I smile, which just makes it worse so I put my arms down. And now my smile looks more like an actual smile since I don¡¯t look like a tentacled horror.

    I guess there¡¯s no point putting it off, I¡­ Hold on. Under my skin, the flow of whatever it is isn''t just a flow anymore, it''s roiling, coiling like fire, and moving a lot faster than before. Why would it- No, wait, it''s so fucking obvious, I just had a feast, I''m not sure how long it''ll hold me, but I have energy now.

    I have energy now¡­ Shit, I really hadn''t noticed how awful I was feeling, had I? I''d just been pushing through like always, but now? I feel amazing. I feel better than I have in years! Physically, at least. No aches, scars, scrapes, cuts, or bruises, and I don''t feel so soul-crushingly tired.

    I keep getting distracted, though not without reason, but I need to take a look at myself while I¡¯m not in shock.

    I look the same, obviously, but I do notice things I hadn''t before. Such as, my skin is extremely thin, it can¡¯t be any thicker than a sheet of paper and the cloth-like look is caused by the layer of ¡®fuzz¡¯ over it, like there¡¯s bad reception in the air.

    I¡¯m also now sure that my eyes glow brighter the darker it is, and that I have zero control of that.

    And finally, the gems around my neck also have that flowing fire in them, and it¡¯s even more intense than the stuff in my body.

    Also, I think I''m ever so slightly larger than before?

    Now for something I¡¯ve been hesitant about. I hook two arms under my skirt and hoist it up so I can see in the mirror.

    You know, I¡¯m not sure what I was expecting, some confirmation of my being male or female, maybe a blank stretch of skin, Possibly even a better view of my internal whatever, but¡­

    There¡¯s nothing there. No light, no space, and most concerning of all, I can tell there¡¯s no reality, just emptiness. I don¡¯t know how I can tell there¡¯s no reality, but I can feel it, ironically enough, deep inside. A lot like how I feel a certain place isn''t truly space and doesn''t contain light, now that I think of it.

    I don¡¯t want to go back to ignoring my problems, especially right after Marshal just put a stop to that, but I don¡¯t know what else to do with this except file it away and ignore it.

    I can see both of my arms reaching into the nothingness, and that creeps me out enough to stop and right myself in the air. Looking at the tips of said arms, they¡¯re a bit ¡®fuzzier¡¯ than before, but that¡¯s quickly fading.

    Ah, I hope that doesn¡¯t mean what I think it means, that the ¡®fuzz¡¯ around me isn¡¯t because of the nothing that''s under my skin because that really makes me want to go right back to not thinking about it. ¡­Except I don¡¯t want to slip back into that depression, so trying to make sense of the impossible it is.

    So¡­ Where to start? I''m dead, or rather, I died and am now a ghost. Specifically a ghost-type pokemon. Dying was an experience I don''t want to think about, but I do remember fragments of what came after, and¡ªI think¡ªthat¡¯s a bit relevant.

    I just need to not dwell on it.

    Out there, from what I can remember, was extremely fuzzy around the edges. Not unlike what I¡¯m seeing around myself right now, really. Though it was hard to think at all and I¡¯m not even sure how I saw anything out there given that I don''t think I had a body at all, at the time.

    ¡­That¡¯s both a bit frightening and, strangely, comforting. I don¡¯t know why but the thought of staying me without a body feels nice.

    Anyway, then we have the pokemon thing. I still don''t know how we on Earth¡­ Is this world also called Earth? Wait, it doesn''t matter, focus. I still don''t know how we knew about them or how that all works but it seems too fantastical to¡­

    I¡¯m an idiot. Magic practically needs to be a thing to explain anything about my whole situation. Which also immediately means that I don¡¯t know jack-shit about what I thought I did. Even just basic physics would¡­ Huh.

    Yeah, I think I can safely say that the physics I was taught has no power here. Hell, my skin looks like it contains vast depths even at the parts it seems like I should be able to look straight through, I can phase out of one part of reality and into another, and I eat emotions of all things. This nothingness might just be straight-up magic for all I know.

    ¡­Yeah, that makes sense, I¡¯m looking for an explanation in my old reality when trying to understand my new reality, one that includes ghosts, strange not-spaces, and giant, talking fish-otters.

    In short, I don¡¯t know enough about ghosts or pokemon and this is probably normal for us. I¡¯d bet a lot of the stranger things I¡¯ve been worrying about are normal for ghosts here, I just need to learn about them if I get the chance. No, scratch that, I''m going to make the chance to learn, once I get an idea of how anyway.

    Huh, I¡­ I think I''ve managed to make myself feel better about all this. So what''s next?

    Right, I want to keep trying to get a Move off, which I¡¯m feeling a lot better about now that I¡¯m so energized. I have no idea what moves misdreavus can use, but that¡¯s not going to stop me, I reach for the power I¡¯ve been able to feel since the first day and push.

    Two things happen at that, the first is that my mirror shatters as it along with all the dust, debris, and plants in the room are shoved away from me, and the second is the immediate migraine.

    Shit, that was definitely a Move of some kind, but I didn¡¯t try to control it at all and now my head is killing me while one of my few real possessions is broken, goddammit.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Now nursing a bastard of a migraine, I move through my home till I''m at the most comfortable spot I''ve found so far and push myself into it because I really don''t want to focus on ''the gravity thing'' right now.

    So I¡¯m not going to focus on the gravity thing right now.

    The couch, while barely recognizable as such, is effectively a pile of what has to be synthetic cloth and padding over wood, and is surprisingly pretty comfortable for what it is.

    Now what? I''ve got nothing to do right now except maybe to try to get another Move off, but fuck that, not with my head feeling like this. Hmm¡­ Maybe this is why pokemon join trainers, a chance to go on an adventure and see more of the world while being taught this stuff doesn''t sound bad on paper.

    ¡­How does that even work?

    I haven¡¯t seen any humans yet, but they¡¯ve clearly been to the lake, and Marshal even said she¡¯d been named by them. So it¡¯s only a matter of time before I meet one, I need to consider the possibility of capture.

    God, my head hurts.

    My memories of the pokemon games I¡¯ve played are blurred by the years, but I need them now more than ever. I don¡¯t recall any point in Blue where anything about how pokemon consider their trainer is mentioned, but that could just be how long it¡¯s been¡ªholy shit I¡¯m old. Gold and Ruby are just as blank to me, Pearl is a lot easier to remember, but all the dialog is a jumbled mess in my recollection. I loved the legendary from that game though, space manipulation seemed so¡­

    Oh.

    That¡¯s right, I¡¯d completely disregarded the fact that there are Gods here, and I¡¯ve decided magic has to be real with everything I¡¯ve been through so¡­ Magic and¡ªcapital G¡ªGods are real, Of course there''s a way back to earth, how else could I get here in the first place.

    No, I¡¯m¡­ am I getting distracted?

    Which line of thought is more important? Gods being real is maybe a bit terrifying, and magic is of course its own full can of worms entirely, but getting back is a huge deal. I¡­ don¡¯t know how to feel about that. I''m still a ghost, and¡ªbarring divine intervention¡ªI don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to change.

    Though I think I may have already received some divine intervention ¨¤ la yank, because that can¡¯t have been natural, so traveling freely is probably not going to happen

    But I do want to say goodbye to my parents and friends, and if there is a way back and forth it might¡­ be a huge mistake to use because fuck, that¡¯s another whole-ass meta-physics debate that I am completely unqualified to even attempt to touch with a ten-foot pole.

    But I did somehow get here. So, was I brought here for a reason? If I was it would be nice to know what it is-slash-was¡­?

    ¡­

    Yeah, I wasn''t really expecting anything to happen, still worth a shot. And now I have another thing to worry about, thanks me, I really appreciate it.

    But all that just makes the prospect of being caught more frightening. After all, I still don¡¯t know how it works. I do remember something about levels, badges, and ignoring orders, though I think those were just to make the games more fair. I¡¯m pretty sure trainers are one of those questions I¡¯m going to have to find a way to ask Marshal about somehow, without sounding like a complete idiot.

    Also, FUCK my head hurts! It¡¯s getting better, but I think it¡¯ll be a while before it stops. What was it about tossing things around that caused so much pain?

    Whatever, I¡¯m not moving, so, given my apparent psychic power, maybe I¡¯ll try meditating to pass the time, see if that helps with anything.

    ***

    Meditation did not, in fact, help. Granted, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing when it comes to meditating, all I remember from when Abby was on a spiritualist kick was a focus on breathing¡ªyeah, no¡ªand spirituality, and given my current form¡­ Yeah, not trying that again without guidance.

    It was fairly early when Marshal came and rescued me, it¡¯s maybe a little past noon now, and I¡¯m feeling better so I may as well go out during the day this time.

    The forest is very different during the day, once I get a decent distance from my new home there¡¯s activity everywhere. Whole sections of the forest seem to move where the trees are thinner, large gardens of animate plants dancing in the sun and breeze. I see considerably less of the small insects and more of the massive ones, most of which I can recognize, even if their shapes and colors have some differences. I only see a bird swoop down to grab an insect once, and it gets forced away by the blast of poison barbs the large wurmple shoots off. Seeing a pikachu with three pichu that I¡¯m sure I recognize marching off south is quite the sight, and I¡¯m a little shocked when I see a bibarrel carrying a whole-ass tree off somewhere, but only a little. I don¡¯t know where all the doduo I saw before went, but the two I do see are moving fast, racing through the trees in a flicker of motion.

    Once again it looks like someone brought a fairy tale to life, and once again everyone ignores me.

    But there is something I need to know, I try to listen to what anyone is saying, actually focusing on it. I still get nothing. Sighing, I fly closer to one of the garden-groves I¡¯ve seen.

    This garden has two grotle, a few roselia, a few different bud-looking pokemon I don''t know the names of, and a leafeon, all resting or playing in the sun. They''re clearly talking to each other, so I try to listen in, even as the leafeon is giving me a look.

    ¡°¡­prime vespiquen¡¯s expecting more daughters to evolve soon too, you know?¡± I hear one of the roselia say, so I can understand them, but why not before?

    A grotle this time, distinctly male, replies, ¡°Oh I know, it¡¯ll be nice to have them push the beedrill back a bit, teach them all a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, did you need something?¡± Asks the leafeon, stepping towards me.

    How do I handle this? Honesty will probably work best with most pokemon, won''t it? Yeah, that sounds right, so honesty it is. "I was drifting by and got curious, I was just wondering what you were talking about," I say. Okay so, honesty with a hint of omission, good enough.

    "Oh! Everything''s just moving into spring and warming up, all the bugs are back, and we''re coming out of hibernation, just catching up really." Says a bright female voice from the other grotle.

    The leafeon rolls their eyes at that, ¡°They weren¡¯t invited, Grotle.¡±

    "Let them join, it''s not like they tried to sneak up on us." Says one of the roselia, making the- Leafeon sigh and chuck his chin towards the group, before he starts walking back to join the others, completely dismissing me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to make more friends Leaf, and it¡¯s not like they seem too dangerous,¡± I hear Grotle, the male one, whisper.

    I don¡¯t think it should surprise me that I was allowed in so easily, as far as they know¡ªand probably in reality¡ªI''m not a threat to them. Though, this group has the feel of a bunch of friends getting together at a bar for a night out. In the middle of the day. In the forest.

    Yeah, okay, but it still has that feeling damn it! Honestly, it¡¯s just¡­ surprisingly normal, and I¡¯m not going to complain about that right now.

    Floating closer to the group, I decide to see how well I can be social among my new neighbors.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Watching that kid leave still has my gut rolling.

    I¡¯d been ignoring the noise, I figured I¡¯d deal with it if it became a problem. Then when Buizel had come running scared saying he was frightened by the shrieking from the old human place, it did. So I''d thought another empty-headed gasbag had moved in, thoughtless and angry. But that kid was nothing like the idiots I''ve had to remove before, they weren''t trying to establish themselves with empty threats or hot-headed bluster, no, they looked lost, even scared. Then they apologized immediately so I thought they''d be one of the nice ones and we could ignore each other after they made peace with my son.

    And right when I saw just how much they were hurting inside, they started crying, not normal crying either, they might have hurt someone else with all that sound. Never heard one of them make noise like that, I''ve never seen one like them either though, so that might just be their kind.

    And then every time I moved they froze, which was a pretty bad sign, but when they asked for a name it started making sense. You only think about stuff like that if you spend time around humans, so they were a human¡¯s companion, and probably spent no time fighting either by the way they acted. That¡¯s rough, I know, going from a loving family to alone out here, even if they seemed clearer-headed than most I''ve seen.

    After that, they didn¡¯t try to wiggle out of apologizing and they were genuine about it, so that was good, but they clearly had experience doing it, so they might also be a troublemaker.

    But they were obviously in a lot of pain, emotionally speaking. I don¡¯t think they even realized just how much they were shaking and crying.

    And Then they told me the big one, that it was their companion that killed them. And that just isn''t right! No wonder the poor kid was afraid and crying like that. When you choose a partner like that you stick with them, lift each other up, keep each other honest, good and bad, thick and thin, forever. A betrayal of that shouldn''t ever happen, that''s just the way things are. ¡­Not that I don¡¯t know the feeling.

    I sigh and roll over, starting my swim back to shore.

    Giving them a lum was the right thing to do, but now I¡¯ll have to tend to the vine more to get a second one before next winter, or maybe even ask Torterra to help, the lazy lug. The kid really needed it, however, and I''m not going to be selfish when someone''s hurting like that.

    Sliding out of the water, I begin walking towards my garden to see the damage Buizel did. I doubt it was much, he¡¯s not a fast eater, but there are only so many berries the trees and vines can grow.

    It isn¡¯t a long walk. I made sure to plant them close to my home.

    Reaching the clearing I made for my garden, I see the sign Ryuko gave me to warn off other humans.

    ¡­Ryu hasn¡¯t been around recently, it¡¯s that time of year, but I hope she visits soon, she¡¯s always nice to be around, and Sneasel¡¯s a hoot. Plus, she seems to know how to get my garden growing better.

    Garden. three years in and still such a novel thing, not just for the leafy folk anymore.

    Ah, let¡¯s see here, looks like he mostly got into the oran and pecha, that¡¯s not too bad then, I would have loved to see how he picked them out of the trees without leaving marks, but they grow fast.

    Just like my sweet Buizel. Hmm, Maybe it''s time to see if Luxray is up for another roll-in-the-mud, maybe see if we can''t make a child as strong as we are this time. Though Ryuko seems to think that''s not all there is to it, and she''s pretty smart.

    Turning my feet around, I start heading for water again.

    There¡¯s no harm in trying for a child at least, and probably a bit of fun for us in the process. Though, maybe not if I''m going to need to look after Charlie while they heal. Next year, then.

    Oh, I¡¯m already back at my lake. Charlie was the biggest issue today, so I think I¡¯ll just swim the rivers for a while, see what''s new, probably see what the human kids are up to when they think their parents aren¡¯t watching, maybe try and save the less attentive ones from the trouble they¡¯re going to get into.

    yeah, that sounds like a good day to me.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve made friends per se, but once the initial awkwardness had passed everyone I¡¯ve met so far has been standoffish at worst. I even learned a reason behind the understanding thing and have suspicions about another.

    To start with, the Grotles were friendly enough, they mostly wanted to catch up on the goings-on recently because they apparently came out of a winter hibernation that day and just wanted to be friendly. Leafeon¡ªor Leaf, go figure¡ªon the other hand, was a worrywart who had heard my screaming over the last few days and was accordingly suspicious. And the roselia were¡­ interesting, I can¡¯t say I get their outlook on life, but they were friendly at least. The bud-like pokemon were apparently called budew, cherubi, and bonsly, and they were all very much children who mostly ignored the adults as they played.

    I can¡¯t tell if I like the fact that I don¡¯t know whose emotions are whose when there are so many people around. It does make it easier to tune them out, but I kind of like knowing how who I¡¯m talking to is feeling. Especially since someone there was pretty anxious the entire time, and I¡¯d like to know who it was. I hope that doesn¡¯t make me a bad person.

    Overall, I had a nice time with them, but I doubt I¡¯ll be able to find them again without making a real effort, though both of the grotles and Leaf left together, so they might be a group of some kind.

    As for the understanding thing, distance definitely plays a part, sometimes I had to get really close to hear what was being said, and other times not so much, but there did seem to be a maximum distance. I also think wanting to be heard and wanting to listen helps, but I''m not sure about that yet, hmm¡­ Something to consider later.

    In any case, it''s the next day now, and I don''t know why I was expecting Marshal to check on me immediately, but I was, and now I''m a little disappointed in myself. Although I''m definitely feeling lonely, there''s no shortage of people to talk to out here so I have no excuse not to. Even if I have lingering worries about trainers and why I''m here, my best course of action right now is to not wallow in loss and self-pity, face the day and all that, save the worries for when I have friends to hear them.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some good news for you, today,¡± Karlos says over his shoulder as I enter the kitchenette. "The next few status meetings were canceled."

    That makes everyone except the man himself pause. ¡°You mean¡­¡± Maya trails off, unwilling to say it out loud.

    ¡°Two of you get to head out today!¡± Karlos replies brightly, scooping the last pancake onto a plate with eggs, and handing it to me. I¡¯d say he plays up the role, but he does have kids. ¡°it¡¯s great timing, too, since we¡¯ll be getting a student today.¡±

    ¡°Just one?¡± I ask, taking a seat to start digging into breakfast.

    ¡°Ranger or operator?¡± Barry asks, definitely hoping for the latter.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to let it be a surprise,¡± Karlos decides, waving a spatula at us.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Marshal did come check on me today, before inviting me to her lake again.

    As it turns out, Marshal really is a genuinely friendly and happy person, and she loves having someone to talk to about anything and everything, as I am currently experiencing. That¡¯s not to say I haven''t learned some interesting tidbits, such as:

    Berries will grow year-round, even if it¡¯s a bit slower in the winter.

    The effects I remember from the games are mostly real here, though not quite the same.

    Even the fastest-growing berries can take more than a month to mature after budding.

    And finally, they grow in a lot of different ways, some on vines, some in bushes, some on¡ªthe stranger looking¡ªtrees, and some even grow like pineapples, as a thorny stalk-thing with a bunch of berries on top.

    ¡­She does seem to have a focus right now.

    ¡°And this is a lum, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already got an idea what they can do. Never seen an ill they couldn¡¯t cure, but the berries take nearly a year to grow, and that¡¯s after blooming. Though it doesn¡¯t have any berries right now ¡®cause I gave you the one it had, but that ain¡¯t your fault.¡± Says Marshal happily, hand on a vine.

    I hadn¡¯t known she loved gardening, I hadn¡¯t realized a pokemon could garden, but she seems to love it. ¡°And this one,¡± She continues, gesturing towards a sapling that¡¯s barely a foot tall, ¡°Is supposed to be a ''sitrus'' according to Torterra. Haven''t gotten it to grow much yet, but it supposedly tastes pretty good and it¡¯ll put you right if you¡¯re¡­¡±

    And then she stops, head whipping to the East, ears rising, and face breaking into a huge smile. Now with a chuckle in her voice, she says, "Sorry, but I''m gonna have to stop here today, there''s someone I haven''t seen in a while on her way and she deserves my best greeting."

 Chapter 4

    I am having an amazing day. Genuinely, I needed this, just being able to do my job is a nice change this time of year.

    ¡°One report¡¯s questionable, especially from a teen boy. Four, two from a teen couple, one from a kid, and one from Emelio about ''A bunch of panicked buizel'' in the area is something else." my radio squawks.

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure the kid and Em aren¡¯t messing with us?¡± I ask Barry for what has to be the fourth time.

    He even answers this time, "Pretty sure. The kid was scared, if she was faking it she''s got a great career ahead of her, and Em didn''t have that look.¡± comes the slightly staticky, entirely exasperated response. ¡°Plus, you know, they all reported it in person.¡±

    ¡°Why is the old place even still there at all? It¡¯s got to be ready to collapse and the kids out here wander all over the place. Karlos was one of those kids, It''s that old!" I vent at the operator, just needing to say something about the building''s situation, because it genuinely is old. A little over a century as far as city records can tell.

    ¡°Nobody¡¯s bothered to pay for it yet,¡± comes the simple response. ¡°And they might not be able to if it has a new resident. Also, stop complaining, this is a break from Spring prep and you know it."

    ¡°Yeah, I know. See if there¡®s a ghost, figure out how long it¡¯s been there, and if It¡¯s hungry, angry, or just bored.¡± I had seen the report, the child said they heard shrieking. Not crying or howling. "Personally, my bet''s on hungry," I say into my radio. There''s still a good ten minutes until I reach the old summer retreat cabin.

    "Probably, yeah. Just so you know Professor Rowan has already sent a request for observation if there really is a ghost." is his response, tone dry as the Haruba.

    Makes sense. Most true ghost pokemon are only seen where there are large concentrations of negative emotions. The professor''s probably hoping to see a ghost type without the massive human influence of said locations. And, not to put too fine a point on it, Sinnoh''s Lost Tower just isn''t as big as some other countries'' mourning grounds.

    And Sinnoh is the closest country to us, right across the mountains to the north.

    I sigh, "And he won''t be sending his own people, of course." There''s no question there, anyone they would be likely to send would want to bring their pokemon¡ªwith pokeballs¡ªand would make a huge deal out of the laws here. I continue my words, now in a mocking tone with a thick Johto accent, ¡°I can¡¯t hand their balls over to the rangers, I¡¯ll keep them out while I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll be able to handle five trained pokemon by myself, sir. It''ll be easy.¡±

    His chuckling makes it clear that he¡¯s also seen the recording I''m quoting. "Yeah, like that," He says once he''s done laughing.

    The laws in Almia are very clear on certain points regarding pokemon, wild or otherwise. Specifically, their rights. No pokeballs, no training of pokemon¡ªasterisk¡ªand a basic respect for decency, self-determination, and environmental protection. Not that trained pokemon complain all that much, it''s closer to an extremely well-paid adventure than anything else for them. No, the laws around pokeballs here were made to prevent things like shoving them in a pokeball as a punishment, or locking their ball and throwing it away. Those about training are more about the sport of it, the betting, and the lack of respect treating them as fighters can lead to, and the big one, to prevent treating them like weapons.

    Anyway, no one gets in trouble if Bob, Phil, and their companions decide to have a friendly match once in a while.

    Unless said match gets out of hand and we get called about it. Again. But that¡¯s usually more for damages than anything else.

    ¡°Who even showed you that?¡± Barry asks.

    "The port officer, what was his name¡­ Richter? He showed me last Autumn when we were dealing with the massive pelipper migration." There''s silence for a bit as I continue walking, then a thought hits me, "Hey, do you know if that guy ever got through customs?" I ask.

    "Yeah, you remember that forest fire south of Pueltown? He was training his quilava in the woods." Barry answers, and I can hear the edge of a laugh in his voice, ¡°He got tracked down by one of the big-shots, poor guy got a very hard and swift education about rangers before being sent home.¡±

    I wince at that. There¡¯s a reason it takes so long to become a ranger, and why they¡¯re so selective to begin with. That thought makes me look behind myself to my partner, Sneasel. I hadn¡¯t even graduated when we met, and she helped me push through. She looks back for a moment, then grins wide.

    Oh no, she usually doesn¡¯t look like that unless¡­ I smack the side of my face full force into a small tree and tumble landing face up, staring at her.

    ¡°got distracted by Sneasel again?¡± I hear from my left side.

    ¡°Kind of,¡± I reply, getting to my feet and picking up the radio. ¡°I was thinking back to school.¡±

    Sneasel snickers to herself, but walks up and hugs me to take the edge off, I feel better instantly.

    "Ah, good times," says Barry over the radio.

    "Maybe for you, I was on the ranger track," I grumble back, resuming my hike.

    "Uh-huh, and you were lucky for it." He replies indignantly. "All I had to study were technical skills and boring law, you got to do all the fun courses.¡± I know he¡¯s just teasing me, this is very familiar conversational ground.

    ¡°I also had to study a lot more than you, remember?¡± I reply evenly. I can see the cabin now.

    And it''s true, a ranger requires knowledge of pokemon habitats, biology, and psychology on par with most budding professors. Though with significantly more emphasis on practical application.

    And a lot of physical conditioning.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re at the place, go do your thing miss hero.¡± he mocks before the speaker goes silent.

    "If I have to calm them down you''re buying me pizza, the good stuff from Paoulo''s," I growl into the dead line.

    Which is a real concern. Ghosts share some things in common with both psychic and dark-types, in that they interact with thought and emotions on a more real level, even making R.E.D¡¯s sometimes have strange effects.

    I was still at the ranger academy when some Kanto professor proved that the now former mystic type was, in fact, three distinct types. Consequently, they¡¯re also considered the least understood types of pokemon, and those pokemon make for the easiest or the hardest jobs with no in-between.

    Their powers just aren¡¯t understood well enough yet, though we are starting to get a handle on it. Psychics building invisible mazes or altering someone''s perception of an event, dark-types blending into the world around themselves without effort and seeming to grow stronger with pain, rage, fear, and so on¡ªI¡¯ve personally seen Sneasel meltdown, it¡¯s quite the sight. And there are, of course, far too many urban legends and myths about ghosts to even begin going through, and most seem to have no basis in reality given how rare ghost-types truly are.

    Now, while we don¡¯t know much for certain about ghost-types, and even less about so-called ¡®true ghost-types,¡¯ what we know about the ¡®true ghosts¡¯ is that they eat emotions. Usually just the extremes, or maybe excess would be the better word. But, they can eat actively and that¡¯s typically bad for whoever they¡¯re feeding on. Luckily for anyone who happens to run into a ghost-type, the only times they seem to do this is either when they¡¯re really starving or very, very angry.

    I wait a moment longer and when there¡¯s still no response from Barry I swap my radio from operator to idle. Sighing, I march up to the front door and look at Sneasel.

    She¡¯s focused now, looking around the front of the building before stepping inside. She does a little spin in place, sniffs the air, then nods at me.

    Ghost confirmed. She makes my job so much easier.

    ¡°Are they here right now?¡± I ask her. She shakes her head. ¡°Would they be getting enough to eat here?¡± A raised eyebrow, then a shrug. Fair enough. ¡°You think they¡¯ve been angry?¡± I ask.

    "Snee~," she says, equivocating with one hand before she starts looking around. She puts on a serious expression, places one hand on her hip, and brings the other up to her chin. Then she walks to the back, through the door, and out of sight. A moment later, she returns, still in that same pose with the same look on her face, then she shrugs.

    ¡°Think we should wait?¡± I ask my partner. She shrugs again, my choice then. ¡°If they''re not angry it should be fine, and you should be able to get us out if things go bad," I say as I sit cross-legged on the floor and pull out the ultimate stakeout boredom killer, my pack of cards. Making Sneasel clap excitedly.

    ***

    Sometime later, our fun is interrupted.

    "Ranger Surn to Ranger Ryuko, Confirm?" squawks my radio. Sounding tense and forgetting to use my family name, so it''s probably bad.

    "Confirmed," I say to my radio.

    "At least three combee hives are swarming just south of the Loel Cliffs, I''ve counted eight vespiquen so far." her voice is flat, probably forcing herself to stay calm. I start a bit and feel Sneasel tense up next to me.

    The east end of the Leol Cliffs is about two meters away from me right now.

    That¡¯s bad, really bad. But I need to conform to ranger-to-ranger radio standards. Straightening myself I respond. "Acknowledged. Do you need backup?"

    It takes a full minute before she responds and the silence starts to feel heavier the longer it stretches. Then, actually calm now, ¡°Negative, the situation appears to be multiple queen ascensions rather than hive combat. Advise avoiding the area for at least four days.¡±

    Now relaxing a bit I give the standard sign-off. ¡°Acknowledged. Confirm?¡±

    ¡°Confirmed.¡± and my radio goes silent again.

    ¡°Snea, sneas?¡± comes a worried voice to my right.

    Giving her a scratch behind the ears, I say as reassuringly as I can, "It''ll be fine, there''s no reason to get involved with them right now." She preens a bit, then looks morosely at our former house of cards. "Sorry about that. It''s hard not to be shocked by that kind of news." She bobbles her head a bit before looking out the sliding door. it¡¯s getting darker out there.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I didn¡¯t bring supplies for an overnight. And though we could do one if needed, we probably shouldn¡¯t.

    I stand and stretch before speaking into my radio, ¡°Barry, it¡¯s getting late and we don¡¯t have supplies for overnight. I¡¯m requesting permission to return to base for now.¡±

    The radio remains silent for about half a minute before I get a response. ¡°Permission granted, come on back.¡±

    Okay, now to check on Marshal before then. Strictly speaking¡­ I shouldn¡¯t, but it¡¯s not even a secret that every ranger has friends they visit while out on the job. The operators will mark the time, and they might even triangulate my location, but they all know already.

    Because every ranger does it.

    Not with Marshal specifically, I¡¯m the only one at the Vien Forest west base who visits her, but with their own friends, there¡¯s a leafeon around here that Maya visits whenever she gets the chance, and I know the shinx Karlos took home to his family recently was one of the alpha luxray¡¯s, though I¡¯d bet the fuzzy softie practically had to force Karlos to take him.

    But the river alpha has a strong personality, and she doesn''t mesh well with my co-workers or their partners.

    I think she¡¯s fun.

    I look at Sneasel and see her grin, she knows where we''re going now. I can''t help my own smile either, it''s been almost three weeks since we''ve been out this way and Marshal''s going to be happy to see us, too.

    Leaving the cabin and turning west, we start heading for the almost invisible path between the cabin and the lake. As we approach, however, something becomes extremely obvious about the path: It''s been trampled down as if something big was using it recently.

    Now looking for tracks, it becomes clear exactly who''s been walking it. Huge floatzel tracks run in both directions on the trail.

    One of the reports was about panicked buizel.

    Sighing, I mentally put myself back on the job, unhook my radio, switch its mode, and start speaking, "Update on the quest Barry, Marshal''s been coming and going from the cabin, looks like about three or four times."

    ¡°The panicked buizels.¡± He states, putting it together as fast as I did. ¡°It makes sense, that old building is right next to her main territory. Think she scared the ghost off then?¡±

    That¡¯s not an unreasonable assumption. If she thought the other pokemon was threatening her pup or her territory she would chase them off, after all, there aren¡¯t many that can stand up to an alpha. Not that many would try in any case, alphas being a major source of stability for any area.

    ¡°Maybe. Can¡¯t assume anything with her.¡± I say. The line goes dead again, so I stretch and begin the short hike towards the eponymous Lake Marshal, Sneasel practically bouncing along behind me while my thoughts drift now to my other friend.

    The giant is rather famous, and keeping idiotic trainers away from her for their own good is how we met. Most people are smart enough to leave an almost three-meter, five-hundred-kilo, wild pokemon alone. Really, who in their right mind thinks sneaking a pokeball into Almia is a good idea in the the first place? Even if it could contain an alpha, no alpha is going to obey a trainer.

    And it was so strange seeing pictures of Marshal as a buizel after that, and not just her going from a normal, unassuming, extra adorable buizel to the force of nature she is now.

    It''s that the backgrounds of all the photos show how bad it was back then before the Rangers were established.

    I don¡¯t think most people even think about the time before the Ranger Union, or more likely, the League, anymore.

    Enough of that kind of thinking, it¡¯s history for a reason. Back to the quest at hand, tease Marshal about how cute she was once I¡¯m done working.

    It isn¡¯t a long walk, maybe five minutes at a brisk hike and I can see the lake through the trees.

    Sneasel, of course, doesn''t bother waiting for me and leaps onto one of the last ice sheets left, and it visibly expands when she does. There''s a moment of stillness, then right on cue the small iceberg she''s made is launched a good ten meters up. Sneasel remains undaunted, however, and I can hear her chittering laughter as she starts to come back down, landing in the lake.

    I have something else to focus on now though, as the culprit of Sneasel¡¯s aerial adventure lands in front of me, cracking the earth and shaking the trees around us.

    It''s Marshal, of course, hands on hips and giving me a fake suspicious glare as she begins to stomp towards me.

    ¡°Hey Marsh, I nee-¡± Is all I get out before the giant of a pokemon is giving me a massive hug. ¡°Yeah I-¡± And then she starts nuzzling my face for good measure, definitely not purposefully interrupting me again. ¡°Look-¡± She starts licking me and that just has me laughing now. ¡°Okay, I get it! Let go!¡± I manage to gasp out once she lets me push her face away. When she does finally let me go I straighten up and put on my work face and see her expression fall a bit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this Marshal, we¡¯ll be able to hang out soon, but I¡¯m on the job right now. That cabin just east of here, the one you¡¯ve been visiting, I know there was a ghost-pokemon in there and I need to know what you did with them.¡±

    Marshal blinks at me for a moment, then turns and points south to where her garden entrance is.

    Following her webbed finger, I see a pokemon I¡¯m going to tentatively Identify as a misdreavus staring back at me.

    They¡¯re¡­ not that large, maybe twenty-five or thirty centimeters in height, so smaller than other sightings. They''re eyes glow, brighter than I''ve read about, and without pushing through the miasmic fog all true ghost-types seem to possess, so they can¡¯t be too young since they''re holding it back. The colors are off from the few photos we have of misdreavus so far, more blue than the green or gray of the photos. And the texture I can see moving under their paper-thin skin like liquid fire is just¡­ Pictures just can¡¯t do that justice.

    But of course, she adopted them, what else would she have done? Acted in a predictable manner? Not the Marsh I know. No sir.

    "Give me just a minute," I say to the lady-of-all-things-wet as I raise my radio. Before I can start reporting, however, a voice comes through.

    ¡°Just letting you know Onaga, my shift¡¯s ending soon. Francois''s catching up on coms right now," says Barry. Well, he can deal with a bit more before that.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got eyes on the ghost, Barry. Misdreavus, brighter coloration, no miasma, assuming one to two months in age given their size, control, and recency.¡± When I stop speaking Marshal starts chuckling at me. "What?" I ask. "Was I wrong about anything?" At that, she raises her hands and holds up five fingers. "Five Months?" That''s unlikely but not impossible, we could have missed the ghost if they were keeping to themselves. But she shakes her head. Um, ¡°Five days?¡± She nods.

    I look back to the misdreavus, they''ve drifted a bit closer now, eyes moving between Marshal and myself. The control of miasma isn''t something that''s been observed in true ghosts until a month at least, and the size may just be because we''ve never seen a misdreavus this young before. Professor Rowan is going to push harder once he hears about it now, and Marshal has evidently taken a liking to the ghost¡­ Well, whoever he sends will just have to learn fast.

    ¡°Misser¡­¡± says a voice that makes my bones itch. The voice sounds far away and resonant, it''s creepy, and it sounds like my oma¡¯s old ghost stories, the ones that always ended with Opa saving her.

    I glance at the source and it is the misdreavus, now only around two meters from me, slightly behind Marshal. So I glare at the floatzel¡¯s smirking face instead, ¡°Are you taking care of them?¡± The big pokemon thinks about it for a moment before shrugging at me, so probably not mothering them at least. ¡°You know something about them though, don¡¯t you.¡± I accuse.

    That makes her lean down, and now smiling mischievously say, ¡°Tze¡¯ ell~¡± Even I can tell that¡¯s an ¡®Of course, dummy.¡¯

    Sighing, I decide to just ask the most important question, and then Sneasel and I will be able to just relax with her for a bit. If I can call the quest complete, of course. "Are they disrupting anything anymore? Any problems we need to address soon?" That makes Marshal think for a few seconds before she shakes her massive head. Thank her tales, we can just hang out with Marshal now. One last call to base. ¡°Barry, are you still on or am I talking to Francois now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re both here.¡± I hear Francois say. ¡°Changing over in two minutes.¡±

    Barry¡¯s still the active operator then. ¡°Okay Barry, Marshal doesn¡¯t anticipate any more problems right now and the misdreavus seems calm at the moment. Requesting permission to return to base.¡±

    His response is immediate, "Permission granted, don''t be out too much longer okay?" He''s right, it''s getting darker quickly now, and going overnight in the woods without supplies is never pleasant, for me at least. But Marshal will give us a ride close to base if I ask, so I''ll be fine. Though Sneasel would love it if we stayed.

    And thinking of the little shadow-spawn, I look past The wall of muscle in front of me to see what she''s managed in the short few minutes I was doing actual work.

    Well, that''s just adorable. She''s made an ice slide, and both she and Marshal¡¯s pup are taking turns flying into the lake with it.

    Sneasel¡¯s gotten a lot stronger recently, and I¡¯ve noticed her sharpening her claws more, so she¡¯ll probably be evolving soon. That thought has me groaning, I¡¯ll need to re-register her, and since she¡¯ll be an evolved adult I¡¯ll also need to start filing monthly safety and care reports.

    Although¡­ I¡¯ll probably be able to convince her to apply for citizenship, a bit less paperwork for me, and she is aware of the luxuries that come with the taxes after all. And Sneasel would immediately have a paying job with the rangers as my partner as well¡­ Hmm, I¡¯ll have to talk to her about it when I can find the time for it, my next off cycle probably. Or maybe ton-

    Marshal¡¯s giving me a funny look now, I just shake my head to clear it before I let myself smile. ¡°Enough thinking about work, time to relax.¡± I declare while walking closer to the lake. Then I stop to look for the misdreavus one more time. They¡¯re gone, vanished without a trace. Not surprising for a ghost really, they could be right next to any of us and the only one who could tell would be Sneasel.

    Oh well, guess I should-

    Marshal''s picking me up. "Oh no.¡± I manage, before she tosses me at the lake.

    I don¡¯t give her the satisfaction of a scream as I splash into the almost freezing-cold water, it''s not like her throwing me in was completely unexpected, and I was coming in anyway. I do glare at her as she cuts through the water to get to me though.

    Once she reaches me I start climbing onto her, ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait for me to take my heavier clothes off first?¡± Her response is a roll of the eyes. She knows I enjoyed that, the observant boat.

    As I make myself comfortable, Marshal starts moving us towards the river mouth into the lake, already knowing I need to be closer to civilization soon. I hadn¡¯t even asked her about it.

    I wave goodbye to Sneasel, knowing I¡¯ll see her tonight once she makes her own way back, and she waves to me, smiling like a kid at Winterveil.

    "Sorry I can''t stay longer, I''ll have some ''free'' time in a few days to come visit, it''s just that we''re understaffed this year and all the rangers in the forest have been busy preparing for spring migrations, and tourists.¡± I can¡¯t help but practically spit that last word, and Marshal''s face scrunches up as well.

    Tourism is, frankly, a good thing for Almia as a whole, even if all the rangers and alphas hate it. It does bring in a lot of money after all. As one of the few countries that¡¯s still mostly undeveloped land people flock here to see it in the Spring since most of Almia is technically a nature reserve. Technically. But all those people who¡¯ve never set foot in truly wild places¡ªwhich is anyone not a dedicated trainer¡ªtend to assume all pokemon are the more docile kind you see nearer to civilization. That¡¯s not the vast majority of Almia or even Sienna as a whole. Most places in this province have only ever been seen by the pokemon who live there, with good reason. Even if the pokemon closer to the cities are used to us, those in the far reaches may never have even seen a human before.

    The next two months are always awful.

    Crossing my arms on Marshal¡¯s head, I sigh, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to talk about work, How have you been since I last saw you?¡±

    ¡°Tzelltzel!¡± She says, smiling brightly.

    I¡¯ve heard of people who can understand what pokemon say, old myths, legends about great heroes, even some modern anecdotes from trainers who¡¯ve spent their whole lives with them, and of course, my oma. I can¡¯t help but envy them because I''ve never been all that great at it. Mood and intent? I could read those in my sleep because if I couldn''t I would not have been allowed to stay on the ranger track. But understanding meaning is something all rangers dream of.

    ¡°How¡¯s Buizel? Besides getting scared by that misdreavus I mean. He looks healthy, he¡¯s got to be mostly grown by now.¡±

    My noble steed sighs into the water as she begins to pick up speed now that we¡¯re in the main river, tails spinning faster and faster. ¡°Floatle, zel¡­ float," she says, sounding melancholic.

    ¡°He has grown up fast, hasn¡¯t he. At least you have another one already," I joke. And she snorts at that. ¡°But, you know, Buizel¡¯s still not as cute as you were!~¡± I tease, adding as much sweetness to my voice as I can stand while I rub one of her massive ears. That starts her grumbling, then she dives for a moment, soaking me through again and making us both laugh once she resurfaces. ¡°Yeah, I deserved that. I still maintain you were adorable as a buizel, though.¡± I see her roll her eyes at that, but her smile¡¯s grown as well.

    ¡°How are you and Luxray doing?¡± I ask, only mildly teasing this time. Her response is a hum and a rolling of her shoulders, she doesn¡¯t seem agitated though, so they¡¯re probably getting along right now. ¡°Buizel is one of his right?¡± I ask, I genuinely can''t remember. She nods and hums into the water again, sounding more like an engine than a floatzel for a moment.

    Then she moves a hand and splashes me with an expectant look. After I clear the water from my eyes I start trying to puzzle out her meaning. ¡°You want¡­ guy-talk?¡¯¡± I ask her. It fits the context, at least. She gives me a shrug. I sigh, ¡°Yeah, no. I¡¯ve got nothing for you, sorry. I''m not looking, and most people are too intimidated to try for me." I can¡¯t help a chuckle, ¡°I grow a spine, get out of Kanto, get into shape, and it turns out I don¡¯t care.¡±

    My mount nods while eying me more intensely than usual, but otherwise seems content to let me decide what comes next. That¡¯s fine, I know what will make her happy to hear me talk about. ¡°So with it being spring again, some of the berry and flower shops around Vientown might have some new varieties I could bring you." That does perk her up a bit, so I continue to make small talk at her and she continues to smile as we make our way closer, North of the forest¡¯s base.

 Chapter 5

    Whoever that person was that Marshal sailed away with, they were not a trainer. The woman had vaguely Japanese¡ªif that¡¯s even the right word anymore¡ªfeatures, green eyes, and hair so dark red it was almost black. She was also maybe five-foot-six and jacked, even under her heavy clothes I could see the muscle definition.

    She''d been wearing an open-fronted, long-sleeved, red utility jacket with a shield-shaped badge, a black button-up, some kind of black undershirt, red-highlighted black pants, a utility belt with a lot of things hanging off of it, what looked like brown combat boots, and a red, flat-topped, military-style cap with an insignia that I didn''t recognize, but there were no pokeballs in sight.

    Her clothes had obviously been a uniform of some kind, what with the shield badge, radio, belt, chevrons on the sleeves, and hat. But the woman also left me with several questions and a problem.

    To start with the problem, she¡¯s currently playing with Buizel and keeping an eye on me while I¡¯m invisible. I don¡¯t think the sneasel in question can actually see me, but she¡¯s tracking me accurately enough. More concerning is the fact that she''s nearly invisible to my ghost-sight. The only reason I can even attempt to see her is depth perception, she''s effectively solid black against a black backdrop but in a place without light, so she''s not so much ''invisible'' as just extremely hard to make out. And it¡¯s now the second time I¡¯ve seen someone have a color I actually recognize in this weird space.

    The first was the woman who brought the sneasel here, she¡¯d been very bright white.

    She had also been reporting on me through her radio, and if I heard her right I¡¯m the reason she came out here at all. I really hope all my screaming doesn¡¯t bring any more trouble, I didn¡¯t mean it, honest.

    And the radio¡ªI think¡ªconfirms my distance translation theory. It also highlights a problem I had first noticed when I saw the sign posted by Marshal''s grove, which is that I don''t know the languages here. What I heard over the radio sounded, well, vaguely Japanese, though it definitely wasn¡¯t. At least I can understand humans, I assume for the same unknown reason I can understand pokemon now, but I can¡¯t read at all. Which means I have to learn to speak and read again because fuck not talking to people when they can talk to me.

    Back to the sneasel. She seems friendly, not that I¡¯ve met a truly hostile pokemon yet, and Marshal let her play with Buizel. She still unnerves me, not only is she practically invisible to my new senses, but she''s not shedding any emotions at all and the few floating emotions near her are just¡­ flowing around her rather than being pulled in the way I¡¯ve seen others do now.

    The best way I can describe her physically is a bipedal, roundish, black weasel-cat-thing with gray highlights, an asymmetrical red feather ear, fucking three red feather-tails, two strange, crystalline nubs in her forehead and chest, gold eyes, and weirdly sharp, two-clawed hands.

    I think I¡¯m just going to stay phased out while I wait for Marshal to get back.

    ¡°Hey.¡± A voice in the silence says. Fuck, of course she can talk here.

    I sigh and phase back to reality before replying, ¡°Yes?¡± There¡¯s no point pretending I can¡¯t hear her.

    "Do you really eat emotions?" ¡­That''s what she''s asking?

    "Yeah, but I''d rather not talk about that right now," I say. Please don''t make this any worse.

    Her reply is rather simple, "Okay, you want to join us?" Huh, I don''t know what to make of that except that I need to internalize the fact that the people here seem genuinely friendly.

    I consider it, she basically made a pool slide and those are always fun but¡­ "I don''t think I can, gravity doesn''t seem to affect me anymore." Not unless I consciously make it affect me, anyway. "And I don''t think I weigh enough."

    She cocks her head at that, "Gravity?"

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what gravity is?¡± I ask her, not believing for a moment that she doesn¡¯t.

    She puts a dramatic hand to her chin, thoughtfully, before dropping it and shrugging, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not worth trying to mess with you like that, yet. Does it genuinely not affect you?" I see, she''s an actor, a jokester even. I hope she doesn''t try to pull too many on me.

    ¡­Why does she seem familiar?

    ¡°I have to focus for it to affect me, and-¡± I drift downward a moment, ¡°-That¡¯s about as fast as I can fall,¡± I say.

    She looks at the slide and then back to me a few times. "Yeah, alright. But what if one of us carried you?¡± I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d miss tasting emotions so much, because I can¡¯t tell if anything she¡¯s doing is real or if she¡¯s messing with me.

    I decide to change the subject instead, ¡°Who was that, the person Marshal carried off?¡± I ask.

    Sneasel blinks a few times before answering. ¡°That¡¯s R- Onaga, my best friend. My companion.¡± She pauses after that, tapping her claws together. ¡°She s- She¡¯s the best human I¡¯ve ever met, and I¡¯ve been with her six years now.¡± Onaga sounds Japanese as well, my list of uni- multiversal questions just keeps growing.

    ¡°She¡¯s not your trainer?¡± I ask. Curious to finally get an answer about training.

    She cocks her head for a moment, before saying, "Training is illegal in Almia." There''s a region where training is illegal? That- That¡¯s a good thing, right? And, I mean, if anything big happened here the name would be vaguely familiar, wouldn¡¯t it?

    But then again, how many games were released since I last played? Or is it the show that matters?

    And Sneasel is looking at me suspiciously now, "Where are you from?" Shit, a region I''ve never heard of and a question I doubt she''ll let me dodge.

    Do I still try to not answer? Fuck it, might as well go with the one I remember most, maybe get some information. "Unova," I say, and her face scrunches up.

    ¡°How¡¯d you get all the way over here? that¡¯s practically the other side of the world.¡± comes her enlightening question. The other side of the world huh? At least I can recognize one of the regions then, and hopefully more as well.

    Time for another omission. "I just kind of¡­ woke up here," I say.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t teleport or anything, just ¡®poof¡¯ and woke up here?¡± She says, disbelief evident in her voice.

    Well if she''s going to keep pushing I''ll just say it then, "I died." She goes quiet.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she finally says, voice small. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bring that up, I didn¡¯t even think about¡­ that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s-¡± I pause thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not fine, but you didn¡¯t mean to, so no hard feelings.¡± She nods, quiet again after the apparent faux pas.

    After a minute it¡¯s Buizel who ends up breaking the silence, ¡°Are you going to stop with the slide now?¡± That makes Sneasel start chuckling, and I join her, the two ¡®adults¡¯ taking the chance to break the tension.

    She keeps chuckling, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Even if Float-Face over there won''t join, we can still have our fun.¡±

    ¡­Holy shit, something''s been eating at me about her, and I just realized what it was. She reminds me of Roxxann. Shit, I might even be able to get along with her.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    "Waterway Express, huh?" Asks Barry as I enter the station still dripping wet.

    "Marsh tossed me into the lake, not much point trying to stay dry after that," I say. He just shakes his head.

    Barry''s not a bad-looking guy, he''s Unovan, strong-jawed, blue-haired, always has a five-o''-clock shadow, and tall like most Unovans. The only thing betraying him is his gut.

    ¡°When does Karlos want my written report? Because he¡¯s not getting it tonight.¡± I say. I¡¯m not budging on that point.

    "End of the week he said, so you''ve got a couple of days. How was the ''Break¡¯?" He asks.

    ¡°It was nice,¡± I say while stretching, dripping even more water on the floor. ¡°Great to be out of endless meetings and planning sessions, I really needed it. Anything new on the student programs?¡±

    ¡°Still only Francois, we¡¯re just too small to spare some ranger students this year.¡± He stops talking for a moment, but I know that look.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask, getting it over with.

    ¡°What was the ghost like? Not- I mean, in person.¡± He asks. I guess that¡¯s a fair question.

    Where to start though? ¡°Honestly? The pictures and descriptions don¡¯t do them justice, I can''t do them justice. It was like¡­ well, a ghost story, you know? I could see them but they didn''t seem real, the light around them kind of shifted a bit, and it was like they had fire and water under their skin. Also, their voice was spooky, just saying," I tell him.

    "And you didn''t take a camera?" He whines. Oh Kimetsune¡¯s tails, Barry.

    "We''re going to be seeing more of them, Barry, It''s practically guaranteed that Rowan''s study gets approved, and we both know I''m going to need to walk out there again after some tourist makes them angry,¡± I say, mostly calm except for ¡®tourist.¡¯ Seriously they are hell.

    ¡°Okay, geez, it¡¯s just¡­ ghost, you know?¡± He says. And yeah, I know. But come on Barry, whining? ¡°Also we¡¯ve been pre-approved to call the runners for the tourist season, so you won¡¯t be the one walking.¡± He reveals. That¡¯s a massive time save for us, so I nod at him, acknowledging the news.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°How¡¯s Francois doing?¡± I ask, changing the subject as I begin heading for the showers.

    Barry starts smiling at that, ¡°He¡¯s great, a bit green obviously, but that¡¯ll pass.¡± he says.

    "And Karlos put the newbie on the night shift," I observe.

    Barry snorts, ¡°Easy shift more like, but I get it, ease him into real work. Not like we get many midnight missions here.¡±

    "Did he say when he''ll put the kid on day duty?" I ask as we reach the showers.

    ¡°Day after tomorrow. Katie will be shadowing him and it will be you and Karlos in the field.¡± He replies.

    I nod and step into the barracks locker room, Barry staying outside like the gentleman he is. He could follow me in to keep talking, it''s not like there could be a rule against it when most bases have a single shower room. But Barry also didn''t go through the Death Weeks on the ranger track and is still bashful about certain things.

    I can hear water running, which is probably Maya, and looking into the shower hall confirms it. The Sinnoh native gives me a glance and a half nod when she sees me.

    And I do mean Sinnoh native, with her rich golden-brown skin, large red eyes, curly black hair, and stout figure, Maya Surn is a dead-ringer for one of the remaining Celestica people.

    Undressing, I hang my jacket, hat, boots, and belt up outside my locker before folding the rest onto the bench and stepping into the showers myself.

    ¡°So, Prime decided to unite the hives, did she?¡± I ask as I turn my own shower-head on.

    ¡°Holy Sinnoh, you have no idea how scary that was, one moment I¡¯m wondering why all the grass-types were worked up, and the next I¡¯m surrounded by combee. And all that buzzing¡­¡± She trails off, shaking her head at the thought. ¡°I know Prime would never let her hive hurt us without reason, but it wasn¡¯t just her hive there. Though with her hive having five- maybe nine vespiquen now, I doubt the other four even tried to fight it.¡± She pauses to rinse her face before she looks at me and asks, ¡°Barry said you actually saw a ghost?¡±

    ¡°Yep, how much do you want to bet one of us gets called out to save a tourist when they make them angry?¡± I ask, enjoying the hot water for a moment.

    "I don''t take sucker bets." She says lightly, shutting her own water off and heading for the lockers. "Though I''ll put cleaning duty on us not getting to put a warning sign down before they hurt someone." She calls from the lockers.

    "I don''t take sucker bets either," I call back. Making her laugh, though there isn''t much humor in it.

    Marshal had roughed up five tourists before the rangers were allowed to put signs by her grove to warn people off, that¡¯s without mentioning her older exploits. And Luxray had killed an extremely stupid man who kept trying to touch the thunder-alpha¡¯s kits before we could stake warning signs around his little valley. The moment people catch wind that there¡¯s a ghost they¡¯re going to swarm that cabin out there, and I¡¯ll give it a week at most before someone gets hurt. At least with a sign, we can say they were warned and then enforce it if they decide to still ignore that warning.

    I hear the door open and then close as Maya leaves and decide to speed my showering up. Quickly soaping, scrubbing, and rinsing I''m out in under eight minutes. Now wearing civvies, I make my way to the small kitchen just off our equally small lounge. As I enter I see Barry, Maya, Katie, and Emil all already eating dinner. Karlos must still be in his office, then.

    ¡°Who cooked tonight, Katie or Emil?¡± I ask, grabbing a folding chair as I do.

    ¡°Emil.¡± The blonde Unovan, Katie, says. ¡°He¡¯s just better at it. And I want to relax since I finally have a day off.¡±

    ¡°You always flatter me, am¨¦." Says the tanned Kalosian man, displaying a blinding smile as always. "And tonight is chicken stuffed tomatoes with gogoat cheese salad and fresh pecha juice." Sweet gods the man should have been a chef, his cooking is always a highlight on his base-days and we''re so lucky to have him here.

    ¡°Where did you get chicken of all things? Did a ship come in recently that I missed?¡± I ask, finally sitting down.

    He nods, "Yes, at the Chicole port, and I managed to convince Karlos to acquire not only chicken, but pork, and six chicken eggs too. We should have enough to last till Autumn, if we ration." He says, still smiling. "I intend to bake a cake with the eggs though," he adds warningly. As if any of us would stop him.

    Food imports are rare indeed, and the meat is always welcome with Almia¡¯s¡ªSienna''s as a whole, really¡ªlack of meat farms. Dairy? Sure. Fish? Within certain regulations. Eggs? So long as you aren''t squeamish and don''t mind the large sizes, there are plenty of eggs. But real meat, the kind most people would think of, we need to import. And I¡¯m sure a good piece of the budget for the next few months went towards buying us that meat. Although I¡¯d bet all Emil had to say was that he¡¯d be the one cooking it and Karlos said yes immediately.

    Although, where I grew up, eating pokemon meat was both cheap and extremely common.

    Our gracious chef soon has a plate in front of me, and it not only smells but looks delicious. After thanking Emil I dig in, hungry as always after a day in the field. By Her tails, the food is good, Emil clearly having put his heart into it with real meat to work with.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d Marshal treat you?¡± Emil asks innocently as I finish my plate.

    I look at him suspiciously, that''s plainly not what he wants to know, but I answer anyway. "She was happy to see me, less happy when it was work-related, she tossed me into her lake," I tell him. He nods, it was very Marshal-like behavior.

    "I heard there was a ghost at the lake too?" He asks, tone still just as innocent.

    That has me glaring at Barry while the man himself fixes his gaze on the ceiling, "Is everyone going to ask about that?" I inquire to the table.

    ¡°Hey, I only asked if it was true!¡± Maya defends herself, and I raise my hands placatingly. She¡¯s right after all.

    ¡°You¡¯re the first one here to see a ghost am¨¦, Maya and I may be seeing them soon enough, but we¡¯re still curious.¡± He says. Katie nodding her head the whole time.

    Then the woman speaks up, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to ask, just so you know.¡± I sigh, deflating a bit.

    "Okay, yeah. Marshal seems to like the ghost enough to let them see her garden, so they''re probably friendly, but it was getting dark and I mostly didn''t interact with them. Sneasel should be able to give me a better idea of their disposition when she gets back.¡± I tell them all.

    ¡°Good,¡± Emil starts, walking towards the oven ¡°Now m¨° ani¨¦s, how about seconds, hmm?¡± He finishes as he brings out a new tray of tomatoes. That lifts the mood as we all tiredly cheer him on.

    ***

    After dinner, as we¡¯re all settling into our bunks, Sneasel returns, happy as can be. She promptly hops onto our bed, pats me on the head, and collapses in a heap, seemingly already asleep.

    Maya and Lerp¡ªyes, the turtwig named himself that¡ªboth chuckle at my partner''s typical behavior as they look up from their book, While Emil and Piplup just smile at it, and Karlos just snorts as he¡¯s still going over papers with Gabite. The operators are already asleep, having less stamina than we rangers.

    ¡°Not going to say anything huh?¡± I ask the very much awake pokemon, poking the side of her face as I do. She doesn¡¯t respond, so I¡¯ll just ask her tomorrow. Actually¡­

    I look at the clock on the far wall, seeing that it¡¯s only twenty-two-fifteen I poke her again, ¡°Hey, we need to talk about your evolution.¡±

    ¡°Sneea¡­¡± She sighs out, unfolding her tangled limbs and sitting back up. I gesture towards Karlos as he looks up at us.

    ¡°This is going to need the office, isn''t it.¡± He more states than asks, and I nod. He nods back and stands, gesturing to the barracks door for us to proceed.

    A minute later we''re in his rather spartan office and Karlos is smacking the side of a beige tower while shaking his head, "For being the way of the future, paper sure seems to work faster most of the time." He comments, tapping his fingers on the desk. I just look around the office while we wait. He complains, but there is a significant amount less paper in here than last month, the bulky scanner to the side of his desk the obvious reason. The office is rather bare otherwise, filing cabinets line the walls and the desk has little more than two pens, some papers, and the computer on it, the lone indulgence being the brass nameplate with ¡®Karlos Monte ¨C Head Ranger, Vien Forest West¡¯ engraved on it resting at the front.

    ¡°There we go.¡± He says, hands moving to his keyboard as he types to bring something up. ¡°So, Sneasel¡¯s going to evolve soon?¡± He questions, eying the pokemon next to me. ¡°Yeah, I can see it. You¡¯ve been sharpening those?¡± He asks Sneasel while gesturing at her claws, she nods in response. ¡°Getting itchy I bet. So, once you evolve, staying as Onaga¡¯s partner takes a bit more paperwork, quite a bit more, just ask Gabite about it, let me tell you, and getting most of it done ahead of time will help. There''s also citizenship, which is more paperwork upfront, but it''ll come with other benefits and fewer things to file down the line." Now looking at me he asks, "Have you talked to her about any of this?"

    "I only just made the connection earlier today, I was going to talk to her on my next base-day, but I''m pretty sure she''ll have evolved by then," I tell him.

    He nods thoughtfully before looking back at Sneasel, ¡°Think you know what being an Almian citizen means?¡± She nods, and he continues, ¡°Good, if you don¡¯t want to become a citizen I¡¯d appreciate you telling us now.¡± He pauses, and Sneasel thinks for a moment before making a rolling motion with her left hand for him to continue. He sighs. ¡°On the other hand, if you choose to become a citizen and remain Onaga¡¯s partner you will be employed by the Ranger Union as a legal pokemon enforcer, with pay and future benefits. Onaga will also become your legal sponsor, though that could mean as much or as little as the two of you want it to." He leaves out that she could become a citizen and leave because a partner that''s stuck around as long as she has won''t even consider it anyway. Sneasel thinks a bit more and then looks at me for input.

    "Well¡­" I start, scratching the back of my head. "The pay means you''ll be able to buy yourself things instead of asking me, of course, though it does come with extra responsibilities and training." Sneasel rolls her eyes when I say training, but I continue, "It also comes with taxes, which while you work for the rangers are handled by the bursary but you will need to learn how to do them just in case, You''ll need a legal name, and you''ll need to abide by the law, but that shouldn''t be an issue." I need to stop and search my memory for a second, but I come up blank. "I''m not entirely certain what the benefits package is for pokemon," I say, shrugging.

    She seems to be thinking about it rather hard, and I find not just my own but Karlos¡¯ eyes drifting to the clock on the wall more than once as she does. After two-and-a-half minutes she finally seems to come to a decision.

    ¡°Sneasel?¡± she says, pointing at Karlos and making a chomping motion.

    ¡°You want to know what Gabite chose?¡± he asks. And when Sneasel nods I know exactly what her choice will be. ¡°He¡¯s still just my partner, he-¡±

    ¡°Snea, Snea!¡± Sneasel interrupts, hands reaching up to his desk and nodding her head furiously now.

    ¡°Uh¡­ ¡± He eloquently says before looking at me, ¡°Do you know what that means?¡±

    "She''s saying ''Yes, gimme!'' Right Sneasel?" I half-tell him, half-ask her. And Sneasel keeps nodding.

    Karlos looks at the clock again before sighing. ¡°Well that¡¯s not happening tonight, you two can go back to the barracks for the night, I¡¯m just going to start things off and make some notes before I hit the hay too.¡± He dismisses us.

    As soon as we''re out of his office I pick Sneasel up and hug her. "I hope you know what you''re in for, Sneasel," I tell her. "That''s not a small decision, and you can''t take it back."

    She pokes my nose, before giggling, ¡°Sneasel, sneasel.¡± While pointing at me.

    I set her down and we start walking back to bed. I open the barracks door as quietly as possible and step inside, Sneasel right behind me, and see that everyone else has settled in now. We silently make our way over to our bed and climb in, Sneasel laying on top of the blanket as I slide under the sheets. I¡¯m too excited to sleep easily, thoughts about my best friend swirling around my head as I lie there.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    My continued efforts to use Moves have been¡­ successful? I¡¯m not sure which move it is, but I¡¯m definitely using some kind of psychic thing. And after two days I think I¡¯ve finally got a handle on keeping the power low enough that it doesn¡¯t hurt me while still being able to move things around with it. Or, one thing, but still.

    Holy shit psychic powers are cool. They¡¯re also annoying to control, I can¡¯t just push or pull, lift or lower, no, I can shrink it, grow it, twist it, curve it, flatten it, ball it up, focus it, diffuse it, invert it, and turn it inside out. I can tell I''m getting better at it rather quickly, but I think I might be meant to.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    I¡¯m fairly certain control like this comes naturally to pokemon, even if I wasn¡¯t one before. That is to say, I¡¯m almost certain I have new instincts along with my old ones, but because I have old ones the new ones have kind of¡­ faded into the background with the old ones.

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like something messing with my head, it¡¯s closer to what I remember of puberty. ¡®Gasp, what do you mean I suddenly find girls attractive?¡¯ or ¡®Oh why yes, starting a fight for no reason sounds like a great idea to me!'' They''re just¡­ new urges. The only problem is that I spent more than thirty years learning to ignore most of my urges and now I need to sort through them.

    The results of listening to them have been fruitful so far, though.

    ¡°Hey Charlie, you with us?¡±

    I- uh¡­ what''s with the anxiety? Anyway, I''m pretty sure my cloud is what I use to scavenge more effectively, and I only figured it out when I listened to the desire to expand it while I was floating around the woods at night. It''s effectively a net at that point, catching emotions that are flying away from me, might just skim past my reach, or fling themselves out of orbit.

    Not that that''s the only thing it can do, and since controlling it felt so similar to whatever psychic thing I was doing I tried moving it the same way. And once I started fully listening to my instincts about how to move it, how to mold it, I- well I can make illusions now.

    The illusions aren¡¯t great, or even good, but I can do it. They don¡¯t work in sunlight, I still get that pins and needles feeling and I don¡¯t think I can do anything about that, but hey, superpowers. Neat.

    ¡°I swear you get creepier every time I see you.¡± Says Leafeon, making Grotle¡ªthe female¡ªchortle a bit, and snapping me mostly out of my thoughts.

    What was I- Right, my voice, as it turns out, can also be fed power. I haven¡¯t tried putting a lot into it because I can already get really loud. But I can do that too.

    ¡°And you get more sour.¡± I retort, making the leafy-fox-thing smirk, though the small jolt of fear is unexpected.

    Honestly, even two days later I''m still just riding the high from Sneasel telling me I won''t need to worry about trainers here, that let me relax enough to work all this out, even if she did mention tourists. But how bad can they really be?

 Chapter 6

    Not needing to sleep is starting to get to me. I mean, I''d realized it intellectually, but ten days without sleeping is definitely starting to mess with my perception of time. Instead of it being nine times I''ve woken up, now it''s just that I''ve seen the solar cycle nine times, I''ve only woken up once. I''m never ''physically'' tired anymore¡ªso long as I eat enough¡ªand mental and emotional exhaustion seem to pass on their own if I have the energy. It¡¯s¡­ strange, looking at the last week-and-a-bit of my maybe-life without sleep.

    I set down the mirror shard I was maneuvering into place and decide to stop for the¡­ day? Fuck it¡¯s so hard to keep track of time now.

    I''d groused about my mirror to Marshal, and while I don''t think she got why I liked it, she told me the best way to stick things back together that she knew of. You take a pecha and a rawst berry, mash them up thoroughly, add some water, mix, wait five minutes, and then apply it to whatever you want to stick. The stuff pretty much turns into purple epoxy, and I''m glad phasing out unstuck me.

    Looking at what I¡¯ve managed so far I feel pretty good about myself. The mirror is cracked all over and that¡¯s not something I can fix, some pieces of it were powdered by my psychic blast. But I can see myself in it again, and I¡¯ve only got about a quarter of it left to fix now.

    Drifting out to the main room, I notice that it¡¯s morning. Jesus, did I really spend that long in there?

    Floating over to my ¡®couch¡¯ I focus for a moment so that I fall into it. Hmm, maybe if I had some nails I could fix it enough to look like a couch again¡­ Meh, I¡¯ll think about it later.

    I''ve been focusing rather hard and using psychic power for a few hours, I also haven''t actually eaten in¡­ a day and a half, I think? So I''m getting that empty, hungry feeling again. But I¡¯m also feeling incredibly lazy, as well as bored. What a conundrum.

    Fine, I¡¯ll go talk to people for a bit.

    Rising out of my far too comfortable ¡®couch¡¯ I don¡¯t even bother using the door, instead floating straight through the wall, I¡¯ve gotten better with practice.

    Searching around gets me nowhere, the woods are strangely silent at the moment and it isn¡¯t until I start looking more east that I see why. Humans, dozens of them, stomping their way through the trees. These must be the tourists Sneasel mentioned- Holy shit it was last week, five days ago now.

    Anyway, They¡¯re evidently tourists, mostly rich looking, dressed in various bright colors, and wearing¡­ Uh, either they¡¯re all classic photography fans or I¡¯ve been lied to about the technology here. Fuck, some of them are carrying actual paper maps and I can¡¯t see a single cell phone anywhere.

    ¡°¨¹i¨¨! Sinca ¨¹n!" Says one of the least affluent-looking people, a teen girl, tapping what has to be her father on the arm and pointing at- Oh shit she''s pointing at me! I phase out quickly, not wanting them to follow me as I fly back to my cabin.

    Okay, I- uh, I¡­ Why were they so scary? I search my new instincts hoping to find the answer there, it takes a second to sort through what I''m feeling right now. I think¡­ Why do I want to scare them? Wow! Big help there, thanks.

    Maybe this is just me getting in my own head about this, I¡¯ve seen exactly one human since I got here and she just looked at me and left. This is probably my maybe unreasonable fear of being caught, isn''t it? Yeah, that sounds right, okay, just stay invisible and go watch them for a bit.

    Flying back out to where they were I need to stop and re-evaluate my senses, again. They''re all so¡­ dim. Compared to the ''Ranger'', Onaga, none of them even count as white, they''re more gray than anything, and their not-light isn¡¯t even enough to cover their bodies completely.

    ¡­That makes me uncomfortable for some reason, yet try as I might I can¡¯t find why. I¡¯m- I¡¯m going to shelve this for now, but it¡¯s definitely on my list of things to learn.

    I can''t hear what they''re saying in the all-consuming silence of this space, but I can still see their movements and taste the strangely large amounts of emotion they''re giving off. They''ve all huddled into a group with one off to the side who I think was wearing a simple uniform, looking and tasting exasperated. A few of the others turn to him, and, while I can¡¯t hear their words, I can tell they¡¯re asking him something. The man seems to shrug, but I get a distinct ¡®I just work here¡¯ vibe, both from how he shrugs and from the mix of emotions he¡¯s giving off. As I keep watching them the small bit of fear I had vanishes¡­ Right up until they start walking directly towards my house.

    It¡¯s not some kind of coincidence, they had been walking more south than west before and now they¡¯re on a direct path to my home. Fuck. Maybe Marshal has advice about them? May as well ask.

    Flying to her lake takes thirty seconds at this speed but when I get there she''s underwater. She and Buizel are spinning around each other about twenty feet down, clearly just enjoying their day. Well, time to try something new then, swimming. Also, uh, sorry in advance, Marshal.

    I would not be willing to do this if I had to breathe, that lake is scary deep. As I approach the water I notice my own glow for the first time, if only because it''s displacing Marshal''s ridiculous brightness in all that water. I ignore it for now though, I have an important question I need to ask. While I''m phased out I don''t need to push through the water and I reach their depth quickly. Now the uncertain part, I start phasing back in slowly, and¡­ Yep feels like the deep end of a pool but no other problems.

    I take a moment to watch them swimming while I eat, and that''s definitely some lazy joy I taste. Eventually, I speak, "Hey Marshal?" Oh, that¡¯s a lot of surprise. Marshal immediately has herself between me and Buizel but after realizing it¡¯s me she just rolls her eyes and starts swimming for the surface. Guess she can¡¯t talk underwater.

    The moment we breach she starts talking, "You just couldn''t help yourself, could ya?" She says, then shakes her head, "Didn''t realize ya could do that. So, what¡¯s so important right now?¡± She asks with a smile.

    I organize my thoughts before answering, ¡°So there are some tourists headed for¡­¡± I trail off at the look on her face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Peppier than a chesto.¡± She growls out. ¡°So they¡¯re here already huh? Headed this way?¡± Oh, I don¡¯t like her tone of voice.

    "¡­Yeah," I say, feeling very uncomfortable with the hatred she¡¯s putting off.

    She notices my discomfort and sighs, now knowing what I eat she probably has a good idea of what I¡¯m tasting right now. ¡°Sorry kid, none o¡¯ that is aimed at you. I just¡­¡± She trails off looking at me for a moment. ¡°You never had ta deal with them before.¡± She realizes out loud. And before I can respond she continues, ¡°Don¡¯t think o¡¯ them like normal humans, that¡¯s just a good way ta get hurt. No, these humans don¡¯t care about us or our homes, most don¡¯t even care about other humans, be ready.¡±

    That¡¯s¡­ something. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve tasted hate from Marshal before and now alongside that advice¡­ ¡°What should I do if they start messing with my cabin?¡± I ask. That seems to throw her off a bit.

    After a moment of looking at me with confusion, she seems to realize something. "Right, sorry. If they won''t leave you alone then, well, scare ''em off. If that don''t work, hurt ''em, and if one of them keeps tryin'' ta mess with ya at that point, kill ''em."

    Holy shit, Marshal! I''d forgotten I was talking to a wild animal at some point, but what the fuck? She must see the expression on my face because she gives me one of those motherly smiles of hers, "I know growin'' up around them before might o'' made you not like that idea, but that''s just how it works sometimes. You got to protect yours.¡± She states. Then looking around, she sighs, ¡°They¡¯ll be comin¡¯ around here sooner or later, thank ya for telling me ahead of time."

    "No problem," I say as I watch her dive back below the water.

    Holy fuck, Marshal''s killed people hasn''t she? No, stop being an idiot, obviously she has, she hunts her own food. That truly is just the way it works here sometimes, fuck. I hope I won''t need to take it any farther than shoving them out the door.

    Mentally preparing myself I phase out and begin flying back to my cabin. When I reach the clearing I see the man, who has to be a guide, leaning against a tree at the edge of my home with four other people. So they''re probably not assholes, though one of them isn¡¯t a tourist, so fair play to him. The rest, however, are in my goddamned house!

    Looks like I¡¯ll need to apply Marshal¡¯s advice immediately. Floating into my bedroom I ready myself to make noise.

    I wish I could take a deep breath to ready the scream, but, well, no breathing. That, of course, also means no need to stop the noise once I start. Oh, and I start, a shrill howling resounding through my home and out into the forest beyond. Fuck why does fear have to taste so good? But it gets me the result I wanted, all of the humans tumbling over each other to evacuate my building. When the last one is finally out I stop, drifting into the main room to see not only them but what they''ve managed so far.

    Fucking how did they destroy my couch even more? And holy shit not two but five snack wrappers of some kind, and tissues, fucking really? Marks carved into the walls¡­ Marshal was right they just don''t care, do they? Wait, no¡­

    I float back into the bedroom to check. They broke my motherfucking mirror!?

    Nope, I¡¯m fully on board with what Marshal said now, if they come back in I¡¯m getting mean. Moving back to the main room I decide to up the spook factor, shoving my cloud out until the only spots free of it are the ones in sunlight and phasing out everything but my eyes and mouth.

    Now I just watch them. The guide has a slight grin on his face, he probably knew something like this was going to happen, the rest look scared though. Good, stay out of my house. To make a point I psychically grab the trash they left in here, crush it into a ball, and launch it out as hard as I can.

    Oh. I think I dented a tree with that. ¡­Okay I¡¯m going to dial it back a bit on the rage, as angry as I am I don¡¯t want to accidentally kill someone. At least they¡¯re all- Oh fuck off with your macho bullshit guy number five.

    The now-named Guy-Number-Five, a younger tanned man in a sleeveless Hawaiian shirt with a backward-facing ballcap¡ªI- Fucking- Why?¡ªis starting to walk back towards my house. All the people are talking again but I¡¯ve been a bit angry and mostly tuned them out, this guy, however, is talking shit as he walks closer.

    ¡°Nah, look it¡¯s scared, can''t even come out in the sun!¡± I see the girl from earlier raise her eyebrows at that, but she doesn¡¯t react otherwise. Not that it would have changed what I do next because this asshole is the one that re-broke my mirror! He¡¯s holding a piece of it!

    As the asshole reaches the front door I start the howling again, he flinches but keeps going. Well then, time to crank it up. I feed power into my voice and the cabin starts shaking while the man slaps his hands over his ears but still keeps going with a shit-eating grin. I push harder and see the trees start to shake, that does get him to back off a second later, all traces of bravado gone as he stumbles away, ears bleeding.

    Ah, shit, I did end up hurting someone. But he deserved it so it''s not like I¡¯ll¡­ Well, yeah, it''s not like I¡¯ll lose sleep over it.

    The tour guide just shakes his head as he raises a radio for a moment. I have no idea what he says but I hope I won''t be in any trouble for this.

    Also what I just did with my voice is sticking in my memory the way my psychic thing does so I think I just found a new Move. Whatever, I keep staring the humans down again, none of them make a move to challenge me this time.

    Phasing out, I check my cloud-net to see if the guy left me anything. He did, and rather than pulling my cloud in to get it I just move over and eat it. Pride, surprise, and fear. At least with everything that''s happened today, I''m not hungry anymore.

    Phasing fully back in now I turn and look out the front door. Focusing on the people I start to catch a new conversation between the guide and everyone else

    ¡°...Issue these warnings lightly. What happened to Mr. Ruth was still just a warning and not an actual attack. I have been told to warn the rest of you to please not disturb the misdreavus further as its territory is now officially off limits. Anyone found having entered it from this point on will be arrested by the rangers should they survive. Now, we will wait here for the medical transport to arrive for Mr. Ruth so please don''t cause further trouble for the pokemon." says the green-haired man, eyes locking onto mine for a moment before sweeping over the crowd again.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Fuck I hope I¡¯m not in trouble for that, but if what Marshal said is true and this is how things normally go, I don¡¯t think I am. And that wasn¡¯t considered an attack? I made the guy''s ears bleed, How is that not an attack? Or maybe that wasn¡¯t a damaging Move? And if not then are humans just weak? That''s a horrific-

    I can hear stomping coming down the path to Marshal¡¯s lake, I hope she¡¯s not angry with me, that was my loudest sound to date. The massive otter crashes through the trees staring down the humans as she does. The guide does his best to get everyone to pull back to the edge of the clearing away from Marshal¡¯s bulk as she continues to glare at them with open hostility before she turns to me.

    As she begins to step closer I see her hostility replaced with concern before she bends down to fit her face in the door. ¡°You okay? That was pretty damned loud, what you did.¡± She asks me. I am so glad she¡¯s just concerned for me, she¡¯s nice but also scary.

    ¡°Yeah, I just wanted them all to stay out, so when one of them decided to push it I just¡­ kept increasing the volume. I¡¯m sorry if I-¡± I get out before she waves a massive hand.

    ¡°Naw, you held your ground, just shocked me is all. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d push someone spooky like you.¡± She looks behind herself for a moment and I see some of the people taking pictures before she looks back at me. ¡°This¡¯ll only last about the season, so don¡¯t worry too much. Just don¡¯t let them push you around, maybe focus the sound more next time though, okay?¡± I nod, and she smiles and nods back before giving the crowd one last glare and stomping off.

    ¡°Oh Sinnoh,¡± I hear the guide say as Marshal disappears back down the path. Then he looks at me with fear, ¡°No wonder the rangers put it off limits if she¡¯s visiting.¡± Oh? Is Marshal well-known around here? I guess that makes sense, all the pokemon around here seem to know her, so the humans knowing about her isn''t all that surprising. "A- Ah, Yes Ms. Hale?" Says the guide, pulling my attention back to them.

    The teen from earlier lowers her hand and asks, ¡°Can we ask the pokemon to take pictures with us?¡±

    That seems to throw the guide off for a second, as he thinks for a moment. "Yes, though if you mean the misdreavus please remain out of the building, and if it begins warning you, back away immediately." He says. At least she''s not being impolite.

    ¡°Um, excuse me Ms. Misdreavus, would you mind taking a photo with me?¡± The girl asks, taking a step closer. I do think about it, but I¡¯m not in the mood after everything else. Also, she called me Ms. Misdreavus, so I simply continue to stare at her until she takes it for the denial it is. ¡°Okay, thanks anyway.¡± She says, stepping back closer to the group.

    I continue to watch them mill about for a few minutes before I hear a somewhat familiar pounding of feet. Seconds later two¡­ dotrio? No, dodrio. Two dodrio wearing saddles and carrying two humans and two pokemon, two of whom I recognize as Onaga and Sneasel, and the other two being a tanned, brown-haired man wearing a red ''Ranger'' uniform and a piplup on his shoulder, come to a stop at the edge of the clearing. Damn, those are big birds. The woman, Onaga, hops down and walks to where Guy-Number-Five is sitting and inspects him a moment, Sneasel following behind.

    ¡°Sonic attack?¡± She asks the guide, who shakes his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was an attack, damned loud though.¡± He looks down at the man for a second before continuing, ¡°The misdreavus started with a warning, probably still was in the warning phase, he just ignored it.¡±

    ¡°Wow, they did that with a warning?¡± Comments Sneasel. ¡°Nice.¡±

    Onaga shakes her head and gestures to the dodrio, "Can you help get him saddled up? I need to put the signs in." After the guide''s nod, she proceeds to grab, well, two signposts, with signs, and a fence post driver from the saddle. Then she walks over to me. "I assume you won''t mind the signs since they should keep some people away, but I need to ask anyway. Are you okay with me installing them?" She asks. I don''t even need to think about it, I just nod. "Good this is going to take a bit, but I doubt you mind some noise." She says with a smirk that Sneasel mirrors. Oh, uh¡­ just how loud was I?

    As Onaga starts looking for the best spots to put the signs, Sneasel walks up to me. "Were they genuinely being that bad?" She asks, looking over the small crowd.

    "They re-broke my mirror, further ruined my couch, carved things into the walls, tossed trash around, and that one was talking shit about me," I say defensively.

    ¡°Yeah, they deserved it then.¡± She agrees easily. ¡°Was that really meant to be a warning? We heard it at the base.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure myself, and I say as much, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I kind of just kept pushing it. I was¡­ maybe a little mad at the guy for breaking my mirror after I just fixed it.¡±

    She considers that for a second. ¡°Yeah, okay then. Has Marshal been teaching you secret alpha tricks?¡± She asks teasingly. Alpha? Well, I guess everyone does seem to defer to her.

    ¡°Naw,¡± I say, doing my best impression of the giant. ¡°She has made some comments though¡­¡±

    Sneasel snorts at my impression before nodding, ¡°Listen to her. She¡¯s old, you know, like, older than most of the trees, old.¡± She says.

    That¡­ I remember her saying she''d been around a while. But older than the forest? "Really?" I ask.

    Sneasel nods again, ¡°Yeah, Ryuko¡¯s got pictures of her when she was young, whole fields of nothing but stumps.¡± She shivers, ¡°It¡¯s horrifying.¡±

    Oh. That does sound bad, especially considering how alive everything is right now. Why would all that clear-cutting happen here? I''ve been seriously considering flying to one of the cities I can see since Sneasel told me about the absence of trainers here, maybe I should do that soon, see the people of this world firsthand.

    Well, the ones that aren¡¯t over-privileged tourists, I mean.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Sneasel pokes me out of my thoughts. ¡°You looked a bit distant.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just thinking about the forest and humans," I tell her. Wait a moment¡­ "Ryuko?" I ask.

    "Ah," Sneasel says, looking at her partner. "That''s her name, Onaga Ryuko, Don''t call her Ryuko without her permission," She says, tone dead serious.

    Wow, Japanese naming, okay. "I won''t, sorry," I say. Sneasel nods.

    "There we go!" calls Onaga as she tightens the last bolt on the back of a sign. Damn, that was fast, she doesn''t even look winded.

    "Gotta go," Sneasel tells me as she starts walking towards the ranger. "See you at some point Smokey, though don''t be shocked if I''ve changed a bit."

    Looking around, it¡¯s just the three of us now and Onaga and Sneasel are starting to walk down the path to the lake. Deciding to take a look at the signs I float out and inspect them. Yep, same as the sign near Marshal¡¯s grove. Retro-reflective surface with a bright red warning symbol, text in three languages I can¡¯t read, and a skull. And now with what Marshal told me, the skull makes sense. ¡®Danger, do not anger the animal that can kill you with its voice.¡¯

    And I really could have killed him, my instincts are telling me that the sound was completely unfocused and I could have put even more power behind it. Fuck that¡¯s a little terrifying.

    Moving back inside I look at my ¡®couch¡¯. Maybe I should see how well Marshal¡¯s Miracle Glue works on wood? It¡¯s a project at least.

    God, I hope those signs stop most people.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°Marshal, please put the poor man down," Ryuko says. But why should I? He saw the sign, he heard my warning, he heard the other human¡¯s warning, and he kept walking anyway.

    ¡°But look at the funny face he¡¯s making Ryu!¡± I say to her, but by the look on her own face, she''s not budging. Even if Sneasel is laughing so hard she can''t breathe.

    ¡°The man knowingly ignored a legal warning, and if I wasn¡¯t here you could do what you want with him. But since I am here I have a duty to arrest him and get him back to Vientown.¡± She explains calmly. Which I understand, human laws for humans. Oh but look at him, he¡¯s turning purple.

    "Marsh," Ryuko says pleadingly. "I''d rather not have to file the stupid-man-got-what-he-deserved papers this year, please, for me?" Now that made his face even funnier, look at his eyes!

    Has this been going long enough for the rest of them to get the general idea? Hmm¡­ probably. ¡°Fine,¡± I say, dropping the human. ¡°For you.¡±

    ¡°Oh- Oh, his face.¡± Chokes out Sneasel. She knows good entertainment when she sees it.

    ¡°U- Um, M- Ms. Marshal?¡± Says a timid voice. I turn to see a tiny young human looking up at me, fear and wonder in equal measure in her eyes. ¡°Wo- Would you please take a ph- photo with me?¡± I glance back to Ryuko, who shrugs, so I look back at the small human. Well now, she¡¯s being polite and adorable, how could I say no? So I nod. ¡°Oh th- thank you!¡± She says, handing a human contraption to a similar seeming human¡ªlikely her father¡ªbefore she starts carefully moving towards me.

    As the child¡¯s doing that, the human I¡¯d been holding by the throat tries to make a run for it. That goes about as well for him as picking some berries did earlier, since Ryuko has him down on the ground and restrained in an instant.

    "And there''s fleeing custody." Ryuko sighs. "Katie, we need a detainment runner at Marshal¡¯s Grove.¡± She says to the talking-box before turning to the ostensible guide of these tourists. ¡°I think I¡¯ll hang around, Rich, just to make sure there¡¯s no more issues for you, yeah?" The green-furred human nods, clearly trying not to smile in relief.

    ¡°Oh, uh, wow.¡± Says the human child, now having reached me. ¡°you¡¯re big.¡±

    ¡°Well thank you kindly!¡± I say. Aw, her eyes go real wide at that.

    There¡¯s a clacking sound and we both look up to see her father messing with the ¡®photo¡¯ device. ¡°D- Dad!¡± She cries, going red, ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready.¡±

    "We can take one when you are, but that was just too cute a moment to pass up." He says, smiling warmly. Ah the joys of embarrassing one''s children, you don''t let others do it, but sometimes it''s just too good to pass up.

    Looking at the gathered humans, my thoughts drift.

    I need to keep these humans away from Buizel, even if he''s nearly grown. And the kid¡­

    I hope Charlie¡¯s okay, kid needed longer to settle in before the humans arrived this year. But you can¡¯t control time. Wheel, but they got loud though, they probably weren¡¯t putting any focus on it to try not to hurt one of them too bad, and they still hurt a human.

    Why the humans all don¡¯t do whatever the rangers do is beyond me, they¡¯re all so soft and delicate. I barely had to hold that one to choke him, if he¡¯d been a ranger I would have needed to squeeze a little at least, and most of them would have been able to slip out as well. Though none of them are stupid enough for it to get to that point, thankfully.

    Ah, they all want my attention now. ¡­Mmm, No. I think I¡¯ll let the one human finish and then go back to playing with Buizel. Let Ryuko handle them now.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I am, apparently, already an attraction.

    ¡°Sir, this has nothing to do with your country of origin. We¡¯ve been given clear instructions that no one is allowed to enter the misdreavus¡¯ home. It has already injured one person who did, and we would prefer if that were all." Says the pink-haired, lanky, seven-foot woman guiding this group. ¡°I can assure you that, under Almia law, those signs constitute a legal warning.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, and in any case, if someone was hurt it was because they failed to earn the pokemon¡¯s respect.¡± Replies the man who looks like he stepped right out of a cartoon mocking the British elite, curly mustache and all.

    This has been going on for the last few minutes, and I''m pretty sure the man is more concerned with ''winning'' the argument than actually entering my cabin at this point. The rest of the tourist group is looking less and less comfortable as time goes on.

    ¡°Now, I believe I can demonstrate-¡± The caricature continues, but I¡¯ve decided I¡¯ve had enough.

    I try to follow a bit of Marshal¡¯s earlier advice and focus my voice, pitching it low, ¡°Just stop. You¡¯re already annoying enough.¡± God damn does that get a reaction. My voice came out deep, and while it did slightly shake some of the closer trees I don¡¯t think it traveled much farther. Huh, that stuck too¡­

    Are they Moves? What I just did only changed my voice.

    ¡°And that,¡± Says the pink-haired giant, having recovered the fastest, "Was a very clear warning to not even try to enter.¡±

    ¡°What in Giratina¡¯s name was that sound?¡± Asks the annoying man, clearly not listening.

    The guide rolls her eyes before sighing and taking a few deep breaths. ¡°Again, Sir, that was a warning, a threat. I¡¯m not sure how much clearer the pokemon can be that they don¡¯t want anyone in their home.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever seen a pokemon act like that. Are you certain it doesn¡¯t need aid?¡± The man asks, a hint of derision in his tone.

    ¡°Again, ''Mister'' Albain, This. Isn''t. Galar." The woman isn''t hiding her disdain for the man anymore, "And these are not acclimated pokemon. If you continue to ignore my advice then the best you can hope for is to be arrested. More likely, is that the misdreavus decides to simply kill you for entering their den, especially as the Rangers have informed us that most ghost-types seem to be unstable.¡± She finishes growling out.

    ¡°Now see here young lady,¡± The man begins to wind up. ¡°Such a lack of respect for-¡± Yeah, he definitely stopped caring about actually entering my cabin. And I¡¯ve stopped caring about this conversation.

    I¡¯m pretty sure floating out there and making him just shut up already is out of the question, so I¡¯m going to wait for him to inevitably enter my cabin to prove his ¡®point¡¯. Whatever he thinks it is.

    It doesn¡¯t take much longer, the rest of the group now looking on with a mixture of horror and fascination save for the guide, she just looks resigned.

    As the wanna-be lord enters my front door, he starts talking, ¡°Now-¡± Is all he manages before I gently wrap two arms around his neck and place another two on his shoulders.

    Putting my face right in his, I start, ¡°Look, you¡¯re the second asshole to test me today, and I¡¯m suddenly realizing why Marshal told me to just kill people who kept annoying me. So I¡¯m going to tell you to leave, and if you don¡¯t I¡¯m going to see how far I can throw you. Okay?¡± I tell him in the same low, focused voice I used earlier, though quieter. Before pushing him out the door and assuming what I¡¯m fairly certain is my scariest look, all seven arms spread out.

    He takes the hint, coughing and straightening himself before contritely walking back to join the group. The guide-woman gives me a smirk as she says something into her radio, and then starts leading the whole group out of my clearing.

    This is going to be my whole day, isn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 7

    It¡¯s been all sunny skies and pleasant weather since I woke up here, so that had to change at some point. And it has, a few hours ago the sky started turning gray and now it¡¯s absolutely pouring outside. Of course, the rain doesn¡¯t truly bother me anymore, I barely phase out and it all just falls through me. It also doesn¡¯t seem to bother any of the grass-types even if they¡¯re a little sad at the lack of sunlight.

    The rain has also meant that no tourists have come out here today, oh no, woe are we. ¡®We¡¯ in this case being not just myself but the pikachu family that very earnestly and politely asked to shelter in my cabin so that their children wouldn¡¯t shock themselves in the rain.

    I had thought that they would dig burrows. Then I thought about an electric pokemon digging into the ground and I wanted to slap myself. They, in fact, hollow out trees. But in this case, I was reminded of the numerous complaints I¡¯ve heard about the local beedrill.

    This family, Pikachu, Pikachu, Pichu, Pichu, and Pichu, had been pushed out of their hollow by the beedrill. When they approached they only asked to remain until the storm had passed, and, as I¡¯ve yet to meet a truly unfriendly pokemon, I allowed them in. Though, I had to do some quick cleaning up.

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s safe back here.¡± I declare, floating the last shards of glass into a kitchen drawer. Alas, poor Mirror, at least you taught me how to lift many things at once. I¡¯m a bit embarrassed I hadn¡¯t realized how before, you literally just need to make a bigger zone, it''s that simple.

    ¡°Thank you, you genuinely didn¡¯t need to though¡­¡± The mother, Pikachu, trails off. ¡°But I suppose it is the warmest and safest place in here. Come on kids, let¡¯s not waste the nice ghost¡¯s hospitality.¡± She continues, walking¡ªon two legs¡ªinto the back.

    I had at first thought it strange that the bedroom had no windows, but I¡¯m beginning to suspect it¡¯s for the same reason the cabin has held up so well. It¡¯s designed to withstand harsh, cold conditions and possibly pokemon attacks. My first clue was when I took a good look at the windows and sliding door. The glass wasn¡¯t glass, I think it was some kind of high-quality composite and it was thick. Two panes, each a little under one-and-a-quarter inches.

    The exterior walls are also thick at just a bit under fourteen inches. This place was built tough. And yeah, if an idiot lived out here then it would make sense, except that I¡¯m certain dedicated pokemon would get in quickly. Also, I don¡¯t think an idiot would live out here. For all I know that could just be the building code. At least with the location and grade, I won¡¯t need to worry about flooding.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have anything soft for bedding?¡± The father, Pikachu, asks.

    ¡°I mean,¡± I say, looking at my couch. The only way I can see to move it would be to start breaking it again. ¡°Not really, sorry. I don¡¯t exactly need it so¡­ Yeah, sorry.¡± I say, feeling a bit sheepish. He nods understandingly and follows his¡­ wife? Mate? Mate.

    They¡¯ve been perfect guests so far, polite and not letting their kids damage anything. And the noise from excited kids is unavoidable, understandable, and easily forgiven.

    My as-of-yet unnamed and unclear new sense is buzzing in the back of my head, pointing skyward, and beginning to bother me. Given that the first time I felt it was with Marshal I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a sense for weather, but I¡¯m still not sure what it is.

    I take a quick look into the bedroom to see the family settling into a pile before heading back to my living room¡ªha. My half-reassembled couch is waiting to be completed because, as it turns out, Marshal¡¯s Miracle Glue works wonders on wood, old as it may be. However, it has become clear to me that someone did disassemble it in the first place, taking every metal part with them.

    I briefly consider continuing my work on it before turning to another new project of mine. Marshal¡¯s glue also works quite well as wood putty if you mix enough ¡®sawdust¡¯ and water in, and I¡¯ve been filling in the carvings that were left in my walls. The ¡®sawdust¡¯ is easy to make by just tearing a log apart with my mind. I¡¯m not sure if psychic powers can get old, but I hope they can¡¯t, they would have made my last job so much easier.

    And I just had to go and remind myself, didn¡¯t I? Well, now that my desire to work on anything even tangentially construction-related is dead, how do I pass the time¡­

    I might be able to go find Leaf and the Grotles, I¡¯d bet they¡¯re out enjoying the rain right now. Or maybe Marshal, a lake-dwelling water-type has to love the rain right? I could just drift around, that¡¯s typically what I do when I¡¯m bored. Eh, why not?

    I let the mouse family know that I¡¯ll be heading outside before floating out and letting myself feel the rain for a bit. Physical sensations are different somehow when you can simply stop them at any time. They¡¯re more¡­ I don¡¯t know, real? I can take more enjoyment in them than before, at least, and that¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m thankful for or not.

    Hmm¡­ Do clouds stop enough sunlight to allow me to expand my own? ¡­Huh, turns out they do, neat. Fuck, I¡¯m stalling, back to the actual question at hand. Where do I go? Marshal is to the West and most of the other pokemon I¡¯ve met are to the North and East. I haven¡¯t gone south yet, have I? South it is then.

    I easily float over the small cliff and stop as I see an obvious hiking trail. Huh, that¡¯s a bit close to my cabin. Then again, people will walk right up to the front door, so it doesn¡¯t change anything.

    I decide to move on, drifting through the forest. Nothing seems different so far, but most of the pokemon are hiding from the rain so I only see some grass-types here and there.

    And I keep thinking that way right up until I see the first colony. And yes colony, because hive doesn¡¯t do it justice. Combee, hundreds- maybe thousands of combee.

    This is another instance of my game-derived knowledge being incorrect, as it seems that a combee can be as small as a single golden hexagon with wings to¡­ The largest ¡®individual¡¯ I see has fifteen hexagons and massive wings, so fifteen. All of them are interlocked to form a barrier against the rain. And in the middle of them, I see the much larger, semi-humanoid form of a vespiquen. She¡¯s bigger than I am and that¡¯s terrifying on a level I can¡¯t exactly express because, you see, that¡¯s a bee bigger than I am!

    I¡¯d be taking calming breaths right now if I could, but since I can¡¯t I¡¯m just going to keep in mind that my grass-type neighbors spoke highly of the vespiquen.

    Before I can say hello the queen beats me to it, ¡°Prime-Daughter-Two greets {non-hostile, non-threat} Apprentice-Of-Order-Bringer.¡± ¡­I¡¯m constantly surprised by the way different pokemon act. That is a hell of a way to talk though, some of those were barely even words but I still understood them.

    ¡°Um, hi,¡± I say lamely. And then since I need clarification, ¡°When you say Apprentice-Of-Order-Bringer, is that me?¡± Because that¡¯s an interesting thing to call me.

    ¡°Individual¡¯s suspicion correct. Information requested, {reason, purpose} for individual¡¯s entry into {my, our} {home, branch, hive},¡± She¡­ they? Intone. It¡¯s really hard to pick up on any inflection or change in speech at all.

    ¡°I realized I hadn¡¯t¡­¡± I flail for an acceptable word for a moment, ¡°Scouted this part of the forest around my home yet, and I had nothing better to do while it¡¯s raining,¡± I finish.

    ¡°Individual¡¯s {reason, purpose} for short term entry is acceptable.¡± They¡ªit is the whole colony speaking¡ªintone. ¡°Information requested, is individual {source, cause, reason} for recent {audible, loud, noisy, obvious} disturbances?¡± Says the flat monotone. Please, please don¡¯t be mad at me, you¡¯re fucking scary enough already.

    Here goes nothing. ¡°¡­Yes,¡± I admit.

    The queen cocks her head to a perfect forty-five degrees, ¡°Individual shows {impressive, gifted} strength. Apprentice-Of-Order-Bringer status altered to {non-hostile, mild-threat, potential ally},¡± They speak. Damn, that¡¯s some open assessment from them.

    However, something about the way she introduced herself still nags at me. ¡°You said your name was Prime-Daughter-Two, does that mean there are more colonies farther south?¡± I ask the queen.

    ¡°Individual¡¯s assumption correct, {live, rule, exist} nine {prime, mother, ruler} originating {branches, sisters, hives} farther south,¡± The colony intones.

    ¡°I uh¡­¡± I flail, trying to make conversation before noticing something. ¡°Are you not making honey yet?¡± I ask now that I see how empty some of the combee look.

    The queen cocks her head in the other direction, still at a perfect forty-five angle, ¡°Individual¡¯s deduction correct.¡± She seems to think a moment longer before continuing, ¡°Present {information, predictions, assumptions, anticipations} describe thirty-nine-percent {hive, branch} loss preceding nectar {harvesting, production} approach present needs.¡± She straightens her head, ¡°Within {acceptable, expected, required} margins,¡± She alone intones.

    Fuck, I¡¯m stuck between some serious fascination and the deep, gnawing desire to leave as soon as possible. While this colony is a veritable feast, it¡¯s also a confusing, soupy mess. And that is still a bee larger than myself. Sighing, I make my choice, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to move on now, thank you for the answers, Prime-Daughter-Two,¡± I tell her-them.

    ¡°Individual receives {my, our} {joy, gratitude, appreciation} for {my, our, individual¡¯s} communications. {I, We} desire individual¡¯s {extended, prolonged} {health, well-being, consideration}. {I, We} {anticipate, desire, ponder} individual¡¯s return.¡± They intone. I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s a ¡®thank you, goodbye.¡¯ So I start flying¡ªslowly¡ªback to my home.

    Of all the things I thought I¡¯d see I wasn¡¯t expecting a hive mind, let alone a friendly one. But that voice¡­ it rivals my own for creepiness, and whatever I understand what anybody says held up a little too well with its translation. I shiver at the thought of multiple thoughts at once. Yeah, way too well.

    When I reach my house I¡¯m glad I won¡¯t need to find something else to do, something else has already found me. A weavile is standing on my roof, and I only know the one sneasel.

    She¡¯s quite a bit taller¡ªshe gained a little over a foot of height and is somehow even darker-furred now. Her ears aren¡¯t asymmetrical anymore, she now has a full crest of bright crimson feathers coming off her head and a collar of feathers around her neck, and she seems to have lost both her chest gem and a tail-and-a-half while gaining new fingers and toes. And yet, despite all that, her face is still the same.

    ¡°Hey Smokey, long time!¡± Says Sn- Weavile playfully. Okay, her voice is a bit deeper now as well. ¡°Guess who?¡±

    I blink twice at her, ¡°Hi? I¡¯m sorry, but, who are you?¡± I ask, teasing her right back.

    Her face takes on a look of concern, ¡°You don¡¯t remember me? I hoped you¡¯d recognize me¡­¡±

    Not to be outdone, I continue, ¡°Oh! You must be Sneasel¡¯s sister! How is she?¡± I ask, adding some concern to my question.

    ¡°She¡¯s doing very well. You know, she even evolved recently.¡± Weavile muses.

    ¡°Oh? Good for her! I hope she visits and shows me soon.¡± I return.

    ¡°She will, you can¡­¡±Weavile stops, narrowing her eyes at me, ¡°You can keep going with this, can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I could do this all day. I¡¯ve had practice.¡± I tell her, grinning.

    She grins right back, ¡°As fun as that sounds, I did want to tell you something, I have a name now, Weaver.¡±

    ¡°Does that have something to do with being a weavile now, too?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°A bit. Anyway!¡± She says, jumping to the ground. ¡°Ryuko¡¯s on her way back from a canceled mission and she had me run ahead to ask if she can stay here while the Rain Dance wears off.¡± Weaver doesn¡¯t exactly ask. ¡®Rain Dance¡¯, is that why my unnamed sense is going off?

    Practical questions first, me. ¡°For how long?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, apparently it was five blastiose doing it up north, so it could last a while.¡± Weaver sighs before giving me a more pleading look. ¡°Ryu¡¯s tough, but she¡¯s been in the rain all day and I can¡¯t exactly warm her up. So, please?¡± She actually asks this time.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    I need to think about this, Onaga is the only human I¡¯ve had somewhat positive interactions with, she¡¯s also not a tourist though, so I don¡¯t know how much that counts for. As far as I¡¯m aware her job is to make sure the forest and its pokemon are healthy, and the title ¡®Ranger¡¯ also points to that. And Weaver has been almost nothing but friendly and seems to think highly of the woman. All that taken together would make me a real asshole if I said no, so obviously I¡¯ll let her stay. Damn, my house is getting full, it shouldn¡¯t surprise me though. My house is the only structure¡ªbarring log dams¡ªwithin a few miles, as far as I can tell.

    ¡°Yeah, why not,¡± I tell her. ¡°Did you already meet the pikachu?¡± I ask her. She winces at that, oh joy.

    ¡°I did, yeah,¡± She admits sheepishly. ¡°They thought I was going to eat them.¡± Ah hell, that had to be frightening. I need to check on them. ¡°Okay, uh, I¡¯ll go tell Ryuko then,¡± she says before darting off, quick as a flash.

    I sigh as I enter through the door to not scare my guests further. And looking toward the bedroom, I see the door there closed and latched. Sighing again, I float over and phase out to see what it¡¯s like in there.

    The father, Pikachu, is standing alert facing the door while the mother, also Pikachu, is flanking the door. The pichu are all in different corners of the room. All the fear has faded by this point, so no delicious- I shouldn¡¯t think that way.

    Rather than risk a lightning storm in my home I move back to the kitchen entrance before phasing back in. ¡°Pikachu, the weavile isn¡¯t a threat. You can open the door now.¡± I call out to them.

    A moment later the door latch shifts and the taste of relief washes over me. Then the door swings back before the mother, Pika- Okay, I think I¡¯ve driven that point home by now. Anyway, the mother pokes her head around the side while the father steps out from behind the door.

    ¡°This is quite the defensible den you have.¡± Says the father. ¡°It took barely a moment to seal it and even has a blind corner, quite nice if I say so.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about Weaver, I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be coming around today, what with the rain.¡± I apologize.

    The mother just waves me off, ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯d be any better off out there, much worse off, truthfully. You¡¯ve been too kind.¡± She says. Why are the people here so nice? It¡¯s making me feel like an asshole for not being as nice as possible.

    I¡¯m not going to try to argue with my guests'' assessments though. ¡°A human, a Ranger is going to be stopping here to get out of the rain as well, I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± I tell them. They both shake their heads at that, however.

    ¡°Nothing wrong with helping the rangers, they¡¯re some of the nicest humans there are.¡± Says the father, the mother now nodding along.

    ¡°Okay, just wanted to make sure,¡± I tell them before floating back to my living room. Ha! Ah, I¡¯m definitely starting to lose it again, that¡¯s the second time I¡¯ve made that joke today.

    I need more to do. I was a workaholic before I died and I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯m a workaholic now. I wonder, can pokemon have jobs? I remember some of the ''newer'' games had pokemon working various jobs, but I don¡¯t know how well that carries over to here. Although Weaver does seem to have a job, even if I haven¡¯t heard her refer to it as such.

    Honestly, I¡¯m still not sure if I should be glad I¡¯m here and not out there. It was so peaceful, I was calm and comfortable. Why did-

    ¡°That¡¯s the look of someone who¡¯s thinking way too hard,¡± Says Weaver, right behind me. I don¡¯t jump, but only because I can¡¯t. Instead, I blink out on sheer instinct while Weaver laughs at me. ¡°You were deep in there, weren¡¯t you?¡± Her voice sounds out in the emptiness. Jesus, why is she so quiet!?

    Phasing back in, I try to think of something to say to her but I come up blank. ¡°Hey, you okay? Did I interrupt something important?¡± She asks me, sounding concerned.

    ¡°I- I was-¡± I manage before I need to stop. I take a moment to gather myself. ¡°I was spiraling while thinking about what would have happened if I didn¡¯t come back,¡± I tell her.

    Her face goes comically suspicious and she starts to speak before realization eclipses her features. ¡°Oh. I, uh. I don¡¯t know what to say to that,¡± She admits.

    Yeah, you and me both. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell her. ¡°For pulling me out of that. I don¡¯t like thinking about it, but I don¡¯t have a lot to distract myself sometimes, and it can take a while to¡­ resettle.¡± We lapse into silence for a bit after that before I feel the need to ask, ¡°So¡­ where¡¯s Onaga?¡±

    Weaver gives me a very weary sigh. ¡°She decided she wanted to talk to Marshal first,¡± The weasel-thing shakes her head. ¡°She¡¯s shivering enough to rattle and she still won¡¯t think of herself first,¡± The feathered weasel complains.

    We look at each other for a moment. Then I say what we¡¯re both thinking, ¡°Marshal¡¯s going to drag her here, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    That breaks the mood, and we both start laughing about the image. And we¡¯re still laughing when the real thing comes walking into the clearing outside.

    ¡°Marsh, y- you really don¡¯t n- need to¡­¡± Onaga trails off when she sees us and our laughing redoubles. Marshal has her in a bridal carry.

    ¡°See?¡± Rumbles the giant pokemon, her eyes sparkling with shared humor. ¡°They was worried about you. Now go, get dry and warm up, you¡¯re freezing.¡± Marshal says as she deposits Onaga by the door. Then she gives me an assessing glance before she starts walking off. ¡°I¡¯ll check on you tomorrow, kid.¡±

    Now that Marshal¡¯s gone, I take a better look at Onaga. Yeah, she is shivering pretty badly.

    ¡°I d- don¡¯t suppose you can start a f- fire? Or maybe just have some dry k- kindling?¡± She chatters out. ¡°I can warm up without it, but it would help.¡±

    Well, while I don¡¯t have fully dry wood, I had been planning on trying the fireplace at some point, and Leaf had helped me find some older fallen trees. I now have plenty of wood chips and dust, too, and I also have the know-how to ignite something reasonably flammable with my vast psychic powers.

    I sweep some wood chips as well as a few pieces of a log, into my fireplace.

    In reality, it¡¯s very easy to ignite some things, for example, wood chips will just require me to remove wind¡ªthere¡¯s none in here, though¡ªadd pressure and friction, hmm push some air towards it¡­ and viola. Fire. I just need to watch it now to make sure it doesn¡¯t burn out or out of control. Although out is more likely with this wood.

    Onaga and Weaver both blink at that. ¡°T- that was f- fast, thanks.¡± Says Onaga as she makes her way closer to the flames.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a fire Move,¡± States Weaver, staring at me.

    Is it that shocking? ¡°No, but it¡¯s pretty easy to make a fire if you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± I tell her. She Hums, giving me a suspicious look.

    I am then distracted by Onaga undressing in front of my fire. I- Huh, that particular human instinct is gone. I¡¯m not sure if I should be shocked at that or not, but now I¡¯m concerned about what I might find¡­ attractive.

    I¡¯m getting too distracted, she needs to get her wet clothes off to warm up faster and dry them off.

    ¡°Neat l- little bit of psychic work there, Misdreavus.¡± She says as she finishes stripping completely. At least I don¡¯t feel awkward about it.

    ¡°You were freezing. I tell her, knowing full well she can¡¯t understand me. ¡°You really should have come here first.¡± She shivers at my voice.

    ¡°Do you know if all ghosts sound like you in person?¡± She asks me. I sigh and shake my head. ¡°Damn, would have b- been nice to know.¡± I shrug and float over to my ¡®couch.¡¯ ¡°You sure you want to¡­¡± Ryuko trails off thoughtfully. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not like it can hurt you?¡±

    Wait¡­ ¡°What?¡± I ask her looking between her and the half-assembled couch.

    She chuckles, ¡°That¡¯s poly-glass fiber.¡± Then continues her explanation a bit more soberly, ¡°It¡¯s pretty dangerous for anyone to be around. Near fire-proof, but causes cancer.¡± I- My couch is made of poke-asbestos. Fucking why? She sees my incredulous look, ¡°I should report it as an environmental hazard, but it is yours.¡±

    ¡°No, go ahead,¡± I tell her, shaking my head while waving a few arms at it. I am well aware of how dangerous things like that can be.

    ¡°Is that a yes or a no?¡± She asks me. I nod, and she eyes me for a second. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll probably have a collection team out here in a few days then.¡± She says before turning back around to face the fire.

    I haven¡¯t noticed Weaver recently, so I look around for her. She¡¯s sitting as far from the fire as she can get. ¡°Um, do you not like fire?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Most Ice-types don¡¯t, the sun usually doesn¡¯t have the power to be uncomfortable for me, but fires do,¡± She tells me. Was weavile an ice-type? I guess they must be.

    ¡°Right, sorry. Is there anything I can do?¡± I ask her.

    She thinks for a moment, ¡°Do you think you could make a barrier for the heat? I¡¯d like to be closer to Ryuko.¡±

    That¡¯s¡­ adorable, honestly. Also an interesting question. Can I? When I use¡­ I still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a Move or what its name would be. So, When I use psychic power on nothing it does stop things that contact it, but¡­ Is that enough? I don¡¯t think so, because light still passes through.

    Could I stop light? There are still a boatload of things I haven¡¯t tried yet, so maybe? I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯m not using the power right, but it still does things when I try. What would be the best way to stop heat, though? ¡­Start with a concave disc, I guess.

    Matching thought to action, I make a disc and push the center out-

    I feel a poke, ¡°Uh, Smokey? You with us?¡±

    There¡¯s a ¡®thwup¡¯ sound as my psychic disc implodes. ¡°Uh, who- What?¡± I ask, belatedly realizing it was Weaver who spoke.

    ¡°You got all focused before you answered, then just froze there for a minute. And then- Were you trying to make a screen?¡± Weaver asks.

    ¡°Um, yes?¡± Depending on what ¡®screen¡¯ means.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Weaver says. ¡°Sorry. You just kind of¡­ stopped moving.¡±

    ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m interrupting,¡± Onaga cuts in, ¡°But could you stoke the fire up?¡±

    Looking at the fire, yeah, it needs more small pieces. I only had a few logs I¡¯d been practicing with, but I can always find more. Picking up one of the three-and-a-half remaining, pulling it apart is an easy-

    Jesus Christ, pulling a log apart is easy now.

    So¡­ anyway, since the fire isn¡¯t out, I just need pieces that will burn readily enough. Seriously, keeping a fire is extremely difficult and super easy at the same time, and this whole thing is starting to remind me of camping.

    After placing a few of the log shards on the fire¡ªand ensuring they¡¯ll burn, I turn my focus back to Weaver. ¡°What do you mean I stopped moving?¡± I ask the weasel.

    She blinks at me, then frowns, ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to know.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I do.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± She replies.

    ¡°Weaver, I¡¯m serious! I¡¯ve been freaking out enough recently as it is,¡± I plead.

    Weaver seems to consider for a moment before her eyes shift over to Onaga and the fire. ¡°You just stopped moving,¡± She says, looking back at me. ¡°No waving about, no bobbing or drifting, nothing.¡± Her tone is oddly blank, ¡°The same way you were when I walked in.¡±

    I can¡¯t tell if that should be concerning or not. On the one hand, no movement at all isn¡¯t a good sign for most living things, on the other, I¡¯m still not sure how ¡®alive¡¯ I am anymore.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s¡­ interesting, but I was mostly thinking about how to stop heat,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°And I realized that, but it was still weird,¡± She says, waving a hand, ¡°I like you, you know how to poke back, but then you just stop and I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t want to bring up ¡®that¡¯, but it feels like I might need to.¡±

    I sigh, how do I-

    ¡°And how do you do that?¡± Weaver asks suddenly.

    ¡°Do what?¡±

    ¡°You know, sigh? I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯re not breathing.¡± Her ears flick.

    ¡­That¡¯s a great question. I sigh again. There¡¯s no intake, no exhalation, but the sound comes out anyway. ¡°I have no idea,¡± I say, honestly confused.

    Onaga¡¯s watching our back and forth with interest. ¡°You managed to make a new friend?¡± She asks her partner, looking between us, ¡°I hope, anyway.¡±

    Onaga looks back at the fire, pauses, thinks for a second, then sighs. Turning to me, she starts talking more seriously, ¡°The Union has approved a study on you by the Sinnoh Research Institute. We don¡¯t know the details yet, but they might send someone or we might get contracted to watch you more closely. If they send someone annoying just hang around Marshal until whoever it is makes a mistake, if it¡¯s us¡­¡± She trails off for a moment. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be seeing more of the rangers, then. Sorry if we get annoying.¡± She shrugs.

    Why would they be doing a study on me? Does someone higher up know I¡¯m not from this world?

    Fuck, my face is too easy to read now. ¡°You don¡¯t know how rare you are, do you?¡± She asks me. And it¡¯s a completely normal reason, of course.

    I shake my head, ¡°No, why would I?¡± And I immediately realize I shouldn¡¯t have said that, as Weaver goes still, her eyes narrowing.

    ¡°Makes sense, Hmm¡­ To put it in perspective,¡± Onaga says, waving a hand idly, ¡°We only have four photos of misdreavus, and two of those are black and white. Hmm, we have exactly one audio recording and it was different enough from you that it shocked me at first¡­¡± She wags her hand back and forth, thinking. ¡°No one knows for sure what you can do, and¡­¡± She trails off, running a hand through her hair. ¡°Ghost-pokemon are rare.¡± She shrugs, ¡°I think the best-understood ones are shedinja, but you only see them once a decade. And not for long, either.¡± She finishes.

    Really? That rare? Marshal said she¡¯d seen¡­ How old is she, exactly? Weaver had said ¡®older than most of the trees¡¯, but I still don¡¯t know if I believe that.

    ¡°Where are you from? What are you trying to hide?¡± Asks Weaver after Onaga¡¯s done. Completely blank tone and expression.

    Oh. Well¡­ fuck. I guess it was going to come out sooner or later. ¡°So, you know how I died?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Yeah, kinda hard to have a ghost without that part.¡± She says.

    ¡°I¡¯m, uh, not from this world,¡± I reveal.

    She raises a claw, lowers it, raises it again, stops, and then just looks lost for words for a moment. ¡°What?¡± She finally asks, confused. ¡°Explain.¡±

 Chapter 8

    ¡°So¡­ yeah, I¡¯ve been completely lost since I got here.¡± I finish my story-slash-explanation.

    Weaver just sits there, dumbfounded. Onaga had moved next to her during my little story-time, but she noticed the pikachu and she¡¯s now checking on the pichu. ¡°Why would you need to bring them in here?¡± I hear her ask them.

    Weaver finally snaps out of it. ¡°That story is completely unbelievable. I¡¯m all for it.¡± She says, now looking genuinely thoughtful rather than dramatically-thoughtful. ¡°That does explain some things. Like why you lied about Unova.¡±

    Wait, she knew that? "Sorry, it was the region I remembered best," I say sheepishly.

    She waves a hand, ¡°After the rest of it I thought you were trying not to talk about dying. But I- You- Only- what did you call them? ''Video games'' about pokemon? Noth- No living pokemon?¡±

    "There were shows and movies, I just¡­ didn''t watch most of them," I say.

    ¡°Wow.¡± She states. Then she just stares into space for a long moment. ¡°You should probably go see the human town.¡± She eventually says.

    Ha! I- Ah shit. "Eh, I''ve liked it out here so far, everyone I''ve met has been friendly. And I mean¡­" I trail off from the look she''s giving me. "Okay, I''ve been stalling. It honestly is nice out here, but I just- I don''t know what to do! I''m dead. I''m not too proud to admit that I''m scared of being caught. And you have no idea how¡­" I stop, my thoughts blurring together. I need to calm down.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been caught before.¡± She admits, almost flippantly. ¡°You can break your way out if you¡¯re strong enough¡­¡± She glances at Onaga, who is still trying to puzzle out the pikachu. Before she looks back at me, ¡°From what I understand, most trainers are actually¡­ maybe not nice, but at least not bad. It¡¯s just that the ones who come here are usually awful because they need to be breaking the law to do it.¡± She says.

    "That doesn''t fill me with confidence," I tell her.

    She laughs, ¡°Well, there are rangers here. And they will protect you, all of us-¡± She stops. ¡°I¡¯m a ranger now¡­¡± She whispers, seemingly to herself. Then she recovers, ¡°Okay, well it¡¯s not just us. There are bases all over Almia and everyone in them is dedicated to protecting the pokemon here.¡±

    I sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll fly over tonight, okay?¡± I decide. She nods, seeming happy at that.

    Onaga walks out of the bedroom, stalling further conversation. She checks outside, then walks over to check the clothes that she left by the fire. It seems they''re still wet, as she just sighs and grabs her radio.

    "Katie, I''m at the misdreavus'' cabin and there''s a family of pikachu that have been edged out of their territory. Could you add a thorough population survey to the quest list?" She speaks into the boxy device.

    ¡°k¨ªnn an¨°, pri?t¨¤ti?" A female voice chirps from the radio. Well, that¡¯s a new language.

    ¡°Medium, possibly high if there¡¯s nothing else on there.¡± She answers before she starts rearranging her clothes, ignoring the radio¡¯s response. ¡°Ten minutes, Weaver.¡± She says, now seemingly taking an inventory.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡± She tells the human. Then to me, ¡°Promise me I¡¯ll see you in town tonight?¡±

    I''ve done a lot of sighing today, so I stop myself before I do it again. "You will," I promise her.

    ***

    I¡¯m still dragging my feet, in a manner of speaking. Slowly drifting down the packed dirt paths through the woods. There are several things on my mind at the moment, one of which is something I just didn¡¯t have the nerve to say to Weaver earlier. I don¡¯t just like it here. Despite the circumstances, once I settled in I realized that I''m so much¡­ happier. Sure, I find myself bored at times and my thoughts drift to things I¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t, but overall I really am happy so far. That just makes my gnawing guilt about my old friends worse though.

    I will see them again. That I¡¯ve decided, even if I don¡¯t know how yet.

    I''ve been staying below the trees, admiring the seemingly well-tended- No, don¡¯t be an idiot Charlie, the trees are tended to, even if not by humans. I even watched Leaf do it for a few hours¡­ Anyway, I¡¯ve come to a split in the path. Rising above the canopy of leaves I make sure my sense of direction is still correct. It is, so I descend and continue floating down one path, North-East now.

    I¡¯m not far out, maybe a mile to go. I started once the sun was well into setting, but that can''t have been more than an hour and a half ago. I think the town¡­ I just realized I don''t know if I''m headed for a town or a city. Weaver had said town but that could mean a range of things, depending on how the translation works.

    I think the town is about six miles from my cabin. Flying at full speed it would only take me a few minutes to go from one to the other, especially since I¡¯d be taking a straight line. Fuck I¡¯m still nervous about this, just need to suck it up and dive in. Yep, that¡¯s why I¡¯m taking one of the slowest routes I can.

    ¡­Oh, that''s a field. I drift out of the trees and into farmland of some kind, the lack of light not impeding my view. Segmented Fields stretch out before me. Beyond those, I can see the city. Definitely too large to be called a town by definition.

    I¡¯ll get to it when I get to it, let¡¯s look at these farms. I¡­ don¡¯t know a lot about farming, shit. I can only distract myself so much with this. Very few of the fields have anything green on them, and the two that do I have no idea what¡¯s growing in them.

    Drifting through the field I also spot an almost flooded plot.

    ¡­Fine, I¡¯ll head for the city.

    I reach the city way too fast for my liking, though I do see a friendly face when I arrive. Weaver is leaning against a strangely rounded brick building, she''s wearing a black shoulder belt along with the hat now, and holding a map.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you actually came.¡± She says, holding the map out, ¡°Here, so you''re not asking me for directions all night.¡±

    Grasping the map carefully in a psychic hold, I open it and take a look. Yep, gibberish. Also a tourist map, clearly emphasizing local attractions.

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t read this, right?¡± I tell her.

    She facepalms, ¡°Ugh, fine, gimme that.¡± She exaggerates, plucking the map out of the air while pulling her other hand down her face. Then she smiles, ¡°Didn¡¯t even cross my mind that you couldn¡¯t read. Is that a new thing or¡­?¡± She hangs the question.

    ¡°I can read English and Spanish just fine, but I don¡¯t think those are used here," I say.

    She nods, ¡°Ah, got it. It isn¡¯t too hard to learn LSL, Sinnohan¡¯s a bit weirder though.¡± She explains, beginning to walk into the city. ¡°Can you eat normal food? Sorry, that just occurred to me.¡± She asks, looking back at me.

    "I can eat berries, so maybe," I say distractedly. Weaver might have nodded at that, but I''m too busy looking around.

    The buildings, all ranging from one to five stories, are mostly almost domed as opposed to the gabled design of my cabin, and I''m pretty sure the entire surface of every roof I see is solar panels. The walls of the buildings are more diverse however, Some are brick, some are shiplap, others are stucco, and I can see one that looks like logs. And I¡¯m getting the impression that a lot of places are small businesses and that the owners might even live where they work. Many of the buildings are also strangely rounded at the corners, but if the walls are as thick as the ones in my cabin that could partially explain it.

    The street we¡¯re on isn¡¯t pavement or asphalt. It¡¯s alternating pale and red brick set down in an angular back-and-forth arrow pattern. Street lamps are set intermittently along the buildings, and the street as a whole seems odd to me until I realize what¡¯s off about it. There are no sidewalks, there are no cars at all, either. However, I do see a set of rails going across an intersection several buildings down, white paint clearly denoting a minimum safe distance.

    Even farther down, I can see a small island in the middle of the road, three trees with a bench inside a green pool of grass. And I can see more of them beyond it.

    Something else eats at me for a bit before I notice the absence. There are no power lines, which is honestly interesting to see in a place without towering buildings. Granted, I bet pokemon make it easy to fix something underground without some of the time-consuming processes we had to deal with.

    Also distributed solar power probably helps a bit.

    And¡­ Hmm, looking at the street-level windows, I''m fairly certain we''re in a commerce district. So, this is where the money moves.

    ¡°You''re looking awfully hard at some of the buildings, Smokey.¡± Says Weaver as we pass what is definitely a hotel. ¡°Something on your mind?¡± She asks, curious.

    "I was- It''s about what I did before, putting buildings together," I say, looking around some more. "I think you have better civil architecture," I state.

    She shrugs, ¡°If you say so. You¡¯d know I guess.¡±

    She took my being from another world a little too well earlier, so I need to ask her something. ¡°Do you really believe me? About where I¡¯m from, I mean.¡± I ask.

    She frowns, ¡°I think so? You¡¯re not lying at least.¡± She says. Then shrugs again, ¡°Seems weird, but I can believe it.¡± Then she turns to me and grins, ¡°Just means I have an extra special friend now.¡±

    This has to be part of the strange outlooks I noticed most pokemon have. Is it because of the powers? Weaver has apparently lived with humans for years, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s about upbringing. Hmm¡­ maybe it¡¯s just different brains, the more plant-y grass-types do seem-

    ¡°Hey, snap out of it. We¡¯re here.¡± Weaver interrupts my thoughts as she steps into one of the buildings with lights on. A diner, judging by the window decoration. The door jingles.

    ¡°You brought me into the city to eat?¡± I ask her. ¡°You know I don¡¯t need food, right?¡± I poke, as I simply pass through the glass door.

    This looks like a mid-classic diner, with rough, vaguely colored wood walls, black-white tiled floor, dim and colorful lighting, mostly booth and bar seating, and an actual bar. The well-dressed woman behind it raises an eyebrow when she sees us, but she otherwise doesn''t react.

    ¡°Ryuko gave me some money to celebrate my ¡®ascension to ranger-hood,¡¯ I figured I might as well spend it with another friend.¡± She tells me, before rolling her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know what else I¡¯ll spend it on right now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are you customers¡­¡± A middle-aged man sitting in a booth against the far wall trails off as his eyes land on me. "Oh Swords, I- '''' He''s interrupted by Weaver.

    ¡°We¡¯re paying customers.¡± She says, pulling something out of a pocket on her belt. An ID, huh.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Says the man, standing and edging his way towards us, eyes flicking to me several times. When he reaches Weaver he takes the card and inspects a moment. ¡°R- right, thank you for your dedication. My name is Daniel and I¡¯ll be your waiter tonight¡­¡± He trails off as he looks at me again, then at the door to what is presumably the kitchen, then to the bartender. ¡°Sorry. Seat yourselves anywhere. I assume you can read, Miss Weaver?¡± Weaver nods. ¡°Excellent, give me just a moment to get your menus.¡±

    The man heads for the back, perhaps a bit faster than necessary. Well, I¡¯ve already filled up, and we haven¡¯t even sat down yet. That is some good service.

    Actually, how late is it? This place has a bar¡ªeven if it is empty right now¡ªso it would be open later than a normal diner¡­ Glancing around I do see a¡ªthankfully analog¡ªwall clock. Only eight-fifty? ¡­I guess it is early spring.

    Should I be questioning why the clock is the same here? Even if the numbers are different. Is the calendar the same too? How does that even-

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Do you normally just get distracted like that?¡± Asks Weaver as she pokes me, before shrugging, ¡°Eh, you probably have your reasons.¡± She then moves to a high-chaired bar against the window and I follow her. ¡°Did you see his face though?¡± She asks as she hops, literally, onto a stool.

    I glance at the stools for a moment before deciding to just float over one. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to see it, I could taste it. He really was afraid of me, but it dropped off when you showed him your ID.¡± I inform her.

    ¡°Yeah, having any kind of ranger around tends to calm people down.¡± She says as Daniel returns with the menus.

    ¡°Anything to drink while you decide on your order?¡± He asks while placing the plastic-covered sheets of paper in front of us.

    ¡°Miltank-milk," Is Weaver''s immediate response, poking the third line of a section on her menu. Looking at me she says, ¡°You really should try it, it¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure, miltank-milk," I say, poking the same line on my menu with one arm. I just realized something, I haven''t felt thirsty since I woke up and I never noticed, damn. Am I unobservant?

    ¡°Two milks,¡± He says, jotting something down with a pad and pen I could swear he didn¡¯t have a moment ago. ¡°Anything to start you off? Bread-rolls? Salad?¡± Weaver and I both shake our heads. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll have your drinks in a jiffy.¡± He says before walking off.

    "You''ve got that look again," Weaver says teasingly as she inspects her menu.

    "This is going to be the first time I''ve tried to drink something since I died," I tell her.

    She looks thoughtful at that, ¡°Huh. I haven¡¯t really put much thought into what that would have been like. Does that make me a bad friend?¡± She asks.

    I snort, ¡°Nah, you¡¯ve been great so far.¡±

    The door jingles open. Weaver and I look to find out who our fellow late diners are. It¡¯s the teen girl and her father from yesterday.

    ¡°-orry it took so long sweetie, I wasn¡¯t expecting everyone to be out this soon.¡± The father says, clearly trying to console his daughter.

    "It''s fine, Dad, we got them. I''m just hungry¡­" She too trails off when she sees me, though instead of fear she''s radiating excitement. "Oh, hi! Uh, would you mind a picture now?" She asks me. Really?

    Although from the looks of them, they aren''t rich people with money to burn, they''re probably trying to make the most of a trip that had to be saved for and planned out in advance.

    Weaver and I exchange a glance, but her look just says I''m on my own. I''m not in a bad mood this time, so why not? "Sure," I say, nodding to the teen.

    She winces? "Yeah¡­ uh, think you could pose a bit? No- not that you need to! I was just asking." She stammers a bit, but she really is happy right now. Also, I think a bit confused about something?

    I smirk, doing my best casual lean against the bar while still floating. ¡°Like this?¡± I say.

    ¡°Y- yeah, just like that!¡± She beams, pulling a camera out of her bag. She readies it for a second.

    ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±Says Daniel reappearing with our drinks. ¡°I can see you¡¯re in the middle of something, so I¡¯ll come back to take your orders. And I¡¯ll have your menus once you¡¯re seated.¡± He says the last part to the father-daughter pair before vanishing into the back again.

    There¡¯s a ¡®clack¡¯ as he leaves. And the girl, looking a bit sheepish now, asks, ¡°Do you think I could get one more with both of us in it?¡± She¡¯s looking down, eyes going back and forth over nothing.

    "Sure, one more," I tell her. She looks up, smiling, then hands the camera off to her father, who looks a bit confused for some reason.

    ¡°Thank you! Um, do you think you could look scarier for this one?¡± I shrug, spreading my arms and my cloud while putting on what would normally be a friendly smile. ¡°Oh. Uh, yeah that¡¯s good.¡± She says a little shakily.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you shown me that yet?¡± Asks Weaver. ¡°That¡¯s a great look for you Smokey, you should do it all the time.¡±

    The girl twitches, but assumes a double-thumbs-up pose in front of me, facing the camera. Her father is faster than her with the camera and after another ¡®clack¡¯ she¡¯s walking back to him.

    They start heading for a far booth as the girl says, ¡°Thanks for the pictures Mis- Smokey!¡± before they sit down. Daniel appears before them immediately after.

    Settling back above my seat, it takes a moment for her words to parse. Wait, ¡°Did she¡­?¡± I hesitate.

    "I think so, yeah," Weaver says. ¡°Cool.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± I ask her.

    Are there humans who can understand us?

    ¡°No clue. Never met one who could, myself.¡± She helpfully answers, before sipping her drink and turning back to her menu. ¡°Any idea what you¡¯re going to order?¡± Wha- How is she so blas¨¦ about this? Is this normal? Fuck, it must be if she¡¯s so casual about it.

    I look at the menu myself. None of the food is pictured, making me sigh. "Whatever you recommend, I still can''t read this," I tell her.

    "Mushroom burger with potato puffs sound good?" She asks, pointing to the line on the menu. "I''m getting the tofu fry, myself."

    "Sure, sounds good," I reply. Then I actually look at my drink, it''s creamy looking, nothing like the watery skim-variety Abby always insisted on whenever¡­

    ¡­did I get taken on a date?

    I¡¯m not going to be stupid enough to let that hang over me the whole time. So I ask, ¡°Weaver, is this a date?¡±

    She looks confused for a moment before holding up a finger. Then she lowers it, "No? Not if I understand what a date is." Thank fuck! As nice and objectively cute as she is, I don''t find her attractive.

    And oh boy am I not ready for that line of thought yet. I¡¯m honestly hoping I never have to deal with it, really.

    ¡°Is this a human thing or a you thing?¡± She asks.

    ¡°A me thing, I think. I was just reminded of several dates my¡­ former girlfriend and I went on,¡± I explain, before sipping my drink. Wow, it¡¯s really good, very creamy, and still somewhat sweet. "You were right about the drink," I tell her.

    ¡°Of course, I have a very refined taste for human food. Only the best goes in here.¡± She says, slapping her belly.

    ¡°Fried tofu?¡± I ask her, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± She intones gravely, nodding her head. ¡°Only the best.¡±

    ¡°What-¡± I stop, thinking about my question for a moment. ¡°What do weavile normally eat?¡± I ask her.

    She blows a raspberry at that, leaning back a bit. "Well, that depends, outside of human space?" She chomps her teeth, "Meat. Anything a pack could take down I guess. Here though¡­" She starts tapping her chin, "A lot of eggs, fish, and tofu, along with some vegetables. Though Ryuko warned me against corn and most fruit for some reason, but they aren''t appetizing anyway, so yeah.¡± She shrugs.

    Corn? ¡°Did she say it was poisonous to you? The corn?¡± I have to ask her.

    ¡°No¡­ it had something to do with my health.¡± She responds. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure, I was only kind of paying attention. I¡¯m pretty happy it got a lot easier for me to focus when I evolved, and thumbs! You know I¡­ You okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ mildly freaking out," I admit. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of what might change when- If? I evolve,¡± I tell her. ¡°You just made me realize how much could change, it¡¯s a lot to think about, and I¡¯ve already changed bodies once. Really, I¡¯m still getting used to this one, and the thought of doing it again is making me feel a bit terrified.¡± Not to mention how she said it got easier for her to focus, and I don¡¯t know if I want to think about the implications right now.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing misdreavus don¡¯t evolve then.¡± She smirks, and then her face blanks again. "Or¡­ they do, don''t they?" She looks at me, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be thinking about it if they don¡¯t. What do you become?¡± She asks me, now with an odd look on her face.

    Oh, uh, What was it called again? Mis-something¡­ mismanus¡­ mismagnus? No¡­ "Mismagius? I think," I answer. "I''m pretty sure that''s it, if I''m remembering right, I might need to find a pointy hat and a robe if I evolve.¡±

    Weaver blinks, ¡°Huh, why do I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name before¡­¡±

    Before we can continue our conversation, Daniel appears. ¡°Would you like to order now, do you need help deciding, or would you like a few more minutes to decide?¡± He asks politely.

    Weaver¡¯s face shifts into a smile before she points at a line on her menu. I, in turn, point to the one she said was a burger, very glad to have a distraction from my thoughts.

    ***

    The food was delicious, even if it didn¡¯t actually fill me up. I think¡­ I might have been denying myself certain pleasures without noticing. Sure, I don¡¯t need to eat normal food but the only emotion I¡¯ve found that actually tastes good is fear. And yeah, I don¡¯t need to drink anything, but there are some good drinks out there. It actually has me wondering if I can nap to take the edge off sometimes.

    There aren¡¯t a lot of places open this late, but Weaver and I wander around for a bit. Of the very few humans we see, most try to leave the moment they see me. Although I do spot Guy-Number-Five in a crowd leaving a bar, he steers the whole group away from us.

    I hadn¡¯t noticed the cats earlier. Well, cat-like-pokemon, meowth, glameow, and even a shinx I¡¯ve noticed darting around. There aren¡¯t a lot of them, but they are prowling around. And meowth just looks like a bipedal cat with a gold coin on its head, I don¡¯t know why, but that threw me for a loop.

    The city does have different districts. There¡¯s a small industrial zone on the North side, though we don¡¯t go there. Farther South is where the farms really are, and we spend a bit walking through fields there. And right in the middle of the city is clearly where the people live, along with a few office towers and a train station that heads North one way and East the other.

    I am so jealous of the people here. There¡¯s no real sprawl, everything is easily reached on foot in two hours at most. Even if we¡¯d been moving at human speeds we would have been able to see the whole city in two, maybe three hours tops due to the tram system.

    ¡°I need to get some sleep soon.¡± Weaver yawns, leaning back against the chimney on the farmhouse we¡¯re on top of. ¡°You feeling better about being around humans yet?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s not like I¡­¡± I pause. Does she need to know? ¡°I wasn¡¯t in a great place before. And it took coming here to realize it.¡± I make myself fall onto the roof, considering my next words. ¡°I¡¯m so much happier here and it hasn¡¯t even been two weeks. I don¡¯t know what it is about this world, but it just¡­ feels better than my old one ever did. Not that I think this one¡¯s perfect, obviously, just¡­ better.¡± I sigh, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just the lack of ¡®The Grind¡¯ making me feel like that, but I can¡¯t say there aren¡¯t things I miss though.¡± Or maybe¡­ Was I depressed?

    Looking back through my memories, I notice small things that I didn¡¯t when I was still¡­ Alive? Whatever, but I think I can safely say I was. Also, Again with my memories being weirdly sharp at times-

    Weaver breaks me out of my thoughts again, ¡°I can¡¯t say anything about that, I have no idea what your old world is like. But if you think this one¡¯s better then I believe you,¡± Weaver says into the distance. Then smirking, ¡°This one has me, of course it¡¯s better.¡± We share a chuckle, though mine is a bit weaker.

    ¡°You know, I had a friend just like you, before. You two would have got along like a house on fire,¡± I tell my new friend. ¡°She was great, taught me exactly how to handle someone like you.¡± I sigh, ¡°She really was the best friend you could ask for¡­¡±

    "Oh yeah? Do you really think she got you ready for me? What if I started following you around, randomly saying embarrassing things about you?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s done that to me before.¡± I deadpan.

    ¡°Really?¡± Weaver says, a look of pure disappointment on her face. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± She finishes, chuckling and smiling brightly before she stands up and stretches, ¡°I¡¯m going to head to the base now, I¡¯ve got a human to cuddle. What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say. ¡°I have some things I¡¯d like to do, but they¡¯re mostly just learning things. Marshal said she¡¯d be checking on me, so I have that to look forward to tomorrow. I might just keep looking around the city for a while.¡± I shrug.

    She nods, ¡°Cool, I¡¯ll see you when I see you, Smokey.¡± She says, leaping to the ground and racing away. I¡¯d say she¡¯s fast, but that¡¯s slower than I saw from her earlier.

    She never showed me where she lives, did she? Meh, whatever.

    Deciding to get a move on myself, I fade out. It just tends to make flying around easier. As I turn to start floating for the city I stop as my eyes move over a slightly off patch of the void. Fading back in, I see a murkrow watching me with their head cocked. We stare at each other for a minute before they sniff and hop back into an open window.

    Huh. Okay then. Repeating my previous actions, I start drifting towards the city again. They definitely have grass-types working on these fields, a lot. The few plants that are there have a tiny but definite ____ glow to them. That has to help feed a lot of people. I wonder if this world has rampant hunger, the way my old one did?

    When did I start thinking of it as my old world?

    Fuck, that¡¯s going to haunt me. ¡­And that¡¯s not distracting me enough, shit.

    It was definitely at some point tonight, I know that much. Is it wrong though? I¡¯ve been honest enough with myself to know I like it here, a lot more than there. It was probably seeing more of the people¡ªthe humans¡ªthat did it. Forcing me to acknowledge their reality. Being able to open up to Weaver helped as well, not needing to keep bottling so many of my thoughts inside.

    It still feels surreal though, thinking of it like that. It feels like I should feel some kind of loss at that, but I just¡­ don¡¯t. ¡®My old world.¡¯ Again it just feels so odd, excitement, wonder, ¡­and some fear. But the free, open joy I feel just makes it all the stranger.

    Well, that''s that I suppose, No point in stressing over it. As I reach the edge of the city proper again I can see that yes, people are sleeping above many of the businesses in the commerce district, and there are quite a few people still awake too. I''d been mostly ignoring the emotional soup that was around us when Weaver was showing me around, but that''s a bit harder now that I don''t have her to distract me.

    Humans shed a lot of emotions, even when sleeping, it seems. And now that I¡¯m in the not-space I can see there¡¯s practically a monsoon of them bearing down on me. I¡¯m doing my best to tune the tastes out, but I can tell at least a few people nearby are having nightmares.

    Looking around at the people themselves, most of them are that same dim gray, though some are a bit brighter, a bit closer to white than gray. I do notice a few with small streaks of color, a flicker or two of ____ or ____. There¡¯s even one with a much larger streak of the same ____ color as Marshal. But it¡¯s when the third hotel comes into view that I notice a much bigger anomaly.

    It almost looks like something twisted the not-light around one of the rooms, but I can still see a solid black shape inside, obvious against the blinding, multicolored form next to it.

    My curiosity wars with caution for a moment before caution wins. I¡­ think I¡¯ll just fly home now, that room alone is enough to max out my freaky-quota for the night.

 Chapter 9

    I can hear my wife waking up as I finish brewing her morning tea, the particular cadence in her breaths shifting ever so slightly. The breakfast I made for her isn¡¯t to my normal standard, but the small kitchenette in our hotel room doesn¡¯t allow for much more.

    Knowing that she is unlikely to get out of bed this early without further prompting, I leave the table and stalk into the bed-chamber, silent so as to surprise her. She is turned away from me and facing the window, her once-red hair spilling from the blankets.

    I reach the window and throw the curtains open, ¡°Good morning, Dear,¡± I say to my lovely wife.

    She groans, ¡°You always know, I¡¯m not sure why I bothered today.¡± Truth be told, on any other day I would have let her sleep in, but we have someone to meet today. My dear Maeve slowly rises, bones creaking, to her feet. ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m excited to see her. Did you make breakfast?¡± She asks me, sniffing the air.

    ¡°It¡¯s only oatmeal with fruit, miltank-milk, and tea I¡¯m afraid,¡± I inform her. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the space, time, or ingredients for more.¡±

    She waves me off as she starts walking to the small eating space in our suite, ¡°You spoil me too much anyway, love,¡± She lies, I would never give her any less than my best.

    We eat in relative silence before readying to move on to the day¡¯s affairs, she takes her medicine, and I take on a familiar fa?ade as we step outside.

    Neither of us like it. And though it took me a while to understand Maeve''s talk about social expectations and the negative stigma against single mothers, I have stood by her for fifty years now. Even if the ''father¡¯ of our children would not.

    We¡¯ve been through far too much together to do otherwise. And even despite my nature, I will remain her guiding light until the end.

    We begin the slow journey northwest of Vientown. we make no effort to rush, for Maeve''s sake. Though Dialga''s march has been kind to her, I fear the day she is found underfoot, and she shows signs of it''s nearing evermore with each passing year.

    I find it best not to dwell on such thoughts, lest my control slip. Yet it is a truth I cannot deny, and so I look to the world around us.

    Almia is a blessed country, despite its history. There is a vibrancy to the world here, a lust for life that has¡­ perhaps not been forgotten but has stagnated in many other places. The life that surrounds us stands in defiance of what was once inevitable. Now only memories, even of the worst disasters.

    It takes forty-five minutes at this slow, meandering pace to reach our destination, but that time gives my wife and I the freedom to take in the life around us, the beauty of a land shattered and made whole again.

    It can even still be felt in the air¡­ No, this feeling is fresh, no more than two weeks in age. Interesting, perhaps I will need to watch for another such as Maeve.

    In any event, we approach a small compound, the cyclic symbol of the Ranger Union displayed dominant and alone on the otherwise unremarkable red and black bunker. Entering, we are met with the view of a blue-haired Unovan man behind a desk as he glances up at us.

    ¡°Oh,¡± He says, sitting up straight and turning to face us. ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t get many walk-ins and¡­ Anyway, What can I do for you today?¡± He asks.

    It is my wife who answers first, ¡°Maeve Aisling and Liam Aisling, we¡¯re here to see our granddaughter." At that, the man''s expression turns confused, but Maeve preempts his coming question, "Ryuko, dear. Onaga Ryuko."

    The man seems thunderstruck for a brief moment, looking between us. ¡°Okay, yeah just give me a sec,¡± He tells us.

    Standing, the man walks into a door to the right of his desk. Leaving us to wait. I almost cannot, I can hear my granddaughter three rooms deeper into the building, speaking to a different man about¡­ ghosts?

    ¡°I wonder what she¡¯ll think when that man tells her we¡¯re here. Do you think she¡¯ll believe him?¡± My wife asks me.

    ¡°I believe she will be quite pleased to see us, even though she will try to hide most of it,¡± I tell Maeve, kissing her on the cheek.

    She flicks one of my ears, knowing exactly where it is despite my outward appearance, and we both smile. "We''re alone dear, but you''re right. What''s going on back there?" My love asks.

    I focus on the words I can hear coming from that room. ¡°That man just told her we¡¯re here, she doesn¡¯t seem to believe him, but she¡¯s also rather excited,¡± I describe to her. Her smile grows warmer.

    ¡°Oh, to have ears like these. Have I told you how I wish I did?¡± She says, gripping my ears and beginning to rub them. ¡°Oh, but I suppose I do, bonny fox,¡± She adds playfully as I lean into the touch.

    ¡°They¡¯re returning,¡± I let her know, regretfully pulling away from her hands.

    Ryuko practically bursts from the door, suspicion turning to shock on her face. ¡°Oma? Opa?¡± She asks, staring at us. The man trails behind her, moving back to his desk.

    ¡°Little Ryu!¡± I say, readying my fa?ade for touch as I step to bring her into a hug.

    Before I can, however, a weavile plants herself firmly between myself and my granddaughter. "No, I don''t know what you are, but-" She gets out before my wife''s voice cuts her short.

    ¡°Later, please, Weavile. Right now we would like to see our granddaughter,¡± She says, her tone familiar and unyielding. Weavile doesn¡¯t back down, but she remains silent for the moment.

    I''m lost for words, in truth. Little Ryuko has found herself not only a loyal partner but a shadow. To engender such protectiveness in one of my type is not an easy thing, and I''m not certain I could be more proud of her. Though, that may be a lack of faith on my part.

    I need to voice my thoughts. ¡°I am so proud of you Ryu, to think you would grow into such a noble young woman, it warms my heart.¡±

    Ryuko has gone red at this point, hands covering her face. She steps around her shadow and into my embrace. "You''re embarrassing me!" She says before sighing, "I didn''t know when I''d see you again, Opa. Now''s not the best time, but there probably won''t be a good time soon anyway." Stepping out of my arms and into Maeve''s, she continues, "You should have called ahead or maybe sent a letter. I might have been able to schedule time for us, then.¡±

    That''s likely true, the Rangers are always busy. Oh, and I cannot describe the fear I felt when Ryuko first told me that she''d been accepted to become one of them. But she clearly proved herself worthy of them in time, the once deathly frail girl now a beacon of strength among humans.

    ¡°How long will you be in Almia?¡± She asks. Sweet child.

    ¡°We¡¯re moving to Pueltown.¡± Replies my wife. ¡°With Kanto¡¯s current situation and our age, we had to choose between Almia and Unova, and we decided that Almia would be the best place to live the rest of our lives. Most of our things were sent ahead, we just decided to drop in on you first." Maeve pushes Ryuko away a bit. "Have you heard from your parents recently? Liam and I haven''t been able to reach them at all."

    Ryuko shakes her head, ¡°No, but I haven¡¯t really tried after¡­¡± She sighs, ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t heard from them.¡± Oh, I see.

    I don¡¯t know where we went wrong with Killian. Though perhaps it was not us and instead Kanto¡¯s doing. Either way, if he¡¯s finally decided his daughter¡¯s career is worth ignoring this part of the family over¡­ I may need to accept that we- I failed him.

    ¡°Let me go ask my boss if I can have the afternoon free, there¡¯s a situation though, and we¡¯re still waiting on someone, so I probably won''t be able to today," She says, before turning and walking towards a door. "Love you, Opa, Oma! If I can''t get today I''ll try for tomorrow. Sorry, I can''t stick around longer. Bye!" And with that, she''s through the door and out of sight, Weavile following slowly after. Ah! She certainly hasn''t lost her spark.

    "So, uh, You haven''t seen each other in a while then." The blue-haired man asks, speaking up for the first time.

    I chuckle at that, and my love is smiling with me. ¡°It is not easy to travel from Kanto to here, no. Especially now,¡± I tell the man.

    ¡°Yeah, I get that. She was right though, the guy''s an hour late already.¡± The man informs us. Hmm, perhaps we should go and see the rest of the city, then.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    It¡¯s getting close to midday, I should go check on the kid soon.

    I just want to sit here right now though. I feel a few tears hit my legs.

    Buizel¡¯s growing up so fast. He just found a¡ªand he was very enthused by this¡ªfemale friend and he''s obviously interested in her.

    I knew that was coming soon, he¡¯s almost six now. He¡¯s strong enough to make it on his own, it won¡¯t be long before he leaves for good. I just wish he would stay a child for a bit longer.

    This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve been through this of course, not by a good length. It still isn¡¯t easy. But I¡¯ve got Ryu and Charlie to keep me company when I need it, and the kid¡¯s going to need my help and guidance for now.

    I¡¯m just sitting on the shore. The first few times I went through this hurt, though now I''m not sure if ''hurt'' is the right word anymore. My baby boy''s all grown up again, and soon I won''t be seeing him every day anymore¡­ I''m happy for him, he''s one of my stronger children, and he even has some of his father¡¯s sparks, but I¡¯m still sad to know he¡¯ll be gone before too long.

    I feel a few more tears fall.

    I¡¯m still just sitting here. Maybe it¡¯s just ¡®cause I don''t want the kid to see me crying like this, but it''s not like they''re truly a child, too introspective for that. It''s also not like they wouldn''t understand, with everything I think they¡¯ve been through. Not even like these are bad tears, just what¡¯s normal.

    ¡°C¡¯mon old bones, we promised ourselves no more moping,¡± I remind myself.

    Sighing, I stand, if only to fall into the water a second later. I begin my swim across to the east shore. It takes only seconds to reach it and soon I¡¯m moving down the path to what is now Charlie¡¯s den.

    Shockingly, they''re outside, with a look of extreme focus on their face.

    Looking at the rest of the clearing around the old dwelling, I can see they¡¯ve been busy practicing force and technique. There are gouges, craters, and furrows in the earth around the clearing. I can see the remains of several felled trees and even a spot where there¡¯s only shattered wood left.

    I settle down, resting my backside and leaning my head on my hands, to wait.

    ¡­Well then. Deciding I¡¯ve given them long enough to notice me, I start talking, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been busy,¡± I observe, which seems to break them out of their focused state.

    "Oh!" They startle, glancing at me. "Yeah, I¡­" The kid pauses to look around, "I guess so." They pause again, probably considering their next words. "I''ve been trying to figure out my gim- No, specialty? I think that¡¯s the right word. Anyway, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s my voice,¡± They say.

    ¡®Specialty?¡¯ Hmm, Hmm¡­ yeah, that makes sense with the other spooks I¡¯ve seen.

    Some were just balls of gas that kept releasing more gas, they¡¯re annoying but not all that strong, all it takes to dissuade them is a strong wind.

    Every ten or so years the shedinja appear, and they¡¯re¡­ strange. Usually dour, and generally best left alone to fade away.

    There are the drifblim of course, but I¡¯m not sure how much they count as ghosts. They¡¯ve got the same feel to them, and they¡¯re friendly enough, but they aren¡¯t¡­ dead.

    And then there was that one spook that kept hurting others by hurting themselves, and that one I had to wear down enough that they decided to just leave. They kept screaming a name too, still not sure why.

    How do they know about stuff like that, though? Curious.

    ¡°That makes some sense, with the way you sound,¡± I acknowledge. ¡°Are you doing okay otherwise?¡±

    "I think so," They say, eyes trailing over the chewed-up earth. "Actually, yeah, I''m doing pretty well," they say, now looking down the human path. "Weaver and I talked about some stuff, it¡­ felt good to get some of it off my chest."

    Oh? Well, so long as it made them feel better, that¡¯s what matters. I am a bit curious though. ¡°Anything you feel like sharing?¡± I ask them.

    They look at me for a moment, ¡°I¡­¡± They stop, blinking. ¡°I said something while we were talking, and it turned into a much longer conversation,¡± They tell me, before clearly thinking about their words again.

    I guess they¡¯re just not ready to share that with me, probably only shared it with the weavile because it slipped out. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to explain it to you yet, I don¡¯t know if I ever will be, honestly. It- it¡¯s a lot,¡± They confirm my thoughts. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not a little disappointed to hear that, but I can understand at least.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Um, are you okay?¡± They ask, now looking at my face. ¡°You tas- You look like¡­¡± They stop, looking down. Wheel, why do you have so much trouble looking me in the eyes kid?

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. Buizel¡¯s growing up fast, and it always leaves me feeling some kind of way. You don¡¯t need to worry about it,¡± I tell them.

    I can see the worry on their face anyway. "Are you sure you don''t need anything?" They ask. They genuinely are the nicest ghost I''ve met, but I know I''ll feel better eventually. I always do.

    ¡°Just some company,¡± I tell them. And smiling, ¡°You¡¯re helping enough right now.¡± There¡¯s a short pause before I decide to check something, ¡°You and weaver protect Ryu yesterday? Made sure she warmed up well enough?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know If I¡¯d say I protected her,¡± They hedge, glancing back at the old structure. "I made sure she was warm though. I couldn''t really tell how cold it was, but apparently, Weaver wasn''t helping with that."

    ¡°That¡¯s just how she is. She can¡¯t get hot, only colder,¡± I say nodding. ¡°Though Ryuko should have known better than to be in that freezing rain for so long.¡±

    They let out a small laugh at that, ¡°Weaver said something similar while we were in the city. She thinks Onaga is too selfless,¡± They say.

    Anybody who spends time with her would realize that. What was the other thing they said? ¡°You went and saw the city?¡± I ask. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been out that way for¡­ I¡¯m not even sure how long it¡¯s been.

    ¡°Yeah. Uh, Weaver thought I was developing a fear of humans. I¡¯m pretty sure she was right,¡± They say.

    A fear of humans? Now that¡¯s unusual. Though¡­ not unexpected with what they say happened to them, and it also feels uncomfortably familiar¡­

    ¡°Charlie, were you a capture or just a companion?¡± I ask them, and they freeze up. Yeah, that follows. I don¡¯t even wait for the answer, ¡°If you¡¯re scared of a human- of anything hurting you like that again, of being caught or whatever else, the solution is just to get stronger," I tell them, now looking at the mess they''ve made while doing just that. "You''re obviously trying already, but just practicing like this will only take you so far." I''m watching for a reaction, and I don''t miss the slight wince when they realize what I mean. "I''m sorry kid, but this isn''t some safe human city with someone to enforce ''laws'' and all that. You''re apparently a curiosity, and Ryu''s warned me that there probably will be humans looking to catch you.¡±

    The kid slumps a bit in the air, ¡°I figured, it¡¯s just¡­ I never liked violence. I liked making stuff more,¡± They say. Then in a tone low enough that I don¡¯t think I¡¯m supposed to hear, ¡°I miss having something to do.¡±

    I want to know, but do I pursue it instead of staying on topic with what they need to do? Hmm¡­ getting to know them more is the better choice, ultimately, so I decide on that. I''ll come back around to learning to fight afterward.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I ask them. They freeze, again.

    ¡°Um. W- Well, I¡­¡± They begin, sinking to the ground slightly. ¡°I had a job, before I- You know? And I¡¯m used to having things to do all day¡­¡± They sound uncertain, like they¡¯re afraid of how I¡¯ll react.

    Why? I know humans will get us to help them with things, but why is the kid so twitchy about it? ¡°Yeah? What did you do?¡± I ask them, trying to figure it out.

    ¡°I¡­ put buildings together. Or fixed them, sometimes. It depended on the contracts we got. Everything from roofing, to plumbing, foundations, structural, and even electrical work.¡± They look a bit less afraid now. Maybe it¡¯s not them but something they heard about me? I suppose if they are used to being around humans then hearing about some of the things I¡¯ve done might do it.

    ¡°Hmm? You know how to do all that?¡± I ask, probing a bit.

    ¡°Y- Yeah, I do. I spent years doing it all.¡± They¡¯re looking a little distant now, the way they do before dropping onto deep thoughts.

    They¡¯ve said some things I don¡¯t recognize, but that¡¯s no surprise. I do know one thing I¡¯ve heard Luxray go on about, though, ¡°You said, ¡®electrical work¡¯? You know a lot about that kind of thing?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah I guess I do,¡± They say distractedly, and I can almost see the thoughts start churning in that head of theirs as they go still. They get that look a lot, and, while I¡¯m tempted, I¡¯m not going to try knocking them out of it just yet. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re thinking of that needs focus like that, but its probably important to them.

    Standing, I take a better look around at what they''ve been doing. Some of the destruction was obviously from sound attacks, the distinctive patterns clear in the loose dirt around them. Others though¡­ they have the same shape as the smaller ones, but I can tell there was considerably more force behind them. The fact that I heard none of this happening means the kid has been controlling the focus and bleed of the forces very well.

    I almost want to laugh when I see the clear spots around the ranger signs. They really must not want to damage those.

    Walking over to the structure at the south end, I can tell they¡¯ve been busy here too. There¡¯s a pile of creeping vines by the door and I can smell ash and the sticky paste I taught the kid about. Looking in through the front window, I can see the remains of a fire inside and surprisingly little else. It seems Charlie has been trying to make the space more comfortable for themselves. None of the other spooks that tried to claim this place did that, none of them were this friendly either. Makes me wonder why, frankly. It might just be an age thing since Charlie does come across as older than most around here.

    Hmm, I might need to ask them about that at some point too.

    A sound from down the human path pulls me from those thoughts. Turning my head, I listen closer.

    ¡°¡­told you it¡¯s legit. Got it straight from the institute. Right around here somewhere, according to the locals.¡± Says a male, human voice.

    ¡°And I still say we should have just staked out the Lost Tower.¡± Says another human, also male. ¡°Not that I¡¯m going to complain about a free vacation. Though I¡¯d bet you overpaid for that leak. And the overnight train.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I should go for tough or earnest?¡± Asks a third, rather croaky, female voice. ¡°I guess¡­ I just don¡¯t know what a ghost is going to be like.¡± The voice finishes a moment later.

    Oh? An object lesson for the kid? Whether I need to knock some sense into the humans or let Charlie deal with it, it makes a perfect example. Though if they¡¯re looking for an actual fight¡­

    glancing at the churned-up earth tells me that the kid genuinely does have some strength, but the way they act is proof enough that they don''t know how to use it in a real fight.

    I continue to watch and listen as the group of three approaches, only one set of feet is unheard as they do.

    ¡°Hey, can you pass me a bottle?¡± Asks the second voice.

    ¡°Wait¡­ guys? There¡¯s something off about-¡± The croaky voice, interrupted.

    ¡°Did You eat all the snacks?¡± The first voice, accusing.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve had exactly one pack since we left the city.¡±

    ¡°Really? ¡®cause they¡¯re- Oh I put them in that pocket.¡±

    ¡°Was that a- Never mind, you need to learn to pay attention. Stinger? What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something big ahead.¡± Says the croaky voice, alert and wary.

    It isn¡¯t much longer before I can see them through the trees. Two humans, each wearing bags. And a croagunk, the amphibious pokemon is rare around here, but not unknown to me. She locks eyes with me before laughing hysterically.

    It takes her a moment to stop laughing. ¡°Ah! Mm. Oh, no, I¡¯m¡­ shutting up now,¡± She says. Very smart choice.

    It takes hardly a moment longer for one of the humans to notice me, they¡¯re almost in the clearing now.

    ¡°Dude, there it is!¡± Says the human with the first voice, pointing at Charlie.

    Charlie, who hasn¡¯t even noticed what¡¯s going on. Honestly, kid, I get that you tend to drift off but there¡¯s a threat right there. Although, they¡¯ve got a look on their face now¡­

    "Brad, not the thing you should be focusing on right now." Hisses the other human, his eyes moving from me to the ranger signs and back again. With the way the croagunk has moved between myself and him, I''m guessing he''s the trainer. Although I don''t see any pokeballs, so it seems he''s not an idiot at least.

    ¡°Yeah? What do you¡­ mean¡­¡± The other human trails off when he notices me. ¡°What the hell is that?!¡±

    The trainer gives ¡®Brad¡¯ an incredulous look, ¡°We came all the way down to Almia, and you don¡¯t know who that is?¡± The man asks, disbelieving.

    "Man, I''m not a professional. What do you expect? That I know every mildly famous pokemon in a country I don''t even live in?" The increasingly idiotic-sounding human retorts.

    ¡°Wha- Mildly famous?¡± the trainer says, now sounding like someone told him that water was dry.

    There are only two of them, and one already knows about me. No need for theatrics or a show of force then. I look at Charlie for a second again, kid¡¯s still zoned out, and I¡¯m going to need to talk to them about that. But first, the humans.

    ¡°You should leave,¡± I tell the trio, then to who must be named Stinger, ¡°And you need to do a better job keeping your partner out of trouble, okay?¡±

    She simply nods before grabbing her trainer¡¯s hand and tugging, trying to move him back the way they came. The trainer looks at her blankly, before nodding and addressing the other human, ¡°Brad, we¡¯re leaving,¡± He tells the man.

    ¡°What? But the ghost is right there! We came all the way out here!¡± He protests with a slight whine to his voice.

    ¡°Yeah, and The Marshal is right there. We. Are. Leaving. Stinger and I are going to go have a nice, normal vacation, and we are not going to talk about this ever again. Got it?¡± The trainer says, tone brooking no argument.

    "I- But-" ''Brad'' stutters, looking between the other human, Charlie, and me. "Fine," He says after a moment, clearly unhappy about it. "Make me waste four-hundred-cred on top of the trip," He grumbles low enough it''s hard to hear.

    I see a look cross the trainer''s face when he also hears that and I can see the risk and threat calculations pass across his face, behind his eyes, but with the way he¡¯s readied himself they¡¯re not about me. Then he shoots out a hand to grab the other human¡¯s bag, stopping him. ¡°Brad, did I see what I think I did in your bag earlier?¡± He asks with a clear warning in his voice.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I dunno. What did you see?¡± Brad responds. It¡¯s clear he heard the warning and knows he¡¯s outmatched.

    ¡°Brad¡± The trainer practically hisses, ¡°Did you sneak a pokeball in?¡± The now blatantly smarter human asks.

    "I thought we were here to catch a ghost-type!" The idiot defends himself, pulling away from the trainer''s grip and facing him. ¡°Don¡¯t we need a pokeball for that?¡±

    ¡°Catch?!¡± The trainer asks, incredulous. Then he takes a deep breath to noticeably calm himself before responding, "Do you know why I only brought Stinger with me, Brad?" He asks all too calmly.

    ¡°¡­Because she¡¯s your fir-¡± The weakling starts before being interrupted.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s my first, my Ace, Brad. My best representative.¡± The trainer says, now likely unnervingly calm to the other human. ¡°Do you know why I turned in her pokeball and didn''t try to bring another, Brad?" He asks now.

    ¡°Well, I-¡± The idiot human says before being interrupted again.

    ¡°Because a happy pokemon of her size doesn¡¯t need a ball, Brad. Because pokeballs are illegal here, Bradley,¡± He says, and I can see him visibly calming himself again. ¡°Do you know what the second rule of competitive battling is, Brad?¡± He asks, tone now all too chipper. The other man opens his mouth before the trainer interrupts, answering himself again, ¡°It¡¯s make sure your team wants to be there, Brad. Do you know the first rule?¡±

    The fool looks around, seeming to wait for the trainer to answer again before realizing he won¡¯t. ¡°Um, no?¡± He says, now a little frightened.

    ¡°IT¡¯S GIVE THEM THE FUCKING RESPECT THEY DESERVE YOU MORON!¡± The trainer roars with a fury I can respect myself. ¡°Just¡­ give me the ball and leave,¡± He growls, holding out a hand. Without a word, the weak human digs through his bag and hands the trainer a red and white sphere. "Thank you for the train tickets, but please try to make sure I don¡¯t see you until I¡¯m back in Sinnoh.¡± The trainer says, not bothering to look at the other human.

    The thoroughly cowed human puts his head down and slinks back the way they came muttering to himself the whole time. The trainer just sighs and starts kneading his forehead with both hands.

    "What¡­ What happened?" I hear Charlie ask. Turning my head, I see them staring at the trainer, there''s a look on the kid''s face that tells me they at least know what could have happened.

    ¡°You know,¡± Says the trainer. ¡°When Brad showed me that report he bought saying there wasn¡¯t just a calm but possibly friendly ghost-type I thought: ¡®Why not try?¡¯ I had a pitch and everything, battles, adventure, luxury, maybe even friends ¡®till the end,¡± He sighs, putting a hand on Stinger¡¯s head. ¡°Sorry to disturb you two, I guess. I hope you don¡¯t mind if I give Brad a bit so I don¡¯t run into him on the way back.¡±

    ¡°Awful nice of you,¡± I say. ¡°But you need to ask them about that, this isn¡¯t my den,¡± I continue, pointing at Charlie.

    ¡°I- Sure?¡± Charlie says, bobbing in the air a bit.

    The trainer raises an eyebrow and looks at Stinger, who nods. He then shrugs before setting his bag down and sitting next to it, beginning to look through its contents. ¡°No water, stupid mistake,¡± He murmurs to himself.

    "Nate''s really nice," Says Stinger, speaking for the first time since she saw me, "I know it might not mean much coming from me, but he is. Brad can just be a bit¡­ mmm¡­ slow, he''s harmless though." She squats down next to her human, leaning into him. "I kinda wish we got the chance to at least give you the pitch, but I can tell you won''t take it now." She turns her head when the now-named ''Nate'' pulls out a block of food and passes it to her. The two of them stop talking after that, content to wait in silence.

    "I need to stop drifting off like that," Charlie says, eyes a bit wider than normal.

    ¡°You need to learn situational awareness too,¡± I tell them, and I know they got the point. ¡°So you and I are going to work on that, and how to protect yourself, right now. Follow me,¡± I say.

    They¡¯re quiet as they rise a bit, getting ready to follow, before they stop and look at the structure. ¡°Um, you don¡¯t think there will be people in there when I get back do you?¡± They ask, still staring at the old place.

    ¡°Nah, between what the two of us have shown them the tourists won¡¯t be coming back out here for a few days. I''ll give it another day or two before we see any more in numbers,¡± I tell them. That doesn¡¯t seem to convince them though, as I see their eyes move to Nate and Stinger. ¡°Those two, at least, don¡¯t seem to be idiots,¡± I reassure them. ¡°And once you get some real experience, idiots won¡¯t be a problem either.¡± They think a moment longer before nodding and moving to follow me.

    They don¡¯t try to resist as I lead them out across my lake. I can say a lot of things about the kid, sheltered, skittish, and like all ghosts even a bit unstable, but them being an idiot thankfully isn¡¯t one of them.

    I do have to wonder what the kid''s life was like living among humans. It''s been a long time since I fought my way out of there, and from the little they''ve told me, I get the feeling they had a much better life with them than I did, even if the end had to be painful. But if they don''t want to say more then I won''t push it.

    Sometimes, you just need to drown your past and move on.

 Chapter 10

    Today has been¡­ interesting so far. It started badly, but Oma and Opa dropping in made it better. Karlos can¡¯t give me the afternoon today though, as much as he might want to.

    There just had to be something today. Sometime late yesterday, the Sienna government was informed of two leaked action reports involving the misdreavus. And since all the reports are by me so far, they effectively forced the Union to send a Top Ranger to interview me. Not that the Union thinks it was me, but politics are politics.

    Our running theory here at the base is that it was a researcher who sold copies in either Kanto or Sinnoh. No one thinks Rowan would do it, he¡¯s very prominent, not stupid, and he has a reputation to protect. Now, Hikori might have given just how bad Kanto¡¯s general situation is right now, except that the first signs of a leak came from Sinnoh. They even shut the trains to Sinnoh down late this morning. Not that it will stop the information leak, things like that are done through computer inter-networking these days.

    My problem now is that the big shot is late.

    Karlos already took my testimony and I¡¯ve finished a written report of everything I¡¯ve done over the last week. And more frustratingly, if whoever was sent had been here on time I could be out there with my family right now.

    Just- they¡¯re here to stay! Disregarding a¡ªsingular¡ªphone call, the last time I¡¯d seen them was before I entered the academy. I missed them more than I thought I would, especially after what dad said, the bast-

    ¡­I¡¯m making myself angry.

    Karlos obviously notices, ¡°I¡¯m sorry-¡± he starts again before I wave him off.

    ¡°It¡¯s not you, it¡¯s just this situation and my grandparents showing up at the same time," I tell him.

    We¡¯re in his office, ¡®patiently¡¯ waiting. Karlos has even started scanning more papers into the computer it¡¯s been so long, the man was supposed to be here more than an hour ago.

    Weaver¡¯s vanished somewhere now as well, she¡¯s never been the patient type though.

    I¡¯ve actually grabbed my deck of cards, and I¡¯m halfway through a game of Nickit before the phone rings.

    ¡°Karlos Monte, Vien-Forest West Ranger base, to whom am I speaking?¡± The man himself says in a perfect customer service voice after picking up the phone. ¡°Ah, yes sir. Yes, I have an account and transcript of her testimony. I see, should I assume the situation has been resolved then, sir? Yes, thank you for letting me know. I should be able to send copies in by tonight, yes. Understood sir.¡± He speaks into the phone before hanging up. Then he gives a long suffering sigh, running a hand down his face, ¡°You want the stupid news or the regular news first?¡±

    Just from his half of the conversation, I can guess what one of those is. "The news," I say, making him sigh again.

    "So, as soon as Rowan heard there had been a leak he essentially tore the entire Sinnoh Research Institute apart. He found the man who did it too, not even a researcher, just an administrator who wanted some extra cash." Karlos says, cracking his knuckles. "The stupid news is that the higher-ups just got around to calling the ¡®interview¡¯ off, but the Top Ranger wasn¡¯t even going to get here for another hour.¡± He shakes his head, ¡°They didn¡¯t say why of course, but I have my guesses.

    Karlos sighs again before getting to what I want to know, ¡°With us having been sitting on our asses the last two-and-a-half hours I can¡¯t give you the afternoon. What I can do is put you on duty in the city for the rest of the day, and if you happen to run into your grandparents then that¡¯s just a happy coincidence.¡± He stops, grinding the palm of his hand into the bridge of his nose for a moment. ¡°I think we both know you¡¯ll be pretty busy if I do that though. Do you still want me to?¡±

    Emil and Maya are both already in the field, and I¡¯d be out there with them if it wasn¡¯t for the order to remain at base. Which means, ¡°Everyone¡¯s going to be in the field today.¡± I observe.

    He nods, ¡°One of those days.¡± He says sagely.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be handling the extra load up north then?¡± I ask the hefty man.

    He snorts, ¡°I will. It¡¯s a great excuse to stop doing paperwork and get back to my actual job.¡± He says. Cracking his neck and leaning back in his chair, he levels his gaze at me, ¡°You¡¯re taking the city today, then.¡± He states.

    "Obviously," I say.

    ¡°Finally!¡± He almost leaps out of his chair. ¡°Let¡¯s get going. I bet Francios¡¯ got quite the list for each of us, and we¡¯re going to be at it all day.¡± Karlos ¡®complains¡¯ happily as he opens the office door.

    Stretching, I make my way out of his office, down the central corridor, out through the lobby, and finally make my way outside.

    A bright, slightly cloudy day greets me, a breeze moving the world as it passes. I¡¯m still in uniform, I made the mistake of taking it off before dinner once, never again. Now I just need to find two energetic old people with red-ish hair while on the job. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard.

    Setting off at a light jog, I start heading for Vientown.

    Oma and Opa are moving here¡­ I think the weight of that just hit me. I was wholly expecting to never see any of my family again and now I¡¯ll at least have them. I mean, I would like to see my brother at some point, and Uncle Finn, but it''s hard enough to find personal time as a ranger. Let alone enough vacation time to head back to Kanto. Although if I wanted to see Kouta again I''d need to deal with Dad¡­

    Continuing to move at pace, I can see the edge of the industrial district. All the civil services¡ªincluding the civilian police¡ªare closer to the south end of the city, so I maintain my pace to reach them as quickly as possible.

    Nine times out of ten, any missions that happen in Vientown involve the police, firefighters, or medical services as they lack the training¡ªand to be honest, the trust¡ªto deal with pokemon the way we do. So it¡¯s best to head there first.

    It¡¯s why we all hope for quests instead.

    Three chimes sound from my radio. Well, Karlos did say there was probably a list of things to do.

    Honestly, it''s been a while since the last big emergency. Season¡¯s grace, please don¡¯t let that be today.

    Stopping and looking around before I grab my radio, I¡¯m happy to see Weaver being her usual self. She stops mid-motion, comical pose and all as she looks as though she were a cartoon villain attempting to sneak up on me.

    Smiling, I Switch the radio from idle to operator, and acknowledge the hail, ¡°Onaga Ryuko, responding.¡± I say into it.

    ¡°Th- This is student o- operator Francios Lumio, Vien-Forest West, transmitting.¡± Fran still sounds nervous, as he has since he started doing real work as an operator. "We¡¯ve got a few requests for aid from local services pending, none are emergency requests, thankfully. The first is at four-fourteen Alto Street, talk to Officer Kent when you get there, he should be waiting.¡± The line goes silent, and I Start jogging again, waiting for him to remember the required line for something like this. ¡°R- Right, This is an o- official mission. Do your best! Ending transmission.¡± He says, and the line dies.

    I mean, the ¡®official mission¡¯ statement was required, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard the end transmission line from an operator since I made rank. Katie might be messing with him.

    I continue my pace, Alto is pretty close to the center of the city, so it won¡¯t take me long to get there. I get the normal amount of waves and stares in passing as I blitz down the wide path past a few food packing facilities.

    It takes a surprising amount of work to ready food for transit, though I can see quite a few ¡®bored¡¯ grass-types next to their actually bored partners. Rounding a corner, I can see why. Surprise! It¡¯s construction. Looks like Vien-Greens is rebuilding something.

    ¡­I haven¡¯t taken a good look around in almost two months, again. I hate this time of year sometimes.

    Doing my best to ignore the horrors spring always brings with it, it takes me only a few minutes to reach Alto, and seconds from there to find the address, though I have to move through a small crowd to get to it.

    Oh. Yeah, that would do it.

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m Glad you finally made it Ranger¡­¡± He pauses, probably to glance at my badge, ¡°Onaga. We¡­ need a little help. Clearly.¡± Says a man wearing a police uniform. He must be Kent, but I¡¯m not looking at him. No, I¡¯m looking at the mafia of murkrow coating the building at four-fourteen.

    ¡°Weav¡­¡± Whispers Weaver. Yeah, whatever that was, that was my thought too.

    They''re all over the roof, on every windowsill, on every balcony, and even in the building. A mass of black feathers, red eyes, and yellow beaks.

    They only gather like this for two reasons- well, five, but three of those shouldn¡¯t happen both in the middle of the day and inside the city.

    So, the first: Someone did something incredibly stupid and made the whole mafia angry. And if that¡¯s the case, I hope whoever it was wasn¡¯t in there when they all got here.

    The second: One of them just evolved into a honchkrow and they¡¯re all making an appearance at the new leader''s nest.

    I hope it''s the second. Honchkrow tend to be smart and reclusive. Although, if someone made the whole mafia mad¡­ things get a bit harder.

    ¡°How long have they been here?¡± I ask Kent, finally taking a good look at him. He''s clearly a native Almian, with fair skin and blue eyes. His uniform says C. Kent on the left breast.

    ¡°About an hour, no one¡¯s inside, or at least no one is responding, and we haven¡¯t tried to move them beyond asking.¡± He informs me. Good, never attempt to escalate with a group like this. The time frame is also good, one hour is still within the expected window for a family gathering for the honchkrow.

    ¡°Did you try to ask them anything? Try to figure out why they¡¯re here?¡± I continue. I need more information before I decide to walk into that.

    ¡°They¡¯re not responding at all, they¡¯ve been creepily silent, really. I called the station to try and figure out who owns the building but I haven¡¯t gotten an answer yet.¡± The man says. And that¡¯s probably about the point they called us in.

    Silent could be good or bad. If it¡¯s reasons one or two they could be silent as respect for the new boss or as an intimidation tactic. The fact that it seems no one is here to be intimidated makes me feel more confident about there being a new honchkrow in there.

    Do I use my RED? There are a lot of pokemon in and around the building, and getting through to them quickly would be a massive help. But, the empathy device is also exhausting to use, to the point that it¡¯s more of an only-when-needed measure. Though, counterpoint, there might be a body inside.

    Before doing anything else I need to make sure base knows, and then ask why they didn¡¯t tell me.

    Flipping a switch and raising a hand, I begin, ¡°Francios, Are you aware of the situation at my location?¡± I ask the trainee.

    The line is silent for five seconds before I get a response. ¡°No, no information was given. Is it bad?¡± Says the nervous voice.

    I need to turn to Kent here, ¡°Did you call us, or did the station?¡± I ask the officer.

    ¡°The station.¡± He says. ¡°I told them what the situation was, if they didn¡¯t tell you anything then I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    Right. ¡°Okay Francios, the police should have said something. There¡¯s an entire mafia of murkrow here. They¡¯re remaining silent and only observing people, I¡¯m about to approach. Going radio silent.¡± I tell him.

    And I do just that, silencing the radio so that it doesn¡¯t disturb the pokemon. I approach, relying on the general respect pokemon that live near humans have for the rangers here to let me get closer. And they do let me, still silently watching.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Murkrow are uncooperative at the best of times, so I¡¯m surprised when, before anything else can happen, there¡¯s a shrill cry of ¡°Krow!¡± from deep inside the building and all the murkrow stiffen. Question answered, and with the better outcome too. Not wanting to be any more impolite, I wait for the pokemon to make their appearance.

    After a few seconds, the murkrow begin to part, admitting a form twice the size of the largest of their number. Both Officer Kent and I groan at seeing that. Never mind, This may be a more complicated situation than I¡¯d thought. They have a pokeball in their beak, and even at this distance I can see that it¡¯s brand new.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume you stole that from a visiting human, right?¡± I ask the large avian. To my surprise they- actually he, based on his plumage, turns his head back and forth twice before turning around and gesturing with a wing to follow. I don¡¯t think I like where this is going, and even less the fact that he was probably waiting for a ranger to show up.

    Well, let''s see just how bad it is then. Stepping after him, I need to stop for a moment as Weaver puts herself in front of me. Unlike with Opa earlier, I can understand her wariness. As we enter I can tell that while this is an expensive home it¡¯s not been recently lived in, either by humans or pokemon. Though murkrow are everywhere, there''s no furniture, and dust sits where the birds haven''t stirred it up. I also don¡¯t like the way the murkrow are watching everything, even in here. They¡¯re all on edge and only being kept in line by the presence of their honchkrow.

    Honchkrow leads us from the entryway through a living room and into a back hall, where he gestures into a door.

    It¡¯s a bit too dark without the lights on so I unhook my flashlight before entering the room, it¡¯s empty apart from two unconscious men and a rather shaky espeon.

    So, reason number four that murkrow gather like this then: Guarding vital assets. That¡­ that means there has to be more. And as if to confirm that, the honchkrow caws to bring my attention to the next door down before he enters it himself.

    Following him, I enter another mostly empty room. This one however contains the most concerning items yet, even beyond what may be hostages, or more likely, prisoners. Three shipping crates, one of which has been pried open to reveal pokeballs.

    ¡°Did you just find these today?¡± I ask Honchkrow, trying to keep my emotions in check. He bobs his head once. ¡°I assume you want something for taking care of this?¡± Another bob of the head. He knows he and his mafia will be rewarded for bringing this to our attention then. ¡°Thank you for helping with this then, genuinely," I tell the poofy pokemon.

    ¡°H''krow," He says, tipping his head at me.

    I need to keep my frustration down, but it¡¯s been boiling up since this morning. Being told your government suspects you of spying is not a good way to start things.

    And I explicitly asked for there not to be something like this today. Okay, how about Kimetsune? Great spirit of fire, Please let this be the worst of it today. I silently pray to the nine-tailed deity, hoping that even without a shrine or offering she¡¯ll hear me.

    At least I now know enough about the situation to call it in. Sighing, I un-silence my radio, ¡°Francios, I need you to put Barry on duty. That¡¯s an order.¡± I tell him. I can feel my anger rising again.

    ¡°Um¡­ Yes ma¡¯am.¡± He responds. ¡°But, if it¡¯s okay to ask, why?¡±

    ¡°Because you''re still a student and you don''t have the clearance to make certain calls yet," I inform him, attempting to maintain a steady tone.

    Not waiting for him to grab his senior operator, I take a better look at the crates. Originally shipped from Kanto to Sinnoh judging by the labels, but a line on one of them makes me stop. ¡®SLP-PKB-BLN lot #0090471.¡¯

    Well, I guess this is still part of ¡®the worst of it¡¯ then.

    I don¡¯t bother looking further and rip the top off the crate. Blank pokeballs, they don¡¯t even have shells yet, the complicated engineering inside plainly visible. That alone implies some serious smuggling.

    ¡°Okay Onaga, Fran just told me you said he doesn¡¯t have clearance for something. How bad is it?¡± Barry asks through the radio, his tone all business.

    ¡°Three crates of pokeballs. One of them is a crate of blanks.¡± I tell him. I can¡¯t quite keep my anger out of my voice now.

    It takes him a second to absorb that. ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯m getting on the line with the Union. Standby.¡± He says, and the radio goes to static instead of silence.

    Why here though¡­ The only reason I can think of would be to get them to Orre through The Haruba without dealing with the current Indigo blockade. But why blanks of all things?

    Blanks are a problem for several reasons. From what I understand, they don¡¯t have any safeties, extra functions, or checks installed yet, not even a resonator for re-capture prevention. They aren''t even as good as most handmade balls at the moment, so why?

    ¡°Vile.¡± I hear from behind me. Weaver is standing back in the hallway and pointing to the makeshift prison¡¯s door. Right, there¡¯s an espeon in the building that¡¯s probably not a sanctioned capture.

    Turning around, I make my way back into the room with the presumed smugglers and take a closer look at the feline pokemon. They''re male and not yet mature, which is concerning for an evolved member of the eevee line. Their gem is dark, fur matted, flanks a bit thinner than they should be, pupils a dim gray instead of glowing white, and he¡¯s still shaking, even harder now, unfortunately.

    Moving out of the doorway and to the side of the room, I crouch down and try to put my anger at whoever brought all this here aside. Worryingly, the espeon¡¯s eyes aren¡¯t tracking me.

    ¡°Can you communicate at all?¡± I ask gently. No response, not even any eye movement. ¡°Can you even hear me?¡± I ask louder, though remaining gentle. Still no reaction, no eye or ear movement whatsoever. What could it be? Shaking, clearly tired, likely hungry, unresponsive, and it¡¯s getting worse¡­

    Espeons are natural empaths, so a negative emotional feedback loop seems likely. Trying to touch him is out of the question until I can gauge his state of mind. Looking around the room, I see what I both hoped I would and wouldn¡¯t resting between the men. A pokeball, powered on.

    I hold in my sigh as I rise to pick it up, practically stalking over to the unconscious men. As I reach for it, however, one of the men suddenly moves, trying to grab me and pull me down. He doesn¡¯t budge me, but my fist impacting his face knocks him down again.

    Bad reaction, should have grappled, deal with consequences later, handle hostile.

    ¡°Place your hands behind your head," I order as he scrambles to his feet, giving me plenty of time to un-holster something.

    ¡°What the hells is wrong with this country?¡± He mutters in perfect kantonian, interesting.

    I reply in kind, ¡°Stand down, hands behind your head, this is your final warning.¡± I say as calmly as I can.

    His eyes dart around for an instant before landing on the shivering pokemon. ¡°Espeon, disa-¡±

    My blow lands lightning fast as he¡¯s calling for the pokemon, the shock-rod delivering enough charge to knock him out. He goes down hard, but I just can¡¯t bring myself to care. If he¡¯s hurt¡­ Well, I did warn him.

    What an idiot. Did he think he could win there? What would he even have done if he took me out, try to take Weaver out with Espeon? Fought the murkrow with him?

    He probably would have tried to use me as leverage, except at that point Weaver would have attacked him, enforcer registration or not. I¡¯m not entirely sure what she would have done to him, but she¡¯s a dark-type so¡­ odds are good there would have been one less criminal in the building.

    Reaching down to pick up the pokeball again, I watch the other man the whole time. I think that one¡¯s actually out cold though.

    Now with the ball in hand, I move closer to the espeon and crouch again. This next part won¡¯t be pleasant for me, but that doesn¡¯t matter, it''s a sure way to break a negative spiral without risking any further harm. Once more trying to put my rage away, I instead focus on how I feel towards the shaky pokemon, then place one hand on the central inductor crystal of my RED and the other on the trigger of the circular device. I ready myself, then pull.

    There are no words that can describe how utterly enervating using an empathy device is. There¡¯s even an old story about how the original creator dropped dead when he first made one, though, given that Professor Hastings is alive and well, and has apparently taken students, I¡¯m fairly certain it¡¯s just a story. But anyone who¡¯s ever used one will tell you they don¡¯t doubt it can kill the user.

    I don¡¯t use it for long, about a second, but it still leaves me feeling drained. I can see Weaver has a warm grin on her face, more importantly, however, Espeon¡¯s shaking a bit less and his eyes are focusing on me now.

    Important questions first, ¡°Do you need sunlight?¡± I ask him. I already know the answer, but I need to know how aware he is right now. He starts to shake his head before seeming to actually parse the question, then nods. Okay, that¡¯s a good answer. ¡°Did those two hurt you in any way¡± I continue. Another nod. ¡°Are you originally from Almia?¡± An unsurprising shake of the head. ¡°Were they the ones that caught you?¡± That question gets a bobble, so I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s a bit complicated. ¡°Can you communicate once you have sunlight?¡± Again, a nod. ¡°Okay, I''m going to carry you outside then," I tell him, opening my arms so he can climb in.

    He does, and I can tell how underweight he is now, still shaking in my arms. I start moving, slowly and calmly, back out to the entryway. Weaver is following me, as is Honchkrow while the two seem to chat away. I don¡¯t need to worry about the two prisoners in there right now, as there are more than a hundred murkrow guarding the building at the moment.

    As I exit the home, Officer Kent notices me. ¡°Station finally got back to me about¡­¡± He stops, looking at the pokemon I¡¯m carrying, then back at me. ¡°Sorry, about who owns this building. It¡¯s some man named Allister Arlow. It¡¯ll take longer to get more than that.¡± He says, then takes a better look at my passenger, ¡°Are they okay? Is that why all the murkrow are here?¡± He asks.

    "No, and no," I say as I gently place Espeon on the ground. ¡°It looks like smuggling, so this is going to be sent up the chain on both our ends. The honchkrow has two prisoners. One of them even tried to over-power me.¡± I inform him.

    He winces, then rolls his eyes, ¡°Yeah, bet that worked out for him real well.¡± Sighing he continues, "So we''re both on standby now, then?¡± He asks.

    "Pretty much," I reply. He just nods and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He offers me one, but I just shake my head. Shrugging, he lights it and starts looking across the small crowd that¡¯s still surrounding this building.

    An alien feeling worms its way into my head. Gods, psychic communication always feels weird.

    _ra_itu*e. Joy. L_*e. Ang_r <u>Co*fus__n</u>.

    They all flood in at once, but I¡¯m not so inexperienced as to stagger from it. Don''t fight, let them in, and feel them for what they are.

    Crouching down again I idly stroke Espeon behind the ears, ¡°I¡¯m happy I could help, but don¡¯t use energy you don¡¯t have right now. Okay?¡± I tell them.

    Und*_stan*ing. Gr_ti*u*_. Harmony.

    Trying to make much sense of an exhausted psychic is not going to get me anywhere, though from what I know of espeons specifically, that last feeling means they¡¯ve probably bonded to me. I suppose I did give an empath a big dose of positive, directed emotions they likely hadn¡¯t felt in a while. It¡­ was a known possibility, so I just keep petting him while waiting for base to get back to me.

    Three minutes go by, and Kent is now talking on his own radio.

    Five more minutes and a second police officer shows up, a boyish-looking man whose uniform reads M. Hamill.

    Another five minutes go by before my radio finally sounds out something other than static, ¡°This is Union Operator Kory Meyer contacting fifth-rank Area-Ranger Onaga Ryuko, requesting an update on your current status and any necessary information.¡± Says the unfamiliar voice.

    I stand. ¡°Status is nominal, situation is stable. RED and stun-stick deployed, I have likely been bonded by an espeon in the process of deploying my RED. Two humans, likely smugglers, at least one from Kanto, are currently being held prisoner by a honchkrow and his mafia. Three crates of pokeballs were found at the location. It seems Honchkrow discovered the situation earlier today and would like a reward for the aid rendered. Local police are at the scene.¡± I quickly rattle off the most important information.

    ¡°Understood, a ninth rank Union-Ranger is en-route. Please continue your standby until they arrive.¡± The line goes completely silent after that. Ninth-rank and Union, so they¡¯re sending someone from way, way high up then. At least that means we won¡¯t have to deal with all this ourselves, because this is a huge problem.

    ¡°Eifirr.¡±¨CGratitude. Purrs Espeon, standing and stretching. I inspect him again now that he¡¯s gotten some more sunlight. His gem is now a bit more red than black and his eyes have brightened a bit. His fur is still patchy and matted, and he¡¯s still a bit thin, but that¡¯s going to be fixed in time.

    ¡°Vile weavile.¡± Says Weaver, speaking to Espeon.

    Espeon cocks his head before replying, ¡°Eispur.¡± Weaver just shrugs and they descend into silence again, Espeon knocking his head into me so I¡¯ll keep petting him.

    ¡°You two think you can get along?¡± I ask them. Weaver shrugs again.

    ¡°Eisp¡­¡±¨CUncertainty. Says the dark-lilac pokemon.

    ¡°As long as you try," I tell them.

    Crouching again, both my hands become occupied by the two pokemon. Both of them trying to help with my mood as much as I¡¯m trying to comfort Espeon.

    ¡°Did you have a trainer or partner before¡­ that group?¡± I ask Espeon. Mostly because, well, espeon.

    He nods. Affirmation.

    Hmm, that¡¯s going to complicate things. ¡°Do you want to go back to them?¡±

    He takes some time to think, then shakes his head.¨CNegation.

    I want to know more, but I also don¡¯t want to stress him too much right now, so I drop it for the moment. Even if that pause has me concerned.

    ¡­I¡¯ve done too much waiting for my liking today, but sometimes that¡¯s the job. Just actively making sure things don¡¯t happen. Though the top ranger doesn¡¯t take long to arrive, only eight more minutes before I can see a staraptor carrying someone flying in from the north. The large bird is obviously a ranger mount, with a high-visibility streamer trailing behind them.

    I get Kent and Hamill¡¯s attention and we quickly make a clearing in the watching crowd for the incoming ranger to land. Standing inside the new clearing, I start flagging the big shot down. Once they''re close enough I back up to the edge and wait for them to dismount. A violet-haired woman in her late thirties, wearing ranger attire and a rather large bag steps out of the saddle, and after patting the staraptor and removing her goggles, she starts walking towards me.

    ¡°Onaga, I presume.¡± She says. ¡°Ninth-rank Ranger, Marianne Holt,¡± She continues, holding out a hand to shake, which I do. ¡°And this is Blake.¡± She introduces, gesturing to the staraptor. ¡°Nice to meet you. Has the situation changed from your last call-in?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, though the prisoners may have woken up by now," I inform her.

    ¡°Understood. I assume there¡¯s no point trying to separate the espeon from you at this time?¡± She asks me.

    I look down at the near-purple feline and they match my gaze.¨CHarmony.

    ¡°No, probably not," I admit.

    She nods, giving me a knowing smile. ¡°Then you are relieved to resume normal duties.¡± She orders me, then moves to the two police officers.

    Kneeling, I focus on Espeon. "As much as I know you''ll want to follow me today, you need rest and food," I tell him, making his ears go down a bit. ¡°So I¡¯m going to carry you back to base and have one of our operators feed you, give you a warm bath, and find you a bed. Understood?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Eispon.¡±¨CUnderstanding. He says.

    ¡°Good," I say, scooping him up. ¡°Everyone at base is going to love you.¡± And I¡¯ve got to do some reading up on the latest psychic research.

 Chapter 11

    It doesn''t take me long to return to base even while carrying a pokemon. Though that might be the dead sprint more than anything. Only mildly winded, I open the front doors to see the familiarly empty lobby. Well, it was nice while it lasted but Francios goes back to the academy tomorrow, so it was going to return to this soon anyway.

    Still carrying Espeon, I enter the central corridor and move to the radio room. Entering the empty doorframe, I see all three of our current operators seated and at work in front of the large comm-units. And Katie looks like she needs way more sleep with how dark the bags under her eyes are. Also seems like Fran is back to observation only, while Barry, as always, is every bit the professional operator on the job.

    Three sets of eyes turn to me for a moment before the people attached to them start having a conversation in signs. After which, I see Katie flip her all-receiving switch.

    I have the presence of mind to mute my radio before she starts talking. ¡°This is Katie Vane, hot-swapping operations to Francios Lumio.¡± She states, before standing and making her way to the door. Though she stops halfway. Turning to sign a question at the other two operators. Barry holds up two fingers before pantomiming taking a drink, continuing to talk the whole time, and Fran does the same after raising one finger, already making sure the sudden changeover is smooth.

    Nodding, Katie starts moving for the door again and I step out to make room for her. ¡°I heard you ran into something exciting in town.¡± She says, heading for the kitchenette. ¡°Best time for it really, while we still have Francios.¡±

    I follow her. "Looks like smuggling, but a big shot is in charge of that now. You doing okay?¡± I ask the slightly frazzled-looking woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading to bed again as soon as I finish taking those two their coffee and whatever you came back for.¡± She tells me as we enter the cooking space. "But that''s not all that important right now. What¡¯s with the adorable espeon?¡± She asks me while rinsing the coffee pot.

    ¡°I''m ninety percent sure he bonded with me after I had to use my RED to snap him out of what, I assume, was some kind of feedback loop," I say, setting the espeon in question down on the counter in front of us. ¡°He needs a warm bath, a warm meal, and someplace in the sun to sleep. And I¡¯m going to need whatever we have on espeons, along with the latest research on psychics.¡± I continue while giving Espeon ear rubs. "Also, this needs to be dealt with," I say, placing the confiscated pokeball on the counter as well. ¡°I checked, and Espeon is linked to it.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have the time to do all that because you¡¯re headed right back out there.¡± She finishes my explanation for me. ¡°Yeah, I can do that no problem.¡± She tells me as she finishes pouring the water into the coffee maker. ¡°Even gives me a good reason to leave Francios back on duty.¡± Then she looks at Espeon, ¡°You gonna be a good boy for me?¡± She asks him, then staggers and shakes her head, ¡°Swords, that feels weird.¡±

    ¡°First time''s always the worst," I tell her. ¡°Just ride it out. I need to get going, hopefully the rest of the day goes a bit smoother.¡± I say, turning around and heading for the front entrance.

    ¡°You should know better than to say that," She calls after me. And she''s right, but I''m pretty sure the worst is over anyway. If it¡¯s not¡­ well I¡¯ll deal anyway, that¡¯s the job.

    ***

    I never did find my grandparents, but I can still try tomorrow. Sometimes there¡¯s just too much to do, be it important, unimportant, an emergency, or¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, this is a nice change of pace after my last few missions," I tell the wizened old farmer while listening to Weaver mutter about something.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Asks the farmer, a friendly man named David. ¡°Bob and Phil break somethin¡¯ again?¡±

    ¡°Yep," Is all I say. Although it was technically their partners.

    He chuckles, ¡°Yeah, they been rarin¡¯ to go th¡¯last few days.¡±

    We both turn back to the scene in David¡¯s barn. ¡°So, what happened?¡± I ask the old man.

    ¡°Well, we got some new hands last week,¡± He starts his explanation in entirely the wrong place. ¡°Which is nice, havin¡¯ more young blood around for the new season. And they¡¯re all good kids too, strong arms, listenin¡¯ well enough. But Mr. Kenz- Ah, sorry Mr. Masaki there wanted to play with the newborn pokemon on his break.¡± David starts stoking his beard at this point, ¡°And to be fair, he¡¯s great with them, and their mothers don¡¯t mind, they¡¯ve been letting him. I think ¡®cause he¡¯s got a good heart in him-¡± I¡¯m starting to tune the old man out. I¡¯ve got a decent idea of what happened now.

    I raise a hand to quiet David, ¡°Masaki?¡± I call into the rafters.

    ¡°I¡¯m in here.¡± Says a slightly pained, despondent voice from the barrel lodged in the roof, eight meters up.

    ¡°Do you know the name or number of the tauros that launched you?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Uh, green tagged, so one of the breeders.¡± He replies. ¡°Why?¡±

    I whistle. ¡°You weren¡¯t joking about him being new.¡± I chuckle to David. ¡°Did you warn him, at least?¡±

    ¡°Sure did.¡± The older man responds. ¡°But like I said, we¡¯ve still been lettin¡¯ him. The mareep especially seem to like him.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I nod. ¡°But I¡¯m not entirely sure why you called the rangers about this.¡±

    David laughs a bit awkwardly. ¡°Well, when I called, Stamps was still ragin¡¯ around, I think he¡¯s calmed down now though.¡± He says apologetically. ¡°Can you at least help get Mr. Masaki down?¡±

    I shrug, this was the last call from the civilian line today. ¡°Do you have a ladder anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I think there¡¯s one over at building C, might be one at the property-house, too. ¡­No, that''s it, they''re all at Bob''s ranch. I loaned ''em to him ''cause his old wooden one was too rotten. And I¡¯d bet you know how he gets with his aviary.¡± David over-explains.

    I can only shake my head, then check my rope and start searching for a good way to climb. It¡¯s an old wooden barn, so there are plenty of hand and foot holds to reach the joists with.

    Sighing, I make my way to the best spot I see and start climbing. It¡¯s easy enough for me, and I¡¯m stepping along the joist beams shortly.

    ¡°Mr. Masaki?¡± I ask as I reach the barrel. ¡°Are you able to climb down a rope?"

    ¡°I¡­ I don''t think so," He says, prompting me to take a look into his hiding spot.

    ¡°Ooh.¡± I wince, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think you are either.¡± He¡¯s got a nasty bruise on his entire right side. ¡°Can you hold a rope with your left hand?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I think so¡­¡± He says tentatively.

    I nod, hitting a switch on my radio before starting to tie handholds into my rope. ¡°Barry, I need you to get a medical caravan to my location, building D. It doesn¡¯t look life-threatening, but he''ll probably be recovering for a bit," I say, finishing the first knot.

    ¡°I got it, what exactly is the problem?¡± Barry asks after a few seconds.

    ¡°Massive contusions, possibly fractured or broken ribs. A man named¡­¡± I look to the man in question, prompting.

    ¡°M- Masaki Kenzo.¡± Hey says after a moment.

    ¡°Masaki Kenzo," I repeat to make sure Barry heard. ¡°Attacked by a raging tauros, he was smart or lucky enough to get something between himself and the tauros and got launched instead of trampled.¡±

    After thirty seconds and a finished foothold, Barry responds, ¡°Okay, they¡¯re on their way.¡± And that¡¯s that.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I turn my focus back to the injured man, ¡°I want you to put your foot in this loop and I¡¯ll start lowering you, once this loop-¡± I indicate the handhold, ¡°Is on the same level as the joist, I want you to grab it with your left hand. Do you understand?¡± I ask him. He shudders, then winces and nods. "Okay, I''m going to lower you slowly, if anything happens, if your pain gets worse, or if you think you feel something slip let me know immediately," I tell him, sitting and wrapping my arms around a ceiling truss.

    Masaki steps down slightly into the foot-loop and I start slowly feeding more rope. There''s a slight jolt as he goes from holding the wooden beam to putting all his weight on the rope, but it''s manageable. Slowly, second after second, meter after meter, I release the rope until the weight lessens and he''s on the ground.

    Looking down, find a good spot to toss the remaining coil away from him and do so, before jumping down myself. Masaki gasps when he sees me jump, but his look of shock when I land unharmed is priceless.

    ¡°So, fresh off the boat from Indigo?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Uh- Um, yeah. Kanto.¡± He supplies, still looking shocked.

    ¡°You came here for better work?¡±

    ¡°Y- Yeah, pretty much.¡± He says. ¡°It¡¯s gotten worse recently, back home I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°I''ve heard," I tell him, starting to coil my rope back up. ¡°But I don¡¯t actually know how bad it is.¡±

    ¡°From what some o¡¯ the new hands are saying¡­¡± David joins in, ¡°It seems things between- what do ya call ¡®em?¡± He almost asks, then snaps his fingers, ¡°The Dragon Clans are gettin¡¯ worse.¡± The farmer finishes, taking off his hat and running a hand through his thinning hair.

    ¡°Y- Yeah, nobody back home would say it out loud, but it¡¯s bad.¡± Masaki confirms, lying himself flat on the ground with a groan, ¡°It¡¯s what made some of us decide we¡¯d rather leave while we can.¡±

    ¡°That figures, and if I know my history¡­¡± I mutter, before shaking my head to get my thoughts back on track. ¡°How are you feeling? Any sharp pains?¡± I ask Masaki.

    ¡°Yeah, but I don''t think anything''s broken at least.¡±

    Before the conversation continues, a woman pulling a stretcher appears around the open barn doors, shortly followed by¡­ Ranger Holt? The EMT looks at Masaki, then at me. ¡°Ranger Onaga?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°And this is Masaki?¡±

    ¡°He is.¡±

    ¡°Can you stand?¡± He asks, head turning to Masaki.

    ¡°I think so?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, don¡¯t. Ranger, please help me get him onto the stretcher.¡± He orders.

    I comply, lifting under his legs and arms to set him as gently as I can on the mobile platform.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± The EMT says, before starting to drag the man out¡ªpresumably to an actual transport¡ªwhile asking him for the specifics of what happened.

    David sighs, ¡°Ah well, you two rangers have a nice day. I need to go sort some things out, what with being down a hand for the moment.¡± He says, walking out of the barn. ¡°Don¡¯t hang around too long now.¡± He adds, as he rounds the corner and disappears.

    I make my way to the doors myself, noticing that Ranger Holt is holding a decent-sized file folder.

    ¡°So, this is the ¡®interview¡¯ that was put off earlier?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°No,¡± Holt shakes her head, ¡°If the Sienna government wants to accuse a ranger of anything after what they pulled with the-¡± She waves a hand, ¡°Never mind. Suffice it to say, Chair Erma isn¡¯t happy with them.¡± She beckons me to follow her, ¡°This has to do with why it took me so long to get down here after your supposed ¡®spying.¡¯¡± She still hasn¡¯t opened the file as we begin walking down the path off the farm and back to the city, ¡°Since all bases are low on staff, the brass are ¡®handing out¡¯ incentives and benefits for the high-achievers. You, for example, are receiving a fifteen percent pay increase over the next six months.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear, but then what¡¯s in the folder?¡± I ask gesturing to the item in question.

    ¡°Personnel files on your base.¡± Holt says, waggling the folder, ¡°This was announced to all bases a few hours ago, but then, you¡¯ve been in the field the whole time and your operators have been busy dealing with our operators.¡± She taps the folder, ¡°Union HQ is conducting a thorough review of all area rangers in Fiore and Almia, some of it is just politics, but the rest is a need to know how things are running.¡± She explains.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t reviews typically handled by the lead Region-Ranger?¡± I ask, before expanding, "What I mean is, why is a Union-Ranger doing this?"

    ¡°Well, you may have noticed the lack of region-rangers since the expansion debacle.¡± She sighs rubbing her forehead with one hand, "We''re even short-staffed at HQ, the only thing we have a surplus of is mechanics, and there''s been talk of moving some of them to area bases permanently to help ease the strain a bit." She sighs again, ¡°Can I be frank with you?¡± She asks, turning her head to me.

    ¡°If you want to be," I say, half-shrugging.

    ¡°The whole thing has been a shit show." She says, exasperated. ¡°It¡¯s good that there are rangers in Sinnoh and Hoenn now, but they¡¯re also spread thin. And sure, it¡¯ll get a bit better once the current students graduate, but it won¡¯t be enough. This is going to last at least the next two years, and even after that it won¡¯t be great for a while.¡± She stops talking, now rubbing her temples.

    It¡¯s Weaver who breaks the ensuing contemplative silence. "Weave." She says, waving at me as she starts walking west.

    Holt blinks, ¡°Where do you think she¡¯s going?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I say, thinking. ¡°As far as I know there are only two other pokemon she gets along with out there.¡± At Holt¡¯s inquisitive look I elaborate, ¡°She¡¯s always been friendly with Marsh- The Marshal, but I heard some people around town say they saw her with a ghost last night.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the misdreavus.¡± Holt says, nodding. ¡°Were they calm the whole time?¡± She asks curiously.

    ¡°Honestly, they''ve been strangely placid from what I''ve read about ghost-types," I tell her. ¡°And they only acted aggressively when provoked.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± The woman says as we step into the city proper. "Well, I have to get back to reading through these," She waggles the folder, "While I wait for the federal investigators to finish with the smugglers." Holt frowns, ¡°There are some other things that are happening, but I just need a drink right now.¡± She mutters, prompting me to give her a look, we are still on duty after all. ¡°Not like that.¡± She waves me off, ¡°Something cold and sweet, preferably with chesto, coffee, or both in it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help you there.¡± I tell her, ¡°I normally just drink whatever is at base.¡±

    Holt laughs, ¡°Figures you¡¯re one of those people.¡± before shaking her head a little, ¡°Well, I know you have things to do, so I¡¯m relieving you of non-emergency duties. You head back to your base, I¡¯m going to find a good tea shop.¡±

    ***

    Approaching the base, I can see a pile of blankets on the roof in the dimming light. Well, it was in the sun. Stepping inside, I¡¯m immediately met with a pair of glowing eyes. ¡°Hey.¡± I say, bending to pet Espeon, ¡°Looks like Katie cleaned you up.¡±

    And he does look better. Fur lying straight and dirt-free, even if I can see spots where it will need to re-grow. His eyes are significantly brighter now too, and the gem in his head is the crimson it should be.

    ¡°Espeon esp, espo.¡±¨CAffirmation.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. Did you see Katie put a stack of paper anywhere?¡± I ask him.

    He nods. Affirmation.

    With that, Espeon starts walking to the central corridor. Following, I see him headed to the rec room. As I enter after him, I see the small pile resting on a side table by our one sofa chair.

    I call it a rec room, it¡¯s more of an everything-else room. There''s a TV with a VCR, a bookshelf that even has books on it behind the single chair, and the much more well-used weight-training equipment scattered around.

    Skirting around the exercise equipment, I fall into the soft seat and Espeon follows, though he jumps onto the side table.

    Checking the papers, there are three separate sets, Katie having stapled them together in their top-left corners. There¡¯s also a note from Katie, saying I now owe her one for how long it took her to get the network working so she could get the information from Sinnoh.

    Near instant cross-region information exchange, the wonders of modern technology. When it feels like working, at least.

    Now looking at the unexpected third set of papers, Katie also apparently decided to help me get Espeon registered. I can only sigh, I¡¯d hoped to avoid the monthly hassle of an evolved partner. But most of the registration is already filled in at least. So that¡¯s two I owe her.

    I decide to look at the psychic research next, as, while I will need to know more about caring for an espeon, it¡¯s what I currently know less about.

    It''s¡­ not all that revealing, frankly. Katie compiled the relevant parts of several articles published in the last two years, but most of them are of the duplicate-findings type, instead of anything truly new. Odd emotional responses, increased average logical-index placement to the degree that many may be more logically intelligent than humans, often empathic, sometimes telepathic, always telekinetic, and so on, and so on.

    There is an article on how pure psychic-types tend to be physically weaker regardless of exercise, which is interesting, as it also found that their muscles don¡¯t seem to atrophy in the same way as others either. And there''s one on the difference in behavior between the more empathic psychics and the more telepathic psychics, in which espeon is used as an example for the former.

    I glance at Espeon as I set the set of papers down. He also glances the way I did before he stops himself. "Can you read?" I ask as it strikes me that he may have been trying to read with me.

    He shakes his head, ears flattening.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can find the learning materials soon, and ask Weaver to help too," I tell him, picking up the next set of papers.

    Some of this I¡¯ll already know, but it never hurts to brush up, especially when I¡¯ll need to give Espeon a physical later to check his overall health.

    I start reading, the paper having seemingly been written by one Dr. Oak. Interesting, why didn¡¯t Katie find something written by a professor? Regardless, it was at least certified by both the Kanto College of Pokemon Sciences and the Sinnoh Research Institute.

    An average adult shoulder height of just under ninety centimeters with an average weight of thirty-eight kilos. Eevee in general are slow growers, taking about six years to reach maturity, but espeon are even slower when they evolve young, taking nearly thirteen years in the worst case¡ªthat being an evolution within their first year, although that information isn¡¯t in the paper.

    I look at Espeon, trying to gauge his age properly. Hmm¡­ he¡¯s only about fifty centimeters at the shoulder. I¡¯ll need to ask him when I¡¯m giving him the physical.

    Apparently, and entirely unsurprisingly, espeon are extremely sensitive to their environment, though I¡¯d thought them being able to predict the weather was an old wives tale, interesting. They need a consistent amount of sunlight, but I already knew that. Carnivores, but their diets can be supplemented, already knew that. They''re¡­ truthfully rather tough when they have energy, as most things that would debilitate other pokemon don¡¯t affect them, that¡¯s certainly interesting.

    I glance at Espeon again, now wondering how long he¡¯d been without sunlight.

    I go back to reading, only to almost laugh at the next line. ¡®Espeon are not recommended for inexperienced trainers or caregivers, as they require a high level of care and commitment, alongside a generous amount of mental and emotional enrichment.¡¯ Honestly, I know why it¡¯s there, but most pokemon can and will care for themselves if given the freedom.

    There is an explanation for Espeon''s fur falling out buried among a list of things to look out for, stress. And he has been stressed, I can absolutely guarantee it.

    I reach the end not long after, the breakdown on caring for espeon leaving me a bit better prepared than I was before.

    ¡°Good reading?¡± Asks Holt, stepping past the weights, large tourist mug in hand.

    ¡°Some of it. I¡¯m just making sure I¡¯m read-up.¡± I tell her, glancing at Espeon, who seems to still have been trying to read with me. ¡°What about you,¡± I say, looking back at her, ¡°Found a good tea place?¡±

    ¡°I did, got myself a chesto-tea with coffee. And in a fancy take-it-home mug too.¡± She says, looking around for a place to sit. ¡°Is that the only real chair in here?¡± She asks after a second.

    ¡°Yeah, normally we only come in here to exercise," I tell her. ¡°If you want a place we can both sit down, that¡¯s either the dining room or Karlos¡¯ office.¡±

    ¡°Not the barracks?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a desk with a chair in there right now, but I¡¯d be sitting on my bed, and I''m pretty sure Katie is still asleep," I answer, shrugging. Then, looking at her mug, ¡°Prepping for an all-nighter?¡±

    She nods. ¡°Unfortunately. Were you planning on doing anything else tonight?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Giving Espeon a physical and writing out my reports, mostly," I tell her. "Why?¡±

    ¡°Because, while I¡¯m not going to interrogate you for selling classified information,¡± Holt rolls her eyes, ¡°I am going to go over everyone''s files with them, though not all tonight.¡± She says.

    ¡°I thought you were handling the smugglers?¡±

    "Yes, well," She scowls into her mug, "The federal team is waiting on someone higher-up on their end to get here before they¡¯ll let me interrogate those two myself. They¡¯ll be here around midnight." She informs me, sounding bitterly amused.

    ¡°Red tape?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Always.¡± She confirms with a sigh, face twisting resentfully before she continues, ¡°Not that it doesn¡¯t make sense. Still, it doesn¡¯t help make my life easier.¡±

    I nod in understanding, thinking over the day, ¡°Did you manage to get what Honchkrow wanted?¡± I ask my superior.

    ¡°That¡¯s on your base¡¯s mission roster.¡± She replies, taking another sip of her drink. ¡°Medium priority, but he won¡¯t wait forever.¡±

    Makes sense. We settle into silence for a time as I continue to organize my thoughts. Eventually, my gaze shifts to my newest responsibility and I focus on the bare patches of skin for a moment, wondering if he¡¯ll need specialist care.

    ¡°Will you be able to wait on the review until after I check his health?¡± I ask Holt, my eyes staying on Espeon.

    ¡°Of course, and we can push it to tomorrow if need be.¡±

    Nodding, I stand and beckon the sitting pokemon to follow.

    Curiosity. Apprehension.

    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m going to give you a physical. Have you had a checkup before?¡± I ask.

    He cocks his head, eyes narrowing,¨CAffirmation. Suspicion.

    I suppose if he¡¯s still young any he might have had before probably all involved needles. ¡°I¡¯m not going to poke you with anything sharp, I just want an idea of your health," I tell him. He looks away from me for a second, then stands and hops down to follow me.

    Holt stands as well. ¡°I might as well join you.¡± She explains at my glance.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finished reviewing our files?¡±

    ¡°No. But I''m most of the way through them, and I am still reviewing you.¡± She says. And smirking, ¡°No pressure.¡±

    An audience, great. And she outright confirmed that she''s judging me.

    Sighing, I make my way to the best place we have to do this right now, the dining room, with both Holt and Espeon in tow.

    Grabbing two chairs, I unfold them and gesture for Espeon to wait, Holt taking one of the seats. It only takes me a moment to spray and wipe the table before I give Espeon the go-ahead to hop on.

    ¡°I did notice the lack of any real medical room.¡± Holt smiles. ¡°Brings back memories.¡± I give my senior a raised eyebrow. ¡°I wasn¡¯t stationed here, but all three bases in the forest have the same layout.¡± She answers my unspoken question.

    ¡°We¡¯ve made do so far.¡± I half shrug. ¡°Although you¡¯ll have to give me a moment to get everything.¡± And with that, I head back out the door and down the hall to the utility room.

    The room is, as always, well organized. It takes me a bare moment to grab everything I¡¯ll need and return to where I left my two companions.

    ¡°No scale?¡± Asks the top-ranger as I re-enter the room.

    ¡°And no pressure cuffs, we aren''t a clinic after all," I respond, before turning my attention to Espeon and leaning down, ¡°Can you lie on your right side, please.¡±

    He does so without complaint, and I squeeze the crook of a foreleg with a hand, counting. After a full minute, I stop and do some quick math. eighty feels a bit low, but he might be forcibly calming himself.

    Placing the disc of my stethoscope low on his chest, I say, "Could you please take a few slow, deep breaths."

    Again, he complies, and I listen, changing positions between breaths. No rattle, no whistle. That¡¯s good.

    ¡°You can stand up now," I tell Espeon, standing straight myself, holding a short, glass tube in front of him. ¡°Can you hold this under your tongue?¡± I ask the skinny pokemon. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s better than the alternative.¡±

    Espeon grabs the thermometer with telekinesis, looking a bit bemused. As he¡¯s doing that, I take a closer look at the bare patches on him. There are no wounds, and no bleeding or crusting. It genuinely does seem like the fur just¡­ fell out.

    As I start feeling for muscle, fat, and anything unexpected, I ask, ¡°Are you in any pain? Have you had any that seems to come and go?¡± I don¡¯t like how skinny he is.

    Negation.

    That almost seems strange with what I suspect he''s been through. Frowning, I finish the hand-check before unwinding a length of measuring tape. Checking it against his shoulder, I see my earlier estimate had been slightly high, as it looks like Espeon measures forty-six centimeters.

    ¡°Can you let me know how old you are?¡± I ask him. And after a second of thought, he taps a foot four times. ¡°That¡¯s four years?¡± I ask.

    Affirmation.

    ¡°And how old when you evolved?¡± He flinches¡ªdefinitely evolved under duress¡ªbut offers another four taps. I stop what I was about to do, "How long had you been¡­ with those men?¡± He thinks, then scapes the table, gives four taps, another scrape, and then six taps.

    Holt has perked up now, ¡°Was that months, then days?¡± She asks him. He doesn¡¯t visibly reply, though he obviously answers, as Holt starts nodding, ¡°I was going to bring it up later, but I am going to need you to answer more questions, although it can be put off for a day or two while you settle in.¡±

    Sighing at that, I look at the thermometer still in his mouth. ¡°And thirty-eight-point-five, perfect," I say. "Other than being distinctly underweight and needing to regrow some fur you seem healthy enough.¡±

    Espeon spits the thermometer out and floats it to me. "Espe,"¨CSurprise. Acceptance,¨CHe murmurs.

    I don¡¯t know what to say to that, his tone and being surprised don¡¯t paint a good picture. He¡¯s looking at me, likely at least somewhat aware of what I¡¯m thinking, but he remains still.

    As I reach out to start petting Espeon, Holt speaks up, ¡°You will be taking him to see an actual doctor, yes?¡± She asks me.

    "Of course, but I was a bit busy today," I say, looking over the small kitchen wall. "...And I just remembered everyone was in the field today.¡±

    ¡°There''s always field rations," Holt sing-songs with a slight grin.

    ¡°No. Just- No, gods no.¡± I say, rubbing the bridge of my nose. ¡°I¡¯m here, so I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± I was raised in Kanto, It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t cook.

 Chapter 12

    This world is bullshit, in a good way, but it still seems like any physics I once knew means nothing. I haven''t seen other pokemon use real Moves before now and Marshal is proving just how weird a place I''m in. I mean, yeah I have psychic powers, but she''s literally just creating water, and I don''t think it''s some ''condensing it from the air'' idiotic kind of thing either, it''s just¡­ flowing off of her.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Marshal says, stopping the flow and rolling her shoulders, ¡°You want to start with the fighting or not getting distracted?¡±

    "Um¡­" That''s a great question. ¡­I want to put off the fighting though, so, "Maybe start with the second one," I say, perhaps more sheepishly than I¡¯d hoped.

    Marshal snorts. ¡°I should o¡¯ figured. Can you tell me what you should have done when you knew you were gonna go blank like that?¡± She asks, giving me a raised eyebrow.

    That''s not how I expected her to start. What does she mean? ¡­Oh. "Moved to the not-space," I tell her, wanting to slap myself. It''s much safer for me there, I think.

    ¡°Not space?¡± She asks, more curious than confused.

    ¡°That''s what I''ve been calling it, it''s where I go when I''m invisible," I tell her.

    ¡°Huh. Why d¡¯ya call it that?¡± She asks, scratching her chin.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s hard to describe, but it¡¯s just¡­ not space. I- it¡¯s¡­¡± I flail for words. How do I describe the innate certainty that something just isn¡¯t? ¡°What do other ghosts call it?¡± I ask her instead, pulling my arms back from their unconscious movements.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± She says simply, and¡ªprobably seeing my disbelief¡ªcontinues, ¡°Even the friendlier ones I¡¯ve met before just didn¡¯t talk as much as you do. Weren¡¯t as put together,¡± She elaborates.

    ¡°You¡­ do remember-¡±

    Marshal cuts me off, ¡°Yeah, and you were in a lot more pain than any of them were, but none o¡¯ them were as ¡®all-there¡¯ as you are,¡± She says, shrugging.

    And ho boy if that isn¡¯t part of the existential hellhole Marshal pulled me out of. I¡¯ve had a while to think about it since then too, and I¡¯m honestly not sure I would have been okay without her help. But yeah, once I wasn''t bouncing between frustration, terror, and trying not to think about things, I started to honestly feel really good about my new still-not-sure-it-counts-as-life.

    Although the sudden realization I had earlier, about the fact that I''m- not ready to deal with this right now, maybe later, when I''m alone. Was an experience. Marshal made that comment about knowing stuff and it was the best worst thing she could have said. Especially after Weaver¡¯s comment about it being easier to focus last night.

    Anxiety? Anticipation? I look at Marshal and she¡¯s watching me. What¡¯s she expecting? The Anxiety¡¯s vanishing, now there¡¯s curiosity. What was she worried about?

    As ¡®all-there¡¯ as me. Oh.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Marshal. I¡¯m not going to freak out about having died anymore.¡± Probably not, at least, given my reaction to internalizing¡­ Anyway.

    A bit of relief shows on her features¡ªthough I don¡¯t taste it¡ªand she raises an eyebrow. ¡°I- sorry. I know I need to learn to pay attention¡­¡± I sigh and drift closer to her. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to take some work, I wasn¡¯t this bad before I- You know. So¡­¡± I trail off. She¡¯s smirking.

    "That''s why we''re going to work on it." Her smirk shifts to a smile, "I don''t think you have trouble focusing." She says, sitting down, "I think you have trouble focusing on what''s in front of you." She pats the ground in front of her, beckoning, "You''ve plainly got some heavy thoughts in that head o'' yours sometimes, and that''s not a bad thing." She breaths deeply, and the taste of joy that''s always around her¡­ shifts? "Believe me, I understand. Hmm, maybe not exactly, but ya need to keep the here and now in mind too.¡± She¡¯s looking at me like she wants to see something.

    What is it though? Hmm, she said ¡®here and now,¡¯ and that shift in taste was strange. In fact¡­ her emotions have been in flux since she found me earlier, but the undercurrent hasn¡¯t. Why? Or maybe, why not? She said she understood, but even when she was talking about¡­

    ¡­Right, she¡¯s old. As in, outlived all her children old, isn¡¯t she? And she hasn¡¯t become detached or callus despite that, the love and melancholy I could taste earlier is proof enough. How has she managed to stay so- Oh, that¡¯s what she means. ¡®Here¡¯ and ¡®now.¡¯ And obviously, she''d have learned how to deal with it because she probably has several times the life experiences, good and bad, than anyone I¡¯ve ever met.

    I look up from my thoughts to see Marshal¡¯s face, kind eyes, wet nose, and a frown, now shifting to a satisfied smile. ¡°See what I meant did you?¡± She asks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe? I mostly just realized that you¡¯re probably right,¡± I admit.

    She chuckles. ¡°Naw, you did. Now, I want you to just focus on the trees, the smells, the wind, the sky, anything, everything that''s around us right now,¡± She says.

    That seems too easy, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I feel the need to ask.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t try to force it,¡± She says. ¡°This is about being present, aware, lookin¡¯ at and being here, now,¡± She tells me. ¡°Helps make everything clearer in my experience.¡±

    That sounds too simple to me, but I¡¯ve already decided to trust her. Looking around, I try to take it all in. The now bright green forest, with both its odd and familiar trees, the strange bark patterns now clear to me as markers left by grass-types.

    The amazingly blue sky, barely a cloud in sight today after the storm yesterday.

    The fresh air, smelling of plants, earth, something more floral, and an almost rain-like scent from Marshal.

    The sounds of life, various bird calls, pokemon cries, insects buzzing, and the world swaying in the slight breeze.

    The taste of joy, along with my still unknown sense buzzing directly from and at Marshal.

    And Marshal herself, still surrounded by water, seemingly just enjoying the moment.

    ¡­

    I feel an urge to do something, but I push it down, trying to follow Marshal¡¯s advice.

    ¡­

    It¡¯s a good while before Marshal starts talking, seemingly out of nowhere, ¡°I¡¯m not tryin¡¯ to tell you to stop thinking about stuff.¡± She says, not looking at me. ¡°But from what I¡¯ve seen o¡¯ ya, you¡¯re in your own head a lot.¡± She breathes deep, eyes closing, ¡°I get that you¡¯ve probably got some heavy things, some deep or maybe dark thoughts right now, ya just need to keep what¡¯s around you in mind, too. All that stuff in your head might be important, but so is right now.¡±

    Marshal¡¯s silent for a bit, clearly thinking, before she starts again, ¡°Maybe I do understand better than I¡¯d like, how it feels to be lost.¡± There¡¯s a burst of something in her emotions, something complex. But she keeps talking before I can figure it out, ¡°So I think it¡¯s good to take some time every day, just bein¡¯ alive.¡± She frowns, ¡°Maybe not the best way to put it, but I hope you get what I mean.¡±

    Marshal stands, still gazing around, ¡°Just- When ya start thinkin¡¯ like that, make sure you¡¯re safe. And if you¡¯re not either try to save it for later or get safe, okay?¡± She says into the air. ¡°And remember to take the time to be,¡± She adds after a second, turning to face me.

    That¡¯s¡­ a lot. But do I feel better? I don¡¯t know, but I think she was right about clearing my head. "Thanks, Marshal," I tell her. "And I''ll try to keep all that in mind, and do this every day too."

    ¡°All I ask right now. You¡¯re doin¡¯ well anyways, just need to stay that way,¡± She says, stretching. ¡°Now, how much fight d¡¯ya have in you?¡±

    Oh, Right. Marshal wanted to teach me to fight. ¡°Um¡­¡±

    She laughs, "You really don''t like confrontation do ya?" She opens her hands, and I can''t help noticing just how sharp her claws are. "Right now I just want to see how capable ya are, see what you need to learn. So I''ll start slow and see how you do." She announces.

    Then she mo- JESUSTAPDANCINGCHRIST, DODGE!

    That buys me a fraction of a second before I realize the obvious. You can¡¯t hit what isn¡¯t there. Following that thought, I vanish. Ah¡­ AHH! That¡¯s what all the water was for! I need cover, fast! Wait¡­ THE TREES!

    Slipping inside a tree, I calm down for a second. It looks like Marshal knows something is up though, because all the water¡­ How the hell is the water here?! Fuck it, doesn¡¯t matter right now, but it has all stopped spinning.

    I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d start immediately, or that she¡¯d be so fast¡­ Why are her eyes red? Oh, moving now.

    As I move from that particular tree, Marshal body-slams it low and even topples it. Then, instead of stopping, she keeps moving to let it fall onto her shoulder before she turns and¡­ IT''S HEADING RIGHT FOR ME!

    I¡¯m still phased out though, so it just sails through me without doing anything. Okay, stop, stay calm. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m somehow even less vulnerable to anything physical while I¡¯m here.

    Except the water, for some reason. And now she¡¯s starting the whirlpools up again. Can I stop those? One way to find out, I guess.

    Quickly phasing in, blasting one with sound, and phasing out shows that, yes, I can. And Marshal¡¯s eyes are red again¡­ Wait, that¡¯s another color I can name here, coo- FUCK! MOVING NOW!

    Marshal''s waterborne charge should miss now, barely. I need- WHOOP! Did she just try to bite me on her way passed? IS THAT FROST?!

    ¡­Am I enjoying this?

    ***

    Oh, this is familiar, though also not as disconcerting as before. At least I¡¯m not out there this time.

    It¡¯s also much easier to think than last time. Even if everything is a bit blurry¡­ No, it¡¯s coming back into focus. Oh hey, there¡¯s Marshal, big glowing sphere and all.

    I feel scattered, almost hollow? ¡­ and hungry. I¡¯m already filling up again, though, so that¡¯s good.

    Everything''s a blur, what happened? ¡­Oh, I think Marshal hit me. Yeah, it''s coming back now. One hit, ouch. Was I unconscious or just very disoriented? Mmm, no gaps in my memory, I think, so that''s a thing.

    Wow, she really did just hit me that hard. Amazing.

    Well, let''s see what she thinks about what just happened. Phasing in, I-

    Phasing in-

    ¡­I can¡¯t move. Uh, is this how a ghost faints, then? How¡¯s my body doing?

    Oh. Well, on the bright side, I''m still not definitely-dead. Although I can absolutely put any thoughts I had about my body behaving anything like a regular flesh-and-blood one out of mind. And I guess I shouldn''t be surprised because I''m not- ready to think about this again right now.

    Back to the present, think about it later.

    So, I¡¯m in two places at once. Except that it¡¯s still the same place? Explains why I feel scattered, at least. I¡¯m hanging, bodiless, on the ground where Marshal¡¯s attack threw me and also sitting, not-quite-bodiless, on the ground where Marshal¡¯s attack threw me, but I can¡¯t feel things.

    I have no idea what that means.

    So, important question, how do I not be in two places? Hmm, What feels like the right thing to do here?

    Ah, I think I just found my ghost-powers, it barely feels anything like the psychic stuff at least. Time to put myself back together, I guess.

    ¡­

    This is going to take a while, isn''t it? How do I even move this- Wait, I should just keep pushing now. That feels right.

    ¡­

    I can still see Marshal. She''s been getting more and more anxious since she hit me and I''m starting to feel bad about it, but using an entirely new power thing while not being able to move anything else at all takes time.

    Also, I think my ¡®body¡¯ is almost intact again? I¡¯m not sure anymore since I think I have two, now. Except that one feels more like a body and the other¡­ Am I just puppeteering myself? I really, really need to learn more about ghosts.

    ¡­

    ¡°Ow,¡± I groan, finishing the process of literally putting myself back together by taking control of my maybe-body. It feels excessively weird.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    And all this was just her figuring out what I''ll need to work on?

    "Oh! Oh, you''re moving again. Sorry, didn''t mean ta hit you so hard." Says Marshal from one side of the brand-new, and thoroughly flooded, clearing. You know, I''d been wondering where all the random clearings came from.

    "No, I- I think I''m fine, strangely," I tell her. "And, uh, sorry."

    ¡°Oh, ya don¡¯t have to be,¡± She says, ¡°Don¡¯t suppose ya met any other spooks before?¡± At my head-shake she continues, ¡°Yep, you¡¯re all awfully fragile and extremely hard ta actually harm at the same time.¡± She laughs, ¡°Makes me feel better about teaching you when I can¡¯t accidentally maim ya.¡±

    Yeah, Marshal, saying that isn¡¯t scary at all.

    ¡°Um, how¡¯d I do?¡± I ask her. I¡¯m both dreading the answer and hoping I somehow did well.

    "Hmm¡­" She starts, scratching an ear. "You''re good at dodging, only seen one other spook vanish to dodge when a real fight started, and ya hid inside stuff too. You didn''t panic when I started speeding things up, that was good." She stops scratching her ear and starts tapping her chin, staring at one shattered tree in particular, "You''ve clearly got decent instincts and a good head. You had a great sense of timing, too, but¡­" She trails off, looking around. "Ya barely fought back?" She asks, giving me a questioning look.

    ¡°I¡¯ve uh, never fought like this before?¡± I didn¡¯t mean for it to come out a question! Goddammit, get it together Charlie!

    ¡°Naw, really?¡± She asks with a chuckle. ¡°I imagine you lived in the middle of a big human city too? Never had to fight for somethin¡¯?¡± The question sounds genuine.

    I wince. ¡°I¡­ Well-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing!¡± She waves a massive paw. ¡°Just means you had things good.¡± She settles to the ground, eyes roaming over the wreck we left in thought.

    A thought occurs to me as I look over what we just did, ¡°Why are you teaching me? I- that¡¯s not a complaint, I¡¯d just- you know?¡± I say, turning my eyes on the otter.

    Marshal shrugs, ¡°Does it matter beyond ¡®just because I wanted to,¡¯ in the end?¡±

    We fall silent for a stretch, I¡¯m not sure what Marshal is thinking, but my thoughts turn back to when I was human and the times I almost got into fights then. And the few times I did.

    "I don''t like hurting people," I say into the quiet air.

    "I can tell, but you still need to be able to," Marshal responds, not bothering to look at me.

    I almost ask her if that''s genuinely true but¡­ I think she''s right.

    "I didn''t think this would be so fun," I admit.

    Marshal laughs. ¡°I knock you out like that and ya still say that after,¡± She says once her laughter eases. ¡°I like that attitude.¡±

    "To be fair, you didn''t knock me out," I tell her. "I was conscious the entire time, I just couldn''t move."

    Marshal Snorts thoughtfully, "Ain''t that a meaningful difference. Well, ya got a lot to work on." She scratches her neck, her yellow line inflating and deflating a few times as she stares at the sky. "Normally, I''d say we keep going until you tire yourself out but¡­" She looks at me, "You''re not gonna get tired, are ya?" She asks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, not with you here. Maybe if you weren¡¯t¡­¡± I can¡¯t exactly gesture to the massive amounts of energy she¡¯s feeding me. ¡°¡­Yeah,¡± I finish lamely.

    She chuckles, "Explains some difficulties I had when dealing with spooks before." She stretches her whole body, groaning in relief at a few pops I hear, "Mmm, you go ahead and get, I''ve got to¡­" She sighs, and I start tasting a bit of that same mix of love and melancholy she had hanging around her earlier, though now a bit less¡­ something? "I''ve got ta make sure Buizel knows what''s coming to him soon." She says, her voice somehow conveying even more than her literal emotions.

    I don¡¯t know what to say to that. Marshal didn¡¯t tell me what was going on other than that Buizel is growing up. Maybe he¡¯s hitting some kind of pokemon puberty? I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t feel like asking for more about it right now. So with a wave that Marshal reciprocates, I start drifting back towards my cabin.

    Some things about today have driven home the point that I really need to start learning about this world. That means I''ll probably need to find a library given the seeming lack of modern technology, which either way means I¡¯ll need to learn to read again, which means¡­

    I¡¯ll need to go look for Weaver at some point. Although she¡¯s probably busy during the day. Who else do I know around here?

    ***

    I¡¯m not surprised to find Leaf sunning himself, the leafeon resting on his side in a very sunny patch of forest. He¡¯s glowing slightly, but I¡¯ve seen a lot of grass-types do that. I take a quick look up and down the trail running North-South through this section of the woods, but I don¡¯t see anybody else.

    ¡°The Grotles not with you today?¡± I ask him from a safe distance.

    He cracks an eye open, staring at me a moment before closing it again. He might try to hide it, but I can taste the contentment and joy, although there is some lingering anxiety. ¡°They wanted a day to themselves. Are you just going around bothering people now?¡± He asks without heat.

    "Sometimes," I say, floating to rest next to him and feeling a prickling sensation on my what-the-fuck-are-you sense. "Anything going on?" I ask, disregarding the sensation for the moment.

    ¡°The rain helped a lot of us regrow and regenerate, stopped the beedrill for a bit, too,¡± He says with a flick of his long, leaf-like tail I¡¯ve come to realize is the Leaf version of a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m still tired from all the humans that have come through.¡± He cracks an eye again, ¡°A swellow told me Marshal dragged you off somewhere earlier,¡± Leaf doesn¡¯t quite ask.

    I sigh, at least I¡¯m not aching all over. ¡°Dragging me off is a bit exaggerated, but she wanted to teach me how to fight.¡±

    Leaf actually starts, ears as long as his body twitching, ¡°Really? And you¡¯re still in one piece?¡± He asks, head up, both eyes now open and staring.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t for some of it,¡± I halfheartedly joke, unable to suppress a shiver.

    Leaf stares for a moment longer before flopping onto his other side, eyes closed again, "Eh, you''re weird, why not."

    After a bit of silence, I start searching for something to say. ¡°So, uh, what are you doing?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Synthesizing,¡± He yawns. ¡°All the cleaning up after humans is exhausting. How¡¯d you get the rangers to put signs up around your den?¡± He asks.

    "I um, took Marshal''s advice," I tell him. "I''m pretty sure having one place they could put the signs helped though."

    He cracks an eye again, "Mmm, she really must like you." He yawns again, " You know, sometimes I wish they would just stop letting other humans into the forest." He says, flicking an ear this time. "But there are some nice ones too, it''s just luck, frankly. Have you been doing anything else? It''s been quiet the last day-and-a-half." he asks.

    ¡°You¡¯re hilarious,¡± I deadpan, before explaining, ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to focus my voice more, if you haven¡¯t heard anything then that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°Good progress then,¡± He says, closing his eye.

    Again I need to find something to say, at least Leaf seems to want me to stick around right now. ¡°Why are you right in the middle of a trail if you want to avoid humans?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°It¡¯s where Maya usually looks for me,¡± He says simply, before yawning once more.

    ¡°Are you okay? You seem like you¡¯re going to fall asleep.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± He groans. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. But this is the time of year I always come closest to needing it,¡± He says sullenly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to sleep either?¡± It makes a kind of sense, Leaf being part plant.

    ¡°Figures you don¡¯t sleep,¡± He mutters. ¡°But no, not if I get enough sun. I go into stasis over winter, but I haven¡¯t needed to otherwise since I evolved.¡± He yawns again, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could make it sunnier? I haven¡¯t been able to figure it out yet,¡± He asks. It¡¯s sunny already¡ªeven if the sun is starting to set¡ªbut I¡¯d bet it would help him out if he¡¯s asking about it.

    "I¡­ can''t, sorry," I tell him. "You said you hadn''t figured it out yet? Is there someone around here who knows how?" I ask.

    "Yeah, my sister, a couple of the cherubi, Torterra, and Shiftry. Why? Do you want to get one of them to do it? Teach it to us? Good luck." He informs me, rolling onto his other side.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you get your sister to use it, or even just teach you to use it?¡± I ask. ¡­Ah, well there¡¯s no love lost there, damn those are some complicated emotions. But the one rising to the top is pain?

    ¡°My sister is¡­¡± He says, clearly searching for a good way to put his feelings. ¡°A bitch,¡± He finally finishes. Wow. Also, is that a translation thing again? ¡°Have you seen her? She¡¯s always by that forretress up north.¡±

    Now that he mentions it¡­ Yeah, that leafeon was giving off some serious hostility. "Yeah, I''ve seen her," I confirm.

    His tail slaps the ground, agitated, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of deal she and the beedrill have, but she¡¯s got free reign in their territory!¡± He says angrily. ¡°And you know what the beedrill are like, right?¡± He asks, actually sitting up and looking at me.

    "I haven''t seen them, but everyone seems to have a problem with them," I say. And, reminded of a different terrifying bee, continue, "I did meet a vespiquen yesterday, Prime-Daughter-Two."

    ¡°They¡¯re a lot nicer, right?¡± Leaf asks, likely rhetorically.

    "I guess? I still haven''t seen a beedrill." I tell him. "Although the one I met was calling me¡­"

    Am I an apprentice to Marshal? Huh, I suppose I kind of am, aren''t I.

    ¡°Was calling you what?¡± Leaf asks, apparently curious.

    ¡°She¡­ They were referring to me as ¡®Apprentice-Of-Order-Bringer,¡¯ and I just realized they were right,¡± I say.

    ¡°¡­Why is she so interested in you?¡± Leaf seems to think aloud. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it like that, I¡¯m just- She doesn¡¯t usually teach anybody like you said she did.¡±

    ¡°I have no- Well, I have some ideas, but I don''t know why either," I tell him. "Not that I''m going to complain when I''m almost certain I would have had a very bad meltdown if she hadn¡¯t helped me.¡±

    ¡°Meltdown?¡± Leaf asks.

    Uh, how do I put this? ¡°Leaf, I wasn¡¯t making all that noise for fun. I was alone, frustrated, and doing my best to think of absolutely nothing to do with being dead.¡± I sigh, ¡°Thinking about it, I was at most two or three days from snapping and having Marshal deal with me.¡± And given today, it wouldn¡¯t have been hard for her.

    "And you''re just¡­ okay with that?" Leaf asks me.

    ¡°No?¡± I reply, looking at him. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to obsess over it, I know why it happened, and I¡¯m not going to let it happen again.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could do that sometimes.¡± The green pokemon says. ¡°Just decide not to worry about something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± I laugh. ¡°But I know talking about things helps. So, what are you worried about?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Who said I¡¯m worried?¡± He asks defensively, and I start tasting anxiety again.

    "You effectively admitted you were," I tell him. "And I can taste it coming off you."

    ¡°I- You- Taste? ¡­Fine, just promise you won¡¯t laugh.¡±

    Interesting. "Leaf, if something is bothering you that much, then I promise I won''t laugh at it," I say.

    ¡°I miss my brother,¡± He blurts out, face going yellow.

    ¡°¡­Why were you worried I¡¯d laugh at that?¡± I ask him, now actually intrigued.

    ¡°Because I shouldn¡¯t!¡± He cries. ¡°He decided to become a vaporeon and swim off and leave me behind with- and I¡­¡± Leaf sniffs, ¡°And I just wish I knew he was okay.¡± He slumps, ¡°I miss him, we used to have so much fun tearing around the woods. And W- When I think I might never get to see him again I- I¡­ And I don¡¯t even remember-¡± He stops there, staring at the ground.

    This feels like it¡¯s been building up for a while, long before we met.

    ¡°Have you talked to the Grotles about this?¡± I ask him.

    His response is timid, ¡°Yes. But they¡¯re younger than me and they just laugh it off¡­ and you¡­¡± He glances at me before dropping his gaze again. ¡°You asked, and you¡¯ve¡­ you know?¡± He stops again.

    ¡°I listened? I haven¡¯t laughed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± He says, sniffing again.

    ¡°Um, Leaf. I don¡¯t want to sound condescending or insensitive, but¡­ how old are you?¡± I ask him.

    "Eight?" He says, blinking to¡­ hold back tears. Ah, that''s grief I can taste now.

    Jeez, kid''s going through thoughts like this at that age¡­ Wait, is that how Marshal feels looking at me? Leaf truly does come across as an adult most of the time and I just thought of him as a kid. Oh, that''s definitely how Marshal got there, wow. Am I going to end up like- Focus, remain here.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what to tell you, Leaf,¡± I say, trying to be comforting, ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re going through, but I don¡¯t have some easy way out.¡± He glares at me, obviously getting ready to say something. So I stop him, ¡°Leaf, do you think I didn¡¯t leave people behind when I died?¡± I ask as gently as I can.

    His glare loses most of its heat at that, then he blinks twice. Jesus, he''s an emotional wreck right now. He looks at the ground again, "Sorry." he says in a small voice. "It''s just¡­ H- how are you so c- calm about it?"

    I- Has he not been paying attention?

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not?¡± I answer slowly. ¡°Remember all the screaming I was doing?¡± I laugh. ¡°I just have nearly five times the life experiences you do to help me, and even then I¡¯m not doing a great job.¡± I sigh and look around us, ¡°It hurts, it¡¯s going to hurt, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about that part except keep going. I went down the road of trying to push it all out and that just made it worse. To the point that Marshal had to help me.¡± I look back at him, ¡°If you¡¯re really afraid of never seeing your brother again then go look for him, that¡¯s what I intend to do for my old friends and family. Even if I¡¯m not sure I can ever see them again,¡± I tell him.

    He''s silently crying now, and I''m starting to wish I wasn''t constantly aware of his emotional state, I''m too focused on him to tune it out even though I want to. And uh, I guess what they say about crying is true, since Leaf is effectively drowning the area in emotions.

    I feel awkward, floating here while he¡¯s crying right next to me. But I don¡¯t know what else to do or say except to try and supply silent comfort.

    I don¡¯t know when he stopped synthesizing, but the glow has faded from his skin. He¡¯s sitting on his haunches, eyes streaming tears and staring at the trees around us.

    I feel guilty. It¡¯s probably a good thing that he¡¯s letting it out, but I can¡¯t help but feel I pushed him into it.

    ¡°What are you doing to my precious Leafy-Boy!¡± Someone cries.

    I¡¯m not riding one of my own strange emotional fluctuations though, so I just turn to look down the North path at the voice¡¯s source.

    ¡°N- no Maya, th- they¡¯re helping.¡± Says Leaf, raising his head as I finish turning around.

    The woman, a ranger and presumably ¡®Maya,¡¯ has darker, kind of gold-chocolate skin, curly black hair, red eyes, and has the same hard, compact muscle as the other two rangers I''ve seen, though she''s a bit shorter and wider.

    ¡°Are you going to leave him alone or not?¡± She asks, scowling at me.

    "No Maya, really, they-" Leaf stops, then he gets up and leans into me. ¡­Wow, he''s a ball of anxiety on the inside, isn''t he? Actually, what determines when I start tasting- Deal with it later.

    The ranger¡¯s scowl lessens to a glare as she looks between us, and sighs, ¡°Okay, can you at least get across why you¡¯re crying Leaf?¡± She asks the plant that¡¯s currently trying to bury himself in my side.

    He thinks for a second before flicking his tail a bit, shaking his head, ¡°Not r- really, sorry,¡± He says, voice still a bit choked. ¡°Um, c- can you, Charlie?¡±

    There is something I''ve been wanting to try, but it''s still a bit too sunny right now. "Maybe if it was darker out," I tell the leafy lamprey, shrugging with a few arms.

    ¡°Th- then no, sorry Maya,¡± He says, shaking his head at the human again.

    She was watching our exchange, and, once we finish, she sighs again before sitting on the ground cross-legged. "Is Misdreavus helping?" she asks him. He doesn''t bother responding verbally, just nodding. "Would you like me to pet you a bit?" Leaf slowly pushes off me when she asks, moving towards her lap. Once he settles in Maya looks at me, "You want some as well?" She asks, raising an eyebrow. When I don''t respond she just shrugs, "Yeah, you don''t look like you enjoy being touched." She examines me more closely. "I didn''t know what to expect when I finally saw you, but Onaga and Emil weren''t kidding, it''s like you''re deeper than you should be. And that''s not actually fuzz, is it?" She asks, outwardly calm.

    Looking at the two of them, I realize something about Leaf. He¡¯s big. It looks like if he stood on his hind legs he¡¯d be as tall as the woman currently stroking his ears. Is that normal? He¡¯s only about the size of a large dog, but my mental image from the games keeps being proven wrong.

    ¡°Uh, w- what¡¯s with the staring?¡± Leaf asks.

    "Sorry, I just noticed something I hadn''t before," I say apologetically, looking at the ranger now.

    She¡¯s running her fingers along the leaf-like veins in Leaf¡¯s ears, but she also tastes stressed out, so I think she¡¯s using Leaf to help herself with that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but are you okay, Leafy?¡± The ranger asks.

    Leaf is still crying, although it seems like he''s starting to calm down. "Maybe," He says, leaning into the woman so much that she falls back.

    I sigh, considering what to do now. Leaf has his ranger friend, and I¡¯m not sure what I want to do now.

    ¡°I um¡­ Do you mind if I float off, Leaf?¡± I ask him. ¡°I might go talk to Prime-Daughter-Two, or possibly Weaver. I think I need a new perspective on a few¡­ things.¡±

    ¡°No! I- Please stay a bit longer, a- at least until Maya leaves. You¡¯re easy to talk to,¡± He says, pleading with his eyes.

    I can''t help it. "Yeah, okay, I can stay," I say. And the immediate wave of joy he gives off lets me know he''s feeling better.

    Actually¡­ I could follow Maya to wherever Weaver probably is couldn¡¯t I? Hmm, that¡¯s not a bad idea.

 Chapter 13

    The ranger was really stressed about something, or maybe Leaf isn''t a great emotional support¡­ I still don¡¯t know if he¡¯s closer to a fox or a plant. Maybe a wolf? In any case, Maya stuck around for a while, just petting Leaf and complaining about ''stupid, uneducated, rich, arrogant, idiots.¡¯ ¡­I¡¯m pretty sure she had a bad day at work.

    It had taken me perhaps a tad too long to notice the turtwig watching from the north path. Our interaction afterward had been interesting.

    ¡°So¡­ who are you?¡±

    ¡°Partner.¡±

    ¡°And are you going to join them or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Watching.¡±

    ¡­We mostly ignored each other after that.

    Leaf and I have been quiet for the most part, listening to the ranger complain. Though we did share some commentary about the complaints.

    ¡°I''ve met some electrike before, they''re very friendly.¡± Leaf lazily says.

    ¡°-And, yeah, it¡¯s what we were expecting, but I don¡¯t understand how some people can be so disrespectful-¡± Maya continues her tirade.

    ¡°I don''t get why someone would keep trying after the first shock,¡± I comment. ¡°Seems pretty obvious she¡¯d up the voltage from there.¡±

    It¡¯s a pretty good time all together, but it¡¯s also starting to get late. Maybe I should just leave, and try and find Weaver some other time.

    And of course, right as I think that, Maya carefully moves Leaf off of herself, ¡°But I think that¡¯s enough, it¡¯s getting late and I¡¯ve got to head back to base. I¡¯ll have to see you later Leafy,¡± She says. Standing, the woman gives me an appraising look before nodding slowly, ¡°Thanks for helping him, I know he doesn¡¯t have a lot of friends.¡± And with that, she starts walking.

    Hmm, Leaf not having a lot of friends makes an unfortunate amount of sense. He¡¯s not mean or anything, just a bit high-

    I had a plan. Right. ¡°Do you mind if I also take off?¡± I ask the leafeon, raising myself in the air slightly.

    ¡°Oh, no. Uh, sorry about all that earlier,¡± He apologizes. ¡°I didn¡¯t really- I mean, I don¡¯t want to be a burden¡­¡±

    ¡°Leaf, it¡¯s fine. So I¡¯ll see you at some point soon, yeah?¡± I say, waving as I start to fade out.

    ¡°Oh. Yeah!¡± Leaf says brightly, relieved about something.

    And then I¡¯m gone, completely within the not-space. Now I just need to catch up with the ranger, and it won¡¯t be hard, as I can see her rather clearly ¡®here.¡¯

    I follow, Maya heading north at the moment. However, as soon as we reach a split she starts heading east, clearly familiar with the paths. I follow her for around twenty minutes before I almost miss someone. A ''someone'' who was the entire point of doing this.

    Focusing, I can just pick out a silhouette against the not-space.

    Weaver¡¯s near-invisible form seems to give the ranger''s bright one a wave before she breaks the silence of this place, ¡°Hey Smokey, are you doing anything special?¡±

    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve tested if she can hear me while I¡¯m phased out, so I give it a shot, ¡°Following her to find you,¡± I say into the void.

    Weaver doesn¡¯t respond, though whether she¡¯s messing with me or she genuinely can¡¯t hear me I¡¯m not sure. She is still tracking me, however.

    I look at the ranger for a moment before deciding I''d rather she not know I was following her. So I float close enough to Weaver to touch her and then start drifting away a bit. And she seems to get the idea, moving to follow me.

    Maya doesn''t seem bothered by the weasel-cat''s behavior and simply continues jogging.

    Once I think it''s safe, I phase back in. ¡°I was looking for you,¡± I tell Weaver.

    ¡°Oh,¡± She says. ¡°That kind of makes sense, we are pretty close to the base right now.¡± Then she exaggerates suspicion, stroking her chin, ¡°But why would you be looking for me? Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Because I have questions that I don''t think any pokemon would ask? Also, I need to learn to read,¡± I try not to mumble the last part.

    ¡°So you want to hang out, basically,¡± She says. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve got some things I need to say too.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I¡¯m interested.

    ¡°Oh yeah. Come on, I¡¯ll show you the base.¡± Weaver says, beckoning me to follow her.

    ¡°So what kind of things do you need to say?¡± I ask as I float beside her.

    ¡°Well, I just learned that Ryu was partly, maybe mostly, raised by her grandparents,¡± She says, almost angrily.

    ¡°Okay?¡± I don¡¯t see where this is going.

    ¡°Yeah, but one of them is a pokemon, a zoroark.¡± Weaver looks at me, ¡°Please tell me you know what that is because he refused to say anything beyond species,¡± She pleads, but there¡¯s something hostile in her eyes.

    I feel my own eyes narrow. I do recognize that one. ¡°Uh, black and red, foxy looking, long hair?¡± I ask.

    ¡°How should I know, I never actually saw him, just his illusion,¡± She huffs.

    ¡°Then yes? I remember that being a thing they could do at least. Actually¡­¡± The sun''s gone down enough let''s see what Weaver thinks.

    I gently push my cloud out, twisting and molding it until fuzzy, indistinct characters can be¡­ sort of made out. Honestly, it looks more like a gray mist than anything, though I''d been trying to shape it into ''Can you read this?''

    Weaver gives me a raised eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s a neat trick, looks like you need to work on it though,¡± She says in a slightly teasing tone.

    ¡°I know, and it''s part of why I want to learn to read¡­ whichever language I can,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Well,¡± Weaver says, and suddenly there¡¯s a building in the woods before us, ¡°I can help you with that, I¡¯m an expert in humans.¡±

    ¡°More so than me?¡± I say dryly.

    Weaver rolls her eyes, ¡°Maybe not you, but I like reading their books at least. And the shows are good too.¡± Then she looks between the building and me a few times. ¡°Did you not want them to see you?¡± She asks.

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want her to know I was following behind,¡± I say. ¡°If you''re with me I doubt they''ll put much thought into why.¡± Then, backing up a bit, ¡°Can we go back to Onaga being raised by a zoroark?¡±

    ¡°Only partly, from what I gathered. He was mostly focused on making sure I was taking care of Ryuko, being a good ¡®shadow¡¯, as he put it,¡± She answers, frowning. ¡°They asked me not to let her know, too.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but uh, is he actually her grandfather?¡± I ask Weaver, thinking about the sheer difference between other humans and the rangers in the not-space.

    ¡°No? Yes? I think it depends on what you mean.¡± Weaver says, running her claws through- Oh, she¡¯s grooming herself. ¡°The two certainly acted like bonded humans. Though if you meant it like Ryu being part pokemon, no.¡± Weaver says, sounding slightly disappointed.

    ¡°You are referring to the adequate one, yes?¡± Says a new voice, prompting me to look up, Weaver rolling her eyes.

    Sitting¡ªmore perched, really¡ªon the roof of the building is a staraptor, gazing rather indifferently down at us.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Weaver snaps at him, ¡°Her.¡±

    He hums, gaze shifting from Weaver to me. ¡°I am Blake. Do remember it,¡± He says, before dismissing us both with a wing.

    Now that is a level of pompous asshole I wasn¡¯t expecting. So no, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be remembering his name. ¡­Okay, I will. But not by choice!

    Weaver sighs. ¡°So!¡± And she¡¯s happy again. ¡°Inside! Let¡¯s give you the tour,¡± She chirps, starting to move us around the structure.

    ¡°This,¡± She starts as we reach a set of double doors, ¡°Is the lobby,¡± She then wiggles her fingers before very deliberately¡ªand unnecessarily¡ªreaching up to grab the long handle.

    ¡°Are you still enjoying thumbs?¡± I ask her, teasing.

    ¡°Yes,¡± She says with a very large smile, pushing the door open.

    It¡¯s¡­ a rather small, plain lobby. Lightly patterned tile floor, light beige walls, a reception desk, an odd lack of seating, a door leading back somewhere, and a single picture of a team of people hanging on the wall to our left.

    ¡°Yep, that is a lobby,¡± I say, continuing to tease Weaver.

    She chuckles, ¡°Yeah, I know, I¡¯ve seen better in the city. Anyway!¡± She says, turning to face me and beginning to walk backward, ¡°It''s home. And it''s a lot better than any den I could dig.¡±

    Weaver walks to the door at the back and, still facing me, bumps it open. Following her, I¡¯m met with the sight of a wide hallway with seven more doors, four on the right and three on the left. Several of the doorways don''t even have doors.

    There¡¯s also a hum, a thrumming feeling on my still unknown sense coming from down the hall to the right.

    Weaver points to the first door on the right, ¡°That''s where we all sleep,¡± Then she points to the first on the left, ¡°Shower-room, storage and utilities, relaxing room, operator room, office, and eating room,¡± She continues, alternating right and left. ¡°And speaking of eating¡­¡± She sniffs the air. ¡°I smell food.¡±

    Weaver takes three steps down the hall before her entire posture shifts, becoming alert. ¡°Oh, that''s where they went,¡± She says, voice flat, before stalking the rest of the way down the hall.

    Following her and looking into the room, I¡¯m met with the sight of nine people, three I recognize, three in uniforms, and all eating at two folding tables. There are also two pokemon in the room, a dragon-looking one that I can''t think of the name of, and an espeon.

    For her part, Weaver is staring daggers at an elderly man, with graying-black hair, fair skin, dressy clothes, and with his back to us.

    I''m guessing he''s the zoroark since Weaver is glaring at him. He''s also seated next to a woman who has to be Onaga''s grandmother if I¡¯m assuming correctly.

    My attention is more drawn to the espeon though, since he¡¯s the source of the humming on my holy-shit-I-wish-I-knew-what-it-is sense. Oddly, his eyes are always looking at whatever Onaga¡¯s are and it¡¯s a bit weird. Especially when they both lock onto me at the same time.

    Onaga doesn''t say anything, looking between Weaver and me. Nobody else seems to notice, all too engaged in their dinner conversation, but she does raise an eyebrow at Weaver.

    Weaver just sighs, grabs one of my left arms, and starts pulling me back down the hall.

    ¡°Why-¡± Weaver cuts me off with a gesture.

    It¡¯s not until we¡¯re outside that she starts talking. ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± She says simply, her expression twisting.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I start, a little confused. ¡°That kind of answers why you dragged us away. But why don¡¯t you like him, then?¡± I ask.

    ¡°He''s lying to her,¡± Weaver growls. ¡°Directly to her. And I don¡¯t think he would have told me anything if I didn¡¯t figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Uh, how did you?¡± I ask, slightly concerned with the look on her face. ¡°Figure it out, I mean.¡±

    ¡°I heard him,¡± Weaver says. ¡°I caught the tail end of him speaking normally and paid more attention when I could see him,¡± She preens a bit, ¡°It was obvious after that.¡± Then her eyes go cold again.

    I don¡¯t think this is something I want to get in the middle of. ¡°So, uh, was there anything else you wanted to show me?¡± I ask her, masterfully changing the subject.

    It looks like she grinds her mental gears for a moment before managing to get back on track. ¡°Yeah, but mostly inside. You want to see the runner calling area?¡±

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I tell her, happy she doesn''t look ready to eviscerate someone anymore.

    ¡°It¡¯s around the other side, come on,¡± She says, gesturing for me to follow along again.

    ¡°I still have some questions about other things,¡± I say as I move after her.

    ¡°Go ahead and ask,¡± She responds, not turning to face me this time.

    I glance at the roof of the building, feeling a bit better when I don¡¯t see the bird from earlier, ¡°So, um, are Moves a thing here?¡± That one¡¯s been starting to bug me.

    ¡°Depends on what you mean,¡± She says, stopping at a tall, chain-link fence. ¡°I know the humans named some of our more common powers ¡®Moves.¡¯ And that trainers will call just about everything a Move,¡± She answers, turning to face me with a thoughtful expression. ¡°How human do you consider yourself?¡± She asks. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that all day.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t prepared for that. ¡°I¡­ um, don¡¯t know. The first day I was here, I thought ¡®I¡¯m a pokemon now,¡¯ and then immediately panicked because¡­ Well, I¡¯d died and then woken up as something else,¡± I explain. ¡°And I¡¯d be lying if I said that becoming this wasn¡¯t part of that, but it wasn¡¯t a large part. And then there was-¡± I cut myself off. I¡¯ll think about it when I¡¯m back home. ¡°Something I¡¯d rather not talk about yet,¡± I finish.

    Weaver considers, then nods and turns back to the fence. ¡°Okay. So anyway, this is the runner station. We shouldn¡¯t go in right now, but it¡¯s not like the fence could stop us,¡± She says, waggling her eyebrows.

    Past the fence is something that looks a bit like a stable, but somehow wrong. For starters, it¡¯s only mildly enclosed and I don¡¯t see any gates except the one in the chain fence. The stalls, such as they are, are too tall and square as well. The saddles I can see hanging at the back of the roofed space clearly aren''t meant for horses, and there''s a horn-looking thing sitting on a bench.

    ¡°I''d rather not,¡± I admit. ¡°Maybe if there was a dodrio I would, but I came here for other reasons.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a disappointingly reasonable answer.¡± Weaver pouts.

    ¡°I still have more questions about Moves, or¡­ powers, I guess,¡± I say, drifting right up to the fence. Let''s see if she notices what I''m doing. ¡°Like, I¡¯ve got these- I don¡¯t know, things sticking in my head. Is that normal?¡±

    Weaver narrowed her eyes when she saw how close I got to the fence, but she still answers, ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know how I¡¯d describe them myself, I just¡­ know how.¡± As a demonstration, she lifts a claw and I watch as it¡¯s near-instantly coated in something so dark it¡¯s almost like looking into a void. And then a particularly unpleasant taste reaches me, one I don''t even have a name for yet, too. ¡°Like that.¡±

    How helpful. Also, fuck that tastes nasty. What is that?

    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± I say, watching as the darkness dissipates. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ve only got a few real days of experience, so I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. I suppose what I¡¯m actually trying to ask is, how?¡± I tell the oddly feline weasel.

    ¡°Normally you¡¯d learn through fighting and experience, but I can see why you wouldn''t want to,¡± Weaver says, prompting a snort from me. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Marshal might have removed a lot of the fear I had around that,¡± I say, then shudder, ¡°Also she¡¯s horrifyingly fast.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Weaver says, eyes widening, ¡°She started teaching you to fight?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and then she¡­ disabled me? I guess,¡± I say. ¡°It felt weird, and it didn''t hurt that much either, which I think is strange.¡±

    Weaver takes a moment to inspect me better before speaking again, ¡°When was this?¡±

    ¡°Earlier today. Apparently, ghosts are really hard to maim. According to Marshal, at least.¡±

    ¡°Huh, and you¡¯re already recovered?¡± Weaver seems almost skeptical.

    ¡°Marshal was feeding me a lot of energy at the time.¡± Then I remember something, ¡°Actually, I think I have a new power to use after that, and I''m pretty sure it''s ghost-type,¡± I say, thinking about how I used it to pull myself together.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Weaver says excitedly, before pulling back a bit, ¡°Maybe don¡¯t try it here.¡±

    ¡°Probably smart, yeah,¡± I say.

    ¡°So,¡± Weaver says after a moment, ¡°How much do you know about our- this world?¡± She asks, tapping her chin.

    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure¡­¡± I trail off, thinking. ¡°Less than I want, but more than I should? If that makes any sense. I¡¯m not even sure how we knew about any of this, to be honest. But if I came here I don¡¯t see why something couldn¡¯t go there.¡± We both fall silent for a bit after that.

    ¡°So, next question. What year is it?¡± I ask after a bit.

    ¡°Year?¡± Weaver blinks, ¡°Nineteen-eighty-one. Why?¡±

    ¡°Some curiosity, and some desire to figure out what my world got right,¡± I say. ¡°It was twenty-twenty-one on my old world, and vaguely remember something about the year twenty-ex-ex.¡± Or was that Megaman? Wait¡­ ¡°We even used the same calendar?¡± I ask.

    Weaver shrugs, ¡°Sure? Seems so, anyway.¡± She looks at me, considering, ¡°If your old world didn''t have pokemon, how did humans even survive?¡±

    So this is what we''re doing then. And what a question too, hmm. ¡°Uh, a little too well, actually,¡± I tell her. ¡°I don''t know how many humans are alive here, but we had nearly eight billion.¡±

    Weaver''s jaw drops. ¡°H- How!? That''s¡­ so many¡­¡± She trails off. ¡°You go again, that¡¯s not what I was expecting.¡±

    ¡°Um, I have a new sense that I can¡¯t figure out. Maybe you could help?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± She says, clearly glad to be moving on. ¡°How does it feel, I guess?¡±

    ¡°Let me think¡­¡± When has it gone off? ¡°Marshal was the first thing I felt with it, then the clouds yesterday, Leaf earlier today, and that espeon inside was setting it off too,¡± I tell her. ¡°Marshal and the storm kind of¡­ buzzed, Leaf prickled a bit, and Espeon felt more like a hum. I think I¡¯m starting to become more sensitive with it.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Weaver says, stroking her chin, ¡°Weird. Wait! How about this!¡± She starts-

    Oh, yep, there it is, a weak buzz. And Weaver has an ice block now too. ¡°Yeah, that did it,¡± I say. ¡°What is it then?¡±

    ¡°You can sense energy use!¡± Weaver says excitedly. ¡°What¡¯s the range? Or- Hmm¡­¡± She trails off.

    ¡°Uh, I can¡¯t feel Espeon right now, but I could definitely feel Marshal at a distance,¡± I say, thinking about the sense again.

    ¡°Yeah, Espeon wasn¡¯t doing anything earlier, so maybe it''s not energy use, then. Is it concentration? Or¡­¡± She has a thinking pose on now.

    ¡°I mean, I couldn''t feel your claw-thing, either,¡± I realize aloud.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably just because it was dark-energy.¡± Weaver waves a hand, ¡°We¡¯re better like that.¡±

    ¡°And evidently humble.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you understand, good,¡± Weaver says, nodding Regally. ¡°My turn. What was it like, being human?¡±

    Ho boy. ¡°Which part? Because I don''t honestly know how to answer that,¡± I inform her.

    ¡°Uh, the human-only parts?¡±

    ¡°Very specific,¡± I chuckle. ¡°I guess¡­ it started well, quickly became exhausting and stressful, only a few good parts after that, barely worth the price of admission, four out of ten,¡± I summarize the last thirty-odd years of my previous existence.

    ¡°Really?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Hey, it''s my turn now,¡± I say, making Weaver squint at me before she smiles again. ¡°Anyway, yeah. But I¡¯m fairly certain I had some form of untreated depression, so I can¡¯t be trusted on that. I was mostly just going through the motions.¡± I frown, ¡°I think I was still in that head-space before Marshal pulled me out of it. As for the ''human-only parts,'' I don''t know what to tell you, genuinely. I haven''t been here long enough to say.¡±

    Weaver gives me a look, before nodding. ¡°If you say so. I don¡¯t know what kind of answer I was expecting.¡± She pauses, seeming lost in thought for a moment, ¡°Uh, your turn.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯d like some information on this world in general, but that''s not a question¡­¡± I trail off. I know I had some more specific questions, but they aren¡¯t coming to me right now.

    Before I can say anything else Weaver turns her head and I hear someone else speak, ¡°So, what are you two up to?¡± Onaga says from the corner of the building.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Seeing Weaver drag the misdreavus out of sight had been hard not to laugh at. She had such a serious look on her face and Misdreavus just looked lost.

    I may have eaten faster than I should have to follow them. And, after confirming they weren¡¯t inside, I found them by the runner station, Misdreavus halfway through the fence.

    ¡°Showing them around?¡± I ask Weaver.

    She nods, glancing back at Misdreavus, before doing a double take. ¡°Vile vile, weavile!¡± She seems to accuse the other pokemon.

    Misdreavus smirks at that, replying, ¡°Dreav, misdreavus.¡± Causing Weaver to cackle in turn.

    I knew Weaver¡¯s social circle was going to expand soon. While sneasel as a species are typically asocial, tolerating at most one other close connection, Weaver had been almost aggressively friendly by their standards. And, now that she''s a weavile¡ªwhich form mid-size packs¡ªshe might start looking for members without realizing it.

    I can¡¯t help frowning. That might become an issue.

    ¡°Weavile?¡± Weaver asks, pulling my thoughts back to now.

    Looking at her, she seems concerned. ¡°It''s nothing much. Just thinking about the near future,¡± I tell her, even as I watch Misdreavus glance between us and then edge ever so slightly farther through the fence.

    ¡°Vile,¡± Weaver says, seeming to accept that. Turning her head back to Misdreavus, she pauses, her pupils becoming slits as she observes the innocent expression on the other pokemon¡¯s face.

    ¡°Have you already eaten?¡± I ask, mostly to Weaver, but I am a bit curious about the ghost-type.

    Weaver equivocates with one hand, ¡° Weav weavile, Weav vile,¡± She says, and Misdreavus¡¯ eyes widen. I¡¯m assuming that she hunted something then, though probably not something big.

    ¡°And how about you?¡± I ask, now directly addressing the ghost.

    ¡°Mis¡­¡± They say, eyes darting around before landing on Weaver. ¡°Mis misser, misdreaveus misser?¡± They ask my partner.

    Weaver¡¯s brow furrows as she points between Misdreavus and I, ¡°Weav?¡±

    ¡°Misser. Mis misdreavus.¡±

    Weaver thinks about whatever was said, before pointing at me and miming chewing. Then she points at the now moonlit sky, waving her arm back and forth while still making chewing motions.

    The chewing has a fairly obvious meaning, the sky-pointing is something she¡¯s used to indicate time passing before too, but the pointing at me seems a little- Ah. ¡°You''re eating now, so you¡¯re eating me right now?¡± Weaver nods, but Misdreavus seems alarmed. ¡°And you¡¯re always eating, too?¡±

    Weaver gives me a thumbs up, she''s been a bit enamored with the gesture since her evolution. Misdreavus, on the other hand, seems a few seconds away from panic. ¡°I''m not angry or anything like that,¡± I tell them. ¡°I know what you eat, but now I need to ask. Are you only passively feeding?¡±

    ¡°Mis¡­¡± Misdreavus says, still looking slightly flighty. Then they shrug.

    Maybe I should have phrased that better, a pokemon as young as they are won¡¯t know about all the ways we categorize things. ¡°Sorry. Anyway, it¡¯s fine so long as you don¡¯t start actively feeding on anybody in town.¡± That makes the pokemon''s eyes widen further.

    ¡°Moonlit walk?¡± Asks Holt, having just stepped out of the base. She¡¯s still holding that mug.

    Switching my focus from the pokemon to the woman, I gesture to the duo I was just addressing, ¡°Figuring out what my partner was up to,¡± I answer, looking back at¡­ the now singular pokemon. ¡°And one of them left.¡±

    ¡°One of them?¡± The woman asks, making her way to the corner I¡¯m at. ¡°I thought Espeon was still inside?¡±

    ¡°The misdreavus, the one from the forest, was here all of five seconds ago¡­¡± I trail off as I see Weaver start pointing and poking at nothing. ¡°Scratch that, they¡¯re still here.¡±

    Holt hums as she observes Weaver¡¯s antics. ¡°Freshly evolved weavile, makes sense she¡¯d start socializing.¡±

    ¡°Socializing more,¡± I correct. ¡°She¡¯s always been social.¡±

    Holt snorts, ¡°Good luck to you, then.¡± She chugs the last of her drink before sighing, ¡°I take it you¡¯d prefer to review your file tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°I''d prefer tonight, honestly,¡± I say. ¡°Things have just been a bit odd today, between waiting all morning, the smuggling, Espeon, you, and my grandparents showing up. Twice.¡±

    Holt nods, ¡°That seems a fair assessment I suppose. Maybe you should see your family off then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I''ll do that,¡± I say, giving Weaver one last glance before heading back to the entrance.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°Hey, Smokey, they¡¯re gone. Feel like coming back?¡± Weaver asks, poking me again. I definitely overreacted, but I was also freaking out over another new thing to worry about, so someone else joining the group was a bit much.

    I¡¯d assumed that the ranger wouldn¡¯t appreciate me eating her emotions. And I¡¯d been wrong on that, thankfully. Except then she mentioned ¡®actively feeding.¡¯ I need to wind down, maybe take Marshal''s advice.

    I move back to real-space as Weaver somehow pokes me, again. ¡°Sorry, I was just¡­¡±

    ¡°Panicking for weird I-used-to-be-a-human reasons?¡± Weaver supplies.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I sigh, ¡°Let¡¯s go with that. Anyway,¡± I say looking at the wall of the building, ¡°That is definitely a zoroark, I couldn¡¯t see him, but his silhouette was clear enough, and his illusions look weird when I phase out. Although, I think you should be more concerned about the woman,¡± I tell Weaver.

    ¡°Because¡­¡± She says, prompting.

    ¡°I could barely see anything else. She is by far one of the brightest things I¡¯ve seen while invisible,¡± I say.

    ¡°And what does that mean?¡± Weaver asks.

    ¡°No idea!¡± I cheerily reply. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep worrying about everything though, so I¡¯m going to put it down as weird but probably nothing special. On a broad scale at least, since Marshal is even brighter.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ that.¡± Weaver deadpans. ¡°After telling me to be more concerned about her than the one actively lying to my partner?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I was only letting you know,¡± I shrug. ¡°I thought you would appreciate it.¡±

    Weaver follows my gaze to the wall, silent in thought for a bit. ¡°I do,¡± She says eventually. ¡°I just can¡¯t shake the desire to run in there and start a fight.¡±

    ¡°If it helps, I think they were getting ready to leave,¡± I say.

    ¡°Yeah, that Top-Ranger said something similar.¡± Weaver nods. ¡°Feel like heading inside after they¡¯re gone?¡±

    ¡°I''d need to find something to do tonight, anyway,¡± I tell her. ¡°¡­Probably fixing my cabin,¡± I continue after a little thought. ¡°There''s a lot to do there.¡±

    ¡°And you sound happy about that?¡±

    I shrug, ¡°I like having something to do, especially since I can enjoy doing things again. And it¡¯s something I know how to do, rather well, even.¡±

    Weaver gives me a long look, ¡°You said you had been depressed earlier. What does that actually mean?¡± She asks.

    Um, what? Does she- No, obviously not. Where do I even start? I know I¡¯m not an expert, but maybe just describing it will be enough. ¡°So,¡± I start. And immediately stop to rephrase my words. ¡°When I look back through my memories it¡¯s obvious, but at the time I just¡­ didn¡¯t notice. I don¡¯t think I could notice. At some point I just stopped feeling hap- No, happy isn¡¯t the right word.¡± I stop to think again. ¡°Content? Maybe even alive? I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s not just that I was barely able to enjoy myself, but that I wasn¡¯t all that interested in trying, and the worst part is¡­ is that I hardly noticed,¡± I sigh. ¡°It¡¯s like I said earlier, I just kept going through the motions. And,¡± I say, feeling a strange mix of emotions, ¡°It took not only dying and becoming this,¡± I gesture at myself, ¡°But also Marshal forcefully yanking me out of my fugue!¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound great¡­¡± Weaver says after a long pause, glancing away from me. ¡°But you said you were happy?¡± She asks, looking back.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better, although I¡¯m not entirely sure why,¡± I tell her. ¡°I''ve had flashes of possibly unreasonable fear and anger, I was even afraid of telling you anything. And even just now, I shouldn¡¯t have been as frightened as I was. But I¡¯m not the way I was before, or at least I don¡¯t feel like it.¡±

    ¡°But you''re also not okay,¡± Weaver says. It¡¯s not a question.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m doing better than I could have hoped, honestly. And I¡¯ve felt better about things in general since last night,¡± I say, pulling myself out of the fence. ¡°Just¡­ thanks, I guess, for pushing me.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Weaver starts, ¡°I have heard a few things about ghost-types recently¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah? I¡¯m guessing the word unstable came up a few times?¡± I ask, feeling myself smile a bit.

    That seems to catch her off guard, ¡°Uh, yeah, actually. How did you know?¡±

    ¡°I heard that myself a few times, the day when all the tourists were walking past my cabin,¡± I tell the weasel. ¡°It does make some sense to me, although I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more to it than having died.¡±

    Weaver¡¯s eyebrows scrunch together like she¡¯s trying to figure it out as well, before she just shakes her head, ¡°Anyway, inside?¡±

 Chapter 14

    ¡°Your head took off rather fast.¡± Holt comments, readying Karlos¡¯ office for our one-on-one.

    ¡°I think seeing my grandparents made him want to go see his own family," I reply. "His wife will be happy¡­ if she can manage to pry their kids off him."

    Holt gives a genuine smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should feel bad for her or happy. Two children, and her husband is working ninety percent of the time. Of course,¡± She gestures to the room we¡¯re in, ¡°He¡¯s doing well enough to support them, and it¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t do what he can.¡±

    That makes me give Holt a questioning eyebrow, ¡°How much is in those files, exactly?¡±

    The woman''s smile turns knowing, "Wouldn''t you like to know? And on that subject," She finally sits behind the desk, "We can get started." Holt sets a small stack of papers on the desk between us, "To start, please read through this and point out any inaccuracies you find.¡±

    This is a strange start, the two other reviews I¡¯ve been through went very differently. Picking up the papers, I can immediately tell they¡¯re records from when I was in the Ranger Academy. Which prompts the question, "Why? If you''re allowed to answer."

    ¡°We¡¯ve already found issues with some of our current Ranger¡¯s school records. Minor ones, but we need to check.¡± Holt says, moving to look at another paper. Right, just to check, sure.

    Well, It doesn¡¯t take me long to read through them, both of us remaining silent throughout.

    Setting the records down, I can¡¯t help tapping the desk a few times with a finger, ¡°I see.¡± I say, mind turning over. ¡°To start with, my weight was wrong, and Weaver followed me back to the academy on the second, not the ninth.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Holt asks. ¡°Nothing else? No defending yourself?¡±

    ¡°I did the right thing. Weaver thinks I did the right thing. And the Union does too, or I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here.¡± I flatly state.

    The corners of Holt¡¯s mouth twitch up slightly, ¡°I won¡¯t disagree.¡± She steeples her fingers, ¡°It does read as a glaring black dot on an otherwise rather normal academy record, however. Of course, the Hia Valley base has their own record of various incidents during ¡®hazing,¡¯ so it¡¯s rather par for the course overall.¡± The Union-Ranger leans back, ¡°Still, you do seem to have a record of resorting to violence when humans are involved. Though, you¡¯ve also never done more than inflict mild injury.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware of how badly I could hurt someone.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can see that.¡± Holt sighs, ¡°I understand the urge to strike with force, especially when there¡¯s an injured pokemon nearby.¡± She looks at another set of papers for a second. ¡°I know you¡¯ve had this talk before, so let¡¯s move on. After you graduated you specifically requested not to be placed at Hia Valley, which is understandable. And, Though you were originally slated to be placed at the Boyleland base, you were instead placed here to accommodate your partner, correct?¡±

    ¡°That all sounds accurate," I say, realizing what¡¯s going on. She isn¡¯t the one who normally handles our files and she hadn¡¯t finished reading through them, so she''s still trying to familiarize herself with them. Or rather, us.

    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s see¡­¡± The older woman says, rifling through the tabs on a folder. ¡°Ah yes, here.¡± She continues, now pulling a small set out. ¡°Tell me, did you know the Sienna government had you listed as a security risk as soon as you were granted a student visa?¡±

    I can¡¯t help sighing, though I do resist the urge to roll my eyes, ¡°No, but I¡¯m betting they do that to any Kanto native.¡± What with the various clans'' proclivities for spying.

    ¡°You¡¯d win that bet.¡± Holt chuckles. ¡°But don¡¯t worry about me thinking that,¡± She says, eyes moving back over what she¡¯s holding. ¡°Hmm, how did you end up applying for the Ranger Academy? That¡¯s not on here.¡± She asks, still looking at what is now clearly a breakdown of my background.

    ¡°Luck?¡± I hazard. ¡°I worked up the nerve to apply one day because I thought ¡®Just mail in the application, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll get picked.¡¯¡± I laugh at the memory, ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking forward to being a secretary or worse, a housewife for the rest of my life.¡±

    My superior looks confused for a second before she seems to remember that we''re talking about Kanto. And that traditional doesn''t even begin to cover its social climate about everything.

    ¡°Right, explains the cooking skills.¡± She murmurs, pulling out a pen and noting something. ¡°And now I¡¯m wondering how you came to have that opinion of your home country?¡± Holt half asks, looking back up at me.

    That honestly makes me smile a bit, "You just met them. They made sure I wouldn''t blindly accept rhetoric.¡± I lean back, resting the side of my head against a hand, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize everything they¡¯d done for me until after I¡¯d left, it¡¯s easy to notice it all, in hindsight.¡±

    Holt nods, clearly thinking there¡¯s more to it as she shuffles many of the documents back into their folder before inspecting another one. ¡°Oh, that. Do you recognize this?¡± She asks handing me the pap- picture.

    Looking it over, I''m very familiar with the image, though not the sheer quality of it. And there¡¯s something about the background¡­

    ¡°Why are you asking about this?¡± I ask looking up at Holt.

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a foreign researcher near her soon, and you¡¯ve looked into her yourself. So?¡± Holt replies, eyes uncomfortably intense.

    ¡°Yeah, I''ve seen this before," I say, looking back down at the photo. It¡¯s black and white, probably re-developed from the original material. And it shows what happened to the last logging crew that entered Vien Forest. ¡°Do you mind if I keep this picture?¡±

    Holt thinks for a second, ¡°¡­Sure, I¡¯ll get it to you before I head back to the Union. But my point,¡± She says, tapping the desk, ¡°Is we don¡¯t need something like that happening to Rowan when he gets here, so he will have an escort because he is definitely going to take a look at The Marshal while he¡¯s here, no matter what we tell him.¡±

    I nod, handing the photo back, ¡°Yeah, that sounds¡­¡± Wait, Rowan? ¡°Rowan is coming here? Himself?¡± I can¡¯t help asking.

    ¡°As far as he¡¯s told us, yes.¡± Holt nods, reaching a hand up to rub her forehead. ¡°He won¡¯t be like most people, thank Holy Sinnoh, but we don¡¯t need any kind of bad press from him being hurt right now.¡± Holt sits like that a moment longer, then brings herself back on track, ¡°Right, sorry. I just need to let you all know that before I leave, and you have a good relationship with the alpha. Now,¡± Holt picks up what looks like a performance report, ¡°I just need to finish reading through some of these, give me a few minutes.¡±

    It''s quiet for several minutes while Holt looks over the last few things, and I find myself trying to read small snippets of what is scattered on the desk. I''ve seen Karlos'' signature more than once.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Holt says, breaking the silence as she sets the last paper down, ¡°It seems you¡¯ve had an excellent record, in my opinion. High quest clear-rate, no FUBAR missions, your personal reports seem accurate and readable, registrations are mostly up to date but you have a few days leeway for that, and you evidently have a good relationship with your first partner.¡± She says, looking at another document. ¡°And even providing aid to other bases. Which, I remind you, you are not obligated to do without an official request.¡± She nods again. ¡°You¡¯re one of our better rangers, overall.¡±

    I blink, ¡°That was the simplest review I¡¯ve had.¡± I say, bemused.

    The corners of her mouth twitch up slightly, ¡°Your last review was only five months ago, and I don¡¯t see any other new issues or sticking points. These are supposed to happen every two years after all.¡± Holt shakes her head, ¡°This was only because of pressure from our government. I could go over all your reports since then if you want to?¡± She gives me an inquisitive eyebrow.

    ¡°I think we''d both rather not if I understand the situation correctly," I reply, giving her my own eyebrow back.

    Holt nods, almost smiling again as she continues, ¡°You do. And now we move on to why I''m actually sitting here. So, what the Union wants to know is how well our bases are operating, given the staffing shortage.¡± She leans forward in her chair, eyes locking onto mine, ¡°So tell me, how well do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°How do you know where to move those?¡± Weaver asks as I continue to adjust the bunny ears on the CRT box.

    ¡°Practice,¡± I quip, finally getting the static as far gone as I can. ¡°These were mostly out of style when I was growing up, but we still had one.¡±

    Entirely unsurprisingly, TV shows are a thing here, and Weaver wanted me to see them too. Although it¡¯s still hard to tell if her excitement is real or not, she is a really good actor.

    ¡°Great! Now watch this," She says, as she clicks a button on the front of the box and text appears on-screen.

    ¡°Captions? Please tell me this isn¡¯t how you want to help me learn to read.¡± I groan, turning my eyes on her.

    ¡°No? Someone will need to find the tapes if we want to do that.¡± Weaver responds with a shrug.

    ¡°And we can¡¯t just try a book?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t make the noises,¡± Weaver says sadly, sitting down in front of the TV. ¡°And I¡¯ve tried. A lot.¡±

    That doesn¡¯t bode well for future communication, but that¡¯s also why I¡¯ve chosen text as my first attempt.

    deciding to take her explanation at face value, I turn to the TV. ¡°So¡­ what are we watching then?¡± I ask. It looks like your typical, if old-fashioned, news desk.

    Weaver cocks her head for a moment, watching the screen, ¡°Something from Sinnoh. It looks like a news break right now, though.¡± She nods.

    ¡°Anything interesting?¡± I ask her, inspecting the captions. They¡¯re blocky, being captions on an analog TV, and I don¡¯t recognize the symbols. Weaver mentioned Sinnohan last night, so I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s what this is.

    ¡°Not really¡­ apparently, the next tournament season starts in two weeks, but I think it''s too late for anything important. It''s still snowing a lot there, though.¡± Weaver sounds almost wistful with those last words.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost afraid to ask¡­¡± I hesitate, glancing at her.

    ¡°There was always snow, where I was born," Weaver says distantly. ¡°I haven¡¯t been there in years.¡±

    ¡°It snowed a lot where I grew up too.¡± I empathize, letting the nostalgia from making snowmen and igloos wash over me. ¡°Only In the winter, but there hasn¡¯t- hadn¡¯t been as much recently.¡±

    Weaver blinks, then turns to look at me, ¡°Are you trying to comfort me?¡± She asks.

    "Maybe, I''m not all that sure." I shrug.

    She shrugs back, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t complain about it. Thanks, Smokey.¡±

    Further conversation is stalled by the TV changing programs. The screen now showing what looks like a typical, small, home-styled set, complete with a man, woman, and a lopunny.

    That¡¯s¡­ a very fluffy, very large, and oddly bipedal rabbit. They aren¡¯t standing or moving like the one I¡¯ve seen in the forest, interestingly enough. Otherwise, though, I don¡¯t know how invested I can get in this show without being able to understand anything.

    ¡°So, what is this?¡± I ask a now frowning Weaver.

    ¡°Not what I was expecting¡­¡± She replies, staring at the screen. ¡°I think it¡¯s new.¡±

    ¡°What were you expecting?¡± I ask with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°¡®Private Detective: Bolt.¡¯¡± Weaver shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s fun, seeing him solve things.¡± She taps her chin in thought, ¡°It¡¯s normally on around now.¡±

    ¡°We could try¡­¡± I trail off as the humming feeling I haven''t truly been able to ignore moves from where it had been sitting one door down the hall. Turning, I¡¯m in time to see th- Espeon poke his head around the doorway.

    ¡°I-¡± Espeon falters for a moment, glancing at me. ¡°Weaver, do you know what the humans did with my pokeball?¡± He asks. His voice is surprisingly young-sounding, but it¡¯s almost a monotone.

    Weaver, who had followed my motion, scrunches her face up a bit, ¡°Let me think¡­ Broke it down, most likely. Or tossed it in storage for now, why?¡± She asks.

    There¡¯s a brief instant where something flashes across Espeon¡¯s face, but it¡¯s gone before I can tell what. ¡°Idle curiosity.¡± He says, stepping past the door and farther down the hall.

    ¡°Do you have any kind of read on him?¡± Weaver asks in a low voice once the other pokemon is far out of sight.

    ¡°No? I¡¯ve only seen him twice, and it¡¯s not like-¡± ¡­That is strange, now that I think of it. "He''s not shedding emotions," I tell Weaver. "I mean, you don''t either, but I''m starting to think that¡¯s because you¡¯re dark-type.¡± Something strikes me about her question, ¡°Why did you want to know?¡±

    Weaver glances at me, ¡°Ryu just adopted him earlier today.¡± She says, looking back at the doorway. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with him and I can¡¯t quite figure it out.¡± She sits there thinking for a bit, tapping a claw to her chin before she seems to have a light-bulb moment. ¡°You,¡± She says, pointing at me, ¡°Can get a better look at him, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I slowly say. ¡°And you want me to?¡±

    ¡°Please?¡± Weaver cocks her head. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you to read?¡±

    ¡°You already said you would, though,¡± I say flatly, prompting my friend to stick her tongue out at me. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take a look.¡± I chuckle, beginning to phase out.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Thanks, Charlie,¡± Weaver beams as she fades from sight.

    Okay, let''s see. Casting my gaze around, it quickly lands on¡­ Well, that has to be Espeon, but he sure looks different than other things here.

    Unlike other pokemon I¡¯ve seen so far, Espeon looks almost solid himself, instead of a ball of not-light with a vague shape inside. He looks like a shining statue made of colors, with transparent skin and solid sections both inside and around him, almost like armor. The most striking part about his appearance, however, is in his forehead. That red gem isn''t a gem here, it''s a bright ____ eye, screwed up in concentration.

    It¡¯s easy to see what he¡¯s concentrating on, too. For starters, he is, in fact, shedding more emotions than I''ve seen even humans do, they just aren''t leaving his orbit. Instead, they¡¯re being¡­ sorted, I think, and forced into shapes that are tethered to him, floating along behind.

    I have no real idea what he¡¯s doing, but it¡¯s probably real psychic power. ¡­I need to practice more and start experimenting.

    What is he doing? Not with his emotions, but in the real world. He¡¯s looking back and forth over¡­ Isn¡¯t that where Weaver said the storage room was?

    Shaking myself, I transition back to actual-space and see Weaver changing the channel on the TV.

    ¡°See anything neat?¡± She asks, glancing at me.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, still trying to figure it out, ¡°He¡¯s doing something with his emotions.¡±

    Weaver rolls her eyes, ¡°I could have told you that just with the way he''s acting," She sighs. "What was he doing to them, though?¡± She asks, turning to face me.

    ¡°Uh, sorting and storing them, I think," I tell her. ¡°He was shedding a lot, though. And I mean a lot, almost as much as two humans put together.¡±

    ¡°Mmm," Weaver combs her claws down an ear-feather, thinking. ¡°Is that unusual?¡± She asks after a moment.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I say, glancing back in the direction Espeon had been in. ¡°He¡¯s a lot more defined than most people.¡±

    ¡°Defined?¡± Weaver asks with a head tilt.

    ¡°Uh,¡± I say, looking for the right way to put it. ¡°So, most pokemon look like spheres of color that give off not-light, with their actual shape somewhere inside." I say, gesturing vaguely, "You''re extremely hard to see at all, and I need to be looking to find your silhouette. Most humans are¡­ uncomfortable to look at-"

    ¡°Why?¡± Weaver cuts me off, genuine seeming curiosity in her tone.

    ¡°I''m pretty sure it has to do with how their ''light'' doesn''t even cover their entire bodies, but I don''t know why," I explain.

    "Okay, but just a few minutes ago you said that ''Maeve'' human was very bright?" She asks, tilting her head in the other direction.

    "I also said ''most humans.''" I point out. "The Rangers aren''t like that either."

    ¡°Huh.¡± Weaver looks at the floor for a moment. ¡°Uh, right. What makes Espeon so different then?¡± She asks, looking back at me.

    ¡°Well¡­ like I said, he¡¯s defined. He¡¯s not just a sphere around a silhouette but an actual shape with limbs, a tail, and a head. Even an eye.¡±

    ¡°Ah. And as you said,¡± Weaver nods, ¡°You don¡¯t know if that¡¯s normal for a psychic,¡± She says, running her claws through her fur in that weird cat-like way again.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    We fall silent, and that leaves me with the uncomfortable truth that I really, really want to get at those shapes. I know it¡¯s probably a ghost-type instinct, but it¡¯s still a bit unsettling. Although, they¡¯re shed emotions, right? Why is he collecting them?

    ¡­Maybe because if he doesn¡¯t they¡¯ll just drift back into his orbit. And since he¡¯s a real psychic I imagine he¡¯d be sensiti-

    ¡°Hey, need you moving, Smokey.¡± Weaver pokes me. Again.

    ¡°Sorry. What is it?¡± I ask the weasel, glancing around.

    Weaver grins wide, gesturing at the TV, ¡°Lily of the Valley recap.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I have no idea what that is?¡± I say, glancing between Weaver and the screen.

    Weaver gives me a blank look, ¡°It never happened in your weird games-shows-things?¡± She asks, actually looking a bit sad.

    ¡°I wasn''t all that into the shows. Or the game''s stories, either.¡± I admit. ¡°The last movie I watched involved a lucario trapped in staff, I think? It¡¯s a bit fuzzy.¡± A half-truth, in all honesty, since I do remember the staff-scene fairly well. It¡¯s odd, the way some of my memories hadn¡¯t degraded.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Weaver seems a bit unsure. ¡°Okay. Well, it¡¯s a big festival with lots of competitions and an elite tournament. It¡¯s fun to watch live, and I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re doing the recap because the new season¡¯s coming up¡­¡± She explains, looking back at the TV. ¡°I thought you¡¯d like to see it.¡±

    ¡­I don''t think she''s pretending right now. She genuinely is getting sad at the thought I might not want to see something she clearly enjoys.

    ¡°I didn''t say I don''t want to watch," I say, trying to be reassuring. ¡°I just didn¡¯t know what it was. Though I still won¡¯t understand anything being said.¡±

    Weaver blinks, then grins, ¡°It¡¯ll be obvious, trust me.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°We still need to tell her at some point, Liam.¡± My love continues her effusive¡ªfor her¡ªrequests, easing herself onto the hotel bed. ¡°Finn and Killian, and even the rest of their children I understand, they¡¯re normal humans. But you saw Ryuko, I certainly felt her, she¡¯s different now. And she¡¯s an adult, one sworn to protect pokemon, she¡¯d understand.¡±

    Maeve is right, of course. And I know she¡¯s right, but, ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact we¡¯ve been lying to her her whole life.¡± I point out again. ¡°I agree we should tell her, but we need to find a time and place. She¡¯s going to have questions.¡±

    Maeve leans back in the bed, sighing. ¡°She still thinks you¡¯re her real-¡± Maeve pauses, ¡°Sorry, you are her real grandfather. What I meant was, she thinks you¡¯re her biological one.¡±

    ¡°Human languages remain such fascinating things," I say, getting a pillow halfheartedly thrown at myself for the effort. ¡°You can always speak true if you wish.¡± I tease her a moment longer, before returning to the issue at hand. ¡°I¡¯m not even certain that she won¡¯t learn on her own, soon enough.¡±

    ¡°That weavile¡­¡± Maeve groans, ¡°She made how you were as a zorua look tame.¡±

    ¡°I appreciated that about her. And the personal sentiment.¡± I inform my wife, who makes a tutting sound at me. ¡°I''m entirely certain she will put Ryu''s health before her own, it speaks well of both of them.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Maeve sighs, though a smile graces her face, "It''s reassuring if nothing else. But a sneasel¡­ I don¡¯t know where that girl gets it from.¡±

    It¡¯s my turn to smile, as I know exactly who our granddaughter gained her nature from. The woman has always had a way with us.

    ¡°How do you think she¡¯d react if we simply invited her to our home and I happened to¡­ forget to apply my fa?ade?¡±

    Maeve puts a hand to her face, eyes rolling, but she can¡¯t hide her amusement at the thought. ¡°And we just kept acting as if nothing were strange? It would be a fun way to do it, but we definitely shouldn¡¯t. Would she even know what you are?¡±

    ¡°I don''t believe so, no," I say, curling myself into the bed beside Maeve. "At the very least, I don''t believe the world at large knows of our existence yet. Though she might have access to things most don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Summer, when the load on Ryuko eases," Maeve states after another moment¡¯s thought. ¡°We need to plan how to do it before then.¡±

    And so it is decided. It almost makes me wish Maeve brought Kiera with us, the reniclus always having had the ability to maneuver a situation. Alas, her lust for battle led her to our son, Finn.

    The feeling of Maeve¡¯s fingers running through my mane signals the end of the discussion, it is after all, time for her to sleep.

    ¡°Tomorrow will be busy,¡± Maeve muses, ¡°There¡¯s quite a bit to do around here.¡±

    "By design, I suspect," I whisper back to her, sending a pulse of energy to flip the light switch, Bathing the room in comfortable darkness. "Do sleep well."

    ¡°You¡¯re here, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Where was this kind of thing in my old world? It¡¯s mesmerizing, even just the clips that were shown¡­ Wow. The fact that I know it¡¯s all real made even the low-fidelity broadcast so much more.

    There were a few people highlighted with a talent-show type thing. One was a dancer with a team of birds and I honestly think the TV made it less impressive than it should have been since everything was reduced to visual noise. There was a guy making music with his two raichu only using electricity, that was pretty cool. Another was a woman doing a whole fight-choreography thing with six pokemon, all machoke. The last one though, and the one the recap held on the longest, really caught my attention.

    I can even understand why they held on him for so long since ghost-types are seemingly so rare. The man had done a truly jaw-dropping fire show with a lampent. Even through a screen, my first time seeing another ghost felt odd, and It took me a bit to realize it was the way it moved that was bothering me. Maybe it¡¯s just my own bias, but bobbing around like that isn¡¯t fun. ¡­on third thought, yeah, that¡¯s just me preferring smooth motions. Still, it made me wonder if I¡¯d ever get to meet another ghost.

    Probably a matter of time, when I think about it.

    All of that was swiftly swept aside when the battles were shown, though.

    Oh my fuck, the battles. They only showed three, but these are what was held on the longest, with good reason too.

    Watching a garchomp go head-to-head with an aggron¡­ Damn. That fight ended with the garchomp being thrown out of the arena when the steel-type¡ªwho had been losing¡ªhurled its entire weight at the dragon, both of them shining in swirls of power.

    And a crawdaunt masterfully dodging everything the giant spider kept throwing at it, all the while firing very familiar-looking beams of water from its claws? That¡¯s just plain cool.

    And then seeing that same aggron from before tank fucking lightning, the ampharos fighting it calling down what can only be called an excessively biblical amount of the stuff. Which still wasn¡¯t enough, the aggron taking the fight literally one step at a time until the arena exploded. The ground erupting spectacularly.

    Amazing.

    I¡¯d be disappointed that it cut back to a studio broadcast if I weren¡¯t still running the whole thing over in my head.

    ¡°That happens every year?¡± I ask as Weaver keeps flipping through channels.

    ¡°Around mid-Autumn, yeah.¡± She responds, seemingly deciding the TV isn¡¯t worth flipping through anymore as she turns it off. ¡°I¡¯m hoping I can get Ryuko to take me at some point.¡± Then she flicks an ear, ¡°You know,¡± Weaver turns to the bookshelf, tapping her chin in thought, ¡°Maybe I should go look for those tapes myself.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Not to sound ungrateful but that is half the reason I-¡± I cut myself off as I feel Espeon bolt from one side of the building to right back in front of the next door down.

    Weaver and I share a look, ¡°Any idea what that¡¯s about?¡± My semi-feline friend asks.

    ¡°What did you say was through that-¡± I scan my memory and want to slap myself. ¡°He¡¯s standing in front of the office door, so I¡¯m going to assume he knows something we don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Ryuko is probably done with whatever they had to talk about.¡± Weaver assesses. ¡°And I¡¯m hoping Espeon isn¡¯t just using Ryu for some psychic thing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been watching them, but he changes when he gets near her," Weaver murmurs. ¡°Come to think of it, there was supposed to be some stuff on espeons Katie left around here.¡± She continues, eyes narrowing as she looks around.

    As Weaver locks onto a stack of papers left on the only table in the room, there¡¯s a yelp and my eyes move back to the doorway, landing on a blonde, red-eyed woman in plain pajamas. ¡°Oh hey, there she is.¡± Weaver¡¯s voice is flat, but glancing at her I can see she¡¯s smirking even as she grabs the papers.

    There''s some shock and surprise but no fear as the apparent ''Katie'' pinches the bridge of her nose, muttering, "Too damned tired for this." Then louder, "Weaver, you know you¡¯re not supposed to bring wilds in here, right?¡±

    ¡°To be frank, we don''t know the natural range of any ghost-types.¡± Says the voice that caught me off guard earlier as Onaga steps into view around the blonde woman. ¡°Eight kilometers isn¡¯t even that large of a range for most scavengers. Or predators.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying the base is in her¡­ its- whatever, the ghost¡¯s normal range?¡± The person I¡¯m still going to assume is Katie until proven otherwise asks, looking to her right.

    Onaga has a concerningly similar smirk on her face to another I¡¯ve seen a lot recently as she steps into the room, followed directly by Espeon. ¡°She¡¯s saying that we don¡¯t know what a ¡®normal¡¯ range is, but we¡¯re fairly certain the true-ghosts can fall under the definition of both predator and scavenger.¡± The ranger says, walking over to Weaver.

    ¡°And beyond that,¡± Says the ranger I don¡¯t have a name for, stepping into view, ¡°How would we stop something invisible that can move through solid matter? Without resorting to guard pokemon, I mean.¡±

    Katie stares at the other woman blankly for maybe a bit too long, slowly blinking several times before she throws her hands up, ¡°Okay, whatever. I haven¡¯t slept enough for this and I need to wake up enough before things start happening.¡± She half grumbles, trudging up the corridor.

    The unnamed ranger¡ªwho I just noticed has quite a few chevrons and a globe on her sleeve¡ªwatches the blonde leave with a thoughtful look on her face. ¡°You weren¡¯t exaggerating.¡± She says after long enough that I¡¯m pretty sure Katie left the hall. ¡°You said both of them are hitting their limit?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Responds Onaga, with a frown. ¡°Tonight''s probably a bit worse for her than normal, but she obviously liked having a third operator. Barry¡¯s doing a better job of keeping a lid on it, but I¡¯ve known him long enough to read the signs.¡±

    The other ranger nods, ¡°I imagine that¡¯s going to be a common theme through most bases.¡± She sighs, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see what the Union does to try and fix it soon enough. I¡¯m going to go check on Blake before heading back to the local police.¡± She starts moving down the hall, ¡°You have a good rest of your night,¡± She calls.

    Turning myself back to the others in the room, I see Weaver reading through whatever she found with a look of bewilderment on her face. Onaga and Espeon on the other hand, are looking at me. The ranger with curiosity, if the taste is anything to go by.

    ¡°Stop doing that.¡± Espeon suddenly says with authority, prompting Onaga to look at him. He hunches down when she does.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they can help it, Patchy.¡± Weaver comments, then frowns as she glances at Espeon, ¡°Maybe Patches works better? Eh, I¡¯ll think about it, but you can¡¯t think Charlie is worse than me.¡±

    Espeon doesn¡¯t respond, simply turning his eyes on Onaga before his ears droop at her expression. The woman is concerned, probably for him, her brow furrowed.

    Then she glances at me again before looking at Weaver, "As much as I''m sure you like having a friend over, they shouldn''t be here overnight, okay?" At the dark weasel''s distracted nod, Onaga nods back, "Right, it''s getting late and I still need a shower. You three have fun. And you,¡± The ranger points at Weaver, ¡°Try to Make Espeon feel welcome.¡± With that said, She stalks¡ªand it is a stalk¡ªout of the room.

    Weaver sighs, putting the stack of papers down, ¡°So, You¡¯re not messing with Ryuko, are you?¡± She asks the lilac cat.

    ¡°Me? Why aren¡¯t you asking them?¡± He retorts, pointing a paw at me.

    Instead of responding herself, Weaver just raises an eyebrow. At me.

    Okay then, if that¡¯s how she wants it. ¡°Because I was up-front about what I eat, and that I¡¯m only taking cast-offs after the fact. And probably because I¡¯ve shared some sensitive things with her, too.¡± The cat¡¯s eyes widen a bit when I say ¡®eat¡¯.

    Weaver makes a there-you-have-it gesture at me, ¡°Charlie made an effort to be friendly, even if they¡¯re weird about some things,¡± She tells the psychic. ¡°And they don¡¯t seem like they¡¯re purposefully avoiding something. Anymore.¡±

    Espeon stares at Weaver, he almost looks uncomprehending, ¡°I see. And no, I¡¯m not doing anything to the human.¡± The monotone is back.

    ¡°Good!¡± Weaver smiles. ¡°So what are you doing, then?¡±

    Espeon is silent for a long moment, ¡°Nothing,¡± He says, and I almost want to roll my eyes as he gives us a blank look.

    Never mind, I do roll my eyes, ¡°Okay, sure. Anyway,¡± I say, turning to Weaver, ¡°You mind if I head out? Because this has been fun, but I¡¯ve been avoiding things I need to think about.¡±

    The pokemon I¡¯m addressing gives me a questioning look, before glancing between Espeon and me. Then she shrugs, ¡°You go do your thing, Smokey. I¡¯ve got to take care of him anyway.¡± She says, prompting Espeon to focus on her.

    ¡°I can take care of myself.¡± He¡­ insists? I can¡¯t tell.

    ¡°Uh-huh." Weaver remains unconvinced. "Ryu asked all the wrong questions earlier. Have you ever even had to hunt for yourself?¡± Weaver asks him.

    ¡°¡­No,¡± Espeon admits, slowly.

    Weaver waves an arm at me in a shooing motion as she struts past Espeon to the door, ¡°Right, Ryuko asked me to make you feel welcome, so come on.¡±

    That seems to surprise the three-eyed cat, as he blinks a few times before cautiously stepping after the feathered feline. Leaving me alone in the room.

    I can see a bit of what Weaver meant about Espeon now. He¡¯s odd, and I can definitely tell what she meant by ¡®he changes.¡¯

    Anyway, I orient myself in the general direction of my house and drift up and out through the wall.

    It¡¯s past time to think about some things.

 Chapter 15

    This might be the most relaxing thing I¡¯ve found so far. Just drifting above a sea of trees, no tastes or disturbances on my extra senses, feeling the wind pass through my only mildly tangible body. I can see for miles, and not for the first time I¡¯m struck by how compact the cities I can see are.

    And I just remembered some of the questions I had for Weaver. Ah well, not like I won¡¯t get another chance later.

    I¡¯m floating higher than normal right now, higher than I¡¯ve ever done before. It¡¯s peaceful, serene even, as I let my eyes roam over everything. The mountains in the distance are beautiful, I¡¯d even say breathtaking if that applied to me anymore.

    Turning my gaze farther up, I see the moon, it¡¯s similar, but not the same as the one from my old world. It''s the first full moon I''ve seen since arriving here, and I''m now convinced magic is entirely real. I can feel the moonlight, feel its power soaking into me, healing me. It feels comforting in a way I''ve never felt before.

    I¡¯m on the final stretch to my cabin now, so there¡¯s no point holding it off any longer. I make gravity affect me, and I start drifting downwards. I don¡¯t know how much I weigh now, but it isn¡¯t a lot.

    Landing on the roof of my house I give one last look at the sky before descending into the building. Once I¡¯m fully inside, I phase into the not-space.

    So, the thing I¡¯ve been ignoring all day. It started when Marshal made that offhand comment and I couldn¡¯t help diving into it.

    I¡¯d had so many questions building in the background and that just added to them: Why are my thoughts so much more insistent? So much louder? Why are my memories almost the same as they¡¯ve always been, except that I can tell when I can¡¯t remember something? Why when the memory fails do I know what I¡¯m filling in? Why does my memory have functions that a normal human¡¯s doesn¡¯t?

    I¡¯d already answered those questions, I just hadn¡¯t internalized it. Then I remembered what Weaver said last night, about her evolution, and it hit me.

    My brain, if what I have now can even be called that, isn¡¯t the same as before. I knew I was a ghost, a misdreavus, I¡¯d even panicked over it when I first woke up. Then after Marshal made that comment it finally, truly hit me that I¡¯m not human and¡­

    Nothing.

    No panicking, no feeling of vertigo, no emotional outburst. Nothing.

    The fact I didn¡¯t break down was and is stressing me out more than the thing I thought would¡¯ve left me a mess. And what makes it worse is that I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s me or something new because I wasn¡¯t that prone to freaking out as a human. Fuck, I don¡¯t think I was even panicking when being stabbed to death, just tired and- I¡¯m not going keep thinking about that. I might be starting to not feel as¡­ honestly, I still don¡¯t know how I feel about it, but I¡¯m not ready to focus on that particular memory.

    And, in the end, Marshal was right when she pulled me out of my spiral, I still feel like me. I still have all my memories and they are, in fact, easier to parse through now.

    The ones from when I was human are relatively normal, I am, however, certain they aren¡¯t degrading further, so that¡¯s nice. While the memories I¡¯ve been gaining since dying, on the other hand, are clear but incomplete. Though they¡¯re rather easy to reconstruct fully, even if it takes a bit to go through them.

    And yet I still don¡¯t know why and how I can make them ¡®sticky.¡¯ It¡¯s definitely a pokemon thing, but I¡¯ve got no other ideas on that front.

    I sigh, the sound oddly flat in the empty not-space. I shouldn''t dwell on all this, I know I shouldn''t, it¡¯s a surefire way to end up screaming at the walls again. What else happened today?

    Oh yeah. I have the being in two places at once thing, and I¡¯m still just mostly confused on that one. I think what looks like me is just something I¡¯m moving. Except that I can feel through it, see, hear, smell, all that stuff. What really struck me about that, though, is that I don''t think I would have noticed if Marshal hadn''t destroyed my second body. It feels entirely natural to me, it¡¯s just¡­ my body. But apparently, it¡¯s not.

    I try to move back to what I think might be my ¡®actual¡¯ body, and- I can¡¯t? I can¡¯t even feel it anymore, but I know it¡¯s still near me, somewhere. Or maybe it¡¯s part of me?

    I miss my mirror, it was nice to be able to stare at myself while wondering about this stuff. It¡¯s fine though, I choose to believe I¡¯ll get a new one at some point.

    Hmm, what was next? Right, there''s the taste thing that I only realized when Leaf leaned into me.

    When do I go from tasting the broad outer emotions to everything underneath? It isn''t touch, since I don''t need to be touching Marshal, though she might be an outlier given the sheer saturation around her.

    Hmm, you know, I think Onaga of all people gave me the start of an answer: Active-feeding. That¡¯s still not everything, of course, as I''m nearly certain that even when I''m tasting the undercurrents I''m still only taking what''s shed.

    Mmm¡­ I¡¯ll have to figure that out when I can find someone who¡¯ll let me try something.

    Which puts me back to thinking about Weaver. Since she¡¯s the only person I¡¯ve met that I¡¯d call a real friend at this point and the only person I feel even slightly comfortable asking these kinds of questions.

    Except now I''m on this whole series of trains of thought about me and my body and I can¡¯t help thinking: Did she change when she evolved?

    Granted, we only met three times before then. First when Onaga came out to take a look at me, then when she came to see me two days later, and finally when the signs were put up.

    I think she changed? But as she said, it didn''t change her so much as how attentive she seemed.

    I blink. That¡¯s good, I think? But it makes me wonder how much my body affected and affects my thinking. ¡®Probably more than I would like¡¯ sounds about right.

    Oh. Now that I think of it again, evolution is still a thing that can happen to me, isn''t it? Fuck. How about I just deal with it if it comes up. After all, it can¡¯t be a bad thing, right?

    Right?

    But what if- I need to get out of my head.

    Checking around, I don¡¯t see anything to worry about, so I transition back to real-space. I had wanted to work on this place, so it¡¯s time to make a list.

    ***

    The walls need fixing, cleaned, and either re-sealed or painted. The glass door needs fully replaced, and the front door, too. The roof is in surprisingly good condition¡ªmeaning it only needs a slight amount of a lot of work¡ªand the ceiling crawlspace is nasty, but at least it isn¡¯t leaking down. The floor is, of course, a lost cause and needs new flooring over the foundation. Of the several gouges made in the doors, walls, and trimming when the tourists decided to be assholes, I¡¯ve already ¡®fixed¡¯ most of them. And thinking of trimming, everything at floor level needs to be replaced.

    The kitchen is in better condition, having been more isolated from the elements. The countertops are fine, just need to work on the floor and exterior walls. And paint, can¡¯t forget that.

    The bedroom is in great condition, truthfully. Walls and floor again.

    The balcony¡­ I¡¯m shocked it¡¯s still attached. The whole thing needs rebuilt.

    But what I¡¯m most surprised by is the condition the foundation is in. Truly, it¡¯s in a surprisingly good state for an old stone-and-mortar foundation on a building with no gutters, but it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve seen something like it happen. I got lucky with that.

    Overall? A fixer-upper, but one I can see working out well. No idea where I¡¯ll get what I need though.

    Also, I hadn¡¯t realized how useful seeing inside things would be. I¡¯m starting to give off more not-light for whatever reason, so all I need to do to check a wall, section of floor, singular board, anything really, is to float up to it and focus. I don''t think it''s the most accurate view but I can at least tell that the whole west wall needs re-enforced. Some of those two-by-sixes and four-by-tens¡ªwow, I¡¯d say overkill but they¡¯ve obviously held up¡ªinside the walls need to be replaced.

    Also, those larger lumber dimensions can¡¯t be standard, right? Then again, if the material was locally sourced- Eh, I¡¯m not being paid to think of those kinds of things anymore.

    I look back at the fireplace and the scars of the uncontrolled fire that evidently happened there at some point. It''s the reason most of the floor and some of the west wall need replacing. The open fire plan and relatively small brick shielding and arch go a long way to explaining what happened. If- When I get to that point of fixing this place, I¡¯m getting an enclosed stove. They¡¯re just better.

    What was I thinking about? Right, actually acquiring things. Something else to ask Weaver about.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Darkness. Everywhere I turn, only the vague impressions of shapes.

    Trying to move is like wading through quicksand. But I need to! I- I need to? Why?

    There was something right over there just a moment ago, wasn¡¯t there?

    It had looked like-

    ¡°Weav.¡± Something pokes me, cold and sharp. Familiar.

    ¡°Mmghh, slp," I say, batting at the offending appendage as everything starts going gray.

    I hear a snickering, and some part of me knows I don¡¯t want what¡¯s about to happen. Grudgingly, I listen to it.

    Opening my eyes, I see a pair of gold irises looking down from a fur-covered face, the back of a frost-coated claw held a short distance from my stomach.

    ¡°Weaver.¡± I greet, half-smiling at her usual behavior.

    ¡°Vile.¡± She supplies, backing the claw off.

    I turn my head to see the clock at the end of the room. Oh-five-forty.

    Sighing, I lightly shove Weaver off myself and watch her make a show of trying to regain her balance as I stand and stretch.

    ¡°Eeon.¡± That makes me pause, my mind taking a second to catch up to yesterday.

    ¡°Espeon.¡± I greet with a yawn, glancing to the end of the bed.

    He looks tired, though not in the same way as when I first saw him. That should get better once the sun is up.

    Looking around the rest of the barracks, I can see I¡¯m the first up, as usual. Most of the pokemon are awake, though unlike my partner they¡¯re content to let the others sleep a bit longer.

    I quietly make my way to the door, my two partners falling in step behind me, Weaver with her normal confidence and Espeon with less certainty.

    Passing by the operations room, I give a wave to a bored-looking Katie.

    ¡°Is it morning already?¡± She asks, glancing at the room''s digital clock. "Oh. You mind grabbing me a bowl of cereal?"

    ¡°Sure. Toasts, granola, puffs, or bran?¡± I reply.

    She seems to have an internal debate before, ¡°Bran. With some granola.¡±

    I nod, resuming my walk down the hall. On reaching the kitchen, I grab a glass and a bowl before Weaver hands me the box of bran flakes.

    ¡°Still enjoying that new dexterity, huh?¡± I say looking at her. She¡¯s already going for the granola as well. She doesn¡¯t verbally answer, giving me a bright smile as she hands me the box. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Alright, planning time. Espeon," I say, looking at the pokemon in question as I go for the milk, "You need to be seen by an actual pokemon clinic." His ears droop. "I know, but we need to be sure. So we''re going to drop you off on my jog." He doesn''t look enthused, but he still nods. "Before then, I''m going to find the reading tapes and Weaver can help you start learning while I work on weights." Both my partners nod. "Now, before we get started," I say, pouring milk into the glass I''d readied, "If either of you are hungry, eat now. I''m only going to have a light snack before I get started."

    Espeon gives Weaver a nervous look. My best friend sighs, rolling her eyes as she walks to the fridge where we keep pokemon food. They''ll be fine. After Grabbing a spoon, I quickly pour a bit from both cereal boxes into the bowl, before putting them away. Picking up the cup and bowl, I head to the operations room.

    ¡°Hey, thanks," Katie says when I present her the food. ¡°Sorry if I was a bit grouchy earli- uh, last night.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± I wave her off. ¡°You¡¯re working harder than you should need to, we all understand.¡±

    Katie doesn¡¯t respond, merely nodding as she digs into her meal.

    Heading to the storage room, I make a quick detour to the laundry and snag a clean sports bra. And it doesn¡¯t take me long to find the literacy tapes buried under a few movies we haven¡¯t touched in ages.

    After returning to the kitchenette, I set the small stack down on the table. "Here they are you two," I tell the pokemon, both of whom have opted for what look like magikarp fillets. They glance at the stack and then at me before returning to their food, although Weaver seems to be throwing the occasional glance at Espeon.

    A light snack of granola and water later, I''m in the rec room, my partners having already started the lessons.

    Moving through various stretches of my legs, spine, chest, and arms, I¡¯m in a toe hold as I watch Weaver pause the video to explain something again. Her attitude on Espeon shifted rather fast last night after I saw her reading the info I¡¯d left out, so I¡¯m a bit more optimistic about them getting along now. Mmm, enough stretching, time for the weights.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Deciding to make today about endurance, I only set the weight to one hundred kilos.

    ***

    "You''re going to be late for your run," Karlos comments from the doorway, a yawn escaping him as he finishes.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I query, standing from my cooldown stretches. ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°Seven-fifteen.¡± He says.

    ¡°That''s plenty of time," I tell him, making my way out the door.

    ¡°You scare me sometimes.¡± He chuckles. ¡°At least you put that drive towards something good.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± I step past him, moving towards the locker room and showers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the usual ready when you get back.¡± He says behind me, and I give him a thumbs up over my head.

    While quickly rinsing under cold water, I realize that Karlos never came back last night. Good for him, he deserves to spend time with his family. Moving out of the showers, I pull on some civvies, though I still use my work boots and clip my radio to my belt. The first because they¡¯re practical, the second because I¡¯m leaving the base while not on leave.

    As I exit the lockers, I find both Weaver and Espeon are waiting outside the door.

    ¡°You two ready?¡± I ask them. Receiving two nods.

    ¡°Wea.¡±

    Affirmation.

    ¡°Okay. Like I said, we¡¯re headed to a clinic. I¡¯m going to say¡­¡± I think about it, giving Espeon a once over. "Vientown Central Pokemon Clinic, since they''re an all-hours clinic.¡± I nod. ¡°I can carry you if you want, Espeon?¡±

    The pokemon shakes his head. Negation.

    He¡¯s going to collapse, but it¡¯s his choice. ¡°Okay. If you have issues, let me know,¡± I say.

    ¡°Esper.¡±¨CAffirmation.

    "Good. Let''s get to it." I say pushing the door to the lobby open, beginning my ¡®jog¡¯ towards town.

    I¡¯m not surprised when Espeon falters shortly after reaching the north road. He¡¯s too skinny and a psychic to boot. Though I wouldn¡¯t have known that second part before last night.

    Strain. Urgency. He doesn¡¯t say anything. He can¡¯t, not with how hard he¡¯s panting. So I turn around, scoop him up, and continue.

    Regret. Strain. Gratitude. P_i*,¨C He informs me empathically, panting against my shoulder.

    "This is why I''m taking you to a clinic," I tell him. ¡°And why I asked if you wanted carried.¡±

    Acceptance. Regret.

    Given what just happened, I increase my pace to a sprint and reach the clinic quickly.

    It''s a large, cream-colored building near the center of town, plain-fronted and three stories tall. Anybody from a League country would think it¡¯s just a hospital, which it is, just not for humans.

    Coming to a stop, I reposition Espeon before walking in. One of the women I vaguely recognize at the front desk giving me a double-take, while the other seems to immediately pin me as an off-duty ranger.

    ¡°Is this an emergency?¡± The one who caught on asks. Her name tag says ''Tanya.''

    ¡°No," I reply, gently setting Espeon down. He wobbles slightly but stands. "Dropping off a potential partner for a check-up."

    ¡°Okay, I assume no known history, then?¡± She asks, already grabbing a clipboard and several papers.

    ¡°Yeah," I tell her, and she sets most of the paper aside.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m betting you know the drill, too.¡± I nod and she hands me the forms. Authorization of release, authorization of records, statement of ranger authority. The standards.

    ¡°He''s not registered yet," I tell the woman after signing. ¡°I¡¯ll need a statement of safety, and of consent, too.¡± She nods, and, after trailing over a few sorting boxes, hands me the last two.

    ¡°A wild Espeon?¡± The second woman, whose tag reads ¡®Zera¡¯ asks.

    ¡°No.¡± I do my best to prevent more questions with my tone. They both seem to take the hint. ¡°You¡¯re alright with being looked at and treated without me here?¡± I ask Espeon, glancing down at him. ¡°I¡¯ll need visual confirmation.¡±

    Espeon nods. Reluctance. Understanding. Affirmation.

    I glance at the receptionists, who both nod in turn. ¡°Okay, good.¡±

    With that, I pass the forms back. ¡°I¡¯ll get them taken to our waiting area.¡± The second receptionist says, standing to step out of the station. ¡°Will you come with me? It shouldn¡¯t be longer than ten minutes.¡± She asks Espeon.

    He glances at me, then back at the woman before nodding once and carefully stepping after her.

    Beginning my jog back to base, I¡¯m a little surprised to hear Fran¡¯s voice over my radio, ¡°Short-range test. Repeat, short-range test. Am I coming through okay?¡±

    ¡°Loud and clear," I respond. ¡°Are you receiving?¡±

    ¡°Yes, all clear. Changing to relay test.¡± He says, the line falling silent for a moment. ¡°Vientown relay test. Repeat, Vientown relay test. Can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°I can. Receiving?¡±

    ¡°Crystal clear.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were headed back to the academy today?¡± I ask, checking to see if Weaver is still behind me. She isn¡¯t, oh well.

    ¡°I am," Fran says. ¡°Katie figured I should at least do a manual comms test before I leave, and you¡¯re always out jogging around now.¡±

    I don¡¯t sigh, merely dropping the conversation as I make my way back to base.

    ¡°Karlos says your breakfast is ready.¡± ¡­I decide to increase my speed a bit.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I¡¯m getting that feeling from when I first tried using Moves again. Like I¡¯m missing something that¡¯s right in front of me. I can see the emotions, even taste them, but I can¡¯t get my psychic-whatever to interact with the fucking things.

    Espeon was moving a massive amount of emotions around and I can¡¯t even manage a¡­ whatever you¡¯d use to measure them. It¡¯s frustrating, but not all that surprising. I¡¯m not psychic despite having psychic powers.

    And voice powers?

    Oh, and ghost powers now, too. How many things can one pokemon do, exactly? The four-move limit is clearly not a thing.

    Deciding it''s time to stop trying this for now, I pull my cloud in and let myself enjoy the taste of fear. I still don¡¯t know why it tastes so good, but I don¡¯t care at the moment as I return to normal reality.

    I¡¯m so fucking bored.

    What do I have to do all day, and all night now, too? Practice with my new powers? Sure, that¡¯s one thing, but it gets monotonous fast. Go looking for food? Great, but unless I feel like engaging with someone that mostly involves drifting around unseen, picking up spare emotions along the way.

    And, sure, Marshal visits every few days and there are friendly enough people to talk to out here, but those are only occasional things. I have so much time and nothing to do with it. Maybe- I¡¯m sitting in the open while I do this, aren¡¯t I? Wasn¡¯t I about to do something else?

    God, I''m so fucking bored.

    May as well try the ghost thing now. Leaving my cabin, I see a few grass-types on the north edge of the clearing. They do that sometimes, so I ignore them. Instead, focusing on the new-old feeling of what I think is ghost stuff, I bring it to a single point to get a feel-

    And it explodes with a quiet ¡®thup¡¯, dragging me towards the blast. That wasn¡¯t what I expected. Does it dragging me closer make it an implosion? Except there¡¯s a small crater from the explosion¡­ Weird.

    Let¡¯s try that with less focus. Shaping the forces into a sphere works if I create it over a wider area, which leaves me with a small orb flickering with ____, red, ____, and teal light.

    ¡­Wait a second, what? I blink and rub my eyes. Nope, still those nameless colors. In the real world. From something I just made.

    What the fuck did I just make? Um, and does it do anything? Can I make it stop changing colors?

    It feels unstable for some reason- No, that¡¯s not right. It feels like it¡¯s losing stability, so I¡¯m going to try stabilizing it. Adding just a small amount of constant power to it, it stops flickering, the colors shifting to start cycling through red, blue, teal, and green. And now it feels empty? It¡¯s like I need to add something else¡­

    I should try launching it at the ground first, I guess?

    It, uh, flashes and disappears. Okay, at this point I¡¯m pretty sure this is going to be well outside my previous mortal¡ªand now post-mortal¡ªexperience. At least it gives me something new to do.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°One of the trail guides just reported several downed trees along the lower Leol trail,¡± Katie¡¯s tired voice says, nearly making me lose my count of the budew in the area.

    I finish counting and note where and how many down before responding, ¡°I¡¯m about eight minutes away from the cliffs right now. Is it an immediate problem?¡±

    ¡°For us? I doubt it, but the guide says they can¡¯t easily go over or around them. And you know how some people can be.¡± The operator responds, not quite cutting off her sigh. ¡°You¡¯re in the area though, so could you help him out?¡±

    ¡°No one on a runner is close enough?¡± I check.

    ¡°No. Emil could probably be there in fifteen minutes, but he¡¯s scrubbing the showers right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, tell the guide I¡¯m on the way, then,¡± I reply, stowing my notepad as I quickly orient myself. Snapping my fingers to get Weaver¡¯s attention, I beckon her with a gesture before setting off at a light jog. "Did he say if he knew why the trees fell?¡±

    There¡¯s some silence as Katie presumably checks with the guide. ¡°They were chewed down.¡± She finally answers.

    Bidoof or bibarel then, though more likely bidoof if the trees haven¡¯t been moved. Either way, I probably won¡¯t be moving them either.

    I slow down when there¡¯s a flash to my left, bright enough to be concerning. And taking stock of where I am, that had to be the misdreavus¡¯ doing.

    I share a look with Weaver, ¡°Do you think that¡¯s something to be worried about?¡± I ask her. She shrugs.

    We both try looking through the trees to where the ghost''s den can be made out. Misdreavus is hanging in the center of the clearing in front of the old building, impossibly still. Then they start moving again, a glowing sphere of energy appearing and being launched at the ground, flashing briefly again. The pokemon seems to huff, then go still again.

    I can¡¯t be sure if there¡¯s a purpose behind what they¡¯re doing, but it seems harmless enough. After a glance down at Weaver has her shrugging again as well, I decide to leave well enough alone. Instead, I keep heading for the first bend in the cliffs.

    Hmm, I should note the misdreavus on the population survey. Reaching the cliffs, I stop and do just that, noting only one member.

    Glancing down the cliff face, I briefly consider jumping down here but choose to keep moving along the top of the south-running cliffs.

    It¡¯s only a few minutes later that I see the beach-bound group below me, on their way back along the trail. So I decide to head down now, landing a good distance away from the group. Who¡¯s the guide? Ah, Richard.

    Rich is a good guy, he¡¯s a volunteer rather than an employee of the city, and he does this because he enjoys helping out. He also makes sure to listen at the meetings leading up to tourist season, which is great because not everyone does. And I¡¯m including myself, there.

    ¡°Rich.¡± I greet him as I near the group, ¡°They decided not to wait?¡±

    The man makes to respond before one of the others beats him to it, ¡°No, thank you very much. And I don¡¯t understand why you don¡¯t keep these paths cleared!¡± The woman snaps.

    I give her a glancing once over. The over-done nails and hair are all I need to see. "Because I was doing my job," I say, coolly. When she looks like she¡¯s about to say something else, I continue, ¡°And my job isn¡¯t to please you, it¡¯s to make sure the area stays healthy. In all likelihood, I won¡¯t be moving the fallen trees. Or cutting them, or whatever it is you thought I should do.¡± I tell her, feeling Weaver growing colder behind me. ¡°Keep them out of trouble, Rich," I say, turning to the man himself. "I''m going to go take a look."

    ¡°Will do.¡± He confirms with a two-fingered salute.

    I nod, and start moving before any of the rest of them try to engage me in an argument.

    The trees end up being a few minutes jog farther down the path, past the old Emmer¡¯s Fall bridge. Which I stop to take a look at, as it''s still a nice sight. The bridge itself is old pokemon-work, slick, smooth stone with arched, half-meter walls stretched across a wide river, rough stairs carved haphazardly out of it. Emmer¡¯s Fall looks as majestic as ever, A white churn rolling off the top of the cliffs and into the bowl below, feeding half the river. I also remind myself that I¡¯ll need to check Inside Emmer¡¯s Cave for the population survey.

    Before I can turn back to the path and step off the bridge, a head pops out of the water. ¡°Ebui?¡± The eevee questions.

    "I''m checking the path down this way," I answer what I assume the question was. "Trying to evolve?"

    ¡°Eeve," They nod and dip back below the water.

    I turn my head to look back down the path since I can see the trees from here. That¡¯s a barricade, plain and simple. Oh, they look like fallen trees, but they''re too big for this part of the forest and placed too close together to be a coincidence.

    Making my way over, I step off the path to see chewed ends. Obviously a bibarel''s work, the teeth marks are too big for a bidoof. I look down across the trees to see that they still have most of their branches and foliage.

    This is clearly meant to stop, or at least slow, human passage. Why? Yes, the tourists are annoying, but to a pokemon? Relatively harmless.

    Except I have a bad feeling about something else that happened recently. Especially considering that there aren¡¯t any other rivers close enough for the bibarel to care save the one on this side of the half-wall.

    I unhook my radio, ¡°Katie, the fallen trees on the Leol trail were put here, likely by bibarel. I¡¯m going to keep heading down the trail and try to figure out why.¡±

    After half a minute without a response, I decide to start walking. When Weaver starts walking in front of me, I know something''s up. The air around her is frosting, her steps leaving patches of ice behind us.

    I learn why when we reach Nabiki Beach. It''s a scenic little spot, trees giving way to a small stretch of white sand, the cliffs continuing past to bend slightly where I know the entrance to Nabiki cave is. And there''s a large pokemon and its recent catch sitting at the center of the beach.

    I don¡¯t approach on seeing the pokemon, opting to hang back and report, ¡°Katie when was the last time anyone checked Nabiki?¡± I ask in a low voice.

    Her response is fast this time, "I''d need to check the records, but probably sometime last winter." There''s a long pause, ¡°Sorry. Why are you asking?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a samurott here. Relatively small, likely juvenile, and very sick looking.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very strange. Sorry again, I can¡¯t focus on you right now, Maya is dealing with something in the central forest.¡± The line goes dead.

    That leaves me to keep watching the non-native pokemon. Samurott are rare, even in Unova, so seeing one here is a shock. It also means the bibarel likely blocked the path to protect anybody trying to head to the beach.

    The pokemon is unhealthy-looking. Cracked armor, split scales, bruises, frayed whiskers, and a distinct lack of fat layer point to a lack of self-care and food. But the look in their eyes is proud and defiant. And they can evidently feed themselves since they''re currently eating the remains of a wailmer with an unhappy look on their face.

    The samurott sniffs the air, turning their head towards Weaver and me. I don''t make the mistake of quickly backing off, since that could make them think I don''t belong here, instead I make smooth motions as I turn my radio off and unhook my RED.

    Samurott watches me, making no move to rise as their gaze passes between Weaver and me. Then they slowly take another bite of the carcass. That''s good, it means they aren''t readying for a fight. I glance at Weaver myself and see that she''s not ready to freeze something anymore. That''s also good.

    ¡°Samurott,¡± I begin, and their eyes sharpen on me, ¡°I¡¯m not here to start a fight, or to try and harass you. I¡¯m going to do something to get my feelings across, and then I¡¯m going to ask if I can come closer.¡± I say, all in a calm, unhurried voice.

    Samurott continues to watch me, blinking nictitating membranes once. ¡°Rott¡± They nod after several moments of stillness.

    Okay, now, from what I remember samurott are proud, so I need to focus more on being open and friendly rather than concerned or trying to help. I won¡¯t be able to put them out of my mind, but I don''t want those to be the main feelings.

    I hold the trigger, the enervating feeling washing over me, and after two seconds I see Samurott blink. Moment of truth. ¡°Is it okay if I come closer?¡± I ask the small, for their species¡ªand still rather large, pokemon.

    They seem conflicted for a moment, eyes moving between me, the carcass, and the horizon a few times before they nod. ¡°Rottur.¡± They say, chucking their chin to beckon me closer.

    ¡°Okay.¡± I sigh, turning my radio back on and stepping closer. ¡°I¡¯m back on Katie, I just needed to keep things calm for a bit.¡± There¡¯s no reply.

    ¡°How did you get here?¡± I ask who I¡¯m starting to think is a ¡®her.¡¯

    She snorts, raising a claw to point behind her to Nabiki Cave. Following her claw I can now see a small transport boat, floating in the high tide at the mouth of the cave.

    I also see an awful lot of what looks like dried blood.

 Chapter 16

    The Ranger Academy drills many things into the heads of prospective rangers. And much, much more once you¡¯re selected to continue on the ranger track. One of those many things sounds simple enough in theory: Pokemon aren¡¯t merely animals.

    Simple, many might even say obvious. The way most people act says otherwise.

    A week into selection, Principal Lamont brought several different animals from the Pueltown Conservatory, along with some local pokemon, into the study hall. A serpent, a fox, a raptor, a very fluffy canine, a charmander, a tailow, and a pikachu. He then asked us to tell him what differences we could see.

    Only a few of us noted the leashes, or the glove Principal Lamont was wearing. And That was just the start of them drilling one simple, obvious fact into our heads until we understood not just the difference, but why we¡¯d thought that way.

    Some might learn at different speeds, some might seem dim-witted or dull, and some might never have the chance to understand certain things, but pokemon are smart. Yet, to put it simply, we can¡¯t understand them well enough to easily notice, and we¡¯re not all that prone to questioning that, as a species.

    The myth that pokemon can¡¯t understand us is also unfortunately still common around the world. Not to say there aren¡¯t some clear exceptions, but those are always the people who spend more time with pokemon than they do other humans. Such as rangers or trainers.

    And then some pokemon make it obvious by being terrifyingly capable and intelligent. Such as, to give a completely random example, most samurott.

    The former occupants of this boat clearly didn¡¯t understand any of that. Sure, many acclimated pokemon will be happy enough to follow you around if you simply offer them food and shelter, others might even do so just because of a good friendship or out of loyalty. But¡­

    They tried to make a samurott, one they undoubtedly didn''t care for, follow orders.

    My oma¡¯s lectures about her team are coming back a bit clearer now. Samurott are proud, and not the arrogant pride of dragons, but a quiet sort of pride. They know what they are and what they can do, what they want, and what they''re worth.

    You don¡¯t make a samurott do anything. If they like or respect you, you can ask¡ªor even order them to do something and they¡¯ll likely do it. If they don¡¯t respect you and you still try, they¡¯ll ignore you, and if they don¡¯t like you they¡¯ll likely make a point of dismissing you. But if they hate you, or if you treat them like animals?

    You end up feeding the residents of a tidal zone.

    I can see the ball they kept Samurott in, too, a customized one that I can¡¯t see criminals investing the kind of money it would take to buy. It¡¯s sea-blue with an ocean pattern, dotted with tactile shell engravings, and sporting a magnetic belt holder. It¡¯s also been bisected, likely at the exact moment Samurott escaped, which was almost certainly as soon as whoever was on the boat unlocked it.

    That¡¯s another thing about samurott, they¡¯re deceptively fast, moving in waves of explosive violence and dead calm. Fergal was like that, the few times I saw him battle. I wonder where the members of Oma¡¯s team went?

    I shake my head. I can ask her later, I need to figure this mess out first. Looking back to the beach, Samurott is watching me, seemingly having had her fill of the wailmer. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± I ask as I fully turn to face her.

    She continues staring, cocking her head in consideration. ¡°Saa.¡± She says, drawing three lines in the sand. There¡¯s no possible way that¡¯s anything but days.

    I should have known from the moment I saw those crates of pokeballs that things were going to get complicated. ¡°How many were there?¡± I ask, turning back to keep investigating the boat.

    It¡¯s not large, big enough for six if they all squeezed together, the type you¡¯d use to ferry between a larger vessel and the shore. The outboard motor is pulled up, with a rope tying the boat to a rock. So whoever had been on it was ready to or already disembarking.

    ¡°Rott.¡± Comes a bark from behind me. I turn back to see the pokemon gesturing to two more lines in the sand.

    Two teams of two. I wonder, ¡°And you were the only pokemon they had with them?¡± A slow blink, then an incline of the head. Hmm, was this the pick-up or the drop-off team, then? Probably pick-up, given that Samurott said there were only two.

    Time to report everything. ¡°Katie,¡± I glance at the sky, ¡°Or Barry, whoever¡¯s listening right now, I found what¡¯s left of more smugglers.¡±

    I hear the line engage before, ¡°What?!¡± Hey, it¡¯s still Katie.

    ¡°I told you there was a samurott, I¡¯ll give you one guess how it got here.¡±

    ¡°Right, give me a sec," Katie says, before I hear static.

    Then, ¡°Ranger Holt, responding to a routing request for Ranger Onaga. Confirm?¡±

    ¡°Confirmed,¡± I say. ¡°I have a situation at Nabiki Beach, it seems to be related to the smugglers found yesterday in Vientown. Culprits likely deceased with a samurott present and calm.¡±

    There¡¯s a few seconds of silence, ¡°Acknowledged. ETA seven minutes, standby.¡±

    ¡°Acknowledged. Confirm?¡±

    ¡°Confirmed.¡±

    I sigh. Might as well plan my new route for surveying while I wait. Finding a spot against the low cliffs along the beach, I sit, watching Samurott dig an indent in the sand to lie down for a post-meal nap.

    Weaver trots up next to me, leaning her shoulder against me in a sign of closeness that¡¯s always meant something to me. ¡°This is going to become a huge mess soon, isn¡¯t it?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Vile,¡± She nods, slumping down next to me.

    Samurott chuffs, opening one eye to look at me again before going back to her nap.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    The orbs don¡¯t fucking do anything, that¡¯s the only thing I can take away from all this. Against the ground? Nothing. Against a log? Nothing. Against Leaf when he came to see what all the flashing lights were about? Nothing.

    Well, Leaf said it tingled, so it didn¡¯t do much.

    ¡°I stand by my previous statements. You¡¯re weird,¡± Leaf says, as I charge the implosion-explosion thing again.

    No matter how much I pour into it or try to maintain it until it bursts, it never increases in size or power, only volume. I¡¯ve managed to take it from a ¡®thup¡¯ to a ¡®crack.¡¯

    Also, it doesn''t hurt me if I''m already in the middle of it, but it stings if I¡¯m not?

    I¡¯m starting to think I have no idea what I¡¯m doing, Ha! Ah¡­ I have no idea what I¡¯m doing.

    This is literally the most basic use of power I can think of, and it¡¯s all I can manage. Everything I can do feels like that. I mean, yeah I can control psychic-stuff with a thought, but that doesn¡¯t mean I know how I need to think to use it properly. And ghost-stuff is just¡­ It¡¯s like painting or drawing? But without brushes. And if I stop applying the ¡®paint¡¯ it vanishes, so the only two things I''ve been able to do so far are to keep pouring or to pour just enough.

    But then, my voice is extremely simple in comparison, literally only taking focus to, well, focus it, or even slightly direct it. It¡¯s frustrating-

    Ah, today¡¯s going to be like that is it? Well, fuck you world! I¡¯m just going to deal with it, how do you like that?

    What was I- right, psychic-stuff, ghost-stuff, voice-stuff, and not knowing how to actually use them.

    The whole thing with pokemon trainers is starting to make more sense now, especially after what Weaver said about Moves just being names for common powers. And if that¡¯s the case, what¡¯s the deal with things sticking themselves into my memory?

    The first one that did was how to call up psychic power, so I thought that was a Move. And the second was how to put power into my voice, which just supported the assumption. But then, the third was just how I changed the focus of my voice, and it''s a bit different than the other two.

    Wait, the other two?? My- My ghost stuff didn¡¯t do the same thing. Although I did start getting a feel for it after I discovered how to ¡®stick¡¯ things myself. So, Maybe I should do that?

    Well, it¡¯s there now, but I need to figure out why I can do that. Part of me wants to put it down to an adaption for some reason, but then again, ghost. So anything goes, I guess.

    ¡°¡­And you¡¯re not listening again.¡± Leaf grumbles, smacking me with his tail.

    There¡¯s a ¡®pop¡¯ as I lose focus on maintaining the power. I sigh, pushing some of my anger down. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m trying, but I¡¯m also trying to focus on a few other things, too.¡±

    ¡°Why? No one¡¯s going to even try attacking you. You¡¯re a bit creepy sometimes, yeah, but you mostly just stay here and keep to yourself. And you¡¯ve made it pretty clear you won¡¯t start anything.¡± Leaf says, looking confused. He¡¯s not, he¡¯s happy. And slightly anxious, but I think he¡¯s just that kind of person.

    I almost tell him it''s because I''m bored out of my goddamned mind. Almost. It¡¯s true, but it also misses the point. ¡°I need something to do. Not talking or eating or- whatever. Something to work towards," I admit.

    I think today marks two weeks of me being maybe-dead, now? I¡¯m really starting to miss my phone.

    ¡°Okay? I guess I can understand that.¡± Leaf nods, looking at the chewed earth. ¡°So you¡¯re trying to get stronger?¡±

    "I don''t know," I tell him. "But It¡¯s something to do, at least. I want to fix my home up, except I don¡¯t know where to even start on getting what I need.¡±

    ¡°The city?¡± Leaf hedges. ¡°From what everybody who¡¯s been there has told me, you can find all kinds of-¡± He stops talking as both his ears go all the way up. It looks adorable and ridiculous at the same time.

    I¡¯m about to ask what¡¯s up before I start hearing something too, like rumbling wind and whipping cloth. Leaf and I both look up as something whips by a bit to the south, skimming just above the trees. A black blur with something red on top, trailing a bright, hazard-yellow line.

    ¡°What do you think that was?¡± Leaf asks after a moment.

    I nearly tell him I don¡¯t know, but I have an idea. While my memory isn¡¯t what I¡¯d call ¡®photographic¡¯ now, it might as well be for anything I genuinely pay attention to. So it only takes a few seconds and a little effort to review it.

    ¡°A ranger on a staraptor," I inform him. ¡°I wonder where they¡¯re going?¡±

    Leaf makes a few lines in the dirt before frowning, ¡°The coast? I know humans like heading out there, but the rangers usually don¡¯t go that fast if they can help it.¡± He says, pawing at the dirt a bit more.

    She was going fast, I mostly saw a red, black, and yellow smear in real-time. "Is there anything special over there?¡± I ask the ambulatory fern. Who is now pawing harder at the soil.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± He says, looking back up at me. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t been there myself.¡± Then he looks back at the ground, ¡°Are you doing something to the earth around here?¡±

    I look at him, then the dirt, and then back to him, ¡°No? Aside from all the ¡®mixing¡¯ I¡¯ve done while practicing. Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s perfectly fertile,¡± He says, like it explains everything. He also must see the look of confusion I''m giving him, because he continues, "Nothing''s growing in it."

    That- Wait, he¡¯s right, it was all dirt even before I tore it up. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s¡­ odd. But it¡¯s not something I¡¯ve done, since it was like that when I woke up here.¡± Granted, the place has that ¡®definitely haunted¡¯ feeling about it-

    Oh my fucking god.

    ¡°Leaf?¡± I ask, getting the attention of the plant in question, ¡°Marshal said she¡¯s seen several ghosts before, do you know if they were all around here?¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°No¡­¡± He answers, now looking around more anxiously. ¡°You¡¯d have to ask her.¡± Then he blinks, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just said that. I mean, she really does just let you ask her-¡± He stops, ears twitching and eyes turning to face east.

    Well, that can¡¯t be good. Following his gaze, I can¡¯t see anything through the trees, but those stopped mattering a while ago. I shift places and everything becomes much more colorful and a lot clearer in at least two ways.

    Great, it just had to be when I know my temper is going to be short. Fucking perfect. Let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t try anything.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t need to be so worried about Samurott, but it¡¯s always better to be careful when anyone, human or pokemon, looks like she does. And I think we¡¯re both hoping her next shedding heals most of the surface-level damage.

    The sound of beating wings draws my, Weaver¡¯s, and Samurott¡¯s eyes from where I¡¯m inspecting the large pokemon¡¯s wounds on the beach. That''s Holt and Blake alright. It took them nine minutes to get here, which is still a great time, overall.

    They don''t land close, opting to do so as far as possible from where the three of us are either standing or lying near the water. As Holt dismounts and takes her goggles off, she inspects Samurott herself.

    ¡°Do you mind if I get closer?¡± She asks the frayed-looking pokemon. Who glances at me, then shrugs her shoulders as she stands.

    ¡°Rotter.¡± She barks, moving to square herself up with Holt, before stumbling and huffing. She then nods, downcast.

    ¡°Mind filling me in?¡± Holt asks me as she approaches, still eyeing off the wounded warrior.

    ¡°She''s a trained battler," I explain. "It took a bit to go through the standard yes-or-nos, but what I managed to get was, in short, her pokeball was stolen from her trainer while he was in Kanto, she evolved as soon as she was let out by the smugglers here, and she wants to get back as soon as possible.¡± I then glance at Samurott before continuing, ¡°She¡¯s fought off a lot of challengers in the last three days and has so many wounds that I¡¯m- well, not surprised, I''ve seen samurott before, but she''s definitely a good example of the species.¡±

    ¡°Did you find the pokeball?¡± Holt asks. ¡°As wrong as it feels to say, using it to let us get her back to town so we can get her to a clinic and start looking for her trainer would be very helpful.¡±

    Holt notices the pseudo-dragon slump her shoulders a bit before I answer, ¡°I did, but it won¡¯t help us. She destroyed it the first chance she got, from what I can tell. Which,¡± I say, turning to reassure Samurott, ¡°Was probably the best move you could have made at the time.¡±

    ¡°And the criminals? Have you seen any sign of them?¡± Holt asks, turning her attention from where we¡¯re standing to sweep the beach.

    ¡°Dead, Samurott confirmed that she killed them before tossing them into the high tide.¡±

    Holt nods at that, unfazed, as she starts moving to where the dinghy is still tied up. "A shame, would have been nice to throw them in with the other two, maybe get them to start talking. At least we have confirmation that whoever this group is, they are operating in Kanto as well.¡±

    Holt pauses as she reaches the boat, inspecting the scene before whistling, ¡°Her trainer must be doing pretty well to afford something like that. I think that''s a typed matrix. And the resonator is still intact too, so they should just be able to do a swap instead of waiting months for it to wear off.¡±

    I blink, as do Weaver and Samurott. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve studied pokeballs?¡± I half ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m from Sinnoh, my parents still make their living making extremely high-end custom balls.¡± She then frowns and pulls out some gloves to snap on before picking up the two halves of the sphere. ¡°You know, I think this might be one of theirs.¡± And then after inspecting it, ¡°Wow, would you look at that. Small world.¡± She says, walking back over to point at a line on the inside rim.

    It says, ¡®Holt Custom Arts ¨C V ¨C Water ¨C James Vance¡¯.

    ¡°Huh," I say, agreeing with the sentiment. ¡°How could you tell?¡± And then after a bit more thought, ¡° And Is that the trainer¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°The resonator¡¯s offset and unshielded.¡± The woman says, pointing at a bundle of looped wire and glass around a small, glossy ring set into one half of the matrix. "It means adding more counterweights, but most trainers like the custom ones to be heavier anyway. And it''s easier to hand-build them that way in any case, since-¡± She cuts herself off, looking slightly embarrassed.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m getting off track. And the name is indeed the trainer''s, or at least the buyer''s,¡± Holt says, tapping at the line and nodding. ¡°So we should be able to get them back together much faster with this. I might even be able to just call my parents and get some half-decent contact information.¡±

    I open my mouth to question if that''s entirely legal, then just shrug off the thought. Looking at Samurott, she''s obviously been following everything we''ve been saying and is in higher spirits now. That¡¯s not the reaction of someone dreading an unpleasant reunion, at least.

    I frown. That makes me a bit more worried about Espeon since I''m assuming something similar happened to him, but I haven''t wanted to push him about it. His reaction to my asking if he wanted to go back wasn''t bad necessarily, but needing to think about it doesn¡¯t paint the best picture.

    I shake the thoughts away, I¡¯ve got other things to do and to worry about right now. ¡°Am I part of a new mission right now, or can I get back to the survey I was doing?¡± I ask the Union ranger.

    She thinks about that for a bit, eyes roaming over the whole scene a few times. ¡°You¡¯re free to get back to your survey. I¡¯m going to get Samurott back to town after I take a better look around here.¡± She dismisses me.

    As I start heading back to the trail, I bring my radio up again, ¡°Katie, I¡¯m off standby. Anything new?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Comes a thoroughly fed-up voice, ¡°There¡¯s a massive swarm of beedrill in the central forest, the train going from Vientown to Pueltown was delayed because a salamance decided to sleep on the tracks, there have been reports of joltik sightings, and the misdreavus is seemingly very angry right now."

    Oh yeah, it¡¯s one of those weeks, how could I forget?

    I know which one of those is closest, though. ¡°How angry?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Um, I think she said, ¡®I¡¯m just glad no one tried getting closer.¡¯¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Leaf bolted right before the group came into sight. Not that I blame him, he clearly has anxiety and the way people act is a complete crap-shoot.

    However, I had been enjoying not being alone with my thoughts.

    At least they all left quickly after the first few ghost-orb-things, only taking a few pictures. And none of them tried to push their luck, either. I¡¯m glad I have something that looks like an attack, even if it does nothing. It made me feel better about throwing so many at them.

    I still feel like I¡¯m missing something with the orbs. They feel empty, but I have no idea what to do with that. Because I know I can do something more with it, but I have no fucking idea how!

    Calm down, don¡¯t start screaming again, and I should maybe try practicing what Marshal told me about. I told her I would, after all. And it¡¯s not putting things off so much as centering myself, right?

    The trees and tall bushes rustle, the thin clouds rolling along slowly in the wind. The vague, floral scent of grass-types is stronger today than yesterday, now slightly overpowering the fresh, earthy smell of the forest. My home, a dilapidated structure in the middle of a magical forest, doesn¡¯t seem so out of place right now, it¡¯s just there, along an old path through the woods. And now a few roserade and cherrim have started dancing on the north edge of the clearing again, soaking up the sunlight.

    ¡­

    It¡¯s peaceful, and Marshal was right, this does help put things in perspective. I¡¯m not on a clock or in a rush or anything like that, I have time. Maybe I¡¯ll figure it out tomorrow, maybe in a week or a month, I just need to keep trying and remember to stay grounded.

    ¡°You don''t look all that angry," Weaver says from beside my house. I¡¯d seen her vault the cliff, being so focused on everything around me.

    ¡°Why did you think I would be?¡± I ask, as I had been riding out an anger flash earlier.

    ¡°Ryu sent me ahead because one of the trail guides said you were mad. And I mean truly angry.¡± She informs me, bouncing merrily closer. ¡°But instead you looked the happiest I¡¯ve ever seen you. You okay?¡±

    I do need to think about that for a moment. ¡°Yeah,¡± I finally reply. ¡°I told you my emotions have been all over the place, and I was working myself from anger to rage a bit ago, but I¡¯m not anymore.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can tell,¡± Weaver says, leaning around to very conspicuously inspect me. ¡°You seem¡­ less twitchy. How did you manage that?¡± She asks the question teasingly.

    ¡°Marshal told me about something she does, ¡®taking the time to be'' as she put it," I inform my friend. "I told her I''d do it every day, but only just got around to it when I realized how angry I was getting."

    ¡°So, I can go back to Ryuko and let her know everything¡¯s fine, right?¡± Weaver asks me, stepping back from how close she¡¯d gotten.

    I shrug, ¡°Sure. Though I need to ask, Why¡¯d you climb the cliff? Isn¡¯t the city that way?¡± I ask, gesturing vaguely eastwards.

    ¡°Yeah, but we were out by the shore when she got the update,¡± Weaver says, flicking her ears a few times. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tell you about it later-¡± She snaps her claws, then grins wide as she looks at the hand she did it with, ¡°Right, Ryu pulled the reading tapes out of storage this morning, so I can help you with that now.¡± Her ears flick a few more times, ¡°Yeah, okay, I can hear Ryuko jogging up the lower trail, so I¡¯m going to go join back up.¡± She waves, making her way to the cliff, ¡°See you, Smokey.¡± And with that, she jumps.

    Huh. I guess a twenty-foot drop isn¡¯t much to any pokemon is it, when you think about it.

    I still don¡¯t want to be alone at the moment, and Leaf is long gone into the trees by now. But¡­ I do know someone who said she wouldn¡¯t mind if I visit whenever. Even if I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll start teaching me to fight again.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Even with this week being one of those weeks, the rest of my day has been entirely fine. After Weaver dropped down from the ghost¡¯s cabin and let me know that they weren¡¯t about to start hunting tourists down, I managed to finish most of the southern forest''s pop-survey in relative peace.

    There''s an alarming lack of apex insectivores, the flying-type populations being a bit smaller than last year¡ªand I only saw a single ariados, though plenty of spinarak, yet I also haven¡¯t seen a large increase in bug-type numbers overall. Well, Katie said Maya had to order the whole central forest off-limits, and Prime and her hives have obviously grown, but there''s no lack of grass-types for them to sustain themselves on.

    Combee and vespiquen are good at restraining their own populations, to the point some hives will have up to five queens in a state of semi-stasis during periods of famine, and the vespiquen themselves are good at rationing. Plus, they¡¯re nectarivorous and fungivorous, and tend to have a very symbiotic relationship with grass-types, so it shouldn¡¯t become a problem.

    Beedrill, on the other hand, will spread until a lack of food causes a major die-off. Interestingly, beedrill are themselves apex insectivores, as well as carnivorous scavengers and palynivores. The population increase we¡¯re seeing likely means the true increase happened two years ago, and we¡¯re noticing it now because all the kakuna are evolving. It is spring, after all.

    I don¡¯t want to think of it this way, but most of the new beedrill probably won¡¯t make it to the end of the year, and that¡¯s not a bad thing.

    My thoughts on food webs, the issues of predation rates, and if there is even a solution come to an end as I reach the doors of the pokemon clinic where I''d dropped Espeon off earlier.

    Approaching the desk, I wait for one of the bored-looking receptionists to notice me, and then for them to finish taking in the fact that, yes, I am in uniform. ¡°Ah, can I help you ranger-¡± One of them, a man, says, glancing down a moment, ¡°-Onaga? I hope there isn¡¯t a problem.¡±

    I wave his concerns off, ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up an espeon I dropped off this morning.¡± I inform him, ignoring Weaver¡¯s snickering at the man¡¯s obvious relief.

    ¡°Right, yes. Let me just check our current patient-¡± He¡¯s cut off when the sound of scrabbling claws gives way to a swinging door being flung open with the telltale light of telekinesis.

    Ex*aus*ion. G*atitude. Harmony,¨CI feel, as Espeon practically buries himself in my leg.

    ¡°Um, right. Let me finish checking and I¡¯ll get the doctor¡¯s notes for you.¡± The receptionist stands, moving back through a different door than the one Espeon burst through.

    I nod after the man, but my attention is more focused on Espeon. He looks tired, more so than earlier today. ¡°Did you get any sun today?¡± I ask him.

    Af*irmatio*,¨CHe nods.

    Weaver steps up next to us as well, inspecting Espeon. She says nothing, but her expression tells me that she¡¯s becoming concerned about him. Which is good, in a way, but it¡¯s also clear that Espeon isn¡¯t healthy.

    It takes a bare few minutes for the receptionist to return, and I step up to the desk as he sits behind it again. "Right then, please sign here and I''ll have everything Doctor Bernard noted down for you." He says, handing me a single piece of paper on a clipboard.

    After I sign and he hands me a stack of papers, I hoist Espeon onto my shoulder and step out, making my way back to base as I read what condition Espeon is in.

    As far as Doctor Bernard was concerned? Underweight, under-muscled, and tired, but nothing else. No broken bones, no infections, no odd lumps, and bloodwork will take a few more days, but the doctor noted he didn''t expect anything. Espeon was apparently alert the whole time and, obviously for a psychic-type, completed the cognitive tests with near boredom.

    The doctor recommends only light physical activity until he reaches a better weight, and a diet rich in proteins, fats, and a series of low-dose vitamin supplements, alongside as much sunlight as possible. So, almost exactly what I was going to do, although given this morning, I¡¯ll have to come up with an easy way for him to exercise on his own.

    Maybe I am just reading too far into things, Espeon is very underweight, so it might just be as simple as him needing food and rest for a while.

    ¡°You''ve got a lot of recovery ahead of you," I tell my passenger, handing the papers off to Weaver''s grabby claws. "I hope you understand what that means."

    Con*usion,¨CI feel. Then a moment later,¨CU**erstandi*g. Re*uctance.

    "You''ll still be able to roam around the base, and outside it," I say, fairly certain he took a peek at my thoughts. "But you''re not ready to join me in the field. And you won''t be for at least a few months." I start scratching him between the ears, ¡°I need you to accept that, okay?¡±

    He huffs, ¡°Eeon,¡±¨CAcce*tance.

    ¡°Good," I say, picking up the pace. ¡°For now, I¡¯m going to introduce you to Emil¡¯s cooking.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Of all the things I thought Marshal might do, giving me homework wasn¡¯t one of them.

    Well, ''homework'', In so far as a bunch of new power exercises can be called that. Marshal said I don¡¯t need to worry about how strong I am, but more about how controlled I am. And my ability to take a hit, but I didn¡¯t feel like being ¡®disabled¡¯ again, not today.

    I also hadn''t realized that she has a¡­ Boyfriend? Mate? Casual suitor? In any case, she never really said anything about him, but he''s supposedly Buizel''s father, and he''s a luxray. That is, to put it another way, a really, really goddamned big cat. And somehow Marshal is still bigger, Jesus.

    I''d floated over at around the time Luxray was leaving, and when I asked Marshal what was going on she said he''d been seeing his son and had been wondering if she wanted to make more. Sometimes it does just smack me in the face that, yeah, these intelligent, talking beings don''t think about things the same way I do. Or did? I don¡¯t know anymore. It was just a little weird to me how casual she was about it.

    But we quickly moved on to other things, like how I was feeling since some humans came through and she wanted to know if I had anything to do with how frightened some of them looked. We had a good chuckle about it before I moved on to my issues with my powers.

    She even said I''ve been doing what I should be, feeling my power and trying to move it in different ways. Which¡­ I don''t know how to feel about that, personally. I mean, it makes sense, sort of. If you want better control, practice by controlling.

    She gave me a long look when I admitted it felt like I was doing the simplest possible things I could, and then told me, ¡®If it feels like you can do more, then you can.¡¯

    I wish her saying that hadn¡¯t made me feel so much better about it. Or, well, not really, I guess it just proves I¡¯m still a normal person. Sure, I was already pretty certain I could do it, but hearing someone else say it makes it feel more real. Still doesn¡¯t help me figure out how, though. But that¡¯s why I intend to keep trying and experimenting.

    Not tonight, however. Tonight I just want to sit on the roof and watch the world go by for a while. Maybe fidget with psychic-stuff a bit. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll even have a breakthrough?

 Bonny Fox: I â€“ A Terrible Fate

    Maeve was not so proud as to deny that she was¡­ lost. Utterly lost.

    She had only planned to be out for a few hours before being home for dinner, lest her mum scold her further. But now she had no idea where home even was since the old path through the field was gone.

    As was the field, in fact.

    She knew she had been going the right way until¡­ right when she started walking back through the fen dividing Sean and Neil¡¯s fields. She had tripped over the uneven and uncertain ground and when she¡¯d stood back up again the sky seemed a bit brighter and the fields had been gone. In their place had been untamed grass in one direction and more fen in the other. She had chosen the grass, not wanting to become any more wet than she already was.

    Now, after having walked through the grass for nearly an hour, she had come upon unfamiliar-looking trees. That was when she had started to truly worry, not knowing where she was and becoming increasingly certain it wasn¡¯t the isle. But she had spotted a dirt path snaking its way out of the trees and into the grass some ways away, that had buoyed her spirits. The path had to lead somewhere after all.

    One way led out the way she had come from, and since she hadn¡¯t seen anything while she had been walking, she decided on the other way.

    This place looked almost like an orchard, the trees spaced a little too evenly to be natural, though she wasn¡¯t sure what kind of trees they were. The leaves had odd shapes, though it looked as if they were just starting to turn to Autumn as well.

    Maeve shivered, it was starting to get dark and she still hadn''t found anyone yet. Her clothes had dried onto her by now and they were starting to itch. She found herself wanting to cry and felt the telltale tightening of her throat before a sound caught her attention.

    It sounded like metal rattling, a ¡®clink click clink'' of something man-made, and Maeve almost burst into tears for a different reason now. Quickly, she started moving to where she thought the sounds were coming from, even after they stopped as she drew closer.

    She gasped as she saw what had been making the noise. It wasn¡¯t a person but a large, dare she say giant, fox in some kind of trap she¡¯d never seen before. It looked like a band of metal had been made to close around the thing¡¯s front paw and drive barbs into it as two chains on either side pulled it off the ground enough so the fox couldn¡¯t move.

    Oh and what a pretty fox it was too. A shiny, dark-grey coat, little red paws, a red streak going down the back of its head, a fluffy tail that shaded from grey to black, an adorable tuft of black fur on its chest, and such beautiful sky-blue eyes with three red circles in the fur around each of them. She could easily see why someone would want its pelt, but she couldn¡¯t stand seeing it hanging there in pain.

    She could see its eyes on her, could feel them, so she took a better look at the trap to see if she could at least loosen the chains first. One was driven into a tree with no-less-than three anchors, and she could see that the spikes went out the other side of the tree too. The other chain was connected to some kind of solid spring mechanism that she had no hope of moving.

    Taking it together, she was shocked the poor fox''s leg hadn''t been torn off when the trap sprung.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    She decided to see if she could undo the band around its leg instead. Moving closer to the fox, she was surprised it didn''t try to bolt as she approached, even chained as it was. Bending down, Maeve hesitated to reach for the fox when she locked eyes with it. Its eyes were expressive in a way that mere foxes weren''t, they were pleading with her, holding back tears a real fox wouldn¡¯t shed.

    Some facts about her day and old stories ran through her mind quickly. Getting lost in such a strange way, how the day had seemed to grow longer once she did, such a beautiful creature that she was sure was more than it seemed, and how it was stuck in a solid metal trap.

    ¡°You¡¯re not just a bonny fox, are you?¡± She felt compelled to ask.

    Confusion crossed its vulpine face, briefly displacing the pain before it replied, ¡°No?¡±

    Maeve felt her world shake. It- He had answered. And frighteningly, she had understood words that were not English or French.

    She glanced at his stuck paw, ¡°Right, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m going to get you out, and then you¡¯re going to help me out afterward. Is that right?¡± She asked the strange fox.

    ¡°Yes, yes please!¡± He replied immediately, nodding his head.

    ¡°Okay, but this will probably hurt.¡± She told him as she tried to figure out just how to remove the band.

    In the end, it proved both rather simple and as painful as she expected for the poor fox. The band needed to be pulled slightly tighter before she shoved a thin stone she found between the strange mechanism to loosen it, and thus, release the fae creature.

    As the fox-thing fell to the ground he yelped, lifting the paw that had been trapped before Maeve heard a pitiful whine coming from him. As she watched, transfixed by the fairy¡¯s movements she had a realization as to why he couldn¡¯t stop moving his leg.

    ¡°Oh,¡± She said, even as she was looking for a bandage-cloth. Between her summer skirts, her shirt, and her headscarf, the scarf was the best cloth she could afford to lose and still maintain her dignity. ¡°Here, let me help.¡±

    Removing the scarf, she sidled over to the fox and lifted the cloth gently around his leg before tying it tight the way her pa had taught her to when someone was bleeding.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± The fox cried, before breaking into tears and repeating his words, ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± He then leaned into her, still crying though now quiet.

    They remained that way long enough for the world to go dark, the sun had finished setting before the fox clumsily stepped back from the girl. Eyes now red-rimmed, he sniffled a bit before he started speaking, ¡°I was so lost and I just wanted some food or clean water and then I stepped into that human trap and-I-didn¡¯t-think-anyone-would-save-me-and-then-you-showed-up-andIthoughtyoumightbeabouttokillmebutyoudidn¡¯tlooklikeahumanthatwouldsetatrapand-¡± He rambled before stopping to take a breath.

    Before he could continue, Maeve decided to stop him with a hug. ¡°I¡¯m lost too.¡± She told him. ¡°I tripped and when I got back up I was somewhere else.¡± She choked, feeling her own tears coming, ¡°And all I could think to do was keep walking. I was hoping to find someone to help point me home, but I don¡¯t even know if this is Ireland.¡± Her tears were falling freely now, she pushed on, ¡°You¡¯ll still help me right? Even though I don¡¯t know where we are either?¡±

    ¡°Of, course!¡± He said, nodding, the fur on his face still wet, ¡°I said I would didn¡¯t I?¡± The fox stood to three lags before pausing, then staring at Maeve, ¡°Why did you say ¡®either?¡¯¡± He asked the girl.

    ¡°You said you were lost too?¡± Maeve answered, her confusion evident.

    ¡°Oh! Oh! You can understand me!¡± The fox exclaimed, excitedly wiggling for a moment before a hiss broke through his lips, ¡°Gha- Um, do you think you could carry me?¡± He asked her sheepishly.

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± She said apologetically, wiping away some of her tears. She hadn¡¯t thought to help ease his pain further. After lifting the fox into her arms she asked, ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°You want to find other humans right?¡± At Maeve''s nod, he continued, "We should probably find the edge of this grove and skirt around the farm then." He said. "Most farmers don''t like it when they find you on their land. That¡¯s what the elders say.¡±

    That didn¡¯t sound right to Maeve, but then, she had known Sean and Neil her whole life. Almost shrugging before realizing that would jostle the fox, she asked, ¡°Do you know which way will get us out the quickest?¡± At the fox''s aborted gesture, she started walking again, ignoring the growing urge to stroke the fairy¡¯s ears.

    She didn¡¯t hold out for long.

 Chapter 17

    It feels as though I¡¯m running through molasses, but I push on, muscles burning as I ascend. The horrible sound, like the grinding of a giant''s nails across a chalkboard, continues without mercy as I keep sprinting up the stairs, knowing that if I don¡¯t reach-

    Something freezing presses against my face, and everything shifts. The world spins for an eternity as I work to recognize the feeling. It has to be one of Weaver¡¯s-

    I bolt awake, batting at the claw, "Weaver?" I groan, trying to blink the sleep from my eyes.

    ¡°Weav, weav!¡± My partner gesticulates wildly, obviously worried about something, though she keeps her voice low.

    ¡°What is it? And what time is it?¡± I ask her, looking at the wall clock. it shows oh-two-twenty.

    ¡°Vile!¡± Weaver slaps my arm before pointing at the floor by the foot of my bunk. What has her so¡­

    Espeon is sitting there, shaking and hyperventilating. His gem is flickering wildly, ears pulled back, and eyes unfocused. He¡¯s in another feedback loop.

    ¡°Hells,¡± I swear, disentangling myself from the bed and marching for the door, Weaver one step behind me. ¡°Weaver.¡± I stop at the entrance, ¡°I need you to stay by him and keep him from hurting himself-¡± I tell her, cutting myself off for a moment before I finish the order, ¡°And if he starts using telekinesis, you need to knock him out, understood?¡±

    ¡°Weav,¡± My partner says with a salute, smacking her joints together as she straightens her legs. I know she¡¯s playing it up to reassure both of us, but it still works.

    I give Weaver a nod before turning and heading for the office. Reaching it, I quickly dial the combination into the locked steel cabinet we keep the dangerous equipment in. Because yes, REDs are dangerous, even if most people won''t understand how until they''re on the floor and struggling to breathe.

    I grab my empathy device, check its tag to make sure, and march back to the barracks. Weaver isn''t standing next to Espeon, thankfully, as she knows better than to get that close. She''s watching the psychic-type intensely from a few meters away, the only acknowledgment I get being a flick of the ears.

    I move to within two meters of Espeon before I calm myself, focus on wanting Espeon to be okay, and pull the trigger. It takes entirely too long before his gem stops flickering, and he tiredly blinks at me a few times before he stops, eyes closed and unconscious in a sitting position.

    There''s a bit of shuffling as the once-sleeping pokemon in the room try to figure out what just woke them up until they realize I have it handled and go back to sleep.

    Sighing quietly, I lift Espeon and make my way out and into the kitchen. I¡¯m not getting back to sleep today, not after that, so I place the unconscious pokemon on the table and just¡­ stare, deep in thought.

    I¡¯ve thought something was up since Weaver kept giving him looks, but I don¡¯t know what it is. He went into another feedback loop, but why? And it was more dangerous this time since he had energy. Except, he passed out once he was out of the loop, didn''t he?

    ¡°Weaver?¡± I ask to the air, and my partner silently appears. ¡°Has he slept at all?¡±

    She considers the question, lacking her usual theatrics, then shakes her head, ¡°Vile,¡± She says, looking thoughtfully at Espeon. ¡°Weavile, weave,¡± She continues, pointing at the sleeping pokemon.

    I follow her finger and see Espeon twitching and thrashing slightly, a feline grimace on his face. So, nightmares, oh how I wish I could say I don¡¯t understand that particular problem.

    "I don''t know what to do for him," I admit, leaning my head into one hand to massage it. "I can''t keep the RED going, even in bursts, for all that long," I say, glancing at Weaver.

    She has a look of concern on her face, then she blinks, looking as though she''s realized something, before holding up a claw for me to wait and blurring out of the kitchen. Well, I hope she has a good idea because I certainly don¡¯t know how to help a traumatized empath.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I don¡¯t know if I can thank Marshal enough for teaching me this. I also don¡¯t know how to feel about what it¡¯s helped me notice.

    Up, shrink, slow.

    It took me a few hours to figure out what I was feeling, and now I¡¯m¡­ genuinely starting to question my ability to take care of myself. I¡¯m feeling content, and it''s strangely alien. And I¡¯ve realized that the last time I felt like this was years ago, back when I landed my first stable job. It felt like everything would work out, and I could just be satisfied with my life.

    down, loop, invert.

    But feeling that way shouldn¡¯t be an event, right? And yet, here I am. And sure, I know I¡¯ll be feeling bored again soon enough, but I¡¯m pretty sure I can get back to this feeling relatively easily. Not like before I died, but then, almost anything would be better than that.

    And¡­ launch.

    The ball of psychic energy I¡¯ve been fiddling with these last few minutes accelerates out of my control range, passing over countless trees before it fades away.

    I think one of the problems I''m having with accepting being happy is that I''m kind of¡­ I''m expecting things to go wrong at some point, I think. But that thinking feels as if it was learned. Like it''s leftover pessimism or lingering unhappiness, but I don''t have a lot of reasons to feel that way anymore, not really.

    I look up at the moon, not quite sure if it¡¯s finished waxing or not yet. I still feel it¡¯s light filtering into me, comforting me. I don¡¯t know what changes when it reflects off, but I¡¯m glad I can expand my cloud in its light.

    Speaking of, I reel it in for a snack. Hmm, not a lot in there, but that¡¯s why it¡¯s a snack. Some sorrow, some trepidation, a little fear, and someone is a bit nervous. There isn¡¯t a lot of quantity to any of it though, it¡¯s just the normal background.

    Deciding to spin up ghost-stuff this time, I keep idly practicing control. Simply painting power in random swoops and swirls, trying to do better than simply pouring it out.

    Hmm¡­ Oh, sure, why not try that? Thanks, ghost-instincts. Following my burst of desire, I start trying to, for lack of a better descriptor, ''imbue'' something on the power. It doesn''t seem to do anything, but if my instincts say it should work then I''m going to trust them.

    What is it that I''m trying to push into the power? Maybe that''s the problem, that I don''t have a good idea of what I want to happen. Should I try something that I''ve done to myself? What about gravity, how does that work?

    I make another line of power, focusing on how I make gravity affect me while I do so. That works!? The curving line I made falls through the air, fading before it hits the ground.

    Wait! The orbs felt empty, is this why? Let¡¯s see, pour it out in a sphere, not too much at once, just enough to sustain it. There we go. Or¡­ should I have tried to fill it as I was making it? No, that doesn¡¯t feel right, it feels like I should do that part now. So, what do I fill it with? I guess I should go with gravity again.

    Nothing about the sphere seems to change, but it doesn¡¯t feel empty anymore, so I think that worked. I¡­ don¡¯t have a target right now, great. Launching it at the ground! And it does nothing, okay, I suppose it needs a different target.

    Hmm¡­

    This is a bad idea, but I¡¯m probably immortal, so the worst that will happen is some pain, right? Sure, whatever makes me feel better about this. And launch!

    Oh, ooh, ho¡¯kay. Uh, I don¡¯t know what this is. It feels like I¡¯m being dragged down, but I¡¯m still floating. This is an extremely fucking strange feeling. At least I now understand what the orbs do. They force a¡­ whatever it is that I shoved into it onto the target.

    Um, is there a way to stop the- Huh, I guess I was the one controlling it. That¡¯s nice.

    Wait, Weaver? What¡¯s she doing here this early?

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Espeon still hasn''t woken up, despite the obvious bad dreams that are making him twitch and mewl. I¡¯m becoming uncomfortable because I tried waking him up, and he won¡¯t. I want to believe I can take care of him, but if he has major psychic issues we might need to find a better place for him.

    Except I¡¯ve already sent his paperwork in, and I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t feeling attached to the frail cat. He needed help, and he still needs it, just in a different way now.

    I¡¯m waiting for either Espeon to wake up or Weaver to get back with whatever her idea was. I can only hope she knows something I don''t, and that she¡¯ll have a good solution. It''s been nearly ten minutes, though, and I''m starting to worry. Weaver is fast, which is typical for a weavile, and she should be able to reach the other end of the city in three minutes if she pushes it.

    ¡°Weav,¡± And there she is.

    ¡°Seasons, how far did you-¡± I stop, looking at the entrance to the room.

    The misdreavus is floating behind my partner, looking nervous. Why would she bring¡­ Right, they''re an affectivore. That''s a genuinely great idea, as Espeon can''t go into a feedback loop if something eats all the emotions first. And glancing at Espeon, he''s not moving as much anymore, so the ghost is already helping.

    ¡°Weav weavile, weave?¡± The sharp-clawed pokemon asks, also looking at Espeon.

    ¡°Mis¡­¡± The ghost-type replies, voice trailing off cautiously. ¡°Misser, mis, dreav, mismis.¡± They pause, looking concerned. ¡°Midreavus mis misser.¡±

    "I wish I''d thought of that. Good job, Weaver." I tell my partner, relaxing as Espeon seems to calm in his sleep. "What made you think of them?" Aside from their obviously budding friendship.

    ¡°Weavile,¡± She says, darting away back down the hall. Leaving Misdreavus looking suddenly more nervous.

    "You''re not afraid of chasing groups of people off, but I make you nervous?" I chuckle at the affronted look on their face, "We''ve got a record of you scaring at least twelve people yesterday alone."

    They blink at that, opening their mouth to respond before closing it and blinking again. ¡°Misser,¡± They seem to state, more to themselves than to me.

    ¡°Weav vile!¡± Weaver declares, bouncing into the kitchen with a book- No, with the book, the one I bought to teach her how to read, ¡®Tales of Yester Years: A Compendium of Myths and Legends.¡¯

    Weaver has it turned to a specific page, ¡®The Nightmare and the Witch Who Devoured It.¡¯ It¡¯s one of the stories with an original photo on the opposite page, fancy calligraphy, and over-done artwork depicting an indistinct figure with a pointy hat consuming a sleeping man¡¯s dream. Interesting, but why did this make her get the misdreavus?

    I quickly skim the text, searching for anything that could be related. ¡­and the witch did curse the nightmare¡­ ¡­The man, thankful for the aid of the traveling witch, offered her of his home, and his food¡­ ¡­And as the sun rose on the seventh day, the witch vanished, little more than a ghost on the wind.

    That- The last line is the only time the word ghost is mentioned. ¡°Weaver?¡± I query my partner.

    ¡°Vile Weavile,¡± She gestures to Misdreavus.

    I can¡¯t deny that they seem to be helping, but I still don¡¯t understand her thought process, ¡°I know they''re helping, I''m just confused about how this made you think of them.¡±

    Weaver seems at a loss, looking between the book and me a few times before turning to Misdreavus, ¡°Vile, weavile vile. Weave?¡± She asks them.

    ¡°Dreavus?¡± The floating pokemon asks in return, drifting closer to me and eyeing the book. They tilt in the air, eyes glossing over the words to land on the illustration. ¡°Mis¡­ misser mis.¡± They say, nodding.

    Weaver gestures between the picture and Misdreavus, clearly seeing something I¡¯m not. I look at the picture again, trying to see what she means. Pointy hat, draped robe, indistinct face. It looks like a witch. ¡°I still don¡¯t see what you mean,¡± I inform my partner.

    Weaver sighs, rubbing her chin as she thinks about what to try next.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Dreave mis, misdreavus?¡± The ghost seems to ask, pointing one of their tendrils at the page.

    Weaver blinks, then her eyes light up in joy. She motions to me for the book, so I give it to her. ¡°Weave weavile, weave. Vile weavile,¡± She says to Misdreavus, hopping into a chair and beckoning them closer.

    She''s¡­ She''s reading the story to them. Well, there goes my chance at an answer. Honestly, she seems to have become attached to the misdreavus after they let me stay in their den. They seemed to have a rather long conversation there, too. Although Weaver had seemed a bit hostile at the start.

    I sigh, finally deciding to take a seat after all the stress of Espeon breaking down in the middle of the night. Conscripting the help of a wild pokemon isn''t unusual, it''s normally the ranger doing it, but at least Espeon is sleeping peacefully for the moment. I''m going to need to ask all those questions I was hesitant to before, about his past and what the smugglers did to him.

    Though the misdreavus will likely need to be present to smooth that over if I''m right about what Espeon¡¯s been through.

    Hmm, I''m going to need coffee today. Maybe I should see if Holt will tell me where I can find a really good drink, she seems the type to learn where to find them. Regardless, I should probably start the coffee maker soon.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°-little more than a ghost on the wind,¡± Weaver says with finality, closing the storybook. ¡°I knew I recognized that description from somewhere, and I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s another story in here that mentions a ¡®Miss Magius,¡¯¡± She tells me, caressing the cover of what is, apparently, her favorite book. Then she frowns, ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve opened this in two years.¡±

    Weaver¡¯s face twists into a complicated expression, and I feel compelled to ask, ¡°Hey, you okay?¡±

    ¡°I- Yeah. You ever have a moment when you realize you¡¯ve grown up?¡± She asks, glancing at me.

    I can''t help laughing for a moment before it peters out as I taste another wave of pain and terror. ¡°Yeah, several. I guess it happens to pokemon, too.¡±

    We fall into silence, Weaver leafing through her book while my eyes start roaming around, trying to ignore the tastes of fear, panic, and hatred. This- I can see why Espeon was trying not to feel all this, and I feel a bit bad that to me it¡¯s all just¡­ food. Terror seems to be another taste that I find particularly appetizing as well, and I still don¡¯t know how to feel about finding those flavors so delicious. At least there¡¯s a lot less of them coming off him now.

    Movement, catches the corner of my eye, and I swivel to see Onaga prepping a- Wow, I mean, there are only so many ways to do certain things, but that is just a countertop coffee maker. ¡­I shouldn¡¯t be surprised by that, so many other things are similar, if not the same.

    Hmm, I wonder if she''d let me have some. I''m not¡ªor possibly wasn¡¯t, still not sure¡ªone of those people who are so dependent on coffee that I had some every day, but I enjoyed it on occasion. And I do want to enjoy things again.

    ¡°Hey, Misdreavus?¡± Onaga says, pulling my attention back to her. I know she¡¯s addressing me, but it feels weird how she uses ¡®Misdreavus¡¯ as my name.

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡± I reply, more tentative than I¡¯d like. I can hear Weaver snicker beside me.

    Onaga glances at me, and, seeing that I¡¯m looking at her, continues, ¡°I''d like to ask if you can help me question Espeon later today since you can help keep him out of a feedback loop. Normally we''re allowed to offer things like food and basic aid for stuff like this, but I''m fairly certain it will be its own reward,¡± She doesn¡¯t quite ask me, filling the reservoir on the coffee maker.

    Yeah, I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s a limit to how much I can eat, but this is definitely testing that. And ¡®feedback loop¡¯? Is that why he¡¯s giving off less now?

    Should I stay? ¡°Weaver?¡± I ask the weavile, turning so I can see her again. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    She glances at me, then at Espeon, ¡°I-¡± She frowns, closing her book again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you to help, but¡­ I would appreciate it. Espeon¡¯s not- Well, you told me what he¡¯s feeling, so you already know,¡± She says, shrugging. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to get to know him yet, but Ryu¡¯s already treating him as part of the team, and he wants to be on it.¡±

    I sigh, then wince as Onaga puts a hand to her ear and shakes her head a bit at the sound. I have been having trouble finding things to do, so why not? ¡°Sure, I can do that,¡± I say, nodding at the ranger.

    ¡°Right,¡± Onaga nods. Turning back to the counter, she continues, ¡°We were going to collect that old piece of furniture from your den today, just so you¡¯re aware.¡±

    That¡¯s¡­ not the first time I¡¯ve heard someone call my cabin a den. And I can understand it, sort of, but it¡¯s a house. A small one, sure, but ¡®den¡¯ feels like where you¡¯d find some kind of dangerous- Oh, yeah, I guess I am, aren¡¯t I?

    Another burst of emotions, this time fear, terror, and surprisingly, a small bit of defiance has my focus moving back to Espeon. He''s still asleep, but I''m hoping his obvious nightmare is ending. The way emotions have been rolling off him in waves is interesting, but I''m willing to put it down to psychic-type strangeness.

    "Is he getting any better?" Weaver asks, noticing where I''m looking.

    "Maybe, I think I just tasted the first positive emotion from him,¡± I tell her, backing off from the unconscious pokemon slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good thing that I ate it.¡± Weaver hums at that, returning to flipping through her book.

    ¡°Did something change?¡± Onaga asks, glancing over her shoulder with one hand in a cabinet.

    I- Hmm, ¡°Maybe?¡± I say, equivocating with two arms. What happened to him to make him so afraid of whatever he¡¯s dreaming of? ¡­I guess I¡¯ll find out, won¡¯t I?

    I smell coffee. Glancing over, I see the ranger measuring a scoop of coffee grounds into the filter. Never mind not being one of those people who lived for the stuff, that small bit of familiarity has me wanting a cup, just to feel normal again. These last two weeks have been a mixed bag of strangeness, friendly faces, revelations¡ªgood and bad, and a growing sense that normal doesn¡¯t exist and is just a word.

    ¡°Could I have some?¡± I ask Onaga, pointing to the coffee maker.

    Weaver makes a choking noise, ¡°A- U- Uh, Smokey?¡± She says, seeming a bit off balance. ¡°You know how bitter that stuff is, right?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Onaga glances at me again, at what I¡¯m pointing at, then back to me with an odd half-smirk on her face, ¡°You want to try some of this when it¡¯s done?¡± She asks. I nod, which seems to reinforce her smirk, ¡°Okay.¡±

    I don''t miss the anticipation and small bit of mirth I start tasting after a moment before it''s washed away by defiance and fear. Ah, Espeon is clearly starting to feel better, that wasn''t a lot of fear.

    ¡°Smokey?¡± Weaver waves a hand in my face, ¡°You know what you¡¯re in for, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had coffee before,¡± I tell her, lightly pushing her hand away. ¡°I just¡­ I want things to feel normal, at least for a little bit.¡±

    ¡°And that involves drinking, that stuff?¡± She asks with a concerned look.

    "Kind of, yeah," I say, half shrugging. "It was fairly normal to drink at the beginning of the day where I worked. When I was human. And you know you can mix milk and sugar into it to make it more palatable, right?"

    Weaver pauses, thinking about it, then, ¡°Oh, okay. Yeah, I was just thinking about how Piplup reacted when he tried some. It makes sense you''d know what it''s like.¡± She grins slightly, ¡°You¡¯re going to surprise Ryuko when you don¡¯t spit it out.¡±

    We both share a small chuckle. Then the next wave of emotions hit me, it¡¯s a mix of sorrow and a kind of pleased happiness. ¡°Espeon isn¡¯t having a nightmare anymore,¡± I tell Weaver.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure, at least. He¡¯s a bit sad and happy at the same time, so I think he¡¯s just dreaming now,¡± I tell my friend.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± She says, seeming to lose a bit of tension. "I hope I won''t need to come grab you again later."

    "I don¡¯t mind,¡± I say, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m so bored half the time that having anything to do is good. Hey, you want to help me test something later?¡±

    Weaver gives me an obviously faked suspicious look, then grins, ¡°Sure, we might have some time before the day starts, depending on when he wakes up,¡± She says, pointing at Espeon. Then her eyes trace back to where Onaga is, ¡°Looks like your drink is ready.¡±

    And, indeed, the ranger is pouring out three steaming cups of coffee. ¡°It¡¯s hot,¡± She says, carrying one over to the table. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much heat you can take, so maybe let it cool off for a few minutes.¡±

    I¡¯m not totally sure how much I can take, either. My body''s so different from before that I don''t know what ''too much heat'' could be. Although, if most pokemon can take hits from fire-types like I assume¡­

    It takes me a moment to decide between physically gripping the cup and a psychic hold, but I decide to pick it up with an arm, wrapping the appendage around it. It''s hot, and I can tell it''s hot, but it''s not burning, so I''m assuming that regular heat isn''t a big problem for me. Onaga''s lips quirk up as I lift the drink to my face and blow-

    How the hell? I move the drink away and blow out a puff of air. I''m still not inhaling, and I don''t know if this counts as exhaling because I don''t feel any air moving inside me.

    "You okay?" Onaga asks, glancing between my face and the cup.

    I nod, still distracted by how I''m moving air. I think I''ll put it down as another ghost thing for now, as that makes at least some sense. In the same way that I can make noise by wanting to sigh. Or make noise in general, I guess.

    I decide to focus on my drink again. Bringing it to my mouth, I take a tentative sip to test the temperature, then down a mouthful. It¡¯s honestly much better than the cheap stuff I¡¯ve had before at work, and the simple action does make me feel more grounded.

    Onaga blinks, she''s smiling, but her eyes are a bit concerned and I can taste the confusion. After a moment where she seems to be waiting for me to do something, I take another drink. ¡°Okay, I wasn¡¯t expecting that,¡± She chuckles, joining Weaver in the action. ¡°Are you enjoying it, or just messing with me?¡±

    I consider that, then decide to shrug and take another sip before setting the now half-full cup down.

    Onaga rolls her eyes, "Yeah, definitely friends with Weaver," She mutters. "I''m going to take Katie her cup now, be right back." She grabs one of the remaining two cups, stops to look at me one more time, and then leaves the room.

    ¡°Were you messing with her?¡± Weaver asks, still chuckling slightly.

    ¡°Only after she asked,¡± I reply, drifting over one of the chairs by the rectangular table. ¡°Like I said, it was normal for me to have a cup some days.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± The weasel-cat shrugs. ¡°So, what have you been doing?¡±

    She''s starting the small talk now? ¡­Things did happen rather fast. ¡°Practicing, some control exercises Marshal told me about, and this,¡± I say, summoning an orb.

    Weaver stiffens slightly, ¡°Please tell me that¡¯s not destructive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I say, flicking it at myself and once more feeling something like gravity. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what it is, really, but it doesn¡¯t explode.¡±

    Weaver looks at me a moment longer, and then her eyes narrow, "Was that what you were throwing around yesterday?"

    I¡­ When did she see me doing that? ¡°Yeah, I was. How did you know that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Ryu and I saw you while we were headed for Nabiki. It was hard not to, with how many flashes there were,¡± Weaver tells me, resting her head on the back of one hand. ¡°You then proceeded to throw a lot of them at one of the guided groups, remember? And we got to hear all about that.¡±

    ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with them at the time,¡± I admit, deciding to take another sip of my drink.

    ¡°I gathered, yeah,¡± Weaver laughs, shaking her head. ¡°Should make them leave you alone though.¡±

    ¡°I hope it does,¡± I say as Onaga reenters the room.

    The woman looks at Espeon, then at me before glancing at Weaver and sighing as she moves to pick up her coffee. ¡°My routine is shot for the day, Weaver, so we won¡¯t be going for a run,¡± She says, sipping at her drink. "I''m tempted to try using a chesto to wake Espeon up, but I think he needs the sleep." She pauses for several moments, slowly sipping her coffee. "How is he doing, anyway?" She asks me.

    The waves of flavor the psychic cat has been giving off are mostly minor, indistinct flashes of random emotion now. ¡°You¡¯re better at this than me Weaver,¡± I say, looking at the other feline in the room, ¡°Can you let her know he¡¯s sleeping peacefully?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± She says, giving me a wry sort of smile. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to it, though. Watch.¡± Having said that, she clasps her hands together, places the side of her head on them, closes her eyes, and ever so slightly smiles.

    Deciding to play it up, I sweep my arms as if to present the scene to Onaga. ¡°Like that,¡± I say, tasting relief and amusement.

    ¡°I can see why you two get along,¡± She smiles. ¡°And thank you for helping Espeon.¡±

    I did almost nothing but show up and eat, but I¡¯m glad to have helped. I give the woman a nod before downing the last of my beverage, sighing contentedly. Still feels odd, but it¡¯s the good kind of odd feeling, like you could bask in it all day and not be tired of it.

    My mind wanders in peace as we all remain silent, Onaga slowly sipping from her cup with her eyes closed. And Weaver occasionally flipping a page in her book, a small, genuine smile on her face.

    A thought from from about twenty-eight hours ago resurfaces, "Hey, Weaver?" I say, grabbing both my target''s and Onaga''s attention before the latter realizes I''m talking to the weavile. "Where exactly is Almia? Or, scratch that, where is everything?"

    Weaver lets out a raspberry at that, "That''s a big question. Let me think¡­" She trails off, searching the ceiling. "I''m pretty sure we have some maps of Almia and Sinnoh, but I don''t know about a world map. Maybe at the library?" She answers, eyes landing on me.

    I nod, ¡°Okay then. And you¡¯re still going to teach me to read?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I said I would, so I will,¡± She confirms, nodding back. ¡°We could probably start today¡­¡± She trails off, eyes shifting to the passed-out pokemon, still on the table for some reason. ¡°Or maybe not, I think it depends on how things go with him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure what¡¯s going to happen there,¡± I say. ¡°What do I do if he starts messing with his emotions again?¡±

    ¡°You tell me, and I stop him,¡± Weaver shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple. I¡¯m Ryu¡¯s second, and he¡¯s still young.¡±

    That makes another thought from around twenty-nine hours ago strike me, ¡°How¡­ How old is he?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but he shouldn¡¯t be an espeon yet,¡± Weaver tells me, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m hoping we can find out what happened, soon.¡±

    The silence feels a bit heavier after that.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°Sorry, Boss, but since the Rangers got involved there¡¯s been too many eyes for us to try and get them out," The grunt''s voice rattles down the line.

    I withhold a sigh, ¡°And the extraction team?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard from them, but the Rangers haven¡¯t said anything to the police about something out there, so we should be good.¡±

    ¡°What of the capture teams and the freight?¡±

    ¡°The capture teams are almost ready, they should be able to start tonight. And the freight¡­ Sorry, Boss, but we can¡¯t get to it anymore, the Rangers were the ones who dealt with it.¡±

    Unfortunate, those shipments constituted the majority of the profit from this venture. Hmm, Perhaps¡­ ¡°You had told me that someone approached you with an offer of aid to extract our people from custody, take it. A connection may be the most valuable return we can gain now.¡±

    ¡°Got it, Boss. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say curtly, hanging up the phone.

    Only now, without anyone to witness, do I allow myself a sigh.

 Bonny Fox: II â€“ Dark Thoughts

    Zorua gazed at the sleeping form of his new companion, the warnings of his elders swirling through his mind.

    ''Never be seen, boy. The humans cannot be allowed to know of us.'' ''Don''t listen to any promises of friendship. They are lies, meant to lure us into captivity.'' ''Do not, under any circumstance, allow yourself a life debt to an outsider. Our nature will compel us to repay it.''

    Despite the numerous times he had heard the warnings repeated¡ªand the various forms they had taken¡ªhe had done all three, in the span of a few hours no less.

    His tribe wasn''t here, however. His former friends had left him for dead and before long he had stumbled into the human hunter''s trap. Then the human girl had come. She had seen him, and in her eyes had been pity, then curiosity and wonder. Then she had saved him, and he immediately knew why the elders had warned him.

    He would protect the human with his life. It felt¡­ meaningful, and warm in a way only his parents had made him feel before.

    Then had come the most shocking part to Zorua, she had heard him.

    Humans were deaf. This was the truth, indisputable, undeniable, immutable fact. The girl didn¡¯t seem to care, she had spoken to him as if it were natural, normal even, and Zorua had been unable to contain his excitement.

    This simple act from the girl had thrown much of what Zorua had been told into question. Had the elders lied? Or were they simply ignorant? And if they were so wrong about this, what else might they not know?

    He was going to lead the girl to her fellow humans, regardless. However, he was now faced with a problem: The need to be seen.

    He would need to disguise himself, but as what? He wasn¡¯t skilled enough to manage a fa?ade larger or smaller than himself yet. Perhaps a blitzle or small herdier? He would need to be silent either way, as he hadn¡¯t yet learned to alter sound.

    A blitzle, he decided, and took on the seeming of one, size unchanged.

    The vulpine pokemon inspected his human again. She was shivering slightly, the cold of the early Autumn night evidently affecting her.

    He frowned and stepped over to curl his body as far around her as possible, thoughts drifting back over the last two hours. She had showered him in affection, carried him until he had lied to her that he could stand without pain, and seemed genuine in how lost she was.

    He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn¡¯t feeling a level of connection with the girl.

    Zorua¡¯s musings were stalled as the girl began shivering again, worse than before. That wasn¡¯t good, Zorua himself was starting to feel the cold and the human didn¡¯t have a fur coat to help keep her warm.

    He considered the problem. He didn¡¯t have the hands or the knowledge many zoroark possessed to be able to start a fire with nothing save dried plants and time. He also lacked the uncommon ability to create and control fire-wisps some of his former tribe crowed about.

    As a cold wind blew over them, Zorua realized he had to do something. How far was it to the human town? Perhaps back to the human farm? They had walked for quite some time, so Zorua felt it more likely he would be able to reach the human town first.

    However, if he did so, he would need to leave Maeve behind. Unacceptable, he was the only thing keeping her warm and protected at the moment. What else could he do, though? It would be hours until the sun rose and brought warmth to the world again, and although he would be able to last, she wouldn''t.

    He felt then, that it was fortune, or perhaps misfortune, then, when the voice of another breached his increasing uncertainty, "Dying, she is? Waiting, you are? Dark thinking, failure is. When gone she is, take her I will?"

    Zorua turned his eyes and thoughts to the intruder, a pokemon he didn¡¯t recognize. A green ovaloid within a sphere of deeper green gel, unblinking black eyes observing both him and his human.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    "I don''t know what to do," Zorua growled, rising to his paws. "But I won''t let you near her. So if you don''t want to help, leave."

    ¡°A challenge, you broach? Aid for victory, I offer. Wounded you are, acceptable this is.¡± The intruder spoke, glowing as she prepared to strike.

    Despite being wounded, Zorua was fast. The moment his now opponent began to glow, he allowed his doubt, fear, pain, and once impotent anger at himself to flow freely.

    He burned them all as fuel.

    His claws lengthened, digging into the dirt as they grew sharper, the very air becoming heavy with his dark thoughts as he launched himself at the other pokemon.

    The intruder¡¯s attack, a wave of violet and indigo force, landed while Zorua was in mid-air, breaking upon the fox¡¯s equine fa?ade and doing nothing save stirring the air.

    The spheroid pokemon was surprised, though she had little time to show this as Zorua landed upon her, raking his claws through her outer layer again and again. His fury at the seemingly inevitable death of the human he owed his life was made manifest in his strikes.

    His opponent attempted to disengage with another colorful wave of force at first, but it seemed the energy wouldn''t obey. Zorua kept scratching and swiping, becoming less enraged and more desperate as his thoughts were now focused on Maeve and the burning in his leg.

    How could he save her? This other pokemon said they would offer aid when he won, but how could he trust that?

    He was pushed back suddenly, as a shield of teal light expanded around the, now very wounded, spherical pokemon.

    ¡°¡­Win I cannot, clear to me it becomes.¡± She said, wounds beginning to heal as the shield faltered. ¡°No ability to harm you I have.¡±

    ¡°Why did you challenge me like that!?¡± Zorua demanded, snarling in frustration.

    ¡°Thrill and strength I seek. ¡­Though hungry, I am.¡± The other pokemon spoke. ¡°Found both, I have. Solosis I am, and follow you I shall.¡±

    ¡°W- Why were y- you two fighting?¡± Zorua heard Maeve speak through chattering teeth. ¡°Where i- is Zorua?¡±

    The fox in question gave one last glare at the now-named Solosis, before he turned and let his guise dissolve, moving towards his human. "I thought I should conceal myself." He answered her last question first. "And I was trying to protect you from her."

    ¡°Succeed, you did.¡± Comments Solosis behind him.

    ¡°I- I s- see¡­¡± Maeve spoke uncertainly, continuing to shiver as she glanced between the two pokemon. ¡°C- Can either of y- you use your m- magic to warm me u- up?¡±

    ¡°Magic, the human asks?¡± queried Solosis, moving next to Zorua.

    ¡°It¡¯s n- not magic?¡± His human asked, now confused as well as freezing.

    ¡°¡­Listens, she does.¡±

    "You said you would help," Zorua stated, still watching the human. "She needs heat, and the only thing I can think of is other humans."

    ¡°And leave you cannot.¡± Observed Solosis. ¡°Attention I shall bring. A little time will I need.¡± She stated, before glowing and floating farther along the way Zorua had been leading Maeve.

    Zorua watched her go, stepping over to wrap himself around Maeve again. He could feel the world growing colder.

    ¡°What d- did she mean b- by ¡®l- listens¡¯?¡± Maeve asked the fox, uncertainty in her tone.

    ¡°From what my elders told me, humans can¡¯t understand us. You¡¯re supposed to think us animals.¡± He murmured, thinking on what Solosis was doing.

    She had said she would bring the human''s attention, though that could be a ruse. Merely leave sight and wait for Maeve to freeze, a simple plan. If that did happen, Zorua would hunt Solosis down and ensure the pokemon would gain nothing from it.

    ¡­Except those with her power were meant to be intelligent, so she should know it would end in her death.

    "You''re s- so s- soft and warm," Maeve said sleepily, picking Zorua up and hugging him to her chest.

    A moment of silence passed, only the increasing howl of wind their companion. ¡°I¡¯m g- going to die here, a- aren¡¯t I?¡± The question was hardly a question. Despite the sleepy tone, she asked it with such certainty that it frightened Zorua.

    "I- I don''t know," Zorua admitted, desperately wishing he was a pansear, a tepig, or even a larvesta. Anything that could warm the girl up. "Solosis said she was trying to alert the humans, I hope she is¡­"

    ¡°Humans¡­?¡± Maeve said, voice drifting, ¡°I wonder how they¡¯ll get here¡­¡±

    It took Zorua longer than he¡¯d like to admit to realize the girl had fallen asleep.

 Chapter 18

    Once Onaga decided she¡¯d rather get started on breakfast, she let Weaver carry Espeon into the break room so we could ¡®have fun¡¯ instead of sitting around a table. So, Weaver is finally getting around to teaching me to read.

    I, however, appear to be a dirty cheater when it comes to remembering things. After all, I only need to pay attention, and the looks Weaver has been giving me are great.

    Sinnohan has thirty-eight characters¡ªwith a whole eleven of them being vowels, reads right to left, and has no written spaces. Though it thankfully does have punctuation. And I¡¯d asked Weaver what she had meant when she said she couldn¡¯t teach me because she can¡¯t make the sounds.

    She proceeded to pull out a book, point at a letter, and say, ¡°Wea.¡± Then the next letter, ¡°Wea.¡± I¡¯d gotten the idea by then, but she still pointed to another and, surprisingly, somehow said, ¡°Wea.¡±

    The translation thing is weird.

    ¡°I spent months learning this,¡± The weavile grumbles. ¡°And I had Ryu teaching me. Even Espeon was having issues, and he¡¯s a psychic, but you¡¯re not even trying and we¡¯re already on the third video.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also not really learning it,¡± I say, shaking my head. ¡°That will take months, maybe years, at least.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not learning it?¡± Weaver asks.

    ¡°I mean this is just memorization, which I have an unfair advantage with, but I''m not learning it yet,¡± I explain. ¡°If I tried to read something I¡¯d spend most of the time referencing my memory instead of reading, just trying to figure out how to read the symbols. I¡¯ll have learned the language well enough when I can simply read it.¡±

    Weaver blinks, looks at the dictionary she¡¯d pulled out, up at the paused video on the TV, and back down to the dictionary, her eyes scanning over words. ¡°Huh, I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± She says, blinking again. ¡°When did I become able to understand what I read that easily?¡±

    I chuckle, ¡°I can¡¯t help you there, but that¡¯s what I mean, you¡¯ve learned the language. I feel like I¡¯m cramming for a test.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, okay then,¡± Weaver shrugs, then flicks an ear and turns her head toward the hallway, ¡°Morning Karlos,¡± She waves.

    I turn to see a man I can only describe as a ripped dad smiling at us from the doorway. He has sandy-blonde hair, green eyes, and, while he''s well-muscled, he is rather hefty-looking. "Weaver," He greets, waving back with a yawn. "Since Onaga isn''t in here I''m going to assume something happened last night?"

    Weaver gives him a nod, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    He sighs, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll need to ask her about it. Does she know you have the misdreavus in here?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Weaver nods, confused. Then she points to the still unconscious Espeon, ¡°But they¡¯re here to help him.¡±

    That makes the man frown slightly, "Mmm, I''ll go find her, then." He quickly steps out of sight.

    "Must be seven o''clock," Weaver says, standing to stretch in a way I''d call impossible if she weren''t so feline. "We should probably stop here for now."

    ¡°Sure, sounds good. I was starting to-¡± Hold on, ¡°That was four hours?¡± I ask as she ejects the tape.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I meant. You¡¯ve got such a freaky level of focus that we¡¯re already halfway through the video course,¡± She laughs, ¡°And you didn¡¯t even notice!¡±

    I really hadn¡¯t. ¡°So¡­¡± I trail off, looking for something else to think about before my eyes land on Espeon. ¡°Should we move him somewhere?¡±

    "Probably outside if the sun is coming up," Weaver says. "But we should ask Ryuko first. Give me a second." And with that, she leaves the room.

    I¡¯m not sure how long he¡¯s been asleep, so I don¡¯t know if I should be concerned that he¡¯s still splayed on his side, sleeping. He¡¯s also still only giving off vague, small bursts of emotions right now, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s about to wake up. I still need to get his story from Weaver, as she hasn¡¯t told me much about him yet, but I can make some guesses.

    He¡¯s missing fur, I can see his ribs, and he was more of an emotional wreck than I was, and I died. Weaver said Onaga had adopted him, but that''s obviously incomplete. Maybe I should get a better look at him again.

    It hardly takes any effort to shift from space to not-space, and I still can''t tell if his being so solid here is a psychic-type thing or not. His eye is closed, and those armor-like plates around him are still present, but there''s the start of the typical sphere I''ve seen around almost everyone who''s not a dim gray. I still need to figure out what the colors are about. And the uncomfortable thing with most humans.

    Casting my gaze around, I see four bright, human shapes and two smaller, dimmer orbs. Two of the bright spots are in the showers, and two are in the kitchen with a very hard-to-make-out silhouette next to them. One of the dim orbs is still in the sleeping quarters, with the other being where Weaver said the Operators worked.

    I''m definitely glowing brighter now, a shifting ____ and ____ revealing the walls of the room. What''s the difference? The Rangers look like they should be casting color, but they don''t. And yet, they''re brighter than some of the younger pokemon I''ve seen, and those pokemon cast color, so¡­ Why not?

    And then I have the two brightest things I¡¯ve seen here, and one of them was a human¡­ I think? I don¡¯t know where to start with trying to learn about that.

    Maybe I should move learning to read up on my priority list. I have the time, after all. And Weaver can point me to¡­ Will they let a ghost into the library? Well, ''let,'' I''m almost certain I can pass through just about anything, so it''s not like a few walls will stop me from getting in. That feels rude though, and I don''t know how people would react to me doing something like that.

    "What are you doing, Smokey?" Weaver''s voice echoes.

    I move back to where she can hear me, ¡°Checking on Espeon. And thinking, mostly. What are we doing with him?¡±

    ¡°Moving him outside, like I thought. Ryu will be trying to wake him up again, soon,¡± Weaver says, moving to pick the big cat up. She stops before she has her arms under the other feline, looking at me, ¡°Could you carry him this time? He¡¯s a bit awkward for me.¡±

    He is nearly the same size as her. ¡°Sure,¡± I say, creating a zone around Espeon- Huh, that¡¯s an odd feeling. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s psychic-type? Regardless, I can lift him rather easily, bringing the cat about a foot-and-a-half off the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to need to get used to that, with him around,¡± Weaver comments as she leaves the room, letting me float Espeon after her as I trail behind.

    "What, floating objects?" I ask, and Weaver moves to hold the lobby door open.

    ¡°Yeah, although I think he¡¯s been afraid to touch much of anything,¡± She replies, literally bouncing to the main doors. ¡°Or he may have been too busy trying not to make Ryu worry, I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°Trying not to make her worry? Not, trying to stave off an extra-spicy panic attack?¡± I ask, setting the pink cat down outside.

    ¡°There were some things on espeon that I read. You remember those papers?¡±

    ¡°Weaver,¡± I say, leveling the feathery weasel with a flat gaze, ¡°I remember almost everything that¡¯s happened to me since I woke up, and you reading that was only around thirty-four hours ago.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure you aren¡¯t psychic?¡± She retorts with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°No, but I¡¯m pretty sure, at least.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ Anyway, espeon apparently do this thing where they pick someone and synchronize themselves to them. That includes letting the other person feel what they do, so I think that¡¯s why he was holding it all back,¡± Weaver explains, leaning against the outside wall next to the doors. "How long until he wakes up, do you think?"

    ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea,¡± I say, tasting the surroundings. ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed yet, though.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I feel myself stirring out of a restful slumber, the first I¡¯ve had outside my ball in some time. I stretch, feeling the sunlight fill me with energy as I idly seek out my anchor¡­

    And start to flail, trying to find my footing as fragments of when I was last awake return to me. My anchor stabilizes, and-

    Oh, she¡¯s disappointed, slightly angry, and very concerned, meaning that I¡¯m disappointed, slightly angry, and very concerned. And she¡¯s standing only a few meters away. I turn my eyes on her, all three taking in the scene.

    Ryuko¡¯s second is leaning against the building behind her, one eyebrow raised as the weavile considers me. And there, floating too close to my anchor, is the maelstrom, free power and emotions orbiting around and falling into them without end.

    ¡°I hope you know that you shouldn¡¯t have let things go that far,¡± My anchor says, radiating her disappointment, disapproval, and sadness through our connection. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to ask you some questions, and I want honest answers. Understood?¡± She isn¡¯t happy. Oh no. No no no no no! I don¡¯t want to fall into- into¡­

    The maelstrom is pulling everything away. Hadn¡¯t they said something about eating the emotions? Oh! That must be why my dreams faded to something so pleasant after I fell unconscious, I thought I¡¯d been lucky enough to gain control, yet the pull the maelstrom is exerting is so strong that I¡¯d need to actively attempt to keep my emotions contained at this distance.

    It¡¯s still a bit uncomfortable, but they haven¡¯t been cruel, or even particularly unpleasant. No, the maelstrom is simply odd, I can feel them, yet at the same time I can¡¯t find their mind or emotions. And despite that, their body sits there in the ether, suspended by the void hanging from their neck, permeating through the rest of their body.

    And thankfully, despite their gnawing presence, the flow through my anchor is unaffected. Or, doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ Oh. Miss Ryuko is frowning at me, evidently able to feel some of what I am. I extend my reach slightly to peer deeper.

    ¡®Nine Sages, it¡¯s coming through a lot stronger now.¡¯ ¡®-need locations, times, activities, people-¡¯ ¡®What is he doing? Wait, are you-¡¯

    She¡¯s exasperated now.

    And she''s also evidently aware of me, her eyes narrowing. I send my affirmation and regret along our connection, nodding ashamedly.

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s fairly natural for you,¡± Miss Ryuko mutters. ¡°Don¡¯t think we won¡¯t talk about this if it becomes an issue,¡± She fixes her eyes on me, letting me feel the conviction in her mind. She then steadies her breathing, and continues, ¡°Right, let''s start with ''why'' then,¡± She says, bringing out a notepad. ¡°So, why were you hiding how you feel?¡± I don''t need to exert myself to feel that she believes she already knows.

    "B- Because it hurts¡­" I timidly say, sending a fragment of the pain from my memories down the connection. I feel her receive it, though she doesn¡¯t visibly react.

    She hums, moving the writing utensil along the paper, ¡°I assumed as much, but my knowing that is all I¡¯d need to start finding some way to help.¡± I shrink back a little at her words, I can¡¯t refute that. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t be worried about bleed-through,¡± She says, making me wince as I realize how much she¡¯s picking up on at the moment. ¡°I was ready for that when I took you in. Now, do you know what country you¡¯re from?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Johto,¡± I nod, sending affirmation.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m going to start listing them off and I want you to stop me when I say the right one,¡± The human says, standing slightly straighter. ¡°Sinnoh, Orre, Kanto, Johto-¡±

    ¡°There,¡± I say, nodding again.

    ¡°Right, and I already asked if you had a trainer,¡± She mutters, once more moving pen across paper. ¡°And why were you hesitant to return to them?¡±

    Oh¡­ How do I get that across? I send ambivalence and then the anger I felt in those last moments with Mitsuaki as I protected him, when I became more to protect him.

    When he abandoned me.

    Even as I feel the rage course through my system, it doesn''t spiral out of control, the all-consuming hole in reality that is the maelstrom pulling the emotions away after I¡¯ve processed them.

    ¡°Hmm, that felt complicated¡­¡± Ryuko says, turning her eyes on her second, Weaver. ¡°Do you think the two of you together could get it across?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± The weavile says, pushing off from the wall to move toward me. ¡°So, what happened?¡± She asks with the same gentleness she¡¯s had since Ryuko told her to make me welcome.

    ¡°I- My trainer and I had been making our way through Johto,¡± I begin, doing my best to ignore the outpouring that remembering it causes until it¡¯s all pulled away by the maelstrom. ¡°It was only us a- and our team at the time, and when we were attacked-¡±

    I stop, allowing the anger to dissipate before continuing, ¡°I was sent out, and once the humans saw me they started pushing harder, trying to get all of Mitsuaki¡¯s pokeballs. They were- were going to hurt him, so I did my best to stay calm and store power for a combination we¡¯d been working on together. And I wanted to protect everyone so I kept pushing for more, but it- I lost control of it, and by the time the pain from the backlash stopped I was- it was too late, and I realized I was e- evolving.¡±

    Pain, isolation, and disgust rise from the memory of that moment, as vivid now as they were then. I need to stop, to let- to let the maelstrom pull it all away again. I realize I''m not breathing once my lungs start burning, and make a conscious effort to do so.

    ¡°He hated- When Mitsuaki saw what had happened, what I¡¯d become, he pulled me back into my ball and threw me at the other humans, I didn¡¯t see where he went after that, but- but-¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The sorrow and self-recrimination of the days that followed and the constant anger, apathy, and purposeful pain from the last four months begin to drown me again.

    Why wasn¡¯t I good enough? Why did he throw me away? What did I do wrong? Was I wrong to want to protect him? How could I have done things better? Why is- How should- What made- How can- Why can¡¯t- Why? Why? Why? Why?! Why?! Why?!

    I¡¯m- I¡¯m not falling anymore. I glance up at the maelstrom and see their eyes filled with concern and sympathy. I breathe slowly to center myself, then reestablish my anchor.

    ¡°He left me, he threw me away because I disgusted him,¡± I whisper. ¡°He used me to let him escape, and- and-¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough,¡± Weaver says softly, her eyes staring through me. ¡°Um, Smokey? Do you have that trick of yours working yet? That¡¯s a lot to communicate¡­¡±

    ¡°Not all that well, no. And it won¡¯t work in the sun, in any case,¡± The maelstrom, Smokey, says, their voice ringing with layers of emotion and untapped power. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just write it down?¡±

    ¡°That- that never crossed my mind,¡± Weaver admits, shrugging. ¡°But it¡¯s not like I can hold a pen without¡­¡± She trails off, staring at one of her hands, her pupils dilating to the degree that her irises vanish. ¡°Oh. Uh, one second,¡± She says, vanishing through the doors in a blur of speed.

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± My anchor says, confusion and amusement flowing into me. ¡°I wonder what idea she¡¯s had now?¡±

    It wasn''t the weavile''s idea, but I don¡¯t have the chance to say anything before the dark-type returns with the same alacrity with which she left, now holding a sheaf of paper and a pencil. She sets the papers on the ground, maneuvers the pencil over them, and snaps the thin piece of wood in two.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± She says, looking at the remains of the implement.

    ¡°Were you¡­?¡± Miss Ryuko begins before chuckling, ¡°You were. I suppose there¡¯s enough that you finally felt the need to, then. Here," She says, handing her second a metal pen, "Don''t put too much pressure on it."

    The weavile carefully takes the pen, places it on one of the papers, and frowns as it punches through the delicate sheet.

    ¡°Here, set one on this and try,¡± Smokey says, and a plane of energy shimmers into existence.

    I haven¡¯t had much experience with physical manipulation yet, but it''s rather obvious that they''re achieving the effect with sheer force, not even bothering with constructing a base construct first. I don''t know if that implies a great deal of control, strength, or resistance to the always painful backlash.

    I feel some pride and burbling amusement flow down my anchor as Miss Ryuko puts a hand to her mouth, covering a smile and stifling a sigh as she watches what Weaver is doing. After fifteen seconds the weavile stops, having written five large symbols on the page, a frown crossing her features. ¡°I¡­ How do they make this look so easy?¡±

    ¡°¡®He¨ªs¡­ thre¡­¡¯¡± Miss Ryuko reads, still smiling. ¡°It¡¯s a start, and I¡¯m going to hang this on the fridge when we¡¯re done here.¡± The smile drops off her face and she sighs, ¡°Well, it¡¯s obviously complicated. I could tell just from the way you were feeling when talking about it,¡± She says, frowning as she looks at her second. ¡°Weaver, you can stop that for now, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll take too long at the moment.¡±

    ¡°But I-¡±The weavile cuts herself off, staring at the slip of paper. ¡°I¡­ okay.¡±

    Miss Ryuko sighs, rubbing at her forehead, ¡°I don¡¯t want to say it, but we¡¯ll probably need to wait until we can communicate better to talk about your former trainer.¡± The human growls, startling me, ¡°I hate this. Weaver, don¡¯t let me forget to talk to Espeon about it, and the same goes for you,¡± She says, speaking first to her second, then to me. ¡°And remember that Weaver and I will always be willing to help, okay?¡± She tells me, then turns to the weavile, ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Weaver says, performing a human salute.

    The human¡¯s eyes soften a little, ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s move on to the next question. Do you know where your captors moved through to get to Almia?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ believe Kanto and Sinnoh,¡± I tell her, though she doesn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°I''m going to start listing countries again, let me know when I''ve said the right ones,¡± She says, taking a breath before, ¡°Sinnoh,¡± I nod. ¡°Orre, Kanto-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all of them,¡± I say, nodding again and making sure to send a feeling of finality to make it understood.

    ¡°Right, now I need the time frame¡­¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I managed to get the general outline of when, where, and how Espeon got from Johto to here, and it''s about what I expected, aside from everything he feels when he thinks about parts of it. I should have realized something was wrong when his emotions only came through in small bursts.

    The misdreavus was helping, however, so I''m hopeful that he''ll get better. It presents a problem though, in that once Misdreavus left, Espeon closed himself off again.

    I glance at the front desk of the lobby, seeing Weaver still scribbling away. She has a look that tells me I¡¯m going to need to comfort her soon, one I remember very well from when I taught her to read. She¡¯s getting frustrated at her inability to do something she thinks should be easy.

    Now that she¡¯s started, though, she should be able to communicate complex things much more easily. ¡­once she gets the hang of it.

    I return my gaze to the floor, continuing to mop the accumulated dirt from so many boots marching over it, and, deciding that I might as well try, attempt to find Espeon through his bond. It doesn¡¯t work, as I¡¯m not a psychic and he¡¯s closed it off, but I can hope he felt me trying.

    There''s a knocking of something on glass, and I blink as I look up at the obvious trainer standing outside the main doors.

    I don''t personally have anything against trainers, it''s a decent career path for some, and, like people in general, most are decent human beings. But then you always have that one. The one who just has to ruin it for everyone else.

    I digress. The one standing in front of the doors looks like one of the good ones, with how close he''s standing to the croagunk. Speaking from experience, that takes trust. Croagunk tend to be violent when their personal space is breached. They- no, she, with the lower placed abdomen markings. She looks healthy, with no dry or cracked skin, well-developed muscles, no excess fat, and bright red rather than orange toxin nodules.

    I hope her trainer knows what that means. For his own sake.

    The man himself looks like he¡¯s spent more than his fair share out in the wilds, too. He¡¯s got the healthy build most good trainers have, and he¡¯s probably from Sinnoh, with a sharp face, naturally white hair, and tanned skin.

    Setting the mop in its bucket, I head for the doors. ¡°They¡¯re not locked,¡± I say, pulling one of the objects in question open. ¡°What do you need?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± The man says, now looking a bit nervous. ¡°I had some questions about¡­ recruiting?¡±

    Ah, the polite way of saying he wants to take a pokemon with him, also the legal way, as we can¡¯t truly stop the pokemon from going with someone if they want to. ¡°I¡¯m going to assume you know the basics.¡±

    ¡°No battling, no capturing, don¡¯t harass the pokemon¡­¡± The man says, trailing off as he tries to remember. ¡°I know there were two more, but that¡¯s not the question I had,¡± He says, lifting his pack off his shoulders and turning it around, revealing the joltik stuck firmly to it.

    Ah, that''s a bit different. ¡°Well,¡± I begin, quickly trying to recall the details about invasive species. ¡°We could stop you from moving them out of the country, and if you don¡¯t have a valid trainer license then you would have issues when trying to leave. But if they want to go with you there¡¯s not much we will do about it, so long as you don¡¯t break any laws around capture or training,¡± I inform him, pausing to review myself before continuing, ¡°There are some protected species you shouldn¡¯t interact with, but joltik are invasive, so it''s honestly encouraged. Especially if you can point either us or them toward the other.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, okay. I thought I was remembering right, but something a friend did had me questioning myself,¡± He says, nodding in relief. ¡°You catch all that, buddy?¡± He asks, addressing the joltik. ¡°You can come with us after all.¡±

    The arachnid lets out a buzzing, chittering sound.

    ¡°Okay! And, um¡­¡± The man articulates, glancing up, then farther up, ¡°You know there¡¯s an espeon on the roof, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I knew he was around here somewhere, yes,¡± I deadpan.

    The man chuckles, ¡°Right, yeah. Oh! Before I forget, I¡¯ve been camping in the western forest, and there¡¯s a troupe of wartortle laying siege to a swarm of beedrill a bit northwest,¡± He tells me. ¡°It¡¯s something to see, but I thought you might want to know.¡±

    ¡°We''re aware of the beedrill, but, unless it becomes a bigger issue, we''ll just let them keep at it.¡± Then I sigh, ¡°I do need to ask to see the tags you purchased for camping now, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Uh, sure. One second,¡± The man says, reaching a hand into his bag as Joltik scurries up his arm. The man is experienced, I''ll give him that, he didn''t react at all to the bug-type climbing him. "Here,¡± He says, attempting to hand me the yellow tags.

    I wave him off, ¡°It¡¯s just one of those things we¡¯re required to ask about, I only needed to see them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I get it,¡± He says, stuffing the laminated slips back into his bag. ¡°And you said something about pointing you to some joltik?¡±

    ¡°We need to find all of them that made their way here,¡± I say, deciding to lean on the door instead of just standing in it. ¡°It¡¯ll probably take until the end of Summer to wrap that up. So, you know where we can start looking?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I found this guy,¡± The man gestures to Joltik, who has made their way to his head, ¡°And a bunch more around the fence of one of those wool farms to the south of the city.¡±

    Hmm, that makes a good deal of sense, we would probably be getting a call about that in a few days then. "Thanks for letting us know. Is there anything else you need? Anything you''ve seen that might need dealing with?"

    ¡°Nah, not that I¡¯ve seen. It¡¯s mostly been an enjoyable vacation," He says, hoisting his bag. Then he stops mid-turn-around, "Actually, do you know if there''s somewhere relatively marshy around here? Stinger is ready to evolve, and she''d prefer to do it somewhere like that."

    "You''ll need to head to the southwest edge of Haruba to find something like that, sorry," I tell him.

    ¡°Yeah, I figured,¡± He nods. "Guess we might have to put that off until we''re back in Sinnoh, then," He says to Stinger. "We''ll head to the Great Marsh and make a day of it, sound good?"

    The amphibious pokemon waves her head side to side in equivocation before nodding, croaking out, ¡°Cro-gunk.¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks for the help then,¡± The man says as he finally finishes turning. ¡°Hope you have a good rest of your day!¡±

    I watch him go, then shake my head in disbelief. The first real walk-in we¡¯ve had in months, and they¡¯re a trainer doing the smart thing and checking. It¡¯s unbelievable how mundane that feels right now. I close the door and turn to go back to cleaning, then stop at the sight of Weaver.

    She''s holding a paper up to me, reading ''heLLo,'' and ''iM sorrY.''

    "You don''t need to be sorry," I tell her. "Just making the attempt is more than most pokemon do, you''ll get better at it."

    ¡°Weave,¡± she says, still sounding a bit despondent.

    ¡°I¡¯M FUCKING DONE WITH YOUR SHIT!¡± Katie¡¯s voice hammers through from the back.

    I exchange a look with Weaver. It sounds like Katie hit her breaking point, as that was all in Unovan. ¡°I think we should check on that,¡± I tell my partner.

    ¡°Weavile,¡± She agrees, visibly burning off her emotions in a black cloud as she heads deeper into the building.

    I follow, slightly worried about what could have sent Katie over the edge. Looking into the radio room, I see that she''s not talking into a comms unit, but holding one of the phones, and I get the feeling she must have slammed the receiver onto the body of the device, given her white-knuckled grip. Katie looks like she swallowed a lemon, and her foot is beating a hole into the floor.

    She sees me in the doorway and sighs, ¡°I guess you heard that, then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What happ-¡± I¡¯m cut off as the phone starts ringing.

    ¡°That. That is what keeps happening,¡± Katie growls, taking a shaking hand off the phone.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± I ask, stepping into the room.

    ¡°A woman calling the emergency line to complain about a raticate, growlith, and chatot that stole her food. In Pueltown.¡± Katie visibly tries for calm as she looks at the ringing phone, ¡°She won¡¯t stop calling, and hasn''t stopped insulting me since I told her we can''t help. Could you pick it up, I need to contact the police in Pueltown to report an abuse of the emergency system.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I tell her, reaching for the receiver.

    I hold the receiver to my ear, ¡°That was extremely unprofessional, hanging up like that! I demand to speak to someone higher up!¡± A woman¡¯s voice grates on my ears.

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking to her now,¡± I say, calmly. ¡°Area Ranger Onaga Ryuko.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, finally! I thought you people were supposed to be organized. There are these pokemon that stole half the food from our event and you need to catch them, it was very expensive!¡±

    I give the phone a sidelong look as I wonder just what this woman thinks Rangers do, then reply, ¡°Where in Vientown is this taking place?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?! I¡¯m in Pueltown, we rented out one of the parks for this!¡±

    Uh-huh, sure. ¡°Which park exactly, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Edwin Park,¡± The voice says tersely.

    ¡°Okay then, ma¡¯am. Now, I¡¯m likely going to tell you the same things our operator told you. This is the Vientown emergency line, we do not catch pokemon, and you should stop calling this number.¡±

    ¡°Excuse-¡±

    ¡°This line,¡± I say, speaking over the woman, ¡°Is reserved for immediate response to situations involving a pokemon being in danger or a pokemon putting someone else in danger, and it is not to be called unless such a scenario is taking place. Pokemon stealing food is not an emergency and should be reported to the local rangers on the civilian helpline. Have a nice day."

    I hang up the phone.

    ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re justified in simply hanging up on her if she calls again,¡± I tell Katie once she¡¯s done with her report.

    ¡°Okay. Okay, yeah,¡± She says, her hands still slightly shaking in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll stop her, but thanks for trying.¡±

    ¡°Anytime. And I mean that, anytime. Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s just¡­ everything right now,¡± Katie sighs. ¡°I hope that Top Ranger manages to get something done about it.¡±

    I nod in agreement stepping out of the room as the phone starts ringing again.

    ¡°Is she alright?¡± Karlos quietly asks from his office door.

    ¡°Probably not,¡± I admit. ¡°She¡¯s getting more stressed every day.¡±

    ¡°I''ve noticed. And she hasn''t really been able to do much else but work and sleep¡­¡± He trails off, thinking. ¡°What about a movie tonight? I know it¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s something, at least.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone will say no,¡± I tell the man, half shrugging. ¡°If it¡¯s for her though, maybe let her pick the movie?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Karlos nods. ¡°Oh, and would you empty the shredder bins in here?¡± He asks, gesturing into his office.

    ¡°Yeah, give me a few minutes to finish mopping the lobby first.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    My anchor moves through the building beneath my feet, calm as she has been since she saved me. I can¡¯t help but wish she had been the one to raise me, to teach me. She won¡¯t abandon me.

    Yet the voice of experience says otherwise. It whispers that she is only the next risk, the next potential wound. I aggressively smother that voice. I''ve felt who she is, and she cares too much to do that.

    She tried to reach out, unable to truly feel the anchor, yet attempting to anyway. I allow myself to fall farther into the bond, washing away the harsh edges of thoughts and memories I want to avoid. It¡¯s not as effective as the maelstrom, but it¡¯s still easier now.

    My eyes begin to move, tracking something in the room below me, just out of reach.

    ¡®-to fix it?¡¯ ¡®Katie needs a vacation, not just-¡¯ ¡®-Probably need the misdreavus¡¯ help-¡¯ ¡®There you are.¡¯

    Oh no, she¡¯s felt me pushing again. I hope she isn¡¯t-

    ¡®-Still so frail-¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s too young for-¡¯

    Her concern, empathy, and a calming pulse of certainty flow from her to me. I respond with affirmation and uncertainty. I am feeling better, but I don¡¯t want her to experience what I am.

    I don¡¯t enjoy drowning in fear, anger, pain, and apathy, and I''m certain she wouldn''t either. She doesn¡¯t deserve it.

    I never, ever felt this way about Mitsuaki, he¡¯s¡­ he was a friend, at one point. But it¡¯s everyone else I miss more, Flaaffy, Elekid, and Magnemite. We- We¡¯d been working so well together, we were almost to the third badge!

    But Mitsuaki, he- Why?!

    NO! No, no no no no nonononono. Focus on Miss Ryuko, she loves me. ¡­But she likes all pokemon, doesn¡¯t she?

    I¡¯m starting to hyperventilate. It doesn¡¯t matter if she feels a connection to all pokemon, she¡¯ll hug me if I ask. That¡¯s what¡¯s important. Focus on that.

    I¡¯m starting to miss the maelstrom already.

 Chapter 19

    "-Ya sayin'' that''ll let us get our guys out, sir?" I ask the well-dressed man. He sorta reminds me of the boss, actually.

    ¡°Tomorrow, once I¡¯ve finished the final adjustments, yes,¡± He curtly replies. ¡°Hastings is a fool to waste its potential.¡±

    ¡°What does it even do?¡± Timothy asks, earning a glare ¡®cause he forgot the man¡¯s rules. ¡°S- Sorry, sir. What does it do, Mr. Kincaid?¡±

    ¡°Nothing at the moment, currently it is no more than a broken resonant empathy device.¡± He sighs at the blank looks we give him, ¡°The circle-things you see the Rangers wearing to let them quickly establish themselves with pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Uh, but you had us carry the whole crate of them in here? S- Sir!¡± Tim says, letting his curiosity make mistakes for him.

    Mr. Kincaid seems to like it though, ¡°Hmm, yes. As they are now the devices are limited by three factors, I intend to overcome two using these parts, and the third with something near unique. Now,¡± He says, turning sharply to look at us, ¡°I will be bringing one of my students in to aid me, I expect you to be silent and supply any labor asked of you, understood?¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Espeon was- Well, I knew how he was feeling, obviously, but learning why was something else. I cried both times my dogs died, growing up, and the thought of using them to escape something just¡­

    And Espeon is a person. No, it¡¯s worse than that, he¡¯s a child. Sure, I¡¯ve been around annoying children before, but you don¡¯t throw them away because they- they disgust you. That¡­ it¡­ I noticed the different ways people were acting toward me, but it¡¯s not just me, is it? I¡¯ve heard a lot of people around here complain about tourists, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard them say that about the local humans.

    And then there''s the praise for the Rangers. Which¡­ might be warranted? They seem to care about us-

    Us. The pokemon.

    ¡­

    Nope, still not freaking out about that, huh? I don''t know if I should be glad for that or not. ¡­I was thinking about something else a moment ago; Espeon. I think he''s had a worse time than I have, genuinely. I got a nice, easy few days of panic and stress, and I''m pretty sure he was effectively emotionally tortured for months. It''s easy to see why he''d have such an iron grip over his emotions if that''s what he''s feeling half the time.

    Oh, and I¡¯m at my destination.

    ¡°Is this a bad time?¡± I ask the colony, watching as they treat two roselia, a roserade, and a torterra to what looks like a rather¡­ thorough cleaning or grooming treatment.

    ¡°Prime-Daughter-Two greets {non-hostile, potential ally} Apprentice-Of-Order-Bringer,¡± A singular voice answers, surprising me as the vespiquen buzzes closer. ¡°Individual¡¯s concern unfounded, {I, We} are not in combat.¡± She regards me for a moment, ¡°Information requested, {reason, purpose} for individual¡¯s approach.¡±

    ¡°Boredom, curiosity, trying to escape my own thoughts,¡± I freely admit to her¡­ them¡­ whatever the right word is.

    ¡°Individual¡¯s reasoning is {odd, eccentric, strange}, yet {sufficient, tolerable, lacking, acceptable},¡± Prime-Daughter-Two buzzes, then seems to glare at the rest of her hive for a moment. It¡¯s a bit hard to tell when she has compound eyes. ¡°Individual cannot {consume, exhaust, occupy} {my} {attention, focus, will} at the {existing, present} time. {My} {regrets, apologies, contrition},¡± She, and I¡¯m pretty sure it was only her, says, buzzing back to start working with the rest of her hive.

    Well¡­ shit. I need to find something else to do then.

    Except Marshal''s not at her lake, Leaf isn''t at the one spot I know he frequents, and it''s not like I can go bother Weaver during the work day.

    ¡­I think.

    But that still leaves me with the increasing problem of having nothing to do.

    Practice? I spent most of the night doing that. Marshal''s ¡®remain present¡¯ thing? I also spent most of the night doing that. Although, there''s nothing truly stopping me from doing it at any time. Eh, I don''t think I need to right now, honestly. Fixing my house?

    Hmm, That¡¯s not a bad idea. But I don¡¯t have the materials or tools to do it, although I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d need any tools¡­ But I haven¡¯t seen the city during the day yet either. So, why not? It¡¯s something to do.

    ***

    I guess most people here are used to pokemon doing random things around the city. Not that I¡¯ve been all that visible, but I¡¯d expected a bigger reaction to seeing a pair of floating eyes than just shrugging it off. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a nice thing or not, though a few seemed to panic for a moment.

    I don¡¯t need to, but I wait for the tram to finish crossing before continuing down the street I¡¯m on.

    I¡¯m now officially certain that there isn¡¯t a limit to how much I can eat, which makes me start wondering how I eat again. Yeah, it¡¯s definitely a weird pokemon thing, and I know it¡¯s probably fine at this point, but it¡¯s still just that, weird.

    And I''m starting to feel a bit like a creep, remaining mostly invisible while I float around, sometimes following a street, sometimes a tram, and once or twice one of the locals. The local pokemon, that is. However, I am starting to think most people''s reactions to seeing me would just be shock before they brush it off as normal.

    The pokemon are clearly more aware of me than the humans, but they''ve just glanced my way before returning to whatever they were doing. It¡¯s more of a general attitude I¡¯ve noticed, but a lot of pokemon seem to have a ¡®live and let live¡¯ outlook. It¡¯s interesting.

    I pass a delicious-smelling bakery and have to hold back a sigh. God I wish I could buy something from there, I can see donuts.

    I also think small businesses are more the norm here. I don''t think I''ve seen a single superstore while floating around, but I have seen a lot of smaller shops, several restaurants, some cafes, a few offices, a hospital with an attached park, and what I think was a high school. There were kids looking like they''d just left, and I wasn''t expecting to see fucking pokemon cards, though I guess it makes a sort of sense. If you squint at it.

    And the number of people I¡¯ve seen riding pokemon was certainly something, mostly rapidash, doduo, or dodrio. Some people are obviously doing it just so they don''t have to walk, though others were moving much faster¡ªincluding a man riding a giraffe-looking pokemon that, try as I might, I can''t remember the name of. There was even a woman napping on the back of a torterra as he lumbered to wherever their destination was.

    I start drifting into a park, slowing as I watch a giant, mustached cricket play his scythes like a violin, there''s a sign with a card stuck to it in front of him and an honest-to-god top hat sitting to the side where some people are placing money.

    I''d wondered about how Weaver had an ID, was it something her being Onaga¡¯s partner got her? And how does the whole thing work? I''m still a bit curious about that as I float around. It might have taken me a while to notice, but some of the pokemon are wearing belts or pouches like she was, so I''m thinking that it''s not common but some pokemon do need to carry stuff like that.

    I''ve also seen more examples of what Weaver did, a pokemon walking into someplace, pulling out a card, or making a gesture for the person there to pull it out for them, and going about their day, grabbing groceries or food and the like.

    And yeah, pokemon can evidently hold jobs here, I''m pretty sure the local postal service is mostly flying pokemon since I''ve seen quite a few wearing large pouches and carrying small items. There¡¯s also the greenhouse-looking shop I¡¯m currently passing, with a positively massive dinosaur tending to a customer. ¡­Meganium? Yeah, that''s the name, I''m glad I can remember that one, it had been my starter for Gold.

    Moving through this place in the day is an odd mix of mundane city life and fantasy wonderland. I- Hmm, I wonder if I can find a job here? It would fix a lot of my current issues with money and having nothing to do all day.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be with you in a moment,¡± A deep voice says, its bassy rumble causing me to look up and realize I¡¯d floated into the shop as Meganium goes back to dealing with his customer, leaving me to look around in mild alarm.

    Calm down, you¡¯re just wandering around, it¡¯s perfectly normal.

    The greenhouse is tall on the inside, with close to a twenty-foot ceiling. I''d noticed how close the place was to a small park, but now that I''m genuinely seeing how much sun the place is soaking up, it''s bright in here, and warm. Seedlings and saplings are arranged neatly in rows that look too small for the large dinosaur to move between, and on the back wall are shelves lined with bags of soil, clay pots, various small tools, gloves, and what are plainly seed packets.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Both Meganium and the man at the counter say at the same time, though one doesn¡¯t know and the other simply smiles, using a vine to scrawl something on a dry-erase board. ¡°And thank you for waiting,¡± The massive, mobile plant says, turning his neck to face me. ¡°Wandering, or looking for a gift?¡±

    The human startles slightly when he sees my eyes but seems to recover quickly and moves on, carrying a small plant and a pot out the door. I watch him go a moment longer before sighing and moving the rest of my body over to the real world, "Wandering around, getting a little too lost in thought."

    ¡°Mmm, did you come here with any of the tourists? Or perhaps you¡¯re from the forest?¡± Meganium asks, seeming to leave his customer-service mode.

    ¡°I¡­ guess I¡¯m technically from the forest, yeah,¡± I say, and the dinosaur chuckles.

    ¡°Technically, you say?¡± He continues chuckling, several of the shelves behind him beginning to wobble slightly. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d like to ask, but I¡¯m more interested in whether The Marshal sent you or not.¡±

    That¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve heard her referred to as ¡®The Marshal¡¯ rather than just Marshal, but I push it aside for now, I can ask her later. ¡°No, but I take it she¡¯s sent people before?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Oh yes, though not in the last two years,¡± He informs me, snaking a vine up to a valve on the wall. ¡°I still find myself asking though, I¡¯m certain there will be someone coming through for her again at some point. Ah, you don¡¯t mind the wet, do you?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°I¡¯ve found myself liking it, recently.¡±

    ¡°Good, I hope you won¡¯t mind this, then,¡± He says, bringing the sprinklers mounted to the ceiling to life. ¡°I sometimes find it hard to do this with some of the humans that enter,¡± He admits conspiratorially. ¡°Can you believe that? Even most of the fire-types that come through don''t mind it but get a human wet and it seems to ruin their day," He says, giving a booming laugh at the end.

    ¡°Yeah, I''m well aware of how they can act,¡± I say, drifting closer to the rows of plants.

    ¡°Mmm, you know,¡± Meganium says, inspecting me, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard some humans talking about a ghost-type that appeared recently. That wouldn¡¯t happen to be you now, would it?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± I admit. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen or heard of another one, at least.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± He rumbles again, ¡°So, technically from the forest, then. I think I understand now. Would you mind if I pried a little?¡± He asks, turning his head nearly upside down.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± I say, buying myself a bit of time to think. ¡°I think it mostly depends on what you ask about,¡± I tell him after a moment.

    ¡°Best not then,¡± He nods to himself. ¡°I suppose you can¡¯t be a paying customer if you¡¯re from the forest, either,¡± He muses, eyes turning up in thought. He then blinks, both his expression and the room lighting up, ¡°Well, a good conversation is nice enough, though might I ask, can you deliver two things for me?¡±

    It''s my turn to blink, "That depends on what they are?" I half say half ask.

    ¡°A sapling and a message, though I would appreciate you returning with her answer,¡± The room-sized pokemon informs me.

    Her answer, huh? Does he want me to help with a love letter- Wait, he can¡¯t mean¡­ ¡°Are you asking me to take these to Marshal?¡± I ask him.

    He cocks his head when I say ¡®Marshal,¡¯ but begins nodding, head still at an angle, ¡°Yes! I¡¯d love to see what she¡¯s grown with the seeds and saplings she requested.¡±

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I suppose I can, but¡­¡± I say, looking around the greenhouse, ¡°Are you sure you can just give plants away like that?¡±

    ¡°It is my business, and I will do as I please with it,¡± Meganium shrugs. Actually shrugs, a rolling movement on his front legs.

    He¡­ Does he own the place? I''d thought- But that implies- Now I''m even more confused about how some people have acted toward me if a pokemon can not only have a job but own a building and the business inside. Wait a minute, how much would a pokemon even need to spend on things like food, insurance, education, taxes, or rent?

    Jesus Christ, I live rent-free in a cabin out in the woods and hardly need to think about eating anymore. Hell, I don''t even know if I can be hurt, and I¡¯m already qualified for several trades. Am- Am I in a good place right now?

    Oh. I¡­ honestly am, aren''t I? Holy shit, I have options. Even if one of them is simply to vanish into the woods. My list of questions for Weaver just expanded, a lot.

    ¡°Mmm, are you okay,¡± The deep voice, very close, breaks my train of thought. ¡°Oh, that does seem to have done it.¡±

    ¡°Right, yeah. Sorry about that, I was lost in thought,¡± I tell the face about three inches from mine. ¡°You were asking me to deliver some things to Marshal?¡±

    Meganium leans his neck back, ¡°I was, yes. An aspear sapling, here,¡± He says lifting one of the larger trees with two vines and setting it next to me. ¡°Oh, that might be a problem. You accepted though, so I assume you can lift this?¡± He asks, flicking a vine at the cloth-wrapped soil under the plant.

    ¡°Easily,¡± I nod, creating a zone around the soil, and slowly lifting it. Not that it''s heavy, I''m pretty sure I can lift nearly six times the weight I could when I was human without straining myself. ¡°And you said a message?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to know if she¡¯s open to allowing me into her territory. I assume that¡¯s where she planted them.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± I confirm, causing Meganium to blink at me.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen them?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s even some signs from the rangers warning people to stay away,¡± I inform him.

    ¡°Yes, I imagine they wouldn¡¯t want any issues with that,¡± He chuckles. ¡°But yes, if you could return with her answer, in the next few days that would be lovely!¡± He beams, turning the sprinklers off.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I shrug, ¡°Can I find you here during the day?¡±

    ¡°Anytime the sun is up, on most days,¡± He nods.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I trail off. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go do that now, then.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, Thank you for doing so,¡± The dinosaur rumbles.

    ¡°It¡¯s not out of my way, really,¡± I say, floating the plant to the door before frowning at it.

    I can kind of handle two things at once now, but I still move the plant closer to the ground, just in case. I carefully push the door with one zone, making sure to maintain the other, and then move the plant outside.

    ¡°You have a nice day, now!¡± Meganium calls, as I phase through the door once I release my hold on it.

    How did I get into this situation? Not that it¡¯s a bad one, but¡­ it feels so oddly surreal, yet strangely normal. A plant-based dinosaur that owns a greenhouse just asked me to take a few things to my giant fish-otter neighbor, and I agreed because I can fly there pretty fast and carry the tree the whole way with my psychic powers.

    It''s like a fever dream, but I''m awake and feeling the best I have in years. I glance around and then decide to rise above walking height. It''s not like the looks I''m receiving can get much more confused, after all.

    ***

    Marshal still wasn''t at her lake, but Leaf was waiting for me at my house when I looped back to wait.

    ¡°It¡¯s very healthy,¡± He proclaims from where I set the sapling at the edge of my clearing. "You said a ''meganium'' wanted you to give this to Marshal?"

    ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t tell if he was just being friendly or if he thinks it¡¯ll make her more likely to say yes,¡± I supply.

    ¡°Hard to say,¡± Leaf nods. ¡°Was he a grass-type?¡±

    Was he a- ¡°Have you not seen one before?¡± I ask the curious-looking fern.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they normally live around here,¡± Leaf says with a flick of his tail.

    ¡°Oh. Well yeah, he was a grass-type. Also about as tall as that tree,¡± I say, pointing at one of the smaller brown, leafy things.

    ¡°Um,¡± Leaf cocks his head, in thought, ¡°Wow? I might need to keep an eye out for him if Marshal invites him to her garden.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯ll be hard to miss, honestly,¡± I chuckle. ¡°Especially with ears like yours.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Leaf flicks his tail again, strutting into my clearing. ¡°Would you mind if I started growing things here? Sorry, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s a bit¡­¡± Leaf seems to struggle to find the right word, ¡°Lifeless?¡± He settles on.

    ¡°I actually had a question about that,¡± I say, floating up next to him. ¡°How long has it been like this?¡±

    ¡°You mean, nothing growing here?¡± He asks, and I nod. ¡°Um, three years, I think? I was an eevee at the time¡­¡± He says, brow furrowing. ¡°Yeah, it was three years ago,¡± He confirms after a moment. ¡°Why? Did you learn what caused it?¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°No, but it occurred to me that there were vines growing inside when I appeared.¡±

    ¡°Well, it being weird makes sense, if you live there,¡± Leaf¡¯s tail gives a flick. He pauses, ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have anything to do with it, right?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± I chuckle. ¡°I only got here a little over two weeks ago. And you can go ahead if you want,¡± I say, prompting the anxiety that seems to surround Leaf to abate for a moment, replaced with joy and¡­ something else, but it¡¯s hard to make out.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s¡­¡± Leaf trails off, starting at how much clearing there is. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d thought of just how much space it was. ¡°This might take a few days,¡± He murmurs.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do it,¡± I remind him, drifting closer to my house in a breeze.

    ¡°I want to,¡± He assures me, ¡°I just realized it would take a while. You won¡¯t mind me using the space to synthesize when I rest, will you?¡±

    I glance at the setting sun, ¡°Probably not,¡± I say, shrugging. ¡°I might be practicing later, though.¡±

    Leaf simply flicks his tail again and starts glowing brighter, growing vines and¡­ are those roots? Weird. His skin is looking a bit woodier, too. I¡¯ve been calling him a fern, but now I think he might be closer to a bush or maybe even a tree.

    The ground around him is starting to churn as well¡­ You know, I don''t think I''ve seen a grass-type planting anything new yet, and this is a lot more than he did before to take care of some trees. A few shoots and sprouts seem to grow in fast-forward near the still form of Leaf, then the wolf-plant-fox-whatever takes a shaky step, tearing the roots connecting his paws to the ground before flopping onto his side.

    ¡°That was a bit more than I was expecting,¡± He huffs out, breathing slowly. ¡°I¡¯m going to take that first rest now.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± I ask him drifting closer. Wow, I can taste his exhaustion.

    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I just didn¡¯t think whole new growth would be so tiring,¡± He says, closing his eyes. ¡°I can do it better next time though, I wasted a lot of energy there.¡± More roots grow out of his paws again, and he grunts, ¡°Ooh, That¡¯s better.¡±

    Well, he looks like he¡¯s about to take a nap, so, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go look for Marshal?¡± I say, getting a sigh in response. Definitely about to take a nap.

    I float up and away, heading for Marshal''s lake as I fade from reality. My vision here only extends so far, but I don''t even need to be close to Marshal to see the ludicrous amount of color she bleeds into the surroundings, so it balances out.

    I¡¯m not even halfway to the lake and I can already tell she still isn¡¯t there, so I adjust course to head for the river. Let¡¯s try¡­ this way.

    It¡¯s only a few minutes later when I find Marshal, she was swimming back to her lake as I moved up the river. Although ¡®swimming¡¯ might be a strong word, it¡¯s more like lazily being carried downriver on her back as she slowly spins.

    ¡°Slow day?¡± I ask, appearing out of thin air.

    She laughs, rolling her eyes before giving me a bright look, ¡°A normal one,¡± She decides after a moment. ¡°No humans interrupting it, no fights, no need ta pull anyone out of the water,¡± She lays herself back into the river, ¡°Unless ya have something bad to say, it¡¯ll have a nice end, too.¡±

    ¡°I think I have something good, actually,¡± I say, prompting Marshal to perk before flipping over.

    ¡°Oh? What is it, then?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, was given an aspear tree to deliver to you,¡± I say, choosing the simple approach.

    Marshal blinks twice before a smile spreads on her face, ¡°Now that is a nice thing,¡± She says, starting to move faster down the river. ¡°Is it already in my garden?¡±

    ¡°No, but I can get it there pretty fast.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll meet ya there then,¡± She says cheerily. Then there¡¯s a plume of water and she¡¯s gone.

    Guess I should go get the tree, then. Zipping over takes hardly any time at all now that I¡¯m not watching everything, and I find Leaf in a slightly different spot.

    ¡°You still sleeping?¡± I ask, lifting the small berry tree. Leaf¡¯s only response is a slight twitch of one ear.

    He said he doesn¡¯t need to sleep if he gets enough sunlight, but I think growing things like that really took it out of him. Especially since there are more new plants around. I¡¯ll let him rest, then. I need to get this other plant to Marshal.

    ***

    "So, what''s so special about this one?" I ask Marshal as she looks for a good spot to plant her newest fruit tree.

    "I don''t know yet," She easily admits, seeming to zero in on a spot. "Haven''t had one before."

    ¡°Before you start digging,¡± I say, and Marshal looks up from where she was about to drive an arm into the ground. ¡°I was requested to ask if you would be okay with Meganium seeing your garden. He¡¯s the one who gave you the aspear, as well as several others according to him.¡±

    Marshal frowns then taps her chin, seemingly thinking about it before recognition flashes on her face, ¡°Oh! Him, yeah. He¡¯s more than welcome, half my berries wouldn¡¯t be here if he hadn¡¯t gifted them to my searchers.¡±

    I''m a bit curious about what happened there, but I can ask later. Later¡­ Oh yeah, that. "Okay, I''ll let him know. And, um, can I ask about my cabin?"

    ¡°Sure, what about it?¡± Marshal replies, scooping a large amount of earth out of the ground.

    ¡°So, a thought crossed my mind about how you said you¡¯ve seen several ghosts,¡± I preface as Marshal starts digging off to the side for more dirt. ¡°And¡­ were they all around the cabin?¡±

    Marshal hums as she starts mixing the dirt up, loosening the soil, and pulling rocks out, "Hmm, I think they were, now you say it." She looks at me, "What made ya think that in the first place?"

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a feeling I got about it,¡± I shrug, it¡¯s even the truth.

    ¡°A feelin¡¯ huh?¡± The giant otter chuckles, waving some water into existence to float next to her pile of dirt. ¡°I suppose that makes sense if you all show up there. Mind bringing the tree around?¡±

    I dutifully float the thing over, and Marshal passes a claw down the burlap-looking cloth without any noticeable resistance. Once she takes the cloth off, she grabs the base of the small tree herself and starts tapping the root ball to loosen it.

    ¡°So, how¡¯s the practice going?¡± She asks, inspecting the roots.

    ¡°Well enough, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Mm-Hmm, ya ready for something more real yet?¡± She casually asks, shoveling some loose dirt into the hole.

    I should have figured, and if I¡¯m being honest¡­ ¡°Maybe,¡± I admit, earning a glance from her. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for another spar.¡±

    "Naw, you''re not," Marshal agrees, finishing the planting process in silence before soaking the ground. She inspects her garden, head tilting back and forth in thought, "Think ya can hit a moving target, though? Don''t think I missed that light show you were putting on last night."

    ¡°It might take me a bit at first,¡± I tell her, shrugging as I start putting myself in the aware mindset she taught me. ¡°But I don¡¯t mind trying at the moment.¡± A now familiar sensation tugs at me, urging me to try something again, and I frown, ¡°Actually, is there something else I should be doing when I focus on my surroundings?¡±

    ¡°Why d¡¯you ask?¡± Marshal turns to me, cocking her head.

    ¡°Sometimes, when I do the awareness thing you taught me, I get this feeling like I should be doing something else with it¡­¡± I trail off. It¡¯s not the best explanation of what it feels like, but it¡¯s what I can come up with.

    Marshal stares at me, slowly blinking before rolling her eyes and sighing, ¡°And have ya tried doing anything with that feeling?¡± She sounds slightly exasperated.

    I¡­ guess that is the obvious thing to do. Sighing to myself, I start trying to feel what I should do. It¡¯s always a little frustrating to sort through what my instincts want from me, they¡¯re vague most of the time, a feeling that I could do something or that I might want something. This one is more of the former, the feeling that if I could just figure it out I could do¡­ something.

    The feeling vanishes, making me frown again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it wants from me,¡± I tell Marshal, the massive pokemon now crouched to look at me.

    ¡°Hmm, well I think part of the problem is that you stopped bein¡¯ aware,¡± She says, still giving me an odd look.

    I did? Oh, yeah I did. Okay, I need to focus on everything around me again and feel it all out.

    Marshal seems to decide this will take a bit, as she sits down to wait.

    The world is cast in bright orange and deep green, the sun well into setting. There¡¯s barely any wind at the moment, the sounds of insects and pokemon calls filling the air instead.

    Maybe it won¡¯t happen- Oh, there it is again. Now, stay calm and focused, just¡­ let it flow? I¡¯m fairly sure it needs power of some kind, and it needs to go into me.

    Beside me, Marshal rests her elbows on her knees and then her head in one hand.

    I don¡¯t so much push psychic-stuff through myself as simply open the gate. And it''s an incredibly weird feeling everything somehow becomes sharper, better defined. At the same time, I feel the power start to move through me, stable and oddly serene.

    ¡°I think I did it,¡± I say.

    Marshal lifts her head off her hand, ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s interesting,¡± I decide, watching the movements of individual leaves. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to describe it. It¡¯s like¡­ everything¡¯s more in-focus, easier to keep track of." I turn my eyes to Marshal, "I have no idea what this is."

    Marshal taps her chin, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard some folk talk about something like that.¡± She shrugs after some more thought, ¡°Don¡¯t really know what it is either, but I doubt it¡¯s a bad thing. But if ya saying you can track things better¡­¡±

    I sigh, this was guaranteed to happen when I came here. I''m starting to wonder if she''s developing some sort of empty-nest syndrome before Buizel''s even left, but that doesn''t fit. After all, She''s been oddly supportive since she first saw me.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s see how well I do,¡± I say, drifting away from the garden.

    ¡°Mmm, out over the lake,¡± Marshal nods, standing. I follow, ready to see what she had in mind.

    Target practice, which is simple enough, just hit the thing while it''s moving.

    My first psychic wave ends up blasting apart the first water ball a bit harder than I¡¯d meant to, though.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°Okay, Yu said the boss gave us the go-ahead,¡± I inform Hiro, checking our supplies. ¡°You have that koffing on you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Hiro blandly replies. ¡°I haven¡¯t suddenly lost its ball in the last half-hour.¡±

    ¡°Just checkin¡¯¡± I raise my hands. ¡°Now let¡¯s see, bag for catches?¡± Hiro holds up the cinching travel bag, ¡°Check. Bag of balls?¡± It¡¯s in my own hand, ¡°Check. Wish list?¡±

    ¡°Tower¡¯s grace, can we get moving already?¡± Hiro asks, shaking his head.

    ¡°Hey, we had a list of priorities,¡± I shrug. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m just making sure.¡± Hiro sighs, but we both start patting our pockets, ¡°Ah ha! Here it is,¡± I say, pulling out the crumpled paper. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s everything then, let¡¯s go.¡±

 Bonny Fox: III â€“ Human Contact

    ¡°Miss? Hello, Miss?¡±

    Maeve tried to ignore the voice, she wanted to go back to the dream. Or maybe it had been a nightmare?

    Zorua had been so fluffy though, and waking from that dream was something Maeve almost didn¡¯t want to do. She was right on the precipice¡­

    ¡°Hugo! The young woman is waking up!¡± Maeve heard the voice call again. This time louder, clearer. That made sense, she was waking up after all.

    It wasn¡¯t a voice she recognized.

    Maeve tried to get up, instead flailing around under something heavy and warm. She opened her eyes, finding herself somewhere she didn¡¯t recognize.

    This wasn¡¯t her home. She was on a rug in front of a fireplace in an unknown building. She blinked, taking in the room around her.

    It seemed to be the main room of a plain home. Rolls of decorative cloth hung on sealed wooden walls, curtains drawn over frost-covered glass windows, a closed metal fireplace with a glass viewport against one wall, a kettle on top and fire burning merry and hot within, and doors on either side. Turning, Maeve looked behind herself to see the final wall. A wood-fired cooking station with a pot heating on it and a washing basin sat against it, and to the side of both was a door, obviously leading outside.

    In front of the wall was a rather nice wooden table with four chairs, in one of which rested a woman in her thirties, dressed in heavier clothes, patiently watching Maeve.

    The girl looked at what she was covered with. It was a large, wool-stuffed quilt with circles and diamonds in repeating colors and patterns.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for you waking up on the floor, dear, but we thought you should be near the fire.¡± Said the same voice from earlier, making Maeve jump slightly.

    Turning to face whoever had spoken, Maeve¡¯s eyes landed on the woman at the table again.

    ¡°W- Where am I?¡± Maeve asked the older woman, glancing around again. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The woman frowned, propping her elbows onto the table and leaning her head into a hand, ¡°That¡¯s not what I was expecting¡­ Can you at least understand me?¡±

    That simply confused Maeve more. The woman was clearly- Clearly not speaking English. Two things about what had to be¡ªbut seemingly wasn¡¯t¡ªa dream came back to her; Zorua and her ability to understand him, and how he said ¡®humans can¡¯t understand us.¡¯

    What did that make Maeve?

    She curled herself up, backing into the farthest corner she could and hoping to disappear. To go home.

    She jumped when the door to the outside opened and a man stepped through. He was slightly dirty, with large arms and swarthy skin, wearing a stained white shirt and suspenders.

    ¡°¡­She looks scared.¡± The man commented after a moment of stillness.

    ¡°Of course she does. You found her out in the woods, freezing to death.¡± The woman replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think she speaks Unovan.¡±

    ¡°Wh- Where¡¯s Zorua? O- Or¡­¡± What had the other one been named? ¡°Or Solosis?¡±

    The two adults locked onto her last word and then shared a look.

    ¡°Guess it was her ¡®mon.¡± The man said.

    ¡°She might be reassured if we let them in, husband.¡± The woman¡¯s voice held an edge of warning.

    The man nodded contritely, ¡°Sorry, love. You were right.¡± He said, turning to the door he just came through. He paused in front of it, then sighed as he opened the door and cold air came rushing in. ¡°Hey!¡± He called, leaning out slightly and looking to the sides, ¡°Your master is awake.¡± He paused, and sighed again, ¡°You two can come in.¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    He held the door open a few seconds longer before Maeve saw the horse-like shape Zorua had taken when he was protecting her step through the entry, followed shortly by the odd, floating form of Solosis.

    Maeve saw the man''s hand hover over a red-painted sphere on his belt, but he otherwise just watched as her disguised companion and whatever Solosis was moved towards her.

    When what Maeve hoped was Zorua reached her, it stuffed its head into her chest and started crying silently. His tears redoubled when she placed her hands on- The fluffy fox she''d held before. The form she was seeing truly was no more than an illusion.

    ¡°What- What happened?¡± She asked Zorua, growing less frightened and more confused.

    It wasn¡¯t Zorua who answered, however, ¡°Performed as promised I did, humans alerted.¡± Said the floating orb, Solosis.

    ¡°Zorua?¡± She checked the fox, still crying against her.

    "Speak he will not, negate his disguise it would," Solosis explained. "Attached to you he is, strange for the dark-ones," She offhandedly commented.

    Dark ones? Maeve was beginning to feel more and more lost.

    ¡°¡­Hug me too, you will?¡± Solosis timidly asked.

    That surprised Maeve, though if she were honest with herself, she needed someone to hold onto, and two was better than one. ¡°O- Of course.¡± She stuttered, raising a beckoning hand.

    Maeve didn¡¯t know what she was expecting when Solosis impacted her, the creature looked unlike anything she¡¯d seen before, but the soft, squishy feeling wasn¡¯t it.

    ¡°Where do you think she¡¯s from? We¡¯re awfully far from the next town.¡± The man quietly asked who Maeve suspected was his wife.

    The woman carefully kept her gaze away from Maeve, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not sure if she can even understand Unovan, but it¡¯s not what she was speaking.¡±

    ¡°Hey, girl, can you understand us?¡± The man asked, turning his full attention on Maeve.

    ¡°Hugo¡­¡± The woman warned, though her words died at Maeve¡¯s slow nod. ¡°Oh, poor dear.¡±

    ¡°You think her head got a little¡­ you know, in the cold? I doubt she was ready for it.¡± The man glanced at his wife.

    ¡°Nobody was, dear. I don¡¯t think she wanted to be out that late either, with the way she¡¯s dressed.¡± The woman sighed, ¡°At least her monsters knew to get someone. How¡¯s the reservoir looking?¡±

    ¡°Frozen solid,¡± The man spoke in low tones, ¡°We should have enough dried wood at least. Honestly, I¡¯m just hoping the next train has enough food, maybe a fire or grass trainer, because I don¡¯t think Sammy¡¯s getting the last harvest off his fields.¡± The man shook his head, ¡°It feels like the wrath of Articuno out there.¡±

    ¡°We have coats, you know.¡±

    The man smiled warmly, ¡°Yes, but I know how much you appreciate looking.¡±

    Maeve began to tune the two out, uninterested in the adults making eyes at each other. She instead looked to the two creatures huddling into her.

    She had thought them fairies, and perhaps they still were, but the woman had called them monsters? They didn¡¯t look particularly monstrous, Zorua was adorable and even Solosis was cute in her own way. But wasn¡¯t that how some fae tricked you? And why had the woman called them Maeve¡¯s?

    Maeve¡¯s mind ticked back to Solosis¡¯ use of the term ¡®dark-ones¡¯ to refer to Zorua. ¡°What does ¡®dark-ones¡¯ mean?¡± She asked the squishy spheroid.

    ¡°Unseen in the beyond they are. Find their minds or know their thoughts we cannot,¡± Solosis said, before taking on a thoughtful air, ¡°As shadows they are, follow that which casts them, it seems.¡±

    Maeve wasn¡¯t certain what to make of that description, but it didn¡¯t sound like something outright evil, thankfully. ¡°Where- Where are we?¡± She asked the informative creature.

    The floating ball thought about it, then glowed for an instant before replying, ¡°Named Anville, this town is.¡±

    "Anville?" Maeve hadn''t heard of any place like that. "Where is the town, then?"

    "Human lands, it is within," Solosis replied, unhelpfully.

    ¡°Miss?¡± The woman interjected. ¡°Are you¡­ speaking to them?¡±

    Maeve didn¡¯t know what to do, so she simply pushed herself farther into the corner, hugging the two fae closer.

    ¡°She looks overwhelmed,¡± Hugo spoke, taking a seat at the table. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just put her out in this weather, and if she can¡¯t even talk to anyone then it would be cruel to simply send her away when it lets up¡­¡± The woman trailed off thoughtfully. ¡°We need to find her parents, obviously. Although, how old would you say she is?¡±

    The man looked confused for a moment before a sort of sadness eclipsed his features, ¡°Oh. You think they just¡­ And without even preparing her?¡± He shook his head, ¡°Well then, I say we feed her and make sure she¡¯s ready for a journey. Since it looks like nobody else did.¡±

    Journey? Maeve was more confused now, though glad for the kindness the man and women seemed to have. The thought of food made her stomach rumble as she realized how hungry she had been.

    ¡°I think she agrees with you,¡± The woman chuckled, causing Maeve to blush slightly. ¡°There will be food in a bit, miss¡­¡± The woman trailed off, prompting.

    ¡°Maeve,¡± The girl said, hoping that they would at least understand her name.

    ¡°Well then, Maeve, lunch should be ready soon.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Doing everything around the base is usually pretty boring, but it¡¯s probably a good thing that I¡¯ve been so close to Espeon. He¡¯s been opening himself up slightly and then closing off again all day, and I¡¯m trying not to worry about that. The relative rarity and lack of solid knowledge about psychic phenomena meant that learning how to deal with them was necessarily not a large focus in the academy.

    ¡°Eiffer,¡± The object of my thoughts chirps from where he¡¯s stretched out on the table, opening his feelings for a moment rather than sending a selection. He¡¯s still afraid, uncertain, and feeling very complicated about something, but he¡¯s not feeling worse so that¡¯s at least not bad.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re going to get a lot bigger at some point, and you won¡¯t be able to climb furniture like that,¡± I comment, drying the second to last dish before putting it away.

    ¡°Eion,¡±¨CIndifference.

    ¡°Vile,¡± Weaver pipes up, making a show of casually leaning against the wall, a puff of darkness rolling off her as she sighs.

    It¡¯s still interesting, watching her do that. She¡¯s more in control of herself now, burning off her unwanted emotions instead of building to a tantrum. Even before they were called ¡®dark-types¡¯ those pokemon have typically been seen as cold loners or unfeeling savages when, unless they need to be, they are mostly anything but. They¡¯re more playful and loyal in my experience.

    ¡­I have an unusual amount of contact with the three mystical types, don''t I? I pause, having just put the last cup away. I have spent more time around them than almost anybody I can think of.

    Espeon is as highly emotional as I¡¯d expected, but he¡¯s also hurting and seems unable to accept help. Weaver has always been an odd one, trying to make friends as a sneasel. Which worked, I suppose, as we met because doing so got her in trouble. And I don¡¯t have much to say about Misdreavus, we¡¯ve only truly met twice after all, but Weaver seems to like them, so that¡¯s enough for me.

    I should probably start writing things about the three of them down to give to Rowan once he gets here¡­

    ¡°Hey, Karlos got the projector set up,¡± Emil¡¯s voice comes around the doorframe shortly before the man himself does, breaking me from my thoughts. ¡°Although Maya and Katie are still out grabbing the movie, I thought I¡¯d get you so we can settle in.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be there in a moment. Thanks, Emil,¡± I say, giving the man a wave as I shake the rest of my musings off, moving to stand over Espeon. ¡°Are you going to make me pick you up?¡± I ask the boneless pokemon.

    His response is to just barely stick his tongue out.

    ***

    Katie picked a movie from Unova, unsurprisingly, but it¡¯s been a fun one so far. Weaver especially seems to be enjoying the scenes with the sneasel in them.

    "Rio''o lu?!" The costumed riolu cries, the captions revealing it as ''Are you alright?!''

    Maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s enjoying the movie so much, most movie studios don¡¯t bother captioning the pokemon, even if the ones in the movie are being painted over by the Sinnohan translation.

    Something I''ve been noticing throughout the movie strikes me again as the sneasel starts rapidly swiping at the riolu. I frown at the half-mechanical- no at the pokemon under the costume, it''s slight, but the way he''s moving makes me think his range of motion is smaller than a riolu''s should be.

    I glance at Katie, fully focused on the movie, before sliding closer to Maya, ¡°I¡¯ve only seen riolu at the academy¡­¡± I whisper, and Maya holds up a hand to stop me.

    "The way he''s moving, right?" She whispers back, giving her own short glance at Katie. "I thought it was just acting at first, but I''m pretty sure there''s something wrong with his chest."

    "Retired battler?" I quietly ask as we both watch the sneasel go flying across the beach from a single blow. "He''s got the muscle for it."

    ¡°That was my thought as well, but he looks too young for that¡­ I think the movie¡¯s going to get quiet again, sorry,¡± Maya waves me back to my bunk, an apologetic look on her face.

    The rest of the movie has its twists, the attempted kidnapping¡ªonly for the titular Sneasel Ninja to be outsmarted, Metal-Cop needing to be reminded of his humanity, and the eventual reveal of why he and Riolu are half machine. Katie does have good taste in movies.

    ¡°So, maybe not a retired battler,¡± Maya comments once the credits start rolling. ¡°A good pick, given the story, but¡­¡±

    Yeah, ¡®but how did a riolu get scars like that?¡¯ Is a great question. They looked like healed second, or possibly even third-degree burns. Pokemon are tough, really tough, and wounds like that don¡¯t happen easily outside the wild. I can¡¯t help the morbid thought that it¡¯s ironic that a steel-typed lucario wouldn¡¯t burn like that, and their pack structure would normally protect a riolu from anything that could do that.

    "At least he seems to be doing well," I say, Maya and I sharing a look, and then we both look at Emil, the man having followed our quiet conversation.

    ¡°I thought it was acting and makeup at first,¡± He casually admits. ¡°Though taken together, it is an interesting mystery.¡±

    ¡°That was a good movie,¡± Karlos opines, cutting off our discussion while putting the projector away. ¡°Good pick, Katie.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to see it at the theater,¡± Katie shrugs. ¡°And I heard it was supposed to be good¡­¡±

    ¡°It was,¡± I confirm, nodding. Then I turn to give Espeon a long look, the cat having claimed a larger portion of my bed at some point during the movie. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to throw you off if it comes to it,¡± I tell him.

    He chuffs, and I feel a small amount of enjoyment from him before,¨CAmusement.

    His behavior¡¯s been understandably erratic today, moving between withdrawn, extroverted, aloof, teasing, and somewhat clingy. `You¡¯ve also pushed your luck with looking into my head, twice now, but it¡¯s not a constant issue, yet,` I do my best to think that last part rather hard at Espeon.

    Contrition. Shame. Regret.¨CFlows from him to me, making me sigh.

    ¡°You know I can feel when you do that, right?¡± He flinches slightly at my words, but I do my best to push how I feel to the front. `I¡¯m not upset, not yet, at least. I know you¡¯re a psychic and it¡¯s part of what you are, but it¡¯s still impolite. Just try asking for permission first, okay?`

    ¡°Espeon,¡±¨CUnderstanding. Shame. He informs me, rolling upright-

    Both his and Weaver¡¯s ears suddenly raise, Weaver herself quickly standing, ¡°Weave!¡± Weaver says. ¡°Weavile, vile!¡± She continues, pulling me from the bedside as-

    Oh, that is quite loud.

    I¡¯m already making my way to the lockers, Emil right behind me.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    After everything with Marshal, it''s nighttime now, the sun having set while she was drilling me on target practice. I¡¯m looking forward to a relaxing night again, maybe I¡¯ll try working on illusions instead of ghost or psychic control.

    I¡¯m still doing¡­ whatever this psychic thing is. It''s comfortingly calming, and it also makes me scarily focused and able to remain aware while thinking. I don''t think my thoughts are moving faster, or that I''m actually taking the world in better, I''m just¡­ clearer-headed, my ability to think and focus now less impeded by distraction.

    That ability to keep track of things is why I¡¯m getting worried, though. The forest is less colorful than usual, with some spots of color concentrating together, and others farther underground than normal. It''s like everyone is hiding from something.

    My clearing is coming into view on the edge of my visual range. I think there''s even more growth now, but Leaf''s color-sphere-thing is gone, possibly hiding for the same reason everyone else is. That¡­ makes me a bit angry, to be honest. Not at Leaf, but at whatever has everyone hiding, I''d been looking forward to talking to him tonight.

    Maybe I should go looking for why it¡¯s so still and quiet?

    And of course, right as I think that some strange things come into view against the not-space. I can see two humans easily enough, their pale-gray orbs inside my house. But there are¡­ eleven odd, extremely bright spots around them. Or, wait, ten of them are closer together than the last one.

    The bright spots are all small, oddly opaque spheres, their surfaces flickering in geometrical patterns, with colors ranging from ____ to ____, and they¡¯re not radiating out like most bright things, but they are shedding¡­ shedding¡­

    Are those pokemon? Or- No, pokeballs?

    I- Are these trainers that decided to try their luck? ¡­No, everyone I''ve met has made it fairly clear that capturing pokemon is illegal here, even the trainer who walked out here seemed to respect that. So, they''re¡­ what, poachers? Just catching as many pokemon as they can before-

    Leaf.

    I feel my eyes turn to where I¡¯d left him. Did he run? Was he caught? What do I even do here?

    I¡¯ve drifted closer, very thankful for my invisibility, and I can taste what¡¯s going on. There¡¯s some fear and uncertainty, but I think most of the pokemon are sleeping¡­ Can you sleep in a pokeball? That doesn¡¯t matter, Leaf is awake in one of them, I can taste enough anxiety to be sure about that.

    I steady myself, allowing that calm feeling of power to wash over me again. This is the kind of thing to grab Marshal for. I can just fly over and warn her, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m going to go do that right now.

    ¡­

    The uncertainty, fear, and anxiety from the captured pokemon are all swirling around me, reminding me that there are living beings in those orbs. It''s bringing my thoughts about what being caught would be like into the same sharp focus as everything else with my new power active.

    That thought makes me freeze entirely, a cold chill passing over my body.

    They were waiting for me, they found Leaf resting and now they¡¯re waiting for me to wander back in. Several of my neighbors, and a friend, are trapped right in front of me.

    ¡­

    And the thought of anyone I know being stolen away, being trafficked like animals- No, not like animals, like- like slaves. I''m starting to feel sick.

    The way Espeon was feeling is something I can¡¯t forget, and it''s these kinds of people that did it to him, at least in part. And now they''re trying to do it to people that I know. To Leaf. To me.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s something I¡¯ve always been capable of, or if my new instincts pushing harder right now, but I''m going to hurt those two, aren''t I?

    It occurs to me that an extreme level of focus and calm doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t become angry, and it¡¯s even a bit strange that I¡¯m still so clear-headed right now. These are thoughts for later, though.

    I never liked hurting people, and I know I¡¯m probably going to regret this later. Hell, I could even stop myself if I wanted to.

    ¡­I don¡¯t want to, however.

    Breaching reality above my cabin, I reach out with psychic force.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    "How much longer are you gonna say we should wait?" Hiro asks, starting to get on my nerves.

    ¡°Look, the one here is rare, yeah?¡± I ask, getting a nod. ¡°And it¡¯s on the list, so that means it¡¯ll be worth it to wait most of the night if we have to, right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t argue that,¡± He grudgingly agrees. ¡°Just feels like we could have had a lot more by now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but we still can, after-¡± Hiro- What? Hiro just flew out the door! ¡°Hiro?!¡± I call, running for the door and-

    I¡¯m flying through the air for a moment before I hit the ground, rolling to a stop as I scramble to look around, wincing a little from a new set of scrapes.

    ¡°Hells, Hiro!" I yell once I see him also getting to his feet. We both landed on the far side of the clearing. "Send the koffing out!"

    The wiry Johtonian shakes his head a bit but does as I said. Now, what did that? Most pokemon around here have been meek at worst, all trying to run.

    ¡°Gods,¡± Hiro swears, taking a step back.

    Burning, crimson eyes are floating high above us inside a boiling cloud of darkness, a rolling glow and flashes of- of something lighting it up occasionally.

    Since it¡¯s just sitting there, I quickly throw a ball at it. Even if it doesn¡¯t capture it¡¯ll buy us a second. When the gets near them though, it freezes in mid-air before shattering, the glow from the cloud getting brighter.

    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s a psychic. Koffing, douse the area, disable its powers. Then sleeping gas, choke it out!¡± I order, searching for the bag of captures in case we need to run. ¡°Hiro, where¡¯s the bag?!¡±

    ¡°It- It¡¯s still in the building,¡± The other man says shakily, still staring at the floating cloud. Shit.

    Koffing craters into the ground between us, puffing misty gas before I see something hit Hiro with a flash, and he collapses to his knees. What-

    Then another flash has me feeling like I can hardly stand, as if everything weighs more than it should, but when I push against it my arms and legs feel strained. Then a horrible, wailing sound has my head-

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    It feels like I can still hear the howling, screeching sound, even four minutes later. The noise may have stopped only a minute after it started, but that''s still a long time to keep up a cry loud enough to hear from inside the base. I shiver slightly, that sound is going to feature in my nightmares, I just know it.

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    Dodrio keeps pounding her feet, racing us toward the misdreavus¡¯ cabin faster than we typically push it. I think this dodrio in particular might be becoming a permanent ride since we found her already waiting at the station, I''ll probably start seeing her around town.

    I sigh. I''m trying to distract myself, the ghost has been very laid back compared to what we know about ghost-types in general, so I don''t think this is them just screaming for the sake of it. I¡¯ll know for certain in a few more seconds.

    We breach the clearing, and I start taking it in.

    Two people in darker clothes are sprawled on the ground, likely unconscious, but breathing. There¡¯s a koffing in a crater, slowly exhaling gas. It looks like the west half of the cabin collapsed, along with much of the roof. There¡¯s new growth sprouting from the bare soil. And Marshal is talking to the misdreavus¡ªwho is currently shimmering with psychic force¡ªwith a concerned look on her face.

    Marshal swivels her head to look at me, then goes back to comforting Misdreavus.

    A team of two, and one pokemon. Perfect, just what I needed tonight.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask, joining the now three pokemon by the building.

    Misdreavus gives me a blank look, their eyes looking through me and almost seeming to be burning with how much light they¡¯re giving off, while Marshal gives me a shake of the head from behind the ghost. Misdreavus turns, psychically lifting part of the collapsed section of the building before moving it a meter and letting it fall, then a bag is levitated from the now accessible clear space to me.

    ¡°Mis,¡± They say, holding it out for me to take.

    Doing so, I look inside. Pokeballs. Active pokeballs, ten of them.

    Swearing under my breath, I flip my radio to open-broadcast and take the first ball out, ¡°Barry, please tell me Katie¡¯s not on comms right now.¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t,¡± He replies quickly.

    ¡°Good, she doesn¡¯t need the stress right now. Our smuggling group has graduated to poaching, we¡¯ll need someone to come out to the ghost¡¯s cabin with two runners.¡± I lock eyes with my fellow ranger, ¡°Emil?¡± I ask the Kalosian, who nods and mounts back up again. I focus back on the situation, ¡°And you need to inform Holt and the Union of poaching activity by our unknown party.¡± I continue, moving toward the semi-conscious men. If one of them tries to grab me I¡¯m not holding back this time.

    ¡°Whau?¡± The first one ¡®asks¡¯ as I tie his wrists together, clearly off balance. Also bleeding from the ears, probably half deaf at this point.

    Marshal has a cool look leveled at the two poachers, and it doesn''t take a genius to know what she''s thinking. "No, you can''t kill them," I tell her, prompting her gaze to shift to me. "Not while I''m looking, at any rate," I add, and she rolls her eyes, but takes them off the two.

    Granted, once I start releasing those pokemon and if someone she likes is in there, there isn''t much I could do to stop her beyond asking. At least she tends to respect our authority.

    The second man barely reacts as I tie his wrists together, then, making the logical leap, I take the pokeball from the ground next to him and open it, recalling the koffing so it stops gassing the area.

    These two were indescribably lucky. If one of the less timid pokemon, or possibly Marshal, had been the one to fight back then we would likely struggle to find anything more than a red smear, assuming they were in a merciful mood. So, instead of a lethal lesson in how different wild pokemon can be from the acclimated ones, they received a likely permanently crippling one.

    Much of the light fades from the area, and I turn, palming my flashlight in case I need it. Misdreavus¡¯ eyes aren¡¯t glowing as brightly anymore, said eyes starting to look panicked as they flick around, taking in the scene over and over.

    ¡°¡­Mismis, Misser! Misvus, dreavus-¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°-Shit, oh fuck! Oh god, I almost killed them!¡± I can¡¯t help saying, nearly hissing the words out.

    I attacked them, they¡¯re barely conscious and bleeding and I almost killed them and it tasted so good and now I¡¯ve lost that calm feeling! Fuck!

    Marshal sighs somewhere behind me, "You did. And it was the right thing ta do," She asserts, and I feel something gently turning me. "Kid- Charlie, look at me," Marshal says. Why? I am looking at her. "In the eyes, Charlie." O- Oh. I look slightly up, those kind brown eyes staring back, "I get that ya don''t like hurting anyone, but it was the right thing to do. I know most everyone would o¡¯ went running or hiding, but you didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know how many you saved, but even if it was just you that would be enough, okay?¡± She says it all so calmly. ¡°You did nothing wrong.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Charlie,¡± Weaver pipes up, causing me to look down. ¡°Look at it this way, if you hadn¡¯t done that, what would have happened?¡±

    What would have¡­ Ten- No, at least ten people would have been taken and¡­ I don¡¯t know what would have happened after that, but I know it can¡¯t be good. Or I could have been caught like that and- Leaf would be gone- But Marshal would have¡­ Or maybe they¡¯d have avoided her because of her reputation-

    They¡¯d been waiting for me, they caught ten pokemon, ten people, and they weren¡¯t going to stop at me.

    I- No, yeah, they¡¯re right, I- I did the right thing. I did the right thing, I can believe that. I saved people by doing it, that- that has to make it the correct thing to do, right?

    Right?

    ¡­

    ¡°Nothing good,¡± I eventually say, and Marshal sighs. In relief, if the taste means anything.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you did the right thing,¡± Marshal reiterates. ¡°You need to stop thinking like a human.¡±

    That- Yeah, yeah she¡¯s right. I already know I¡¯m not human anymore, but just¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can feel okay about hurting people like that. Even if it is the ¡®right¡¯ thing to do.

    Even if that much fear was so delicious¡­ Why?! Why does fear have to taste like that?! It''s like¡­ Goddammit, the only thing I can compare it to is terror.

    I knew this was going to happen, I knew it, I just hadn¡¯t cared at the time. I wanted to hurt them and I knew I¡¯d be doing something like this afterward, but it just hadn¡¯t mattered at the time.

    There¡¯s a groaning creak, then a loud crack and splintering as the rest of my house¡¯s roof collapses, reminding me of the other thing I was freaking out about. ¡­Actually, I''d prefer to think of that at the moment. God-fucking-dammit, I should have known getting that loud could destroy the building.

    Okay, I did know, but I just decided it was acceptable at the time because serene and very angry is a bad combination. It didn¡¯t mean I could control it, just that it was a very cold sort of anger.

    ¡­THIS ISN¡¯T MAKING ME FEEL ANY BETTER!

    Something pokes me and I lock on to the source, halfway through her sentence, ¡°-If we don¡¯t let them drift off like that right now, yeah?¡±

    I¡¯m going to ask what she means, really I am, but then I get the distinct feeling of something passing through me as-

    Was- Was that the inside of Marshal¡¯s hand?

    ¡°A bit hard for me to shake ¡®em out of it,¡± Marshal dryly says, ¡°Not without riskin¡¯ worse.¡±

    ¡°I- I¡¯m¡­¡± I can¡¯t bring myself to say it, and neither of them would believe it anyway. Not saying it doesn¡¯t stop both of them from giving me concerned looks.

    What do I even do now? M- Maybe I could try rebuilding the place? But I still don¡¯t know where to get anything I¡¯d need, and now there¡¯s so much more that I¡¯d need to-

    ¡°-kay, I think I know what needs to happen,¡± Weaver pokes me again. ¡°You¡¯re coming with me, Smokey, and I¡¯m not going to let you stress yourself away.¡± She waves her arm through the air, and I only realize I''m mostly invisible once she grabs one of my own arms, ¡°And no, you don¡¯t get to argue.¡±

    Marshal hums thoughtfully. She''s eyeing me but doesn''t say anything. I''m more focused on my arm, to be honest. The feeling of Weaver holding on to me is a lot more grounding than I''d expected.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ probably a good idea,¡± I admit, doing my best to stop freaking out. I think it¡¯s starting to work. Or maybe it''s how confident Weaver seems, I don''t know.

    A flash and rushing sound pull my attention back to the north end of the area, where it looks like Onaga is messing with the pokeballs. There¡¯s a new figure standing in front of her, a buneary. The fluffy rabbit sleepily glances around, spots Marshal and myself, then blinks and falls back to sleep.

    Onaga has an interesting look on her face, somewhere between disbelief and disgust, as she snaps the pokeball in half before pulling another one from the bag. A roserade this time, who blinks owlishly at the woman before bowing and dancing away. Then a cricket-looking pokemon, like a smaller version of the one I saw in town.

    He scrapes his small scythes against his chest, ¡®My thanks,¡¯ and departs. ¡­How the hell did that mean something?

    And the next pokemon is¡­ an eevee who¡¯s fast asleep. The next one is the same, both fox-dogs dead to the world. Then a large green spider. The arachnid stands dead still, then she rapidly scuttles up the closest tree, her unblinking eyes watching us.

    Onaga¡¯s expression has shifted to realization as she releases the next pokemon, Leaf appearing in a flash of light, his eyes darting around until they land on me. "Th- Thank you," He mumbles, slowly stepping backward. "I''m s- sorry about n- n- n¡­" And then he turns around, sprinting off.

    Onaga squints after Leaf, then sighs and shakes her head, muttering under her breath. The next two both contain sleeping turtwig, one of whom shakes themselves awake a few seconds after being released. He doesn¡¯t say anything, simply standing protectively over the other one.

    The ranger pulls the last pokeball out of the bag, sighing before opening it. As the light and sound fade, I see a tri-colored cat squaring up, glaring at the world before spotting Marshal. ¡°Oh! Hi mom!¡± He chirps, darting for the otter.

    Onaga blinks at his behavior, then her eyes go wide as she puts herself between the two beaten humans and Marshal. "Marshal, they''re already in my custody," The woman says, holding her arms up placatingly.

    I glance at Marshal, who¡¯s bent down to get closer to her apparent child¡­ I blink. How? I mean, I get that she¡¯s had kids before, but I was kind of assuming they were all buizel.

    I taste a wave of what I can only call pure malice, and I refocus on Marshal''s face. Her eyes are flat, staring at the two tied-up humans even as she''s wiggling a finger for¡­ Shinx? Yeah, that''s the one. Even as her son starts zapping it, batting his paws at the digit.

    ¡°Shinx,¡± She says, making the cat pause his paws. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay! So, I''d been napping all day, and I was looking for something fun to do and was walking through the west groves since everyone there is so friendly, but everyone was already hiding, so I-¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Sweet sages and the tails they created, of course these two idiots had to catch one of her children, things obviously weren''t going to be annoying enough tonight.

    Marshal hasn''t taken her eyes off of them, even as she keeps talking to Shinx. It''s a look I recognize too, she''s angry. And although she''s respecting the fact that they are in my custody, I don¡¯t know how long that¡¯s going to last.

    ¡°Barry, how long till Emil gets those runners here?¡± I ask my radio.

    There¡¯s a small delay as Barry likely checks with Emil, then, ¡°Two minutes, tops, why?¡±

    ¡°Because these two idiots caught one of Marshal¡¯s kids,¡± I tell him. "She''s currently only giving them a death glare, but I don''t know how long she''s going to wait when they''re right in front of her."

    There¡¯s no immediate response, but I assume Barry is swearing up a storm right now. After some silence where I continue to watch Marshal and she continues to watch the poachers, Barry starts broadcasting again, "Right, Emil said he''ll be there in thirty seconds, make sure there''s a clear zone."

    I glance to the east side of the clearing. There''s a surplus of runway to brake on running through its center, so it''s not a problem. I also see Weaver holding onto Misdreavus, looking thoughtful, while the ghost has a concerned expression on their face, looking at Marshal.

    I¡¯m pretty sure I know what¡¯s going on there, and can only sigh. At least it should help with Espeon.

    The sound of rapidly pounding feet, sounding almost like a stampede, signals Emil¡¯s arrival, three dodrio braking hard as they enter the clear area, using most of the available space to come to a stop.

    Emil glances at me, then at Marshal who slowly matches his gaze, moving her eyes off the poachers. She stares at him for a long moment before sighing, looking down at Shinx as the small feline yawns, continuing to talk to their mother.

    She¡¯s definitely going to kill the next person who puts so much as a toe over the line with her, after this.

    Thought and fire, I hope that''s not Rowan.

    ¡°Think she could do with some calming down?¡± Emil asks, swinging himself off his mount.

    ¡°That might be a good idea, yeah,¡± I reply, still watching the alpha. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her about it once these two are out of sight.¡±

    ¡°And on that note¡­¡± Emil says leadingly, making his way to the first man.

    ¡°Yeah, best not waste time,¡± I agree, moving to the other poacher.

    We both easily lift the men into the transport saddles, clipping and locking them to the backs of the dodrio. It''s a well-practiced skill that we''re required to be able to do in under ten seconds, even while the detainee is struggling. Once they''re secured, Emil swings himself back onto the remaining dodrio, patting the pokemon''s heads in turn.

    "We don''t need to rush on the way back, so you three can take it easier than on the way here," He tells the three¡ªnine, technically¡ªpokemon as he waves them into motion. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you all get something extra for the trouble.¡±

    Two of his mount¡¯s heads look thoughtful, while the third looks considerably more eager as they all trot off.

    ¡°Drio?¡±

    ¡°Dodri.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    My three-in-one mount converses with herselves before looking at me.

    I nod, giving one a scratch on the neck as I respond to the implied question, ¡°We¡¯ll be headed back soon, I just need to ask the alpha something first.¡± That seems to placate them well enough, as they shake themselves and settle into the dirt instead of remaining standing, one head moving to groom another.

    I walk over to Marshal, crouched down the way she is, I can even look her in the eyes without craning my neck. She gives me a tired look, then sighs as she points me to the now passed-out cub, running her fingers over the metallic gold bands around their legs. I can''t dispute both how adorable and how helpless they- he looks.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to pretend I know how you feel right now,¡± I say, prompting a very small, but still noticeable, rueful smile out of her, ¡°But I can offer to make it a bit better,¡± I finish, holding my RED up.

    She glances at it, then waves me off, ¡°Floatzel zelzel, floa,¡± She says, scooping Shinx up in one hand and very gently tickling his belly with the other. ¡°Floatle?¡±

    I have no idea what she¡¯s asking, so I shrug, ¡°Not sure what you mean. Shinx is fine, I think you have Misdreavus to thank for that, though.¡±

    Marshal rolls her eyes, then sighs, nods, and starts moving off. As always, she¡¯s surprisingly quiet and graceful for someone so large, when she wants to be.

    Making my way back to Dodrio, I step into the saddle before they rise, gesturing them toward Weaver and Misdreavus. "You two ready?" I ask as Dodrio steps next to my long-time partner and likely future partner.

    Misdreavus has the same nervous look I''ve seen on them a few times now, glancing between Weaver and me. For her part, Weaver is clearly trying to come across as reassuring, even wearing what I think is a genuine small smile. She climbs one-handedly up the saddle, sitting behind me instead of in front to keep holding Misdreavus.

    ¡°Weave!¡± Weaver chirps, pulling the ghost closer.

    Taking that as her cue, Dodrio starts walking before quickly moving to a jog, then a full sprint as we start heading for the base.

 Chapter 21

    I feel a bit like a balloon, being carried along behind Weaver everywhere she¡¯s gone over the last hour. I¡­ also appreciate how it''s making me feel just a bit safer.

    I also don''t like the thought that I¡¯m feeling safer, but my pride isn¡¯t important right now and I¡¯ll take it over continuing to freak out.

    I grasp the first human with psychic force, giving the power a small flick to send him flying out of my house.

    We¡¯re in the ranger¡¯s kitchen again, Weaver reading aloud from her book while Onaga and the other ranger are writing a lot of things down, with Espeon currently glued to Onaga¡¯s leg. I think Weaver is trying to distract me, with maybe some success.

    ¡°-The Noble, now healed from the madness, gave the gallant hero a small fragment of their duty. The brave soldier, now with proof of their task, turned his-¡± Weaver continues, doing an admirable job of narrating.

    I¡¯m not all that sure what¡¯s going on in the story, to be honest. It seems to jump around a lot. Or¡­ that might be me.

    I¡¯m easily maintaining three zones of control. One as a shield around myself, and the other two in waiting as I watch the two humans get back to their feet.

    I understand why she wants to keep me from thinking about attacking those two that the rangers carted off, or about the fact that my house collapsed, but I''d like to think I won''t break down now. ¡­Even if I¡¯m definitely still a bit upset.

    One of the men looks- <u>tastes</u> frightened, staring wide-eyed at me.

    ¡°-King of the dragons, descended from the-¡± ¡­I think it''s me. Why can¡¯t I focus?!

    Trying to get into that place where I can think and stay fully aware of my surroundings simply isn¡¯t happening. Especially since I''m not calm enough for however my new psychic thing works to use it. I just- I can¡¯t stop thinking about everything.

    I decide to expand my personal control-zone, and the pokeball stops dead when it reaches the edge. I increase the- I need to stop thinking about this. Do something else.

    I sigh, then notice both humans in the room flinch, which just makes me want to sigh again. Yeah, I get it, you all think I sound weird, thanks for the reminder.

    Okay, I need to actually cool off and clear my head somehow. ¡°Weaver?¡±

    ¡°Mmm?¡± She queries, looking up from her book. ¡°What?¡±

    Espeon remains silent, but I¡¯m trying to pay attention right now and I see his ears swivel to face me.

    "I- I think I either need it to be a lot louder, or a lot quieter or¡­ just something,¡± I tell her, still trying to set my thoughts in order. I could really use a good drink right now.

    The wall of my house collapses under the constant pressure, and I realize I¡¯ve kept the sound up too long.

    Weaver looks down at her book, expression shifting a few times before she opens her mouth to respond, only to say nothing, jaw clicking shut.

    ¡°It¡¯s quiet outside¡­¡± Espeon timidly says after a moment, catching both my and Weaver¡¯s attention. He shrinks a little when we both look at him, but continues, "If y- you need quiet, a b- bubble isn''t hard to make. I can sh- show you?¡± I¡¯m not sure if he meant that to be a question.

    Marshal appears, moving on all fours, head whipping around to take everything in.

    "Sure, that sounds great," I agree, which seems to take the cat off-guard.

    He glances at Onaga and then into space, visibly mulling something over before he stands. ¡°O- Okay, um¡­ Follow m- me,¡± He says, slowly walking to the kitchen¡¯s entrance before taking a deep breath and moving faster.

    ¡°Smokey?¡± Weaver asks, standing and giving me a bit of slack to rise.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna be in a bad way soon, huh?¡± Marshal asks, inspecting me. I turn my eyes on her, wanting her to be wrong. ¡°And you know it, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I need- And thank you for trying to distract me, Weaver. Genuinely, I mean it. But I need something else,¡± I tell her, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

    The two humans are watching us closely, Onaga¡¯s gaze flicking to the doorway a few times.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Weaver agrees simply, pulling me along as she follows Espeon. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°We heard all the noise. What happened?¡± Weaver asks, not a hint of levity in her tone.

    ¡°Because- Because I can¡¯t stop thinking about it all,¡± I tell her, moving to put a hand to my forehead but needing to settle on the side of one arm. ¡°So I either need something a lot better to distract myself until I stop thinking about what I did, or I need to actually work my way through it.¡± Even if I¡¯d really rather not.

    Weaver looks at me, still holding her book in one hand and one of my arms in the other, then looks down, ¡°Do you want to know how I met Ryuko?¡± She asks.

    ¡°I think I made a mis-¡± No, I did what I should have.

    Focus. What Weaver is saying right now seems important to her, "If you want to tell me."

    ¡°It was somewhat like tonight,¡± Weaver starts as we leave the building, Espeon waiting for us. ¡°Let me start over, I think you might need to hear this too,¡± She says to the pinkish-purple cat.

    ¡°Right, so uh¡­¡± Weaver trails off, blinking. ¡°I knew where to start this a moment ago. So, I was a sneasel, obviously, and¡­ Neither of you know a lot about us, do you?¡± Weaver asks, frowning.

    ¡°Not really, no,¡± I say, shrugging helplessly as Espeon shakes his head.

    ¡°Okay, so sneasel are meant to make their own way until they''re old and strong enough to evolve, then a pack will take them in. That''s what I''ve gathered, anyway.¡± Weaver shakes her head, ¡°I was a bit young for that when this happened, but I was always feeling lonely and it might have been driving me a bit crazy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d been having trouble catching anything to eat for¡­ I think two weeks. And I just wanted to talk to somebody, but I was a sneasel and very obviously hungry so nobody trusted me not to attack them. Except this human who showed up one day, she was nice, but she didn¡¯t have any food for me so I just followed her for a few hours before going hunting again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d caught a scent, too. Followed it halfway across the valley before I saw where it was coming from, and I was too hungry to question why a human would just leave food out like that. Especially since they were right there, in the snow next to it. So I decided to say hello and ask for some food.¡±

    ¡°I got caught before I even knew what was happening. And I didn''t actually know what was going on, everything was so muted and I couldn''t move¡­¡± Weaver shudders, ¡°It¡¯s not a great feeling when you¡¯re that confused. Anyway, this human picked me up, buried himself in the snow again, and repeated that a few times. Then he took us all back to a camp on the far end of the drifts, and some of the other humans there started releasing us into cages and poking us before putting us back in the balls.¡±

    "They sorted us into groups, and someone decided I wasn''t worth selling, so I got to be a living target instead." Weaver looks at Espeon and me, "Imagine being hungry, weak, and having humans laugh at you while the pokemon they have with them get to enjoy using you to train."

    I do, and it¡¯s not something I ever want to see, let alone experience.

    ¡°That was my life for two days, never allowed to eat, never given the chance to get out, just scrambling to not be hurt too badly or sitting on a shelf. Then every human started acting odd, on edge. One of them hadn¡¯t come back by the time night fell, and the rest started packing their supplies and the captured pokemon up.¡±

    ¡°Then something walked into the main tent, it¡¯s a bit hard to see things from inside a pokeball. It¡¯s hard to describe, you need to experience it to understand. Sorry, as I was saying, one of the humans tried to do something to it and went flying into one of the tables they had, and then the rest sent all the remaining pokemon out, including me.¡±

    When did we all sit down? I¡¯m even resting on the ground¡­

    ¡°Have either of you seen a ranger fight another human?¡± Weaver asks us, leaning back against the wall we¡¯ve settled by. When both Espeon and I shake our heads, Weaver continues, ¡°They¡¯re stronger than you¡¯d think. But Ryu¡­ when we were all told to attack her, I froze, and she noticed me. Out of the eight pokemon there, me.¡±

    ¡°Those things the rangers have, you haven¡¯t had one used near you yet, right Charlie?¡± I shake my head, not wanting to interrupt her. I¡¯m pretty sure I haven¡¯t, at least. ¡°She wasn¡¯t as good with hers, then, but she didn¡¯t need to be. Every other pokemon there froze, and I didn¡¯t know why at the time. All I was feeling was safe.¡±

    ¡°She beat all the humans there into unconsciousness. And every time one of the other pokemon would make a move, I¡¯d feel safe again, and they¡¯d all freeze. Once she was done, she said something into a radio and stumbled out of the tent. I don¡¯t know what everyone else in that tent was thinking, but I¡¯m pretty sure they were afraid of her, by the end.¡±

    ¡°I followed her out, no one stopped me, and I nearly ran for it. But then I saw her face down in the snow and¡­ I realized I wouldn''t, I couldn¡¯t leave her there. When I dragged her back out of the snow, the pokemon still in the tent ran. I passed out shortly after that, still holding on to her, and when I woke up we were in a ranger base. Ryu was being yelled at, but he stopped when I started screaming back,¡± Weaver laughs at that, trailing into chuckles, ¡°That was how we met.¡±

    I taste a wave of¡­ compassion and understanding? Those are flavors? Not that I¡¯m not feeling the same but- Hold on, reciprocation and confusion?

    I look to who must be the source, the cat blinking back at me. Now it¡¯s surprise and greetings. How the fuck are these all things I can taste?

    It¡¯s so hard to compare the way emotions taste to anything else because there isn¡¯t anything to compare it to, not even tastes that aren¡¯t emotions. But those new ones were¡­ more complicated, but still something I can both taste and that I have a name for. It¡¯s not like when there are so many tastes that I can¡¯t parse them, these were complete. So now I get to maybe-live with knowing what the feeling of greetings tastes like, great.

    ¡°Uh, you two okay?¡± Weaver asks.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Or, I think so, at least,¡± I tell her, still staring at Espeon.

    There¡¯s curiosity as Espeon takes a step back from me, shakes his head, and steps forward again. ¡­And now I¡¯m tasting fascination.

    ¡°Um, anyway,¡± I say, turning to Weaver. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I guess thankful you felt like sharing that, but what did it have to do with tonight? Why tell us that? N- No, sorry, that doesn¡¯t sound right¡­¡±

    Weaver sighs, but puts on a smile, ¡°Because, Charlie, you and she did nearly the same things, and Ryu was beating herself up over what she did for months. Like I get the feeling you are about to start doing. So, don¡¯t.¡± She levels a claw, pointing it at me, ¡°It happened, yeah, but it¡¯s over now. Don¡¯t obsess over it, alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that-¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not that easy, but it doesn¡¯t have to be that hard, either,¡± She cuts me off, curling the backs of her claws on her hips. ¡°Are you thinking about it right now?¡±

    "¡­No," I admit, making her smile.

    "Exactly!" She beams, pointing her claws at me in a decent attempt at finger guns.

    ¡°Okay, you might have a point,¡± I concede. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, but,¡± I say, getting an eye roll, ¡°There are still things I need to do now. Like finding somewhere to stay, for starters.¡±

    Weaver¡¯s expression turns thoughtful, then it lights up for a fraction of a second before becoming innocent. ¡°What?¡± I ask her.

    "Well¡­" She flicks her eyes between Espeon and me, then between myself and the building. And she keeps doing that, back and forth, me and the building, for almost fifteen seconds. "Oh, come on!¡± She pleads. ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it!¡±

    I continue giving her a blank look, ¡°You might need to, I can be very stupid at times,¡± I tell her.

    She snorts, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I put an arm to where my chest would be in mock offense.

    ¡°You said it first, not me,¡± She smirks, then sighs, ¡°Here, at the base. You, with us.¡±

    ¡­Is that an option?

    ¡°Yeah. Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Weaver asks.

    Oh, I said that out loud, didn''t I? "I don''t know, I just- I was still settling in, and then everything tonight, and now you''re talking about-" I stop, realizing something. "About having a place to live, something to do all day, and easy access to anything I might need," I say, blinking at Weaver¡¯s large grin.

    ¡°See, you can be smart, too. ¡­If someone helps you out the whole way.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°He has your temperament,¡± Luxray says with a bob of his head. ¡°We¡¯ve tried keeping him in my territory, but he keeps slipping out.¡±

    I sigh as I look back down at the tiny bundle of sunshine and joy, now sleeping against his father. I can¡¯t exactly deny he acts like me at times, and we both know doing anything more to stop him will just push Shinx away from us.

    ¡°Did you handle the humans? You still haven¡¯t said,¡± Luxray asks, grooming himself.

    ¡°No,¡± I sigh. ¡°The kid, Charlie, handled them before I even got there, and the rangers showed up shortly after. Didn¡¯t even know Shinx was there until Ryu finished letting everyone out.¡±

    Luxray nods in understanding, ¡°And even though they wouldn¡¯t stop you, it¡¯s trouble. Not that waking the whole forest up wasn¡¯t trouble,¡± He muses.

    There¡¯s a long silence as Luxray watches me. I meet his gaze with one of my own, he wants me to talk about Charlie, and he probably has some of the same questions they had.

    ¡°Still not going to say anything about them?¡± He asks after he accepts that I¡¯m not budging. ¡°No explanation? I¡¯ve even heard you were teaching them.¡±

    I want to say they had the eyes, but I¡¯m not sure if I saw that right. ¡°No, Luxray. The kid opened up to me, and even if I¡¯ve figured out more about them they clearly don¡¯t want to talk about it. So I won¡¯t be talking about it with you,¡± I explain to my part-time paramour. ¡°It might be a moot point in any case since they may be better off among humans.¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I spend a moment teasing Shinx¡¯s belly, the sleeping kit reflexively shocking me with a paw. I sigh, ¡°And you should understand, it¡¯s what they did that matters.¡±

    Luxray reluctantly nods at that. Because he does understand, one of the few of us who''s still around. "I suppose protecting anyone, let alone one of our children, from humans grants them a measure of trust,¡± He admits. ¡°No more tolerance towards the humans, for now?¡±

    ¡°None,¡± I agree. ¡°Need to make it clear somehow.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Weaver walks out, pulling Misdreavus along behind her. Not that the ghost is resisting at all.

    ¡°So¡­ three now, hmm?¡± Emil says, breaking the silence after so long writing our reports.

    I sigh, ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly plan for it. Not that any of us ¡®planned¡¯ our partners,¡± I say, giving a pointed look at Emil. ¡°Where is Piplup, anyway? He wasn¡¯t out with you.¡±

    It¡¯s Emil¡¯s turn to sigh now, ¡°You know how kids start to act when they become teenagers?¡± He asks. At my raised eyebrow he lowers his head into his hands, ¡°I think it¡¯s like that. Honestly, I think it¡¯s the opposite of what you and Weaver went through recently, he¡¯s listening less, doing things because his pride demands it.¡±

    ¡°¡­So where is he?¡± I ask after a long moment.

    ¡°In town, somewhere?¡± Emil says, nervously tapping the table. ¡°I know I need to do something about him, but I might need someone to hold him down for the conversation.¡±

    ¡°That bad, now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the way piplup begin maturing,¡± Emil helplessly shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m hoping it will only take one or two big mistakes for him to calm down. What about you? two new partners at once is going to be rough.¡±

    I almost want to correct him that it¡¯s only Espeon at the moment, but I¡¯d be shocked if Weaver wasn¡¯t trying to convince Misdreavus to join, especially since they¡¯re friends. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say, letting my tiredness at the long day out in a groan, ¡°I got maybe four hours of sleep, and I¡¯ve been up for almost twenty hours at this point, so I¡¯m just going to deal with it tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What? Not going to try and follow Holt¡¯s example?¡± Emil chuckles, then laughs as I can¡¯t help the smile on my face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how that woman ever sleeps,¡± I join Emil in laughing, finally bleeding some of the tension off. ¡°No, no I¡¯m not that high-strung yet.¡±

    Leaning back a bit I let myself relax before realizing I never confirmed something, ¡°Did you take those two to the hospital or the station?¡±

    ¡°Hospital,¡± Emil nods. ¡°You¡¯ll never guess who was already waiting there.¡±

    "I''d bet I can, but I''m going to hit the showers now, try not to fall off my routine. You?"

    The man sighs and picks his pen back up, ¡°I still need to finish this. You sleep well, m¨° am¨¦.¡±

    I nod to him, standing and stretching as I make my way out of the room. After showering, I decide there¡¯s something I should do before heading to bed. It doesn¡¯t take long to find them, the three pokemon just outside the main doors.

    Weaver and Espeon notice me, one giving me a wave and the other opening his connection slightly. Misdreavus, however, appears to be concentrating on something, a sphere of psychic energy shimmering around them.

    Espeon, though tired, is actually feeling okay for once, and since it¡¯s likely because of the ghost it makes me feel significantly better about Weaver¡¯s obvious¡­ How is Rowan going to react when he finds out ¡®I¡¯ recruited his ¡®research subject¡¯?

    It doesn''t matter, does it? He won¡¯t be able to observe them in their natural environment, but they¡¯ll be easier to study overall. Shaking my head, I focus back on the group, ¡°I¡¯m heading to bed, try not to make too much noise, okay?¡± I tell them, getting a thumbs-up from Weaver.

    Affirmation,¨CEspeon sends, nodding as well.

    And Misdreavus¡­ still doesn¡¯t seem to know I¡¯m here. Interesting. I''ll ask about the whole situation tomorrow if they''re still around.

    Giving one last look at the three of them, I march off to bed.

    ***

    Opening the door, I see my oma, young and dressed like a trainer, instead of how she normally looks like a regular, if aged, housewife.

    I don¡¯t see Opa anywhere.

    We¡¯re at a dinner table, Oma just brought out a dish of something delicious-smelling. Opa seems happy, but¡­ there¡¯s something wrong with his face. What is it?

    My partner flinches, bracing herself¡­ Partner? Shouldn¡¯t she have a name?

    Opa backs into a corner, waving Oma and me to stay away. His face, his skin melts away to reveal-

    Something pokes my cheek. ¡°Weave,¡± My alarm says, poking me again.

    I crack one eye open to see my usual wake-up call, familiar golden eyes looking back.

    ¡°Weaver,¡± I greet, as per standard.

    ¡°Weavile,¡± She returns, soundlessly hopping to the floor.

    Standing, I look around for Espeon as I stretch, but don¡¯t see him anywhere. I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s good or bad yet.

    Following a well-worn routine, I check on Katie as I head for the kitchen. She looks a bit less haggard, but more jumpy today. ¡°Breakfast?¡± I ask her.

    After learning what she wants today, I now need to find Espeon. There¡¯s an easy way to do it, however, ¡°Hey Weaver, could you go tell Espeon it¡¯s time to eat?¡±

    With a thumbs-up and a ¡®Weave,¡¯ she¡¯s off, leaving me to get Katie her bowl of puffs.

    Walking back into the kitchen after delivering the food, I find out that, yes, Weaver convinced the ghost to stick around. The pokemon floating by the counter, seemingly fiddling with the coffee maker, while Espeon and Weaver have already snagged themselves some pokeblocs. Both happily chewing on the compressed meat-and-berry cubes.

    I hear the coffee maker turn on.

    Okay, we can add smart and observant to the list of known things about Misdreavus, given I¡¯m fairly sure they weren¡¯t paying that much attention yesterday morning.

    ¡°Right then, I assume Weaver offered you a place here?¡± I ask Misdreavus, spotting Weaver¡¯s grin from the corner of my eye.

    The ghost nods distractedly, staring at the slowly dripping coffee¡­ No, it¡¯s too blue and doesn''t smell like coffee. Chesto tea, then. ¡°Misser?¡± They ask, now looking at me a bit wide-eyed.

    ¡°Are you surprised I knew what she was doing? Or that I¡¯m going along with it?¡± I ask, reaching up to grab the box of granola.

    The ghost glances at Weaver, then slowly holds up two arms, ¡°¡­Mis dreav?¡± I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re saying it¡¯s the second one. And¡­

    Affirmation.

    There it is. Well, it''s nice to have confirmation, but¡­. `We¡¯re going to have that talk soon, then.` I pan my gaze over to Espeon as he shrinks a bit, opening the bond enough to let me feel his shame. Not that I¡¯m going to get angry or frustrated with him, so long as he makes an effort. After all, it¡¯s natural for him to do this, he just needs to be more polite about it and learn to take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer.

    Espeon nods and I roll my eyes. The sound of the coffee maker sputtering diverts me, as I glance back at Misdreavus. They made a full pot, so that¡¯s nice. The effects can be a bit much for me, and I don¡¯t need it to wake up, but Karlos and Barry will be appreciative.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Onaga keeps giving me odd looks and I¡¯m not sure why. But Weaver doesn¡¯t seem worried, so eh.

    Rather than trying to maneuver the coffeepot with my arms, as they''re closer to tentacles than anything else¡ªand thus they lack a certain level of fine control, I float it with my mind, pouring a small amount out for myself and Weaver. I think I can officially say that psychic powers won¡¯t get old.

    Physically picking the small mug up, I take a swig.

    ¡°See, it¡¯s better, right?¡± Weaver asks after I take my first gulp.

    ¡°It¡¯s certainly different,¡± I admit, appreciating the drink. It tastes¡­ a bit like coffee, though much less bitter and with a hint of vanilla and nuts. And I immediately feel what Weaver said I would, less tired, just a bit more alert.

    Hmm, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s good,¡± I tell her. ¡°But uh, I can¡¯t feel anything from the neck down, now.¡±

    Weaver stiffens, ¡°That¡¯s not good¡­¡± Then she narrows her eyes, standing stock-still for a long moment. I do my best to keep my face blank, but it¡¯s becoming hard not to start chuckling. Thankfully, Weaver breaks first, ¡°That was awful!¡± She laughs, taking my cup and sipping from it, then shuddering, ¡°Eugh, way too hot,¡± She complains, and more steam starts rising from the liquid.

    ¡°Sorry. But yeah, I know that was bad,¡± I join her in laughing, enjoying the moment. I¡¯m feeling¡­ better. I have at least some kind of real plan for the future, and that¡¯s a huge weight off me that I hadn¡¯t realized was there until it vanished.

    Onaga swipes the second mug, the one I made for Weaver, and starts sipping at it slowly. She sighs after a quiet moment, ¡°Okay, today¡¯s plan,¡± She announces, Weaver and Espeon perking up. ¡°Barring anything big happening, I¡¯m maintaining the base for the day again. Espeon, you still have a while before you can physically keep up, sorry. And Misdreavus,¡± Still weird hearing that, ¡°Just to be sure, but you do want to join as a partner, right?¡±

    I glance at Weaver, who shrugs at me, and then I nod at Onaga, ¡°It seems like my best option right now.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, just so you know, we¡¯ll need to take you and Espeon through some basic training, and you¡¯ll need to become literate, but I know Weaver was already taking you through the videos,¡± The woman explains, pouring some oat-clusters into a cup. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be like¡­ You probably wouldn¡¯t know what a trainer is. Regardless, it won¡¯t be like that, even if I get the feeling you can protect yourself just fine.¡± I feel the urge to correct her, twice, but she wouldn¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying anyway.

    ¡°It¡¯s mostly about what we can, can¡¯t, should, and shouldn¡¯t do,¡± Weaver pipes up, taking a sip from the now frosty cup. ¡°Human laws, that kind of thing. I assume you¡¯ve heard of them?¡±

    ¡°It rings a bell, yeah,¡± I say, considering if I want more of the nutty brew before deciding I don¡¯t. I¡¯d rather find out if it¡¯s going to make me shaky or hyper without chugging a whole mug first, thank you.

    ¡°Sh- She keeps putting it off¡­¡± Espeon says, speaking for the first time today.

    Onaga pans her gaze over to the cat, chewing slowly on her granola as Weaver and I share a look, ¡°I think it¡¯s because she knows you¡¯re not doing all that well, Patches.¡± The cat flinches at Weaver¡¯s comment, but the weasel continues, ¡°Trust me, she¡¯s going to put you above meeting guidelines, even if it means you won¡¯t get to join us out there for a while.¡±

    Espeon nods, and I taste understanding and acceptance before he winces, ¡°¡­Yeah, I kn- know.¡±

    Weaver raises an eyebrow, but I think I know what just happened, ¡°He tried to tell you, psychically. I''m assuming?¡± I both clarify and ask.

    Verity, I discover as Espeon nods, is a taste. And that''s a little concerning since I don''t think I knew that word a second ago. ¡­High school English, Mr. Hobbes, huh. Amazing, the things I can remember.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Weaver chuckles, ¡°You might have some issues there.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Onaga interrupts us, swigging her drink down in one go, "Ah, okay, plan time," She says once she can talk. "Espeon, you can''t join Weaver and me on our run. Sorry, but you need to build up more stamina, and more importantly fat, before you can. Misdreavus¡­" She trails off, inspecting me. "Do you even have muscles?"

    That¡¯s a very good question. To which I do, in fact, know the answer, ¡°No,¡± I say, shaking my head.

    I¡¯ve literally put myself back together, after all.

    ¡°Right,¡± The ranger slowly says, blinking. ¡°Then I don''t think anything should stop you from joining us, but I don''t know if there would be any benefit either. So it might be better if you stayed here and watched the learning tapes.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t help them,¡± Weaver says, getting a look from the woman. The weavile sighs, holding up three fingers, every digit on one hand splayed.

    ¡°three¡­¡± Onaga raises an eyebrow, ¡°The third tape?¡± She asks, glancing at me. I give her a wave.

    Surprise remains an interesting taste, it¡¯s not like fear or terror. It¡¯s lighter, not so much tasty but instead more of a compliment to whatever is going on.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡± The only human in the room asks, running a hand down her face. Weaver starts cackling and the woman sighs, ¡°Friends with Weaver. Alright, you can mostly do what you want, but no matter what you need to be here once we get back. And I¡¯m only saying this because someone else has a habit of disappearing,¡± She gives Weaver a look. The bipedal cat gives her a sweet, innocent look in return. ¡°Don¡¯t follow her lead, is what I¡¯m saying,¡± The ranger intones.

    ¡°It¡¯s the benefit of knowing her so long,¡± Weaver conspiratorially whispers to Espeon and me, waggling her eyebrows.

    ***

    ¡°This is insane,¡± I think aloud, watching the ¡®human¡¯¡ªbecause that is not something a human should be able to do and still look like that¡ªsquat three hundred kilograms. And of course they use metric here. Also, how does fucking metric exist here?

    I thought the weights looked off, and then spent a moment translating the numbers on them, then realized it obviously wasn¡¯t in pounds.

    She¡¯s not all that strained. I mean, it¡¯s clear she¡¯s feeling it, but she¡¯s not struggling.

    ¡°It¡¯s a strength day,¡± Weaver explains, and I start staring at her instead.

    ¡°Humans can''t do that. No, let me say something first,¡± I interrupt the frosty pokemon as she opens her mouth. ¡°I was¡­¡± my gaze drifts to Espeon, the cat watching the first reading video. Fuck it, he¡¯s going to learn about this eventually, ¡°I was a pretty big guy, my job meant I needed to be decently strong. That,¡± I say, pointing at Onaga, ¡°Is not something Humans can do. Three hundred kilos is¡­¡±

    Two-point-two pounds per kilo, thanks memory. ¡°Six-hundred-sixty pounds- ¡­Right, why would you know that if kilos are standard here. Anyway, the safe amount to squat is a little over one-hundred-twenty kilos less¡­¡± I did that math fast, didn¡¯t I? And when did I learn weight limits like that?

    Six years ago, fitness crisis, I was putting on more weight as I hit my thirties.

    I blink. Oh, I think I know what''s going on. Bringing an arm up to inspect, it''s not shaking. "Weaver, am I acting hyper right now?" I ask my friend.

    ¡°A bit,¡± She reveals, squeezing the first finger and thumb of her left hand together. "And you¡¯re talking a little fast.¡±

    There¡¯s a thudding clang as Onaga seats the barbell on its rack, stretching as she stands.

    ¡°She¡¯s not even looking all that stressed about it!¡±

    Weaver opens her mouth to speak, then pauses thoughtfully. ¡°¡­I think,¡± She says after a long moment in which Onaga starts benching a similarly ridiculous weight, ¡°You may be right.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Um, okay?¡± I don¡¯t know where she¡¯s going with this.

    ¡°The rangers are tougher than other humans, too,¡± Weaver adds, now looking curious. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but now that I think about it, yeah, I don¡¯t think most humans could do that.¡±

    We watch Onaga lift¡­ Brace-shaped symbol and the one that¡¯s just a zero with legs, on eight weights. So, five-twenty-eight pounds. The woman doing so with relative ease.

    ¡°Weaver, what did you drag me into?¡±

    She answers with a cackle.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°Vice principal Kincaid?¡± The scrawny kid looks up from the thing he''s been messing with all night. ¡°I think it¡¯s working.¡±

    ¡°Truly?¡± The man I¡¯m starting to hate asks, yawning as he stands from his desk.

    ¡°Yeah, the inductor is pulling power from the stone,¡± The kid says, pointing. ¡°I think I could make it more efficient if I had raw materials instead of just the training devices.¡±

    "Wonderful!" Kincaid beams. "Now, why don''t you start packing, hmm? I''m certain you have a bright career ahead of you, with this as proof.¡±

    ¡°O- Oh, Yes, Mr. Kincaid. I¡­¡± The kid blinks up at the wall clock, "I may need a nap first."

    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± The man waves it off. ¡°I¡¯ll have my assistants, well, assist with moving the prototype. I¡¯m certain the rangers will have a good use for such a powerful, if stationary, beacon.¡±

    After the kid leaves, Kincaid¡¯s smile drops, ¡°Right, you two, help me move this.¡±

    Tim and I both sigh, trudging over to where the weird cone-on-stilts thing is sitting.

 Chapter 22

    ¡°It¡¯s because you need to attach the sounds to the characters,¡± I explain, simply getting more confusion from Espeon. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± I was about to say ''It''s not that hard,'' but I have several unfair advantages. "This might work better if we had Weaver here to read to you," I admit.

    I taste consolation, acceptance, and then curiosity. And looking at the psychic cat, he¡¯s staring at the door. Following his gaze, I see a turtwig I recognize.

    ¡°New,¡± The tortoise says.

    ¡°Yeah, I kind of got swept up in things,¡± I say, blinking at the form behind Turtwig.

    "Normal," He surmises, hands reaching out to pick him up as a woman, Maya, steps down the hall, and the dragon that was behind the small pokemon enters the room.

    ¡°Are you going to cause problems?¡± He curtly asks, reptilian eyes doing their best to intimidate me.

    It¡¯s¡­ Not all that effective. Sorry, guy, but you¡¯re not Marshal and I just can¡¯t believe you¡¯d start something here. ¡°No?¡± I ask him, wanting to roll my eyes as I taste a certain cat¡¯s fear. ¡°And I¡¯m trying to help Espeon with reading, stop trying to look scary.¡±

    The lizard grimaces, stepping forward, ¡°Do you understand how things work in human spaces?¡±

    Don¡¯t laugh. Don¡¯t laugh in his face. ¡°Yeah, pretty well I¡¯d say,¡± I tell the frowning pokemon, not quite keeping a gigg- chuckle. Keeping a chuckle in. ¡°Weaver did some explaining, too.¡±

    The dragon''s frown deepens, but he backs off. Keeping his eyes on me, he retreats just as the large ranger from yesterday, Weaver called him Karlos, trudges into view, the man currently clad in pajamas. "Hmm,¡± He comments on seeing me, glancing down at the lizard, ¡°You¡¯re not trying to push them around are you, Gabite?¡±

    Oh, that was its name, I could remember garchomp, but not the two before it.

    The dragon, Gabite, doesn¡¯t reply in any way, moving past Karlos and presumably to the kitchen space.

    Karlos sighs, the action morphing into a yawn as he visibly tries to wake up, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s all bark and no bite,¡± The man jokes, smiling at his own wording. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised to see you here, after last night. Onaga already on her run?¡±

    He¡¯s being pretty casual about this, but if it is relatively normal¡­ ¡°Yeah,¡± I nod.

    He nods back, ¡°I¡¯d offer some breakfast, but I¡¯ve been told that¡¯s not how it works for you. Espeon?¡±

    I glance at the cat, who¡¯s looking a bit hunched. ¡°I- I¡¯m fine¡­¡± He says, shaking his head.

    Karlos looks a bit begrudging as he sees that, but seems to accept it, ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be there if you want it,¡± He yawns again before moving off.

    ¡°Right, where were we?¡± I ask, turning back to the TV.

    There¡¯s relief and gratitude as Espeon uncurls himself, blinking at the screen for a moment, ¡°The c- combinations? I can¡¯t m- memorize them.¡±

    "I don''t think you''re expected to learn this that fast," I tell him. "I think the idea is to watch them occasionally until Weaver or Onaga thinks you''re ready to move on."

    ¡°But you made it so far already!¡± He protests, not stuttering for once.

    I sigh, dealing with a child wasn¡¯t something I had planned. ¡°I did, but I have the advantage of already knowing how to read two languages and not being able to forget anything,¡± I explain, calmly. ¡°Reading isn¡¯t something you can learn instantly, and I can¡¯t even read any of this yet, I just have the letters and numbers memorized.¡±

    Espeon looks between me and the still-paused TV, "I just w- want to go w- with them," He almost whines. He¡¯s getting upset, impatience, sorrow, and yearning practically spilling off him.

    Then there¡¯s a spike of pain, desperation, and apathy, and he sidles closer to me, ¡°I- I want to be good enough,¡± He whispers, kneading at the floor.

    Oh boy, what do I even say to that? That he doesn¡¯t need to be? That he is? But I don¡¯t know, and it¡¯ll probably sound disingenuous. ¡­Or he can probably tell if I mean what I say, can¡¯t he? ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to be completely honest. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how she looking at it,¡± I tell the cat.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not!¡± Espeon snaps, then flinches hard enough to scratch the floor. He wasn¡¯t even angry there, only afraid. ¡°I know s- she¡¯s not like th- that,¡± He says, much more softly. ¡°B- But I keep th- thinking she might¡­¡± He trails off.

    I¡¯m not good with kids, and Espeon needs someone who knows what they¡¯re doing. Which is just great because I think he¡¯s stuck with me at the moment¡­ Or I¡¯m stuck with him, either way.

    I hit stop on the VCR, deciding that we¡¯re not going to get back to that anytime soon, ¡°That she might what?¡± I ask, trying to be gentle about it and realizing that I failed.

    ¡°That she might get rid of me,¡± He breathes out, then he starts breathing faster.

    Oh boy, I¡¯m tasting more now, too. From what I¡¯ve heard from Weaver and what I gathered yesterday, my being here should help keep him from spiraling. Which is good because I don¡¯t know what else to do right now. ¡­except maybe to get a bit of distance so he¡¯s not aware of what I¡¯m feeling.

    Espeon and I have been communicating that way since last night. He seems more comfortable with that than talking, and it isn¡¯t really hard to do for me. ¡­Am I technically an empath?

    I need to focus on Espeon, the skinny, shaking cat stumbling into a corner and curling in on himself. There¡¯s a lot of fear, some pain, nausea, and a concerningly large amount of vague, unformed tastes all coming in waves. His eyes aren''t focused, staring at nothing as he looks down.

    I- There should be something else I can do. Something in my memories somewhere?

    ¡­

    He needs to stop hyperventilating and focus on something, right. ¡°Espeon,¡± I say, and while his eyes turn up at me, they don¡¯t focus on me. "Espeon, look at me." This time he does seem to focus, and I think that''s good. "Okay, can you hold your breath for a moment?"

    ¡°Y- Y- Yes,¡± He says between hitching breaths, then does so.

    ¡°Good, now breathe out slowly,¡± I instruct, drifting a bit and seeing his eyes not follow. ¡°And keep focusing on me.¡± His eyes snap to me again, as he exhales in a halting, stuttering pattern. I drift a bit more, and see him follow the movement, "And now breathe in, slowly,¡± I say, as he tries to suck in a breath as fast as possible.

    I keep this up for several long moments¡­ maybe minutes, making sure he''s watching me and slowing down his breathing.

    ¡°Thank- Thank you,¡± He whispers, a little while after the shaking stops. ¡°Nothing e- ever helped before, and they¡¯d always-¡± He stops, pain rolling off him.

    ¡°Try not to think about¡­¡± I trail off, knowing it doesn¡¯t work like that. I do know something I learned recently, though, ¡°Try focusing on the room instead, on everything in it and what¡¯s going on right now.¡±

    He dutifully does so, and even if he¡¯s still afraid, and now tired, he¡¯s not panicking anymore.

    ¡°Right, and I think you might want to eat something, too.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Charlie is really nice. I can tell they¡¯re getting bored and impatient, but they¡¯re still helping me. Even if they were very insistent on my eating more.

    ¡°I know h- how it works,¡± I tell them, trying and still failing to stabilize myself, ¡°I¡¯ve done it b- before. I- It was a lot easier before I e- evolved.¡± Before everything felt like so much more.

    They sigh, the corona of impatience growing a little before it recedes, replaced with resignation. ¡°Maybe this won¡¯t work for you,¡± They say, looking out over the path away from home. Home! ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s harder for an actual psychic,¡± Charlie muses, and their curiosity spikes for a moment.

    Looking at them, they¡¯ve frozen in place, the only movement being the maelstrom I¡¯m sitting inside. There¡¯s still nothing to reach for, nothing within them to see and understand. Almost like a dark-type, but I can see them, can feel them. Yet¡­ there¡¯s nothing there. I don¡¯t get it.

    Charlie drifts up, removing me from the maelstrom¡ªand thus from their emotions, as fragmentary as they are. ¡°Let me try something,¡± They say, their movements steadying into a flow instead of the twitching, rippling nature they normally take.

    And then something I do feel at this distance, power, flowing through them in calm, serene patterns as they descend closer to me. Oh, I get it. That¡¯s what Charlie¡¯s doing, passing their calm onto me.

    It¡¯s¡­ nice, to feel calm again for once. I yawn. Oh, am I that tired¡­? And¡­ even with the dawning sun pouring into me¡­ I¡¯ve been so afraid to sleep¡­

    ¡­

    When did I start dreaming?

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    After my run, I¡¯m not surprised to find Espeon napping on the roof, soaking in the sun. I am a bit surprised to see Misdreavus hovering over him with a bored look, however.

    When I get close enough, Espeon unsurprisingly stirs, blinking his glowing white pupils at me. Rather than a message, I¡¯m glad to feel him opening-

    He¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s something lingering, but he¡¯s feeling great right now. Also sleepy, I¡¯m a bit glad I drank that tea earlier.

    I give him a long look as I wait for him to realize¡­

    Contrition. Curiosity. Entreatment.

    That¡¯s better. I nod, feeling him start pushing the connection again. `But when I say stop, you stop. Understand?` He does, I can tell, so I continue moving as the three pokemon meet up for a moment.

    There¡¯s no real need to rush today, which is nice since it means I can enjoy breakfast.

    Satiation.

    Yes, I figured he¡¯d already eaten, but I still haven¡¯t beyond a handful of dried oats and nuts. And thinking about that¡­

    I open the door to the central hallway, already smelling eggs, butter, and toast. Entering the kitchenette, everyone¡¯s already eating, with a plate waiting for me on the counter.

    ¡°There she is!¡± Karlos calls. ¡°Got an early start today?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I tell him, grabbing my plate and sliding into a seat. ¡°Figured I might as well.¡±

    ***

    ¡°And you actually have less leeway when it comes to fighting in a city,¡± I say, continuing my explanation as I clean the saddles, ¡°Even if it¡¯s a friendly battle, there¡¯s too much risk of damage or injury.¡±

    Glancing at one of the pokemon, as I can tell the other is paying attention, I see that Misdreavus still is, even if they¡¯re clearly also still somewhat bored. Realistically, Espeon doesn¡¯t need most of this since he was definitely raised in captivity, but I need to tell them all this anyway.

    ¡°So unless you¡¯re actually in danger, please take any fighting outside the city,¡± I resume, ¡°And if you are in danger for whatever reason, we¡¯d prefer if you simply run, first. Treat fighting as a last resort.¡±

    Misdreavus nods, expression remaining unchanged, and Espeon simply absorbs what I¡¯m saying.

    Hmm, was that everything? The theft issue a lot of wilds have, personal property, private spaces and human privacy, what we expect from partner pokemon, fighting and battling¡­ The way people will likely start treating them, right.

    Wringing my cloth out, I start wiping the cleaner off the saddle I''m working on, "And something to remember is that people will start knowing you''re ranger partners. They might approach you while you''re on your own, or other pokemon might come to you first with issues they have," I tell the two, then glance up at some movement.

    Weaver has started balancing on the fence surrounding the runner station, making more and more exaggerated movements. I suppose I have been talking about this for a while.

    I look back at what I''m doing, "If you can resolve whatever issue they have then that''s great, but don''t. There are several problems, mostly stemming from the fact that you aren''t technically your own people, legally speaking." I sigh, "You both can and can''t be held liable for certain things, it''s nothing to do with you in particular, but it comes from being registered as partners instead of citizens. So please come get Weaver or me first if anyone asks you to do something that sounds even remotely related to what we do. I''d rather not deal with the legal headache."

    Judging the saddle clean, I stand and hang it from one of the pegs to dry. Turning to face the two new pokemon, I continue, ¡°Most people will likely respect you enough to leave you alone, and I hope it should go without saying, but don¡¯t attack anybody. Unless they pose an immediate threat to someone else you either run or get one of us.¡± I glance back at Weaver, ¡°Which does include Weaver now, as she¡¯s a licensed enforcer.¡±

    ¡°Vile vile, Weave vile,¡± Weaver says to the other two, leaning back until she falls off the post, landing on her feet.

    Drying my hands, I start walking for the gate, ¡°And that¡¯s about it for the basics, don¡¯t worry if you slip up once or twice, it¡¯s expected.¡±

    That makes Weaver and Misdreavus giggle for some reason. But for as erratic as she can seem, Weaver is both reliable and friendly, so I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s some kind of joke the two have between them.

    ¡°There will be a few more things if you end up staying long enough, but that can all wait. You can do what you want for the rest of the day, now,¡± I tell the two young pokemon. ¡°Just be back before midnight, and don¡¯t give Weaver trouble if she comes looking for you.¡± Misdreavus looks thoughtful at that, though I don¡¯t know them well enough to tell why.

    Looking at the sky, I want to say it¡¯s getting close to noon. I¡¯ve already done most of the basic maintenance tasks, so the majority of what¡¯s left is cleaning. After putting all the supplies for the saddles away, I make my way inside to see about lunch.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I¡¯m only just stepping inside when my radio blares, not with the normal three chimes of a standard connection, but the keening whine of an emergency. Not good.

    "All rangers in the Vien Forest area, respond. At least one currently unknown pokemon has entered Ranger Academy grounds and is attacking indiscriminately. This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill. Immediate aid requested," ¡­That''s Miss April''s voice, the lead operations teacher.

    Why would a pokemon attack the school? It''s staffed mostly by former rangers and operators, all of whom should know how to prevent anything like that. Thinking about it, they should have been able to handle it on their own¡­

    I¡¯m already turning around, heading back to call some runners as I hear Karlos¡¯ office door slam open.

    ***

    Karlos and I are just past the East end of the city as we pass the last two people in sight, who look like laborers that we need to swerve around. But the road is clear after that.

    We can have the runners pick up the pace now, then. ¡°Any chance you could go faster?¡± I ask, earning a glare from the left head but an eager look from the middle, the last keeping its eyes locked in front of us.

    The three don¡¯t exactly argue, and there¡¯s a jolt as they move to full speed. The trees and markers by the road whip by, and before long I can see the bridge to the Island. ¡°Don¡¯t slow down on the bridge, keep going!¡± I call over the rush of wind.

    One of Dodrio¡¯s heads glances back at me and nods, croaking at the other two. And then we hit the bridge, the thudding impacts of wide, sharp talons probably damaging the surface, but not destroying it the way they would if Dodrio had braked on it.

    Weaver looks like she wants to smile as her crest ruffles in the wind, but she doesn¡¯t. She knows what an emergency can mean, and is trying to stay stoic-seeming. I glance back to see where Karlos and Gabite are and see that they¡¯re slowly falling behind, either not wanting to damage the bridge or not wanting to push the mount who¡¯s already overloaded.

    It takes less than two seconds to cross the strait, and only a few more to see the academy grounds. ¡°Jump!¡± I call to Dodrio, not wanting to spend the time opening the gates.

    They do so, vaulting the brick wall and for an instant everything is weightless. Then, a moment later, I see the main building, along with what seems like the entire student body standing in the courtyard.

    Dodrio starts braking on their own, tearing up the grass until we hit the dirt path and continuing for several meters after. Once we''ve shed enough speed I swing off, Weaver leaping in front of me, and I quickly check on Dodrio. They''re shaking their heads a bit, until one head pecks the other two and they seem to settle, squawking at each other. Hmm. Deciding it''s nothing, Weaver and I run for the school, slowing when we see one of the green-clad teachers make his way to the front of the crowd.

    I also spy a familiar face lighting up about halfway back, but I can''t focus on Francios right now.

    I don''t remember the teacher¡¯s- No, I do, it¡¯s Mr. Kaplan, head of the pacification and resolution courses¡­ Also the RED specialist. That¡¯s not good, he¡¯s the best at getting pokemon to stop and figuring out their issues.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± I ask, doing my best to sound in control as I approach my old teacher.

    ¡°Tangrowth-¡± He begins, then shakes his head, "Two tangrowth just¡­ appeared inside and started attacking everything in sight. We got most of the students out of the way, but some are still inside, in the broadcasting room." He glances down, and I follow his gaze to my RED, "I don''t know what''s going on, but they aren''t responding to anything, words or empathy." He looks at his own device, hanging from a belt clip, ¡°Using the RED was like pushing through quicksand, something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    There¡¯s a crash from somewhere inside the school, followed shortly by a buzz and flash of lightning. Mr. Kaplan pales, ¡°Clair was still inside, guarding the broadcast room. I think she¡¯s got a few of her old pokemon team with her-¡± Another flash, this one accompanied by a boom of thunder, ¡°-And I think the tangrowth found her.¡±

    Glancing at Weaver, we share a nod, deciding to not waste any more time. Weaver places herself ahead of me again as we start sprinting for the doors, spotting Karlos and Gabite dismounting as we do.

    The inside is a mess, tiles fractured, lighting smashed, the walls have cracks and craters in them as well, and there¡¯s water pooling from broken pipes that Weaver freezes as she steps over it. The main stairs have been torn apart- I pause.

    Why are the main stairs broken like that? I follow the trail with my eyes. Either the tangrowth retreated down there, or they came up that way. And if the sounds I¡¯m hearing are right, then they aren¡¯t down there right now. What in all of Kimetsune¡¯s plans happened here?

    Another flash, bang, and the smell of ozone break me from my thoughts, leading us deeper, through the trail of destruction. Down a hall, past the lecture theaters, through an indoor arena, and finally to where I can see the school¡¯s radio room, Ms. Kaplan with one of her pokemon, and two very angry¡­

    That¡¯s not anger. Angry tangrowth would be grappling and draining, these two are flailing. A male and female, larger than normal at around two-and-a-half meters, distinguished by the brighter patterns on the female, though the male has been struck a few times, charred and deadened vines littering the floor.

    ¡°Glad someone got here in time,¡± I hear Mrs. Kaplan, Clair, call, and I look her way. The wild-haired brunette has her manectric¡­ Lucky? Running circles around the tangrowth while keeping herself as far as she reasonably can from the wild pokemon. "Only one of my team is listening to me right now, and I had to snap him out of something. Any chance you can help?¡±

    The first thing to try in this situation is the RED, but from what Mr. Kaplan said, I don¡¯t know how well that¡¯s going to go. ¡°Weaver,¡± I glance at her, ¡°Get ready for a fight.¡± Ideally, we don''t want it to go that far, but it might be needed.

    Weaver looks ready, air condensing to fog around her. Her outline becomes hazy as she makes no verbal response, almost seeming to melt away as she moves, not placing herself in the fight, but instead flanking the one closer to Clair at an oblique angle, ready to move if the situation warrants it.

    Right, let''s see what he meant by ''pushing through quicksand,'' then. It''s unusual to get any feedback from a RED, but it can happen around stronger pokemon.

    Stepping at the same angle as Weaver along the outside of the hall, I arm and activate the device.

    Oh. It¡¯s like there¡¯s¡­ resistance, like something is actively pushing back. ¡®Quicksand¡¯ was the right way to put it.

    One of the large grass-types, the one closer to me, lashes out at nothing. That would be okay normally, but it scares the other one out of Lucky¡¯s distracting dance around them and into attacking. Lucky acts first, and Weaver, knowing she can¡¯t out-speed lightning, waits until after the electricity finishes grounding out before she makes several swipes at the tangled pokemon. Notably, the vines she cut don''t regrow instantly, the severed ends now black with frostbite.

    That distracts the wounded tangrowth enough to make me feel comfortable focusing on the female instead. I¡¯m still trying to push through with the RED, but it¡¯s barely even accepting power. I''m going to mentally exhaust myself long before doing so physically, maybe ten minutes at this rate.

    Movement, fast, has me ducking back from a vine swipe, the second tangrowth now watching- She¡¯s not looking at me, she¡¯s not looking at anything. I can see the eyes below all the vines, and they aren¡¯t focused, spinning in their sockets.

    Except she¡¯s still attacking me. Grunting, I swing the RED up into ¡®single-handed mode,¡¯ pressing the inductor against my wrist as I hold it to my chest.

    What has them acting like this? It''s obviously not natural and they seem to be acting in panic more than anything. ¡­I have a bad feeling that I know what I need to do to get through to them, though, and it¡¯s a very stupid idea.

    Which means I¡¯m not getting through to them, not without significant effort. I¡¯m not going to keep pushing the RED if it¡¯s not going to do anything without being closer. I spare a look at Clair, if she and her pokemon had a way to restrain the tangrowth then they would have used it by now.

    ¡°Weaver, We need to knock them out,¡± I call, sighing internally at the necessity.

    Clair and Lucky have been fighting at a disadvantage to keep two large, strong, and wild pokemon from hurting anyone. Weaver is a dark and ice-type, that is to say, cold is a very good descriptor if she wants it to be, a good counter to a grass-type.

    However, she''s also not like Clair''s battle-trained pokemon. He¡¯d been holding his own despite the common disadvantages electric-types have against grass-types. So as Weaver darts in, faster than anything else here, and starts cutting-

    I''m slammed off my feet by a blow to my side. Rolling I manage to stand, and remember that I shouldn''t get distracted. By the First that hurt! But I don¡¯t think anything¡¯s broken, thankfully.

    Right, can¡¯t watch what¡¯s happening over there now that I have one of the tangrowth coming after me. Can I disengage? Maybe, but given how she¡¯s acting there¡¯s a good chance she starts going after either Weaver or Clair. Might be time to try that stupid idea then.

    Maneuvering around swiping vines, I¡¯m clipped by several, but they¡¯re only glancing blows and I manage to avoid the worst of it. I duck low under three swipes and am almost tripped by a fourth, but the pokemon simply isn¡¯t targeting them well, not boxing me in like they normally would. Actually¡­ some of the swings seem to be striking each other, several even wrapping around the pokemon''s main manipulators as if to restrain them. It¡¯s almost like she truly doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.

    I''m close to the vine-mass'' torso now, and it¡¯s a guarantee that I¡¯ll be- Flames and fury! That one hit me square in the side, the same side I¡¯d already been slammed in. Gods, I¡¯m not looking forward to the bruises and soreness later. I stagger from it, but getting closer is still the goal right now.

    I watch the next vine that lashes out, ready¡­ NOW! I grab the limb, using the return swing to land on top of the pokemon, sinking slightly into the bushy armor.

    Right, that¡¯s any range issues taken care of, now I just need to deal with Tangrowth starting to shake and buck. Though she isn¡¯t swiping at me anymore, at least, or even wrapping me all that much. I¡¯m even more shocked she isn¡¯t releasing spores, but that¡¯s an intensive action and I don¡¯t think she has the ability to focus right now.

    Wrapping one arm around a set of the tangling vines, I bring my RED up with the other and bring it closer to the pokemon¡¯s central mass. Using both hands again, I activate the empathy device, pushing it as hard as I can. And now I can try refocusing my emotions since I¡¯m not trying to dodge a mass of tentacles anymore.

    Maybe I¡¯m doing this wrong, if it feels so much like trying to push through thick mud, then force isn¡¯t the answer. I need to relax, a task that isn¡¯t made easier by the flailing pokemon I¡¯m holding on to.

    Or¡­ is Tangrowth slowing down?

    A blast of dark wind distracts me for an instant and I nearly lose my grip. No time to question it, focus. I need to clear my head, to think of wellness and peace, of wanting to help, not everything else going on. Just keep doing that and get ready to start easing off on the RED.

    Before I can start relaxing my struggle with the empathy device, something changes. Everything goes fuzzy and I lose my grip, rolling off the twisting pokemon.

    I hit the ground, managing to twist so I land sideways. What happened? I''m still pushing- I stop pushing the exhausting piece of technology, releasing the vice-grip I had on the trigger. I saw, and felt, something change, but I''m too dizzy to put it together, everything is swimming¡­

    ***

    A cold slap has me groaning, trying to piece the last few moments together. The pounding headache and exhaustion tie in nicely with what I manage to piece together through the fuzziness.

    Blinking my eyes open, I¡¯m still in the hallway, Weaver in front of me. I have a bit of trouble getting my arms to cooperate in sitting myself up off the floor, but I manage. ¡°How long?¡± I ask, trying not to hiss at the ache in my everything.

    ¡°Weavile,¡± Weaver supplies, equivocating.

    ¡°A minute,¡± Mrs. Kaplan says, tending to her manectric¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯d call you an idiot, but you¡¯ll probably be getting enough of that. And you did manage to stop one of the tangrowth.¡±

    ¡°Nothing I haven¡¯t heard before,¡± I say, now allowing myself another groan as I stand and look around.

    One very wounded tangrowth is resting by a far wall, eyes downcast, and the other is looking extremely uncomfortable, standing awkwardly in the middle of the hall. Weaver is giving me a look. The ¡®why do I let you do this,¡¯ look.

    I rub my head, trying and failing to alleviate the headache that I just know is going to follow me all day, ¡°They both stopped?¡±

    ¡°The one you managed to calm down has just been standing there,¡± Mrs. Kaplan confirms, pulling a berry from somewhere and feeding it to Lucky. ¡°And that weavile has some spirit. What even happened with yours?¡±

    ¡°Give me a moment,¡± I say, leaning against a wall. The last few seconds there are mostly a fuzzy blur. What did happ-

    Oh, that¡¯s what it was, all the resistance vanished suddenly. I exhausted myself with one burst because I was pushing the RED like an idiot.

    ¡°I did something stupid that probably didn¡¯t even work,¡± I say, earning a chuckle. ¡°No one else came to help?¡± I ask, getting ready to push myself off the wall.

    ¡°No, not yet,¡± Clair says, frowning. ¡°That¡¯s weird, right?¡±

    ¡°Maybe something else came up¡­¡± I trail off, not wanting the hassle of thinking about it right now. I decide it¡¯s not worth it, pushing myself off the wall, ¡°Or I might leave all the mysteries to someone else, I¡¯m tired.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d imagine, from what Cap tells me about those resonance-things,¡± Clair says with a laugh, tension bleeding out of her as the former trainer gives me a friendly slap on the back.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± A voice says, and I force my eyes to the source. Another ranger, someone I don¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°A lot,¡± Clair casually says, giving me one last commiserating pat on the shoulder before moving off to check inside the radio room.

    ¡°You okay?¡± The new ranger asks. ¡°You look like crap.¡±

    I sigh, not bothering to answer or look at his badge as I start heading for the outside. Impolite, sure, but I can¡¯t be bothered right now.

    I need to find Karlos, and- Right, my radio.

    ¡°Who¡¯s on right now?¡± I sigh into the device.

    ¡°Figured it was going to be that kind of day after the emergency broadcast,¡± Barry¡¯s voice replies. ¡°What do you need?¡±

    If that¡¯s how he¡¯s responding¡­ ¡°Nobody¡¯s told you what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Anri, but if you sound like that then I assume everything¡¯s sorted?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± I say, stepping out through the shattered doors and onto the dirt path, "But the tangrowth aren''t attacking anybody now.¡±

    And I see that more rangers did arrive, mostly on runners, but there are a few with fliers that really should have been here first.

    ¡°Nothing from Karlos?¡± I ask after relaxing for a moment. Probably a bad idea, but I¡¯m too tired.

    ¡°No nothing yet- Hold on,¡± Barry instructs, the line going dead. Leaving me to explain what I know to everyone who just noticed me, great. Oh, and there¡¯s Karlos, too.

    Wait, why are they all holding their partners like that? The pokemon look scared-

    ¡°Break it up!¡± I hear Holt¡¯s voice, everyone going quiet at her volume. ¡°Ranger Onaga, you were the one who pacified the pokemon inside?¡± She asks, approaching with a power walk.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I respond, holding in both another groan and a sigh. ¡°Two tangrowth, both seemingly confused as to what was happening, one had to be fought down.¡± I blink through my exhaustion at something that seems relevant, ¡°I believe they came from inside the academy.¡±

    Holt clicks her tongue, ¡°Nothing about today can be normal, can it?¡± She mutters. ¡°Fought down? Partner or enforcer?¡±

    ¡°Enforcer, Weaver,¡± I say pointing at the pokemon in question. ¡°And me, to an extent.¡±

    That makes her curse quietly, ¡°Was anyone else hurt?¡± Well, at least it¡¯s only one person asking all this now.

    ***

    ¡°Many of these rooms haven¡¯t been used in years,¡± Principal Lamont¡ªbecause I refuse to use his family name¡ªexplains, leading the two of us Holt chose to investigate through the sub-level hallways. ¡°I¡¯d need to go looking for any keys we might need.¡±

    ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll need keys,¡± Holt comments, tracing the damage to everything with her eyes.

    ¡°No, perhaps not,¡± Lamont agrees, doing the same.

    And they¡¯re right, as we reach yet another door that¡¯s been broken open, the walls around it torn through as well.

    ¡°They definitely came from in there,¡± I say, looking at the destruction.

    ¡°Who spends the most time down here?¡± Holt asks, turning to face Lamont.

    The graying man hums, considering, ¡°Vice Principal Kincaid? Though that is because both his office and the mechanics department are on the other end of the school, down here,¡± He replies.

    ¡°And has Kincaid been around recently?¡± She asks.

    ¡°No, not recently, that I¡¯ve seen. And he started his annual vacation yesterday,¡± Lamont says, rubbing his chin. He sighs, ¡°Sorry, I just realized everything is going to be held up even more than I thought.¡±

    Holt nods, turning back and stepping through the breach, as it can¡¯t truly be called a door anymore. The other ranger, a man named Ellison, and I following her.

    It¡¯s a storage room, looks like it was just for old paperwork too. Filing cabinets line the walls and stand in neat rows¡­ where they haven¡¯t been knocked aside from where the two pokemon obviously came from.

    "Shit," Ellison sums up what we''re looking at. Why? What is it about this year that has these things happening?

    Broken pokeballs. Only just recognizable as such because of the red and white pieces of shell scattered around, the rest of the internals little more than twisted fragments and shattered crystal.

    Holt sighs, ¡°And there goes any chance of this being a random attack.¡± She bends down to start picking at the parts, ¡°I don¡¯t think we could get anything useful from these, even if they weren¡¯t so broken.¡± She seems to be counting something before continuing, ¡°It looks like there were only two, so I feel confident saying that this is where our tangrowth came from.¡±

    ¡°Guards? A distraction?¡± Ellison asks, inspecting the rest of the room.

    ¡°Possibly,¡± I agree. ¡°Though not as guards, they were barely lucid, and that might be putting it generously.¡±

    ¡°Chemical contamination?¡± Ellison wonders aloud.

    ¡°No,¡± I say, shaking my head and immediately regretting it. ¡°If the RED could break them out, it¡¯s not chemical.¡±

    ¡°Small mercies,¡± Holt comments, standing. ¡°You also mentioned having issues with your RED?¡± The top-ranger asks, holding out a hand.

    I hand her the device, and she performs a quick inspection before activating it. ¡°Mr. Kaplan said he was having issues with his, too,¡± I add as Holt frowns. ¡°Plus, I think whatever was interfering stopped before I managed to get through to one of the tangrowth.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, and all the partners were becoming confused as well¡­ are they related¡­" Holt muses to herself as she hands my empathy device back.

    ¡°Weave!¡± Weaver says, nodding emphatically. I¡¯d forgotten she was there, with how quiet she¡¯s being right now.

    Holt glances at my partner, then slowly nods, ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll need to take all this back to HQ ASAP, I¡¯m sure Hastings will love the puzzle. You,¡± She points at me, ¡°Need to head to a hospital. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re only barely wounded and mostly tired, but better safe than sorry. You,¡± This time she points at Ellison, ¡°Will now be in charge of the recent smuggling and poaching cases until I get back. I¡¯ll have one of our operators fill you in. Both of you are dismissed.¡±

    Finally, I can go get some rest. Weaver silently trails behind as I slowly make my way out of the academy again. Some of the other rangers approach me, but I wave them off. Reaching where everyone left their mounts, I hardly need to start looking before Dodrio presents himself, bending down so I can saddle up more easily.

    Weaver presses herself against the side I was hit hardest on, and the cold does start easing the pain after a moment. I wrap an arm around her, sighing as Dodrio starts moving, ¡°You know, a few weeks ago I thought, ''Things have been relatively quiet recently,''" I tell her, earning a disbelieving look. "Yeah, I know, I regretted it immediately."

    Weaver rolls her eyes, reaching up to poke my forehead lightly, ¡°Weavile vile, weavile.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably best I don¡¯t say anything else, then,¡± I chuckle, ruffling Weaver¡¯s crest. She pokes me playfully again, leaning harder into me as we ride away from¡­ whatever just happened.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Amazing. Simply amazing. The device operated spectacularly until something exploded. Breaking normal pokeballs and driving the pokemon into a frenzy like that, yes, just as our informants in Orre reported. Hmm, how to fix the exploding issue though¡­ Bah, it was constructed from scraps, once that prodigy has the full backing of our organization I¡¯m certain it won''t be a problem.

    ¡­I need to make sure no one says anything about our true goal near him, Isaac is too steeped in ranger ideology to aid us if he learns of it.

    I also need to make sure they don¡¯t find the parts, but that¡¯s rather easy. Thank you, Lamont, for authorizing the installation of such excellent soundproofing.

    Although¡­ I don¡¯t have all day. I¡¯m lucky enough to have moved all the scrap back to the mechanics room before the rangers came sniffing around, running through the halls no doubt. I quickly place another chunk of the machine into the incinerator. I need to be away before they come looking through every other room.

    At least Isaac is already gone, one less thing to worry about those irritating fools stumbling across. Now, where did I put my disguise?

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Now,¡± I say, taking my place at the large table, "I want all of you to tell me exactly what happened here today, as I need to report it all to the Union.¡±

    The assembled head rangers and academy staff quiet, shuffling slightly, and sharing various looks with each other. ¡°Thank you, Ranger Holt,¡± Callin Reylind, head of the south base, says, nodding slightly at me, ¡°It was rather loud.¡±

    After that, everyone remains silent for a few moments. Finally, just as I¡¯m getting ready to ¡®ask¡¯ again, someone speaks up, ¡°We were slow to respond to the emergency mission,¡± Marissa Lane, head of Vien Forest East, admits. ¡°A combination of unpreparedness and our people all being in the field.¡±

    I wave Mr. Reylind off as he opens his mouth. We¡¯ve already spoken, and three of his personnel arrived in the expected time frame, ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning, shall we?¡± I ask, looking over to the academy staff.

    ¡°We¡¯d been readying for taking some of the new prospects through disillusioning,¡± Mr. Kaplan says. ¡°You know the drill, bring in some local wilds and tamed animals from the conservatories," He waves a hand vaguely, "All that. You know what I mean." The beginning of ranger selection, yes. Weeding out those who can''t accept basic facts. "Anyway, that''s when the alarm went off. Anri?"

    We look to Ms. April, who breathes in to steady herself, "One of the senior students had interrupted my class, claiming they''d heard crashing and screaming, along with a pokemon cry. Once a first-year turned up and confirmed it, I sounded the alarm and sent the emergency broadcast. A few minutes after that, Ms. Kaplan came running and told us to barricade the room."

    ¡°Ms. Kaplan?¡± I prompt.

    The woman sits up, resting her elbows on the table, ¡°I¡¯d been taking care of my team after my last field tactics lesson, and was starting to have issues with them spacing out.¡± She sighs, ¡°Should¡¯ve known something was wrong at that point, but when the alarm started going off I did my best to snap Lucky, my manectric, out of it.¡± She shakes her head, ¡°Took a bit of doing, but once I did he was on the ball and following me. When I saw all the destruction I headed right for the broadcast room since I knew there had to be a few people in there who hadn¡¯t gotten out.¡±

    ¡°Right. Now to our first on-site,¡± I say looking across the table.

    A deep sigh comes from the man there, and Karlos Monte, the head of Vien Forest West, steeples his hands in preparation to speak, ¡°We reacted immediately, and arrived seemingly before anyone else.¡± And that was quite impressive, implying a time-to-readiness of seconds. "Onaga¨C that is, Onaga Ryuko, entered the building just as I made it on-scene. I''m not sure of the exact events that happened inside."

    ¡°She did her job, that¡¯s what,¡± Ms. Kaplan, the lead tactics and behavior instructor, takes over. ¡°Less than two minutes between her seeing what was happening and it being resolved.¡± At that, I make a gesture for the woman to continue. She glances around, then huffs slightly, ¡°Ms. Onaga? I think I remember that,¡± The woman queries, getting a nod from the burly man, ¡°Ms. Onaga came in, assessed the situation, and ordered her Weavile¨C¡±

    ¡°Not her Weavile,¡± Karlos, as he insists on being called, interjects, ¡°As of four days ago, Weaver has been recognized as a full citizen.¡±

    I raise a hand, forestalling any more interruptions, ¡°Continue, Mrs. Kaplan.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Right. Ms. Onaga ordered Weaver to be ready to intervene against the tangrowth, which the weavile did. Then Ms. Onaga started messing with her resonance-thing. After that she had her¨C Sorry, she had Weaver start subduing the one closer to where Anri was holed up with some students. Then Ms. Onaga was attacked by the other pokemon,¡± Mrs. Kaplan pauses, ¡°Actually, she took some pretty hard hits there, is she okay?¡±

    ¡°She was perfectly capable of standing without issue,¡± I inform her, ¡°If anything, I believe any meaningful harm she suffered will have been backlash from overusing her RED.¡± Unlikely though, as the woman¡¯s history shows a marked resilience. ¡°Continue.¡±

    The teacher raises her eyebrows, but does so, ¡°Well, I was splitting my attention the whole time, but she climbed the one going after her, then just held on while the tangrowth kept trying to buck her off, then it¨C they, yeah I know,¡± The woman sighs at some of the looks she¡¯s receiving, ¡°I was a trainer for decades, sue me. Anyway, Tangrowth started settling down, and Ms. Onaga fell off them, unconscious. And since one of the pokemon was barely conscious and the other had calmed down, I started first-aid for Lucky.¡±

    ¡°Not ranger Onaga?¡± I ask.

    ¡°That weavile was being protective,¡± the woman responds. ¡°Made it pretty clear no one would get close.¡±

    ¡°Okay then. And by that point,¡± I say, ¡°The situation was under control and more backup was arriving.¡± I get nods all around. ¡°Now, how about some of the other things many of you noticed? I¡¯ll start by saying that on arrival, my partner Blake was having issues focusing.¡±

    ¡°As were all of our partners,¡± Mrs. Lane confirms, ¡°Many of them also became frightened after the confusion passed as well, clinging to their rangers.¡±

    ¡°Gabite too,¡± Karlos adds. ¡°And Dodrio, though they kept each other on task.¡± Hmm, a benefit of having multiple selves.

    Mr. Reylind simply nods.

    ¡°Yep, most of mine couldn¡¯t focus, but they at least weren¡¯t violent,¡± Mrs. Kaplan nods, confirming we¡¯re thinking the same thing. ¡°Like I mentioned, Lucky needed some jostling, but he managed to help protect the students.¡± Hmm, and Ms. Onaga¡¯s partner knew something was going on but was unaffected.

    ¡°And the REDs? Ms. Onaga said both she and Mr. Kaplan were having issues, and I confirmed there was nothing wrong with her device,¡± I say, looking at the teacher in question.

    ¡°Yeah, there was something strange happening,¡± He confirms. "I''ve never felt that much feedback from one of the things. I¡¯ll say the same thing I said to Onaga, it felt like trying to push through quicksand.¡±

    Overall, the situation could have been much worse, and it¡¯s fortunate that Onaga was one of the first to arrive. The woman¡¯s family history may have a large hole and a mystery in it, but her ranger record is excellent.

    ¡°Does anyone here have more to add?¡± I query.

    ¡°One of my students was asking after Ms. Onaga, but that¡¯s not particularly relevant,¡± Ms. April, the lead of operations, says, shaking her head.

    ¡°The pokeball remnants imply this was planned,¡± The principal, one Lamont Splendidocious, speaks up.

    I nod, holding in a sigh. He¡¯s correct, and while the timing could have been worse, it¡¯s not by much. ¡°Our lack of regional staff will be a problem¡­¡± My words settle into the group, many expressions turning cloudy at my implication. ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up with the Union, but a situation like this makes me feel we¡¯ll be seeing more at some point.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Charlie doesn''t waste any time after Miss Ryuko says we can go. And since I''ve been picking up their boredom and impatience, I follow them.

    I haven¡¯t had a chance to really look at this city, for¡­ various reasons. But since Charlie seems to be taking their time, I can too, even if I¡¯m a bit confused about where Charlie¡¯s been leading me. Not that they want me following them, but they¡¯re letting me. I just feel so much better with them pulling everything the humans are feeling away before it becomes overwhelming.

    It¡¯s a very short walk before the trees fall away and the dirt path becomes stone, the human city looming ahead of us.

    This doesn''t look like any place my team and I saw in Johto, it¡¯s more¡­ modern. Or advanced, I guess. The buildings aren¡¯t all wood either, some of them look like they¡¯re made entirely from stone or metal. And that one has so much glass! And the park we¡¯re headed for looks so pretty.

    Wait, are they going into the glass building? Oh, and they¡¯re opening the door for me, too.

    Walking into the building, it¡¯s much easier to make out all the plants inside, it¡¯s like an indoor farm. It¡¯s also quite a bit warmer and very, very humid.

    The pokemon operating it¨C Oh, I''ve never seen a pokemon doing that before, that¡¯s so cool! And he¡¯s so big, too! He and Charlie are talking about someone named Marshal. But I¡¯m not paying that much attention. There are a lot of ripe berries on some of these plants.

    The big pokemon seems happy about something being accepted as he turns his attention on me and I look away from the berry bushes, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± He asks.

    I shake my head, it¡¯s not a big deal.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± He rumbles, concern condensing around him even as Charlie pulls it away. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. Here.¡± He snakes a vine out to an oran bush, plucking the juiciest looking berry I can see before setting it in front of me, ¡°You need to eat if you want to get better.¡±

    Better? ¡­Oh, he¡¯s looking at my fur. But I¡¯m already better¡­ However, Miss Ryuko and Charlie keep telling me to eat more. And that berry smells good¡­

    Glancing between the two watching pokemon and the berry, I slowly bend down to take a bite.

    ***

    It¡¯s sometimes a bit hard to follow Charlie as we wander through this place. They¡¯ll move through things in that way nothing else can, and I end up needing to track around whatever it was myself. They always wait for me, though, and they stop at the big roads with tracks.

    It isn¡¯t until we¡¯re on the west edge of the city that I start becoming worried. And the ghost-type stops, turning to look at me, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    That¡¯s one of the nice things about Charlie, they¡¯re almost like another psychic, picking up on how I¡¯m feeling without needing to be told. ¡­I do still need to talk to get complex things across though, I don¡¯t like that part. ¡°The -f forest,¡± I say, waiting for the misdreavus to put it together.

    I can¡¯t tell what they¡¯re feeling right now, they¡¯re too far away for me to see or feel inside the maelstrom, but their expression is mostly curious. ¡°¡­Are you worried we¡¯re going to get in trouble?¡± They ask after considering for a moment.

    Of course I am. Humans hate it when you stray into the wild, and Miss Ryuko only said we could do what we want, not that we could wander off. ¡°W¨C We shouldn¡¯t go so far¡­¡± I tell Charlie, trailing off at the strange look they give me.

    ¡°We went farther than this in the city,¡± They say, tone not quite understanding. ¡°And I lived out here, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    ¡°But th¨C the¡­ Miss Ryuko¨C¡± I stop. Maybe they don¡¯t understand because they used to be human? Except that doesn¡¯t make any sense, they should understand better that way.

    I can feel Charlie¡¯s eyes boring into me, and I glance up to see confusion plain on their face, ¡°Being asked to be back before midnight implies she expects us to wander off,¡± they start slowly. "Next, is the fact that, in all those warnings and explanations, she never told us not to head out if we felt like it. That''s too big of an oversight if they didn''t want us doing it. And finally," They spin around, conspicuously running their eyes over everything, "How would they know?" They ask, looking back at me.

    How are they not getting it? ¡°They a¨C always follow¡­¡± I trail off. Nobody¡¯s followed us. Not a human, not an older member of the team, nothing. ¡°Wh¨C What if we get lost?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think we¡¯re being trusted not to?¡± They giggle, ¡°It¡¯s pretty easy for me to find my way around, in any case.¡± They give me an assessing look, ¡°Are you not used to¡­¡± They trail off, freezing in place as the maelstrom picks up speed.

    What? Why do they always stop like that? Why is their face¨C What¡¯s with that look? I don¡¯t like this, why do they have to be so high up right now? Why do they look so troubled?

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± What? What ¡®Oh¡¯? ¡°Uh, anyway, if you don¡¯t want to follow me then you don¡¯t need to,¡± They say, moving into the trees. "I''m just going to be¡­ considering things." They pause, "It might be better if you stay away from me for that part."

    I¨C I¨C They¡¯re already deep enough that I¡¯m having to look through trees to see them. Should I go back home? But I want to follow them, Charlie¡¯s so interesting and¨C And steady-seeming. Even last night, even when they were all doubt and worry and shame, they weren¡¯t afraid or¡­ or panicking like I keep doing.

    I follow the ghost.

    They glance at me as I catch up, slowing slightly as they continue forward. They don¡¯t say anything, simply making a straight line to wherever we¡¯re going. I need to go around the occasional tree, or sometimes jump over rocks or a gully, but they just pass through and over everything. Only stopping at a few clearings to look around for a bit.

    It¡¯s so quiet, it¡¯s not like being in a city or at home. There are other pokemon around, but it¡¯s not the overwhelming noise of humans pouring all their emotions out all at once all the time. Maybe¡­ Maybe that¡¯s why Charlie¡¯s coming out here.

    I don''t know how long it takes us, but we end up at another clearing, this one with what looks like a broken building at one end. Didn''t Weaver say something about Charlie''s home collapsing?

    Charlie sighs, the shrill noise the first sound they¡¯ve made since entering the forest. They float closer to the wreckage, eyes roaming over the splintered remains, a complicated expression on their face. They keep doing that, drifting back and forth, twitching and freezing.

    ¡°Are y¨C you okay?¡± I ask after I realize they aren''t going to stop on their own.

    "I don''t know," Charlie admits, wincing and glancing at me. ¡°I¡­ had plans. I''d thought I had things worked out, at least in the short term, and this place was part of that. And then it all just¡­¡± They sigh again, ¡°And then Weaver up and offers me something workable. Something I¡¯ve needed. But I¡¯d still grown attached, it was mine. My new home.¡±

    The sound they make is closer to a rumble of thunder than anything else, ¡°And then those¨C Those humans had to come try and¡­ No, not try, they did ruin it.¡± Charlie stills, then continues more softly, ¡°Or I did. I could have done something else. I should¡¯ve just flown off, told Marshal about it.¡± They blink, ¡°Or even Weaver¡­¡±

    They cast a glance over the ruins one last time, ¡°But now I¡­ I just needed to see it, to think about it.¡± Psychic force blooms into being, wrapping itself around some of the wreckage and slowly moving it aside, revealing what looks like a discolored wooden rectangle. I can see a few reflective bits on its surface.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Charlie stares at the thing for several seconds, then turns and starts floating off. Not in the direction of the city.

    I¡­ What¡­ How do they just¨C They''re starting to leave me behind again. Sprinting to catch up, I start feeling lightheaded, but Charlie stops, looking back at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ okay¡­¡± I tell the ghost, panting.

    "Uh-huh,¡± They say, not hiding their disbelief. ¡°Let¡¯s keep things slow for now.¡±

    ¡°Where¡­ are w¨C we going¡­ now?¡± I ask, managing to catch my breath.

    ¡°I want to see somebody,¡± They unhelpfully inform me. ¡°She lives pretty close by.¡±

    ¡°She?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Charlie confirms, moving out and then back into corporality, ¡°And she¡¯s home, too.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how they can tell that, I certainly can¡¯t sense many pokemon nearby¨C Oh, I can¡¯t sense much of anything nearby. That means others are avoiding something near here.

    ¡°Ch¨C Charlie, are y¨C you sure we should be h¨C here?¡± I ask. I really, really don¡¯t like this.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, trust me,¡± Charlie says, reassuringly. ¡°Marshal helped me get myself in order,¡± The ghost, the already very much dead ghost, continues, their tone warm. They don¡¯t stop moving, though.

    It takes a few minutes before I feel something new, and I stop. We should turn around. I can feel a weight to the mind ahead, of certainty and age. And power, so much strength that there isn¡¯t a way any pokemon could contain it, but this one is.

    And it just noticed us, oh Tower!

    I try to get my paws to move, to turn around! Anything! But I can feel that presence focusing on us. Charlie moves in that strange way again and then changes course slightly, heading toward the thing radiating frustration and¡­ Joy?

    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s In her garden,¡± Charlie muses. ¡°I wonder if¨C¡± They suddenly stop, glancing to the side for an instant before tracing back to look at me, ¡°Espeon?¡±

    It¡¯s hard to breathe, I can¡¯t even say anything. Why is it looking at us?!

    Charlie stares at me for a long moment before whipping away much faster than I¡¯ve seen them move before. They call out, and I feel that intense focus leave me, it feels much easier to breathe after that. I watch, unable to stop myself as Charlie reaches that presence, and the hues shift to concern.

    What¡­ What is that? Charlie said a name, Marshal. Do they not feel the sheer power behind¨C Her, Charlie said her. It¡¯s fine, right? It¡¯s just the most powerful pokemon I¡¯ve ever felt, it¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t even tell what species she is, just that she¡¯s big. IT¡¯S FINE! Breathe.

    I don''t know what the two are doing, but, after a long minute, Charlie flies back. "Sorry, let''s¡­ let''s move away from here," They say, getting close enough for me to start feeling them again. They¡¯re being genuine, and they¡¯re also a bit upset at themself, along with many more minor emotions.

    They lead us away from that¨C Her, whatever she is, and north into a more dense part of the forest. Once I¡¯m starting to calm down, Charlie sighs, ¡°I was a bit distracted, so again, sorry about leading you along like that.¡± They unwind one of their tendrils, showing two small, red and yellow berries, leppas, Mitsuaki always had a few for after training, ¡°Marshal said these should help you keep your energy up.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What is sh¨C she?¡± I ask them, not quite sure if I want the answer.

    ¡°A floatzel¡­?¡± Charlie¡¯s tone is light, but they know that¡¯s not what I meant. ¡°¡­Honestly, all I know is that she''s old, she likes helping, she¡¯s a very¡­ genuine person, and that Onaga and Weaver like her. Which, for the moment, is enough for me.¡±

    ¡°But¨C¡±

    ¡°She also said that most psychics avoid her,¡± Charlie interrupts, shoving the berries at me, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about her, really. Well, aside from some implications people have made¡­¡± They¡¯re uncomfortable about something.

    I don¡¯t want to feel uncomfortable like that either, so I eat the berries in silence, the prevailing emotion shifting to relief. Leppas are always tasty, and I start feeling better soon after, ¡°What n¨C now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± The ghost admits. ¡°I¡¯d thought you¡¯d like meeting Marshal, and I was mostly planning on spending a few hours at her lake¡­ I might still do that later.¡± They take a moment to think on it before I feel guilt wrap around us, ¡°Shit, Leaf,¡± They say. ¡°He ran off last night, scared.¡±

    ¡°Who¡­¡± And I think I¡¯m done talking for the moment, I just¨C Too much. Charlie notices, which is nice of them. The misdreavus drifts away from me, that''s less nice of them.

    ¡°He¡¯s a leafeon,¡± They tell me. ¡°And he might be better or worse for you to meet right now depending on how he¡¯s feeling.¡±

    Oh? why would that be?

    ¡°He¡¯s a bit¡­ very anxious.¡± Charlie pauses, thinking, "Other than that he''s usually fairly content, if a bit prickly." There¡¯s an empty moment before they start laughing, ¡°Jesus, he¡¯s a rosebush.¡±

    I don¡¯t understand why that¡¯s funny, but Charlie seems to think it¡¯s hilarious.

    The ghost shakes their head, sighing as the laughter peters out, "It''s nothing, just something I¡¯ve been doing.¡± They pan their gaze around for a bit, frowning, ¡°It might take a bit to find him though. Or maybe,¡± They orient themself, seeming to find a direction somehow, ¡°He might be waiting there.¡±

    Charlie¡­ Oh, Charlie just knows the pokemon around here. That shouldn¡¯t be surprising, but I hadn¡¯t thought about it. They must think I¡¯m weird with how I¡¯m reacting. After all, they¡¯re just wandering around like it¡¯s normal¡ªbecause it apparently is. Why can¡¯t I do anything¨C

    "Hey, no! None of that," The misdreavus says, prodding me with psychic force. "I don''t know what you''re thinking of, but whatever it is, you''re fine.¡± They sigh, ¡°Are you okay to start walking again?¡± And I am, something they understand without a nod, "Okay, we¡¯re going to find one of the trails and follow it for a bit. After that¡­¡± They glance back across my body, ¡°I think we should head back so you can rest.¡±

    I don''t mind that, and after a few seconds of silence, the ghost nods, moving off in a seemingly arbitrary direction.

    We pass by several other pokemon, like earlier, but I¡¯m only now noticing that they hardly give us any thought. I remember how people and pokemon acted when they saw me in Johto, and it wasn¡¯t with cursory dismissal.

    Soon enough we¡¯re back on a trail, heading North, and Charlie¡¯s scanning the forest around us, occasionally losing corporality as they do so, ¡°You might know where he is before I do,¡± They say, frowning. ¡°He¡¯s not as big as Marshal, not as¡­ Saying bright sounds wrong,¡± The ghost mutters. ¡°Saturated?¡±

    I''m not sure what they mean, but there are quite a few pokemon around us. So I start looking for concentrations of anxiety, as Charlie did say the pokemon was anxious. Surprisingly, I can see one heading towards us. From behind.

    I stop, Charlie doing so an instant later as I turn and point a paw.

    The leafeon bounding after us is¡­ big. And anxious, and relieved. ¡­And surprised as he looks at me, ¡°You, uh, already replacing me?¡± Leafeon asks jokingly. He doesn¡¯t feel like he¡¯s joking, there¡¯s so much¨C

    I¡¯m glad when Charlie sweeps between us, cutting most of the emotions off. That was a lot. ¡°Nah, he just followed me out here. I was trying to check in with you and Marshal after¡­¡± The wave of negativity that rolls off the leafeon crashes into Charlie, and I flinch, expecting it to hit me. It doesn¡¯t. ¡°Oh. Um, are you¡­ Would you like to talk about something else?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± The grass-type says. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still here, though.¡±

    ¡°Where else would I be?¡± The misdreavus asks, moving to the side slightly.

    Leafeon shifts uncomfortably, and I see his uncertainty manifest before Charlie¡­ eats it, ¡°I¨C I don¡¯t know! After I stopped last night¨C And then it really hit me¨C But I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere! I was getting worried¡­¡± The deciduous pokemon haltingly says.

    Charlie¡¯s face takes a slightly guilty cast, ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing great after that,¡± They say, sighing, ¡°And I kind of got swept along by Weaver. I¡¯ve mentioned her.¡± The ghost didn¡¯t phrase it as a question, but the leafeon nods anyway, and Charlie continues, ¡°She, uh, took me back to the rangers and¡­ offered me a job?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Leafeon blinks, a mix of emotions washing out from him. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good? Or not bad?¡± He breathes, calming down slightly. I¡¯m glad Charlie was taking most of it. ¡°So, um, good for you.¡± Then his eyes track to me, and he realizes something, ¡°You¡¯re the Espeon Maya¡¯s been talking about.¡±

    I nod, trying to connect to him. Surprisingly, Leafeon seems to know how to handle his end of it. A query, and I get an image of another espeon, significantly older than me. His mother.

    Charlie¡¯s looking between us, tilting their body slightly. I guess they are pulling the weak connection in, even if they aren¡¯t part of it. That would explain the dead emotional channel, I¡­ think I¡¯d need to make it a bond to prevent that.

    ¡°I¡¯d¡­ rather not leave Charlie out,¡± Leafeon says. "Even with as¡­ eerie as they are.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡­ tasted weird,¡± The misdreavus says, eyeing me before tuning a flat look on Leaf, ¡°Anyway, I wanted to make sure you were alright.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Espeon and Leaf seem to be getting along, there¡¯s the occasional spike in flavor, but even with Leaf being Leaf it feels like he¡¯s a stabilizing presence for Espeon.

    At some point, Leaf and I ran out of things to say, and now the two of them are doing something psychic while Leaf grooms Espeon. I don¡¯t exactly know why he¡¯s doing it, but it does seem like Espeon¡¯s enjoying the process. ¡­It¡¯s a bit odd watching the large definitely-a-canine tend to the small feline like that, but I suppose I shouldn¡¯t judge.

    It¡¯s easy to tell the difference in their emotions¡ªnot by what they¡¯re feeling, but by how much richer Espeon''s are¡ªso I''m glad the psychic cat is starting to run through a wider spectrum. He¡¯s not crying, but he¡¯s definitely releasing some things. I can put some of a picture together by how they¡¯re both feeling as they ¡®talk,¡¯ and it¡¯s making me feel sorry for the kid.

    I¡¯m tempted to leave them here and go talk to Marshal for real, but it feels awkward to leave like that. Not that it isn¡¯t also awkward to keep floating here, but they both want my presence as well.

    Actually, I¡¯m getting the odd feeling that Leaf is somehow withholding something, but I can¡¯t tell what or how.

    Hmm, I wonder how they¡¯d take it if I said I was going to go visit Marshal? Leaf would probably be nervous, but accept it. Espeon¡­ I still don¡¯t know why he had that reaction, only what Marshal said about how psychics avoid her. The only thing I can think of is how massive her presence is in unreality, which I guess could be unnerving when every person I¡¯ve seen is so small by comparison.

    Or maybe it¡¯s how saturated the world around her is? As I¡¯ve only seen one other person be anywhere near as colorful. It might even be both, who knows? I still don¡¯t understand what any of it is, let alone what it can mean.

    What was I thinking about? Oh, Espeon following me to Marshal again, right. Would he? My read on him says yes, obviously he would. Although that¡¯s only if he knows I¡¯m leaving¡­ But that would then mean I¡¯m leaving a child I should be watching alone with someone else. Admittedly, I trust Leaf to keep an eye on him¡ªfor a little bit at least¡ªbut it feels wrong to do that.

    I sigh as another thought hits me, we¡¯ve been out for a little over two-and-a-half hours at this point. Even though Onaga said ¡®midnight¡¯ it¡¯s probably best to be back before then, and it¡¯s starting to get on in the day. ¡­Now that I think about it, can I still fly around at night? Something to ask Weaver, later. And maybe some other clarifications about being a ¡®partner.¡¯

    Honestly, I know Onaga explained it already, yet I still don''t get exactly what helping the Rangers means. Granted, it''s been less than a day and they''re probably going to introduce me to things one at a time, but¡­ I''ve got a familiar feeling. A mix of nervousness, excitement, and uncertainty that I remember from the first few times I landed a job. Although, I¡¯m pretty sure this won¡¯t be like any job I¡¯ve had before.

    A now familiar poking breaks me from my thoughts, and I rotate to see Weaver¡­ She¡¯s not smirking at me. She looks blank, nothing showing on her face or in her stance. ¡°Weaver? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Smokey,¡± Even her tone is flat, ¡°Just a defensive measure, and a little overexertion.¡± She glances at Leaf and Espeon, the larger of whom is looking back warily, ¡°Ryu wanted me to make sure you were alright.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­?¡± I ask, leadingly. And ¡®defensive measure¡¯?

    ¡°Something happened right after you left,¡± She explains. ¡°It¡¯s been resolved, but once she was out of the hospital and back at base she wanted to know where you both were.¡±

    Hospital?

    ¡°H¨C Hospital?¡± Espeon asks, speaking for the first time in a while.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Weaver ''reassures'' Espeon, her tone still way too blank, "Only bruising and enervation. I think we''d both like it if you could come help with cleaning though."

    ¡­You know what? Sure. It''s something to do, I''ll probably get the story of whatever happened, and I was slightly worried that my new job had no ''job'' to it. "Espeon,¡± I query the cat.

    He stands, shaking himself to fluff his short fur slightly, and flicks his ears a few times. I taste readiness and acceptance before his ears go down, ¡°Oh¡­ Y? Yes¡­¡± I think he forgot about Weaver again.

    Weaver remains still as I focus on Leaf, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better now,¡± I tell him, and see his face gain that yellow tint again. ¡°Sorry about leaving so suddenly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± He says with a flick of his tail, ¡°I get it, you¡¯ve got those things you were complaining about not having now. I¡¯m¡­¡± His anxiety increases, but now there¡¯s something else mixed in. It¡¯s so faint¨C ¡°Anyway!¡± He says, backing off, the taste of panic and realization overtaking everything else, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ We¡¯ll see each other later, yeah? Yeah.¡± And he bolts off.

    Well, that was¡­ something. I wonder why he started panicking?

    A small snort of amusement has me turning to look at Weaver. She¡¯s a little less of a blank now, with just a small hint of a smirk on her face. ¡°What?¡± I ask.

    She stares at me, her smirk growing by the second, "It''s nothing you need to worry about, Smokey. Let''s get moving." With that said, she glances at Espeon and starts a slow trek back East.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Trudging down a trail like this isn''t how I expected our escape to go, especially since Hiro and I are still partially deaf even after all the Heal Pulses. Say what you will about this place, they must have good healthcare if they were using it for prisoners.

    Keita''s with us now, though Yu had Nao head to his place. Something about needing another man for a job, it doesn''t matter. We¡¯re headed for the evac team, and as soon as they can radio out we¡¯re leaving.

    ¡°__ S____ns, wh_t¡¯_ h__pen_d to ___ t___l?¡± Keita asks, shielding his eyes while he looks ahead. I squint past him to see what he¡¯s looking at and end up rubbing the bridge of my nose as I feel a headache coming on.

    There''s a bunch of damned-tall trees fallen in the way, so we''ll either need to climb over or manage through the thick growth that''s everywhere but the path. Climbing is probably the better option since the Rangers took our pokemon.

    ¡°What do you think?!¡± Hiro asks, still being a bit too loud.

    ¡°We go over,¡± I growl back. Seriously, Hiro, I get it, but keep it down.

    ¡°Sounds good!¡± He responds, slightly quieter.

    As we start making our way to the bridge between us and the fallen trees, I feel the ground shake slightly, Keita¡¯s head whipping to look behind our group.

    I turn to follow, hoping it¡¯s just some wild pokemon so we can¨C

    A flash of blue, a dull thud that I feel more than hear, and Hiro explodes. Red chunks and a pink mist washing over me with a foul, metallic smell.

    What? What just¡­? Hiro?

    Where did¡­? I look at what happened behind us again, and I see it.

    Those burning, baleful eyes from last night, only now on a truly giant pokemon that¡¯s rising out of a crater. Oh, I remember being told about this one. The boss'' orders had been ''Don''t get near it.''

    It stares right through me, almost casually tossing a small, slow ball of light behind me. Part of me says that it¡¯s going to hit Keita, but I can¡¯t make myself look away to confirm.

    I can still taste Hiro¡¯s blood, pieces of him sliding down my face and arms.

    Oh, this is it, then. The¡­ The whatever it''s called is walking toward me, not taking its eyes off mine.

    A strange light passes over me, and it isn¡¯t until I feel something cold dripping onto me that I look up, away from its glare. The river is hanging there, unmoving as it bends to the poke¨C No, the monster¡¯s will.

    I don¡¯t have time to react as it descends on me.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Well now, I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that these humans lacked the smarts to just accept that the rangers caught them. And I have an example now, too.

    A shame, though. Ryuko won¡¯t be happy about it, she always complains when one of us does this.

    She understands why, however.

    I let the river fall back into its bed, sighing as I consider where to put my example. On one of the human paths is a given, but which one? This one down here hasn''t had many humans use it this year, and Luxray hasn''t seen any yet either¡­ The one leading to the East side of my lake has been more popular than ever thanks to the kid. Hmm, but if the kid¡¯s not there anymore, will the humans keep using it?

    Well, they won¡¯t after they see my example.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°The Ranger Union still has yet to make a statement on the events, though our analysts predict that this has to do with the deceased individuals being part of an active investigation by the SFID. Analysts also believe that the timing of the as-of-yet-unknown incident at the Ranger Academy is not coincidental. However, the Union has not made comments on that event either. In local news, Altru Tower¡¯s construction has been delayed once again, prompting a new wave of questions as to the¨C¡±

    I tune the sound of the TV out. Useful as it may have been to learn human tongues, I find most of what they say ¡®over the air¡¯ to be merely so much noise. I''ll leave searching through it all to Maeve¡­

    Timing isn¡¯t a coincidence, hmm?

    I continue sauteing tonight¡¯s dinner, now with an interesting perspective on recent events. Someone fell, that much I¡¯m certain of. I could recognize it while we were in Vientown, the feeling in the air was unmistakable. But where are they now? The world today isn¡¯t like that of sixty years ago, someone appearing out of thin air would be noticed, surely.

    Unless, of course, they appeared in the middle of someone¡¯s territory. But even then, unless the human was acting irredeemably, I would expect that they would have been escorted out. Although I don¡¯t know what the general attitude of the wilds around here is yet, so I should likely withhold any conclusions.

    Judging the pan of vegetables suitably soft, I plate it along with the wild rice before pouring sauce over the whole thing. I always smile, remembering how Maeve was about cooking when we first set off. She had the general idea of what needed to happen, but none of the experience or knowledge of the ingredients we had at the time. Once I could falsify having hands well enough, she generally left it to me. A fact our entire team was grateful for.

    A little over a week into settling in, and we¡¯ve found our patterns again. Maeve¡ªever the free spirit that she is¡ªhas been spending much of her time early in the day wandering down every alley and poking through every bush, smiling all the while. I¡¯ve been right behind her, of course, sometimes visible, others not.

    Memories of halcyon days, when we were both young and clueless, recaptured for a brief moment in this new land.

    I feel myself smile, "Love, dinner," I call, setting her plate on our table before retreating to secure my own sustenance.

    ¡®Human-grade¡¯ meat is as expensive as advertised, here. Thankfully I can eat most things, and one can find pokeblocks for purchase anywhere humans are.

    Placing two of the protein cubes on my plate, I then add my measure of the rest before settling at the table, my wife already waiting.

    This, to still be here with her, is what made everything worth it.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°Still no ideas? And I thought you were smart¡­¡± I say, halfheartedly teasing one of my oldest friends.

    Shinbara gives me an affronted look before chuckling, ¡°Well, I have some hypothesis now,¡± He admits, stoking his short beard, ¡°The issue with confirming them is simply how unethical it would be.¡±

    ¡°Hit me,¡± I say settling into one of his lab chairs. They''re rather comfortable.

    The professor sighs, staring into space for a long moment before acceding, ¡°I believe,¡± He pauses, then nods, ¡°I believe what happened was the result of something like a heavily modified Friendship Blaster,¡± I roll my eyes at his preferred name for the devices, but he did invent them. ¡°I¡¯ve no clue where someone could find a power source to broadcast over such a range, or with such a powerful effect, however. Now, that assumes it is the same technology, as the described effect was unlike a Blaster.¡±

    Both our eyes shift to the large whiteboard the professor had been working on when I walked in. It''s covered in scrawled math and designs I don''t pretend to understand, the device depicted among it all only somewhat resembling a ''Friendship Blaster.'' "Do you think it will help when another situation pops up?" I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m uncertain,¡± Shin says, standing straighter and fully assuming his role as Professor Hastings, ¡°The report I read from the first ranger to respond said that, while she wasn¡¯t sure, it seemed that Tangrowth calmed down before the resistance vanished." My old friend swaps to stroking his mustache, "To me, that, combined with the descriptions of the issue provided, implies an issue with delivery. I¡¯m afraid, however, that to test it will require another event.¡± He stops for a moment, then nods, turning to me, ¡°I should have prototypes soon enough, just in case.¡±

    That¡¯s good to hear, ¡°I¡¯ll have a shortlist of rangers made for potential field-testing. How many should be on it?¡±

    The genius considers my question before waving it off, ¡°It doesn¡¯t truly matter, I think. Giving them to the best performers would be better.¡± After another moment of thought, he continues, ¡°But no more than ten. I¡¯ll likely only have two or three ready, so we can narrow it down further when the time comes.¡± He looks back over his ¡®Mad Science Lab,¡¯ a frown overtaking his features, ¡°Sasako, do you¨C¡±

    He¡¯s interrupted as the door to the lab opens, an operator sticking his head through, ¡°Chair Erma, Chair Hastings, I was asked to remind you that the meeting with League representatives starts in five minutes.¡±

    Both Shin and I sigh, sharing a look that says we¡¯ll continue this later.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°Mmm, I had thought they lived in the forest,¡± Meganium comments as we enter my garden. ¡°It¡¯s why I asked them to bring you the sapling.¡±

    ¡°They did, until just that night,¡± I inform him, enjoying not needing to look down for once.

    ¡°And now they have joined the rangers, while those responsible have been¡­ dealt with,¡± The blooming giant absently observes. ¡°You know, there was quite the stir when the humans found the drowned man on that path,¡± He continues, inspecting my pecha tree. ¡°Mmm, This is quite healthy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done my best,¡± I preen. ¡°Though I have had help. How did the humans react, exactly?¡±

    ¡°How they normally do, I would say,¡± The large grass-type says, tilting his head back and forth, antenna wiggling slightly. ¡°There has been quite a lot of eye-rolling and shrugging among the locals, while the foreigners have been¡­ hmm¡­ cowed.¡±

    I can only nod, that¡¯s been about my experience as well, and it was the intent. And, now that the tourists won¡¯t be around as much, I wonder if I¡¯ll be seeing more of the local children again soon? ¡°Good to know it worked. What about my other plants?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, let me see,¡± He says, now dipping his head low to look at my sitrus. ¡°How long have you been attempting to grow this one?¡±

    That has me frowning, as it¡¯s been long enough that it should be bigger, ¡°Last year¡­ Eleven months.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve cared for it well, then,¡± He beams at me, raising his head back to eye height, "Sitrus are famously delicate saplings. When transplanted they tend to wither quickly, or, in this case, take time to settle.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nice to hear, I¡¯d been worried I was doing something wrong,¡± I chuckle.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± He rumbles eyes tracing over several more of my plants, ¡°Marshal of The Forest, you¡¯ve grown a lum to fruit,¡± he says, leisurely pacing towards the tree I planted the vine on, ¡°You¡¯ve care enough to see a sitrus healthy.¡±

    ¡°Aw, you¡¯re going to make me blush,¡± I respond, playfully cupping my face. ¡°I¡¯m glad you seem to like my garden.¡±

    ¡°Even many grass-types don¡¯t dedicate the time you have to this growth,¡± Meganium praises, lighting up my garden with a bit of life. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see a place like this, knowing I helped make it possible.¡± He looks around for a moment, literally beaming at my small haven, ¡°I feel it prudent to ask, you wouldn¡¯t mind my help, would you?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I shake my head, squinting against the glow and growing sunlight. ¡°As long as my garden is okay, I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He rumbles, excited. And I see many of my plants beginning to bloom.

    Hah! I can''t wait to see the look on Luxray''s face next time he comes around.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°I still can¡¯t tell if I should be glad for the company or not,¡± Katie offhandedly says, idly tweaking the knobs on her big-ass radio. "I mean, you don''t really say much, but I''m also not in here alone all night most the time now." She looks at me, "You know, I didn''t actually believe Onaga when she said you don''t sleep at first."

    I shrug, it¡¯s not like I have much to do most nights anyway. And when I don¡¯t feel like practicing it¡¯s nice to have someone awake nearby, even if we don''t talk at all.

    Turns out, people are boring when they¡¯re asleep. Who knew? Although they¡¯re also a veritable buffet, Onaga especially¡­ doubly so given how Espeon mirrors her feelings when they¡¯re asleep. Makes me wonder what she¡¯s dreaming about since she¡¯s always so calm while she¡¯s awake.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess you wouldn¡¯t get it,¡± The operator says, returning my shrug as she misinterprets what I meant. Oh well.

    Learning the ropes of being a ranger partner mostly boils down to just¡­ helping, as obvious as that sounds. Even though I''ve seen them do clearly impossible things, the rangers aren''t pokemon, so they have us to bridge that gap.

    Basically, we help out by providing ¡®interpretation,¡¯ powers, a second set of senses, fighting ability, or even just small things like aiding with daily tasks. It¡¯s been¡­ interesting so far, but I¡¯m starting to understand Espeon¡¯s¨C Patches¨C Whatever-he-decides-on¡¯s eagerness to go out for missions or ¡®quests.¡¯

    I still can''t believe they honestly call them that. Granted, they have a physical bulletin for listing them, so¡­ quest board? When I asked Weaver she was confused by my confusion about it, but I think she might have been messing with me.

    Maybe I should grab a book? I¡¯d be practicing my ¡®illusions,¡¯ for all that I can call them that, except Katie¡¯s made it clear that it¡¯s a bit distracting. And since I¡¯m definitely starting to get better at reading now, practice will help. Even if I¡¯m still only a bit above a child¡¯s level, two weeks to get there is pretty good.

    Katie puts a hand up to her one-sided headset, focusing as whoever started talking relays something, ¡°Received, thanks Harry,¡± She says once ¡®Harry¡¯ finishes, proceeding to write something down in a language I can¡¯t even begin to parse.

    Honestly, I still have no idea how she¡¯s keeping it together. I can taste the stress and exhaustion around her all the time, and I¡¯ve watched her pull two straight weeks of twelve-hour days. Even then, while she can get a bit snippy, she¡¯s still chugging along. ¡­It probably helps that the people she works with are so supportive, and my being in here usually makes her feel a bit better, too.

    Overall, it¡¯s been interesting to see how the rangers seem to treat the base as more of a home than anything. I get the sentiment though, and everyone¡¯s partners treat it that way too, which¡­ I guess it is their¨C our home, so fair enough.

    "Katie, Misdreavus," I hear Onaga greet and turn to see her leaning into the room.

    Well, I suppose the day is starting then.

    ***

    As has become normal, Weaver and I are half-watching Espeon as he tries to absorb written language. Meanwhile, the two of us are doing our own things. Today, that means trying to twist my cloud¡ªor miasma, as Onaga has called it¡ªinto a visible shape and practicing writing, respectively.

    Usually, this happens to a backdrop of Onaga training with ridiculous amounts of weight and dedication, but she''s relaxing today. Instead of making me question my sense of reality, again, she''s focused on a file folder and the large amounts of what looks like newspaper clippings inside.

    ¡°Hey Charlie,¡± Weaver says, grabbing my attention from where it had been wandering this time, ¡°What¡¯s the order of this one again?¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t have thought Weaver was someone who could study all that well, I was wrong. It turns out that she has way, way more self-control than anyone I''ve ever met. And given what she''s said about it, I think it''s a dark-type thing.

    I take a look at what she¡¯s trying to do, and then run through my memory for a moment, ¡°The lines on the side first, then the zig-zag, and then the swoopy bits,¡± I tell her. I still want to know why ¡®League Standard¡¯ feels so¡­ Japanese, but that puts me back into thoughts I can¡¯t find answers for yet.

    Like why I¡¯m here.

    ¡­

    Nope, still not ready to think about all that again. Where the hell can I even start looking¨C

    Anyway, I find myself preferring Sinnohan to ¡®League.¡¯ It¡¯s just more comfortable for whatever reason. Maybe because of the sentence structure? English and Spanish aren¡¯t the same, but it¡¯s not the complete shift that League is, and Sinnohan flows much more like a romance language.

    ¡­I¡¯ve completely lost focus. Back to attempting free-form energy manipulation.

    Okay, I know there¡¯s something I¡¯m missing here. I can make a fully opaque shape now, but I can¡¯t give it defined edges or color. It is, however, easy to see at least. ¡­mostly because it¡¯s all contrast. I know I¡¯ve managed white before though, hmm.

    And I¡¯m tasting a certain cat¡¯s frustration again, so maybe it is time to stop for now, ¡°I think that should be enough of the video for today, yeah?¡± I ask, speaking to both other pokemon.

    Weaver gives a distracted nod as she moves her new, heavy-duty mechanical pencil across a sheet of paper.

    Espeon, for his part, glances at me, and then back to the TV with a small nod, carefully pressing the buttons on the VCR with psychic force to stop and eject the tape.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    He¡¯s thankful, ashamed, and relieved all at once. Probably because he wants to learn, but hates the slow process. ¡°You¡¯re doing great, Espeon,¡± I tell him, meaning it and making sure I¡¯m close enough for him to feel it. ¡°You¡¯ve almost got all the basic consonants now, right?¡±

    That earns me a tentative, ears-down nod, his double-ended tail twisting around itself. But he¡¯s soon feeling better as I focus on feeling supportive, his slight hunch lessening.

    This is so much better than being alone in a cabin, and I can still float off into the forest whenever I want.

    Okay, I haven¡¯t done that since all the rangers scrambled off because a body was found, but who¡¯s counting? I mean, I do want to see Leaf, the Pikachus, some of the groves, and¡­ Marshal.

    Marshal is the reason I haven¡¯t gone back out there, even though I want to talk to her again. I still don¡¯t know how I feel about her killing three people. I mean, I¡¯d already figured she¡¯s killed people, and, after the sheer level of malice she was putting off that night, I¡¯m not surprised. But that¡¯s not what¡¯s stopping me.

    ¡®You need to stop thinking like a human.¡¯ ¡­It¡¯s funny how many times I can go through a memory and still miss details like that.

    She knew. Or she figured it out, whatever. But I know that the next time we get to have a long conversation it¡¯s going to come up, whether I do it or she does. And before she killed those people I was going to talk to her about it, but then Espeon was freaked out and I needed to talk to Leaf, and¡­ things got away from me.

    I know, factually, that effectively nothing¡¯s changed. They definitely aren¡¯t the first she¡¯s killed, but that doesn¡¯t stop it from feeling different now that I¡¯ve seen what she can do to a person.

    Pictures of meat chunks, a bloated body, and the way that everyone was just acting like it was expected¡­ All coupled with the way Espeon had reacted to her, where just being near her had terrified him. It all keeps running through my head when I think about meeting Marshal again, making her not just the slightly scary, friendly otter anymore. Instead she¡¯s rather more¡­ intense.

    But I¡¯m going to keep thinking myself in circles about this, again, so it¡¯s best to stick to my decision to talk to her about it. Eventually.

    Looking up from my thoughts¨C

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Weaver is close enough that I have an almost panoramic view of her snout.

    She grins, ¡°Never gets old.¡± The weavile backs off, casting a glance at Espeon and sighing, ¡°It¡¯s probably about time you start coming with us on duty, Smokey.¡±

    That makes the psychic flinch slightly, a tinge of jealousy rolling off him.

    It was going to happen at some point, and I¡¯m guessing that if Weaver pulls me along then Onaga is going to accept it. Espeon might become an issue, though. He¡¯s smart enough to know why I¡¯m being treated differently, but he¡¯s not quite mature enough to be graceful about it, especially as he¡¯s now glaring at us.

    He¡¯s not near a meltdown, though, so it should be fine. He¡¯s doing a lot better, really.

    ¡°Joining us for the run?¡± Weaver asks, glancing through the folder Onaga had been holding, the woman herself now running through a series of stretches. ¡°Patches should be able to join now, too.¡±

    That gets the cat''s attention causing him to sit straight and raise his ears. And, indeed, I can only see the end of his ribcage now, instead of each individual bone. Plus, while his fur isn''t completely even, there aren''t any bare spots anymore.

    Espeon¡¯s eyes de-focus for a moment before he excitedly stands, and Onaga sighs, ¡°I know, just don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡±

    I consider for a moment before deciding that I wouldn''t mind flying after them, "Sure, I don''t see why not," I say to Weaver, raising myself to head height¡ªrelative to a human, that is.

    Onaga stands, eying me off, then nods slightly, ¡°You too?¡±

    I shrug, ¡°Might as well,¡± I tell her despite the language barrier.

    She keeps giving me a thoughtful look, then her head whips to Espeon and she gives him a much harsher one, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± She pauses as Espeon shrinks down a bit, ¡°I suppose it was about time to bring them along. Although¡­¡± The look she¡¯s giving the purplish cat softens, and Onaga sighs, ¡°I understand how you feel, but unless something happens to make me think Misdreavus is unfit, then I need to get them used to field work."

    The difference between how Espeon communicates with Onaga versus anybody else psychically is still strange, but I haven''t wanted to poke at it, just in case.

    ¡°Also, you are making progress,¡± The woman points out, still talking to the cat. ¡°Faster than I thought you would, too. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you can join us on duty. Keep that in mind, okay?¡±

    Espeon nods, and although I don¡¯t get the full message, I do taste a grudging acceptance. He still doesn¡¯t look happy about it, though.

    When Onaga looks back at me she does a quick double-take before rolling her eyes, presumably because I¡¯m now near invisible, ¡°Right, I guess this isn¡¯t much of an exercise for you. Come on, we¡¯re burning daylight.¡±

    ***

    I¡­ can''t help thinking that we aren''t moving that fast. Having thought that, however, Onaga is clearly keeping the speed down for Espeon''s sake while she considers something.

    We¡¯re moving at a very slow pace, Weaver casually skipping along while Onaga is going at an easy jog. For my part, well, I¡¯m flying at a fraction of my top speed. I don¡¯t want to say it¡¯s boring, it¡¯s not, but it does feel slow.

    Onaga seems to be taking us on a small circuit around the edge of the city, its compact nature meaning that we¡¯re effectively moving along a dirt road with occasional trees on one side and buildings on the other.

    I¡¯m still a bit shocked at how few fences there are. As it stands, there truly aren''t that many, and the ones that there are seem to only be meant to stop humans. ¡­But it is hard to stop a pokemon, isn¡¯t it? Using Weaver as an example, she has a twenty-foot vertical leap, along with claws that are perfect for climbing. And that¡¯s not even mentioning general strength, or me.

    With the way the rangers have been talking, I don¡¯t think there is a way to keep me from moving through things. Most of those conversations usually revolved around how useful it is, though, and wanting to see if I can carry things with me. The answer? A definite maybe.

    Then there are the reminders that I¡¯m the subject of an upcoming study, but apparently being a partner will change what and how it can be done. I¡¯m not looking forward to when Rowan gets here in ¡®a few days.¡¯ I mean, yeah, some answers about¡­ everything would be nice, but I¡¯m being studied. I don¡¯t like the idea of being poked and tested. Still have a few days before that though.

    Wait, that was a few days ago¡­ Fuck.

    We¡¯re turning? Oh, we¡¯re circling into the city now. Onaga deciding something¡­ Huh, it¡¯s becoming natural to just taste an emotion and then intuit what people are doing, now. Whatever. What¡¯s she set on?

    After a few minutes of keeping a steady pace, we end up in front of one of the ubiquitous small shops. The storefront¡¯s windows decorated with a display showing off paper stock, calendars, schedules, and various writing utensils. It¡¯s honestly a comfy-looking store, nestled in a good-looking, red-brick building. Looks like they just opened, too.

    What time is it, actually?

    Onaga glances at us for a moment, then looks back at the building, ¡°I¡¯d prefer you all stay out here, I¡¯d like what I get to be a surprise.¡± And, having said that, she walks in.

    I''ll admit to being tempted to follow her, but I stay outside with the others.

    Weaver is practically vibrating in place for some reason, "You okay?" I ask the excited weasel.

    ¡°I know what she¡¯s getting!¡± Weaver beams, stilling herself. ¡°It¡¯s going to make things so much easier!¡±

    Make things¨C I look back at the storefront, ¡°Oh, yeah that makes sense. ¡­Please don¡¯t write anything about, you know, my ¡®situation.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Weaver makes a show of thinking about it, but grudgingly nods, ¡°No promises, but I get why you¡¯re asking.¡± She stares into space for a second, ¡°¡­Nope, you being from another world is still cool. Any new ideas about how you ended up here?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t put much thought into it,¡± I admit. ¡°I don¡¯t remember most of the stories from the games, I told you that, but the best I can come up with is¡­¡± I trail off, considering if I want to say it. ¡°Palkia.¡±

    ¡°Palkia?¡± Weaver repeats, cocking her head. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    I was kind of expecting her to recognize the name of one of the big Gods, so that doesn¡¯t bode well. ¡°You know, Palkia, Dialga, Giratina?¡± I ask, still not seeing recognition on her face. ¡°Space, time, and¡­ I forget what Giratina was exactly.¡±

    ¡°G¨C Giratina is th¨C the lord of wrongness,¡± Espeon¡¯s small voice pipes up, prompting Weaver and me to look at him. ¡°It¨C It is meant to have been d¨C destroyed by its siblings before the world w¨C was created.¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± I ask, after getting over the fact that Espeon is the one speaking up about this.

    ¡°M¨C Mitsu¨C My trainer had a lot of arguments with his br¨C brother,¡± Espeon says, his tail''s ends twining nervously. "Yunoto w¨C was a very devout follower o¨C of the Thousand H¨C Hands, while M¨C Mi¡­ my trainer believed in the O¨C Original Sun."

    I have no idea what he¡¯s talking about, and, judging by Weaver¡¯s curious look, neither does she.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Ryu talk about Kimetsune a bit,¡± The black cat muses, idly combing claws through her feathers, ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of any of those. What about ¡®Holy Sinnoh,¡¯ or ¡®The Swords¡¯? I¡¯ve heard people use them the same way¡­" I''ve heard the Rangers swear to various names as well, and them doing it to ''Sinnoh'' still feels a bit odd.

    Hmm, let¡¯s start with the odd one out, ¡°Kimetsune?¡± I ask, recognizing it from Onaga as well. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°A spirit of fire and forethought,¡± Weaver replies without skipping a beat, ¡°Ryuko prays to her sometimes, and tends to complain that there aren¡¯t any shrines here to give offerings to when she does. Actually,¡± She says, glancing at Espeon, ¡°I¡¯ve heard her pray to a ¡®First One¡¯ and ¡®Seasons¡¯ as well.¡±

    This¡­ isn¡¯t exactly the topic I thought we¡¯d be on. And that¡¯s more Gods than I was imagining. I''m pretty sure they''re all legendaries of some kind, but, without the names, I''m mostly lost. The pokemon names, that is. And again with the oddly Japanese stuff.

    ¡°How many Gods even are there?¡± I ask.

    Espeon¡¯s ears go back, his tail flicking in agitation, but he says nothing as his eyes narrow in thought.

    Weaver simply shrugs, ¡°I don¡¯t know, humans use too many different names for them anyway, it gets confusing.¡± After a second, she seems to recall something, ¡°Although, I think I¡¯ve heard Ryu telling Barry that Kimetsune isn¡¯t a god but a¡­ Yeah, a spirit.¡± Weaver shakes her head, ¡°I¡¯ve heard some things about Kanto, it all confuses me.¡±

    ¡°M¨C Many names,¡± Espeon concurs.

    Well, that¡¯s helpful. How many legendaries are there again? Or, wait¡­ How many games have there even been since I stopped playing? Were they any good?

    Fuck, why didn¡¯t I play¡­ Okay, stupid question. I was probably depressed for years before I died, had zero time, and wasn¡¯t expecting it to be at all relevant to my future. Still, I wish I¡¯d kept up now.

    We fall silent as we wait for Onaga to buy, I assume, a notepad for Weaver to carry with her. Espeon has his regular level of wary emotions going on. As if he''s still waiting for the other shoe to drop while hoping it never does. And Weaver''s grooming herself with that permanent half-smirk on her face.

    Can¡¯t say I don¡¯t empathize with Espeon, though. But as long as I don¡¯t focus on¡­ No, no that¡¯s not right, is it? God dammit¨C Gods dammit? Is saying God or Jesus incorrect here?

    I¡¯m fucking distracting myself is what I¡¯m doing! I¡­ I need to talk to Marshal, she¡¯s great at listening and being reassuring.

    And killing people, can¡¯t forget that part. Literally, I can¡¯t forget it. Which I guess is all the more reason to talk to her.

    But then, I''ve seen her kill people¨C pokemon, I mean. And I know Weaver has, too. But they were all only¡­

    Oh good, I¡¯m back on this thought, again. So, am I being a judgmental asshole? Well, having now gone over this a few times¡­ Probably, yeah. I hate being introspective sometimes. I still can¡¯t even tell if I think of them as animals or not half the time for Christ¡¯s sake! That should be a huge red flag!

    And humans are animals, something I¡¯m definitively not anymore. Pokemon are clearly different, so why do I keep thinking like a¡­ Like a human.

    Why is Marshal always right? And why am I only just now realizing what she¨C

    ¡°Hey, Smokey, we¡¯re leaving,¡± Weaver says, poking me on the side of the head.

    I shake myself, returning my focus to now¨C now¡­ When was the last time¨C I haven¡¯t done it since I put Espeon to sleep, fuck. No wonder I¡¯m so scattered.

    Onaga¡¯s giving me a look. I can think about this later, focus. Take a moment for now.

    I¡¯ll be talking to Marshal as soon as I can.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°So, a few more showed up?¡± I confirm with both Philip the wool farmer and Philip the ranger from the Forest¡¯s South base.

    ¡°Not so much, ¡®showed up¡¯ as they made their way back while we weren¡¯t looking,¡± Ranger Philip chuckles. ¡°But we have the transport organized now, so once we get them back to the boat they¡¯re shipping out. And a League contact confirmed that they ¡®should be able to handle it from there.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Not botherin¡¯ Ammy no more, neither,¡± Farmer Philip says, gently plucking one of the joltik from his long beard. ¡°Jus¡¯ hanging on t¡¯some o¡¯ the mareep an¡¯ flaaffy now.¡±

    Ammy, the only ampharos in town, nods, adding, ¡°Amphar am, pharos ampharos,¡± In her bleating voice.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a whole berth set to stay electrically charged on the ship,¡± Ranger Philip informs me. ¡°It¡¯s still being set up, though,¡± He ruefully admits.

    ¡°Jol¡­¡± His partner adds, rolling his eyes even as another of the small pokemon crawls onto him.

    Two rangers is likely a bit much for this, but that¡¯s what happens when an operator forgets to check things.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit to only having book knowledge on joltik,¡± I say, holding out a hand for farmer Philip to place the fuzzy arachnid on. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a cave to live in?¡± I ask the tingly yellow ball.

    They swivel their head to look at me, mandibles working slowly, and then they flop onto their back. Right, slightly below average logic-index and a general tendency to lose focus. They are, after all, the juvenile stage of galvantula. Juvenile being the operative word, most of the ones I can see being around seven centimeters.

    Hmm, the one I saw going with that trainer had to have been around twelve centimeters. The eldest? Or just a large individual, maybe?

    I dismiss the questions, they don¡¯t matter right now. Looking back over all the spiders, they¡¯re acting lethargic and content. Well, at least since they¡¯re now charged, they should be cooperative¡­ If we can get them off what they¡¯re latched to.

    ¡°Misdreavus, Weaver?¡± I query my partners, and their quiet conversation ceases. One silently steps into view, the other drifts, ¡°Would you two check for joltik around the far ends of the field? Bring anyone you find back here.¡±

    They both nod, Misdreavus¡¯ bobbing only a bit less certain, and seem to start bantering again as they make their way out into the open space. I watch Misdreavus for a moment longer as they move away. The ghost''s behavior changed after I came out of the stationery shop earlier, even their body language shifted to something more centered, in control.

    But they haven¡¯t been frozen, staring into space since then either. And that¡¯s unusual for them, as they tend to do so every few minutes, even if for only a second or two. And seeing them freeze while flying makes me truly wonder what the freezing is about.

    Something to work out with them later, and Weaver will let me know if it¡¯s a real problem. She¡¯s even wearing her bandolier again, now that she has things to carry.

    ¡°You know, I heard someone from the west base recruited a ghost-type,¡± Ranger Philip says, also looking off after my partners. ¡°Bit strange seeing them in person.¡±

    I snort, turning my attention back to the nearby wool pokemon, "Wait until you hear them talk, it''s certainly something." I then lift the hand holding the small, yellow pokemon to eye level, ¡°How are we moving all of them?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to put it all on Jolteon, but I, uh, didn¡¯t think about that part,¡± He laughs, rubbing the back of his head. "Can we borrow a cart?"

    ¡°Sure,¡± Farmer Philip agrees, ¡°Ain¡¯t no skin off my back.¡±

    ¡°Think you can keep an electric field up all the way to Chicole?¡± My fellow ranger asks Jolteon.

    The walking lightning rod gives the ranger a flat look, sitting down and puffing himself up, quills and fur ruffling in pride, disturbing the joltik clinging to him, "Jol-jolt, eeon," He barks, pointing a paw at Ranger Philip.

    ¡°I have to ask,¡± The man defends himself. ¡°We¡¯ll need to hook Dodrio up to the cart, so it''ll take longer than normal to get there."

    Jolteon loses a bit of his pomp at that, ears folding back for a second before he gravely nods. Old Ammy brays out a guffaw at Jolteon¡¯s serious look, a hoof-tipped hand slapping her thigh.

    ¡°How were you going to handle it? Out of curiosity,¡± Ranger Philip asks.

    ¡°Mostly the same, I think. Load them onto a cart and have Weaver and Misdreavus watch them,¡± I shrug. ¡°Weaver is faster than most other pokemon, and Misdreavus is very good at psychic projection. They¡¯d be able to keep them all contained until we got there.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is Misdreavus a psychic-type as well?¡± The ranger asks, seeming to decide we should get started as he moves towards the closest mareep.

    ¡°No,¡± I shake my head, following his lead as I head for a flaaffy, ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think so. They don¡¯t communicate like one.¡±

    Ranger Philip blinks, setting a second joltik on his arm, ¡°You¡¯ve been around psychics enough to tell?¡±

    ¡°I think so, at this point. An espeon,¡± I tell him, letting Flaaffy press her nose into my palm. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get a handle on more than just empathy now.¡± Though it still feels odd whenever I get an ¡®image.¡¯

    ¡°Oh, here come th¡¯rest o¡¯ them.¡± I look up at the farmer''s voice and see a dozen more mareep trotting towards us, Weaver in front and Misdreavus behind. I can only see one joltik among them from here.

    I suppress a sigh at her interpretation of the task. Not that it''s out of character for her, it''s harmless, and the grin as she sees me looking is all I need to know about how intentional it was.

    Well, if she¡¯s in that good of a mood then Misdreavus must be handling themself well enough. Good to know.

    I¡¯m going to hope Misdreavus¡¯ behavior isn¡¯t part of the instability I haven¡¯t seen much of yet, and let it be for now.

 Chapter 25

    The varied cries of indignant or overexcited joltik are fading now, thankfully. Sure, they look like little yellow fuzzballs with eyes, but they sound like a hoard of drunk chipmunks after being told it¡¯s way past bedtime.

    Well, I guess it wasn¡¯t too bad as a first ¡®quest.¡¯

    ¡­Oh, it¡¯s a shortening of request, that¡¯s why they use it.

    ¡°So?¡± Weaver prompts, nudging me as we keep pace with Onaga and Dodrio. ¡°What did you think?¡±

    ¡°I think,¡± I say, pausing to truly collect my thoughts, ¡°That it was¡­ something. It wasn¡¯t hard, and, as annoying as they were, I¡¯ve dealt with worse. Is this how it normally is?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, most days,¡± Weaver confirms, turning to face me while still skipping along, now facing backward. ¡°Big emergencies don¡¯t happen too often, but I think you¡¯d be fine if one happened, anyway.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± I reply, not keeping the disbelief from my voice.

    At the moment, the four¨C how do I count Dodrio? Uh, the six of us are now pulling away from the other ranger and his cart of spiders, slowly turning in a large circle back towards the city. Onaga seems content to let Dodrio set the pace, and none of them seem to want to go fast.

    It¡¯s mostly fields and dirt roads this far south of the city, it seems, the occasional pokemon darting past us or flying overhead the only real action around us. Pushing myself just a bit further into being real, I can even appreciate the cool wind blowing past us. It¡¯s been a bit since I fully phased in.

    ¡°You good, Smokey?¡± Weaver¡¯s voice breaks the easy quiet.

    ¡°For the moment,¡± I say, staring out over the various fields. ¡°I¡¯m trying to stay grounded right now, it¡¯s harder than it should be.¡±

    I lock onto movement in the distance, to our right. It takes me a moment to place the general shape as I watch the red tractor pull a large piece of metal through a field. Then I blink as I realize it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen anything with an engine that wasn¡¯t a train since arriving.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re always flying,¡± Weaver drops, pulling my focus back and maintaining her smirk as I turn to give her a flat look. ¡°What? You are, so maybe you should join the rest of us down here.¡±

    ¡°We''re at the same eye level right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m touching the ground.¡±

    "Only half the time," Left Dodrio points out. "Which means you''re halfway to where they are, unlike us."

    ¡°Does taking a foot off the ground count as being half off the ground then?¡± Right Dodrio asks.

    ¡°In the interest of consistency, yes,¡± Left says, nodding thoughtfully, ¡°which puts us halfway to halfway there.¡±

    Middle Dodrio looks between his other heads, rolling his eyes with an amused look, ¡°I think it more depends on the fact that we can¡¯t fly, yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh not this again¡­¡± Right groans, Left joining him in the act. ¡°We can¡¯t get the airstream right unless we all agree on a direction. And ¡®up¡¯ isn¡¯t good enough.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a starting point,¡± Middle argues, and the three of them start bickering like, well, siblings. I¡­ guess they are siblings, aren¡¯t they?

    Weaver and I watch on as the three don¡¯t quite descend into a physical slap-fight, though they obviously want to. Onaga, riding the pokemon, just shakes her head.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Weaver pulls me back into conversation, "Anything I can do to help?"

    ¡°Keep being you?¡± I say, shrugging. ¡°You¡¯ve been helping a lot, honestly. Maybe we can go grab a bite to eat at some point, too?¡±

    Weaver gasps, ¡°I should have realized, you¡¯re starving! Looks like you could disappear at any moment! You¡¯re practically transparent!" She takes a pose, one clawed hand over her heart and the other with its back on her head. She stays like that, still skipping backward the whole time, for several seconds.

    ¡°Yep, and you should feel bad for not noticing,¡± I tell her, receiving a hurt noise before she starts chuckling.

    ¡°Well, I''ll just have to make up for it. Do you have any real preference in food?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t know what all is around here that¡¯s good¡­¡± I trail off, a thought hitting me, ¡°Can¨C Can we get drinks?¡±

    ¡°Drinks?¡± Weaver asks in a perfect mimicry of my tone, flicking an ear.

    ¡°You know, drinks." At the weavile''s now cocked head, I elaborate further, "Alcoholic drinks. I hadn''t honestly thought about how that works till now."

    That makes Weaver drop her theatrics for a moment, standing still as she thinks about it too. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± She says after a long pause, starting to walk again. ¡°I¡¯ll need to ask Ryu about that. I¡¯d never thought of trying any, is it any good?¡±

    I whistle at the difficulty of the question, then shrink a bit as everyone flinches, Onaga giving me a strange look. ¡°Uh, sorry,¡± I apologize. It¡¯s too easy to stop thinking about making sharp noises, or how I even make them. It doesn¡¯t sound too bad to me, maybe a bit high-pitched, but everyone reacts like my voice hurts.

    It probably does, really, I just can¡¯t tell because it¡¯s my voice.

    What were¨C right, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a difficult question. There isn¡¯t only just alcohol, so it mostly depends on what you like, what¡¯s in it, and what it¡¯s in.¡±

    Weaver is still rubbing an ear, but she nods at my answer, ¡°Definitely need to ask Ryu about it then, but I can buy us dinner no problem. Tonight?¡±

    ¡°Whenever is good,¡± I respond, drifting down until I¡¯m half in the ground. ¡°¡­Hmm, I don¡¯t know if this is helping.¡±

    Weaver just cackles.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Dodrio still seems to be mildly arguing with himselves as we near town, and I finish noting down another thing about Misdreavus. Another addition to the sheer number of sounds they can make.

    Now, from what I''ve seen, they seem to prefer sound as a method of attack, so it isn''t all that unusual. However, if we were to compare them to other pokemon with similar adaptations, like a loudred, they typically won''t accidentally deafen someone by simply whistling. Of course, that could be down to age and power. Misdreavus is only a month old, so they¡¯re likely still learning fine control. While a whismur would need to put quite a bit of effort in to hit deafening levels on their own, and has time to learn to tone it down¡ªor up¡ªbefore they get too strong, Misdreavus has all the power and none of the age.

    At least they seem to be trying not to make those kinds of sounds as much. Indoors, at least.

    My radio chimes, so I start putting my notepad away, stowing those thoughts for later, and making a quick mental note to bring them up to Rowan when he gets here tonight. Or tomorrow, if he wants to settle in first.

    ¡°Onaga Ryuko, responding,¡± I say, switching the radio to active.

    There''s a bit of muffle and barely picked-up voices before, "A¨C Ah, hello, Onaga."

    ¡°Fran?¡± I ask, glancing at the radio, and then in the direction of the academy. "Should you be on official channels right now?"

    ¡°I¡¯m¨C¡±

    His voice is cut off by another, ¡°He¡¯s with us at base right now, there was a decision made up top, apparently,¡± Katie says. Over the same mic, if I¡¯m not mistaken.

    ¡°Yes, that does sum it up,¡± Francois says, dryly.

    ¡°With that out of the way,¡± Katie cuts back in, "I''m off to bed. Barry or I will fill you in when you get back.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be nice having you back, Fran,¡± I tell him, acknowledging a familiar woman who''s trying to flag me down with a nod and a raised hand. "Was there anything else? I think I''m about to get a quest."

    ¡°Just me being here and the changeover,¡± He says. "I''m not a full operator yet, and I still have assignments from school, but I''m stationed here now."

    That¡­ honestly doesn''t bode well, if the Union is rushing students into positions like that. ¡°Okay, well, again, good to have you back. I¡¯m going to see what Bertha needs now.¡±

    Having said that, I flip a switch and clip my radio back to my belt before waving down the seemingly mid-task woman, "Sorry for making you wait, Bertha. What do you need?¡±

    Bertha is a large woman, in almost every sense of the word. Tall, broad-shouldered, stout, muscled, her character¡­ everything. Even her family size, now that I think of it. And the farm she runs.

    She¡¯s also likely the strongest person in the region, as the tauros she¡¯s carrying over one shoulder as if it weighs nothing proves, the pokemon himself looking rather more like a mareep at the moment.

    ¡°Ain¡¯t no worry,¡± She waves off my apology. ¡°Just bringin¡¯ this one back from a check before we let ¡®im at the miltank, the big baby, and saw you comin¡¯, figured I¡¯d see if you could go get my kids for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume they¡¯re in the forest, then?¡± It''s not really a question, since that''s the only reason she''d be asking a ranger about this.

    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± She confirms, ¡°You know I¡¯d ask Tim, but¡­¡±

    We share a nod, Tim¡¯s phobia is well known. He does okay with cuter and more harmless seeming pokemon, but anything with claws or teeth makes him freeze up. The forest is not somewhere he likes being.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, I don¡¯t have any other quests at the moment. Want me to bring them back, or just get them moving?¡±

    ¡°Ah, they don¡¯t need looked over like that,¡± She says, hefting the tauros into a more comfortable position, the bull pokemon huffing helplessly in Bertha¡¯s titanium grip, ¡°just send ¡®em on their way, they¡¯re good kids.¡± Her eyes trail behind Dodrio and me, widening slightly, ¡° You got a new partner following you around?¡± She asks, gesturing at Misdreavus.

    ¡°Two actually,¡± I smile ruefully, ¡°Espeon isn¡¯t exactly healthy enough to keep up all day yet.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I heard something about an espeon and smugglers recently, nasty business. Good to hear they went with you, you''re good people.¡±

    Knowing Bertha, she won''t let me get away with waving the compliment off, so I nod instead, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± She tells me before she starts walking south to her farm. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna keep you longer. You have a nice day, now!¡±

    I give her a wave at her cheery call back to me, and pat Dodrio to get their attention before pointing West. Checking behind, Weaver is, as always, smirking. While Misdreavus is simply staring after Bertha with that wide-eyed look they sometimes get, looking more solid than usual and wavering slightly in the breeze.

    Weaver glances at me before grabbing one of the tendrils that seem to appear and disappear from Misdreavus¡¯ mane, pulling them along behind her. That snaps the ghost out of whatever they¡¯d been thinking. They look between Weaver and myself before seeming to accept being dragged along.

    It''s good that Misdreavus doesn''t seem to get tired. Ever. Katie''s told me that they drift around the base at night, and I haven''t seen them make any kind of bed or nest, nor have I seen them sleep. I would assume they¡¯re nocturnal, except that none of us have seen them sleep and they¡¯re far too active during the day.

    They seem bored at times, too. They¡¯re clearly intelligent for a month-old pokemon, if how fast they pick up on everything is any indication at least. I might need to dig out a copy of the integration aid soon, Weaver¡¯s had enough time to not need the help, but a pokemon as smart as Misdreavus needs something to do in their off time. And since they don¡¯t seem to sleep¡­

    I take a closer look at Misdreavus, trying to find any hint of tiredness. It¡¯s not made any easier by their odd mix of body languages, some nearing the level many humanoid pokemon display while others are expressed in their tendrils, gemstones, flight pattern, and even miasmal movements.

    They''re currently looking mildly amused at Weaver as she drags them behind, barely moving up or down as my friend skips and hops over the slightly uneven dirt road. Then, as if sensing my interest¡ªwhich they likely do¡ªthey''re looking at me. Large, unblinking eyes meeting mine.

    ¡°Can you get tired?¡± I ask, choosing the direct approach.

    They don''t look away, but it''s easy to see their gaze lose focus on me for a moment, and when it does it''s all too obvious why some ghost stories are the way they are. Having Misdreavus look through me like that would be frightening if I didn¡¯t know they¡¯re generally passive.

    After some seeming contemplation, they refocus on me and shrug, ¡°Misser dreav.¡±

    ¡°But you do get bored, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ve noticed you getting restless recently.¡± I say, deciding not to let a potential problem build. They shrug again as Weaver releases her grip on their tendril. That¡¯s interesting. Not willing to admit to it, or not wanting to be a burden? ¡°We can help you find things to do, you know. Don¡¯t be afraid to ask.¡± I¡¯m surprised they haven¡¯t asked about lifting the curfew yet, honestly.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Misdreavus nods, looking down while still following without issue as Dodrio¡¯s been slowly picking up speed. I don¡¯t know what their max speed is, but I doubt it¡¯s as fast as a dodrio¡¯s. We won¡¯t be going full speed, however, so it should be fine.

    ***

    The forest is loud again, without the constant stomping of tourists making many of the small pokemon hide while the alphas¡¯ alertness scares the rest. Now? The calls of various rodent, insect, and bird pokemon ring through the air in a way many people will never experience. I even see a crow watching us, cawing occasionally.

    Frankly, if people who visit would all just listen to what we tell them then things would be so much better. ¡­That''s unfair of me. I know many of them do, but nine in ten doing so still means that more than enough don¡¯t, so it remains a major issue. And many of the more responsible ones also tend to get caught up in group thinking.

    Looking down at Weaver from where I¡¯m sitting, she has her nose down and ears up, tracking Bertha¡¯s kids. And looking up, Misdreavus doesn¡¯t seem to have spotted them yet, but they¡¯re still looking down from above.

    Then Misdreavus vanishes, which continues to be an interesting sight. They never simply wink out of visibility, the process seems to start somewhere inside them before spreading to everything else in the blink of an eye, but Misdreavus¡¯ eyes are always the last thing to go.

    Why did they do that now? Is there something they¡¯re hiding from nearby? Or maybe they¡¯re employing their own tracking method, as, like many scavengers, they¡¯ve confirmed they have the ability to track food sources. And when asked¡ªwith Weaver having to write it down¡ªthey said they track emotions.

    Fairly obvious, once I thought about it for half a second.

    We still need to test distance, but I''ve been waiting to bring that kind of thing up for when the study of Misdreavus actually starts. Frankly, I''d like to give them more time to acclimate and maybe open up a bit, but everything was already in motion.

    Regardless, whatever strategy or hunting method they''re using to try and scan the forest, when they eventually reappear it¡¯s from ahead and slightly to my right. As they descend I can see the end of an eye roll before they point back the way they came.

    ¡°Dreavus,¡± They say in a tone that I can fully understand. The ¡®I should have thought of this sooner¡¯ tone.

    Well, they¡¯re pointing us mostly the same way Weaver was moving, so we only need to speed up. Weaver herself is giving Misdreavus an approving nod as she rises back into her normal bipedal stance, bounding forward now that we apparently have a set destination.

    It doesn''t take much longer to find them now, and soon I''m seeing eight children goofing off by one of the many small streams.

    Three of them are engaged in a ¡®sword¡¯ fight, poking each other with sticks. Two have a pair of binoculars pointed deeper into the forest, swapping it back and forth as they point at something distant. And the oldest three are all sitting on the bank, relaxing with their feet in the cold water.

    The eldest in the group¡­ Daniel, if I¡¯m remembering right, spies me first, nodding as he turns a bit to face me, ¡°Mom sent ya?¡±

    ¡°She did,¡± I confirm, hopping off Dodrio¡¯s back. ¡°Asked me to get you on your way.¡±

    ¡°Aw, we haven¡¯t even seen¡­¡± One of the younger boys says, trailing off as his eyes look behind me, ¡°Ooh, she¡¯s cool looking!¡±

    Glancing at where the boy is staring, I already think I know who he''s talking about. And the flash of red eyes, before they vanish, confirms it, Weaver tracking the ghost as they both move away from us.

    ¡°We can always come back tomorrow,¡± The second eldest, Samantha, says, standing and pulling her older brother up from where he¡¯s still sitting on the bank.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Daniel sighs, not fighting his sister¡¯s strength. ¡°Wish we had longer though.¡±

    The two of them get the others in line quickly enough, and all eight are soon walking back to town without complaint. Can¡¯t say I don¡¯t empathize with wanting to spend more time out here, but I happen to have a good excuse: My job.

    Granted, if I get a call about something then I¡¯ll need to head back, but for the moment? Riding around sounds nice. Although, with the way Dodrio are gulping down water at the moment, and how one of them looks like he¡¯s eying something in the water with hunger, I¡¯ll let them relax for now.

    I¡¯m not surprised when a bonsly approaches, the living rocks being generally inquisitive, if skittish. And they don¡¯t seem distressed, just curious. They totter up, look between Dodrio, Weaver, and me, and then burrow into the ground.

    I always loved the way they act. They walk up to something, figure out if it¡¯s safe or not, then bury themselves if it is. Or if it¡¯s not, since they¡¯re still safer that way. Rock-type camouflage at its finest.

    The peaceful moment stretches out into nearly ten minutes of meditative zen, and after the activity of the last month, it''s truly welcome.

    Weaver and Misdreavus have started talking about something over Weaver''s notepad, but I''m too far away to see.

    I¡¯m a bit startled when a berry suddenly drops in front of me. Looking up, a swellow is perching above, tilting her head to eye me from different angles. Picking the ripe persim up, I offer it back, but the dull-colored female shakes her head, ¡°Swell oh-oh,¡± She chirps.

    ¡°Okay, did you want something?¡± I ask, receiving another shake of the head. Well, gifts aren¡¯t uncommon, but it¡¯s usually after we¡¯ve done something. ¡°Thank you, then,¡± I tell her, inspecting the berry. Persim are good for keeping focus, and the truly ripe ones taste pretty good.

    Before I can bite into it, however, I¡¯m distracted by a sloshing noise. Looking around it takes a moment to realize it¡¯s coming from¡­

    Ah, Marshal is out with her children today, though I doubt her turning up somewhere I just so happen to be is a coincidence.

    The water here isn¡¯t deep enough to hold the massive pokemon, but she doesn¡¯t care about things like that, simply creating her own surf to swim through. Dodrio swiftly back off, and I get a good look at the group sailing up the stream. Standing on his mother¡¯s back, just above Marshal¡¯s unnaturally flowing water, is Shinx. And floating in the swell next to the small mountain of a pokemon are two buizel, one clearly older than the other.

    I lock eyes with the alpha, and not the one in the water, as Luxray is following them on the bank opposite us. That¡¯s a bit strange, he normally stays in his own territory.

    There¡¯s a gust of wind as Swellow makes herself scarce, and I sigh, ¡°So, how are you?¡± I can¡¯t fully hold in a chuckle at the sight, though.

    The buizel both toss their heads noncommittally, while Marshal gives a small wave and Luxray nods with a happy flick of his ears.

    ¡°Need anything, or just passing by?¡±

    Luxray chuckles in a deep purr, pointing a paw toward where Weaver and Misdreavus had been talking. This is about one of them, then. Why would¡­ Oh. Oh, Misdreavus came with me right after taking those poachers down and Luxray is Luxray.

    The big softie wants to say thank you.

    ¡°Well, Misdreavus, you¡¯re up,¡± I say, turning to see the ghost frozen in place, their eyes locked on Marshal. Interesting, from what I understand the two of them had a good relationship. So why does Misdreavus look afraid of her?

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°You said they could react to things oddly,¡± Luxray rumbles curiously at me from the stream bank, ¡°Not that they found you frightening.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s new,¡± I tell him. ¡°Shinx, hop over to your father sweetie.¡±

    Once he does so, I stand out of the stream bed to get a better look at everything. Ryu is inspecting Charlie as well, looking a bit concerned as the ghost follows me with their eyes, not moving otherwise.

    The last I saw them had been a bit abrupt, but fairly normal. Charlie had a psychic with them though, and that took precedence since the ghost had been concerned and confused about the psychic¡¯s reaction to me. But I haven''t seen them since that, so I can''t say what might have happened.

    It¡¯s been a bit since I checked up on them though, harder to do since they left.

    Climbing out of the stream, I let the water I was using to move along it fall back into place. The sound catches Ryuko''s attention, the ranger giving me a calculating look, "I don''t know if you getting closer is a good idea, Marsh."

    ¡°No, it¨C We need to¨C¡± The kid stutters out for a moment. They look down, gathering themself for a lengthy moment before speaking again, ¡°It¡¯s been a little too long, and I¡¯ve started to get too wrapped up in my own head again. Can we¡­¡±

    They don¡¯t finish the question, but I know what they¡¯re asking, ¡°Of course,¡± I say, casting my gaze around, ¡°Maybe not here, though.¡±

    Ryu has been looking between us, and she relaxes a bit once the kid starts moving the way they normally do again, ¡°Uh-huh. Could I get a hint about what¡¯s going on?¡±

    It¡¯s Weaver who speaks up, quickly doing something with¡­ ah writing something for Ryu, ¡°Here.¡±

    Ryuko inspects it while I turn back to Luxray and our children, ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯d appreciate an audience.¡±

    ¡°I still need to thank them!¡± Shinx yelps, looking at me and then his father.

    ¡°We both do,¡± Luxray says in a soothing tone, ¡°We¡¯ll get our chance. Your mother just needs to speak with them for a bit,¡± He consoles. Though he also throws me a questioning look. I give him a pointed one back, which he accepts with a small nod.

    ¡°You two need to talk?¡± Ryu asks, stepping next to me. Honestly, when will she learn to listen to us right? I know humans can. But I still nod at her, rolling my eyes when she asks, ¡°For how long?¡±

    ¡°Long enough that you¡¯ll probably need to leave anyway,¡± I say, shooing her with one hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think I know why you¡¯re asking and they¡¯ll be back with you soon.¡±

    Ryu raises her eyebrows at me before rubbing her face with one hand. She walks over to where the poor dodrio are still trying to decide if they should run or not, and hops onto their back, ¡°Okay, you''ve more than earned the benefit of the doubt. But,¡± She turns to look at Charlie, deliberates for a moment, then shakes her head, ¡°No, never mind. Just¡­ Please head back to base when you''re done, and let whoever''s on radio know you''re back. Okay?" Well, that''s confirmation that Charlie''s with the Rangers now.

    The kid nods, looking less nervous, and Ryu nods back before patting Dodrio on the side. Dodrio certainly don''t waste any time in bolting away, though, and the weavile cackles as she chases them.

    Luxray huffs, ¡°I was hoping she¡¯d at least pet me for a bit.¡± That makes me smile slightly, he''s always liked the Rangers and their lack of fear. And lack of stupidity, that generally helps.

    ¡°So¡­ who are they?¡± Buizel asks pointing her eyes at Charlie. That makes me laugh, it¡¯s been months since I¡¯ve seen her, and we¡¯ve barely started catching up. I haven¡¯t gotten to explaining the kid yet.

    ¡°A good spook,¡± I tell her, beckoning Charlie closer. ¡°You can ask your brother about them while I¡¯m gone. I¡¯ll give you more of the story after.¡±

    Buizel quickly starts questioning her brother, who starts pleading for me to help him with his eyes. I watch for a second before reminding myself that the spook is still waiting.

    ¡°Come on,¡± I say to the ghost, dropping back into the shallow water and pulling more in to move with, ¡°I can tell you got things rattling around in there.¡± They simply nod, following after me as I swim downstream.

    Once we hit a river, they finally speak, ¡°So¡­¡± They lead.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask, rolling onto my back in the now comfortably deep water. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d just vanish and I¡¯ve been half-thinking you were avoiding me.¡± Oh, they flinched at that, ¡°You were avoiding this?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah,¡± they admit, staring into the river. ¡°But I realized how much you checking on me helped. And that I might have been thinking about things the wrong way. But,¡± They look up, actually locking eyes with me for once, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing pretty well otherwise, better than I was at my¨C the cabin,¡± They sigh.

    ¡°Being around other humans?¡±

    They groan, resigned, ¡°I knew one of us was going to bring it up.¡± They slowly fall until they¡¯re almost in the water before speaking again, ¡°Maybe. Probably, really. I don¡¯t think I count anymore, and that''s part of my problem. When did you figure it out?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re weren¡¯t exactly being subtle about it,¡± I can¡¯t help chuckling. ¡°Lots of little things, how you reacted to protecting yourself was what finally convinced me.¡±

    ¡°You mean how I panicked? I gave it a lot of thought afterward, and I can¡¯t help thinking about it sometimes¨C¡± They stop, freezing for an instant too long before resuming, ¡°You were right, of course. I still don¡¯t know how to feel about what I did to them, and I don¡¯t like that.¡±

    Hmm¡­ ¡°Human misgivings?¡± I ask, turning over to get a better look at the odd ghost.

    I can practically see the question turning over in their head before they answer, ¡°Probably, I think I had some¡­ preconceptions when I woke up here. Most of them didn¡¯t last long, but a few did. I guess you already figured that out, though.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t exactly complicated, Charlie,¡± I tell them, smiling, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it must be like to be you, but I think you¡¯re doing alright at it.¡±

    They nod slowly, ¡°I think I am too, honestly. Much, much  better than I was before I died.¡± Their face twists for a moment, a grimace spreading over it before smoothing into that blank look they get when thinking.

    ¡°You good, kid?¡±

    They¡¯re still and quiet for a few moments before responding, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± It¡¯s believable too, they aren¡¯t twitching or shifty-eyed, only looking a bit distant. ¡°Just¡­ considering.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense why you spend so long thinking like that, now,¡± I nod. I had to do a lot of that myself when I evolved, more than most even. I¡¯d think going from human to ghost is worse though.

    We fall silent, the air charged but not heavy. I have questions that I¡¯m hoping they might answer now, things I think they need to talk about, and I can tell they still have things to say to me. I let them take their thoughts at whatever speed they need to. We have time.

    I wonder, if the kid was human, how many of the other spooks were? Some of the ones I''ve had to chase off had been acting strange, and none of them handling that change as well as the kid has could explain some of it.

    Well, can¡¯t change the past, only keep it in mind.

    After a few minutes of swimming they eventually speak up, ¡°So, you killed those two.¡±

    A statement, the tone implying they don''t know what to think about it. Makes me wonder what their life was like, as a human. I''ve seen good and bad people, humans and pokemon, but most humans recently seem to have an aversion to killing anything, not like when I was young¡­

    The look on the kid¡¯s face tells me they got a hint of that. ¡°Sorry, old memories,¡± I say, sliding onto the sandy bank here and standing up, ¡°Did you want to talk about that?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± they answer, bringing themself up to my eye level again. "I just¨C When I heard¨C When I saw what you did to them a lot of things I¡¯d been told about you¡­ shifted? I guess.¡±

    I consider that. I''m well aware of how some of the younger ones think of me. What their elders tell them in warning. And of how the different humans do so as well. "I keep the peace," I tell Charlie, "It''s what I''ve done most of my life now, it got easier when the rangers appeared, but sometimes they fail.¡± I look directly at the ghost, ¡°You won¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t understand.¡±

    They look away from me, ¡°I¡­ do, I just don¡¯t like that feeling, you know? When I realized what those two were doing, I froze. I wanted to get away, to get you, but I knew what everyone they¡¯d captured was feeling. And what could have happened to them¨C¡± They pause. The kid¡¯s voices had become a bit discordant there. "It wasn''t just anger¨C I mean, that was part of it, but I was so focused on stopping them that I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d already won, and I hate feeling that way. Like I''m not in control of myself."

    Now that sounds familiar. ¡°I get it,¡± I tell them, settling my behind into the soft, warm sand. ¡°And I¡¯d imagine you know that not liking it doesn¡¯t change anything.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± They sigh. ¡°All of this was easy when I was human, give it a day and it was just a distant memory.¡± They chuckle ruefully, ¡°Might be why I¡¯m having trouble now. I always put off dealing with stuff like this. Now it''s all¡­ there. Like it just happened. And when I think about it, it''s like it''s still happening.¡± They fall still for an instant again, ¡°It¡¯s not great.¡±

    ¡°Never had to deal with something like this before?¡± I ask, genuinely curious.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never had it hang around so long,¡± They reply.

    ¡°You¡¯re young,¡± I say, remembering that first talk I had with them, ¡°Haven¡¯t learned some things the painful way yet.¡±

    ¡°I guess not.¡±

    Another moment of stillness passes, less charged than the last.

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Charlie breaks the silence, ¡°Why were you swimming up that stream?¡± They ask.

    I want to chuckle at that, but a snort comes out instead, ¡°Luxray wanted to thank you for being there when we weren¡¯t. Shinx was getting excited about it, too.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ how did you know where we were?¡±

    That I do chuckle at, ¡°How much have you talked with the tailow? Need to know where something is? Ask one of them. They let me know you were there.¡±

    ¡°You had them watching for me?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did,¡± I say, giving the kid a look, ¡°I had Sunshine and Rainbow wanting to thank you, and we hadn¡¯t talked since you were looking one bad word away from curling into a ball and disappearing!¡±

    They blink, ¡°Oh.¡± Then mutter near soundlessly, ¡°Sunshine and Rainbow?¡±

    I can tell we¡¯re reaching the same question I always ask near the end of our talks, they¡¯ve run out of things they want to say, and I can tell they¡¯re doing alright. Getting things out of their head is always good for them, good for anybody, really, and I¡¯m glad they seem to know that, but there¡¯s still the one thing they haven¡¯t¨C

    ¡°So, you want to know about¡­ how I died.¡± Once again, not a question. And they beat me to it.

    ¡°I can tell it¡¯s eating at you, and you¡¯ve pointed out more than once how you can¡¯t forget anything,¡± I say gently.

    ¡°Honestly,¡± They give a hollow laugh, "I''ve wanted to talk about it for a while now, I just didn''t know how to avoid the human thing." They fall, settling onto the ground, ¡°It makes me glad I can¡¯t sleep, you know. I¡¯m certain I¡¯d be having nightmares about it. And I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do! I don¡¯t want it hanging over me forever, but it¡¯s starting to feel like it might.¡±

    They slump, deflating into a heap. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been asking about it, maybe if you¡¯d talk to someone, it doesn¡¯t have to be me,¡± I stress, ¡°And not keep it all in that head of yours, you might start feeling better about it.¡±

    ¡°I need a drink,¡± They groan, rising back into the air a bit. They must catch my glance at the river, because they give a halfhearted laugh, ¡°Not¨C Never mind. You¡¯re right, I know you¡¯re right.¡± They seem to center themself, and I wait the few seconds it takes for them to continue, ¡°So, I suppose I should start with how I died.¡±

 Chapter 26

    It wasn¡¯t a long explanation, though it felt that way with how Marshal was¡ªand still is¡ª looking at me. She has an expression that I¡¯d call confusion if I couldn¡¯t taste the fact that she¡¯s mostly thoughtful. I¡¯d even be tempted to call the head tilt cute if I was feeling up to it right now.

    You know what? Yeah, it¡¯s cute. And that¡¯s actually making me feel a bit better.

    I don¡¯t know if fully reliving my death so I could describe it helped me deal with it, though. It¡¯s not the same as a memory from my new probably-life, but it didn¡¯t have any time to break down. And what came after was¡­ far too pleasant and a bit horrifying when I think back on it.

    So, so peaceful¨C

    I shudder. It was almost impossible to think at all, and it would have been so easy to simply let go. But I didn¡¯t and now I¡¯m here.

    Marshal chirps, an odd noise to hear from someone so big, and I look up from my thoughts. She¡¯s looking down, concern rolling off her, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting¡­¡± She admits. ¡°Maybe that your partner had been one o¡¯ us? And maybe that you did somethin¡¯ to deserve it? But you never seemed the type, and it wasn¡¯t either of those.¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t known if I¡¯d see her again,¡± I say, suppressing a sigh. ¡°And if I ever did, not like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Marshal hums, her yellow floaty-band-thing swelling up. Then she winces, and I taste something like pain, but not quite. ¡°Can¡¯t imagine what that would be like,¡± She says. Although I think she just did. ¡°I¡¯ve been in my share of fights, don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been hurt that badly though. Then again¡­¡± She turns her eyes up to me, ¡°I don¡¯t think you can be hurt like that now.¡± She scratches the side of her neck, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re made o¡¯ stronger stuff, or maybe you¡¯re hiding it well, but¡­ The way you been acting, you''re not worried you might get hurt again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to stab a ghost,¡± I quip.

    ¡°Not what I mean,¡± Marshal backs the words up with a full mom glare, ¡°Inside, emotionally,¡± She enunciates. ¡°You¡¯re not shyin¡¯ away from people.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t give me the chance,¡± I quietly reply. ¡°I hadn¡¯t tried all that hard to talk to anyone before you interrupted my¡­¡± Slow starvation, anger, depressive spiral, self-destruction. ¡°And I¡¯d felt so much better afterward that I did go find people to just¡­ be around.¡±

    That makes her very happy, ¡°All ya needed was a little help. So, You okay otherwise? Nothing else ya need help carrying?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ¡®okay otherwise,¡¯¡± I say, prompting a look from the giant pokemon. ¡°I mean, I keep going in circles, I¡¯ll feel better for a while, and then¡­¡±

    ¡°Ya let your guard down?¡± She asks. ¡°And it all falls on ya again?¡±

    ¡°Not even that,¡± I tell her, shaking my head, ¡°It creeps up on me. It¡¯s not a surprise, I just¡­ Whenever it does, I wish I could move on, stop worrying about it.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way,¡± Marshal points out, and I grudgingly nod.

    ¡°I know, I suppose that¡¯s why it¡¯s wishful thinking.¡±

    ¡°You got anything ta do? Something to take your mind off of things?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess?¡± I say, not hiding my uncertainty.

    ¡°Well,¡± She says, leaning closer, ¡°You have plenty o¡¯ time. So, let¡¯s give ya something good ta think about, then maybe something to do. Clear your head a bit.¡±

    ***

    Talking with Marshal always helps, and this most recent time wasn¡¯t different.

    Okay, it was, but mostly because I got a lot more off my chest than the usual complaints and advice gathering. It helps that I can tell she understands, and even when she doesn¡¯t she does her best to be supportive.

    And being thanked, profusely, by a giant lion and a tiny kitten? I¡­ I guess that helped.

    Marshal¡¯s training was different this time, too. Before, she felt like she was expecting basic competency. Now? I think I got baby¡¯s first intro to pokemon powers. I¡¯d figured some of it out on my own, but Marshal made sure I now know a few things that seem obvious in hindsight.

    Like the fact that I can, in fact, hurt myself by overusing them¡ªthough you can apparently tell before you go that far. Also, after having me try some weird, twisty psychic things, she said ¡°You¡¯re gonna be one of the tricky ones, ain¡¯t ya.¡± I suspect it¡¯s a species thing, though.

    Then I¡¯d looked up at the sun and realized how long it had been.

    I would have liked to wander around a bit longer, catch up with some of the groves, possibly chat with Leaf, but I need to make it back to the Rangers. Not that it¡¯s hard, I¡¯m¡­ four-hundred feet up? And don¡¯t have to deal with the wind at all.

    I love flying, although I don¡¯t know if what I do counts since there¡¯s no real difference between what I normally do and this, just the height. Maybe I should try flying upside down? No, it sounds interesting but I still feel¡­

    Well, I feel. I definitely feel after that talk with Marshal. I guess it counts as a long talk since we kept going even after she started trying to teach me again. Relieved? Yeah, there¡¯s some of that. Happy? Eh, maybe. Drained? Definitely. And more if I wanted to self-analyze right now.

    I think I¡¯d rather get back to my new job and hope the boss-lady is understanding, though.

    And on that thought, phase in and GRAVITY!

    ¡­

    ¡­Damn, it takes a while for me to fall, doesn¡¯t it? Maybe I should phase out a bit? No, there¡¯s no gravity at all while phased out. Hmm, I could just fly down, not like it¡¯s much more effort than falling. But it feels different, falling, no thought or input required.

    It¡¯s certainly a lot slower, though.

    I think I could do with slower right now. I¡¯d stopped following Marshal¡¯s advice to simply take the time for things, and that didn¡¯t help, all it did was make time sort of¡­ blur. So what if it might take a little longer to get back? I can see so much right now, the world spread out beneath me.

    Amazing, how the city looks from up here. And the forest, a sea of green all the way to the actual ocean, with a few small islands and amazingly white beaches scattered along the coast. I can easily see a city on the southern coast, too, about a third the size of Vientow. And that¡¯s not counting all the farms around here.

    The sky is¡ªas seems to be normal here¡ªstill a beautiful, cloudless blue as I drift down, birds flying through the empty air¡­ Hmm, are there no airports here? Would you even need airports when riding flying pokemon is a thing?

    I still haven¡¯t explored all that much of my new home, have I?

    ¡­And I¡¯m off track. How much farther? Eh, I¡¯ll land when I land, I should be taking this time to just exist.

    I¡¯m definitely in a better mood by the time I fall through the ceiling of the ranger base. Marshal¡¯s moderately mundane meditation proving its value again. Hmm, I should¨C Slap myself because I can literally keep things in mind instead of just thinking it.

    It¡¯s the same way I can remember everything about how I control my powers without needing to take the time to look back through everything else. I even had to do it already for my ghost¡­

    Oh god, do I need to consciously sort all the new things? Mmm, I¡¯ll get to that later. By which I mean I will get to it later.

    Still don¡¯t know why or how I can do this, but it¡¯s not like I ever knew much about brains, let alone how I work now. Anyway, both of them are ¡®stuck¡¯ so I won¡¯t even need to think about it.

    As much, at least.

    Next, let¡¯s go tell Barry I¡¯m back and hopefully not get a talking-to from the boss lady for skipping out on most of my very first day. ¡­Oops. Well, I¡¯m in the storage room, so I float through the wall to the operator room.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not Barry,¡± I say to the brown-haired young man.

    He jumps in his seat, scrambling to turn around, a hand held to his chest. After staring at me for several seconds, he calms down. A shame, really. ¡°R¨C Right, Onaga said you¡¯d probably check in,¡± He says a little shakily, ¡°Let me just¡­ I¡¯ll let her know you¡¯re here.¡±

    Watching him use the radio equipment is different than Katie, he clearly knows how, but there¡¯s a level of hesitation to it. He¡¯s very obviously new, though, so I shouldn¡¯t judge.

    The numbers on the small, dot-segment LCDs switch a few times before the new operator starts talking. Do I care enough to listen? Not like I¡¯ve got much else to do. ¡°¡­Lumio, contacting ranger Onaga with an update on a partner¡¯s status,¡± He sounds like he¡¯s reading from a manual, ¡°Misdreavus has made contact and is currently at rest on location¨C¡± He stops suddenly, blushing slightly. ¡°Right, sorry, ma¡¯am. Um, your partner is back.¡±

    There¡¯s a quiet moment as the man keeps listening to whatever is being said before he inspects me, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it?¡± He then flushes slightly again, ¡°Sorry, yes ma¡¯am.¡± He flips what I recognize as the mute switch, ¡°Are you¡­ okay? And¨C¡± He stops, holding a hand up to his headset, ¡°Did your¡­ meeting go well?¡± He asks me.

    Well, it has been pretty clear that Marshal does have a reputation. ¡°Yes,¡± I nod.

    ¡®Lumio¡¯ shivers a bit before going back to the big-ass radio equipment, ¡°They say they¡¯re fine¡­¡± And I tune him out. What do they think I wanted to talk to Marshal about? Or, looking back on it, what Marshal wanted to talk to me about?

    Fuck, I wish I could figure illusions out. Only being able to hold a conversation with other pokemon feels¡­ restrictive. Doubly so when I can understand what everyone else is saying. It¡¯s not even as if it would be a revelation to anybody here, they know we can communicate.

    Of course, I could do what Weaver¡¯s been starting to, good old pen and paper. Except that, for as good as I''d like to think I am at telekinesis, I don¡¯t quite have the dexterity yet. And using my arms is a no-go since they¡¯re basically noodles that only work for wrapping around things.

    Oh, am I being scary again? I re-focus the obvious source of the¡ªadmittedly slight¡ªfear in the room and, yeah, he¡¯s looking back a bit wide-eyed. Holding in a sigh, I rein in my arms and do my best to control my expression. It seems to work, but I think it¡¯s time I found somewhere else to be.

    Like finding Espeon since I can¡¯t feel or taste him at the moment.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°And, Um¡­ They just vanished,¡± Fran lamely reports. I¡¯ll need to talk to misdreavus myself anyway, but I would have liked a few more answers first.

    ¡°Did they look like they were suddenly underwater before that?¡± I ask, already expecting a confirmation.

    ¡°Y¨C Yes,¡± Fran confirms. ¡°Their mane sort of¡­ unfurled before they¨C¡±

    ¡°Went dead still, yeah,¡± I finish. ¡°I¡¯d imagine while looking straight at you as well. I¡¯m fairly certain that means they¡¯re relaxed, at least. Leave them be for now, I can¡¯t imagine Marshal wanting a private talk being fun, and there will likely be some issues when I get back.¡±

    ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am. Ending transmission, ¡± He says, and the connection goes dead. Oh well, he¡¯ll loosen up soon enough.

    I¡¯ve thought the same about Misdreavus too, honestly. Although, the ghost does tend to relax when it¡¯s just other pokemon around them. Understandable, really.

    Resolving to make sure I talk to Misdreavus before the professor does, I go back to waiting at the rail platform. Checking my watch, Rowan and his aide should be here in another five minutes, give or take.

    I¡¯d prefer if someone else were meeting them here, but Karlos made the point that it¡¯s my partner they¡¯re here to study and I¡¯ll need to deal with them anyway.

    Some people have been giving me curious looks, of course, but nobody¡¯s approached me about anything. ¡­Probably because I look impatient.

    If I¡¯m being perfectly honest with myself, I¡¯m glad Rowan didn¡¯t just send a trainer or assistant. The man studies pokemon development and evolution, so I¡¯m almost certain he won¡¯t act like most other foreigners and at least somewhat respect the pokemon.

    At least the wait isn¡¯t too much longer, and the rumble of the train soon gives way to the train itself, the steel behemoth slowly rolling to a stop. I start scanning the disembarking crowd as they all begin stepping onto the platform.

    I know who I¡¯m looking for, obviously. Even if I hadn¡¯t been given a photo to identify him, I¡¯ve seen him in the news on occasion, and on the backs of several books. It doesn¡¯t take me long to spot the black-haired man and his impressive mustache making their way down the concrete path to the main road.

    He looks a bit older than the pictures I¡¯ve seen, in his late thirties to early forties instead of early thirties, wearing an unmistakably permanent glare, brown suit jacket, and slacks. The rather classy rolling case he¡¯s pulling along makes it look like he¡¯s here for a business meeting, not study.

    There¡¯s also a younger Kantonian man following him, brown-haired, wearing a brown vest over a white button-up, also with slacks, dragging a much larger bag. Maybe it¡¯s just the fashion in Sinnoh right now.

    Regardless, I put myself on an intercept course with them, Weaver¡ªas always¡ªtrailing behind. They soon spot me as well, changing directions to meet me halfway.

    ¡°You¡¯re here to escort us?¡± Rowan asks, tone as abrupt as a brick wall.

    ¡°For a certain definition of escort, yes,¡± I inform him, deciding to at least try politeness first. ¡°Onaga Ryuko,¡± I say, holding out my hand.

    To his credit, he seems to understand his faux pas immediately. Shaking my hand, he responds, ¡°Apologies, I¡¯m simply eager to get started. Professor Reynir Rowan.¡± He then gestures to the second man, ¡°And, while he goes by a different name professionally, this is my current assistant and student, Doctor Ohkido Yukinari.¡±

    ¡°A different name?¡± I ask, holding out my hand for Ohkido.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been making my way around the world to study,¡± He admits, rubbing the back of his head with one hand while shaking mine with the other. ¡°And, well, no one outside of Indigo uses Kantonian, so it made things easier. Professionally, most people know me as Samuel Oak, now.¡±

    Oak¡­ Why does that ring a bell? ¡°I understand,¡± I tell him in our native language. ¡°Although, I¡¯ve lived here long enough that I¡¯m not certain I could operate a keyboard in Kantonian.¡±

    Rowan clearing his throat pulls our attention back to him, ¡°I believe we should turn our attention to why we are here, yes?¡±

    I don¡¯t think he¡¯s trying to rush, necessarily, more that abrupt and focused may just be his general demeanor. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have plenty of time for me to share my notes on the way back,¡± I tell the two men, nodding as I about-face to start leading them to the purposefully nearby tram track. It won¡¯t be more than a few minutes before the next one rolls by. ¡°I¡¯ve got quite a few, so narrowing it down would help.¡±

    Rowan must notice where I¡¯m headed, as he speaks up, ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer to walk, after so long on the train.¡± Glancing back at the two men, I see Ohkido nodding slightly as well.

    Fair enough. ¡°This way, then,¡± I change course. ¡°Just to make sure, but do you already have accommodations worked out?¡±

    ¡°We do. And as for the narrowing of notes,¡± Rowan moves the conversation back, ¡°Feeding behavior. We know what, if only from surviving historical accounts, but ¡®observation¡¯ has only been conducted by the less¡­ scientifically inclined, in the modern age.¡±

    ¡°Honestly?¡± I say, pulling my notepad out, ¡°They¡¯re nothing like the anecdotal accounts, especially the obvious exaggerations. Misdreavus appears almost like a filter feeder. There¡¯s no noticeable change in their surroundings, but both they and an espeon confirm that they¡¯re eating the ambient emotions.¡±

    ¡°They?¡± Oak asks, ¡°I thought there was only one?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I speak slowly, ¡°And they appear to fall squarely in the ¡®amorphous¡¯ sexual grouping,¡± I continue, flipping to the appropriate page. ¡°I haven¡¯t asked, as they¡­ well, I understand why people could call ghosts unstable, now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly interesting,¡± Rowan comments as we move fully into street traffic, ¡°But to return to my original topic, we know for a fact that ghosts can predate on others. You haven¡¯t observed such behavior?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I shake my head, ¡°Although I¡¯d imagine they¡¯d still take to predation as a last resort.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, and accounts of ghost attacks traditionally occur in places where there is little or irregular human or pokemon habitation,¡± Rowan muses. ¡°Certainly a hypothesis worth investigating.¡± He pauses, and, if the length means anything, likely makes a note somewhere. ¡°You said ¡®ambient,¡¯ is there some way you¡¯ve measured how much they consume?¡±

    I equivocate with a hand, ¡°Second-hand observation, potentially. I mentioned an espeon? When Misdreavus is near him I can¡­ I suppose ¡®feel¡¯ a little of what¡¯s going on. Effectively, they seem to consume everything they can.¡±

    This time it¡¯s Ohkido who asks a question, ¡°You¡¯ve bonded with an espeon? Could you describe the synesthesia at some point? It¡¯s been difficult to find people willing to do so.¡±

    ¡­That¡¯s where I recognized his name from. ¡°I could,¡± I say, glancing back at the man, ¡°Though, you¡¯re already studying one of my partners and Espeon won¡¯t be put through anything stressful.¡±

    Ohkido nods, appearing to understand the steel in my voice on that topic, and Rowan picks the thread back up again, ¡°Would you describe misdreavus as a territorial species?¡±

    That question makes sense, with how accounts of ghosts generally are. ¡°Possibly,¡± I answer, considering it. ¡°They certainly defended their residence in the forest. However¡­ Hmm.¡± Were they territorial simply because they had a territory? ¡°They¡¯re rather reserved, overall, and had no issues with me sheltering in their home for an hour.¡± They also knew how to make a fire without simply conjuring flames.

    Actually, ¡°They¡¯re frighteningly intelligent,¡± I tell the two researchers. ¡°Currently only thirty-two days old and they¡¯re already approaching literacy standards for the rangers, and I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll be setting the record for youngest pokemon to do so.¡±

    That prompts a silent moment as the men absorb the information. ¡°¡­Do you have any more examples to share?¡± Rowan asks.

    ¡°They knew how to create fire from friction at less than two weeks old,¡± I add. ¡°And only ever seem to need one example of many actions before being able to replicate them.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± This time I do hear a pen quickly moving on paper. ¡°There are examples of certain pokemon creating fire to cook with, though I can think of only four cases that did so without the use of abilities. Of course, it does beg the question of how a newborn would have learned the skill¡­¡± Do I tell them that misdreavus was being looked after by a water-type who is definitely one of those ''examples''? I¡¯m certain the line of sharing too much about Misdreavus will be passed at some point, and likely already has been, but it¡¯s better to do it with the ghost-type present to correct anything. ¡°Hmm¡­ do you know what their typings are?¡±

    ¡°Beyond ghost? I considered that they might be psychic for a bit, but they don¡¯t communicate like one. Honestly,¡± I say, stopping as a tram crosses the road in front of us, ¡°Even ghost is an assumption since there isn¡¯t a lot of hard information on the type.¡±

    ¡°The hope is that this study can fill in some of those gaps,¡± Ohkido says, brightly.

    I¡¯m about to respond when a tap on my hip moves my attention down to Weaver, my partner holding her new notepad up to me. The words scrawled in her much improved but still crabbed script read ¡®Spirit never forget.¡¯

    ¡°Do you mean Misdreavus?¡± I ask, receiving a nod in turn.

    ¡°Hmm? What about the misdreavus?¡± Rowan asks, pulling me back from the startling amount of sense Misdreavus having a photographic memory makes of their behavior.

    They¡¯ve never needed anything repeated to them, they haven¡¯t needed to re-watch any of the tapes, they seem to ignore repeated information¡­ How they keep freezing at seemingly random times.

    ¡°¡­Weaver just told me something I¡¯ll need to ask them about,¡± I defer, wanting the chance to do exactly that before saying anything about it.

    ¡°I see,¡± Rowan lets his skepticism drip heavily from his tone, but I ignore it. When I don¡¯t expand on my answer further, he continues, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s prudent to ask before we meet them, how do they react to being touched?¡±

    Setting my thoughts on possible warning signs aside, I wince slightly at the question, ¡°Not well. They let Weaver and espeon get relatively close, and even let Weaver touch them without much issue, but they have a large personal space otherwise.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve become defensive?¡± Ohkido asks, genuinely interested.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± I begin, glancing at Weaver, ¡°It¡¯s mostly that it¡¯s obvious from the way they act. If you get too close they move to put distance between themself and you. And I might as well say it now since you¡¯ll probably ask, yes, I have given them as much of a physical as I could.¡±

    ¡°As you could?¡± Rowan seems to lock on to words there.

    That makes me smirk. Let¡¯s see how they react to the results of that little fiasco, ¡°Keep in mind, a lot of this is subject to change as they¡¯ve grown larger since. But, their height was measured from the top of their head to frill tips at fifty-two centimeters. Weight was inconsistent and measured between nothing and three hundred grams. Temperature was the same as ambient, with no deviation. No pulse was evident when I checked, so average heart rate is currently noted at zero.¡± I glance back to see both men staring owlishly at me, ¡°No visible sexual characteristics, as I¡¯ve already said. I considered checking their internal pressure since they seem to be amorphous, but we don¡¯t have the equipment for that. Also, while we didn¡¯t want to deafen anybody, some back-of-the-napkin math put their known sound output at around one hundred sixty decibels. And maximum limb extension was measured at sixty-one centimeters for all seven limbs, with an unlimited range of motion.¡±

    ¡°Seven limbs?¡± Ohkido prompts, having recovered his voice. ¡°Are they septagonally symmetrical in some way?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± I grin, ¡°They can simply have up to seven limbs at a time.¡±

    ¡°Including sound output implies a specialization,¡± Rowan adds, once more stroking his mustache. ¡°It is nice to have such statistics already, even if we will likely measure them again.¡± He thinks about that for a moment, ¡°Or perhaps ask you to take new measurements.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even finished,¡± I say, catching the scientists¡¯ attention again. ¡°I mentioned their weight fluctuating. It did so as they became less visible, decreasing until they simply passed through the scale. I also attempted to measure their miasma range, though I had to give up and estimate it to somewhere around a forty-meter radius, and completely unimpeded by obstacles.¡±

    Both men blink at me.

    ¡°I have been around them for two weeks,¡± I answer the unspoken question. ¡°And I¡¯d be a terrible ranger if I didn¡¯t try to learn more about my partners.¡± Not that Misdreavus has made it easy, as withdrawn as they can be. Frankly, Misdreavus isn¡¯t the most social pokemon I¡¯ve ever known, which is a stark contrast to how I¡¯ve seen them act with Weaver, and how Maya described them interacting with ¡®her precious Leafy.¡¯

    Ohkido gives Rowan a look, the older man keeping his glare fully on me, before glancing at the notes I¡¯m still holding, ¡°I suppose that is sensible,¡± The younger man allows. ¡°Any other interesting observations?¡±

    ¡°Something that I only put together today is that they¡¯re cathemeral, from what I and the rest of the staff at base have noticed,¡± I inform the two men. ¡°Not simply with an irregular sleep cycle, either, as they don¡¯t appear to sleep at all. Similar to many grass, rock, or steel-types.¡±

    ¡°I think,¡± Rowan begins, ¡°We should have brought out the recorder.¡±

    I can¡¯t help a laugh at that, ¡°It¡¯s all basic observation and some of my thoughts, so take that for what it is. I haven¡¯t heavily questioned Misdreavus since they¡¯re¡­ not skittish, but you¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± is all the commentary Rowan has on that, and the men begin quietly talking between themselves. I don¡¯t pay that much attention and only catch a few words that make me think they¡¯re coming up with questions for Misdreavus and potential hypotheses for how the ghost-type operates.

    We¡¯re most of the way there when Ohkido speaks up, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an excellent point. Miss Onaga?¡± I briefly glance back in acknowledgment. ¡°You said there were no other individuals, but were there signs of any? Possibly a breeding pair or a parthenogenetic parent? Perhaps a fissile sibling?¡±

    Well, there was a parent present, but that¡¯s not what he¡¯s asking about. ¡°None, not that we looked for any,¡± I admit. ¡°We¡¯re not even sure where they were born, but I think I have a decent Idea.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Rowan this time.

    ¡°We ask Misdreavus,¡± I say, letting a smirk cross my face as I glance back at them again to see Ohkido flushing slightly while Rowan is still glaring. A snicker from the sidelines tells me that at least one person appreciated it, though.

    It¡¯s only a few more minutes before we¡¯re rounding the last building at the edge of the city. Though I need to squint to see the roof of the ranger base, I can still see both Espeon and Misdreavus in their now usual spots. One sprawled out to get as much sun as possible, and the other floating right next to them. I¡¯m not sure I can put into words just how helpful they¡¯ve been with Espeon, but it¡¯s obvious whenever I get back.

    While it¡¯s hard to see at this distance, Misdreavus¡¯ large eyes have probably spotted us. And, unexpectedly, they don¡¯t vanish. That seems like a good sign, at least.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Well, there they are. I was sort of expecting to be able to recognize one of them since Rowan is a character I remember, but no. Instead, I see Onaga leading two men down the dirt road. One that I¡¯m sure has to be Rowan, given his general air, while the other is somewhat similar to Onaga in that he looks Japanese, Even more than Onaga, in fact.

    And Espeon is going to notice Onaga¡­ now.

    Right on cue, the cat raises his head from where he wasn¡¯t napping, locking onto Onaga. He¡¯s been doing better these last few days, but both Onaga and I leaving for most of the day left him with only Piplup for support.

    And Piplup is¡­ not a very empathetic person. Driven, certainly, but not good at relating to others. I¡¯d needed to track Espeon down. Not that it was hard, he only ranges so far from the building and puts out a lot of emotion.

    It¡¯s been interesting to have a feeling of responsibility, though. Also terrifying, but I''m fairly sure that¡¯s normal. Anyone who doesn''t feel dread at the thought of letting a dependent down shouldn''t have anyone depend on them.

    ¡­Something is very focused on me. Looking down, I see four sets of eyes watching me from much closer than a moment ago. And Espeon is completely ignoring me in favor of Onaga. Right, the dreaded research. I think I¡¯m more relieved that it¡¯s finally happening than anything.

    Sinking through the roof, the insulation layer, the air cycling space, and the drop ceiling, I enter the lobby, leveling off at eye height with the humans. I can easily taste the intrigue and excitement pouring off the two men as the whole group enters the building, two gazes glancing at the spot in the ceiling I just moved through before returning to me.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± The older man says in a detached tone. He¡¯s not fooling me at all, he¡¯s outright giddy. ¡°And the coloration does indeed seem to be meant to attract attention¨C¡±

    Onaga cuts him off with a raised hand, ¡°I understand you want to get started immediately, but I need to have a word with misdreavus first.¡±

    Ah, I was kind of expecting this. Vanishing not even halfway through a day wasn¡¯t my best move. Onaga only moves us to the other side of the interior door before starting, ¡°Just to confirm, Weaver said you have a photographic memory?¡±

    ¡­Huh? I look at the weasel-cat in question, who answers the unspoken query, ¡°She told the other humans you were really smart, I thought it was relevant.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I trail off, thinking about that. ¡°And, yes, but no?¡± I tell Onaga after a moment, nodding, then shaking my head.

    The woman watches me for a few seconds before starting to slowly nod as well, ¡°So, it¡¯s more complicated than that, but it¡¯s true enough?¡± I nod at the summary, and she thinks for a moment again. ¡°That might be useful¡­ Is that why you keep freezing?¡±

    I wince. Not that I¡¯d thought she hadn¡¯t noticed it, but still. ¡°Sometimes,¡± I say doing my best to equivocate.

    She nods again, both relieved and uneasy about that answer. ¡°And the other thing. You and Marshal, why did she want to talk to you?¡±

    I glance at Weaver to see her ready to write stuff down. It¡¯s scary how in sync they are sometimes. ¡°She wanted to make sure I was okay?¡± Goddammit, that wasn¡¯t meant to be a question. ¡°And¡­ I wanted to make sure I was okay too.¡±

    It takes Weaver several seconds to write a few words down, but she shows Onaga the page once she¡¯s done. I didn¡¯t get a long look at it, but that doesn¡¯t matter. It said, ¡®Made sure they¡¯re okay,¡¯ in a very rough translation.

    ¡°That¡¯s about what I expected from her,¡± Onaga sighs, now even more relieved. ¡°But that can¡¯t be everything, you were gone for several hours.¡±

    I again glance at Weaver, who returns an innocent, uncomprehending look, ¡°Um, Marshal wanted to teach me a few things.¡±

    The dance of waiting and reading repeats, ending with Onaga pinching the bridge of her nose, ¡°Right, I probably should have expected that from her. And it¡¯s going to be good for you in the long run.¡± She leans back against the wall, arms crossed, ¡°Okay, what¡¯s next? It¡¯s not dinner time yet and we¡¯re already back at base¡­¡± She¡¯s obviously thinking out loud. ¡°I need to make sure Rowan and Ohkido are clear on your legal status before they try anything.¡± She concludes, mostly to herself. ¡°And, to be clear, if you don¡¯t like anything they do let me know immediately.¡±

    I nod. And yeah, the way Onaga and Karlos explained partner status to me sounded like it¡¯s in a strange legal gray area where I¡¯m sort of my own entity but all the responsibility for my actions falls on Onaga. I should probably find out what it actually takes to become a citizen at some point.

    Oh, Onaga¡¯s leading us back out to the lobby, great. I hope things don¡¯t get too weird.

 Chapter 27

    Time continues to feel strange now, although I think I¡¯m getting used to it. Still, not feeling tired or hungry in the ways I used to makes it hard to keep track of how long things take, hours passing without my noticing.

    At least I¡¯m getting better at reading Sinnohan. Not that I was all that focused on it last night.

    To start with, I¡¯m still not over the fact that one of the researchers is the Oak. Which¨C I just¡­ He¡¯s younger than me! How?

    They had to leave after some introductions and explanations since they¡¯d just arrived and had to sort things out, so the rest of the night was pretty normal. Although Onaga iterating and then reiterating that I¡¯m not a pet or trainer¡¯s pokemon was¡­ something, I suppose.

    Between glancing through some of the books here¡ªmost of which I¡¯m fairly sure are fiction of various flavors¡ªand idly drifting around thinking about what would happen today, last night went by quickly. And today¡¯s been¡­

    I mean, it started normally enough, just with the addition of two tired men watching me over their coffee and pastries. Onaga¡¯s reaction to them was great, though. She didn¡¯t. She completely ignored the two until she¡¯d gone over the rough day-plan she always makes in the morning.

    Of course, the commentary was something I could have done without, even if they probably didn¡¯t know I could hear it. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that Oak and Rowan have tons of little observations about me, but some of them stung.

    I¡¯ve known for a while now that I can be¡­ a bit unsettling, apparently. I¡¯ve been using the bathroom mirrors to look at myself, and while I can see it, I can¡¯t see it.

    When most people call me creepy it¡¯s banter, playful. When the two scientists do it, it¡¯s by breaking down and describing how I come across as wrong somehow. Things like ¡®The unnatural movements of the mane,¡¯ ¡®Interesting lack of resting motion,¡¯ ¡®See how the eyes are meant to capture focus,¡¯ ¡®The darkening effect is fascinating,¡¯ and ¡®Have you noticed the lack of blinking?¡¯ all just casually tossed out. They¡¯ve also been taking a lot of pictures of me, which is understandable, I guess, but still weird.

    Thankfully, Rowan eventually changed the subject by asking Onaga if she could ¡®have the pokemon return to their natural environment¡¯ and ¡®act as they normally would.¡¯ Onaga told him to ask me, not her. And, to be fair to him, Rowan did turn to me and do exactly that while feeling very embarrassed, though he didn¡¯t show it.

    The man must be great at poker with how little his expressions change.

    Anyway, what was I going to do? Say no? I¡¯ve got effectively nothing else to do, save maybe following Onaga around. But she¡¯s supposed to be following the scientists around so¡­ yeah.

    I thought about keeping my speed down as I was flying out here, but¡­ well, they asked for natural, didn¡¯t they?

    Gave me a while to look around and think, at least. It looks like Leaf kept putting work into regrowing things, although it¡¯s been a while since I came back here. The path to the lake is a bit more defined, I think Marshal¡¯s been using it more, probably checking if I was here. With the sun bathing the clearing, the familiar sight of grass-types gathering at the north end makes me smile. Especially when a few of them dance or nod at me.

    I bob back, acknowledging the gestures.

    I¡¯m definitely distracting myself, but I¡¯d call it both justified and needed.

    What even is a normal day for me, out here? Hmm¡­ Practice, Marshal, checking in with the neighbors, thinking about random things¡­

    ¡­Planning renovations.

    I look back at the ruined cabin. Maybe I should make this my hobby project for now¡­ The foundation still looks intact, though I¡¯ll want to look underground again to be sure, and I think I¡¯ll be able to secure new anchors and beams to it easily enough.

    I¡¯ve only made two promises to myself since waking up here, the first that I¡¯d see my family and friends again, and the second that I¡¯d fix this place. I shouldn¡¯t let its collapse stop that.

    Ah, and my observers have arrived, oh good. I do my best not to acknowledge them, but they¡¯re hard for me to miss. Pointed interest is practically pouring out of two of them, after all, and several of the gathered grass-types are a bit wary now.

    Okay, calm thoughts. It¡¯s hard to ignore the interest and curiosity coming from two of the humans, but the point is to not do that, I just need to acknowledge it and focus on everything else as well. Let the world wash over me¡­

    Soon, I feel myself settle enough and let go of my psychic power, the energy flowing serenely without input.

    Time to get to work. Let¡¯s put the debris over there so I can get it out of the way. Hmm, and I might as well tear the hanging deck down soon. I don¡¯t want it to fall on anybody when it finally gives out.

    Moving the loose wreckage is rather easy¡ªeven the balcony putting up only minor resistance¡ªpsychic powers once again proving to be the best. I¡¯m soon left with the remaining walls and destroyed flooring.

    ¡­That only took a few minutes. Now what? Do I tear it down to the foundation? Eventually, I will need to so I can rebuild, but I still don¡¯t have new materials to work with. Should I draw up plans? I¡¯m still mostly at the idea phase of those, though.

    I¡¯d been thinking mostly along the lines of fixing what was there, but since it all needs to come down I¡¯m a bit more open in my options. I don¡¯t need a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, anything like that. So, what do I need?

    Ultimately, nothing. I don¡¯t need shelter of any kind, so what do I want?

    A closed stove, for that rustic cabin feeling. That¡¯s a must, so I¡¯ll need a main room for that. I like the balcony, as pointless as it is for me, so that¡¯s getting rebuilt. Maybe a study or personal office? Not exactly private out here, without locks¡­

    Hold on¡­ I don¡¯t need doors at all. I could make a private room by just not having a way in. Or¡­ How would I get things in or out then?

    As interesting an idea as a room without doors is, it¡¯s neither practical nor appropriate for a cabin. A study will do.

    Things to keep in mind for when I start rebuilding. Hmm, still, I can¡¯t exactly move forward on this at all beyond tearing the rest of the building down. Maybe I should move on to something else¡­

    Vocal practice is something I can¡¯t¡ªor more accurately, shouldn¡¯t¡ªdo near the ranger base. Or the city. Or humans in general. On the other hand, I¡¯m certain Weaver or Onaga will stop me if I get too loud, and I haven¡¯t raised my voice since¡­

    And there goes my psychic calm. At least I¡¯m not questioning myself over it anymore.

    I let myself drift to the ground, and realize another obvious problem with practicing my frankly horrifying vocal talent. Leaf clearly put work into growing everything here, I don¡¯t want to tear it all up.

    Idly messing with powers beyond mortal comprehension it is, then.

    I still feel like I¡¯m missing something important when it comes to ghost power, and I know to listen to that instinct, now, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m both ignorant and, especially on the wider scale, a child.

    Let¡¯s try to get that psychic calm back and see if it helps.

    My eyes roam over the north end of the clearing again, taking in all the different pokemon before casting my gaze right. The humans are hidden, somewhat. Not to any pokemon, I suspect, but they¡¯ve made an effort. Onaga¡¯s even sitting cross-legged much farther back than the professors. Weaver is completely absent, though that¡¯s just because she¡¯s stealthy, I¡¯m pretty sure Onaga can see her, with the way the woman¡¯s eyes are moving.

    I close my eyes, listening to the world I¡¯m¡­ happy to call home. The nearby cherrim and roselia talk about the weather very earnestly. The various bird-like and insect-like pokemon chatter just out of translation range. And today, the wind is silent. Not absent, just quiet.

    I feel myself calm again and open my eyes.

    Right, ghost stuff. I paint my will over the air in front of me, and ethereal, near-liquid power follows. It dissipates after a moment¡ªI¡¯m not sustaining it, and I didn¡¯t imbue anything into it. That¡¯s half of the puzzle, imbuing. Taking something I know, that I can feel, and putting it into the power, changing its properties. What¡¯s the other half?

    I manifest a cube of ghost-stuff onto the world this time, watching the swirling, impossible colors as I sustain it. I feel myself frown. I came up with the paint analogy weeks ago, when I first started trying to figure ghost stuff out, but¡­ What if I was actually close, and I can change the color? ¡­I don¡¯t get any feedback from my instincts, though.

    Letting the cube dissipate, I focus on a color¡ªMmm¡­ ____, Marshal¡¯s color, the one she radiates in not-space¡ªand paint a sphere this time. Nope, still swirling, nameless colors. It was worth a shot.

    What else can I try? Gravity has been my go-to for imbuing, but what if I changed it? I try to imagine the feeling of gravity moving left instead of down and put that into my next stroke. Oh, It worked! Not super surprising I suppose, but neat nonetheless.

    Okay, think. What ghost-type moves can I remember from the games?

    ¡­

    God-slash-Gods damn it past me. Why couldn¡¯t you have focused more on ghost-types? And why do I clearly remember an emphasis on licking things?

    Maybe I¡¯m still thinking of this all wrong. Powers aren¡¯t used in just one way, I know this from both my psychic and voice abilities. What if I need to apply the power to something else? Or¡­ project it in some other way?

    Marshal explained some things, but¡­ What she¡¯d said was ¡®Th¡¯ ones that are part of you flow better,¡¯ and ¡® Since it¡¯s part o¡¯ you, treat it that way.¡¯ Then she¡¯d demonstrated by passing her hand through solid rock. Without resistance.

    She¡¯d done it by using the power on herself. So let¡¯s try doing that. Where, though? My arms? ¡­My mouth? I don¡¯t have a lot of body to work with¡­

    Hmm¡­ My eyes? No, that¡¯s¨C

    Why does that feel right? Okay, sure, I¡¯m not too concerned about hurting myself after Marshal¡¯s reassurances. So¡­ why not?

    Let¡¯s go with pushing ghost power into my eyes. And, best case? Eye lasers. Pick a good target¡­ That tree, and go!

    Hmm, nothing seems to¡­ be¡­!

    HOLY SHIT! STOP, STOP!

    I¨C The tree¨C Wha¨C What the fuck?! I was joking about eye lasers!

    Granted it wasn¡¯t really a laser, but still¡­ Where I¡¯d been looking at on the tree has been withered away. Not quickly, but fast enough to be shocking. That wasn¡¯t even the surprising part, that had been the swirls of color around where I¡¯d been looking, as if¨C As if the world around it had been part of the unreal.

    Not subtle. At all. And I get the feeling that it works exactly how I think it does, on whatever I¡¯m looking at. Hmm, the lead time was weird, too, it took a few seconds for anything to happen.

    I know pokemon can do terrifying things, but withering something away by looking at it? I can¡¯t help the shudder that runs through me. Never ever using that on a person if I can help it.

    And I still feel like I¡¯m missing something obvious about ghost stuff.

    ¡­Do I even want to try this with the other powers at my disposal? I¨C I think I need to if only to know not to do it later.

    Picking the same tree, I try with psychic power¨C

    Ow. Instant fucking migraine. Maybe I should have done the calm thing again, first.

    Very reminiscent of my first psychic blast, too. Which kind of goes against what Marshal told me about being able to tell when I¡¯d hurt myself. Unless¡­ this isn¡¯t hurting myself.

    You know what? Marshal¡¯s not psychic, so I¡¯ll have to ask Espe¨C

    ¡­I¡¯m just going to chalk it up to something specific to psychic power and leave it at that.

    Do I feel up to trying it with my third and final power, the one I use for my voice? Mmm¡­ Hmm¡­ Eh¡­ Yes, unfortunately.

    Same tree, different power, take three.

    ¡­

    Is it working?

    ¡­

    No strain. No visible effect at all, but I can feel the power flowing. Huh. Is it enhancing my vision? No¡­ that¡¯s my normal eyesight now. Wait, why¡­?

    Oh, it¡¯s making me scarier, isn¡¯t it? I shut it down before sheepishly glancing at the pokemon near the northern treeline. I¡¯m getting wary looks from the older ones, and all the young ones are huddling behind them.

    ¡°¡­Sorry,¡± I tell them, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize what I was doing.¡±

    The largest of them, a roserade, takes stock for a moment before she replies, ¡°It wasn¡¯t aimed at anybody, and we are at the edge of your domain. Still, perhaps be more cautious in the future?¡±

    I can¡¯t do much more than nod at that. And I¡¯m relieved when, after another moment, they all go back to swaying in the sun, just a bit more subdued now.

    ¡°Still being creepy, then?¡± Comes a quiet voice from the west side of my clearing. ¡°And you¡¯ve got humans watching you now, too?¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    It¡¯s been enjoyable, just sitting here, playing with Weaver, or walking around a bit while Rowan and Ohkido watch Misdreavus. A bit? No, not thinking that word. Anyway, a bit that, but enjoyable.

    Studies like this follow a pretty standard formula, introduce yourself and ask to observe the pokemon for a length of time¡ªusually a few weeks to months¡ªtaking notes on their behavior and choices, then interview them. The idea is to not alter the pokemon¡¯s actions or decisions with personal attachment or reactions to the questions.

    You don¡¯t want the pokemon questioning their motivations and actions while you study them, after all.

    And it tends to work¡­ decently, most of the time.

    There have been instances where the pokemon being watched decided to start showing off, others where the researchers were attacked, and sometimes the pokemon tend to start questioning themselves during the process no matter what. Although, typically there also isn¡¯t only one wild pokemon of the species, but that¡¯s what happens when a pokemon is rare.

    Trainers just can¡¯t help themselves when the word ¡®rare¡¯ comes up.

    Nobody¡¯s ever captured a misdreavus, though. They vanish after only one or two encounters, and having seen Misdreavus actually vanish I think they just learn to hide.

    A gasp from Ohkido gets my attention, and I march over to see why.

    A leafeon? Oh, right, a leafeon. I was shocked the first time I saw a wild eevee here too, a glance at Rowan shows that his eyes are firmly on the living proof of Almian conservation efforts as well.

    ¡°I knew there was a stable population here¡­¡± Ohkido breathes, ¡°But seeing one in the wild, it¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m ashamed to say I never thought I would.¡±

    ¡°Eeveelutions are fairly common all across Almia,¡± I say, crouching to be at the same level as the two men.

    ¡°Eevee¡­ lutions?¡± Rowan asks, raising a single, bushy eyebrow.

    ¡°An Almian term,¡± I say. ¡°And proudly. They haven¡¯t been hunted out of the wild here, so many consider eevee to be the state pokemon of Almia. Possibly the national pokemon of Sienna.¡±

    I catch a flicker of actual emotion on Rowan¡¯s face at that. Shame. It¡¯s not his fault, of course, but the practice of capturing eevee as status symbols or ¡®easy starters¡¯¡ªor worse, for their pelts¡ªoriginated in Sinnoh. Now they sell for millions of credits on the black market, and tens-of-thousands from breeders.

    All because they¡¯re so adaptable and fluffy.

    I look back at my fellow Kantonian to see Ohkido putting a camera down and picking up his rather well-worn sketchbook. There¡¯s a very nice sketch of Misdreavus facing what¡¯s likely meant to be the collapsed cabin that he flips away from, only to start sketching out Leafeon and Misdreavus talking.

    ¡°Is the misdreavus normally so social?¡± Rowan asks, and I hold in a sigh. At least he hasn¡¯t called them an ¡®it¡¯.

    ¡°Yes, although they seem averse to interacting with humans,¡± I tell the man, focusing my attention back on the ghost-type. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but unless you interact with them first they tend not to engage.¡±

    I watch as Misdreavus seems to explain something to Leafeon, indicating points on the ground and making sweeping gestures with multiple limbs.

    Perhaps their behavior is due to their experiences around humans¡­ Most that they¡¯d have had before Weaver decided to rope them on were neutral at best and terrible at worst. However, when asked if they truly wanted to be a partner they did answer in the affirmative.

    Maybe I should plan a team outing to try and make them feel like part of the group instead of an extra. I know Weaver¡¯s been trying¡ªand likely succeeding to a degree¡ªto make both Misdreavus and Espeon welcome, but finding the time to do that myself has been a challenge.

    ¡°Vile weavile?¡± My partner asks, and I glance in her direction. She¡¯s crouched in the exact same pose I am, face scrunched up in thought. I also find it mildly amusing that both Rowan and Ohkido started slightly at her voice.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I reply, nodding at her. ¡°Wondering what I can do for the two newbies. You know Espeon¡¯s jealous of you?¡±

    Weaver nods, hanging her head in defeat.

    ¡°From what I observed during my recent studies of espeon,¡± Ohkido speaks, smudging a piece of charcoal against his sketch, ¡°They aren¡¯t a very jealous species, overall. Though I assume there¡¯s a story behind how you have one as a partner, given his clear age.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything beyond that he¡¯s had a stressful few months,¡± I say, feeling my jaw clench at how Espeon had looked when I first saw him. ¡°I¡¯ve been hoping Weaver could translate eventually so I can know what actually happened to him.¡±

    ¡°Weavile are a good choice for written translations,¡± Rowan comments offhandedly, eyes still fixed on Misdreavus and Leafeon. ¡°Though we have yet to translate anything the wild packs carve.¡±

    I don¡¯t miss the blank look Weaver gives the man, but she doesn¡¯t say anything. I wonder if she even learned any of the local packs¡¯ languages before she ran off to join me at the academy. She may have taken her time to learn how to read, but she¡¯s picked writing up quickly enough.

    ¡°Oh, it appears the pokemon are moving,¡± Rowan says, carefully standing from where he¡¯d been leaning over a stump.

    I roll my eyes. There is zero possibility that every pokemon within a kilometer doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re here.

    Looking back out over the clear space, Leafeon does seem to be leading Misdreavus somewhere North. Resigning myself to the fact that I¡¯ll need to lead the way, I do just that.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    In hindsight, the attraction Leaf feels for me is¡­ Obvious? But he seems to have come to some sort of breaking point and it all started flowing out of him as I was explaining my plans.

    Now he¡¯s leading me somewhere, and I really don¡¯t know how to handle this.

    I¡¯m absolutely not ready to think about this right now, but I kind of need to. Disregarding literally everything else, I still don¡¯t know what I find attractive. Humans are out, even the objectively attractive ones only striking me the way art would.

    It does make me glad that I¡¯m not feeling desire from Leaf, but still. I can¡¯t get away from the fact that he likes me.

    Fuck, I know I don¡¯t fall under male or female at this point either so that just makes this more¡­ Confusing? What does ¡®amorphous reproduction¡¯ even mean?

    I don¡¯t know! And even if I found Leaf attractive or liked him in that way, I¡¯m not ready for any kind of intimate relationship. How do pokemon relationships even work? Asking Weaver or Marshal is going to be so awkward¡­ Definitely Marshal, Weaver would milk the discomfort for all it¡¯s worth.

    I just don¡¯t know what to say to him. He¡¯s great, and he¡¯s been¡­ not welcoming, not at first, but once we got past that he¡¯s been a friendly, quiet presence during my time in the forest. Sure, he¡¯s a prickly, nervous wreck, but once you get him going he¡¯s very genuine.

    And to make things more confusing, I was straight before I died. But I have to say ¡®was¡¯ since I don¡¯t think it applies anymore! THIS IS WHY I HAVEN¡¯T BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS, ME! Doubly so because it makes me wonder¡ªfor the¡­ twenty-fourth time¡ªhow much my body was and is affecting how I think.

    And the answer keeps being ¡®More than I¡¯d like.¡¯ Of course, it was the same when I was human, I just never needed to question it.

    Whatever! Doesn¡¯t matter right now. What should I do about Leaf?

    It¡¯s probably best if I just be honest with him, I do like him, as a friend. But he¡¯s¡­ Well, he¡¯s got issues. He¡¯s not a complete mess, but it¡¯s easy to tell he¡¯s mostly just going through the motions. Surviving for the sake of it.

    Like I was, fuck.

    I was not ready for this today.

    It isn¡¯t long until Leaf stops at¡­ Oh. This is his home, isn¡¯t it?

    It¡¯s a medium-sized tree that¡¯s obviously been cultivated to grow into certain shapes. It¡¯s low to the ground and very wide, pushing back the surrounding plant life to allow ample sun into the space. A large, flat rock near the trunk of the squat tree looks perfectly sized for the walking rosebush to sleep on, and there¡¯s a dense tangle of vines growing off some oddly shaped branches that could probably provide cover if he needed it.

    It¡¯s clear he gives me time to take it in before speaking, ¡°I¡­ just wanted you to know where to look for me¡­¡± Oh no, he¡¯s turning yellow. I can taste fear and wariness.

    I¡¯m not the best at reading¨C Okay, I¡¯m pretty good at it, but the yellow blush, twitching tail, and very alert ears would be easy to read even if I couldn¡¯t taste what he¡¯s feeling.

    He feels vulnerable, and I don¡¯t know if I can handle this well.

    ¡°¡­Thank you, Leaf,¡± I decide to say. ¡°Although I know there¡¯s more.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you,¡± He murmurs, ¡°And last time we talked I realized that I¡­¡± He glances at me, ¡°You already know, I suppose.¡±

    I still get the urge to breathe, sometimes, and this is one of those times. I want to take a deep breath and steady myself, but that can¡¯t happen, so I just say, ¡°Yeah.¡± A moment passes where Leaf grows increasingly anxious before I figure out how to continue, ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, I don¡¯t know how to feel about this.¡±

    That clearly hurt, but I think he was ready for something like it. I continue, trying to give him context, ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t die under the best circumstances and I can¡¯t see myself finding someone anytime soon,¡± I say. Again, I taste a bit of pain, though this time with some acceptance as he nods. ¡°Beyond that, I still need to figure myself out again.¡± Or at all, but I don¡¯t say that part.

    ¡°So¡­ no?¡± He tentatively asks, not looking at me. He¡¯s bracing himself, shit.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying I can¡¯t say anything,¡± I explain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m just not ready to deal with, or really even think about this right now.¡± I sigh, ¡°Leaf, I died a month ago. To my old lover, no less. I¡­¡± Need to think about this for a second. Hmm¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t mind how you feel towards me, I¡¯m just not ready to consider anything along those lines. I was freaking out on the way here because I didn¡¯t and still don¡¯t know what to think or how to say it without hurting you. Because I like you, you¡¯re a good friend.¡±

    Leaf silently thinks about all that. And, unfortunately, his anxiety spikes as he shrinks in on himself, ¡°Sorry,¡± He mumbles, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about¡­¡±

    What? Shit, what did I say¨C

    Fuck! Damage control! ¡°No, don¡¯t feel bad about that. I never told you, that¡¯s not your fault. So please don¡¯t start thinking you should have known. You couldn¡¯t have.¡±

    There¡¯s a long, tense few seconds where Leaf looks anywhere but at me before he accepts my words. His anxiety doesn¡¯t recede, but I do taste some relief, ¡°You¡¯re not going to stop talking to me?¡±

    Of course that¡¯s what he¡¯s worried about. I almost ask what kind of person he thinks I am, but I stop myself just in time. ¡°Leaf, this isn¡¯t the most awkward thing that¡¯s ever happened to me. It¡¯s pretty high up, sure, but not worth losing a friend over.¡±

    Leaf flops limply to the ground, sighing, ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d think I was too forward, and leave. And¡­ sorry about¨C¡± He cuts himself off, ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡±

    I almost laugh. Leaf liking me through a species difference has nothing on how weird my life feels at times. I even get why he started feeling this way since, while most other pokemon around here are friendly enough, he really doesn¡¯t have a lot of friends. Maya, the grotles, and myself, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s the extent of his social circle.

    Not that I can talk, mine¡¯s not much bigger, it just has different people in it.

    That¡¯s an idea¡­ I turn to face where the three humans and one weavile are watching from, ¡°Hey, Weaver. You think¨C¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°I¡¯m admittedly not very knowledgeable about leafeon,¡± Rowan says as we watch said leafeon have an obviously emotional conversation with Misdreavus. ¡°What are they both doing?¡±

    Ohkido and I both try to answer at once and after a second of us both checking if the other will start again, I gesture to the man.

    ¡°Leafeon are, along with glaceon, the most territorial of the eevee line,¡± He begins, and I nod along. ¡°For leafeon, leading another pokemon to the center of their territory is typically a courtship gesture, though it could simply be a sign of trust as well.¡±

    Not with the way Weaver is watching the whole thing, it¡¯s not. She¡¯s been wide-eyed for a bit now in a display of genuine interest that she normally wouldn¡¯t show.

    ¡°They can¡¯t possibly share a breeding group,¡± Rowan murmurs, stroking his mustache, ¡°Although if they somehow did it may explain where the misdreavus came from. If, say, another misdreavus happened to mate with a local eevee¡­¡±

    ¡°The breeding groups for eevee do differ based on evolution,¡± Ohkido nods, ¡°So it¡¯s entirely possible. Though I think that disregards the possibility of another pokemon being compatible in that scenario.¡±

    ¡°An excellent¨C¡±

    Rowan is interrupted by Misdreavus suddenly increasing in volume, ¡°Misser, mis. Misdreavus misser mis?¡±

    Looking at the ghost, I see them staring directly at us. ¡°Weaver¡­?¡± I trail my question off as my friend bounces her way toward Misdreavus and Leafeon. ¡°I guess they were talking to her,¡± I lamely conclude.

    Rowan frowns, not that it¡¯s easy to tell, ¡°I can¡¯t help second guessing anything I see as influenced behavior given both how little it resembles other accounts and, well, what just happened.¡±

    Ohkido glances at me before flipping to¡­ ¡°Is that a gastly?¡± I ask, quickly skimming the notes next to the sketch. ¡°Where did you even find them?¡± I continue, raising my eyebrows as I read the words ¡®Highly soporific,¡¯ and ¡®Hallucinogen.¡¯

    A complicated smile crosses the man¡¯s face, ¡°Someone I knew growing up, she always seemed so lonely, but¡­¡± He trails off, his smile faltering slightly, ¡°She¡¯s quite the venomous woman, now, and very successful. In any case,¡± He presents the page, clearly wanting to change the topic, ¡°She¡¯s captured several ghosts, and even evolved a few of them.¡±

    Wait, weren¡¯t there rumors¡­ ¡°Are you talking about Elite¨C¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said nothing of the sort,¡± Ohkido cuts me off, giving me quite a loaded look. ¡°And I think it would be best if certain things remain unsaid, please.¡± I raise an eyebrow, but nod after a moment. Interesting reaction, though. ¡°What I¡¯d like to say is that I have observed gastly. And their evolution.¡±

    I turn my gaze on Rowan for a moment. He¡¯s not acting surprised by this, also interesting.

    ¡°So, you can compare Misdreavus¡¯ habits,¡± I conclude, receiving a nod.

    ¡°Yes, and Misdreavus is certainly far more placid than the gastly,¡± Ohkido reveals, ¡°They were only kept in check by¨C¡± He coughs, ¡°Her. Regardless, I think Misdreavus¡¯ basic feeding strategy is different. Have you noticed their miasma?¡±

    ¡°How it moves, you mean?¡± He nods at my question. ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°You told us you measured its range, I assume you were inside it at the time?¡± This time I nod, and he continues, ¡°gastly hunt, and they do so by expanding their miasma cloud to put their targets to sleep, inducing nightmares. However,¡± He says, indicating Misdreavus, ¡°A gastly¡¯s miasma only extends to two meters.¡±

    It takes me a moment, but I understand, ¡°And Misdreavus¡¯ was around twenty times that and doesn¡¯t seem to be poisonous,¡± I nod, not voicing the other thought that occurred. Nightmares. ¡°Which begs the question of why would Misdreavus¡¯ miasma be so much larger?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the reason we¡¯re here,¡± Ohkido shrugs. ¡°And, while I¡¯d imagine a poisonous miasma is more intensive to upkeep, it doesn¡¯t answer why a large range would develop in the first place. Unless there¡¯s an effect we don¡¯t know about¡­¡± He trails off, rubbing his chin.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth noting, Misdreavus can¡¯t expand their miasma in sunlight,¡± I inform the two.

    ¡°Neither could any gastly,¡± Ohkido replies, refocusing, ¡°Although they appeared to be entirely composed of it. Hmm¡­ Perhaps their miasma serves a purpose that informs how Misdreavus is a scavenger. Which, once we learn more, may explain their more passive behavior.¡±

    ¡°A counterpoint,¡± Rowan says, raising a finger, ¡°Such passive behavior contradicts other sightings of misdreavus.¡±

    ¡°I can think of a few explanations,¡± I tell him. The image of an unskilled trainer trying to fight the pokemon coming to mind.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ohkido agrees, ¡°Most ghost-types are spotted in places with little other life, so their priority is likely to get as much food as possible.¡±

    ¡°And trainers aren¡¯t the most reliable with their reports,¡± Rowan nods before pinching the bridge of his nose, ¡°I think I may have somehow had this study as too low a priority. It would have been better had we arrived sooner and been able to observe the pokemon from a less developed stage.¡± The older man continues frowning in thought for a moment, ¡°You haven¡¯t noticed any signs of development beyond simple growth, have you?¡±

    ¡°Depends on what you mean,¡± I respond. ¡°The only thing that isn¡¯t ¡®simple¡¯ growth has been the lengthening of their mane and limbs. Which is fairly standard for most pokemon. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°The rapid development and lack of large changes appear very similar to many rock-types or other amorphous pokemon, and the gems¡­¡± the professor muses, ¡°I feel we¡¯re limited by the number of subjects. How old was the misdreavus when you first encountered them? Less than a week?¡±

    ¡°Five days, according to one of the alphas,¡± I tell him, not missing how that gets both men¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Ah, the report I read did mention an alpha,¡± Rowan says, clearly getting the kind of Idea Holt said he would. ¡°How did the misdreavus act around her?¡±

    The fact he said ¡®her¡¯ tells me everything I need to know, he¡¯s well aware of who Marshal is and likely read up on her part in history before coming here. Normally, I¡¯d say messing with the river alpha is the person¡¯s mistake to make. Not here, I have explicit orders to not let anything happen to the two men.

    I probably won¡¯t try to stop her tossing one or both of them into her lake, when they inevitably go looking for her. I wouldn¡¯t succeed¡­ Maybe when it comes to Rowan, he likely wouldn¡¯t take it well and might actually get hurt.

    ¡°More reserved than they are now, but that¡¯s likely a product of exposure,¡± I answer. ¡°Marshal admitted to looking after Misdreavus, though the degree of that is unknown.¡± And then, to make sure it¡¯s said, ¡°Do not, under any circumstances, approach an alpha without a ranger present.¡±

    The men almost share a look at my words, and that¡¯s confirmation enough that they''d been thinking of taking a look at Marshal.

    ¡°It might be best to simply keep observing for now,¡± Ohkido breaks the silence, looking back over to the three pokemon. ¡°And perhaps interview Misdreavus sooner than later, if we believe we¡¯re already seeing influenced actions.¡±

    I turn my focus back to the pokemon, Weaver and Misdreavus are having an animated conversation, the two of them not so subtly trying to include Leafeon. And they seem to be doing a good job cheering the verdant pokemon up after Misdreavus¡¯ likely rejection.

    I don¡¯t miss the looks Leafeon keeps pointing our way, and, within a few minutes, Weaver¡¯s flouncing back to our group while Misdreavus keeps talking for a moment longer. Then, without any real warning, they fly off. At speed.

    I¡¯d be willing to bet they did it on purpose, just to frustrate the scientists.

    Hefting my supply bag, I wait for the men to lift themselves off the ground before we begin following Misdreavus again. Rowan muttering something about schedules to Ohkido.

 Chapter 28

    Following Misdreavus around has been a very interesting experience. They fly from place to place, sometimes stopping to interact with the other pokemon, other times merely drifting along carelessly. They look¡­ sometimes content, sometimes conflicted, and the rest of the time they¡¯re frozen in place.

    It was rather fun to leap down a cliff before turning around to see Rowan scowling at me and Ohkido gaping. Of course, I have a rope, so it was relatively easy to get them down without needing to go all the way around the rock face.

    Although, where Misdreavus had gone in the meantime required Weaver to track them down, and we found the ghost flying alongside a vespiquen.

    The living hive is busily tending to a few grass-types, the symbiosis a good sign of this vespiquen¡¯s personality. Likely one of Prime¡¯s satellite hives.

    However, there¡¯s also a problem developing.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not such a young man anymore,¡± Rowan gasps as he recovers from the latest jog to catch up with the mobile ghost-type. ¡°Sam, you can do the rest of the research for us, yes?¡±

    Ohkido laughs through his own deep breaths, not nearly so winded though obviously feeling it, ¡°I don¡¯t know, feel like paying me for the both of us too?¡±

    ¡°Not unless you start doing all my work when we head back.¡± The professor answers, standing as he regains breath. He inspects the combee hive around fifty meters from us, ¡°Are the hives here generally safe?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Hmm, Depends on the hive,¡± I tell him, still smirking at how out of it the two were after only a few hours of running, ¡°There¡¯s one large hive with eleven satellite hives, and there are several other independent vespiquen. This one¡¯s probably one of Prime¡¯s satellites.¡±

    It¡¯s also extremely clear that the hive has noticed us, as several combee link up with each other. Not in a hostile gesture, but certainly a wary one.

    I see Misdreavus roll their eyes before saying something to Vespiquen, the hive buzzing back a moment later. The ghost-type nods, says something else, then vanishes.

    ¡°The distances make sense if we follow the assumption that they¡¯re scavenging,¡± Rowan sighs, lifting a bottle of water to his lips, ¡°Though, it¡¯s odd we haven¡¯t seen any competition. Whatever form that may take.¡±

    Ohkido, meanwhile, is busily sketching a misdreavus in the middle of the hive, having already taken a picture of the scene. There¡¯s also a pair of eyes floating behind him, though neither of the men has noticed.

    I raise an eyebrow at Misdreavus and the ghost-type fully appears, shrugging at me before idly looking around. Rowan and Ohkido are trying to dissect the ghost¡¯s actions, but looking at what they¡¯ve been doing from a different perspective¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re bored out here, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Rowan almost chokes on his water when he looks over at my words and sees the ghost pokemon.

    ¡°Mis¡­ Dreavus misser,¡± They bobble in equivocation before rotating in denial, ¡°Dreavus misdreavus,¡± They continue, making a sweeping, almost frustrated gesture outward.

    Rowan finishes his coughing as Ohkido pounds him on the back, ¡°I suppose normal methods were ultimately hopeless,¡± He says in a hoarse voice, ¡°Perhaps we should simply move on to the interview and tests.¡±

    I keep looking at Misdreavus, the pokemon drooping slightly as they continue staring at¡­ nothing? Hmm, well if they¡¯re not bored, then, ¡°Restless.¡±

    That evokes a sigh and an eventual nod, the pokemon pointing a limb at me, then the scientists, ¡°Misdreavus misser. Dreav mis, misdreavus dreavus.¡±

    Something longer, likely complex, that involves Rowan, Ohkido, and myself. The research? Misdreavus picks up on my lack of comprehension and starts pantomiming. A gesture at themselves, marking the sun¡¯s motion through the sky, and flying in circles.

    Hmm, that matches up with what I¡¯ve heard from people in town, too. It seems fairly normal for a wild pokemon, but with how intelligent Misdreavus is, and their apparent memory, I can see it being dull.

    Rowan and his student, realizing the dynamic has, inevitably, shifted, start quietly condensing their lists of questions for Misdreavus. I, meanwhile, need to make a quick decision on what we do now.

    I¡¯ll be finding or printing a copy of the integration guide tonight, certainly, but since it seems like Misdreavus¡¯ interview is¡­ ¡°How are you planning to continue this study?¡± I ask, turning my gaze on Rowan.

    The two men pause their conversation, Rowan bringing a hand to his mustache in thought, ¡°I¡¯m sure there are still insights to be gained from seeing how the misdreavus acts and interacts in various circumstances,¡± He says, glare shifting upward, ¡°I¡¯m also aware that, with the way things seem to be going, standard methods for wild pokemon are unfeasible. Doubly so as the pokemon is a ¡®partner¡¯ in aid of your organization.¡±

    Rowan continues thinking for a moment before nodding, ¡°Still, I think we will continue observing. Simply put, any information is more than we had before.¡± His glare moves to Misdreavus, ¡°Though I think we¡¯ll be interviewing the pokemon today. And perhaps¡­ Well, we will see.¡±

    Okay, that gives me a better timeline. Glancing at the sky, then at my watch, it¡¯s a little past noon. ¡°As good as a bag of trail mix sounds, if you¡¯re going to interview Misdreavus today, how about you do it over lunch?¡±

    Both men share a look at the question, Ohkido inclining his head slightly at Rowan. ¡°¡­I think that¡¯s amenable enough,¡± The older of the two says after a moment. ¡°I assume you¡¯ll be joining?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m required to,¡± I confirm, quickly orienting myself¡ªand thus, the group¡ªtoward the closest trail. ¡°In any case, I was just going to head to base, and it¡¯s a good opportunity to learn more about misdreavus as a species.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, yes. The lack of published literature on any of the true ghosts is rather¡­¡± Rowan pauses to think for a second, ¡°Embarrassing, in all honesty. Not to mention concerning, given the volume of historical accounts.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Historical accounts¡¯?¡± I question. ¡°I read similar phrases when we were trying to find anything on misdreavus, but I never saw any actual references made. Just vague allusions.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well,¡± Ohkido begins, sounding bashful, ¡°I assume you haven¡¯t read Laventon¡¯s surviving texts, then? I¡­ suppose that¡¯s understandable.¡±

    Laventon¡­ There was a unit about him in the history of Sinnoh course, wasn¡¯t there? ¡°Wasn¡¯t he the man who started the myth of pokeballs shrinking pokemon? Oh, that¡¯s right, and he claimed that his best assistant was a messenger from another world. Or¡­ was it the future?¡±

    There¡¯s silence for slightly too long, and I glance back to see Ohkido with a finger raised, staring into the distance. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask.

    ¡°O¨C Oh, yes. Just¡­ thinking of a friend,¡± He shakily responds.

    Rowan picks the thread up, ¡°While it¡¯s true that Laventon made exceptionally outrageous claims¡­¡± He trails off. ¡°No, I simply can¡¯t defend the man¡¯s clear insanity. However, many of the insights in his surviving work are quite good. That is, in fact, how we knew what ghost-types use for sustenance.¡±

    ¡°It¨C It¡¯s worth noting,¡± Ohkido adds, an odd tone still in his voice, ¡°That he was the first person to attempt the creation of a full encyclopedia of pokemon, even if so little of it survived. And there was an entry about misdreavus at one point.¡±

    That makes me glance back as we hit the trail, eying my fellow Kantonian, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only a name and part of a physical description,¡± Rowan confirms, ¡°But the information was there, though¡­ perhaps not translated well. This was long before modern naming conventions, so It was called ¡®The Bewitching Nightmare,¡¯ and the description lines up. A ¡®frilled lower body¡¯ is certainly present, as are ¡®gemstones the color of blood¡¯ and ¡®dark, royal colors,¡¯ but ¡®large head-covering¡¯ seems like an easy mistranslation.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, ¡®it¡¯s voice brings pain,¡¯¡± Ohkido adds, seeming to have recovered. ¡°That one makes more sense now, having heard Misdreavus.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Laventon¡­ I want to say Galarian?¡± I ask.

    ¡°He was,¡± Ohkido nods. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Rowan said the entry on misdreavus hadn¡¯t been translated well, but Galarian to Sinnohan should be relatively straightforward,¡± I reply.

    ¡°How well do you actually know Sinnohan history?¡± Rowan asks me.

    ¡°Just the classes at the Ranger academy. It¡¯s only mentioned in passing back in Kanto,¡± I say, turning my gaze back to the trail.

    ¡°Ah, well,¡± I can almost hear how Rowan straightens his tie, ¡°He was a Galarian working for a venture from Indigo that was itself made up of people from all around the world. And, notably, this was before the emergence of modern Sinnohan.¡± The man clears his throat, ¡°What¡¯s still legible is made of multiple languages in some parts, and rather rough throughout. It makes me wonder what ever happened to his assistants¡¯ notes, in all honesty, as I doubt they would be written¡­¡± Rowan trails off as we run into a group coming down the trail.

    With the first wave over¡ªand Marshal having shown her displeasure¡ªthe tourist groups are smaller and much less frequent, but they¡¯ll still keep passing through until mid-summer. This group is only six people, led by a gangly woman I don¡¯t remember the name of.

    They¡¯re making the rather long hike to Breeze Hill if I had to guess, given the supplies I can see.

    The guide and I give each other a nod as we pass, and the professor thankfully ignores the curious looks he receives from the others. I¡¯d imagine he¡¯s used to it.

    ¡°As I was saying,¡± The professor resumes, ¡°The man¡¯s assistants¡¯ notes are absent, and we¡¯re lucky enough to have what we do. Even if they are from a time when¡­ Well, when pokemon weren¡¯t considered sapient.¡±

    ¡°Actually, that reminds me. Could we do the intelligence tests first?¡± Ohkido asks, his distracted tone making me think he¡¯s reading from his notes. ¡°Misdreavus appears unusually placid compared to other sightings, and I think some data on that could be useful in the future.¡±

    Placid is an¡­ accurate descriptor, although they seem more prone to keeping to themselves specifically around humans¡­ Is there something I¡¯m missing there? There must be.

    I look around for the ghost in question for a second, and spot them to my left, with Weaver. Both watching the conversation, one as a pair of floating eyes, while the other appears to be trying to imitate Rowan¡¯s permanent glare.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to ask them,¡± I say to Ohkido, ¡°But I don¡¯t anticipate any issues.¡±

    ***

    Misdreavus continues to be confusing. Though this time it¡¯s rather obviously on purpose, as they don¡¯t quite manage to hide the amusement on their face at Rowan¡¯s reaction to them taking a bite of Weaver¡¯s grilled fish.

    ¡°Does it make them¡­ Mmm, not carnivores, Omnivores?¡± The man mutters, rapidly tapping one end of a pen against his head as he leans over the table.

    ¡°It makes them someone who enjoys messing with you,¡± I answer, halfway through my own meal. ¡°Unless they can go weeks on nothing but the occasional tea or coffee.¡± I go to take another bite of my sandwich, then think of something, ¡°I have seen them eating other things the same way, but you were mostly taste-testing, right?¡± I ask the now hazy pokemon.

    Misdreavus hesitates for a second before nodding.

    ¡°Eating implies that the pokemon has a digestive system capable of consuming the material¡­¡± Rowan trails off, simply staring at my partner.

    ¡°Or,¡± I say, grabbing the man¡¯s attention, ¡°They did it to get a reaction out of you, which would feed them.¡± I give the pokemon a questioning look.

    Misdreavus shrugs, ¡°Dreave mismis misdreavus.¡±

    I glance at Espeon on the kitchen counter, the lilac feline readying some form of translation.

    Contrition. Desire.

    I get that he wants to be useful, but it¡¯s still easy to tell that, more than wanting to be helpful, he feels like he needs to be.

    ¡°Yes, I suppose that could be an explanation¡­¡± Rowan begins slowly, nodding, ¡°But then, where does the mass go? Is it broken down and absorbed? Atomized? Or perhaps something more akin to the spontaneous mass alteration during evolution?¡± He keeps staring at Misdreavus, ¡°Having a deceased specimen would aid in learning about the biology, though I doubt one will be found anytime soon.¡±

    I give the man a flat look. I know it¡¯s part of the process to learn about a species, but he shouldn¡¯t say it directly at a member of said species like that.

    Weaver starts talking to the ghost-type, likely diverting their attention.

    ¡°How long until Ohkido returns with the test material?¡± I ask, returning my focus to lunch.

    ¡°We brought a standard suite of reasoning tests,¡± Rowan says, blinking at my food before seeming to notice his own for the first time. ¡°¡­As well as a few puzzles and memory challenges.¡±

    I¡¯m about to comment on the memory tests, but of all people, Katie walks in, ¡°¡­I thought you were in the field today?¡± She asks, blinking at me. ¡°And wasn¡¯t there¨C¡± She stops short, staring at Rowan, ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Up early, or late?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Early,¡± Katie grumbles, dismissing Rowan for the moment. ¡°Karlos gave me the next two days off, then Barry, then Francois.¡± She moves to start the coffee maker but stops as one of the two psychically able pokemon do so instead.

    It¡¯s Misdreavus, oddly. Then again, they¡¯ve been ¡®watching over¡¯ Katie at night. And they probably know better than anybody else how she feels having been on twelve-hour overnights these past few months.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± The Unovan mumbles, switching targets to the bread, cheese, salad, and dressing still sitting out.

    ¡°Are you fully literate?¡± Rowan asks, actually addressing Misdreavus for once. Although he¡¯s watching the bag of coffee grounds empty itself into the hopper of the appliance. ¡°I assumed so due to your status in the Rangers, though that is a failure on my part.¡±

    The floating bag and water-filled coffee pot stop in mid-air, while Misdreavus¡¯ look of extreme concentration shifts and they shake their head. Then they fall still, considering for a second before equivocating instead.

    Now that I think about it, they have finished the tapes, haven¡¯t they? And I think they¡¯ve even been skimming through some of the books here. I should probably get them evaluated on that.

    ¡°Even single-word answers could help, if you can write them down,¡± Rowan tells them, leaning back and patting his pockets for the pen still in his bag, with his notes.

    ¡°Misdreavus,¡± The ghost says, taking a few seconds to finish their task before turning to Weaver, ¡°Misser mis?¡±

    Weaver raises an eyebrow before handing Misdreavus her pen, ¡°Vile. Weavile?¡±

    Katie crashes down in the chair next to me, salad bowl in hand, ¡°What do you think they¡¯re doing?¡±

    Misdreavus promptly demonstrates that they are, well, demonstrating something. The pen whips up to eye-level before starting to make fast¡­ Too fast movements through the air. A frown crosses the ghost''s face as the pen¡¯s motions become more steady, smoothly looping¡ªstill at high speed, I note¡ªfor a few seconds before Misdreavus sighs and the pen drops, Weaver snatching it out of the air.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°It takes too much concentration?¡± I ask.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°It¡¯s like trying to aim a telescope using a sledgehammer,¡± I reply, frustrated. ¡°And it¡¯s only while I¡¯m trying to move small things!¡±

    I¡¯ve been working on moving said small things without breaking them, but I think I¡¯m running into a physics problem. Or something like physics, at least. There¡¯s a point where it¡¯s hard to put less force behind my telekinesis, and an object as light as a pen makes it very obvious.

    My focus isn¡¯t exactly helped by the amount of intrigue, excitement, and fascination pouring out of the man across the table from me.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Professor Rowan says, mildly. I¡¯m really starting to wonder if he¡¯s putting up a front or just incapable of showing what he¡¯s feeling. ¡°Given the weight capacity observed, it may be that the species selected for strength¡­ Hmm, or perhaps the pokemon is simply too young.¡±

    I don¡¯t bother to hold in my eye-roll. The way he talks about me is like he¡¯s dictating to someone, but as far as I can tell, there¡¯s nothing recording him.

    ¡°Yeah, Smokey, you think you¡¯re too young?¡± Weaver asks, rubbing her chin with one three-clawed hand, lidded gaze turned to me.

    I almost reply immediately that, no, obviously I¡¯m not, but stop myself. I genuinely don¡¯t know enough about pokemon in general and my own species in particular to really answer that. ¡°¡­Is it normal to have so much control of one thing but not another?¡± I ask instead. ¡°And to have a power that makes control easier?¡±

    Weaver takes a moment to answer, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d say it is. Especially before evolving. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d say it got better or worse during that, but the build-up before it was rough.¡±

    That¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask her more about, evolution. However, I¡¯m interrupted before I can by Oak reappearing, carrying a briefcase, ¡°Sorry I took so long, the tests weren¡¯t exactly organized.¡±

    Guess this is starting then. Test-taking, fun.

    ¡°Need me to leave?¡± Katie asks around a mouthful of food.

    ¡°We¡­ wouldn¡¯t wish to impose¨C¡±

    ¡°No, I get it,¡± Katie says, standing. ¡°This is the best place in here right now. I need some sun anyway.¡± With that said, she pours herself some coffee and carries her food out.

    She tastes a bit disappointed.

    Oak sighs, ¡°I was simply going to ask if she could remain quiet¡­¡± Taking a seat, he continues, ¡°So, shall you conduct the testing, or shall I?¡± He asks, looking at Rowan.

    ¡°I will,¡± The mustachioed man decides. ¡°Although you¡¯re better at performing interviews. That will fall to you. Did you bring the recorder?¡±

    Oak responds by hefting the briefcase onto the table. When he opens it, I see quite a few papers and flashcards organized into pouches, as well as a tape recorder.

    Huh, the cassettes are a bit different here. Taller. Weird, considering VHS is a thing.

    I shake myself and glance around. This¡­ Is this a mistake? Am I about to mess with¡­ biology? They are biologists, right? Whatever, not the point. Am I even a good example of a misdreavus?

    Oak, headless of my mounting anxiety, pulls a gray cassette from one of his case¡¯s many pockets, ¡°Ready,¡± He says, slotting the tape in and pressing the red switch.

    Rowan readies himself before speaking, ¡°This is an audio recording of the reasoning testing of a misdreavus, conducted in Almia, on the date of April eighth, nineteen-eighty-one. Those present are Professor Reynir Rowan, Doctor Samuel Oak, Ranger Onaga Ryuko, a weavile, an espeon, and the subject misdreavus. Notes and transcription by Doctor Samuel Oak will be attached.¡±

    The two men share a look and a small nod before Rowan looks back at me, ¡°Now, Misdreavus, I will present one challenge or set of questions at a time, and would like you to either point to the answer or solution you feel is best or most accurate. If you need me to read the written questions or answers simply let me know. Do you understand?¡±

    I probably take too long to answer since I¡¯m still debating taking the out Onaga offered last night¡ªand this morning¡ªbut eventually chose the answer of, ¡°Yes,¡± Nodding at the man.

    ¡°Good,¡± He says, leafing through the briefcase before pulling a sheet of paper out, ¡°Now, we¡¯ll start with some basic¨C¡±

    God, they¡¯re both too excited for this.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Misdreavus, entirely unsurprisingly, didn¡¯t have any issues with the low and middle qualifier tests. Only the high qualifiers gave them pause, which¡­ is fascinating, honestly.

    Pattern recognition? Not quite on the level of a rock or steel-type, but very good. Spatial reasoning? Easily able to think in multiple dimensions. Basic and then intermediate mathematics? I¡¯m not too surprised Rowan decided to test those, but they did shockingly well with them.

    Lingual reasoning¡­ was where they had the most issues, not unexpectedly, although they seemed to improve quickly. Which makes sense, given how they were always going to do on the memory tests.

    Not a single fail. They froze intermittently but didn¡¯t forget anything. Rowan even went further and gave the pokemon a few challenges, culminating in him asking Misdreavus to sort a deck of cards, only giving them a very brief look at the shuffled order before setting them down. Every pair was matched without turning a single card over.

    Beyond that, the most interesting moment was during some morality questions Rowan decided to include. It¡¯s usually fascinating to see how different pokemon respond to the hypotheticals, Misdreavus though¡­ They answered the more mundane ones quickly and fairly enough, though they kept hesitating on the complex ones. Which is probably a good thing, in truth, as it means they actually thought about them.

    ¡°¡­Certainly mid to high on the scale,¡± Ohkido murmurs, nodding to himself as he compares Misdreavus¡¯ results to the rubric. ¡°It¡¯s still unknown if Misdreavus is an outlier, however.¡±

    ¡°Is that an updated scale?¡± I ask, although I¡¯m fairly certain it is since the older ones all had human-level at the top instead of the middle.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes,¡± The man says, glancing at me, ¡°And it seems that no one considered how a perfect score on memory would affect the placement,¡± Ohkido chuckles, ¡°If I don¡¯t adjust down, Misdreavus tops out on the scale.¡± He looks back down at his work, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone could deny they are quite intelligent, though perhaps not to that degree.¡±

    Misdreavus themself is frozen in place, and I¡¯m now positive it¡¯s an indicator of when they¡¯re truly deep in thought.

    ¡°Are all of the pokemon¡¯s movements conscious?¡± Rowan muses, eyes having remained on the ghost since he finished testing them.

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± I tell him, leaning back in my chair. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they go that still when thinking, but you can tell how they¡¯re feeling by the mane and frills.¡±

    ¡°You are confident that thought is the cause?¡±

    ¡°Fairly,¡± I nod. ¡°It makes some sense of how they¡¯ve acted, thinking back on it. They¡¯ll see or be told something new, or sometimes just¨C¡± I wave at the motionless pokemon, ¡°¨COut of nowhere. And they somewhat confirmed it to me last night.¡±

    ¡°If the behavior is species-wide, it would explain some descriptions,¡± The professor says, rubbing his chin as he leans to the side, Misdreavus¡¯ eyes not following the movement. ¡°I wonder if that is why the sightings have reported misdreavus as suddenly becoming violent¡­¡± Rowan leans back upright, ¡°How long do they normally remain this way?¡±

    ¡°The longest I¡¯ve seen was six minutes,¡± I inform the man, ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯ve done so for longer overnight.¡±

    ¡°I presume it¡¯s unwise to disturb the pokemon?¡±

    ¡°Weaver pulls them out of it regularly. I don¡¯t know how they¡¯d react to anyone else doing so,¡± I say, giving Weaver an inquiring eyebrow.

    My friend shrugs before making a show of the fact that she can¡¯t reach Misdreavus from the floor. I roll my eyes and stand, picking the dramatic feline up by the armpits. She giggles, dangling limply off the floor, and pokes a claw at Misdreavus.

    The floating pokemon immediately starts moving again, looking around until they see me holding Weaver, ¡°Mis¡­¡±

    I unceremoniously drop Weaver, the weavile unbothered as she smoothly bounces onto the table next to Misdreavus, already talking to them. Hmm, she¡¯s being a bit more friendly than normal.

    Then again, Misdreavus was a bit twitchy when the tests started, and I¡¯m almost certain that means nerves of some kind. At least they seem more calm now.

    But the scientists still want to interview the pokemon tonight. And on that thought, ¡°Alright,¡± I say, glancing at the clock and then my watch, ¡°You have an hour to finish interviewing Misdreavus today.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ohkido startles, blinking at the wall clock. ¡°Oh. I hadn¡¯t realized we¡¯d spent so long testing them,¡± He nervously chuckles.

    ¡°It was my choice to add more challenges, Sam,¡± Rowan dismisses, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. ¡°Though I admit to losing track of the time¡­¡± He trails off, glancing at his still-uneaten lunch. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll wait until after the questions before finding supper.¡±

    Ohkido laughs, sitting up from all the notes spread before him, ¡°I¡¯m certain we can find good food in this town.¡± He looks up at Misdreavus, who is plainly becoming nervous again, ¡°I¡¯ll swap the tape, then we can start on the questions.¡±

    And he proceeds to do just that, swapping one tape for another before giving a very similar introduction to what Rowan did earlier. ¡°Now,¡± Ohkido says, tapping his second pen against a note journal, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know how questions work, so I¡¯ll simply start. We¡¯ve been assuming misdreavus eat emotions, can you confirm that?¡±

    The pokemon gives a very expected nod, looking less opaque than a moment ago.

    Ohkido nods back, ¡°And how exactly do you do so?¡±

    That makes Misdreavus blink at the man before glancing around. After a moment, they shrug, gesturing vaguely at everyone in the room. Except Weaver, hmm. Oh? They¡¯re getting hazier, which means¨C

    The room becomes darker as Misdreavus¡¯ miasma spreads through it. The ceiling lights are still supplying enough to see by, but the light is certainly strained.

    And, as quickly as it came, the haze is gone. Misdreavus not having moved from where they¡¯re hovering over the table, looking expectantly at Ohkido.

    ¡°¡­Am I to take it that your miasma is used in feeding, then?¡± The man asks, slowly starting to nod to himself. Misdreavus nods back, prompting the Kantonian¡¯s next question, ¡°How exactly is it useful?¡±

    The ghost glances around, then stops and puts two tendrils together, slowly pulling them apart.

    ¡°Growing¡­ Or larger?¡±

    Misdreavus nods before drifting to one side of the room and pointing at the opposite wall.

    Ohkido stares blankly for a moment before it visibly clicks, ¡°Range!¡± He exclaims. ¡°That explains the size described. Although how does that make it¨C¡± The man blinks, ¡°The churning motion, it¡¯s absent¡­¡± He murmurs to himself.

    After a few seconds of thought, the scientist continues, ¡°Does it act like a scoop or a net?¡±

    The floating pokemon looks surprised for a moment, then nods.

    ¡°Fascinating, it also didn¡¯t appear to strain you at all.¡± Ohkido pauses before clearing his throat, ¡°Is it a strain to use? And if so, how much of one?¡±

    The ghost-type simply rotates in denial.

    Ohkido looks surprised by the response, but nods, ¡°I see. I feel it prudent to ask then, why did you not make use of the ability while ranging today?¡±

    I catch the man¡¯s attention, already knowing the answer and how difficult it could be to communicate. At a gesture from Ohkido, I speak, ¡°They dislike doing so in sunlight. They can, though it¡¯s apparently uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, another difference in properties, then,¡± Ohkido muses. He scans his list of questions before looking back up at Misdreavus, ¡°I think that should do for feeding habits, as we only have so much time. Many pokemon have what are called ¡®esoteric sensory ranges.¡¯ That is, senses beyond the near-universal six. Sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, and proprioception,¡± He explains. ¡°To start, given that you consume emotions, do you taste them?¡±

    Misdreavus nods.

    ¡°The same, then,¡± Ohkido mutters, almost too quietly to hear, while crossing a few lines out. ¡°Perhaps one more question about what you eat, then. Do you have a preference for certain emotions?¡±

    That makes my¡ªstill somewhat prospective¡ªpartner visibly uncomfortable, though they do nod.

    ¡°Would you be willing to communicate them?¡± Ohkido continues, receiving a denial.

    ¡°Okay. Any other senses?¡±

    The ghost considers.

    And considers a bit more.

    Then they nod. But before Ohkido can ask anything they hold a tendril up and rotate, shaking their head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to answer?¡± A shake of the head. ¡°You can¡¯t answer? I suppose it is a complex topic, though Weaver there seemed amenable to translating such things.¡± Yet another shake of the head. ¡°¡­Oh, you don¡¯t even know what it or they are sensing?¡±

    This time, Misdreavus equivocates before shrugging. Close enough, then.

    Ohkido accepts the answer with a quiet, ¡°Intriguing,¡± Going back to his noted questions before continuing, ¡°A simple one this time. Was the ranging pattern you displayed today representative of a normal day for you?¡±

    Misdreavus equivocates again but nods.

    ¡°And the building along the path in the preserve, do you consider it yours?¡±

    The ghost blinks at the scientist, confusion giving way to realization after a moment. That¡¯s interesting. Misdreavus tentatively nods, and Ohkido continues, ¡°I see. Was there a reason behind how you were breaking it down?¡±

    That makes the pokemon freeze. After almost ten seconds, they slowly nod.

    ¡°Is there any way you could explain?¡±

    ¡°Mis,¡± The ghost states, voice brooking no argument on the matter. Now that¡¯s something. Is it a territory thing? Or maybe something more personal¡­

    Ohkido, realizing he¡¯s kicked a geodude, changes the subject, ¡°Ah let¡¯s see¡­ Do you know of any relatives you may have? Of any species?¡±

    ¡°Misser,¡± The floating pokemon says, shaking their head.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± The Kantonian man hums unhappily. ¡°Only a month old. Do you know how your species reproduces?¡± That earns the man an unblinking stare. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so,¡± He admits. ¡°It would have been nice to know, at least. Although it does connect with my next question,¡± Ohkido says, pulling out a map of Almia, ¡°Where were you born?¡±

    I miss where the ghost-type indicates, having noticed something going on with Weaver. She¡¯s holding in a smirk. Something about this is amusing her enough that she¡¯s having trouble keeping her expression in check.

    At who¡¯s expense?

    ¡°Do you believe there was a period of time before you found yourself there that you could not form memories?¡± Ohkido continues, breaking me from my thoughts.

    Misdreavus, blinks, freezes, shudders, and then finally, hesitantly, nods.

    There¡¯s definitely something going on there. And it also means we might not have an accurate age.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± A glance at the notes again, ¡°Misdreavus have been reported to attack on sight, have you ever felt the desire to attack someone without provocation?¡±

    The pokemon¡¯s response is a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head.

    ¡°Can you think of any reasons that one of your species would?¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°How do I feel so tired?¡± I bemoan to no one in particular.

    The rather feline weasel still answers, of course, ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe because it was pretty clear you didn¡¯t like the whole thing?¡±

    I sink to the ground, fully solid, as I extend my ¡®miasma¡¯ to stop the constant stream of tastes for a bit.

    We sit there in silence, just¡­ relaxing, I suppose.

    ¡°Overwhelmed?¡±

    I turn to the voice, seeing Katie carrying a full-looking bag and walking toward us. Or probably the ranger base, but it¡¯s the same thing right now.

    ¡°I thought you were a bit scary at first, but you¡¯re just lost and trying to figure things out, huh?¡± The woman asks, rhetorically. ¡°Onaga¨C¡± She stops, murmuring, ¡°Not professional right now,¡± Before speaking up again, ¡°Ryuko¡¯s worried you¡¯re not settling in well, you know? From what she¡¯s said you don¡¯t talk to any of us and you barely talk to other pokemon, aside from Weaver and Espeon.¡±

    She reaches us, setting her bag down as she lowers herself to the ground, ¡°And yeah, she¡¯s trying to give you time and let you bring any issues up, but that only works if you actually bring them up.¡± She shakes her head, leaning back to stare at the sky, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re thinking, but you will need to get to know everyone if you want to be here.¡±

    Several seconds pass before she looks back at me, ¡°If you¡¯re worried about being a bad partner here, don¡¯t. Even if you aren¡¯t a good fit you can always just go back to being a wild pokemon. Unlike Weaver there,¡± She chuckles, ¡°She¡¯s a menace to society at large now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± The Weavile confirms, ¡°I got a lecture on it and everything. Even a card, not that you¡¯d understand. I¡¯m special.¡±

    The over-the-top, broody look Weaver gives the middle distance makes me crack a smile.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Katie continues, ¡°I got you a sort of thank-you gift, for making the last few weeks more bearable.¡± She starts sorting through the bag next to her, eventually pulling out what looks like an oversized cookie, ¡°I saw these at the market and realized you¡¯d probably never had one, and if you can drink coffee I don¡¯t see why you couldn¡¯t have a poffin.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks?¡± I end up saying, carefully lifting the wrapped pastry with a thought. Taking a nibble, it¡¯s¡­ very sweet and tart.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably tired of all the questions, but I¡¯d like to know,¡± Katie preambles, standing. ¡°Why are you trying to stay distant?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, though,¡± I can¡¯t help saying, glancing at Weaver for an explanation. She has an expectant look on her face, ¡°¡­Am I?¡±

    ¡°Sort of, yeah,¡± The black and red pokemon replies. ¡°And I¡¯m with her, I¡¯d like to know too.¡±

    Have I been keeping my distance? I mean, I do talk with the other pokemon sometimes. Like Gabite just¡­ four days ago. And it wasn¡¯t even anything substantial because I shut it down before it got there.

    ¡°I think my perspective of time is finally falling apart,¡± I realize aloud, looking up to see Katie gone, the doors to the ranger base swinging shut.

    ¡°Uh-huh, and?¡± Weaver asks, mercilessly.

    I sigh. I do a lot of that sometimes. ¡°And I¡¯ve been a bit¡­ detached when I deal with the other pokemon. I couldn¡¯t really say why though.¡±

    The weasel-cat-thing gives me a searching look for a bit, silently probing for more.

    ¡°I genuinely don¡¯t know,¡± I say after it gets to be too much. ¡°I think I did the same thing before I died, though. And I could take a guess,¡± I just don¡¯t want to.

    ¡°What about the humans?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± I ask after a moment.

    ¡°I mean, you never talk to them unless they talk to you first, and you stop it as soon as possible¡±

    ¡°I¨C¡± Was about to say ¡®can¡¯t talk back,¡¯ but I just got through being thoroughly grilled and I managed there. Why have I been¡­

    Waiting, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing. Waiting until I can truly communicate back. And it¡¯s as poor an answer as my progress on that front has recently been, too. I put it in a box for later and ignored it.

    Old habits, new life. Going through the motions.

    ¡°Katie was right,¡± I say. ¡°Is Onaga actually just waiting for me to put the effort in?¡±

    ¡°She probably would have had you in the field last week,¡± Weaver nods. ¡°But she didn¡¯t want to pressure you, and asked me not to bring it up either.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Weaver smiles, and not in her usual ¡®I¡¯m planning something way,¡¯ ¡°How did you not notice?¡±

    ¡°Because like you and Marshal keep pointing out, I get wrapped up in my own head. I¡¯d probably see it if I went over everything, but I wasn¡¯t doing that,¡± I say, deflating. ¡°I could tell she was concerned about me, but it always went away and I really just didn¡¯t want to think about it that hard.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like doing that,¡± The cat quips, throwing her arm around me as she settles down.

    ¡°Yeah, well. I¡¯m apparently a genius now.¡±

    ¡°Nah, you probably were before, just had all that human stuff holding you back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks? And keep calling me out on any bullshit I start.¡±

    ¡°Course I will, Smokey,¡± Weaver confirms, ¡°I pulled you in, I¡¯ll help you along.¡±

    ¡°So long as you aren¡¯t told not to?¡± I ask, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Yep! Or if I don¡¯t feel like it. Or if it¡¯s funny¡­¡± She taps her chin with a claw, ¡°Hmm, at least half the time, sometimes. Most of the time.¡±

    ¡°Have I told you you¡¯re a good friend?¡± I ask, turning a bit to look at her.

    ¡°You have,¡± She nods, reverently.

    ¡°Good. You are.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Espeon¡¯s fur¡ªand supposedly, espeon fur in general¡ªis exceptionally delicate. Brushing him is something that¡¯s going to become necessary as his coat finishes growing back in. He¡¯s even soft enough now that petting him is enjoyable on its own. Especially when I can feel him relaxing, the psychic sending me a contented feeling the whole time, although I¡¯m not the one petting him.

    ¡°You almost make me wish I¡¯d pushed myself to stay on the ranger track,¡± Katie beams, rubbing the still-underweight feline¡¯s cheeks, ¡°Maybe then I¡¯d have found you instead.¡± She¡¯s been loving on Espeon non-stop as she slowly lays out her entertainment for her night off. ¡°So¡­ how did things go with the professors?¡±

    ¡°Well enough,¡± I reply, flipping to the next page in the integration guide, ¡°Misdreavus was a bit stressed by the end¡­¡± And they still refused to bring it up to me.

    Hmm, most of what¡¯s in here is just the basic stuff. The kind of things I already went over on Misdreavus¡¯ first day. The section on occupations, hobbies, and pastimes is probably the most important thing left for them.

    Concern.

    Looking up at Espeon¡¯s message, I see Katie giving me a small frown. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ Or, well, are you sure you¡¯re handling Misdreavus¡­ proper?¡± She slipped into Unovan at the end there.

    ¡°No,¡± I admit, putting the book down. ¡°The problem¡­¡± I shake my head, ¡°It¡¯s honestly a few different things, but the first is that Misdreavus simply doesn¡¯t engage half the time. And pushing them on that¨C They¡¯re acting so far outside what we expected that trying to change that feels¡­ dangerous.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been, what? A month since you first went out to see them?¡± Katie asks, looking away as she goes back to petting Espeon. ¡°I think you¡¯re safe there.¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± I agree, ¡°But then there¡¯s the next issue, I don¡¯t know enough about them as a person. That one¡¯s a bit harder to fix when they won¡¯t talk to me despite the fact I keep trying to nudge them toward it.¡±

    Katie grudgingly nods at that, ¡°Yeah, I know, I¡¯ve tried too. Still, I can¡¯t help thinking that¡¯s your Kanto upbringing talking. All reserve and such.¡±

    But I suppose she¡¯s never been to Kanto. ¡°You say that, but I had a pretty even mix between that and Unova. You¡¯re saying I should try being aggressively friendly?¡±

    ¡°It seems to have worked for Weaver.¡±

    That¡¯s true, ¡°But you know that¡¯s different,¡± I reply. ¡°I was thinking they might just be generally uncomfortable around humans at first, but now¡­¡±

    ¡°Did something happen during all the questions?¡± Katie asks, looking back at me as her hands freeze on Espeon¡¯s head.

    ¡°Not really, I keep going back and forth on whether I¡¯m overthinking this. It¡¯s easy to forget they¡¯re still young, though I think rapid development is normal for the species.¡±

    Katie looks like she has to stop herself before she realizes, ¡°No family units.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Pokemon like that develop quickly. It might be more of a blessing than I thought that Marshal decided to take an interest in them.¡±

    ¡°Except you said you might be overthinking it¡­¡± Katie leads.

    ¡°Right, because maybe they¡¯re a normally antisocial pokemon who Marshal socialized, or maybe they¡¯re just a not very sociable pokemon and Weaver is all they want to handle,¡± I say rubbing my eyes, ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s neither of those, and I¡¯m assuming too much. We don¡¯t have any good examples to compare with.¡±

    ¡°I mean, do you want to know what I think?¡± Katie asks. I nod. Of course. ¡°I think Misdreavus is just easily overwhelmed and probably a bit scared of being rejected. After all, it¡¯s not like they don¡¯t pay attention or do things when asked. They probably don¡¯t even know who they want to be yet, just that stability feels nice to have.¡±

    Leave it to the communications expert to figure a person out like that, I suppose. And what she¡¯s saying makes sense. Of course, she¡¯s also making assumptions about why Misdreavus acts the way they do, but we¡¯re both doing that.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help feeling like I¡¯m missing something about them,¡± I admit. ¡°I think¨C¡±

    Hesitance.

    I cut myself off at the¡­ warning? Blinking at Espeon for a moment before the subject of the conversation enters through the outside wall. They look around for an instant, eyes landing on everything before locking onto Katie for a moment.

    Misdreavus slumps in the air slightly, suddenly awkward as they start floating toward me.

    ¡°Taking my advice?¡± Katie asks. The ghost pauses before vaguely nodding.

    Misdreavus keeps moving until they¡¯re hanging in front of me. They glance around again, sigh, and point at my watch, ¡°Dreav¡­ Misdreavus¡­ Misdreavus misser mis misdreavus?¡±

    ¡°The time?¡± That doesn¡¯t feel right, and the pokemon confirms that thought when they shake in denial.

    Misdreavus thinks for a moment, then they extend two tendrils and rotate them clockwise before pointing at the wall.

    That had to be time passing, but what¡¯s with the¨C Oh, outside. I briefly glance at Katie before addressing Misdreavus, ¡°You want the curfew lifted?¡± It¡¯s generally just a temporary measure for new partners to keep them from causing trouble, and most ask about having it lifted within the first few days.

    The ghost-type slowly nods, drifting slightly away from me. I think they¡¯re anxious, with the way their mane is coiled into limbs. And if I take Katie¡¯s explanation at face value, then Misdreavus is worried about what I¡¯ll think of them for asking¡­ Because they¡¯re aware of how everyone is feeling.

    As in, say, how I¡¯m concerned¡ªabout them¡ªright now. I glance at Espeon. Maybe I should reorient my thinking. I¡¯ve no idea why Misdreavus is so placid compared to expectations, but constantly wondering about it isn¡¯t productive.

    Even if, to use a Sinnohan term, I¡¯ve seen the scythes.

    Still, Katie¡¯s breakdown of Misdreavus seems much more plausible if I think of the ghost as simply anxious instead of unusual. They¡¯re not a dark-type, who needs to be allowed to cross any lines themselves first.

    Maybe I¡¯ve been influenced by Weaver too much.

    Well, certainly a lot to think about. ¡°Of course, go ahead. It¡¯s mostly precautionary in any case, and you haven¡¯t given us much to worry about,¡± ¡®Much¡¯ being the important word there. I don¡¯t expect Misdreavus to do anything unreasonable, at least. ¡°Just check back in the morning for duty.¡±

    ¡°Dreave¨C Mis dreave,¡± The pokemon responds, tendrils uncoiling back into a mane. They swiftly look around again, floating closer to Espeon for a few seconds as they¡­ I still don¡¯t think ¡®talk¡¯ is the right word. I¡¯m not included in whatever it is, but I can feel Espeon doing something.

    Whatever empathic conversation the two are having, it doesn¡¯t take long before Misdreavus flies back through the wall.

    Several seconds pass before I let out a chuckle, then a sigh, ¡°That¡¯s something Rowan will want to see, too.¡± I then turn my gaze to Katie, ¡°So, what advice?¡±

    ¡°I told Misdreavus that you needed them to actually bring issues up and that they needed to put some effort into fitting in here,¡± The woman says, giving me a deadpan look. ¡°Then I gave them a poffin.¡±

    I collapse back onto the weight bench, rubbing my temples, ¡°Gods, I¡¯ve been handling this all wrong.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Katie consoles, ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to get a read on what that pokemon is thinking. Sure, you can watch what they¡¯re doing, but¡­ And with the time constraints recently¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I agree. Even with a psychic, it¡¯s not like I get more than background understanding.

    ¡­I probably shouldn¡¯t ask, but, ¡°Can you help me understand Misdreavus?¡± I ask, moving my attention to Espeon.

    He blinks at me, turning to look through the wall for a second. I feel his uncertainty and hesitation roiling around even as he starts psyching himself up for something.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to¨C¡±

    Emptiness. Confusion. Doubt.

    I flinch. It would be hard not to even if I¡¯d been ready for it. Beyond the sheer weight of the emotion, the simple confidence Espeon feels about it is¡­ frightening.

    ¡°That¡¯s h¨C how Misdreavus feels?¡± I can¡¯t help confirming.

    Espeon¡¯s eyes narrow, his tail flicking a few times as he focuses rather intensely on something. Then he shakes his head. Negation. Uncertainty.

    Okay¡­ I can¡¯t help staring at the feline pokemon, wondering where the breakdown in understanding is happening. Especially since he¡¯s in my head right now.

    Espeon immediately winces after that thought. Contrition.

    It has been a while since he forgot to ask first, and there¡¯s no point in getting on him about it. He¡¯s trying. ¡°Why did you answer like that if it¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask, doing my best to not sound accusatory.

    Espeon goes back to thinking for a few seconds before I feel a realization hit him. Gently, the manual In my lap lifts, opening as it drifts into the air within a fractal glow.

    Friendly.

    Friendship? Katie and I watch how Espeon moves the book for a moment, ruffling its pages and floating it in a very similar pattern to¡­ ¡°That¡¯s Misdreavus?¡±

    Affirmation.

    I continue to watch for a few seconds, trying to puzzle it out. Loneliness. Then the floating book freezes.

    Emptiness. Confusion. Doubt.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Is all I can bring myself to say.

    ¡°¡­Do I want to know?¡± Katie asks, speaking for the first time in a while.

    ¡°Just a sec,¡± I tell her, wanting to make sure I understand first. ¡°It¡¯s not every time, is it??¡±

    Espeon shakes his head.

    ¡°Do they feel that way often?¡±

    ¡°Espeon,¡± The feline mewls. Affirmation. Reticence.

    ¡°Can I get clued in?¡± Katie asks before I can figure out what reticence means.

    Wariness.

    Privacy, remember? Espeon doesn¡¯t respond, although he does look away. That did make it more clear, however. ¡°So,¡± I say, looking at Katie, ¡°Misdreavus might be a bit unstable and either doesn¡¯t want us to know or doesn¡¯t want us to worry.¡± Weaver must know about it, too.

    And that¡¯s¡­ odd. She doesn¡¯t usually hide important things from me. Maybe she thinks it¡¯s for the best, or that it isn¡¯t any kind of issue. Hmm, all I actually know is that there¡¯s zero chance she isn¡¯t already aware of what Espeon just let me know.

    I trust her, though.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°So, What are you going to do now?¡± Weaver asks, not even bothering to confirm if Onaga agreed as she starts moving off.

    It is a great question, though. ¡°¡­I hadn¡¯t thought about it,¡± I admit. ¡°Probably the same as every night,¡± I say, moving to follow her.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I shrug, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll probably fly around a bit once everybody¡¯s asleep. Maybe go back to my cabin and work on plans for it.¡±

    ¡°What, not going to visit your consort??¡± Weaver teases.

    ¡°Please stop,¡± Not that asking her will do anything. ¡°He completely blindsided me with that whole thing.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± She laughs. ¡°The look on your face when you realized¡­ How did you even manage that?¡±

    I can¡¯t help g¨C chuckling, ¡°I didn¡¯t manage anything. I knew he¡¯d realized something the last time I saw him, but I never thought he¡¯d be attracted to me.¡±

    Weaver very slowly turns her head to look directly at me, ¡°¡­Okay, I know humans aren¡¯t that different.¡± I blink at her, and she continues, ¡°Oh come on! You¡¯re new, you cared enough to get to know him, you¡¯re apparently calming to be around, once you start talking it¡¯s easy to keep going, and you¡¯re dark and mysterious when you don¡¯t talk. Do I even need to mention you rescuing him?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really the reason it never occurred to me,¡± I say, maybe a tad defensively.

    Weaver gives me a raised eyebrow. ¡°If you say ¡®I hadn¡¯t thought about it¡¯ one more time¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a bit of that,¡± I admit, ¡°Just not for the same reasons as most things. I guess it¡¯s¨C¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to say something that comes down to how humans make things too complicated again, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    I¡¯ve been wondering about that myself, recently. ¡°Probably,¡± I concede with a sigh. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m a bit scared to start thinking about any kind of, well, intimate relationship.¡±

    Weaver smirks, ¡°Oh, that poor leafeon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I know. I don¡¯t get how pokemon see relationships,¡± I groan, making Weaver cackle. ¡°Beyond any of that, I honestly don¡¯t even know how I¡¯d handle that kind of relationship right now. I still feel like I don¡¯t know enough about anything to be comfortable as it is.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always willing to help!¡± Weaver chirrups.

    Maybe I should consider taking her up on that. I¡¯ve been focusing too much on trying to get to the point where I can learn on my own, and she¡¯s been offering recently¡­ ¡°History, pokemon, and pop-culture lessons with Professor Weaver,¡± I muse. ¡°Although I think I¡¯ve been picking up on what¡¯s popular just fine.¡±

    Pokemon battling is certainly a sport that exists, obviously. Although it¡¯s not the only thing people do for fun. Especially not here, with the whole ¡®no pokeballs¡¯ thing.

    ¡°Oh, I was more thinking how to cut loose,¡± Weaver murmurs. ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯ve only vaguely talked about what was in those games¡­¡± She trails off. ¡°Still kinda odd how that¡¯s a thing in your old world.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve given up assuming what is or isn¡¯t possible,¡± I shrug. ¡°For all I know, there could be wizards involved.¡± Which is a genuine thought that has occurred to me a few times now. ¡°So,¡± I say, not wanting to get wrapped up in that particular conversation, ¡°Where are you taking us?¡±

    It¡¯s rather clearly somewhere in the city, but she never elaborated.

    ¡°You mentioned wanting to go out to eat, and I figured with how you were looking earlier that you might need to relax.¡±

    Moving around Vientown¡ªor, I suppose, any city¡ªfor the two of us is easy. Myself, for obvious reasons, yet, despite being landbound, Weaver has nearly the same freedom of movement. All that to say is that once we start focusing on finding an interesting place for¡­ I guess I shouldn¡¯t call it dinner, personally.

    Whatever It¡¯d be called, once we start looking we can cover a lot of ground quickly. I had a few places I¡¯ve seen that I checked first, but they¡¯re apparently not open for dinner. And so, to my complete and total surprise, Weaver ends up picking the place.

    ***

    ¡°Or at least that¡¯s what she said about it. I won¡¯t say I¡¯m not disappointed, but that just means you¡¯ll need to see if Marshal will set some berries aside later this year,¡± Weaver comments, finishing the last of her fried fish.

    She seems to eat a lot of fish. Probably since it¡¯s an easy source of protein.

    Although she evidently doesn¡¯t mind catching birds, either.

    ¡°I suppose,¡± I carefully don¡¯t sigh. ¡°Not sure how I feel about eating half-rotten fruit instead of just hitting the bar. I guess it can¡¯t hurt me that much anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s one of the human things I really don¡¯t get. I mean, they can eat so many different things, but you leave any of it sitting around and it makes them sick.¡±

    ¡°It has to do with¡­ not usually the breakdown itself, but the byproducts?¡± I say, fishing up a very old memory that¡¯s mostly reconstructed shards. ¡°I think that¡¯s right, I don¡¯t know for sure.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Weaver intones, draining the last of her water. ¡°I think we got sidetracked again, back to talking about the future.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know if¨C¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Weaver waves me off, ¡°Nothing¡¯s for certain, blah blah. You keep saying that.¡± She levels her gaze at me, ¡°It¡¯s still interesting. You were talking about someone trying to control the gods?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I confirm. ¡°Still can¡¯t remember exactly why, just a few fragments. Genuinely wish I¡¯d paid more attention¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s pretty much the end of that one. You catch Palkia¨C¡± Weaver snorts at that, and I can¡¯t blame her at this point, ¡°¨CAnd then fight the elite four.¡±

    ¡°Again.¡±

    ¡°Yep, like I said, all the games ended that way. So, that was the Sinnoh game,¡± I pause to sip at my soft drink. ¡®Berry Medley¡¯ is a whole new flavor here. ¡°And then the last one I played was White, Unova.¡±

    ¡°The one you said you remembered best,¡± Weaver nods.

    ¡°Yeah. I know there were more that came out since then, but I¡¯d¡­ Saying I lost interest feels wrong, now, but that¡¯s what happened.¡±

    I look out over the lounge from our booth again, still slightly nervous about another pokemon overhearing everything¡ªsince, you know, it is a lot¡ªbut it looks like the family with the wartortle left, and I can¡¯t see the raichu or blissey anymore.

    Kind of wanted to talk to those two, frankly, since it was pretty clear they worked at some kind of hospital.

    ¡°I think the waitress is about to hand us the bill,¡± I say, seeing the young woman headed our way.

    ¡°Hand me the bill,¡± Weaver corrects, carefully extracting several bright yellow slips of money and a few different coins from a pocket on her bandolier.

    There¡¯s no tipping here, which feels wrong. In any case, after Weaver pays she hops down from her seat before glaring at me. I assume she¡¯s glaring, at least, since I¡¯m both already outside and in the unreal, so I can only barely see her silhouette.

    ¡°Trying to run away from me?¡± She sweetly asks before I reappear next to her, now outside.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d be moving much faster if I were,¡± I assure her. ¡°Preferably both up and over salt water.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ve planned it already, hmm¡­¡± She gives me a suspicious look. ¡°Why not underground?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m about eighty to ninety percent sure you can dig,¡± I answer, making her laugh.

    ¡°Yeah, I can. So, what was the deal with the Unova game? White, you said?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I look around, considering how to put it. I remember Team Plasma and their goofy knight outfits pretty well, considering how long ago it was for human-me. ¡°So, it starts like all the others, talk to the professor, get your first pokemon, get a pokedex, and so on.¡± Weaver nods, picking a direction that we start moving in.

    ¡°And, again, like the other games, there¡¯s the bad guys that show up,¡± I continue, ¡°But this time their whole thing is supposedly ¡®freeing pokemon.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I can hear the sarcasm already,¡± Weaver chuckles, ¡°What were they really doing?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± I pause, double-checking my memory, ¡°I think in the end the game kinda says most of them were trying to do that. There¡¯s this character, N, who you fight throughout the game, and he genuinely believed in it. Of course, that¡¯s not what their leader¡¯s goal was, but still.¡± I fall silent for a moment, thinking. ¡°Is it really like that outside of Sienna?¡±

    Indigo Plateau, Sienna Coast, Orange Islands, I¡¯m sensing a theme.

    Weaver considers before answering, ¡°Depends, I¡¯m pretty sure. Orre? It is absolutely that bad, most of the wild populations have been depleted. But Sinnoh? I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s pretty good, or at least that there are protections in place.¡± She taps her chin a few times, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about Unova.¡± She shrugs, stopping to eye a building, ¡°Most League nations are supposed to prevent poaching and abuse. And you¡¯ve heard everyone at base complain about the staffing issues since a few places negotiated getting rangers themselves.¡±

    I nod. It hasn¡¯t been a lot, but there have been grumbles about it. Nice to know that poorly thought-out business and politics are multiversal.

    Watching Weaver leap to a railing, then the roof of the building we¡¯re next to, I float after her, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s¡­ comforting, I guess.¡±

    Weaver hums noncommittally, ¡°Ryu normally has more time for things. Everyone did.¡± We both keep moving in silence for a few seconds before Weaver speaks up again, ¡°Anyway, can we get back to talking about that story?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I say, starting to fly sideways to look at Weaver. ¡°Let me back up a bit. So the bad guys this time were called ¡®Team Plasma,¡¯ and they started by trying to just get people to stop using pokeballs. Of course, you keep running into shady things they¡¯re doing¨C¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°¨CBut you also keep running into N, who can supposedly talk to pokemon¡­ Which I guess isn¡¯t all that special, now that I¡¯ve seen it. Um, anyway,¡± I continue, sweeping around so I don¡¯t go through a third-story loft, ¡°N challenges you to a battle¡­¡±

    ***

    Middle of the night? Check. No one around? Ha! As if. Sleeping Leafeon who appears to have overworked himself growing a few more ferns and saplings by my cabin? Again.

    Check.

    Hmm¡­ I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t slightly tempted to try getting him to move, but that would be a bit¡­ unkind. Especially after I just turned him down earlier.

    ¡­Nope. Still don¡¯t know what to think of that.

    Well, let¡¯s see if I can move him myself. Gently.

    Creating a zone around him, I¨C Notice the roots sticking out of him, all along his legs, anchoring him to the ground. Well shit, good thing I hadn¡¯t started lifting. Leaf doesn¡¯t even twitch. How does being inside a psychic field even feel? I think the force is applied uniformly unless I twist or bend the power the right way¡­

    Mmm, distractions and more things to try. Later, though. I have plans to make and a bush to relocate.

    If I even should move him, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s in the way right now. Although I doubt he¡¯s waking up until the sun rises.

    Well, general floor plan, then. The cabin wasn¡¯t large before it collapsed, but it was decent-sized. Open floor-plan? Walls are almost a waste of space for me¡­

    Hmm¡­

    The foundation is seated in rock, so it¡¯s probably stable enough to go a bit higher. A completely open plan is a bit appealing, especially since the original layout was either poorly thought out or poorly altered.

    My bet¡¯s on altered. The place was well made. Or maybe it just wasn¡¯t used right? Perhaps the ¡®bedroom¡¯ was meant to be storage. It would explain the lack of windows.

    So, open, two-story plan. And placing the stovepipe¡ªbecause a cabin isn¡¯t complete without a fireplace or stove, even if I don¡¯t need the heat¡ªthrough the second story, near the wall, sounds good. I¡¯ll need insulation for it, but that¡¯ll probably be brick rings. Or I could just air-gap it and not risk a fire. By the time it reaches the roof, it shouldn¡¯t be an issue.

    There¡¯s also zero chance of me not putting in a new balcony and sliding doors on the south wall, the view over the cliffs to the sea is gorgeous. Plus, well, south-facing windows. Far north house.

    Damn, I hadn¡¯t applied any of my skills for anything but work in a while, huh?

    ¡­

    ¡­It makes me wish Sam were here. And Paul. And Even¡ªGoddamned¡ªMarty. Someone¡¯s doing renovations? We¡¯d all get to mess around without any real time constraints or inspectors, leave little doodles and surprises in stuff, and¨C

    I¡¯m making myself sad again.

    I¡¯m¡ªprobably¡ªimmortal and magic exists, I¡¯ll see them again.

    Moving on.

    ¡­

    ¡­Right, a stone half-wall would look nice, but it would make insulation an issue. Maybe as a facade? I¡¯m thinking too far ahead. Back to floor plan.

    I can extend the building out slightly as well, several feet north and on either side. South is¡­ There¡¯s a hard limit to how much I could go that way, but it¡¯s a decent amount depending on how well I can anchor into the cliff-side. I¡¯m not going to do that, though.

    Hmm, stove and seats there. Table and chairs¡­ Will I need to add stairs? Better question, will I want to add stairs?

    What will I use the space for? High shelving won¡¯t be a problem, I could even add cabinets around the ceiling opposite the second floor.

    A workshop space is a must, but it will take up a lot of¡­ wall space, not floor space. Bring a wall out from the north side and place the work surface¡­ up there¡­ The rest of that corner could all be shelves, drawers, and then general storage near the floor.

    The image of a floating-species-only house is amusing. No stairs or ladders, with everything on the walls or hanging from the ceiling, sometimes excessively high up. That could be fun¡­ But also a little inconsiderate. And it also feels wrong somehow, though I think that¡¯s just because I¡¯ve never experienced one.

    Back to something more realistic. If I make that corner a workspace, then I could put the stairs on the other side of the room, near the west wall. Or¡­ what would I even put up there? A lounge? Some kind of¡­ bed?

    How much of a home do I want this to be? I won¡¯t need a bedroom, but somewhere to settle down would be nice. I don¡¯t need a kitchen, but food is still tasty. Hmm, I won¡¯t need a bathroom, either.

    Not that I could really add one. There¡¯s no water or electrical hookups, after all. Can I learn to create water or electricity?

    ¡­Someone¡¯s extremely curious right now.

    I halt my slow circuit around the remaining structure, glancing at Leaf. Nope, he¡¯s still asleep. And looking around, I feel a faint something, but don¡¯t see anybody else. Vanishing into unreality shows¨C

    No one.

    I can still see some flares of curiosity coming from the northwest treeline, but no color, sphere, or silhouette.

    Nope, not concerning in the slightest.

    Fuck, now I¡¯m paranoid.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Why does this look like Kanto? Certainly not one of the cities, but¨C

    Oh, I¡¯m looking at Silver Mountain. To the east. When did¡­

    I¡¯m dreaming. Well, at least it¡¯s not a nightmare for once. But why Johto? I¡¯ve never even been to Johto.

    ¡°_____¡±

    What was that? It was¡­ What?

    Why can¡¯t I move anymore?

    Trying to turn my head is a struggle, I barely move a few millimeters after several full seconds pass.

    I think they¡¯re full seconds.

    ¡°_____________________________¡±

    There¡¯s that¡­ sound? Voice? Desperate cry? Again.

    I think I¡¯d rather wake up now. And knowing this is a dream should¡­ should¡­

    Nope, now we¡¯re back to normal. Definitely into nightmare territory. Can¡¯t move, can¡¯t wake up, can¡¯t¨C

    ¡°_____________¡±

    ¨CSee what¡¯s making that.

    I keep trying to move my head. The strange reverberations continuing for the eternity it takes me to turn to the side, finally managing to see what¨C who¡¯s making them out of the corner of my eye.

    This isn¡¯t my dream, is it?

    There, behind something that isn¡¯t, beyond the warped reality of a dream, is an almost eevee.

    Or, more likely, Espeon, although looks more like he¡¯s somehow stuck mid-evolution right now. His features keep shifting around.

    He¡¯s not looking at me. He¡¯s somewhere else entirely. Frail, bruised, cold, and crying out.

    A boot flashes, faster than possible, and the unsound rings out again. ¡°____¡±

    Time to wake up, me.

    ¡­Come on, You¡¯ve done it before, just wake up!

    Wake up!

    Nothing.

    Change of tactics. I try moving toward Espeon, pushing against the world as I barely shift.

    I see the half-formed espeon scrabble to his paws, sprinting in place until he flags. With a flash, he¡¯s back on the ground.

    Does he know I¡¯m here? He¡¯s anxious enough to think sharing a nightmare like this would be doing something wrong.

    I¡¯ve almost managed to get one foot off the ground.

    Oh, I¡¯m not outside anymore. I¡¯ve hardly moved, yet I¡¯m now in the grimy, musty, storehouse-like space with Espeon. There¡¯s a weight here, invisible and omnipresent.

    And he can see me. His eye¡¯s are wide, afraid. Desperate. Purple irises and glowing white pupils set into an eevee¡¯s, now an espeon¡¯s, face.

    And the nightmare continues. Minute after minute, Espeon sometimes trying to move toward me, other times shrinking away. A few times, he seems to forget I¡¯m here, buckling under words or blows I can¡¯t perceive.

    I¡¯m mid-step now.

    And then, after far, far too long, the weight seems to lift around this¨C

    I blink my eyes open, feeling Weaver sleeping on top of me, Espeon next to us on the bed.

    Is it brighter than usual in here?

    Sitting up, waking Weaver in the process, the source of the light is obvious. As is something else.

    ¡°This is the first time you haven¡¯t been around to help him sleep since Weaver grabbed you,¡± I quietly comment to Misdreavus, who¡¯s nervously hovering next to the bed.

    The floating pokemon opens their mouth to say something, thinks better of it, and bobs once.

    Looking past Misdreavus, it¡¯s about an hour before I¡¯d normally wake up. Not a large issue. ¡°Did you just get back?¡±

    Misdreavus bobs again.

    I¡¯ve already been awake, in a sense, for a bit now, and I¡¯m not tired enough to back to sleep.

    I¡¯ve had nightmares all my life, but being part of a psychic¡¯s dream? I start rubbing between Espeon¡¯s ears, thumbing one as I try to wake him gently. Wanting to give a measure of reassurance.

    He starts slightly, obviously waking up as I can feel him begining¨C

    Contrition.

    Yes, I¨C

    Contrition.

    Okay, but¨C

    Contrition.

    Espeon¨C

    CONTRITION.

    Stop.

    ¡°Breath,¡± I instruct after that firm command. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay. I¡¯m okay. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± I assure the silently shaking feline.

    Espeon doesn¡¯t start spiraling, a benefit of Misdreavus being near him. Even so, I can tell he¡¯s giving it his best shot. I can feel him tying himself in knots from his end of our¡­ And he cut it off.

    I slide out of bed and pick the psychic up before heading out so we don¡¯t wake anyone else up.

    Settling myself at the dining table, Espeon tries to squirm away. I need to decide what to do.

    ¡°Espeon,¡± I say, making the cat go still in my arms. ¡°This might sound harsh at first, but I want you to understand that what I¡¯m trying to say is that I know what happened to you, and I don¡¯t blame you for anything, okay?¡±

    He mewls, not looking at me, but gives a small nod.

    ¡°What they did to you is how most poachers and¨C¡± I feel my lips curl into a snarl as I nearly let the word ¡®thieves¡¯ pass my lips, ¡°¨CCriminals treat uncooperative or underperforming pokemon. To them, if you don¡¯t obey you¡¯re just a product that won¡¯t sell well.¡± I think seeing Espeon evolve from an extremely in-demand eevee to the highest separation mortality eeveelution didn¡¯t help, either.

    He¡¯s still so underweight.

    I shouldn¡¯t get sidetracked. ¡°And what they did was cruel,¡± I continue, only now loosening my hold on the traumatized pokemon. ¡°They wanted you to shut down, to follow orders and ignore anything else. It¡¯s very well documented, unfortunately.¡± Fear and pain, everyone likes to think they can handle them.

    All pokemon can, to a point.

    ¡°Just please, please understand that I don¡¯t want you to apologize. I want you to feel better.¡±

    I want to help you. Please don¡¯t push me out.

    Espeon goes slack, the sensations from his end of the empathic bond returning. He¡¯s a mess. He doesn¡¯t know what to think or do.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I say, once again rubbing between his ears, careful to avoid the gem. ¡°Whether you pulled me into that on purpose or not, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Negation.

    Entreatment. Harmony.

    You ask as if you aren¡¯t doing so already. Thank you for remembering.

    Gratitude.

    Not a complete emergency, thankfully. Just¡­ he¡¯s young. Not the youngest, that¡¯s Misdreavus, but they obviously develop differently. And since he evolved young, Espeon¡¯s growth was forced to prioritize an immediate increase in strength over his well-being.

    Shame.

    About evolving? Were you doing the right thing, Espeon?

    Hesitance. Reluctance. Uncertainty.

    From what Weaver¡¯s written about his past, that reaction makes sense.

    I hear the fridge open and look up to see Weaver pulling a berry out. She casually tosses it before biting it out of the air.

    No ghost-type around, though. Being considerate? I¡¯m fairly certain they¡¯re still here, merely invisible. I hope Rowan and Ohkido take today off. Or at least they¡¯ll be okay with limited interaction today. As nice as it is, I don¡¯t think I can justify hanging around in the forest all day two days in a row.

    I¡¯m already starting to think about work again.

    Significance.

    Mmm, yes. It¡¯s never-ending. Look, there¡¯s even a new note on the questboard. That¡­ had to have been added overnight.

    That¡¯s odd.

    ¡°Is Katie around?¡± I ask Weaver.

    My partner cocks her head before staring into space for a moment, letting out a low rumble.

    After a moment, Misdreavus appears from where Weaver is staring, rotating in denial.

    I¡¯ll have to take a look, I suppose. But later, It wouldn¡¯t be on the questboard if it were an emergency.

 Chapter 30

    Onaga seems confused, reading the note on the little corkboard the rangers use for quests.

    ¡®Quest¡¯ continues to sound funny to me.

    God¡­s, I¡¯m still tasting shame, doubt, contrition, fear¡­ Just a lot from Espeon. I hadn¡¯t even considered that not being here might make him start feeding back in his sleep again.

    And there¡¯s another wave of contrition. No, it genuinely isn¡¯t your fault, I¡¯m with Onaga on this. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to read between the lines with how he¡¯s feeling and what Onaga was saying.

    Fuck anybody willing to do that to a person.

    It¡¯s made me think of Marshal¡¯s blas¨¦ attitude to killing in a new light, at least. I¡¯d bet real money she knows what Onaga just said. About the way poachers treat pokemon they catch.

    ¡°Were you near the coast last night?¡± Onaga asks, seemingly out of nowhere.

    Just to confirm, ¡°Me?¡± I say, pointing at myself. She nods. ¡°No¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Need to confirm with¡­¡± She stops, blinking, ¡°Fran. Fran was on overnight.¡± And, having said that, she walks out of the room.

    Back to my silent consumption of how Espeon¡¯s feeling right now.

    Terrible. He feels terrible.

    A few moments pass before Espeon decides to¡­ that¡¯s a question. Entreatment mixed with something strangely tasteless.

    I have no idea what he¡¯s asking for. After another second, I get¡­ stillness.

    Oh, he¡¯s asking me for my calming trick, but he¡¯s so wound up he can¡¯t send the feeling directly. Sure, I can do that, it¡¯ll just take a moment.

    It¡¯s a familiar set of actions now. Settle, calm, feel, release.

    And clarity washes over my perception.

    The near-immediate tastes of gratitude and relief are¡­ well, they aren¡¯t quite as good. And now he¡¯s questioning why I¡¯m disappointed. It¡¯s because of ghost stuff. No, I don¡¯t know why either.

    Holding empathic conversations continues to be fascinating. I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯m missing a level of nuance, but it¡¯s still doable. It¡¯s almost like the less I think about it the more sense it makes. Like I get more meaning by simply not interpreting.

    That¡¯s probably right. Although Espeon has the advantage of telepathy instead of just empathy.

    Hmm, confusion and a question.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about how we¡¯re speaking psychically,¡± I inform the skinny cat.

    More confusion and now denial. Hmm, so we aren¡¯t?

    ¡°Is it that different?¡± Weaver asks from where she¡¯s watching the hallway.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, echoing Espeon¡¯s pulse of affirmation, ¡°Imagine talking to someone, but the more you focus on what they¡¯re saying the less comprehensible it becomes.¡±

    That statement gets even more confusion from Espeon.

    ¡°That¡¯s not how it is for you?¡± I ask him.

    He shakes his head, the tastes of denial, consideration, and understanding flowing over me.

    ¡°Well, I suppose it might be because I¡¯m not a psychic-type¡­¡± I muse.

    ¡°Maybe. Makes as much sense as anything,¡± Weaver shrugs. ¡°Hi, Katie.¡±

    Drifting away from Espeon for a moment to look down the hallway, I see¨C

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s shitfaced,¡± I comment, moving back to Espeon. I¡¯m a bit curious to see what would happen If he started taking on how drunk she is, but I¡¯m not that much of an idiot.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Yourall out l¨C late. Ann glowy!¡± Katie slurs, making a decent effort to not tumble into the kitchenette with us, ¡°But little fuzzy needs hissleep, you know.¡± She starts rifling through the cabinets, and I¡¯m not sure she knows what she¡¯s looking for.

    Wow. I can barely tell how she feels right now. There¡¯s a definite level of happiness in there, a significant amount of exhaustion, a little confusion, but it¡¯s mostly just a lot.

    ¡°Should we do something about her?¡± I ask the room at large.

    ¡°Probably. This happens pretty often.¡±

    Some uncertainty makes itself known.

    Neither of them makes any move to help.

    Very helpful, you two. Thanks. ¡­I think I¡¯ll extend my miasma, maybe try to shield Espeon a bit more. However, doing that shuts down any empathic conversation.

    Fortunately, someone responsible comes back in time to see Katie give up her search and slump into a chair.

    ¡°Fun night?¡± Onaga asks, lips quirking slightly.

    ¡°The bess. Wanned to make up for lost time,¡± Katie replies, not bothering to raise her head. ¡°M¡¯tired. Wha¡¯s goin'' on?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to know, or do you want me to drag you to bed?¡±

    ¡°I wanna know.¡± The drunk woman insists.

    Forget shitfaced, she¡¯s wasted. I doubt she¡¯ll remember this when she wakes up.

    ¡°Well, Espeon had a nightmare¨C¡±

    ¡°Aw. Poor baby!¡±

    Onaga continues, not acknowledging the interruption, ¡°¨CSo we¡¯re up early. I just noticed a new quest that was posted overnight and talked to Fran about it. We got a call around oh-one-hundred from one of the local SOT people saying one of their guides couldn¡¯t get a signal out west. So of course they ignored it, and it only got called in when they remembered.¡±

    ¡°Lazy¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep, but that¡¯s not the best part,¡± Onaga says, shaking her head. ¡°Apparently, the board¡¯s showing a return, so Fran followed procedure and made a note instead of waking someone.¡±

    ¡°hisnew¡­¡± I think she¡¯s falling asleep.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but he needs to know better. Anyway, that¡¯s not even the reason they were trying to radio,¡± Onaga continues explaining, lowering and softening her voice as she notices the other woman has passed out. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll hear about it when you wake up.¡±

    The still-conscious of the two women glances at me, then Espeon. She raises an eyebrow.

    It¡¯s probably safe to reel my miasma in. Oh, yeah, that¡¯s a lot of emotional noise. There¡¯s a lot less pouring out of Katie now, though. She¡¯s out.

    Onaga quietly sighs, the taste of amusement filling the room before she seems to sober up, ¡°Espeon, are you feeling better?¡± At his nod¡ªand I assume psychic confirmation¡ªshe looks down at herself, still in pajamas, ¡°A relay tower potentially being down is an issue,¡± She muses, obviously thinking.

    She shakes her head, ¡°Right, Weaver, could you find a dodrio willing to ride? Make sure they know it will be a hard one.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Weaver says, demurely sweeping into a bow before sprinting out of the room.

    Onaga shifts her gaze to Espeon, staying on the cat for several seconds. She¡¯s uncertain about something, my guess would be about leaving him here. ¡°Misdreavus¡­¡± She slowly begins, locking on to me, ¡°I want you to come along.¡±

    She¡¯s anticipating something. Or perhaps I¡¯m misinterpreting, anticipation could mean any number of things. ¡°Sure,¡± I nod.

    I¡¯m not sure what she was expecting, but the mix of guilt and confidence makes me think she¡¯s reevaluating something.

    Onaga keeps watching me for several seconds, searching. There¡¯s confidence and anticipation building. ¡°¡­I still can¡¯t read you,¡± She says after a moment, tastes vanishing as she glances at Katie. ¡°Katie said she thinks you¡¯re just looking for a place to be?¡±

    I suppose that¡¯s not¡­ inaccurate. I shrug, ¡°kind of.¡±

    ¡°But you think you¡¯re unstable and have been hiding it from us.¡±

    What? ¡°No¡­?¡± I rotate. Where did she get that?

    Again, I can taste her surprise and¨C Oh, that¡¯s Espeon apologizing. Huh.

    Onaga frowns again before shaking her head and standing straight, ¡°I know Espeon hasn¡¯t lied to me, but I get the feeling you¡¯re not, either¡­¡± She taps her fingers on the table, frustration pushing other flavors out before her normal self-control reasserts itself, ¡°Does being here help? at all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± I nod. Especially after destroying my house.

    That seems to appease her, though I can still taste a level of frustration as she looks down and sighs, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll need to check on that tower soon, and¡­¡± She trails off, pausing, ¡°I think Katie had a lot right last night. I¡¯m thinking of you incorrectly and you¡¯re trying to stay a bit too far out of the way.¡± She looks back up at me, searching again, ¡°I¡¯m going to keep saying this until it sinks in. Please, bring any issues you have up to me. Or to any of the rangers here.¡±

    I nod again if only to reassure her. Onaga seems to accept that, glancing at Espeon and Katie one last time before walking out. Probably to change into her uniform.

    I really wish I could bring some things up, but¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a conversation I want to have slowly translated on paper. Or to do in pantomime. I need to find out what I¡¯m missing with illusions.

    I¡¯ve seen one, I know what it should be like, and I can even make complex shapes now. I¡¯m just missing something to make them¡­ more, somehow. Why is it all contrast? And specifically, contrast in colors that I¡¯m near certain humans can¡¯t perceive?

    Hmm? Oh, that¡¯s more thanks and apologies. It¡¯s not an issue, Espeon¡­

    Wait, ¡°¡­How well can you see this?¡± I ask, spinning up my best attempt at a pyramid.

    ***

    Onaga said it was a relay tower, but I¡¯m not seeing anything like that. Granted, it¡¯s still dark out, even if I can see the start of a glow on the horizon behind us.

    Night vision¡¯s starting to lose its luster.

    Below me, Dodrio takes a rather straight line along one level of the cliffs, ignoring the paths and only turning to avoid other pokemon, sometimes leaping right over the small rivers and streams that crisscross this part of the forest.

    We¡¯re officially outside of where I¡¯ve explored, much farther west than I¡¯ve wanted to go before.

    Seemingly out of nowhere, Dodrio slows down, so I descend to check on them.

    ¡°¨CTest. Are you receiving?¡± Onaga asks. She listens to the static response for a few seconds before simply nodding and re-clipping the radio, ¡°Fran might be green, but he¡¯s still going to get a talking to about the difference between procedure and reality,¡± She mutters, taking stock of Weaver and I before spurring Dodrio back into motion.

    The trees are a bit thinner here. It¡¯s still what I¡¯d call a forest, just a little less dense.

    Wish I knew what we were looking for beyond just ¡®a radio tower¡¯ thing, but¡­ how much more is there to say about it? There¡¯s nothing else man-made around here.

    Damn, dodrio can run fast, but it is enjoyable to need to push my flight to the max. Although I don¡¯t think I can say Onaga seems to be enjoying the speed as much. Of course, even if you love your job, needing to start early because someone else made a mistake isn¡¯t pleasant. And being an understandable mistake never really makes it any better.

    Given what I was tasting when she was saddling Dodrio, I think she¡¯s more annoyed at the timing than anything else.

    At the speed we¡¯ve been going, fifteen minutes is quite a distance. It can¡¯t be that much farther¨C And Onaga is slowing down again?

    Oh, that¡­ that¡¯s not as tall as I would have thought. And there aren¡¯t even any visibility lights on it. It is about what I expected otherwise, though. A frame of metal struts sticking out just above the trees with a few antennas, an odd box-looking antenna, and two radio dishes.

    How is it getting enough power? I know there¡¯s no way in hell those two solar panels could power it fully. Or¡­ maybe I don¡¯t. Might as well get closer since finding out why the thing isn¡¯t working is why we¡¯re here.

    Onaga¡¯s already dismounted, inspecting the tower while pulling out the service manual she brought. After opening the thing to what I assume is an index, she grabs her radio, ¡°Onaga Ryuko attempting comms test. Are you receiving?¡±

    Same as earlier, mostly static returns.

    So¡­ the tower is still working, sort of. It¡¯s just not broadcasting well? Onaga seems to be thinking the same thing, ¡°So we do have a return,¡± She mutters, listening to the static as she frowns, ¡°It¡¯s probably something wrong with the board or power, then.¡±

    I drift next to Weaver as Onaga seems to slip into thought, ¡°How common are radio issues, exactly?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ Every few months?¡± Weaver wiggles a clawed hand. ¡°Most of the time it¡¯s because of some pikachu or magnemite draining the power or latching onto an antenna.¡± We watch Onaga rub her eyes as she starts pulling a few tools out of her pack before Weaver speaks up again, ¡°Normally Karlos handles the maintenance for the towers.¡±

    ¡°Weaver¡­¡± Onaga trails off as she looks at us, then addresses me instead, ¡°Misdreavus, could you open the transmitter box,¡± She says, pointing to the oddly large antenna on top of the small tower.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I shrug, floating up to the thing before frowning. Two latches, designed for fingers. Why would you put the antenna in a box in the first place? Well, in any case, let''s hope I don¡¯t shear something off with this. Carefully squeezing the two latches with psychic force¡ªnothing breaks, but it does creak a bit¡ªthe gray box swings open.

    Oh, those are¡­ blue rocks. Huh. And they certainly aren¡¯t there by accident, the wire I¡¯m assuming is the antenna runs through and around them several times¡­ Are the rocks flickering?

    I flinch slightly as the light level suddenly changes, and look down to see Onaga shining a flashlight up at the box while peering up at me. ¡°Do you see any burns? Any cracks in the chargestones?¡± She calls. I shake my head and the woman speaks into her radio again, ¡°Test. Test. Test.¡±

    Charge¡­ stones? Well, why not? Onaga takes the flashlight off me as I hear static¨C

    I blink, staring at the now glowing stones, the light changing in time to the static in the radio response. Okay then, magic radio confirmed. Neat.

    Onaga hums before sighing, tucking the booklet back into her belt. Stretching, she walks up to the tower and starts climbing.

    It doesn¡¯t take long before she settles herself by the main box, popping it open and holding the flashlight out to me. She seems to realize something, but as I take the flashlight and point it at the inside of the box it turns to surprise.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± She says, pulling the booklet¡ªwhich I can now see contains diagrams of circuits¡ªback out before looking at the off-white board. ¡°One of the Silph models¡­¡± She murmurs, searching through the pages.

    Honestly, the thing just looks like an oversized circuit board with a few knobs, relays, and fuses on it. Of course, I¡¯d need to take a closer look at a diagram of it to know how it works, but it doesn¡¯t seem that complicated. If those are signal out and those are signal in, then that¡¯s power leading off to¨C

    Are those thunderstones? They look almost like green glass with jagged yellow streaks. I¡­ that¡¯s definitely the line to power¡­

    ¡°Are you curious about the thunderstones?¡± Onaga asks, making me take my eyes off the thing.

    ¡°¡­slightly,¡± I say, glancing back at the rocks¡ªGems?¡ªfor a moment, ¡°What are they for?¡±

    She watches me for a second before going back to tracing over the diagram in her manual, ¡°A thunderstone is one of the elemental stones, and striated thunderstones in particular are useful for electronics since they aren¡¯t pure enough to cause evolution.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± I say, both wishing to be able to speak Sinnohan and once again questioning my understanding of the world. I suppose the best thing to do right now is to let the woman work.

    Onaga keeps referencing the little manual, turning the knobs and poking at the electronics with a voltmeter and pliers. ¡°The tower¡¯s going to need a new board,¡± The ranger declares after an unknown amount of time. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the real problem is, but I¡¯m reading a lot less power than there should be heading to the transmit lines. I suppose I haven¡¯t heard Karlos complain about them for a while.¡± The woman mutters before shaking her head, ¡°Would you mind carrying this down once I take it out?¡± She asks me.

    I nod. As if I¡¯d say no to something that simple.

    The electronics are, apparently, meant to be easy to swap, all Onaga has to do is take the thunderstones out, unscrew the wire terminals, and pull the whole assembly off its supports.

    Lowering the thing to the ground is truly laborious, requiring a whole thought to do so.

    Checking on Weaver since she¡¯s been rather quiet, it turns out she decided to take a nap while we were up there. She¡¯s curled up in a very catlike fashion against Dodrio, who is also two-thirds asleep, one head slowly grooming through their feathers.

    Am I jealous of the ability to nap? ¡­Damn, I think I might be.

    ¡°Time to get moving again,¡± Onaga calls over as she reaches the ground. ¡°We need to get a new board, and we¡¯ll be taking the Breeze Hill trail back for a quest. I assume you know the one?¡± She asks dodrio.

    ¡°No, but I can guess,¡± Left Dodrio, the one currently awake, grouses as he wakes his¡­ I still don¡¯t know if I should say siblings.

    ¡°It¡¯s the big windy overhang that you can see most of the forest from,¡± Weaver says, making me freeze since I hadn¡¯t noticed getting up. Or getting so close to me. ¡°She wants the path that skirts past the ocean.¡±

    ¡°About what I thought,¡± Left Dodrio idly comments, craning his head around while the other two shake off sleep.

    ¡°What was the quest?¡± I ask, glancing between Weaver and Onaga.

    ¡°You saw the post on the board¨C¡± Weaver yawns, hopping onto Dodrio¡¯s saddle, ¡°¨CDon¡¯t pretend you can¡¯t remember it.¡±

    She¡¯s right. Still, my comprehension isn¡¯t that fast yet, and there are issues with uncommon words. Looking back, it was an organized note. Times and names were listed at the top before the ¡®quest¡¯ itself. What was it¡­ Pokemon strangely moving and wrong sounds¨C¡¯ No, that¡¯s not right, hold on, ¡®abnormal sounds at¡­¡¯ That¡¯s a phonetic name, and I recognize it, ¡®Nabiki coast.¡¯

    I know I got some of that wrong, but I understood most of it.

    I suppose that¡¯s the minimum information needed, really. That must be why Onaga had asked if I¡¯d been near the coast.

    Wish I could say I was surprised at the whole thing nearly being forgotten overnight, but I¡¯ve done things like that before. It was all too easy to say I¡¯d do something later and then forget about it. Probably one of the reasons we need to get the radio tower back up before the day really starts.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Hoping for a calibration issue was too much, apparently. Gives me an easy chance to see how Misdreavus acts in the field again, though.

    It¡¯s cold this morning, and the speed I had Dodrio running at didn¡¯t help on the way over. We still need to move quickly, but now that I know there¡¯s a problem and what it is, I¡¯m a bit less urgent about it.

    We start circling Breeze Hill, the massive rock formation majestic from nearly every angle, jutting out and up from the end of the cliffs to look over the forest. After we round it, it¡¯s easy to get back on a trail as the gently sloping side of the geological formation meets every step of the cliffs. We need to take a look at Nabiki, however, so we¡¯re following it down to the lowest.

    After a few minutes of riding, I can only just make out the sand when I notice both Weaver and Misdreavus becoming alert. Great, really glad this didn¡¯t get called in yesterday.

    Leaning back on my saddle¡¯s horn, I bring Dodrio to a stop before dismounting. ¡°What is it?¡± I ask, not really caring which pokemon answers.

    ¡°Wea¡­¡± Weaver begins, hopping down herself and flicking her ears. She turns, not to me but to Misdreavus¨C

    They¡¯re glowing. Well, they¡¯re always glowing to some degree, but it¡¯s normally their eyes putting out the most light. Right now, though, they¡¯re looking around in¡­ confusion. The normally somewhat dull gems hanging below their head are brighter than before.

    I¡¯m about to ask them what¡¯s going on before they retch, gagging on nothing as they turn a glare at Weaver.

    Weaver, who is currently smoking to burn off emotions. Interesting fact, but not important now that there¡¯s a confirmed problem.

    A quick test of my radio confirms I¡¯m still out of range of an operational tower. Not good, but that¡¯s why we have emergency procedures.

    ¡°How bad?¡± I ask Weaver, hoping she doesn¡¯t¨C

    ¡°Weavile,¡± She says, tapping her nose in the agreed gesture.

    Emergency ping it is. I extend the antenna on my radio to its full extent, pushing the beacon button until it gives way. There¡¯s a buzzing sound, and my hand tingles for a moment before both stop. Well, the radio¡¯s now a useless piece of scrap. I still clip it back to my belt.

    ¡°Dodrio, maintain distance,¡± I order, knowing the ride pokemon will listen. ¡°Weaver, Misdreavus, stay close.¡± I¡¯m not sure what exactly is going on, but we have a duty to find out, and, if we can, fix it.

    Moving toward the ocean, nothing seems out of place. There¡¯s no trace of the last wounded pokemon I saw here¡­ There¡¯s no trace of any pokemon.

    What¡¯s more concerning? The lack of shellos that should be here, or the lack of any pokemon when the quest said they were acting strangely?

    ¡°Vile wea weave,¡± Weaver says, and I look at her. She¡¯s talking to Misdreavus, the ghost pokemon themselves seeming¡­ distant.

    Misdreavus blinks, refocusing as they glance at Weaver and me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask. ¡°If you need to leave, do it. I¡¯d prefer it if you didn¡¯t get hurt.¡±

    The ghost blinks again before rotating, expanding their mane out in a grand gesture and¡­ chomping, ¡°Mis mis misser.¡±

    I glance at Misdreavus¡¯ gems for an instant, ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s a lot to eat, here?¡± That¡¯s really the only thing that springs to mind with that display.

    They nod, looking around hesitantly, almost nervously. I¡­ Should I order them away? They¡¯re smart, they paid attention while I was telling them about certain procedures, but we haven¡¯t done drills and I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll handle what Weaver confirmed was an emergency.

    On that same note, they might be able to help if they¡¯re currently eating the problem. I glance at Weaver, looking for her input.

    She gives me a slow blink back, tilting her head slightly before nodding. Misdreavus stays, then.

    We keep making our way to the beach. Reaching the sand, I still don¡¯t see any pokemon. I do hear something, though.

    ¡°Where¡¯s that coming from?¡± I ask, looking around.

    It¡¯s a low, unstable thrumming, more felt than heard, and it feels like it¡¯s coming up through the sand.

    Weaver and Misdreavus are both looking around. Weaver makes a low sound of her own as I see her start narrowing in on¡­ the tidal cave. At least it¡¯s at lower tide right now.

    ¡°Is that a pokemon?¡±

    Weaver vehemently shakes her head before moving toward the cave mouth. She¡¯s acting¡­ the same way as at the academy. Full dark-type emotional suppression. That makes sense of what Misdreavus is doing, too. Weaver had communicated that there¡¯d been overwhelming fear and anger in the air then.

    And now here. ¡°Weaver.¡± The weavile stops cold, looking back at me. ¡°Is this the same as the academy?¡±

    Weaver remains still for a second before nodding and equivocating, ¡°Vile. Weavile weave.¡±

    Is it a smart idea to get closer? At least one more ranger should be on the way, but, given the time, that could take anywhere from ten to thirty minutes depending on preparedness.

    I¡¯m not sure I like the idea of leaving this that long, now that I know about it.

    The lack of pokemon around is the deciding factor for me. ¡°Misdreavus, ahead. Weaver, behind. Move slowly,¡± I say. ¡°Misdreavus, no matter what happens, don¡¯t use sound. Your first response should be shielding, understood?¡±

    The floating pokemon nods, although they seem distracted.

    Hoisting my flashlight and falling into formation, we cautiously move into the cave. The sound grows more present until I can finally make out what it is.

    A generator. A big one. Someone is making power with an old petroleum-fired generator, but why? How and when did it and whatever it¡¯s powering get here? Is it the smugglers again? They did have a boat moored here¡­ Although I¡¯m certain Holt would have checked the cave out when she was dealing with that.

    The Nabiki Tidal Cave isn¡¯t all that large, or rather, long. Yet it¡¯s a genuinely interesting location, housing zubat¡ªlike most caves¡ªalongside shellos, gastrodon during spawning season, sometimes a squirtle or two, geodude, and often nosepass. The only reason it¡¯s not a more popular tourist spot is that the union put its collective foot down on letting so many people in.

    It¡¯s not even dangerous, simply an important spot for the pokemon that live in it. The big invertebrates are generally the most aggressive thing in here, and they take a lot of poking to become violent, while everything else will either harass humans for food at worst, or merely ignore them.

    Once we round the first bend, my thoughts come to a halt, heart dropping.

    There weren¡¯t any pokemon outside, but inside? The small colony of shellos I lay eyes on are all¡­ unmoving. Their eyes are unfocused, with clear signs of dehydration on those outside of the many pools, seemingly rooted in place. A few even have some unhealthy-looking dark sections inside what should be bright patterns.

    Looking up, the zubat are all eerily still for their species as well, not even a twitch from any ears. I don¡¯t see as many as I¡¯d expect either. Only six hanging from the rock above us.

    If this is the same situation as Tangrowth was, trying the RED is going to be too much effort for now. And extremely dangerous, besides.

    My partners are silent as we make our way deeper, navigating around the water-filled, colorful pools. I eventually stop needing my flashlight as Misdreavus keeps growing brighter, the ghost starting to twitch, obviously uncomfortable about the situation.

    I have to agree. Most of the other rangers at the academy incident had said their partners became unresponsive, and then fearful once that passed. Neither of the two with me are acting that way, but I suspect it has to do with their typings.

    Not a good picture, given what I know of them.

    I haven¡¯t seen any geodude or nosepass, though I assume their first reaction to whatever this is would be to bury themselves or increase their disguises.

    We finally come across something telling as we near the end of the cave system. A barricade. And I can both hear and smell the generator behind it. The barricade covers the whole entrance, a plywood sheet with metal anchors meant mostly to deter rather than to actually stop anything. I give my partners a look before throwing my shoulder against the false wall.

    It gives way with a crunch of metal and splintering sound as we move into the chamber beyond.

    The fumes hit me first, and I stumble back out, coughing as I pull my undershirt over my nose. Peering into the room again, I don¡¯t recognize what the machine is, which is only somewhat surprising given that I was expecting two things, not one.

    It¡¯s¡­ Big and red. Sort of conical, in fact. A round, pillar-like device with some form of bulbous metal shielding and four sturdy legs keeping the bulk of it above where the water level should reach. On closer inspection, it might even simply be two different things bolted together.

    It also, for some reason, seems to lack any sort of control method. From this side, at least. All I can see is a pull cord sticking out of the bottom part of the machine.

    Since I¡¯m nearly certain this is what¡¯s causing everything, there¡¯s truly only one course of action to take. ¡°Break it,¡± I croak at my two partners.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    That¡­ Yeah, that¡­ That¡¯s a good idea, yes.

    It¡¯s so tasty though.

    ¡°U¨C Um, how?¡± I ask, glancing at Weaver.

    I try not to react as two pairs of eyes lock onto me, but this whole situation is freaking me the fuck out. And it really, really doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯m starting to feel good. Have I still not been eating enough? Or is this just what eating this much feels like?

    Weaver¡ªemotionless¡ªturns her eyes back on the source of the most delicious¨C the thing. Almost casually, she flows into the chamber with it, rotating in a slashing motion as more of her foul-tasting power reaches me.

    Okay, that¡¯s actually helping right now. It¡¯s like being forced to come down from a buzz. Or a high.

    Hopefully a bit more sober, I watch the icy cat¡¯s claws deflect off the round surface of whatever the thing is, the shadowy power behind the slash warping and bending away from it. Cool, cool.

    Not at all worrying that Onaga looks shocked at that. Weaver¡¯s own expression remains as blank as it has since she started removing her emotions for safety.

    What¡¯s a good way to ruin an engine? Dumping the fuel would stop it, but I don¡¯t see the fill cap anywhere. Filling the intake with salt-water would work too, but I can¡¯t see where that is either.

    How the hell is a machine producing emotions in the first place? Weaver¡¯s told me the rangers have things to broadcast their emotions, I¡¯ve seen them, but whatever this is it¡¯s making terror, pain, fear, and the brand new taste of horror. And even better, it¡¯s both making a lot of them and making them all taste absolutely wonderful.

    Weaver straightens, then brings a hand around in a knife-like strike with the side. The bang produced by the impact echoes for several seconds even as we remain quiet. Like with her slash, all the energy she¡¯d loaded into it unraveled before the blow struck home. Although I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s more concerning than the fact that the thing didn¡¯t even budge.

    ¡°I¡­ Let me try something,¡± I say, causing the others to glance at me again.

    Weaver backs off without a word. Onaga gives me a raised eyebrow, but I think she gets the idea.

    Okay, Charlie, focus. Calm. What do I have that¡¯s both destructive and won''t hurt anyone by simple proximity? I could try something psychic, and¨C

    Nope. The field keeps being torn apart before it can truly form.

    What else? Hmm, Ghost stuff eats away at anything it touches, but will it also unravel in the same way everything else has? There¡¯s the eye-beam thing I can do¡­

    One thing at a time, me. Let¡¯s try the less destructive one first. At the very least, eating so much has me full of enough energy that it¡¯s practically begging to be used.

    I move my power, letting my eyes fall on the device as something bends within the world¨C

    Oh, okay, not unraveling then. Whatever this is, it¡¯s distorting the energy around the machine enough to¡­ huh.

    I guess when I was first testing this I cut it off before the effect really got started. I¡¯d think I was partially in the unreal if I couldn¡¯t still see the normal world in my peripheral vision. Beyond that, the fire-like, ____ and purple flames appearing everywhere around the machine are new. I¡­ think those are flaring up wherever the emotions the bizarre machine is spitting out are. Huh.

    And speaking of, the machine is visibly warping, but not in any normal¨C

    OW! FUCK!

    I need to close my eyes at the blast as something inside the thing explodes. That¡­ That was bright, both the fireball and whatever that flash in the unreal had been. It was fucking loud too.

    I¨C Almost looked around while my eyes were still doing shit. Carefully making sure to cut the flow of power to my eyes before opening them, I blink some stars away as I look around. The tastes are¡­ I think tapering off now, so I can confirm the blast killed the classically sci-fi-looking device.

    Mmm, Onaga has her hands on her ears. Probably temporarily deaf from the noise. Weaver¡­ I think she was a bit more sensitive to it. Strangely, I¡¯m mostly fine. I think because I don¡¯t have ears in the same way they do.

    My body remains a mystery. I still don¡¯t know where my nose¨C

    A shriek cuts off my thoughts. Thankfully, it also reminds me we aren¡¯t quite in the clear yet. There¡¯s also a problem, Weaver looks disoriented and Onaga evidently can¡¯t hear anything.

    Shit. Guess I¡¯m the guard.

    Looking around the small space we¡¯re in. There¡¯s only one way for anything to come from, so I only need to watch one area.

    I¡¯m a bit concerned at the confusion I can taste, but at least it¡¯s not anger.

 Chapter 31

    Onaga regains her bearings much faster than I would have thought. And frankly, thank go¨C Maybe I should start using the right name¡­ Would it be Mew?

    ¡°Everyone okay?¡± The ranger asks, flicking her flashlight on and panning it around to point at Weaver.

    ¡°Visions slowly coming back,¡± The cat responds, waving at her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I say, nodding as Onaga points the light at me.

    Weaver chirps, pointing at Onaga when the light moves back to her. ¡°I¡¯ve got some ringing, but not much else,¡± The woman answers the implied question, shaking her head slightly. ¡°It¨C That machine was what was causing everything, right?¡±

    Weaver and I both nod. Things are clearing up. Although¡­ Hold on.

    I balloon my miasma cloud out to its maximum distance, reeling it in a second later. I shudder. Even the last scraps are delicious.

    There¡¯s a lot of confusion and uncertainty mixed in now, though, and another shriek from the way out has the three of us turning that way.

    ¡°That was a zubat,¡± Onaga says, frowning. ¡°There weren¡¯t that many when we came in, so it should be fine¡­¡± She trails off looking back into the room with the strange machine in it. ¡°¡­We should get that out of here before high tide.¡±

    She¡¯s not worried about being attacked? I¨C Well, she¡¯s the expert I suppose.

    Onaga covers her face again when she walks into the chamber containing the, for some reason, bright red movie prop-looking machine. To be fair to her, it reeks of exhaust in here. As she bends to start dragging the thing, I am, admittedly, a bit surprised when it doesn¡¯t budge, her boots slipping on the moist rock.

    ¡°Seasons grace, how heavy is it?!¡± She growls, spreading her feet and hauling again. The thing shifts minutely. ¡°Well now,¡± She says, thoroughly annoyed as she lets go of the machine''s base, ¡°This might need to wait until backup gets here.¡±

    ¡°I can probably help,¡± I speak up, catching the woman¡¯s attention. I envelop the definitely-not-suggestive device in a psychic zone and lift. The thing wobbles a little before slipping out of the power.

    Onaga sighs, then chuckles, ¡°That¡¯s probably the best-known weakness of telekinesis. Whatever that machine is, it has a lot of steel in it.¡±

    Neat. At least I learned that now and not when trying to pick something else up. I¡¯ll need to see if it¡¯s a mass thing or not.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much point in just waiting in here,¡± Onaga says, looking at Weaver and me. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some fresh air, then start looking around in here again.¡±

    Sounds like a good idea. And as the ranger starts making her way out, we follow.

    Honestly, this cave is interesting, but it¡¯s also very, very wet. I flinch when the first zubat dives at us as we reach the first¡ªor third, depending¡ªlarge chamber. Onaga was right, however, they aren¡¯t attacking, just chittering questions over and over.

    ¡°Why¡¯s the colony split?¡±, ¡°Where is everyone?¡±, ¡°Why are you here?¡±, ¡°What are you?¡±, ¡°How are you hiding like that?¡±, and on and on. I choose to ignore them.

    All the colorful sea slugs move out of the way as we make our way through the cave, although a few of them need to be corralled by the others. The ones with black patterns still look out of it.

    Onaga¡¯s looking around as we make our way out, but Weaver¡­ She¡¯s still blank-faced and silent. When she told me what had happened a few weeks ago, it didn¡¯t sound pleasant. This, though¡­ I¡¯m guessing it affected me differently than everyone else.

    I¡¯m not sure how to take that. I seemed to be immune to whatever was going on. Or maybe I was eating too fast, who knows? But seeing everyone frozen like that¡­ And everything I can taste right now. Confusion, uncertainty, panic¡­ But then there are positive ones starting to emerge, elation and hope.

    Of course, part of the problem I¡¯m having is that part of me really wants all that fear again. Everything delicious that machine was making. But I also have self-control and enough empathy to never consider turning something like that back on.

    The sun¡¯s barely started to show at ground level as we exit the cave, Onaga stretching as she steps out of the inch of water near its entrance and onto dry land. ¡°You two can relax for now,¡± She says, ¡°There will be questions later, though.¡±

    I¡¯m not going to argue, deciding instead to settle on the sand, looking out over the ocean. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here before,¡± I say into the silence. ¡°I don¡¯t like how it happened, either.¡±

    ¡°It is a very popul-ERK!¡± Weaver begins in a flat tone, exclaiming as Onaga picks her up into a hug.

    ¡°We¡¯re out, safe, and no one got hurt. You don¡¯t need to be so cold,¡± She tells the weasel-cat, smiling at her own wording.

    Weaver is still for a moment before her expression shifts slightly, pulling closer to Onaga, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem¡­¡±

    Setting Weaver down, the red-clad woman looks between us before turning back to the damp cave, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the pokemon, now that we have the time. Let me know when our backup gets here.¡± Having given us instructions, she walks off.

    A thought crosses my mind after a few moments of rest, thinking back on what just happened, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Marshal¡­ Or really, anybody else find this first?¡±

    Weaver shrugs, ¡°This isn¡¯t anyone¡¯s territory.¡±

    That simple, hmm? Except¡­ ¡°I remember the rangers talking about Marshal killing three people near this beach.¡±

    Weaver gives me a look, one that¡¯s asking if I¡¯m stupid, ¡°Smokey, they grabbed one of her pups. She would have chased them into Sinnoh if they made it that far. Anyway, the whole stretch of forest near here is all Prime¡¯s, and she makes a point of not messing with humans,¡± She says, waving to the east of us.

    Fair enough. I suppose there¡¯s a reason people call Marshal the ¡®river¡¯ alpha. ¡­Wait a moment, ¡°Is Prime an alpha? I¡¯ve been assuming,¡± I ask. I¡¯ve never actually met the queen vespiquen.

    ¡°Not the current Prime, no,¡± Weaver shakes her head, ¡°She¡¯s just been very successful at keeping her hives unified.¡±

    Interesting. I let that conversation die as I go back to looking out over the waves.

    ¡­

    ¡°I wish I could take a nap,¡± I say, making Weaver cackle. ¡°I¡¯m serious. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to never sleep. There¡¯s no break or new start, just a slow return to¡­ normal.¡±

    ¡°You really okay?¡± The feathered feline asks, her tone no longer flat.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, ¡°Meditation fills the gap well enough most of the time, but I still want to sleep occasionally.¡±

    ¡°I could try to knock you out?¡±

    I¡¯m almost certain that won¡¯t work, but I don¡¯t mention how tempting it sounds.

    ¡°Given your current relaxed state,¡± the voice of Dodrio caws from up the hill on one end of the beach, ¡°Are we to take it that you were successful?¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Most of the pokemon in here seem¡­ agitated, but otherwise healthy. Most. I¡¯m worried about the ones that still aren¡¯t moving very much.

    Crouching, I aim my light and peer into one of the pools in the central chamber of the tidal cave. Several false faces turn to me, the actual sensory organs waving through the water or breaching the surface to get a better picture.

    Shellos are beautiful creatures. Colorful, chaotically patterned, a bit slow outside of water but truly graceful when submerged. Most have patterns resembling eyes on the front of their bodies, but their true eyes are inside the main cerata.

    All except for one that I can see in this pool look healthy enough, but they aren¡¯t the ones I¡¯m looking for. Even the unhealthy one I can see only looks that way due to missing one of their horns.

    I move on to the next pool. This one has a nosepass half-submerged inside, and they seem content to stay there. I give them a closer look, regardless. I don¡¯t see any cracks or bubbles, but they do shudder slightly to follow my flashlight. A bright blue shellos slowly slithers their way over the compass pokemon.

    Next pool.

    This one¡¯s what I¡¯ve been looking for. I can immediately see three shellos with dark streaks in their patterns, surrounded by more agitated, healthy-looking pokemon. My first thought is poison or venom, as most pokemon toxins leave dark patterns around the exposure site. But this is too¡­ contained. Too in line with the pokemons¡¯ underlying patterns.

    It¡¯s not just color variance, the rest of the shellos are gathering around the three with black streaks, nuzzling them and entangling their cerata. Two glide out from the group toward me, leaving the water to prod at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can do anything,¡± I tell them. ¡°I barely know what happened in the first place.¡±

    The two pokemon gurgle, slithering in a circle around me before returning to the pool. Following them with my light, I see the rest circling the three dark-striped shellos. That¡¯s not a behavior I¡¯ve seen in them before¡­

    ¡°Wea weavile,¡± A familiar voice says, prompting me to look up at the sharp-claw pokemon.

    ¡°Backup¡¯s here?¡±

    She nods, so I stand and take note of which pool I¡¯m looking at before following her out of the cave. A little over twenty minutes to arrive. Everyone had probably just been waking up when I used the beacon.

    The sun still hasn¡¯t risen yet, but the sky is brightening. Scanning down the sand, I see Karlos and Emil only just dismounting. Gabite¡¯s right behind Karlos, although there¡¯s a curious lack of Piplup. Dodrio¡¯s on the beach as well, apparently one or more of him decided to rejoin the group now that things are safer.

    I watch both men take me in, then how bright Misdreavus is glowing, ¡°What''s the situation?¡± Karlos asks, jogging over.

    ¡°Checked a tower based on a report from the SOT,¡± I begin. ¡°Something was wrong with the control board, and I was bringing it back for replacement.¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t heard about a potential outage.¡±

    ¡°Francois followed protocol, as the system was still showing a return,¡± I explain. Karlos winces, probably dreading having to be the stern boss later. ¡°In any event, while I was on my way back I decided to check out the quest called in with the outage report, as it was on the way back. My partners reacted to something, and on questioning, Weaver confirmed an emergency.¡±

    ¡°That was when you triggered your beacon?¡±

    ¡°It was. In all honesty, I¡¯ll leave most of what happened for my written report and probable interview.¡±

    Karlos suck air through his teeth, ¡°That bad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s looking a lot like what happened at the academy,¡± I reply, waving Emil over. ¡°Only this time, we have what was causing it. If damaged. It¡¯s in the back of the cave.¡±

    Karlos considers before sighing and stepping into the shallow water with me, ¡°Any idea what it does?¡±

    ¡°Barely, just that it wasn¡¯t working on Weaver or Misdreavus and it has a petrol generator in it,¡± I say. ¡°And it¡¯s heavy, likely a lot of steel. I could barely shift it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look, then,¡± Karlos sighs, gesturing for me to lead on.

    Back through the cave, again. At least the zubat have calmed down slightly. I¡¯m also seeing rocks that weren¡¯t here a moment ago. As it should be.

    In moments, we¡¯re at the machine, though my coworkers do take a second to inspect the remains of the false wall I broke down. ¡°So,¡± Emil says, ¡°This was very planned. You didn¡¯t feel like being gentle?¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have taken that long,¡± Karlos joins, pointing. ¡°Probably thirty seconds at most.¡±

    I can¡¯t help rolling my eyes, neither of them has looked into the chamber yet. ¡°Bigger things, gentlemen,¡± I say, flicking my light in the direction of the strange machine.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°M¨° xernous ¨¦lit, that¡¯s quite the high-tech blender,¡± Emil says, approaching the device before wrinkling his nose, ¡°I can still smell it. Certainly petrol-powered.¡±

    Karlos steps up, gripping the machine and pulling. He has the same luck I did. ¡°Moon and Princes, how did anyone get this in here?¡± He asks, exasperated.

    ¡°A good boat and a dolly cart?¡± Emil returns.

    ¡°Or maybe a pallet jack,¡± Karlos sighs, standing straight again. ¡°Not sure how we¡¯re going to get it back to the city, with how rough the ground is.¡±

    There¡¯s silence as we all share looks before Emil and I both shift to Karlos.

    ¡°What?¡± The burly man asks.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Emil hesitates, ¡°You know Bertha better than we.¡±

    Karlos opens his mouth to respond, considers, then closes it. After a moment, he begins again, ¡°¡­That¡¯s a good idea. Still, think we can move it out of here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain two of us could handle it, with some trouble,¡± I say. ¡°The three of us should be able to move it easily enough. Over a short distance.¡±

    Both men chuckle. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t see us making it back to town with it,¡± Karlos says.

    Carrying the thing out isn¡¯t fun. The rock floor is just slippery enough to cause problems with something so heavy, and by the time we¡¯re out the last incline onto the beach has us all groaning. More out of frustration than difficulty.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready to have anything else to do,¡± Karlos grunts as we place the machine on the sand. ¡°You said you pulled the board on a tower?¡±

    ¡°West-south-west one-zero,¡± I reply. ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure out the problem.¡±

    ¡°Did it have a Silph or Altru board?¡± He asks, looking around before heading for the dodrio I¡¯d been riding.

    ¡°Silph,¡± I say, walking after him. ¡°looks like an older model.¡±

    As Karlos pulls the piece of electronics out of my saddle bag, he whistles, ¡°One of the three-hundreds, these don¡¯t fail often. Let me guess, no power to transmit, right?¡±

    Gabite chooses that moment to disengage from the other pokemon, sniffing the board in Karlos¡¯ hands. He grunts, chucking his chin, ¡°Gab gabite.¡±

    Karlos nods sagely at his partner.

    ¡°Is it that common?¡± I ask.

    ¡°You don¡¯t do a lot of tower maintenance,¡± My boss shrugs, ¡°The three-hundreds are reliable. Having said that, it¡¯s the most common issue with them. You have to take them apart to see, but there¡¯s probably a short inside one of the calibration dials.¡± He sighs, ¡°Today¡¯s going to be busy, it seems.¡±

    ***

    ¡°You know,¡± I comment to Weaver, ¡°I don¡¯t think I realized how easy you were as a partner.¡± Six years and she¡¯s never once made this kind of trouble.

    The three of us go back to watching the indignant penguin pokemon as he continues to try to pick a fight with Chansey. The pink pokemon ignores Piplup, only swatting him away when he gets too close to the intake doors.

    I¡¯ve probably been too hard on both myself and Misdreavus, at least the ghost isn¡¯t acting out like this. Maybe I do need to change my perspective of them, Weaver was my only partner before Espeon and Misdreavus, and Espeon acts a lot more like Weaver than the ghost.

    The ghost has mostly been polite, if detached. Not an increasing nuisance.

    Well, better let Emil know I found Piplup, ¡°Fran, route me to Emil please,¡± I say into my brand-new radio.

    ¡°Ranger Locke responding to Ranger Onaga. Confirm?¡± Comes the reply after several seconds.

    ¡°Confirmed. I¡¯ve located your partner harassing the staff at the pokemon clinic at Eight-eight Mill Drive. Returning to base with the pokemon. Confirm?¡±

    I don¡¯t miss the thoroughly tired groan before, ¡°Confirmed.¡±

    ¡°Weaver?¡± I prompt.

    My partner wastes no time in locking her eyes on Piplup, the smaller pokemon immediately sensing danger. Unfortunately for him, Weaver is the faster of the two by a very, very wide margin. Thankfully, Piplup isn¡¯t foolish enough to try fighting one of his natural predators inside a clinic.

    So he bolts for the lobby door.

    His daring escape ends when a black and red blur rolls over him. Weaver¡¯s claws being wrapped delicately around the flightless bird.

    ¡°Misser dreave misser mis,¡± Misdreavus says, deadpan. Weaver cackles in response.

    We make our way back out to the street, studiously ignoring the scientists watching our every move. I¡¯d hoped they wouldn¡¯t follow us today.

    ¡°Um, Ranger Holt has arrived from the union. She wants to talk to you about the events earlier,¡± My radio squawks.

    Mmm, I suppose she¡¯s been put in charge of this whole thing, then. At least it will probably get Rowan and Ohkido to stop trailing after us for a bit.

    ¡°Let her know I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Watching Onaga get questioned has been a very boring experience, in all honesty. And the complete lack of nerves from her or suspicion from the other ranger removed any kind of tension.

    ¡°And you say you¡¯re waiting on civilian help to move the device?¡± The purple-haired ranger asks, rubbing her temples.

    ¡°We are,¡± Onaga confirms. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Karlos is there with the woman right now.¡±

    Holt goes back to looking at Weaver¡¯s notepad. She taps the desk a few times before speaking, ¡°You described it as a similar but distinct effect from the one during the school incident? Could you clarify that?¡± She asks Weaver, handing her the pad.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Weaver mutters, tapping a pen against her chin. She carefully writes out a few words, handing the paper back to Holt.

    ¡°Less angry?¡± The woman asks, reading. ¡°Was that all?¡±

    Weaver shakes her head, glancing at me before gesturing for her notepad again. ¡°You said something about the emotions in the air being weird?¡± She prompts, fully looking at me.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡­ There was a lot of¡­ Give me a second,¡± I say trying to sort it out. ¡°It was fear, horror, pain, and terror. By quantity.¡± I do my best not to shudder, ¡°They tasted way too good, better than they should have.¡±

    Weaver blinks at me, then presumably writes that down before passing it back to the older ranger.

    The woman hums while reading, ¡°You say there¡¯s a distinction between these three?¡± She asks me, handing Onaga the note.

    ¡°I can taste one, at least,¡± I reply, aborting a shrug into a nod.

    Holt goes back to rubbing her temples, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all I needed for now. I need to make a call, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you remained on-site for the moment.¡± The woman gestures for the door, ¡°You can go now.¡±

    Onaga nods, standing and leading us out of Karlos¡¯ office. Once she closes the door, she immediately picks Espeon up from where he¡¯s been waiting just outside. She¡¯s quiet, thinking.

    ¡°Not the best day,¡± Weaver says.

    I can¡¯t help chuckling. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that way, no,¡± I reply. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s anything we could do to relax?¡±

    Weaver shrugs, ¡°Books or TV? I think Karlos has some board games stashed around here somewhere, and Ryu has cards, but I get the feeling we aren¡¯t done with this whole thing yet.¡±

    I was getting that impression as well. I¡¯ve been trying to think of anything from the Pokemon games that¡¯s similar to what happened earlier, but nothing stands out.

    ¡°Are any of you¡­¡± Onaga trails off as she looks at me. Then she shakes her head, a bit of frustration reaching me, ¡°Are you hungry? We only have so long before Holt will have orders.¡±

    There¡¯s a pulse of affirmation, and Weaver shrugs. I join her. I¡¯m not all that hungry right now.

    Onaga simply nods, making her way to the kitchenette. Weaver and I share a look, shrugging before following her. It¡¯s something to pass the time with I suppose.

    There¡¯s an ornery bird already making a mess of some berries on the countertop. He scoffs when he sees Weaver, puffing himself up and turning away. He can pretend all he wants, he¡¯s not feeling all that proud right now.

    Onaga just sets a slice of raw meat on a plate for Espeon, the cat digging in with gusto. Grabbing a knife, she starts paring one of the many, many colorful fruits this world has, ¡°So, ¡®tasted better than normal¡¯?¡± She asks, glancing at me.

    I truly can¡¯t help the sighing, watching the knife pause in its motions as I do. The woman narrows her eyes, but keeps them on her task, ¡°You don¡¯t like that?¡±

    ¡°Feeding on suffering? Not really,¡± I say, knowing the details won¡¯t get across.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what you reject!¡± Piplup cries, catching everyone¡¯s attention for a moment.

    ¡°¡­Yeah, anyway. You haven¡¯t told her that,¡± Weaver pointedly comments.

    I think our tones say enough, though, as Onaga redirects the subject, ¡°Maybe one of these will help.¡± She tosses a slice of whatever fruit she was cutting, letting me catch it telekinetically.

    It¡¯s red with yellow streaks, kind of like an inverse peach. I can already tell it¡¯s sweet by just the smell alone. Taking the gesture for what it is, I pop the bite-sized cut into my mouth. It almost literally melts and is as sweet as expected, though there¡¯s a bitter aftertaste.

    I don¡¯t miss the taste of accomplishment, or the slight smile Onaga gives me, very carefully eating around the rind of her own slice.

    ¡°You never explained how you eat stuff without teeth,¡± Weaver says, doing the same thing I did and eating her piece whole. Then she gags and pulls the rind out of her mouth.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know,¡± I shrug, ¡°I don¡¯t even know where the food goes.¡± Even if I have suspicions about what happens to things inside me. ¡°Normally I¡¯d say it has to go somewhere, but I don¡¯t think conservation of energy applies anymore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that, no,¡± Weaver says, leaning her head onto the backs of her hands, ¡°What¡¯s it mean?¡±

    ¡°Basically that you can¡¯t get anything from nothing,¡± I explain, calling on twenty-year-old memories of physics, ¡°Something¡­ You can¡¯t create or destroy energy, and everything is energy. All you can do is change it.¡±

    ¡°Knowing all that stuff doesn¡¯t make you special,¡± The penguin in the room huffs.

    ¡°No, probably not,¡± I easily admit. ¡°Especially since I¡¯m sure a lot of it is wrong now.¡± For some reason, that makes the bird go quiet.

    Weaver raises an eyebrow, ¡°Yeah, what you just said doesn¡¯t sound right.¡±

    ¡°I probably would have disagreed a few weeks ago,¡± I shrug, looking up at the tastes of confusion and intrigue. Ready to reply¨C

    Onaga¡¯s shaking her head, rubbing between her eyes the way she doesn¡¯t seem to realize she always does when Espeon keeps poking her telepathically. I¡¯m not sure which of the two those tastes came from, but my bet is a bit of both.

    ¡°Espeon, I know you¡¯re interested in whatever they¡¯re talking about,¡± The ranger says, taking her hand off her head, ¡°But please try not to flood me like that.¡±

    Espeon winces, bowing his head as I taste the vaguest hint of something. I¡¯ve been assuming that means messages between them.

    Onaga¡¯s shoulders drop slightly as she rolls her eyes, but she says nothing out loud.

    ¡°H¨C How?¡± Espeon asks. It¡¯s the first time he¡¯s said anything in a while. I focus on him, not certain what he means. ¡°I¨C How did y¨C you know¨C or, think you knew that?¡±

    That¡­ ¡°Um¡­ the last time I had to think about this was decades ago,¡± I tell him. ¡°It had something to do with closed systems and Einstein? But you wouldn¡¯t know that name¡­¡± I shrug, ¡°I¡¯m not a physicist. This is all half-remembered from high school.¡±

    ¡°Closed s¨C system?¡±

    I shrug again, not entirely sure what to tell the cat, ¡°I remember more math and shop than science.¡±

    He accepts that, sending thanks regardless.

    It¡¯s quiet for a bit until Holt pokes her head in. Looking around, she nods as she enters, ¡°Miss Onaga,¡± She greets, standing straight. ¡°It has been decided that you are to escort the recovered machine to Union Headquarters. And to relay your report of events, both from the academy and Nabiki, in person.¡±

    Onaga¡¯s eyebrows go up, though she doesn¡¯t show much more of her surprise as she stands at attention, ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am. How are we moving it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be having the civilian aid load it onto a train that will stop in Pueltown, and a cargo bus from there to HQ. You¡¯re to ensure security along the way.¡±

    ¡°Today, ma¡¯am?¡± Onaga asks, less surprised and more calculating now.

    ¡°Correct,¡± Holt says, nodding once. ¡°I¡¯ll be informing your head of it shortly. Please be ready for a possible overnight stay in fifteen.¡± The older ranger loosens a bit, nodding again, ¡°On a personal note, I appreciate how decisive your actions today were. You¡¯ve made this situation much less of a headache than it could have been.¡±

    Once Holt leaves, entering the operator room, Onaga breathes out slowly for a moment. ¡°Three partners on a train¡­¡± She mutters. ¡°I¡¯ll need to pack a bag and decide if I¡¯ll be sleeping at¡­¡± She trails off, realization striking her. ¡°Oma and Opa!¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    Interesting, we¡¯ve received precious few phone calls since moving, and most are later in the day, asking if we¡¯d like this or that.

    It¡¯s not even noon.

    Picking up the talking part of the device, I¡¯m required to hold it at an angle to properly manage an auditory facsimile. ¡°Aisling residence, Liam speaking,¡± I ¡®say.¡¯

    ¡°Hi, Opa,¡± My granddaughter¡¯s voice replies, somewhat startling me. ¡°I¡¯m going to be passing through Pueltown today for work and might need to sleep somewhere near there. I thought it might be nice to stay with you if I need to, would you and Oma mind?¡±

    ¡°No! No, we wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± I reply. Though I do suppress the sound around the mouthpiece of the device before calling in my natural voice, ¡°Dear, we wouldn¡¯t be opposed to Ryu staying the night, would we?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Opa. As much as I¡¯m fine with a barracks or hotel I¡­ We haven¡¯t had a real chance to reconnect. I¡¯ll see you tonight, whether or not I end up needing to stay. Take care.¡±

    The grating static behind the electronic communication clicks off.

    ¡°No, of course I wouldn¡¯t,¡± My dear Maeve says, entering our living room. Her eyes narrow, ¡°You''re already done with the call,¡± She observes.

    ¡°I received the impression she was pressed for time,¡± I defend myself. A half-lie, as I only extrapolated afterward. And one that my love pierces through with ease.

    She playfully flicks my ear.

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I¡¯ve seen the trains a few times while flying around, but this is the first time I¡¯m getting on one. They¡¯re almost old-looking, but that¡¯s weird timeline stuff for you. The inside of the car we¡¯ll be in is all darker colors and has seats facing each other, some even have tables. Plush seats, too, but no private cabins.

    And no one can convince me that Bertha¡ªthe woman we¡¯re currently watching move a crate that weighs enough even Onaga couldn¡¯t lift it like it¡¯s barely an inconvenience¡ªisn¡¯t some kind of superhero in disguise.

    Or it¡¯s just that this world is bullshit in the weirdest ways possible. Could be either, really.

    ¡°Y¡¯all sure ya don¡¯t need me to come with?¡± Bertha asks, placing the crate into the passenger car. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to help s¡¯more.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to handle it from here,¡± Onaga assures the large woman, strapping the crate in place. Not exactly out of the way, but there is room to get around it.

    ¡°I won¡¯t argue,¡± Bertha concedes, hands on hips. ¡°I will ask ya to visit sometime, though. You look like you could eat more often.¡±

    I have to hold in a guffaw at that. If you compare the two, Onaga certainly looks ¡®thin,¡¯ but that¡¯s only because the other woman looks like a particularly well-fed amazon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to see if I can find the time,¡± The ranger says, diplomatically. ¡°Thank you for getting it here so quickly, we haven¡¯t had to delay the train.¡±

    ¡°Oh, think nothing of it,¡± The large woman waves the words off, ¡°I¡¯m only being neighborly, and you lot deserve all the help I can give.¡±

    The PA at the station crackles and both women listen for a moment before Bertha Backs away, ¡°Y¡¯all take care now, I¡¯m going to go make sure Karlos doesn¡¯t need anythin¡¯,¡± The woman waves, the small crowd parting before her as she leaves.

    There¡¯s some fondness and exasperation as Onaga shakes her head after the other woman, ¡°You know, she reminds me of Marshal a lot of the time.¡±

    ¡°She has no idea, does she?¡± I ask, glancing at Weaver.

    ¡°Eh, some? She does know Marshal pretty well,¡± She says, wobbling her head back and forth. ¡°You should ask Marshal about Bertha sometime.¡±

    Two images immediately spring to mind. The first is the two of them drinking tea and talking about how the kids are doing and any new recipes they found. The second is Marshal and Bertha arm-wrestling.

    ¡°Are they friends?¡± I ask, dispelling the mental images.

    ¡°You¡¯ve met them both,¡± Weaver gives me a sardonic look, ¡°How do you think it goes between them?¡±

    Thank you, Weaver, what an excellent non-answer.

    ¡°We should grab seats,¡± Onaga points out, gesturing to the ones nearest our cargo. ¡°We¡¯re blocking the way.¡±

    Weaver, Onaga, and Espeon all take seats. I consider floating above mine for a bit before finally settling onto it instead. It¡¯s pretty soft.

    The ranger apologizes to a conductor when he comes around to check tickets, showing the man her badge. ¡°We were told something like that was happening,¡± he nods, moving on quickly to check other tickets.

    ¡°Have you ever been on a train?¡± Onaga asks, and I need to stop myself from answering. That question had been aimed at Espeon.

    The cat shakes his head, back to non-verbal again.

    ¡°Well, it might be a bit loud at times, and the car might rattle, but I¡¯ll be right here. Okay?¡± She reassures the psychic, probably sending assurance directly as well.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to Pueltown in years!¡± Weaver beams, ¡°I like Vientown, but there¡¯s something about Pueltown. You¡¯ve been to bigger cities before, right Smokey?¡±

    ¡°Do you honestly need me to answer that?¡± I roll my eyes.

 Chapter 32

    With how far Pueltown is from Vientown, it only takes¡­ I¡¯d need to look at a clock to know how long to get here by train. That¡¯s probably bad.

    At least Espeon wasn¡¯t nervous during the ride. I spent most of the trip trying to ignore the stares we were getting. I probably could have left the train, now that I think of it.

    Even before we step¡ªfloat, in my case¡ªonto the station, I¡¯m impressed by the city as the train rolls into it. Vientown, despite how busy it can be, has an almost lazy, urban fantasy town feel to it. In contrast, Pueltown is what I expect from a city, and then more.

    It¡¯s like an old picture of ¡®the city of the future¡¯ was built on top of an actually old city, and then terraces and gardens were placed on top of that one. It¡¯s alive, humans and pokemon are moving everywhere all at once, and, unlike Vientown, there are vehicle roads. Even if there aren¡¯t that many cars on them.

    Onaga¡¯s waiting on something. ¡®Cargo bus,¡¯ Holt had said. I hope it gets here soon, someone¡¯s starting to feel impatient.

    Just as I start thinking about striking up a conversation, I notice several people making their way through the crowd to stand in front of Onaga. One is pulling, unsurprisingly, a pallet jack. ¡°Miss Onaga, apologies about the delay,¡± The man in front says, giving a straight-backed half-bow for some reason. ¡°We were told the package would be heavy?¡±

    Straight to the point, at least.

    ¡°Five people should be more than enough, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary,¡± Onaga tells him, rolling her shoulders as she crouches by the crate. ¡°Misdreavus? ¡­Espeon?¡±

    What¡¯s she¨C Oh, right. The machine is inside something we can move psychically.

    Oh, good, now Espeon¡¯s nervous. I¡¯ve seen you move things, you have a lot more control than I do. Although, strength probably matters more, here. So¡­ how strong are you? You¡¯ve never really shown anyone.

    Espeon simply grows more nervous.

    Ah. He doesn¡¯t know.

    I¡¯m getting real tired of having to hold in every sigh just to keep people from being uncomfortable. Oh well. Encapsulating the bottom of the wooden box, I try picking it up. I manage, but it¡¯s a significant strain. I¡¯m mostly certain I could stop gravity in a zone and not need to fight it, however, if it won¡¯t work on the heavy part¡­

    Another zone springs into existence, overlapping mine with a very strange feeling as Espeon adds lift as well.

    Yeah, he¡¯s definitely a stronger psychic than I am. He also knows how to control it better. I can¡¯t do hollow areas on my own, so he guides my output to fully surround the crate without touching what¡¯s inside.

    Thanks.

    Once Onaga starts pulling, then pushing, the three of us together don¡¯t have any issues getting the thing onto the jack, and Onaga gives an approving nod even as she ushers the whole group away from the train.

    ¡°So, only mechanics to pick us up?¡± She queries the men as they lead us to¡­ the first car I¡¯ve seen up close here. Well, ¡®car.¡¯ It¡¯s more like a long, red van.

    ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware,¡± The man obviously in charge says, ¡°There aren¡¯t a lot of rangers to go around right now.¡±

    ¡°All too well,¡± The woman comments.

    We reverse the process of moving the crate, strapping it into the back of what really does look like a cargo bus on the inside, with a few rows of hard, beltless seating and empty shelving in the back.

    We all pile in, Espeon sticking to Onaga like a leech as we settle. Everyone seems to be acting professionally for the moment. Mostly there¡¯s just general curiosity, though the ¡®mechanics¡¯ are throwing the occasional look at Onaga or the box.

    ¡°So, how¡¯s it down South at the moment?¡± someone asks as I hear an engine turn over.

    ¡°About the same as always, I¡¯d say,¡± Onaga shrugs. ¡°A few more issues than normal, but that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Hastings¨C Well, most of us can¡¯t wait to get a look at what¡¯s in the box,¡± Someone else says.

    I do my best to tune the small talk out. Honestly, I¡¯m a bit bored at being stuck here instead of looking around the city. I can be patient, though.

    ***

    ¡°Wow,¡± I can¡¯t help saying as I float out the side of the transport van-bus, ¡°Now that¡¯s impressive.¡±

    The ranger headquarters, a ways out west of Pueltown, is a fortress. Genuinely, it looks like someone took a castle, retrofitted it with a modern¨C No scratch that, postmodern tower right in the middle before sticking a small forest on top of that.

    What is with this world¡¯s architecture, I love it.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you sound like,¡± One of the mechanics whose name I didn¡¯t bother memorizing¡ªnot that I could help it, it¡¯s Will¡ªsays. ¡°Is your whole body a resonance chamber?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I say brightly. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not!¡±

    ¡°Do you need us to unload¡­¡± Onaga trails off as the lead mechanic waves the words away.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going around through the loading bay,¡± He says, waving somewhere to the side of the castle, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure someone is waiting for you just inside,¡± He continues with a knowing look.

    Onaga simply nods, moving for the large glass doors set into the fortress. Weaver and Espeon obviously follow her, and I¡¯m not going to pass up seeing inside that building.

    The doors slide open automatically as we get near, but I¡¯m paying more attention to the fact that there¡¯s still an iron gate above the entrance. I wonder if the mechanism is still intact?

    I need to stop myself as I start to drift past where the others have stopped. Hmm, is that surprise I taste? And uncertainty¡­

    Looking down, we¡¯re in a large lobby, or possibly an atrium. There are only three people here, and two of them are wearing what could best be described as business casual.

    However, I think what surprised Onaga was the older woman in what might be a ranger uniform standing in the middle of the lobby. What with the way the ranger is staring.

    The elderly woman has her hair in two tight braids to keep its clear frizziness in check, and I can¡¯t really tell her age. Maybe mid-sixties or seventies? She¡¯s clearly stayed healthy, whatever the case.

    Something¡¯s off about her uniform¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s different but what¡¯s setting me off¨C Oh. She doesn¡¯t have a rank anywhere.

    That¡¯s probably bad.

    The unknown woman smiles, leaning on a cane that I¡¯m not sure she needs, ¡°Ranger Onaga. I see you¡¯ve brought all your partners,¡± She says, scanning over us with all too sharp eyes.

    To her credit, Onaga doesn¡¯t falter at all, standing at attention, ¡°Chair Erma. Two of them were involved in the incident earlier today, and one is¡­¡± she winces, ¡°Relatively dependent, at the moment.¡±

    That¡¯s a fair breakdown I¡¯d say, but Chair Erma?

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel intimidated, Miss Onaga. I simply felt the need to be present for the upcoming events,¡± The elderly woman, reassures. ¡°That, and my partner, Riley, will be seeing to your own companions. Would you please follow me.¡±

    Wow, that¡¯s something alright. She managed to make the request sound like a command by sheer presence alone.

    I think I understand who this woman is. She¡¯s the person in charge here. Which I guess means¡­ she¡¯s Onaga¡¯s boss¡¯ boss¡¯ boss¡¯ boss. Or something like that.

    Damn.

    She leads us through several stone-brick hallways before we enter a very¡­ retro looking conference room. Or modern, by the current year¡¯s standards.

    There are several people waiting already. A ranger, a man in a suit, another man in a suit, and¨C A lucario?

    I almost do a double-take because she¡¯s tripping something in my mind with how she looks. Of course, it¡¯s not the first time a pokemon has done that, but she¡¯s shorter than I would have expected, for starters. She¡¯s¡­ old, too. Graying around the snout and ears. But her short fur means I can see just how wiry her frame is. Also, those pointy metal things look sharp.

    She¡¯s holding a clipboard, and I get that the games and cartoons were stylized, but why do all pokemon hands have to look so monstrous? At least she has three fingers to go with the thumb¡­

    ¡°If you¡¯d take a seat, ma¡¯am,¡± one of the suited men says, gesturing at a chair, ¡°Your pokemon will need to¨C¡±

    ¡°I will remind you, representative,¡± Erma says, and oh that tone of voice, ¡°That the League¡¯s involvement in this is a gesture, not a requirement.¡± She then turns an eye on only two of us, ignoring the man¡¯s reaction, ¡°Ranger Weaver, Misdreavus, I¡¯d ask you to speak with Riley, please,¡± She indicates the lucario, ¡°About the events surrounding the Nabiki tidal cave and the machine found there. We will be speaking with Onaga about the same.¡±

    Well, there¡¯s definitely something going on there, but I want nothing to do with it. Glancing at the lucario in the room, I float over.

    ¡°Spirit,¡± She greets before kneeling and beckoning me to lower myself, ¡°I do hope you are well.¡± She looks behind me, and I turn to see Weaver hesitating, glancing between Onaga and everyone else before slowly making her way over.

    ¡°Are you truly a spirit?¡± The lucario asks.

    Ah, an immediate curveball. What?

    She¡¯s looking at me, so, ¡°Um¡­ Maybe?¡±

    ¡°I was merely curious, forgive me,¡± Riley, bows her head, her black tassel-like-things lifting for a moment, ¡°I¡­ see. I am sorry for your death.¡± What? Oh, right, the weird life-sense thing they can apparently do. At least most pokemon aren¡¯t all that interested in asking about my previous life.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a strange few weeks,¡± I say, shaking my head, ¡°Though I¡¯m honestly glad to hear anything about ghosts that I can.¡±

    ¡°They really are,¡± Weaver backs me up, keeping an ear angled toward the humans¡ªand Espeon, ¡°Even if they¡¯re genuinely terrible at following up on that. Or asking about it. Or talking to people.¡±

    Thank you, Weaver, you¡¯re the best.

    ¡°It is strange. Their aura is, quite simply, not. Alive, yet without life. I am surprised they can even speak,¡± The elderly pokemon says, pulling a pen from her clipboard and looking up at me, ¡°I must admit, being so close to you, spirit, is¡­ uncomfortable for me. However, Sasako has asked for everything you can tell me of today¡¯s events as you remember them.¡±

    Sasako? ¡­Wait, no, does she mean I¡¯m missing something that¡¯s needed to be ¡®alive¡¯? Am I actually undead?

    Weaver snickers, refocusing my attention as she breaks out into a cackle before she gets it under control, ¡°Hey, hey Smokey. How much do you think you can tell her?¡±

    I force a smile, even as Riley cocks her head, ¡°Depends on how long we want to be here.¡±

    That makes the lucario¡¯s eyes sharpen, zeroing in on me, ¡°What Do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I can tell you everything,¡± I say. ¡°Right down to the number of times each zubat beat their wings.¡±

    ***

    ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s politics?¡± I ask, watching the ranger, the Sienna Federal Investigation Department agent¡ªwhat a mouthful¡ªand the ¡®League¡¯ representative, all continue to try to get Onaga¡¯s facts straight.

    Erma left shortly after the whole thing began, apparently being needed elsewhere.

    ¡°An unfortunate necessity of operating a large force, for humans,¡± Riley confirms, rereading what I and then Weaver told her. ¡°The League seems incapable of trusting us to continue doing what we have for decades without their oversight.¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    I¡¯ve heard comments about this¡­ ¡°And this has been happening since¨C¡±

    ¡°Late last year. They wanted ranger branches,¡± Weaver finishes for me.

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly how it happened, though I suppose it¡¯s close enough,¡± Riley says, distractedly, ¡°Erma has wanted to expand the Union for some time. Into Sinnoh. The League made Hoenn a requirement as well.¡±

    Okay¡­ She¡¯s genuinely angry, not that you could tell by looking at her. So, a touchy subject for some reason.

    I rejoin Weaver in watching as one man questions Onaga while another questions him. It¡¯s pretty clear the Rangers mostly have what they want, including a thorough questioning of Onaga¡¯s decision-making process.

    ¡°How much longer do you think they¡¯ll be at it?¡± I ask.

    ¡°That depends,¡± The lucario comments, her¡­ whatever they¡¯re called, tassel-things, rising as she closes her eyes, ¡°Sasako is still in a meeting with Hastings and his team, I find it unlikely the representative will end his questions without her prompting.¡± Opening her eyes, she turns her gaze on me for a moment before returning to what she¡¯d written, ¡°I don¡¯t believe I will need any more from you. I understand if you want to return to Onaga, however, I also know you are a new partner.¡± She gestures outward, paw-hand palm up, ¡°You may wander If you wish. Indeed, I¡¯d ask you leave simply for my concentration. I will find you if needed.¡±

    Oh. Okay¡­ I glance at Weaver to see her shrugging. Well, it¡¯s not like I can get lost. And I am a bit interested in seeing the rest of this castle¡­

    ¡°Thank you?¡± ¡­That¡¯s not supposed to be a question, Charlie.

    ¡°It is courtesy,¡± Riley responds, once more fully focused on her work.

    I suppose. With one last look at the room, I decide to see if there¡¯s a dungeon here.

    Huh. There is, but it¡¯s mostly empty save for a for¡­ Oh, it¡¯s being used for storage, makes sense.

    Now fully phased out, I check¨C

    That¡¯s new. Riley¡¯s sphere just¡­ ends. No falloff or fading, just a wall of ____. Honestly, I half expected her to look like the the aura scenes from that one movie, but other than the perfect sphere, she looks like any other pokemon.

    Maybe I should ask about aura if she¡¯s done when I get back. Unless that¡¯s some kind of secret? But pokemon don¡¯t generally seem to treat things that way¡­

    I¡¯ll need to think about it.

    On that note, there¡¯s a modern castle to look around. Empty barracks, an office with a few people in it, a courtyard with an eevee, not sure what that room is, an empty mess hall¡­ Damn. It¡¯s one thing to hear the people at a single branch complain about staff shortages, it¡¯s another to see a place like this with so few people. What about the tower?

    More people than before, but¡­ still not a lot. A few pokemon, some humans with the telltale intensity of rangers, and more that are simply gray¡­ Oh, there are a lot of people in that room. Why¨C Ah, that¡¯s the machine we brought in. It, uh, looks like emotions are running high in there.

    Should I get a taste? Mmm. Hmm¡­ I probably shouldn¡¯t. Oh well.

    Continuing up, passing more semi-empty floors, I eventually reach where all the trees are growing out of the building. Except they aren¡¯t trees, apparently.

    This is, without a doubt, one of the coolest places I¡¯ve ever been. I phase in just to appreciate it.

    The top of the building is a glass dome with trellises on the outside of it mimicking trees, while inside is a large open space filled with various seats and tables, the floor¡¯s a mix of light and dark brown tiles. It¡­ takes me longer than it should to notice the breeze, but I spot the open¨C Is that a balcony? No, wait, is that a landing pad??

    This place is very stylish. Who designed it? Can I meet them?

    And where the hell is everybody?!

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°But it makes no sense!¡± Shin continues to insist. ¡°The Friendship Blaster only works because a life, an aura, powers it!¡±

    None of the mechanics in the room have dared to speak against my old friend, and, in truth, for good reason. He is the only person who fully understands how his inventions work. Or at least, he was.

    ¡°And yet,¡± I prompt.

    ¡°And yet,¡± Shin sighs, falling into a chair, ¡°The machine is an oversized version with no way to house life, but, from what you¡¯ve said, the effects match¡­ reasonably with negative broadcasting.¡± He rubs his temples, hands over eyes, leaning back almost far enough to fall out of his seat, ¡°There was clearly something connected to the conduit lines, plural, yet I¡¯ve no idea what. Yes, the generator housed inside could theoretically make up for some of the power needs, and I intend to test the mechanism with our own devices, but you can¡¯t create emotion wholesale from nothing!¡±

    ¡°I believe we were lucky there,¡± I muse, catching Shin¡¯s attention as he uncovers one eye. ¡°Miss Onaga, the ranger who found the machine, had two partners with her at the time. A dark-type and a ghost-type.¡±

    Shinbara leans forward, chair clattering as he moves a hand to his beard, ¡°A type that uses emotion, and a type that eats them¡­¡± He mutters. ¡°You¡¯re right if that¡¯s the case. How did the ranger brea¨C disable the machine?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t,¡± I tell him, ¡°Her partner, Misdreavus, did.¡± I scan down the report Holt handed to me only half an hour ago, ¡°Onaga described the process as, and I¡¯m quoting, ¡®The pokemon glaring at the device hard enough to burn the air around it.¡¯ And, when asked to describe in detail, ¡®Black and purple wisps appeared seemingly at random around the top of the device, being somehow uncomfortable to look at.¡¯ Again, when asked to elaborate, ¡®It felt as though my eyes didn¡¯t want to focus and my brain itched.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there something about the League pressuring you to let some researchers in to study the ghost?¡± Shin asks, standing now that he¡¯s restless enough to go back to prodding the strange machine in the room.

    ¡°Rowan only arrived recently, though thankfully without any incidents so far,¡± I confirm. ¡°You want to know more about Misdreavus?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know what the pokemon did, exactly,¡± He says, poking around the blackened crater at the heart of the disassembled device again.

    I give a meaningful look in the direction of the conference room I left Miss Onaga and Riley in, knowing my partner will pick up on the sudden shift in my attention.

    ¡°Hastings, sir?¡± One of the mechanics, a Mister Ambrand if I¡¯m not mistaken, says.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Shin replies, not truly paying any attention yet.

    ¡°We, um¡­ Could you take a look at this, please?¡± The man asks, gesturing to the bench he¡¯s working at and the piece of the machine on it.

    Shinbara does so, poking at a tool on the table, then double-taking and swiftly moving back to the components on his own mobile bench.

    ¡°That kind of tensile strength¡­¡± He mutters, now inspecting the frame of the machine more closely. ¡°The armor must be designed to stand up to a directed effort by a pokemon, but on its own¡­¡±

    Before I can ask what he means, Riley¡ªdisplaying her typical alacrity¡ªenters the room.

    ¡°Lu¡¯rio,¡± She greets. ¡°Cario lu lucario?¡±

    ¡°Hastings was wondering what Misdreavus had said about how they ¡®disabled¡¯ his newest headache,¡± I answer. ¡°It¡¯s been long enough that I assume you already finished?¡±

    ¡°Rio¡¯lu,¡± she confirms, then hesitates before handing me what she wrote down, ¡°Lucario car, rio car lu.¡±

    I pause halfway through taking the clipboard. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s true?¡±

    ¡°Lu,¡± she says, nodding and indicating the several pages worth of guaranteed accurate testimony.

    ¡°Shin,¡± I say, not at all caring we¡¯re at work, ¡°I think you¡¯re about to be very happy.¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¡°Little Ryu!¡± Opa greets me, having apparently been waiting outside.

    ¡°Opa!¡± I return, not breaking stride until we¡¯re hugging.

    I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised they managed to get a rooftop condo, Oma made a lot of money during her time as a professional battle trainer.

    ¡°Things didn¡¯t take as long as they could have, so I¡¯ll be headed back to Vientown,¡± I tell him, breaking the hug, ¡°But I hope you were serious about dinner.¡±

    ¡°Maeve would never let me get away with that,¡± He chuckles, moving to open the door. ¡°I have made¡­ soup,¡± He says, looking away dubiously, beckoning me inside.

    At least Weaver isn¡¯t acting as hostile this time, even if she is watching him.

    Unsurprisingly, despite having been with us a moment ago, Misdreavus is nowhere to be seen.

    The pokemon I can see make their way inside before Opa and I follow, ¡°Ryuko,¡± Oma greets a little less enthusiastically, as I find a coat hanger to hold my utility belt.

    The foyer and dining room are the same space, that¡¯s unusual here.

    ¡°Oma,¡± I smile her way. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t stay too long, but I need to head back to Vientown soon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± She says, standing to hug me. ¡°Not to sound rude, but we aren¡¯t exactly prepared to host you overnight.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Opa says, making his way to where I assume the kitchen is, ¡°And for no other reason.¡±

    I don¡¯t miss the pointed look Oma gives him, all but confirming there¡¯s some other reason they wouldn¡¯t want to have me stay the night as she steps away to sit down again. ¡°How has your work been since we last saw you?¡± She asks, looking back at me. ¡°I know something must have happened.¡±

    ¡°Busier than I¡¯d like,¡± I admit, giving her a questioning glance as I pick a seat. She nods, so I carefully set myself down. ¡°A few incidents, early mornings and late nights.¡± I sigh, ¡°I wish I could say more, but you know how it is. Maybe I could tell you about older stuff¡­¡± How was ¡®active¡¯ defined again?

    ¡°Do you still expect things to slow down at all?¡± She asks.

    Not a chance, at this rate. ¡°Maybe,¡± I deflect, not wanting to worry her, ¡°It depends on what the Union does soon.¡±

    Oma hums, once again looking in the direction Opa went, ¡°Well, tonight, at least, is for family.¡±

    I feel something soft and cold press against me and look down to see Weaver leaning into my side, uncharacteristically restrained.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I say, rubbing the base of her crest, ¡°I need to make more time for that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something I learned a long time ago,¡± Oma returns, resting her hands on her lap, ¡°Life will never give you time, it only takes it. I¡¯m sorry your father never made any for you.¡±

    I have to let out a bitter laugh at that, ¡°Oh, he did. He tried to keep me from getting to the boat to the academy on time, did you know that?¡± I shake my head, then sigh, ¡°I didn¡¯t really notice it all until I was here and away.¡±

    ¡°We did not either,¡± Opa says, entering the room with a large pot, ¡°That is, we failed to truly see until after you had left.¡± Setting the pot down on a cloth, he turns around to head back, ¡°However, you became better. Be proud.¡±

    I watch him go before deciding to shift the focus away from Father, ¡°Have you heard from Uncle Finn, or my brothers at all?¡±

    ¡°We wrote them that we¡¯d finished moving and where, and gave them our new number,¡± Oma says, smiling, ¡°Finnegan is working as a tournament head, now. He asked me to say hello for him. And that he¡¯s still disappointed you never became a trainer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you let him spend too much time with Kiera,¡± I reply, both of us chuckling.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have¨C¡± She cuts herself off, then continues, ¡°Well, I could have asked for a better babysitter, but between her or some of the others¡­¡±

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    I know I¡¯m being a bit rude right now, but it¡¯s between that or awkward. At least I¡¯d gotten a good view of the city before phasing out. Rooftop condo, nice place.

    I look back at everyone having dinner at the nice, if rather small, table. Weaver¡¯s a bit subdued, and she¡¯s been that way since we got here. It¡¯s certainly strange to have such a clean silhouette of her. On the other hand, Espeon¡¯s been almost ecstatic, I assume because Onaga¡¯s so happy.

    I like that they both got chairs, despite the squeeze. Although I suppose it would be hypocritical if they didn¡¯t.

    Onaga¡¯s grandparents, though¡­ Well, there isn¡¯t really anything new compared to the last time I saw them. Maeve, the grandmother, is still a human beacon. While Liam, the zoroark, is a near-flat plane of darkness.

    I¡¯m more interested in how he¡¯s bending things around him. I can¡¯t tell how he¡¯s doing it, and I think I¡¯m only seeing the effect, not the process. After all, all that color is coming from Maeve, not him.

    Not for the first time, Liam¡¯s silhouette¡ªthe fox-headed one, not the warped color¡ªturns to look at me for a moment. Yes, I know you know I¡¯m here, I¡¯m not exactly hiding. Or¡­ No, I am, but I¡¯m not putting effort into it.

    Not sure how I¡¯d actually hide, anyway, given I don¡¯t know how you can tell I¡¯m here.

    He hasn¡¯t said anything, but, since Weaver can speak here, I¡¯d bet he can too. I still don¡¯t know how she does that¡­

    Honestly, I feel a bit bad for Weaver. She has to be feeling¡ªor forcing herself not to feel¡ªawkward right now, and, since I don¡¯t taste anything nasty, I¡¯m assuming the former. I think that¡¯s how that works?

    Now that I think of it, I should probably try to learn more¡­ powers? Types? I don¡¯t think they¡¯re the same thing, but what¡¯s the real difference?

    Back to creepily watching the proceedings. Knowing the general mood is ¡®happy¡¯ is nice. I could even hear what they¡¯re talking about if I phased in enough, but¡­ I think that would be creepier.

    Or, and hear me out here Charlie, you dumbass, it might make things easier between you and everyone. Wouldn¡¯t that be a good thing?

    Maybe. But this seems like a family thing¡­ Well, Espeon and Weaver are involved, but I repeat myself.

    ¡­

    I¡¯m making this harder on myself than it needs to be.

    Moving down so I¡¯m not ominously hovering over everyone, I bring my eyes¡ªand the rest of my senses¡ªback into reality.

    ¡°¨Cergal never was one for words,¡± The grandmother says. ¡°I remember when we had to cross the Driftveil channel¡ªthe bridge hadn¡¯t been finished yet. He didn¡¯t say anything, he simply walked to the edge of that drop and looked back at me.¡± She sighs wistfully, ¡°I hope he¡¯s well, wherever he is.¡±

    Both her and Liam¡¯s eyes move to me, and even Onaga turns around for a moment to see what they¡¯re looking at. She looks like she wants to say something, but holds back.

    ¡°And you would be the third partner Ryu was telling us about,¡± Liam says, standing as he starts to clean up. ¡°I would have offered you a bowl, perhaps some bread, though it is a bit late for that now.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Onaga regretfully agrees, looking at her watch. ¡°We should get going before we end up needing to wait for the next train.¡± She pauses halfway while getting up, ¡°When do you think we could do this again?¡±

    ¡°Liam and I were planning on spending some time in Vientown around June or July,¡± Maeve says, giving her husband a look.

    Onaga once more hugs her grandparents, one and then the other, ¡°That might work out, I¡¯ll have to ask my boss about it.¡± Stepping back, she takes a moment to re-equip herself, ¡°Thank you, again, for doing this.¡±

    The exchange of pleasantries continues for maybe a bit too long before We all head out the door¨C

    A blinking red sign appears in front of me, changing into a pointing hand. Looking past it, no one else has stopped. Well, there can only be one source for this.

    Rotating to look back, I consider ignoring it for a moment. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m being asked to go back, but, on the other hand, this might be the best chance I get to ask the zoroark about illusions.

    ¡­Why not? I can catch up to Onaga easily enough.

    Entering through the wall, I see Maeve still sitting at the table. She spots me, then shakes her head ruefully, ¡°Liam¡­¡± she says in a warning tone.

    ¡°Consider it for my peace of mind,¡± A very different voice says, its owner almost seeming to melt through where the door is. He looks¡­ a lot like I remember the game sprite. Black and red, massive hair. ¡­Six feet tall.

    ¡°This is about the faller, is it?¡± Maeve asks. ¡®The faller¡¯? And what¡¯s with her voice all of a sudden?

    The large fox shakes his head, then points at me, ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re here, now.¡±

    Wait¡­

    ¡°Liam.¡±

    ¡°I investigated around that forest,¡± The zoroark defends himself. ¡°There were no new humans that anyone could recall, but,¡± He once more gestures at me, ¡°There was a new resident relatively around where the event had to have been. Also, look at their reaction.¡±

    He can¡¯t mean¡­

    Maeve sighs, looking at me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my husband¡¯s antics.¡± Then to Liam, ¡°We agreed to no more shenanigans.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I need to know.¡±

    ¡°Wh¨C What is happening right now?¡± I finally manage to speak up. ¡°Are you saying that people just¡­ appearing here is normal?!¡±

    ¡°Now look at what you¡¯ve done, dear,¡± The elderly woman says before turning back to me, ¡°For a certain definition of normal, it is,¡± She softly tells me. ¡°I think what Liam wants to know, however, is whether you were given a purpose when it happened.¡±

    ¡°How would I know!¡± ¡­Okay, calm down. ¡°I¨C I died and then I was here. And I¡¯ve been wondering if there was a reason or if it just happened and how my family is doing or if I¡¯d see my friends¨C¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough,¡± The woman says, halting my rambling, and I can tell she¡¯s putting as much ¡®grandma¡¯ into it as she can. And there¡¯s definitely something different about her words¡­ ¡°You poor dear,¡± She pauses for a moment, exchanging a look with the fox as he nods ashamedly, ¡°I won¡¯t be the one to apologize for Liam, merely to say it¡¯s a trait his kind share.¡±

    ¡°I was simply worried for Maeve and Ryuko,¡± The fox says, bowing his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I brought you distress in the process. If there¡¯s something I can do to make it right, simply ask.¡±

    I¡­ Is¡­ What¨C ¡°Answers,¡± I reply. No! Say more idiot! ¡°I have some questions.¡±

 Chapter 33

    Finally getting some straight answers has been nice, but¡­

    <blockquote>

    [Objective Complete: Speak to a fellow faller] [You have reached lvl. 25 HP: 54 + 3 Atk: 28 + 1 Def: 30 + 2 Sp.Atk: 49 + 4 Sd.Def: 45 + 4 Spd: 45 + 3]

    [Current Objectives: Complete ranger partner training, ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€, ¨€il¨€ the Wo¨€¨€¨€ ¨€at¨€¨€, Discover how to enter the realm of your chosen deity: {Dialga}]

    [New Objective: Reach lvl. 26]

    [New Objective: Evolve]

    [New Objective: Find a mate]

    [New Objective: Discover why the tangent-space portal deposited you at location 9.6020+3]

    </blockquote>

    That. I manage to take something off the list after all this time, and three more things get added. I jumped up two levels though, so now I know how much EXP the harder objectives give.

    One of the unrevealed objectives is showing me something now, too, but that ¡®tangent-space portal¡¯ in the new one only cements my recent choice. FUCK YOU, PALKIA!

    And no, I¡¯m not trying to distract myself from the other new objective, that would be absurd. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been trying to avoid thinking about that eventuality since I got here or anything.

    ¡­I guess level twenty-five really does make me an adult, then. Great. I¡¯d thought Weaver was kidding about that.

    ***

    ¡°So¡­¡± I begin, not really sure what else to say.

    ¡°So,¡± Leaf says back to me, incredibly nervous.

    His feelings toward me make more sense now. He¡¯s level thirty, which means he¡¯s probably had that objective sitting there for a while. The only reason I¡¯m even at level twenty-five is [Faller Acceleration: Divine - Increases¨C] Nope, not this time, I can shut you up now.

    I glance back at the cat before quickly looking away again. Not that it helps since [Spiritual Basis - You have been¨C] Shut up! Anyway, yeah, since that gives me perfect memory. Fuck, I wasn¡¯t ready to have the ¡®adult¡¯ part of my brain switched back on so suddenly, and Weaver teasing me about it¡­ Oh gods.

    Turns out there¡¯s a pretty big downside to [Faller]¡¯s ¡®compatibility¡¯ bonus. Everyone looks good. Human, pokemon, male, female it doesn¡¯t matter as long as they¡¯re over level twenty. Not twenty-five, for some reason. Makes me glad, and maybe a bit disappointed, that humans seem to stall out at three.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying yes just yet,¡± I preempt, ¡°But I¡¯d be willing to try a few dates, at least.¡±

    ¡°A few¡­¡± The cute green feline trails off, glancing up at where I know my special symbols are for him. ¡°That¡¯s a, um, human thing, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sort of a ¡®make sure it can work¡¯ test,¡± I inform him.

    ¡°That sounds nice,¡± He slowly nods.

    ***

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    <blockquote>

    [Misdreavus ¡â/Error ¨C Trace: {Spiritual Basis}(ToFix ~ W)/¡á lvl. 27

    Traits: Faller, Distorted:26%, Chosen {Unknown}, Spiritual Basis. Abilities: Levitate, Cursed Body {Spiritual Basis}, Pressure {Distorted>20%}, Faller acceleration: Divine.

    Known Moves: Growl, Confusion, Astonish, Confuse Ray, Calm Mind, Mean Look, Hex.

    HP: 61 Atk: 32 Def: 35 Sp.Atk: 60 + 300% Sd.Def: 54 + 300% Spd: 53]

    [Faller: You are not a native to this hypersphere. Increases compatibility to {total}. Grants a version of Faller Acceleration dependent on egress type.]

    [Distorted: You have have been touched by a distorting force. Increased Distortion will lead to unintended effects.(ToFix ~ W)]

    [Chosen: ¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€]

    [Spiritual Basis: You have been pulled from the spiritual realm by an unknown force. Removes all biological faults and needs. May have further effects.(Beta ~ W)]

    </blockquote>

    I wave the windows away, they¡¯ve served their purpose, as the three-hundred percent bonuses attest to. Two more levels. Two more fucking levels and all it took was¨C

    ¡°So¡­ Smokey, How¡¯d you date go this time?¡± Weaver asks, shit eating grin fully in place. She can see my level, she already knows.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about this with you,¡± I say flatly. ¡°Not if you¡¯re going to be like that right now.¡±

    The black weasel-cat freezes, blinking once before her whole demeanor shifts, ¡°Sorry. So, you two are official now?¡± She asks, much more softly.

    ¡°It¡­ seems so.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t know what to think of it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Weaver¡¯s quiet for a few seconds before, ¡°Was he any good?¡±

    The¨C

    ¡ø¡ø¡ø

    <hr>

    ¨‹¨‹¨‹

    ¨CLook I turn on Weaver literally starts peeling paint off the walls, ¡°Okay, no,¡± I tell her. ¡°I like the basics of the system, don¡¯t get me wrong, but this is taking it too far,¡± While I speak, I¡¯m already spinning the simulacrum down.

    ¡°Come on,¡± She grins, evilly, ¡°Its funny, you¡¯re so good at playing younger you! And don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t thought about how handsome Leaf is now, with how well you played that date.¡±

    I roll my eyes. ¡°Weaver,¡± I sweetly say, gently lifting the rule sheet she just passed me, ¡°This is a table that you roll on for how good sex is, and its results. I¡¯m not going to judge you for fantasizing about Leaf, but I will for adding this.¡± I give her a look. It rolls off her like so much snow on her winter coat, ¡°I¡¯m not going to role-play this further. Doubly so while you¡¯re acting as GM. Triply so while I¡¯m maintaining the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Ugh,¡± She pouts, ¡°You and Raichu are the only people awake right now!¡± I raise an eyebrow at that, and Weaver rolls her eyes, ¡°You know what I mean. So, should we try a different scenario?¡±

    ¡°Weaver,¡± I declare, ¡°I know the mission earlier got you going. That¡¯s fine, good for you. But if you need to get laid then go do that instead of whatever this is.¡±

    I still don¡¯t get how most pokemon tick, intimacy wise. Ghosts simply don¡¯t work the same way, physically. However, I¡¯m giving Weaver a lot of leeway on dragging me into stuff after that¡­ Well, yeah, after that. Adding all this to a TTRPG is a bit too much, though.

    Today¡¯s been a little weird, overall. Still not the weirdest, somehow, but up there.

    My friend frowns, then sighs dramatically, ¡°You¡¯re right. Do you think Absol or Frosty would be willing to help?¡±

    ¡°They worship the ground you walk on, so yes. And they¡¯ll both be insufferable afterward no matter who you go with.¡± Knowing her, I¡¯m betting on the ice-type sandslash.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ But I still want to finish testing out this system,¡± Weaver muses. ¡°And I need you for that. We also need to get the new rules put away before Ryu¨C¡± She cuts herself off, going still.

    Oh? Ooh! I suddenly have a great idea. Snagging as much incriminating evidence as I can in the fraction of a second I have, I shift it and myself out before Weaver can stop me.

    It¡¯s not enough on its own, but that¡¯s why I can move through walls and floors. Now, where¡¯s Ryuko?

    ¡°You get that oversized hat of yours back here!¡± The feline calls into the void after me.

    I cackle right back, already zeroing in on my target. I just need to wake her up without disturbing anyone else. Simple.

    I¡¯m very good at precision and not at all going to mess this up.